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Sports betting is flying, I presume most of the new customers are sports bettors Look forward to this In addition to transforming live race coverage, the new GPS-RTK system will deliver comprehensive post-race sectional and timing data, offering racing lovers unprecedented insight into race performance. This will soon be available through trackside.co.nz and other platforms as a powerful tool for form analysis and to enhance the overall racing experience. Stay tuned over the summer months for the debut of Upon The Land We Stand, hosted by Kylie Bax. Kylie is travelling the length of New Zealand to uncover the stories, spirit, and people that make our racing community so special Someone was complaining elsewhere about Michael Guerin interviewing Zac Purton and its relevance to NZ racing, and that they should be grassroot NZ racing people. Well, there is your answer

Interesting man seems like quite a few on this channel. A shame we lost TAB4Ever. This place is getting a good reputation CS

Rest assured it wasnt Brodie. Dont touch gallops and far too short to be offloading on! The boosted odds are not worth the effort as the limits on amounts able to be wagered are pretty pitiful.

You'd expect that though, Adminstration should be balanced and fair ... not the case

thanks for that! @curious Some interesting stuff re things 'digital' in that! ...still not enough for me to be stopping my plans around 'uncoupling from things racing',.. currently thinking of building a kitty and having a serious go at the punt on Champions Day,.. then punting side can head off into the sunset.. re photo stuff, still working on exit strategy, slowly getting it together! still ponder options Racing Horse Book Collection!

accreditation bans Still practiced here in NZ... I feel for her if he has been playing silly games with shit like that on her! I see in her background she has time getting a degree at Otago, I seem to recall coming across her then! but Doh! cant recall sitting here now! (an aside story) When I first got 'Press' accreditations' (early '80's) they v hard to get! There was the Racing Writers Ass that dished out your ticket! Entry to Press Box at all the big tracks was near sacred! Especially WRC. On any race day it allowed one wearing the P tag, to have excuses to wander around 'the committee rooms' of the likes of Trentham! Silver troughs aplenty to the elite of the day to indulged in! lol I recall once capturing a amusing shot of a group of them beached out in the late afternoon son! Not that 'we' could complain! Back then we would get a ticket to the buffet, which was of a very high standard! The actual Press Room had a Bar better than most Public Bars! Let the good times roll..

Good to see that they are finishing with the 12k 2 year old bonus, as it has not done what it was meant to do, but then who would've thought? It is long overdue for HRNZ to actually become financially frugal, but then it is probably too late, but we will see! I believe that there are a lot that derive their income from harness racing still believing that everything is Ok as this is what has come from HRNZ! Chucking around Entain money just because it was there is not s business plan that was ever going to work medium term. There is going to need to be a helluva lot of belt tightening from many parties for it to be able to sustain the industry in the next decade. Punters and ownership needs to be encouraged.

