That is a really strange thing they do in Aussie. Lengths are so much more descriptive. Metres are quite weird. I am certain they didn't use to do that many years ago.
I agree with you 100% regarding Adam White, the Auckland/Waikato commentator, and as for the Victorian bloke, it's surperfilis to requirements.
As I am being grumpy tonight, I wish that the Australian commentators would use lengths rather than metres too!
I can remember a time when the chief stipe would have called in the whole field of jockeys after a race like that and warned them to up their game. I can't remember his name, but if that had happened at Rangiora or Blenheim back in the 80s or 90s the chief SI stipe would have warned the whole field and fined several of them. I wonder whether current stipes are really up to it.
Chris Barsby isn't too bad. he is extremely accurate in close finishes ( that we often have) and hasn't drawn a negative that I've heard. until now.
David Fowler used to do Albion years ago and was excellent , before getting paid more at Eagle Farm and Doomben 😅.
By far the most criticism I see on your NZ threads is for the Auckland bloke for using driver nic-names nearly All the time. Wizards, magicians etc. You would think someone would tell him that the style is not popular.😉 He's not at the circus. or is he?? 😁
Even worse than that , some bloke in Victoria country trots , starts reading the colours of the silks in the running !! sounds terrible. Literally saying what the driver colours are throughout the running , as he learnt them before the race. Is absolute terrible commentary. someone should tell him , but don't for some reason. 🙄
I don't believe that because if they are then some of their decisions don't make sense from a wagering revenue perspective. Maybe that is why Rodger and Fitt got the flick.
The shame of it is that some very very good horses have won the Avondale guineas and Cup. And I loved seeing EV do the demo job today - reminds me or Sir Slick a little, Kawi perhaps? Getting the mix of tradition with modern needs is not easy, certainly.
I feel the balance is out of whack at the moment.
Although I am mainly a thoroughbred person we also have an interest in harness racing and in fact have a horse with the Dunns.
Often we watch the harness from Brisbane but I get so frustrated with the style of the commentator as he tries to make something pretty low key, exciting, and for that I give him credit.
However tonight with the Drivers Championship (or whatever it's called) I was hoping for something more conservative, yet enthusiastic, even polished, but no.
Am I out of order?
Probably worth remembering that this was a preliminary grand final for a lot of them today. Nobody was going to be given a gut buster upside down run as a lead in to the big day in March.
Let's be clear it ISN'T Entain that is throwing the money at stakes aside from providing the funding.
The NZB Kiwi is the brainchild of NZTR and NZ Bloodstock. Entain may be funding the marketing and promotion of the race but arguably all of Racing benefits from that. Not to mention that most of the KiwiB funding is coming from the slot buyers.
As for the other Novelty Races and stakes largesse that is being driven by NZTR.
2nd one is down as well. Down the track 😂. worked too hard to lead. and stopped bad.
The horse that Pete trains with his wife won it though lol.
and driven by the 21 year old Angus Garrard. He has a big Lead in the Comp now after getting 2nd in the first race.
He is close to 1000 race wins already , and only 21 years old. (been driving since 17) he could get more career wins than Grant Dixon at that rate lol.
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