In one of my original posts, I lamented the lack of carnivals in Harness Racing but all credit must go out to the Maryborough club with what they have achieved with the Redwood Carnival.
Whilst I am not a huge fan of betting on squaregaiters, I do find them enjoyable to watch and Maryborough manage to attract most of the best young trotters going around. HRV also deserve a commendation for programming the Derby at the meeting which really gives the racing some substance. The date of the carnival also sits well with the Breeders Crown and I imagine that is also more than mere coincidence.
The Maryborough club simply identified a niche in the market a few years back and it has evolved into the great carnival we see today. Other clubs should take note as they have made themselves identifiable in the marketplace despite not having anywhere near the infrastructure of numerous surrounding clubs. In fact, the racetrack sits in the middle of nowhere (sincerest apologies to the townfolk of Carisbrook) but instead of taking the approach of most clubs and being worried about the negatives such as lack of accommodation, etc they worked on the "Field Of Dreams" principle that if they built it they would come.
I do not know enough of the specifics regarding the origins to expand further but whilst it is easy to find fault in administrators, credit should also be given when it is due so congratulations to both Maryborough and HRV and here's hoping for some great weather and racing over the weekend.
