Chief Stipe

Rule Number(s): 870(3) and Breaking Horses RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 1, Mr Mulcay instigated a protest against the 3rd placing of the horse TRAMPS LIKE US driven by Mr Ferguson on the grounds that it 'broke shortly after the start and galloped in excess of 150 metres before settling'. Mr Fergusson on behalf of the Connections of the horse ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Who's BS?

They've all started out the same way.

Young gun Will Price uses the whip to drive Diamonds In The Sky to victory at Caulfield. Picture: Getty Images JOCKEYS Winks: RV gone wrong way about whip reform Article Author Gilbert Gardiner 2:16PM27 January 2021 39 Comments Retired jockey James Winks has issued a scathing critique of Racing Victoria’s whip reform agenda, accusing the regulator of railroading participants. It comes after RV on Wednesday confirmed a pop up six-race country series, starting February 14 at Colac, was being introduced with an imposed limit of five strikes for the entire race. Winks, 37, who stepped away from the sport last year after a health scare and now mentors jockeys, said former colleagues were becoming increasingly frustrated at the RV “power thing”. “I know from when I was riding, we’re all on the same page, there’s going to be change, we accept that … it could be handled better,” Winks said. “I feel it‘s heading in the wrong direction, it’s like a power thing, they’ve got no backing from anyone else, just Racing Victoria, get everyone on board (first).” Winks would not at all be surprised if top jockeys avoided the series despite a prizemoney boost, citing solidarity and risk of being suspended during the lucrative Melbourne autumn carnival. Retired top class jockey James Winks rode Sir Dragonet in trackwork last year before the former international won the Cox Plate. Picture: Getty “You got to be real, unfortunately, there’s riders out there struggling to get rides,” Winks said. “They’ve got to support their families, if they’re going to get the opportunity to ride in them races, they’re going to ride in them, that’s the trouble, and they know that, Racing Victoria. “They can do what they want, they’re the bosses, but I feel they’ve gone the wrong way about it. James Winks works Sir Dragonet at Sandown last October. “Now, you’re putting people’s lives at risk for money.” Stewards will cop the brunt of it, having to police the “grey area”. “You’re going to get penalised if you hit it too many times and you’re going to get penalised if you’re not going to correct your mount,” Winks said. “Sometimes correcting your mount is by swapping the whip to your left hand, jockeys know, you can feel it when they’re going to go left so you give them one. “Jamie Kah isn’t a whip rider but she still uses it when she needs to, it’s a great skill. “It’s easy to pull the whip on a horse, it’s laziness, the skill is being able to get your horse to its top without using the whip and then presenting it at the right time to get the last bit out.” RV last year backflipped on a proposed whip-free series, accepting the language used was contrary its objective as jockeys would never be asked to ride without the essential piece of safety equipment. Under current Australia-wide rules, a jockey can use the whip five times in non-consecutive strides prior to the 100m mark and at the rider’s discretion in the final 100m. RV will use its upcoming country series to gather data and feedback on the perception of whips. “If it’s all about the punter then let’s get real,” Winks said. “When you walk into a pub and they’re yelling at the screen what are