Chief Stipe

Great now we are getting replays of yesterday's racing.....

The Trackside 2 Presenter just said - "and now we welcome another international venue Sam Houston...." Great stuff a four horse field from the USA with $5 in the Win Pool!!!!! Meanwhile are the horses in the Parade ring at Ellerslie? Of course Aiden Rodley and Co are too busy being Jockey agents today!!!

Well I'm assumed that Ellerslie Gallops and Nelson Trots would be on the same channel. Surely until the Ozzie Gallops kick in that would be the optimum wagering revenue return. It isn't as if there are competent knowledgeable studio presenters doing lead ups to either meetings. Instead we get Golden Gate dirt racing and the mandatory horrid yankee commentator!!!!

Yep the first few races from Ellerslie today are on Trackside 2. On Trackside 1 we have the very attractive punting option of Northfield Park - USA Harness.

So who belongs to your mysterious grouping of nameless individuals that form "The Cartel" at Awapuni and Riccarton? Surely Pitty @Pitman isn't a member? No it isn't "click baiting" - it is a serious question. If you give credence to this mysterious grouping of individuals then you inhibit the potential for all stakeholders to speak out and bring about change. They think "oh woe is me, the Cartel is in charge and that is the cause of all my problems and I'm too small to fight back"..... They reality is as a formal group they don't exist!!!! Who in the Top 5 on the Trainers Premiership are in The Cartel? "Dummy" Myers can't be - I can't imagine The Cartel taking a team of horses to the West Coast. I don't imagine Lisa Latta is. Te Akau is dominating the Premiership Table with more Stakes than places 2 and 3 combined. Miles ahead on the G & L wins. Is Te Akau "The Cartel"? Or are they entirely focused on their business? Remember Ellis was at odds with Pike et al about shifting the Guineas. Was that a ruse to disguise who were true members of "The Cartel"?

You can't name names because "The Cartel" is a myth. Perpetuating that myth doesn't do the industry any favours because it creates this mythical construct that can't be targeted. Some benefit from that myth being perpetuated.

Many of those USA and Korean races are abandoned because there is insufficient money in the pools to meet the minimums. Overall profit for the year to end of November is down on the back of a decline in Pokie revenue from predominantly Auckland. The Pokie revenue is normally diverted to pay for the RIB however if that revenue is down then it has to come from wagering revenue either directly or indirectly.

I just noticed something else in the accounts that took a bit of digging to work out what had happened. Needed to go back to the TAB NZ annual report to work it out. There was another $3m windfall to NZTR (and the industry) when TABNZ didn't charge race broadcasting fees. These costs were covered by the Government slush fund and labelled "Return to Racing". So the bottom line looked better than it could have. Back to the staff numbers at NZTR - the last annual report states there are 40 employees. Yet a quick count of the total number in the November 2021 Programme numbers about 55. I suspect we won't see the additional employee cost until the next annual report - unless as a parting gift Bernie gives us a half-year report. Now that increase in costs will have been predicated on the TAB NZ budgeted revenue. That is starting to look a little shaky and if target isn't met then do we have a stack of cards and domino's? Meanwhile nothing has been spent on getting more product to the races for punters to bet on and generate revenue.

Creates Content.

Quote: Meanwhile, the Pitman colours are traditionally a familiar feature of the Wellington Cup carnival at Trentham every January, but they will not be on show in 2022 following the abandonment of the Captain Cook Stakes raceday in December. “It cost us several thousand dollars to take horses all the way up to Wellington last time, and all we got was $250 in compensation – the same as the horses that came from Manawatu,” Pitman said. “So I’m refusing to go back there for their carnival this year, and I’m going to support some good South Island races with my horses instead. “Miss Tycoon Rose will run in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge (1600m) in Dunedin on February 5.”

KUMA-R08-080122.mp4

I'm not playing games. It is a serious question. A few dominating the breeding industry doesn't constitute a "cartel" in my opinion. Who are the members of the cartel and how do they control racing?

Why not? Then they could be New Zealand first true tri-code grass venue!!! Something for @Reefton to work on.

Check out the gravy.....

