A rarity these days Handicap racing this pic is from Sandown. Seems the problem nowadays is OH&S yes that old chestnut it’s taken over our lives. Love the below pic of the Handicap boxes at Beenleigh from 1937
Ken Gill – Raced in a handicap at Olympic park
Kerry Chalker– Great days with great greyhounds O’Dearo over hurdles Tempix from the red racing around the outside fence. Mum’s Ruby over the long
Robert Britton– For mine, handicap racing created great interest and was a better spectacle. Blaming OH&S is just a cop out…more like …too hard basket.
Kerry Chalker– Robert Britton sounds reasonable Robert
Rob Tyler – Robert Britton especially with stayers nowadays. There’s always a problem getting full fields over the distance so handicap races give us the option of at least getting a start, no matter what grade of dog is available. It’s a no brainer in my eyes….… See more
Marg Long– Robert Britton not in too hard basket Rob. Brownie is correct OH&S stopped it however the Meadows has spent quite some dollars with the people who make the boxes to come up with a solution
Peter Franklin– Rob Tyler you have stated exactly what l was about to comment.
The use of handicaps for framing a staying race allows trainers to confidently prepare greyhounds for a staying campaign confident there is an event most weeks in which to maintain race fi… See more
Robert Britton– Marg Long Meadows used to get a handicap or 725 almost every week, without handicaps we are down to 24 races in the last year which includes heats and finals of group races. Sadly the gaps between races for stayers is getting to the stage where, if not… See more
Steven Van Oirschot– Robert Britton All ready there. Traralgon new track has no provisions after 500 metres.
Kerry Chalker- Robert Britton perhaps the fact the industry is besotted with 311,390,400 metre races that people don’t make the effort to find a distance dog-distance races are generally a great spectacle
Marg Long- Robert Britton that is the very reason The Meadows is pursuing it. Handicaps suit the stayers and it keeps them in the business
Peter Franklin– Marg Long our Masters at GRV headquarters should be investing in developing the industry by taking the lead in this issue.
Peter Franklin– Kerry Chalker agree, l’ve long suspected that many of the dogs now running around in the T3 and other half stake money meetings because they lack the blistering early to compete at the higher level around the tight first turns of the metro tracks over 500ish meters, could make handy stayers at the higher level if given the chance.
Peter Franklin– Robert Britton Horsham only a few years ago ran a 570m handicap, used by many trainers to test and progress their likely stayers over increasing distances. Today we no longer have many of the mid distance country races in which to develop a stayer as progressively we have lost the 550m (l think it was) at Warrnambool along with the Horsham 570m. In the country we are left with a 545m at Ballarat. Jumping from 450 to 660 is too large a leap. GRV gives lip service to distance races without providing the means or the incentive.
Kerry Chalker– Peter Franklin Cranbourne 520 was once considered the step you took before you took a dog to the city In recent years it has become a club for racing dogs over a distance more suitable to whippets-311 m
Steven Van Oirschot -Yep. Sometimes only one 500 on the program.
Marg Long– Peter Franklin I have no doubt that GRV will be fully supportive if a resolution to the problem is achieved
Steven Van Oirschot– If your a grade 3 at 500metres at Cranbourne you can never drop a grade and come back. Only in group races like the cup.
Peter Franklin- Marg Long my point is GRV should be more proactive in the solution, it should not just be left to individual clubs. I’ve lost confidence in GRV’s willingness to improve the future for the grassroots (hobby) trainer.
Marg Long– My last word on this Peter. GRV promote and support all levels of trainers as is evidenced by the provision of Tier 3 dogs , Victorian bred etc
Have a look around and see what State does it better, none.
Michael Eberand– Marg Long why did the handicaps cease . They were working quite well ? I hope they return
Marg Long– They were Michael however OH&S Authorities had issues with safety for the operators, hard to convince them otherwise.
Peter Franklin– Marg Long dissagree, been looking around for over 50 years, never been more disallusioned. It might seem rosey from your end, T3 is a cut price product and Vic bred bonusus don’t often get down to the grassroots. If having 13 races at half stake meetings when we can only at times get enough noms for 7 races at provincial level l think they must have been away the day the module on critical thinking and forward planning was scheduled.
