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Sorry, I didn't mean to repost the headpost above. I meant to post this from 10 years ago. Different sunrise. Same problem. And the industry response is still to try to shut down the dissidents but fail to fix the problem. Incredible. New Zealand jockeys, horses 'at risk' over state of racetracks BARRY LICHTER August 29, 2015 • 4:01pm Touche and Rosie Myers are lucky not to fall as they slip badly on the home turn at Awapuni . Photo: Trackside / Stuff Damning evidence on the state of the country's racetracks emerged during the Kevin Morton hearing this week, with claims of riders and horses being regularly put at risk on unsafe surfaces. During the course of the hearing, where former jockey and now trainer Morton faced racing's most serious charge for posting comments about co-chief stipendiary steward Ross Neal on the racing chat site Channel X, it was alleged that a Racing Integrity Unit steward had refused to officiate at Awapuni meetings where the rail was out wide, because he believed it was exposing horses to unsafe ground. And Morton had support from leading jockeys who, in statements not read at the hearing, raised serious concerns about substandard tracks, one saying he often did not ride in the first race because he did not want to be a guinea pig. Morton's January posting saw him charged with uttering insulting or abusive words against an official, a serious racing offence which incredibly carries the same penalty that a cobalt doper could receive - disqualification for up to life and a fine of up to $50,000. In it Morton, 61, commented on the appearance of Neal on the Trackside TV show Weigh In where Neal was asked to explain the circumstances surrounding the Awapuni meeting on January 10 when Touche slipped three times in the first race and, miraculously, did not fall. Morton posted, among other things, that in his view, the current stewards did not cut it. "I thought R Neal came across as incompetent and out of his depth as a co chief steward." In his brief of evidence Morton told the Judicial Control Authority committee he was astounded that Touche had not fallen at the 600m. With the track rated a dead 4 and the rail out four metres, Morton said that placed Touche, scouting wide, right in the "danger zone" eight metres from the true rail position. Morton testified it was well known that the RIU's Neil Goodwin would not officiate at Awapuni meetings where the rail was out more than eight metres on a good or dead track because the ground there was unsafe. An affidavit from leading jockey Hayden Tinsley referred to the same refusal by officials and said it had been a problem at Awapuni for the last six to eight years and had not improved. Tinsley said he knew his home track well and that on some parts of the home turn there was a negative camber and when the rail was out more than five metres and the weather was not favourable, it could produce uncertain footing. Veteran jockey David Walsh, who last year broke Lance O'Sullvan's record for the most winners in New Zealand, was even more scathing in his statement, saying his biggest concern in racing was the condition of many of our courses. "Many of our venues are well into their second century and time has certainly caught up with the outdated infrastructure. "I believe that not enough is being done to ensure that raceday conditions are of a safe and expected standard. Some tracks have had their time, with many having had half-pie patch-up jobs. Walsh said in his statement there had been numerous occasions in recent years when he had expressed his concerns to the stewards about a particular area or the whole track in general. "There have been several instances in recent times where I prefer not to commit to a ride in the first race as I do not want to be a guinea pig." New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Greg Purcell on Saturday took issue with the safety claims and said a substantial amount of irrigation and drainage work had been done in recent years on the vast majority of the major racetracks. "I am unaware of any safety issues at any racecourses in New Zealand and if these jockeys have a problem they should come and talk to me about it." Purcell said the problem at Awapuni, where January's incident occurred, was being fixed. A new inside bend, with a 3 per cent camber, had been constructed at a cost of $280,000 which was being seeded. It was hoped it would be ready to use after November. NZTR had funded half the work and loaned the club the remainder. When the new surface was ready, the old outer track would be completely recambered. Awapuni had had a number of issues, he said, including a mixture of soils which did and didn't absorb water. Purcell said NZTR was totally committed to safety at every racetrack and racing would not take place at venues considered unsafe. Major work was ongoing and had already been undertaken at Pukekohe, Ruakaka, Matamata, Taranaki, Otaki, Te Rapa and Wingatui which was plagued by unsafe conditions and abandonments earlier this year. Purcell said NZTR was battling a 35-year legacy of under investment on the infrastructure of the country's racetracks but the racing surfaces had had priority. Another witness called by Morton's counsel Paul Dale, Massey University senior lecturer Brent Gardiner, pointed out that Morton's comments followed a posting on Channel X about the questionable decision by Neal to not allow Trackside to show film of Touche's home turn slip which led to a two-hour delay before the meeting resumed. It was later explained that Neal had done so to avoid the connections of horses influencing riders' decisions which might lead