As some of the more astute of us pointed out, in response to the cheerleaders and drum majors applause (@JJ Flash ), the expenditure reductions at TAB NZ were nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It was clearly evident that TABNZ were pushing some functions off their books and onto each of the codes. The end result we said would be a duplication in functions across each of the codes AND TABNZ with an overall cost increase to the Racing Industry as a whole. Here is an example - this is just a comparison for Thoroughbred Racing - the staff numbers have doubled: NZTR Communications and Marketing - November 2019. NZTR Communications and Marketing - November 2021.

The same directory but dated November 2019......fits on two pages not FOUR!

A few more:

@Freda a few more to contact if you have any issues:

Jason Laking poses with his partner Lou and their three daughters Maddie (left) Hazel and Georgia (holding trophy) after the win by Camino Rocoso Photo: Race Images South Camino Rocoso strikes gold at Kumara NZ Racing Desk 8 January 2022 Enigmatic performer Camino Rocoso shrugged off a narrow defeat in the Greymouth Cup (2000m) on Monday to turn the tables on his conqueror that day in Bully Boy, as he took out the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) on Saturday. The John & Karen Parsons-trained son of Shocking, who started his career in the stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, had been painfully out of form during his spring and early summer campaign but looked to have turned a corner when he charged home at Greymouth to be beaten by just half a head. Given an economical run in midfield this time by rider Jason Laking, Camino Rocoso hugged the rail throughout before angling into the clear approaching the home turn. Laking set out after Bully Boy, who had taken the lead at that point, before Camino Rocoso surged to the front at the 150m, racing clear for a three and a half-length victory over Bully Boy with Mama Sans battling on gamely for third. Karen Parsons, who has been battling a bout of ill health lately, watched on with her husband John from their Balcairn living room, with the pair cheering enthusiastically throughout the contest. Camino Rocoso bolts clear of his rivals to take out the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) at Kumara. Photo Credit: Race Images South “That is just such a thrill for us both,” she said. “We were up early to get all the horses worked and get the team ready to travel today. “Our foreman Jason Barber and his partner Jess, along with our float driver Gary Mitchell, have been taking the horses back and forward and they were away early to make a pretty long trip. “John and I thought he could go well today as he had been very unlucky last time. “I started yelling and John told me to pipe down and then he couldn’t help himself, so he started yelling as well, so there was plenty of noise coming from the lounge. “To get that win is just amazing and a great tonic for both of us. “The phone has run red hot with congratulations since the race finished which is very special for us both.” Parsons was quick to pay tribute to the ride of Jason Laking who had been aboard the horse for the first time at Greymouth. “Jason Laking rode him outstandingly well,” she said. “He has two rides now and he has been superb both times. “The horse has his quirks, but when he is on his game, he is very hard to beat. “He seems to go his best races at this time of the year and two years ago he won the Trentham Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m) in January. “That’s where we are aiming him again, as long as we can get the transport sorted out.” The victory made it thirteen wins from 65 starts for Camino Rocoso and took his career prizemoney past the $350,000 mark.

Southland.

Canterbury - seems Pitty is the main man @Pitman

Central Districts.

Those in the North (I guess there will be few complaints):

In what way? Te Akau's success isn't a measure of their influence over Petone. You constantly mention the "cartel" - who exactly are they and why? I think you'll find that different groups or individuals are influencing different things. In terms of NZTR, track promotion, race programming and the draft licensing rules if that is being influenced by anyone it is a small number out of Cambridge. Don't forget the cry from Pike and friends to shift the Guineas north. Te Akau didn't support that at all. According to the NZ Trainers Association they are fully supportive of the proposed changes and if you read their website you will find similar phrasing as used in the draft proposals. https://www.nztrainers.co.nz/ Those on the NZ Trainers Association are: Shaun Clotworthy - President (Is he actually training anymore?) Wendy Cooper - CEO Moira Murdoch - VP North Island Michael Pitman - VP South Island @Pitman Robert Wellwood Gary Vile John Wheeler Andrew Carston Sally Mackay Jim Burns https://www.nztrainers.co.nz/about/ So WHO IS THE CARTEL?