Victoria Cup moved from The Summer Of Glory program

[Messenger]

Kev, I have been through Yarra valley a couple of times during my Victorian stint a few years ago and I am sure it didn't have an ocean 70 metres from its racetrack. But then again it was about 10 years ago so things may have changed

Give me the mountains over the beach any day Pat
I lived in the Yarra Valley looking down on the track for 24 years
and now I live in Halls Gap - so you could say I have form

[Toohard]

They could try investing in a neon sign with a pacing horse on it (like the Dandy ham pig or Skipping Girl) to attract interest from passing traffic, with changing text to highlight the various offers/events that take place there.

Hahahaha yep that'd do it!!

[Toohard]

Yep, a good old fashioned neon sign. I remember (grey matter permitting) Globe Derby had one on the highway when I first went there in the '70's. I drove around the joint when I was over there earlier this year and I don't reckon they could afford the electricity for the sign. Even if they could it would probably black-out South Australia (it's happened for less). The poor old joint looked derelict and is badly in need of a few hundred litres of paint.

It's a moot point to say people won't go to Melton because if there was a roof the "grand"stand. I won't go there because there isn't one! A chicken and the egg argument. And I am trying to see the value in your statement, Paul, that "you won't increase turnover putting on races with more prizemoney". I guess the horses in the $3500 are generally poorer - how does an afternoon meeting at Globe Derby fair on turnover? Bottom line - poorer the stakemoney, poorer the horses, poorer the spectacle, poorer the image of the sport.

Based on that, I reckon I am going to start training some of those bloody big, musclebound flies you get down my way. See which breed climbs up the wall quicker. Should suit serial gamblers with long pockets and short attention spans. Sky could probably cross to the flies on Sky 1 just as the field scores up for the Hunter Cup! (Time for medication, now bed!)

Gday Trevor, Meant you won't make things better putting on 10k races you can't afford. No expert on it but there is a pool of money that you have to allocate as prizemoney. That's all there is. Pool is 39m this year I think.

Buts lets say it was 100k. Lets say take from turnover per race = 9k. So can put on 10 x 10k races and lose money on them. Next year got 90k to use. 9 x 10k races... less races less turnover less money... keep going backwards

Or put on 30 x 3k races. Take from turnover still be 9k. 30 x 9k = 270k. Next year 270k to use.... more races more money.

Very basic example but just trying to show what new admin is trying to do. Won't increase turnover by putting more stakes for same number of races. Need more races. So need to reduce prizemoney. Hopefully it short term thing. Won't change overnight but had to something. Things been going backwards for years and if kept going then harness racing dies.

Told last 3 months since it started everything is up. Field sizes, number of races, etc. But things not change overnight. Whats the alternative?

Don't know can compare to what happen in SA. They maybe left it too late. Horse population has dwindled so can't put on more races.

Also been over to Globe Derby few times recent years too. The power actually went off on course one night! Went over to watch Smoken Up and probably the best nights racing have been to in recent years. Yes very sad what venue has become.

And yes ... short attention spans! another problem..

[Toohard]

Some good points all around. The CEO will have a certain timeframe to get his act together and reduce debt. But you most definitely have to get more people to the races and if you cant get them in a major growth corridor you will never get them. I would like to see what would happen if you got an extra 1000 people to Melton on a Friday night and how much money they would rake in- if it was $10k there is two supplementary races paid for. I am not convinced that racing for less money is the answer. From the owners viewpoint paying the big time trainers is not cheap either and you have to win races, it does not get easier especially with the prizemoney hitting almost rockbottom.
I would like to see the comparison in turnover between Friday night at Melton and Menangle on Saturday night to provide some evidence about increasing turnover and why one may be better than the other.

Kev, I have been through Yarra valley a couple of times during my Victorian stint a few years ago and I am sure it didn't have an ocean 70 metres from its racetrack. But then again it was about 10 years ago so things may have changed

Gday Pat

From the very limited numbers that are available that I've seen, Melton turnover bigger than Menangle. Vic got no money from selling track like NSW did. Also see NSW reduce prizemoney on races too. Interesting (and surprising} from what I saw that everything was down in Vic except for ownership numbers. Owner numbers gone up. Guessing because more syndicated horses but it's a positive.

[Mighty Atom]

That list was interesting Rod but all over the place (no pun intended) How would you include Burnie, if simply being picturesque is enough then they would have to have included Yarra Glen. He also showed that there is no logic to his list when he said it was a coin toss between Bunbury and Pinjara for number 8 and yet the loser did not get the 9 or 10 spot

You're right Kev, didn't agree with any of it except for number 1 of course.

[Showgrounds]

The most spectacular harness racing track in the world has to be Kaikoura. Spectacular to watch on TV as well. I have been there but, unfortunately, not on on a race day. The entrance to the track is from a road that runs between the beach front and the back straight and around the home turn. The buildings and stables are perched back against a cliff. I had a pretty smart, if "emotional", horse at the time and thought he'd go into a wild gallop every time a wave broke.

Harness racing and whale watching from the one venue. A hard combination to top!

[Messenger]

The most spectacular harness racing track in the world has to be Kaikoura. Spectacular to watch on TV as well. I have been there but, unfortunately, not on on a race day. The entrance to the track is from a road that runs between the beach front and the back straight and around the home turn. The buildings and stables are perched back against a cliff. I had a pretty smart, if "emotional", horse at the time and thought he'd go into a wild gallop every time a wave broke.

Harness racing and whale watching from the one venue. A hard combination to top!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iwDXVotqjCE

[Fan of Jate]

The kiwis know how to put on a good day at the races and when you have a location like that you wish you could be there on that big day to experience it.