Chief Stipe

On The Bubbles winning the Manawatu Sires Produce today notched up the 21st 2 yr old race win of the season for trainer Jamie Richards. Surely that must be a record? I dont care what anyone says but to do that requires some talent regardless of how many or how good the cattle are in the stable. Although I hate side winkers on a racehorse.

Do you recall that this was the part of the track that was "rebuilt" and caused some controversy a few years ago? It was some online posting by Kevin Morton that got him into strife with the RIU and JCA after some serious issues of horses slipping on that bend. Particularly after light rain following a dry spell. If you listened to Jonathan Parkes after his ride on On The Bubbles he had it sussed hence his running wide over the last 800m. BTW that was another excellent effort by that horse.

Have you noticed that the first from Launceston and Albion Park are not being televised? Doesn't clash with Addington but clashes with the gallops from Dongra or Alice Springs.

Do any of these people know anything about racing? https://www.nepgroup.co.nz/about/management-team

I'm not saying anything other than the way it is. You are looking at it from a harness fan perspective - Harness has no control over Trackside. Thoroughbred Racing has most of what is now limited control. You will find that the two female studio presenters on Trackside One today were based in a "Studio" at Te Rapa. I wouldn't be surprised if the Trackside 2 presenters weren't in a room in Parnell at the vendors "production" facility. In terms of "Trackside" you'll find that there isn't an organisation as such any more i.e. there isn't a producer and director that have extensive knowledge of racing managing the programming each day. They are running on a shoe string budget such is the impact of the contract they signed up to. This is the group that got the sweet deal https://www.nepgroup.co.nz/ who occupy the ex Trackside offices in Parnell leased from a large Waikato Stud. Anyone seen where Roger Randall is nowadays?

Cameron George if you read this forum can you explain what the above "Goal" means? It doesn't make sense to me but then marketing BS is my third language. Woops sorry I guess with the Warriors playing the Sydney Roosters tomorrow you are at Rosehill today. Can you get back to us on Monday?

Have you noticed the contradictions between what has been written and the actions undertaken? So you close down low cost venues that meet multiple community needs and centralise with high cost venues (e.g. AWT's) requiring paid administrators.

It WAS a big jumps race with a kiwi connection - the second horse Zed Em ridden by Adam Kuru. However that aside you are correct that the revenue earning races are from OZ at this time of day on a Saturday. Low cost and good margins for the TAB. In saying that Harness should be aware that the revenue earned from those races DON'T get distributed to harness or the dogs in NZ but to Thoroughbred racing. I've said many many times an official inquiry should be done into how we got to the current broadcasting agreement/outsource contract. It stinks and is costing well north of $12m a year. It will get worse as some of the activities previously paid for by TABNZ has been devolved to each of the codes. For example code marketing. That is why I have serious doubts about Woodham and Brooks given their history and involvement in setting up the whole scenario we now face.

I think it is worse than that. The Industry is being driven by the needs of the big Thoroughbred Clubs. In my opinion they are nothing more than black holes vacuuming up all the dosh. $16m of tax payer and industry money has gone into building the CJC All Weather Track with no evidence on any thought on how the yearly maintenance and future renovations will be funded. Expect heavy subsidisation from the other codes. The Greyhounds will be the first to go.

Are you sure about that? I thought with the new technology and data circuits that the major centres were permanently "wired" so you didn't need a full broadcast truck for those centres only those that didn't have the permanent connections. The production is done from a central facility in swanky Parnell as opposed to a Broadcast truck. If that isn't the case then yet another reason for an investigation into the broadcasting outsource agreements which are costing the industry over $12m a year. Obviously they are not fit for purpose when you look at the needs of NZ racing.

Did the new $2m computer system approved by C. George write this BS?

