The Demise of Eastern Monday Race Days

I’ll probably have a couple of wagers today, but it is kind of sad to see such low grade racing on an Eastern Monday holiday. I suppose it’s gone the way of every other public holiday race day.

Sydney used to have a few G1’s at Randwick on an Eastern Monday - From memory the Sires Produce & Galaxy, maybe even the QE Stks on occasion. For 2018 we have an 8 race Rosehill meeting, with 3 maiden races!

Melbourne would muster up a strong card at Caulfield with the Easter Cup on Monday, after the Victoria Hcp 2 days earlier. In 2018 we’re at Sandown for 2 maidens and 6 BM60-70 events.

Oakbank is the most alarming decline. My most recent trip to Oakbank was only about 8 years ago and there would have been 50,000 on course on the Monday and that was after some 20,000 attended on Saturday. For 2018 there will be virtually no one there today and only 2 jumps races with fields of 7 in the hurdle and 5 in the steeple. In the 1990’s there were so many jumpers they had to split jumps races into divisions to accommodate entries.

Tasmania is also a sad case. Eastern Monday used to hold the Deloraine Cup & Tassie Grand National Steeplechase up until maybe 10 years ago. It attracted crowds of 5000+ every year and was a fantastic picturesque setting on the banks of the Meander River and the live hedge steeplechase fences were magnificent. But Tasmanian Racing authorities decide to close Deloraine racecourse and shift Easter Monday meet to Devonport. How many will attend today’s meet at the Devonport Synthetic track?

Racing in SA & Tassie are basket cases. But they did have 2 unique feature race meetings in Oakbank & Deloraine that brought in big crowds. How has it all gone downhill so fast?

I know it’s a sign of the times and the general public don’t support racing like they did 10 or 20 years ago. But still makes me sad to see our sport attracting fewer & fewer people to the race day experience. In the longer term there will be fewer & fewer ‘rusted on’ racing fans in the future.

You have painted a sad picture Lord Hybrow and unfortunately your post does much to reflect the way it is today in racing, twitter will give you an insight into the mindset of people today, a lack of integrity doesn't help and I feel the wrong people have at times been thrust into positions where their knowledge and vision has lacked what should a priority, there are other reasons but I won't go on, somehow I'm still the optimistic fwiw.

Certainly in the 70's the Sydney Cup and the Sires were run on the Monday.

There is simply no interest from the average racegoer for public holiday racing any more.

Carioca wrote: Not in my time that I recall jacko , always has been Doncaster on Sat, Sydney Cup Mon. same with Epsom Handicap on Sat. Metrop.on Mon. may have been a venue change for track Reno.

Saw this on wikipedia "Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the first day of the ATC Championships Carnival at Royal Randwick." I'm pretty sure a few editions in the early 2000's were run on a Monday.

jacko1 wrote: Carioca wrote: Not in my time that I recall jacko , always has been Doncaster on Sat, Sydney Cup Mon. same with Epsom Handicap on Sat. Metrop.on Mon. may have been a venue change for track Reno. Saw this on wikipedia "Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the first day of the ATC Championships Carnival at Royal Randwick." I'm pretty sure a few editions in the early 2000's were run on a Monday.

Go back to Wikipedia again mate and scroll down past the winners to References, read the result on the 2015 Doncaster , you will see it was switched to Monday because the track was considered too heavy to race on Saturday, read the other refs if you like , all sat. been going to the races since /57 always has been sat for me.

horlicks wrote: Carioca wrote: horlicks wrote: Certainly in the 70's the Sydney Cup and the Sires were run on the Monday. There is simply no interest from the average racegoer for public holiday racing any more. I can understand where your coming from , the average public holiday has lost its appeal with racing, live racing to TVs, corp. betting , live football have taken away the fan, but the two most important holiday races the Metrop. and Sydney Cup had switched to saturdays after their programmes were rearranged, they should switch back to mondays and build around these races and make them attractive again imo. It is not just Sydney. Australian Cup used to be on the holiday Monday in March, Caulfield situation at Easter etc. Queensland and WA are not even racing in the metro area on holidays.

Yes a bit selfish of me thinking of Sydney only, your right even Perth , Boxing Day was huge with top races, now from memory it's Pinjarra,

Brisbane cup use to be on June long weekend? Straddy Sat, cup Monday..

Prob won't be long until we have racetracks built for just racing, no public amenities

When I did the update of Wikipedia for and provided all the references from Breednet it hit me how in particular the AJC Carnival used to be centered around the Easter Holiday. It was the place to be!

If you go back to the early renditions of the Doncaster Handicap, Sydney Cup, All-Aged Stakes (when 2YOs would front up and win) and Sires Produce Stakes these event were highlights then - on the Easter Weekend.

Carioca wrote: Not in my time that I recall jacko , always has been Doncaster on Sat, Sydney Cup Mon. same with Epsom Handicap on Sat. Metrop.on Mon. may have been a venue change for track Reno.