Chief Stipe

I just saw a headline Health System "Stretched". Uh? What are the facts? There have been 514 reported cases of Covid-19. I emphasise have been because 56 people have recovered. So there are 458 people that we know of with the virus. The total the nation should be reporting is the current ACTIVE cases that is what is putting "stress" on the health system. Let's break the 458 down further. 1 patient is in ICU not 458 but ONE. That's one less than 2! Looking at that number in a different way it is 0.2% of those infected. 1 patient has died supposedly due to the virus. I say supposedly because it has been reported the woman in her 70's had other underlying health issues. Yes it is sad for her family but is it "devastating news" for the Nation as the Prime Minister says? Is it any more or less devastating than the death of a rubbish collector (an essential service) who working alone was crushed between his truck and a building wall? 12 people have been hospitalised. Yes 12 - a dozen. How does this stretch the health system? All elective surgery and most surgery that can wait has been postponed. So surely 12 extra people isn't going to "stretch" the health system. For sure there is a possibility that if the lockdown doesn't achieve its goal then the health system will be stretched. But don't report it is when it isn't! Why wail and gnash our teeth or dentures before time?

I wouldn't touch her in the Melbourne Cup. She just doesn't settle that well and expends so much energy just being a character. BUT the Caulfield Cup yes. She won the Ethereal easily at Caulfield. She's won $2.7m AUD now. Not bad for a Zed!

How do you know? Do you have inside "sources"? Since the new regime (old regime with different names) took over we have got less information on profitability and turnover so it is hard for the rest of us to know. Oh and maybe Brooks got "fired" because he challenged some of the decisions.

Freedman: "This gives racing a chance to reset its prizemoney thinking" Richard Freedman. Photo: Daily Telegraph Trainer and media personality Richard Freedman believes the huge prizemoney slashes to elite Sydney races caused by the coronavirus pandemic gives racing an opportunity to "reset its thinking." In incredibly tough, challenging and worrying times, there will be few complaints that the top ten rich races at The Championships over the next two Saturdays have had their prizemoney slashed by 50 percent. But Freedman thinks there could be some learnings for racing going forward - he believes that when racing comes through the other side of the current covid-19 disaster that racing prizemoney needs to be less top-heavy. He feels less prizemoney should be spread across the top-tier races, with lower level races and maidens receiving more of the cream than they currently do. "We are being forced to re-think everything because of an external force that we never saw coming, but we should take the opportunity to reset the way we do things for the good," Freedman told Racenet. "If we are going to take money off the top races, for a very good reason, and we are able to do that and everybody says that's OK, then don't just go back to the previous system after this is finished. "I think racing going forward should take money off the top (races) and spread it along the bottom. "If you pump up the top of the market, it funnels huge numbers of dollars into the smallest amount of pockets. "A very small number of people are going to access that - it's like a lottery. "But if you put more money into smaller races then everybody gets a little lick. "If a maiden anywhere was worth $50,000, you get a good chunk of money back the first time you win a race. "Surely we have got to return the money to the people who actually pay for the animals, who keep the whole sport going. "And we have got to get it back in their pockets as quickly as we possibly can, to as many as we possibly can. "Let's not give it back to them as slowly as we can and to as few of them as we can." Like every other industry, racing is likely to look completely different when it comes out the other side of the coronavirus pandemic. Racing has done an incredible job to be the only major sport to push ahead but there have now been massive prizemoney cuts to The Championships over the next two Saturdays and you can read about that HERE. Freedman says the prizemoney is being cut with the best intentions but it should also give racing pause for thought about its prizemoney structure in the years to come. "Yes, we have to cut the dollars at the moment for a very good reason, the revenues aren't there and we are in desperate times," Freedman said. "But I think there is a positive that could come out of it, and that is there was never an opportunity to cut those (rich) races before. "There was no political way to do it - there was no administrator who was going to waltz into a state regulator and say I'm cutting all the races back. "That was never ever a possibility. "Now it is a possibility for a very good reason. "And it gives us the opportunity to reset our thinking."

He isn't actually banned. Just his posts are moderated. He doesn't like that so hasn't posted at all. Moderated means he can post then a moderator reviews and releases the post. Time delay? Minimal to zero.

Who would want to go travelling with Tom Hanks?! Goes to OZ and catches Coronavirus when no one else had it there. Then there's: Apollo 13 Castaway The Terminal The Polar Express Captain Phillips Sully Can anyone think of any more?

