Chief Stipe

Plus the horse still provides punting revenue.

You are purely looking at it from a training perspective but not including the dimension of attracting more punting revenue.

So what's YOUR solution? Pet owners make decisions every day of the week about the cost of saving their dog versus euthanasing it.

I see @Thomass has commented. Perhaps he could tell us how much he pays a year to graze all his retired racehorses and barren broodmares!

Some simple solutions. CHANGE THE HANDICAPPING SYSTEM! Keep good sound geldings in racing! The same issue and same solution applies in Thoroughbred Racing.

Letter to the industry from Harness Racing New Zealand Chief Executive Gary Woodham Just days into the new season there seems to be some confusion as to what the “new” season is. The new TRANSITIONAL season started on August 1 2021 and will go through to December 31 2021. There will not be a separate drivers’ or trainers’ premiership for this period. All wins though will be included in official Harness Racing New Zealand statistics, as per usual. The 2020-21 premierships have already been decided, after the season finished on July 31 2021. The next premierships will be decided during the calendar year from January 1 – December 31 2022 to align with the change of horses’ birthdays to January 1 2022. One question that’s been asked is : “Does that mean a 2021 New Zealand Cup win wouldn’t count as a win towards the premiership?” Correct, the answer is it will NOT as there is no premiership as part of the TRANSITIONAL period. But we want to emphasise the fact that this is very much a one-off. From January 1 2022 everything should be much more straight forward. All the best Gary

I can just see it now where the industry gets hoisted by its own petard! "SAFE says that figures from NZTR shows that 75% of all Thoroughbreds are sent to the Abattoir"! Shock horror, gnashing of teeth, public wailing and lemon sucking. Why the hell measure a reality that no matter how you paint it isn't going to "look nice"? Let alone charge the already struggling industry to do it!

