Chief Stipe

Shouldn't the new Chief Operating Officer be sorting the race scheduling out?

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https://loveracing.nz/Common/SystemTemplates/Modal/Video.aspx?v=http%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202111%2fCBRY-R08-061121.mp4&i=%2fCommon%2fImage.ashx%3fw%3d565%26h%3d314%26a%3d1%26o%3d1%26z%3d1%26bg%3deeeeee%26p%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202111%2fCBRY-R08-061121.jpg&r=Race 8 - AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI 49TH NEW ZEALAND 2000 GUINEAS®&rs=1&jwsource=cl

With posters permission I might shift the SI Racing posts to their own Thread as there is some good stuff. But nothing to do with Noverre. But regarding Noverre I had my concerns about the track that day. I also don't think the track was conducive to the type of lane changing ride that Noverre experienced when it appears to have suffered its injury.

His performance at the TAB was below average in my opinion. Do you have a contrary view? What has improved under his control at HRNZ? Seems odd that he knows less than the Stewards in most of the scratchings.

Harness racing horse suspected of being administered prohibited substance Sam Sherwood14:41, Dec 12 2021 ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Johnny Nevits was a late scratch on Friday night after a stable inspection by racing investigators. (File photo) A harness racing horse is suspected of being administered a prohibited substance for the second time in a year. Johnny Nevits was a late scratch at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meet at Addington Raceway on Friday night. A Stipendiary Stewards report said Racing Integrity Board (RIB) investigators completed a stable inspection at the training premises of harness racing trainer and junior driver Cameron Jones on Friday. Acting on a report by the RIB, stewards ordered Johnny Nevits to be scratched from race two acting under rule 213 (1) (c). That rule relates to horses that have had or may have had a prohibited substance administered. Under harness racing rules horses are not allowed to be administered any substance on race day. An investigation has been opened into the incident, with pre-race blood testing having been carried out. Harness Racing NZ chief executive Gary Woodham declined to comment and said he had only seen the Stewards’ report. Stuff was unable to reach Jones for comment. The horse was one of two horses injected by disgraced harness racing trainer Jesse Alford earlier this year. CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF Jesse Alford was banned for seven years in May after he was caught in a covert sting operation injecting two horses with a prohibited substance on race day. Alford was banned for seven years after he was caught red-handed on February 25 as he injected two horses, Johnny Nevits and Jimmy Cannon, with a substance and tried to tube Johnny Nevits – two hours before they were due to race at Addington Raceway. Tubing is an illegal process that allows a chemical solution to be administered to a horse to improve its stamina. Johnny Nevits was transferred to Jones’ Woodend training facility after the doping scandal. Jones has 15 wins from 59 starts as a trainer this year with stakes of just over $100,000. Star harness racing trainer Mitchell Kerr was banned for life in May as he was sentenced on four charges laid by the RIU, that he sold a non-existent horse and then charged its new owners for expenses, oversold shares in horses he trained, and charged its owners insurance premiums for non-existent policies. The estimated loss to Kerr’s victims is about $250,000, and police are investigating. In July last year, prominent Canterbury harness racing figure Nigel McGrath was disqualified from holding a training licence for eight years after attempting to dope horses. McGrath, who had trained for 20 years and had 570 wins worth $6 million in stake money for his horses’ owners, admitted three charges laid by the RIU, though he disputed the facts on two of them.

