Chief Stipe

What's wrong with that?

Last year all international entrants were required to have a nuclear scintigraphy and a CT scan. All local entrants were also required to have a CT scan. There will always be horses going amiss. Always have been. The nature of the beast particularly when asked to so something it isn't really designed to do.

On winter tracks you have to. You just can't expect to make up heaps of ground in the straight.

Bit hard to do that in a Melbourne Cup lead up. The horses have so many scans they are probably suffering from radiation sickness.

Perhaps more Jockeys should consider going forward earlier to put themselves in the race.

How many did the WAGS win?

In my opinion this issue is due to our Jockey's not being able to assess pace and not putting their horses into a race or a position to win. It isn't easy on any track to sit back on a Soft or Heavy track and expect to storm down the outside in the last 300m. Yet our riders think they can. I agree with Curious. If there is a track related leaders bias at Ruakaka what aspects of the track causes it? I don't see any. Therefore as Curious suggests it is perception by Trainers and Jockey's that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Your point?

Bollocks. Same old harness racing rumour mongering. How many Pick 6's did these WAGS win?

Or a lack of pace on a track without a leaders bias?

I don't think they ever expected training numbers to increase at Cambridge. 1,200 in work. The AWT replaced one of the stuffed turf tracks. Cambridge could have funded it themselves.

Race day stoush between horse owners and greyhound trainer caught on camera www.nzherald.co.nz A drunken race day clash of the codes melee between horse owners and a greyhound trainer was caught on camera and has led to a misconduct hearing. The stoush at the Waikato BOP Harness race meeting at Cambridge Raceway, a dual greyhound racing and harness racing meeting, on Christmas Eve 2021 was a continuation of bad blood between three men. It resulted in David Anthony Marshall, a licensed stablehand and registered harness horse owner, and Ricki Lloyd Herbert, a licensed amateur driver and registered harness horse owner, facing misconduct charges brought by the Racing Integrity Board. Marshall admitted that he was drinking on and off throughout the day and probably had a few too many but Herbert denied drinking a significant quantity of alcohol, the board's summary of facts stated. As greyhound trainer Allen Christiansen returned to the dais area in front of the main grandstand following a race about 6pm he encountered Marshall who began to yell abuse and threaten him. "You got beat, you f******g piece of s***" and "**** come here I will smash your head in," Marshall bellowed. Christiansen continued to walk with his dog with Marshall following, continuing to shout abuse. Get the latest headlines straight to your inbox. By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I’m not interested in Morning Headlines newsletter. Please don’t show me this again. Herbert then crossed a roped fence, approached Christiansen and began yelling abuse while gesturing toward him in a threatening manner. A small scuffle broke out when others got involved while several people continued to abuse Christiansen. Others stepped in to ensure the disturbance didn't descend into physical violence and Christiansen walked away without responding to any of the commotion. The end of the incident was captured on CCTV operated by the TAB. In its decision, the Racing Integrity Board said the footage was broadcast live to the nation on Trackside television but the TAB said this was not correct. Open Justice approached TAB to obtain the footage but was told it would not release it and that it never went to air because Trackside crossed to another race meeting. The racing board investigator confirmed he viewed the footage as part of his investigation and that the board had a copy of the recording, which was provided by the TAB. After the incident that day, Christiansen scratched the rest of his dogs from the meeting and left the course stating he didn't feel comfortable remaining. The board noted there was relevant background to the fracas. In July 2021 Christiansen assaulted Marshall's son Kyle, by slapping him through the open window of a vehicle and then slamming the door hard enough to cause the glass to smash. He shoved a second man into a concrete wall, causing a cut to the back of his head and pushed another in the shoulder. Christiansen was found guilty of three misconduct charges and disqualified for a period of three months, beginning in January 2022. Both Marshall and Herbert admitted a charge of misconduct and were referred to an Adjudicative Committee to decide their penalty. The committee said aggravating factors included the threatening and intimidating behaviour which happened in a highly public area. "Their conduct fell well short of the behaviour that is expected of persons licensed to participate in the Harness Racing Industry and fell well short of what is reasonably expected of persons conducting themselves in society in general." Mitigating factors included both men admitting the charge, their cooperation with the board and Marshall had apologised in writing and offered to take part in mediation. Both men were $1,000.

You only have a limited time after you post to edit. Otherwise posters would go back and redit forever.

