Chief Stipe

Field sizes have had to be reduced because of the rail placement. 8m all round to the 1000m then 11m to the winning post. Where's the AWT business case? Will there be enough extra revenue to fix the main track?

This morning 21 October 2020: Withdrawal Morning Weather: Fine Track: Dead 5 Rail: Out 8m to 1000m, then out 11m to winning post | 1mm Rain Overnight Weather and Track last updated at 9.00am Wednesday 21 October

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 6, McCrea Painters & Decorators Ashburton Cup, an Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr J P Oatham, against Licensed Apprentice Jockey (Class B), Mr S Toolooa, alleging that Mr Toolooa, as the rider of DON CARLO in the race, “allowed his mount to shift in ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 870 (3) & Breaking Horse RegulationsFollowing the running of Race 6, The One Smart Coffee Junior Drivers Trot, Stewards lodged a protest under r 870 (3) and the Breaking Horse Regulations alleging the fifth placed ONE OVER DOVER broke in excess of 50 metres inside the final 200m. The Judge’s placings were: [7] Grand Princess ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Dont knock it Brodie we are going to have two New Year's Holiday's and two Maori ones days! Plus another weeks sick leave to get over them!

Having children tends to focus some of us.

Well dear old thick Kelvin is staying on as Deputy. Ready to step in when Princess Snowflake is away.

On Trackside?

I see David Ellis rounded the troops up and got them all to cough up some dosh for the resurrection of Weigh In. Co-hosted by one of Harness Racing's favourite sons - Mick "the mouth" Guerin. Paid for by the Breeding industry will Harness follow suit? Will TAB NZ offer mate's rates as they have with Gallops to the Trots for the use of their Studio and Production Crew?

Look at the timeline. The Calendar was determined weeks ago. Conditions of the race are published - for Maidens as at midnight 28 July 2020. Nominations closed - noon Tuesday 13 October. Weights declared - Wednesday 14 October (mistake is made). Withdrawals - 10am Wednesday 14 October. Field declared noon (?) Wednesday 14 October. Riders declared 1pm Wednesday 14 October. I think the first chance that punters can get to punt is Friday morning. That's a full two days after the fields have been declared. Horses are in Parade Ring - Saturday 17 October after the jockey's have weighed out but some time before 1:20pm - a HB Official notifies the Stipes of the "mistake." Stipes decide that the two horses in question need to carry the correct weight. Both horses had won twice since 28 July and were R63 horses in a maiden field so get a 1kg penalty. Pike the trainer of one files an information with the JCA at 1:20pm. Pike with Saundry in tow argue that "the punters shouldn't be disadvantage." When did Pike and Saundry FIRST know of the mistake? I don't believe that these "professionals" only found out 10 minutes before the race was due to start!!!!! That is at least 72 HOURS after the mistake was first made! As for the JCA saying that have no jurisdiction over who made the "administrative" error - give me a break! I thought there was a "bringing racing into disrepute (embarrassment)" rule?

Since when has Pike and Saundry shown so much love for the Punter? I suggest it was in the Pikes interests to have the weights stay where they were (did he know before hand? - as a professional trainer you would think he would) and Saundry wouldn't want a punter outcry and would have wanted it swept under the brush asap.

From Weigh In (had to wait until the end to get anything interesting): CWJ's license suspension is involving lawyers. Seems there has been a legal challenge to the suspension. Progress is being made and an announcement will be made later this week.

Report on Rosie from Weigh In. Out of ICU. Transferred to Hutt Hospital to undergo jaw surgery and then will be transferred to a neurological unit for recovery therapy.

Isn't it an NZTR issue? Aka Mr Saundry?

