Chief Stipe

Why should it have anything to do with luck? Then why close good tracks?

Don't bother. If it is the same approach that decided Counties was the second best racetrack in NZ you'd be wasting both our time.

What hold the microphone so the Judge can say "the official placings are....."...

So what does a Judge's Assistant actually do?

Or used his wife's account on his phone? 🤔

Will it? Which ones? How will they be chosen? What criteria will be used?

No he's not. He is raising a legitimate concern that could easily be addressed by using the TAB and club infrastructure. God forbid that they even think about facilitating good customer service. You missed @Newmarket point - he bet less! He saved money by keeping his money in his account BUT the industry didn't get any of that losing revenue!!!! As for Brodie he has a valid gripe that unfortunately most us don't experience because unlike him when we bet we lose more than we win. I was sitting next to someone yesterday and every bet he tried to make went through an approval process. Only because he is generally a successful punter.

Because a lot of things including rules in racing are poorly written. A lot of rules are about perception rather than any real reason. For example waiting until half an hour after the last race is probably to stop anyone from the general public seen a horse receive a saline drip or being tubed with an alkaline substance to alleviate lactic acid build up. Let's face it there is no logical reason to prevent a trainer who has run a horse in the first race, taken it home and is looking after its welfare from giving it any treatment. Having to wait another 5+ hours is ludicrous.

We all know that. One of the advantages of not closing down good race tracks. Although Counties will be forever a work in progress. Will the AJC help fund further development of it? They'll need something to stand in when the regular maintenance work is done for the StrathAyr. Yes but at the expense of those two tracks. Te Rapa is very tired turf and I doubt you can put anymore sand in it. When they upgrade I hope the AJC returns the favour. By whom? The committee in the Presidents room after the last?

No not grumpy however I don't see the benefit of drone footage during a race. The Australians only screen an overhead shot for the first 100 to 200m. It's best use is after a race when analysing what happened to horses during the running. I'm all for innovation but when there are still plenty of things to fix for the punter I think it is a waste of resources. As for fillies at Karaka - fill your boots. But not all the good colts and fillies are eligible for the Karaka Millions. Already signs that it screws up our age group pattern. Just like all the novelty races. You do that and eventually it will screw our breeding industry.

Right so you could pick Soulcombe out from the other horse wearing the same colours AND cap by...let me guess...the horse was a lighter colour? Yeah Na. Drone footage has limited value during live racing but great for post race analysis. Good for you @holy ravioli as you'd find more excuses for why your bets lost! Case in point next race at Tauranga. Two Te Akau runners one has a quartered cap - good luck picking that out in drone footage!

The bookies weren't so complimentary:

Wouldn't take much to piggyback off the connection they have to have anyway. Could even restrict access to the TABNZ site and app.

You are misinterpreting the rule. In my opinion the one clear day rule is open to misinterpretation. I would say at this time of year that giving a horse a saline as soon as they got home after a race was very good practice and in the welfare interests of the horse. The rule probably is to stop horses being treated on course during the raceday after their race but allowing to them to be treated on course 30 minutes after the last race. Some horses at this time of year are on tour and so will be stabled on course.

Turnovers on recent meetings (race # in brackets). Alex Pk 31/12 - $761,952 (8) Reef 30/12 - $1,149,997 (10) Mot 29/12 - $1,846,938 (12) Camb 29/12 - $471,005 (7) West 28/12 - $1,119,780 (11) Gore 27/12 - $1,266,617 (11) West 26/12 - $1,481,247 (12) Camb 24/12 - $653,801 (8)

Yeah looking at that video he was dead stiff. Took a couple of looks to sort him out as another horse had the same colours.

Follow the run of Soulcombe. Really unlucky having to change ground at least 4 times.

Yeah right that'll work in the Karaka Millions when half the field is from one stable. Good luck identifying every horse in the Melbourne Cup as well.

During a live race? A replay is interesting but I'm not sure apart from the start and first 200m where you know which gate your horse is in might be useful bit after that it doesn't help. Unless the put numbers on the horses rump or the jockeys backs.

His days wages?

Why couldn't HRNZ and Entain (TABNZ) solve the problem? Clubs were forced to put in fixed line internet connections to enable broadcasting of HD video why couldn't they supply a WiFi access point using the same high speed connection?

Very positive view of the day. I think the sooner that get back to Ellerslie the better though. Not sure the Counties Track can hold up much longer.

Yes the rules are the rules however isn't the rule a bit obsolete? I understand how it would be a problem in the pre-technology days but how could an Assistant Judge influence the result in their favour today? Brings back a memory from about 50+ years ago. The local Hokitika TAB agent was also the Westland Racing Club Judge. He called a horse in first which was clearly fourth even in the photo. Not even sure he got fined let alone suspended! The cheeky sod had the photo finish framed and put on his wall at home. He was the father of a mate of mine and when I went to the father's funeral and we were talking into the early boozed hours that photo came up. My mate could never work out why that picture was on the wall until I explained why.

Yes the rules are the rules however isn't the rule a bit obsolete? I understand how it would be a problem in the pre-technology days but how could an Assistant Judge influence the result in their favour today? Brings back a memory from about 50+ years ago. The local Hokitika TAB agent was also the Westland Racing Club Judge. He called a horse in first which was clearly fourth even on the photo. Not even sure he got fined let alone suspended! The cheeky sod had the photo finish framed and put on his wall at home. He was the father of a mate of mine and when I went to the funeral and we were talking into the early boozed hours that photo came up. My mate could never work out why that picture was on the wall until I explained why.