I have never been convinced that Labour Day Monday is a great choice for Horsham to host a special meet
You are not going to attract many long weekenders as they are on their way home - you might get a dozen (I saw 3 caravans parked today and of course there will be some cars)
There will also be locals that have gone away
I dropped in for races 2-4 before the 40min spacing kicked in (and I have been on this day before)
The weather was good
The club heavily promotes their Drivers Championship and had a special womens luncheon on
There was a pony trot and a MC doing plenty of interviews (he should have been in front of the grandstand instead of the parade ring)
We still need more to do between races. The club does not do dining and the ladies had the lounge with the track view this year.
I am NOT complaining about the clubs efforts
My concern is the opposite - the effort they put in for so little return
I did a couple of counts and although there was well over 100 in attendance, it was not close to 200 (even with the 30? ladies)
I know people say crowds are not important but I am not one of them
ps Entry is free
Last edited by Messenger; 03-11-2019 at 09:08 PM. Reason: ps
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Dot has always said we need something like this
at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Jackpot Hi-5 had a carryover of $525,140 entering the mandatory payout and horseplayers came out in full force to take their shot.
A total of $2,818,293 of new money was wagered on the Hi-5.
http://www.harnesslink.com/Canada/-2...n-Jackpot-Hi-5
No wonder!
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Todays meeting at Cranbourne- 48 starters in 7 races (after scratchings). Field sizes 5,6,5,6,8,8,10.
Personally I think it's time to take some meeting away from them and run them where there are more horses. The small horse population in the east and traffic congestion stopping others going there just seems a wasted chance of getting any decent turnover. Yet HRV continue to persist pouring $ into them just because of a large human population in the area.
They seem to get more $7k races than most other clubs, and still can't get runners. it just doesn't make sense to me.
Why is it that they don't have Monday night meetings ? 4 day meetings on today and no night meeting. Night meetings usually bring higher turnover . Why leave the dogs to get the good turnover ?
Don't die wondering !
I don't know whether we can use the traffic congestion as a reason
Melton folk can go the long way around and still get there a lot quicker than the 6hr each way trips that some are making to Mildura!
ps 6 scratching did not help those numbers
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Originally Posted by gutwagon
Most of Cranbourne's meetings are Sunday afternoons next season to alleviate the traffic issues
A lot of horses play up in traffic snarls Kev.
Have done this long way around from the north. Slow enough quite late on a Saturday afternoon
https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/-...1557844800!3e0
North East link 2027? Will be good for western/Melton trainers if they haven't sold out to developers by then.
Warragul got pretty good fields for the Sunday arvo Cup meet. Quite a few from Melton/the west and, of course, San Carlo from the north.
Surprised a couple more from the north didn't head down. We thought it wouldn't be too bad a trip but the field/noms were a bit too good for us. Promoted too well by Kyle
If they still fail to get decent numbers something has to be done. They are currently dragging the industry down. I still get the feeling that they are only being propped up because the racing ministers electorate is on that side of town. Or the committee has some influence over HRV.
Last edited by gutwagon; 05-14-2019 at 01:55 PM.
Don't die wondering !
Or maybe we don't want to write off one of the most populated areas of Australia?
It is our Sydney Swans experiment
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
If your going to use the Swans as your anology Kev then the formerly very successful Cranbourne harness racing region of Ted Demmler and Noel Alexander/Jayne Davies and a young puppet is the original South Melbourne that couldn’t remain viable in the AFL and moved to Sydney to become the very successful Sydney Swans.
Which equates to the Cranbourne club “moving” to a region in which it could grow and thrive rather then remaining where it is with, as the Swans found in South Melbourne, a paucity of local talent as the demographic changed that could no longer keep the club competitive with other clubs.
Not meaning to offend anyone but that is the history of the very successful Swans in a nutshell.......
Get a grip people! Cranbourne sure has boomed since I first caught a rail-motor with a mate there in 1972 then walked a mile and a half through paddocks to the track. Then, had to kill in an hour and a half before the returning train arrived!
Today, Cranbourne trots boasts excellent facilities and ease of access via freeway all the way from Melton (just pay the toll, stop complaining!). It has a top-notch harness training complex while our industry "showpiece" (Melton) has nothing - despite what was hinted / promised in the conceptual stages.
Get a good run and it takes no time to get to Cranny. Just try driving to Melton from the east of the state on a Friday night and you will see what traffic and gridlock is like.
In the early part of this century I made a comment to a couple of committee members from the Warragul club that the biggest threat facing that club's future was the perception it was still was more than a two hours drive from the city. The fact that it was freeway all the way from the city - at minimum 6 lanes to Pakenham seems to have been lost in the mist of time. Small fields will always result while people cling to false perceptions. Owners and trainers need to support Cranbourne and Warragul and they will return that support.
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