Happy Sunrise

You have have to wonder about the consistency of the thinking and planning that went into this process for such a back flip to take place but nice to see Forbury and Blenheim reinstated. Harness racing in the CD will be given a reprieve in today’s RITA announcement By Barry Lichter • 3 July 2020 Harness racing in the Central Districts will be thrown a lifeline with an announcement expected later today that the Manawatu Trotting Club has been granted 10 meetings for the new season. Detailed submissions from the clubs and other supporters have led to a change of mind by the Racing Industry Transition Agency which originally axed all meetings south of Cambridge. Palmerston North will host six full race meetings in 2020-21 with another four mini meetings, held in conjunction with the greyhounds. The track will host three Tuesday-Thursday meetings on November 17 and 19, December 8 and 10 and March 30 and April 1. The Tuesday dual code meetings will be trialled to assess whether they will work and be the platform for more widespread use in the future. Also reinstated to the calendar will be the popular holiday picnic meetings at Tauherenikau, four races dual code with the gallops on January 2, and Otaki gets four races two days later. RITA plans to release all the confirmed dates for 2020-21 today. Other changes telegraphed include: * Forbury Park in Dunedin, denied any dates in the draft calendar, gets 10 meetings back. * Timaru, another track given no meetings initially, will race four times. * The two-day Blenheim meeting is back in January * Roxburgh’s annual January meeting is reinstated * Gore gets one meeting to be raced on the grass on December 27.

I was on when it won at Motukarara. Looked like it had ability but lost its way up Blenheim way. It has the potential to win a few in a row, especially under its new trainer who can lift a horse a notch or two very quickly. Looks like the horse is heading that way and the TAB hasn't missed it.

Another topic is restrictions, get Brodie on, but be beware, it will take all your shows until Xmas ?

Jimmy Carter or Only One Way? Best is here I believe but you can't get the unplaced horses at the track. Look under the infohorse driver / trainer enquiry.

See they tipped Majestic Rollon at 12s last Sunday like it was a parting of the water. I suppose it beats the hot favourites that used to be on the whale watch.

It is always Addington. Never anywhere else in the region. And Sunday to look forward to at Addington. I like a change of scenery now and again.

Terror Maria (place) X Beaudiene Hustler X Red Envy. 10 for $760. Good luck Mr TAB.

To fix racing you need somebody willing to be there 9 days a week.

Wouldn't surprise but I hope it is not true. Those interviews he does sound like he is not there much as it is all waffle and a made up spiel.

Be mystifying if they were being paid! Good to see you take the standing starts to task. Will you take on things like the McGrath issue? INCA updates? Closing down of tracks? Why do BFLF get on HRNZ but you guys don't?

I am just saying it is a good thing generally regardless of who did it. Don't really care who did it, though it appears some are tribal and need it attributed to someone. No wonder the industry is factional.

Nominations have declined since the restart of racing so enticing the likes of Amber Hoffman is good. There goes my place bet...

Most horses are these days. They are the game whether we like it or not.

In a time of such turbulence and hard to fathom decisions I like the accommodating programming.

If they feel aggrieved enough then good on them. Maybe the other clubs can follow suit.

Good question. Is HRNZ inept?

At least it will cut costs.

Usually count to 10.

Who for?

True. Would love a crystal ball to see 5 years into the future.

Where did you see that?

They have made submissions!

Really? How is that? Do you just mean Avondale with all its associated $$? But are the tracks closing down to be sold or will they continue to operate as training tracks?

Don't the 3 codes operate independently under the new Racing Act? Won't that lead to codes fighting each other?

In the June 23rd interview on HRNZ, Holden didn't know the figure of the bulk funding which is a touch odd considering it was only a couple of days later it came out. In the same interview he said that 139 needed to be divided up between the codes and he was still pushing the 'up to 25% less' number for stakes. I just feel HRNZ is out of the loop and at the mercy of the big players. I don't think there is any success for this code until harness racing gets to see its share of the pie.