Message to racing's administrators

  • mr hawaii
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 20062
  • Thanks: 2653

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234582
in the old days a good meeting at turffontein would see you parking many many streets away from the course -

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • mikesack
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 3346
  • Thanks: 201

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234591
Robert Garner then Racing Editor of The Star wrote in S.A.Racehorse SEPTEMBER 1988: Highveld punters are on a gambling spree the likes of which has not been seen in S.A. before, and tote-betting recorde have tumbled like ninepins in recent months.The S.A. record tote turnover of R10,6 million set at Gosforth Park in April was shattered at the course on July2, when the Rothmns July Handicap was featured as the 6th race on the local programme.Boosted by a R889,356 Pick 6 from the Newmarket meeting 3 days earlier. tote turnover rocketed to R12,5million.Highveld tote punters bet R4million on the July Handicap while the Pick 6 pool EXCLUDING the carryover reached R2,7million.Gosforth Park fast becoming the most popular highveld racecourse held 4 of the 5 Tvl Saturday meetings in July and average tote turnover for the 22 meetingsheld at the track from Jan to July was R6,1million, a stunning increase on last years average of R4,3million.Betting fervour showed no sign of lessening in the first week of the new season when punters bet nearly R20million thru the highveld tote machines.Tote turnover for the meeting at NEWMARKET on Tue Aug 2 was a record R6,5million xcluding a R1million carryover from Gosforth Park the prev. Saturday and punters then wagered R1,5million on the Wed meeting at Greyville. R4,5million at Vaal omn Thursday and R7million at Gosforth 2 days later.The boom in betting can be attributed to several factors.Increased discretionary income is a major reason as are the Pick6 and AN INTENSIVE PROVINCIAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.The prospect of instant wealth thru the Pick6, which was introdued to the highveld in December1987, combined with a successful AND ONGOING ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN have boosted awareness of horseracing to dizzy heights recently.People are flocking to betting windows with their discretionary rands and many others with money that cud be spent on necessities, and turnovers are soaring.EVEN MORE PLEASING TO HIGHVELD RACING OFFICAILS IS THAT ATTENDANCES ARECLIMBING STEADILYWHICH OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY OF CONVERTING MANY NUMBER'S PLAYERS TO TRUE RACING FANS.The damper placed on the economy by the recent increase in petrol price cud reverse the trend butfor the moment Racing club bank accounts are in their best shape for years

This was almost 25 yrs ago only on Tvl tote, no SAFTOTE, no TELLYTRACK.So who do we blame for the poor state of affairs today.Is it the Lotto, the Casinos or the Merit Rating system?Also note how the midweek clubs held their own more than adequately those days and shows that somebody was doing something right all those years ago what with advertising when u had no Lotto , Casinos etc on the doorstep as opposition.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • mr hawaii
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 20062
  • Thanks: 2653

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234616
and how much advertising does GARNER do now he's in control?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • gregbucks
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Thanks: 0

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234654
mr hawaii Wrote:
> and how much advertising does GARNER do now he's
> in control?


No need to advertise MR H, sports betting is the future of Phumelela ... :?

AND MR H if you parked a few blocks from the Big T these days you wouldn't make it to the track in one piece....

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Bob Brogan
  • Administrator
  • Administrator
  • Posts: 82473
  • Thanks: 6449

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234771
A small racecourse with an even smaller grounds team stole the show at the Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, taking the dual purpose track prize. Jane Carley finds out how the enthusiastic crew at Musselburgh Racecourse, led by Clerk of the Course Harriet Graham, make it work

Musselburgh Racecourse, which traces its history back to 1816, is a not-for-profit organisation run by the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee (MJRC), a partnership of East Lothian Council and the Lothian's Racing Syndicate Limited (LRS). The racecourse itself sits on Musselburgh Common Good land, and East Lothian Council own all the facilities and assets, such as the grandstands and stables. The MJRC pay a full commercial rent for use of the land and facilities to both the Common Good Fund and East Lothian Council.