Exactly and the same group are yelling "Sundees Son must be on PED'S to break the world record by so many seconds"! Yet they neglect to mention that the first three were within less than half a second of each other. Or that a couple of weeks later Sundees Son gets run down and beaten!

I think you have slightly misunderstood. The RIB investigator leading the charge on INCA was involved in a major case of wrongful prosecution. That prosecution has been overturned by the courts. As for INCA there is evidence that a similar misalignment in joining the dots has occurred.

But the point is @Gammalite if the evidence isnt sufficient to prosecute successfully in the Criminal Court then it shouldn't be sufficient elsewhere. As for betting "stings" I hope you don't mean the good old fashioned setting up of a horse to win at a good price? Been party to a number of those.

As do you @the galah. I've read much of the social media commentary and the writings of many masquerading as journalists. What has become apparent to me is that there is a coordinated group within the industry that are targeting certain stables and licensed participants. For example it is clearly apparent that the same group that hides behind private social media is feeding the likes of @Archie Butterfly. The RIB and to a degree HRNZ through their incompetence have enabled this group. For example the wild and outlandish accusation of the use of PED'S could be dealt with very easily. Yet we hear nothing from the RIB or HRNZ. With the former it is in their best interests to maintain the perception that there are drugs in use that they cannot yet detect. Which quite frankly is utter bollocks.

Isn't the bigger question why didn't the RIB use their industry powers and the process available to them if they thought the drive was deliberately a bad one? THAT would have been the end of the matter.

It is fair to ask why but it isn't fair to infer that the reason those charged are allegedly seeking to suppress evidence is because they are guilty. There is an issue of justice, fairness and I'd say basic human rights. If the Police don't have sufficient evidence to prosecute and or succeed in Court then that should be the end of the matter. The RIB should not be allowed a second go through their own judicial process. Arguably they forgoed that opportunity when they engaged the Police. However if they do charge under the racing rules and process where they are Judge and Jury and penalise those involved then it will likely end up back in the High Court. Vis a vis the Sheryl Wigg case. That would be manifestly unfair and a waste of resources.

There is minimisation but it concerns the minimising of behaviour and actions of the RIB and the Police. The RIB engaged the Police on the basis that significant criminal fraud was occurring. It wasn't to identify who was using or supplying recreational drugs. Wire tapping, bugging and clandestine surveillance was undertaken to uncover the supposed fraud. The only points scored so far have been for activities other than the original objective. Should the entire industry or the entire community be subjected to the same kind of surveillance?

Meanwhile out country and in the provinces in Victoria: Prizemoney for standard country races will jump $2000 to $27,000 with premium provincial meetings to feature $37,500 prizemoney for every race, a rise of $2500 on this season.

