Chief Stipe

It's clearly evident, that if you take at face value that HRNZ are being kept in the dark, that the RIU are feeding the media. Who is the leak at the RIU? Who at the RIU is feeding the media? What is their agenda?

Actually in fairness to Woodham assuming he is telling the truth then it raises a serious issue. Who is the leak at the RIU? Who at the RIU is feeding the media? What is their agenda?

For what reason? Seems the RIU are hiding in hedges again. Referring to the article 2 years seems excessive for an offence unrelated to Harness Racing. In any other industry Anderson would be straight back to work and working through his sentence. I see Woodham is missing in action again. "Harness Racing chief executive Garry Woodham said he would need more information before he could comment."

Seriously though surely HRNZ are bigger than monitoring Owners social media activity? Not a good sign. Points to less transparency and a rounding of the wagons.

Maurie Holmes I believe.

If the attached Code of Conduct comes into effect it is an incentive for the Chief to get share in a harness horse! Don't worry posters you'll never have to declare who you are on BOAY! Code-of-Conduct-and-Social-Media-Policy-Regulations-22-April-2021-Draft.pdf

Draft Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy Regulations 4 May 2021 , Official Notice HRNZ is looking to introduce Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy Regulations which can be viewed here. The object and purpose of these regulations is to ensure that the participants of harness racing in New Zealand conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, particularly in their engagement with other participants. As part of the consultation process, please find attached these proposed regulations for your information. Please provide any feedback to Liz Bishop at lbishop@hrnz.co.nz by 4.00 pm on Wednesday 26 May 2021. It is intended that the Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy Regulations will come into force on 1 July 2021.

"made" - as in net profit? Or yield before distributions? Which sports contributed to the 20 million? However in March they reported that they were up $20m on last year. The profit for the season 1 August to 31 March was $116m up $28m on Budget but only up $22m on last year. Yes they budgeted for less than last year!! Don't forget that they need to find $35m or negotiate a new loan agreement with the bank to roll over the overdraft plus there are zero reserves left.

Another question that should have been asked of the RIU was - did they detect prior positives to formalin? If so why didn't they act sooner? Formalin/formaldehyde has been detectable by the testing labs since at least 2005. Regardless if they couldn't detect formaldehyde in a horse's blood which they were testing then that horse would not have been alive.

Mmmmm this is getting more interesting. The counsel for the RIU is wrong there have been trials. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11039546/ Effects of intravenous administration of formaldehyde on platelet and coagulation variables in healthy horses https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.13451?af=R Intravenous formalin for treatment of haemorrhage in horses The rationale for the trials was that formaldehyde may have a therapeutic effect for horses that bleed i.e. suffer from EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhaging). It should also be noted that we ALL have formaldehyde in our blood as does every horse. It is a critical chemical involved in some fundamental biological processes. If I recall correctly from biochemistry studies it is produced by the liver. No doubt we will see another headline where it is referred to as "embalming fluid".

