Chief Stipe

Aiden Rodley tends to detract from the others.

Well if you know so much of her background why ask "who is this woman"? That aside cut her some slack - I imagine like most trackside presenters she has landed the job and found that there is very little training nor support and the employment T's & C's are crap. I don't listen to her but then I have listened to very few of those on horse back with a microphone. Lizzie Jelf's was worth listening to - a sense of humour and an astute judge.

My understanding is that the RIB take over control of the course on raceday. They are the rules enforcer AND in my opinion given their raceday authority the Quality Control for NZTR. For example they should be on course early to ensure all taceday protocols are being and have been met. For example verifying that the track rating as notified is accurate and supervise the horses that are required to gallop in the morning. It is a nonsense that a Soft 5 is declared by Club personnel, o checks are done and then retrospectively the track is upgraded to a Good 4 immediately after Race 1. What makes that worse is the RIB's reluctance and or incompetence to not upgrade again or accurately when it is clearly evident the tracks is firmer than a Good 4. Now that is one example but one that impacts trainers who don't want an ultra hard track and punters who are looking for an accurate assessment. The latter now wait until couple of races are run to work it out. No the RIB are the rules enforcer AND the independent quality control for racing. Time they stepped up instead of tuning up 30 minutes before the first in their Italian suits, walking 10 metres of the track and not even bothering to check that the electronic timing or the photo finish is working.

Yeah I prefer Innes and Sweeny over "read from the racebook" Heveldt and "she's glowing in the coat" Leighton. But as you say each to their own. Both Innes and Sweeney know the form.

Sorry same rules for all here. No censorship here, no childish name calling, robust intelligent debate on all racing issues and no deletion or editing of others posts. Above all no obsequious fawning to popular opiniom. You don't get that anywhere else but if it is what you like then enjoy that side. Thanks for the drive-by. Shame about Trentham - I used to enjoy going their 25 years ago.

Nope wrong again. It wasn't a one off episode as you full well know. Easy to blame the track manager and nothing to do with the race day prep criteria. Although you are close to the oracle - how did Trentham get away with their race day prep and track rating smoke and mirrors? Name the horses that galloped on raceday morning? How did the track suddenly go from a Soft 5 to a Good 4 or apparently even harder than that given they broke the world 1200m record in Race 2?

Why is it stupid? Or can't you explain why you said that?

Well @curious I can honestly say I've never seen you abuse anyone or stoop to name calling. Even on issues that you are passionate about it is hard to make you angry. The issue appears to be an insecurity about looking silly when some point out the facts in a cogent manner. Easier to delete and name calling than struggle to reply in an intelligent way.

I do have some sympathy for them. George spent $2.5m on a computer system that didn't deliver much if anything. So they probably rely on the knowledge of staff to get it right and I imagine that some don't know all the nuances of the rules.

I wouldn't worry the best defamation defence is proving what was said was true.

Well it wouldn't be on your precious Champagne Turf would it? Afterall it has taken a "hammering". 😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆

Why don't you ring them and get them to correct an obvious mistake? But I imagine @Huey has already done that plus NZTR have read his post by now...or perhaps in another hour when they lift the shutters for the day.

Well Ellerslie does have a training facility closer than Trentham but I made the same point about Ellerlsie. The major tracks in OZ operate a training facility. However the issue with Trentham is the number of other factors that are against it.

Obviously a mistake. Unless Dummy Myers had something lined up.

Yep and the only difference is the Comic Dog isn't basing his opinion on any analysis but on trying to keep onside with a group of blind OBC.

What posts? Apparently I have multiple identities over there.

Good luck for what? LOL @SLB2.0 and I have disagreed about more things than we have agreed on. My spells are crap obviously!

Is that a compliment? I don't disagree with everything everyone says let alone for the sake of it. That's your misinformation for what agenda I cannot fathom. People do but then I don't expect anything. Perhaps I am deluded. Expecting to pitch up to an online forum to discuss the issues facing a sport I love and expecting informed cogent debate...

Bollocks. You only post to have a go at me. What's the problem? Regardless why don't you post a cogent response to what I post on racing? As opposed to personal abuse. Don't you have any knowledge of racing?

But they didn't DO ANYTHING!! The reality is it LOOKS better because overall the CLASS of horse was better. Nothing in what they reported in the NZTR Meeting News points to anything being done differently.

Why does it matter so much to you Lane?

But how did they do it? In my opinion it was no different to the previous week except most of the horses were a big step up in class.

Yep. Not a horse trained at Trentham.

WTF are you on about Lane? We don't know each other from a bar of soap yet you are intent on having a dig at me? Why? You and Scooby make a lovely couple.

Weird actually running a forum where you moderate the hell out of it right down to deleting posts that you don't agree with or that "make me look stupid" or you just don't understand. Unfortunately that is symptomatic of the malaise that affects the whole industry. Envy, tribalism,...