Chief Stipe

The Black Sticks both womens and mens teams had great success at the recent Commonwealth Games. The women especially where they came away with the Gold medal after thrashing Australia in the final. A friend of mine has a daughter in the women's team and it was extra special when my 12 year old hockey playing daughter got to meet her and wear the Gold medal. Unlike our Rugby players of both sex's hockey gets very little funding even though their athletes are essentially full time. For example two weeks after getting back from the Games the Black Sticks went into an eight week training camp. Not a camp where they meet after work but a full day camp every day for 8 weeks. They are preparing for the upcoming tri-series and the world cup. As netball declines and hockey surges I hope that funding shifts as well. My daughter used to play both netball and hockey but had to make a choice this year between the two. She chose hockey for the reasons that she didn't have to be six feet tall to be competitive and the game was a lot simpler in terms of rules. The latter have been enlightening to me as I never realised until she started playing that there was no off-side rule! Great watching a fast paced game with very little whistle blowing!

A brazen and long-running conspiracy to cheat could end the careers of the five trainers and three s… View the full article

Reading that decision I would say these guys will get life. Interesting the colourful descriptive language in the decision!

Full decision attached. 2018-05-04-rad-board-decision---aquanita.pdf

After purchasing the top lot on day one of New Zealand Bloodstock’s May Sale, Sydney-based bloodstoc… View the full article

Trainer Brad Mowbray says he and his partners in the horse received an offer they couldn't turn down… View the full article

Senior rider Andrew Calder is fit and raring to go as he eases back into life in the New Zealand rac… View the full article

The five trainers and three stablehands charged in the Aquanita raceday treatments inquiry have all … View the full article

After an encouraging first-up run in Adelaide, quality sprinter Ferrando is on target for the Gr. 1 … View the full article

A proven partnership will be maintained when Megablast makes his Queensland winter carnival debut at… View the full article

Enable has suffered a setback in training, but is expected to be able to defend the Prix de l'Arc de… View the full article

After being so narrowly denied at Riccarton last month, Za Za Gabor will get one further chance to c… View the full article

Yes but they closed him off for a while so he had to resort to getting form fillers rather than using a direct computer connection. Hong Kong relented some years afterwards and made the computer feed connection open to all. When it was open to all Benter's profits dropped but his algorithm still worked better than the others.

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)RACEDAY JUDICIAL COMMITTEE DECISION Informant: Mr S Wallis - Stipendiary Steward Respondent: Mr C Ferguson – Open Driver Information No: A10444 Meeting: ...View the full article

Thanks Reefton for the information and great posts.

Triple Group One-winning filly Shoals will stay at home to concentrate on the A$13 million Everest r… View the full article

“It’s a pain that hasn’t gone away yet,” said Phil Kennard of what he called 'majority rules'. View the full article

The two top lots on day one of New Zealand Bloodstock’s May Sale have been earmarked to return to th… View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)RACEDAY JUDICIAL COMMITTEE DECISION Informant: S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward Defendant: C Butt, Licensed Junior Driver Information No: A09641 Meeting: ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 4, Angus Meats Premier, an information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr J P Oatham, against Licensed Jockey (Class A), Miss C R Barnes, alleging a breach of Rule 638 (1) (d) in that Miss Barnes “allowed her mount DREAMING EASY to shift in crowding and checking ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of race 7, True Colours Mid – Winter Luncheon 7th July 1200, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638 (1)(d). The Informant, Mr Williamson, alleged that Mr Danis allowed his mount SHORT FUSE to shift out when insufficiently clear of FOREVER CLEVER which was forced outward into ...View the full article

Aidan O'Brien says he has learned from Mendelssohn's Kentucky Derby experience and will be better pr… View the full article

NZ Live is the company that does the Trackside broadcasts and production. US firm could produce NZ rugby matches in Australia, but says that's not its plan CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF NEP says it will give its New Zealand purchase whatever resources it needs to grow. Sky Television's grip on domestic sports broadcasting could be loosened by the arrival of a deep-pocketed United States outdoor-broadcasting giant. Pennsylvania-based NEP group now has the technology to produce Kiwi sports broadcasts either in New Zealand, or at "hubs" it has set up in Sydney or Melbourne. NEP has taken over NZ Live, an Auckland company that films horse racing for the TAB and which also films productions for Television New Zealand, Maori Television and MediaWorks. Sky TV has wrapped up broadcasting rights for the major domestic rugby, rugby league, netball and cricket competitions until between 2020 and 2021 and its investment in expensive outdoor broadcasting equipment has been one factor that helped it renew those contracts. But NEP Australia president Soames Treffry said NEP could help the likes of Television New Zealand and Spark film sports events, or help sporting bodies sell games direct to the public. "If rights come up for market, we will be there to support whoever the rights holder may be. In New Zealand there haven't been a lot of options necessarily." Alternatively, it could film events for Sky if it wanted to outsource the production of live sports, he said. Treffry said NEP would give NZ Live, which will be renamed NEP New Zealand, "whatever resources they need to grow their business". NZ Live prepares to cover a Fox Memorial Shield match; it could be about to play a part in a bigger game. NZ Live operations director Ray Standridge said NEP was the largest company of its kind in the world and "proactive with changing technology". NEP's purchase of NZ Live came just a few weeks after Spark announced it had secured the rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, in partnership with TVNZ. NEP was changing the way rugby and cricket was produced for Australian pay-television company Foxtel, Standridge said. In the past, NEP would send an outside broadcasting truck to manage sports productions at stadiums. But better broadband has allowed it to centralise the production of sports broadcasts at two hubs in Sydney and Melbourne, which means it need only dispatch camera-people to far-flung events, saving money. "Increasingly, we are doing a lot of events for Fox Sports where we will have the main production crew stay in Sydney or Melbourne and the match might be in Perth. There are savings in travel and logistics, providing a more efficient outcome," Treffry said. He downplayed the likelihood of NEP wanting to manage the production of Kiwi Super Rugby fixtures from Australia, if it won the job of producing them. Producing sports broadcasts has involved sending trucks like these to stadiums, but better broadband may make that "old school". "We are respectful culturally, so while it would be technically possible I don't think we would do that. I can't imagine it would be that welcome – New Zealand is a rugby club with four million members." He did not rule out some broadcasts being produced in Australia on a case-by-case basis, but said its goal was to grow the New Zealand business. "Importantly, it will be New Zealand sports done by New Zealand people." NEP could put in a third hub in Auckland or Wellington as an alternative to using outside broadcasting trucks if demand justified it but, geographically, New Zealand did not have the same challenges Australia, he said. - Stuff

Multiple winner Sergeant Blast has reported for his first taste of overseas action. View the full article

Te Akau struck early in the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s two-day May Sale today when … View the full article