Doomed

Yes, I remember it well. October wasn't it? Isn't it strange how these days with syndication, speed bred horses and the need for early returns and Otago and Southland have given up on 2yo racing.

You may or may not have noticed that I seldom comment on the TAB, or trackside. I don't feel you should kick a dog when they are down. However, this is now getting beyond a joke. I just noticed that 12 of the 15 runners in this weekend's $5m All Star Mile are showing as dropping in class or meeting easier company, which is obviously rubbish. They are also a bit confused by the Slipper fav, won on the Gold Coast last start, no awareness it was a $2m race. Surely it is nothing but a total arrogance to continue to use those pathetic form lines for Aussie races. They really are treating punters with utter contempt. All this while providing only one NZ meeting this Saturday. They must think punters are total fools. I imagine the person who organises such things has never had a bet in their lives.

Back in the days when they used to have a 2yo race on Boxing Day at Wingatui.

Yes, I just saw Tauranga had been moved.

I have only just realised there is only one NZ gallops meeting in NZ this Saturday. Surely that must be the first time that has happened, other than abandonments etc. Not a good look really. It must be driving more and more people to bet on Aussie racing. A real sign of an industry in decline.

I am pretty sure it was Country Manners who gave me a massive Quinella at Riccarton one day. Paid $20 odd to run second to a Honey Crepe horse. You do tend to remember those things. Think the quinella paid about $700, big money in the late 70s.

Some of those northern jockeys might miscount the laps.

I can recall a mare named Short Stops racing a lot on the Coast. Was she trained there? I think she may have ended up up North.

Probably the only track in the north that hasn't had controversy over the quality of the racing surface.

I was going to suggest a race like the Derby could move to Trentham or Riccarton, but on second thoughts.....

Good point then, I didn't know that.

It is a bit of a worry to hear a lot of their feature meetings will go to Pukekohe. That track didn't look flash last weekend and I did read where one trainer said it was too wet for his horse despite no rain.

Interesting you should mention that Reefton. I have been following Si racing for far too long now, but I really don't remember how the Pitmans started, they just suddenly seemed to be there. When did they start and which horses were their early stars?

I was going to comment, but I thought people were probably sick of my comments about incompetent programming in the South. Virtually every $15,000 open race programmed in Canterbury gets abandoned. Interesting of course that they are happy to run a 5 horse 3yo race at Trentham last weekend for $30,000, but they won't run an open $15,000 race in the South with 4 or 5. Doesn't help that there is an open 1,600m race at Wingatui a few days later for $25,000. On the subject of Wingatui: 7 races programmed? Is that because the brains trust just can't think of anything to programme as an 8th race? Have they heard of 2yos and 3yos?? I could easily programme a 10 race card at Wingatui and get reasonable fields for all. It really is amateur hour. Some old heads who used to run things down there would be turning in their graves. I would love to hear what one or two of the knowledgeable ex administrators who aren't in their graves think of the way it is being run into the ground.

It might be interesting to see if starters are less patient with some reluctant loaders in future. They do sometimes give recalcitrant horses a lot of time while the rest of the field stands patiently.

I can recall a horse at Riccarton a few years ago that cruised to the lead under its own steam inside the 200m, the jockey then hit it with the whip and it stopped dead. Almost as if it was saying "I'm doing perfectly ok as it is, don't try that rubbish on me."

Yes, I think the first three home are actually pretty good horses racing in good form so one of the more competitive WFA races in NZ for a while. In Australia it is very common to see the 3yos racing at WFA, but rare here. They either consider there is easy pickings in 3yo company or they just aren't up to WFA. It used to be common for the AJC Derby winner to back up in the Tancred. Bonecrusher probably did it. I seem to recall Double Century won the Derby and then the Sydney Cup.

It does seem very unfair if one jockey follows the rules and gets beaten a nose and another breaks the rules and wins by a nose. Bad in any race, but especially a group 1. Of course if they did start relegating or disqualifying horses because of this rule there would be an outcry.

So good to see the 3yo taking on the older horses at WFA tomorrow. Long time since I can recall that happening. It should give us a bit of an indication about the relative quality of this season's 3yo crop and the older horses.

That is largely correct, it did beat Nature Strip last week. Incredible price today based on that form.

I'm amazed Gore doesn't race again until next season, certainly looked a miles better track than Puke today.

I noticed the Riccarton trials in a week or so have been moved to Ashburton. I wondered if there was anything in it. Not sure if they were originally intended for the AWT. I think the first race meeting on the AWT is the one on 5 May, they will be desperate to have it working properly for that. I wonder if they will have Ashburton on standby just in case. I don't imagine they would have the gall to ask Timaru to be in readiness just in case.

Bloody hell, talk about getting thrown under the bus. Tyler and Walsh are both effectively saying he is a bit simple and can't cope with the pressure of riding at Ascot Park. I'm intrigued as to how less rides on the "big" days would be less stressful. Turn up for 8 rides on the day and he gets stressed. Turn up with only one ride and no problem, no pressure in the world.

You have probably just explained why you don't really fit in then.

You wouldn't even want to try to work out the logic behind it all Luwig, it will just do your head in. I suspect what they are trying to do is hide the Auckland Cup as much as possible so it doesn't get down graded any further..