Chief Stipe

So how do you explain that the horses that are winning now are running faster than during your so called "blood era"?

Acid Wash was paying $21's. Essentially finished where the book said it would finish. What's more it raced to it's normal pattern. I guess you expected her to ride it upside down. Hint: most horses unless they are very very good don't like that.

I see Kah has already booked her Melbourne Cup ride. As for today at Doomben - haven't watched a race yet but I'd be surprised if your analysis is anywhere accurate going on your previous form.

But you haven't justified your opinion and thus your judgement. Your UDR analysis is clearly inaccurate. We've argued this before however you continue to push an opinion that isn't backed up by the numbers. For example you don't take into consideration stakes earned per number of starts. Not to forget that there is still over 7 months of the season to go yet. Early crow you lot.

So what's the "other part of the reason"? Although I concur with @Gammalite that your analysis is way off and factually baseless.

Probably tightening their belt to pay for the AWT maintenance.

Aren't they called "colours" for a reason?

It didn't actually. The gambling dollar spent increased and there was very little scavenging that occurred. However unlike Lotto and Pokies Racing started closeing down community outlets and facilities. Increasingly legislative changes were bought in to favour the big breeder (not the little breeder) and racing itself was skewed towards that sector in terms of handicapping. It became increasingly hard to keep a good slightly above average gelding in work and the quality of our racing suffered. The days of Grey Way and Copper Belt etc were lost not because of Lotto or Pokies but descisions made by industry administrators.

BS @Gammalite the views of @TAB For Ever is reflection of the very attitudes and descisions that have got NZ Racing into this downward spiral.

Are you serious? You have no idea what made and could make this industry successful (again).

What website?!

They were far from perfect. No excuses for them. But as you've said you don't actually adhere to getting it right the first time. WHAT the TAB got TIRED?! If you believe that do you find it acceptable? Perhaps they should get jobs in OZ and travel hours to far flung race courses. They DID have cash in the bank. They were solvent unlike the TAB. Why would they move from their home track and disconnect from their local community? Why did they need to? The only reason is some suits saw a potential quick gain by grabbing their assets. Well that didn't happen did it. Actually has it happened for any club assets since the Mesara Report and Winnies land grab legislation was passed? Oh that's right "good things take time". Well there's another saying "time isn't on side".

Bollocks. The DNA argument is BS. OZ are the biggest gamblers in the world and race wagering isn't the largest recipient of that gambling in OZ. If we extrapolate the 1 in 254 own a share in a horse that equates to 20,000 people in NZ having a share in a horse. Quite achievable I would think given The Boys Get Paid approach to syndication. No we are customers demanding more service. What's wrong with that? Plus some of us have memories of other Australian carpet baggers coming here swinging their swagger and doing SFA.

Can you provide proof of that?

It didn't make sense. Didn't work for RACE did it? The Westland Racing Club was surviving quite well. Why close it down?

Whereas the administrative suits in NZ are intent on closing racing down in most of the towns. BTW how many tracks in Australia don't meet Mesara's unpublished standard?

Well compared to the rest of the world NZ ranks 5th in terms of gambling. Yes Australians lead the pack BUT the difference in NZ is we spend disproportionately more now on other forms of gambling rather than racing. So I don't think the DNA argument holds up that well.

Used to be in NZ's DNA - every farmer had a tax write-off broodmare and got their local mates in on a share to race the progeny.

Approximately one in every 254 Australians own at least a share in a racehorse. Racehorses with 10+ owners increased from 836 in 2011/12 to 2,572 in 2020/21. The number of registered syndicates has risen from 7,210 in 19/20 to 10,073 in 21/22 The number of syndicate members has risen from 40,804 in 19/20 to 54,790 in 21/22 There are currently 80+ Authorised Syndicators across Australia. Prizemoney in Australia has increased by 74% since the 2012/13 season to a massive $855,071,800 in 2021/22.

But you don't own the racehorse you only have a small share in it. No control apparently in what happens. Soon there will be no horse, no trainer, no jockey, no track...

Well who is RESPONSIBLE?

Nice essay. But do you really know what's happening at the coalface?

Plus his conformation, size and injury free racing life doesn't equate to steroid abuse. Steroid abuse can weaken bone structures not increase bone mass, density or strength.

Who ARE the fools? It isn't any of the Trainers big or small.

It's a bollocks story based on an assumption that is dubious. The majority, if not all, of the top athletes and horses have "enlarged" hearts. The term "enlarged" is a poor medical term based on the fact that the hearts are larger than average so it is assumed that this is an adverse medical condition caused by disease (or drugs) rather than an adaptation to intensive training. The old saying "...has a heart as large as Phar Lap's" derives from the fact that Phar Lap had an unusually large heart weighing 6.5 kg. We all know how good he was. The average thoroughbred horse heart weighs 4kg. I would say Secretariat was born with a larger than average heart and training developed it even more. He was described as having the perfect conformation for a horse. Steriods couldn't have done all that. His heart weight at 10kg was only ever an estimate. It's not clear it was ever weighed. Secretariat grew into a massive, powerful horse said to resemble his sire's damsire, Discovery. He stood 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) when fully grown.[21] He was noted for being exceptionally well-balanced, described as having "nearly perfect" conformation and stride biomechanics.[22] His chest was so large that he required a custom-made girth, and he was noted for his large, powerful, well-muscled hindquarters. An Australian trainer said of him, "He is incredible, an absolutely perfect horse. I never saw anything like him."[23] Secretariat's absence of major conformation flaws was important, as horses with well made limbs and feet are less likely to become injured.[24] Secretariat's hindquarters were the main source of his power, with a sloped croup that extended the length of his femur.[25] When in full stride, his hind legs were able to reach far under himself, increasing his drive.[26] His ample girth, long back and well-made neck all contributed to his heart-lung efficiency.[25][26] The manner in which Secretariat's body parts fit together determined the efficiency of his stride, which affected his acceleration and endurance. Even very small differences in the length and angles of bones can have a major effect on performance.[27] Secretariat was well put together even as a two-year-old, and by the time he was three, he had further matured in body and smoothed out his gait. The New York Racing Association's Dr. M. A. Gilman, a veterinarian who routinely measured leading thoroughbreds with a goal of applying science to create better ways to breed and evaluate racehorses, measured Secretariat's development from two to three as follows:[23][28]