Chief Stipe

'Cause Thomass is a dedicated follower of fiction' https://youtu.be/tqXrAHuLksU

Was that a Taranaki District Councillor?

What's this to do with racing?

Oh it's the season to be jolly.....silly season. Here we have two people that have probably spoken to CWJ recently and are saying Thom-ass is wrong. Then we have Thom-ass who is writing fiction and quoting a journalist. Although calling Guerin a journalist is probably a stretch.

Definitely Christmas anxiety. Thom-ass is back to writing fiction.

Fill ya boots as long as it is on Topic.

I'm starting to wonder if the Christmas anxiety issues might be starting earlier this year.

I take from that comment you don't have anything constructive to add to the Topic?

Yes focus on those things that differentiate us from every other entertainment gig in town. On course best asset is the horse followed by the young people who help put on the show. In that regard the powers that be are pushing them further away from those we are trying to entertain. There is an element of this with off-course people as well however with an extra focus on providing a consistent wagering event that attracts punters over the zillion other options available.

You imply that CWJ is being "managed" differently to everyone else. Over 9 years what is the average number of tests that a Jockey will have had? Can you give us the standard deviation (a measure of variation) for this number?

Oh sorry you should have used the sarcasm font - I took you seriously! Quite frankly facilities for punters on course is over rated. Some of the best race meetings I've been to never had them. A choice of two types of beer and either a mince pie, steak pie or a hot dog. The key is providing a good consistent surface to race on and good even fields to encourage the punter to bet more.

Not only that but they have the ability to lay off their risk elsewhere including on the tote!

Why? How will that improve revenue? Most of the "facilities" at the Wynyard Quarter have a lower profit margin than racing!

You miss the point. Thomass's theory is that horse's run faster on Premier days because there is more stakes to be won. As for racing "having improved out of sight" I must disagree. I miss the days when an Open Handicap sprint didn't have an average rating in the mid to low 80's!

I've moved the BS to this Topic in The Vent. If some wish to continue to engage off this Topic then do so there.

LOL - so those maidens running 1:07 and change should step straight up to Group racing?

On the nail with that post. Also it doesn't help that there is ample evidence to show that they are selective in who receives good customer deals and those that don't. A forensic investigation should be forthcoming.

LOL - so those maidens running 1:07 and change should step straight up to Group racing?

NZ isn't that big. I would say it would be delusional to think that they didn't know him. Afterall they have his name, date of birth, address and TAB wagering history at their fingertips. Not only that they have the ability to data match across other industry records e.g. horse ownership.

I was referring to your reference to standard business practice not letters per se. However I don't think sending a letter would be standard business practice in this case. Why would you when you can convey the restriction through the system and create the impression that it is pool or risk related rather than individual. Otherwise you would have people on forums comparing letters.

Oh ok that supports the theory that there are punters (plural) that are restricted. Why would the TAB send him a letter? When they can convey the message through the system? We all know TAB NZ is stupid but I doubt even they would expend unnecessary overhead.

Doesn't prove that CWJ was instructed to go to the "Sally's" and that was a condition of his returning to race riding. As for your hair follicle BS there are limitations with that as well. It takes a week for the hair to grow enough to show a drug result i.e. if you have taken drugs within the last 7 days but not before that then it won't show. Sure the drug will be detectable for up to 90 days but you can't actually determine when it was taken. Further they are not very accurate. In 2015, researchers at the Friends Research Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, conducted a study examining the effectiveness of hair follicle drug tests. The researchers compared self-reported drug use with hair follicle test results from 360 adults at risk for moderate drug use. According to the results of the study, hair follicle drug testing correctly identified: 52.3 percent of people who reported recent marijuana use 65.2 percent of people who reported recent cocaine use 24.2 percent of people who reported recent amphetamine use 2.9 percent of people who reported recent opioid use In a 2017 study, researchers compared the results of hair follicle drug tests with self-reported drug use from 3643 participants. Compared to the researcher’s expectations, the test results produced fewer potential false positives, but more potential false negatives. Due to the study results, the researchers concluded that hair follicle tests do not provide reliable information regarding drug use in the general population.

There are heaps of Eric Ryan stories. One day he had a horse that refused to unload from a float so he got a rope, tied one end to the horse and the other to a post and then drove the truck away. Or the one where he was jogging a horse on the Canterbury long acre (the grass roadside). The horse bolted and tried to cross a cattle crossing. Got its leg caught. Eric got out of the cart, pulled out his pipe, looked at the problem and decided to go have a cup of tea. Coming to the conclusion the horse wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. Another story which I find hard to believe but apparently true. A mate was having a cuppa with Eric in view of his training track. Eric's daughter was working a horse. Eric saw her and said - "I bloody told her to sack that useless piece of ..." He got up and went and got a rifle and shot the horse the next time round.

What about Windsor Park that owns the Parnell building at 60 Stanley Street that has TAB NZ housed in it. They were also involved in the Randall pillage on the broadcasting contract. Now NEP which do Trackside broadcasting/production are housed in that building!

What I can't fathom is how not many seem to read the annual reports and actually analyse them. Or those that believe the BS spin by both NZRB and NZTR and promote it! That latest annual report is NOT good. Nothing has changed - if anything it has got worse. Yet where are the Trainers Association, Owners Association and any other stakeholder group yelling for action? I just can't believe that everyone has bought into the lastest spin bullshit notice to owners that Saundry has published this past week. It is clear that they have their sights set on grabbing the assets of those that have performed well, even though they have had everything against them, to fund the admin largesse who STILL HAVEN'T made any fundamental change!