Racing: Noverre career crisis after ligament damage 9 Dec, 2021 05:45 AM3 minutes to read Star three-year-old Noverre, winning the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton last month, may have to be retired to stud after suffering ligament damage. Photo / Race Images The career of superstar New Zealand three-year-old Noverre could be over, long before it reached anything like its potential. But if an injury suffered last month does bring a sudden halt to his racetrack career at least it comes after the victory that will guarantee him a new life at stud. Noverre has being diagnosed with ligament damage just below a sesamoid bone, close to the suspensory, and while he will undergo another veterinary examination next week the initial prognosis is not good. "They are already suggesting to us he may have to be retired to stud," says Te Akau boss David Ellis, who bought Noverre to be trained by Jamie Richards. "So we will know more soon but the studs are already ringing so we know he will have a good home to go to." The news will shock racing fans who were still trying to work out just how good Noverre may be. After winning as a two-year-old the big, bold son of Savabeel went to a whole new level this season and won two of his four starts, including his dazzling victory in the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 6. Noverre was forced back to last in the group one classic but exploded home under Opie Bosson in a style that suggests he may be one of the more talented recent winners of the Guineas and one with the scope to reach a Derby distance or race at group level in Australia. "The vets are suggesting to us this is an injury that most likely happened at speed so we are nearly certain he did it in the Guineas, which makes how he won even more incredible," says Ellis. Bred by Chittick Investment, of Waikato Stud fame, it wouldn't surprise to see Noverre end up standing at the iconic farm himself next year should the initial sire veterinary reports show no improvement and force him to stud. Even if Noverre enjoys a miracle recovery and races again it won't be this summer and that has seen him removed from the market for the $1million Karaka Classic Mile on January 23, for which he was favourite. The depth of Te Akau's strength is best summed up by the fact stablemate and last season's Karaka Million hero On The Bubbles is the new favourite for what is quickly becoming one of Ellerslie's iconic races. On The Bubbles resumes at Te Rapa's star-studded meeting on Saturday his first start since winning the group one Sires' Produce at Awapuni last April and will carry 60.5kgs in the three-year-old race to open the programme. With the Captain Cook Stakes and Wakefield Challenge from last Saturday's abandoned Trentham meeting having been transferred to Te Rapa and joining the Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup, Cal Isuzu Stakes and a super-strong J Swap Sprint the meeting will be the strongest held in New Zealand so far this season.

Hint? Can you be anymore obtuse?

