Pitching in to keep wheels turning

This week, COVID reared its ugly head in the harness racing community and brought the industry to a halt in Victoria.

In what has been a challenging 18 months for everybody, racing in Australia has come through in the scheme of things, relatively unscathed.

When most other major sports were forced to stop and pivot, racing has done a remarkable job of continuing in a regular manner for the majority of jurisdictions.

Racing in most other countries has been forced to cease for extended periods which had a significant effect on the viability for participants and jurisdictions alike.

Remarkably, this uncertain period has seen an upswing in turnover and interest in the sport which will hopefully continue when life goes back to normal – whenever that may be.

The participants, industry leaders and all involved in the game should be extremely proud of the job that has been done to continue the wheels turning.

Due to the professionalism shown by all, the licence to operate by government and authorities has been granted and it is vital that everyone continues to do their part.

Here’s hoping that this slight bump in the road is only a minor inconvenience and we can continue as normal shortly. Our thoughts are also with the effected participants involved and we are all hoping that the recovery is quick and trouble free.

Racing does return today (Friday) after a two-day hiatus where Harness Racing Victoria have been forced to feverishly work to ensure that everyone’s safety is paramount. Yarra Valley and Mildura will hold cards today under strict biosecurity protocols.

Saturday night’s 10-race metropolitan card has also been transferred from Melton to Ballarat.

Idea is on track but what would be perfect?

The great debate around track size has once again been a topic of discussion in the last few days with the potential of Queensland establishing a new facility gaining momentum.

There are so many factors in determining what the ‘perfect’ track is, and there probably isn’t such a thing, with several parties desiring differing elements. Let’s break down some positive and negatives for each option:

800m

Positives

• Smaller circuits tend to provide action packed contests, with a desire to be up on pace contributing to several moves
• A lot of punters enjoy wagering on small circuits as speed maps and the advantage to be forward, particularly leaders can often make the outcomes more predictable
• The atmosphere and public viewing advantages at smaller tracks allow spectators to feel closer to the action

Negatives

• These tracks tend to be very advantageous to those drawn well and make it extremely hard for those back in the field to get into the contests
• The pace of races these days aren’t conducive to the smaller, tighter turning circuits with some believing the tight bends contribute to some injuries
• Some runners don’t handle smaller tracks, particularly when races are run at faster tempos, and this can contribute to more interference

1000m

Positives

• Each horse generally gets their opportunity and the racing is competitive
• Moves can be made throughout and depending on tempo, horses can win from most positions
• Despite it being a larger circumference, spectators still feel close to the action
• The majority of runners are tractable and comfortable

Negatives

• Can operate with an on-pace bias and there is still a large advantage for peg runners
• Not quite the ‘cauldron’ feel of the half mile circuits

1200m tracks have also been brought up in discussion, often referencing Addington in New Zealand as a popular circuit. The issue with this size is the start point for mile races is on a bend which does not work. I have however seen some good discussion around a chute which could work, similar to the thoroughbred industry and this is certainly worth dialogue.

1400m

Positives

• Long straights should ensure that every horse, if good enough, has their opportunity
• The wider bends limit the strain on horses and should be more conducive to good times being run regularly
• This size track is built for speed, and with that comes the opportunity to run faster times. This could be helpful to a mare’s residual value, or if looking to sell a horse overseas

Negatives

• The pattern can become quiet stale through the middle sections of a race, with rarely a three wide line established before the last turn
• Crowd involvement and atmosphere is compromised with runners such a long way away for most of the race. For mile starts, the runners are very far away when marshalling in those vital last few minutes pre-race

At this stage I am still sitting on the fence between a 1000m track and a 1200 or 1400m option and this would all come down to whether Albion Park is retained. For variety, a larger circuit to compliment the 1000m already established sounds like a logical choice, however this is still very much unknown.

Then there are other factors to consider at all size offerings such as whether to install a sprint lane, and how many horses should start across the front in mobile races.

It is safe to say that I do not envy those in decision making positions with so many possibilities to consider, however it is great to see so much opinion and insight being shown by a real cross section of industry players.

The end result though is an imperative need for another Queensland track, and soon.

Best bet of the weekend

Albion Park Saturday: R8 No.8 King Triton

G1 racing is a part of a 10-race card out of Albion Park tomorrow (Saturday) evening, with the running of the Albion Park Gold final for graduates of the Brisbane APG sale. Extended Sky Racing Active coverage will showcase the meeting with myself and Chris Barsby hopefully finding plenty of winners.

By Brittany Graham for Sky Racing