Chief Stipe

Been pissing down at Te Aroha this morning. After the first rained again. Jockeys think it is a 7 or even an 8.

Who told you that they are not? Yes they must give trainers the opportunity but there is no obligation on trainers to avail of that opportunity. Is there?

Well track rated a Soft 5 still. Would appear that maybe the Te Aroah track renovation made an improvement.

It's a right not an obligation.

Well @Newmarket they didn't get what they wanted for it hence they are still racing it.

NZTR Soft 5 TABNZ Soft 6

Place holder there now called M7 Te Aroha Extra.

You're welcome.

Or the Stipes arrived on course just before Race 1 and left as soon as they abandoned the meeting forgetting to complete the report.

Again for @Pete Lane and @JJ Flash the orange and dark green colours mean rain.

@Huey you prattle on about the Waikato Mafia and the favoured few. Can you explain how these abandonments favour them?

These abandonments must be doing the Trainers heads in. Even the logistics of travel. Isn't there a plane due to leave to fly south soon?

Just for @Pete Lane and his sidekick @JJ Flash There is 25mm+ forecast tonight for Te Aroha and more tomorrow morning/early afternoon.

No odds available yet for the Te Aroha version of the Annie Sarten. 🤫

I don't think it is Lethal that is making it into a major. Afterall it isn't him that has made the decisions recently to abandon. I watched him at Hastings and he had minimal interaction if any with those making the decisions.

What if you moved it the other way? I.e. inside to outside?

Doesn't everyone want to race their horses on a Good rates track? Honestly I think the NZTR protocols are a big part of the problem. If the forecast rain had have happened they would have run on a S5 or even a G4 but with the horses getting through the surface. That's just my opinion based on observation. I literally followed the forecast and records hourly for the 24 hours prior to start time. There are NZTA intersection cameras on the Wairere Rd/Te Rapa road intersection. Barely any of the 15mm+ happened and then around 11am it hosed down for a brief period. Otherwise it would have been a perfect surface. The fact is the soil is spent. A bit like most of the buildings there.

Long term forecast looks OK. Big high pressure system cooking in the Tasman with preceding Nor'Westers. If it is Heavy it will be because of irrigation.

Yes but probably only one of them is heading to the 2000 Guineas. Plus they have a 14 day backup.

Well enough of them don't given the attendances at both the Victorian and NSW spring carnivals. It's all in the mind of the declining woke generation. Perhaps Jimmy Cassidy might make a comeback.

Since when has Leith been a Steward?

Pray tell can you list those you have deemed to be "battlers"? Assuming you mean trainers you have 8 to choose from.

A soft 6 yesterday morning. 18mm of rain forecast later today and heavy rain tomorrow. Would you risk flattening your Guineas destined horse on a Heavy track 10 days from the 2000 Guineas?

No way Te Aroha is going to be a "risk". The track is a soft 6 now and showers are forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday. Hopefully it doesn't get worse.

Probably thought it wouldn't be published till tomorrow. Must have been an eager sub-editor working a statutory.