Chief Stipe

Sorry I'm confused? Why is it sickening? I thought you would find it entertaining given none of it was your money.

It's called marketing.

Can of worms. What law would apply in NZ?

But what I'm told is a nearby track manager (20 mins down the road) wasn't listened to.

You couldn't make that statement just walking the track. You'd need to take many rather large core samples.

Or even the owner questioning the trainer on why the dog was hurt.

I heard another perspective on the Te Aroha track. Apparently the Matamata track manager offered to assist but the local Te Aroha farmers said no thank you. I must say what I saw of the Matamata track on Saturday it was in perfect condition and offered a safe fair surface.

Is that right? Would it have been another $5m in cost?

I did see some improvement in the 20 days since I last looked at it. But they could have identified the problem and started the remedial work well before the Karaka meeting and perhaps avoided the injuries to some very very well bred and expensive horses. I wonder if they took any core samples BEFORE the big meeting?

Good point. I have no idea. A point though sowing grass seed on sand doesn't create turf - well that's my understanding. So the turf layer is going to take some time to develop if you haven't laid any soil over the sand. If you look at the picture of the core above it is mainly sand and possibly a very very thin layer of soil.

I'm not sure if we are talking at cross purposes... The turf layer isn't very deep and the roots haven't penetrated that far. The core I picked up on Waitangi Day showed very little organic matter, densely matted but very fine roots in a layer of about 25mm. It would appearing the coring has improved the turf layer since then and there is more organic matter but I would say the turf they laid had a very thin layer of soil and was put straight onto sand. With irrigation and fertiliser the roots wouldn't have penetrated that deeply so you would have ended up with something akin to carpet over a polished floor. When the horses gallope the carpet would have split into pieces and made it very shifty under foot. I'm only guessing about the "surface tension" explanation but thinking about it from a physics perspective the rain would have found it hard to penetrate and probably lubricated the carpet.

True. Trackside could always talk to Rogie - they wouldn't get any umms but he uses "this is the best horse I've had" as a segue to "this is the next best horse I've had"...

In your opinion. Of course your weren't listening to what he was saying just how he was saying it. Big ask for a young trainer to be superior in every aspect of horse racing from the get go. As you know public speaking is low on his list of priorities. Not many people work the hours a horse trainer in a large stable do.

Yet Kah has more Metro wins than Williams this season and a better strike rate.

No. The grass has formed a mat but without rooting deep. Not sure how to explain. But it looks to me that the grass has had lots of water and fertiliser frequently but has no need to root deeply. There is stuff all organic matter in the top 300mm - just sand. It isn't what I thought a StrathAyr was about.

There were no major holes. Just the usual hoof flicks. There is a grass mat on top that needs to be opened. But I understand they are going to core again. Too much sand in my opinion.

About 30+ horses galloped in a number of heats today at Ellerslie. 10 to 15mm of rain overnight and early morning. Surface held up well with the horses cutting into the ground about 10mm. A lot of sand in the top layer - about 300mm. Didn't seem to be any slipping. Track to cored again this week. 20240226_095432.mp4 20240226_094027.mp4

@Huey why are you a TA anti-fanboy? You've never actually explained why.

Geez give the young man a break. First and foremost his responsibility is to train the horses in his care. Speaking to presenters asking dumb questions is low down on his priority.

I'd rather take the risk than have an average Jockey on board. They don't get to the top of the premiership by not caring less. Often they have to ride poorly prepared and poorly educated horses who the trainer has an overly optimistic opinion of.

So Kah rides poorly in your opinion?

Which ones do you think "ride well"? As in if you had a choice would you put Opie up or one that "rides well"?

OP's strike rate is better than JMac's.

Remind me not to follow your tips. Kah fourth on the Vic Metro Premiership and picks up Grp1 win number 10 yesterday.

I thought you said Kennedy was off to OZ? 9 wins in front on the Premiership, 14 Group and listed wins, $4.2m in Stakes and a strike rate of 5.69 second only to one Owen Patrick Bosson.