Doomed

Look at the ballots at Kurow, about 27 on a 10 race card. Still 15 or 16 waiting to get a start at Timaru. Riverton will have ballots as well. Contrast that with the rubbish at Taranaki today. 4, 5 and 6 horse fields. Two meetings at Taranaki, as well as Otaki and Wanganui all jammed in together. They are only a few hours drive apart. Some Canty horses must have been balloted and eliminated several times, even when they have been reluctantly willing to drive several hours to get a start. The poor bloody Southland 2yo had to go all the way to Ellerslie to get a start, because there is only one 2yo race all season in Southland. This after the Canty 2yo had to go to Trentham for a run because no 2yo racing anywhere in the SI for 9 weeks. I haven't seen a single mention from NZTR that they have even noticed there might be a problem. And it is hardly a new problem.

It was a dead-heat. Places were changed after an inquiry

Why does it matter whether they take 2 in Aussie? It is the NZ TAB, we are NZers and the races are in NZ. They are $12,000 races, why on earth would Aussies be interested in them?

What's wrong with it being on 2? It's just a number. One has gallops on a Saturday and public holiday, everyone knows that. The shocker today was allowing less than 2 minutes to preview a listed race at Wingatui while they babbled on about a hack race at Ellerslie.

And I'm pretty sure one of the extras ended up winning the race.

It was an open race before the top acceptor was an 82. They do that so a lower grade horse isn't severely rerated for placing in or winning an open race. That race shows up the incompetence of the programming. There have been no open stayers races in Canty since Cup week. Not everyone can train a stayer to go first up over 2,200m on a heavy track.

They don't always scratch. The $50,000 stayers race at Wingatui had only 4 noms, the top 4 in the weights. The other 4 jumped in when noms were left open.

Bugger. Did they invent the sweepstakes? Perhaps they sat back and relaxed too soon.

One of the big problems is that they are told they can only programme 7 or 8 races. How the hell do you create a pattern of age group races if you are allowed 8 races max.

I think NZTR is a bit like God. On the sixth day they invented the slot race, on the seventh day they said "that's us, we have done all we can do, we can sit back and relax now."

I do wonder about the whole funding model. If it is uneconomical to add an extra 9th race with 14 starters for $18,500 at a SI meeting, but acceptable to continually run 5 and 6 horse fields in the NI for $40,000 then obviously turnover is only a minor component of the funding model.

Surely a bit harsh Huey. We have a 3rd placegetter from the Guineas and a maiden winner locked in so far. I can't remember their actual names, but you can feel the excitement building by the minute. It wouldn't surprise me if there's a big announcement in a few days that a maiden winner from Taranaki is next to be confirmed.

I think it went from good to heavy in about two days. Bloody tough on the poor Southern trainers and jockeys. They get hardly any opportunities. I think all the ballots had to scratch out of several races. I had a look this morning and noticed hardly any scratchings from horses safely in the fields, which was amazing considering they accepted on a good track and were prepared to race on a heavy track. Compare that with Te Rapa yesterday. 10 scratchings and 7 starters in a maiden race on a track that was perfectly ok. I think there's a Taranaki meeting next week with average field sizes of about 6. There is a real imbalance in opportunities. Today doesn't help.

We effectively now seem to have split the 2yos and 3yos into two tiers each. Based on this year's results so far the better ones work through the traditional pattern and aim for Australian targets eventually, while those who are eligible for the sweepstakes and slot races take a different path and just aim to pick up a maiden race somewhere without having to travel far. Actually, they don't even need to pick up a maiden race really. Nothing to stop a slot holder starting a maiden in the kiwi thing. Certainly a whole new world. Some people think it's wonderful so who am I to disagree.

Hasn't the race been moved around a lot in recent years? Never used to be a Manawatu race either. Surely can't stay as group 2. Terrible field for $175,000. 2yo racing is so badly organised in the CD. Meanwhile the poor bloody South Island gets no 2yo racing for two months mid summer. Still, I suppose we must be doing well, stakes look ok. I suppose if you judge how well we are going based on stakes rather than the quality and quantity of fields, then things have never been better.

Are you suggesting all a bit of a cock up so far? I'm sure we will see a very positive press release soon though. Although a bit hard to promote the fact they are pleased to see 2nd and 3rd tier horses being given a chance at the big money while at the same pushing to get these obscure races promoted to black type status.

It also looks like the Derby might be in trouble. Group 1 status must surely be in question if it is contested by a bunch of battlers.

It might have been nice if the CJC had waited until late Feb and selected the top SI 3yo at that time, but as you say they seem to have narrowed their choices to the guineas placegetters which has left them with very few options.

I did think it strange that a severely restricted entry race on its first running could be listed, but as you say Rogie was excited about black type so I assumed it must have had some special dispensation. Strange that a press release issued by NZTR should be so inaccurate.

So it sounds like the top half doz or so 3yos in NZ won't be in the kiwi. Must be a bit of a disappointment. I presume it will be a listed race but certainly shouldn't even be that.

Didn't people happily take $1.50 for a horse that didn't even start in the NZ Trotting Cup? A fool and his money very easily parted...

So here is a horse who has run a place in a group one and the owners are getting excited about some 'impressive black type" in a race that would be listed at best and shouldn't even be that. Interesting that the article didn't mention what happened to the runners up in the two Guineas races. They mustn't have been interested.

I noticed the new name myself, thought it a bit strange. Doesn't Auckland have a Mufasa race as well? He would hardly be the first horse that came to mind that deserved two races named after him. That race has certainly had some names and dates over the years. Wasn't it most recently the Captain Cook? Used to be in March when I first remember it. I was there when The Twinkle won it back in 1981 beating Mun Lee. I think it was the George Adams at one stage. Marlboro Mile, DB Mile, Penfolds mile. Hard to keep up with all its names and dates. Lots of South Island winners over the years. Might be time for another one.

Alex Milne trained Matai Dreamer as well, so he won the race two years in a row.

I think the $50m was contingent on him winning certain subsequent races, which of course he didn't. I haven't seen any mention of what the actual sale price was.