SA Footy

the strath trots that were due to be run on sunday 16/12/2007 in conjunction with the dogs have been called off already, yes the dogs will still be on but the trots are OFF

Have Strathalbyn run their Last Meeting on their Home Track?
Seems that their Last 3 - 4 Meetings have now been Abandoned or Transferred to GDP.
I Understand the Reasons for this But the Fact is to Grow your Product, you have to take it to the People and by Closing down Just about every Track except Gdp, Gawler (Basically the Same Area) and Pirie), The Trots are being Exposed to a Very small Minority Population in this State which leads to Less Participents which will Ultimatley lead to the Death of the Industry.

jackpot jim wrote:Have Strathalbyn run their Last Meeting on their Home Track?
Seems that their Last 3 - 4 Meetings have now been Abandoned or Transferred to GDP.
I Understand the Reasons for this But the Fact is to Grow your Product, you have to take it to the People and by Closing down Just about every Track except Gdp, Gawler (Basically the Same Area) and Pirie), The Trots are being Exposed to a Very small Minority Population in this State which leads to Less Participents which will Ultimatley lead to the Death of the Industry.

jj, gawler is all but gone as they are about to work on the new freeway which goes straight through the current site of the track as for strath i do fear the end is near considering how successful victor has been since it has 'woken up from its slumber' as for the death of the industry isn't it already on life support ?

By all reports a heap of people have already signed up as members at Victor for the up coming season. A lot of hype down here about the second season.

I know some of your guys are upset about this - but lets be completely serious...

You are talking about a crappy 700m track with a 100m straight - that gives nothing other then the leader / behind leader a chance of winning the race... I'm not saying don't race there at all, but I think the same as I do about Kapunda - it should be cup day only and make it a good big tab meeting... apart from that, don't bother about sub-standard tracks...

In SA they have Pirie - 1000m and Victor a 1000m track, both with better facilities then Strathalbyn and why wouldn't you just use them in conjunction with your main track at Globe Derby??

I know they run on a lot of different tracks in Victoria (with a bigger horse population + training population @ nearly every track) but name me how many trainers use the strath track and live close by and i'll bet it's not as many as Victor or Pirie even...

scaffidi can't drive wrote:I know some of your guys are upset about this - but lets be completely serious...

You are talking about a crappy 700m track with a 100m straight - that gives nothing other then the leader / behind leader a chance of winning the race... I'm not saying don't race there at all, but I think the same as I do about Kapunda - it should be cup day only and make it a good big tab meeting... apart from that, don't bother about sub-standard tracks...

In SA they have Pirie - 1000m and Victor a 1000m track, both with better facilities then Strathalbyn and why wouldn't you just use them in conjunction with your main track at Globe Derby??

I know they run on a lot of different tracks in Victoria (with a bigger horse population + training population @ nearly every track) but name me how many trainers use the strath track and live close by and i'll bet it's not as many as Victor or Pirie even...

hang on a minute scd, facilities at strath are better than victor, you can at least see the race at strath whereas at victor if your not on the fence you can not see the race, the food is as good & i'm not upset just reporting on the fact that they are not racing on sunday & the track itself is fine just remember the sMALler the track the less chances there is

Is the reason the prizemoney ?
Is the reason too many meetings in a row?
Lets face it we have
GDP/PIRIE Fridays
GDP Saturdays
GDP Mondays
With so many trainers being based in the deep north why would they
want to travel to Strath for two bob races.

Agree with u bayman about Strath Facilities compared with Victor.
SCD - How many Trainers are their in the Victor Area ? I'll take a Guess and say F.ALL.
Of Course there's F. ALL Trainers left in the Strath Area, Why would there be after Murray Bridge closed about 15 - 20 years ago and Victor out of buissness for 10 years and Strath Getting F. ALL meetings Programmed and Trots going From Wayville to the Arse End of the City out at Boliver.
As For Crappy track that only Leader, BeHind Leader can Win, Whats so Different to Leader Dominated Tracks that are much Bigger Like Moonee Valley and Cranbourne in Victoria and some of those Huge tracks in NZ where Most of the Races are Just as Leader Dominated. Sure, Bigger Tracks Help Horses from Behind, But when 70% of Drivers have got the Brain Capacity of a Garden Gnome, it Makes Stuff all Difference.

Good to Hears your Comments on here LUVS FOOTY, taking time out from commenting on the GSFL.

mal wrote:With so many trainers being based in the deep north why would they
want to travel to Strath for two bob races.

Why do you think Murray Bridge and Victor close down.
City Trainers wont support them bcos of Costs which is totally Understandable as they have to make Buissness decisions but all i'm saying is that by concentrating your Product in a small confined area it will Inevitabley die a slow death.
I Personally got a taste for the Trots, Dogs and Gallops Bcos Strath had all 3 codes and living nearby Grew up with people involved in all 3 and regularly attended their meetings which then lead me to GDP, Mangle Park and the Metro Gallop Tracks. But young people now growing up in areas where there are no trots, they will inevitabley take no interest in them.
Its a Damned if they do, Damned if they dont situation.

