Sprint lane debate once and for all!!!!

[brent_L]

Paul & Kev, you've knocked me for six with those winning barrier stats! I, like Kev would love to take a look at those figures Paul??
Kev, it shouldn't take long for u to tell us what the average price was of those 10 winners from gates 6 & 7.......surely longer than the 2/1 in probability they have shown up at hey?

[Messenger]

I was doing these stats with some thought of personally profiting from my work - just can't keep a secret can I lol

[Messenger]

When I was following my failed Blackbooker last Thursday, Laura Crossland on Smo in the 1x1 showed the way to beat the sprint lane advantage. Admittedly the Lead and Death were vulnerable and it was a very small field (Small fields is something I have raised before - as an alternative with sprint lane tracks but I think I am the only one who liked the idea LOL) but by going early Smo negated the Sprint Lane which looked odds on to win

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ic#QYC23101401

[Richard prior]

Off topic a touch here Kev but noticed Laura was fined, WTF??? I've watched the replay a few times and can't see where she's done anything wrong.

[Messenger]

Laura Crossland driver of Smo NZ was fined $200 under rule 156(2) for applying the whip to her drive on a number of occasions with a free hand prior to the designated 200m mark and with more than a wrist and elbow flicking motion over the concluding stages of the race.

http://www.harness.org.au/stewards-r...&fromstate=vic

[Big K]

Well its a great thread with plenty of for's and against.A mate of mine is a pro punter and he bets on GP,he doesn't want the size of the track to alter nor does he want a sprint lane.He says he can quite confidently bet on the outcome knowing that even if his horse settles towards the rear it will get carted into the race by its mate.Have seen plenty of horses at GP chewing on the bit hoping to get a crack at them as the leader struggles and the swoopers join in.For me its a crime to see horses hard held up the straight and not get the opportunity to improve their position.Then hear my other mates say "Ya cant get a run for your money" and then they bet like hell on the gallops.As a stakeholder in the industry I want more people to bet on the Trots of course..and sprint lanes may help with this as at the tab people do ask if there is a sprint lane at such n such a place.Well if sprint lanes are no good then whats the answer to get more betting turnover?? At a recent industry meeting I put forward a suggestion to race on the 1000mt straight at the Pinjarra gallops track..you know trying to be innovative,no horses getting locked in and such,a new dimension..but nearly got laughed out of the joint.We need to be trying as many things as we can to get this sport back into the main frame.Watched the clip from Ireland with pacers being ridden,allbeit on bitumen roads(pretty crazy)..I watched some old footage as well of when ridden and driven horses raced each other..and thought is it still possible?? I think we need to try these things and get creative for this very vesitile sport.Just some thoughts thats all.

[Messenger]

Laura Crossland driver of Smo NZ was fined $200 under rule 156(2) for applying the whip to her drive on a number of occasions with a free hand prior to the designated 200m mark and with more than a wrist and elbow flicking motion over the concluding stages of the race.

http://www.harness.org.au/stewards-r...&fromstate=vic

Heard it this time - he said Darryl Douglas found his own sprint lane

[Richard prior]

Laura Crossland driver of Smo NZ was fined $200 under rule 156(2) for applying the whip to her drive on a number of occasions with a free hand prior to the designated 200m mark and with more than a wrist and elbow flicking motion over the concluding stages of the race.

http://www.harness.org.au/stewards-r...&fromstate=vic

Thanks Kev, Wayne told me the exact same a bit earlier, I definitley need study the rule book, I'll get Monty and Wayne to give me some tuition.

[The Form Student]

Heard it this time - he said Darryl Douglas found his own sprint lane

You could be going senile also!........you put it on the wrong thread! "LOL" -

[Messenger]

Well its a great thread with plenty of for's and against.A mate of mine is a pro punter and he bets on GP,he doesn't want the size of the track to alter nor does he want a sprint lane.He says he can quite confidently bet on the outcome knowing that even if his horse settles towards the rear it will get carted into the race by its mate.Have seen plenty of horses at GP chewing on the bit hoping to get a crack at them as the leader struggles and the swoopers join in.For me its a crime to see horses hard held up the straight and not get the opportunity to improve their position.Then hear my other mates say "Ya cant get a run for your money" and then they bet like hell on the gallops.As a stakeholder in the industry I want more people to bet on the Trots of course..and sprint lanes may help with this as at the tab people do ask if there is a sprint lane at such n such a place.Well if sprint lanes are no good then whats the answer to get more betting turnover?? At a recent industry meeting I put forward a suggestion to race on the 1000mt straight at the Pinjarra gallops track..you know trying to be innovative,no horses getting locked in and such,a new dimension..but nearly got laughed out of the joint.We need to be trying as many things as we can to get this sport back into the main frame.Watched the clip from Ireland with pacers being ridden,allbeit on bitumen roads(pretty crazy)..I watched some old footage as well of when ridden and driven horses raced each other..and thought is it still possible?? I think we need to try these things and get creative for this very vesitile sport.Just some thoughts thats all.

Totally agree Kevin - we have to consider everything
I wouldn't rule out racing on big grass gallops tracks
As much as I love an amphitheatre type track (and have taken a pot shot at Horsham for being too distant) - the fact is that there are very few attending the races anyway so it comes down to what would look best on TV.
When I have attended big gallops meetings I sometimes look around the dining rooms etc and half the people are not even watching the races so if we were to make our racing an entertainment event and have people attend, the size of the track probably does not matter (except to crazies like me). We could become a binocular/TV monitor sport until the home str
The horses look 100% better on camera on the green grass and I remember the MV grass races where nobody could complain about not getting a run. I have not tuned into any NZ grass racing but will have to
Of course the obsession with MR' s would be a problem

Whatever we go with - even double sprint lanes, the camera work has to be much better - more exciting