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Harvey 24/5 for the FINAL TIME!

Harness & Greyhounds
TSSTSS    1,401 posts
edited May 2014 Harness & Greyhounds
A sad meeting this being the last ever at Harvey. Jam packed 10 race card with the KING LETHBRIDGE CUP being the highlight.

What are your selections? Lets get more than 10 units in winnings. Put down your selections based on 1 unit for the win per race. 10u in and hopefully more than 10u out!!

1/6 DONTDOUBTME
2/3 MADDY WHITE
3/3 SHOWSTOPPER
4/4 IMA TRADEGY
5/8 AEREUS MAXIMUS
6/1 THREE BLIND MICE
7/12 VAPOUR
8/11 SLICK CHAPEL
9/2 BLOW YOUR KOOL
10/7 EMINENCE GRISE
+1 -1

Gilgamesh likes this post.

Comments

  • lamelame    1,757 posts
    i saw it was on the market which i thought was very strange
  • TSSTSS    1,401 posts
    I think it I recall correctly that the true owners of the land wants to sell up (making to real estate). Would be quite valuable land there. Shame the trotting industry couldn't buy it. Just hope to support those around Harvey that venues such as Bunbury can hold 10 race cards each time to support the industry.
  • Lady_LuckLady_Luck    68 posts
    Harvey the longest running trotting club in Australia (77 years) until tonight and is ending all because of greed IMO. 
     The complex was owned by Mr King-Lethbridge for many years and leased on a peppercorn lease . On his death bed he signed over the complex to 2 local brothers one being on the Harvey trots committee at the time and on the agreement this peppercorn lease would stand and the trotting club would stay where it is. This happened for a few years until said brothers demand a new lease arrangement that the club could not afford basically giving the club no option but to close down, Greed is a terrible thing and may those responsible hang their heads in shame.

       

    Gilgamesh, lame likes this post.

  • TSSTSS    1,401 posts
    Interesting Lady Luck.

    Seems that the brothers charged $1 a year in rent, then now want to charge $24,000 a year in rent.

    Harvey being a not for profit organisation can not raise $24,000 a year without RWWA help.

    RWWA does not want to provide the $24,000 a year because races are conducted on a privately owned property as indicated in the title deed.
  • CPLCPL    632 posts
    One bet tonight.
    Chocy Mac
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Trivia Night info for the future......Mr Hannible, David Young and Dean Miller join Speedy Cheval, Ross Olivieri and Phil Coulson as winners of the last ever race at the senseless closure of yet another track. Economic rationalism of the type that got rid of Richmond Raceway and Harvey all in the name of progress......bah humbug. Shameful decisions of myopic administrators.

  • GilgameshGilgamesh    4,719 posts

    D Young stable flying at the moment. He sent Mister Hannible around 3 times in the last week for two placings and a win and there where other winners from his stable as well.

     

    When they closed down Gero trots what happened to the track?

  • tonytony    2,361 posts
    The Gero track was (is) inside the thoroughbred track and last time I looked it was still there.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Joins Merredin, Tammin, Cunderdin, Williams and Bridgetown reduced to almost "picnic" status and are we really the better for it? Bean counters will say yes but the 'culture and soul" are on life support. Busselton and Wagin will be next, on some obsure OHS clause that has recently been invoked and they wonder why people dont attend any more/

    Gilgamesh likes this post.

  • tonytony    2,361 posts
    I think Harvey is a bit different in that the owners of the property wanted a heap of money for racing to continue there.
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,744 posts
    edited May 2014
    JayJay said:

    Joins Merredin, Tammin, Cunderdin, Williams and Bridgetown 

    York
  • lamelame    1,757 posts
    tony said:

    I think Harvey is a bit different in that the owners of the property wanted a heap of money for racing to continue there.

    sounded like RWWA got annoyed with the owners and washed their hands as well
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,744 posts
    Harvey was certainly one of the better tracks.
  • TSSTSS    1,401 posts
    I must say, I really enjoyed having Narrogin beamed on Sky Channel on Sunday.

    They should always have a Sunday afternoon fixture that starts around the same time as the Victorian trots.

