Happy Sunrise Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 So they run the Franklin Cup with 4 starters. If harness racing folk think they are well served by this current administration, good luck to them. Blind support like this for 4 sets of owners, trainers etc while 99.99% of the rest will be taking a 10% pay cut soon enough is lunacy. Most people don't give a toss though, that is evident by the lack of reaction to the reductions. When the next lot of reductions eventually arrive, and they will, I hope they don't start jumping up and down when their liveliihoods are risk. You had plenty of warning. Harness racing is heading in the direction it deserves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 On 12/27/2022 at 5:34 PM, Happy Sunrise said: HRNZ just got handed a late Xmas present, the 2 group races at Auckland have 2 and 4 horses in them. They shouldn't run which would result in a saving of $90 000 in combined stakes . I hope they don't scout for horses out of their depth to boost numbers because it still makes the race a joke. Oh dear not good. Just catching up on things & read this. Cambridge has its feature races scrubbed this weekend by the looks. Sad for the club to have both go. https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/double-whammy-for-cambridge-as-hrnz-scrubs-both-feature-races-on-saturday-night/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 (edited) 21 minutes ago, karrotsishere said: Oh dear not good. Just catching up on things & read this. Cambridge has its feature races scrubbed this weekend by the looks. Sad for the club to have both go. https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/double-whammy-for-cambridge-as-hrnz-scrubs-both-feature-races-on-saturday-night/ The article says that Camb CEO suggested to handicapper A Morris to reduce stakes of both to $15k each, but that idea was shot down. Also states that HRNZ CEO is on holiday & he was unable to get hold of the Chairman to protest this. Come on Harness NZ folks get rid of these people. They are clueless. Why not race for less $. Come on $15k & it could of gone ahead, both races. This handicapper, whats his deal? How old is he? Maybe he needs to go? Why do maidens come out at R50 or R49 or R48 & then face pref barrier draws in the North? Eg the race at Camb R43 - R50 is pref barrier. Lets say a maiden has form line 4 starts only 4531 was MR49 so then after win pops out as R49. Or even it has form line 441 & pops out at R50. And automatically faces pref draw against experienced hardened multiple race winners. Crazy handicapping system. No wonder people sell. Edited January 3, 2023 by karrotsishere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 If you want evidence the industry has no one leading it this situation reinforces it. 1 hour ago, karrotsishere said: The article says that Camb CEO suggested to handicapper A Morris to reduce stakes of both to $15k each, but that idea was shot down. Yet, they reduced the stake of the Franklin Cup was week because only 4 runners were in it. 1 hour ago, karrotsishere said: states that HRNZ CEO is on holiday & he was unable to get hold of the Chairman to protest this. Crisis? What crisis? They should always be making decisions. If you are getting paid what they are, you are on call 24/7. The 2 articles raise interesting points, Lincoln Farms again following their own agenda. An exciting finish has nothing to do with the viability of last week's race. Thinking it is a long term promotional tool is delusional as well. The money bet on the race was so small it would not match a maiden at Otaki. A measly $4800 in the win pool. While last week’s Lincoln Farms’ sponsored Franklin Cup would have been a loss for the industry with a stake of $50,000 and reduced betting it still proved a great showcase, and a long-term promotional tool with a big crowd and one of the most exciting finishes of the year when Copy That was nailed in the last stride by Alta Wiseguy after an engrossing mid-race chase from his back mark. David Branch is quite rightly frustrated but pinning his hopes on HRNZ finding a solution seem slim since they are indecisive. They can either make a statement and say 5 or less equals no race, no exceptions or they can keep having these high class races and reduce the stakes accordingly. Running the races at a loss is just not sustainable. Either way is not ideal but there has to be a decision made. Phil Williamson must be so pissed off through wasting time and money. The lack of leadership yet again is diminishing confidence in the industry at a great rate. “It’s incredibly frustrating to put it nicely and Harness Racing New Zealand needs to find a solution to this problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 (edited) As per article Happy both HRNZ CEO G Woodham & Chairman J Colham who both need to go, as well as this handicapper A Morris - who hung up the phone on Camb CEO D Branch. What a xyz doing that. How rude & unprofessional. How can he think that is ok to do? Williamson has packed up & gone home, can only feel for him & his owners as well as the club. So now the next trot race at Camb likely wont go ahead due to not enough runners! More people need to put in official complaints about these specific people running the show to get them out. Put the pressure on. Article says they were both on holiday, Coulam & Woodham. Add in Morris too. Re - big crowd as per that article NYEs eve Alex. Thats BS. Heard from 2 people that attended, it was NOT. Top of the Park was shut! And the overall crowd was small. Terrible for NYE eve where people are looking to do something. https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/top-southern-trainer-packs-his-bags-and-goes-home-after-hrnz-cans-cambridge-features/ Edited January 4, 2023 by karrotsishere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 40 minutes ago, karrotsishere said: A Morris - who hung up the phone on Camb CEO D Branch. Not much hope if this kind of carry on is happening. This is serious, consider an owner with a Phil Williamson trotter up there, no races for it, transport costs and looming 10% reduction in stakes coming. Why bother racing a harness horse? 