Chief Stipe

I was there too. Don't remember the booing. We would have done better if we hadn't been parked. But that bunch of 3yr olds were an even handy lot.

It is an endemic malaise that magnified during Covid. LOL probably due to an ageing population!

The field days left the Dargaville Racecourse location 20 years ago. But neither Avondale, Dargaville nor the ATC have enough spare cash (or security) to renovate their own tracks and facilities. Whangarei Racing Club aren't in clover either!!

From the pictures of the work which are posted on BOAY. Looked more than that. More like cm than mm.

How deep is the sand?

Perhaps they are thinking a bit more long term. In my opinion a 100% sand based track is the wrong way to go in NZ as evident with Ellerslie and now Awapuni.

To Our Valued RACE Members, Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support as we work towards a safe and confident return to racing at RACE Awapuni. We know this update will be disappointing for many, and everyone involved, from our track team to NZTR, officials, riders, and Club representatives, shares that feeling. However, taking a little more time is the right step to ensure that when racing does resume, it does so safely and with complete confidence in the surface. Following yesterday’s trials, a meeting was held with representatives from NZTR, RACE, the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association, and track advisor Liam O’Keeffe (Flemington). After reviewing conditions and rider feedback, all parties agreed that the track continues to improve but would benefit from more time before racing resumes. Across eleven heats involving 94 horses, both on the rail and around the markers, riders raised no safety concerns, and the track continues to show improvement. The consensus was that it would benefit from additional time to consolidate. Track consultant Liam O’Keeffe, who has been monitoring the track throughout the Return-to-Racing process, supported the decision. “Following significant rainfall over the past week (107mm in 10 days), the track presented as a heavy surface. Riders noted some kickback, and everyone agreed it would benefit from additional time to consolidate.” “It was pleasing to hear from senior riders that there was no slippage, but it will be important to run another set of trials under drier conditions to give the track a full and fair test,” he said. As a result, we will now work with NZTR to hold another set of trials in late October, when conditions are expected to be drier. We know this isn’t the outcome anyone had hoped for, but it’s an important step to ensure the track performs at its best when racing returns. The safety of our riders and horses remains our top priority, and we’re encouraged by the progress made so far. RACE will continue to work closely with NZTR to find an alternative venue for the November 1 race meeting and will share details as soon as they’re confirmed. Thank you again for your understanding and support. It means a great deal to everyone working hard behind the scenes to bring racing safely back to Awapuni. Yours in racing, Richard Simpson Chairman RACE Inc.

Oh well it seemed to behave ok. Although the Tom Tom drums are beating.

At 4.59pm apparently. Not BEFORE the trials. Regardless it seemed to perform OK for the conditions. Do you disagree?

Did Kate Hercock ride for the trainer? She seems to be the Jockey track expert in the CD. As for the track being shifty. That is par for the course with a sand based track. Ellerslie is the same. Which is great news. Were you there? You'd expect some kick back from a Soft 6/rainy weather on sandy track.

She was pretty useful in OZ. Ran second to Imperatriz in the G1 Moir. Stamps that form. Won the G2 Schillaci Stakes. A G2 at Caulfield and a G3 at Flemington.

Asfoora wins despite late drama www.racing.com Oisin Murphy salutes after Asfoora's win in France. An Uber driver may be the toast of the Henry Dwyer stable, along with Asfoora, after the star mare overcame a late scratching scare and a nervy run in transit to claim the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Sunday.https://bitofayarn.com The globetrotting sprinter, now a G1 winner in both England and France, was within 90 seconds of being scratched pre-race after her ID card and passport failed to arrive on track. “Unfortunately, her ID and passport didn’t make her way down from Chantilly to the races today,” travelling foreman Simon Morrish told At The Races pre-race. “We were alerted to that fact as soon as we arrived here. The passport, as we speak, is in an Uber on the way to the track.https://bitofayarn.com “If it gets here in the next five to 10 minutes, we’re OK... otherwise, unfortunately we won’t be running.” But arrive in time it did, albeit just, and Asfoora, backed from $4.40 to $3.30 with the track drying out, took her place in the line-up. The globetrotting sprinter was coiled up for much of the 17-horse, 1000m contest and seemed only needing of a gap to prove competitive. And she let down like a steam train when Oisin Murphy eased Asfoora between horses at the furlong pole, taking the lead from roughie Jawwal ($61) and claiming her third top level honour. She becomes the first Australia trained French winner at any level, continuing her incredible story as an overseas trailblazer.https://bitofayarn.com “It’s amazing. Since we started this whole journey, it’s just about doing new things,” Dwyer said post-race. “Life’s experiential, racing’s experiential... I’ve never been to the races in France before, and here we are winning a G1 on Arc Day.”https://bitofayarn.com It will go down as one of the more stressful G1 winning days in Dwyer’s career, but ultimately, two speedy beasts and their ultra cool pilots ensured the day ended with triumph instead of despair. “We had some pre-race issues… we had to work through those issues because we were within a minute and a half of not running,” Dwyer said. “I had an Uber driver on a retainer of 200 quid to get it here on time, and my man delivered." https://bitofayarn.com WATCH: Asfoora's win in France!

TAB NZ have had to give NZ Sports a percentage of the revenue earnt from their sport long before the ENTAIN deal. The legislation that was passed in 2020 however extended the amount distributed to Sports by legally requiring the money earnt by Sports who didn't have a national organisation to go to NZ Sports and Recreation. The ENTAIN deal splits the net wagering revenue 50:50 between ENTAIN and Racing/Sports.

Which they are entitled to are they not?

Yes the TAB was originally set up for racing. That wasn't because there wasn't any sports betting occuring with the local pub bookie itwas because the main game in town was racing AND the administrators (the "old boy whales of the time") wanted to control the betting and create a monopoly. Sports betting was not approved in NZ until 1996 and again the NZ TAB was given the monopoly. Ironically Sports then faced the same problem that the new legislation is aiming to stop and that is the use of someone elses product to generate revenue. Sports betting didn't start in OZ until 1983 and that was on the back of the advent of the Packer driven Circus of One Day cricket. The OZ TAB was the only agency allowed to take bets - on football, cricket and boxing. Sportsbet was allowed to set up in 1996 and provided competition. The NZ TAB is not owned by NZ Racing. It has never been owned by Racing. It is a statutory entity that exists only because Government has allowed it to exist. The argument that NZ Racing built it up and funded it is spurious at best.