Ray Green, pictured with Copy That, has plenty of concerns over the future with a dwindling horse population. Back to reality for Ray and Copy That - a dire situation where the mane drain is critical By Barry Lichter • 27 July 2021 Earnings on the trip Copy That A$130,455 American Dealer $A98,458 Tommy Lincoln A$24,223 The spectacular success enjoyed by Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green at Queensland’s winter carnival has only served to highlight that urgent changes are needed back home. Green rounded out a lucrative month in Brisbane at Albion Park on Saturday night when American Dealer won the A$102,000 Queensland Derby, Tommy Lincoln won a A$20,000 support race and Copy That finished fourth in the A$250,000 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship. With eight wins, the trio took their combined bankroll to A$253,256 in just a month in the state. But Green now faces the difficult task of trying to prepare Copy That for Grand Circuit racing in an environment where poor handicapping is fuelling the drain of horses overseas, reducing the number of horses progressing to the higher grades to an alarming extent. So few cup class horses are now trained in the North Island that Green fears it will be difficult to get enough racing for Copy That. Few rating 80 and higher horses left in the country Add Copy That and Krug to the list above and that’s all the horses here rated at 80 or higher. Chase Auckland is now retired.Harness Racing New Zealand figures show only 25 horses are left in the country rated at 80 and above, 23 in the country and Copy That and Krug soon to return from Brisbane campaigns. Just nine of these are trained in the north, and only five are rating 90 and higher. Exports are exploding again, 536 and still counting this season.And the issue is getting worse with bloodstock agents reporting a big upswing in sales in the last two months, June exports reaching 63, the highest for 12 months. This season, with July to come, we’ve seen the biggest exodus of harness horses to Australia and North America in the last five years, already 536 gone. And while that number includes a few racehorses who have returned, as well as some shuttle stallions, the comparative totals are still indicative of a major problem that Green says is not being addressed. The number of foals branded has dropped alarmingly since 2010.The number of branded foals recorded by HRNZ has nearly halved from 2800 in 2010 to just 1522 in 2020, and that’s not the racing population but the total pool, many of which won’t even see a training barn. “New Zealand racing is in a dire situation and can’t sustain this,” says Green. “So many horses are being sold it’s leaving a huge hole in our population. We can’t continue like this or we’ll end up with four horse fields and then it’s game over. “I can understand why people sell their horses - because our handicapping system doesn’t allow them to win enough money and the imbeciles here won’t look at handicapping options.” The horses Lincoln Farms have sent to Queensland in recent years have taken advantage of a far superior system that doesn’t penalise horses so quickly, says Green, keeping them competitive for much longer. Lincoln Farms plans to leave Tommy Lincoln and Captain Nemo in Queensland to continue to reap those benefits. Tommy Lincoln, who was having to race the best in New Zealand despite being only a rating 79 horse, has had four starts in Queensland for three wins and still does not have to compete against the free-for-allers. “On this trip we’ve earned more than a quarter of a million dollars and that’s pretty good,” says Green. “How long would it take to win that money in Auckland? “If Copy That had stayed home he would have been lucky to have got one start in a month in some manufactured race, probably off a long mark. “I can see there being no open class racing in the North Island before Christmas. “There’s some serious stuff to be sorted out and, while I know there’s a meeting of minds going on at the moment, it could be too little, too late - the damage is done. Where are we going to get all the broodmares we need to bring up the racing population?” Green says the days of people sending their horses from Southland or Auckland to race in Canterbury are numbered - “why would they go there when they can fly to Australia and get so much more opportunity?” Green says there are a raft of Grand Circuit races on the agenda for Copy That but he hasn’t been able to make any plans yet as no dates have been finalised in a rescheduling of the New Zealand calendar. “Hopefully by the time we need to get going again with Copy That they’ll have made some decisions.” The horse is due to fly home on August 8 for a short break. Is your favourite among those lost? Haven’t seen your favourite racing for a while? Chances are it’s among the many hundreds who have been sold overseas this season. Horses exported between August 1, 2020 and July 23, 2021 (including some stallions and a few horses on short campaigns) were: Australia Abundance, Accelere, Admirable, Adverse Reaction, Akarana Prince, Aladdin, Aladdin Sane, Alexia Rose, Allonblack, All The Rage, Alluring Tyron, Alpine Retreat, Alta Cassino, Alta Hurrah, Alta Madeira, Alta Sensation, Altimeter, Amarillo Slim, Amazing Dream, American Dealer, American Flyer, American Made, American Shuffle, Anam Nunu, Annerie, Another Masterpiece, Aorangi, Apieceoflou, Aqua Sancta, Arco, Arden Messi, Arden Roanoke, Arden’s Ace, Arocknatthepark, Art Lover, Art’s Bettor Secret, Ascalabus, Avana. Bad To The Bone, Baileys Knight, Baker Creek, Ball Of Art, Bankers Gold, Barika, Barkley, Barnaby, Bart Maguire, Been To Jenny’s, Belmont Diva, Belmont Royale, Bertie Jones, Bettathanfast, Bettor Blast, Bettor Call Me, Bettor Get It On, Bettor Have Faith, Bionic Stride, B K Swy, Black Edition, Blazing Banner, Blitzembye, Blue Chip Delight, Bondi Shake, Boomchuckalucka, Booraa, Born To Boogie, Bosch, Brantley, Brian Christopher, Brydon Earl, Budvar Eyre, Bull Speed Ahead, Bumpy J, Bundoran, Burnham Boy. Call Me Keith, Canstar, Captain Dan, Captain Max, Captain Nemo, Captain Pins, Carlos Bromac, Carrera Serena, Cassius, Cassius Bromac, Celebration Stride, Charm Offensive, Chase The Gold, Chase The Hat Trick, Chasing Great, Check In, Cheddar Made Beta, Cheddar Valley, Cherokee Jack, Chevron Art, Chevron Flies, Chiller Bay, Chinski, Christmas Babe, Chubby Checker, Colin Bromac, Colorado Banner, Conspirator, Constitution, Coolhand Easton, Copy