Racing: Big changes on the way for racing industry 1 Apr, 2021 11:00 PM5 minutes to read By: Michael Guerin The heads of New Zealand thoroughbred racing have drawn a line in the sand and say the time for change is now. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chair Cameron George says implementing change in seven key areas is no longer negotiable and NZTR don't greatly care who is upset by it as long as it is for the greater good of the industry. NZTR sent a document, obtained by the Herald, to club and kindred bodies late Thursday afternoon outlining not only the areas the industry needs to improve in but most importantly the exact time frames they want change to occur in. "We are not writing another huge strategic plan and then sitting around talking about how to get it done," George says. "We have to make changes now and it is our job to lead thoroughbred racing where it needs to go. We want everybody in the code to embrace it. "We can't maximize the potential of this industry, and therefore its returns, sitting around arguing about everything and different groups' self-interests." The report gets straight to the point. "At times you may disagree with our lead, but always remember our role is industry first," says the report signed off by George and NZTR chief executive Bernard Saundry. "That principle is embedded in every decision we [NZTR] make and what is best for the future is not necessarily that which was best historically. "This is our opportunity as an industry to make the aspirational changes which will count; the inspiring changes which will see us lift standards and our levels of professionalism. "We need to be brave, ambitious, creative, forward-looking and, most importantly, supportive and ready for change. "It is time to stop the talk and take action." George has the buy-in of the NZTR board and Saundry but he says there will be accountability to ensure change is made, and that means inside NZTR as well as the industry. While racing administration bodies writing documents is nothing new the aggressive intent from NZTR is impossible to miss and the reports gives dates for when they want to see progress and what they want that progress to look like. George has already proven himself to be a change agent as chief executive of the Warriors rugby league club and he says the thoroughbred code has to be responsible for itself before worrying about the all-important TAB payout, which is expected to be significantly higher this year. "That money is important but we need to make our industry as efficient and progressive as possible before we get that money, then do the right thing with it. "We need to look at every opportunity." New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chair Cameron George. Photo / Photosport The seven key areas for change in what NZTR are calling "a leadership document" and what outcomes they want from that change are: 1: The racing product Goal: "The focus is on growth and the subsequent returns this will provide owners and participants." 2: Venues Goal: "That the overall result is a sustainable, affordable venue footprint meeting both our community and professional needs." 3: Participants Goal: "That our workforce is excited about their future within the industry, they have clear career paths and are proud to be involved in racing." 4: Clubs Goal: "Clubs are encouraged to create added revenue streams; establish strong community relationships; and business opportunities." 5: Marketing and PR Goal: "Our stories are getting racing into the mainstream media. We are catering for all fans – new and old, expert and beginner." 6: Wagering and content Goal: "Data and vision are more effectively monetised, enabling NZTR to provide greater returns to industry participants." 7: The business of racing Goal: "Our collective scale and a united approach provide significantly improved commercial outcomes." That will mean a more fluid approach to how the industry uses resources to make money, how they engage with overseas betting operators to promote New Zealand racing, and how to attract and educate more people to work inside the industry. Two key areas of focus will be the racing calendar, as in when races and carnivals are held and even what time of day meetings are held to maximise turnover opportunities and the interaction with overseas betting operators. The latter means NZTR sees overseas bookies as potential business partners, not enemies. Those running NZTR want change, they want all seven areas actioned in 18 months and it sounds like they are willing to convince or even go to battle with those inside the industry who stand in their way. Coming on the back of the enormous changes already made since the Messara report, at TAB level, and with the historic agreements afoot between Ellerslie, Pukekohe and Avondale, thoroughbred racing may finally be gaining momentum to meaningful and permanent change. Which will lead to the one factor always raised during any conversation in the racing industry: better returns - or as racing people like to call it, better stake money. But this time it sounds like NZTR want much more than that. Industry-Reshaping_Our-Actions_FINAL (1).pdf

