Doomed

I note it isn't explicitly stated that NZTR is stumping up the whole half million to boost the stake. NZTR just says the stake is going to $1.5m. NZ Bloodstock though seem to indicate the extra is all coming from NZTR, so effectively subsidised by the rest of the industry. Along with the new $350,000 restricted race in the SI and others like it, it does make me wonder whether the Group race system has any more relevance in NZ. We now have group races like the NZ Cup and Coupland Stakes dwarfed in stakes by the various novelty races. I'm not sure how the handicapper compares form out of the novelty races with form out of group races. How much longer before there is a push to see the novelty races granted group status? Interesting that the breeders are big exponents of these novelty races at the expense of group races. Perhaps someone could explain to me the relevance of listed races? Do we need them anymore? Perhaps get rid of them first and then work on dropping Group races?

I would be interested in seeing the process Brian. I have largely given up bothering about how the industry is run any more, but it does no harm to confirm my suspicion that they moved on from being largely incompetent to now being closer to corrupt.

Off until Wednesday I see. All the more reason why they should have raced at Timaru last Sunday. There should be a grass track meeting each week in the south in case this sort of thing happens. The AWTs should be for a largely separate set of horses and follow their own pattern. I notice there was no suggestion to move this meeting to the AWT. Perhaps that approach has been discontinued after one attempt.

As Pam said, the approach is just to wear down anyone who criticises their actions and wait until they disappear. And no way can you afford to take them to court as they have limitless funds and can pour as much money at it as they like, as we have seen in the past. Sadly, most of the club administrators who have stood up to oppressive policies over the years have disappeared, along with their clubs. By my calculation Reefton is probably the only one left. So NZTR, and whatever the other ruling bodies are called these days, have achieved what they desired and they now have the industry they dreamed of. I suspect I will look on with some amusement in 4 or 5 years time when 2 or 3 clubs who assumed they were big beneficiaries of the new regime get told that they are no longer required either. I do wonder what will happen if some of the track reconstructions don't go well and there are no alternative tracks to move meetings to. Where would the north have been in recent times without Te Rapa, which fronts up week after week with all the other tracks either out of action or out of favour.

This Oamaru meeting brings up a lot of questions. For one, why on earth was there not a SI meeting last Sunday? 54 horses balloted and eliminated at Oamaru. They are all just told tough nothing for you this week, try again in a few weeks, meanwhile keep paying those trainers bills. Contrast that with Ruakaka who ran a meeting with massive stakes last weekend with a grand total of 67 starters. The treatment of the 65 1,200m race is also interesting. 41 noms. So they split it into a $30,000 race and a $20,000 race. The other 13 horses just stay at home. The minimum rating in the $30,000 is 62, in the $20,000 there is one rating 59, the rest all 60 and higher. Contrast that with the two northern meetings this weekend where there are virtually no ballots and any rating horse has no trouble getting a start. Why should the second rating 65 1,200m field have to race for $20,000? Last weekend 7 2yos went around for $60,000 at Ruakaka, this weekend 6 2yos have accepted at Tauranga, probably 4 will start. The open race at Tauranga, 5 horses currently, again probably 4 will start. Why does NZTR not say to Tauranga "look you only have 6 and 5 starters so we will run those races for $20,000". Surely that is the same logic? But really, at the end of the day this all just shows how badly the industry is run, and increasing a few stakes won't fix any of the structural problems. I should mention too, that there are 2 or 3 people on here who think this is exactly how things should work. They think there should be a lot less racing and then when a meeting does eventually pop up there will be big fields and massive betting, and that is the way of the world. They argue that the 54 who miss out at Oamaru aren't really needed and it would be best if they are all retired. Obviously I don't subscribe to that theory.

The RIB provides a service to the three codes, so surely it is answerable to the codes. In this instance it is surely up to NZTR to reprimand them if it can be shown RIB has acted without integrity.

Hi Pam. I've been busy. I do plan to comment on several aspects of that meeting when I get a chance. I just need a moment to count up how many horses got eliminated.

What a field that was. I might have been there that day. Matai Dreamer was a brilliant age group horse but I don't think he went on with it as an older horse, may have had injury problems.

Some pretty good horses ran second to Locarno.

