Huey

IMO this is a huge issue for racing, the sport is now being totally over sold on Party and Booze (this may be because of the funding policy i.e. 8% for oncourse turnover why would a club focus on the punter and owner under that scenario). I've been to several tracks lately to watch my horse race and have not enjoyed the experience from an owners perspective, mainly because you're an after thought. There are tents/marquees in the way of viewing horses/races, incredibly loud and inebriated young persons who have no interest/respect in racing even when a race is on, a total lack of respect for the animal before and after races i.e. loud music by viewing areas, more drunk folk to scare the animal, more objects that a thoroughbred can shy at than you can shake a stick at. All in All are we beginning to cross the border of no return imo and forgetting the reason we are actually at the races and that is to watch these incredible animals perform athletic feats that make the mind boggle. This same scenario goes for on course punters who are there for a punt or to watch the animal it feels like we are all being squeeze out , there is no balance anymore its swaying to one side more than the other and that side is a very fickle portion of racing that are seen as easy meat and drink for the clubs. I'm not sure how we do it but I'd like to see racing return to being a more family oriented event than party for boozers.

My point wasn't the numbers but the increase in interest there should be for IAI and Zoustar in particular might lead to higher prices for those horses. Tavistock you'd be worried unless you had a really nice type.

Fastnet might not matter when there are a few IAI, Zoustars and Snitzels to help the average. Hard to see with the exception of Savabeel ,Iffraaj any kiwi stallions in demand.

All it needs is a few horses in work there and a good track for racing and surely it's one of the tacks for closure?

What is the criteria for that?

Looks like Ellerslie be in trouble looking at yesterday's crowd.

What is the criteria?

It depends on your punting style I guess, I'm a mess and like to have something in my hot little hand, online for me can be too much and very different from site to site.

"Hear hear" couldn't agree with you more , not to mention mare return etc an absolute rip off in today's day and age when it could all be quite easily done online.

I have been a critic of its one sided (imo) reporting regarding the M Report. However for $10 it is well worth purchasing as it has the best form guide, horses to follow,the layout is improving,some great breeding articles and is building some interesting content . Couple that with the inconsistency of the Best Bets and there isn't anything better in NZ.

Yes everyone is entitled to an opinion even if its wrong, I haven't seen many journeymen win a Derby before or train multiple winners like Scapolo , Duffers Creek,Overtheriver etc.

and despite the fact he puts on riders that apparently no one would go near with a barge pole , he has still managed to finish in the top 3 in the Trainers Prem in 2 of the last 3 years,had a strike rate of under 10 whilst still preparing jumpers on the flat for races which some of these other stables would never do, not to mention the massive contribution he makes to local racing by having those apprentices available for race day rides, trials, jumpouts , trackwork etc. Ever tried to get jocks for rides on a horse in NZ? If youre not in the in the big 10 stables in the country its pretty hard work. Guys like Myers are gold for this game and then someone thinks a horse has improved out of sight after leaving the stable for 4 weeks and walking across the road to win a horse race.

Over 40 in K1 , 1 stakeswinner to date. Will the Aussies buy them? Must be some good ones out there for that many to get in K1 or is that now the state of the catalogue?

Wet track, race on its doorstep all helped it. You don't know much about racing if you think those two guys can't train.

Going to be interesting to see how they sell at R2R , he has had a quiet time of late particularly in Australia.

It seems amazing that clubs with the resources that Te Rapa have provide an average experience, I've been there a few times and even as a racing tragic its not up to standard given its resources. Its supposed to be the showcase course for racing in the heartland of thoroughbred code ffs. The amazing thing to me is that the club appear to be given feedback about a number of issues but nothing changes, perhaps its a better experience if youre in a TA syndicate at Te Rapa.

Anyone else noticed how shallow and tedious the reporting and journalism on New Zealand racing has become? There doesn't seem to be a lot of depth to it anymore , where have all the stories and characters gone ??? It seems to be themed. The Lindsays had a horse run and it won. Someone paid mega $$ for a horse and it surprisingly won a maiden at Te Teko. Baker and Forsman surprisingly like a horse in their stable they have entered in a race. Horse sold for big $$ races in Aus. The BGP crowd reckon all old people in racing are fuddy duddies and should step aside and let them run racing with their years of experience. Te Akau have a horse that think is a Guineas,Derby,Oaks or Cups horse. Horse returns from Asia and wins. I'm probably being a grumpy old man but surely there is more to NZ Racing than this? Or is this just an example of the manufactured nature that appears to be the future of racing here?

Unfortunately with or without Messara NZ racing will not progress until you get personnel in positions of influence in the NZRB and NZTR that know what it is to breed a horse, own a horse , punt on a horse and understand the thrill and ideology around doing so not only for those at the top end of the sport but the common man involved in it. Until that happens we are just moving chairs and that's why we have the Messara report.

Is the person who writes this on the payroll? https://racingthoughts.blog/ Does she not realise Te Rapa,Riccarton,Ellerslie,Awapuni the list goes on have all had abandoned meetings and they are operated by paid personnel. What a shocking diatribe of propaganda!

What ever happens they"ll use it as reason to blindly follow the M report. Worst thing about this abandonment is the track has been given a good rest and remedial work and it's still not good enough. Johnno Benner was claiming the track was in great order in one of the Aus publications recently, so no one really knows. I think one of the problems with the trainers like you are talking about claiming close tracks will help is that they thing the M report and the track rationalisation is a silver bullet for the industry , when they couldn't be more wrong.

Why is it only the TAB cop the backlash for this? Don't NZTR run the race meetings and have the relationship with the club, they would have to be one of the most dissapointing organisations anywhere in racing across the globe.

You've got to laugh at the quote on the front page on the Informant that says it's important the recommendations of the M report aren't held up by debate. How can there not be any debate when there hasn't been any consultation? Is it just me or has anyone read any diverse/balanced opinions to those supporting the M report in The Informant since the report came out? The crowd from BGP get to have a say this week about abandonments and how the M report will assist with that , have they seen how many abandoned meetings in Austin this week?

That's right Hesi , you only have to listen to Simon on WI , the general consensus is if it doesn't directly impact on us we are all for it.

Ok so they haven't been caught so is not a positive then is it?

Fortunas Submission on their website Just out of interest ,does anyone know if Mr Galvin has been on a racing club committee or such? https://www.fortuna-nz.com/ctmgr/wp-content/uploads/Submission-to-the-Department-of-Internal-Affairs-form-Fortuna-Ltd.pdf