Chief Stipe

Taupo?

Matamata on the 25th.

Cite your sources. Post some links to this "Research"!

Why don't we run our "Premier Meetings" on a Wednesday? We can't compete with the quality of racing from OZ on a Saturday. Perhaps we might earn more revenue.

There is ample evidence to show the opposite. The quality of our horses are declining as is their number. So you'd be an idiot to target a midweek race when you have the same chance of winning a race double the stake (or more) on a Saturday. An R65 rating is the same whether you race on a Wednesday or a Saturday. If it isn't then the Rating system is shyte as well!

What research? Cite it accurately and or post a link. BTW you haven't replied to my question regarding the banning of whips all through the supply chain. Are you still formulating your views?

LOL you can't eat Carbon Credits let alone Pine Trees. You can't feed them to horses either!

Fuel costs, Transport costs, labour costs and the prices our local producers can get overseas at economical volumes. Add to that the Covid-19 lockdown and the inability to import labour both skilled and cheap. We are currently living in Fool's Paradise. The current Government is taking us quickly to hell in a shopping basket. I've been predicting for over a year now that mid this year the shit will hit the fan. Fuel prices will have sky rocketed past the high in 2018 and the folly of printing money (QE - Quantitative Easing) will hit home. Watch inflation go through the roof. South Island racing will feel the pinch first and what have we done? Signed up to a high cost model aka a $16m AWT. I'm picking that the best stables will set up in OZ very soon. Te Akau for one. Their systems and local NZ connections and knowledge will work well in OZ.

Which makes a mockery of the so called "Tiered Racing"! As I pointed out in an earlier post if the nominations had been lower and their average rating lower the stake would still have been $22,500! Surely you are not suggesting that the stake for an R65 on a Saturday should be determined by a quality assessment of who pitches up? Under the rating system R65 is an R65!

Have you contacted the BGP yet to discuss your allegations of "misogyny and sexual boasting"? However in this Topic you missed the point not surprisingly. It is the bigger issue of the futility and meaninglessness of Tiered Racing!

I agree. We have had this conversation before but in my opinion the real issue is the $22,500 and tiered racing. The $10,000 "consolation" just reinforces the point that both are a load of crap. If there had been less horses nominated and those that were just happened to be those now in the consolation then the stake would have been $22,500! Now absurdity is further magnified by the disparity that you have pointed out. Did NZTR grade both "extra" races and then determine the stakes? If they did what was they criteria they used?

Wouldn't surprise me. Assuming they lay off into commingled pools technically they do.

Legally you are probably correct. However does it preclude TAB NZ from laying off on overseas markets with overseas operators? I don't know if they operate that way but...

I've been ruminating on the whole area of betting, gaming and wagering legislation in New Zealand for awhile - more so when I saw the BGP exclusive monopoly deal. It is clear that the average consumer's rights are not protected and that there is ambiguity in the law in terms of reducing harm. The law in Australia seems "more mature" than ours. For example they have minimum bet rules on a State basis.

You may laugh JJ Flash but their law says you can't offer inducements to target individuals that DON'T have an account. So the question would be DID the BGP syndicate members all have TAB accounts? We await your erudite and cogent response JJ.

Under the Aussie Betting and Racing Act 1998 the BGP Quinella bet would likely have been illegal.