Actually try and find those that DON'T have Kiwi connections! R7 KIA TANCRED STAKES (G1) . $1630000 2400m Starts 6:35pm WIN, PLC, FT4, QLA, TFA, QAD Leg2, PL6 Leg4, TRB Leg1, FFWin 17, FFPlc 1017 Trackside 1 Tote Form Name, barrier, trainer Jockey (allowance) kg (R rtg) Course, Dist 1 6X794 Sir Dragonet (1) Maher/Eustace Glen Boss 59 C(1-0-0) Dst(1-0-0) On a quick back-up. Battled on here last start. Up in distance. Take beating. 2 08X93 Mirage Dancer (4) Busuttin/Young Damien Oliver 59 C(2-0-1) Dst(14-4-7) Ran on well to place here last outing. Proven performer here. Can figure here. 3 34X26 The Chosen One (14) Baker/Forsman Hugh Bowman 59 C(2-0-0) Dst(7-1-1) Gave a good sight here last time out. Place. 4 X79X7 Southern France (9) Maher/Eustace Mark Zahra 59 C(1-0-0) Dst(4-2-0) Freshened. Looks tested here. 5 21623 Sound (8) Michael Moroney Craig Williams 59 C(1-0-0) Dst(6-1-2) Formerly with M Moroney & P Gerard. Not likely. 6 22112 Spirit Ridge (6) Mark Newnham Robbie Dolan 59 C(1-0-1) Dst(6-2-2) Led and only nailed late in easier company last out. Suited this distance. 7 3X735 Chapada (7) Michael Moroney Tim Clark 59 C(2-0-1) Dst(5-1-1) Goes to another level. Unlikely to trouble some of these. 8 X411X Nickajack Cave (11) Peter G Moody Luke Nolen 59 C(0) Dst(1-1-0) First-up. First run in Australia. Previously trained by G M Lyons. Place claims. 9 X6653 Angel of Truth (5) M, W & J Hawkes Kerrin McEvoy 59 C(5-1-1) Dst(5-1-1) On a quick back-up. On pace but outgunned late at long odds here last start. EW. 10 063X5 Shraaoh (3) Chris Waller Brenton Avdulla 59 C(3-0-1) Dst(7-0-4) Worked home okay at long odds to finish close to placegetters first-up. Place. 11 13191 Melody Belle (12) Jamie Richards James McDonald 57 C(1-0-0) Dst(0) Ready for this trip now. Commands respect. 12 5X323 She's Ideel (10) Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 57 C(6-0-4) Dst(1-1-0) Rises in class. Prefer others. 13 3X681 Toffee Tongue (2) Chris Waller Tom Marquand 56.5 C(1-1-0) Dst(2-0-1) Terrific effort from from off the pace here at latest. Among the dangers. 14 07878 Miami Bound (13) Danny O'Brien Rachel King 56.5 C(1-0-0) Dst(1-0-0) Ordinary in similar class here last time.

The silence is deafening Horace. However I understand that what you may have been referring to is turning out to be a bit of an embarrassment for those concerned. Maybe when the new "organisation" is formed it will sort of be "forgotten"?

All well and good but WTF can I do to change the front page when I sign on to be Racing NOT sport! Not only am I not interested in soccer fullstop I care even less about FIFA Electronic Football! FFS friends of mine can't even get a $10 Exacta on without being restricted!

Topics like this are too relevant to be banned!

Bet365 boss’s £421m pay for 2020 takes earnings over £1bn in four years Bumper package for Denise Coates comes as gambling firm reports fall in revenue Denise Coates said the company ‘continued to make considerable progress during the period’. Photograph: Alex Severn/Bet365/PA Rob Davies @ByRobDavies Wed 31 Mar 2021 16.17 BST The boss of gambling website Bet365, Denise Coates, was paid nearly half a billion pounds in salary and dividends last year, as the latest in a string of record-breaking awards took her total pay since 2016 to nearly £1.3bn. After an unusual delay in filing its accounts at Companies House, Bet365 revealed that its highest-paid director, understood to be Coates as chief executive, received £421m – or £48,000 every hour of every day throughout the 12-month period. In its accounts, the company said its pay arrangements were “appropriate and fair”. Bet365 also paid a dividend of £95m, signalling a separate windfall of around £45m for Coates, who owns more than half of the empire she built out of her father Peter’s Stoke-on-Trent bookmaking business. The deal is just the latest bumper package for Coates, who – together with Peter and