WEIRD Distances during the week [?]
 

Is this sort of distance rubbish happening deliberately during the week to make handicapping and picking winners harder ?

CESSNOCK
Race 1 : 2 :38 PM MDN C 1150
Race 2 : 3 :13 PM MDN C 1150
Race 3 : 3 :48 PM NEW YE C 1550
Race 4 : 4 :23 PM CL1 C 1550
Race 5 : 4 :58 PM MDN C 1350
Race 6 : 5 :33 PM MDN C 900
Race 7 : 6 :08 PM CL1 C 900

STONY CREEK
Race 1 : 1 :10 PM 3 CL1 C 1600
Race 2 : 1 :45 PM CL1 C 1000
Race 3 : 2 :20 PM 3UFMMDN C 1000
Race 4 : 2 :55 PM 3 MDN C 1100
Race 5 : 3 :30 PM CL4 C 1780
Race 6 : 4 :10 PM 3U MDN C 2100
Race 7 : 4 :45 PM CL5 C 2800
Race 8 : 5 :20 PM CL1 N 1780

Not a 1200m anywhere. Albany today has normal distances but it is the exception during the week, not the norm. You hardly ever see these sort of distances on a Sat. Metro card.

Now it's happening Wed. too. Tomorrow's races:

CANTERBURY
Race 1 : 1 :17 PM 3 MDN C 1580
Race 2 : 1 :52 PM 2 F MDN C 1100
Race 3 : 2 :27 PM 3 CGMDN C 1100
Race 4 : 3 :02 PM 3UFMCL3 C 1900
Race 5 : 3 :37 PM 3U 3UP-WL C 1580
Race 6 : 4 :17 PM 4UM CL3 C 1250
Race 7 : 4 :57 PM 4UEGCL3 C 1200

DEVONPORT
Race 1 : 12:15 PM CL1 C 1380
Race 2 : 12:55 PM CL1 C 1380
Race 3 : 1 :30 PM CL1 C 1600
Race 4 : 2 :05 PM 3U MDN C 1175
Race 5 : 2 :40 PM 3 MDN C 1175
Race 6 : 3 :15 PM CL2 C 1175
Race 7 : 3 :52 PM DEVONP N 1800
Race 8 : 4 :32 PM CL4 C 1600
Race 9 : 5 :12 PM HCP N 1175
Race 10 : 5 :52 PM CL2 C 1800

GOLD COAST
Race 1 : 11:47 AM MDN C 900
Race 2 : 12:25 PM 3UFMMDN C 1300
Race 3 : 1 :00 PM 3UFMMDN C 1300
Race 4 : 1 :35 PM 3UECMDN C 1300
Race 5 : 2 :10 PM CL3 C 1000
Race 6 : 2 :45 PM CL4 C 1800
Race 7 : 3 :25 PM 3 CL6 C 1800
Race 8 : 4 :05 PM CL2 C 1400
Race 9 : 4 :45 PM CL1 C 1200

SANDOWN HILLSIDE
Race 1 : 1 :00 PM 3 F 3YF HC C 1000
Race 2 : 1 :35 PM 4UM CL6 N 1000
Race 3 : 2 :10 PM HCP C 2400
Race 4 : 2 :45 PM 4U CL6 C 1300
Race 5 : 3 :20 PM 3 1MW C 1300
Race 6 : 3 :56 PM CL6 C 1700
Race 7 : 4 :36 PM 1MWLY C 1000
Race 8 : 5 :16 PM 4UM CL6 C 1400

VICTORIA PARK
Race 1 : 12:37 PM 2 NMW C 1000
Race 2 : 1 :12 PM 3U MDN C 1250
Race 3 : 1 :47 PM CL1 C 1800
Race 4 : 2 :22 PM CL1 C 1250
Race 5 : 2 :57 PM CL3 C 1250
Race 6 : 3 :32 PM CL4 C 2000
Race 7 : 4 :12 PM CL3 C 1600
Race 8 : 4 :52 PM 3U MDN C 1600

You would never see these distances at these tracks on a Sat: 1580m, 1900m at Canterbury and 1300m and 1700m at Sand. Hillside. Not sure about Tasmania [anythings possible down there:-)].

By my reckoning Cessnock only ever races at these distances:

950
1150
1350
1550
2100

http://www.racenet.com.au/cessnock/...?venue=cessnock

False rail.................

Some tracks re-position the barriers to keep distances constant.

Other tracks leave the barriers where they are and re-adjust the distance.

Most of these weird distances never existed [on any track any day of the week] not that long ago. How hard can it be to measure out a standard distance just like they do on Sat. at Metro meetings? What, they never adjust city track rails in or out ?

Pity the poor ************ with a mid-week form guide and only a horses last 3 starts on it that says: Starts at distance [1580m]: NIL. Wins at Distance: Nil. But we lucky lot with PC's see the runner has 3 wins from 4 starts at 1600m.
This distance garbage all started with the intro of 1300m races, then came the 900m after the 'rare' 1000m became common [yes youngsters, there was a time that distance was a rare one, not the most common]. I recently saw listed [forgotten where] a couple of 800m races [not trials]. How long will it be before we are racing 1/4 horses over 600m?

Weird distances are just another nail in punter's coffins and more variables in handicapping as far as I can see.

Cheers, Crash

I agree with you Crash,it does make life more difficult.

I can only guess that with laser technology they can place the false rail in almost any position and calculate the distance in a few minutes.I think that previously there were set positions for the false rail and distances were more standard.

Yep, you've nailed it there I think syllabus23. Cost saving.
Why pay someone to measure out common standard distances, when they can just adjust the declared distance? Stuff the punters.

That's not quite correct Crash, they have had these weird distances for some years now, e.g. in 1996 @ Flemington they had races over 1405m 1410m; 1415m; 1418m; 1419m; 1422m; a listed race over 1604m; 1618m; 1624m - I could go on with even more over the last ten years just @ Flemington.

Back in October 2005 they ran a race @ Flemington over 1720m won by Command 'n Conquer on a Saturday worth $75,000. Same day they ran the Edward Manifold over 1610m & yet another race over 1410m while in July last year there was a race @ the same track over 1440m.

At Sandown (old track) they ran 1300m races as far back as 1996, if not even further back, while @ the new Hillside track they have been running 1300m races since in opened.


We mightn't like it but these 'weird' distances are all part of a punter's lot nowadays.

We get the same thing here, but they dodge it by calling a race for example: "About 7 furlongs". A furlong being 1/8 of a mile of course. Makes comparing times or speed ratings less meaningful.

Regards,

Glenn

Gee La Mer,

I took you for an old ************ too. 1996? [yesterday].
How about what was happening in 1986? or 76? or ....na, we won't go there.

I am Crash, it's just that my database only goes back ten years. :-)

Back in the 60's & 70's, I think the rail movements didn't exist as we know now - there was not as many meetings as we have now and they used to run genuine welter and flying welter handicaps.

Oh what happened to the good old days of racing?

Welters where THE races to bet on [same or similar horses racing against each other]. Welters nowadays, you'd get old waiting for one to come up.

!200m was the most common distance and there were a lot more staying races. Pressure from owners and trainers have stuffed that up. Used to be Sat. and Wed. meetings. That was it and you had decent crowds both days and the bookie was King with a reasonable % book of odds !!