More than £7.5 million has been invested into the facilities at Musselburgh Racecourse since 1995, and the results include a new hospitality stand (The Queen's Stand), the refurbishment of the Edwardian Grandstand and all public areas, the building of the Links Pavilion housing many essential facilities for customers, a new weighing room and entrance complexes, a new parade ring, new stables and groundstaff facilities, and extensive landscaping, plus improvements to the track itself.
Musselburgh hosts a number of prestigious fixtures, including a Cheltenham trials day much appreciated by the Festival's 'northern raiders', the Edinburgh Cup day in June, and the sell-out Ladies Day, which attracts 7000 racegoers.

Musselburgh AerialYet, it is still a small racecourse, with limited land and a team of just four full-time groundstaff, who put in considerable effort to deliver twenty-four flat and national hunt meetings a year. Their work was recognised in winning the Dual Purpose section of the 2011 Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, with the mighty Ascot as runner-up.

Clerk of the Course, Harriet Graham, comments, "We were thrilled to win the award, it was very unexpected, especially up against some of the bigger courses. I believe it recognises what our small team achieves in putting on so many meetings, but everyone involved with the course is a joy to work with, from the volunteers who hand out the number cloths to the board members."

Harriet, herself, has been at the course just a year, having been encouraged by former clerk, Anthea Morshead, to go on the clerk's training course whilst she was working in television at Racing UK and Racetech.

"I've always been interested in groundsmanship, plus I train racehorses myself, so I have a good idea of their needs. My priority is to provide fair, consistent footing for racing," she explains.Musselburgh Grandstand

The limited space available for the course requires careful management to provide fresh ground for meetings, involving lots of rail movements, as well as moving the fences for national hunt fixtures.

"A programme of investment in portable fences has seen two traditional fences replaced each year so, by 2013, they will all be portables, which can be moved in half an hour per fence," Harriet explains.

Separate courses for flat and jump meetings can 'just about' be maintained, she points out, which is useful given that, in 2011, the team had a one week turnaround from the flat to jumps season. "We have six weeks in the spring to prepare for the flat, which is a bit easier."

Widening the canterdown is another improvement undertaken this year, which should help protect vital areas of racing surface by reducing footfall on the track itself.
The sandy, free draining land and low rainfall means that Musselburgh can offer good going when other courses are heavy, but the flipside to this is the need to water to maintain good-firm going for the flat.

A brand new irrigation system has been installed by Souters Irrigation Services, with a new ring main, which means that sufficient water can be put on over a twelve hour period as opposed to twenty-four hours in the past.

"We should be able to water more efficiently too, putting it on in the evening or at night rather than when it is hot," comments Harriet.

Musselburgh NewStablesThe new stable complex is a major step forward for Musselburgh, not least for safety as, previously, horses had to be led down the road from the stables to the track. Head Groundsman, Mark Bemrose, oversees part-time staff who come in to muck out after meetings, and the grounds team bring in bedding and do other chores for the stables. Sited in Musselburgh's golf course complex, the stable development has also benefited the golfers, providing canteen facilities and a clubhouse.

Groundstaff are also heavily involved in gardening, as presentation becomes more important on racing and non-racedays, and a new winners' podium has been created and planted up.

Much of the specialist renovation work - earthquaking and verti-draining, to make the most of any available water and encourage grass growth - is done by contractors.
"We do occasionally hire this type of equipment," she says, "but, as we have such a small staff, it makes sense to bring in a specialist. Removing compaction is an important task - the more forgiving the ground, the less risk of injuries to horses which, from my perspective as a trainer, is best for horse welfare and likely to encourage other trainers to continue to send their horses to us."

As well as Mark and his team of four, Harriet relies on six part-time staff who are engaged for big jobs, and an outsourced ground repair team who come in after racing to tread in and apply divot mix.MarkBemrose

"They are invaluable - they work until it is dark and then come back the next morning, not stopping until the job is done," she comments.

The general public have free access to the course, not to mention the golfers who actually cross the track during their rounds, so minimising their impact is all part of the job.

"We also host events such as the New Year Sprint and trotting races. But we try to keep the public off the racing surface where possible," Harriet explains. "However, vandalism can be an issue, from burning fences to breaking rails, so it is just something we have to keep an eye out for."

