Chief Stipe

Good point. Cheaper to go to Otaki than all the way to Auckland from the South Island. Perhaps Entain will fund regular flights?

So we have races being moved South from Ruakaka to Ellerslie and now races from the CD moving north to Ellerlsie. @TAB For Ever racing is in our DNA however it is being surgically removed. Provincial participants have had enough and either can't be bothered or are packing their bags. If this was the big plan why didn't they fix Ellerslie properly and make it a fair track to race on shape wise. We won't mention the custom Strathayr. Seems a bit like all our eggs in one basket.

In my opinion that decision is so wrong on many counts. What says @TAB For Ever ? They'll increase the stakes and return less wagering revenue and have denied access to another group.

Group 1 Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club WFA Classic to Move to Ellerslie The Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) have agreed, subject to NZ Pattern Committee approval, to relocate the Group 1 Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club WFA Classic to Ellerslie on Eagle Technology Avondale Cup & Guineas Day, Saturday 22 February 2025. The race was developed by the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club from Listed level in 1986 and obtained Group 1 status in 1992. Previously run for $400,000, the race will now be contested for $500,000 in 2025 and will increase to $600,000 in 2026. The move was not an easy decision for the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club, and NZTR would like to thank their committee members and executive staff for seeing the potential in the move to Ellerslie and ultimately agreeing to run the race away from its spiritual home. NZTR COO Darin Balcombe believes the move will help to protect the race’s Group 1 status the Club has worked hard to develop over the years. “NZTR understands the importance and cultural significance of the race to the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club and applauds the industry first approach they have taken in discussions to support the long-term future of both the race and the Club,” Balcombe said. “As one of only two races to develop into a Group 1 from Listed, it is important we protect its status in New Zealand Racing. The stakes increase, as part of the Summer Carnival, gives this race the opportunity to succeed at Group 1 level well into the future.” To aid in the increased travel costs to Central District connections, Ōtaki-Māori RC and NZTR will contribute up to $1,000 in travel subsidies for Central District based horses that compete in the Ōtaki-Māori RC WFA Classic. There will be additional travel subsidies available for the highest finishing Central Districts trained horse should they return for Champions Day at Ellerslie March 8th. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 252 2803 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

Racing Taupo @ TaupoLast updated 21/08/2024 8:28am Wednesday, 21 Aug 2024 PRINT › Important Note: NZTR uploads videos of trials on the same day as the trial meeting. If, for some reason a video is not available, we have to wait for Trackside to provide the footage. This generally takes 2-3 days. GOING Soft7 6.43 am 21/08/24 WEATHER Fine RAIL True | No Rain Last 24 Hours | 49.5mm Rain Last 7 Days TRACK Left hand 1600m STRAIGHT 320Metres HIDE ALL TRIALS Heat Time Name Conditions & Distance 1 11:00 FIBER FRESH GROUP TRIAL OPN HCP 1100m Open /Close Plc Horse Jockey Trainer 1 Snazzytavi (5m Tavistock - Ritzy Lady) Warren Kennedy Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall, Matamata 2 Pearl Of Alsace (6m Tavistock - Irion) Sam Weatherley Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray, Cambridge 3 Move To Strike (AUS) (3c I Am Invincible (AUS) - No Evidence Needed (AUS)) Opie Bosson Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 4 Grail Seeker (4m Iffraaj (GB) - Starwish (AUS)) Masa Hashizume Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott, Matamata 5 Faraglioni (6m El Roca (AUS) - Catch Your Idol) Jonathan Riddell Josh Shaw, Levin 6 Wolverine (5m Tivaci (AUS) - Knew It) Vinnie Colgan Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 7 Habana (AUS) (6g Zoustar (AUS) - Jeter (AUS)) Joe Doyle Lance Noble, Karaka 8 Campionessa (7m Contributer (IRE) - Bella Carolina) Wiremu Pinn Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 2 11:13 FIBER FRESH GROUP TRIAL OPN HCP 1100m Open /Close Plc Horse Jockey Trainer 11 Dionysus (7g Ocean Park - La Quinta) Masa Hashizume Roger James & Robert Wellwood, Cambridge 12 Dream Of The Moon (AUS) (3f All Too Hard (AUS) - Moonchild (AUS)) Wiremu Pinn Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 13 Mali Ston (7g El Roca (AUS) - Loviste) Sam Weatherley Darryn & Briar Weatherley, Matamata 14 Talisker (4g Embellish - Glenkinchie (AUS)) Warren Kennedy Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Riccarton Park 15 Channel Surfer (5g Derryn (AUS) - My Savona (AUS)) Vinnie Colgan Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall, Matamata 16 Captured By Love (AUS) (3f Written Tycoon (AUS) - Moldova (AUS)) Opie Bosson Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 17 Orchestral (4m Savabeel (AUS) - Symphonic) Craig Grylls Roger James & Robert Wellwood, Cambridge 3 11:26 FIBER FRESH GROUP TRIAL OPN HCP 1100m Open /Close Plc Horse Jockey Trainer 20 Certainly (4m Savabeel (AUS) - Frankly) Opie Bosson Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 1 Crocetti (4g Zacinto (GB) - Gracehill) Warren Kennedy Danny Walker & Arron Tata, Byerley Park 2 Mehzebeen (5m Almanzor (FR) - Salkantay) Craig Grylls Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 3 About Time (4m American Pharoah (USA) - Romantic Time) Joe Doyle Lance Noble, Karaka 4 Cognito (AUS) (5g So You Think - Lady Primrose (AUS)) Wiremu Pinn Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata 5 Blissful Belle (6m Belardo (IRE) - Elusive Bliss) John Bary, Hastings 6 Unbridled Joy (AUS) (3c Snitzel (AUS) - Joy Forever (AUS)) Vinnie Colgan Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Matamata