they saying, ‘whip it, hit it’, if you’re not seen doing something. “What are they (punter) thinking? ‘oh should have won, why didn’t you hit it?’, that’s what they’ll say, then it’s Twitter (abuse), ‘why didn’t you hit it’. “It will be an interesting watch, as a spectator, what jockeys decide, maybe they’ll sit like stale bottles of p---.” JOCKEYS ON NOTICE: WHIP STRIKE SLASHED Racing Victoria has reignited the whip debate, with the introduction of races where the use of a persuader will be strictly limited — and enforced — to not more than five times for the entire event. The six-race country series will end in a final to be run at The Valley on All Star Mile Day, March 13. As reported by News Australia on Wednesday, the jockeys, who choose to participate in the five-strike races, will be subjected to severe sanctions for potential breaches. Whip rules currently allow for a maximum of five strikes in non-consecutive strides prior to the 100m mark and at the rider’s discretion in the final 100m of a race. The Victorian Jockeys’ Association has alerted its members about the series, which it described as “high risk” for riders given the proposed penalties. Whip use has been a contentious issue for many years. A breach in the pop-up series could see a jockey rubbed out for up to 10 meetings in the heart of the Group 1-laden Melbourne autumn carnival. Racing Victoria on Wednesday evening confirmed a new Country Mile Race Series would be used to trial the limited use of the whip in races. The series, exclusive to Victorian country trainers, will offer a combined $625,000 in prizemoney during the Festival of Racing February-March window. Racing Victoria will use the trial to gather data and learnings around capped whip use and wagering, fan engagement, participant support, adaptation to the conditions, safety of the race, and the consistency of form lines. Jockeys in breach of the trial rules face a combination of fines and/or suspensions and, will be ineligible to compete in any further heats, or the final, of the country series. RV Executive General Manager Racing Greg Carpenter said whip reform is “essential” for the sport to retain existing audiences and continue to attract new fans and employees of the future. “We acknowledge this initiative has mixed support from some industry stakeholder groups,” Carpenter said. “However, we … see little downside to running this trial and using the learnings to better inform the discussion on this critical issue. “We hope that participants will engage in the series in the spirit intended and the penalty regime is designed to reflect that. “If there is a breach and forfeiture of any prizemoney by a jockey, it will go to the Jockey Welfare Program and not be retained by Racing Victoria. “While this trial represents just six races of more than 4,000 run in Victoria each year, the data and learnings that come from it will be invaluable as we look to shape the future of racing for generations to come.” VJA chief executive Matthew Hyland said would find it “incredibly difficult” to adapt. “I liken it to a footballer going out and being told that in this quarter you’re only allowed five tackles and he plays in the centre,” Hyland said. “It goes against your natural instinct, in the heat of battle, to tackle isn’t it? “We don‘t get to choose whether they (Racing Victoria) do it or they don’t, they can run whatever they want and more importantly jockeys can choose whether they want to participate in this series of races.” Racing Victoria late last year back flipped on a mooted whip-free race series after consultation with jockeys and trainers’ associations.

