Chief Stipe

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.

I disagree. He was only Chief Stipe at the RIU for 22 months. Leaving in mid 2012. That's EIGHT YEARS ago. It's a bit like blaming Muldoon for Covid-19. Neil Grimstone, on the other hand, as Manager of Integrity Assurance has been there since 2014.

I think they are more shoulder tapped than putting their hands up.

I see the breweries are still allowed to brew beer.

Thinking about it no one would know anyway. Most are one or two people on farms.

What about unlicensed pre-trainers and horse breakers? Will those trainers that break in and educates their yearlings be able to do that?