her brother John – ranked 16th in last year’s Sunday Times rich list with a fortune of £7bn. It is also likely to cement the family’s position as the UK’s largest taxpayers, contributing more than £500m a year when factoring in Bet365’s corporation tax. But critics of excess pay and the gambling industry alike said it was hard to justify the scale of the rewards on offer to Coates. “Of course rich people pay more tax, they have grossly disproportionate incomes,” said Luke Hildyard, the director of the High Pay Centre. “What’s relevant is how much money they have after tax and in her case it’s more than anyone can spend in multiple lifetimes,” he said. “It’s appallingly inefficient for single individuals to hoard wealth in this way when fairer systems of taxation could mean the wealth is instead used to support better public services or raise living standards for low- and middle-income earners.” Coates paid herself £323m in 2019, including salary and dividends on her stake of more than 50% in the firm, based in Stoke-on-Trent. The pay packet, then a record for a UK chief executive, took her income over three years to £817m. The new enhanced deal takes her pay and dividends since 2016 to nearly £1.3bn. The Scottish National party MP Ronnie Cowan, a vocal advocate of tougher gambling regulation, acknowledged Coates’ hard work and success but added: “When the industry is creating so much harm in the community, when it is the most deprived areas that see the most damage and when the industry is in denial in regard to the damage it does, then salaries of this magnitude will always draw criticism.” Bet365 reported an 8% fall in revenue to £2.81bn for the 52-week period ending 29 March 2020, partly due to the cancellation of sporting events as the Covid pandemic took hold last year, on top of the lack of a major football tournament during the period. Operating profit fell by 74% to £194.7m, down from £758.3m in 2019, owing to the reduction in revenue but also as a result of a bumper pay rise for its four directors, only one of whom is not a Coates family member. The combined pay of the quartet leapt from £373m to £529m. The company, which also owns Stoke City football club, will not publish results covering most of the pandemic period for at least another nine months, but it is likely to have done extremely well given the increase in online gambling seen at rival companies. Coates has become Britain’s best-paid woman while building the Bet365 empire after recognising the power of internet gambling early on and pioneering hugely popular in-play bets on football, which has overtaken horse racing in popularity among gamblers. She took the company from a small operation housed in a portable building in a Stoke car park to a globe-straddling multibillion-pound empire in the process. Bet365 has repeatedly declined to give a breakdown of the geographical spread of its business, despite past allegations of offering bets in China, where it is illegal to do so. In its accounts, Bet365 said disclosing regional income would be “severely prejudicial” to the group. The company said it had donated £85m to the Denise Coates Foundation, supporting causes such as the Douglas Macmillan Hospice and Alzheimer’s Research UK. The foundation’s page on the Charity Commission website offers no indication of whether any money goes to problem gambling treatment but Bet365 said it had made advances in protecting vulnerable people via its early risk detection system. Coates said: “On behalf of the board I am pleased to report that the group continued to make considerable progress during the period, particularly in the priority area of safer gambling, where significant investment and developments have been made. “The period also saw the initial impact of Covid-19, with sport at all levels halted across the world. I am delighted with how the group responded and adapted to these challenging circumstances.”