Good question. Here’s a breakdown of what Vicky Leonard has claimed — or alleged — in relation to Peter V'Landys and the broader racing-industry governance / media-freedom dispute. Because the public record is complicated, what follows reflects what’s documented to date — not claims I can verify independently. 🔎 Who is Vicky Leonard (in this context) Vicky Leonard is a part-owner / founding figure behind The Thoroughbred Report (TTR). ttrausnz.com.au+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 She is also associated with Kick Up (or “Kick Up for Racing” / “Kick Collective”) — a group that describes itself as “promoting positive welfare messaging” and defending the racing industry against what they regard as misinformation. ttrausnz.com.au+2racing.com+2 Leonard and her groups present themselves as pro-racing, pro-welfare (as defined by them), and keen to challenge what they see as media or activist attacks on the racing industry. racing.com+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 📣 What are Leonard’s main claims/accusations involving V’Landys or the industry — and why she’s critical From publicly available statements, Leonard (via Kick Up and The Thoroughbred Report) has made — or repeated — several claims / criticisms in relation to V’Landys / the governance of racing and how media and critics are being treated. The key ones: In response to V’Landys calling scrutiny a smear campaign (particularly around the proposed sale of Rosehill Racecourse and the management of the industry’s Equine Welfare Fund), Kick Up (including Leonard) said the “threat” was “false and insulting.” They argued that attempts over many years to get clarity on welfare-fund spending had been met with “evasive responses—or lack thereof.” ttrausnz.com.au+2thoroughbreddailynews.com+2 Leonard (via Kick Up) accused V’Landys of employing a “dual strategy”: rewarding media or industry insiders who stay quiet or “play along,” and penalising — via legal threats, accreditation bans, or other forms of pressure — those who raise uncomfortable questions. ttrausnz.com.au+2thoroughbreddailynews.com+2 She argues that this pattern undermines media freedom and transparency: that when powerful regulators exert influence over what gets reported or who gets access, it erodes independent oversight of the racing industry. ttrausnz.com.au+2X (formerly Twitter)+2 Leonard claims these problems are not just occasional but systemic — that there’s a culture of “soft-pedalling” issues, of media being influenced or pressured, and of the industry being shaped by those unwilling to allow critical reporting or dissent — framing it as a threat to fair public scrutiny. ttrausnz.com.au+1 In short: The claim is that V’Landys (and those around him) are using influence, resources and legal / accreditation power to suppress legitimate journalism and criticism — which Leonard sees as essential for welfare and governance accountability in racing. ttrausnz.com.au+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 🔄 Where Leonard’s claims come in — recent events During hearings around the proposed sale of Rosehill Racecourse (2024), V’Landys alleged that “wealthy breeders” were behind a campaign to discredit him — he said there was an email circulating encouraging people to “make up whatever you can … doesn’t matter if it is truth, doesn’t matter if it is lies, but just smear him.” ttrausnz.com.au+2Parliament of NSW+2 In response to that allegation, Kick Up (and by extension Leonard) pushed back: they said their repeated attempts over years to seek clarity on equine-welfare spending had been met with evasiveness, not transparency — and implied that V’Landys’ characterization (that critics were effectively “pro-abattoir” or reckless) was misleading and insulting. ttrausnz.com.au+1 Separately, in commentary tied to media coverage of racing, Leonard has written about what she sees as a broader culture of media influence — where mainstream outlets have historically been “soft-pitched” to underplay controversies or avoid challenging powerful players like V’Landys. ttrausnz.com.au+1 In effect: Leonard claims the public and industry deserve better transparency about welfare, post-racing horse fate, financial flows (welfare funds, race-club revenues), and that independent journalism must be protected, not threatened. ⚠️ What’s known — and what remains contested / unproven It’s known that V’Landys has previously initiated defamation legal action (or threatened to) in response to media investigations of welfare issues — for example against ABC after a 2019 report about alleged racehorse slaughter. He lost that case in 2021. ABC+2ABC+2 It’s established that Leonard and Kick Up have made public statements about lack of transparency, about legal threats or accreditation denials for TTR after critical reporting. ttrausnz.com.au+1 What remains uncertain: Whether all the allegations of media suppression, intimidation, or “smear-campaigns” are legally or factually proven. As of now, many claims remain in the realm of public accusations and counter-accusations. For instance, while V’Landys alleged “fabricated evidence” by “wealthy breeders,” Leonard’s group rejected this — and no publicly verified independent proof has (as far as I can see) emerged to definitively confirm either side’s full narrative. If you like — I can pull up 5–10 key recent media articles that summarise the Leonard vs V’Landys dispute (with dates, quotes, and links). That way you can see the arguments “live” and judge for yourself. You said: yes ChatGPT said: Good idea. Here are several recent media-articles and commentary pieces summarising the dispute involving Vicky Leonard (and her organisations) and Peter V’Landys — with dates, what’s claimed, and public responses. 