Chief Stipe

Based on what evidence? One industry that concerns us all on this forum will do a lot better than our equivalent e.g. the racing industry.

The statistics don't confirm that.

Why?

Why?

I think eventually the world will have to let this thing rip. We are going to have more people die from the cure than the disease.

Number infected per million.

At the moment the stats comparison between NZ and OZ have OZ in front by a nose. Surely if we have an Australia/NZ bubble that means we can follow their lead on racing.

A strategy that is increasingly looking like it is driven by political ideology.

You are both as bad as each other.

Guys can we tone it down a bit.

Why the hell can't they replicate what Australia has done?

I was being tongue in cheek. But if they are struggling to sell the WA TAB why would anyone takeover our basket case?

As you were.

Well they did fail with INCA charges with regard to McGrath. That is true.

I wasn't questioning the fact that an article was published. Just who passed on the information. There is nothing on the HRNZ or RIU websites. If it was the RIU then it displays yet more inconsistency in their policies. How many thoroughbred drug positives have we seen with a total media blackout? I reviewed the TCO reports and the last reading for Steel the Show was when the horse won on 1 December 2019. The reading was 29. If you can find a pattern in the TCO reports that indicate the need for further investigation then feel free to post your findings. Having done a quick review myself I can see no pattern at all. The point I was making is what motivated or what information did the RIU have to initiate a covert operation? Especially given that there have been no irregularities seen in post race drug testing.

Endresz exploring legal loophole 14 April, 2020 Allan Endresz will attempt to exploit a legal loophole within the Australian Rules of Racing in a bid to see his star Alligator Blood keep the Magic Millions Guineas. On Tuesday, QRIC revealed that the second swab sample taken from the star three-year-old after his win in the Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast in January contained the prohibited substance altrenogest. QRIC confirmed that trainer David Vandyke will now be the subject of a stewards inquiry and Alligator Blood is expected to be disqualified as the winner of the $2 million feature race under the Australian Rules of Racing. Speaking on Racing.com’s After The Last, Endresz said his legal team had found a contradiction in the wording of two separate rules – AR214 and AR240 - and he would seek to pursue the matter further. AR214 refers to the result of the race upon declaration of correct weight, while AR240 makes reference to the event of a horse returning a positive swab to a prohibited substance. “We’ve had a good look at it and we’re challenging that rule (AR240),” Endresz said. “On the face of it (the rule), it would suggest an automatic disqualification. “What hasn’t been looked at before, and I don’t mind alluding to this, if one goes to the conclusion of a race under AR214, a judge’s decision is final and there are only two exceptions to that which don’t include prohibited drugs. “Now the way in which the rules have been drafted, there may or may not be a perceived loophole or incompetence in the way it was drafted. “In simple terms, if one goes and says the horse is automatically disqualified well then that rule (AR240) is retrospectively having an impact on AR214 that simply says the judge’s decisions are final. “You can’t have a retrospective law that takes away the rights of the horse and the owners which have had nothing to do with this debacle. “We’ve lost enormously as a result of this, not just the money but the reputation of the horse and contracts with the TAB for The Everest.” 43 people are talking about this Endresz also doubled down on his earlier claim that Alligator Blood, who swabbed clear after his win in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington, could have been nobbled in the lead-up to the Magic Millions Guineas.

Alligator Blood's Magic Millions B-Sample returns positive Alligator Blood won the Magic Millions Guineas. 5:18PM14 April 2020 The second sample taken from Queensland star Alligator Blood after his dominant win January's Magic Millions 3YO Guineas has confirmed the presence of prohibited substance alternogest. The David Vandyke-trained galloper returned an irregularity to initial tests last month for the prohibited substance, with the B-sample confirming the results on Tuesday. Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) Stewards informed Vandyke, who trains on the Sunshine Coast, of the findings and he will now face a stewards' inquiry into the matter at a date yet to be fixed. "Stewards have offered Mr Vandyke the opportunity to provide his submissions in writing or at a Steward’s Inquiry to be held via telephone or video conference on a date to be fixed due to the COVID-19 pandemic," a QRIC statement read. "The Commission is working to ensure the safety of participants and QRIC staff during the pandemic." Vandyke is hopeful the inquiry will be able to explain how the prohibited substance wound up in Alligator Blood's system. If found guilty in the inquiry, Vandyke would likely cop a fine while Alligator Blood would be disqualified from the Magic Millions and forced to forfeit prizemoney won in the race. "This presents a challenging time. Since moving to Queensland in May 2016 this is the first irregularity that I have had in this state," Vandyke said. "It is my hope that the inquiry will shed light on how altrenogest entered Alligator Blood's system and help prevent any similar incident occurring in racing again." Just last week owner Allan Endresz said on Twitter that he would 'do what ever it takes' to clear Alligator Blood's name after earlier making the sensational claim to Racenet that racing crooks or potential someone with an axe to grind against him "got" to his star horse. Alligator Blood is a winner of 10 of his 12 career starts and Group I Australian Guineas just two starts after his Magic Millions Guineas win. Alligator Blood's swabs in the Guineas have already been cleared and connections have been awarded their prizemoney for the win. Alternogest has in the past been commonly used to control the reproductive cycle of mares but it is banned in colts and geldings. However in Victoria and Queensland, trainers have been warned off even using altrenogest on fillies and mares because it contains detectable levels of both trendione and trenbolone (a banned steroid). While the substance is known a hormone treatment, it can be used to calm an unruly male horse.

Reports from Australia their betting turnover viewing is up 40% under Covid-19 lockdown. Helps that the only sport on offer in OZ is racing. Championship turnover viewing on second day was the third highest turnover viewing for Royal Randwick!!!!!! Turnover is up too but not by 40% but at least 10%.

The WA TAB is for sale but no one seems to want to buy it. Perhaps the NZTAB could diversify and purchase it.

Radio fills in the gaps - you can do stuff and have it going in the background. I actually find it soothing. My memories go back to wet Saturdays on the Coast when a youngster and my Dad had the radio going. That brings back another memory. Often you could only get racing from Canterbury and meetings south of there on I think it was 3ZB. Dad had moved to Nelson and couldn't get the radiogram tuned into 3ZB. He had a horse racing at Timaru. I was in Christchurch at Uni and so I tuned in the radio and Dad listened to the race over the phone.

If they are trying to save money why the hell do they keep showing us that shyte from obscure US tracks?

Ciaron Maher on Etah James: "The first Group One winner I've trained that I haven't seen."

Are we that broke that we need to save the pennies by closing down Trackside Radio? Been listening to the 2KY racing programme this morning with Bensely, Duffy and many others. Great listening. All the participants are phoning in. Including all the form analysts, talk back from joe punter, trainers, etc. Surely we could have done something similar here. It isn't as if we are all flat out doing stuff!

Back to the topic..... Questions: Who alerted the media which led to the article being published in the ODT? McGrath is charged with attempting to administer a prohibited substance to Steel The Show. By attempted it seems he didn't succeed. What was the prohibited substance? A bicarb milkshake? If so, and assuming that it isn't the first time, what does that say about the TCO testing results? Assuming it wasn't bicarb - what was it? Does it not show up in post race testing? How did the RIU have cause to run a covert operation against McGrath? Were the RIU seeking revenge for their significant INCA failure?