JJ
Trainers will support Victor Harbor for one reason and one reason only
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

mal wrote:JJ
Trainers will support Victor Harbor for one reason and one reason only
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Have to be Good $$$$$$$$$$$$$ as it's a Prick of a Drive to there From Boliver.

well its a shame strath is closing down if the end is near, because its a good day out having dogs and trots on.

victor need a dog track in the middle

bayman wrote:

scaffidi can't drive wrote:I know some of your guys are upset about this - but lets be completely serious...

You are talking about a crappy 700m track with a 100m straight - that gives nothing other then the leader / behind leader a chance of winning the race... I'm not saying don't race there at all, but I think the same as I do about Kapunda - it should be cup day only and make it a good big tab meeting... apart from that, don't bother about sub-standard tracks...

In SA they have Pirie - 1000m and Victor a 1000m track, both with better facilities then Strathalbyn and why wouldn't you just use them in conjunction with your main track at Globe Derby??

I know they run on a lot of different tracks in Victoria (with a bigger horse population + training population @ nearly every track) but name me how many trainers use the strath track and live close by and i'll bet it's not as many as Victor or Pirie even...

hang on a minute scd, facilities at strath are better than victor, you can at least see the race at strath whereas at victor if your not on the fence you can not see the race, the food is as good & i'm not upset just reporting on the fact that they are not racing on sunday & the track itself is fine just remember the sMALler the track the less chances there is

one more point scd, if you do not like sMALler tracks you do not have to bet on them & no one forces you to

If you think people are going to travel 90 mins and spend $45 - $50 in petrol to race for $1,000.. At least Victor has generally $2,000 races - which is a greater incentive to travel for the horse population - which is at Globe Derby...

Ask why Murray Bridge closed down?? Simple - too many Globe people travelling to Murray Bridge with no localised trainers for poor prizemoney.... It's the same at Strath.. Globe people will travel to Pirie / Victor for better prizemoney - they won't travel somewhere for $1,000 where they are racing the same horses they would if they stayed and raced at Globe on Monday..

Granted the number of trainers who train at either Victor Harbour or in a few suburbs close by is great, but there would be more then Strath.. off the top of my head;
Joy
Walker
Macey

With the exception of Betty Gilgan - who trains at or near Strath?? SO why hold a meeting for $1,000 per race with only 1 trainer up there.. Like I said make them $2k or greater and have your tab cup meeting, but non tab $1,000 races are a joke..

In addition - Strath doesn't get people on course - the meeting is populated by predominately Globe Derby people where Victor because of the timing of their meetings at least get new people at the track and get more people watching harness racing then what you get at a Strath Meeting.... More new people = more interest and more turnover and people in the game, which is the most important thing....

As for Facilities - I think they are about on par... There isn't much difference between the two tin sheds and although you can see the races a bit better at Strath - i'm sure over the next 3 - 4 years you'll see an improvement at Victor, if they keep getting the "holiday" crowds they had last year....

As for small tracks - you know me Bayman and Ive been there often enough... you know i bet on the smaller track - the point I was making is why bother with a crappy 700m track, when their are better alternatives around

yes betty gilgen trains there as mentioned but also former port adelaide player max beasley trains there as does (if he still trains) paul davis but after that i can't think of any

Thanks JJ (love the trots)! Victor has done a survey of 1st year members to get feed back on how to better facilities, so expect improvement there, prize money is also a bonus, but some of the trainers I talk to also highly rate the track at VH. Unfortunately theres only room for 1 track on the Fluerieu and it looks like VH has the upper hand.

I've got nothing against Victor Trots. Great Track, unfortunatley as Bayman stated, it's hard to see the race when theres a big crowd there. Used to regularly attend the meetings at the old Track and they were a great days outing despite getting Hammered on the punt most times.(Young and stupid then).
I'm stating the obvious when i say that it would be Great if Victor, Strath and M.Bridge were all still going strong as well as the Northern clubs in Kapunda and Kadina as it was Great travelling around to all the different tracks which all provided something a little different.

Sorry but I disagree completely with you JJ.
My opinion is continue to work on the facilities at Victor as the actual track is good, keep Pirie for the northern areas and all other racing is done at Globe Derby.

As for the other tracks I couldnt care if you blew em up or just kept them for those selfish few who want to retain them for training purposes.
Next thing you'll be saying JJ is that you miss that dump Kadina.

G for once i have 2 agree with you there, victor has to be regarded as a driving force to try and improve the industry in this state, as its a completly new complex that has had only 3 or 4 meetings. Its the best track here (from personal experience) and once the creases are ironed out and dealt with, which aren't much such as more shade, more sitting/eating area (a must!) and steep/grade the standing area up the home straight so that everyone can see. little things which might not be able to be permantly fixed like a dusty track dusty stalls i suppose bitumen wherever possible would help. i can only see victor going ahead not in leaps and bounds but it will go forward be improved at least every year and another thing that will help victor is the people that are in charge actually want to be there and actually look for ways to improve things. i dont know if the club still owns the land next to the track? if it still does there is a huge input for the future.

victor last year was $8.00 to get in which i think is fine for the holiday makers having a day out but would that get them to come again ? i doubt it, if i was in charge & the fee was $8.00 i'd give them a free ticket for another meeting