That, Corbell, Corker Moment, Cowboys N Bandits, Crackabrie, Croesus, Cuchulainn, Cyclone S Adams. Dadndave, Davey Mac, Dawson Shard, Deal With Me, Delightful Dude, Delightful GNP, Delightful Major, Demand Respect, Deneuve, Deus Ex, Diego, Distinguished Taste, Don Coyote, Dont Lie To Me, Don’t Tell Tom, Dornoch, Double Up, Doubtless Bay, Dreamers Delight, Duastar, Duke Of Dundee. Eagle Watch, Easy Pickings, Enhance Your Calm, Euro Beat, Ezana. Father Brian, Flame Lady, Flash Party, Fleetmaster, Flight Crew, Foregone Conclusion, Forever Bettor, Forget The Price Tag, Forsure, Fortunia, Franco Nandor, Franco Nathan, Franco Riot, Freddiesam, Funky Monkey, Fynn Frost. Gambit, Gattling, Gayle Force, General Montana, Gil Favor, Give Me A Minute, Glenis’s Mama, Glenledi Chief, Globe Trekker, Going For Gold, Gold Chain, Gold Medley, Goodealehmaddie, Go One Bettor, Gopati, Great Fantasy, Great Presence, Guido Da Siena. Handsome Harry, Hattie, Havehorsewilltravel, Hawthornden Hunk, Hayden Bromac, Held To Ransom, Hello Gorgeous, Hello It’s Me, Helluva, Hemsworth, He’s A Ladies Man, Hesallmuscle, Hey Sam, Hezacrocwatcher, Hidden Delight, Hittheroadjack, Home And Dry, Honour Stride, Horse Of Course, Hot N Gold, How Doo You Doo, Hugo George, Humble Ladd. Ideal Draw, Ideal Sports Girl, Ideologist, I’m Jimmy James, In Chevron We Trust, In Flanders Fields, Inherent Royal, In The Spotlight, Ira Poole, Isaac H, Isitwrongtobexcited, Isla’s Joy, Italian Lad, Itsmeantobe, Itz Flash Harriet, I Want It All. Jacks N Jazz, Jaffa Josh, Jawbreaker, Jay Tee Tyron, Jazzy Star, Jemma, Jimmy The Irishman, Jodi, Johnson Step, Jolene Jolene, Joshua Dylan, Jumpingjackmac, Justamollyarcher, Just As Well. Kase, Keegan Banner, Kensington Bill, Khaki Nui, King City, Kingmaker, King Of Trumps, Kiwi Jewel, Kiwis Are Flying, Krug, Kusadasi, Kuyomi La Bella Vita, Lady Ida, Lady Jayne, Lady Loins, Lagertha, La La Land, Lalibela, Lapize, Larry Lincoln, Last Place Lucy, Latina Hall, Lavazza, Lawrence, Leaf Stride, Leer, Leithen Burn, Lennox Bromac, Letherhairdown, Lets Hustle, Lightning Lana, Lillie May, Lils Nightmare, Linebacker, Lislady, L L Cool J, Loch Ness Franco, Longueval, Lotamuscle, Lottie Moon, Louie The Horse, Louis Litt, Louthario, Love A Dance, Luke John. Mach Little Soaky, Mach Shard, Machs Mareta, Madeakillin, Maestoso, Maggie, Magic Mike, Magicol Ideal, Majestic Hurricane, Majestic Man, Majorca, Major Meister, Major Watson, Man Of Action, Marianna Bromac, Marie Long, Master Stride, Matau Jess, Mazikeen, Melton Beach, Memphis In May, Mexicana, Mia Ragazza, Midnight Assassin, Mighty Flying Art, Mighty Looee, Military Man, Millie Francis, Millwood Jesse, Millwood Manhattan, Mini Me, Minstrel, Miss Mucho, Miss Serenade, Miss Taken, Missucci, Money Honey, Mongolian Cavalry, Mongolian Conqueror, Montana Glory, Montana Jet, Montana Storm, Montefiore, Morningstar Gold, Mr Bohannon, Mr Clooney, Mr Fantastic, Mufasa. Natty Pagger, Nearis Green, Needamargarita, Nerano, Nikita, Nina Simone, Noble Lavros, No Nukes Skipper, Noosa Beach, Nota Bene Denario. Oaxacan Dream, Ohoka Chopper, Old Luke, Olivia Rachel, Once Bitten, Onedin Punter, One Majic Kenny, One Over Da Son, Onesmartfella, On The Buzzer, Ontherocks, Our Spitfire. Paramount Princess, Patriot Stride, Pats Dragon, Payment Plan, Pembrook Charlie, Perfect Cut, Petrea Bromac, Plutonium, Pocket Book, Pocket The Change, Polka Dot Dance, Posh Fella, Potro, Prairie, Pretty Majestic, Prince Of Pleasure, Princess Tiffany, Prodigal Guinness, Punt Away Queen Elida, Queenofdance, Queen Of Strathfield, Quick As Fire, Quick Step. Racketeers Boy, Ragazzo Mach, Rakasharp, Reachforthetill, Reckon Im Smart, Red Castleton, Red Envy, Red Reactor, Regal Aspirant, Revitalise, Richard The Third, Richmond Tiger, Riley Moment, Ringo’s A Star, Riteur, Rocket Boy, Rocknroll King, Rocknroll Max, Rock N Roll Waltz, Roll The Dice, Roll With Eunice, Roma Rosa, Royal Essence, Ruby Baby, Russley Rush. Sagano, Saint Tropez, Sandy’s Ideal, Scott Real Speed, Seamark, See Ya Write, Sekkie Monkey, Sense Of Occasion, Set Me Free, Shadow Minister, Shanhill, Shanlou, Sheffield Sparky, Silent Rapture, Silver Surfer, Simply Shaz, Sir Lincoln, Skippys Delight, Skye Mary Mac, Skyzrclearnsunny, Smoken Shazza, Smooth Deal, Social Media, Souffle, Soundslikeart, Southern Belle, Spankem, Spellbound, Spikey Boy, Spirited Belle, Spirit Of Anzac, Spirit Of St Louis, Sportingjoy, Sport Mental, Square Dealer, Stamford, Star Galleria, Starlight Stride, Starlito, Star Of Timpany, Star Ruler, Stars N Bars, Starvin Marvin, Star Watch, Stavros The Terror, Stealth Bomba, Stick Man, Stinger Lindenny, Stratofortress, Stun Gun, Stylish Memphis, Styx Kiwi, Sugarinspice, Summer Pants, Sunny Petite, Surfers Delight, Sweet American, Sweet Chariot, Sweet Heaven, Sweet Jesse, Sweet On You, Swiss Miss. Tact Fergie, Tailored Elegance, Takemetothebeach, Take My Wallet, Tango Tara, Targaryen, Tartan Robyn, Tears Of Joy, Tell Me This, Tenzing Bromac, Terror The Christian, Terrortorial, Texas Red, Texas Tara, Texas Tiger, The Banker, The Batmobile, The Croupier, The General, The Hustler, The Kapiti Express, The Kingsman, The Paua Diver, The Vicars Daughter, The Whizard, The Whiz Kid, This Is Bettor, Three Rivers, Thug Rose, Thumbs Up, Ticktockpocketwatch, Toby O’Gara, Tommy Lincoln, Toro Stride, Touche, Tough Monarch, Town Echo, Treasure Me, Tricky Ric, Triple Eight, Triple VC, Trix Of Time, Tuxedo Bromac. Ultimate Machete, Ultimate Rocker, Ultimate Sniper, Ultimate Stride, Ultimate Temptation, Under Wraps, Unfinished Business, Urus. Valley Star, Verstappen, Vespa, Vincent Van Gone, Vindicate, Virginia Cool, Vulcan Star. Wainui Creek, Wat A Feeling, Wattlebank Lass, What’s Your Secret, Whatwillbeewillbee, Whisky Neat, White Lightning, Whole Lotta Rosie, Who’s My Mother, Wildestdreams, Windsor, With Revenge, Woodlands Rose, Would You Mind, Write About Angus. Xebec. Yahoo, Yellowstone, Yorkshire, Young Conqueror, You Really Got Me, You’re So Fine. Zaccy Mac, Zambia, Zeus Dan. Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed, Unnamed. Canada Bettor’s Delight, The Bandit Queen United States A Delightful Act, Ashley Locaz, Belmont Major, Bettor’s Heart, Beyond Words, Burlington, Captain Crunch, Delightful Catherine, Downbytheseaside, He’s Gratis, Im A Gigolo, Itz Alldown To Luck, J Bee, Kickupyaheels, Let’s Fly Together, Mossdale Lottee, Nandolo, Nevada, Nui Ba Den, On The Cards, Rydgemont Son, Sheriff, Sweet Lou, Tyron’s Bit Of Lemon, Underthesouthernsun, Watch Me Now, What The Hill.

