Chief Stipe

Misinformation is information that is published to deceive. I've seen you write many times about information published during the pandemic that was deceptive. All well and good however as the owner of a site that allows anyone to publish what they want I have an obligation to ensure that posts don't cross certain lines. More importantly I have taken it upon myself to provide a balance in views. Each racing code has a group whose intent is to trash everything. When was the last time you posted anything positive about Greyhound Racing? Are your trousers black? That's your opinion but arguably @Yankiwi 's and your stance is equally combatative. I'd argue I'm providing some balance to the argument. Sadly no one else is probably because they have been trying to make thing work and make a living out of the industry rather than bring it down. I'll state again he ISN'T BANNED. His posts are in a holding pen until I read them and release them. He crossed the line with the National Track Manager because his obsession and dare I say narcissism didn't allow him to consider that there were other people affected who probably didn't want the whole sordid affair debated on social media. That was the final straw for me and I've been pretty tolerant to date and made it really clear what the line is.

Of course you don't need help Pam. But I draw the line at certain things. I will explain in due course. Moderation is not banning from posting it is a method by which as owner of the site I have a chance to review content before it is posted. Some of those who are being moderated have written some pretty offensive material which I haven't released for public viewing. It hasn't been deleted just hidden. That isn't the line Charles has crossed although he has been close on a couple of occasions especially in regard to GRNZ officials. However either deliberately or not at times Charles aka @Yankiwi has posted analysis that is misinformation i.e. it deceives. That is the last thing the industry needs or perhaps needed. Ask yourself how many times has he posted anything positive about the industry and the people who work i it.

@Freda and @curious I get the impression that the no-problem stables just roll their eyes, deep sigh and look the other way? Would that be a fair assessment? I'm not saying that the big stables don't have a horse that causes an issue but then 1 in 40 is a bit different to 2 out of 3! I had a horse once that left the breakers was in work for a couple of weeks and developed a quirk - went straight back to the breakers under warranty. Fixed in a week. Chris Rutten and Jonno Benner fixed him.

From what I've seen often the serial offenders are from the same stable or stables. Is that your observation?

I don't remember seeing any late scratched for that reason. Generally the horses were well behaved - a few took a bit to load and they were relatively tolerant of that. A couple took an age to get round to the start and required assistance delaying proceedings. However they were quick to scratch a horse if it reared and struck the stalls.

I've never seen a rider break the whip rules at the trials. I've also noted that the riders will give each other room which is against racing rules. For example you could hear Jockeys yelling to be given room in the last 200m when stuck behind slower horses. Trials often have a real mix of talent and horses at different stages of development. In NZ trials are for many horses an educational experience. So you'd expect the competitive side of the rules to be relaxed. That said I've seen some hot head Jockeys have a rush of blood at times. However viewing the 30 trials at Matamata I didn't see many issues.

He is moderated because he generally posts misinformation. If you disagree then feel free to post why.

So if a rider at an official trial didn't ride up to standard why shouldn't they be called out for it?

The question that should be asked is who was the Steward on course.

Why shouldn't it have happened before?

Hardly. She didn't take a trail she was one out off the rail until she went to the front before the turn. Not that taking a trail behind the leader was an option. I just thought the trial might have a chance to trail her but on reflection she drew the inside so not much option but to lead all the way.

I had my doubts the moment James Macdonald talked her up as being better than Silent Achiever.

Well the cock up theory seems more implausible than the vandal theory. It would only take 15 litre back pack sprayer to do the damage in one go and even I could walk straight lines across the track.

More likely your bandwidth rather than the browser. I've noticed that the performance improves or degrades relative to the quality of the internet connection. Some browsers will compensate to avoid buffering. The other fly in the ointment is the CDN Cloudflare - it also compensates which can end up with a scrap going on. When you download the video you obviously avoid any network speed issues and the buffering scrap. Shame the networks don't actually deliver the bandwidth they promise without trying to fudge it. Spark is the worst.

Disappointing that NZTR can't provide better quality video. The times are pointless too without sectionals. I'm surprised they haven't tried to teach Alabama Lass to trail. From now on in her career it gets harder to lead all the way at the elite level.

Please no! @Thomass will still be "investigating" in 10 years time!

Are debating guilty of an offence or the penalty that was given? Moran is guilty of an offence under the harness racing rules. You seem to be suggesting he gets a slap with a soggy race book!

Even the stuff up explanation has weaknesses. Residues of glyphosate (Roundup) was found. Yet the affected area seems to be a perfect 16 metre wide piece of turf. Which is two boom lengths. How do you spray one 8m piece then either turn around and spray another or back up and doing another length without leaving traces of spray outside the square (pun intended). I remember spraying some weeds on the edges of a lawn once. A couple of weeks later I noticed a set of boot prints across the line. Obviously I had walked in the area I had sprayed while it was still wet and walked back across the lawn!! So to make the square with a boom sprayer on a tractor you'd have to drive one length and then do a U-turn and do a second length. Then not drive over what you had just sprayed. For what reason would you only spray a square like that for legitimate reasons? Fungus? You'd spray the whole track and surrounds. Same with insect pests.

Well it is obvious he is guilty of breaking the rules. He dropped his leg out of the sulky and hit the leg of the horse he was driving. @the galah do you want us to pass the hat round to cover your bet?

Talking to some people that were on course at the abandoned meeting and when it rained everything was flooded. Torrential. Hopefully they get some luck on Friday.

Didn't NGH get a gong at New Year?

Only in your head. There was no clear option ahead once the horse was on the rail. Sadly that's another thing you fail at - form analyst.

You are being selective with statistics again!!! The industry doesn't need you or your BS. Wanganui has had two more meetings December 2024 than it did in December 2023. You are once again being selective in your comparisons to justify your warped agenda.

It may not be the only video evidence. There can be additional Stewards video and even the video you have seen in the replay will be at a higher definition than the public get to see. It should improve the Stewards image. They disqualified a horse under the rules of racing because the driver was caught hocking. Whether deliberate or accidental or careless is irrelevant. Now will there be an appeal against the disqualification? I don't know if the rules allow it but there could be. However it is clear that the rule was broken and the horses leg was touched by the boot of the driver. That is illegal. What would it have done for the image of racing if there had been an outcry from all and sundry about how a driver in a race kicked a horse and nothing was done about it!!!! In saying that, not that I have read everything you have written on the subject, I think you don't disagree with some action being taken just think that the disqualification was over the top.

Interview with HRV Chief Steward Peter Chadwick regarding Captain Hammerhead's disqualification. Timeline_19qmro.mp3