Chief Stipe

Used once a year? Geez wouldn't have to do an oil change.

A couple of these perhaps?

Right so when you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a machine and it doesn't work. You don't get the supplier to make it fit for purpose instead you go and buy a bigger machine and more of them. As an accountant I thought you'd see red at that! What's more it is over investing in capital making more reasons to get a return which means more race meetings diverted.

Where was he when the Central Districts Trainers didn't want the Awapuni Synthetic track?

Instead of fixing the issue or finding out what the real problem was they are going to limit races to 14 starters and purchase brand new starting gates to be permanently based at each of the major courses. Which they have only resolved by limiting field sizes until NEW gates can be built and delivered. How many times have the extensions failed to open? Are you talking about WINX?

Are you going soft? A Grp 1 race debacle. Then the decision is to reduce potential field sizes by 20% until the new gates arrive. Let alone accounting for the capital cost for tracks that have a limited number of race meetings. Yep just throw some more dosh around to solve a problem that should be easily fixed I smell rats all over the place. Tell you what- wouldn't it have been better not to have built the Awapuni synthetic that no local trainer wanted and invested in gates that work and are easily transported?

Use Google like you do for your economic theories and other slogans.

How "temporary"? Do these things sit in stock on a shelf somewhere?

It's bollocks. Imagine the NZ Oaks without a capacity field! Although my horse probably would have won it if she had drawn 14 instead of 19!

We await with bated breath! Or should that be live baited breath?

So a non event. Just a @Yankiwi event.

Yeah. Why not work every hour and fix the problem.

A message from NZTR COO, Darin Balcombe. No images? Click here UPDATE | Supplementary Starting Gates New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing would like to provide an update on the use of the supplementary Clip-on starting gates, following the false start that occurred prior to the running of the Group 1 TAB Classic at RACE Trentham on Saturday 9 December. Whilst initial evidence provided to the Racing Integrity Board on raceday, as well as post-raceday, to NZTR suggests that all operational processes were followed correctly, with the starting mechanism on the extra gates being tested before the false start occurred, this only creates further concern regarding the reliability of these Clip-on gates. Consequently, a decision has been made to suspend the use of the supplementary gates immediately nationwide. Until NZTR is comfortable that there is not a significant reliability concern, the supplementary gates will not be utilised during meetings for the foreseeable future. Further to this in conjunction with the relevant Clubs, NZTR will immediately look at purchasing a permanent set of starting gates at three strategic venues that do not have adequate permanent gates, being Te Rapa Racecourse, RACE Awapuni and RACE Trentham. NZTR will continue to work alongside the relevant Starting Gate Consortiums which manage all operational activity to ensure that proper maintenance and testing is being regularly carried out to all gates, with the governing body continuing to explore further options to ensure reliability. Yours in racing, Darin Balcombe Chief Operating Officer New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing

They didn't take long to build on the hill!!! Lots of renovations going on around the course. Beautiful surface. Why didn't they build two more StrathAyr's instead of the synthetic white elephants!

First trials on the new StrathAyr track at Ellerslie today. Looks great.

Was the dog injured?

What a dumb arse meaningless question to ask. Aside from the fact that most respondents wouldn't know the meaning of the word chaotic the counter factual that a one party majority government provides a more stable Government was well and truly disproven in the past term of the Labour Government.

@the galah and @Archie Butterfly while your at it - tell is all how Hartmann’s Solution is a PED rather than a electrolyte replacement solution. Also explain what you understand osmolality is?

What "things"? Try not use innuendo, inference or supposition. Details please. We ALL don't know nor do we ALL suspect like you do that illegal undectable performance drugs are being used. You are doing a disservice go the harness racing industry. Proof? Aren't those who don't use every legal therapeutic available compromising the health of THEIR horses? So Williamson doesn't deserve any scrutiny from you? Aren't you being inconsistent and a hypocrite? Horses dropping dead on the training or on the race track is not a null event. It happens at a fairly consistent rate. The corollary is with high performance human athletes where it also happens. The difference with humans is medical services are quick to attend to any event whereas the options with a 500kg animal lying on a track is limited. Shall we wait for the autopsy results for Amore Vite before speculating? I'm sure there will be an autopsy as you would expect such a valuable mare would have been insured.

Well have Labour done nothing worth your ire? They seem pretty weak in opposition so far.

I don't feel attacked. I used to find you amusing but now just boring. I was referring to the fact that you apparently don't support any political party but are full on attacking those on the right. Given you barely have a murmur to say about Labour one would be forgiven for assuming that you support!

I quite like it. Suits the Kiwi horses - the likes of Imperatriz, Bonecrusher.....long list!

So you just attack everyone else? That's peculiar.