@TAB For Ever to quote Melvin Udall - "the industry is drowning and you are describing the water!" What's YOUR solution? Don't say more stakes or slot races because that has proven time and time again to not work nor increase participation.

@TAB For Ever can you explain how the strategy that you describe is going to work? Is it just a double down on the failed strategy of the last two decades using more of Entains shareholder and the NZ Taxpayers money? What's different this time that will make it work? Don't you realise that at the bottom end stakes haven't improved that much compared to the top end. That less and less opportunities are available for the feeder grades that provide the horses for the privileged few at the top end. Don't you realise that increasingly access to enter the industry through readily available training tracks and other facilities are being closed down. Where are the horses going to come from? Why do trainers have to beg for trials? Why do trainers have to start underdone horses in races because they can't get a trial? Why is the race programme/calendar so screwed up that the printed version is out of date as soon as it is printed? Why are there changes to races available just about on a daily basis within a week of a raceday? Why are our top horses already looking at one run in NZ before heading to OZ? It surely can't be because the stakes are better. My mantra is if your strategy isn't working then do a complete 180. We won't see that unfortunately.

The sad thing is you don't realise it.

Effectively Chazza all you are doing with your irrational obsessive campaign is to feed the Anti-Greyhound brigade. Although I suspect even they wouldn't use your material due to its lack of veracity.

No cancel culture. Your spreadsheets are inaccurate as are the inferences you draw from them. Particularly when you take what essentially is a snapshot of data to skew/bias the data to support your hypothesis. Misinformation at best. You should apply for a job at the Climate Change desk of the BBC. They have mastered the art of selectively choosing time periods to show an emerging climatic disaster. Which is akin to choosing 3 weeks of data and inferring a trend or a problem.

Paying over $2 which you don't consider value? Lay them then. The favs may be vulnerable first up and there are a couple of more than useful horses in the fields at false odds. The word is Velocious is heading to Australia hence Spratt getting off her. Surprisingly Velocious is still favourite on fixed odds for the 1000 Guineas.

You haven't found why it's dull and boring? @Doomed infers an on pace track bias. But there isn't any evidence to support that. If there is a bias it is a Jockey driven one which is reflective of most racing in NZ. If Ruakaka is dull and boring which tracks in NZ are bright and exciting?

It's less than 10.

40 ft is 12 metres.

WTF does this post have to do with anything other than your aimless crusade?

How many Jockeys do you see in NZ that are on a horse that jumps and lands handy and they give up their position? They panic about being wide wide.

So what were the other Jockeys thinking? "It'll come back to me because I know how to assess pace!"

Agree. Probably this seasons 3yr old stars are on display!

That was the era when we should have invested in renovating the tracks. But everyone took the money and ran. Those that grew crops in the Bombay Hills south of Auckland found that their yields were failing around the same time. Why? They hadn't renovated or looked after the soil the Patamohe Clay Loam. Lincoln College (my Alumni) helped them sort it out. Same with Dairy Farmers - paddock rennovation soon became a mantra. Unfortunately our old school racing committees didn't get the memo.

Could it be a typo? You didn't know the dog had already trialed. You are so bloody minded about nailing GRNZ or the RIB or any big Trainer that you missed the main point!!!!! FFS I give you a hint and you are so fixated on being right that you miss a chance to finally make a name for yourself!!! Then you conveniently miss the statement at the top of the Stewards Report: Stipendiary Stewards report as posted is provisional and subject to further review and amendment.

This is hearsay but I heard that NZTR forced Ruakaka to irrigate their track last week when it was at G3. It was G4 on raceday morning. Now clearly there was rain forecast - New Plymouth was brought forward (justified). But WHY was Ruakaka forced to irrigate? A sand based track that from my knowledge has never had a meeting abandoned due to slipping. Wind once if I recall correctly. Did someone from NZTR inspect the track to confirm it needed irrigating? BTW I'm not against irrigating and in some cases not enough enough is done but as the old saying goes horses for courses. Or should that be "hoses for courses"?!

I've walked it three times since the upgrade...I don't have much confidence that it will play safe, fair and even. So you might be onto something regarding inside knowledge.

So how do you get on when a race is delayed? The book goes out the window...not that NZTR would update the birdcage times in real time.

I had a horse eat the book once. Didn't give me any winners.

I haven't touched New Plymouth since a very very big collect oncourse when my horse won the Taranaki Cup. Soon after that I asked Hayden Tinsley (a very good Jockey) to rank the best tracks in the Central Districts. He put New Plymouth at the bottom.