Chief Stipe

I guess that explains your close interest in Princess Lowry. He still stands at the Oaks Stud for a fee of $5k.

All good. Racing Victoria is quick to alter race day times and dates if forecast temperatures are 30 degrees plus. I was wondering what the policy was in NZ. Good to see you had a great day. Still a place in NZ Racing for a circuit like the West Coast. With a bit more programming/planning it could be incorporated to include a number of other country tracks in the South Island. Now wouldn't that be novel..... You could organise your training and racing programme and avoid Riccarton altogether unless you happened upon a Guineas type horse!

Bollocks.

I thought CWJ rode it very well. I haven't seen him that low down on a horse for awhile and he certainly put in 110% effort. Of course the issue when going forward is that someone is likely to push out under you (happens a lot in 2000m races at Ellerslie). That said I'm not sure the Jockey that did push him out took the right option for their horse. But I guess it is easy from our rocking chairs....

I thought CWJ rode it very well. I haven't seen him that low down on a horse for awhile and he certainly put in 110% effort. Of course the issue when going forward is that someone is likely to push out under you (happens a lot in 2000m races at Ellerslie). That said I'm not sure the Jockey that did push him out took the right option for their horse. But I guess it is easy from our rocking chairs....

@Reefton was a bit light on the irrigation....

A bit stiff @curious if @Pitman's horse hadn't pushed you out you might have got that extra nose!

Eh? Have you got shares in Roc de Cambes? Rock Up doesn't look overly big and didn't really run that well. Do you have inside information @Joe Bloggs?

Back to Reefton. Who determined the late start? Wouldn't it have been better to start an hour or more earlier - avoid the heat and not clash later in the day with a couple of Ozzie meetings? Or does slotting in later with those OZ meetings attract more Ozzie punters?

Focused intervention and protection is what you are eluding to. Australia has a large vaccination level and have elected to allow Omicron to circulate as has the UK. Meanwhile we are setting ourselves up for one hell of an autumn. Let the Omicron variant circulate NOW and build up natural immunity which is what is needed for both the unvaccinated AND the vaccinated.

Can we stick to the topic of REEFTON please?!!!!!!

Geez @Reefton have you got a deal going with the TAB or are the Bookies scared? Only race suspended in FO Betting this morning.

@Reefton is probably out there preparing a special strip of the track for a specific horse in the last. Probably talking the craic with the Jockey at this very moment! Was always odds on that a local would win the last 😉 on the Coast!

I remember Dad driving the family to Nelson from Hokitika in the late 70's. It was hot and as we got closer to Reefton (120km from Hoki) it got stinking hot. Dad stopped in the main street of Reefton and we all bowled into a pub that had its front door on the main street. I can remember vividly it had a cold air conditioner running flat tack and even colder beer. I remember even more vividly after an hour or so leaving and going through that front door and hitting what felt like a brick wall of heat.

@curious, @Freda and @Joe Bloggs - Next year for you guys?

30 degrees plus. I've been in Reefton when it's that hot and it is hot as it sits in a bowl with no breeze.

You lot seriously believe this shit? It's simple - big Pharma and their investors are making shyte loads of dosh out of a vaccine that essentially doesn't work. People dying from adverse reactions is a product of poor science NOT some conspiracy.

Three points from that RIB decision stick out in my mind: There was no Senior person arranged to assist him - although he had been there enough in the last year to understand the process; He is a recidivist offender with regard to careless riding - has he received any corrective instruction?; It was his 6th offence in 8 months yet he only got 5 days; Given his record over the last 12 months should he be allowed to serve out his apprenticeship suspended? Perhaps he would benefit to an extension based on a quantum of the days suspended during the last year. Arguably he becomes a Senior Rider when his riding isn't up to the quality one would expect from a Senior Rider. Correction: Effectively he served out his apprenticeship BEFORE he completed his suspension as he was able to defer the suspension for 5 days!

Are things going to improve when the Judiciary takes the following approach. This is Lance O'Sullivan's Apprentice!!!! SIX careless riding charges in EIGHT months!!!! Apprentice Rider, Taiki Yanagida admitted a charge of careless riding which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Information alleged that Taiki Yanagida “allowed his mount, GONE WITH THE WIND to shift in when not sufficiently clear of RUSAVY (T Newman) which was checked near the 1300 metres”. The Respondent acknowledged he understood the Rule and confirmed his admission of the breach. Mr Yanagida is an Apprentice Rider who is due to become a fully-fledged Senior Rider in 5 days. At the time of the hearing there was not a senior responsible person available to support him at the hearing. On that basis he took advice from his employer, Mr L O’Sullivan (via phone) and as a result Mr Yanagida advised the Committee, he consented to the hearing proceeding without a support person. Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr Oatham produced the Respondent’s riding record which indicated 5 previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, namely: 08/05/21 Te Rapa, 4 days suspension 27/05/21 Counties, 4 days suspension 14/08/21 Te Rapa, 5 days suspension 02/10/21 Hastings, 8 days suspension 06/11/21 Te Rapa, 7 days suspension The Respondent has had 430 mounts in the past 12 months and is a sought after Apprentice Rider. Mr Oatham said Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be in the low – range,

Would be a shame if some have to formally adopt their owners to become "close relatives"! Although I guess you could claim shared tribal/iwi heritage. Now that would be an interesting case!!!

What is the problem they are trying to address? It isn't clearly stated so therefore how can success be accurately measured? Are the changes going to help increase the number of trainers and horses in training? I'd say the opposite as the barriers to entry are being raised. Will trainer costs/overheads be reduced? No, both directly and indirectly they will increase. Indirectly by the diversion of potential stake money to fund more bureaucracy. Will compliance to standards improve? Not likely as if there is failure now then that is not due to rules being in place but through the current bureaucracy not doing their job. Will the changes "level the playing field" and allow easy entry to the industry? No. The changes will distort market forces favouring those who are already in the "elite club" and who can readily pass costs on to owners. Innovative, low cost models of operation will disadvantaged with the end result being fewer horses in training. As I predicted when TAB NZ pushed some functions off their ledger to artificially improve their own performance, the small windfall increase delivered to the codes has resulted in an increase in their bureaucracy and more innovative ways to spend stakeholder funds. I also suspect that these changes are being driven by the new $2m+ computer system purchased from Australia. That is processes and procedures need to be changed to fit with the computer system NOT to align with the business requirements of the local environment. One of NZ's key attributes for its historical success has been its flexibility, diversity, ability to innovate and adapt to changing environmental conditions. All I see now are changes that negate those advantages from the closing of perfectly good training and racing tracks, to the building of high cost AWT's and now the squeezing out of the little guy. Seems NZ Racing is set to focus on and revolve around the suited of Cambridge. Part of the attraction of racing when I got involved was that I could be an active owner I.e. I could easily watch my horse train and race. I could even dung out the stables, lead my horse and even give it a good head scratch. Now it is getting harder and harder to do that because of the barriers being put in place. If I can't have that close involvement anymore I wouldn't race a horse in NZ. Better to have a share in one in OZ where the chances of a return are so much better.

But what is the objective/outcome they wish to achieve with these changes?

I'm enjoying the camera angles. It feels a lot more exciting to watch the racing a Greymouth than Ellerslie or Riccarton!

A Kevin Myers benefit!