Rule Number(s): 872Stewards lodged a Request for a Ruling under r872 following Race 3. The Information alleged “YOU CAN FLY ARDEN be declared a non-runner due to assisting capturing the driverless horse SHADOW AVEROSS, thus extinguishing its chances.” (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)Mr McNally was charge with a breach of r869 (3) (b) – careless driving - following an incident in Race 9. Stewards alleged that “Mr McNally (PUNT AWAY) drove carelessly into the first bend when shifting inwards and checking MARTIN JOHN”. Mr McNally admitted the charge and appeared at the hearing. Mr ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 870 (3) and Breaking Horse RegulationsStewards lodged a protest into the third placed MIMLLIONDOLLARMONKEY following Race 10. The Stewards alleged MILLIONDOLLARMONKEY “broke from its gait in excess of 50 metres inside the final 200 metres and was in breach of r870 (3) and the Breaking Horse Regulations.” The Connections of the horse did ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Didn't Brooks leave RITA after the "discovery" of a $3.8m "accounting error"? Weren't Brooks, Woodham and Henry (along with Saville who went to the FOB platform vendor) the crew that signed up to the new betting platform and broadcasting deals that are costing $30m a year?

BHA Toughens Regulations Around Syndicates Need for greater transparency more urgent in recent years. By Scott Burton/Racing Post The British Horseracing Authority has announced a revamped set of regulations around the running of racehorse syndicates and racing clubs, designed to ensure maximum public confidence. While the authority believes the majority of shared ownership entities are well run, it identified a need to revisit the code of conduct, which was drawn up in 2017, as one of nine key goals announced last August in the Racing Recovery Plan. In particular the saga in Ireland surrounding the unraveling of the Supreme Syndicate and the subsequent battle for control of the Willie Mullins-trained chaser Kemboy, shares in whom were oversold adding up to more than 100%, showed the need for greater transparency between managers and members. One of the key measures being introduced in Britain will be the requirement of syndicate managers to share the details of all owners and their percentage share of a horse and to inform each person of their individual stake. The changes, which are scheduled for early 2022 to allow the BHA to complete the necessary IT work, will allow syndicate members holding more than 2% in a horse to access the BHA's Racing Administration site. The 2017 code of conduct listed areas that need to be covered by a legal contract for any syndicate which advertises or charges a management fee, and the updated code will broaden that scope to include purchase price of the horse and dispute resolution. BHA chief operating officer, Richard Wayman, said: "It is vital for the future of our sport that we are able to attract and retain racehorse owners. Syndicates and racing clubs clearly have a pivotal role to play in those efforts. "The consultation responses confirmed that the sport has many extremely well-run syndicates and racing clubs which give their members exemplary levels of service. It is crucial that the public can continue to have confidence in syndicates and racing clubs, which these measures have been designed to support. "My thanks go to all of those who took part in the consultation and took the time to offer the feedback which has been central in devising this important package of measures." The updated code was welcomed by Dan Abraham, chairman of the Racehorse Syndicates Association, who said: "The appeal of syndicates and clubs is stronger than ever and the RSA welcomes the BHA's approach to provide increased protection for members as well as syndicators and club managers." The Racehorse Owners Association also welcomed the new standards, with chief executive Charlie Liverton saying: "Shared ownership in horseracing is thriving across many racing jurisdictions and ensuring that those joining a syndicate or racing club have confidence in our sport is crucial." The ROA has committed to rolling out an accreditation scheme for syndicates and racing clubs as part of the Industry Ownership Strategy for which it has responsibility. Such a scheme remains one of a number of ambitions yet to be realized, although it is described in a recent ROA report as a priority for 2021.

