Chief Stipe

The only thing historical is that the programming has never aligned to horse numbers and trainer requirements. The South Island programming committee has been dysfunctional for decades.

Fair enough.

All of it. Why give free bread to those that can afford it.

Friends of mine have been getting them still. Not sure why you need frequent "buy a loaf of bread and get one free" offers to bet.

I have no idea what consumes your day and energies. I can only form an opinion from what you post and in that regard I was primarily commenting on how you conflated the Open Letter issue with an article on Sam Wynn's injuries.

But why diminish her by conflating a different issue into your response? For that matter why diminish Head Office by using Sam? Isn't it that type of sniping the industry doesn't need? For better or worse all stakeholders are in this together. By pulling down the tall poppies doesn't elevate anyone out of the mud.

Wynne recovering after serious track incident www.racingnews.co.nz Https://bitofayarn.com Southern horsewoman Samantha Wynne is recuperating in Christchurch Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries in a horse-related incident on Saturday morning. Wynne, who relocated to New Zealand from her native Ireland over a decade ago, has made Canterbury home, where she has been both a successful jockey and more recently a trainer. She had enjoyed a memorable season, highlighted by three stakes victories with Pivotal Ten, who she rode in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March. As she does on a regular basis, the 36-year-old had taken a team of horses into the track on Saturday but can’t recall anything further after she was kicked in the head and taken to hospital where she underwent surgery for a fractured skull and badly damaged ear. Her family, friends and colleagues were relieved to hear from Wynne on Monday after a couple of days resting in hospital. “I’ve been in hospital for the last couple of days and I’m feeling a little bit better this morning,” she said. “I can’t really remember what happened but the girls filled me in. One of the two-year-old fillies wouldn’t walk into the tie-ups and she ran backwards and kicked me in the head. It pretty much took my ear off and I’ve got a fractured skull. “I was knocked out for about five or six minutes and apparently when the ambulance came I was fighting them because I didn’t want to go to the hospital. Once they got me in, they gave me some good painkillers and I went into surgery that night. “I got my ear sewed back on, they removed fragments out of the fractures and pulled a bone out of my head. They had to make sure I had no brain injuries, and I’m very lucky that I don’t think I have. There is just a lot of swelling, but hopefully that will go down and the fracture will heal. “My partner has spoken to a lot of people and I’ve responded to a couple. I’ve been able to use my phone a little bit more today after being a bit too dizzy over the last couple of days.” While hoping to be discharged on Monday, Wynne said it is more likely that she’ll be heading home on Tuesday and is grateful to have the support of her staff. “I was hoping to go home today, but the doctors think it’ll be tomorrow,” she said. “I have to go for a hearing test later on and a couple of other tests as well. “I just feel upset and frustrated because I don’t know what happened, but I’m grateful for the support I’ve had. “I’d be lost without the girls, I’m so grateful for them. They’re just the best team that you could have. We’re doing okay.” The news comes during an extremely tough period for the racing community, with the tragic passing of apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey last Wednesday, and fellow rider Triston Moodley also recovering from a kick to the head at the Waipa trials last Tuesday.

