aussie NZ cooperation

[triplev123]

I get very annoyed from an Owner's point of view re Racing opportunities.
I realise that some clashes simply cannot be avoided but if there was greater co-ordination and a little more give & take (both Australia wide and from NZ) then I am certain many of them could be avoided. A lot of it is sheer bloodymindedness I'm sure. Good horses come along so rarely that should you be lucky enough to get one...the structure of the Stakes season should be such that it is possible/feasible to travel and race all over Australia & NZ should you so desire. Have good horse, will travel.

[Don Corleone]

Totally 100% agree with you Nat. Here in NZ we only have 2 major clubs and up till a season or 2 ago they were each trying to grab each others headlines. My own club used to hold a very sucessful 4 year old group race. A club in the same island as us decided they would hold a 4 year old race a few days beofre ours and increase their stake, so we increased our stake and they increased theirs..........hopeless. We were both trying to grab the best 4 year olds from the same pool of horses. In the end both races for a few years had substandard fields. A bit of collaberation could of stopped both clubs wasting close on a 100k.
Lets get together (over a nice red) map out a plan that shows those who don't know about Harness Racing what a brilliant industry it is. Get our Smokin Up's, Let Me Thru, Annicka, Smiling Shards, Sushi Shushi out into the limelight where they belong. Promote the hell out of them.

[Flashing Red]

I'm of the completely opposite opinion to you Buster. I could not be more opposed to such an approach. Invites in such races are a complete & utter wank.
If the various aspirants can't or if they don't show up in order to compete in the lead up races or Heats or whatever...then up theirs. Someone else who does can take their place. That should include the Miracle Mile too btw.

I agree with you. If a horse can't run in the first half of a field in an elimination, there is good argument that it shouldn't be in the final. However, I also would prefer to see mutliple opportunities (ie staged eliminations over a couple of weeks) - if you can't run in the first 5 two weeks in a row - you really SHOULDN'T be in a final.
How political the Miracle Mile selection is, is just a negative aspect to the race and really takes away from its credibility IMHO. Last Miracle Mile, Melpark Major's connections were told they would not receive an invite if they didn't travel to try and qualify, despite Melpark Major's last start win over eventual Miracle Mile winner Smoken Up. Glen Douglas REFUSED to travel Make Mine Cullen, but SHE had DIFFERENT rules. Granted, she was the best mare in Australia at the time, but the best horses in Australasia is no race for a mare, or any horse having its first grand circuit start. The Miracle Mile is not the race to see if you can go with the big boys (no matter what your sex). Save that for the Truer, the SA Cup, the Len Smith, whatever. NOT the Miracle Mile. They could have put her in the Legends Mile, won by Villagem. But they dodged that and put her in an easier mares race on that night. BOTH horses refused to travel. One horse was told that they wouldn't get in because of this. This horse was a grand circuit winner and was started to run back into some form, beating nice horses. The other was given special treatment for no stated reason. She had not competed in a grand circuit race before and had dodged a traditional invite race in the Legends Mile. THAT is why I like heats/eliminations. It removes the politics out of selection.

[Flashing Red]

I get very annoyed from an Owner's point of view re Racing opportunities.
I realise that some clashes simply cannot be avoided but if there was greater co-ordination and a little more give & take (both Australia wide and from NZ) then I am certain many of them could be avoided. A lot of it is sheer bloodymindedness I'm sure. Good horses come along so rarely that should you be lucky enough to get one...the structure of the Stakes season should be such that it is possible/feasible to travel and race all over Australia & NZ should you so desire. Have good horse, will travel.

Here here, I agree!

[buster]

flash, i see your point, that is why there should only be 1 invite issued for the nz winner of derby /messenger, so then everyone knows where they stand and no aspect of politics

[Flashing Red]

If it was automatic "win this group 1 race and you're in" maybe that would be OK too. I just HATE politics in race selection!

[aussiebreno]

flash, i see your point, that is why there should only be 1 invite issued for the nz winner of derby /messenger, so then everyone knows where they stand and no aspect of politics

So you were for Rohan Home starting in the Miracle Mile? A look back through you posts would suggest you werent

[Flashing Red]

So you were for Rohan Home starting in the Miracle Mile? A look back through you posts would suggest you werent

They can have between 6 - 8 horses. If I remember correctly (I may not! lol!) I suggested that that particular Miracle Mile should have only had 6 runners, IMHO. However, since this discretion came into force (ie minimum 6 runners, maximum 8) they have ALWAYS had 8. I don't think they should feel obliged to fill those two extra spots to allow potentially the "next rung" of horses through (but I'm assuming they do for turnover?). Perhaps I was discussing this when people were discussing about "their" Miracle Mile fields or using the Newcastle Mile as a reason to give a token NSW horse a run. I can't remember directly saying I didn't feel the horse shouldn't be in there (but I'm sure if I did you will quickly point that out!) as I have always liked/stood up (cough*buster*cough) for the horse in the past... I didn't think the last Newcastle Mile was an "automatic" entry... wasn't there still some discretion involved? I understand it to be an automatic qualifier from now on, however?

[buster]

who said i thought the newcastle mile should be an invite race? it is really on the same level as the nz cup?

[aussiebreno]

I agree with you FR, they dont use the 6 or 7 horse field discretion for turnover reasons.
I wont scourge through your history; I reckon you wouldnt have been vocal against the horse just because of your nature! Buster on the other hand I reckon he wouldnt have wanted Rohan Home in (didnt actually look through his posting). Newcastle Mile hasnt been automatic entry in past (even though most get invited anyway) havent heard about the change to automatic now but that is interesting and will cause plenty of debate come November!

And my bad, I thought Rohan Home won the Cordina (automatic invite)not the Newcastle...now I remember Our Malabar going crazy and Washakie winning in a then record...but point stands because the Cordina winner rarely places in the Miracle Mile. How does the NSW officials know a year in advance that the Cordina winner will be a worthy addition, or if the NZ Derby/Messenger winner will be a worthy addition to the field? They cant get it 100% right a week or two out (Rohan Home/MMC) let alone a year out when the race conditions would be written