Chief Stipe

The link to the JCA determination - just so readers can make their own mind up. It should be mentioned also that poppy's were located growing on the property by the Racecourse Inspector (Barry Kitto) and it was he that proffered the defence for the morphine positive. http://jca.org.nz/non-race-day-hearings/non-raceday-inquiry-riu-v-gj-anderson-and-al-hoffman-26-february-2013-decision-dated-5-march-2013/?searchterm=amber hoffman leif e*

Full details please.

Perhaps you should have defined your criteria a bit better. I would consider the first criteria of a "good" trainer was one who trained winners.

Yes but you ask the question (cast stones) all the time more often than not without any evidence. You throw so many stones that eventually you hit a target.

Amber Hoffman

So in YOUR expert opinion why the improvement?' Or are you just going to say that Amber Hoffman is a cheat?

Knew it wouldn't take long.....

I might be wrong but he seems to have less gear on him now than he did earlier.

I don't know why any Jockey would bother riding in the series. 3h 53m Fontein Diamond (inside) defeats Translator at Wangaratta (Image: Racing Photos) Second horse, rider expelled from series Carl Di Iorio@CDi_Iorio 9:20am , ( A second horse and rider have been expelled from the Country Mile Race Series as the first two jockeys across the line broke whip regulations at Wangaratta on Saturday. Patrick Moloney and Jake Noonan fought out the finish of the fifth and final heat of the series at Wangaratta which restricts riders to using the whip on five occasions. Moloney used the whip six times aboard Fontein Diamond ($14) and had a head to spare on Translator ($3.20 favourite) with Noonan reaching for the whip nine times. Both jockeys exclusively used the whip inside the final 200 metres of the race in their eagerness to achieve victory as their mounts duelled over the concluding stages. Noonan was suspended for nine meetings and fined $500 while Moloney was fined $450, the sanctions consistent with Racing Victoria’s penalty guidelines for the six races held under restricted whip rules. WATCH: Fontein Diamond's Wangaratta win The first three placegetters of each heat qualify for the series final at Moonee Valley on March 13 however the Nigel Blackiston-trained Translator joins Spanish Snitzel as being ineligible for the final due to being struck with their whip eight or more times in a heat. Neil Farley aboard the Con Kelly-trained Spanish Snitzel also used the whip on nine occasions when a head away from victory as runner-up in the second heat at Swan Hill on February 16. Farley and Noonan are also ineligible from participating in the series final. Last Sunday’s heat winner at Ballarat, Intellective, was almost banished from the series but will take his place in the final after Dean Yendall used the whip seven times to clinch victory by a short neck. The final of the Country Mile Race Series carries prizemoney of $250,000 and is the second richest race on the nine-race All-Star Mile meeting at Moonee Valley.

Yep $7.5m in stakes and won her maiden at Ruakaka. The first video posted on BOAY. I remember the usual naysayers commenting - "I wouldn't take much from that win over a bunch of mug maidens at a country track."......

Of course not. I don't like them though. Certainly when assessing a horses chances from a punting perspective I wouldn't consider them. Many trainers have no idea what reaction they will achieve when putting them on a horse. Their use has increased as time pressure and training standards have decreased. Surely the fact that one of the best Grp 1 blanket finishes EVER yesterday occurred in the Chipping Norton where none of the first five under a blanket at the finish wore them!

Wouldn't matter what type fence or colour it was if you blindfolded the poor horse so that its vision was cut from 180 degrees to 30 degrees or less. Try putting a blindfold on Thomass and guess what colour this is:

I did back it about 5 starts back and would have today but was out training youngsters to sail dinghy's. I think we must give full credit to Brodie for the cult following that Spitfire attracted. I for one had never heard of the horse until Brodie brought it to our attention, our attention, our attention, our attention....

I'm not sure there would be many on BOAY that would hang in for 5 years and 60 starts! I'm surprised no one isn't calling "foul" amid claims of cheating and sudden form reversals aligned to swings in tote odds!

I don't think the owners of Brazen Beau are particularly worried and as for the Dam - well a 2nd placing in the Grp2 Waikato Stud Slipper will still look OK on the catalogue page. I'm not sure if he had a brief let up after the Karaka but he is a laid back sort of horse that apparently likes his tucker so I'd imagine it will take longer to get him race fit as he gets older. Sword of State is owned by a Stallion Making Syndicate, is by Snitzel and cost $600k. I'd imagine there is some incentive to put the pressure on him.

Different type of horse. Perhaps he had a longer break than the Sword. Of course Black Type is of little use to him.

I take it you are not from farming stock?

Yep pretty clear Thomarse didn't back it.

Further developments. A hearing was held before the races yesterday. The outcome was that Vamos Bebe was disqualified of its win and Jamie Richards was fined $1,500. I also understand that the contaminated feed possibility was raised early in the investigation by the RIU. As I mentioned in another post the fact that only one horse was affected can easily be explained by the inherent variability in the production of hay.

You haven't yet come up with an alternative other than an inferred one. Quite frankly that inferred one doesn't stack up.

All comparative. How many weeks since the Karaka Millions? Any follower of the sport knew that the two best two year olds were ineligible for the K Millions. The other a filly isn't too bad either.

You overlook the fact that you were able to express your opinion. I disagree with that opinion. So what? On other channels you would be banned. If "NZ Racing is stuffed" as you say then it isn't because of my opinions. I find it ironic that you are quick to put the boot in and post a negative narrative about Trainers based solely on opinion rather than fact. Or indeed before having full access to the facts. Hell it was only a few days ago that you called the Riccarton Track Manager - "a lazy joke of a groundsman". In an earlier post you launched an attack on David Ellis - "he is all take take take ....puts nothing back into the industry".... Yet you overlook the sponsorship of races and the sponsorship and resurrection of Weigh In. Isn't that giving back? Don't forget that the giving back is sourced from having a very competitive product to sell and from winning. Certainly not from the over paid low performing administrators tit. Over the years I've been very consistent in who I direct my opinions and criticisms at for the state of NZ racing. The target has consistently been the administrators NOT those with real skin in the game - trainers, owner and jockey's.