Dark Beau

The two best tracks in the country played pretty well today from what I could see. One was hit with continuous Iight/medium rain yet it made no discernible difference. Anyone at either venue prepared to comment further, agree or disagree?

One is as bad as the other, hopelessness of the highest level.

When I first started out owning horses (70’s) we always got given tickets to the official Club luncheon. The CJC ones were an excellent occasion too. I don’t remember when it stopped! Does anyone?

Saturday is her (Winx) Waterloo. I would love it to be the Pitman, Coupland, Bruford, Johnson team, but in my opinion it will be Benbatl. I hope that that the mare (Savy Coup) runs out of her skin and does all of us (NZ) proud. For the record I have backed Benbatl at 12’s and 2.50 so I am happy. It’s a great each way bet. Closer to the day I will have a nice touch for a place on Savy Coup. Should Winx win I will shed a tear, but if she gets beat and my horse wins it will be a mixture of happiness and sadness, with a little bit of satisfaction that I got it right against the odds on offer. Isn’t that what the betting game is all about? Horse against horse? Opinion against opinion?

So they should....It’s Labour Day?

I think that they retained 25% so all is not lost.

With what I have seen these last two Saturdays the Cox Plate will be the race of the year.....because of the Europeans. They have been stunning, even unbelievable. Winx will be in for the race of her life and at the current quote, poor value, in my opinion. I have “bought money” backing her every time for at least her last twelve wins, but on Saturday she is on her own!

She was not in any sort of rhythm at any stage yet still won. It was an unbelievable performance. Hopefully by Oaks Day she will have learnt to settle, then the others will have absolutely no chance. Great for Zed and Grangewilliam too.

Add to that list the super star winner of the Dewhurst on Saturday night in Too Darn Hot. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lady Webber have a policy of keeping the fillies and selling all the colts but with Too Darn Hot they were forced to keep him because he failed the sales xrays. How bloody lucky were they?

Yes, the name derives from the fact the a person turned the bull around and saved the king, hence that is how the family on my mothers side got the name TURNBULL. A ball wasn’t involved then or now.

Thank God there was a change of Government, otherwise “the not fit for purpose” Race Fields Legislation Bill, written by National appointed people (Allen & Hughes) would have been pushed through by now. What a disaster that would have been! Even the enigmatic Leo Molloy, a self professed lover of the Tories, early on, publicly warned against it, because of the way it was written.

Feeling beaten Barry?

As we will now have more sunshine/sunlight and the tracks will dry out more quickly, especially in the wet North Island. Isn’t it great? ?

The perfect answer and totally fair.

My primary interest (95%] is in the gallops. Cup Week Christchurch is the exception for Harness and the odd other big meeting. If I am not betting in NZ on the Gallops it is in Australia especially on a Saturday. As far as I am concerned any profit from my betting should go directly to the code that I am betting on, pure and simple. i actually believe that the codes are in competition with one another, just like Lotto, Sports Betting, Casinos, and all other leisure activities are competitors.

Dark Beau had a bet on the Harness last Friday night. I am happy that any profit from that goes directly to the Harness People. I haven’t had a bet on the Dogs for over 8 to 10 years and probably won’t. The last time would have been when that great little bitch was racing, the one who was the first to win over 100k. A wonderful dog but I can’t recall her name at the moment.

Curious, I am not 100% sure what you mean with your answer to: (5) Messara’s suggestion to amend Section 16 to a more equable distribution formula. You say it should be based on “domestic revenue generated”! Isn’t it based on that now? (Which is currently not working?) I say that it should be based on the turnover bet by punters on the individual racing codes, irrespective of where the races are actually run! It is now global based on were the product (races) come from, but not where the betting comes from. Remember most overseas punters are now basically shut out of betting here, so it is only the NZ punter who is funding everything, unlike a few years ago. Having said that, why is it that when I am overseas in Australia, Sweden, Turkey and so many other countries I can’t access my own TAB account here, yet if I want to bet with most of the corporate bookies in Australia (from NZ) I can. It doesn’t make sense to me. Correct me if I am wrong regarding my last comments about inter-country restrictions.

Brian, if 2:02 is commonplace at Reefton for 2000m you need to get the place surveyed again!

Tony Pike, as President of the Trainers Association has certainly been leading the charge in the north and Michael Pitman in the south. Who it is for Awapuni, I don’t know but I suspect that it is Alastair Robinson, CEO of RACE.

Hedley, I couldn’t agree more with you. It will be a waste of millions, 50+ at a minimum and that’s without the massive maintenance costs, until they decide that they are an unmitigated disaster.

My guess is that he will be appointed to the Board, could even be the Chairman.

Beyond my comprehension too.

An interesting debate. My tuppence worth is that David is the better judge of buying yearlings, while Jamie is a better judge of buying proven horses. The results speak for themselves. It will be interesting to see the outcome with Torcedor.

Not if they only sand slit it AND don’t sand carpet it as well. The difference is: Te Rapa and Awapuni were both Sand Slit and Sand Carpeted. The large amounts of sand put on, then in time, blocks the drains too, i.e. both courses above. Trentham on the other hand was sand slit about 8 or 9 years ago BUT not sand carpeted because they couldn’t afford it. Weren’t they BLOODY LUCKY because it’s the best surface in the country now from October to April, when if it does rain, it recovers extremely quickly, unlike before.

Probably a good thing. It would save a hell of a lot of disappointment down the track.