Story No. 33 NOODLUM The Noodlum story starts about the early 1940’s when Andy Wilson, a long time secretary of the Wyndham Trotting Club, was given a mare called Nell Grattan. Wilson had been involved in harness racing for quite a few years up till then with nil result. Nell Grattan won 9 races for him before he eventually put her to Springfield Globe. Her first foal, a filly, won 8 races, but her second foal by Light Brigade, also a filly, was named Tactics and what a grand horse she became. Trained by the legendary Maurice Holmes, Tactics won 11 races including a New Brighton Cup. When she went to stud, however, she proved an even greater success. Her first foal was Adroit, who was sired by Johnny Globe, and he won a number of races in NZ including the 1957 Golden Slipper Stakes, before coming to Australia and racing with more success at HP with Les Chant as his trainer/driver. Her second foal, by U. Scott, was Guile who was also a good winner in Australia. Tactics third foal, by Meadow Chief, was called Astute, but raced in Australia as Astute Princess. Her fourth foal, by Captain Adios, was a filly called Deft who was the dam of Noodlum. Tactics also produced Tactile who won 5 Derbies in Australia and NZ before racing in America with success and then standing at stud at the late Martin Tananbaum’s farm. But back to Deft. Wilson gave Deft to his wife to race and she won 10 races for her before being sent to stud. Deft’s first foal, by Hundred Proof, was called Fool Proof and, although he won a few races, never ‘set the world on fire’. Her second foal, by Batchelor Hanover, was a winner, as was her third foal Canny, by Scottish Hanover, who won a few races for owners Andy Wilson and Freeman Holmes. Deft was then sent back to Batchelor Hanover and this mating produced Noodlum. Mrs. Wilson owned Noodlum but sold a quarter share in him to Freeman Holmes when he was a rising 2yo. Noodlum had his first start on 18-9-73 at Cambridge in the Morrinsville Juvenile Stakes and won first up, but only just! Last early, he then went around the field to sit outside the leader, was headed on the home turn but came again to win by a nose. His time was a new race record and it was obvious that here was a very promising young horse. Eleven nights later he won a 2yo event at Auckland by 2 lengths and was then given 6 weeks off. His 3rd start was at Addington on 17-11-73, and once again he ran a new race record winning the NZ Spring Time Stakes by 3/4 of a length. At his next start at Waimate he dead heated for first in the NZ Golden Slipper Stakes. The other dead heater was Astro Blue and they may have set some kind of record as they were both by Batchelor Hanover out of Captain Adios mares! On New Year’s day 1974 he raced at Canterbury Park and finished 2nd to Don Lopez, but 3 weeks later won the Town Hall Stakes at Addington. At his next start, 6 days later, he contested the NZ Juvenile Stakes at Forbury Park. Half way down the home straight the last time he was 5 lengths in front and could only lose the race by falling over, so he….fell over! With just 30 metres to the winning post he appeared to shy at something on the track and came down in a big way. He was not badly injured, however, and only lost 2 teeth and had some bruising. Given 9 weeks to get over the fall, he resumed at Addington on 6-4-74, and finished 4th to Sly Kiwi, but that was the last time he would be beaten as a 2yo. Up till now he had been driven by Freeman Holmes, but he handed the reins over to his uncle, Maurice Holmes, to help him in his quest to win the driver’s premiership at his last season of racing. Morrie ‘did the right thing’ by winning his last seven 2yo races in a row! His next start was a sensational effort winning the NZ Welcome Stakes. He lost 50-60 metres at the start but ranged up 5th on the home turn and absolutely bolted in by 5 lengths in record time. Two weeks later at Forbury Park he set a NZ record for 11 furlongs, winning by 6 lengths with 12 lengths to the 3rd horse! Ten days later at Addington, a 20 metre handicap didn’t stop him from winning, and 4 nights later he won the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes in record time, by 4 lengths. Next was the Canterbury Juvenile Stakes which he won by 1½ lengths, setting a NZ record, rating 2-5 for the standing start 10 furlong event. Then on 1-6-74 he won the Sapling Stakes by 4½ lengths at Ashburton. He was ‘sashed’ that day by his namesake. Noodlum was named after the, then, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Robert Muldoon, Noodlum being Muldoon spelled backwards. Mr. Muldoon would go on to become NZ’s Prime Minister. At his last start for the season on 17-6-74, he absolutely bolted in the NZ Juvenile Championship at Auckland by 8 lengths and set a NZ record, rating 2-3 7/10 for the 11 furlong event. As a 2yo Noodlum had 15 starts for 11½ wins and 1 placing and along the way set 8 race records and 3 NZ records. He won $23,162 as a 2yo making him the 5th highest money earner for the season amongst ALL comers. He set a new record for the most wins by a 2yo, the previous record being 8 wins by Sam Tryax and Young Quinn. He was, quite simply, the greatest 2yo pacer ever produced in NZ. Noodlum resumed as a 3yo 2 months later on 10-8-74 at Oamaru and won easily from 20 metres. Seven days later he came off 20 metres at Addington and won by 4 lengths in fast time and a week later repeated the effort in a similar event. It was his 10 successive win. Three weeks later, still at Addington, he came off 30 metres in a 3yo event, and again won easily rating a new NZ record for 10 furlongs of 2-2 3/10. He then travelled to Forbury Park and set another NZ record, this time for 11 furlongs, coming off 20 metres and winning by 6 lengths. A week later he repeated that effort in a similar event, this time over 13½ furlongs, winning by 5½ lengths and setting another NZ record, rating 2-6 4/5. A month later he was back at Addington off 30 metres, won by 14 lengths, and set ANOTHER NZ record, this time rating 2-4 2/5 over 13 furlongs. On the 23-11-74 he contested the NZ Derby and, once again, made it a one act affair. It was his 15th consecutive win. Given a month off he next raced at Rangiora but could only finish 5th, from 20 metres, behind Commissioner and 5 nights later was beaten a head by the same horse in the NZ Champion Stakes. He then ran 2nd again, this time behind Parlez Vous and it was decided that he might be ‘stale’, so he was given a 4 month spell. Resuming on 13-5-75 at Addington, he won a 3yo event by 7 lengths, from 20 metres behind, and 19 days later was beaten just 2 metres after giving the winner 20 metres start. He then crossed the Tasman for the first, and only time, to contest the Queensland Derby at Albion Park. He won his heat on 21-6-75 by 35 metres after starting at 1-6. Cedar King led early but Noodlum took him on, and after a 600 metre struggle took the lead. With 2 laps to go he was absolutely ‘bolting’ in front, leading by 2 lengths, and at the bell was ahead by 3 lengths. Down the back straight the last time he was given his head and raced away to a big lead and won very easily. In the final the following week he began badly and was 20 metres off the leader after settling down. With 2 laps to go he made a run around the field, 3 wide, but was caught out there and at the bell was challenging for the lead, still 3 wide! He took the lead half way down the back straight and looked set to win easily again when James Armagh, who had been ‘buried’ in the pack, emerged with a big final sprint. In a driving finish Noodlum held off the fresh challenger and won by a long neck, bringing great relief to those who had taken the ‘tomato sauce odds’ of 1-10! He then went home and was spelled. As a a 3yo Noodlum had 15 starts for 11 wins and 3 seconds. Resuming as a 4yo on 16-8-75 at Addington, Noodlum ran 2nd, beaten a head, by the top class horse Lunar Chance, and a week later was 2nd again to the same horse beaten a neck. Two weeks later he won an Invitation at Addington but 2 weeks after that could only finish 6th to Robalan in a FFA. He then won the Ashburton Flying Stakes before running 6th in an Oamaru Invitation. Back to Addington on 31-10-75 where he easily won a Flying Mile in fast time. He was then given a 7 week breather. He resumed at Auckland on 20-12-75 and won the National Flying Pace but the following week, from 15 metres, could only finish 5th to Why Bill. He then contested the Auckland Cup but was a well beaten 3rd behind Captain Harcourt and Speedy Guest. Ten days later he won a Wellington Invitation and 3 days later ran 3rd in the Wellington Cup. Noodlum then suffered a bad injury and was retired to stud. As a 4yo Noodlum had 12 starts for 5 wins and 4 placings and his career record reads 42 starts for 28 wins and 8 placings. Noodlum was probably the best juvenile pacer seen in NZ up to that time and, barring injury, could have gone on and won many racers at the highest level, but it wasn’t to be. As a 2 and 3yo he won many top class races by huge margins and STILL ran record times, indicating his class. Those who were there at the time won’t forget him in a hurry. Jim Hogan

