Chief Stipe

That's not correct. The stats are only as they are because of Cullen starting out midway through the season. He has dominated since taking over as is evident in stakes won and his UDR.

Orange is first and foremost a driver. I doubt he has the skills to organise systems nor be a fine detail person in all parts of the system. Bullshit Brodie you are inferring once again that there is some form of illegal activity happening that explains their performance. Yet there has been no evidence found. Keep looking under mushrooms Brodster.

Very few do it consistently well at a high level across all facets of racing. Your explanation? Oh that's right undetectable secret potions.

Exactly no point in debating it because what does it matter either way? It isn't relevant to anything in actual fact.

Well it isn't rocket science. The winning formula is quite simple for the likes of the All Stars, Te Akau, Waller, Maher. While they go about doing the simple things very well the rest are wondering what secret potions they must have. When the truth is they don't have any other than a training method. Another key tenet to these operations is they work on prevention of issues not waiting for issues to arise. They know the weak points common to all horses and apply preventative management to forestall them. Hence their ability to have their horses at peak for a long time and season after season. For example Waller uses Lasix during training (it's banned on race day) as he knows that all horses experience EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haeomaraghing). He uses it as a preventative treatment. If you start with young horses that are well bred and devoid of conformation problems you have a massive head start. But then apply lessons learnt over decades of training and use preventative treatment to keep the inevitable issues that elite equine athletes all experience at bay. Yes it is an expensive approach as any owner will tell you with horses in those stables but it gets results. They also don't piss around with slow horses. Their approach is a scientific method approach and the reality is that many trainers in the industry particularly in this country do not have the ability to understand let alone implement such an approach.

You've frequently said that their dominance is not good for Harness Racing. However you've only offered negative solutions to fix that - essentially get rid of them. Isn't up to the rest of the industry to lift their game? Te Akau are facing the same problem in Thoroughbred Racing where the criticism is nothing more than Tall Poppy Syndrome. Te Akau would find it tough in OZ as there are any number of trainers over there that compete at the top level. Sadly in New Zealand both in Harness and Gallops there isn't any depth. You can't blame the All Stars for that. Time everyone else pulled a finger! How do you know it didn't happen? As I said in the post above from the outside it looks like they did exactly what they said they would do. Pull back a bit from the day to day operation, consult when required and pitch up for the plum drives on Premier Race Days. Unfortunately you are disappointed that they didn't get out completely so the mediocre could rise higher and you'd find better odds!!

How do you know they haven't taken a break from training? Are you hiding in the hedges? Must be big hedges. From the outside it looks like they have done exactly what they said they would do. Pull back a bit but still be involved and turn up for the plum drives on Premier Days.

Best yearling purchases. Best training methods. Best Vets. Best feed and supplement science. Best trainers. Best Drivers. Do you need anymore clues?

I see they are stopping Harness Racing altogether in Tasmania come October. Things not so good in your neck of the woods either is it!

Who cares?! They'll keep on winning.

Is or is it not true that the stable has significantly reduced the number of horses in the stable? I understand they have therefore it follows that there is less work to do. It also follows that if there are less horses then there are less race drives. So a non-race driving foreman could be expected to be employed. In fact that is not always the case. Perhaps the journalists didn't find it newsworthy or salacious enough? After all they are too busy standing behind the RIU in the hedges. Regardless of what was published there would be speculation and gossip - seems to be par for the course for Harness Racing in Canterbury. Been like that for at least 50 years that I know of.

Exactly. Tim actually has more opportunity now because he won't be restricted to driving All Stars 3rd stringers which are not quite up to the level of other stables best horses. He's learnt his trade well at the All Stars. His moving actually helps to raise the level of those competing against the All Stars. I see it as a win-win!

Where is the evidence that Cullen is not the full time trainer? All you can see is Purdon and Rasmussen pitching up for the premier race day drives which is exactly what they said they would do. Brodie you seem to be intent on bringing the All Stars down because you see their success as detrimental to the industry. Instead of promoting people to rise to their level you want to bring them down. Don't you see some hypocrisy when you compare it to your criticism of the "socialist Ardern Government"?

Does the advertisement ask for a stable foreman that can race drive? Or it is a matter of no consequence and not really anyone's business.

So Thomarse tell us which race distance and class has a benchmark time that no one has achieved in 20 years?

So?

Tasmanian Harness is being closed down is it not?

What URL does it take you to? PM the link to me. Seems to be a lack of user testing and a failed data transformation and import. Assuming this is the new system.

So basically a shit stirrer with not much to say?

Add to that the new "Marketing" departments at each of the codes to fill the void left by TAB NZ moving that cost off their balance sheet onto the codes. NZTR have already spent $2m on a new computer system! Any stakeholders seen any benefits yet?

That's negative thinking Freda. Lessons learnt? Are the same administration in charge? If they are lobby to get rid of them. However you are up against it when the South Islands Premier Trainer thinks the track is the best hard track in NZ. There were mistakes made in OZ track renovations but they learnt and improved and kept moving. Meanwhile we fret over a renovation that was done 25 YEARS AGO!

It happened 25 YEARS AGO! Not only is it time to move on it is well past time to renovate the track AGAIN. I repeat once again look at the yearly renovation done on the Metrop tracks in OZ and how frequently they do major renovations. Following their approach Riccarton would have had at least 2 renovations in the last 25 years.

Rule Number(s): 638(3)(b)(ii)Following the running of Race 3, the BAKER/FORSMAN RACING STABLES 1550, Mr B Jones, Stipendiary Steward presented an Information against Mr B Donoghue, the Rider of TOUCH THE CLOUDS, alleging a breach of Rule 638(3)(b)(ii) in that he struck his horse with the whip to the extent that was excessive. Mr ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)After the running of Race 7, the NZB Insurance Pearl Series 1300, Mr B Jones, Stipendiary Steward presented an Information alleging that Mr O Bosson breached Rule 638(1)(d) by riding carelessly. It was alleged that he permitted his mount FONTS DE L’ALGAR, when near the 300 metres point, to shift out ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article