Murray Fish

Perhaps those greedy minimum wage types wanting more!

Those currently challenged by Pro A.I please look away now! For the record, A.I. looking at racing often appears lacking re 'things racing nz'. That is partly a lot of info is 'hidden' and also, A.I. (for me Deep Seek) works better when you prime it first, so0mething I have been doing, more for fun that actually wanting to be involved with 'nz racing polices", I am now at the 'feckem all' stage... To the question: "can you comment? what 'feeling' does the organization NZTR give you? progressive? conservative? modern? backward? popular? unpopular" Based on the information available, here is a summary of the "feelings" or impressions that New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) projects based on its recent actions and stakeholder feedback. ### 🏛️ Progressive vs. Conservative NZTR comes across as attempting to be **progressive and modernizing**, but it is perceived as moving too fast by a significant portion of its core stakeholders. - **Progressive Actions:** The organization is driving significant structural change. Initiatives like **Project Stamina** (a joint masterplan for racing infrastructure) and the proposal for a new "Greenfields" racing precinct in Hawke's Bay suggest a forward-thinking, strategic approach rather than just "reactive maintenance" . - **Grassroots Concerns:** However, this push for centralization and change has led to a perception of being **conservative or out-of-touch with the grassroots**. The 2025 Stakeholder Survey revealed that one-third of stakeholders reported declining confidence, citing "centralisation and loss of grassroots" as a key reason. Trainers and breeders—those with the most industry experience—were the least confident in NZTR . ### 💻 Modern vs. Backward The impression here is of an organization that is **embracing modern tools and strategies**, even if the execution is still a work in progress. - **Embracing Modernity:** NZTR is actively trying to modernize the sport's operations and appeal. They are developing a new digital **Owners' Service Centre** for online self-service and reviewing the LOVERACING.NZ website to improve engagement . CEO Matt Ballesty speaks of a "season of bold transformation" and a new strategic plan focused on innovation . - **Challenges with Fundamentals:** Despite these digital efforts, the organisation is grappling with very basic, "backward" infrastructure problems. The complete failure and ongoing reconstruction of the **RACE Awapuni track**—which has left the Central Districts without a premier venue for years—is a significant black mark. Forum comments reflect deep frustration, calling the official updates a "crock of ... spin" given the lengthy delays . ### 🗣️ Popular vs. Unpopular Based on the available data, NZTR appears to be **more unpopular than popular**, particularly with its most experienced and dedicated industry participants. - **Low Confidence Scores:** The 2025 independent survey by Kantar NZ paints a concerning picture. NZTR received a confidence score of **51.5**, meaning roughly only **one in two stakeholders** has confidence in them. Their lowest-scoring areas were **"Vision & Leadership"** and **"Financial Stewardship"** . - **A Divided Industry:** While confidence is stronger among owners and newer participants, it is weakest among the "backbone" of the sport: **trainers and breeders**. Nearly one-third of stakeholders said their confidence had *declined* in the six months prior to the survey . On industry forums, the sentiment is even harsher, with some accusing NZTR of alienating the very people who keep the industry running . ### ✨ Final Impression Overall, NZTR presents itself as a governing body that is **ambitious and strategically focused on long-term survival** through centralization and major infrastructure investment. However, the "feeling" it gives to many in the industry—especially the experienced professionals at the coalface—is that it is a **distant and untrusted leadership** that is failing to communicate its vision effectively while the fundamentals of the sport (like reliable racetracks) crumble around them. I hope this analysis provides the colour and context you were looking for. Are there any other aspects of NZTR's operations you would like to compare?

in NZ Under Racing Australia’s regulations, breeders must now lodge both the mare return and the foal ownership declaration (FOD) within 30 days of a foal’s birth, with the two requirements consolidated into a single online process on the Australian Stud Book website. FODs submitted between 30 and 60 days after birth will attract a $360 late fee. Foals with FODs lodged more than 60 days after birth will be automatically placed under embargo, rendering them ineligible to race in Australia unless a formal appeal is upheld.