Assumung that's true it is only a reason not an excuse. However it doesn't justify scumbag journalism (a stretch to call it journalism) where he infers that innocent people are cheating without providing any evidence. As I said above I hope Woodham and Fitzgerald nail him. HRNZ have a duty to protect and defend their employees and licensee's. Now watch this space.

http://racing.racingnsw.com.au/FreeFields/VideoResult.aspx?MeetDate=2021Dec11&VenueCode=MTQxOTk4NA==&RaceNumber=9&MeetingCategory=Professional&VideoFileType=FullReplay

Well how is this for ludicrous. I went into town on Thursday to do some shopping and buy some Christmas cards. 7 days earlier I could have wandered into my favourite bar and sat down, got a pint and wrote in the cards before taking them two doors down the road to the post shop to be posted. Vaccine passports are mandatory to enter the bar. However they have a very large area outside the bar with about 12 tables under the sun (27 degrees!) and some with sun umbrella's. I thought cool I'll sit there and write on the cards. The waitress, who I know quite well, pitches up fully masked (a pointless cloth mask but with pretty flowers on it) and asks what I would like. It was before 12 so I asked for a coffee. I was asked to show a vaccine pass. When I didn't she said sorry she couldn't serve me as she would be up for a $15k fine. Anyway I finished writing the cards wandered into the bookstore agency post shop, not wearing a mask nor asked to and sent the cards on their way. There were more people in the store than the bar! So on my way home hanging out for a coffee I stopped at the coffee and icecream cafe and bought a takeaway coffee. Now this store was next to the bar and shared the same piece of street frontage only divided by a couple of planter boxes. No vaccine passports required. In protest I sat at the bar tables outside and drank my coffee which I had bought 5m away next door. By this time it was after 12pm, the air temperature was 28 and I drooled watching the people at a next door table drinking a pint. I realised then that Covid-19 didn't like coffee and was probably an alcoholic.

Peter Profit aka Archie Butterfly aka Brenden Sheehan may have crossed the line this time with regard to his posts regarding Woodend. Now I'm no fan of Gary Woodham as a racing administrator but I know people who I respect that have a high opinion of him as a person. Peter Profit has in recent days proceeded to impugn the character of both Woodham and Fitzgerald. I know what I would be doing if I was either of them. Now if I wrote in the style of Peter Proft I'd say "watch this space"!

Settle down @Freda! @Joe Bloggs already has a partner.

He doesn't have any money so all a bit pointless. He should be sued by the Racing Industry and rubbed out because he brings racing into disrepute. The Brisbane Racing Club took him on earlier this year. I don't know what the outcome was. His real name is Brenden Sheehan. I believe if he ever ventured back into South Auckland he'd never get out again. Says a lot about a person who needs or wants to change their real name from Brenden Sheehan to Archie Butterfly. Every two or three years he crosses the line too far, gets taken to court, loses and his current website is taken down.

What you look like a Border Collie?

If I was Andrew Fitzgerald I'd be suing the pants off Peter Profit.

