LongOwner

Great to read the content of your last post - your annoyance will be gone

It is not a North Korean endorsed bonus scheme - it is to reward quality juvenile horses who have been retained for racing. Horse racing is not socialist - winners have always been rewarded. The owners have not taken the first offer they may have received from Perth etc but have taken the chance to race a 2 year old and, with luck, thought they may get a bonus to help pay the trainers fees and bred again. It is special to race a 2 year old and look at the filly races - near all have full fields. A successful scheme as those 2 year old fillies are still in the country and therefore our future broodmares.

Adjudicators: G Jones (Chair) and M Godber Is this the ex RIU head ? How can he offer justice when first impressions/history would imply the hearing would not be impartial due to preconceived opinion and past position of the adjudicator. Will trainers and horsemen and jockeys think they will get a fair hearing? True justice is balanced – fair and free of our own inner biases - and can this happen when an adjudicator is the ex Ceo of the prosecutor.

The ones trying to hang the hard working top of the sport participants were the bush trainers who think a long day is 6 hours max and jealous individuals and poor trainers (A lot of trainers are poor). I was there from day one and know cops took kids to school in police cars, bullied those charged , tried blackmailing those charged , deals to try and break the innocent etc. I know the whistle blowers as well and they all lost a punt plus jealous. I have lost many punts but this vindictive blot on harness racing was shocking as there was never a trace of evidence.

Yes but still some loose ends to have judge say the end ! And couple name suppression issues to be heard - again a more cost to the innocent .

How novel har_ness racing cor_rup_tion probe col_lapsed.pdf

In Saturdays The Press-Canterbury paper. I am trying to paste it . I have a pdf.

As a strong commentator that the whole thing was a joke - it has been confirmed but RIB running with - No Comment . I assume many will now apologise. Let’s hope heads roll.

You have confirmed my view of the dinosaur harness supporter. Go and bred some horses and stop crying about not owning a 2 year old .

Who is driving the 2 year old racing? Entain is a breath of fresh air for harness racing - they are proactive. Surely you are not suggesting Dean Mckenzie rein was a great period and lead the sport to be better !

It is interesting you praise the thoroughbred administration but their recent “new” program, series and renamed carnivals etc were near a copy of HRNZ , CEO and dates taskforce group- A) Slot race B) South circuit C) Summer Racing grouped D) Grand-prix day E) Central feature day(s) This is what HRNZ put in place and got abused for as the existing clubs hated change - we now have a Country Cup with great $ stake , southland Cup with $ stake plus supporting races, big age group day with $ Stake better than the old Jewels and Auckland big days etc. But the harness racing supports/dinosaurs can only complain and never give anything a chance.

I am surprised no one has commented on the drive of Dreams are Free. My view a shocker - he was never driven to win or driven as the best horse in the field. Maybe driving to Southland norm and forgetting Addington horses are tough and if you are not willing to sit, putting your horse in the race, you miss the opportunity which in this case was available for a frustrating long time.

I am surprised no one has commented on the drive of Dreams are Free. My view a shocker - he was never driven to win or driven as the best horse in the field. Maybe driving to Southland norm and forgetting Addington horses are tough and if you are not willing to sit, putting your horse in the race, you miss the opportunity which in this case was available for a frustrating long time.