Michael Walker, Troy Harris, Wiremu Pinn......

That isn't the point. I'd be happy to read a lot more of his articles but they all seem to have the same angle. As in "Put the boot into the the industry workers" and ignore the bigger issues.

That's not Journalism it is Activism and Opinion masquerading as Journalism.

opinion Common sense dictates greyhound racing and pokie machines must be scrapped Glenn McConnell05:00, Jan 28 2021 Play Video LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF Former pokies addict Michael Demchy on his struggle with gambling away a fortune in machines. (Video first published in 2018) OPINION: I don’t really like dogs. They’re needy and often smelly. They’re also loud, and if they’re not killing native birds, they’re urinating in the street. My view on greyhound racing, and horse racing too, isn’t due to any obsession with the animals. The arguments against these forms of racing, but greyhounds especially, are overpowering. They’re pointless forms of sport, bringing pain to the animals and also supporters. They’re sports which feed off compulsive gamblers, turning their families’ sorrows into cash for the racing industry’s elite. WARWICK SMITH/STUFF Greyhound racing should be banned, writes columnist Glenn McConnell. There’s no two ways about it, sadly. Horse and dog racing isn’t about sport and it’s barely a form of entertainment. It’s a morally bankrupt industry working hard to make a penny from bankrupting its own supporters. The TAB says a “small minority” of its customers “suffer some degree of harm”. Exact figures of harm are hard to come by. The Problem Gambling Foundation argues, from the people it sees each year, that a signifiant minority of punters have a problem with gambling. The foundation says it sees the people “on rock bottom”, losing their homes, losing their families, in debt. A Department of Internal Affairs report found less than 2 per cent of the country had a gambling problem. Which sounds OK, only because most of the country doesn’t bet on anything other than Lotto. When it comes to the TAB’s customers, casino and pokie players – those involved in what the department calls “higher risk gambling – it says up to 30 per cent of gamblers have a problem. That is no “small minority”. A one-in-three chance of addiction is bad odds. The department warns, “published figures tend to underestimate actual problem gambling prevalence”. But the problem is clearly sizeable. And the risks of problem gambling do not stop at losing your money. The department says it snowballs, affecting families and businesses. Gambling addiction can lead to poor mental health, further addictions, and suicide. This is unlikely to surprise you, given that the sharp edge of gambling is well publicised but also well felt in communities throughout the nation. It affects the wealthy and poor, you don’t need to look far. RON LINDSAY/STUFF It’s hard to see what social good comes from the pokies, writes Glenn McConnell. When we know an activity is risky and can cause serious harm, we need to look at whether its benefits outweigh that cost. I’m all for calculated risks. After all, I don’t mind an occasional wager myself. The mega-Lotto draw during lockdown kept me entertained, I spent a few months trying to get good at Texas Hold’em, and I’ve seen enough James Bond movies to see the allure of ritzy casinos. Should the Government be gambling with public health to reap the TAB’s rewards? Is the risk of addiction and animal harm worth the payouts the TAB returns to sporting and the community created through racing? In the case of greyhounds, obviously not. There are few eager spectators and little fanfare with the dogs’ race, so no community benefit is gleaned on the track. Does the sport bring benefit to the contestants? To the contrary, it kills them. Greyhound Racing’s annual report admitted 214 dogs were euthanised in its last season. The industry noted this was a marked improvement. The previous year 351 greyhounds were euthanised. The numbers are staggeringly high. And the only reason I can see that the greyhound industry has got away with such disregard for its animals is that no-one really watches the sport. It seems like a warm-up act for horse races, used by the TAB to keep something on the TV so its gamblers have a constant stream of new races to bet on. To summarise, greyhound racing is bad for the dogs, bad for the punters, and, due to the small or non-existent crowds it attracts, we can assume it provides little entertainment value. It’s a bad bet. LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF Glenn McConnell: ‘’Is the risk of addiction and animal harm worth the payouts the TAB returns to sporting and the community created through racing?’’ Horse racing has similar issue for animals, with horses often injuring themselves and subsequently being killed. The sport also relies on horses literally being whipped. Combined, racing bets at the TAB reached $1.6 billion in the last financial year. There’s a lot of money to be made from two sports very few people watch live. But horse racing does appear to bring communities together and major races attract national attention. It’s a sport that’s no doubt on the way out, but at least it can bring people together for a day at the races. Greyhounds can’t say as much. Like pub pokie machines, the main contribution made by the hounds appears to be social harm. These two activities exist, in my opinion, for the sake of gambling and gambling alone. They’re the last-stop shop, a service to give the most hardcore gamblers something to do when other sports aren’t playing, or when your family thought you were off to the supermarket. The cost of the Government protecting these forms of gambling is huge, and there is no foreseeable payoff. These are bad odds that only a fool would bet on. Round-the-world solo sailor Elana Connor steers clear o

But he isn't "doing his job" is he? Afterall if he was he'd be investigating and reporting on the failure of INCA. This latest article isn't him "doing his job" either. It isn't news and it is a rehash of what has already been reported. Or is his objective, which some may have sympathy with, is to keep Anderson from returning to racing? Is that fair? Or is it Woodham not doing his job but testing public opinion and do a hatchet trial by media job?

That's the very reason I get really really pissed off when I see NZTR spending north of $2m+ on a new computer system!

