Chief Stipe

Get on the phone. Get all your fellow trainers on the phone. Harass the shyte out of NZTR - wake them from their festival slumber. Get organised.

NO someone should be in sole charge of the horses from the moment they leave the birdcage until they start. So "who" relays "all loaded"? Who releases the Clerk of Course to be in front of the gates instead of behind them? What I'm saying is that given the increase in demands behind the gates and the lack of resource to meet them then someone other than the starter needs to be co-ordinating things.

Don't "hope" get on the phone and INSIST!

According to the Viaduct All Things Expert - "he is only a mid-winter hack".....

Really? When they have the ability to keep horse numbers up to the level they require to fill fields (they just buy them) and we don't? Look at the field sizes today at Ruakaka. That meeting will be a disaster in terms of revenue to the industry. Could have been better with bigger fields or at the very least fields that pay three dividends!

Will the first change make it harder for NZ Imports be evening the playing field for Northern Hemisphere Imports? Will the second change allow age aged geldings to compete longer? Your views: _________________________________________ Changes to the initial handicap rating of northern hemisphere-bred griffins, and to weight-for-age allowances in handicap races and Griffin races – Jockey Club media release Handicapping news is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Jockey Club announced a significant change to its system on Friday. Starting from next season, all unraced horses in Hong Kong – those classified as “private purchase griffins (PPGs)” or “international sale graduates (ISGs)” – will begin their career on a rating of 52, regardless of their age or where they were born. Previously, northern hemisphere-bred horses had an initial rating of 57. In addition, the five-pound weight allowance northern hemisphere three-year-olds receive in handicap races between January 1 and July 16 will be deleted, while the nine-pound weight-for-age allowance southern hemisphere-bred get in Griffin races will be reduced to five pounds, bringing it in line with what two-year-olds already receive in handicap races. That is a lot of technical talk, but what does that mean in real terms? The first change is a big one – and one for the better – and provides a level playing field in a jurisdiction where 98 per cent of the races are open age handicaps. With no breeding industry in Hong Kong, horses come from all parts of the world and this simplifies the process. Under the old system, northern hemisphere-bred three-year-olds could be making their debut (on a rating of 57) and be giving five pounds to a southern hemisphere-bred four-year-old (on a rating of 52). It made no sense so this is a terrific correction. Chief handicapper Nigel Gray explained there were a host of options he and his team looked at – including incremental weight-for-age scales – but ultimately decided a simplistic option would be better for everyone. A HK$2.5 million galloper goes through the ring at the Hong Kong International Sale. Those five ratings points are the equivalent to a narrow win on the track, so in theory, northern hemisphere PPGs should become more attractive prospects for owners in Hong Kong, as they may get another opportunity in Class Four if things fall their way. As of Monday, there were 705 horses who arrived as PPGs, coming from 11 different countries. A whopping 541 (77 per cent) of them come from the southern hemisphere – Australia (335), New Zealand (187), South Africa (16) and Brazil (three). In comparison, there are 77 from Ireland, 44 from Great Britain and 20 from France among the 164 northern hemisphere representatives. There is a hope this change could strike a better balance, provide greater diversity and more options for owners. The second part of the amendment means trainers don’t have to rush and take their horses to the races when they’re not ready to try and take advantage of the weight allowance. It is only a minor adjustment, but also simplifies things. In Hong Kong, changes like this take years to come to fruition. It is hard to break the mould, so those responsible should be commended. Perhaps the next tinker on the agenda could be making the system more fluid so horses could drop ratings points more quickly when they are not competitive and going around at cricket score odds. Two weeks ago, Group One winner Ivictory was retired as a perfectly sound six-year-old with just 16 starts to his credit because he was no longer cutting the mustard at the very top level. His career is one of the more unusual ones – he started off in a blaze of glory, winning seven of his first eight starts, culminating in the 2018 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Ivictory (left), edges out Mr Stunning and Beat The ClockTED ARTICLES Ivictory went up 21 points to a peak rating of 128 after that Group One win, but retired on a mark of 115 despite not placing in the last 14 months of his career. Owners want to see their horses be competitive and realistically, at the rate he was dropping, it was going to be another year or so until that was going to be the case. If horses are going to be put up that quickly, they also need to drop fast when it is clear they are not up to that level any more. If a golfer was handicapped on their very best score, they’d give the game away pretty quickly. Ivictory should be plying his trade in the Class Two sprinting ranks instead of spending his days at the Beas River riding school. Horses like that shouldn’t be fast-tracked out of the system.

