Chief Stipe

Can you leave the personal insults out of your posts? It doesn't worry me however it only demeans your argument and serves to reinforce a widely held opinion that Riccarton has an endemic bully culture. Such an approach isn't going to help resolve what is a serious issue for racing i.e. the state of our premier tracks. That said you now openly admit that Riccarton hasn't produced a decent track since last November - the 1st day of the NZ Cup Carnival being 2000 Guineas day. If I remember correctly you complained about the irrigation leading up to that day as well after a heap of criticism from up North over the track produced on the 3rd of October. Ironically you stated the track that day was perfect when it was rock hard and the horses were racing in a cloud of dust! So for 10 race meeting's and 1 trial day, in your words, Riccarton "hasn't produced a decent track"! That included a 6 week break of racing over December/January! The number of winners you have and your strike rate is irrelevant. In your own words "THEIR HASN'T BEEN A DECENT TRACK SINCE THE 1st DAY OF THE CUP CARNIVAL"! So you agree with the "MOANERS"!!!!!!!! Saying that you have had winners "on all sorts of track conditions" is an apology for the status quo not an endorsement of our tracks!

Rule Number(s): 638(3)(b)(ii)Following the running of Race 3, the Ashburton Raceway-Your Gateway To Entertainment Maiden 1400, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr M Davidson, against Jockey (Class A), Miss T Jonker, alleging that, as the rider of IL SONETTO in the race, she used her whip excessively prior to the ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 642(1)Following the running of Race 5, the Sim’s Bakery 1200, Stipendiary Steward, Mr M Davidson, filed an Information instigating a protest, under Rule 642(1) in that GRANITE RIDGE, ridden by Mr R Mudhoo, placed second by the Judge, interfered with the chances of ROMANTIC WHISPER, ridden by Mr K Mudhoo, placed ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)The Stewards charged Mr Riddell with a breach of r 638(1)(d) in that he permitted his mount BELARDO BOY to shift in near the 1000 metres when not clear of IVANKA, Ms Hirini, and MISS SAILOR, Ms Lazet, which was checked. (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 6 an Information was lodged by Mr Goodwin alleging a breach of r 638(1)(d) in that Mr Grylls (AWESOME AL) angled his mount out near the 800 metres forcing MOZZIE (Ms L Hemi) over extra ground. Video evidence was provided outlining the incident. Approaching the 800 metre ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Doesn't the CD have the same issue as Canterbury? The main turf track at Awapuni is substandard meanwhile good tracks e.g. Foxton sit idle from a racing perspective. Also no clear plan for improving the situation other than money being poured into the AWT. The fact that there is not clear plan articulated is the reason why people are sitting back and waiting. Why invest hard earned if the way forward is not being articulated?

You miss the point Gammalite as most do. When is zero actually zero? Should there be thresholds? The testing is so sensitive that an absolute zero would result in more positives at levels that have no therapeutic nor performance enhancing effect. Subsequently we end up with situations where the penalty far outweighs the perceived crime.

That would eliminate most of the population. There have been cases of positives to prescribed human medicines resulting in horse disqualifications. That in my opinion (which I've written about at length elsewhere) is going to be a growing problem with enhanced testing techniques and ludicrous zero tolerance levels for horses. A recent morphine disqualification being a case in point.

But you have no proof or evidence to back up your supposition. Even your Cullen "run forever" doesn't stack up statistically! Mind you if it was correct that would put paid to the Purdon and Rasmussen theory that they are still involved! Have you read all the posts in this Topic and one in the past that was on the Class B subject? One poster specifically mentioned P which was quickly pointed out as being incorrect. At no point did I "suggest" you said it. However consistently I have taken issue with you inferring that because someone has done A then they must be doing B.

Over use? So what is your recommendation in terms of determining how much and when? You seem to be an expert on this. Or inconsistent coverage? There are many that would disagree with you and not on 27 March but several other rock hard tracks produced since the first week of October. The fact is those that do have alternative opinions are being knocked down and strong armed to the point where most are remaining silent. Pitty if you are OK with the condition of the track (there are many that are not) the all well and good. But when your training partner has to move to somewhere else because everyone else has moved don't start wondering why. As for your 27 winners what is your strike rate at Riccarton? Not that it has any relevance to this topic. I bet those you label "moaners" have a better strike rate than you.

Pitty even you have admitted the main track is stuffed yet you are stuck in a narrative of trying to support it and blaming the irrigation! You also miss the point I was making which was that if you DON'T irrigate look at what you get. Surely even you are not suggesting that the main track shouldn't be irrigated AT ALL! As for the not irrigating the Steeplechase track you wonder why irrigation is inconsistent on the main track? What happens when it does rain? Do you expect the water to soak straight into those parts of the track that haven't been irrigated? Of course not - we all know it runs off and where does it run off to? So you blame irrigation as the issue with the track (which seems a contradiction when you say there isn't an issue with the track) what is it about the irrigation that you have a problem with? It can't be because they do irrigate otherwise we would have the track looking like the Steeplechase course and the area behind the gates at the 1200m!