to an abandonment based solely on the film. "While I understand that rationale, it seems to aim at a goal of reducing abandonments over ensuring safety," Gardiner said. "I think transparent provision of all information to owners, trainers and jockeys might be a better option." Gardiner, who has an extensive background in racing and breeding, said a letter had been sent by the trainers' association to the board and executive of NZTR a year ago threatening disruptive action because clubs were not providing regular and safe racing and trialling surfaces, evidenced by a record number of abandonments in the previous 12 months. There had been no sign of improvement a year later, he said, with a string of abandonments in 2015 where riders and horses raced on unsafe tracks before it was determined they were unsafe. "Given there seems to have been no improvement, and possibly deterioration, since that strongly worded letter of May 14, 2014, it is understandable that the level of frustration among owners and trainers is now even higher. If it has not been addressed following such approaches as a formal letter it is hardly surprising that affected and concerned parties turn to expressing their concerns and frustrations publically through other channels like social media." Gardiner said he shared Morton's concerns about horse and rider safety and would much rather see NZTR's resources used to address that and its overall performance than use "an antiquated rule to shut down public critique." Gardiner said a better method of ensuring racing only occurred on safe surfaces urgently needed to be found. "Testing the safety of tracks by running races on them is unconscionable. So if the finger is pointed at the stewards responsible on the day that is surely reasonable. They made a mistake and they are clearly responsible. At the least, that must mean they have demonstrated a moment of incompetence, especially if the explanation does not seem to excuse that." Gardiner said one incident like Awapuni was "one too many". "Any of us connected to families of jockeys killed or maimed as a result of stewards' decisions to race on unsafe tracks know that." Morton told the committee he had taken a close interest in jockey safety and horse welfare since 2006 when his close friend Judy Lawson was left permanently disabled after a serious fall at Rangiora. Morton, who was appointed Riding Master in Canterbury for two years and tutored Lawson, said he read the report on the Rangiora crash and it was clear the meeting should not have gone ahead. "So wrong was the decision to race that they have not raced there some nine years later." Morton said he made the statement on Channel X because he was concerned Neal did not appear to be on top of the track safety issues. His performance on the Trackside interview did not inspire any confidence. "I have the utmost respect for stewards and racecourse inspectors and had no intention of offending them." Morton rebuffed repeated suggestions by Steve Symon, acting for the RIU, that he had been fired up and upset and had intended to insult Neal. Symon put it to Morton that instead of concentrating on the issue of track safety he had instead resorted to attacking Neal by calling him incompetent and a former grocer. Morton said he did not believe it was insulting to call someone a grocer, a reply which chairman Murray McKechnie obviously agreed with when he joked he knew a grocer who had made a lot more money than he had. Dale countered that Morton's remarks were made in measured language without profanity or exaggeration to which McKechnie noted more colourful language could be heard on any day in the birdcage after a race. Dale said the RIU complaint fell at the first hurdle because the words Morton used were neither insulting nor abusive. "Of course Mr Neal will feel hurt when he's been criticised but that doesn't elevate it to an insult. I understand the need for limits but when issues of public safety are concerned we have to be more tolerant. These charges ought not to have been brought." Morton had offered a subjective comment and his observation that Neal came across as incompetent, not was incompetent, was an expression of opinion. The charge appeared to conflict with a person's legitimate right to make public criticism. And any provision of the racing rules that conflicted with any other statute or general law of New Zealand, including the Bill Of Rights, was invalid, Dale submitted. It was unlikely the industry could be damaged by a posting on an industry website where views were freely exchanged. Officials such as Neal must be open to scrutiny without fear of prosecution, Dale said. McKechnie, who reserved his decision, was critical of Neal's absence from the hearing - he was on holiday in Fiji with his family. -Stuff -
It sounds like it's now pretty much a greenfields job by the sound of it. The public infrastructure is also financially unsustainable and very tired. I'd say rebuild a CD track elsewhere for similar cost rather than try to make that one in a swamp workable. Enough time and money has been wasted on it.
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By Chief Stipe · Posted
What's the alternative? -
I thought this was a joke when I first saw it. Well, there certainly needs to be a change in the management of NZTR & the Racing Board. All I 'll say is that I wouldn't employ any of these people in my company. They should put their hands up and walk the plank. How much money is going to be poured into this situation so that these plonkers can save fa -
By Chief Stipe · Posted
His Great Grand-dam was a NZ bred mare by Lordship.
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