Harness racing trainer caught on camera injecting horse in undercover sting Sam Sherwood16:45, May 05 2021 ac CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF Jesse Alford injected horses he trained with formalin, a banned substance. Details of a secret sting that caught disgraced harness racing trainer Jesse Alford injecting two horses with a prohibited substance have emerged at a hearing where integrity officials called for him to be banned from the sport for nine years. Alford appeared at a penalty hearing before the Judicial Control Authority at Addington Raceway on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two charges of administering a prohibited substance on race day and one charge of attempting to administer a prohibited substance. At the hearing it was revealed that Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) investigators planted a hidden camera near the Woodend Beach stables the 30-year-old shared after receiving a tip he was doping horses. On February 25 they caught him red-handed as he injected two horses, Johnny Nevits and Jimmy Cannon, with a substance, and attempted to tube one of them, two hours before they were due to race at the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club meet at Addington Raceway. Tubing is an illegal process that allows a chemical solution to be administered to a horse to improve its stamina. The hidden camera footage was among evidence presented at Wednesday's hearing. According to the summary of facts, Alford injected Jimmy Cannon in the neck using a syringe filled with 10 millilitres of formalin, which contains about 10 per cent formaldehyde, while another person, whose name is suppressed, held the horse by its head collar. SUPPLIED Horse Jimmy Cannon had eight podium finishes in 36 starts. The horse has since been put down. The administering of formalin is banned as it can affect a horse’s cardiovascular system. Alford then tried to tube Johnny Nevits using a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and water – commonly known in the industry as a milkshake. However, the procedure was abandoned after the horse became “fractious” and the person assisting Alford said they didn’t feel comfortable. Alford then injected Johnny Nevits with formalin. Moments later RIU investigators raided the property. They found a plastic bucket of tubing gear, including a rubber hose and plastic funnel, several empty syringes in a wheelie bin, a third syringe loaded with formalin and a 2-litre plastic container half-filled with the substance. CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF Jesse Alford arrives at Addington Raceway for his Judicial Control Authority hearing on Wednesday. All three horses were scratched from racing that day and taken away for blood testing. Betting records showed several unusual bets had been placed on Johnny Nevits and Motor Mouth, another horse trained by Alford, the day before the race. Motor Mouth was initially paying $9 to win one of the races but at the time it was scratched, it had fallen to $2.80, indicating large amounts of money had been bet on it. Alford asked the investigators: “What made you guys come out here today? Was it the betting? ... It must have been the betting.” In a statement, Alford admitted injecting Jimmy Cannon with a “bleeder shot” and attempting to tube Johnny Nevits. He initially denied injecting Johnny Nevits, but later came clean. In submissions to Wednesday’s hearing, the RIU said there were several aggravating features to Alford’s offending, including the type of substance used and the serious impact it could have had on the horses’ health. There was no legitimate reason to inject formalin into a horse, it said. “In fact, it is so harmful to animal welfare that there have not been any studies into the effects of its intravenous administration – nor can there be, no ethics committee would approve such a trial.” The RIU said it believed Alford would likely have administered a substance to a third horse, Motor Mouth, if RIU investigators had not arrived when they did. ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Jesse Alford was suspended in February after Racing Integrity Unit investigators caught him administering a substance to two horses. (File photo) The impact of Alford’s offending on the industry’s reputation was “significant” and there had been “intense media scrutiny”. RIU counsel Michael Hodge said the offending was at the “top end”. “[It] conforms to the very worst stereotypes ... against the industry – that it’s rigged and trainers cheat, that it’s harmful to the welfare of animals. Those stereotypes are wrong, they’re unfair, they're not representative or accurate.” Alford should be banned from the sport for up to nine years, Hodge said. That penalty factored in a 25 per cent reduction for the trainer’s early guilty plea. Alford’s lawyer, Kerry Cook, asked for a disqualification of four years. Alford briefly addressed the committee, saying he was “very remorseful”, and the disqualification would have a “massive impact” on his life and his family. Cook said Alford was entitled to credit for his guilty pleas, remorse, previous good record, the harm he would suffer and his previous good character. “Any disqualification is serious. It removes the ability of any involvement in something which provides him with an income and much pleasure.” The JCA reserved its decision.

Oh there is a plan or should I say an agenda. Just isn't particularly transparent. Might start writing letters asking the hard questions and also some OIA requests.

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 1, an Information was lodged by Mr Williamson alleging a breach of Rule 638 (1) (d) in that L Hemi (SPIRIT OF KAHA) allowed her mount to shift in near the 1100 metres when not clear of DOLLARBEEL (K Hercock) which was checked. Mr Williamson had Mr Goodwin demonstrate the ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(4)Following the running of Race 5, an Information was lodged by Mr Williamson alleging a breach of Rule 638 (4) in that L Hemi (ANDUIN) unreasonably reduced the pace of the race near the 900 metres hampering runners following. Rule 638(4) reads: A Rider shall not unreasonably slow, reduce or check the ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 5, an Information was lodged by Mr Williamson alleging a breach of Rule 638 (1) (d) in that M Hudson (HYDROEXPRESS) allowed her mount to shift in over the final stages crowding NO ROCK NO POP (A Mudhoo) and ANDUIN (L Hemi). Mr Williamson had Mr Goodwin demonstrate the incident ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 642(1)Following Race 5 (John Bary Racing 1200) two protests were lodged pursuant to Rule 642(1) by Ms L Hemi and Mr L Somervell against the winner HYDROEXPRESS. The Information alleged that horse number 5 (HYDROEXPRESS) or its Rider placed 1st by the Judge interfered with the chances of horse number 4 (ANDUIN) ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

No problem at all but you posted about it.

Why did you make a post on it?

There is no plan there is no business case. Even the rationale behind track closures was flawed. One in particular. "AWT's will save millions from meeting abandonments"..... Tui Ad that one! 4 months to crap spring tracks at Awapuni and Riccarton. Too late for the renovator's then!

Rule Number(s): 869(2)and Whip & Rein RegulationsThis charge arises from the running of Race 7, the 2021 ‘What the Hill’ Rowe Trot Cup (G1) 3200m. An Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr Ydgren, alleging Open Driver, Mr M Purdon (OSCAR BONAVENA), “used his whip with free of the rein near the 250-metre mark”. Rule 869 provides that: ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)This charge arises from the running of Race 7, the Travis Stakes ($100,000 Group 2). Stipendiary Steward, Mr B Jones filed an Information pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d) alleging the rider of BAD ‘N’ BOUJ (S McKay), "permitted his mount to shift in when not sufficiently clear of SIRACUSA which was checked ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

No I won't "move on". If you call being negative asking to see the business case and demanding that the turf track be renovated as negative then open your naive eyes.

So you're happy to run your best 2 and 3 yr olds on the Riccarton Turf in November? Watch this space in October - only four months away!

Correct.

LOL Leo and Comic Dog have a "friendship"! More like a symbiotic relationship! LOL only one of them has a brain to start with.