HAWKE'S BAY RI 17 OCTOBER 2020 - R 3 - (REQUEST FOR RULING) - CHAIR, MRS N MOFFATT Created on 19 October 2020 << Prev Next >> Rules: Committee: NMoffatt (chair) NMcCutcheon Stipendiary Steward(s): Mr J Oatham - Chief Stipendiary Steward Name(s): Mr T Pike - Trainer of MAKZABEEL (1), Mrs D Sweeney - Trainer of RANGER (2), Mr B Saundry - NZTR CEO Information Number: A11957 Evidence: Approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of Race 3 (1:30pm) an Information was lodged with the Judicial Committee requesting a ruling to determine whether weights in the race were correct. Submission For Decision: MAKZABEEL (1) and RANGER (2) were contracted by NZTR to carry 58kgs. A short time prior to Race 3 the Stipendiary Stewards were advised by a club official that this weight was incorrect. Mr Oatham said there was difficulty finding the official programme for the meeting; there did not appear to be one published but looking at conditions for this type of race, a 1 kilo penalty applies for horses who have won two races. Both horses therefore should have been carrying an additional 1 kg bringing their carded weight to 59kgs. It appeared to be a handicapping error, and the Stewards believed the weights needed to be adjusted to what they should have correctly been. Mr Oatham directed that the horses be weighed out at 59kgs. Mr T Pike, the trainer of MAKZABEEL, requested a ruling from the Judicial Committee as he was not satisfied the weights should be increased. Mr Pike explained that he did not personally have an issue with it (the weights going up) but the horses involved were the two favourites and a lot of money had been invested on them at the carded weights of 58kgs via fixed odds betting, and the Punters Club. It was an integrity issue and in his opinion, it would not be fair to punters to increase the weights of the two horses so close to the start of the race. Mrs Sweeney was of the same opinion. Mr Saundry said the weights had been published, punters had engaged, and he tended to agree with Mr Pike. Reasons For Decision: While it was regrettable and unfortunate that such an error had been made, it was not for this Judicial Committee to find out why or how it occurred. We were only required to make a ruling on the weights the two affected horses should carry. There were two issues to consider; the disadvantage to the remainder of the field who would be 1kg worse off, and the betting public who backed the horses concerned at final-field fixed odds believing them to be carrying 58kgs. With the knowledge that one group would feel justifiably aggrieved, the Judicial Committee carefully considered all submissions We determined that the punters’ interests should take precedence. Weights had been declared for 3 days prior, the two horses were favourites, and significant sums of money had been invested on them. The Committee believed it would be grossly unfair on punters, who could be considered the lifeblood of the racing industry, to change weights at this late stage – some 10 minutes before the race. Decision(s): The Committee ruled that weights remain the same as the carded weight and directed that both runners be reweighed at 58kgs.

Guerin says on Weigh In - "it wasn't as bad as it looks".....!!!!!

The same ex-cops? Or new ones? Just trying to find some relevance.

But NOW there is a new protocol where the golf course will be closed during the times there are Steeplechase's running. Not rocket science is it!

According to Guerin "this looked a lot worse than it was"!

As expected both incidents glossed over by Weigh In. Disappointedly, but not unexpected, they glossed over the Weight stuff up at Hastings calling it "just an administrative error made by a clerk somewhere." FFS! Meanwhile a Jockey gets 5 days suspension and a $300 fine for riding a 1kg over!

Disappointedly, but not unexpected, they glossed over the Weight stuff up at Hastings calling it "just an administrative error made by a clerk somewhere." FFS! Meanwhile a Jockey gets 5 days suspension and a $300 fine for riding a 1kg over!

You obviously haven't followed the history of Trackside broadcasting in NZ over the last 8 years.

Guerin explains that David Ellis - Te Akau door knocked to get all these sponsors together. I don't have a problem with that at all. Full credit to David Ellis in showing some initiative and doing the leg work.

Here is a snapshot of who is paying (sponsoring) for the show. This is important to note. As part of the new restructure marketing has been pushed out to the codes i.e. so have the costs. So I guess the breeders are finally paying for something? Weigh In isn't a TAB NZ paid for show nor given the number of sponsors is it paid for by NZTR. Guerin explains this in his opening salvo.

If the Youtube views are any indication - 92 so far.