Actually that reminds me of a story! I've told it before but... We had a work Social Club gathering where we did a Wine Trail in North Canterbury on horseback. The horses were Molesworth Brumbies of all different sizes and fitness. The horses were allocated on the basis of rider size, experience and ability. I lied! I didn't get the horse that looked like a 16 1/2 hand Thoroughbred who was moonlighting in between racedays but the next level down - a classic mixed bred brumby of average height and solid fitness. The trail was a progressive Dinner over about 5 vineyards. Appetizers at the first (drink some wine), Entree at the second (try some more wine), Dinner at the third (have some beer), Dessert, by the time we got to the last course of cheese and biscuits we were all a bit over the limit. Anyway we were walking the horses through the actual vineyard and we got to the end of a long line of grape vines and the owner of the business said "Right everyone choose a lane and we are going to race each other to the end"..... On your marks and the starters flag (handkerchief) was dropped. Off we went. I'd never really truly galloped a horse before with my only previous experience on a horse was bare back on a wide barrelled mare (called Creamy) herding Hereford cattle out of the South Westland bush during my summer holidays! Mmmm that gallop (only a fast canter really) was easy. My girlfriend was on the Thoroughbred and had easily won the race so I was a bit pissed (more ways than one!). So the owner says "Right we have to go back the other way to get home so let's line up and do it again!" My horse was Blue and he was sharp and I'm sure he had me susssed. I was confident this time and so was he. So off we go - I'm up off the saddle, head down, knees bent crouching in the stirrups like I've seen Billy Skelton do. YES I hit the lead just before the end of the lane stand up with a flourish that Frankie Dettori would have been proud of! Oh F$%K! That's a 6 wire fence looming up in front of me! Blue had seen it well before I did! He just turned on a dime and came to a halt instantly. Of course my body is still heading in original direction! To this day I don't know how that horse stopped and turned so quickly nor how I stayed on. From that point on I had a different perspective of what these wonderful animals can do!

I disagree. He looks to have great hands and he sits really tidy on a horse. Just lacking experience. I bit like a young car driver who has never been taught to slide around on the beach or a paddock and shits themselves when they hit the loose gravel on the side of the tar sealed road! Hell Lisa Allpress when she was a Mumby wasn't too brave either! He is a Jockey who would gain a lot of confidence from riding at Hokitika or Omoto! Probably Opie or Lethal yells at him in a race and he shits himself! The Skelton boys were like my old man if they weren't trying to scare the Night Cart horse they were riding bareback down on a West Coast beach. They learnt what you could or couldn't do with a horse. Dad told me stories of "I was so poor that I had to make a bridle out of bailing twine and my first saddle was a potato sack tied on with twine and two holes on each side for stirrups!" I doubt Wiremu has ever galloped a horse bareback! Probably some H & S rule stopping it! I doubt young kids do what Freda did and race for who pays for the icecreams!

So you have an issue with this Journalist then?

Put some blinkers on and feel the fear!

Maybe you declining the opportunity was caused by a pang of conscious telling you that you weren't beyond reproach yourself!

Yep it was him. Tannahill is not a bad animal either and would have been in the finish but for that misjudgment. But in his defence he either had the choice of waiting and hoping that the riderless horse ran out (as they normally do) or go round. I'm not a rider but if you are going to go round then you have to commit to that and make sure you aggressively prevent the riderless horse from running out.

Does anyone know if anyone has challenged the following rule in court under the Human Rights Act on the basis of discrimination? Seems to me to be only two rules stopping Anderson from a comeback. Rule 115: Undesirable Persons No person declared by the Board to be an undesirable person shall be employed by any Club or Body bound by these Rules and no person whose employment or engagement by Club or Body bound by these Rules and no person whose employment or engagement by declared by the Board to be undesirable as contrary to the interests of harness racing shall be so employed or engaged. Rule 311 (3) (3) A Public Trainer's Licence or a Licence To Train shall not be granted to any person who does not satisfy the Board by the production of acceptable written evidence that he is financially sound and of good character.

Bad Law is worse than No Law. A "Police Force" not subject to scrutiny or repercussion is just a gang of thugs.

