Nowornever

As usual a positve spin put on everything by Vouris. If everything is so rosy, why the sudden religious conversion to "core Business only"? Why are Elite rebates being axed and replaced with "bespoke generosity"? Why are Entain laying off staff in Australaisia and cutting non core stuff like "The Racing Club"? He talks like a growth CEO, but the actions look the opposite. He is slashing anything non core even if it hurts the most valued high spend customers. He openly says the growth lever is sport and wanting to capture or cross selling sports customers into racing. He is also starting to play the blame game saying racing needs to deliver the product and Entain only sells the bets. On paper that sounds fair. In practice, it’s a setup, Entain takes the credit if the numbers look good. If the numbers fall short, they can point at the codes and say field sizes too small, too many abandonments, not enough tier one tracks, in other words racing didn’t hold up its end. So yeah, the interview sounded slick and reassuring. But if you strip out the PR gloss there is a lot of doubt, mixed signals and unanswered questions about where this is all really heading.

Incorrect. Entain is a listed multinational whose priorities are and always will be margin, profit, and shareholder return. Racing is actually the least profitable product they operate. Because it isn’t delivering the returns they expected, they’re now doing what every global wagering giant does, cutting costs, trimming fat, and making the product cheaper to run. This is why you’ll see a major push in the next twelve months toward centralising tracks, reducing dates, reducing staff, and stripping racing back to the bare minimum. It’s not because they “love the sport” it’s because consolidation lowers overheads. Entains long term aim is simple. Shift their focus to high margin products sports betting and, soon enough, online casino games and let racing shrink into a small supporting act. It will be smaller, cheaper, and far less important to their bottom line. Whether racing thrives or dies isn’t a concern for them. Right now it’s an expensive, low margin pimple on a global balance sheet, and they’ll keep pruning until it stops hurting the numbers.

I heard they are ending the rebates for big punters next year. No surprise to me they are always biting the hand that feeds them.

I thought this was the best Cup Week for quality horse flesh in many years so Kudos to that. The elephant in the room is the weak Cambridge and Auckland meetings nearing the peak of the season. Actually the Southern meetings have the same vibe. Same old horses going around each week and the fields getting smaller. In contrast the grass tracks are still going strong with full fields of 12 races on Sunday at Banks Peninsula Only way you can fix it is stop the horses leaving the Country, Breed more horses or lower the qualifying times and let more horses race. I am all in favour of doing a bit of all three but mainly lowering the times and letting more race. Also spreading the stakes more evenly across the whole spectrum. Do away with slot races for a start.

Back to five and six horse fields this week. 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩

As expected

Yes I can name a few that come to mind

Looks like virtually the whole House stable heading to Manawatu. Hope he wins every race. Pity there was no pick six running anymore

Would have won several races earlier in his career if the driver put him in the race a bit sooner but you are right it is a great horse to back against as it is always takes a fair chunk of punters money inflating other dividends when it loses.

Yes would have entered as well but due to restrictions I am at a complete disadvantage so not worth it. They don't like not being able to see who is putting on big bets so needs to be account only or Brodie might bypass the system. Be a complete joke if someone gets restricted off the back of putting a couple of large bets on through the competition but that is just the way they operate.

Bad luck or good management by John Dunn in that race. He could have kicked up behind the leader in that race but pulled straight back off the gate and Judine ended up with that spot.

You really are behind the times. Shannon got booted out months ago

Yes to everyone except the people in charge.

At the snails pace they move at there is going to be at least another two or three million added to the debt before they even put it on the market again.

Same would probably apply to the lads from Europe jumping on the pacers.

5.50 for Republican Party first NZ horse home three or four months ago when Leap To Fame was so short was great value and me and a few mates jumped on that. I see the option is gone now.

Never come off the trail at Cambridge onto the back of the parked horse. H Moralde Sands on Grace Elegance was sitting pretty in the trail and was going to win and I thought I was only a place chance with Ordained, but miracle of miracles and the trail horse rolled off the fence into a not so good position behind the parked horse and the one I backed got home easily up the fence at 31.00. Racing is a funny game sometimes. I could write a book on horses coming off the rails from the trail or three deep the fence and getting beaten by the horse behind them. At least 4 or five every week.

I can run the 100m in about 12.5 seconds. If I spend a bit of time out at Bronsons place I might be able to break 10secs in a month.

57.4 and 27.8 with plenty in the tank. Pretty sure I just saw him on his way home.

Still can't pull it up

I would be prepared to back against just with Bronson driving. Would have to lead to be any chance and it has not shown any gate speed in previous runs at Addington. Might be another Steel Jaw the way the money is going on.

Dover Terrace 27 starts for two placings and $15.00 into $2.40. Fastest last half at Addington in six runs has been 59.80. Can they improve it at least two seconds over the last 800. A normal Addington run is 3-4bk inr,detached tn,weakened. Add in Bronson Munroe has a driver UDR of .1350 so not great. It will be interesting but a few things against.

The last two years have been no different with Swayzee! Seems he isn't coming and then suddenly here he is. Even paid a late entry one year. I hope they both arrive it would make it one of the best cup fields we have had.

Would have to improve to win the NZ Cup on that run. Probably the best stayer in the Cup field but as you say a death seat run could see him get beat again.

Wins if he clears the fence probably.