Chief Stipe

Coincidence?

MEETING NEWS Rotorua Abandoned After Race 4 Races 5-9 at Rotorua have been abandoned after a horse slipped in Race 4. More information in terms of any reschedules or replacement races will be provided in the next 24 hours.

Melham cops ban after G1 win www.racing.com Champion jockey Ben Melham told Racing Victoria stewards that, despite trying, he couldn't stop Griff from veering out over the closing stages of the Caulfield Guineas as the horse had spotted a guy on a ladder near the winning post which spooked him. RV stewards still suspended Melham for 10 meetings for causing interference over the final 100 metres when insufficiently clear of Veight, Steparty, King Colorado and Verdad. The suspension begins after next Saturday’s Caulfield Cup meeting on October 21 and ends at midnight on Monday, October 30, allowing him to be back for the Bendigo Cup. Melham pleaded not guilty and told the stewards that Griff was spooked and, despite his attempts to straighten him up, he didn’t react immediately. “I couldn’t do any more. I was steering left and he kept running out, so I tried to correct him with my left hand,” Melham said. “He ran out underneath me sharply and he continued to shift as I tried to straighten. Clearly the horse is spooked and that’s not careless, that’s a horse spooking and a rider doing his utmost to protect his other riders. I plead not guilty.” Melham said it was clear Griff had reacted to the person on the ladder and was spooked by it. "My first reaction was a couple of hits with the whip on the right-hand side, maybe to stop him from spooking further out and running out. That was my first resort, that didn’t work, and then I went to use my left hand down.” “He (Griff) just hasn’t listened to me one bit, I put the blame on him.” “As soon as I felt him shift, I took evasive action with my left-hand rein down; he had his head turned sideways and he still continued to run out.” RV chief steward Rob Montgomery told Melham he should have done more to straighten his mount and should have put the whip away in order to protect his fellow riders. Melham was also fined $1000 for two consecutive whip strikes prior to the 100 metres mark on Griff.

Is that a joke? Or is it only for high value customers like Brodie?

So all the Addington dividends were based on international commingled pools only. Can't have been any NZ tote money.

Doesn't help you constantly bringing up the past and dubious statistics.

Entain use it for Ladbrokes. I'm pretty sure Entain have an ownership stake.

Nor the $17m a year maintenance plan! Entain will sort it don't they own the software?

None of us can get on. It is down and out completely. I wouldn't be surprised if it has something to do with prepping for the World Betting Pool for tomorrow.

Can't even access the local pool tonight! TAB down and out.

So you are quibbling.

This is the fight NZTR have been looking for to test the legislation.

How is Entain targeting the under 35's?

What you are quibbling over one year and 900 attendees?

Once again you miss the point. Oaks Day is the lowest attended day of the 4 day VRC carnival but is still higher than the Everest. V'landys still has more work to do to sabotage the Carnival.

Geez V'landys could talk up your mother-in-law! That's less than the attendance that the VRC have on Oaks Day! Most of whom will be under 35 women!

I'd love to see the report. I imagine Avondale won't roll over without a scrap.

