the galah

The point i was trying to make is gifting land/or the lease of land back to the community does not mean the community always benefits. I used greymouth trotting club as an example of that. Obviously you know a bit more about it than i,but a relation who lives in greymouth has told me about what it looks like today.Not just the trotting club, House owners with houses on the leased land had their rents substantially increased,some left,some no longer do any improvements. Pretty much the same happened not far from where i live about 5 years ago. The Hokitika example you give is an interesting one. I wonder what that looks like now and if of any benefit to the locals? I guess what your pointing out is for most racing clubs,their priorities are with the local community,over and above the racing industry . Thus if they were to gift all assets/ or give up leases to local communities then racing will not benefit. So if the racing clubs in question don't want to help the racing industry then why the heck should the taxpayer or anyone else bother. And if the viability of racing's future depends on an injection of funds that they won't get,then why would anyone currently involved expect to make any sort of living out of it. So the answer is the racing industry doesn't have the desire to take the medicine that may save it.Everyone is interested in whats best for them,not the industry as a whole.

Would be interesting to know what $ value was involved for those suggested for closure that owned their own assets. The community use thing would just mean the local sporting clubs/ or whoever it is that use it will not be able to afford their upkeep anyway. So i guess you mean you want them gifted back to the local councils,but then they become a drain on ratepayers,or sold by the the councils and turned into farms or whatever. Your approach may be very community minded but not sure how that helps maintain the racing industry that you say you want to see survive and don't know how that helps retain the jobs of those in that industry... Maybe you should have a look at the old greymouth trotting club ground next time you are over that way..How did that work out when they transferred it back to the local iwi.

The Brodster is the Roberto Duran of Bit of a yarn posters. He just keeps coming. You may think you have him on the ropes sometimes,but he just keeps coming at you anyway. When he's knocked to the floor,and you think you have got him,he gets back up and keeps coming. The Brodster plays a fair game and doesn't resort to personal insults either.

Hit a nerve there. Someone pointing out they are not showing the lure pick ups seems reasonable. I never said i expected there to be social distancing at the lure. As happy has pointed out we all knew there would have been some pre approved rules to abide by.So given what happy has posted,why not show the lure pick ups? Same stupid reason they don't show the things i referred to earlier. Not just a greyhound thing. Why is it some of those replying about greyhounds reply like that.

They could have used the dogs to find the fire hydrants

A shed fire at manukau sportsbowl. Thats a new one

why was that?

Yes,its all a load of bullocks. Just as they don't show falls in the after race replays. Just as happy says they don't show jumpers falling. A one point they cut out the falls of jumpers in the replays shown a week later on trackside..They would cut out 200m of some jumping races,sometimes more depending on how many falls. Same as horses at harness or gallops that fall,not allowed to show that either in replays immediately after race.. We see it in real time,but because a replay is not shown it somehow didn't happen. Its pc gone totally mad. The point is if their is no transparency, you believe they must be hiding something they don't want you to see.

I agree with the viewing perspective of the tri code clubs. No atmosphere whatsoever for trots and dogs just terrible. The interaction /closeness of the spectator to the equine/dog/people participants is the reason people go to the races.Thats the main reason you get more people at harness grass tracks for example. As far as clubs assets. They just have to have a change in mindset and be realistic and unselfish,which they may be willing to do if they were to be thrown a lifeline,albeit a difficult one. Really they have no choice. Do they want their sport to survive or not?

Well doesn't that mean the bulk funding methodoligy is flawed? Are you saying a club gets funding irrespective of whether it can run a meeting at a profit/loss.?

