Chief Stipe

I haven't seen anyone on BOAY say methamphetamine was a recreational drug.

Environmental contamination AGAIN! Sharrock's comments are right on the button. Time to up security on all our courses. Come in NZTR and Clubs!!! What better way to knobble our industry than knobbling our livestock.

Two top racehorses test positive for meth at Anzac Day race meeting Martin Van Beynen15:38, May 19 2021 Alhambra Lad wins Race 5 at Awapuni on Anzac Day. The horse later tested positive for methamphetamine. Two winning thoroughbred horses trained by one of the country’s top trainers tested positive for methamphetamine at a race meeting on Anzac Day. The horses, Alhambra Lad and Reliable Miss, won their races at the Awapuni racecourse in Palmerston North on April 25. The races had stakes of $10,000 each. They were trained by Taranaki’s Allan Sharrock, 57, who is in the top six thoroughbred trainers in the current New Zealand season. He has 867 career wins to his credit and has won more than $14 million in stakes. GRANT MATTHEW/STUFF Racehorse trainer Allan Sharrock says he is stunned by positive methamphetamine tests. Sharrock says he is adamant the horses arrived at the Awapuni racecourse “100 per cent clean” and hopes further tests that have been taken will clear his name. Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) head Mike Godber confirmed the organisation was investigating the Anzac Day positive tests. “We’ve opened an investigation and that’s all we can say. MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries) have been advised.” Reliable Miss wins Race 6 at Awapuni on Anzac Day. The horse later tested positive for methamphetamine. A decision about whether to alert police would be made at the conclusion of the RIU’s investigation, Godber said. “There may be nothing relevant that comes out of our investigation.” The race results would stand until the RIU’s investigation was completed, he said. An MPI spokesman said: “We are aware of this matter and are investigating.” LOVERACING.NZ Reliable Miss, on the right, wins Race 6 at Awapuni on Anzac Day. The positive tests in Sharrock’s horses come soon after Foxton greyhound trainer Angela Turnwald was last month fined $3500 and disqualified for four months after her dog Zipping Sarah tested positive for meth after a race on November 12 in Christchurch. Sharrock said he was absolutely sure Alhambra Lad and Reliable Miss left his stables clean. They remained in perfect health after the Anzac Day meeting, and one was racing this coming Saturday. He said he could only assume the horses came into contact with meth at the Awapuni yards, which were vulnerable because they did not have cameras, security or locks, and no clean sawdust. “The contamination could be in the box (a temporary stable) even before we put the horse in there,” he said. “I’ve got to clear my name. It’s embarrassing. Our industry is disgraceful, the amount of methamphetamine in the racing game. “And it’s unfair on owners when their horses are taken to the races drug-free and you come up with a positive for methamphetamine ... “It’s a scourge, it’s an indictment on our industry and on our society. It’s everywhere.” Sharrock said he, all his staff, his partner, the float driver and the person who helped him saddle up the horses had been tested for meth and had come up “clean as a whistle”. DON SCOTT/STUFF Racing Integrity Unit head Mike Godber has confirmed positive meth tests in two horses. “So where does that lead us? The industry is not good enough. They left here 100 per cent. “I’ve had a lot of my good colleagues, the ones that matter in the game, saying it’s a crock of s..., ‘we could all be tarnished with this at any time’. “I’m walking around thinking people think I’m a cheat. I’ve never cheated in my life.” It was frustrating that no-one could tell him if the horses had actually been affected by the meth, he said. The chief executive of Taranaki Racing Carey Hobbs said Sharrock had been with the organisation for 40 years and had a clean record as far as he knew. “It’s a shock for everyone. My personal view is that contamination has occurred somewhere at the Awapuni racecourse. It’s not the first and won't be the last. “Racing can ill-afford adverse publicity and hopefully they will find out how it happened.” LOVERACING.NZ Alhambra Lad winning Race 5 at Awapuni on Anzac Day. Hobbs said three horses from three different trainers had returned positive meth tests at the New Plymouth racecourse about two years ago. The cause was never found, he said. Meth has claimed some big scalps among jockeys but horses testing positive is rare. In 2014 a Manawatu horse trainer was disqualified from training horses for three years after her horse was the first in New Zealand to test positive for methamphetamine. Last week MPI confirmed it had launched an investigation into the drugging of greyhound Zipping Sarah. On Wednesday Racing Minister Grant Robertson said doping and race fixing were completely unacceptable. “Our racing industry relies on horses being properly cared for and not subjected to doping or any other substance. “More needs to be done, which is why a new Racing Integrity Board is being set up to replace the current integrity system. It will be in place by July 1.” Animal welfare group SAFE is questioning why police have not been involved in the investigation considering an illegal drug had been detected. Chief executive Debra Ashton was dismayed to learn of the positive tests so soon after a similar greyhound controversy. “It’s a reflection of a really desperate industry.” She was surprised there had not been “serious action” taken and called for an independent investigation. Ashton urged the New Zealand public to question the price animals were paying to run around a track, and to stop betting on greyhound and horse races.

None of those things. But obviously you like flying blind on these things. But you say it doesn't need renovating and as above you are flying blind. Your view is to go to church on Sunday, say a few Hail Mary's and let the boss upstairs manage the track. Great news. Will they approach parity with 20 years ago in real terms? Will there be enough left over to fix the turf tracks and maintain the new AWT'S?