Repole: `It's Time Now That the Owners Take Back This Game' Monday, October 9, 2023 at 8:28 am | Back to: Top News Updated: October 9, 2023 at 1:11 pm Mike Repole | Sarah Andrew photo By Sue Finley In an interview with Nick Luck on Sunday's Spinster broadcast on NBC, Mike Repole called for the creation of a national owners' association that would “take back this game,” from the entities that now control it. Repole indicated that he had started discussions with other interested owners and trainers, and expressed his discontent with the current state of the sport and how it is run, stressing that every other major sport is controlled at the ownership level. “The frustration level…” he said. “I mean, this year, even though our success has been amazing, there isn't anything in this sport that is good right now. We need to make this sport better, so I want to start an association with the biggest owners and the biggest trainers. I think it's our responsibility. People say, `whose fault is it? Why is racing this bad?' I blame myself. I blame the owners. In other sports, like the NFL or the NBA, the owners are very involved. They run the sport. and here, we let everyone else run it for us, so I think owners and trainers taking care of the horses, the jockeys, the fans, the bettors, the tracks, working with the tracks, working with the other groups–it's time now that the owners take back this game.” Luck pointed out that Repole had spent millions on yearlings at the Keeneland September sale just a few weeks prior. “You just said there's nothing good about this sport, but a couple of weeks ago, just down the hill, you spent $14 million,” Luck said. “Because I'm a big idiot, just like every owner in this game,” said Repole. “We take this. We take this from Churchill. We take this from other tracks. We take this from other associations. It can't happen any more.” Last week, in a TDN survey about the Kentucky purse, Is The Derby Purse Fair? Repole expressed a strong opinion that the $3 million Derby purse, largely funded by nomination, entry and starting fees, was not fair. “It's beyond embarrassing,” he said. “But not only do we put up a third of the purse with fees, but the way the owners get treated is an embarrassment. And the more I reflect, the more I'm starting to really realize that the blame of this lies with the owners and the trainers. As long as we keep letting tracks make the rules…and be ruled by the ineffective associations that represent owners, trainers, and jockeys in the sport without really having done them justice, the more we have to look ourselves in the mirror.” He expressed a similar sentiment to Luck on the telecast. “If we want to move forward, the only way is that the owners take over the control,” he said.” I spoke to a lot of owners. I spoke to a lot of trainers. We're going to work with the tracks, we're going to work with the other associations, we're going to work with HISA. We're going to work with horse rescue. We're going to work with vets. We're going to work with track surfaces. We're the ones that are putting money in this game. I spent $14 million dollars in this game (at Keeneland September) because I want (daughter) Gioia to be in it for a long, long time, and I care about this sport.” Watch the interview here. Monday afternoon, Repole added some details in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post, in its entirety, reads: “It's time!!!!! Racing needs change NOW. We need a NEW association led by the owners and trainers of this game that we all love and are passionate about. We need to turn selfish into SELFLESS and each do our part for the future of this great sport that is in poor health. The goal of this association will be to make all facets of racing better. We need to make it better and safer for horses, fans, gamblers, jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, backstretch, tracks, etc, etc. This association will not just be focused on the top 10%, the goal is to make positive change for EVERYONE involved in the game. This seismic change doesn't happen overnight but it has to start now if it is ever going to happen. The plan is to unite and work together with the tracks, HISA, other racing associations, and the sales companies. We all want a better sport and it's about time we unite and leave the competition inside the racetrack not outside. Non cooperative tracks remember the owners and trainers control the entry box. I'm asking all owners and all trainers to help lead this mission!!!!! I'm asking you all to stop talking and let's unite for progress. Walk the talk!!!!! Here's a sneak peak into some of the focus items we will address: Working with HISA to improve horse safety with an advisory committee of the most experienced Thoroughbred Vets with the #1 goal to protect these amazing & loving equine athletes. Working with tracks on having three surfaces if possible, turf, dirt and synthetic. If not possible push for a synthetic training track. Stand up and back 99% of the trainers who devote their lives and work extremely hard. There are cheaters, crooks, in every industry and facet of life, they make up a small percentage. Significantly increase the purses for older horses. Having it make sense for owners and trainers to bring back these older horses. Long term this will lead to breeding older and more durable horses that will strengthen the breed. Have every consignment owner, bloodstock agent, jockey agent, veterinarian, etc. licensed with not only rules and regulations but fines, suspensions and penalties for everyone involved. Fix two year old sales. Horses will be tested when entered, weeks prior to the breeze and tested post breeze. We will also ban the stupidity of a 1 furlong 9.3 breeze. I would suggest they work go 3f or just gallop only before the auction. Promote ownership through reputable racing syndicates to get more owners in the game and at the same time educate them on horse ownership. Work with both Gen Z & Millennials with national programs focusing on the future of racing that includes future trainers, fans, grooms, gamblers, owners, media, etc. We need the next generation involved if racing has a future. Educate, upgrade and innovate the gambling of this sport. Be creative, let's think out of the box. Openly share your thoughts, comments and ideas with the industry and me. Do not hide or be afraid to speak up and share your true opinion to make the game better. If you get fired I will hire you for the new association!!!!! (Unless your name is Joe Drape) Are you willing to unite for progress??? #uniteforprogress LFG!!!!!” The post is signed, “Mike from Queens, Racing Fan”

I agree with you. I initially bought into the hype but I think that was because I knew someone who owned a share in Nature Strip. Now it doesn't interest me much at all although it doesn't help having gone sour on the Randwick and Rosehill tracks. I too haven't heard any non-racing people talking about. Is it a big deal? How do you measure that?

So Avondale had 50mm (2 inches) of rain in the 48hrs prior to racing. 7 out of 9 races were run on a Heavy 10. What actually was wrong? Doesn't add up and you don't need to be a know-it-all to know that.