2013 NZTR Pattern Review Submissions Received
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2013 NZTR Pattern Review Submissions received Schedule of Contents: Submissions: Pages: One: from Andrew Castle, Director of Racing, Auckland Racing Club 2‐7 Two: from Canterbury Jockey Club 8‐ 13 Three: from Bruce Perry 14‐15 Four: from Roger Hills, Racing Tauranga 16‐17 Five: from Darin Balcombe, RACE Group 18‐20 Six: from Brent Wall & Bruce McCarrison, RACE Group & Levin RC 21‐23 Seven: from Russell Warwick 24‐32 Eight: from Roger Sugrue 33‐35 Nine: from Jen Evans, TRAC Group 36 1 1: from Andrew Castle, Auckland Racing Club The Chairman NZ Pattern Review Committee C/o NZTR PO Box 48899 Wellington Mail Centre Dear Sir On behalf of the Auckland Racing Club thank you for the opportunity to make comment in regards Pattern racing in New Zealand. We will make initial comments in relation to the points 1‐8 as outlined in the terms of reference. Point 1 Looking at the spread of Group 1 and 2 races it’s important that these are “target” races so ultimately they are the culmination of a programme of races to bring horses into these high profile events in the best possible form. Looking at the different categories of horses we would make the following observations. 2 year olds This pattern works well with the Group 1 events run 3 weeks apart and the distance rising from 1200m to 1400m from Ellerslie to Awapuni. The lead up races at Matamata 2 weeks before the Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie provides an ideal step into the first of the Group 1s. The emergence of the Karaka Million in late January as a target race for eligible 2yo’s appears to fit this pattern with the opportunity for horses to be freshened up with 6 weeks between the KM and the Diamond Stakes. 3 year olds There are five 3yo Group 1 target races during the season. To run three 1600m Group 1’s in the space of 3 weeks doesn’t appear to be the best use of these races. We believe there needs to be debate as to whether Christchurch is the right place to ask 3yo’s to travel to early in their season. Obviously the 1000 and 2000 Guineas being run at Riccarton is historic and is a reflection of times when there was a much stronger South Island racing/breeding industry than is the case at present. To ask up to 75% of the participants to travel all the way to Christchurch 2 and back for these Group 1 features(8/31 or 25.8% of the runners in the 2012 1000/2000 Guineas were South Island trained) comes at significant cost. The Levin Classic appears to be not ideally placed just 2 and 3 weeks after the running of the Riccarton Guineas races. While Southern Lord showed both could be done this season in our view it would be better placed to capture a wider spread of high class 3yos in the summer as the 3yo’s start to build toward the Derby/Oaks. The pattern of racing towards the Derby/Oaks is in our opinion very good. There is a natural progression in distances for both males and females to participate in the 2400m features. WFA The HB Spring series is ideally placed for high class NZ gallopers to prepare for feature events both here and in Australia. We have seen many times in the past that the Makfi is early enough to afford those that want the opportunity to head to Melbourne every chance to be successful. The natural progression in distance form 1400m/1600m/2040m with the 3 week/2 week spacing is ideal for those horses choosing to remain in NZ. The other WFA races are spread throughout the season at varying distances and times which appear to cater to the horse population. As an observation it would appear that we continue to lose horses that might have been in the past considered horses that would underpin WFA racing. Many of our top 3yo’s are sold or exported to race off shore after successful 3yo years and therefore the numbers of horses considered WFA class by connections is dwindling. The use of SW&P conditions on some races e.g. Eagle Technology Stakes and Awapuni Gold Cup has seen races previously struggling as WFA contests drawing fields with much more depth under these new conditions. Stayers The pattern of racing through the Summer Cups caters for the stayers with the Counties/Waikato/Manawatu and City of Auckland Cups all serving as quality lead in’s to the 2400m Wellington Cup. The Avondale Cup at 2400m 18 days before the running of the Group 1 3200m Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup is ideally positioned to provide most Auckland Cup contenders with their final lead up. Sprinters NZ’s two Group 1 1200m sprints are run in the summer as feature races of their respective carnivals. The Sistema Railway Stakes suffered badly when the Telegraph Handicap was one of the Racing Ministers $1 million events during the 2009‐11 seasons. Faced with a likely downgrade to Group 2 status the ARC changed the conditions of the race to SW&P in the hope of attracting some of the quality gallopers that were by passing it as a handicap to run fresh up in the Telegraph. It may well be a reflection of the available horse population but attracting a field of Group 1 quality continues to be a challenge even with the 2013 featuring the 4 highest rated runners in the race as the first 4 home. I am not sure there is another time of the year where the Railway would be better 3 placed as the Darley Plate run during our March Cup Week at 1200m is some way off Group 1 quality. F&M The only Group 1 solely for F&M is the NZTBA Stakes 1600m on the first Saturday of April. It has benefitted by the repositioning of the Cuddle Stakes and the emergence of the Westbury Classic in recent years. The race is now an ideal target for the fairer sex and provides the opportunity for them to back up a week later in the Manco Easter Handicap or travel to the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Milers Both of the Group 1’s in this category being handicaps tend to lend themselves to drawing capacity fields. The Easter is well positioned as a late season target and has some clearly defined lead ups in place including the Group 1 Breeders Stakes the week before while the Thorndon Mile is 4 weeks after the running of the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile on New Year’s Day which often serves as the main form reference. Point 2 In our opinion the carnivals are well positioned throughout the calendar and we see very little benefit in repositioning them. HB Spring Carnival While not a true carnival in the sense of multiple meetings in the period of a week this combination of 3 Saturday meetings during the early spring certainly provides a focus for the industry as horses return to racing. The location is ideal in that the track is generally better than other regions and HB is well positioned to capture both Northern and Central District horses. As alluded to earlier the spacing of 3 weeks and then 2 weeks as the Group 1 races progress from 1400m/1600m and then 2040m appears ideal. If anything there has been talk that the carnival may start a week too early but to provide the option of fitting in with the WFA programme in Melbourne as Ocean Park did this season it would seem the current positioning is the right one. Christchurch Show Week There is no doubt that this week is a real carnival as it ties in with harness racing to provide a week of equine excellence. The only question we raise is the 3YO Group 1 races for the reasons set out above. The week provides 3 days of quality racing and with it coming on the back of Melbourne Cup Week it is well positioned to capitalise on the increased awareness of racing at this time of year. Auckland Christmas Boxing Day is still by far the Auckland Racing Clubs biggest day of the year. The success of the new March carnival was always going to be measured by how much of the Boxing Day crowd could be retained without the NZ Derby as the feature race. While it took a few years to bounce back the 2011 crowd (2012 was a wet day) gave every indication that the crowds had returned to pre March 4 carnival type levels. New Year’s Day is a fantastic card of black type racing while the middle day provides a lesser class of horse the opportunity to race at Ellerslie. Wellington Cup Based around Wellington Anniversary day this carnival provides a focus for racing in our capital city. While the sales moved from Trentham decades ago it still appears well placed as a summer entertainment option. Auckland March The move of the NZ Derby and Auckland Cup to form the cornerstone of a new March carnival is one that has been debated at length ever since it was first mooted. There is no doubt the NZ Derby in March provides a better build up for 3 yo’s rather than having to have them ready to run 2400m on Boxing Day. The Auckland Cup being run on the Wednesday is important to the financial success of the carnival. Running the Cup on the Wednesday provides the vast Auckland corporate market with a viable mid week entertainment option.