Chief Stipe

I think he should let go of the OBC conspiracy stuff. I was listening to Maurice Williamson yesterday discussing politics and he quoted Muldoon. Muldoon said if you have a problem and the choice is between a conspiracy and a cockup always go for the cockup. So in this case it isn't a conspiracy that has caused these problems it is basically incompetence either caused by the wrong people making the wrong decisions or the constraints of a lack of resources directed at the problems. Does anyone really think that @Huey 's the imaginary Waikato Mafia want tracks they way they are?

Sheila, Symons' confidence in Knight www.racing.com He may have been discounted by the punting public, but John Symons and Sheila Laxon had genuine belief that their horse Knight's Choice could make his presence felt in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. "When we left here yesterday morning, we were thinking top five for sure and certain," Symons said from Macedon Lodge on Wednesday morning. "As we drove home from here yesterday morning to get changed to go to the races, I said to Sheila, 'What are you really thinking? Where do you reckon'? And she said, 'I reckon he'll win'." Knight's Choice jumped as a $91 chance, but Symons noted how significant it was for him to be on a Good track and that he'd been unlucky in last week's Bendigo Cup. "I know he was any old price but at the end of the day, it was only because he was running on wet tracks and he's an absolute duffer on wet tracks," Symons said. "I'm sure if it had have been dry, you would have seen a different horse going through those races and he certainly wouldn't have been the odds he was." WATCH: Team Knight's Choice addresses the media Knight's Choice rose to prominence as a three-year-old in the winter of 2023, winning four races on end, culminating in the G3 Winx Guineas on the Sunshine Coast. Given his record at the time over 1600m, Symons and Laxon set him for the Golden Eagle last spring, which he ended up finishing 13th in. "We realised straight away, at this level, he's not a miler, we need to go further," Symons explained. "Zac Lloyd had ridden him in work a few times, he said, 'This horse is just looking for ground'. "We took him back home and we tested him over 2000m. He won and we went home, we put him away and from that point on till yesterday, we were working towards the Melbourne Cup." As Symons reflected on what had transpired on Tuesday at Flemington, he acknowledged that it was one of the great moments of his life. "It's got to be one of the highlights," he said. "Any Group 1 race, but to win the pinnacle of the races in Australia and maybe the world when it comes to a handicap, two-mile race, you can't explain that. "To be able to do that and for Sheila to have been able to have done it, two-from-two and to have been involved with Laurie (Laxon) and herself when they had Empire Rose and Champagne, those horses, Sheila's got a phenomenal record of runners in the Melbourne Cup, besides the horses that she's actually trained. "It's just fantastic."

That's @holy ravioli for you. He is probably very distraught at the moment with the Left getting a hammering in the USA. As for Knight's Choice I started following the horse when he strung some very good wins together in Queensland. It was mentioned at the time by Laxon that he was being aimed for the MC. I thought his form was off this season until I read the detail that he liked a Good track. He got that in his lead up run and he couldn't get a run until late when he finished on strongly.

Yes but if you are racing handy on the pace you kinda get left hanging there in front.

Thanks

I would have taken it

So as an expert Jockey @Newmarket when should they have "gone"?

I agree.

And the other 23 went too late?

Well I did punt on it today.

No I'm not bashing JMac. Just doing a comparison. You are bashing Parr. Scary ran faster sectionals than Parr's horse. He was on its back and couldn't keep up.

So did the winner and the second horse finish at a great rate. Some said the winner went too early. He sat one out and got a drag into the race - presented at the right time on a very long straight. Perhaps those in front of him were better. Or are you talking about JMac's ride? Suggest you rewatch the race and watch the run of Scary. Parr's horse was on its back turning for home and couldn't go with it. https://www.racing.com/form/2024-11-02/flemington/race/7 At no stage did Parr have the option of going to the inside.

How was it woeful? JMac's wasn't very good. His horse drew 1. Parr's horse drew 16 in a 16 horse field. What was he supposed to do press on forward four wide early?

Note Flemington has a Moisture meter reading of 37.3% and a track rating of a Good 4.

Here's what Flemington have produced for today:

How can a track be a Good 4 with a moisture reading of 30.9% yet on raceday a Soft 5 with a moisture reading of 30.6%? According to the moisture meter data the track got drier yet the rating is softer? Did the grass grow two inches or something? No penetromer numbers either.

Meeting News ATR @ Ellerslie | Tuesday 5 November RACE DAY RACE DAY Weather: Overcast Track: Soft 5 Moisture Meter: 30.6% Rail: True Rainfall: No Rain Last 24 Hours Irrigation: 15mm Applied Last 24 Hours Weather and Track updated at 6.30am Tuesday 5 November Monday Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 22.2% Rail: True Rainfall: No Rain Last 24 Hours Irrigation: Irrigation to be applied overnight Weather and Track updated at 3.30pm Monday 4 November Monday Morning Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 26.2% Rail: True Rainfall: No Rain Last 24 Hours Irrigation: 15mm Irrigation Applied Overnight Weather and Track updated at 8.30am Monday 4 November Sunday Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 22.6% Rail: True Rainfall: No Rain Last 24 Hours Irrigation: 15mm Irrigation To Be Applied Overnight Weather and Track updated at 3.33pm Sunday 3 November Withdrawal Morning Weather: Cloudy Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 30.9% Rail: True Rainfall: No Rain Last 24 Hours Irrigation: 10mm Irrigation Applied Overnight Weather and Track updated at 8.33am Saturday 2 November Nomination Morning Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 29.9% Rail: True Rainfall: 19mm Rain Last 7 Days Irrigation: 15mm Last 24 Hours Weather and Track updated at 8.14am Friday 1 November