The clubs under threat of closure simply need to be given set standards they have to meet. E.g minimum stakes,yearly profitability,local community participation levels,etc Sink or swim. The chance to survive given on the acceptance by the smaller clubs that there are to be changes and the bulk of industry funding will be given to the clubs the industry has deemed strategically necessary,that they(Clubs under threat) are to get reduced funding,and should they fail all assets to be transferred to their governing bodies. It has to be a compromise based on the realisation from the smaller clubs that they have been dealt a hand that puts there existence in question. If they don't accept that that they will be closed. Minimum stakes the smaller clubs have to offer need to be slightly reduced and if trainers/owners don't supply the numbers then thats just the way it goes. There needs to be tracks which are given funding on the grounds that they are strategically needed as training tracks. To me the problem in racing is not only the poor use of industry funds,but also it just pays out too much in stakes. Everyone moans about the stakes levels,but expects clubs to spend more than their income to maintain them. I'm with an earlier poster that said a cap on maximum stakes so as to maintain a minimum stake and bulk participation.

yes i was doing the form on that race but after reviewing its form realised that dog must and should have been scratched 2 days prior . Really seems a bit hopeless. In future when time becomes a factor in what punters invest on,if those running the dogs keep up that slackness then why would you bother?

Just wondering when they do the scratchings for the dogs. Race 9 iron eyes apparently was stood down on thursday but still showing in field for tomorrow. Is that unusual or do they normally only update on the day?

I think Winston has always been the voice of reason. I think his parties name, new zealand first,is an accurate reflection of how they view each decision they make. The rudder that helps guide the current government when the waters get choppy. Under the National government we became a country driven solely by wealth,,they lost our social and environmental compass. The way each party has responded to the crisis just reflects their priorities. Personally i am glad we have our current government with the New Zealand First influence.

Thanks for posting that. It does put a different light on the extent of travel from the epicentre.. I had read multiple press reports quoting different sources about travel from wuhan after the 24th of january. The stories seemed to say defy logic,and well there you go ,they clearly were over stated. There is no doubt travel from the epicentre by the many foreign citizens that went home did take place after the 24th,but China understandably would not have stopped them going home. One interesting article i read was 5 million people from wuhan had left the city for travel within china and overseas in the preceding month due to the holidays they have with the chinese new year and many because of the rumours that a deadly virus was sweeping their city.

But what i stated is fact in relation to the chinese banning domestic travel from the virus epicentre ,while allowing international travel from the epicentre. It happened. By the way i don't buy into the Trump miss management at all. It certainly is what the Trump hating media,including nz media want to potray,and they pounced on a couple of his stupid off the cuff comments. The reality is Trump is not viewed by americans as the media portrays him. The next election there will again prove that.. Some of his media conferences about the virus may have not been his best work,but his new press secretary certainly is impressive so far and looks like she will sell the trump administrations virus response very effectively. As to the china bashing. I'm with Winston in that by putting all your eggs in one basket you set yourself up to be manipulated . Thats not china's fault. They have been masters at working there way to the top of the world with the usa.. That's also what Trump says. Whether you agree with the way they do things in China or not,you can't help but admire china. But you don't have to think that our countries voice on whats right or wrong should be silenced simply because it may impact on us economically.

Instead of thinking of the majority as sheep, you should just accept that the majority believed the government mostly made the right decisions based on all the data they had. Sure you can point to australia as being just as effective with less disruption to the economy,although the economic experts say not that much difference. And yes you can point to the figures of infections to death rates and the strain being different in some countries to others. But given the impact it has had in so many countries our government was always going to err on the side of caution. Have you followed some of the devastating reports coming out of so many countries.The likes of russia,,brazil,etc . The list is so long. What about the latest figures to come out of italy that said they had ,excluding the virus,something like 11,000 more deaths in the same 5 week period compared to the previous 5 year average. In other words way more deaths related to the virus than reported. So many countries under reporting. I know we have better health care,but why would any government take the risks you suggested we should have. So people aren't sheep,they just view the health of others as important enough to agree and trust the governments actions. Instead of directing your frustration at the nz government, shouldn't the real frustration be directed at the chinese government who stopped all domestic travel in and out of Wuhan and Hubei province to stop the spread of the virus, yet for about 10 days thereafter let international travel from that area continue.

What i do think a joke is how you could infer that.. I've read some strange things on here but your comment ranks up there.