Trainer Brian ‘BJ' Smith retires after legendary career www.racenet.com.au Https://bitofayarn.com Charismatic trainer Brian ‘BJ' Smith has been all over the world but he still reckons Brisbane's stables are the best. The Brisbane racing community will farewell Smith when he officially retires at the end of this month, just a few days shy of his 84th birthday. He will still take care of two or three horses for his wife Emma but when his trainer's licence expires on July 31, you'll more than likely find Smith swinging a club at Nudgee golf course in Brisbane's northern suburbs rather than working at the stables. "I'm nearly 84 and I've been everywhere around the world a couple of times but I just don't want to do it anymore," Smith told Racenet at a Brisbane Racing Club luncheon held in his honour at Doomben on Saturday. "I want to enjoy a bit of life where I don't have to wake up and worry about what work I need to do." The BRC function also paid tribute to Jim Roberts, a Brisbane track manager who will soon retire after 38 years of service. Top trainers such as Kelly Schweida, Chris and Corey Munce, Barry Lockwood and Tony Gollan all took time out from their busy Saturday schedule to drop in at the lunch for Smith, a quick-witted character who started his training career in his native New Zealand more than 50 years ago before eventually moving to the Sunshine State. He has been all over the globe but still rates Brisbane's stables as being like a five-star hotel for horses, with Sydney co-trainers Richard and Will Freedman trusting Smith to look after their prized gallopers during countless Queensland winter carnivals. "I haven't seen better," Smith said about Brisbane's equine facilities. "I've stabled a lot of horses for the Freedmans over the years and they all come up and win. "They just settle in overnight, they think it's a farmyard." Champion New Zealand racehorse Balmerino, ridden by Graeme Boyd on the beach at Coffs Harbour in 1977 as he was being prepared for an overseas campaign. Picture: Supplied Smith had some classy gallopers at the peak of his powers, including Balmerino, Circles Of Gold and Bikkie Tin Blues. Balmerino came to Australia in 1976 as New Zealand's champion three-year-old and the following year he ran second to Alleged in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris. "It wasn't a fair dinkum race, my horse should've won," Smith said about Balmerino, who competed in New Zealand, Australia, England, the US, France and Italy. "He won 12 months of the year, nowadays trainers set their horses for a race. "But he won every month of the calendar year as a three-year-old in New Zealand, Sydney and up here (in Brisbane). Fourteen wins in 12 months In total, Balmerino delivered 22 victories and 13 placings from 47 starts before he had a successful breeding career in New Zealand. The champion galloper died in 1996. "I was lucky enough to get his son Kessem," Smith said. "He didn't get his chance to show how good he was because he got hit in the eye by a plate after he won the Hong Kong Cup (in 1990)." Smith, who once had an audience with the Pope at the Vatican in the early 1960s, vividly remembers visiting the famous Champs-Elysees in Paris with a mate years before he became a trainer. "It felt like I got a bolt of lightning down my spine, I couldn't move," he recalled. "I said to my mate ‘I must have had a vision, I must be coming back to win that race' (the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe). "That was in my head when I got Balmerino to the race as a trainer years later. I'm not religious but I believe in fate."

Entain Australia boss Andrew Vouris: Win, ‘but not at all costs' www.racenet.com.au Newly-appointed Entain Australia boss Andrew Vouris is waiting for no one in his plans to make his mark on the Australasian arm of the global betting behemoth. Vouris – who succeeds Dean Shannon at the helm of wagering brands Ladbrokes and Neds after the highly respected executive stepped down recently declaring "the time right for change" – assumes the top job with a wealth of wagering experience behind him. Renowned for his no-nonsense approach and a love for innovation which has earned him the respect of racing's most senior figures, Vouris' 17-year wagering tenure has been as diverse as it has been rewarding. And it's that firm grasp of a complex and always evolving wagering ecosystem that pinpointed Vouris as the man to lead the organisation into a new frontier, having undergone a total management overhaul in the past year. "I've been really forthright in my communication to the team – I want us to win, yes, but not at all costs," Vouris said. "We've got a hardworking and passionate workforce both here in Australia and New Zealand but there's always room for improvement and we're steadfast in our commitment to do that. "With challenges comes opportunity." The pointed comments in part speak to Entain Australia's ongoing Federal Court battle with AUSTRAC over historic allegations of noncompliance with anti-money laundering laws. In 2017, when working for Tabcorp, Vouris had responsibilities in helping navigate that company's own AUSTRAC proceedings, before coming out the other side. Vouris acknowledged that the matter continued to place a heavy burden on the organisation but he was now very much in the mindset of looking forward rather than back. "I obviously can't speak on the matter specifically other than to say as an organisation we have changed significantly and continue to do so," Vouris said. "My prime focus is putting all our energy into connecting with our customers and stakeholders as best we can. "At the core, punters want great products and competitive prices and that's our focus. Ladbrokes continues to invest heavily in greyhound racing sponsorship across the country "Our integration of the New Zealand TAB in the past year or two has absorbed a lot of our resources but with that now complete, we can get back to innovation and growth which is a passion of mine." The seismic change hasn't just been confined to a management revamp, with Entain Australia undergoing something of a realignment across other facets of the business. That included the cessation of a number of initiatives including the winding up of Ladbrokes Racing Club in Australia. "At the end of the day we are a bookmaker – that's our business, bookmaking," Vouris said. "When you over-complicate things and overextend yourself you can lose your way." With a successful background in start-ups (Unikrn and Luxbet) and a decade at Tabcorp, Vouris is as qualified as anyone to speak to the exponential threat facing racing. "The tax regime is a huge concern for the long-term sustainability of racing – that's been well documented," Vouris said. But Vouris said the challenges did not end there. "Offshore and emerging cryptocurrency casino operators are a major threat too," he said. "They are growing at exponential rates, and the foreign licensing isn't returning anything on the domestic front. "Some of the financial projections of what's being spent in these offshore casino markets is frightening and should be alarming to Australian racing. "Action really needs to come now." Among Ladbrokes' vast portfolio of major sponsorships is the Cox Plate. Quizzed on whether these challenges could ultimately impair Entain Australia's ability to remain aggressive in the racing sponsorship space, Vouris refused to rule it out. "While others have been retreating in his space we've tried to remain as aggressive as possible," he said. In recent months, rumours have intensified about the prospect of major corporate bookmakers like Ladbrokes and Sportsbet playing a role in bringing a national tote to life. It's been mooted that Tabcorp's hopes of merging the three tote pools includes plans for middle and best tote money from the top corporates also being channelled into the pool in a bid to generate even higher liquidity. But Vouris isn't sold. "Show me a punter that would rather take a national tote price against the best price of the current three totes," he said. "I'm not convinced a national tote will be the huge win for racing it's being sold as. "I think there's a lot that hasn't been considered on that front."

