Buller Rep Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 Someone must have accidentally pointed your irrigation in the direction of your (Foxton) rain gauge. Aren’t you now based in Rangiora? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buller Rep Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/intense-weather-ahead-tasman-rain-maker-due-to-douse-new-zealand/J755B76XPRBMZJNCXD2WZIAWMQ/ I doubt Foxton will even get 100mm out of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 7 hours ago, Buller Rep said: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/intense-weather-ahead-tasman-rain-maker-due-to-douse-new-zealand/J755B76XPRBMZJNCXD2WZIAWMQ/ I doubt Foxton will even get 100mm out of this. No. Probably get an inch later in the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Haha and we cant even run a meeting on our new so called mega track...what a joke we are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 On 4/8/2024 at 6:06 PM, Buller Rep said: Ellerslie will, there is no doubt. The new Awapuni track not so well, as it's not a StrathAyr track. It is simply a standard track with better drainage, sand slitting and a sand carpet like Te Rapa. Foxton not a hope as there are other factors at play. We have hardly had any rain for weeks yet Foxton is soft for tomorrows trials. Whilst I love my horses trialing there, Leggy/Curious and mates have created the biggest myth in racing around Foxton. 😄 Care to recant BR lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 What a joke...heads should roll but you bet nothing happens a bullshit report will be commissioned and another load of waffle will be put out to placate everyone...but they can throw as much as they want at stakes but it fixes nothing our tracks not even the new whizzbang ones are not up to scratch ...and sorry but thats a fact....!!!!!!!! 55 million and its still not right, horses going amiss, races abandoned... and we all accept it...oh it needs time to bed in...give me strength....but nothing will change thats a fact sadly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 I think this is separate to the mismanagement of track maintenance and renovation and the allocation of money from Entain towards an overall track renovation regime. Ellerslie have done the right thing and spent a lot of money on a complete track rebuild, with a proven system. It is just that something has gone terribly wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 1 minute ago, Hesi said: I think this is separate to the mismanagement of track maintenance and renovation and the allocation of money from Entain towards an overall track renovation regime. Ellerslie have done the right thing and spent a lot of money on a complete track rebuild, with a proven system. It is just that something has gone terribly wrong. No it has been misspent or if it was correctly spent it would not have these continued issues...or am I missing something??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 Strathayr would have been closely involved in the installation, and still advising, so something has slipped through the cracks I'm just wondering, if it was that they seeded the grass in place at Ellerslie, whereas in Aus, Strathayr pre-grow the turf, then it is laid in much the same way as they do Ready Lawn here in NZ, except on a far grander scale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 8 minutes ago, Hesi said: Ellerslie have done the right thing and spent a lot of money on a complete track rebuild, with a proven system. It is just that something has gone terribly wrong. I think you have been hoodwinked. Where do you see the system has been proven in a climate such as Aucklands. I've long stated that it was unlikely to deliver what many were saying. They took a chance and even tried to prevent major issues by not operating during winter. But even that wasn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 Seems to work at Moonee Valley. Auckland has a similar climate except more rain in Winter and Spring, but these problems have occurred in Summer and early Autumn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 23 minutes ago, Hesi said: Strathayr would have been closely involved in the installation, and still advising, so something has slipped through the cracks I'm just wondering, if it was that they seeded the grass in place at Ellerslie, whereas in Aus, Strathayr pre-grow the turf, then it is laid in much the same way as they do Ready Lawn here in NZ, except on a far grander scale Come on Hesi stop trying to defend the indefeasible...its not been done correctly and heads should roll...we are not talking about a track revamp...this is a BRAND NEW 55 million $$$$ project there is no excuse for it not to be 100% correct unless they did things differently to the project managers suggestions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 Not defending them, just pointing out, that as you say a lot of money has been spent with good intent (why would it not be) but something has gone badly wrong. I'm pretty sure heads will roll, and i think the main one will be Bruce Sharrock, even though he probably had little directly to do with Ellerslie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Nah he will protect his butt it will be some other poor minow if anyone is sacrificed which I doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slam dunk Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 I played the Ellerslie Golf Course the other day. Couldn't find many holes there. Maybe should have played the track. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Blue Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 1 minute ago, Hesi said: a lot of money has been spent with good intent (why would it not be) but something has gone badly wrong. exactly right . one of those completely thankless jobs . building a racetrack . with 500 kg beasts charging flat out on it. A true Recipe for disaster. Eagle Farm was cutting up badly 2013 , so was closed for 2 years from 2014 for the mega re-modelling . re-opened and carved up again 2016- 2017 , re-done and still a disaster by 2021 when some trainers not even nominating to race on it anymore . so a Third re-surface was done. and 3rd time lucky seems to be playing well from late 2022 thank goodness. and Brisbane has great climate too and can race all year round. gets a bit dry in the Spring these days so need lot of watering then. possibly too much sand in the Ellerslie surface construct? always makes it a bit shifty no matter what the weather. Complete re-do needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Report 2024-04-10 Ellerslie (1).pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 30 minutes ago, Hesi said: Seems to work at Moonee Valley. Auckland has a similar climate except more rain in Winter and Spring, but these problems have occurred in Summer and early Autumn You are kidding - surely. I lived in Melbourne for 10 years. And the climate resembles Aucklands in the same way that a sparrow resembles a giraffe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Clearly something not right with the track. I think the track manager got caught between a rock and a hard place yesterday. Participants have been complaining the track is too firm so he decided to irrigate. I'm absolutely no expert on this but don't the subsequent issues today point to a drainage problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 2 minutes ago, pete said: Clearly something not right with the track. I think the track manager got caught between a rock and a hard place yesterday. Participants have been complaining the track is too firm so he decided to irrigate. I'm absolutely no expert on this but don't the subsequent issues today point to a drainage problem? I don't understand why they didn't just build a turf track. May have still had similar issues, but the costs would be well down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 1 minute ago, mardigras said: I don't understand why they didn't just build a turf track. May have still had similar issues, but the costs would be well down. A touch of big noting maybe. Big city arrogance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 (edited) The brilliant Dillon on the matter a few years back. Twice the cost and half the result. It has proved sensational at Melbourne's Moonee Valley and in close to 20 years since its introduction there has never been a wet weather abandonment on a StrathAyr track. It's all-weather, is enormously forgiving on horses' legs, has high load-bearing capabilities, wears better, needs less irrigation and lower maintenance costs than conventional turf surfaces. Without quotes, it might cost $20 million to $25 million for Ellerslie, a figure beyond any racing club here, but this is an industry issue, not a club issue. Racing clubs will not agree with this, but clubs are a vehicle for racing, they are not the racing industry itself. EVERY decision should be seen from an industry point of view. It is an inescapable fact that the industry needs Ellerslie as its showcase. There is no better course to win a race on. There is no city with anywhere near the population to draw on. Edited April 10 by curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Ask a simple question. If this system is so good, why didn't Flemington rebuild using Strathayr? Why didn't Randwick do that also. (Let's not even bring Kensington into that discussion). If it is superior to turf, these pinnacle courses would want it, and would have the money to build it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 (edited) Kensington track at Randwick to be replaced > Australia and International Horse Racing news updated daily (thoroughbrednews.com.au) What happened here @Hesi Edited April 10 by mardigras Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 44 minutes ago, mardigras said: You are kidding - surely. I lived in Melbourne for 10 years. And the climate resembles Aucklands in the same way that a sparrow resembles a giraffe Have a look at the climate graphs for Auckland and Melbourne, similar temp range, sunlight hours the only notable difference is as I said, a lot more rain in Auckland in Winter and Spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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