the galah

A recent example of why your suggestion of relying solely on testing is a failed approach are the New york/usa cases that i have posted multiple times about. All those people(29) either pleaded guilty or were found gulity and jailed for years and stripped of their assets. yet none were picked up in testing. The chief would say,well they were all just mugs who thought they were buying performance enhancers,but because they didn't return positives they were unkowingly being sold snake oil. testing is a tool,but as those that investigated the new york cases said,its the boots on the ground that is the best tool to catch people who act dishonestly. thats just reality.

So you seem to have just said your advocating no rules for raceday treatment. Does that mean your happy for anyone to turn up to the races with their pre mix of hartmans solution and a bucket and tube. Or do you think they should do that in the float or at the stables before they come?Wouldn't want to create the wrong impression. Nothing illegal in my milkshake,just take a blood or urine sample and i'll prove it. Thats funny as,but seriously i think your advocating something that would kill the sport off quicker than happens in a knife fight in a phone booth. Also you seem to have just said that if someone is using performance enhancers then you have every confidence that anything illegal will get picked up in testing.I know the chief says that,but surely your not being serious when you say that. Why can't people just play by the rules of fair play. Is that too much to ask?

What i'm saying is the content of the drip is a red herring. The focus should and is on the raceday treatment People who take chances and get caught just have to deal with it. They have knowingly done something with possible consequences.I can understand her trying to get as light a sentence as possible. Makes sense to me if i was her.Same priciple as the raceday treatment. Doing something that helps her. Just one is legal and reasonable and the other isn't.

I can never understand that you think people knowingly break the raceday treatment rules,believeing they are not helping performance. That she has risked her livelihood and reputation,when believing she was gaining no advantage from such actions. I mean,surely no one thinks anyone even exists that is that thick.

tact macleod actually went a very good race and ran the 3200m in 3.58.9. remarkable that a horse having only its 6th start and only its 2nd run in 9 months, could run that well. Running a race like that will have taken a toll on that horse. Maybe not straight away,but it will sooner or later. Hes a meister and robyns playboy were the last 2 to finish today.At least they are hardened campaigners. I see they are supposed to back up in the $25,000 gore cup in 5 days time. They would have been chances in that race,but i'm guessing that no longer the case. But its things like that that added to what was a very interesting days racing.

That race is the catalyst for casting doubts in the minds of punters in any race where you see d butcher make tactical decisions that don't appear obvious. In other words..well i've seen him do it before,so did he just do it again? Thats the perception that race will create last night for people who watched it. The north island stipes just ignoring the drivers tactics also casts doubt on the oversight of the integrity of the product that people may be spending money on throughout nz. I really don't understand why things like that happen. It damages the perception people have of the sport and of those involved. I just don't get it myself. What else can you say.

Just had a thought. I wonder if theres a junior drivers race next week that if he happened to win would be a penalty free win for him. so i just looked it up and sure enough there is one. were punters being taken for mugs again. my guess would be yes.

I watched turnpike joe to see how he ran in this race as he was the recent topic of conversation on here. It had thought the last thing he would want to do is win,as he would be crucified ratings wise if he won.I certainly thought he should not have been the favorite because of that. I did however assume he would appear to be trying. Well after watching the race,i don't really know whether he was or not. I certainly know anyone who watched the race would think turnpike joe was driven to lose,but who really knows. What i find amazing is that the north island stipes ,once again,fail to even question d butcher on his drive. If you want a reason why people don't back on north island harness racing. Just go look at that race and then read the stipes report.

seems to like ashbuton. Has won the last 3 times its started there.

All that makes sense. So you've just said "the handicapper and cambridges michael douglas ....have judiciously used their discretion." Judicious meaning good judgment or good sense. Reality is more often than not ,1 win horses are not treated with judicious discretion. So why not change the rating system so as to give them a fairer more realistic rating in the first place.R50 is too high.Treat the cause not the symptom. Also if they are to continue using discretion,how about some consistency. Also why are some horses able to use half penalties for concession junior driver wins over and over again. Not that i agree with it, but why not limit it to 1 per horse and if they are to keep that rule then make it up to the juniors 100th win. Also why are some horses able to win a penalty free race each season. Why not limit it to one like they used to. Why do they have such systems when they complain about not having enough higher rated. After all they are helping create that problem. also those who design the rating system use the logic that a 2 year old or 3 year old need half penalties because they progress too quickly if given full penalties per win. So it matters to them,so why the double standard for 4 year olds and older. Why don't they matter:

So if turnpike joe's rating of r50 is fair,then why have they programmed a race where he can start against the much lower rated horses. If the rating system was fair,why not just have him run in his own rating band? Them having to programme a race like that is clear evidence that the ratings system can not operate fairly just based on ratings. Isn't that obvious?