Yeah has she done a video on the pokies at the NRL, AFL and RSL clubs?

Pitty you've been talking it up for decades and all we've seen are things going backwards (including some of your horses). I realise business planning and cost benefit isn't one of your strong points but surely even you can lay your hands on the AWT business case and cost projections? If this last throw of the dice works then I'll be the first to congratulate those that actually did something (a group which you aren't actually in otherwise you would know more than dreams and marketing hype).

That isn't the key critical question here. We now have THREE of them. How will they pay their way? How will they contribute to fixing our spring to autumn turf tracks?

Didn't mention whips.

AWT Business Case? Riccarton Turf Track renovation project plan and timeline? How many jumpers have you got in work Pitty? Pitty you have been Mr Positivity and an industry leader for the last two decades and things have only got worse. Do you think all this Positividdy is working? All I see is the same old same old mistakes.

I only tuned in the for the last race. I wish I hadn't.....all the gush was a bit much! So George Simon starts his commentary for the last with - "The day draws to an end for what is a great day in history for Cambridge Jockey Club and New Zealand Racing....." Mmmm could rearrange those words! How many times did Rodley bang on about this "historic day"? Geez I won't know when the Quarter Horses from USA, the gallops from Korea/Japan end and when Cambridge begins! Soon we will have three of these meetings nearly every week!

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)After the running of Race 1 the Buteline NZ LTD Trot an Information A13959 was lodged by Stipendiary Steward Miss R Haley alleging Mr B Norman (Clover Jewel) drove carelessly. The Stewards alleging that racing into the first bend Clover Jewel shifted inwards when insufficiently clear of Tinted Stuart ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)After the running of Race 2 the Rheem, Peter Cocks for Dairy Cylinders Mobile Pace an Information A13960 was lodged by Stipendiary Steward Miss R Haley, alleging A Milne (Paradise Valley) used his whip free of the rein on several occasions in the run home. Mr Milne admitted the charge and appeared at ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Actually the poster was the most positive poster of all of you. I can't recall one post that wasn't promoting the sport of Harness Racing.

RIU/Purcell vs Morton set a precedent which I would have thought HRNZ would have noted.

Didnt know that. Geez these codes make it hard for themselves. No wonder they behave like bad policemen.

Meanwhile the best they can come up with is "no comment" or "I haven't been briefed" when a journalist knocks on their door.

But the GRNZ policy only covers licensee's doesn't it? Not owners. Even then the policy doesn't insist on using your real name and is focused on comments not being made on behalf of GRNZ. It also refers to the relevant Act's in its policy which supersede the GRNZ policy and provide ample protection for participants. Whereas the HRNZ policy looks to silence everyone and make them accountable. That is a step too far in my opinion and is a sign of insecurity on HRNZs part. Once again trying to set a holier than thou standard above common law sets them up for failure. I say again why aren't they focusing in the important things that they do legitimately have control over - marketing, increasing Stakes, protecting owners from being ripped off, animal welfare etc.

One poster has stopped posting in fear of the repercussions of the HRNZ proposed Code of Conduct in particular one clause that says Harness participants including owners need to identify themselves on social media. The so called "Code of Conduct" rules don't come into effect until 1 July. In any event the way they are currently written are at odds with laws of the land that take precedence. Quite frankly I wouldn't worry about it. In terms of my position as owner and moderator of BOAY as I have said many times before it would take a Court Order to attempt to identify any poster on BOAY. I would also personally defend that position and fight any legal action to identify individuals. If HRNZ wish to take on that fight then please do. I'd even be willing to purchase a small share in a Harness horse as a Test Case. I would have thought that HRNZ had bigger things to worry about e.g. sorting out the prevention of horse shares being oversold.

Is that true? Has the rule been passed? The so called "Code of Conduct" rules don't come into effect until 1 July. In any event the way they are currently written are at odds with laws that take precedence. Quite frankly I wouldn't worry about it. In terms of my position as owner and moderator of BOAY as I have said many times before it would take a Court Order to attempt to identify any poster on BOAY. I would also personally defend that position and fight any legal action to identify individuals.

It gets worse. The TAB NZ don't even display which horses are balloted! Maybe we should pay another $10m a year to get the extra software modules! Perhaps Glenn Saville can cut us a deal!

Clearly the All Stars/Cullen has targeted the higher value races. The tiers in Harness are becoming more pronounced. When considering what they are targeting a UDR of 0.4200 for the Cullen stable is remarkable. That said the quality of the fields at Addington today are ahead of the OZ ones.

It's a joke so far. How can a bookie set a market if a third of the current field has to be scratched! So much for a great revenue generating innovation. Competing against 5 OZ meetings tomorrow. Two of which have Fixed Odds displaying on OZZIE bookies already. Perhaps the TAB NZ only sets a book when its algorithm can copy someone elses!

Rule Number(s): 869(2)& Whip and Rein RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 8, Lone Star Sires’ Stakes Aged Trotters Classic (Listed Race), an Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, against Licensed Junior Driver, Mr B T Hope, alleging that, as the Driver of MIDNIGHT DASH in the race, he “used his whip in a continuous ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 1104(1)Following the running of Race 10, Spectators Now Open Sundays! Handicap Trot, an Information requesting a Ruling was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, “as to whether the race should be declared null and void as a number of runners were affected by the barrier [strand] not clearing the ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article