Blatant

Operation Inca: Charges dropped after 17-month investigation into harness racing industry Operation Inca: Charges dropped after 17-month investigation into harness racing industry By Michael Guerin 28 Nov, 2023 01:31 PM4 mins to read Operation Inca was a 17-month investigation following harness racing drivers to race meetings. Photo / Photosport A significant police investigation into alleged race fixing in the harness racing industry has ended with the final charges being dropped, leaving those accused looking for answers and compensation. Operation Inca was a 17-month investigation involving phone taps, bugged cars and hotel rooms, and police officers following harness racing drivers to race meetings. It became public when 11 racing industry participants were arrested in September 2018, most charged with involvement in fixing the outcome of races. But after Judge Michael Crosbie ruled the last two charges should be stayed, effectively dropped, in the Christchurch District Court on November 10, no race fixing or corruption has been proven. Other similar or related charges were also dropped last year after lengthy delays. Most of the 11 people charged have interim name suppression and are applying for that to become permanent. The fizzling-out of the cases is a far cry from the blaze of publicity when arrests were made around Canterbury in September 2018, citing widespread corruption in the harness racing code. Harness racing, known by many as trotting, is the smaller of the two horse racing codes in New Zealand and mainly run separately from the larger thoroughbred code. Some of harness racing’s most successful horsepeople were among those arrested, while many others were questioned by police - but none have been found guilty of race fixing or any form of corruption involving racing. There were admissions of recreational drug use after evidence of that was also scooped up in the Operation Inca net but that resulted in guilty pleas and, being of a minor nature, diversion was granted. Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) bosses are awaiting Judge Crosbie’s written findings, scheduled for February. “HRNZ is still waiting for official confirmation that Operation Inca has come to an end and that charges have been dropped. We are currently seeking that information and confirmation,” says HRNZ chief operating officer Mauro Barsi. “This has been a challenging time for the industry and once we know more, we may well look to see how these events unfolded and what next steps are needed to support our participants and our integrity.” A Christchurch lawyer who acted for three of those charged, James Rapley KC, says while the cases are now over, the damage to his clients and the others charged remains. “There were accusations of corruption and race fixing and the arrests were very public, but after five years it has come to nothing,” Rapley told the Herald. “This investigation and the hearings have caused divorce, depression and have had real human consequences.” One of the accused has spent over $400,000 on legal bills and Rapley says his clients will be seeking costs but he says a “woefully outdated act dating back to 1967″ makes it near impossible for defendants cleared of any wrongdoing to get adequate compensation. After the initial shock at the arrests, many in the industry learned to live with it as the court proceedings dragged on, but now they are over, questions will be asked as to how the investigation got so big when, in one example of alleged match fixing, the race in question involved a bet of a mere $200 by one of the winning horse’s owners for a $280 profit. Horse race or match fixing is an unusual charge in New Zealand because the prosecution must prove that an act was done with intent to influence a betting outcome by manipulating the race result, and in doing so, the accused obtained an advantage or caused loss to another. To that end, the racing industry’s own investigators, the Racing Integrity Unit (which now operates as the Racing Integrity Board or RIB) was called in by police for expert help. With the police cases now dropped, the Herald understands the RIB will not seek to launch any new investigation or issue any charges under the Rules of Racing. By Michael Guerin 28 Nov, 2023 01:31 PM4 mins to read

They will have to cut the stakes as we get told everything revolves around field size.

Does the RIB have an agenda to destroy harness racing - a quiet off the record word to Colin and Terry about been careful as the TV is on would have sufficed or do they want a driver kicked in the head as it makes better TV? No they have to write a report so the Press and public can read a totally inflamed story about a minor event. Where is the empathy for the sport, betterment for the sport and respect shown - none for years. They behave like traffic cops of the worse kind giving out parking tickets . The industry/HRNZ needs to get in the same room as the RIB and discuss their overzealous, vindictive, and dictatorial behaviour.

Maybe - but why Tuesday ? A lot of trainers etc staying in Nelson until Tuesday p.m. - could of been Wednesday. Maybe Oamaru Thursday to cater for Southland and Canterbury - so one meeting. I think the industry thinks trainers & drivers are robots - health and safety issue.

Your view is just keep thrashing the trainer and driver - and there is a shortage of both at the top end of the performance range - human welfare behind picking up stones.

I guess the handicapper wants Wednesday off but can someone tell me why is Ashburton racing on Tuesday? All major trainers and top drivers in Nelson and they normally try to have a holiday around Blenheim so clear from Sunday night to Friday. Is any thought given to trainer & driver welfare - or is it more important to make sure you clean the water trough daily? Or maybe the handicapper has a golf game planned or work from home Wed - Friday next week. Same as the Ashburton Thursday cup week - another anti driver trainer welfare date. I assume Ashburton doesn’t mind trainer rumblings re programming races that create unfavourable trainer/driver comment.

There is enough if programmed to be at one place at a certain time - Franklin Cup should be lead up to Auck Cup ( like Ashburton ) . I don’t think Invercargil should ever of been a group 1 and never a $100k . A group 2 at best and to get a bigger field by full handicap, not FFA, so never a GP 1. Why Krug, Self Assured and co not run at Franklin? - they do it cup week and lead up races before plus inter-dominions. A little fine tuning with calendar then it should work. Maybe Franklin date is out a bit or trainers have not got up to speed with new calendar .

Mr perfect are we Gammalite - you love having a dig at anyone not in your favourite pile and who tell the RIB to take a jump . Your reading of races is good as the stipes - very average .

Failed junior drivers confirm their lack of horse and driving knowledge

l How can a special treatment driver charged with the same offence but not actioned at Kaikoura have his hearing on Friday and so drives cup day . He had time in his driving program to have on day hearing but he is part of the protected family who can do no wrong in the stipes eyes. The stipes and clone judge jury prosecutor they internally appoint have no empathy , justice, compassion in body and come across as gruppy old atheists - maybe they not atheists as the Mormon suit is their uniform. This may see, at last, the structure of the RIB changed for the good and the dead body mover maybe restructured .

The dead body moving was 100% stipe behaviour, and some are still there with no charges laid.