Harness racing has been playing out to empty stands at Addington but its turnovers have surprised. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.
Dr Darrin’s harness health check-up: Turnovers show the patient is still breathing
By Barry Lichter • 8 June 2020
A ray of light has emerged for the racing industry with betting on harness meetings stronger than expected since racing resumed 12 days ago.
Figures obtained from Harness Racing New Zealand for the first eight meetings predictably show the highest turnovers in the South Island, with public track-based North Island stables still cranking up their operations.
Friday nights at Addington have been particularly pleasing, says HRNZ racing and marketing manager Darrin Williams, with fixed odds betting clearly more popular than tote betting on weekdays.
With 12-race cards, and the prime betting slot, Addington has returned figures of $1.17 million and $1.01 million for its Friday meets.
“It’s certainly better than we thought it would be,” says Williams.
“I’d like to think betting will keep going up too with still a lot of horses to come back.”
Invercargill’s two Saturday meetings have also exceeded the traditional numbers, returning $781,000 and $833,000 for 11-race programmes.
“Normally you’d expect Invercargill on a Saturday to turn over between $500,000 and $550,000, and if you got to $600,000 that would be very good.
“Once the gallops come back on Saturdays it could be different of course. If people are wanting to have a bet on New Zealand racing at the moment they could be betting on the trots by default.”
While there were only 46 horses in six races at the first meeting on a Thursday at Auckland, Williams says to generate an average of $62,000 per race wasn’t too bad.
And Cambridge also got a tick on its Sunday card, with 95 horses in nine races attracting $582,000.
Thursday’s meeting at Cambridge will see 106 runners, a sign that more northern trainers have their charges nearing race fitness.
Williams is hopeful that more of the code’s top liners will be seen out on the racetrack soon too, with the cancellation of the traditional late season Harness Jewels allowing them to be spelled earlier.
Williams is reluctant to read too much into the figures just yet, knowing people’s disposable incomes have been hit hard by COVID-19 and many coming off subsidies might not now be able to afford to gamble.
He points to the tradie who used to have a few jugs and some bets at the pub on a Friday night.
“Maybe now if they lose $20 on the first race, they’ll be out.”
Turnover details
Harness turnovers since racing resumed:
Thursday May 28 Addington (9 races) $624,586
Average per race $69,398
Fixed odds $319,000, tote $305,000
Friday May 29 Addington (12 races) $1,168,115
Average per race $97,342
Fixed odds $607,000, tote $560,000
Saturday May 30 Invercargill (11 races) $781,228
Average per race $71,020
Fixed odds $307,000, tote $473,000
Sunday May 31 Cambridge (9 races) $582,750
Average per race $64,750
Fixed odds $251,000, tote $331,000
Thursday June 4 Auckland (6 races) $374,321
Average per race $62,386
Fixed odds $221,000, tote $153,000
Friday June 5 Addington (12 races) $1,013,898
Average per race $84,491
Fixed odds $552,000, tote $461,000
Saturday June 6 Invercargill (11 races) $833,246
Average per race $75,749
Fixed odds $355,000, tote $478,000
Sunday June 7 Addington (10 races) $790,727
Average per race $79,072
Fixed odds $353,000, tote $437,000.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