I hope you or the Brodster weren't watching the Al Jazeera channel 5 minutes ago. You would have been reaching for the blood pressure pills as Ardern popped on there for a minute or so. CNN,BBC even on FOX i have seen small segments on ardern and nz recently. Can't get away from it. One of those was a funny one on fox where they had some medical expert in america saying New Zealand was made up of 60 islands, ardern at least made some sense in the clip in that segment. Best you keep away from those channels.

the colmar brunton poll on 8 april said 88% of new zealanders supported the governments response to the covid 19 outbreak. Obviously you and the brodster in the 12%. Having said that i was looking at a poll last week and it showed most leaders in developed countries showed their approval rating had gone up. Even donalds was up 3% at 49%,and that in a country where 47% support the democrats and are unlikely ever to approve anything he does. Scott Morrisons had gone up the most. Ardern i think was 2nd . No doubt labour support will fade a little as the economic pain kicks in and people judge their decisions based more on their own circumstances that that of the nation as a whole.

No. The 2 purdon brothers obviously good but had keast had the same horses,facilities and backing as the purdons he would have achieved similar results. Who do you think was the best? Winx, black caviar obviously great but some of the races Bonecrusher won were spine tingling and won as much on guts as well as great ability.

Believe in polls or not,but the one that came out last week said labours approval rating was 55% and nationals 29%. Arderns personal approval rating was 65%. 78% of those polled said nz was heading in the right direction,those doing the polling said it was the highest figure they had recorded since 1991. Gullible is a bit harsh. They just have different opinions to yours.The poll figures reflect that If you were to wind back the clock 2 months and told people they could achieve the virus figures at this present time if we were to implement what the government has done,the vast majority would have said ok lets do it and now are saying job well done.

On hrnz website they have been having question and answer for high profile participants. Thought why can't we do same from a punters perspective? so here's some questions with my answers. What yours. 1.Best collect: The first horse I owned that won. Trainer said it only had to pace round first bend to win. It did,was still last of 14 at the 400m but in front at the150m and won easy. 2)Unluckiest or hardest defeat on punt to swallow. Should have got one of those early $50,000 guaranteed pick 6's. Had the only ticket on a horse called coloured fella running in the last leg. It was worth about two and a half years wages. Got stuck 3 wide early,driver R Mitchell tried for 200m to push horse inside it onto fence.But broke his own horse up,settled 10 lengths last in field of 13.,weaved its way all over the place in straight only to be just beaten by a neck Certainty beaten.. Driver got suspended and horse went on to win 3 of next 4. 3)If you could have any driver in history driving for you in the most important race of your punting life-Blair orange 4)Most exciting horse ever seen in flesh: Scoth tar. 5)best trainer seen- j. keast 6)favourite track -addington 7)best horse seen on tv-bonecrusher 8)what are you most looking forward to when harness racing resumes- seeing my bank balance go up.

Honest john was no doubt referring to a 5 week rest break being good for the many of those who were a bit run down health wise. Many will be re energised . What can you achieve if your very run down? Not much. Maybe Honest john a glass 1/2 full type of guy.

Nothing much else to do so was looking at last years end of season figures( 2019). Compared with previous year some figures of interest. Average field size similar. Average starts per horse +2.8% . Number of individual horses that started -3% Races with hot favorites -5%. Fixed odds turnover +1.6% although fixed odds yield -18%. off course turnover -13%. On course -5%? Domestic turnover overall -8%. Overseas turnover on nz harness -21%. Stakes total + 1.76%. average per race +2.85. So turnovers have gone down yet stakes went up slightly. Is that a good business model? As far as auckland trotting club went. 2018 they had assets worth $193 million but they dropped big time to $126 million in 2019. The below shows why. The value of the sale of units from there development was below the costs to build them. I guess on top of that they have also lost the high land value that they no longer have. The development project shown on books to be $66 million less than 2018. also income from investment properties -1.625 million from 2018.The amount they had borrowed went from $130 million in 2018 to $195 million . Racing revenue -280,000 and revenue from the tab they have also down. Given the expected drop in property values this year with many of their apartments still to be sold they must take another hit you would think. They are also budgeting for expected income from rental space in their new buildings but you would have to wonder about how much that will be impacted by the virus. They are also like all clubs who will take a hit from other areas. e.g sponsorship .