Using the horse you refer to,turnpike joe as an example,we could look at him and say,what happens if he happened to win. Well he would be penalised i think 3 or 4 points,as being a 3 year old he gets reduced rating penalties. If he was older he would be penalised more. So he would end up having run 4 times for 2 wins and be rated 53 or 54. Compare that to say katies princess who runs earlier in the night. If she happened to win,i assume she gets the win penalty free as she hasn't won a penalty free race this season,just last season. Anyway katies princess,if she wins her rating stays a r48 with a record of 6 wins and 8 placings from 29 starts.Thats significantly lower than the horse who had only 2 wins. In fact hypothetically katies princess could win its next 3 in a row driven by L hibelll,thus becoming an 8 win horse from 31 starts ....and still be rated no higher than the 4 start 2 win horse turnpike joe.And thats remembering turnpike joe would have got the 3 year old concession. If Turnpike joe was a 4 year old,katies princess could win 4 in a row,become a 9 win,8 placing horse from 32 start and still be rated no higher than a 2 win 4 start 4 year old. As brodie says,there are actually worse examples than that.

Looks like they have the best betting fields they have had all year. Like most places,draws are important as its such a front runners track.No point backing anything drawn wider if they go back at the start.Those drawn the second line chances hinge on whether the horse they follow out on the front line goes forward or not. If not they may as well go home. The worst thing about the racing down there is all the mobiles are always 2200 or 1700m races.They don't seem to run 2700m mobiles anymore and that is why luck with the draws is more of a factor. Tact macleod, a 2 win, 5 start horse by sweet lou seems a strange entry to run over 3200m against beach ball and self assured. Doesn't matter how well he may well run,there seems as much chance of downside to upside in running. Also with some of the summer country cups races coming up down there,it seems others who have put in late entries run the risk of over extending their horses before they get to compete in races that would suit better. Still all that will make for interesting viewing on friday afternoon/evening. Weather wise they seem to be forecasting warm days there,except on raceday where they currently forecast only 16..Lets hope the forecast is wrong and they get a fine/warm day as we know the weather is always the biggest factor in crowd size.

I was getting jeremy young mixed up with brad mowbray, brad mowbray was stable foreman for geoff small. Jeremy young,i asssume is the same jeremy young who worked for the all stars and was auckland reactors constant companion wherever he went. Young travelled to the USA with auckland reactor,spending time in new jersey where auckland reactor was initially based.

A very enjoyable nights viewing. Watching leap to fame win. Then damien oliver win his last ever race ride. He went back from a wide draw in a big field but was able to creep up the fence then angle off and take a very tight gap and burst through the last bit and win. Brilliant last ride. Then the win of Just Believe in the trotters final. Just way too good. Its great to see exciting racing like that. I watched the dog races and while i do enjoy watching them,i personally just don't think you can compare them to the level of excitement and emotions that go with human combined with horse,that horse racing in both codes provides. They had a big dog race and the winner took home $1 million.Half the dogs copped bad interference on the first bend with one falling when handy and the leader and outsider was left clear. The nz owned dog ran 2nd.What the dogs do have is any joe bloggs can have a go at training one and tonights winner was trained by a pizza shop owner.They had another big dog race where groups of 2 dogs did time trials,but that was as exciting as watching yatching. So if you didn't see the racing,you missed a great nights viewing. Also i think the albion park commentator is the best in the world. Brittany graham always good and my wife likes her fashion.

Great horse. Great race. Swayzee very gallant in defeat. That race truly fitting of the excitement of an interdominion final. The coverage was tops. The drone seemed closer to the action than we see in nz and that part was easily viewed. Grant dixon and his owners have a chanp there. Hope hes available for breeding here one day.By bettors delight out of an art major mare. Gammalite you told us mr dixon had told you leap to fame was very special when he was a young 3yo. Well we all can see that now.

I just watched this horse have its first start in australia at menagle. What a crazy race it was. Nicholas cage simply didn't want to score up the first time. Another horse didn't either. Then this other horse chased the mobile and ran full tilt into the mobile about 100m before the start. I think its driver anticipated the mobile increasing in speed,but then,going by how many horses hit he mobile just as he was reaching it,the mobile driver seems to have pumped the brakes and caused real issues. Why he did that i'm not sure,but maybe his grandmother was driving and put her foot on the wrong thing. Anyway ,as a result of the mobile slowing so quickly,the number 1 horse baulked and hit the number 2 horse who ran into the number 3 horse who then got banged by the number 4 horse(who had been charging after the mobile) as the number 4 horse crashed into the mobile and went sideways. Meanwhile the horses out wide all seemed to slow up quickly and a couple seemed to make contact with the mobile and got really agitated as a result. Then they had a restart. Well the race only got covered from the 1000m. Nicholas cage went terrible and i guess the reason the horse never scored up the first time was because it knew it wasn't feeling well. So he finished at a jog,but still actually beat 3 home. The horse who had charged into the mobile that had slowed so quickly the first start,well it lead then stopped to a complete walk.Others who had contacted the mobile finsihed at a crawl as well. It was like watching a non win trot where they all break and finish in big intervals.All a bit crazy.

