Huey

Indeed take nothing away from her but she was in most cases certainly getting on the right horses.

Unfortunately they ain't gonna get it right in 5mins, I see no problem with splitting the race to a lesser stake, it's hard enough to get your horse a start as it is if you're down the ratings at least they are attempting to put on races. The programming has always been poor at the moment it's probably the worst it's been there is no progressive thought in the NZ calendar around leading horses through distances ,grades,tiers or to the bigger events they (racemeetings) do seem to be just thrown together.

I agree with you, All horses are different, but thinking you gallop them everyday just shows an utter state of ignorance.

That's an incredible comment and sums up the entire industry really.

Someone from the TAB said yesterday turnovers have been very good. Not sure if they are taking into account more races,larger fields, no other gallops but on Saturday, but just goes to show they didn't need to chuck unsustainable amounts of money at Prizemoney to get ok turnovers.

Exactly great fields for the exotics as well. You don't need superstars in every race, just a difference of opinion to create a market.

I would not be surprised in the slightest if it is a funding issue with regards to the stakes. It wouldn't suit everyone and may not be compatible with the broadcast issue they are having , but wouldn't they be better to cut stakes in half for a few weeks to get through this bottle neck and get horses a start , have an extra meeting or two whatever is required just to get the industry up and going again? There would be complaints about it for sure , but we are probably going to be racing for about that amount in the new season at any rate, you aren't going to get anywhere in saving this industry by denying horses a start that much is certain.

Which begs the question , what have they been doing for years? All right to run around and kick the smaller venues in the guts and tell everyone how much of a big guy you are but you've got to also make sure your shop front is ready to go and fit for purpose, the problem is they haven't done that. There is a whisker on the line between RITA and NZTR as to whom is the worst communicator they have both done a poor job at this. Its not ok to communicate just what you want , people in the industry wants answers to real problems no PR!

Sadly you are correct, I've seen very little from him thats made any positive contribution to racing in this country. One gets the impression he is very much a yes man unable to think outside of the square, he comments regarding managing decline sum him up really.

Sorry Mikey not for me, to me it's a vote for incompetence,skullduggery, ineptitude and a blatant disregard for the common man in NZ racing - punting on the NZ product.

It's awful to watch now. I couldn't bring myself to watch a single race, it's like you have to go out of your way to know anything about the fields anymore. The puff will go out of it all soon enough.

That'll be what it will be made up of no doubt. The game is ruined, once the first domino falls over. To think people are being paid 6 figures to come up with this as the saving of racing in this country, they'll only go and waste it at any rate and be back in an even worse position than before.

Overtime for the producer of Te Rapa TV?

You are correct, the problem however is that those who are running the industry are consistently pandering to those that are selling G1 dreams at a cost, it becomes very difficult to sell those G1 dreams when the stakes are of an insignificant level, it therefore impacts on their business model and as we've seen over the past few years the industry is being manipulated to fit into that model , they aren't in the slightest worried about the bottom end and the battler and the racing bill is evidence of that. The concern is there will be too much focus on the top end and not enough on the bottom, once again evidenced by the racing bill. The trickle down theory in racing has been tried before in NZ and didn't work , I won't be surprised in the slightest to see it return again comparatively speaking.

OK, but you get my drift it was more about communication than the actual product.

No that is the trouble with this industry , there are too many people involved in it that are too stubborn to see this attitude is hastening the demise of the sport. So your horse is good enough to go to Melbourne to run each week in $100k races, thats fine then go take it to Australia , I'm tired of hearing this as some kind of veiled threat owners,trainers etc make to justify propping up stakes by any means possible. I'm happy to have stakes here that are justifiable from a sustainability point of view here and stop comparing ourselves with Australia we are not for the foreseeable future going to be able to compete with them, if you've got one good enough you'd be a mug to leave it here simple, but don't think it is some kind of quasi universe to NZ racing you can just ship your horse off to and start winning races for fun. Those that are pretending they can bring that Aus stakes levels here are selling you a lie!

It's typical of them really, courses require this broadband but the catch is only certain courses were told they needed this and the others weren't even given an option for getting it installed. There are clubs out there that want to help out want to make things better want to try new things, but don't even get the opportunity. The entire industry needed a leader or a voice that could bring it all together ,to utilise all of its resources to pool all its talents and make the wheels of the industry turn , instead they have bought in people with axes to chop it all up , the resentment and disgust for the damage that will be done by this racing bill will linger around for years! Stupidly we have organisations from NZTR,Trainers assoc. Studs, big stables etc running around lauding the bill as the saviour of the industry when all it required was some sensible leadership and tough decisions to be made not just a shrinking of the status quo with an AWT thrown in.

100% right, why any industry wouldn't make use of its roots to lower cost structure is beyond me, they are claiming that they are delivering a better product by not doing so and they are absolutely dreaming ! Of course it suits plenty of narratives in this industry, basically the industry will not have a base with which to sustain itself from within 2-3 years time and disaster is pending if the AWTs don't deliver. Saundry and NZTR have a lot to answer for regarding this senseless decisions around venues.

To be fair a lot of the owners are just as much culpable for believing a lot of the hype from those on the teat. For me the entire industry needs to go back to its roots, there are too many at the top playing emperors new clothes with the industry.

Yes it was , but the proof will be in the pudding, much of the slashed costs were revenue generating actually essential in some cases , I still think the fat is still around the RITA bone at the expense of those essential services, only time will tell and surely McKenzie hasn't got that wrong?

It's got to come back , its killing me losing out on the Quinellas at VALPARAISO!

You'd have to think they do pretty well, be interesting if they can keep the same level of interest going in their cup race when the AWT comes in. Does anyone know what sort of numbers are trained at the tracks that are going to be robbed of their assets in the next 12-18 months? Whose on the list Waipa Avondale Te Teko Waipukarau Stratford Waterlea Hawera Rotorua Omakau Motukara Reefton etc??? Is there more or less tracks to go??

Why? They were funding it themselves, losing money that's theirs, that's their choice, it only looks like it matters cause all the other clubs losing money have their losses covered up by the industry .This club owes the industry nothing, it doesn't care about them and it never did.

have to be tote staff

Not being rude, but have all the changes at RITA, the coming theft of club assets, the appalling state of NZTR and the bailout not given you an idea where we are at?