Chief Stipe

Reinstated a trial for 2yr olds. MEETING NEWS 2YO Trial - Riccarton 23 February An 800m trial restricted to 2YOs will be held prior to Race 1 at Riccarton on Friday 23 February. Entries close with The Bureau the same time as nominations for raceday, Tuesday 20 February at 12 noon

Thursday Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 17.1% Rail: Out 6m Rainfall: N/A Irrigation: Irrigating Tonight Weather and Track updated at 3.20pm Thursday 15 February

HRNZ Chief Executive to resign 15 February 2024 , Official Notice Gary Woodham has made the decision to step down as Chief Executive of HRNZ. "I have recently experienced challenging health issues and have decided to resign to focus on recovery and spending time with my family," he says. After taking over as CEO in January 2021, Woodham has been at the forefront of some major changes within the sport. During his three years at the helm he placed huge emphasis on improving the team culture at HRNZ, and was a big proponent of what he called TOA (Transparency, Ownership and Accountability). A lifelong harness racing fan, he has been heavily involved in owning, breeding and racing a number of horses, including many topliners. Now he says it's time to change focus. "As well as spending more time with my family, work-wise I will be looking to step into more mentoring and directorship positions in the near future." The decision was relayed to HRNZ staff this afternoon. A recruitment process will get underway shortly to find a new Chief Executive. Until then Mauro Barsi will be the Acting Chief Executive. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer late last year when Woodham went on extended medical leave. "I am happy to remain and assist HRNZ until an appointment is made," says Barsi. "I also would like to thank Gary for being such a strong advocate for harness racing ... he was a big presence at HRNZ and will be missed". HRNZ Chair Phil Holden agrees : "Gary's made a meaningful and long lasting contribution to our sport and while it's never easy making decisions like he has, we wish him all the best for this new chapter in his life."

How do you determine an unhappy horse?

You clearly don't understand the meaning of the word.

A Caneron George Pet project.

Hinsdale ceased to exist 15 years ago.

Maybe but not when you are focusing on other trainers past winners when you can't get a start at the trials or the races.

Bombshell report casts doubt over two-turn Victorian greyhound racing The Meadows is the home of the Australian Cup and The Phoenix. By Adam Dobbin 04:19pm • 14 February 2024 0 Comments Traditional two-turn greyhound racing at Sandown Park and The Meadows could well become a thing of the past following the release of Greyhound Racing Victoria's (GRV) Infrastructure Discussion Paper on Wednesday. Now open for industry consultation, the eagerly awaited report – which has been months in the making – serves to futureproof the Victorian greyhound industry with the establishment of a 10-year strategy for its racing and training facilities throughout the state. Yet in a bombshell move, GRV has thrown the future of two-turn metro racing hot on the agenda, following extensive and at times robust discussions with the two city clubs last year, honing in on the prospect of selling the two highly valuable venues before consolidating and reinvesting the assets into a brand new all purpose venue. Sandown Park home of the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Supplied The vast paper identifies two main options for the future of metropolitan racing, the relocation to a new multipurpose site "which could underpin the next 25-30 years' of industry needs" or assessing alternative track design options "to improve greyhound safety" at the current city venues. In releasing the report, GRV chief executive Stuart Laing said the future infrastructure strategy is vitally important for the long term sustainability of the industry. "The release of this discussion paper comes at a critically important time for Victorian greyhound racing as we embark on the opportunity to consider what the sport should look like for the next 30 years," Laing said. "With future options for racing and training in the Cranbourne and Southeast region being developed and track upgrades necessary at The Meadows and Sandown in the next five years, now is the time to assess our options carefully to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the industry. "Considerations for the potential development of a greenfield site in the Southeast also allows for participants to imagine what a purpose-built facility might add to greyhound racing in Victoria. Greyhound Racing Victoria CEO Stuart Laing, Picture: Supplied "Investment in racing and training infrastructure is a key strategic priority for GRV and our Clubs and decisions about how that is best done need to be formulated in the best interest of the industry and our participants." With a network of 13 tracks across the state, the discussion paper identifies a range of upgrades and improvements proposed for each venue. Of the 13 tracks, only Sandown Park and The Meadows are two-turn venues, along with the inner-track at Geelong which is sparsely used. Stakeholder consultation ends on March 31 at which time GRV will begin finalising the future infrastructure strategy for the industry. "GRV looks forward to attracting the thoughts and ideas of all participants and encourages anyone with an interest in the sport to make a submission and have their say on shaping the sport's future racing and training infrastructure footprint," Laing added.

