Chief Stipe

How many horses have backed up?

Geez Galah you were having a good week as far as I was concerned! 25mm to the inch! So that less than a 1/3 of an inch!

You didn't watch the last race?

Well there goes the "inside is off" theory! 1200m 1:08.7 Track upgrade coming I imagine.

They ran 1:22 in the last race.....

8mm of irrigation is hardly "heavily watered"!

They had 50mm or two inches of rain at the beginning of the week. Only put 8mm of irrigation on on Thursday. The track isn't a D5 more like a D4 now. Currently 26 degrees. The issue has always been the state of the underlying soil - fine line between getting it right and another a shyte track like 3 October. If anything they could have put the rail out 3m up the straight rather than just the shute and bend. However if you saw the early pictures of the rail at the top of the straight getting off the rail isn't that hard. PS: Officially summer doesn't start until 1 December.

Yet some are saying that the track is playing more like a D4. Would you prefer this?

R65 1200m 1:09.6 Pitty "was surprised how wet the track was"!

2:05 for R64 horses over 2000m isn't a bad time. You'd win most Cox Plates in that time. Maybe the gates were in the wrong place.

But it won't eliminate catastrophic injuries and adds costs and barriers to racing a horse. Physiologically a horse is not designed to race two miles at speed. Why not ban the Cup? Ban all horses that weigh over 600 kg as their legs are not designed to carry that weight. There goes Empire Rose. Apply the same philosophy to bleeders. Where and when does it stop? Catastrophic injuries are part and parcel of racing and training racehorse. Partee lashed out in the yard at Ellerslie and broke both back legs. Ban yards.

It's not clear if he was or not. He only exited quarantine hours before his start in the Caulfield cup. The horses need to be sedated so there would have to be a clear time before starting. BTW a CT scanner costs $1.3m. and isn't very mobile! How many past stars would have failed the test? In my opinion statistically there is probably as much chance of getting galloped on. For example a CT scan wouldn't have saved Dulcify. What about the horses that come back to the birdcage with blood flowing from their nostrils? If we pre-tested for bleeders then we wouldn't have many horses left will we? Do we see the animal activists jumping up and down when a jockey is injured or killed?

1:23.5 for the 1400m in race one. Is that D5 time?

But statistically does it make a difference? Why wasn't Anthony Van Dyck identified? Wasn't he scanned? Or for that matter Wichita?

I wonder if Running Man backed his namesake?

It won't eliminate catastrophic injuries. Drawing attention to what is an inherent weakness in the Thoroughbred is only go to increase the clamour for the ending of the sport. Geez it won't be long before the activists will start drawing attention to mouth bits and how will blind the horses with blinkers because they are too scared to race!

But where is the research that shows it makes a difference statistically? For example more than providing safe tracks?

It's been 20 degrees since 9am. The track condition was measured at 6am this morning. It's 22 degrees already in Christchurch. So by race time the track has had 5 hours of warm temperatures - would it be too much to expect that the track has improved from a D5? Assuming that the D5 is accurate then after race one I'd expect a D4 - who knows with those temps it may keep improving. If it was a Strathayr it would be G3 already! Then again the Stipes will be too busy making sure the starting gates are in the right place!

A Dead 5 and you would expect it to improve during the day if not before start time. 21 Degrees already, a Nor-wester and a high of 26 forecast. Watch for a track upgrade after Race 1. Race Day Weather: Fine Track: Dead 5 Rail: Out 3m from 1100m To 450m, Out 3m In The Chute Weather and Track last updated at 6.23am Saturday 14 November Friday Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Dead 6 Rail: Out 3m from 1100m To 450m, Out 3m In The Chute Weather and Track last updated at 3.40pm Friday 13 November

I think Dermott Weld's comment that the European horses should be scanned BEFORE they venture south. For a start it shifts the costs to where they should lay. This approach is a slippery slope much like the tinkering with whip rules. I see some online commentators are promoting MRI scanning should be done for ALL horses. Thats totally impractical and will drive the costs up again for the industry. I also doubt that statistically it will make any difference. What am I missing but wasn't Anthony Van Dyck scanned? Why are we so intent on shooting ourselves in the foot?

The acquiring of other tracks assets seems to be the only plan they have to make them viable. They'll burn through that cash quick enough. 120 race meetings a year on the AWT'S is not only not possible considering the horse numbers but also a punting bore fest.

Ease up there Jakey Boy. You aren't going to endear yourself to many around here with these comments. Suggest you try posting something positive yourself because all you have done so far is go on full personal attack mode and hijack a thread. Plus being here 5 minutes isnt enough time to form an opinion on what is posted. For the time being I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume there is no ulterior motive behind your presence.

Rule Number(s): 869(2) & Whip & Rein RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 8, Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Final Series 37 (Group 1 Race) an Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, against Licensed Open Driver, Ms N C Rasmussen, alleging that Ms Rasmussen, as the driver of PACE N PRIDE in the race, “used her whip with ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(4)&(6)(b)&(c)Following the running of Race 9, Hornby Liquor Centre Mobile Pace, an Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr M P Kerr, alleging that Mr Kerr, as the driver of KOENIGSEGG in the race, “forced JAY TEE TYRON (K T Newman) to race wider on the track ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 870(5)Following the running of Race 12, Garrards Horse & Hound Trot, an Information instigating a protest was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, against ISLA ELSIE (R D Close), placed 5th by the Judge, on the ground that it “broke inside the final 50 metres being lapped onto ROYAL PRIDE (C ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article