Chief Stipe

In my opinion and I've said this about Gallop tracks/clubs - you can't financially sustain a race track without having permanent training facilities. Both Ellerslie and Alex Park have closed that door. The economics of transporting horses around is increasingly more costly. But not only that logistically it must be a nightmare getting your horses into Alex Park. That in itself would be a turnoff for those coming from south of Auckland. Perhaps they should have a horse train like they did in the old days bringing horses and punters to the course. The industry has also cut their noses off by not supporting harness racing North of Auckland.

Apparently they present two different levels of firmness by grooming the AWT differently. They only groom 3 days a week or prior to a trial day. It is harder on Trial day than it is for general work/gallop days. I would have thought that this isn't a good idea. Shouldn't it be the same all the time or at the very least the other way round i.e. softer on trial/race days than work days. I'm not a horse trainer however my understanding is you condition horses to a particular surface through training and increasing the effort as a horse becomes used to it i.e. their bones, joints, ligaments and muscles slowly become conditioned to the firmness. So wouldn't the management protocol allegedly in place lead to horse breakdowns? Why not present the same firmness of track everyday? At least you would know what you were getting. Do they measure the firmness? If they don't how do they know what they are presenting? Especially relative to weather conditions as the artificial surface does alter relative to heat, humidity and water.

So it's clear you only post on the only forum you have access to to do what? Enjoy because BOAY allows your crap to be on line.

Maven Belle had a soft run. She's run out in all of her races. She had Wolverine well covered. If Wolverine was going to win then she needed to run the fastest last 400m of the day.

Bollocks.

We've already covered that off.

At least someone is trying something different. Everyone else seems to be asleep.....ATC.

Subscribe Login Group 1 RacingNSW Stars are ready to shine in Queen Elizabeth showdown British Bulldog, Addeybb, won the 2020 and 2021 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Picture: Picture: AAP Image By Ray Thomas 07:09pm • 04 April 2022 1 Comments The cliches are getting a workout this week like the “race of the century”, the “clash of champions” or a “race for the ages”. But the truth of the matter is they all apply. It’s not just hype. When the field goes into the barriers for the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday, this will be the most exciting race in years. Verry Elleegant is looking for a 12th Group 1 victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy Racing NSW introduced The Championships in 2014 with cynics suggesting the concept wouldn’t last and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes would never rival the Cox Plate as the nation’s best weight-for-age race. The Championships, billed as the “Grand Finals of Australian Racing”, are here to stay because they are perfectly positioned later in the season to showcase the nation’s best equine talent. Nothing personifies The Championships more than the Queen Elizabeth Stakes which brings together the best weight-for-age horses in training, the seasoned champs, the new challengers and the boom three-year-olds, over the classic distance of 2000m. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes invariably rates among the nation’s top two races each year and Saturday’s showdown will continue that tradition. The competitor in Chris Waller, trainer of favourite Verry Elleegant, said the Queen Elizabeth Stakes provides the platform for the “best to compete against the best”. “This will be an outstanding race,’’ Waller said. “Earlier in my career, I used to put my horses in the easiest races but with Winx I realised how important it was for racing to put the good horses against each other. Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes winner Duais is pushing for favouritism for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Picture: Getty Images “This is what the racing public wants to see and it is what makes this sport so exciting.’’ And it doesn’t get any better than Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes field. If Verry Elleegant can win the Queen Elizabeth, it will be her 12th Group 1 success and boost her prizemoney over $17 million, making her the third highest earner of all time behind Winx on $26.4 million and Nature Strip on $17.9 million. But this is shaping as the greatest challenge of Verry Elleegant’s career with her rivals including the rampant Zaaki, the imported superstar from the Annabel Neasham stable who has won the Doomben Cup, Underwood Stakes and Mackinnon Stakes at Group 1 level, plus the All-Star Mile and more than $6 million in prizemoney in a stellar 12 months in Australian racing. There is Duais, the outstanding mare from the Edward Cummings stable, who emulated the legendary Makybe Diva by winning the Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes, her most recent win so emphatic she is challenging for Queen Elizabeth Stakes favouritism. The maestro David Payne has prepared more than 100 Group 1 winners during his training career and he has another outstanding galloper in Montefilia, the underrated mare who has won four majors and did what few horses have been able to do and that was “out-tough” Verry Elleegant in the Ranvet Stakes last start. Anamoe, fresh from a brilliant win in the Rosehill Guineas, will take on the older horses for the first time since his narrow Cox Plate second placing. Picture: Grant Guy Think It Over is right in the mix. The “warhorse” is trained out of Kembla Grange by Kerry Parker but he has emerged as an elite level weight-for-age horse with his wins in the last year in the George Ryder Stakes, Chelmsford Stakes, Hill Stakes, Craven Plate, Rosehill Gold Cup and Apollo Stakes. I’m Thunderstruck won the Golden Eagle last spring, finished second in the All-Star Mile and Doncaster Mile at his last two starts and could back-up in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Mr Brightside, the Doncaster winner, is some chance too. And you can’t forget Anamoe, the crack colt from the Godolphin stable who won the Rosehill Guineas by nearly seven lengths last start. The James Cummings-trained three-year-old brings that “X factor” to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes field. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes has become an iconic race during the Sydney autumn carnival producing some of the most memorable moments in Australian racing in recent years. The clashes between Addeybb and Verry Elleegant as they ran 1-2 in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2020 and again last year were pure box office. Mighty mare Winx’s three-peat demonstrated her absolute dominance with her farewell triumph in 2019 triumph an emotional and unforgettable race day before a massive 43,000-plus Randwick crowd. Intergaze (left) was the last three-year-old to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes when he beat Octagonal (right) in 1997. There’s been some shock results in this race, too. The fairytale end to the race careers of Octagonal (1997) and his son Lonhro (2004) didn’t go to script when both were beaten in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Octagonal couldn’t run down Intergaze, the last three-year-old to win the race, while you could have heard a pin drop when Grand Armee ran away to upset Lonhro. But what about the 1998 win of Might And Power. He was at his destructive best that day, streaking clear of his rivals to win by more than 10 lengths. This is only a snapshot of the racing highlights the Queen Elizabeth Stakes provides every year – but Saturday’s race could trump them all. “It’s always an additional benefit to have some international participation but even without an overseas horse this year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes is shaping as a vintage renewal,’’ said ATC’s James Ross. “The Queen Elizabeth has been for some time the highest rating race in Australia and Saturday’s race is likely to be the same. “To see Verry Elleegant competing against the winners of all the feature races – this is the ‘Grand Final” of Australian racing.’’