Well you just stick to Sports betting.

Nope. What's the takeout on Pokies? If 42% has to be returned to the community from pokies - what happens to the other 58%?

The fact you have been on about it is probably why AI picked it up.

Looking forward to the details of this plan. Free Pony Club membership @Huey ?

asked AI to do it for them. It took 2.3 secs. NZTR Industry Sustainability Plan (2025–2030) Vision: To ensure the long-term sustainability of New Zealand’s thoroughbred racing industry through ethical, environmental, and economically responsible practices — delivering value to horses, people, communities, and the country. Strategic Objectives Domain Objective Equine Welfare Ensure the health, safety, dignity, and lifecycle support of all racehorses Environmental Reduce environmental impact of training, racing, and breeding Economic Resilience Build financial sustainability and efficiency in club and industry operations Social License Maintain community trust, public support, and workforce wellbeing 1. Equine Welfare and Lifecycle Responsibility Goals: Promote best-practice care, injury prevention, and post-racing outcomes. Monitor and report horse health and traceability. Enhance NZTR’s licensing, auditing, and aftercare programs. Key Actions: Mandate the 5 Domains of Animal Welfare across all clubs and trainers. Expand the TiES series and fund second-career transition grants. Establish a National Thoroughbred Aftercare Fund (industry and levy supported). Complete roll-out of regional equine crematoriums (North & South Island). Launch a national racehorse tracking and data reporting system (via microchips). 2. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Readiness Goals: Reduce carbon and waste footprints of racecourses and training centres. Adapt facilities to climate risk (e.g., heat stress, storm resilience). Promote sustainable land and water practices on stud and training farms. Key Actions: Require all race clubs to complete a Toitū or equivalent baseline audit by 2026. Fund a “Green Track Upgrade Programme”: LED lighting, water recycling, solar. Publish NZTR’s Carbon and Waste Report (annually from 2026). Encourage eco-certification of transporters, stables, and feed suppliers. Partner with Mana Whenua to align land and water practices with Te Ao Māori values. 3. Economic Sustainability and Industry Modernisation Goals: Deliver consistent income and prize money to retain trainers and owners. Improve cost-efficiency across race clubs and operations. Leverage Entain–TAB partnership and digital innovation to grow wagering. Key Actions: Move to a two-tier race meeting system (Premier and Standard) with flat stakes. Complete a full venue utilisation and ROI audit across all clubs by 2026. Incentivise club mergers or collaborations based on financial and social returns. Deliver track infrastructure master plan with HRNZ (Project Stamina). Develop a national “Sustainability Innovation Fund” for club-led pilots (solar, composting, etc.) 4. Social License, Workforce & Community Impact Goals: Foster respect, safety, and diversity within the racing workforce. Communicate industry value to the public and racing communities. Build trust through transparency and ethical leadership. Key Actions: Introduce minimum employment and safety standards across training stables. Launch industry mental health and wellbeing support fund (riders, staff, owners). Partner with schools, iwi, and rural community orgs to promote racing pathways. Run annual “Thoroughbred Week” in major cities (parades, open stables, TiES shows). Publish public-facing reports on welfare, injuries, and aftercare outcomes. Implementation & Monitoring Action Frequency Responsible Party Annual Sustainability Report Yearly (starting 2026) NZTR + external auditor Progress Review Bi-annually NZTR Board + Welfare/Infra Committees Stakeholder Engagement Forum Annually Clubs, trainers, HRNZ, mana whenua Club Certification Tracker Live dashboard NZTR Industry Sustainability Unit

Since when did the takeout rates change? Vulgar compared to what? Lotto? Pokies? Casino? Racing isn't close to half their takeouts. BTW from what I've seen you post you have nothing to worry about from the Open Letter.