Here is an example of "fun" things you can do when not working in the stable. Also proof that Mark Purdon ISN'T full time working in the Cullen stable.

BTW this Topic was a dig at those who believe blinkers are the cure all rather than changing the way you train a horse to eliminate race behaviour issues.

Who says I was bagging Pitty? I just pointed out the reality of what was achieved and that it had nothing to do with the state of the Riccarton track. On that I note that Pitty is quoted in the media as giving his Jockey's strict instructions on where to position their horses on the surface. But I'm assuming from your post that you do not adhere to, what I believe is a myth, that it is easier for North Island horses to win in the South Island?

The argument being put forward by some including Pitty and Reefton is that irrigation is the cause of the Riccarton track isseus. Note they acknowledge there is an issue! A control in an experiment is where you test the opposite of your hypothesis generally by doing nothing. So comparing irrigating with not irrigating will provide information to confirm your hypothesis or not. When looking at the racing from Riccarton on Saturday it was evident that many parts of the turf had not been irrigated - behind the 1200m start and large sections of the Steeplechase course. I could see large tracts of light brown grass/turf in those areas. Obviously they hadn't been irrigated and the grass was not healthy. Behind the 1200m start looked downright dangerous with horses and people slipping on what looked no more than sparse dead grass on top of hard slippery mud. I took a screen shot of that but unfortunately can't find it.

Do you think it is because you rarely say anything clearly but instead talk in riddles, inferences, innuendo and supposition? For example did you or did you not postulate that because the person of interest has allegedly supplied recreational drugs to humans that it must follow that that person would have no issue with using performance enhancing drugs on their horses? Yes it wasn't you that referred to P as being the drug in question. However it would be fair to say you knew it wasn't and didn't attempt to correct that either but were quick to follow through on the general tenor of that poster.

So why make the inferences and innuendo that you have whereby you imply that someone like Rasmussen "that can supply performance enhancing drugs (what quantity or to whom we don't know) to humans would have no hesitation to do it to horses"? For the latter you have no evidence what's more the evidence gained by the Police for the Class B drug charges was obtained during an investigation initiated by the RIU for something entirely different. If that hadn't have happened none of us would have been any the wiser that some harness participants consume party pills like thousands upon thousands of others in this country. Don't forget the RIU found zero evidence for what they were initially looking for. The rest has been an arse and face saving exercise. Thankfully we are about to see major changes made to how the RIU operates and I hope that the rotten wood is exorcised.

Bollocks Galah. It isn't common sense at all to extrapolate from one to the other as you and others have done. I don't know what quantity was involved and/or if the supply charge was related to an intercepted conversation where the individual concerned had offered it to someone else. But painting Rasmussen as some mega drug baron pushing drugs to every teenager in Canterbury is a bit of stretch. I also don't know what the outcome of the charges was. Do you? Anderson had his possession and supply charges (for ecstasy) discharged without conviction. I wouldn't have expected Rasmussen to have been treated any differently. As for supplying performance enhancing drugs to a horse it is obvious you have no confidence in the RIU's ability to detect illegal drug use in horses. All you are doing Galah is saying "look there is some smoke there must be one helluva fire in that stable"! With not proof whatsoever.

P is a Class A drug. MDMA, Cannabis and E are not. Rasmussen was not charged with having or supplying P.

Yeah well that control experiment is working with the Steeplechase course is it?

Humans have a choice horse's don't. I'm not arguing anything is sacrosanct. I only pointed out the Natalie was NOT charged for supplying P but for recreational dugs. You are naive if you don't realise that there probably are very few concerts or parties in NZ that don't have E or canabis floating around. Where I take exception is when people pull the holier than thou card and single out harness workers or, as in your case, infer that because someone has been caught that they must be giving something to their horses as well.

What is your point? I can tell you that I have had 100% win record from horses that I have owned and/or bred. Again I don't see the point of your question just as I didn't get the point of you posting about your latest maiden winner in relation to the thread topic. The nuance escaped me. With regard to doing the "same analysis" on other stables the result will in the vast majority of cases be the same. It is hard to break even in NZ with any racehorse. Meanwhile the fancy white elephants are continuing to be built while the key to success for all is being neglected i.e. our training and racing tracks. Have you found that plan yet to fix Riccarton Pitty? Or is it secret squirrel and involves the pinching of other clubs' acorns?