Greyhound Racing NZ and Harness Racing NZ show the middle finger to the thoroughbred code http://www.theoptimist.site/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GREYHOUND13-scaled.jpg The dogs have gone to the dogs by Brian de Lore Published 29 January 2021 A slap in the face to the thoroughbred code (NZTR) is how you would describe both the Greyhound and Harness nominations for board positions on the soon to be appointed TAB NZ board. Recently I wrote about the ‘Decade of Disaster’ during which the racing industry endured poor administration with calamitous decision-making that has cost racing’s stakeholders a couple of hundred million dollars. This was an avoidable fall from the position of ‘cashed-up’ to technical TAB insolvency along with substantial debt to the bank. The New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB), or the NZ Ruination Board as our leading trainer Murray Baker always described it, was crawling with incompetents who all but wrecked the industry. They collected massive salaries and board fees with no racing industry qualifications and then walked away (if not pushed) from the carnage with no accountability. But have they walked? Apparently, not all! The Greyhound and Harness codes have decided in their infinite wisdom to align themselves with two former NZRB executives who were high up in the failed John Allen team and nominate them for positions on the TAB board to represent those codes. I’m calling it a disgrace. …it can’t happen if the codes themselves are guilty of recidivist offending… The New Zealand racing industry has an opportunity to put together a new board that will run this industry properly, but it can’t happen if the codes themselves are guilty of recidivist offending by regurgitating past failures with expectations of an entirely different result. I’m fed up with quoting Einstein, but he said it first. You just don’t do it. It’s a no-no! When former NZRB Chair Glenda Hughes was appointed CEO of Greyhounds NZ, it raised eyebrows, to say the least – did she know a Greyhound from an Afghan?. She appointed John Allen, who brought Stephen Henry with him via NZ Post and then Foreign Affairs. Jobs for the boys. Stephen Henry was the General Manager of Services at NZRB with no previous horse or wagering experience, and now he’s the nominee for the TAB board via Greyhounds NZ. Harness NZ is even worse. Rod Croon was on the NZRB board as the harness nominee from 2012 through to 2018 and is currently the President of the Auckland Trotting Club. Their most recently appointed board member is the former NZRB financial controller Shaun Brooks, appointed by John Allen to NZRB in October 2015. He left NZRB suddenly amid some controversy about four years later, and now he’s the board nominee from Harness NZ. Brooks was the financial controller at NZRB through the worst period of decline… Brooks was the financial controller at NZRB through the worst period of decline and was the incumbent during the failure of NZRB to balance the books correctly when bonus bets were not accounted for in the final result. The thoroughbred (NZTR) nominee is Jason Fleming, who has been in the racing game all his life, is an owner and breeder, a lawyer, and the director of a financial services company. He was the CEO of Hawkes Bay Racing and worked as a stable hand for John Wheeler many years ago, so he is a professional and knows the industry well from the coalface up. It’s a given that the new board will require a diversity of skills. Is it not strange that the three codes would not have met to work together and collectively agree on the three nominees who can work together. In a perfect world, that’s what would have happened. But it’s hard to imagine that anyone in the thoroughbred game would be happy about either Henry or Brooks, or followers of the other codes for that matter. Livid, yes, happy, no. This is a poor start in attempting to put together a TAB board for what will be a make or break couple of years with the industry in a dire financial situation post-NZRB. The NZRB-John Allen and executives era needs to be exorcised into history Why is this racing industry in New Zealand so inept? The NZRB-John Allen and executives era needs to be exorcised into history with no thought of looking back. What’s wrong with carefully chosen new people with new ideas? Speaking by phone this week with a member of the board of Harness NZ, I asked the logical question of why they nominated Shaun Brooks? The answer came back, “the board rates him.” There was no point in continuing that discussion. The performance of the TAB is much improved in the first five months of this season, due mainly to COVID19, and $10 million of the $45 million debt to the ASB has been repaid, but there’s still a long way to go, and the worldwide explosion in betting may yet return to pre-COVID levels – no one really knows where we are heading with the economy and betting levels, but we do know that nothing stays the same. The involvement of the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in this process is flawed and problematic. They don’t have a clue what skills the board needs, and the process is wrong. A panel should have been briefed on the skillsets needed and then instructed to shoulder-tap the best people. Calling for nominations through the DIA website will not attract the best candidates available. They need to be approached and cajoled to get the best mix of the right people. It isn’t very reassuring for horse lovers dedicated to the racing industry to see this unfolding before them. It isn’t very reassuring for horse lovers dedicated to the racing industry to see this unfolding before them. Thoroughbred racing is bigger than the other two codes combined and therefore is underrepresented in the new legislation. It’s a level playing field in Victoria with two thoroughbred reps and one each for the other two codes. The problem in New Zealand is a lack of wagering knowledge. I decided to contact a retired CEO of Tabcorp who resides in Sydney and when employed, was paid A$1.2 million annually, for reasons of value – and not because he was shifted sideways after failing in a government department. He was remunerated according to his worth, and success was forthcoming. He told me: “It’s going to be a mistake not to get a wagering expert. To me, a gambling expert is essential, particularly those that understand digital. You don’t pack the whole board that way, but you want to have diversity. The world is going to move, and the market will keep changing, as will the product. “Achieving product parity and then having the agility to adjust to new products will be essential for them when taking a five or ten-year view. Playing catch-up football is essential, but that’s only phase one, and then you need people involved in both the executive and on the board that understand the gambling and wagering markets and how things move. “You need someone that’s able to communicate with stakeholders and have a partnership-relationship with the racing industry.” – former Tabcorp CEO “You need someone that’s able to communicate with stakeholders and have a partnership-relationship with the racing industry, but they also need to be strong influencers in that regulatory space to achieve parity and have the agility for the product parity as you advance. “They also need to have a strong customer lense – what they call CRM, data buying, artificial intelligence – all that sort of stuff. “It’s naive and ridiculous for New Zealand to sit here in isolation and say we are going to be successful by offering an inferior product to the rest of the world. If they respond and say ‘no, we have a good product,’ and we recognise we have to offer a world-class product, that will mean they will have to offer something better tomorrow – you don’t get there and say it’s done – it’s never done. “The operating environment, the regulatory environment, the executive and the government environment has to be on their minds at all times.” New Zealand is mainly devoid of the gambling/wagering experience required for a competent, pro-active board to enter the world of global wagering. The Aussies are good at it, it’s in their blood, and on a seven-person board, there should be room for at least one Australian with the know-how. Minister Robertson and the DIA designated a process to put this board together. It’s wrong, and they need to alter it; the racing industry’s future depends on getting the good people.