BOOKMAKER Robbie Waterhouse has been accused of using illegal inducements and incentives — such as offering free betting money and improved market odds — to lure punters to his online gambling website. The Australian has revealed that the racing identity, who is married to leading trainer Gai, will front court next month after becoming the latest target in Liquor & Gaming NSW’s crackdown on illicit internet betting promotions. The 66-year-old has been charged with five counts of unlawfully publishing gaming advert­isements relating to his eponymous betting website, ­RobWaterhouse.com, and faces a $55,000 fine if convicted. The alleged offences relate to a promotional banner featured on his website last June, along with three emails he allegedly sent between last June and last August and a tweet posted by an account allegedly run by Waterhouse. The tweet, which appeared on June 13, attracted the attention of authorities after promising betting “boosts” to gamblers on his website. “Forms done for today, markets are open! It looks a great day of racing. I’m giving punters 5 boosts a day join me now at http://RobWaterhouse.com,” it said. Under the Betting and Racing Act 1998, it is an offence for sport bookmakers to publish or communicate any inducement to participate in any gambling activity unless the advertising is directly targeted to a person who holds an account with that bookmaker. According to the act, inducement is defined as “the offer of a credit, voucher, reward or other benefit that includes additional benefits or enhancements”. It will be alleged Waterhouse followed up the tweet days later with a promotional banner on his website on June 18 that promised: “Up to 5 price boots per day.” The Sydney bookmaker has also been accused of sending emails to clients offering “FREE $20 cash”, “Bet Boosts” and a promotional email notifying the receiver that he had launched his betting website, promising “great pricing” and “lots of bonuses”. “Hi Jai, I hope you took advantage of the FREE $20 cash I deposited straight into your Robwaterhouse.com account this week. If you are betting with me this weekend, remember I offer 5 Bet Boosts per day. Best, Rob,” Waterhouse allegedly said in one email to a customer. Since Waterhouse is trading as a sole trader, he is being prosecuted as an individual, with each ­offence carrying a maximum penalty of $11,000. In 2018 and 2019, state and territory governments implemented minimum protections for online gamblers called the National Protection Framework, which must be adhered to by all online wagering providers. Individual states and territories have separate legislation, with NSW having some of the strongest in the country. The legal action against Waterhouse comes after multinational online betting sites Ladbrokes and Neds were convicted at the Downing Centre Local Court last February for promoting inducements to gamble. The firms were ordered to pay a total of $207,500 in fines — the largest gambling fine to be handed down in NSW. Waterhouse, who was charged with the alleged offences last month, is scheduled to appear in court for mention on February 17. His wife, Gai Waterhouse, was ­appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia on Australia Day for her distinguished services to the racing industry. It is not the first time the ­Waterhouse family, one of the highest profile in racing, has come under fire for activities relating to its gambling empire. William Hill, at the time headed by Waterhouse’s son Tom, was referred to federal police by the Australian Communications and Media Authority over a betting loophole that allowed punters to bet live on sports on their phones. The AFP rejected that referral in October 2015.

From that reliable source of information - The Internet! WE are convinced that the information relayed to Peterprofit.com & LGHR is reliable and will be turning whistle-blower and referring it to the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission. Here is what Archie Butterfly has written today: THERE is an amazing story floating around in South-East Queensland circles that a high-profile stable foreman for an even higher profile trainer allegedly has for some time had a well-hidden serious drug problem which has suddenly exploded into rage and, according to industry sources, resulted in carnage. The word is that this foreman got on the gear big-time the other day, allegedly attacked a former top jockey who is now working for the stable, smashing his eye socket and putting him in hospital, then smashed up a rented house at the stables owned by a well-know racing identity, before taking more of whatever drug he was abusing (one guess - hint, its cold) and OD'ing before getting carted off to hospital in an ambulance. I'm not naming any names but if the stories I am being told are even half true it's going to blow the roof off the industry. Apparently the high profile trainer in question has promised the investigate the situation early this week find out what the f**k has gone on, and to try and fix up the mess. As I said, if true this story is going to be huge. Some drugs really suck - that's why I take the others.

Shame the track was off! But I guess that doesn't worry music goers!

Racenet is hardly Backwater Media!

Why not?

