Doomed

The one that always gets me, that shows how stupid they are and how little they really care, is the way they always convert Aussie stakes to NZ dollars, so a $100,000 race always becomes $109,000. Interestingly though they always convert NZ stakes as well. So, for instance, Callsign Mav this weekend didn't race in a couple of $220,000 races at HB, he raced in a couple of $224,000 races. I'm not sure what currency he was racing for at HB? Chatham Islands dollars, monopoly money. Once again, a total inability to get the basics right. And how much did that computer cost?

Every week those form guide comments are a laughing stock. Quite often the horse described as "rank outsider' will go out well favoured and almost win the race. It is basically all programmed based on the group rating of the race. When you see a horse coming out of a group 3 and about to race in a $2m sales series race it will usually mention "drops in class". Its an embarrassment really.

I see in the TAB form guide for the Apollo Stakes this weekend she is described as a "Handy galloper. Class drop helps."

Is that intentional on Saturday night? Six shitty little fields for big stakes. Could they not get enough horses for ten races? Fancy running a race for 3 starters on a six race card.

Hard to know how good she might be, didn't beat much.

The worst scratchings are in the $15,000 maiden they moved from Tauranga. Only 6 starters.

So many of the problems start from the top with professional directors who have no interest in racing, have never set foot in a TAB, never owned a horse. Their only reason for being there is to meet a gender quota and provide jobs for the politicians mates, and take a generous fee. As long as that continues we will never get anywhere.

It will certainly be interesting if Foxton is able to conduct a trials meeting on a reasonable surface tomorrow, given all the manoeuvring away from unusable tracks in the CD. Must be very embarrassing if there is a perfectly usable track sitting there unwanted.

I hope you all appreciate that some poor bugger has had to go into work on a Sunday to make all these decisions and reschedule all these races. And Cameron and Bernie are probably both at Sunday BBQs in Oz and had to put their Chardonnays down for a minute to approve everything.

They specifically said that Tauherenikau wouldn't be able to be used this week, hence no prospect of a postponement. At least they have added a new meeting at Hastings.

What's the point of the AWT at Cambridge? They knew yesterday Tauranga was suspect, surely they could have been proactive. That's what they would have done in Aussie. Sure some would have scratched because they don't like the all weather, but as it stands no one has had a start.

Tough on the Southerners at Tauherenikau. $250 each I suppose. I bet Mr Pitman is pleased he didn't go there. At least the owners didn't spend a fortune getting there.

Certainly a different style of driving to those at the Hunter Cup meeting last night.

There is a 3yo filly 2,000m at Te Rapa next Saturday so none of the northern fillies would head south next week.

You summed that up very well Chief. This Govt is so trigger happy and incompetent that no one knows where they stand and massive industries could get closed down at the drop of a hat. You will find people will stop reporting mild cases, they will just quietly go about their business.

The brighter ones with other options have probably just seen that there isn't the money in it anymore, and people don't see the point of working long hours every week and travelling for miles to race horses. And something I think is very important is the lack of atmosphere on race-days. With crowds disappearing anyhow and covid accentuating that, people must think why the hell am I bothering, this is bloody boring. Years ago it must have been exciting to travel a horse up to Addington to race in front of the big crowd, but now there is no one there so it must be pretty soul destroying.

Bloody hell, I just went and watched that out of interest. Awful drive, he only seemed to want to burst between runners, no desire to go around them. Drove it like a $50 shot who needed exceptional luck to win. Just as bad as yesterday's Waikato Guineas.

There hasn't been trots in Wgtn for a long time and people seem to have survived. After a few years no one will even remember Auckland once had trots. Auckland doesn't have test match cricket and the game seems to carry on. Aucklanders have so many other interests, might as well send the trots where it is most appreciated.

Perhaps they could sell Alex Park and invest anything left after paying off debt into a state of the art facility at Forbury. After all, racing is pretty much an off course activity these days. Perhaps have a token Auckland Cup meeting on the grass at Ellerslie. Much the same happened to Hutt Park. I sometimes think I should be charging a consultants fee for some of my more innovative ideas.

Not that hard a job really. All they need to do is say to the chap who shovels the shit in the birdcage "Hey Trev could you stay for an extra half hour after the last and sort out the programme for the next meeting for us? You're closer to the action than us and we keep cocking it up."

Any thoughts on the ride on the fav in the Waikato Guineas today? Never a winning chance I would have thought. An ugly watch for fav backers.

I don't know the man at all, but if he is in trouble some clubs around the SI might be worried. He certainly helps to fill up many smallish fields. I notice only one nomination this weekend at Wingatui.

Just had a look at the stipes reports. I see the stipes are complaining about Trentham having no side on coverage down the chute. I suppose you can't really expect country tracks to be up to metropolitan standard.

Well, the clear good thing at the weights won well at an amazing price.

And Trentham....probably a better example.