Maybe but he will be taking social distancing seriously so the doll is on the other side of the room.

Verry Elleegant - you have to love her! She's got attitude and personality. Didn't settle the early part of the race, drifted to third last before the turn and then kicked in the after burners!

Do you know if they are? When the "accounting mistake" was rectified what was the result?

But you need exercise and with the lycra torn and the bike tyres slashed what else can you do? Walking allows you to smoke which defeats the purpose of exercise. Also you rely on driftwood for the fire at home and the wood burner is your only source of heating ... Plus normally there is only two people on the beach at the height of summer so bound to be no one there now!

Shall I take him off moderation while we are in isolation? I would imagine he is doing it hard at the moment? No RIU and JCA reports to regurgitate and critique! Blueprint well and truly stuffed - unlikely to be any 3yr old form before Christmas, compressed weights when racing starts in NZ again (very few relevant form lines). Although I guess there will be a lot of horses with Blinkers on the first time.

I know it is easy to get overly critical particularly during times of stress but..... WHY is the TAB still running these cash back promo's during this crisis? I thought they weren't very profitable. Also unless they are advertising on mainstream TV what point are they? Surely it is only the captive racing follower that is betting online now.

Except unfortunately after broadcast and commingyling fees probably a loss for TAB. Although there is a chance that will be covered by no presenter and management fees.

There are some bright spots in all this. Read this one this morning. 102 yr old Italian woman recovers from virus without specialised treatment. Believed to be the only known person to survive TWO pandemics I.e. the Spanish Flu 1918-1919 age 18 months and Covid-19 aged 102. Still loves dancing and motor bike racing. Favourite music is Queen and Freddy Mercury and Moto GP World champion Valentino Rossi.

Surely you can sneak down to the beach Curious?

When does a canter become a gallop?! The thing they are trying to do is reduce the chance of injury to riders who would put strain on hospitals. It's a nonsense - how many riders end up in hospital per month normally? There is some irony that most accidents occur at home which is where we have all been sent. The focus should be on managing people contact protocols in racing and its associated support industries. Those things you outlined with the agistment of your horse is what they should be focused on. A better directive would have been to keep horses where they were. Too late now the horse has bolted.

All good.

That might be the case Tim but he doesn't do himself any favours by dragging about alleged stuff from over eight years ago. Also with his recent post lumping Mark Purdon and David Ellis in with the likes of Cole doesn't help either. If he wants to post about issues specific to himself then he can go for it. Or if he wishes to address the here and now issues and suggest some changes then so be it. Bear in mind what he has posted here recently would have seen him banned on other forums.

What a load of cobblers! What does the rest of it say? For example recommendations on sanitising reins before use by another rider? Stable staff assigned their own leads? Assign one person to making up feeds. Etc etc. None of it can be enforced but at least surely their collective experience could come up with some guidance. Common sense I know but....

The Law of Unintended Consequences. Stuff all of what has been enforced has been thought through. Take for example the Council in the Hawkes Bay shutting down the camping ground they own. THEN setting up a place for campers to park in a car park with no water and no toilets! Some people in camping grounds are long stayers I.e. it is their HOME! Great for big stables to put all their horses out but as you point put they are just shifting the problem and no doubt the liability. Not many of those with their new found powers that they can now wield from their living room are doing systems thinking and answering What If. Also who is going to end up in jail or lose their license if their horse while doing light exercise breaks into a gallop? Yet they are expected to be put out fresh into a paddock where they can gallop their hearts out which they are trained to do and naturally want to do. I bet their will be more injured horses to deal with. One lesson I see from all this is that those countries that followed a test, test, test policy straight away have got on top of it. That should be a message to the those in charge that that is the way to control drug abuse in horses and people in the industry.

Then that's where your focus should be. From what I can see and from what I've been told those below him are running things.

I see all the Banks are now closed. I thought they were essential services. Will the Government force them to open again?

I disagree. While you waste time focussing in something that allegedly happened 8 years ago you are not focussing on the here and now. Other than salary what sordid standards did he set that carried on under Allen? Ask the question WHO is NOW leading the RIU and setting the standards? Anything else is pointless.

That may not be their problem but Sparks their Telco. Or localised network congestion on your connection. Been instability issues all day with various telco services. However I've had no problem logging in and viewing. If I remember correctly you have had problems before when others haven't.