But WHAT was/is being investigated? WHAT has actually been uncovered that relates to the purpose of the original investigation? ZILCH, NADA! FFS wire taps, data mining, hiding in hedges, surreptitious surveillance, snitches - what did they find? Recreational drug use and that was only as a consequence! Has anyone actually thought that they found nothing because NOTHING was actually happening! Gammalite suggest you buy a burner phone who knows you might be under RIU "surveillance".... So not enough evidence to convict but will get you anyway aka Arthur Allan Thomas.

All well and good if it is an approach done equitably and quickly. 15 years to sort Lamb out? Seems it still isn't done. Some of those you mention were "caught" as an unintended consequence of a failed and very expensive investigation. A saga that seems to be still going. Shouldn't those that started the mess be subjected to the some performance scrutiny as the grassroots worker? In any other industry if you Project Managed a project and ended up millions over budget and failed to deliver any of the original goals then you would be sacked.

Hyperbole at its worst! But your favourite torture is to blindfold them!

Wow you have finally found a benefit for High Definition race broadcasting! Another home goal! FFS Thomas - does your TV have a painometer? Or wires that you attach to your body so you can "FEEL" the pain? Your statement is outlandish. I also suspect that you have doctored that photo and it wouldn't surprise me. Easy to do you just colour darker the pixels a little bit. Huey has a very valid point. Where does Woke/Cancel culture stop? You are in favour of blind folding horses so they are not afraid or are made to feel afraid. You never seem to be able to work out which feeling so I guess your TV wires only measure certain "feelings"! So if you are consistent you will be calling for the banning of blinkers! Or why not next bit-less bridles? It hurts the horses mouths afterall the goal is to keep a sensitive mouth so you can steer them. What about the barbaric process of nailing iron shoes on their feet?

No what I want is BALANCE and FAIRNESS! Easy pickings putting the boot into those at the bottom of the pile struggling to make a living. Easy to feed off "information" leaked to you by the top HRNZ administrator with no questions asked about the agenda. Take the Pete Lamb saga - that has been going on for 10 to 15 YEARS! No investigative article from Beynen! That's the purpose of a forum. I have always likened it to the locals tables at the local pub. We turn up and have conversations some more animated than others. We participate in democracy by having a conversation. Extreme and radical ideas are either moderated or accepted. A consensus is reached - democracy works. It isn't the role of a Journalist to express opinion. Their role (once) is to investigate all angles, uncover corruption, expose the truth, provide balance and fairness and information for the public debate. Assist democracy NOT impede it! Now the MSM (mainstream media) are captured by ideology and or salacious gossip. Before Lockdown in NZ I used to read everyday online CNN and occasionally but rarely other "news" sites e.g. NBC, ABC, FOX. I thought CNN provided a balanced and accurate view of the USA and the World. When I had more time on my hands during Lockdown I decided to widen my reading and to spend more time on the other sites. My attitude changed one day when I read an article on CNN that had information that to my logical and science trained mind just didn't add up. So I dug deeper and sourced the actual data. What CNN had written was completely wrong but not only inaccurate but also blatantly biased. I started to dig more frequently. Time and time again the same result. Ironically when I fact checked I found that some news agencies that I had previously ignored were indeed more accurate. Now when I read an article the moment I get to "an unnamed Whitehouse source has said" I stop reading. In the Beynen article the source is obvious - the CEO of HRNZ. Doesn't that raise flags with you? Frighteningly when you dig past what our media is telling us by selectively quoting a few "experts"about the Pandemic you find that our pandemic management is not driven by "good" science or even "good" scientists but by ideology. I've read nearly every research paper written by Baker, Wilson, Boyd, Hendy and Wills (not the she has written many papers). I would have expected a "good" journalist to have done the same. If they had they should be afraid - very afraid. Anyway a little off topic....

Did Van Beynen write and article titled: Sacked TAB Senior Manager Appointed HRNZ CEO.

Just look at Woodham's Twitter feed! Asking the world "what colours will Hayden Cullen be using?"!