It certainly has been an eventful week for the sport, starting off on Friday night with a brilliant night of Group 1 action at Gloucester Park for Interdominion Night.
The highest of highs was then followed by the lowest of the lows, with the sport banning the whip from September 1 2017. Is that the final nail in the coffin?
Let’s start with the good, which was Interdominion night at Gloucester Park. The 2936m final, worth over $1 Million, was won by kiwi star Smolda in an epic finish, holding out the hot favourite Hectorjayjay by a half neck in a 400m stirring struggle that certainly will go down as one of the best editions of the race that we have seen for many years.
The race, the series, the night itself should have got more media attention, and as it panned out, it deserved it. What I find baffling is that for a sport that was once upon a time one of the biggest in Australia, to have the showpiece event of your sport run at 12.30am AEST doesn’t make sense.
Betting turnover on the tote of around $20,000 tells you that it failed from a punting perspective.
You only have to rewind to last year when the final was run during the day. Turnover was strong, the ratings TV wise were great, a near record crowd trackside. That’s what should be happening if the series is to be conducted at Gloucester Park. It either has to be run during the day, or scrap it entirely and save it for the Eastern States.
Now to the bad news – the whip ban from September 1 next year. I think most would agree that limiting whip use for harness racing is a tick, because while on one hand the whip is vital for some horses, visually, it looks very ugly, especially with some drivers who are very aggressive in their whip use and to the naked eye, it looks like a person flogging an animal that isn’t going any faster.
But to ban it all together? Nope. Completely wrong. The image of the sport does need to improve, nobody is disputing that. But banning the whip can lead to some very dangerous scenarios.
For example, when a horse breaking stride and starts bucking. The driver is pretty much helpless in trying to get it back into stride and the punters do their money just like that.
And again, back to the image of the sport. Putting your hard earned on a trotter who finishes the race with a couple of flicks of the reins.
To the eye, it will look bad and it will only just add more fire to the term ‘Red Hots’, something that the sport desperately needs to be removed from the industry given what has transpired over the past few years. If this ban remains in place, there will be a lot of opportunities for certain drivers and trainers to earn a quick quid via “obliging” by the rules.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
I think so Hrad. It'll turn me off punting there that's for sure. But I highly doubt Racing Australia will do the same. All the control of the horse is with the human and if he has nothing to help the horse when it plays up...hard not to think worst case scenario
Adam Page
Roar Guru
The way that some of the tracks in Victoria and co have been racing recently, I've somewhat turned to Harness Racing when it comes to punting...and to say that some drives are "suspect" would be very kind. Bringing in this whip rule will only just add to that. I'm not saying it's not a good industry. But I'd need limbs like a spider to count the amount of severe rules/laws have been breached by people in the industry in recent years. And we are talking big names.
Hrad
Guest
As far as punting goes, the whip ban could be the final nail in the coffin for harness racing. I just hope the Horse Racing industry doesn't bow to pressure to ban jockeys from using the whip.
Dean
Guest
No whip - what a complete joke. Vin Knight will be turning in his grave. Seriously do gooders of the world, get a life. Bring back the days of the Vin Knights of the world. Also look at the whips they use these days.... seriously they would struggle to hurt a fly.... if the ban stands i will consider selling my harness horses.... complete joke...
Phil
Guest
I am frankly over the term Red Hots, considering the turmoil of the drug cheats in gallops and the live baiting in greyhounds. I have said this ad nauseum to all, whilst you have men, money and animals racing you will have instances of skullduggery but to paint all in the industries, in this case harness, with cheats brush is plain wrong and an insult. When it comes to the same brush the media has an appalling record.just read the anti Trump lies. It's very easy or should I say lazy to use the throwaway lines and even more than that you guys need get out and meet these hard working people and see for yourself instead of shining seats. Given the number of people in the industries the number of misdemeanors is tiny. Check it out across the board and see what your " Investigative Journalists"come up with then. Failing them doing their jobs just keep using your deleterious throwaway lines and slaughter a good industry.