Guineas boost headlines Victorian racing’s prizemoney surge www.racenet.com.au Victorian thoroughbred racing participants will compete for more than $314m in prizemoney next season. Racing Victoria’s latest cash injection sent prizemoney through the $300m barrier for the first time. Next season’s prizemoney will increase by $26.2m with that amount split between stake money and bonuses from the state’s breeding incentive schemes. However, prizemoney could rise even further in the second half of the season with RV to assess the sport’s financial performance in the second half of 2022 before deciding prizemoney for the Festival Racing in the autumn. Racing Victoria’s chief executive Giles Thompson said Racing NSW’s move to boost that state’s prizemoney from July 1 played no part in the organisation’s thinking. Thompson said RV had engaged in a consultation process lasting months before announcing the prizemoney upgrades. “We have been very consistent over the years that when we think about prizemoney in Victoria, we think about what’s the most important for Victorian racing,” Thompson said. “That’s the lens that we bring to it and we overlay that with what we think is sustainable in Victoria having made all the other various investments. “I don’t think necessarily that it’s a head-to-head competition between Victoria and New South Wales. “I think what’s important for Victorian racing is that we focus on what’s best for Victorian racing. We’ve done that over many decades and it’s as strong as it’s ever been.” The nation’s top three-year-olds will compete for $3m in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in the spring. Picture: Michael Klein Under the plan, several spring features aside received significant prizemoney upgrades. The Caulfield Guineas will be worth $3m while the Manikato Stakes prizemoney will double to $2m. But owners, trainers and jockeys will compete for higher prizemoney at nearly all Victorian meetings next season. Prizemoney for standard country races will jump $2000 to $27,000 with premium provincial meetings to feature $37,500 prizemoney for every race, a rise of $2500 on this season. Night races run at Pakenham and Cranbourne across the warmer months will be worth $40,000 each in 2022/23. City prizemoney will also rise next season with most Saturday races to jump by $20,000 to $150,000 per race with the Pathway races, the ninth race of a city card to rise to $80,000. Metropolitan midweek prizemoney will jump 10 per cent to $55,000. The Manikato Stakes has doubled in prizemoney. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Moonee Valley Friday night meetings will offer a minimum prizemoney of $60,000 per race, up from $50,000, next season. “It’s what we think is best for Victorian racing and that’s why we’ve taken the approach of spreading the increases right across the whole ecosystem,” Thompson said. “We think it’s really important not to just feed to the top end of town and make the Melbourne Cup Carnival special and bring it to a crescendo but also for the grassroots as well. “That’s what really feeds the 25,000 that are reliant on the sport in Victoria and the nearly 100,000 that participate in the sport.” Supercharged Cup carnival plan revealed – Gilbert Gardiner Racing Victoria has fired a broadside in the interstate horse racing wars, with a supercharged $30m Melbourne Cup Carnival including three “Champions” races on Stakes Day at Flemington with a combined $9 million in prizemoney. The Herald Sun can reveal the Victoria Racing Club will host the three $3m Group 1s – the top class of horse races – on November 5, taking in the Champions Sprint (1200m), Champions Mile (1600m) and Champions Stakes (2000m). Flemington’s new Champions branding will anger NSW authorities as they created Sydney’s The Championships autumn race series in 2014. The bitterness of the interstate rivalry was clear on Monday night when, in a direct attack on Victoria, Racing NSW rushed out a shot gun press release declaring Sydney’s Golden Eagle, a 1500m race restricted to four-year-old horses, will carry a $10m purse this year – $2m more than the Melbourne Cup. NSW racing has made increasingly desperate and expensive attempts to steal some of the gloss from Melbourne’s world-class calendar, highlighted by the Spring Racing Carnival. Racing Victoria will make a number of key announcements on Tuesday on top of the $3.5m boost to VRC Champions Stakes Day prizemoney. The $3m Champions Mile, formerly the Cantala Stakes, will be a weight-for-age race with the shift back to the second Saturday at Flemington, after being run on Derby Day the past six years. Jockey James McDonald after piloting Zaaki to victory in the Mackinnon Stakes. Picture: Michael Klein It along with the race dates for the 2022-23 season will be confirmed on Tuesday. The Herald Sun understands RV has also increased the minimum prizemoney for country and city races. The stallion-making Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, one of the three top flight races on October 29, has increased to $2m purse – up $500,000 – to sit next to the $2m Victoria Derby. VRC chairman Neil Wilson said Champions Stakes Day and increases to Group 1 prizemoney was an exciting development for the club and the broader racing industry. “VRC Champions Stakes Day has been years in the making, with the club pleased to be able to deliver on its vision for a significant grand finale to Cup Week,” Wilson said. “The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of the world’s greatest racing events and we have four days of elite racing that will continue to attract horses from here and abroad. “The appeal of Cup Week stretches far and wide, with local and international spectators set to be captivated by the best of the best competing at Flemington. “The VRC thanks Racing Victoria and the VRC Board for its support to elevate prizemoney for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.” Home Affairs won last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Picture: George Sal-Racing Photos via Getty Images Prizemoney for the $8m Melbourne Cup and $1m VRC Oaks remains unchanged. The VRC has boosted the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes to $500,000 – up from $300,000 last season – to match the $500,000 Carbine Club Stakes also on Derby Day. A proposed Linlithgow Stakes distance change – from 1200m to 1400m – has yet to be finalised. The changes, schedule and conditions, for the Champions Mile gives connections of Cox Plate horses two potential $3m targets 14 days after ‘the greatest two minutes in sport’. It also provides horses from the Group 2 Crystal Mile on October 22 (Cox Plate day) an extra seven days (14 total) to prepare for the Group 1 grand final – Champions Mile. The $3m Champions Stakes, registered as Mackinnon Stakes, already fits in neatly with the Cox Plate a fortnight earlier. Pre-post Cox Plate favourite Zaaki, who was sensationally scratched on race day last year with an elevated temperature, returned a fortnight later at Flemington to make amends winning the Mackinnon Stakes. INCREASED PRIZEMONEY FOR MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL Class Race Distance Prizemoney 2022-23 (change) Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint 1200m $3 (+$1m) Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes 1200m $2m (+$500,000) Group 2 TAB Linlithgow Stakes 1400m (tbc) $500,000 (+$200,000 VRC top up) Group 1 VRC Champions Stakes 2000m $3m (+$1m)