I realise @Murray Fish you are as thick skinned as some of us but seriously do you condone some of the stuff you have seen written? Sticks and Stones is your philosophy but each of these organisations have a responsibility to their licensees and staff. Sure some of the drivers for the vitriolic responses could be removed by the agencies doing their job properly and/or being responsive to the stakeholders they represent however that is not an excuse for misbehaviour. I've heard many stories about certain fiefdoms where stakeholders have been abused by industry employees and when complaining are met with what you called isolation, alienation and blackballing. But the good old industry is good at going "well I better live with it and not escalate it to the authorities as I'll be unable to train". So hopefully the Open Letter is a warning to those individuals and emboldening to those affected to do something about it.

It was sent on behalf of the named organisations who composed it - so the buck stops with the CEO's and Board's of each organisation. Those individuals are well known.

Why do you need to know the extent or severity? Isn't just enough to know that it is happening? Perhaps they are. Or if not this is a general warning. Personally I see nothing particularly wrong with the Open Letter. Some of the stuff I've seen has gone way over the top and in many cases really personal. The irony doesn't escape me that some of those that doth protest loudly are enabling some of it. Again it comes back to the Open Letter being a general warning. I wouldn't be surprised if recidivist offenders if licensed will be warned if they continue. Recently there have been attacks on here against licensed person. In one instance I spoke to the person targetted and they were OK as in their view the posts reflected more on the person who made them. Another was raised by the authorities and I hid the posts from public view and warned the poster. Now if a licensed person and/or the RIB choose to go down the filing a charge path then it becomes a very expensive exercise for all. If the person isn't licensed then the process of making a complaint to the Harmful Digital Communications Act via Netsafe can be chosen. I've seen cases where both thresholds have been reached. That is they have gone well past the Kevin Moreton standard.

Pretty tame for @Transparency aka Wightman. Perhaps he has too much invested now.

Take Colin Wightman for example. Surely the administration have an obligation to protect their employees from the outlandish abuse he dishes out. Sure he handed in his license so he could do that but he is still an owner and still can be seen in the stables on racedays.

What years? I can't imagine you being abusive though.

...and finish selling what's left of Trentham!

Well that's where we differ - in my opinion they are trying to shut down the abusive behaviour of a minority. I think you have taken it personally when the Letter was not pointed at you. Hopefully the letter is a warning shot to those miscreants. However there are underlying structural issues that need to be dealt to. Let's face it if it was all going swimmingly well then there wouldn't be any abusive behaviour. Although a couple of them would bitch regardless. I've been appalled at the behaviour of some. A friend of mine bought into their first horse two years ago and was really enjoying the experience but sadly has already seen the dark bitchy side from a dark few. Yes there are a few individuals in administrative positions in the formal organisations that need to be pensioned. Not because of their longevity but because of their attitude and an unwillingness to address the structural issues they largely created.

RV to trial new ratings www.racing.com Victoria is set to provide lower-rated horses with increased chances of success, with a trial introduction from September of new ratings categories. Racing Victoria on Thursday morning announced that, after a proposal from the Australian Trainers' Association and Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association, the new ratings categories are set to better serve the vast population of horses with low handicap ratings in the 50s and 60s. "The creation of the new categories aims to provide these lower-rated horses, which make up a sizeable portion of the horse population, with more chances to compete against similarly matched opposition," the RV release stated. "The sliding prizemoney scale seeks to create a clear point of difference between categories to foster more competitive racing, whilst rewarding progression up the ratings bands." Https://bitofayarn.com The new categories and their minimum prizemoney levels are as follows: • Benchmark 66 / 0-66 - $27,000; • Benchmark 62 / 0-62 - $27,000; • Benchmark 56 / 0-56 - $22,000; and • Benchmark 52 / 0-52 - $22,000. RV said the new categories will be trialed throughout season 2025-26. WATCH: Hear from Aaron Morrison

Found it.NZTR 2025-27 Statement of Intent Approved.pdf NZTR 2025-27 Statement of Intent Approved.pdf