📄 Key Recent Articles & Commentary Date / Outlet Headline / Summary What Leonard (or her group) Claims / Argues 15 Apr 2025 — “Mainstream media zeroes in on V’landys influence” Article by Leonard published on The Thoroughbred Report (TTR) Leonard argues that major media outlets are showing how V’Landys “courts loyalty, rewards silence, and shapes the public narrative.” She claims that after TTR probed governance issues (e.g. around the proposed sale of a racecourse and welfare matters), TTR — and her other business Kick Collective — had their media accreditation denied, and received a legal letter threatening defamation proceedings. ttrausnz.com.au 10 Aug 2024 — “Battle lines drawn: V’landys’ war of words targets breeders with explosive allegations” Coverage of the parliamentary inquiry into the proposed sale of Rosehill Racecourse The article reports that V’Landys accused “wealthy breeders” of running a smear campaign against him, even alleging emails encouraging people to “make up whatever you can … doesn’t matter if it is truth, doesn’t matter if it is lies, but just smear him.” In response, Kick Collective (associated with Leonard) issued a statement condemning V’Landys’ remarks, calling his insinuations “false and insulting,” and argued that their repeated efforts to get clarity on how the industry’s Equine Welfare Fund was spent had been met with evasiveness rather than transparency. ttrausnz.com.au+2thoroughbreddailynews.com+2 11 Nov 2025 — “The group smashing misinformation about racing” Interview/feature on racing.com with Leonard Leonard describes Kick Collective’s goal as countering what they view as misinformation about horse racing — especially during high-profile events such as the Spring Carnival. She paints the group as defenders of racing and horse welfare, and argues many welfare-based attacks are based on “false information.” racing.com+1 2024–2025 — commentary/op-eds by Leonard on industry transparency and media access Various articles in TTR / related outlets In these, Leonard highlights alleged systemic issues: she claims media access for TTR and Kick Collective has been blocked as a form of punishment for critical reporting, and that industry insiders have been “rewarded” for silence. She frames this as an attempt to control the narrative and suppress critique, arguing it undermines transparency and independent oversight. ttrausnz.com.au+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 🎯 What These Claims Center On — Key Themes From the articles above (and associated writing by Leonard), the main claims / arguments are: That the industry leadership under V’Landys uses power, influence, and financial/legal pressure to shape media narratives, rewarding friendly media and punishing critical or independent reporting. ttrausnz.com.au+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 That attempts to scrutinise spending (especially welfare-funds used for post-career care of racehorses) and governance (e.g. racecourse sale) have been met with evasiveness or hostility, rather than transparency — despite repeated, reasonable questions. thoroughbreddailynews.com+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 That independent media (like TTR / Kick Collective) have faced denied accreditation and legal threats simply for doing investigative or critical work — which Leonard argues is a form of intimidation and undermines journalistic freedom. ttrausnz.com.au+1 That the broader public (and racing-industry members) deserve open, transparent governance and access to information — and that suppressing such scrutiny risks undermining trust in the industry. ttrausnz.com.au+3ttrausnz.com.au+3ttrausnz.com.au+3 🧭 How Leonard Frames Her Role & Motivation According to her own words and public statements: Leonard says she started Kick Collective because she was troubled by what she saw as misinformation and emotionally charged criticism of horse racing — which she believes wrongly malign the sport and its participants. racing.com+1 She argues that responses to criticism should be based on data, science, transparency — not suppression or defensiveness. racing.com+1 She casts her and her organisations as advocates for “true” horse welfare (as defined by caretakers, trainers, and industry-insiders), opposing what she views as external pressure groups using emotion or sensationalism. racing.com+1 She says that withholding media accreditation or threatening legal action against critical reporting is a dangerous precedent that undermines the industry’s accountability and legitimacy. ttrausnz.com.au+2ttrausnz.com.au+2 📌 Why These Claims Matter — and What’s Still Disputed This is not just a “he said / she said” media spat: the dispute raises real questions about transparency, governance, and power dynamics in the racing industry — including oversight of funds supposedly used for equine welfare. If independent journalism is effectively blocked or intimidated, that reduces public oversight — potentially enabling mismanagement or welfare issues to go unreported. On the other hand, some of the broader criticisms against V’Landys (e.g. that his influence shapes media coverage across mainstream outlets) remain difficult to prove objectively. As one earlier case showed — when he lost a defamation suit against a broadcaster over welfare reporting — courts may accept that a veterinary-welfare problem exists and that regulation is ineffective, but still reject that this means the CEO knew or was complicit. The Guardian+2ABC+2 Thus, while Leonard’s calls for fairness and transparency resonate with many, the full truth about what goes on behind the scenes — and whether pressure is systematically applied to silence critics — remains partly in shadow.