I think whoever is in the Col's Old Boy's Club do actuaIlly care about animal welfare. Unfortunately I think they are as disconnected as the rest of us with regard to what is happening at the coal face. For a number of reasons. Yes they are Old School. They still believe that what needs to happen to provide safe surfaces for racing on are being prepared. They won't criticise. The irony is those that are tasked with providing those surfaces also believe they are doing the right thing. With limited resources they are doing their best. BUT the administrators that are supposed to be checking are not doing their job. They think they are but they aren't.

Colin Wightman said: “Take 4” of the NZ Polytrack saga as it comes down to the OBC versus the good folk in racing, those who truly care for the welfare of our horses. Without a shadow of a doubt, NZ’s polytracks are a disaster. A $50 million cock-up. Darren Balcombe the track man for NZTR tried to convince me that Cambridge had been “sorted” but clear evidence since is proving that it is no better than the cheap shod polytracks we have at both Awapuni and Riccarton. Horses injured & euthanised alongside a growing list of riders who have fallen victim to it as well at a far higher rate than turf. The OBC, I shouldn’t need to tell you, don’t care for animal welfare. They are primarily social climbers who only care for themselves. Wine swilling, self serving, selfish, bludging, queer speaking unfortunates who use our beautiful horses to promote their social climbing careers. Many with funny handshakes … I’m sure you’ve got the picture. Sadly, many of them have infiltrated our racing administration. Heavily subsidised city clubs the nesting ground for most, gravy running down their chins with their heads in the pigs trough as it’s known. Okay .. enough of who the OBC is (most of you should know) but I’m going to take my hat back off to an amazing chap I refer to as Mr Z who has been trying to alert racing authorities here in NZ to the horrific substandard nature of our polytracks. He is so passionate about our horses welfare that he has suffered at the hands of NZTR and the arrogant sods at RACE consortium who have set out to victimise him for blowing the whistle. Yep, NZTR not renewing his stable hands licence and then 3 of the hand picked Board members from NZTR giving it back to him with so many conditions attached that it’s not worth having. His wife who holds the trainers licence booted off Awapuni track because of the good work of her husband. Fortunately, in reverse, it doesn’t end there. Mr Z to his credit has just visited the super dooper poly track at Santa Anita (their 2nd attempt to get it right) and he visited the number one poly track in Ireland (Dundalk) to get the latest intelligence on why these polytracks work in both countries and not here. NZTR, as often they do, will hate being told that they are guilty of a big cover-up on the dangers of the polytracks here because Mr Z has filed an amazing report to the heads of this industry calling on an urgent reconsideration of what they are subjecting our horses and riders to. In short .. I see this as a showdown between those who love the Thoroughbred racehorse and care for our riders .. and those who don’t. Sadly, Darin Balcombe’s share price on this one is not looking good. Nor is the Board of NZTR in terms of their complicity in the horrific treatment dished out to Mr Z who has acted “for the good of racing” here in NZ.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing [NZTR] would like to confirm the 'Return to Racing' for Te Rapa Racecourse. Following the Club's abandonment on Monday 28 October, a great deal of work has been undertaken to ensure the track is ready for racing this Saturday including: Verti-draining the entire circumference of the track Irrigation throughout the week Dragging a mesh gate on the inside 18m to stand up any prone grass which was then mowed Rail to be moved out to 6m for Saturday’s meeting Following this work, 14 horses were galloped over the course proper on Monday 4 November, ridden by senior riders Joe Doyle, Ryan Elliot, Michael McNab, George Rooke, Courtney Barnes, Masa Hashizume and Donovan Mansour, to ensure the track was fit to return to racing this Saturday 9 November. NZTR COO Darin Balcombe was in attendance this morning alongside the RIB and Club officials to inspect the surface and collect feedback from the senior riders. "All representative in attendance this morning were pleased with how the track performed, including the senior riders who were all very happy with the surface." Balcombe said. "The Club has completed several measures over the past week and there were no issues with the surface this morning, giving us full confidence in the track and their ability to race successfully this weekend." Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 263 0276 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

I disagree. I have a lower end broadband connection and the majority of programmes I watch are streamed on demand.

I assume you mean Duke on Freeview. I was talking about the Duke channel delivered via Sky. It is possible that the channel is being streamed via the Skybox data link and not via sattelite. At the end of the day the quality via channel 504 on Sky is very low.

The Duke channel is owned by TVNZ. I must check if the definition quality is better going through the TVNZ app on a Smart TV. However you then get into issues with delays and over time you can get quite a bit behind real time. Which is a hassle for those who like to chase the last second odds changes.

There is a link between TVNZ and the network provider for Trackside which is Spark. Trackside 1 and 2 are broadcast through SKY aren't they? I suspect TVNZ and Spark are compromising on bandwidth. Typical Spark.