Natal feature race meeting with only 7 races carde

Two Grade 3 events which traditionally brings to fore a start for the better 3 year olds in the kzn champion season and gold circle cant even fill up more than a 7 race card. Very dissapointing and also poor planning. Not a single condition or pinacle plate to attract the better horses on a feature night with all the good cape horses around.

...............and yet the local stables require protection from out of town runners.
We are told it is to protect Natal owners .......stats suggest it is more like it is to protect stables who cant compete in a competitive environment ......and statistically that is all except Drier and Howells(and some satellite yards) :evil:

Once gain GC's fault! :lol: I notice the R1 million Empress Club stakes at Turfontein on the 16th only has 8 nominations???? I suppose that is GC and Natal trainers fault? We all voted for Zuma I suppose as well so the problems the country is in is GC and Natal trainers and owners fault as well??? :whistle: :lol:

rob faux wrote: ...............and yet the local stables require protection from out of town runners.
We are told it is to protect Natal owners .......stats suggest it is more like it is to protect stables who cant compete in a competitive environment ......and statistically that is all except Drier and Howells(and some satellite yards) :evil:

exactly..they limit the cape horses to running in races over a MR of 79..out of season it might be acceptable, but at this time of year i dont think many cape trainers would even concider bringing lower division handicappers yet theres no races for the better horses.

Craig Eudey wrote: Once gain GC's fault! :lol: I notice the R1 million Empress Club stakes at Turfontein on the 16th only has 8 nominations???? I suppose that is GC and Natal trainers fault? We all voted for Zuma I suppose as well so the problems the country is in is GC and Natal trainers and owners fault as well??? :whistle: :lol:

Not sure? .................how many nominations from Natal stables?..................count them and draw your own conclusions............................unless,perhaps Natal owners don't want Gauteng Rands!

Not the trainers fault at all if the racing programmers dont have the vision of putting up the races that would attract better horses..i was at this meeting last year and clearly remember a stong little pinnacle plate in which saratoga dancer won beating horses like jet explorer and hot ticket.

mvp1, what have you been watching? They have had huge problems in the Cape with small fields and all those "good horses" are not running there. They even cancelled a meeting there because of small fields. But have a go at Natal. That's fine. We have broad shoulders.

I just remembered that I was not going to reply to any topic unless from a person I knew. Forgot. No more except on abused horses posts.

a simple solution would be to let satellite yards etc bring whatever horses they want and if the race is full then they are the first horses eliminated and this will mainly occur in maiden races and lower class handicaps ...at the moment they cant bring 3yo and older maidens and horses rated 79 and lower ...2 seasons ago futura arrived here ILLEGALLY of a rating of 76 and brett Crawford was told he cant run in handicaps only in plate races ...the ruling at the moment reminds me of the old apartheid days ...

Craig Eudey wrote: mvp1, what have you been watching? They have had huge problems in the Cape with small fields and all those "good horses" are not running there. They even cancelled a meeting there because of small fields. But have a go at Natal. That's fine. We have broad shoulders.

sure i know about that..but was that during the cape summer season or after? During the season it didnt happen

Craig Eudey wrote: mvp1, what have you been watching? They have had huge problems in the Cape with small fields and all those "good horses" are not running there. They even cancelled a meeting there because of small fields. But have a go at Natal. That's fine. We have broad shoulders.

Craig, it is apparent that local racing needs a complete makeover if it is to survive - from operations,programming,distribution,betting products and REGULATION...................it was done in Japan and Singapore when their racing was in a similar situation.where trust was identified as a vital ingredient and that the solution lay with effective regulation.
SA is no different- our regulation needs to stretch all the way from punters trust in the integrity of races,through the spectrum to bad debts etc.,and yet the NHA continue to be ineffective in maintaining the integrity of an industry that they are supposed to maintain!
Gold Circle are by no means the overall problem but they,with others, clearly need to be an integral part of the solution!

(I know I must be seen by some to be obsessed with regulation ,but the way racing is structured,the entire image of horseracing is based on "Maintaining integrity" so the product stands or falls on that perception!)

Everyone has a good point here. But on this one I must agree with Craig. The small fields in Features and other meetings is a National problem it seems. Gauteng is set for small fields just like CT in Winter, with the sand gone.
We have to address the EHV problem. Just look at how many scratchings for nasal discharge or temp or mucus etc.
NHRA must act !