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took the missus and a few friends to Tabcorp Park Melton on thursday, fantastic meals for $12, i looked around thinking, only a dozen so people besides my group enjoying lunch and the rest of melbourne dont know of this hidden beauty.
over looking the track near the winning post i noticed a horse ,sulky and its driver come onto the track, followed by 6 others. i thought, maybe a local trainer has permission to trial some of his horses.
i watch what unfolded, they lined up and took off, race caller in full voice. i took a look at the tote screen, there were actually races on this day, it was race 1.
whilst the race was being run i walked out to the fence line near the winning post, i quickly looked back and noticed the HUGE crowd. i quickly counted that crowd. it didnt take that long, i got to 2
only 2 people and they were from the sportsman bar, probably locals out having a smoke.
how times have changed, internet bettings the future.
over looking the track near the winning post i noticed a horse ,sulky and its driver come onto the track, followed by 6 others. i thought, maybe a local trainer has permission to trial some of his horses.
i watch what unfolded, they lined up and took off, race caller in full voice. i took a look at the tote screen, there were actually races on this day, it was race 1.
whilst the race was being run i walked out to the fence line near the winning post, i quickly looked back and noticed the HUGE crowd. i quickly counted that crowd. it didnt take that long, i got to 2
only 2 people and they were from the sportsman bar, probably locals out having a smoke.
how times have changed, internet bettings the future.
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Replies: 95
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Too far out of Melbourne... no public transport... but CEO says this place will be swarming with people in 20 years time...don't think it can hang on for 20yrs to reinvigorate itself...needs help now!
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Hopefully not the Globe Derby model all over again, but it certainly has a lot of similarities
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what genius builds a state of the harness racing complex but doesn't cater for mass transit? I find that staggering and is one reason why I have never gone to melton sinces its been in operation in the couple of times I've been to melbourne during the spring racing carnival when I've gone over for that however I always used to go ot MV during the carnival because of the relative ease of access. I'm not going to catch a train then wait for a courtesy shuttle to take me to the track and vice versa on the way home.
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This was inevitable when they moved from Moonee Valley to Melton and surely nobody is kidding themselves otherwise. I bet thousands at melton but am certainly never going to go there.
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moving it elsewhere is one thing but not catering for public transport on the site where you move to is ridiculous
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Tracks today are not punter friendly.
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Racing administrators are not punter friendly
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It's hard enough to attract people to the track with throwing bostqcles in front of them, I mea seriously whats the point in spending millions on complex such as Melton and then not making it easy for the public to get there. You don't need to be a farking rocket scientist to work that one out. The attitude of racing administrators and controlling bodies towards the punter and the general public never cease to amaze me.
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LE their job is to make the sport profitable. perhaps they dont need punters to go to the track to make that happen
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You can see by some of their programming they have given up trying to get punters to the track. Country towns run gallops and trot meetings on the same day. Its all about turnover.
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Kye its a no brainer that you don't spend millions on a supposedly state of the art complex and then make it difficult for people to get there. Its all very well to say all the money is off course Kye but you need to get a new generation of people involved in the sport and enthusiastic about it and you do that by getting them to the track to see and watch the horses close up and to gain an understanding of what's involved.
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they could build a bullet train to menangle and i wouldnt go
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The new generation have Sky channel & iPads & iphones to place & watch their bets. You dont need them to see it live for them to be hooked
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To become involved inthe sport you do Kye, the desire to own a horse or to learn how to become a trainer or a driver you don't generally obtain that from sitting at home watching something on tv or on a computer.
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Nothing gets past you Megsy!! A trot meeting at Melton trots!! Sneaky basstards.
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Ill stick up for Melton a Bit here.
