Chief Stipe

Actually I might have got my horses mixed up which is not surprising when a trotter is written about on the galloping forum. Durban Chief was bred amd raced by W. E. Craddock (Bill) of Westport. Bill was the Mayor of Westport, President of the Westport Trotting Cup and the longest serving councillor of the NZ Rugby Union. Bill often stayed at my childhood home when coming back from overseas Rugby Trips. One in particular was he returned from managing the All Blacks on tour in South Africa. He did have part ownership of Durban Chief. http://www.hof.co.nz/Timeline.asp?Case=6&ItemId=45&AlphaId=3&CategoryId=3 I'm now not sure what the famous horse I saw herding cattle on the road near Hari Hari was. I thought it might have been a famous West Coast owned thoroughbred named Dalray. He won the 1952 Melbourne Cup. He also won his maiden race at Westport. But it can't have been him because he went to stud in Australia unless he retired back in NZ. https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/23149 So the horse with a name that started with D escapes me at the moment.

What's your point? I think it's time you got another hobby obsession!

I met him just north of Hari Hari. Owned by my Uncle Bill. Who has another claim to fame.

Yeah. The track is a bit off.

It'll be sold out.

I met Durban Chief. On a road herding cattle.

Doesn't matter Orchestral was never going to win that.

Excellent. Nothing to see here. Thanks Chazza.

Told @Thomass to save your dollars as there was no way Orchestral was a race course certainty.

Has anyone Trainer asked for them?

There isn't one Government Agency database that is 100% accurate yet they all express confidence in their accuracy and integrity. I'm sure GRNZ would love you to volunteer and trawl through 40 years of records and find any errors. The fact is the 38 year old dog is dead. End of story.

Been like that for at least 10 years before ENTAIN turned up.

FFS @Yankiwi you are really struggling now. Trawl any database back 30+ years and you'll find errors. 3% data entry error is about the going rate for that era. It gets to the point where it isn't cost effective to fix those errors. What GRNZ should do is not provide the facility to go back more than 12 years other than for breeding and race performances.

Any centralisation ideas are driven by the black hole 🕳 of cost that Riccarton has become. A turf track that needs massive renovation and an AWT that doesn't pay its way. Any decline in racing further South is more likely to be driven by declining horse numbers and economics which has come before any conspiracy.

Then if they don't try they can expect no change. The Southern Programming Committee has been problematic for a very long time and there has been no collaborative effort by Trainers to fix it. You reap what you sow and if you sow nothing you get a mostly bare paddock full of weeds. But you stick to your Mafia stories and conspiracies @Huey as they are impossible to prove and much more exciting explanations than the truth. Not that you appear to have any skin in the game anyway.

That's a bit naive @curious saying it had nothing to do with ENTAIN. Wasn't a key part of the ENTAIN deal the promised legislation? TABNZ who were doing the negotiation did a trade deal with the Government with the Pokie revenue and the legislation.

It's written in the rules that there is a difference.

Then where are the South Island Trainers screaming from the rooftops? The SI Leading Trainers seem to to have lost their tongues. I guess they get what they wish for.

$100k Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy Confirmed for Champions Day New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) have confirmed the inclusion of the new $100k Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy – a 3YO SW&P 1500m race on Champions Day, 8 March 2025 at Ellerslie Racecourse. Responding to feedback from Slot Holders and industry participants, the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy will ensure the selected emergency horses are ready to compete if required to replace scratched runners from the final field of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) – the Southern Hemisphere’s richest 3YO race. To accommodate the new 3YO race, NZTR and ATR have deleted the previously scheduled 2400m Benchmark 75 race on Champions Day. This change will allow the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy to provide the pool from which emergency horses for the NZB Kiwi will be chosen. The Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy is open to all 3YOs, not just NZB Kiwi eligible 3YOs, however, the pool of four emergency runners for the NZB Kiwi will be chosen first from eligible horses that are acceptors for the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy. The decision aligns with international best practices observed in other slot races, such as The Everest in Syndey and the Sunlight slot race in Queensland, where emergencies are sourced from a corresponding race held on the same day over the same track and distance. This addition follows collaborative discussions between NZTR, Slot Holders and ATR, which highlighted the benefits for all stakeholders. NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe is pleased to announce the new race. “Emergency horses for the NZB Kiwi will be prepared to race under identical conditions (same track, distance and day), ensuring they are ready to perform at their best if required.” “Connections of emergency horses will no longer need to disrupt their plans for other races, as they can specifically target the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy without impacting future campaigns. “The race gives some level of comfort to Slot Holders, while adding depth to the Champions Day card,” he said. As part of the programming adjustments, NZTR will delete the 3YO SW&P 1600m race previously scheduled for Saturday 1 March, the week before Champions Day, at Matamata Racecourse. “This reflects a focus on ensuring the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy attracts a strong and competitive field at Ellerslie Racecourse, which is vital for the race’s success,” Balcombe said. Read more about the Southern Hemisphere’s richest 3YO race here. For general enquiries about the$100k Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m), contact ATR’s Executive General Manager – Racing & Operations Craig Baker via craigb@ellerslie.co.nz. View the Terms and Conditions for the $100k Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m) here. Full Programme Changes Saturday 1 March at Matamata Racecourse: 3YO SW&P 1600m deleted. Mdn 1600m added. Friday 7 March at Te Aroha Racecourse: Mdn 1600m deleted and replaced with Mdn 3YO 1600m. Saturday 8 March at Ellerslie Racecourse $100k Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m) added. R75 2400m deleted. NZB Kiwi Contact Emma Thompson - NZB Kiwi Programme Lead emma.thompson@nztr.co.nz

Uh? So now you are supporting Stott's ride?

Agree 100%. There is an old saying the best defence is offence. Put it back in the animal activists faces hard! If they want a fight give them a fight. Unfortunately Rennell is too nicer guy!

So play the game and bolster the nominations. I know a reasonably good horse who won its maiden race which had 6 acceptors and only 3 raced. So does NZTR delete the races or the Club? Bear in mind NZTR are over the barrel a bit with Ellerslie as aren't they bolstering the stakes?

To quote @curious 6 starters or acceptors? There are ways around it. Nominate and accept with more horses. Put the hat around and sponsor the race or subsidise the Clubs contribution. Used to happen all the time when you had a useful gelding you wanted to flick to Hong Kong.

So the Club has a big influence on whether a race goes ahead or not?

Whose fault is that? Again whose fault is that? From what I've seen the South Island Trainers act like a disorganised rabble driven only by self-interest. Get on the doorstep of @Pitman and Tim Mills and make demands. You'll probably find it isn't so much a conspiracy more like a cock up!