Happy Sunrise

The word 'leadership' is one of the most overused words in currency today but in the case of harness racing in NZ it should be used a lot more often. Who is in charge? No idea. I think the industry is one of the most poorly functioning and divisive outfits I have ever seen.

HTP, you just validated Basil's comment to the nth degree.

I consider the personal issues and the allegations being separate to be a fallacy. No, I don't. You obviously didn't read what I thought about that decision. Why are they thinking about this? So harness racing is heading towards a crisis?

You comment is about as good as the reason for Ideal Invasion's scratching today. Truly ridiculous.

Explain this claim?

No. But the article says the personal issues and the allegations are separate which I consider to be fallacy.

What has this got to do with JJ Flash? He hasn't even posted on this topic. Why is that? You don't know that.

Does he? He is a journalist and harness racing provides a lot of juicy scandal that is pretty much absent from NZ society. Who could blame a journalist for going after cannon fodder like this.

Have you ever considered these people are sick of the ones who bring the industry into disrepute?

So how do you link this to Mitchell Kerr's predicament?

If anyone thinks these are separate one is dreaming. Are we fools?

So Mitchell Kerr is an unfair target of these people?

It is actually all self inflicted. The TAB, HRNZ, RIU, horsemen are all in the industry. You are a good example of the division within the industry whether you see it that way or not.

All self-inflicted.

Where is the slander? WTF. This is about Mitchell Kerr. How this can be turned on the RIU?

I don't subscribe to the Van Beynen being a harness hater, the industry just gives him dynamite material on a regular basis. Can't blame him for using it.

Two things, not sure how the RIU can be blamed for any of this and it always amazes me the lack of communication between HRNZ and the RIU, surely they must communicate to some degree. Kerr’s father Paul, a veteran licensed trainer based in Ohoka, North Canterbury, said the RIU had not put any of the allegations to his son, and he had not heard from police either. “I don’t have any respect for the Racing Integrity Unit whatsoever,” he said. “They have been hounding people for the last three years.” Paul Kerr said his son had “one or two personal issues going on” unconnected to the accusations. Mitchell was aware of the allegations, he said. “Until they are substantiated they are just rumour mongering. Things are only just coming out of the woodwork and there is nothing to say they are true.” Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) confirmed Mitchell Kerr had relinquished his licence and said it was not aware of any investigation by the RIU.

Ok. I am not concerned about rules like this as they are essentially unenforceable.

No I didn't. Pretty good rule don't you think? After watching some of the treatment of horses and animals that is caught on camera I think they can up the fine to whatever they want. When Gavin Smith whacked his other runner in a Rangiora trial awhile back with his whip it barely caused a ripple. An action like this is why they have rules like these.

Content and coverage doesn't cover the crap underneath it all. From my point of view as an avid follower of harness racing I am sick of the bias of the harness media. Most of the bias is by the omission of information. From Holden at the top, the RIU, the TAB and to those who cover harness like the Box Seat who just glide over the negatives or never mention them and just pretend everything is AOK. We, out here in harness land, are not suckers and until the industry openly addresses the negatives you will never have an attractive industry.

How long was he in the new training partnership with Chrissie Dalgety? August? I figure when Cran gives up his license and the horses are no longer trained by him then the alliance formed by Nathan and Chrissie is new but you may disagree. Why did Cran, who I see on the Kentuckiana website is the proprietor and in charge of communications give up his license? Has this move by Nathan Purdon forced / encouraged him to come back to training?

I just don't get how he commits to a training partnership and then a few months later ups and goes to Aussie. Has Cran got his licence back yet so he can help Chrissy Dalgety? Not much logic in harness this year.

These regulations are to aid in the prosecution a person when they abuse a horse, not to prosecute people in the every day training of them.

Because it is offering more than the fixed odds?

Preparing the stable for when his Dad joins him? 😯