Plans for the future include adding an all-weather strip for half a furlong on the flat track to prevent the bends getting chopped up, but all developments have to be budget led. "We're not affected by local authority cuts, but our aim is to have a good business plan to make money that can be reinvested in the racecourse," says Harriet.

The will to offer good racing with limited resources caught the eye of the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards' judges in 2011 and, this year, the team again 'went the extra mile' in spectacular fashion, shaking off the big freeze to reschedule Musselburgh's Cheltenham trials day in early February when the rest of the country was still under ice.

"We applied for the fixture and trainers were desperate to race; if the forecast had been wrong it could have been tricky! But, the course was ready for us to run the week before when we were frozen off so, as the temperatures rose to 9OC, it was simply a matter of getting the staff in place so that we could provide that opportunity," says Harriet.

Musselburgh RinktopdresserEquipped for the job

Machinery is chosen to be as efficient as possible, whilst producing top quality results. A new Wessex RMX240 roller mower was purchased last year, and is mainly used the day before racing to stripe up the course.

Head groundsman, Mark Bemrose, explains: "The Wessex mower enables us to improve presentation for the meetings and also acts as back up to our main mower, a Jacobsen HR9016. It takes about six hours to cut the course and, in the peak season, we are mowing every other day."

A Rink topdresser and second hand Gator have been added this year, and the latest addition to the tractor fleet, a 66hp John Deere 4720 multitasks around the course.

"The 4720 is so useful," comments Mark, "We have a loader fitted so the tractor can move material for divoting, it pulls the mower, tows the two Briggs irrigators and also handles the Moore Uni Drill, which is a heavy piece of kit."

Overseeding is an important task - carried out in March, between the national hunt and flat seasons and again in July after the course is used for a two-day harness racing meeting.

"We have had our own grass seed mixture, prepared by local company Go Green, with 100 per cent ryegrass to give us the quick establishment needed," Mark explains. "The harness racing tends to 'bruise' the grass, so we reseed again to take us through to November when we are back into the national hunt season again."

He adds that getting specialist support from local companies is also key to making the job work - Sherriff Groundcare of Haddington, East Lothian take care of all the servicing and parts for machinery.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Dave Scott
  • Administrator
  • Administrator
  • Posts: 43867
  • Thanks: 3338

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234773
Cheers Bob all the lassies are going to ladies day and says we will be getting a few photos.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Gajima
  • Topic Author
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Thanks: 0

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234776
In my mind Musselburgh racecourse will always be associated with Le Garcon D'or and AJ Russell

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • mikesack
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 3346
  • Thanks: 201

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234780
A great achievement and well done to all concerned! Just goes to show that enthusiasm, dedication and a sense of pride in investing your time in your hometown Racing Club cud make such a big difference.

Now only if we cud do it here, maybe Clairwood?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Bob Brogan
  • Administrator
  • Administrator
  • Posts: 82473
  • Thanks: 6449

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234783
scotia Wrote:
> Cheers Bob all the lassies are going to ladies day
> and says we will be getting a few photos.


Just spoke to yer wee sister on twitter,shes in Poland eating some kind of cake

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • gregbucks
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Thanks: 0

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 1 week ago
#234786
Our jokers can't even get a simply audio commentary line working consistently.....(:P)

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • no2son
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Thanks: 0

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 2 days ago
#237785
Gajima Wrote:
> In my mind Musselburgh racecourse will always be
> associated with Le Garcon D'or and AJ Russell


for me it will allways be the look on your face when you got stuck in the turnstiles wi yer fat arse

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Gajima
  • Topic Author
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Thanks: 0

Re: Re: Message to racing's administrators

13 years 2 days ago
#238019
no2son Wrote:
> Gajima Wrote:
>
>
> > In my mind Musselburgh racecourse will always
> be
> > associated with Le Garcon D'or and AJ Russell
>
>
> for me it will allways be the look on your face
> when you got stuck in the turnstiles wi yer fat
> arse

I see you are still delusional. Must be the result of the Cape Tribulation you suffered in March / April.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.132 seconds