Chief Stipe

Stop making excuses. It is a state of the art track that has been many years in planning, design and implementation. I'm sure even the Club Management wouldn't be happy with how it performed. As long as the party was good stuff the horses that have to run on it! In my opinion that is the single biggest reason why racing is struggling in this country - lack of investment in good tracks and good management of them. As for the sunshine hours BS I suggest you stick to cost accouting rather than horticultural or agricultural science!!! The farmers I've talked to have had a great season grass wise therefore their stock have done well. THE TRACK ON KM DAY AT ELLERSLIE WAS OFF - I guess you admit that but blame the weather!

Did you read the Stipes report? Are you making excuses? Report 2024-01-27 Ellerslie.pdf

Both Auckland and Wellington/Hutt Cities have water supply issues and high charges. Does it not follow that there may be a flow on effect to the management of a very large piece of turf?

I would say water supply and cost is an issue both at Ellerslie and Trentham. The type of issues that they are experiencing at Ellerslie has occurred in a few newly renovated or developed tracks in OZ. Some of those issues were the wrong grass mix and racing too soon.

Absolute bollocks. If they are "untouchable" how come they get charged? I'd actually venture to say that those big stables are under more scrutiny than Ma and Pa Kettle with one or two battlers. Certainly if the attention paid to them on online forums is anything to go by - no one posts about the positives returned by less significant trainers nor do they go on about it for 20+ years!!!

21 years ago. Geez you sure hold a flame for a long time! Scott's actions, which were observed by a swabbing steward, led to the mare's late scratching. Following an investigation which revealed that the susbstance contained no performamnce enhancing properties, Scott was informed that he had a case to answer under the Rules of Racing "serious racing offence" category.

Well maybe they should be sensible and work towards the big meeting first week of March.

Isn't the question can they remedy the issues identified in 17 days?

Shouldn't happen on a StrathAyr. Every other StrathAyr in the world struggles to get firmer than a G4 hence race times are never super fast. It isn't a football field. I would say that the irrigation has been inconsistent and mismanaged. Of course we'd never consider irrigating on raceday like they do in OZ. Anyway if your comments and those that you have heard from those close to the action are anything to go by then part of the problem is they haven't changed their track management processes to match the new track system. Rain during the day wasn't an unknown - it was forecast. My understanding is the Jockeys were divided in their opinions. Should they have relied on their opinions anyway when there was sufficient evidence on video of the slipping problem. More than was apparent at Trentham which WAS abandoned. I'm not making things up or lying. However I doubt you have as much inside information as you infer. So Pot Kettle Black. Perhaps you might want to listen/watch this:

Where is the report?

I explained my theory in an earlier post. It was a combination of inconsistent irrigation, grass too long and having not established a good root structure yet. I see the next Te Aroha meeting has been transferred due to patchy grass caused by disease. I hope the NZTR track experts washed their boots between track visits!

Alligator Blood unlikely to race again www.racing.com Champion galloper Alligator Blood is unlikely to race again according to connections after suffering a serious injury at trackwork. After trialing well at Rosehill last Thursday, the seven-time Group 1-winner was due to kick off in the CF Orr Stakes in February but owner Jeff Simpson says the seven-year-old may have run his last race. “I wouldn’t think that he’d come back, that’s my opinion,” Simpson said. “We are waiting for the vet report. I don’t know exactly what the injury is but it’s quite an unusual one they’re saying, it’s in his pastern. “It’s just one of those things, it happened at track work last Saturday morning.” Simpson said it would be a devastating blow to the entire ownership group and co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott if Alligator Blood’s career was to end like this. “Gai is very upset about it, we are all really upset about it,” he said. “We are feeling pretty down and out, not the best, we don’t like to see them go out with an injury, you’d rather just retire them.” Connections had hinted an autumn campaign could be Alligator Blood’s last with the hope to retire the champion at the top of his game. Simpson says it’s remarkable what the horse has been able to achieve after being told he would never race again when diagnosed with kissing spine. “It’s amazing what we’ve been able to get out of him, we’ve done really, really well. We were looking forward to the next three races against Mr Brightside but anyway, that’s the way it happens,” Simpson said. “He will recover, and he will end up at Living Legends, that’s where we always wanted him to finish.” Trainer G.M.Waterhouse AO Age 7YO Sex Gelding Colour Bay Prize Money $8,125,525 Last 5 1133- Career 35-15-5-3 POS Jockey Track Date DIST Race WGT MRG Odds 3 – 7 T.Clark FLEM 11 NOV 2023 1600m CHAMPIONS MILE 59kg 2.5L $4.20 3 – 12 T.Clark M V 28 OCT 2023 2040m COX PLATE 59kg 0.3L $6 1 – 10 T.Clark CAUL 14 OCT 2023 2000m CAULFIELD STKS 59kg 2L $3.40 1 – 15 D.Oliver CAUL 23 SEP 2023 1800m UNDERWOOD 59kg 1L $3.60 2 – 7 D.Oliver FLEM 16 SEP 2023 1600m MAKYBE DIVA 59kg 1.5L $3.60