I agree with your comments about all weather tracks inside the galloping track beng too far away from the public.Theres a much better atmosphere and easier viewing when the horses and drivers are closer. I think the idea of having an all weather track and a grass track on either side of a grandstand would have to be a a new development. Just simply shape the grandstand like a v where you can walk through the ground level and come out at the bottom of either side. They could have the stabling in the middle as well so access tyo each track wasn't far,with parts where the public can just look over a small rail fence and see the horses being geared up and washed down and the public can observe the coming and goings of the drivers and trainers. If they are to attract people to the races,there best selling point is the horses and the trainers being accessable and easily observed by the public. Just look at greyhound racing in christchurch.No one goes because the dogs are too far away. And when i say no one,i mean no one. I went one day last year to fill in time. I only stayed one race because i couldn't see them properly,but i was there long enough to realise there was not another person watching. The photographer came out with his zimmer frame every race and took a picture and that was it.2 people in the bar,but neither interested in the dog racing.

I like your thinking outside the square,thats what we need,but perhaps avondale wouldn't be ideal. it was just a couple of months ago they cancelled any future races or trials there due to the track and they had said at one stage the facilities were run down as well.Sounded like avondale has no future as a racetrack. Wasn't the thorougbred side wanting to sell avondale and get their hands on the cash and the avondale club was fighting that saying they would rather give it away to the community.The avondale club even at one point said next to no one goes to their meetings anyway.Also avondale had been selling off parts of the land just to keep going. And i remember reading the NZTR(thoroughbred) had said its only realistic future was to be sold as real estate as it was quite valuable. I think the key would be setting up somewhere where the price of land wasn't so expensive. Although given the way things are these days,that may be be hard to find,but perhaps you can think of somewhere where the population is smaller.

Just imagine if auckland were running for the $30,000 minimum stakes like they should be,had they not had the massive loss on the housing project. Reality is, It was the decision makers back then who ruined harness at alexandra park. Instead of south island horses looking to come to auckland to earn some decent money,they are better off to stay at home or go to wingatui..Breeders,owners,trainers all have to factor in the $. Auckland should have been the go to place given the set up they had pre housing development. Current management have done well to get there where they are today and in a lot of ways they have bought themselves more time,but personally i think they should be using some of that time planning for a move somewhere else so that they can survive for a few more decades.They still would have a lot of money if they sold u wouldn't they? its got to be somewhere where harness racing can become a hub and where current participants can see a realistic future where they can afford to set up and then make a living from..Somewhere where they may have a grass track on one side and an all weather on the other side of their main grandstand.Maybe thats all wishful thinking.Surely they should be at least looking.

I think he trained a group 1 winner about 5 years ago.Best western i think it was.If my memories correct he was geoff smalls foreman.

Yes i watched that race and was thinking exactly the same thing. David butcher just out drove him tactically,but then again david butcher is very, very clever.. W house driving on the first nigh showed that he has the talent. You don't get the results he did without that. But at this stage theres not the consistency to his tactical nous .Hes getting there,but I had thought after the first night it had just been a confidence thing,but he didn't perform to the same level last night.i read somewhere that hes only about 19. so for someone so young he is doing well. racing at palmerston north can be tricky.Theres only a few drivers that go there. D butcher and b butcher would be the best .

Well if you read the stipes report you would think that his drive was totally fine. the videos on the hrnz website. Its race 7. Unbelievably they didn't even bother to ask him why he never pulled out when driving the hot favorite. He may have had a reasonable explanation,but punters will never know because the stipes didn't think it worth asking.i know hes a young fella,but everyone should be treated the same. Anyone with a memory knows that drives not as bad have resulted in suspensions for drivers. tim williams was suspended for a drive where he failed to pull out. Wasn't that at motukarara or addington or both.Maurice mckendry. the fella ford who drives the trotters.I'm sure theres been others. To be honest its a bit of the same oldd same old.. What happens at palmerston north is not subject to the same scrutiny as other places. I guess its a north island thing.

Well he had a great night 2 nights ago,but not sure punters who backed superstar legend tonight will be too happy. Not sure what he was thinking when he let the outside horse box him in with 250m to go.Only had to pull out to win,but he waited far too long and the gap had closed.

Thats the thing isn't it. Theres no longer any relatable examples for the regular every day people to look to for inspiration. All the big races are won by the big/high profile stables with mostly similar owners. You look at the auckland cup that walt has shown and it was a full field with not one stablemate. Many of the runners coming from small time trainers and drivers.Because there were no stablemates,all the drivers were out for themselves,with no team driving like you now see regularly on the big days. That was a major part of why the sport was so great back then. Those still around who experienced all that now realise they were privileged to have done so.Thats why so many who follow the sport nowdays are older. They developed a love for the sport and that never really goes even if things are different these days. The interviewer of gammalites trainer was phillip leishman,one of new zealands highest profile media personalities for years. He died at just 61 after a brain tumor. He loved his racing and covered it a lot and also loved many other sports like golf. Racings des coppins i think was his best man at his wedding. By the way gammalite,was that you in the white singlet at the start of that clip?