Why do they need to be given all this free money to bet with? Going to be interesting to see if OTG js continued in the New Year? Hardly encouraging harness racing when they mostly offload on these Same Race Multis on the Greyhounds, which are going to be terminated from NZ in July! Thursday nights now has emphasis on the Dish Lickers which is unfortunate I wouldve thought, as it takes very little skill to be wagering on them!

Good question. Here’s a breakdown of what Peter V'Landys’s legal action against The Thoroughbred Report (TTR) is — and why it matters. I’ll also touch on how this ties into his history of legal actions for context. ✅ What is The Thoroughbred Report The Thoroughbred Report (TTR) is an independent racing-industry publication covering news, governance and issues in the thoroughbred racing world — including investigations into governance, welfare, and oversight of racing authorities. ttrausnz.com.au+1 On 2 December 2025, TTR published a statement saying that it — and two other “independent racing publications” — had recently received correspondence from V’Landys and/or legal counsel for Racing NSW in response to TTR’s reporting on governance issues. ttrausnz.com.au The statement characterized the correspondence as a “legal threat.” ttrausnz.com.au ⚠️ What V’Landys’ action (or threat) against TTR is about According to TTR’s public statement, the legal correspondence was triggered by its reporting “on governance matters within the New South Wales thoroughbred racing industry.” ttrausnz.com.au In other words: V’Landys (or Racing NSW’s legal counsel) appears to be challenging or threatening to challenge TTR because of critical or investigative reporting into the way the industry — under V’Landys’ leadership — is governed. The precise issues under scrutiny aren’t detailed in the TTR statement. But given the history of controversy linked to V’Landys, it likely relates to governance, transparency, or welfare in the industry. TTR says it views the threat as “legal intimidation,” arguing that independent journalism is essential for oversight and accountability, especially when powerful regulatory bodies are involved. ttrausnz.com.au 🕰️ How this fits into V’Landys’ past legal cases This isn’t the first time V’Landys has used legal action (or threatened to) in response to media scrutiny: In 2019, an investigative program by ABC titled The Final Race revealed serious alleged animal-welfare abuses and slaughter of former racehorses — sometimes sold to knackeries/abattoirs. ABC+2thoroughbreddailynews.com+2 V’Landys sued ABC (and the journalist behind the piece) for defamation, arguing the broadcast wrongly implied he was responsible or complicit in systemic cruelty. ABC+2Coleman Greig Lawyers+2 In 2021, the court dismissed his defamation claim. The judge ruled that although the report was damaging to his reputation, it did not meet the legal threshold for defamation — specifically, the court found the broadcast didn’t prove he “knew” about the cruelty or knowingly permitted it. The Guardian+2racing.com+2 The dismissal and appeal failure reaffirmed that journalists can — under law — draw attention to systemic problems even when senior figures are implicated. Wikipedia+1 So the new action/threat against TTR seems to follow a similar pattern: powerful industry authority reacting defensively to critical reporting under threat of legal escalation. 🧭 Why this matters for racing, journalism, and governance Media freedom and scrutiny: TTR argues that this kind of “legal threat” undermines independent journalism — essential for holding powerful regulators to account. ttrausnz.com.au Transparency in the racing industry: If journalists fear legal retaliation, it could discourage reporting on real issues (governance failures, welfare problems, mismanagement), which harms industry accountability. Precedent and public trust: Given the past controversies around horse welfare and regulation under V’Landys’ leadership, how this plays out could influence public confidence in how racing is governed. Regulatory culture: A pattern of legal challenges to scrutiny (rather than engagement or reform) may raise concerns about how open the industry is to external oversight.

to be honest! I'm struggling to get my head around this???

Self interest and parochialism is across the whole industry not just in the administration of it

I disagree too. The allocation of bulk funding to clubs has been entirely their responsibility.

I disagree.

sigh, of course, there is a toxic back story to all that, all involving other 'wonderful's'...