But they still have a long way to improve and need huge improvement in Marketing. Yes its a bit far from Melbourne 45ks about $80 Taxi. Its not Hard to get there. But Most trainers its ideal and close. Trots is not like the Good old days when 50000+ used to go when there was no Internet Betting, No Sky at Home. No T.abs open late at night. No Friday night Football. Now Most people stay at home to Punt as they have the Luxury of Betfair and all other Corps. Even if they want to bet with a Bookmaker they can just Call up and get on. Its Free to get in. Big Bonus. Hate paying to get in. Its a Bet or Feed for the night. But then they Mess it up when it is a Good Race and Charge. Keep it free all the time people will return or more will go to the Big Races. 1st point those 3k races they race on the Thursdays its Much better to have them at Melton than Far away. Makes it easier and quicker for Trainers to get there and less Cost for Owners. Who Cares if nobody goes. If you have an average horse there good little races to enter. Friday night races gets an Ok crowd, doesn’t matter what horses are running. Id prefer it to Be a Sat night as Its hard for People to Drive to Melton on a Friday after work with Traffic. Friday night Football is the Big winner. Impossible to compete against that. When Valley was still around Crowds where less than Melton and Food was Crap. They always race the Big nights on Sat night so why not race all on the Sat night at Melton? You cant move in the joint when the big races are on. But still isn’t to bad to get a drink at the Bar. Bar could be improved and prices are a bit expensive. No Discount if you are a Member. At least now the Food has a Variety, I still think the food in the Restaurant could be much better, thats why nobody goes there during the week as they can go to Max Hotel and get a better Meal and they have those Shop a Dockets where you buy 1 Main meal and get 2nd for $5 and the Quality is 10x Better. But People have their Meals at Melton on a Friday night and its hard to get a Booking. So 1 night it does ok. The Track. At the start i was annoyed they didn’t build it Bigger. Now after watching Menangle. They got it right. I just wish they would remove Sprint lane. Thats my only Hate of the track. Otherwise one of the Best tracks in Aus. Grandstand Poorly made. But they don’t need a Huge Grandstand. Most people stay in Sportsbar, if its to cold they will stay inside and watch or watch outside. They have started to have Poker on for the younger generation. But its on After the Trots. If they were Smart they would give those people a Free Bet and Extra Chips for early arriving. Eg $5 Quickpick Pick 6 or a Win Bet for the Main race of the night. I think they have to pay $20 to play the Poker and they win money. But none not even watch the Trots. Get this group in earlier. I think about 60 people play. They have to Buy so many Drinks to get Extra Chips. Like i said have Extra Chips to arrive early and you get a Free Bet. On Big nights they have a Punters Club and the Tab kick in 5k to start it Off. But hardly people know about it. Everytime they do it you double your money. I always buy $300 worth when its on. Advertise it in the Papers also on arrival at the entry. Not just on a small board or every now and then loudspeaker that nobody listens to. They have Rob Aubour that does a great Job MC. Have Melton Dedicated to Sky 3 or that World Sky what ever they call it, but no Charge. They have it on Internet but not many watch it. I believe they should interview every driver before a race and see what tactics they are going to do. Rob is the Man to do this. Be so much better. The Middle of the Track is a Disgrace and has never improved. Id love to see a Running track in the Middle. Have the Little Aths Competing from all over Victoria 1 time a month. Crowd would be huge also get more people to watch the Trots. So much could be done. To be honest Id love to see an AFL team train out of there. Either Dogs or Kangas. Melton area has a Huge football Following but no Clubs for the Town to really get behind. They have the Land, space to build good facilities for a Major Club. Im sure they Could slot a Ground in the Middle. Make its a State of the Art Ground. Play the Local Games there on the Saturday then the Crowd from the Football stay on for the Trots. So Much could be done in the Middle to attract other business. But back to the Main Point. Id give Melton a big tick and Menanagle a big X. Just need to try different things before they do race for ribbons. All Racing is for TV and Stay at home Punters Now. Why Pay to get in, pay high prices for food and drinks. Get Rid of Sprint lane. Get rid of Duets. Have 1 T.ab Aus wide not 3. I could go on forever but they would have to pay me 100k a Month. Lloydy |
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bring BOORT into the tab circuit
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Excellent post Lloydy!!
As for you LIH, you'd better report to my office after school. |
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But Most trainers its ideal and close.