Talking about the past or securing the future?

Are they irrigating enough? Withdrawal Morning Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: 20.9% Rail: Out 6m Rainfall: N/A Irrigation: Weather and Track updated at 8.28am Wednesday 14 February Nomination Morning Weather: Fine Track: Good 4 Moisture Meter: N/A Rail: Out 6m Rainfall: N/A Irrigation: 20mm Applied Last 24 Hours Weather and Track updated at 9.09am Tuesday 13 February

So much for the cancellation of the Riccarton Trials.

What was the measure of variance? Standard deviation?

A message from NZTR COO, Darin Balcombe and Head of Tracks and Infrastructure, Tim Lambert. No images? Click here New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s (NZTR) Chief Operating Officer, Darin Balcombe, and Head of Tracks and Infrastructure, Tim Lambert, would like to provide an update on the track issues experienced at RACE Trentham, Hastings Racecourse and Ellerslie Racecourse. RACE Trentham RACE has collaborated with irrigation specialists to address the challenge of not being able to water the outer portion of the home bend effectively. This issue led to the abandonment of the Wellington Racing Club's previous meeting on 27 January after Race 4. A solution has been successfully identified in partnership with Total Irrigation, involving the implementation of movable impact sprinklers, which allows the Club to irrigate a broader area. These additional sprinklers will ensure uniformity with the rest of the racing surface before the upcoming meeting on 9 March. To guarantee the consistency of the track, a monitoring process will be established. The Racing Integrity Board (RIB) and NZTR will inspect the track leading up to the meeting on 9 March. Hastings Racecourse On Saturday morning (10 February), seven horses were galloped around cones positioned 12 metres off the rail, covering the area that had caused issues during the meeting on Thursday 25 January. Experienced riders galloped the horses, with the gallops overseen by representatives from Hawke's Bay Racing Inc. and Darin Balcombe from NZTR. The consensus among all involved was that the previous inconsistency issues had been successfully addressed. The repairs made after the previous racedays had been given additional time to settle, contributing to the positive outcome. Riders expressed their satisfaction, describing the track as consistent with a good cushion underfoot. After consulting with the RIB, the track has received clearance to resume racing, with the next scheduled event set for Sunday 18 February. Ellerslie Racecourse Post the review that took place following TAB Karaka Millions on Saturday 27 January at Ellerslie, Track Manager Jason Fulford used various machinery to break down a thick layer of roots just below the surface which will enable horses to penetrate the surface more than previously. As referenced last week, jumpouts were held at Ellerslie on Monday 12 February, with 62 horses jumping out with positive comments from Jockeys following. Jason Fulford, as part of his preparation leading into this Saturday, will use machinery which will further enhance the surface. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us below. Darin Balcombe Chief Operating Officer Darin.Balcombe@nztr.co.nz Tim Lambert Head of Tracks and Infrastructure Tim.Lambert@nztr.co.nz

Yep. Not only that but you could set it up so that those using the service can only access the TAB and their own bank account.

Especially when the TAB need an internet link for their services on course. Wasn't there a lot of drama around places like Foxton not having race dates because they didn't have a data link? Why couldn't the TAB subscribe to a Skylink service and tack it onto the back of the broadcasting van?

The 2yr and 3yr old races are the focus of the colts for stallion making. The fillies can take a slightly lower path however in my opininon you still need to be up and running as a 2yr old.

The point I was making is that it is somewhat a myth to "give horses time" and avoid a 2yr old season altogether.

Was 3 wide the trip without cover. I don't like the hood/blinkers on him either. Prepared to give him a couple more races.

Why would she be behind Think About It and I Wish I Win? Surely they don't rate the sweepstake race!

I think I saw that race - the dog broke down free of interference. Didn't hit the rail.

6 meetings. Two clubs. On the BOAY Harness forum the biggest and only problem is a lack of mobile phone coverage.