The past few days have been a case of pinch me once, pinch me twice as Glen Massey couple Ian and Shelley Wright have celebrated Farag’s second consecutive win in Australasia’s longest flat race, the A$300,000 Jericho Cup. First run in 2018 to commemorate the Australian and New Zealand light horse involvement in World War l, the Jericho Cup is restricted to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses. Farag, by Sacred Falls out of a Yamanin Vital mare from the South Island’s famous ‘Flight’ family, won last year’s race by 20 lengths, and while the margin on Sunday was much less at a length and a half, it was yet another New Zealand-bred benefit. Last year four of the first five were bred on this side of the Tasman, on Sunday they were even more dominant with seven of the first eight across the line, while seven of the eight Jericho Cup winners have been Kiwi-breds. “It’s a race that we were keen to get involved in from day one and when Farag won last year and another of our horses, Glen Massey, finished third, it was a massive thrill,” Ian Wright said after he and his wife arrived home in the early hours of Wednesday morning. “Going back and doing it all again was absolutely huge, something that we’re still getting our heads around.” Farag is yet another of racing’s rags-to-riches stories, having cost the Wrights just $1,000 when they bought him as an unraced gelding on Gavelhouse. He earned $11,000 in 14 starts under the Wrights’ training before he was transferred to Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell in early 2024. Another 28 starts and 10 wins later, his stake-earnings now stand at more than A$600,000. “We’ve always liked those staying types; people like us find it hard to compete over the shorter distances, but when it comes to horse with stamina we like to think we’ve got a chance. “Once Farag began to develop we knew he fitted that mould and when he ran third as a maiden in a Rating 65 2400m race at Te Rapa, he had a future, but unfortunately not here. “The problem is there are so few true staying races in New Zealand, so when we were contacted by a racing enthusiast from Melbourne by the name of Peter Groidis, we struck a deal. “He wanted to buy the horse outright but we thought he was worth more than he was offering, so we said we’ll give you half if you pay the airfare and training fees. “It’s worked out well for everyone and when we think back on how it’s all played out, it’s really been a dream come true.” Farag has been ridden in both of his Jericho Cup wins by 29-year-old Englishman Will Gordon, who rode 28 winners in two seasons in New Zealand before heading to Victoria in 2018 and has since become one of the state’s most successful jumps and highweight jockeys, now with a total of three Jericho Cups. “Between Aaron, Will and everyone else, they’ve done a fantastic job with the horse,” Wright said. “He had qualified for the race when he won his previous start at Geelong and when we saw him at the stables before the weekend, we’ve never seen him look better. “He’s a big, long horse and since last year he’s got stronger, even though not necessarily heavier as he still weighed in at only 470 kilograms. “After there was a fall in an earlier race, things got a bit anxious when they changed the race from the more testing steeplechase course to the main track and reduced the distance (from 4600 to 4415m). “We thought that would reduce our advantage, but it didn’t matter. Will rode him perfectly and he ended up winning comfortably.” Back on their north-west Waikato farm, where they farm 500 bulls, the Wrights also have 15 horses in work as they develop further staying prospects. “We’re still keen on our jumpers and it would be good to think there might be another Farag there as well, but horses like him are never easy to find.” View the full article

Allan Sharrock is balancing stronger opposition against the prospect of a rain-affected track as he weighs up Ladies Man’s chances of claiming back-to-back Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classics (1600m) on Saturday. Ladies Man won last year’s Trentham weight-for-age feature with a brilliant final burst to claim La Crique by a neck and will take a similar last-start formline into the race after finishing fourth in the Gr.2 Gartshore Construction Tauranga Stakes (1600m) three weeks ago. “He was good at Tauranga, I gave him a pass mark for that, but more importantly he’s gone the right way since, his work on Tuesday was very good,” Sharrock said after the release of the TAB Classic field on Wednesday. “It’s probably a stronger field this year, what with Waitak at the top of his form, La Crique there again and with that other very good mare Legarto as well, so it’s not going to be easy. “In our favour is the weather they’ve had in Wellington this week; I think a bit of precipitation and with the track currently rated Heavy8, that could swing things our way.” The three Waikato-trained horses identified by Sharrock dominate the TAB’s final field market, with Waitak, chasing a Group One hat-trick, at $3.30, Legarto $3.60 and La Crique $4.50. Ladies Man shares the next line with another northerner, Captured By Love, at $8.50, while Provence is next quoted at $11. Captured By Love will be ridden on Saturday by Opie Bosson, who is still seeking his 100th Group One after taking his tally to 99 on Ladies Man 12 months ago. However, Sharrock is more than comfortable to have engaged Rory Hutchings, who has returned from Australia for another summer stint. “I’m very happy to have Rory on, we know how well he rides in these races and after all he’s a redhead like me,” Sharrock said. View the full article