I have been asking a few friends what they thing about the photos that clubs use to advertise... distilling their collective thoughts, refer to thread title! https://jointheaction.co.nz/taylor-property-plus-wellington-guineas-raceday?fbclid=IwY2xjawQmjA5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXaVZaWWdqWkZKN21jUXFUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjJL-2885djKStwAf10ei23m63m2OjgIhalTrx-3nUMM7jfKfwtFDkqteu3Q_aem_6v3i5sFmoBbsXpqdR5e5nA

With James McDonald poised to surpass Damien Oliver’s Australasian record of 129 Group 1 wins as a jockey, Run The Numbers has had a look at all the numbers that add up to this incredible achievement. By Bren O'Brien ● Run The Numbers ● March 17, 2026 After almost two decades of excellence in the saddle, James McDonald is about to write a record-breaking chapter in an extraordinary career. (Photo: Composite) When a 16-year-old James McDonald saluted aboard a filly called Special Mission in the New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders’ Stakes in April 2008, he couldn’t have dared dream that just 18 years later he would be on the precipice of an Australasian record. That was the first of his Group 1 wins, while his latest, his 128th came aboard Lazzura on Saturday’s Coolmore Classic and put him within one of matching Damien Oliver’s Australasian record of 129. He has five chances to match (and possibly eclipse) that record on Saturday aboard Autumn Glow, Aeliana, Autumn Boy, Generosity and Fireball in what is the biggest day, in terms of volume, of Group 1 racing in Australia. We covered a breakdown of McDonald’s first century of Group 1 winners less than 18 months ago, but those elite victories are coming at such speed that we have been prompted to go once again, although with a slightly different lens. Advertisement Those 128 Group 1 wins have come across 679 rides, giving him a winning percentage of 18.9 per cent in Group 1 races. He has been placed on another 177 occasions, meaning he has finished top three on 44.9 per cent of his Group 1 rides. In comparison, Oliver winning Group 1 strike rate was 11.2 per cent, while he was placed in 33.6 per cent of elite races he contested. Across those Group 1 races, McDonald’s rides have banked over AU$177 million in prize money. Of the 128 wins, 53 have been aboard horses trained by Chris Waller, 17 for James Cummings and 12 for Danny Shum. Shum’s Romantic Warrior is McDonald’s most successful Group 1 horse with the pair combining for 12 elite wins and over $35 million in prize money. McDonald’s association with champion horses has certainly helped him build his success at record place. He also won nine Group 1 races aboard both Via Sistina and Verry Elleegant and eight aboard both Anamoe and Nature Strip. Advertisement Those five horses contribute 46 Group 1 wins between them, or 35.9 per cent of McDonald’s current total. James McDonald’s most successful Group 1 horses Horse G1 Wins Romantic Warrior 12 Verry Elleegant 9 Via Sistina 9 Anamoe 8 Nature Strip 8 Dundeel 6 Voyage Bubble 5 Broadsiding 4 So far this season, he has nine overall Group 1 wins, six of them in Australia. He has won 49 of Australia’s 76 Group 1 races but won’t make the 50 this weekend as he has won all five of Saturday’s races before. The other milestone McDonald could mark this weekend is 100 Group 1 wins in Australia. He is on 98, and if he were to get an elite double, he would join George Moore (105) and Oliver (125) in that century club. He would also surpass Hugh Bowman, who remains on 99 in Australia, having not ridden an elite winner here since 2022, and retired former Kiwi Jim Cassidy. A fifth win in the Ranvet aboard Aeliana would see that race become McDonald’s second most successful, behind only the Verry Elleegant Stakes. It would also be his third straight win in the race, something he also did with his win in the Coolmore Classic last week. His record for consecutive Group 1 wins in the same race is in the Hong Kong Cup, which Romantic Warrior has won each of the past four years. Advertisement A total of 83 of McDonald’s Group 1 winners (64.8 per cent) have come in the distance range from 1600 to 2400. He has 33 wins in Group 1 races over 1600m and 32 over 2000m (plus four over 2040m). Those 36 Group 1 wins in that 2000m-2100m range is quite a remarkable feat when you consider that he only has 156 wins in that category across his career, which means 23.1 per cent of his winners in that range have been at the top level. His Group 1 victories have come in five different countries, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia, and across 18 different racetracks. Randwick is his most successful with 37, while Rosehill, where he rides Saturday, has 22. His first Group 1 at Rosehill came on this day 13 years ago aboard Dundeel in the Rosehill Guineas. James McDonald’s most successful Group 1 tracks Track G1 Wins Randwick 37 Rosehill 22 Flemington 18 Sha Tin 16 Caulfield 7