Wolverine wasn't going to win that race regardless of the interference. She had her head barely overlapped and Maven Belle kicked. Maven Belle had a soft run and fights to the line. No way was Wolverine going to pass her. Innes should have hunted up onto her back instead of going soft at the 800m.

Which are?

What song goes with that?

I'm sure you're well qualified to give it. What would you say?

I gather you aren't kidding. At least the stuffed turf track won't suffer.....not that it takes much racing to do that. Also saves Opex as they won't have to move the rail so many times.

Well I guess we won't have to worry about slow horses who like give in the ground. Final nail for jumps races if you eliminate the supply. About time NZTR and stakeholders looked to keeping as many horses in training as possible. Wont be enough soon to fund tracks and training centres. I guess Tim Mills will then move to a career in Hospitality.

The official reason. Manawatu RC 2 April 2022 – R6 – MAVEN BELLE ID: RIB8420 Respondent(s): Sam Weatherley - Jockey Applicant: L Innes Adjudicators: N Moffatt and N McCutcheon Persons Present: Mr R Bergerson, Mr L Innes, Mr M Walker, Mr S Weatherley Information Number: A17303 Decision Type: Protest Rule(s): 642(1) Plea: Contested Protest: 2nd v 1st Stewards Report Results Animal Name: MAVEN BELLE Code: Thoroughbred Race Date: 02/04/2022 Race Club: Manawatu Race Club Race Location: Awapuni Racing Centre - 67 Racecourse Road, Awapuni, Palmerston North, 4412 Race Number: R6 Hearing Date: 02/04/2022 Hearing Location: Awapuni Racecourse Outcome: Protest Dismissed Evidence Following the running of Race Number 6, an Information was filed Instigating a Protest pursuant to Rule 642(1). The Applicant L Innes alleged that horse Number 7 (MAVEN BELLE) placed 1st by the Judge interfered with the chances of horse Number 8 (WOLVERINE) placed 2nd by the Judge. The interference was alleged to have occurred over the concluding stages. The Judge’s provisional placings were as follows: 1st No. 7 MAVEN BELLE 2nd No. 8 WOLVERINE 3rd No. 3 WAITAK 4th No. 2 ANDALUS The official margin was 1 and ¼ lengths Rule 642(1) provides: “If a placed horse or its rider causes interference within the meaning of this rule 642 to another placed horse, and the Adjudicative Committee is of the opinion that the horse so interfered with would have finished ahead of the first mentioned horse had such interference not occurred, they may place the first mentioned horse immediately after the horse interfered with”. Submissions For Decision Prior to hearing submissions from the respective parties, the Adjudicative Committee requested that Stewards show all available race films of the alleged interference and identify the runners. Head-on, side-on, and rear-view aspects were all shown. Mr Innes was invited to explain his reasons for lodging the protest. He stated that Mr Weatherley (MAVEN BELLE) came from an inside position on the running rail. WOLVERINE had a clear run and was picking up momentum from the top of the straight. 25m (later amended to 75m) out from the winning post Mr Weatherley’s mount moved out under WOLVERINE’s neck which caused Mr Innes to pull his mount outwards off its heels and cost him winning the race. He said he would otherwise have won the race by 1 – 1 and ½ lengths. Mr Innes added that once past the post WOLVERINE was level with MAVEN BELLE and going away from that runner. Mr Bergerson said the films clearly showed that WOLVERINE was about to pick the leader up but was stopped dead in her tracks when MAVEN BELLE moved outwards and dictated her line of running. He said it was difficult to regain momentum when stopped at that speed. Mr Bergerson estimated the interference cost WOLVERINE a couple of lengths. Mr Walker asked the Adjudicative Committee to look at Mr Innes’ hand movements and notice that he never stopped using his hands throughout the incident. It was too close to the line, and he was never going to pick up 1 and a ¼ lengths on the winner. Mr Walker said the best horse on the day won and it was irrelevant what happened after the winning post because Mr Weatherley had already eased on MAVEN