Interesting discussion. I was just thinking the other day what a waste it was not having a galloping meeting this coming Sunday. A Timaru meeting in the south would have fitted perfectly. Probably manage 10 races and on an almost firm track. 11 or 12 days between southern meetings and this week's was on the AWT. I would think Entain would be keen to use many more Fridays and Sundays than are currently utilised for the gallops. The only thing I can recall seeing so far is announcements about stakes. What about some action on dates and programming? What an embarrassment Ruakaka is this weekend. All the hype about qualifying races and order of entry etc, and not a single ballot on the entire card, and they had to programme a maiden at the last minute to get 8 races. 7 and 9 starters for $60,000 races. Wait till the new season when we regularly have $50,000 and $40,000 going around with tiny fields. NZTR seem to think decent horses will just miraculously turn up to fill those fields.

Scotch Tar one of the better known trotters who raced against the pacers. Don't think he won though.

I always thought she was a nice lady and a very good jockey, but she really can't be all that bright. She certainly mixes with some really dopey looking people. The greyhound trainer looks super thick and the other woman shared the photos with the world so how thick is she? It might be time to consider people having to pass an IQ test to become licensed in the racing industry.

Pity it didn't run second, I would have had the quinella, flashed home. It has been one of the worst Queensland carnivals I can remember for NZ trained horses, I can hardly remember a win.

None of those figures are flash, some are just not quite as bad as others. I didn't actually realise things were quite so bad. I suppose on the positive side things are coming off such a low base Entain should be able to hopefully show some improvement. But really, you do wonder what on earth they saw of value in the NZ Racing industry. There have always been people on here saying we must increase stakes. When you see the best we can hope for turnover wise in the winter months is about $40,000 on and $1.4m off, it does make you wonder where on earth that stakes money is coming from. Interestingly enough the Cambridge JC held a low key mid week meeting on 3 July 1991 with on course t/o of $224,416 and off course of $2,029,602. Two races at $10,000, the rest mostly $7,000. These days we expect to fund a raceday with $500,000 in stakes on less turnover than that. You have to marvel at the stakes that are generated off tiny turnovers.

It seems obvious to me that they expect turnover to boom once the Aussie punters start betting in big numbers on the revitalised NZ racing.

That's an incredibly intelligent post in the harness section. I must look on here more often.

This is a subject that has always interested me. Harness Racing's biggest problem is not getting horses through the grades, and yet they love running penalty free races as much as possible. There are endless maidens and low grade races in the South, but programme a race equivalent to the old 5+ wins and you are lucky to get 7 starters. I have no idea where all the winners of lower grade horses go. I don't believe the harness rating system works. I can never follow it (admittedly I don't try very hard) but I can easily follow the galloping system. Also, this idea of having a higher stake for maiden races than for winners is just totally beyond me. It seems to take the socialist approach to extremes.

It was certainly an impressive win. Would have been very unlucky if it hadn't got up.

The commentator was very keen on the horse last time and thought he was very unlucky.

Yes.

It has been introduced as NZTR gets flak for putting industry money into the two karaka million races. I suspect they are going to boost several high profile races to $1m, or more, in which case the karaka millions would no longer stand out. As they can't pour more money into the Karaka races, as much as they would love to, they have decided to introduce a brand new race on the day to boost the profile of the day, which all sales graduates will be eligible for, and it won't cost the breeders a cent.

Talk about a can of worms there. It is hardly the connections fault, or the jockey's, although I know nothing about the specifics of the case. I imagine there will be some pretty well connected connections involved. Could be massive liabilities if they try to disqualify those horses. There was a lot of publicity about his claim and how well he was going, so I imagine Racing Victoria was most at fault for not picking it up much earlier. I don't recall any exact precedents.

Does it matter if a race is a group 1 anymore? The money is more important than the group status. You will note that Tokyo Tycoon isn't going to the 2,000 Guineas this year, he is being kept for the Karaka million. Money is more important than status for a gelding. The interesting thing will be if they increase the Guineas stake significantly, perhaps even to $1m. Will Te Akau then change their mind? It reminds one of the joke where a man asks a lady if she would sleep with him for a million dollars. She replies possibly. So he says would she sleep with him for $100. "Of course not, what sort of lady do you think I am?" To which the man replies, "we have already determined what sort of lady you are, we are just haggling over price."

They have given up on winter racing, no glamour. They just want to get through it as quickly and cheaply as possible.

I saw that myself. I might just be slow and I'm missing something, but I don't follow the bit about can't be transferred from a top 10 trainer after 31 Oct, and the bit about any horse transferred after 1 August will be ineligible. Surely the latter requirement makes the first bit redundant? Perhaps I am missing something.