Saturday’s Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe will be missing one of its headline acts after a temperature spike forced Crocetti to be withdrawn. The dual Group One winner has been off the scene since being unplaced in The Quokka (1200m) in Perth in late April, and he had been due to step out for his first start of the season in this season’s $120,000 sprint feature. A brilliant exhibition gallop at Ellerslie last Saturday stamped him as the one to beat. But Wednesday morning’s setback has put Crocetti’s racetrack return on hold. “We just found this morning that he had a bit of an elevated temperature,” co-trainer Danny Walker explained. “So we had no choice but to pull the pin. It’s always a bit frustrating and disappointing when things like that happen, but that’s the way it goes.” Walker and training partner Arron Tata still intend for Crocetti to take his place in the starting gate for the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on January 3, for which the TAB rates him a $6 equal favourite alongside Tomodachi. “All going well, we’re still hoping to get him down to Wellington for the Telegraph, but we’ll just have to play it by ear in terms of what we do between now and then,” Walker said. “We’ll get him through this first and then take it from there.” Crocetti’s defection leaves a field of just eight for the Concorde on Saturday – Twain, Sacred Satono, Tardelli, Master Fay, Midnight Edition, Imprevu, Moving Melody and Bak Da Angel View the full article

the latest bit in the news segment on the hrnz has a story headlined "2 year old bonus (the $12,000 ones)delivered on increasing opportunities" you've have to give m peden credit for that headline. yes the bonuses failed to get breeders to breed more horsesor or get any more horses starting,continually had small field sizes,but hey...guess what...they did deliver on increasing opportunities for people to race their 2 year olds for a bonus. i'm not sure i would want to buy a used car off him,but points for finding a positive to spin that anyway. then it says,having achieved its objectives(lets not let the truth get in the way with that bit),the scheme is coming to a close this year. what does that mean. does it mean the 2 years the bonuses that existed to encourage people to breed their mares,will never reward anyone who bred on the understanding they would have an opportunity to race for the $12,000 bonus. In other words it rewarded those who had bred before the bonuses were introduced, who would not have been aware of the bonus when they bred,but didn't reward those who bred thinking they may get one. It sounds a bit like all those rather naive breeders who bred to a nz based sire, thinking they would get to race for bonuses,only to see them cancelled before they had a chance as well. oh well,at least todays story indicates hrnz have made a decision that made sense,even if they took a long time to work it out .

Na. @TAB For Ever was his own man. Never in any "Tight five"! Just extremely passionate about horse racing - both codes. Great sense of humour too.

And! I have gone and broken that golden rule of 'never actually joining any group that would have me!!!',.. ps. sigh, having previously lived in HK, Lon, NY, amongst other places! I recon sometimes! smaller can have its simple joys! As ever in the modern digital world! maturity is needed! especially so if a health polemic is in play! KennyRog knew! "know when to hold them, know when to fold them! know when to walk away..."

Agree with some of what youre saying . But the real problem in racing has always been around 'self interest' , the right decisions have never been able to be made due to self interest. Successive administrations have therefore been agenda driven instead of strategically driven , despite all the flashy documents and media they put out its all been fairytale stuff that must align with an agenda instead of an actual strategy for the growth in racings case survival of the sport. That unfortunately will never change and the sport will suffer the ultimate consequences for that.

after that 05/10 date, the arrival of Facebook spurred various Racing related groups etc.. 2/3 still have solid daily action. The CWJ fanpage, it had solid daily usage, thankfully it took very little technical time and 99% were polite! lol, is that connected to @TAB For Ever Tight five!!!

Difficult to read , but it looks like Thoroughbred racing is down on LY ? That being the case how could that be with Geoblocking ?