Alan Marum– How many people have been inured boxing their dogs in a handicap race???? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Peter Franklin– Marg Long back to the OH&S issue, if we can swing a set of starting boxes into the middle of a track and off again for short course racing, we should be able to find a solution for handicap staying races. If one engineer can’t find a solution we should not give up. Australian engineers are well known for innovative solutions. This is where GRV should step in and put out invitations Australia wide for a fix.
That’s my last word.
Edwin Caruana– Kerry whoever decided to pay full prize money for 311m races all those years ago, has a lot to answer for.
Kerry Chalker– Edwin Caruana absolutely
Rob Tyler– Edwin Caruana same as here in NSW Eddie. Ridiculous that you can get the same $$$ for a 5th grade win over 272 metres at say, The Gardens as you do to win a 618 at Richmond. Anyway, stay tuned for a big announcement re prizemoney here in NSW. I’d suggest a few of you ‘Mexicans’ think about sending some up! 😂
Edwin Caruana – Rob Peter Lagacione was telling me last Saturday how he loves to come down and take some of the prize money on offer.
Rodney Walker– I sugested that here in Tas a few years back and they shot me down in flames would of been great for staying races kept them alive .. only hold 1 ore 2 a month now and will get worse lucky to get 1 over the 700 per year
Richard Codd- Still strong in the uk
Gary Smith– Albury handicap and Olympic park handicap races were the best, plenty of blokes won big on theses events, I also remember seeing a dog named Full Blast win off the scratch mark at Shepparton over 720m, you might remember the dog Ian Samblebe
Mick Fearnley– Used to have them over 366 at Sale. I remember earls master winning regularly and working its way back to the scratch mark. Gordon Ogilvie was the trainer. Weird the things that stick in the mind from so long ago.
Donald Hay– Sale cup was run as a handicap in 1973
Ian Samblebe – Gary Smith very sorry I dont remember Full Blast For want of a better excuse I’ll blame old age Actually I thought Aileens Lad trained by Phil Lott was the first dog to win off scratch over the 720 at Shepparton Another seniors moment perhaps
Gary Smith – Ian Samblebe it was a longtime ago Ian Back when my mum had Tandberg Sue running 720m and Tinny Tandberg , a very long time ago
Ian Samblebe – Gary Smith
John Reid– My. Memories of handicap racing,no 1 was front marker,followed by the pink being the back marker,now that was a real handicap,
Kerry Chalker -John Reid John box 1 was the red /backmarker
Maybe early years was the other way -you are perhaps a couple of years older than myself
John Reid – So kind of you Kerry,it’s a lot more than a couple,I may have mixed up the rugs,but the back marker started from the outside,in the days of white city sandown and Gracedale,if anyone is still around who can remember please put an old man out of my mise… See more
Howard Gray– Kerry Chalker Yep, used to run handicap 700’s at Angle Park, a good local stayer I was training Blue Apex was giving away 4 metres at one stage to the front markers but being a dedicated railer the red certainly assisted him.
Kerry Chalker– John history is lucky to have people of your age & knowledge to remember these times
John Reid– No Kerry I’m lucky to have lasted this long,and to have had a lifetime of greyhounds,watch out when the brain becomes a little addled ,what do you mean when?
Kerry Chalker– John Reid lucky to have like you around John
Coral Scott- John Reid yes and backmarkers went to outside not inside…doug
John Reid – Coral Scott thanks Doug ,just helped me not to think I am senile,stupid quite often,the marbles rattle but don’t fall out.
Coral Scott– It certainly has often 9 races 311 m and only 3 are 520 m
Des Dooley –The demise of handicap racing began when the videos became so readily available and by slowing the video right down you found out not all boxes were opening at the same time. Today’s technology should be able to overcome this.
Edwin Caruana– Des we are still working on it, miss them
Peter Franklin– Edwin Caruana great to hear you are still trying to find a solution. Can’t come quick enough.
Edwin Caruana– Peter it has been a slow process, we have spent a lot on prototypes already but we keep pushing on.
Kerry Chalker– Des Dooley Des we live in different times & it would appear greyhound management has been handled appallingly
Des Dooley- Kerry, Greyhound administration used to be very stimulating. I would find it frustrating now. The passionate Industry drivers are now disappearing, but as you say it is different times.