41 minutes ago, karrotsishere said: Re - big crowd as per that article NYEs eve Alex. Thats BS. Heard from 2 people that attended, it was NOT. Maybe the big crowd was relative to what they usually get 😂 Oamakau looked big on the TV, Mot was large (though poor to non existent internet due to the crowd was frustrating for many and since it was so hot everyone had to use the stand which meant sitting on by estimation 25 year old bird shit which is everywhere, the club need to literally sort there shit out with this issue as it is embarrassing) and Westport and Reefton were their normal buoyant self. Addington and Alexandra Park are the weakest crowd wise as no one wants to attend a concrete jungle but the reality is no one really cares about attendance. It is all about turnover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 (edited) Phil Williamson: “It’s very disappointing,” Williamson said. “But then a lot of things are disappointing in the game at the moment. “It’s disappointing HRNZ doesn’t listen to more of the industry’s participants who own the horses.” Graham Bowen, Chairman of Cambridge: Bowen said he could see no solutions coming out of HRNZ, only road blocks. 1 hour ago, karrotsishere said: HRNZ CEO G Woodham & Chairman J Colham who both need to go Getting to a point after all the shambles this year that questions have to be asked. What surprises me, is that people are still looking to HRNZ for leadership, there clearly is none and that was shown by the debacle over the proposed handicapping of the NZ Cup. Edited January 4, 2023 by Happy Sunrise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 (edited) 51 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Maybe the big crowd was relative to what they usually get 😂 Oamakau looked big on the TV, Mot was large (though poor to non existent internet due to the crowd was frustrating for many and since it was so hot everyone had to use the stand which meant sitting on by estimation 25 year old bird shit which is everywhere, the club need to literally sort there shit out with this issue as it is embarrassing) and Westport and Reefton were their normal buoyant self. Addington and Alexandra Park are the weakest crowd wise as no one wants to attend a concrete jungle but the reality is no one really cares about attendance. It is all about turnover. Here you go Happy, did some sniffing around. Heres a screen shot from their website of the crowd NYE. It doesnt look BIG to me. Of course as you say their definition of Big & mine or people I know that went maybe different. 1 thing for certain tho, the main attraction room Top of the Park was shut = zero people were up there. Edited January 4, 2023 by karrotsishere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Not sure Williamson should be heading home, next week is a group 3 race so according to Morris logic it will run like the Franklin Cup did. Phil has 2 runners, probably only need one more lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Just now, karrotsishere said: Here is a pic from their website of the crowd NYE. The metropolis of Reefton can generate a bigger crowd. Lincoln Farms will do anything to justify their position on the viability of the Franklin Cup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 5 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: The metropolis of Reefton can generate a bigger crowd. Lincoln Farms will do anything to justify their position on the viability of the Franklin Cup. Here is another pic of NYE on their website the BIG BIG crowd lol. The pix are under racing blog under NYE. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 11 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Not sure Williamson should be heading home, next week is a group 3 race so according to Morris logic it will run like the Franklin Cup did. Phil has 2 runners, probably only need one more lol. Hopefully things are going on in the background & he stays up in the North. Camb are the only club currently that make any sense & do the right things. Good on them for speaking up at least to Lincoln Farms journo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Just now, karrotsishere said: Good on them for speaking up at least to Lincoln Farms journo. While I believe Lincoln Farms are firmly out for themselves, they and Brad Reid seem to be the only 'official' voices who are willing to speak up. The rest are bought and paid for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Who needs to move the Hall of Fame when you have all those carpark spaces available on race night. Just park the cars between the punters. Hardly Times Square in NYC or even the Timaru Trots in winter on a rainy day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 30 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: While I believe Lincoln Farms are firmly out for themselves, they and Brad Reid seem to be the only 'official' voices who are willing to speak up. The rest are bought and paid for. Agree. While teasing about this 1 off slip up, mostly I have found in the past they have very good articles that are informative, same goes for B Reid. Does anyone know who the Northern trainer is that is leaving to go to Aussie soon, as they are worried about the state of racing in North & dont think it will be around too muc h longer? Was in some article, maybe on HRNZ or Harness Express? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trotslover Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Kyle marshall 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 (edited) Thanks Trotslover. Edited January 4, 2023 by karrotsishere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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