As I referred to in an earlier post, you can say all you like, the best example of how to completely kill a racing a code in a state happened in SA because of the very reason that the quote above indicates. Vic have refused to learn from the disaster that happened in SA, who moved to Globe way north of the city for one driving reason, the participants who controlled the decision making process were largely based there. Melton was all about the same thing at the end of the day. It is doomed to fail when you forget about the customer base (which are punters/patrons) and relent to what trainers want |
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Aussie.
We Both know why SA lost all the Crowds. They Banned the Pastie Man. |
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Get rid of Duets.
Why on Earth would you suggest this one mate? |
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Lloydy, if they merge the tabs then duets may actually work. I would take one if you could bet a decent amount
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Good point re the Pastie Man
Why have the powers that be at HRV not contacted this man? People would pay the $80 taxi fare with a smile if there was a quality pastie at the end of it |
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To Many Betting Options.
Duets have Poor Pools. If was 1 Ta.b would work. I even think Pick 4s they should only do 1 race a meeting. Id love to see the Triple Treble like HK and have it like Tatslotto. For those that dont know what it is, Its the Trifecta in correct order in 3 races. |
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Crims on day release steering horses running a funny way, should be a few more at least
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There'll never be crowds at the trots again.Or the races. Those days are over.
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Yes, but you should be getting a lot more than 10-100 people at meetings
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Why should you? It's never gunna happen. It's a catch-22. No one goes cos there's no one there. There's no atmosphere,no bookies,no betting ring. If there's nothing there you may as well stay home or stay at the pub and watch it.
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i agree with everything loydy said.
it took me 35 mins from the domain tunnel to arrive at melton, thats wasnt a long trip. i think the track has been built for the future AND melton being the home of 75% of harness trainers in victoria makes sense i guess. once they put in electrified train line it will work. as it is, it takes 28 mins by train to and from the city to melton station. TABCORP PARK THURSDAY    |
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ive been on a friday night, it has great atmosphere about 2-3,000 turn up, motels fully booked out, cant even get a bloody seat at the pokie machines
 but during the week, as i said 2 people. |
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Consider most normal people are at work on a week day.
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your got a point there
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Is there 2-3000 people at Melton every Friday night? I'm gobsmacked!!
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most friday meets a reasonable crowd, not a bad night out actually, good food n drink and you forget the races are on
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The trots used to be a night out for thousands of people.Blokes would take girlfreinds there. Or a group of guys would go as an entree before hitting the city. Families would go,it was only 25 minutes between races so the kids wouldn't get bored. Not to mention proper punters. For people in the industry Friday night at Harold Park was a social occasion. Everyone put on their best togs. Drinks in the bar. They felt important.
It's all gone. No one goes to Menangle as a prelude to hitting the clubs in the CBD. No one goes at all. The trots is no longer part of Sydney's entertainment landscape. |
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In Victoria we now have No independent Harness Journalists in the main dailys. Very sad but true. All media stories come from HRV employees meaning we only read "Good News" stories or stories that tow the party line. Participants in Victoria don't know what the current state of affairs with harness racing is such as the future with distributions from turnover, prize money increases etc. They keep all financial figures and especially the costs involved with the breaking of the Moonee Valley lease hidden. Ask anybody and they could not name two people on the HRV board or who is the current chairman ?. They seem to cop the appalling service Sky serve up without a whimper. A former harness journalist now the leading racing journalist in the paper today calls the sport nondescript and you can bet our CEO will be deafening with his silence in response to this. All participants would like to know is where the sport is really at. So if nobody is going to Melton, no matter how many take an interest from home, the 'at' doesn't look very good for the future.
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The problems aren't unique to harness racing. No one goes to the gallops or dogs either!
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Yet Adam Hamilton was all of those things and you never stopped criticising him, Gardenstar, he was independent and would write the truth and worked tirelessly to promote the sport and argued for its best interest, maybe you actually appreciate now that he's gone how much he actually did.
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Adam was not entirely independent in some of his articles but he is better than having nobody now. If the mainstream media now refuse to have one of their own cover the sport it will eventually spell the death knell for it
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