So ontrack deaths isn't the issue even though the link you posted focuses on that. Your issue is the number of dogs bred that are selectively culled I guess akin to the bobby calf industry. So what do YOU suggest should be done to fix that issue? Are there rules in place that are not being adhered to or simply there aren't controls?

Well what is your opinion on the article? What are an acceptable number of deaths per year in Greyhound Racing given that it is nigh on impossible for there to be ZERO.

So any blame should lie at the feet of the Racing Judiciary NOT GRNZ. I was just pointing out that you don't seem to be very supportive of the industry you supposedly support. You are similar to @Thomass (he is still going on about stuff that happened 20 years ago!) and @the galah in that you constantly repost stuff that has been done and dusted and nothing can be done to revisit those events or change their outcomes i.e. the best that can be done is to move on and put systems in place that limit the chance of it happening again. What do you propose should be done in that respect? Although it is possibly too late to make any changes as Greyhound Racing looks like it will be nailed by this Government which means the activists will move to the next target which will probably be Harness Racing.

Well if the SPCA couldn't do anything what chance did GRNZ? I imagine you will be happy @Yankiwi if Greyhound racing is banned in NZ as you don't seem to often promote any of the positives of the sport.

You can't expect zero deaths so how many is acceptable from over 5,500 races? If they ban Greyhound racing I imagine there will be a lot of deaths!

