Chief Stipe

I quoted an official mental health definition. Which further adds weight to my view that children and adolescents have carried a far greater and disproportionate burden during this pandemic. What's more that burden is out of all proportion to the health risk that young people have.

Well she ain't a skinny horse! She looked to me like she was a BLAB - Built Like A Brick Shithouse!

Perhaps but the industry is worried about looking good from an animals safety perspective yet seem to condone the shit tracks we keep putting the horses out on to race. How many other fetlocks were "stripped" on Saturday? A few years ago they dodged a bullet at Awapuni. Trentham and Te Rapa aren't too flash and the sooner Ellerslie builds their Strathayr the better.

Yes I can imagine you being pissed off. But I'm sure you would have let them know about it. Communication is a two way thing and often people can make assumptions.

Is it really our business to speculate?

If an Ozzie stud bought her it would probably be best to serve her here. 12 months gestation with first foal makes it tougher if you have even small delays this year for next. One Avantage of auctioning her now is that TA and the Syndicate will be flush for the Ready-To_Run Sale!!

I read that there was swelling in a leg and the vet immediately scanned it and a small hole was found in a tendon. Obviously not worth the risk of rehabilitating to race but presumably not too bad to let down in a box. It would take a month wouldn't it to prep her for service?

This is symptomatic of a bigger issue though isn't it? The industry can't find workers in NZ and at the moment they can't import any from overseas. I don't think you have to live in "rarefied air" to know that. Same problem in OZ.

But the Covid-19 district boundaries are all fairly arbitrary anyway. Wasn't there last week a truck driver who tested positive who was crossing the boundaries? I bet there is mass flight occurring at the moment.

FFS why do some base their actions today on something that happened 15 years ago! An accident happened in a dangerous sport that may or may not have been preventable. The key question is were the issues identified and addressed. The fact that successful trials have been held on the track since suggests that some trainers reluctance is based on superstition rather than fact. The other chestnut that those blind to fixing the problem are apt at throwing out is "oh look what the experts did to the Riccarton track 30 years ago - it hasn't been the same since". That ignores the fact that thousands of horses have galloped on the track since that work with SFA annual maintenance. Yeah na its all to do with the irrigation.

We've discussed this endlessly. Two sides to the argument - one says the issue is irrigation - the other side says that that is just a symptom of a much bigger problem. That is that the underlying soil is absolutely stuffed. Irrigation won't fix that. Particularly when good tracks are going to waste and have assigned to the sell category. When they could have been used to support South Island racing at SFA extra cost by comparison to the AWT's ongoing maintenance cost. Those other tracks could have been used on a rotational basis and used when subject to prevailing conditions. Just like happened a couple of weeks ago with the transfer of Riccarton to Ashburton. Yeah well as long as key stakeholders are willing to accept what is dished out to them, keep their mouth's shut and/or focus on the symptoms rather than the cause then there is only one direction that racing will go in.

Try and make sense of this....

If it goes then so does Matamata on Saturday. Some Trainers might be ringing around for accommodation in the Hawke's Bay. Will impact whoever is left at Ruakaka or those that have set up camp there. What are the MPI rules for racing at Level 3?

Call it unhealthy if you will but I consider it unhealthy or unprofessional for the biggest trainer on the Riccarton course keeps saying that it is AOK! When it is obvious to EVERYONE except the CJC management that the track is stuffed!!!! If the transfer to Ashburton hadn't have happened then the CJC would have been struggling to find ground staff. Is @Freda's assessment of the track that was presented last Saturday right or wrong? I hope the hell they are working on contingency plans for Cup week if it all falls apart. So much for the care and welfare of the horses.

Then why mention it @Freda? Were the trials held since then slow canters?

https://plus.gavelhouse.com/lot/400/avantage Follow progress here. Auction closes in two days. I'm sure @Huey and @nomates are bidding.

Are all trainers treated equally?

Has @Freda called them?

Something needs to happen because they are running out of time. Timaru still looking good? They won't race at Rangiora because @Pitman won't go there.

Johnson hasn't been riding well for a while. I think she got too used to riding the good ones that could win from anywhere. Riddell and Allpress are riding well. That young Sarah McNab showed some patience, nerve and skill in the Gold Trail. Perhaps come Level 3 Opie will build a shack a kilometre down the road and be back riding.

But protecting 7 metres isn't going to fix anything.