loveracing.nz The NZTR Board has committed to an exciting and innovative growth plan revealing a raft of initiatives today. Heading the announcement is a more than $7 million stakes increase which will see a strategic injection of stakes across 20 of New Zealand’s best performing racedays. This targets significant Group and Listed races across Iconic and Premier meetings. NZTR Chairman Cameron George said the Board’s aim is to provide opportunities to increase revenue, delivering bigger racing events on our best performing days. “These are our high-profile events which attract crowds and significant wagering interest,” he said. “By packaging these 20 best-performing events as New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s not-to-be-missed occasions which feature our best athletes – horse and human – we see an opportunity to grow and capitalise on that interest.” “Our Black type racing is critical to all sectors of the New Zealand industry, providing aspirational opportunities and we see these events as having the best cut-through to accelerate revenue growth. Not only in wagering, but by establishing them in the public eye as important events that underpin our sport in much the same way that other sports globally celebrate their majors,” George said. Minimum stakes will rise to $14,000 across the calendar, double what they were five years earlier. “The Board’s view is to slowly increase the minimum racing stakes over the next few seasons. Our intention is to also turn our focus to the middle-range stakes within the next year, or earlier, depending upon performance,” George said. Stake increases by the numbers Minimums $14,000 across the entire racing calendar A strategic injection of stakes across 20 of our best performing racedays Group 1 – minimums increase from $220,000 to $300,000 Group 2 – minimums increase from $110,000 to $140,000* Group 3 – minimums increase from $80,000 to $100,000* Listed – minimums increase from $60,000 to $80,000* Iconic meetings – minimums increase from $50,000 to $70,000 Premier meetings – minimums increase from $40,000 to $50,000 Targeted South Island increases of $400K in August, February, and March (Canterbury Grand National, Dunedin Gold Cup, Invercargill Gold Cup and Otago Southern Mile) *At Top 20 meetings. Group 1 races not held at Iconic or Premier meetings will be increased from $220,000 to $300,000. Group 2 races not held at Iconic or Premier meetings will be increased to $120,000. Group Three and Listed races not held at Iconic or Premier meetings will remain at current minimums. Infrastructure fund The Board has also committed $10,000,000 towards an infrastructure fund to allow for an initial five-year programme of necessary work to be undertaken at venues across the country. “This is an aspect of our industry which needs attention, investment, but also accountability,” George said. “The Board agrees that we will invest in this area, however we will also expect a professional response from the Clubs with regard to their track preparation and the recognition that providing a suitable track is a prerequisite when it comes to date allocation,” he said. George acknowledged that while this initial investment will require some careful planning around how and when the work is conducted, the Board is committed to providing investment now to benefit the industry’s long-term future. “The Board further commits to a floor of $4 million that at all times will be available specifically intended for the purpose of infrastructure,” he said. Sustainable fund injections The last two years have allowed NZTR to build a fund to protect our industry from a potential COVID shutdown and the impacts that might bring. The NZTR Board believes that some of this risk has subsided and is looking to spread these funds across the industry over the next five years. “This distribution will be conducted in a sustainable and sensible manner and, as with all of the increases, will remain subject to TAB NZ and NZTR wagering performance,” George said. “The spread will be across stakes, infrastructure, and professional development for industry participants through their respective Associations.” This funding will be in addition to NZTR’s BAU budget. Licence renewal rebate The licence renewal fees for the 2022-23 racing season will be funded by NZTR. Those who have already renewed their licences will receive a credit for the next season. “When considering how tirelessly our participants worked during the past two years to keep our industry afloat during a global pandemic, the Board was determined to reward that dedication,” George said. “I’m not sure whether anyone experienced a good day during this difficult period, so the Board agreed it was only fitting that we waive your fees for the next season” he said. Innovation Fund The Board has also decided that an Innovation Fund of $500,000 to all clubs, outside of those that will be conducting the 20 best performing race dates, will be made available again.