Chief Stipe

I'm not sure Holly is old enough to have worked for TJ Smith. However both Gai and TJ are well known for the hardness of their training regimes. Gai has taken it to a new level as can be judged by the level of attrition in her stable. With Gai your horse certainly won't die wondering! The pressure is on from the start and they are trained hard to race on the pace at high cruising speeds. If you call that a character assassination then get your murphy blinds off!

You may laugh Thomarse but I'm sure we can expect to see a erudite and cogent post from you on the subject. If 10 inches of the top track surface is composed of the Poly-fill with the bottom 7 inches being compacted and the top 3 inches being "groomed" then logic would suggest that there is potential for some degree of variation in overall track hardness.

I disagree. If you can't rate/measure the surface and compare it to other surfaces then how do you know what the potential impact is on horse health and safety let alone performance? How do you know that the Cambridge track was laid to the correct specifications and is behaving as per specification unless you measure it? Will the Riccarton one behave differently to the Cambridge one? Can you alter the surface hardness by doing the grooming differently, less or more regularly or consistently across the entire course? Surely "hardness" can be measured? Actually it MUST be measured from a health and safety perspective.

Just had a thought about the rating of the AWT for the trials. It seems with these Polytracks that they don't do ratings. There is no indication of the track condition for each of the official trial day's run at Cambridge. The assumption is that the going is the same every raceday. Now that raises some questions: What is the Going rating in comparison to a turf track? Is it a G3 or a G2? Surely a penetrometer reading would give trainers and punters a comparison. The Polytrack is subject to weather conditions that can affect the surface. Are we to believe that the surface on a rainy day (the wax hardens) is the same rating as on a hot summer day (the wax melts)? Grooming of the track can affect the top layer compaction which must affect the rating. Given the grooming is a mechanical operation being done by staff it is subject to operational variance i.e. depending on who is doing the grooming and the state of the machinery the track rating may change. How is this "grooming" quality assured? Surely measurements are taken. Has anyone seen any penetrometer (or similar compression tool) tests done on the Cambridge AWT? If they have been done how do they compare to the turf rating system?

Benner spent a considerable amount of time with Rutten. That's where I first met Jonno when one of my horses was being broken in at Chris Ruttens. Joe you constantly tour yourself as a doyen of horse trainers but even you would concede that much of the work done to make a young race horse is done at the breaking in stage. Once the trainer gets them they just just work them and fine tune them. If you stuff up the first part you struggle with the rest.

Let it go. You are only diminishing CWJ's achievement.

Thomarse by the modern definition of racist you have just shown yourself to be one. I doubt you have the intellect to work out why.

That's quite smart. Ten points.

Gai, TJ, Murray Baker they put heaps of pressure on early. Survival of the fittest.

I must say the fields at Riccarton are shyte. Have Pitty's horse's all gone sore?

Yes but HIS educator owns the Welcome Stakes winner in the Karaka. Vespa was also a Rutten horse.

From what I've observed Sneaky is the sneaky.

2nd in the 2nd. Did the RIU breathalyse today?

Ok Joe so you are equally not a fan of the Magic Millions. If I was a buyer then I'd pay up for the sweepstake as it's a small % of what I've paid to buy a well bred horse. However it wouldn't be the end game for me. I'd still do what was right by the horse long term. As for the Golden Slipper - how many horses has Gai or her Dad fucked aiming for it?

Joe what was the basis for that assessment aside from your anti-cartel position?

Definitely got a chance. Kenny doesn't push many 2 yr olds. It will be a bit like the Golden Skipper - if you can't make your own luck then you'll need luck!

Yep Kenny's is a good horse. Which means Avonella is no slug. Coyote looks a good un especially when distance on big tracks arrives. There's a Sneaky in amongst the Te Akau horses.

Well the CJC and TAB NZ have named Riccarton the Chris Johnson Racecourse. CWJ duly obliges and rides the winner of the first!

The more I analyse the Karaka Million the more I'm convinced that the field this year is one of the best ever. I can see big upsides in more than half the field including the ballots.

How many early colts now days go on or are allowed to go on?

Disagree. Some ordinary fields interest first few years. I reckon there is a star amongst this crop. I'd love to be there to see it.

All that aside some very good horses have won it in the past with half of them kicking on at the next levels

I think you should be pointing your finger at NZTR as it is they who are responsible.

Aside from the $500k "subsidy" (isn't it twice that?) what would you change? I believe the Breeder's, Stud's and Owners should fund the sweepstake races not the industry. So I would change that. I believe Te Akau has in the past subsidised the broadcasting on free to air. Just as they do Weigh In. Now that TAB NZ has abdicated any responsibility for marketing and we are now reliant on NZTR to do it then the so called "cartel" is all that is left.

So what? All you did was quote a statement without a source that says Opie has been retained as the No 1 rider for Te Akau. You don't know that a RETAINER is being paid! Hell there would be any number of Jockey's that would PAY Te Akau to be their No 1 rider. Being retained doesn't confirm that Opie is being paid a retainer! So Thomass get the Princess to spank YOU!