Full field form here: 20200105_starter_r10.pdf

I think Thomaass you are over simplifying things. Unfortunately the time between when the horses leave the birdcage and the gates are opened has got substantially more complex and variable over time. Your proposed solution(s) although difficult to clarify do nothing to alleviate the situation. NZ does not provide the people resources during this time that jurisdictions like Japan and Hong Kong do. They have more than one barrier attendant per horse. We are lucky to have 8 in total! We now have horses arriving that require hoods removed, barrier blankets added and removed, blind folds attached and removed, horses requiring to be the last ones in the stalls, horses requiring a cuddle from the clerk of the courses horse and so on and so on. In my opinion these requirements are all a product of rushed, inadequate education and training. (Another topic for another thread - are there licensing requirements and quality controls over horse breakers and pre-trainers?). We also have multiple people in "charge." In my opinion there should be ONE person in charge from when the horses leave the birdcage to at least when they jump. Unless all the additional crap that we have added pre start is removed that person can't be the Starter. It isn't within any person's ability to manage all these scenarios from the starters stand. So I have some sympathy for the starter in this case. If I recall correctly I think the Clerk of the Course's horse was obscuring Pinmedown.

I know a guy at the local who always includes in his multi's any horse with the letter Z in it. Has done well with the Zed's performing.

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 7 (NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race), Information A11632 was filed with the Judicial Committee. It alleged a breach of Rule 638(1)(d), in that : “...Holly Andrew (VROOM) allowed her mount to shift inwards in the home straight tightening BALL GOWN (D Bradley) and ALEXANDRITE ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 636(1)(d)RACEDAY JUDICIAL COMMITTEE DECISION Informant: Mr D Balcombe – Stipendiary Steward Respondent: Ms C O’Beirne – Apprentice Rider Information No: A12307 ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)This charge arises from the running of race 5 the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final. Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr Oatham filed an Information pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d) alleging that Miss Johnson (LINCOLN KING) permitted her mount to shift in near the 250 metres when not sufficiently clear of ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1(d)This charge arises from the running of race 3 the Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes (Group 2). Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr Oatham filed an Information pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d) alleging that Mrs Satherley permitted her mount AMOR FATI to shift in near the 1100 metres when insufficiently clear of TARGHEE ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)and Whip Regulation (b)Following the running of Race 2, (Levin Woolbuyers Mobile Pace 2000m), Information A11672 was filed with the Judicial Committee. It alleged a breach of Rule 869(2) in that Mr Fleming "... used his whip inside the final 400m in contravention of Clause b of the Whip Regulations". Mr Fleming acknowledged ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

I suggest that would be rumour and supposition. I've been on course when a driver was seriously injured about 100m from the winning post. I've never heard so many amateur diagnoses in such a short period of time. I don't think that Garrick should be posting stuff like that. It isn't news worthy and just adds fuel to scuttlebutt. I hope Ricky pulls through - not that I have met him but he always seems to be one of the nice guys and extremely talented.

https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/ellerslie-false-start-fiasco-only-eight-months-after-similar-bungle-at-avondale/

Who would know and who would want to know where you live. As for the article you copied it seems to confirm the reliability of your BP - i.e. it isn't reliable.

No Thomaas did not write the above post. He copied it from here https://www.inpredictable.com/2018/05/never-bet-horse-named-joe-update.html The giveaway was that it was actually readable!

Well the starters comments about the head gear are wrong.....

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 1 (King Honey Taupo Gallop,) Information A12910 was filed with the Judicial Committee. It was alleged by the Informant that Mr Kozaki, the Rider of FLYING permitted his mount to shift in near the 1700m when insufficiently clear of ELLE D’BERRY which was crowded and checked. ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

I just read it. Doesn't say hell of a lot except inquiry ongoing and starter was stood down for last two races.

Woops!

Rule Number(s): 870(3)and Breaking Horses RegulationFollowing the running of Race 10, All Things Harness Racing Handicap Trot, an Information instigating a protest was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr NM Ydgren, against B D YASOTHON (MJ Anderson), placed 2nd by the judge, on the ground that it “galloped further than 150 metres in the early stages” ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(4)Following the running of Race 8, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S Renault against Open Horseman, Mr G Smith, alleging a breach of Rule 869(4) in that he failed to maintain a straight course in the run home. Rule 869(4)) reads as follows. (4) No horseman shall during any race do anything ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)Following the running of Race 4, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S Renault against Junior Horseman, Mr B Laughton, alleging a breach of Rule 869(3) (b) in that he drove carelessly racing into the first bend by shifting inwards checking RAZORS EDGE. Mr Laughton had endorsed on the ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article