Chief Stipe

mmm Google Search brings up this building:

NZTR Head Office | Change of Address NZTR is excited to announce a significant milestone with the relocation of our head office from Petone, Wellington to Cambridge. This move marks a new chapter in our commitment to excellence and innovation within the racing industry. Our new headquarters in Cambridge signifies more than just a change of address, it represents a strategic decision to centralise our operations in a vibrant hub that is deeply connected to the heart of New Zealand's racing community. Cambridge's rich history in breeding and racing makes it the perfect setting for NZTR to further its mission of promoting and advancing the sport we all love. Effective immediately, NZTR's Head Office Address will be as follows: 18 Dick Street, Cambridge 3434 All post can be sent to the following: PO Box 357, Cambridge Box Lobby, Cambridge 3450 Please make sure your records are updated. If you have any questions regarding the address change you can reach out to Sam.Fursdon@nztr.co.nz. Thank you for your continued support. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 263 0276 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

It is a shyte load of sand on a track that already has 300mm in the top layer! This fixation with sand has me completely baffled. Did they get a good deal on it when doing the AWT's? Please don't tell me it is imported as well!!!

Apparently the CEO said they were putting another 3000 tonnes of sand on the track? Has anyone else heard that? That is about 50mm covering 3.6 hectares. Or 2 inches over 9 acres.

I always found it a bit of a joke that all punters are limited to $500k in winnings a day! Is it more now? All the weird and wonderful losing $1 multi's that punters have to adjust to just tick in under $500k.

Nup. Willo made the mistake. Should have stuck on her arse.

Which raises an interesting question who were the best at judging time and pace?

Well it's enlightening that the top jocks can't assess time and pace.

So when you said in an earlier post YOU could sell me a building you were talking shyte?

It seems they've copied what Elwick did but forgot the learnings. So essentially ARC have spent $55m to have exactly the same track as they had before. How iconic - I mean ironic.

Dan O'Sullivan's view. 🏇Unpacking the Queen Elizabeth Stakes ⏱️⚖️📊 ⏱️In the run: *⃣ Pride Of Jenni went at a similar speed to the 800m and 600m mark as she did in the Australian Cup. Her extreme leading margin was hugely contributed to by the incredibly casual nature of the chasing pack. *⃣ As an example, Mr Brightside (2nd in run) ran about -14L slower to the 600m than is typical for a Randwick 2000m race, not even factoring in that, on average, G1 quality horses should run faster in the early stages than the overall T&D standard. *⃣ In other words, the pack could have been at least 14L closer at the 600m mark and not have been unduly taxing their horses. They would have travelled no faster than the typical early speed for the Randwick 2000m trip. *⃣ Pride Of Jenni was running her race like she typically does. The others were running their race like she wasn't there, taking part in something typical of a jog & sprint weight-for-age race. *⃣ Jockeys don't have the benefit of seeing sectionals during the run to know exactly how fast they are going, but they must have known they were travelling well and truly within their comfort zones. I think psychology was a big factor after the first 400m or so and through the middle stages, with jockeys afraid of busting their horse by chasing Pride Of Jenni and trying to close the gap. In essence, they were psyched out of the race by the reputation of Pride Of Jenni, and the result was an over-correction where they went far slower than they should have. 📊The overall race: *⃣ On the objective measures of the clock, on a day where times were typical of a Good 4 track, Pride Of Jenni's overall time of 122.02 was certainly not as remarkable as a 6.5L winning margin over Via Sistina and 8.4L over Mr Brightside would suggest, based on what we know of the talent of those horses. *⃣ In a rating sense, if you take some type of line through the ratings of those behind, you'd have Pride Of Jenni at an elite world-class level... think of Might & Power or Sunline with a similar running style, but the clock doesn't warrant that. The chasing pack, with the start they gave by going so slowly for so long, essentially didn't take part in the "race", so none of them can get credit for running anywhere near their typical form. *⃣ Pride Of Jenni has gone very well at a 105 rating (vs 102.6 in the Australian Cup), but I don't think she has suddenly turned into Might & Power or Sunline. *⃣ I've never seen anything like this race where it was literally two separate events. Pride Of Jenni in her own race and the pack in a jog & sprint WFA race. It presents a unique scenario in which to rate performances and view the form going forward. *⃣ If we look at the pack in their own race and assess its quality based on that, it was in line with what we would expect. Via Sistina was particularly good in a theoretically very slow run race to sprint past Mr Brightside (who went well). Cascadian was also terrific

Am I reading this correctly but Elwick in Tasmania had the exact same problem as Ellerslie? Perhaps we need an approach like they have in the aviation industry.

