Chief Stipe

How did you assess what they "should have" been? Couldn't it be just a case of the market agreeing as a whole?

Easy peasy! I'd say on that run she shouldn't have too much trouble nailing the Derby distance.

Attached - the Policies!! Race Meeting Track Information Template - February 2022 (002).pdf Track Preparation Policy - February 2022.pdf Pre-Meeting Track Safety Review Policy - February 2022.pdf Raceday Track Safety Review Policy - February 2022.pdf

I'm picking George Simon either returned a positive RAT test or has Covid. They'll be keeping a lid on it because of the close contact scenario which could mean a whole lot of people self-isolating. It is inevitable that a meeting will be "abandoned" as infections increase. Bernie should get down to Freedom Village in Wellington and join the anti-mandate protest.

It's not a "given". So is it the $1.70 favourite that limits the betting? After all a $1.70 if it is considered value is a good return on an investment.

He only ever picks favourites so the price is low to start with. Why don't you look for value elsewhere because if as you say he distorts the market then that increases the value of other horses.

So following your logic a 8 horse field with a $2.20 favourite would attract more punting?

The crack nine-horse field on Saturday has combined to win 40 stakes races, including 12 Group 1s, 10 Group 2s and about $37m prizemoney.

So doping is not only rife in the USA but according to you has gone global? Any word yet on the mysterious undetectable PED(s) being used? Strange that with all their resources the FED's don't seem to be able to take the samples they have and get them tested in a reputable lab. If WADA can find an obscure heart medication drug in the sample of a Olympic ice skater you'd think they'd be able to identify these mysterious PED's.

The key questions are will banning the whip: - increase wagering; - increase participation; - appease the anti-racing mob. The answer in my opinion to each of those questions is No. In fact for two of those factors it will have the opposite outcome. In which country is harness racing stronger? Norway, Sweden or Denmark? As for my asking if the whip is banned in training is a red herring. Isn't it just pure virtue signalling if it isn't? Did you also know that the horses that race in Norway often race in Sweden and Denmark where Whips can be used.

Time to ditch the Messara report recommendations regarding tracks. There are ample good Tracks left and they should be utilised rather than canned. We need them if we are to trade our way out of this. Tracks, tracks, tracks. It's been my personal crusade for over 12 years now since I saw the state of our premier tracks as I walked them on the morning of raceday as an owner. It's the single biggest horse welfare issue we face. It is also the single biggest issue in terms of improving the amount wagered on our racing. In the last year NZTR has spent $2.4m and growing on a computer system whose budget is blowing out. They have spent $95k on track maintenance in the same time!!!!!!!

MEETING NEWS Taranaki RI - ABANDONED The Taranaki RI meeting today has been Abandoned. All races have been left open at Counties RC until 9.00am Saturday 19 February. The Listed 3YOF Oaks Prelude will be run at this race meeting over 1600m. This race will also be open, but preference will be given to horses who were already accepted in this race at Taranaki RI.

Obviously Trainers hadn't walked the track beforehand.

I guess they abandoned this time BEFORE horses went round..... Any word on why they abandoned?

Contrary to media spin the overarching dominant reason for the Protest is Anti-MANDATES. I know numerous people who are really pissed that they had to get vaccinated to continue to function in society.

I see 30% in the latest poll support the protest.

Prebble pays tribute to Probabeel Edward Sadler@edward_sadler 17 February, 2022 Brett Prebble aboard Probabeel (Image: Racing Photos) A week is a long time in racing. Last weekend, Brett Prebble guided Probabeel to a thrilling first up win in the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield, with the rest of the autumn to look forward to. But on Wednesday he received the 'heart-wrenching' news that the mare, who he also won last year's G1 Might And Power Stakes on, had been retired. "It's very hard to find a horse like that," Prebble said. "She was pretty special, what she did from a two-year-old to a five-year-old, she's a very durable mare and a high-class racehorse."

Do you honestly believe that the Trainers in Norway never ever use a whip in training? It is just virtue signalling in public.

Good luck finding any videos or race information from Norway!! My searches have been fruitless.

Wait for it.....and the performance enhancers are?

Or exposing their own incompetence?

That is a broad sweeping statement that is completely false. You can test for anything you want to. Those that say you can't are either incompetent or ignorant.

How many horses became sick? How many died? Whose horses? You seem to be conflating the evidence and spreading it wider than is actually the case. There is also a large flaw in your argument - as I repeatedly keep pointing out to you - the FED's had samples in their possession and the only drugs mentioned in the indictments are Clenbuterol (mislabelled) and the Sheep Placeta snake oil - PGF-1000.