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"circle the wagons!!!"   and be damned! ps. think I might have to right the first post through AI, lol, what brutal polemical critique do I need to filter it through!!!  

The guy is a halfwit, in the same category as Wightman and Herlihy, 2 others that also think that the racing industry has regard for what they say, other than a small group of redneck followers buoying up their lame ego

Think we will find that in a couple of years $8k for s harness race will be s good stake! the owners and trainers are needing go make hay while they are getting the Entain cash splash. There would be very few races being run at the moment that are profitable from wagering and this is accentuated by the stifling of wagering by the Bookies!

The Hong Kong International Races are officially in the rear-view mirror, and now the focus switches to the coming months when the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Triple Crown and Hong Kong Speed Series all commence. Following Ka Ying Rising’s (NZ) (Shamexpress) HK$28 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) blitz, David Hayes was beaming at Sha Tin on Tuesday, indicating the world’s best sprinter will now take a short break before the HK$13 million Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) – the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series – on 25 January.  “He’s pulled up really well. It was, probably visually, his best performance. I think his last two runs have been career peaks and let’s hope he keeps holding that form. He will go to Conghua now and have a nice month. He’ll be back in January,” Hayes said. Hayes is eager to point Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon) towards the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – on 1 February – which also comprises the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) before concluding with the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March.  The 83-rated colt has raced twice in Hong Kong. He has come within a half-length of winning both times, including his narrow third placing last Sunday in Class 2 over 1400m. “I thought he ran really well. He just probably needs one more run at 1400 (metres). He is the stable’s premier Hong Kong Classic Mile horse,” Hayes said.   Before the city’s best returns next month, Wednesday’s nine-race fixture at Happy Valley sees Hong Kong International Sale graduate Super Unicorn (NZ) (Savabeel) go for a hat-trick of wins in the Class 3 Sea Eagle Handicap (1650m) under Andrea Atzeni. “He’s obviously improved. It’s done his confidence a lot of good getting his head in front a few starts ago. We thought going into his last run that he definitely had improved because his work at home was better going into the race. We knew we were up in class, but we weren’t overly surprised that he won the race,” Atzeni said.  View the full article

Michael is in Hong Kong for Hong Kong International Raceday, and is joined by his old mate, Emily Murphy. The pair catch up with Jamie Richards, Mark McNamara and Tom Wood, before dissecting a massive day of racing with wins for Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, among others. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 15 – Hong Kong International Raceday View the full article

Rudy Liefting is dreaming of a Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) tilt with his filly Unrestrained (NZ) (Time Test) in February, with her performance at Ruakaka on Wednesday dictating whether she continues down that path. The three-year-old daughter of Time Test has shown plenty of promise for the Pukekohe horseman, finishing runner-up to highly-regarded filly Transcend when on debut at Ruakaka in September before just missing out on black-type when fourth in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) at Ellerslie a fortnight later. She has mixed her form since then, with a third placing over a mile at Pukekohe splitting unplaced runs in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m). While disappointed in her last couple of stakes outings, Liefting is hoping a return to Ruakaka, and a drop back to maiden grade in the 6 Jan – Trigg Family Fun Race Day 1600, will help get his filly’s preparation back on track. “She gave us a little bit of hope when she ran a (fourth) placing in the fillies race and when she ran second in her first start to a good filly, but she has put in a couple of disappointing runs since,” Liefting said. “Her last start at Ellerslie was disappointing, she had every chance and was well-ridden. “The good thing is that she is still a maiden, so she has got the chance to drop back to maiden grade and get her form back. “I am a believer in horses for courses, so I thought Ruakaka is sitting there and she did run second to Transcend there, the timing seems right, so we will give her a crack up there.” Wednesday will be a crossroads for Unrestrained, with further black-type opportunities awaiting her if she performs up to expectations, or the spelling paddock if she does not. “We will try and work her way back to a fillies race,” Liefting said. “Our pipedream is the Oaks. We are going to pay up for that. The Oaks is at Ellerslie, and she has got a staying pedigree, so we are going to try and utilise that and try and get there.” Unrestrained is currently the only horse in work with Liefting, who is currently contemplating the future with his jumper Mont Ventoux (NZ) (Nom du Jeu). The 10-year-old gelding has performed on both the flat and over fences, winning nine races in total, including the Kiwifruit Cup (2100m), and was runner-up in last year’s Great Northern Hurdle (4200m), and placed in this year’s Waikato Hurdle (3200m) and Wellington Hurdle (3200m). “I am looking at retiring Mont Ventoux, he is a horse that wants to be active at pony club, but I can’t find a home for him, so I will probably end up putting him back in work,” Liefting said.  “He has been a good horse and was the only reason I kept training for a while. I won a race or two every year with him and he ended up winning nine races and nearly $300,000, he was more than handy.”  View the full article

just read that decision and i found some of the stuff in there,well,a bit amusing. the decision wasn't a long one but it included these colourful snippets. when paying an appeal filing fee he labelled the payee details as yesberg corruption. then thereafter consistently referred to the proceedings as corrupt. told RIB representatives to go and get stuffed,that they were a dishonest bunch of henchmen,little henchmen,couldn't lie straight in bed,even sending emails to some media outlets. Then he seems to think"theres a fat  porn star working for the RIB". All i would say about that comment is,whats wrong with having a second job. and then they were also  doing a bit of money laundering. And to top it off,he thinks the RIB are antisemetic. and to think he put that all in writing.  now theres a bloke whos upfront about what hes thinking,even you could say, one of a kind. i think its fair to say,there won't be many dull moments when hes around.

Agree about GRNZ but his argument that racing is a dangerous sport where horses and humans get injured and die, while correct, has nothing to do with beating horses for entertainment. It is moot. Didn't really seem to have much else to offer.

And Waipukurau paid it? Unbelievable!