Harness & Greyhounds - Perth Turf Talk

Saturday Narrogin 8 races, all of them at maximum field sizes plus 2 emergencies.

Monday GP 11 races (3 heats of the Diamond) 6 x 12, 3 x 9 and 2 x 8. The 5 "not full" fields are 4 x 2yo and 1 x 3yo race.

Tuesday Bunbury 9 races, 7 x 12, 2 x 10. One of the 10's is the Concession Drivers Race which is the maximum, the other is the stand.

Records show we never saw these numbers under HWOE.

Bit of colic in the Manning Stable and a little ambulance ride to RPH. Spoke at length this evening and he is recovering well and was actually quite chipper. Good thing his great old mate Danny Miller phoned him on Sunday and realised all was not well, and got things rolling.

No doubt Hayden and the others at The West will be covering for him for the next few weeks.

Pretty sure Ern will bounce back as he always does.

In order to get some sequence and flow into the current sporadic Country Cups Calendar arrangement where there is no linked flow, sequence or class structure:

Pinjarra, Bunbury and Northam to accommodate the higher class horses rated NR 90 - 120.
3 x $30,000 Cup races, Preferential Barrier Draw
Bonus fund of $45,000 for allocation to winner of all or at least two of the Cups. (Cost neutral based on existing stakes)
Programming dates to coincide with Public and Summer School holidays.
For example, Pinjarra on the March Long weekend, Bunbury during the January Holiday break etc

Silver Class

Wagin, Narrogin and Albany to accommodate the mid range horses NR 65 - 90.
3 x $20,000 Cup races, Preferential Barrier Draw
Bonus fund of $25,000 for distribution as above
Programming dates to coincide with established pre-existing local community events.
For example, Wagin Woolarama, Albany Festival etc

Bronze Class

Collie, Busselton and Bridgetown to accommodate the lower grade horses NR 50 - 65
3 x $15,000 Cup races
Bonus fund of $10,000 for distribution as above
Programming dates to coincide with existing holiday and local comunity events.
For example, Bridgetown Blues Festival, Busselton Australia Day etc

Each club mandated to allocate promotional funding and activities from pre-existing funding reserves with the long term goal of fund recuperation based on increased on course attendance, food and beverage sales as the concept becomes established.

Promotional activities to include:

Food vans
local markets
local promotions
Band and entertainment post meeting with free entry and extended licence arrangements in place as per the NSW Carnival of Cups.
Entertainment to apply to both daytime and night time racing venues, with earlier starts available if deemed desirable.

Further Programming Options for Standing Start Races to be programmed with some date, sequence and lead up stand races.

Return the Fremantle Cup to a handicapped stand (with discretionary handicap options available if deemed suitable).
Include the following events on the schedule which are currently standing start events:
BOTRA Cup, Easter Cup, Marathon Stakes, York Cup plus Race For The Roses plus other races deemed suitable for addition
Programme lead up stands specifically for horses aiming at these races
Allocate a bonus fund for distribution after class fronts are determined.
Series Sponsorship to be sort and implemented by the host club.(not necessarily the prime metropolitan venue).

The key to the success of such programming discussion points is to provide a point of difference, of innovation and most importantly, the opportunity to actively promote the Industry within the local community. An attempt to rejuvenate community interest and involvement at minimal cost, with the reallocation of some existing stake money, as per the current Racing WA review of feature race stakes, to fund the concept.

The outlay of $50,000, a lot in the context of harness stakes, for this time honored race deserves to be a contest. Gee Heza Sport, under the advertised conditions, had to draw 9 and we have a contest with a possible backable favourite, as opposed to a gift to the best horse as an unbackable favourite.

In an RBD if he had drawn well, he goes around at what, maybe a $1.06 or a $1.09. Drawn 9 he may start at maybe $1.70 or something there abouts. Others like the Hall Snr runner I Am The Black Flash are not in the same class but from gate 1 is worth a thought. Others come into the race as opposed to just going around to make up numbers. Potentially, a good contest, tactical and worth a watch.

Can you imagine, in a gallops scenario, Gee Heza Sport not getting top weight in a high stakes race? It is actual handicapping in play, something that was completely absent in the HWOE until it was in it's death throes and the damage had been done.

How far do you go with PBD? Well, possibly all the way. When Cardigan Bay won the Inters off 36 yrds behind, when Radiant Oro won a trotting cup off 36 yrds, there was proper handicapping in play. Even when I'm The Mighty Quinn won the Marathon off 80m? That was when punters actually bet on the Trots and that's when the Industry was at it's finest.

With mobiles the dominant style of racing, all the handicappers and programmers have at their disposal these days is barrier draws.

If this had been an RBD and the favourite draws 1 and the Black Flash draws 9, its a non event. The Industry wins out with PBD.

Early days (extremely early) but Concession drivers are getting far more opportunities, thanks in part to both the Busselton Club's very progressive promotion for their season, and trainers getting savvy on the concessional claim, which only works because of a substantial swing in programming to PBD, as it always should have been.

Short priced favourite betting data also showing a definite trend based on very limited data from just the 5 meetings completed: Starting Price data and "C" indicates Concession driver. Just 7 of 39 races won by an odds on favourite, just three under $1.50.

Busselton 1/1 G.P 3/1 Albany 4/1 Pinjarra 6/1 G.P 7/1

3.90 3.40 6.50 3.80 2.10

2.80 1.90 6.00 6.50 31.00 C

1.95 15.10 1.32 12.00 C 1.75

15.00 C 12.50 1.40 2.20 11.00

2.25 4.40 2.40 1.50 7.50

7.00 8.80 4.80 12.00 C 51.00

9.00 1.20 2.60 8.50 C 3.20

4.00 1.80 C 4.80 2.00 C

Average Winner Starting Price of $7.20