    Ideally, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

    Unsure if WA is big enough to support seven days. Hope it can become as big as Victoria.
  • sonnysonny    1,056 posts
    Australian Harness Website has an article by the premier of Vic. stating that harness racing generates more than 421 million into the Vic. economy.. Great Read. I wish some of our politicians and administrators would have the same thoughts.
  • sonnysonny    1,056 posts
    Thanks for posting the websites Fastmoney ,my computer skills are poor.
  • GilgameshGilgamesh    4,719 posts
    JayJay said:

    Joins Merredin, Tammin, Cunderdin, Williams and Bridgetown reduced to almost "picnic" status and are we really the better for it? Bean counters will say yes but the 'culture and soul" are on life support. Busselton and Wagin will be next, on some obsure OHS clause that has recently been invoked and they wonder why people dont attend any more/



    I couldn't agree more, I've mentioned my thoughts before but it is the point of difference that country tracks offer to bring some interest to the game. Couple that with the fact that the local country trainer will have a following that if he ever gets one going well enough to take to town he brings that following with him plus whoever they tell and even if the horse goes no good they might see another one in the race they want to follow. They are not going to tune in to watch GP week in week out if they don't have something around them to make them tune in, you must have variety.

    Some of the best racing I've watched this year has been from Albany because it's competitive, that's what you get on country tracks where true amateurs still back themselves in against the professional types.

  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,890 posts
    Dissappointing about Harvey closing - like they say - where theres a will - theres a relative

    Went there years ago - took my Pop down there ( pre pay tv days ) - the amazing thing was - you were allowed to park your car on the embankment - inside the grounds - overlooking the home straight - so you could sit in the comfort of your car - and watch the trots - incredible stuff

    I can remember one night at Harvey - got out of my car - at the finish of a race - and there was woman about 60 in the car next to us - and i said to her - gee that favourite won well ( about 3s on)- she said to me she owned it - when the race was on - she was hiding in the back seat - she wasnt game to watch - she said she mozzes it - you meet them all at the trots

    My most nostalgic old track was Pinjarra - this was 20 - 30 years ago when they raced under lights - it was the weirdest shaped track of all time- had 3 back straights - you had to see it to believe - the surveyor or track designer must have been drunk when they built it- many a short priced favourite got rolled there
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    I can remeber the old old Pinjarra track before the triangular fiasco was built - also the original Harvey Track prior to it being relocated to the current spot. I read somewhere the closure was all about a rental fee of $24,000 per annum. If true, it displays the contempt the Administrators have for provincial harness racing. The real act of despair was closing Richmond Raceway .....unforgivable.
  • FastmoneyFastmoney    4,912 posts
    edited June 2017
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Surely, the mistake of the past can be turned around. Doesn't seem a lot for a ready to race complex at 1.3 million. Cost to build a venue from scratch would be ....I dunno....10 times as much?

    jum, Ridersonthestorm33, Rex, goose likes this post.

  • jumjum    3,512 posts
    Surely the powers to be would be looking into this. As JJ stated reasonably priced.
  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    JayJay said:

    Surely, the mistake of the past can be turned around. Doesn't seem a lot for a ready to race complex at 1.3 million. Cost to build a venue from scratch would be ....I dunno....10 times as much

    JayJay said:


    JayJay said:

    Mail is that the "powers" that be are hell bent on further contraction of harness meetings away from outer country and country venues and directing more midweek meetings to the dilapidated Gloucester Park facility along with increases to the Pinjarra racing programme. Expect to see a raft of graphs,statistical analyses and power point gobbledygook justification I would assume if that is the case.

    JayJay said:

    Harvey facility freehold at 1.3 mill is a once in a lifetime opportunity for harness racing......however Nero is fiddling beautifully as Rome is approaching cinders.

  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    Sorry about the misquoting attributed in the previous JJ. Sometimes this posting program has a mind of its own.

    JayJay likes this post.

  • savethegamesavethegame    2,788 posts
    Only two years of burts salary , has to be a buy...

    curmudgeon likes this post.

  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    All good Curmudgeon, I only occasionally master the "quoting" gremlins but agree that it is an opportunity at $1.3 million that should be looked at. Outer country meetings, if properly supported by Sky, draw far more people than the ghost mid weeks at GP.....going to Wagin on Friday night...yes it will be cold but one certainty...the dining room/bar/tote areas will be doing brisk business.

    curmudgeon likes this post.

  • BetonmeBetonme    209 posts
    Sad to see, was great for the town and one of my favourite spots to take a horse. And grab some great Italian food on the way out. 
    Chris King Lethbridge must be turning in his grave. 

    jum, curmudgeon likes this post.

  • FastmoneyFastmoney    4,912 posts
    The fact that the track is up for public sale suggests there is no interest from those steering the ship.

    jum, curmudgeon likes this post.

  • ChariotsonfireChariotsonfire    2,829 posts
    I loved the Harvey track for a variety of reasons but do we really need another track between Pinjarra and Bunbury?

    I will say that Harvey was better attended than Bunbury is.
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