Doomed

Just watching the Warriors getting thrashed again and it did occur to me, do we really want the man who manages them as his day job running thoroughbred racing in NZ as his part time job?

Yes Leo Oliffe in the days before Paul Hinsley.

Oliffe may have been associated with the Timaru Racing Club. Might be totally wrong of course.

So does that mean the well rested Timaru track is about to be allocated extra feature summer meetings?

I suppose the industry has come into money so they have to spend it somehow. Don't want to waste it on stakes. They are probably overwhelmed by the extra profits accruing from the shutdown of Hokitika, Blenheim, Banks Pen, Waikouaititi, Waimate etc. They have probably saved enough money from the closure of all those tracks to fund an AWT at Ascot Park. We are probably only about a month away from a fairly comprehensive report detailing the net benefits to the industry of all those tracks this season.

Correct. The whole aim of the AWT is so they can close down as many other tracks as possible. Ideally they would like even fewer meetings in the SI. Very good acceptances at Oamaru, and I would say easily the best meeting in NZ this weekend. At least they will have three dividends in every race, which can't be said for Te Rapa. And looks like the Pitman v Tyler clash could go down to the last race.

Hopefully the track will improve by Sunday Mikey. Oamaru and Timaru are traditionally good winter tracks, but there will always be wet spells. I'm sure most of the noms will front, usually very few scratching in the South because there are so few opportunities. Good article on the nzracing website about Kelvin Tyler where he said: “It’s actually bloody tough at this time of the year as there are just so few opportunities in the South. “There are only four South Island meetings in July which is really frustrating when you see all the racing they are getting in the North.

I have taken note of him every start since they turned down $3m. He hasn't fired a shot and has often been well backed. I haven't spent a cent on him, so have done quite well out the races he has run in. It is a good lesson for any connections of a horse that puts in one good run in pretty average company.

The connections of Kinane must be feeling sick. Turned down $3m it and it hasn't won a cent since. Change of trainer, change of state, and as a last ditch effort they put Jamie Kah up and it still runs last. They won't be a happy group of owners if some wanted to sell and some didn't.