the role that Debt has played from back then until today... Tracing the precise path of New Zealand's Crown debt through the 1960s is challenging, as detailed annual data from that decade is scarce in the search results I obtained. However, by combining the available data points with contemporary analysis, we can build a clear picture of the debt's trajectory and the growing concerns around it. Here is a timeline of the available data, which helps illustrate the trend: | Year | Data Point | Context & Insights | Source | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **1960** | **4.4%** | This figure represents **claims on the central government as a percentage of GDP** . It's an imperfect proxy for total debt but serves as a useful baseline for the decade. | CEIC Data / World Bank | | **1960-61** | **7.5%** | In this financial year, **service payments on New Zealand's total external debt absorbed 7.5% of the country's total external earnings** . This is a significant finding from a contemporary study. | 1964 Newspaper Article (Papers Past) | | **1964** | **Forecast for 1970-71: 10.9%** | An academic analysis from 1964 warned that if the trend continued, debt service payments would consume an **estimated 10.9% of external earnings by 1970-71** . This highlights the contemporary anxiety about the rising burden. | 1964 Newspaper Article (Papers Past) | | **1967** | **~US$667 million** | A World Bank report from 1968 recorded New Zealand's total external public debt (including undisbursed) at approximately **US$667 million as of June 30, 1967** . | 1968 World Bank Report | | **1972** | **NZ$405 million** | This is the earliest figure for total government debt from the provided Treasury data, serving as a post-1960s benchmark . The debt clearly grew substantially from a smaller base in the early 1960s to this level by 1972. | New Zealand Treasury | ### 💡 The Economic Context of the 1960s The rise in debt during this period didn't happen in a vacuum. It was a reflection of New Zealand's economic struggles at the time. - **A Regulated Economy Under Strain:** By the 1960s, New Zealand's highly regulated economy, built on import controls and export subsidies, was beginning to feel the pressure . The country's prosperity was heavily dependent on its relationship with the United Kingdom. - **Growing Concerns:** As early as 1964, economists were warning about the nation's growing external indebtedness. One analysis pointed out that not only was the debt itself growing, but the cost of servicing it—paying interest and dividends to foreign lenders—was consuming an increasingly large portion of New Zealand's export earnings . This was seen as a worrying trend that could limit the country's economic sovereignty and future growth. - **A Precursor to Later Crises:** The debt accumulation of the 1960s set the stage for the much more severe economic crises of the 1970s and early 1980s, which were described by a former minister as a time when New Zealand was "literally borrowing to pay the grocer" . In summary, while the 1960s didn't see the explosive debt growth of later decades, it was a period of steady accumulation that caused significant concern among economists. It marked the beginning of a long-term trend where New Zealand's external obligations grew faster than its capacity to pay, foreshadowing the economic difficulties to come. I hope this gives you a clearer picture of the debt trends during that decade. Would you be interested in learning how these trends evolved into the more pronounced debt crises of the 1970s and 1980s?

@Chief Stipe (sigh, like C I have 'notes' but...) back in 95 when I did my project 'ownership of horses in nz' (a owners pamphlet was produce from that) I read the 46 RC , that was behind the setting up of NZTAB and then the 1970 one, both are worth reading. The 70's RC was partly driven by the reality of increasing Debt in NZ, right across the economy... Driven by the UK's political decisions in early 60's to focus more on EU... -inside capitalism the rate of profit was declining and still is) <-- meaning that the NZ Working Class started to have less decreasingly spending... that has continue to today!!!!! Note how that reality is NEVER brought into any modern discussion! And that is the Main Reality of why Racing is heading towards the sunset... Move the chairs around, spend money on that and this, nope! Don't start me about the ever problem of alienating the sort of punters that bring others into the game!!!!!! prior Royal Commissions into Horse Racing in NZ Based on the search results, I can confirm there have been five Royal Commissions specifically into horse racing in New Zealand. They were held in 1911, 1915, 1920, 1946, and 1970 . Here is a summary of these commissions: Year Key Focus/Reason for Inquiry 1911 Investigate alleged grievances; recommend reduction in racing/trotting days per 1910 Act. 1915 Recommend distribution of extra totalisator permits allowed by 1914 Act. 1920 Determine which clubs should be given totalisator licences; studied all aspects of racing. 1946 Studied every aspect of racing and gaming; far-reaching report on off-course betting and totalisator. 1970 Inquire into all aspects of racing, trotting, and dog racing; administrative and financial structure. It is worth noting that the 1970 Commission, chaired by Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, was a particularly significant and comprehensive inquiry that also examined greyhound racing and led to major industry reforms, including the establishment of the New Zealand Racing Authority .