DIA takes racing admin to new levels of incompetence http://www.theoptimist.site/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dia_nz_image.jpg by Brian de Lore Published 24th March 2021 Events of the past couple of weeks and particularly the conduct of Internal Affairs (DIA) has blatantly reemphasised the Government’s lack of administrative competence and complete absence of know-how to act in racing’s best interests. The DIA’s handling of the appointment process for the board of TAB NZ makes Fawlty Towers look like a hotel with a seriously good management plan. Last week they undertook to send out four emails to the 42 applicants – two with gross errors and the other two to recall those emails. On March 18th, two months and three days after applications closed and four months after the specifications for the appointments were written, the DIA’s Senior Policy Analyst Glenys Robinson wrote to the 42 board applicants outlining new criteria of knowledge and skills and also requiring short answers to a series of questions. But the first stuff-up was the email was sent out in only draft form with corrections and redactions showing. After recalling the emails, the next email sent to the applicants was supposedly blind copied – but they weren’t. The names of all 42 on receipt of the email were immediately made known to each other. The surprise is the inclusion of Liz Dawson on the list of 42. She’s on the RITA board as well Chair of the board selection panel for the new TAB board – an overt conflict of interests if she, indeed, is in a position to recommend herself to the Minister. …the DIA having already leaked the names… With Glenys Robinson and the DIA having already leaked the names, The Optimist was tempted to reprint all 42 here, but out of respect to the half dozen or so applicants in racing known to the writer, that temptation has been resisted. The gender break-up of applicants is 32 men and ten women. And gender and ethnicity are sure to factor in this appointment process as all Government boards and committees in the now PC world of parliament and the civil service departments demand a minimum gender representation of 30 percent. A significant percentage have come through the Institute of Directors and seemingly are mercenary non-racing people looking to enhance their income. At the same time, another large group is made up of sportspeople, perhaps looking to strengthen the presence of sport inside the TAB. Since this appointment process commenced, the DIA, in its usual manner, has demonstrated its predictable inability to add value to anything they do on the racing front. This sorry band of over-paid civil servants continues to bumble their way through an enforced takeover of racing through the ‘virtual administration’ of the TAB, which Racing Minister Grant Robertson confirmed in a statement he made to Racing News, published on March 17th. Robertson said: “The process to date has yielded some good candidates, but the selection panel has recommended that I broaden the search, and I agree. This is a significant decision for the future of racing in this country and I am determined to get it right…this does mean there will be a delay.” …the DIA still rejigging the criteria to appoint the TAB board No one in racing would disagree with Robertson’s sentiment to get it right, but does he need a reminder it’s almost nine months since the legislation became law? It’s also three years since the Messara Review was written, which stressed ‘urgency,’ and here we have the DIA still rejigging the criteria to appoint the TAB board. The three things universally known about the DIA are (1) they have zero racing and wagering knowledge, (2) don’t care about racing or its current state of decline, and (3) work only at glacial movement pace in anything they ever do. Now we can add (4) – the inability to perform the simple task of sending an email without franking a ‘recall’ notice on it – twice in a couple of days. The fact that it’s taken more than two months since applications closed to realise the 42 as a group doesn’t cut the mustard is an admission the process established to put this board together was flawed from the start. Instead of consulting the best racing brains in Australasia on how to go about this task and commence shoulder-tapping and hand-selecting the correct people, the DIA has instead done its usual thing, floundering in its own ignorance and coming up short again. In the Racing News story, Robertson said: “I expect each member of the board to have the expertise, including fiduciary and commercial experience, to enable a bright future for the racing and sports sectors. “Candidates need not come from within the industry, as has generally happened in the past, and I’m asking the racing codes to nominate candidates with the skills and experience to ensure best governance practices. “This is particularly important given the $72.5 million Racing Industry Support package” – Racing Minister Robertson “This is particularly important given the $72.5 million Racing Industry Support package,” continued Robertson, “put forward by the former Minister for Racing, which is a considerable investment by the Government.” The Robertson quote indicates racing is about to experience ‘groundhog day’ and get more of what we’ve had in our under-performing administrative past. No mention in this story of candidates requiring a deep racing knowledge with experience in wagering, which is what was blatantly lacking in the last half dozen years of NZRB governance. The Robertson quote also reminds the industry of the enormity of the Government bail-out of the TAB last May, which in the Government’s view, places the TAB firmly in its grip (virtual administration), and which somewhat neutralises the devolvement of power to the codes that came with last June’s new legislation. As was the case with Peters, Robertson’s problem is he’s time-poor for racing and will rely on faceless advisors to steer racing policy. It didn’t work with Peters and won’t work with Robertson. Administratively speaking, we are as badly off now as we have ever been and potentially worse off by the time August arrives, and the DIA at its full-speed-ahead snail’s pace, announces this new board. DIA: Appointments to the Board are expected to be made by August 2021 Why are they taking so long? In the addendum to the Candidate Information Sheet, which went out to the 42 applicants, it states: “Appointments to the Board are expected to be made by August 2021 (to be confirmed).” It also mentions wagering and gaming governance in the addendum, but not as an absolute requirement in its 12-bullet point requirement set out under ‘Skills and attributes sought.’ The ‘to be confirmed’ proviso is ridiculous. Even without a further delay beyond August, the late announcement will determine the unlikelihood of seeing a cohesive TAB board operating before Christmas, given the time it will take for seven people to familiarise themselves with each other and develop a strategy going into 2022. Reliable sources have whispered the selection panel requested both the Greyhound and Harness codes each submit new nominations in place of the unacceptable Stephen Henry (Greyhounds) and Shaun Brookes (Harness). Both codes have reacted in the most negative way possible. The two codes arrogantly resubmitted both Henry and Brooks in an unbelievable display of defiance and disrespect towards the panel, the process, and the Racing Act of 2020. …money that belonged to heartland racing people, which went down the drain Most will be aware that Greyhounds CEO Glenda Hughes, and new Harness CEO Gary Woodham, along with Henry and Brooks, were all part of the NZRB team that built the FOB platform. They were all party to approving the ongoing commitments to Paddy Power and Openbet, which has cost the racing industry an estimated $200 million – money that belonged to heartland racing people, which went down the drain. All four names were belatedly given ‘the shove’ for very good reason, and genuine supporters of those two codes along with the thoroughbred code should be appalled that these people haven’t been warned off all racing involvement – instead, they are like a bad smell that won’t go away, and are now trying to bully their way back into TAB governance. Remember, we are only two years down the track from switching on the FOB platform. As Chair and part of the executive team, these four condoned the ongoing $17 million/year commitment to Paddy Power (5 years) and Openbet (10 years), which are binding contracts. From all accounts, the only way to get out of the contract with the software providers, Openbet, is to write them a cheque – a huge cheque. And this will most likely happen because there is an inevitability about partnering the TAB, which is the only path available for increasing the income and reducing outgoings for a sustainable racing future. Henry and Brooks won’t survive this arrogant second attempt because the Act says: “The Minister may veto a nomination made by the racing codes under subsection (1) but, if the Minister does so, the codes may make 1 or more further nominations until the Minister and the codes agree on the nominee.” …NZTR now control the thoroughbred racing IP… NZTR, as usual, has remained relatively quiet, but something is in the pipeline, and information suggests an announcement will occur in May with stakes money connotations. The trump-card held by NZTR is they now control the thoroughbred racing IP (Intellectual Property), and there’s nothing to stop NZTR from negotiating with an international wagering operator. The codes getting back control of their IP was the biggest win of the Racing Act 2020. At the February/March 2020 Select Committee hearings at which almost 100 people delivered oral submissions, RITA Exec-Chair Dean McKenzie in delivering his submission, was alone in his stance against the IP returning to the codes. Fortunately, he failed. NZTR now has the facility to make headway in the foremost requirement to increase prizemoney. In the last couple of weeks, field sizes have started to decrease, which is symptomatic of fewer horses in training. When field sizes reduce, so does betting The annual income received from racefields or Business Information Use Charge (BIUC) is currently running at around $10 million, but it has the potential to reach $20 to $30 million pa, and if NZTR can sell a good deal on the IP, an increase in stakes money is not out of the question. The previous blog published here highlighted the continued decline of the ratio of available stakes against the rising costs of racing horses in New Zealand. The monetary stats demonstrated the viability of racehorse ownership had decreased annually and would further decrease without drastic changes. Increased TAB profits generated in the COVID year have been retained with no extra money returning to owners and stakeholders. NZTR argued retention was necessary due to the need to avoid last year’s situation when stakes money was received in arrears and owners were late paid. “Every time we talk about how well turnovers are doing, it seems to generate an immediate cry for the need to increase stakes across the board.” – Bernard Saundry In ‘Note from Bernard Saundry’ which appeared about three weeks ago in an edition of Raceform, Bernard wrote: “Every time we talk about how well turnovers are doing, it seems to generate an immediate cry for the need to increase stakes across the board.” It’s as though NZTR is reluctant to confront the only issue that foremostly matters for the future sustainability of racing, or alternatively, the relative prosperity of the industry we jealously view in Australia, where they race for far greater stakes money. Racing needs not only a good TAB NZ board but also the current NZTR board to step up and make a splash in the interests of the poverty-stricken participants they represent. The drawback at NZTR is having a chair residing in Australia and a CEO who has one foot in the departure lounge at Wellington airport – Bernard Saundry’s contract finishes mid-2022. How do you get dynamic performance from that situation? The Racehorse Owners’ Association has now written to NZTR officially requesting that Cameron George resign his Chair position.

Rule Number(s): 638(3)(b)(ii)Following Race 7 (Weatherley Bloodstock Mdn) Information A14138 was filed with the Judicial Committee. The Informant alleged that Mr Diego Montes de Oca used his whip excessively in the home straight. Mr Montes de Oca said that he understood the Rule, Charge and confirmed that he admitted the breach. ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article