Chief Stipe

Meeting News New Plymouth Track Inspection/Update With a forecast of significant rainfall in New Plymouth today a track inspection will take place this afternoon with an update following that.

An artificially produced Soft 5 at that. Why don't they use your favourite tool the Going Stick @Thomass? BTW where did Tim Mills make that comment about the Soft 5?

So the smart Jockeys saved ground and didn't go wide!

I've always felt that the new Racing Act's management structure was its weakest part.

There is no doubt that those on the committee will be driven by their particular self-interest in racing. Don't forget most large breeders also race a number of their progeny. So the issue really is will the interests of ALL stakeholders be considered. The committee may then argue that they are working in the interests of racing therefore everyone benefits. Which is a valid argument. As I said above I suspect their main objective is to increase the pie for Thoroughbreds at the expense of Harness and of course Greyhounds (the latter still have a season to go by the way). My interpretation of the legislation though is that such a Committee deals with TABNZ not directly with ENTAIN. That said I always thought that the TABNZ and its Board as an organisation was a bit of a lame duck in reality although legislated not to be.

Were they managing the track? We always made sure we picked up the colours before the next race. A bit tricky if there is only one of you but we found if you didn't both parties tended to forget as either we were both getting ready for another race or getting ready to go home. I always wondered why they didnt organise that better with a central pick up drop off point (at the weigh scales?). A non-disposable bag with name, phone number and address for them also helps.

A dwarf going to a fancy dress party perhaps? Seriously though they may be just left oncourse in the building somewhere. I assume @Ross E you've contacted a Hawera club rep? I know someone if you haven't.

Unlike other places where @Thomass is not allowed he has never been banned here. Even when @Pete Lane and @hesi were demanding it. Not that I agree with his posts about Wanganui but he is probably a Wellington Racing Club member and they only point the finger at others.

All that said it raced safe. Easy to blame a track now.

Spring on Jenni's agenda? www.racing.com Owner Tony Ottobre has hinted star mare Pride Of Jenni is likely to continue her racing career in the spring and will stick to races over a mile. The seven-year-old was last seen in the Doomben Cup (G1, 2000m) where she finished towards the back of the field, but Ottobre says he was still delighted with the front runner’s campaign and says there is no reason why she shouldn't keep racing. “She’s got a 50 per cent winning strike rate from her last prep, why would you retire her?” Ottobre said on SENTrack. “You only retire a horse when they’ve had enough or they don’t want to run anymore. “We’re in it for racing, we’re not in it for anything else other than racing and also making sure the horse is fine.” WATCH: Jack Turnbull chats about Pride Of Jenni and Sternbo Idolay Pride Of Jenni will shortly commence her float trip back to Ottobre’s farm from where a decision on what happens next will be made. “Once we get her here we’ll assess where she’s at and how she’s going and go from there,” he said. “At the moment her future is fine and rosy, her campaign was two wins from four starts. “I think she’s still fantastic… I know she’s really good at 1600m.” Ottobre said Pride Of Jenni would likely only have two or three runs in a spring campaign of which the mile would be her most likely trip. “If you’re going to something like the King Charles, she has to be in great order and she has to be in a mood to want to race, if she’s that way… at this stage nothing’s off the deck, nothing at all,” he said.

One of those horses that "landed awkwardly" jumped beautifully without the rider.

All anecdotal @curious It always amuses me how a Jockey can give a track rating after riding a 550kg penetrometer of variable talent over a variable track. Bearing in mind that we can't be confident that the official rating was correct given the Stewards don't walk the track and the penetrometer readings aren't published. Meanwhile we have @Special Agent saying the times were slick. We have you relaying information that a shifty bend - the poor old track manager is being dictated to now where the rail gets placed! Thanks Kate! Supposedly there wa a front runners bias. According to @TAB For Ever some "horses wouldn't go on it completely". I can't help but think there is a snitch in some quarters against the Track Manager. Not long ago everyone was complaining that they were running wide and what a farce it was yet they didn't do that this meeting. All in all I thought the track raced fair and safe and wasn't a bog. Isn't that all we want for a winter track? Some horses wouldn't have liked it but that's racing. Perhaps we should close Wanganui as well given so many unhappy people.

He seems a reasonable dude. Highlights why most top level Trainers/Jockeys/Owners don't engage with social media or respond. Instead use it as a marketing medium. Though never ceases to me amaze how some cry a river on one channel and then act all tough on another.

No the Jockeys offered the tracks conditon as an excuse. Notably four Jockeys used the same excuse more than once. The times weren't that slick not as if they were running 1:07.5 on a Soft 7. The best 1200m time was 1:10.45 on a Heavy 8.

Yeah well maybe they should be a bit nervous about their pay packets. Do we really need the high paid ones like Guy Heveldt reading a cookie cutter script and a form guide as a segue to the next race?

Jim was the Grocer I was referring to. His racebook had more annotations than a bookies! I remember Johnny Hurren really well. Charles Uphams batman during the War.

Actually thinking about it the AWT report probably has research in there that supports our hypothesis that the Ellerslie "Iconic" bends don't cut the mustard. Petards and hoists.

Well that's great. I've been pointing it out since day one and more so after I walked the track. Got mainly criticism.

Right so I go from being uneducated to an educated derelict. I'm on the way up! Thanks for the support. Don't bother sending me an invoice for the "mentoring".

Good luck pointing that out on any forum!

Arrogant sod. I've had more schooling that you and two grass roots Universities.

Uh?

Can't you read? Not ONE horse fell.

Do you think their influence on NZTR has been positive? Is this new committee saying that the Staff and Board of TABNZ are not doing a good job? If they need advice have the wrong people been employed? https://www.tabnz.org/about-us These people were paid a total of $2.5m last year. TABNZ Leadership Team Nick Roberts Chief Executive Officer Jason Fleming General Manager - Commercial and Finance Niall Miller General Manager Gaming Heather Hay Head of Legal and Regulatory The TABNZ Board William (Bill) Birnie CNZM Chairperson Wendie Harvey Director Hon. David Bennett Director Tim Gillespie Director Bill Moran MNZM Director Kereyn Smith CNZM Director