Forget about the idiot pitch invader - the big issue remains the whip Article Author Bruce Clark 3:59PM01 February 2021 22 Comments While dead-heats and racetrack idiots were much of the talk in weekend wash-ups, I think as importantly it is to note again that Racing Victoria has clearly signalled no matter the outcome of the long drawn out Racing Australia review of the whip rules, it will be going its own way. That review, as we have covered here in the past, is due to be tabled later this month at the RA board meeting, but despite publicly stating their own amendments and preferred position last September for that review to consider, they dug in deeper last week announcing another new set of whip rules will be incorporated into their rich Country Mile Series. After RV quickly back tracked on a proposed “whip for safety” when it was revealed in this column late last year, due to lack of participant support, RV announced last week its “limited use of the whip” trial for the Country Mile series. And again, it will proceed without any significant participant support, jockeys, trainers and owners quick to question the why, and the timing of it. Why is RV shackling itself so closely to its position, when all participants are satisfied to let the RA review play itself out. RV has already flagged it may go it alone with their preferred options, no matter the outcome and this latest trial series is just further affirmation of where their mind space is. This latest trial digs a deeper line in their sandpit. As quick background: The current Australian Rules of Racing permit the use of the whip a maximum of five times in non-consecutive strides prior to the 100m mark and at the rider’s discretion in the final 100m of a race where its use in consecutive strides is permitted. RV’s position is that the whip can only be used between five and eight times through a race and never in consecutive strides. So in announcing this different trial – RV wrote it off as it “will assist with gathering data and learnings in areas such as racing and wagering outcomes, fan engagement and sentiment, level of participant support, adaptation to the conditions by riders, conduct and safety of the race, and the consistency of form lines.” It went on: “This information will be invaluable in informing the review of potential changes to rules governing the use of the whip that is currently being conducted by Racing Australia.” So the series starts on Colac Cup day February 14, progresses through Swan Hill, Ballarat, Pakenham and Wangaratta (with $75,000 races) with qualified horses (if their riders haven’t breached the new latest whip rules), going to a $250,000 final at Moonee Valley on March 13. I am not sure what wagering data for one they can glean from a trial at Colac that races three times a year. If this was to be a serious data collection series, with ramifications for RV’s position on such an important issue, why not use metropolitan races where the leading riders will participate (or maybe not)? So extrapolate that out – if the “data” shows wagering drops in these new whip restricted races, will RV abandon that plan. But punters are resilient, they bet, wagering has increased in recent years, despite flood, drought, boom, busts, lockdowns - you name it. If they are on, the punters are on. There was a queue to question RV’s latest whim from owners, trainers and jockeys. “We acknowledge this initiative has mixed support from some industry stakeholder groups. However, we thank them for their input to the process to this point and we can only reiterate that we see little downside to running this trial and using the learnings to better inform the discussion on this critical issue,” RV’s general manager of racing Greg Carpenter said. “It’s a resounding no, according to the feedback from our trainers,” said trainer’s spokesman Andrew Nicholl highlighting the $625,000 on offer in prizemoney in a time he said many trainers were continuing to struggle through COVID-19, suggesting the money would be better spent across grass roots racing. TROA (Owners boss) Jonathan Munz said the national approach where a uniform rule would be determined was their priority. “In terms of data analytics, trialling a modified set of rules in an expensive country “pop-up” series for restricted horses is not going to give you useful data and is not a good use of industry funds, which should be deployed elsewhere," he said As for the jockeys, again Matt Hyland confirmed the VJA’s support for the RA process. “We are not supportive of the concept. It will be up to each member to decided whether to ride in those races.” And if they do, they are liable for a revamped set of fines and, or suspensions and not be able to ride in the final of the Country mile Series. Horse’s ridden by jockeys in breach will also be ineligible for further heats or the final. The five heats and final of the series will now be conducted under race conditions which will provide for the whip to be used no more than five times throughout the entire race. While the industry is first to acknowledge the need to adjust public perceptions on the use of the whip in racing, the long winded, RA review and RV’s undermining positions is doing little to advance the cause.

