Chief Stipe

Assuming those named in the facebook snapshot are owners I'm not sure their training credentials are anywhere near those of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. But they can reckon all they want. What's your opinion based on the facts? I've made it easy for you - here is a link to the horses performance: https://loveracing.nz/Common/SystemTemplates/Modal/EntryDetail.aspx?HorseID=408824&DisplayContext=Modal

Really? So a horse with $250k in the bank, 7 wins the latest being 5 starts ago you consider to be a failure? Correction we're not sure what your opinion is because you've only posted someone else's.

Had a good first half of the season. Is an owner disgruntled or something? Or did you punt it @Newmarket?

Your point?

TABNZ know exactly what the state of play is as do the code management. At the end of the 5 years ENTAIN splits the profit 50/50 with racing AND sports.

The programming and how the money that the ENTAIN funding provides is spent has very little to do with ENTAIN if anything. The ENTAIN funding goes to TABNZ, a separate statutory entity that decides how the funding is split between the racing codes and sports. The racing codes decide their own programming and stakes allocation per race. They consult with TABNZ. If the money is being wasted in your opinion then you should direct your focus to the code management and TABNZ.

...and owners wonder why training fees are so high at those stables.

I had the pleasure of being invited to a major stable open day recently. We were given full access to all the barns of some very valuable horses. We were told that we were NOT to touch the horses mouths with our hands. I understand why but I do remember the days I turned up to the stable with a carrot or a peppermint Oddfellow. Rest assured though those barns had full CCTV recording what happened.

Well part of that problem is the prohibited drug rules are not in line with the testing being able to detect environmental contamination. With zero level tolerance environmental contamination can disqualify a horse for a substance that was picked up from the environment that it was temporarily stabled in and not be at a level that affects performance. I've spoke to racing code management and the RIB about this and they all say "yeah we recognise there is a problem but..." They don't do anything about it. Then of course there are those on social media who see a positive and don't accept that it could be environmental contamination issue and NOT deliberate administration. Not to mention again that the levels detected are very very small. Akin to a drop of blood in an Olympic swimming pool. Remember the P positive at New Plymouth?

I don't disagree but HRNZ have shown poor judgement in this area a long time before ENTAIN turned up. Now that dogs are going HRNZ need to step up. Excuse the pun but it's dog eat dog.

No one disagrees. What we do seem to disagree on is will that nursery of racing equine and human talent able to compete on the world stage continue. The situation is dire in many locations in NZ in terms of participation. It was that widespread participation that produced the talent we see now - arguably those you mention are well past midway in their careers.

But you don't accept there are challenges, issues, problems.

Why do you think ENTAIN sets the programme? They may have input but I thought the codes set the calendar/programme. Now the codes have less incentive to work together so some of the issues are due to competition.

Waller left NZ 26 years ago. Baker left 14 years ago. Both are now naturalised Australians. They have both very rarely ventured back here to race a horse. Yes it is great that they have had success in Australia. About 1 every decade? Sadly the foundation to their success has been decimated in NZ. For example is CD racing going to produce another Chris Waller given the state that districts racing is in? Isn't an interest enough in the first instance? You have told us you have skin in the game but you seem oblivious to the issues facing the industry and as you have said many times you don't care about things you perceive you have no control over. Sadly that attitude isn't going to help produce the next generations of Waller's or Macdonalds.

Sorry if I was shooting the messenger but it is frustrating that there is this she'll be right attitude when we are trying to compete in a competitive market.

You're kidding me? Since when was the Wellington Racing Club ever "let down by NZTR? But NZTR don't run the Clubs. So if you owned a restaurant you'd sell shyte unsafe food if there was no health licensing? So you expect NZTR to manage abandonments or prevent them? The latter lays wholly with the Clubs and their maintenace and management of tracks.

They've been doing that for over 50 years that I know of.

What can't Clubs aim for their own professional standards? I've been going to Trentham for 25 years - same committee suits and the surrounds suffering the same radioactive decay as Chernobyl.

Give me a break. How long have they had an issue with the electronic timing at Trentham? The descision to replace the gates was made after the debacle in the Thompson Handicap 9 December 2023!!

Why wouldn't you blame the Club? They're the ones that have neglected the fundamentals of their business and sealed their fate Although no doubt they will get bailed out because - "Trentham is a strategic track". That no one attends and has no horses trained on it and needs as much money spent on it as Ellerslie did! The only thing NZTR hasn't done is set standards or when they do enforce them.

It actually wouldn't be too hard to get an accurate time if cameras and track sectionals were accurately marked. A camera at the start and inline with the finish line filming at a high frame rate would enable a computer calculated time to be produced instantly. Many Trackside cameras are not inline with the finish line though. I wonder if BOTH the inside AND outside photo finish cameras are working at Trentham? Wasn't there a drama about that a few meetings ago around a deadheat?

Ask Ellerslie. The have race times and full sectionals published online minutes after a race. Harness at Metro locations do too.

World records on a Soft 5 track. Seems the Insider members haven't been told that or believe it. Very few seem to care at all and the wonder why punters prefer the Australian product. What is interesting thought is why has it taken so long to fix? Is it because as you say it isn't worth investing when the track will be closed? Or NZTR and the WRC don't think accurate timing is important? They'd be better not to publish anything instead of the garbage they do which they change later. Meanwhile the club is patting itself o n the back for a "well presented track"!!

Who would know. All third world stuff.

That's an interesting question because the time is taken from the video. Is a time taken that way able to be ratified? I see they have times for all the runners for that race - that's a lot of stop watches! Or have they been updated some other way? Rogie must think his R49 maiden that won the race is a World Beater. By comparison we watch the Randwick races today and the commentators can read out the sectionals before the horses have got back to the birdcage. Meanwhile Trentham supposedly the #2 Premier Track in New Zealand hasn't been able to provide any such data accurately for years now.