Covid 19 Racing

[Messenger]

Ray Chaplin has produced an analysis of Regional Racing in Vic so far which includes:

Inner West (Melton& Ballarat) $676,000 stakes allocated (including 15 x $12,000 races)
Central (Bendigo) $495,500 stakes allocated (including 5 x $12,000 races)
East (Kilmore & Cranbourne) $440,000 stakes allocated (including 3 x $12,000 races)
North West (Shepparton) $355,000 (including 4 x $12,000 races)
North West (Mildura) $321,000 (including 4 x $12,000 races)
West (Terang & Stawell) $319,000 (including 6 x $12,000 races)

The top 3 regions have been allocated $1,611,000 or 62% of the total $2,606,000 stake money allocated for April 2020 whilst the bottom three regions have been allocated $995,000 or 38%

The top 3 regions ran 23 $12,000 races (62%) whilst the bottom three ran 14 (38%)

One of the key concerns is that many participants are unable to race their good horses for many of the $12,000 events due to the regional racing model and its restrictions which prohibits same


Possibly the regions should not be all the same as these geographical groupings may have very different size horse populations and very different classes of horses
(A bit like Council Shires eg Horsham shire is half the land size of neighbouring Yarriambiack shire but Horsham has twice the population)

The above figures are only up until April 24 so that after last night and projecting to the end of the month (Regional racing started on April 2)
Inner West will have had 19 $12k races
but the West (who is last for prizemoney in the above article) will have had 8 $12k races (second most)


This is wrong - Ray's figures were until the end of the month
Let's trust there is method/reason behind these differences

[gutwagon]

Yes the regions would have to include every track, and probably 4 regions. I think we need to stop the top 10 trainers taking around 80% of the money.

[Messenger]

I think we could have got away with 3 regions Rick

1 Inner Central and East: Melton, Geelong, Kilmore, Cranbourne and Warragul
2 Ballarat and everything West but only as North as Horsham
3 Bendigo and everything North of it along the Calder all the way to Mildura plus Shepparton

It would have created the possibility of strong meetings/races in all 3 regions and therefore a more even spread of prizemoney
At the time it would have been criticized for the potential loss of one third of the state for a couple of weeks if a Covid case presented but as it turns out there has been none (that we have heard of)

I agree with you that regional racing could be all over soon and I could see June 1 being a likely date provided the virus stays under wraps in Oz

[Messenger]

It is too late to change the regions, as I have suggested above
BUT not too late to combine some to make 3 stronger regions
Let's combine
1. Bendigo + Stawell-Terang + Mildura (Central + West + North West)
2 Shepparton + Cranbourne-Kilmore (North East + East)
3 Ballarat-Melton (Inner West) stays as is
It would be easy to do and could be brought in almost immediately as a preliminary step towards a return to normal racing

[aussiebreno]

Not a criticism of anything in the slightest because its just the situation we're in but LOL @ NR70s in Shep having to race Lochinvar Art every week! Not that connections would be laughing.

[Messenger]

Noel has been keeping stats on his beloved Bendigo

For the month of April Bendigo hosted 7 meets and 56 races
53 races were won by 29 different Bendigo district trainers (3 by Maryborough district trainers)
Other than the Disqualified One (my words not Noel's) who won 9, no other trainer won more than 4

16 different Drivers (15 from the Bendigo district) won races but Ashwood, Tormey and Lakey won 29 of the 56

It does seem that Regional racing is spreading the winnings here

[Adaptor]

Noel has been keeping stats on his beloved Bendigo

For the month of April Bendigo hosted 7 meets and 56 races
53 races were won by 29 different Bendigo district trainers (3 by Maryborough district trainers)
Other than the Disqualified One (my words not Noel's) who won 9, no other trainer won more than 4

16 different Drivers (15 from the Bendigo district) won races but Ashwood, Tormey and Lakey won 29 of the 56

It does seem that Regional racing is spreading the winnings here

And apologies from me..so much racing at Bendigo that I left out the whole of the meeting stats for April 27.
So

For the month of April Bendigo hosted 8 meets and 64 races
61 races were won by 29 different Bendigo district trainers (3 by Maryborough district trainers)

Douglas won 10, no other trainer won more than 4
Shaun McNaulty 4
Kate Hargreaves 4
Gary Donaldson 3
Keith Cotchin 3
Trevor Patching 3


15 different Drivers won races but Ashwood, Tormey and Lakey won 32 of the 56..Ashwood13, Tormey 10, Lakey 9.

Sorry for the confusion....

[Messenger]

Very small fields at Melton tonight
6, 7, 6, 5, 8 (max), 8 (max), 7, 6.

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...s/?mc=MX020520

While at Menangle 10 in every bar one which has 9

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...s/?mc=PC020520

[Messenger]

HRNSW are reducing prizemoney by 20%
I wonder whether they considered just reducing Menangle instead

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...ost-reductions

[aussiebreno]

HRNSW are reducing prizemoney by 20%
I wonder whether they considered just reducing Menangle instead

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...ost-reductions

Menangle prizemoney is largely derived by NSWHRC not HRNSW.