He who lives by the sword can expect to die by the sword. Trust me I'm not the only one who has what you call "serious issues" with him. There are certain standards I would expect of the Mayor of our largest city and his recidivist behaviour falls well below those. You obviously weren't involved or can't remember the crap dished out on the other channel both publicly and behind the scenes. I was an observer and an administrator of the site at the time but he crossed the line once too often for my liking. Quite frankly his behaviour wasn't too far removed from that of Jason Waddell except that he was smarter and more cunning. Don't be fooled by his eloquence. I'll reiterate there are any number of people that will attempt to torpedo his mayoral campaign regardless of any commonsense or good policy that he may espouse.

Come in @the galah

Lawyers representing Jason Servis filed a motion Monday to have evidence against him that was obtained through wiretaps thrown out. Attorneys Rita Glavin and Michael Considine charge that the government obtained authorization from a court to tap into Servis's phone based on a sworn affidavit from an FBI agent that, they contend, “contained deliberately or recklessly false statements and the material omission of statutorily and constitutionally required information.” The Servis legal team argues that the wire taps evidence should be thrown out because using it represents a violation of Servis's Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment reads, in part: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” Servis has been charged with a long-running history of using performance-enhancing drugs on his horses, including the drug SGF-1000. The bulk of the evidence obtained against Servis comes from taps of his phone and the phones of others. The charges levied against him would be much more difficult to prove without the evidence from the tapped phones. In an intercepted conversation with trainer Jorge Navarro, who is also under indictment, Servis said that he used SGF-1000 on “everything almost.” Glavin and Considine are also seeking to have evidence obtained from wiretaps of the phones of Navarro, veterinarian Kristian Rhein and Alexander Chan, a veterinarian who worked with Rhein, suppressed. “Mr. Servis's communications were unlawfully obtained as a result of those wiretaps, and he is an aggrieved party with standing to bring this motion,” his lawyers wrote. According to the original indictments release last year, Navarro is also heard admitting he used SGF-1000. On another intercepted call of note, Rhein tells Servis that, when it comes to SGF-1000, “They don't even have a test for it.” The story was first reported by the Bloodhorse. Servis's attorneys also charge that the government made “material misrepresentations” to the court about SGF-1000, stating that it is a performance-enhancing drug that contained “growth factors,” purposefully exaggerating the performance-enhancing qualities of SGF-1000 to obtain permission to tap the phone. The Servis lawyers write that SGF-1000 is not, in fact, a performance-enhancing drug. The filing reads: “SGF-1000 was tested on numerous occasions by independent laboratories and found to contain no growth factors. Instead, SGF-1000 tested as ovine (sheep) collagen, a substance which was unlikely to have any effect on a horse's performance at all.” The motion also states that “SGF-1000 was repeatedly tested prior to the wiretap and found to contain no performance-enhancing substances.” Whether or not SGF-1000 is a performance-enhancing drug could be a moot point. Throughout the case, the government has argued that even if a drug is not a performance-enhancer, it is illegal for a trainer to use it when their intent is to dope or “juice” a horse. Despite the notoriety SGF-1000 has received because of the Servis-Navarro case, it is not hard to find it. It is available from the website vetpharmacystore.com, which is peddling a box of SGF-1000 for €170. The company describes SGF-1000 as an innovative formulation that includes “potent growth factors.” The lawyers also charge that the government misled the courts about the urgency to use wiretaps at a time when it had not exhausted normal investigative procedures. “The Government failed to take even the most basic of investigative steps with respect to Mr. Servis, and instead ran to the district court for a wiretap as essentially its first investigative step,” they wrote. In another attempt to bolster their case, the lawyers point out that Servis is “a trainer whose horses did not fail any post-race drug tests since the FBI's investigation in this case began in 2017 and through the date of the Mar. 9, 2020 Indictment.” In Glavin, Servis has hired one of the top defense lawyers in the Northeast. It has been a busy few days for the attorney, who also represents New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal. On Tuesday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James released a report alleging that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former government workers.

You are extremely naive or very fortunate to not have the vile little man with an ego bigger than Saturn turn on you. I'm sure there is at least one reporter out there with a hatchet dossier on the little fella. Politics at that level can get very grubby hence my reference to the parapet.

So you posted on here because I did? You say you are "neutral" yet go out of your way to keep us "updated"?

Who pays for the cradle to the old age grave?

Imperatriz would be 1000 Guineas favourite. But I wouldn't piss around and would to OZ with her. Agree about Entriviere. She and Probabeel showed last season that they were well and truly up to OZ class.

But do they actually work?

Then why post about him both here and elsewhere? Are you being paid to do it? Not at all - BOAY tolerates diverse opinions (unlike other channels) however you don't seem to post any just little childish snipes!

So why race at all?