BTW @Joe Bloggs your famous journo Peter Profit couldn't get the basic facts right. Contrary to what he wrote there wasn't a needle found in the float nor has Andrew Fitzgerald been implicated. All there clear as day in the Stewards Report - "After a report from RIB investigators following a stable inspection Stewards elected to scratch Johnny Nevits...."

So you'd be bloody stupid to try anything wouldn't you.

Of course we now have all the theorists referring to Jones's "spectacular strike rate" as if it is dodgy. Well it isn't overly spectacular - Zach Butcher's is the same. Then we have the usual "I always thought that such and such horses improvement was suspicious"......and so on and so on.

So a scumbag lowlife excuse for a hack journalist writes an article on a blog a couple of weeks ago full of innuendo and supposition about something going down at Woodend. This so called "news" is splashed all over social media and debated widely. A stable is inspected, a horse is punted large, a pre-race blood test taken and the horse is scratched. What's bleeding obviously wrong with this picture? If Jones is guilty of doing anything then he must be bloody stupid or live in total social isolation. What's more is this yet another case of the RIB hiding in hedges on the basis of something recieved via their 0800 snitch line?

No it didn't. The WINNER ran 1:54.9MR for 1980m. Johnny Nevits ran 3rd 7.5 lengths from the winner and 1.5 seconds slower than the winner. He got the run of the race in the 1:1 but couldn't keep up over the concluding stages.

Best Bets and the Turf Digest were flicked off to TAB NZ many years ago for way in excess of what they were worth. Then they developed the RaceForm publication and started to drop the TD and BB. They then went head to head against The Informant. In my opinion some scurrilous monopoly actions by NZTR/NZ TAB forced The Informant under while they continued to heavily subsidise their own publication. Been more back room manoeuvres since. Interesting watching the various racing journalists hedging their bets and jumping ships before being pushed.