Owner Bob Peters has plenty of worries ahead of the Melbourne autumn carnival. ALL STAR MILE Star duo ‘messed up completely’ by lockdown Article Author Brad Waters 4:40PM01 February 2021 21 Comments Perth’s COVID-19 lockdown could derail the preparation of All-Star Mile favourite Arcadia Queen. WA Premier Mark McGowan locked down Perth and two other major areas for five days after a hotel security guard tested positive to the highly infectious UK strain of COVID-19. The lockdown caused an early end to Sunday’s Bunbury meeting but also forced a crucial set of trials at Belmont to be scrapped on Monday. Arcadia Queen and last year’s All-Star Mile winner Regal Power were set to have their first trial of the autumn in the same 1000m heat. Arcadia Queen leads All-Star Mile voting while Peters hoped Regal Power would gain a Racing Victoria wildcard into the $5 million event at The Valley on March 13. Owner Bob Peters told Perth broadcaster TABRadio the pair missing the trial was a significant hiccup. “It messes them around completely,” Peters said. “They were due to trial on Monday and then next Monday, then fly to race at Caulfield on the 20th. “This just throws everything out.” Star WA mare Arcadia Queen missed a trial at Belmont on Monday. Peters said he was worried the pair, and the rest of his Melbourne-bound team, would not even get to Melbourne if the COVID-19 outbreak severely disrupted flights out of Perth. He added it was probably too late to put his team on a truck to make the long road trip east. “The thing that worries me is the flights, whether they fly or not,” Peters said. “I think they’re too close to the races they are headed for to truck them over so I don’t know what’s going on with the flights. “We just have to wait and see what comes along and what is available to us.” Peters said Arcadia Queen and Regal Power could travel to Melbourne with only one trial under their belts but that would depend on when grass tracks re-opened for gallops. “We need to get them off the sand onto the grass and give them some decent hit-outs or they’ll be a long way behind,” Peters said.

Leading trainer Chris Waller. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images TRAINERS Stable staff quit after ‘out of control’ racing party Article Author Ray Thomas 12:44PM02 February 2021 Two senior stable staff from leading trainer Chris Waller’s Gold Coast satellite stable have resigned amid serious allegations of misconduct. Racing Queensland stewards are investigating the allegations after a celebration following the win of the Waller-trained Shaquero in the $2 million Magic Million 2yo Classic is said to have “got out of hand” last Wednesday. Waller’s stable foreman Paul Shailer and trackwork rider Paul Hammersley have tendered their resignations, effective immediately. It is alleged the two men were involved in a physical altercation that left both requiring medical treatment. It is understood the stewards investigation will include an inquiry into allegations of illicit drug use. Hugh Bowman rides Shaquero to victory in the Magic Millions. Picture: Trackside Photography Shailer, a long-term Waller stable employee, would not comment when contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday. Racing Queensland stewards also refused to comment on the incident but did confirm they have asked Shailer and Hammersley to attend a stewards inquiry on February 10. Waller, the nation’s leading trainer and a member of racing’s elite Hall of Fame, was not at the Magic Millions raceday on January 16 or the Gold Coast stable celebration last month, and is not under investigation. Waller, famous as the trainer of all-time great Winx, released a statement on Tuesday confirming that an incident had taken place between members of his Gold Coast stable last week, revealing that two of his staff have since resigned. “There has been speculation that there was a party that got out of hand on the Gold Coast involving stable staff on the evening of Wednesday, the 27th January,’’ Waller said. “As this incident was outside of work hours, I haven’t made comment in relation to this until today. “I can confirm that some of these staff were from my stable and have been stood down as a result of this incident which did include a physical altercation between two people who have resigned immediately. Paul Shailer has resigned as Chris Waller’s Gold Coast stable foreman. Picture: AAP “Due to the incident being outside of work hours, we have to be careful how the matter is handled and therefore a thorough investigation is continuing. “All of our 140 staff across Australia are randomly drug tested which included all of our staff present on Monday the 25th of January at the Gold Coast, who subsequently provided negative drug and alcohol samples. I can assure all my loyal clients that it will be business as usual at my Gold Coast operation. “I am proud of the staff that currently work for Chris Waller Racing and they will always be supported through various issues whether it be work related or not, but a zero drug and alcohol policy will continue to be enforced.’’ Queensland Racing’s Crime Squad has also begun its own investigation in the fracas. Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel revealed stewards regularly conduct random drug-tests of stable staff in NSW Racing. Champion trainer Chris Waller. Picture: NCA NewsWire/James Gourley “Every year, we conduct on average more than 600 random drug tests taken from stable staff, track riders, jockeys and other licensed persons including trainers,’’ Van Gestel said. “There were about 20 positive findings from those tests.’’ Van Gestel said some of the larger training operations including the Waller stable also do their own in-house drug-testing and provide stewards with their results. “The Chris Waller stable is very proactive in that regards and other big stables around NSW do the same thing.’’ Van Gestel said stewards are also focused on rehabilitation for drug users and provide penalty discounts for those offenders who agree to attend counselling.