-
Available Subscriptions
The Rest of the World
76,595 topics in this forum
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 150 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 138 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 154 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 139 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 194 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 160 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 155 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 139 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 167 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 150 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 307 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 141 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 190 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 134 views
-
-
- Journalists
Rebel's Romance Looking to Make History in Turf
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 190 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 139 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 138 views
-
-
- Journalists
Vodka With a Twist Proves McCutchen's Keen Eye
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 154 views
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 151 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 146 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 154 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 149 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 162 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 154 views
-
-
-
- Journalists
- 0 replies
- 172 views
-
Announcements
-
Posts
-
You mean because it's a cruel, dangerous sport? -
By Chief Stipe · Posted
If you do a Google search for GRNZ or Greyhound Racing NZ you don't get any links to the GRNZ.co.nz website. Yes the Facebook page comes up first but not the website. Has Googe black-listed it already? -
i get why the auckland people continue to fight for whats best for auckland. thats the way it should be. But as to mr steele. This is what barry lichter reports he said at that meeting. what you have to do with mr steele is realise what he says and what he does are often 2 different things. so he said, he has no bias but his job was to ensure harness racing flourishes,particularly in the north island. he says nz needs 3 training centres,but his number 1 priority is the north island. so he recognises nz needs 3 training centres.(i believe they need 2,the other in canterbury.I have no idea where he thinks the other training centre should be). But effectively what mr steele has done, is support the direction of funds HRNZ could tap into,to auckland,thus undermining any plans for HRNZ to use funds to purchase land and put training centres in the other 2 parts of nz that he said needs it. so mr steeles actions show he does have a bias and his words are a contradiction. he says population base is why he thinks the north island can flourish. Auckland people have used that as a talking point to rally support to their cause,i have no problem with that. But i really believe only dumb people believe that,as its so blatantly obvious that auckland harness racing has in the last 3 decades shrunk big time while the population has expanded. like, if population was a favourable factor,then wheres the proof. If you use logical thinking,population growth in auckland is part of the problem.I could refer to several negative issues impacting auckland harness racing caused by population growth. Can anyone name one positive? i mean,mr steele should realise just because someone repeats something over and over doesn't it make it true. It may make more people think its true,but it still ain't true. why are they spending 20 million on a piece of ground they don't own. No doubt they will spend millions more in the future maintaining it. if they really do have access to 10's of millions of $ then they should be buying land,especially just out of christchurch . They need to have a plan where they set up 2 training centres which can be transformed into future racetracks in 10-15 years times,so that they cash up aleaxandra park and addington and move ,thus ensuring a future of the sport. What HRNZ have done is support a plan that virtually takes that off the table. I mean,its not only mr steele that has no vision,its the whole board at hrnz. the training centres should be set up in a way where parcels of land,of varying shapes and sizes, within that training centre are available for both leasing and leasing with a right of purchase on the understanding that if someone does purchase land within that area that the land purpose must be for harness racing and that, in the event of any future sale by a purchaser ,hrnz has the right to either buy back or can approve any future buyer. Thus maintaining the control of the purpose of the training centre.In effect using harness racing participants funds to make a training centre more affordable. this investing over 20 million on somethg you don't own is typical hrnz think. again it illustrates they only think 5 years ahead and really don't have the intelligence to ensure the sport of harness racing continues in a viable way. as to mr steele saying "we need to get the north island pumping". i wonder if he really believes tha can happen..Hey ,maybe he really does belive that. nah,i think he knows that won't happen. finally,I think of a trainer in auckland . they are now going to get all those new facilities,get to run in small fields with good stakes,the warmer weather and all the things tabman referred to. It got me thinking.If your a trainer in canterbury or southland ,who's currently getting up on these cold winter mornings and walks out into the paddocks gumboot high of mud,who trains their horses on frosty tracks,who has to maintain their own track and stables,who can see their owners no longer breeding so they will most likely have to send the wife out to work soon,and to be even handed,also send the mother in law out to work for that matter if shes living on the property. Then i think auckland might need to spend an extra 10 million on those new auckland facilities for the influx of trainers As why struggle when life could be so much easier in auckland. Heres a suggestion,that new auckland facilty seems to be an ideal place to put in an olympic size swimming pool where the trainers can lounge around in their swim wear ,watching one of the big screen tv's that the atc have bought for them.Given harness people seemingly are quite a randy lot from all the stories i've heard over the years,with the wife and mother in law away earning,they could have a young female(i had better not say stablehand as thats stereotyping), rub a bit of sunblock on their backs (and tummies for the randy ones).The only issue i can see is,they may doze off on the lazy friday afternoons and there may be a few late sctaching at the ribbon of light. