IDEAS on how we can improve Harness Racing

[KTQ]

If not for the fact we have 2 in it, it would have slipped past me but theres a 1150m race at Bunbury Saturday. The occasional different length of race makes for interesting viewing! Man im excited!

[boondocks]

Redcliffe have heats 9-16 of their Hot Rods Series this evening. The HRA website form guide for Redcliffe has most of the conditions in the race conditions.
As a quick guide races are over 947m with a maximum of five starters and there are only five selected drivers for the entire meeting.
The fastest time in the previous heats is 65.63 and the fastest time overall wins $10000.

Why am i am excited?
Anecdotally I believe we more or less match the greyhounds in the informed betting market but they kill us in attracting the casual punter. Their format is simple and punters can easily follow their rapid product.
We need to compete in this market with a quickfire product that is viable during peak times(in betting and visibility). As an aside the 25 minutes between races would give trainers, drivers and staff an earlier finish and an improved quality of life.

[Messenger]

I'll tune in thanks to your post Terry.
65.63 = 1.51.5 MR
I have to admit that Katie's 1150m race last night was more exciting than many miles that I have seen

ps I notice that Dashing Hannah who set the 1.51.5 is going around in R6 (It is only 20min between most races)

[Messenger]

Another close finish in R1 but they let themselves down by not posting the overall time (important in this series) even though Sky gave them far more latitude than I expected - have to say someone stuffed up

[Messenger]

Only R1 on Sky1 Terry - that is a big downer (to turnover)

Note: They went 64.8 in the last heat

[Halwes]

7

I'll tune in thanks to your post Terry.
65.63 = 1.51.5 MR
I have to admit that Katie's 1150m race last night was more exciting than many miles that I have seen

ps I notice that Dashing Hannah who set the 1.51.5 is going around in R6 (It is only 20min between most races)

While I love to see sprints, you need to see long journey events that demonstate stamina and sprinting combined, you know 3000 metres, where runs are made during those longer journeys... I love to see horses three wide for a lap or too,then death seat, then going strongly to the line hard and still winning.. Menagle is an example where pacing is diluted with so many meetings , nearly every second day.. it dulls the brain..having less meetings and increasing purses may help. But big race scheduling over longer journeys are very exciting.As I keep on saying, I'd travel a long way to see the brilliance and stamina of great horses like beloved Halwes. I'd go to the nsw interdominion if they had some longer journeys.That is what excites me. It's a shame to feel that you like to think you can add good contribution to ' debates ' about the future of pacing, but no one in authority seems ' connected' to the type of thinking I like to put forward. I must admit I didn't like the decision to leave Moonee Valley.. not sure of circumference of track there, but it doesn't matter now.

[aussiebreno]

While I love to see sprints, you need to see long journey events that demonstate stamina and sprinting combined, you know 3000 metres, where runs are made during those longer journeys... I love to see horses three wide for a lap or too,then death seat, then going strongly to the line hard and still winning.. Menagle is an example where pacing is diluted with so many meetings , nearly every second day.. it dulls the brain..having less meetings and increasing purses may help. But big race scheduling over longer journeys are very exciting.As I keep on saying, I'd travel a long way to see the brilliance and stamina of great horses like beloved Halwes. I'd go to the nsw interdominion if they had some longer journeys.That is what excites me

They have better drug testing these days!

[Halwes]

They have better drug testing these days!

I think you are suggesting that Halwes was nobbled... in the all heats he won in the interdomion in the late sixties when he thrashed them all

[aussiebreno]

I think you are suggesting that Halwes was nobbled... in the all heats he won in the interdomion in the late sixties when he thrashed them all

No, just generally speaking.

[Messenger]

Nobbled would normally mean to disable a horse to prevent it from winning. Here we are talking about horses being supercharged. In Victoria you can be found guilty of attempting it and still train 3 winners at Bendigo last night