MaltedMilkshake

The reason why the sale was down is very simply, quality or lack of... as I keep harking, you can’t continuously keep selling your good colts to ASIA without it having a negative impact on your Stud Book. If the page is lacking, the big players won’t play. So many horses bought for Asia just don’t seem to see the light of day. I hate to see the first foal of a mare go to HKG or elsewhere in Asia...the chances are it won’t race. Yes, good to see Godolphin and Shadwell and Jonathon Munz buying, but on the whole, NZ is heavily dependent on Savabeel. So who is the next stallion to stand up? The bloodbath over the next few days will be a telling factor about the state of domestic racing.

I think this is just a game of smoke & mirrors. As we all say, where is the money coming from. DE is just spinning it...he has to to draw in investors (just let’s call them that for,the time being) to justify his spend. Tax relief....let’s analyse that. Most are registered for GST...so refund that goes back into the pocket (you know what I mean). Write down on breeding stock - very generous allowances by IRD. Betting? There isn’t enough going through the TAB to ensure decent returns to the Industry...because the quality of horses racing is subjective. so what to do? How to fund the prizemoney? Simple, if everyhorse is worth (according to the “other” channel) $15k pa to the turnover, then we need to up the horse numbers at TAB meetings - as I have been saying for 5 years. We as an industry, can’t keep “giving” horses away to Asia at the expense of our own domestic racing. A regime, however unpopular it maybe, is to actually bar horses who are destined for Asia, from using industry facilities to prepare them for export. Currently they can remain in NZ GST free for a negotiated time. A levy of $15k per horse charged to a trainer for each unraced horse on his stable return exported to Asia - in lieu of what it is costing the TAB. 3) A CGT on each horse exported to Asia. These funds need to go back into industry revenue for prizemoney. Currently NZ (as a whole) doesn’t benefit from the export side of our industry. Yes, a few breeders, bloodstock agents, breakers and trainers benefit nicely from trading so much so, their “thinking” has bent the industry to the point where it can’t stand up. So radical thinking is what is needed to sustain the industry...however painful it is to some. As it’s panning out, you can’t have a flourishing export industry and a strong domestic racing scene...with the current amount of horses being bred. This is an issue that only the industry can solve...but I don’t think it has the capacity to do so because of too many vested interests. No one wants to make hard decisions

Actually Weasel I was referring to the Aquanita incident...what impact that will have on turnover...either people will react by saying “good, they’ve been caught” or “OK business as usual”.....

It’s just a bit of a laugh isn’t it...? Whilst I take the long view on JM and his agenda, I do think he had good intentions when doing the job for WP. However remember....he is in the NSW camp and at the moment there is a massive “mines bigger than yours” contest happening with Victoria, so in private, I don’t he will be crying. But surprisingly, the tote turnover in Vic hasn’t overly suffered since the Aquanita scandal....So you can look at it either way...caught the cheats or why did it take so long?

Oh yes, I can work it out but the NZB support was not the initial direction of my question...I think it goes a lot further than just NZB... it good point... I have my own thoughts but I’m interested to know what other Yarners theories are because at face value, there is no economic sense to the endless purchases.

Absa....effing....lutely .... As he has been charged and fined on several previous occasions, where there is smoke, there is fire...too many unanswered questions over the years.... Lets hope that it can be cleaned up and finalised asap...because to let it linger in the mainstream public domain can only be bad for the industry... but since Police are involved, they must have had their ducks in a row.?

OK - I think we’re going to agree to disagree on this issue...but I thought it was worthy of discussion and we’ve been able to do this in a civil and respectful manner ?

As usual we are presented with more spin by our “totally out of their depth” administrators. What I find interesting is the fact that no one addresses the horse population - current and future? With the diminishing number being bred, will there be enough horses available to fund the industry?

My question for Yarners.... can someone actually provide me with the economic rationale behind the huge purchases (amount paid and volume of horses) by Te Akau at Karaka? I totally get it if we’re talking about racing for Australian prizemoney but to spend huge amounts when the base race is worth $10k, doesn’t add up? Would be keen to know people’s theories. Star Thoroughbreds, Triple Crown and Darby Racing have had great results but you don’t see them spending gazillions...

Rod, In years past I would have agreed with you...we had a mega punter who enforced that regime within our stable...He would wager 10s of 1000s when one of our stable set one up. We didn’t race for the huge prize money then, so we set them up for punt, just like most good stables. However today with so much focus on transparency & integrity, trainers have a responsibility to be as open as possible. In many ways, why do you think Hong Kong is a punters paradise...because you can’t sneeze without reporting to authorities. And if you don’t toe the line, you can end up in gaol...a la Chris Munce. I believe when we’re trying to work out ways to increase funding for our industry, transparency and integrity is paramount. Because as soon as a whiff of anything untoward has occurred, the uninformed media will be all over it - and not in a positive way. We need the punters to be putting the money through the TAB because that’s how our industry is funded...and we can’t afford to lose those punters. That’s why I’m so critical of the RIU....they never ask the hard questions... Yes, I loved the old days in racing...and believe me, I could write a book on the happenings in Melbourne in the ‘80s...but like everything the times are a changing!

