Chief Stipe

Actually I'm starting to get an annoying bee under my bonnet about this. All well and good to promote the hype and hoopla of the Karaka Millions Day but surely the offering of this bet exclusively to one customer contravenes Fair Trading regulations? Note: I actually enjoyed the racing yesterday and it looked like a fun night out. We no longer have enough of those in Racing beyond Christchurch's Cup Week. Ok I'm the Grinch after Christmas but this seems plain wrong to me when the legislated goal of the TAB NZ is to benefit ALL racing codes and sports. To put at risk potential revenue for the industry by favouring one select group just doesn't seem right. There is some irony as well when you think about this together with their video advert encouraging NZ'ers to bet with them as it benefits NZ industry stakeholders. Well why would you bet with them if you are not treated equally? Further irony can be found when you consider that off-shore agencies offer Fixed Odds Quinella's. So unless you are the BGP and you want this bet type you have to bet off-shore! Apparently overall the BGP punters club had a loss for yesterday. I stand to be corrected on that. (I see that they clip the $100 ticket with a "ticketing fee" and credit card charge). Did TAB NZ give them a rebate as well as exclusive access to the Quinella FO bet?

But there was no other punter in that book. That is it was the TAB vs BGP and no one else. That was industry funds they were playing with. Did they lay the risk off or minimise their potential loss somewhere else like on the tote? So essentially every other punter subsidising BGP for a bet at odds that no one else had access to! It's wrong however here's hoping BGP had their normal loss for the day although by all accounts the TAB bookies got hammered yesterday.

The signs were there as Millefiori had to miss a lead up run due to a temp then had to back up in a week. Whereas the winner has had a perfect lead up and has just kept improving. He has the constitution of an Ox and loves his tucker. He impressed them with his away trip to Awapuni. Didn't miss a beat, took it all in his stride and didn't leave an oat the whole trip. Horses like that give you a lot of scope when it comes to working them. How many young horses can draw the outside gate each race and win with relative ease?

Sorry - other things conspired. LOL one thing is for certain since he is now gelded he won't be the most expensive horse mistake I've made!

As many of us do we look through the yearling sales book each year, buy a Lotto ticket and hope our numbers come through. Unfortunately plan A didn't come through. But I picked a few out anyway. One in particular. I liked a colt that had my favourite blood line and was a bit of a looker. He was bought by Te Akau. Anyway a couple of months later I had reason to contact Te Akau on an unrelated matter. I mentioned in passing that one of the yearlings they purchased I really liked. I was told there was a share left and would I like to but it. Some of you may recall that I sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in buying a small share of a share in a yearling being trained by a good stable. A number of you said yes. I mucked around and by the time I got back to Te Akau the shares had all been sold. However one of the shareholders offered me part of theirs. Anyway my personal circumstances changed and I let it slip. The yearling was by Brazen Beau and as you may have guessed by now was named On The Bubbles. I've kept in touch and have followed what he was doing very closely. He is one of those horses that has kept on improving each step of the way. I'm not sure if they took any notice but I texted them this week to not worry about the draw. I said he has shown he jumps with them and has got speed. "He'll glide forward and will end up 2 or 3 back one out." This horse is a good horse with a lot of upside and will be a good three year old up to a mile. Hasnt run a race time yet but can put in a good sectional and sprint twice in a race. Tough too!

Out of interest Joe who funds the $10+ million under for grabs on Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast?

Well that's easy money for the TAB.

I'm sure JJ in your servile obsequiousness you will do it for him. Come back and post the answer if you get one.

Makes one wonder why they are spending $2m on a new computer system that I fail to see will generate any revenue nor improve substantially any area of the operation. I guess another business case is missing!

Rule Number(s): 632(1)Following the running of Race 5, the “Sweynesse-Footing It With The Best 100”, Stipendiary Steward, Mr Jones lodged an Information requesting a Ruling in relation to Rule 632 to establish whether O’JESSICA was denied a fair start. The basis for the request was due to O’JESSICA rearing as the gates opened ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

They must have boxes for colts and stallions. But they should have the decent facilities for good tie ups. Afterall it is the Premier track and it is the Horse that puts on the show.

If I win Lotto tomorrow night Freda we'll do Day 2!

I bet my last dollar that they will be there well before 12:30pm. You wouldn't risk an Alligator Blood scenario. I'd have my horse there by 10am. Pinch a box. Settled in and relaxed. Especially when $1m was up for grabs. Anyone who was travelling further than Auckland, Northland or Waikato would have their horse there the night before.

They don't care because the skin in the game is down to a molecular level. For them it's just another expensive cocktail. May as well be a pokie machine. In my opinion this approach will kill the industry. It is demeaning the core part of the industry - the horse and those that develop it and care for it.

It's not right. I know I'm in danger of being a party pooper or a Christmas Grinch but isn't this a Commerce Commission case? Fair Trading? I thought TAB NZ had devolved Racing marketing to the codes so they can't say this is a marketing exercise. It STINKS!

You just proved my point. It may be rare but it still happens. A million dollar race why not be flexible? Why not have another 2 yr old race on the undercard? Where the ballots are top of the order. Spread the love a bit more. There are some nice horses that have missed out. Let them race for $50k. No NZTR subsidy of course.

So you wouldn't have your horse on course before 12:30pm tomorrow?

350 vs 10. I guess they will buy the $1m one?

https://www.allstarmile.com.au/?utm_source=salesforce&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=asm21&utm_content=vote_open

LOL. I bet stuff all. Can't afford to bet. In terms of racing I'd rather back my judgement and spend my money on buying into a horse I liked. Certainly would never pretend to be an expert on betting unlike some! Still working on my database and computer program.

So you need a 1000 people to buy a horse nowadays? Geez between BGP and Te Akau management fees it will be an expensive proposition! The old story clipping the ticket of 1000 people is easier than clipping the ticket of 10.

Things happen travelling to the course.

Some of us BIG professional punters term it Blackbooking but yes the TAB calls it Favourites. Probably Blackbook is not politically correct in NZ anymore.

Shit I nearly believed that. Huey are you looking for a job as the head of the new Marketing Department at NZTR?

Further to that there is no indication on the betting page for the Karaka Million that 3 of the field are balloted out! WTF do you get for $50m?