The plot thickens. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/37v59bJ5UdiTq41x/?mibextid=w8EBqM

Mmmm I wonder if Elwick is a customised StrathAyr? Track guru gives Elwick green light Roger Oldridge@roger_oldridge8 January, 2021 Flemington track manager Liam O'Keeffe Racing will soon return to Tasmania’s Elwick Racecourse with the troubled surface set to be back near peak condition in time for next month’s Hobart Cup. Moonee Valley track manager, Marty Synan, and his Flemington counterpart, Liam O’Keeffe, this week answered a SOS from Tas Racing CEO, Paul Eriksson, to assist with the recovery of the track after it was deemed unsafe for racing, in turn forcing the abandonment of the Tasmanian Guineas meeting a fortnight ago. Works done in early December damaged some sections of the track which were then not suitably repaired. “Since then they have done sufficient remedial works to those areas, cutting out big, deep square turf blocks that take very quickly in the track,” O’Keeffe said. “That has covered up the damaged areas and they are now recovering, and they’ll be fit to race on January 24.” The Elwick racecourse re-opened less than 12 months ago after a $12.5 million track redevelopment in which a 28 -metre StrathAyr grass track was laid, the same surface as Moonee Valley. Whilst most of the track was and is in perfect condition, it was, according to O’Keeffe, the attempted removal of thatch grass which ultimately cause the potentially catastrophic issues. “They’ve tried to do some works to the track to pull some thatch (grass) out of the track and they’ve probably done it in a little too short a timeframe given the equipment they used,” O’Keeffe said. “Moving forward we’ll recommend they use a different type of machine which will pull the thatch out but not damage the grass cover. “There are certainly a few different things they’ll need to change moving forward but that will make the track better over the next few years.” O’Keeffe and Synan will continue to assist and consult with Tasmanian Racing to make sure issues akin to this don’t happen again. “We’ll be more than happy to do that; help them with programs, rail movement, fertilizers and general maintenance.”

An Update from Darin Balcombe – Tracks and Infrastructure 26 October 2023 An Update from Darin Balcombe – Tracks and Infrastructure NZTR is pleased to provide an update on the state of its tracks and infrastructure across the country. With several noteworthy milestones achieved in recent weeks, we anticipate an exceptional season of racing for the remainder of Spring and Summer. NZTR | October 26, 2023 Ellerslie Racecourse Ellerslie Racecourse is progressing well, with plans for a return to racing on 14 January. An assessment in mid-October, led by Strathayr's agronomist and Chris Hay from Elwick racecourse in Tasmania, confirmed the track's readiness for horses to gallop as planned in mid-to-late November. ATR have a comprehensive plan in place for a smooth return to racing, including gallops by four horses on 13 November, followed by further track gallops for 12 to 15 horses covering all areas of the track, jumpouts for 80 horses about 4 December, and trials for horses around 19 December. The final decision to resume racing at Ellerslie will depend on the successful completion of these steps.

OK - Ellerslie hasn't had much give from what I've seen.

Well @Freda they didn't get a dairy farmer from Reefton to sort it out instead a Track Manager from Elwick in Tasmania.

Just a question for @Freda and @curious and any other lingering trainers. If a track is primarily coarse sand and shifty do horses get down on their heels more?

Doesn't exactly instil a lot of confidence. Begs the question if less than a week's work can "fix it" why wasn't it done before?

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing [NZTR] and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing [ATR] would like to provide an update on the 'Return to Racing' for Ellerslie Racecourse. Following the Club's abandonment on Wednesday 10 April, all work that was prescribed has now been completed. A set of eight trials were held successfully at Ellerslie Racecourse today [Monday 15 April] giving the Club clearance to return to racing. A number of industry personnel and senior jockeys were in attendance at the trials today to monitor the surface including representatives from; Strathayr, the Racing Integrity Board, NZTR and ATR. The overarching feedback NZTR and ATR received following the trials was positive, with the following comments provided by senior jockeys on the state of the track: The first race meeting set to be held back at Ellerslie will be Saturday 20 April 2024. We extend our gratitude to Chris Hay from Elwick Racecourse for his assistance and advice post-abandonment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either NZTR or ATR below. Darin Balcombe Chief Operating Officer Darin.Balcombe@nztr.co.nz Craig Baker Executive General Manager-Racing and Operations craigb@ellerslie.co.nz

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing [NZTR] and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing [ATR] would like to provide an update on the 'Return to Racing' for Ellerslie Racecourse. Following the Club's abandonment on Wednesday 10 April, all work that was prescribed has now been completed. A set of eight trials were held successfully at Ellerslie Racecourse today [Monday 15 April] giving the Club clearance to return to racing. A number of industry personnel and senior jockeys were in attendance at the trials today to monitor the surface including representatives from; Strathayr, the Racing Integrity Board, NZTR and ATR. The overarching feedback NZTR and ATR received following the trials was positive, with the following comments provided by senior jockeys on the state of the track: "The track felt a lot better – they [ATR] obviously had done a lot of work on it since Wednesday. The horses are getting a good bit of traction and there’s actually a bit of kick back now, which highlights the more traction the horses are getting." - Senior Jockey Warren Kennedy "I noticeably felt more traction and more give in the track. The machinery work and the spreading of sand since last Thursday has certainly seen an improvement.” - Senior Jockey Craig Grylls The first race meeting set to be held back at Ellerslie will be Saturday 20 April 2024. We extend our gratitude to Chris Hay from Elwick Racecourse for his assistance and advice post-abandonment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either NZTR or ATR below. Darin Balcombe Chief Operating Officer Darin.Balcombe@nztr.co.nz Craig Baker Executive General Manager-Racing and Operations craigb@ellerslie.co.nz

Unfortunately if you have a good young horse and you want to chase black type for good stakes you don't have many options. I don't get how coring the ground then filling the cores up with more sand is going to change anything. Do you?

https://loveracing.nz/raceinfo/53086/meeting-overview.aspx

What do you know a few pub bookies still working in NZ? @Brodie is too long in the tooth to get around geo blocking using VPN's. Let alone filling out all the forms in OZ English.

I was looking for the official link and the opening sectionals. 1:12 opening 1200m.