Yes, modern day democracy...if I don’t agree with you, I’ll just label you a racist... that’s they world we live in....tinged with red & green ?

And that is why there is absolutely NO credibility regarding NZ racing...and yes, there would now be a full blown inquiry into the performance of King Louis in Sydney and definitely Hong Kong. GD, I don’t think you understand - no punters, no industry...kill the punter, kill the industry...and that is why the industry is in the parlous state it finds itself in.

Today’s results in both the 2 & 3 yo races were just as we thought. I think it’s only fair that Vela returns $250k of his Longleaf money to,the general prize money pool. Why should we stump up “our” money to fund these races. it’s his race, so NZB pays for the race’s total prizemoney or they open it to all 2/ 3yos... But of course, I must be mad to think this scenario has even registered with the sycophants that are charged with running our industry...probably just sipping bubbles in the room ....and chatting about how they’ll bump it up next year...

Good luck with her....I have a good feeling about Contributer...?

He’ll win another one and then bye bye.....he could’ve been a “stallion syndicate” horse, if so there maybe be tax implications (?).... any yarners care to comment?

In fact the government contributes more to NZ racing participants than most actually think.... All those horses exported to Asia go GST free and no capital gains tax .... is this ever mentioned by people that feel the government should do more? I don’t think so .... People need to analyse more, not just accept the status quo...

So there in black & white for all too see.....our failing industry is supporting NZB by contributing $500,000 to Karaka Millions Day... yet there is no money, due to budget failings, for example, the Pearl Series....how can this be? Tell me, what was NZB’s gross profit on Karaka 2018 yearling sales? OK folks...Here is the evidence the show is run by sycophants who pander to the requirements of their mates. The time has come and gone for a new broom....the industry is now officially “failed”.

Thanks Rod & DB... well if that is the case, I’m bloody angry...why are our extremely limited funds being handed out, gratuitously, to benefit NZB and their primped and preened followers? If they want to run races such as the Millions, which are closed to all but a few, then let them fund it. Does any other owner/stakeholder find this situation intolerable? Depleted prizemoney is something driving owners out of breeding and racing...is it any wonder most people believe the “up north” crowd is the only jurisdiction racing administrators care about?

“Bang the drum”.....may as well be “bag”

I have a question for the learned yarners please. Does the industry contribute funds towards the closed, restricted races to be run at Ellerslie tomorrow? Whilst I understand purchasers have a stream of pay ups over time for these races, would this cover the totalprize money on offer or does the industry contribute/subsidise the purse?

What I find difficult to absorb is all the talk NOW from the movers & shakers...where were they 5 years ago...? Just makes me incredibly angry that these self absorbed, self centred creatures now want to speak up...if they think they’ve got leverage why wait until 2 minutes to midnight to bag the drum? Again the gene puddle is not deep enough in NZ for independent agenda-free administrators to have a seat at the table.

Like many other so-called initiatives, the NZTR likes to be seen as following the global trend with its commitment to OTT and anti bullying. bullying can’t be swept under the carpet quickly enough...by NZTR management....I have been at the coalface and I can confirm the NZTR looks after its own. Even the nominated partner, Salvation Army’s response was “sorry about that, but have a good life”.. In regards to OTT, I will only make the comment this issue is much like opening a can of worms...and unless it’s policed stringently, I fear the worst. Once a horse loses its earning potential, it’s left to the decent people to make the effort to re-home them. Owners and trainers should be made “accountable” but of course that’s an oxymoron!

The Labour Government of Jay Weatherill closed the remaining coal powered generators which means SA is TOTALLY dependent on Victoria to supply base load power and Vic are in the process of closing their last coal power station. The government has invested heavily in renewables....and because they are subsidised by the government, the people pay the price through sky high electricity prices. When the weather heats up in Summer as it normally does (sometimes it will be 40c for 10 days on end with no relief) and the whole power system fails. Therefore manufacturing industries that require constant, reliable power have left the state...and if there is power the kilowatt rate is 43c per Kw hr.....in Qld it’s 27.8c I was down there 2 months ago....Adelaide is like a country town from the 80s....very little investment over the past 10years and it’s showing....bit of a ghost town.

A wide ranging cuts in prize money announced today in South Australia, should sound warning bells for NZ. As SA has the highest POC rate of tax in Australia, punters have voted with their feet and walked away... The Government will not consult with the racing industry leaving many to believe it’s the end for this once great thoroughbred state. I believe they are talking strike action, a la Queensland...but will it be enough to get the cash starved government to the round table? With the highest energy prices in the OECD, this will be just another industry that has folded in that state.

What a total sham. If they have any idea about form, that is where their testing should lead them....but as I have said for several years, they can’t be that incompetent...or are they? I don’t have any faith and after a couple of recent experiences, nothing they do will encourage me to continue investing. I hope we see a range of retrospective enquiries in the near future...with the industry at 1 minute to midnight, this is the time for these clowns to be open and transparent and up the ante. We don’t need an Aquanita situation or Ben Currie episodes to get the ante racing brigade going...