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Gavin Sharrock had a day out with three of his promising young gallopers at Hawera a fortnight ago, and he hopes to replicate that effort at Otaki on Saturday, particularly with Spandeedo, who will contest the Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m). The Stratford horseman took Spandeedo, Stewart, and Vibration to the Egmont meeting, and all three returned winners, with the former comfortably taking out the two-year-old race. It was the second victory in four starts for the son of Ferrando, who has improved with each run. “He’s a really speedy little horse, he has been a little bit wayward at times, but I think we’ve got him under control now,” Sharrock said. “His work has been good and I’m really happy with him. “I haven’t done a hell of a lot with him since Hawera, he had a quiet gallop on Thursday morning and going into the race, I’m not too worried about the draw (8), because he’ll go forward anyway.” Sharrock has enjoyed a successful season in the juvenile ranks, also preparing Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) runner Daylight Robbery and stakes performer Country Salon to victories, but had the Otaki feature on his radar solely for Spandeedo. “He was the one I focussed on with this race, you can’t go everywhere, so the other two had a freshen up and they’ll go towards the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1340m) on the 30th of August,” he said. “He’ll have a three-week break after this race, and I’ll decide what to do with him after that.” Much like his younger stablemate, Vibration has been a work in progress for Sharrock and probably could have put more than three wins on the board had he put his best foot forward at each start. “He’s been a very hard horse to work, he seems to behave not too badly at the races, but at home, he’s a proper handful,” Sharrock said. “We are getting there though, he seems to be maturing a bit with age. “I think he’s an exceptional horse, he would’ve been much further forward than he is if we’d been able to handle him early, but he would run off the track at home and run off in his gallops and do silly things.” The son of Proisir was on best behaviour in his last couple of starts, going back-to-back at Otaki and Hawera, and he will start the likely favourite again in Saturday’s Levin Jumpouts Supporters Handicap (1400m). “We seem to have him under control now, he’s going well, so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here,” Sharrock said. Completing the trio will be Stewart, a deserved maiden winner when he put six and half lengths on his rivals last time out. Northern-based apprentice Maria Sanson will continue her association with the three-year-old when he takes on the DG Farriers Handicap (1200m). “He’s come through that run really well, he was very unlucky when second at Te Rapa where he was carted out about six or eight horse widths, and only went down by half a head,” Sharrock said. “He put it all together at Hawera and won very convincingly, so hopefully he can carry on with it. He’s well, he’s eating and doing everything right.” The latter pair are raced by their breeder, Cliff Erb, who continues to support Sharrock with quality gallopers. “Cliff is an ex-dairy farmer and had always been infatuated with horses, and after he sold his farm, he built up a band of broodmares and is breeding a lot of horses,” Sharrock said. “I’m just lucky enough to be training them for him. “I’ve got six at the moment, mostly two-year-olds, rising three, and there are some lovely horses amongst them.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Canheroc has come close to taking out a couple of New Zealand’s feature staying races, and they will once again be on his radar this coming season. The Chris Wood-trained gelding was third in last year’s Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) after winning the Listed Marton Cup (3200m), and last November he filled the same placing in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m). “He has had a couple of unlucky runs in the New Zealand Cup and Wellington Cup. He probably should have won one of them at some stage but that’s the way things panned out.” Wood said. The rising eight-year-old had a decent spell after he pulled up lame following the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) last December, and he will return to the Hamilton venue on Saturday to commence his new campaign in the Woods Contracting 1300. “He just pulled up a bit scratchy last year in behind at his last race at Waikato,” Wood said. “He had a good four months in the paddock at his owners’ place. He came back from there in good order and he seems a happy horse.” While pleased with Canheroc in the early stages of his preparation, Wood doesn’t expect him to feature on Saturday over a distance far shorter than his best. “He has had a few jumpouts, but he is not going to be a force to be reckoned with on Saturday,” he said. “I have put young Sienna Brown on, who is now apprenticed to me, for a four-kilogram weight relief. He won’t disgrace himself, but he will need the run and that will be a good starting point.” Wood is looking for redemption in the Wellington and New Zealand Cups and said they will be his key targets this season. “It is nice to have him back,” he said. “Hopefully he stays in one piece and he will be a nice chance going into the staying races for the spring and summer. “He will probably go to the New Zealand Cup again. He went the two miles last year, he just raced a bit fiercely for him, which was most unusual. He still found the line well after all the effort he put in through the run.” On Sunday at Te Aroha, Wood will line-up his exciting jumper Smug in the Te Aroha Veterinary Services Te Aroha Cup (3500m), and the seven-year-old gelding will be looking to build on his momentum after downing champion jumper West Coast at Woodville last start. “He has done good jobs with his two chases he has had – one a bit lucky and the other beating a champion (West Coast),” Wood said. “I thought we had come undone at the second-to-last when he got a bit unbalanced, but he picked himself up and really found the line. It was an outstanding effort and just shows that we have got something on our hands that is going to go forward with a bit of luck.” Wood is hoping to see another winning display on Sunday as his charge builds towards the Great New Zealand Steeplechase (6200m) at the same venue in September. “He is very exciting and the bigger, live fences will suit him more,” Wood said. “Everything is good and he has come through his last run in really good order, I am very happy with him.” View the full article
-
-
Topics
-
