Chief Stipe

The more I think about this the more I think it is a fantasy. The proposal is for a whole new venue in the Waikato. The Industry doesn't earn enough from racing alone to pay for the maintenance costs. Yes two or three Strathayr tracks would be nice. But the only way they would work is if they are installed at existing venues that have sound infrastructure in place and alternative additional streams of revenue. Can anyone think of any that meet the bill? Ellerslie perhaps but then a Strathayr would be hard to implement on a hill over a rock. Any other suitable existing venue would have to be out of action for close to two years given the state of existing tracks. Which club can sustain that? Even selling up the existing location for any single club isn't going to produce enough cash for a new development. So that leaves a legislated land grab on a large number of existing clubs. It will need to be more than those identified in the report to met the costs of any new developments. For example even if you could sell the assets of Hokitika, Greymouth and Reefton you wouldn't realise much in the way of capital. As far as I know there isn't a housing crisis in those places and the racing venues don't have a lot of potential for alternative use. Closing those 3 clubs isn't going to do much to lower operating costs at the NZRB either. Finally I wish someone would expose the analysis of how much abandoned race meetings cost the industry. The current analysis has as much veracity as that which underpinned the Racefields legislation.

Don't tell me the 1 galloper was in the south island?

What are you saying the rest were harness?

From what I've seen they very rarely do test for TCO2.

Don't they have lights on tractors? I would have thought going through a process of training later in the morning and monitoring hydration was good conditioning. Certainly I'd be doing that with a horse I intended to race in OZ. But then as you say what's the point with slow horses.

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Curious I realise you probably have a secondary income otherwise how can you train and race horses and need to get up early....but.... I've never understood why trainers always train their horses in the early hours of the morning when the don't race before midday. In my younger days when a trained athlete I always tried to train in the conditions I was going to race in. Part of the conditioning programme.

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 3 (COLIN BREMNER 1200m) Information A9237 was filed with the Judicial Committee. It alleged a breach of Rule 638(1)(d) and stated that: ”...Darryl Bradley (ETERNAL) allowed his mount to shift inwards near the 250m when not clear of HEART OF FAME which was checked.” Rule ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 648(3)Following the running of Race 5, Fortuna – Melody Belle, a Request for a Ruling was filed with the Judicial Committee pursuant to Rule 648(3). The Informant Mr J Oatham, Chief Stipendiary Steward, alleged that ARMAGUARD’S rider weighed in 0.8 kg under his weigh out weight. Mr Ralph, the trainer of ARMAGUARD, ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 614(2)Following the running of race 5, Fortuna – Melody Belle, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 614(2). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that Mr Ralph omitted a towel when saddling ARMAGUARD whose jockey weighed in 0.8 kg light. Mr Ralph acknowledged that he understood the Rule and confirmed his ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of race 8, Waikato Stud – Six Time Breeder of the Year 1400, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638 (1)(d). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that Mr Yanagida allowed his mount AMEN CORNER to shift in from near the 350 metres causing interference to HARBOURSIDE and EL COOLIO. ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 642(1)Following the running of race 8, Waikato Stud – Six Time Breeder of the Year 1400, an Information was filed Instigating a Protest pursuant to Rule 642(1). The Informant, Trainer, Mr T Pike, alleged that AMEN CORNER or its rider placed 2nd by the Judge interfered with the chances of HARBOURSIDE placed ...View the full article

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Um so why haven't all the drug positives been referred to the police?!

Rule Number(s): 869 7A (c)Following the running of race 8 the Craig Heyrick At Harcourts Mobile Pace Stewards charged Mr A MacDonald with a breach of r869 (7A) (c) in that he allowed his horse “DOUBT ME NOT to shift inwards causing Ivana Legacy to contact and protrude inside marker pegs.” Rule 869 (7A) (c) reads: ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869 (3) (b)Following the running of race 9 the Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace Stewards charged Mr A MacDonald with a breach of r869 (3) (b) – careless driving – in that near the “1250m he allowed his horse Franco Huntington to shift inwards and check BETTOR SENSATION, which broke and lost its chances.” Rule 869 (3) ...View the full article

Both covered adequately by the rules of racing. Have criminal charges been laid against those kids caught in the back of the float? Were criminal charges laid against Walker?

Wrong. What standards haven't been met? You either pass the practical and theoretical test to get a license or not. If you commit a misdemeanor that is proven then your license is revoked. What's been proven so far? The licensor hasn't even tested their case against the licensees.

Ok let's centralise all of NZ racing to the Waikato.

Then why not test their evidence under the rules of racing? Instead they have abdicated and gone to the police to lay criminal charges.

Perhaps base the % distribution on On-Course turnover?