‘Load of rubbish’: Nature Strip silences critics again Nature Strip powered to victory in the TJ Smith Stakes. Picture: Getty Images Article Author Ray Thomas5:57PM10 April 2021 0 Comments When Nature Strip is in this mood, there isn’t a sprinter in the world that can match him. Nature Strip was at his arrogant, explosive best in the Group 1 $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick – and was compelling to watch. It is the enigma that is Nature Strip that makes him so exciting. He has often been maligned, even ridiculed – but then he reminds everyone of his extraordinary sprinting talent. This was Nature Strip at his commanding best – and he didn’t have to be the “control freak” by leading to win. Eduardo, his main rival, came out of the barriers brilliantly and crossed Nature Strip within the first 100m. There have been times in Nature Strip’s career when he would “raise the white flag” if he couldn’t dictate in front but not this time. He’s a more complete racehorse now as he demonstrated by racing away to win his second successive TJ Smith Stales. Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller took particular satisfaction as Nature Strip left his critics eating their words again. “He’s a super horse and just showed another dimension today,’’ Waller said. “We knew he couldn’t go head to head (with Eduardo) and expect to win the race. “I think that brought us undone in the spring. We were getting taken on and coming off second best and left a sitting duck. “Anything that wants to take him on gets beat as well. We’re beyond that, we wanted to be a bit more mature this preparation. “His run in the Lightning Stakes, he settled off the speed and blew them away. Last start it was a pretty good effort, he had a wide draw and had to do quite a bit of work. “But today it just worked out perfectly and full credit to James (McDonald) and my team.” James McDonald celebrates after Nature Strip took out another TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick. Picture: Getty Images Nature Strip ($3.10 favourite) sprinted clear over the rise and was never going to be run down, scoring by two lengths. If there was an unlucky runner it was definitely Masked Crusader ($7) who was held up for a run at the top of the straight but he finished powerfully to claim second, with Eduardo ($3.60) nearly a length away third. McDonald rode his second Group 1 winner for the day – he had won the Inglis sires on Anamoe – and felt the time was right to return serve at some of Nature Strip’s critics. “You get sick of all the talk during the week about how to upset him and this kind of garbage,’’ McDonald said., “They’re not going to upset him anymore. He is pretty push button. I can safely say WBS (World’s Best Sprinter) for him. “When he is winning, he is everyone’s favourite but when he is losing, they quickly bag him but he is not getting beaten far. He is a bloody good horse.” McDonald said he was determined to ride his own race on Nature Strip and not get involved in a speed duel with Eduardo. “We can only worry about one horse and that’s why throughout the week, all this talk of ‘we’re going to upset him’ – it is just a load of rubbish,’’ McDonald said. “Just ride your horse and we’ll worry about ours.’’ It’s easy to forget Nature Strip is the reigning Horse of the Year and the TJ Smith was his sixth win at Group 1 level, his 16th career success from 30 starts and took his career earnings to $7.92 million. “He’s pretty good all the time,’’ Waller said. “Even when he does get beaten, there’s been reasons for him getting beat. As I said, he gets taken on. “No horse can sustain that type of pressure when you’re talking about the best sprinters in the world.’’ Waller, who led in his 121st career Group 1 winner with Nature Strip, has trained 11 Group 1 winners with his stable earnings topping $30 million for the season. The Hall of Fame trainer wasn’t about to lock in plans for Nature Strip immediately after the race but said long term the $15 million The Everest at Royal Randwick next October the main goal. “He’ll be at The Everest for sure,’’ Waller said. “So it’ll all be revolved around that. “The Everest is actually quite deep into the spring so there’s the chance to take him to Queensland if we need to.”

Yes well to be fair to Pitty his maiden winner yesterday did have the first 15 of its starts for Team Rogerson in the North Island. Rogie paid $100k for it at the Karaka Premier yearling sale in 2017. Who knows what Pitty paid for it but obviously looking for easy South Island wins and depending on what he paid for it (I'm not sure Rogie gives much away) Pitty could get a return on his "investment". So if you look at the horse from an individual investment perspective from the time it was put up for sale: Cost $100,000; Insurances and Karaka Million lottery ticket - $5k; Collating together breaking in and training fees plus more insurance and vet fees over 3.5 seasons @ $30k a season - $105k. Winnings to date - $27k. Deficit as a rising 6 year old - $183,000. Pitty is probably on the plus side of the ledger - good on him if he got it cheap or is it leased? Now ALL THAT aside.....back to the topic...... What does winning a maiden at Riccarton have to do with all the issues regarding that track and the industry? Which afterall is the subject of this topic. I keep saying and will say again: What is the plan to fix the Riccarton Turf Track? Where will the money come from? Anyone who says the track is OK is bullshitting or has their head ankle deep into the new AWT.

Come on Brodie how would you have any idea of the day to day management of Cullen's stables? Compared to what they WERE doing what they are doing now is substantially less. Plus the arrangements that they have set up they clearly outlined publicly. No secret squirrels.