NZTR has today revealed several initial New Zealand races that will allow the country’s fastest juveniles to compete for their share of an additional $1 million in bonuses. No images? Click here Sires Produce Stakes to Kick Off $1 Million in Bonuses for The NZB Kiwi New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has today revealed the initial New Zealand races that will allow the country’s fastest juveniles to compete for their share of an additional $1 million in bonuses associated with the country’s first Thoroughbred slot race, The NZB Kiwi. To be eligible for a share in the $1 million bonus pool, a horse must win one of the various Bonus Eligible New Zealand and/or Australian races, and also run a top three placing in The NZB Kiwi held on Champions Day (8 March 2025). The Bonus for horses that run a place in The NZB Kiwi (provided they have won a Bonus Eligible race), will be $600k for first, $250k for second, and $150k for third place. The first Bonus Eligible race will be the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) for two-year-olds, set to be run this season on 6 April 2024. The initial list of New Zealand Bonus Eligible races is outlined below: Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) - Manawatu Racing Club at RACE Trentham Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) - Waikato Thoroughbred Racing at Te Rapa Racecourse Group 1 Barneswood Farm One Thousand Guineas (1600m) - Canterbury Jockey Club at Riccarton Park Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (1600m) - Canterbury Jockey Club at Riccarton Park Group 1 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1600m) - Wellington Racing Club at RACE Trentham Listed TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) – Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie Racecourse Group 2 Cambridge Stud Alamanzor Trophy (1200m) - Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie Racecourse Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) - Waikato Thoroughbred Racing at Te Rapa Racecourse NZTR’s Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe welcomed today’s announcement. “Off the back of The NZB Kiwi and Summer Carnival announcement NZTR made last week, we have seen a huge lift in optimism towards our industry." “We wanted to build momentum for the inaugural running of The NZB Kiwi, with a two-year-old in the current season being the first Bonus Eligible horse, should they go on to run in the race next year. “This creates an opportunity for potential Slot Holders to start a conversation in securing the first Bonus Eligible horse once the Slot Auction has taken place on 27 February 2024 at Karaka,” he said. In the coming months, NZTR will look to announce a number of Australian Bonus Eligible races which will also form a part of The NZB Kiwi $1 million bonus pool. For more information about The NZB Kiwi, or the Slot Auction visit nztr.co.nz/the-kiwi. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Emma Thompson +64 21 071 2929 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

It's a $25m StrathAyr track @Gammalite it shouldn't have played like it did. So something is wrong. Anyway you're a harness trainer doesn't matter what the surface is 2 wheels and 4 hooves and you can run on anything.

He's a nut case based on form. Should set up a special tea club for you, @holy ravioli and @aquaman.

Again what's your point? When were you ever at Kumara?

What is your point?

So you didn't read the Stipes report either just like Guerin? The meeting was close to being abandoned.

Light rain was their worst nightmare? Shouldn't have been. Now what do they do? Press on with the February 17 meeting or hope they get it right for the Group meeting early March? You seen to have the inside information - what's the call?

Obviously you haven't followed the racing on Pukekohe. The last meeting the surface was terrible. Been hammered to help out Ellerslie. My beef is providing safe and fair surfaces for horses to race on. The rest follows. But you focus on the parties.

I thought it was a dumb bet anyway. Why would you bet on a decent jockey to push a horse to run 6th when it had nothing left. The money bet in that race was Orchestral.

https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-is-there-any-truth-to-russias-ukrainian-nazis-propaganda/a-63970461

What was posted online at one stage was wrong. I was listening and watching the Channel 64 presentation and it clearly was stated that the bet was Orchestral and Talisker in a Top 4 and Top 6 with a "BGP boosted blessing". So Talisker WASN'T added it was always part of the bet. The communication was wrong on some channels.

Surely not Pukekohe.

That's OK with me. You can join @holy ravioli !! May Putin be with you!