Trentham debacle: the buck stops with NZTR http://www.theoptimist.site/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-12-09.png by Brian de Lore Published 9th December 2021 The Trentham abandonment fiasco on Saturday is yet another example of a racing industry in administrative dishevelment; the failure to get the basics right or even follow its own rules. The two most basic requirements to run a race meeting are to have horses ready to race and a racing surface prepared for that purpose. The trainers did their part and took their horses to Trentham from all parts of the country at great expense to the hundreds upon hundreds of owners who pay for them. But the inability of the Wellington Racing Club/Race Incorporated/NZTR to carry out the most basic of their responsibilities to have a track correctly prepared for safe racing resulted in a monumental fail. Everyone in racing knows that when summer arrives and the tracks get firm, summer rain always has the potential to turn the racing surface into a skating rink. A combination of a competent track manager, common sense, and an eye on the weather forecast usually eliminates potential problems. That happened on Saturday at Matamata, but not Trentham. The problem occurs every year – though not usually at a premier meeting with several important group races – and the track manager gets chained into the stocks before he’s hung out to dry. Once the level of vilification has satisfied the powers that be, and the blame’s placed squarely upon one or two heads, the industry moves on before the same problem rears its ugly head again the following year. The ambulance at the bottom of the cliff The ambulance at the bottom of the cliff is a recurring theme for NZTR. In a document named ‘NZTR and RIU Race Meeting Abandonment Protocols,’ dated May 2018, the narrative covers only the procedures to be followed in the event of abandonment. It does not provide any pre-race day checks and balances procedures to mitigate the risk on the days leading up to the meeting. So, if the track manager has a bad week, has taken his eye off the ball, potentially lost interest in the job, or even received a coercive phone call from a trainer looking for a particular type of going, the ingredients for a fail come into play. By Saturday morning, it’s too late, the damage irreparable. NZTR is mostly to blame for Saturday’s abandonment, and the buck stops with CEO Bernard Saundry. He needs to front up and make that admission and fully apologise to all affected parties and provide a refund to the extent of $1,500 per horse (average) and not one likely to be a fraction of that amount. The Annual Report shows NZTR held back $10 million, so the money is there to pay it. As well as the costs of horse transport – the commercial price of floating a Pukekohe-Trentham return is now $850 to $900 – you add accommodation for trainers and staff, airfares, meals, and petrol for those who drove. Midnight Mass, the favourite in the one and only race, will not be refunded, though, because it raced, nor will the punters who made it favourite even though the jockey had concerns about letting its head go. Owners drove from Winton to Trentham And then the story of the two owners who drove to Wellington from Winton in Southland thinking they would see their horse run in the Captain Cook Stakes. Petrol, the ferry crossing, two nights in a hotel, and on arrival at Trentham’s race day office, got the news that they had run out of racebooks and the issuing of owners’ drinks tickets had discontinued at the WRC due to COVID. “Note from Bernard Saundry” in this week’s Raceform devoted only the first four paragraphs to the abandonment and didn’t go as far as an apology or an acceptance of responsibility. It stated, ‘compensation in line with NZTR’s policy,’ which historically will be meagre when applied to the actual cost. Typically the Saundry article talks mostly about vaccine passes, moving from red to orange traffic lights, and border crossings – all issues relevant to racing but sweating the small stuff compared to a premier meeting abandonment due to mismanagement. NZTR had 36-hours prior warning the racing surface at Trentham might present a problem, but it failed to take the appropriate action. ‘Racing and Breeding News’ reported that trainer Alan Sharrock phoned stipendiary steward Neil Goodwin after Thursday’s abandonment of the last four races at New Plymouth as he knew the forecast predicted weekend rain for Trentham. He also stated he phoned his brother Bruce, the Chief Operating Officer at NZTR, who informed Saundry. Concern expressed about the state of the track to Chief Stipendiary Steward Last Thursday, Trentham experienced hot weather, but only 8mls of water went on the track that night compared to 34mls over two or three days at Matamata. On Saturday morning after 11mls of overnight and morning rain, a track inspection by several senior jockeys prompted one to express concern about the state of the track to Chief Stipendiary Steward, John Oatham. He reputedly responded by digging his heel into the track’s surface and walking away without saying a word. In the only race of the day, most of the field experienced slipping during the run, although only two gained a mention for doing so in the Stewards’ Report. Michael McNab’s mount Dragon Biscuit cast both front plates with the rider experiencing slipping in the back straight. Two other runners took no part. How many jockeys kept hold of the horse’s head just to negotiate the 1400 metres in a vertical position – quite a few, I would suggest? The running of the race clearly endangered the safety of the horses and jockeys and contravened the standards set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The stewards and the NZTR board are fortunate that no incident, injury, or death occurred during the one race, as failing to meet health/safety standards can result in severe penalties, even jail. If a senior jockey or deputation of jockeys expresses concerns about the safety of a track, it should be enough for the stewards to thoroughly investigate the problem before proceeding with the meeting. Report ordered from Turf Consultants Saundry has ordered a report from the NZ Sports Turf Institute (NZSTI) who claim expertise on golf courses and bowling greens on their website, but no mention of horseracing. As agronomists and graduates from Lincoln University, they are experts in plants and soil, so what gems of wisdom can they offer NZTR along with their big, fat invoice. As well, the Racing Integrity Board (RIB), formerly known as the RIU (Unit), which a few years ago cost racing less than $6 million annually, but now has a budget of $14 million, will also furnish a full report, according to Saundry. Why, because the Abandonment Protocols paper demands it: 2.0 RIU Race Meeting Incident Reports If an incident has occurred or a hazard has been identified at a race meeting, the Chairman of Stewards must, on the day of the meeting, complete the RIU Race Meeting Incident Report (in the form attached to these Abandonment Protocols) and forward a copy to nominated staff within NZTR, the RIU and the Club. Racing Minister Robertson appointed the RIB Board earlier this year, and former Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Clement took up the role of Chief Executive on July 1st. Clement has freely admitted he has zero knowledge of racing, so how he qualified for the job is anyone’s guess. Of course, we know all the board positions came from the Minister of Racing (also zero knowledge of racing), so we really do know what prompted them. Reports won’t say anything we don’t know What will these two reports say, you ask? They will exonerate the stewards and NZTR from any blame and point the finger at the track manager, saying he failed to apply the required amount of water to the track in the days leading up to the meeting, and consequently, the rain fell on a very firm track, and the surface became slippery. And that may be true, but will the reports lambast anyone in a position of authority and say the buck stops at the top. I predict not. The NZTR and RIU Race meeting Abandonment Protocols paper can be found at this link: https://loveracing.nz/OnHorseFiles/Downloads/NZTR%20Abandonment%20Protocols%20-%20May%202018.pdf

Geez @mikeynz do you live well off the grid?