Chief Stipe

Bit of Pot Kettle there JJ. But the biggest difference between you and I is no one can ever accuse me of sycophancy nor question my intentions.

If I had the money I would do exactly that. Like many racing enthusiasts that buy Lotto tickets I go through the NZB Yearling Sales books and select what I like. On The Bubbles was one of them that I selected before it was sold. I did the same this year and again there was some overlap. Again Lotto didn't come through before all the Te Akau syndicate shares were sold out.

Well at least I made an attempt at estimating the return. Didn't see anyone else make an effort. Isn't ironic that a we are quibbling over the net return of the most successful New Zealand horse in the last decade. 14 Group One wins, $4m in stakes, sold for $2.6m. Says a lot about NZ racing when some people will botch about that. As for having a horse with Te Akau. The closest I've come is On The Bubbles which I selected at the sales. However the way our Turf Tracks are and the level of Stakes in NZ I'm not motivated to own one at the moment. If I did I would be stupid not to buy into a syndicate with NZ's top stable who also has success in OZ.

That's because it is not true. If you are worried about compromising other people you shouldn't have made the allegation in the first place. You may disagree with my approach but sure as hell no one dies wondering where I stand when it comes to integrity.

Where does that put you JJ? Horace is not a man of principle I assure you. Anyone who makes false allegations on a public forum and then runs and hides is not a man of principle. Aside from the fact I know who Horace is it is disappointing that someone in his position will make allegations and not back them up.

I have and will continue to "have a go" at the one person that trains at Riccarton that could use their influence to address the problems with the Riccarton Turf track. If trainers such as Pitty don't take a stand and lead then the industry is doomed.

Also before you go why don't you retract the statement that you made about Ellis sending a bill for commission and then not buying another horse from that Stud. Or provide proof. We can all only assume that what you wrote was absolute garbage. David Ellis was willing to donate $20k to a charity if you could provide the evidence. That is a fact.

Come on Pitty is quick to put the boot in when he wants to. I don't recall ever calling him an idiot as he is want to do.

You really don't know much about bloodstock do you Pitty. Princess Coup had a better Australian race record than Melody Belle and was better bred. FFS Pitty - how many horses have you successfully campaigned in Australia? Oh that's right you had a successful trip to Ascot! You barely go past Trentham most years. So if it ISN'T $45k a year - what were the costs? $100k a year? That's still over $5m in profit or $250k per 5% share. Yes the whole Te Akau operation seems to work doesn't it. From yearling selection through to racing and then selling. Jamie being but one cog in what seems a very professional operation.

Your estimate is how much and why?

I gather the Stud wasn't a very big one Horace? I just did a quick search through the NZB sales records and can't find any Studs that Ellis has stopped buying from. Actually your story seems more and more to be a fabricated bunch of crap.

No no Horace you can't walk away from this that easily. Either front up with some evidence or retract your statement. It is not up to me to prove anything.

Actually it would be a tad less than that as Fortuna bump the purchase price up which Te Akau doesn't. Still probably clear $250k as a 5% shareholder.

Easy to work out if you are talking about Melody Belle. Stake Earnings plus Sale Price = $4m + $2.6m = $6.6m. Roughly 85% is Syndicate earnings = $5.6m. She raced 4 seasons. Cost each season at $45,000 = $180,000. Less $58,000 purchase price. So $5,600,000 - $180,000 - $58,000 = $5,320,000 profit. 5% = $268,300 for around $2,900 initial outlay. Damn I should have taken that share!!!!

You haven't posted any facts other than hearsay. Either post the facts, retract what you have said or take the bet. Wrong. I've seen Te Akau's Syndicate contracts (I inquired about a share in a couple of yearlings I liked) and for any fillies that are syndicated the contract is quite clear that at the end of their racing career the filly or mare will be sold to dissolve the syndicate and sum sold for less a % to Te Akau will be distributed to the syndicate members. Now back to your accusation. You are making some serious allegations without any proof. My advice to you is to withdraw them promptly or back them up with verifiable evidence of their veracity. I'm happy to take this off-line and you can send me a private message with the details.

FFS Horace there is nothing shady about it. It is a saying "clip the ticket"! Hell every stock agent clips the ticket. Nothing shady when it is written into the syndicate contract! What you are eluding to is a "flick back" as a type of commission. That is illegal. So either front up with proof or retract what you've said or take the bet.

Rule Number(s): 870(4)Following the running of Race 6, Levelhead Insulation Passing Lane Mobile Trot, an Information instigating a protest was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr P Williams, against MICHELLE (S J Ottley), placed 4th by the Judge, on the ground that it broke over the concluding stages and failed to lose ground ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)& Whip & Rein RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 1, NZ Amateur Drivers Championship Heat 3 Mobile Pace, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr P Williams, against Licensed Advanced Amateur Driver, Ms S L Wigg, alleging that, as the Driver of DREAMINSOVER in the race, she “used her whip free of the rein near ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)& Whip & Rein RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 1, NZ Amateur Drivers Championship Heat 3 Mobile Pace, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr P Williams, against Licensed Advanced Amateur Driver, Ms C M Wigg, alleging that, as the Driver of FLAMBOYANT in the race, she “used her whip with more than a wrist ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(4)Following the running of Race 3, NZ Amateur Drivers Championship Heat 4 Mobile Pace, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr P Williams, against Licensed Advanced Amateur Driver, Mr F J Phelan, alleging that, as the Driver of REFINE in the race, he “failed to concede his position when being ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

I would have thought that it was placing your horses to optimise the return to your owners. Winning a $15k race is better than running down the track in a $50k race.

Then expect more irrigation.

This is what Pitty calls a "good track": received_127373929229248.mp4 1768306332_received_260115425649253(3).mp4

If you can prove that then I know someone who will donate $10k to charity.

Answer mine first: So you have to rely on a broken irrigation pipe to produce what YOU think is a good track? Many trainers wouldn't have called it a "good track"! Pitty that is what really annoys me about you. You are mouth of the south when it comes to racing, you admit that the Riccarton Track is stuffed and yet you are not worried about it! Don't you feel you have some responsibility as the leading south island trainer to lobby for the track to be fixed? Full credit to those North Island trainers that try to hold the CJC to account when they produce tracks that are too hard and unsafe. Be warned now that if more tracks are produced like the ones last spring then watch those Guineas races go north. What's more you promote the AWT which you admit you have very little interest in racing on!!