Chief Stipe

How? Or what exactly? Aside from ENTAIN throwing stakes around and the introduction of even more novelty races what is fundamentally being changed? Seems to me to be the same old same old and we have enough empirical evidence to show that increasing stakes doesn't fix the fundamental issues.

But you don't know if @Thomass got Princess Kate to photoshop the shot!

Why what?

Ellerslie CAN'T look at HK because they've built their StrathAyr DIFFERENT! How many STRATHAYR tracks have 300mm of sand in the top layer.

You can hardly talk calling a young lady a slapper.

Says who you a certified nut bar?

Geez you must have a sad life trawling through video footage like that.

I see Joe Doyle got his 100th NZ winner on board. Congrats!

The two Sydney tracks have issues unrelated to overwatering. Flemington in contrast will even irrigate on race morning and produce a decent track. Ditto Moonee Valley.

All very good @curious but without video footage they are only useful to those punters on course with binoculars.

Big difference between owning them and training them. Owners aren't normally out of bed until 4 hours after their Trainers and in @TAB For Ever's words they pay others to walk the track.

I've been to the Levin Jumpouts and they've been more like trials than the type of Jumpouts you describe.

That might be useful to a small number of local punters. Buy isn't anywhere near the usefulness of videoed and accurately timed trials available to all.

Is it did and the track was out of action for some time causing some financial stress for the club. They raced on it at its summer meeting but the current issue is with the new grass growth being affected by a pathogen.

Technically yes as diseased turf is the result of the impact of a pathogen. I might be wrong but I thought I read the pathogen was a virus not an insect. If it was grass grub it would have been very easy to get rid of. A virus not easy at all.

How does the jumpouts help the punters? Are they being videod now?

There is speculation on another channel that the problem is caused by grass grub. However I thought I read somewhere that the problem was the turf became diseased and became patchy.

I had probably walked the course the day it broke down. One of the problem tracks.

So you didn't pay directly but presumably as a stakeholder. What performance metrics did you have in place that all those you "paid to walk the track" did and to your level of expectation? Did you ask them the questions you raised above? For example it would appear that most Stewards don't walk the track before hand and then rely on the advice of the Jockeys. Is that satisfactory? Are regular inspections of tracks carried out during the season by the national track manager? For example how did the current situation at Te Aroha arise? Were instructions given? Were they not followed? At the end of the day there is only one job for clubs and the central administration - provide a safe and fair track for horses to compete on.

What did you instruct the people you told us you paid to do it?

Obviously legal performance enhancers.

Even more surreal when you can't see the horses in the chute from the grandstands!

That might well be the case @Gammalite but for @TAB For Ever to suggest that very few saw a problem on Karaka Night with the track is just bullshit. From the Stewards report: Following this race comment was made by some riders that their mounts were shifting in the ground. Films from Race 3 were also further reviewed where it was apparent that TEVERE had lost its footing rounding the final turn. Stewards convened a meeting with all riders and after viewing available film footage it was agreed that the meeting should continue. Amazing what they agree to when the money is up! Not a lot of thought for horse welfare eh @Thomass! After race 5: Following further comment from riders regarding the footing including W Kennedy who reported that his mount lost its footing passing the 600 metres, a further meeting was convened with all riders. After reviewing film footage and considering submissions from all riders present the decision was made to run the last race as scheduled. Lucky it wasn't a 10 race programme! Not to mention that the report is littered with comments about horses not handling the "shifty conditions". Nor the casualites found on arriving back at the stables. Also don't forget the abandonment of Trentham on the same day/night: Following the running of this race, riders expressed concern regarding an area of the track near the 600 metres, where ZACKERY (K Asano) lost its footing and slipped. A Lawson-Carroll also reported his mount REDANA also slipped. A track Safety Review Panel consisting of Stewards, Senior Jockeys and Club Officials was convened. Following a track inspection, which clearly identified a slip, a subsequent meeting with riders and club officials was convened and the remainder of the race meeting was abandoned.

Well the reality is it favours big stables - they can organise their own jumpouts because they have the numbers. Of course that doesn't help the punters. Are there any rules against fast working with more than two or three horses?

26 entries versus 194 that ran around at Taupo last week.