BELLE. Mr Weatherley said Mr Innes had not stopped riding at any stage and was still able to push WOLVERINE forward with his hands. He said it was a big margin, MAVEN BELLE was finishing on strongly and he did not believe that the second horse would have beaten him. Stipendiary Steward Mr Coppins outlined the Stewards’ interpretation of the alleged interference saying that while WOLVERINE was finishing quickly, they could not be certain that it would have beaten MAVEN BELLE. Reasons For Decision In accordance with the requirements of the Protest Rule the Adjudicative Committee must firstly establish that interference occurred; and secondly, if interference is established, the horse interfered with would have beaten the other runner, had such interference not occurred. After hearing submissions and reviewing the video footage the Adjudicative Committee established that with approximately 75m to go MAVEN BELLE ran out into the line of WOLVERINE forcing that runner off its rightful line of running, and as a result WOLVERINE lost a degree of momentum. The Adjudicative Committee is satisfied that MAVEN BELLE did interfere with the chances of WOLVERINE however relegation is not automatic. The Adjudicative Committee looked carefully at how both horses were finishing at the time of interference (both MAVEN BELLE and WOLVERINE were finishing strongly), where the interference occurred in relation to the winning post and the margin of 1 and ¼ lengths between 1st and 2nd placed horses. Taking all these matters into account the Adjudicative Committee could not be comfortably satisfied that had the interference not occurred WOLVERINE would have beaten MAVEN BELLE. On that basis, in the exercise of our discretion, the protest was dismissed, and the Judge’s placings stand. Decision Accordingly, the protest is dismissed, and the Judge’s placings stand. The Adjudicative Committee authorised the payment of dividends and stake money in accordance with the decision.

Not quite related to @nod's questions but one issue is that it is clearly evident it isn't paying its way. So where is the opex going to come from? Will the South Island racing programme be manipulated to force as many horses as possible to race on the Synthetic Track?

I heard rumours but like a lot of things in racing.....whispers behind closed doors....and nothing changes or improves.

They were going very slow but I think he may have been slightly exaggerating. Although I may have misheard him say 13's. I think it was the win on Hong Kong. They slowed heaps as they exited the straight the first time.

Pinn has a lot more talent and potential than most of the apprentices. Heard him talking about pace - "they were only doing 15's so I went to the front"... Agree regarding Allpress but I've posted a couple of times now that I think she and a number of Senior Jockey's are a bit field shy due to the lack of quality of those around them.

You neglect to mention that Pinns horse cannoned into Allpress's after they jumped. Her horse lost a length because of it.

79 horses nominated for Auckland this Friday for 10 races. One of them is an Amateur Drivers race. 81 for 9 races at Cambridge on Thursday for 9 races. So neither are that good. IF Auckland can't sustain good fields then HRNZ should be looking at shifting another meeting elsewhere into that Friday night slot - it is a good revenue earning slot for racing as the competition is light from OZ. I can't see the point of having an Amateur Drivers race on a Friday night at Auckland. As for the $200. If it is coming out of the ATC's funds then good on them. If it is a HRNZ subsidy then NO given that in my opinion lot of the problems lie with them and not the clubs.

What IS THE PROBLEM? I hear everyone talking about THE PROBLEM but no one seems to be clearly defining the problem NOR its causes. That goes for officials, media and social media posters.

Wouldn't want to embarrass you again - it gets tedious. You just go back to watching your OZ racing.

So much for being Royalty. Although unlike proper royals you can buy into the Tangerine clan.

Here's one. https://loveracing.nz/RaceInfo/47606/6/Race-Detail.aspx