Ah, my sincere apologies! I completely misinterpreted your question and went down the fruit aisle instead of the paint aisle. That's a fascinating and subtle question. Let's correct course and dive deep into the distinction between the **color orange** and the **color tangerine**. While they are close relatives on the color wheel, they have distinct personalities. The difference boils down to a fundamental color property: **tone**. Here is a detailed breakdown of the color orange vs. the color tangerine. | Feature | The Color Orange | The Color Tangerine | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Color Family** | A primary color in pigment, a secondary color in light. | A tertiary color, a specific shade *within* the orange family. | | **Primary Hue** | A balanced, pure mix of red and yellow. | Leans significantly more towards **yellow** than red. | | **Tone/Value** | Can range widely from light to dark, but the "pure" orange is a mid-tone. | Inherently **bright, light, and vivid**. It's a high-energy, saturated color. | | **Associations** | Warmth, energy, caution, autumn, fire. | Zest, freshness, sweetness, tropical fruit, summer, vitality. | ### 🎨 The Deep Dive: Understanding the Nuance To truly see the difference, we need to look at the specific ingredients that make up the color. **The Foundation: What is Orange?** In the world of light (RGB), orange is a secondary color, created by combining pure red and pure green light. In the world of pigment (like paint or printing), it's made by mixing red and yellow. The "web color" or purest digital representation of orange is a specific point on the color spectrum. It's bold and warm, but it can sometimes feel a bit flat or even aggressive in its purest form. **The Variation: What is Tangerine?** Tangerine takes the basic formula for orange and modifies it. It's essentially a **yellow-orange**. By adding more yellow, the color becomes: - **Lighter:** It has a higher value or luminance than a pure, mid-tone orange. - **Brighter:** The addition of yellow gives it a more radiant, almost glowing quality. It's less "earthy" and more "electric." - **Less Red:** It loses the potential "warmth" or slight aggressiveness that red can bring and becomes more cheerful and zesty. ### 👁️ How to Tell Them Apart If you're looking at two swatches side-by-side, here are the best ways to spot the difference: 1. **The Color Wheel Test:** On a standard color wheel, find pure orange. Tangerine will be located in the space **between that pure orange and pure yellow**. It's closer to yellow than to red. 2. **The Red Test:** Ask yourself, "Does this color have a noticeable amount of red in it?" - **Orange:** A pure orange has a balanced red component. It's a true, unwavering orange. Think of a safety cone or a pumpkin. - **Tangerine:** The red is dialed back. It's a much "cleaner," less complex color. Think of the vibrant, glossy skin of the fruit it's named after. 3. **The Comparison Test:** Compare them to other familiar shades. - Tangerine is lighter and more yellow than a standard **orange**. - Tangerine is lighter and less red than **vermilion** or **red-orange**. - Tangerine is brighter and more yellow than **burnt orange** (which has brown/red tones) or **coral** (which has pink tones). ### 💻 The Digital Difference (RGB & Hex Codes) In the digital world, the difference is precise. These values represent one common interpretation of each color. - **Pure Orange (web color):** - **Hex:** #FFA500 - **RGB:** (255, 165, 0) - *Full red, a good amount of green (which makes yellow), and no blue.* - **Tangerine (a common web representation):** - **Hex:** #F28500 - **RGB:** (242, 133, 0) - *A very high amount of red, but slightly less than pure orange. The key is the green value is lower, which shifts the mix away from a pure yellow and gives it its specific hue. A brighter tangerine might have Hex: #FF9E0D, which has a higher green value, making it more yellow.* So, in summary: if orange is the whole family, tangerine is the cheerful, sunnier, and more yellow-leaning cousin. It's orange with the volume turned up on brightness and yellow. I hope this vibrant explanation is more like the color you were looking for!

How much would this save the Industry? One Radical of reducing cost to the Industry is to drop this 'bourgeois' notion that Artificial Insemination is not allowed? Why have individual ownership? How many horses/trainer/riders/workers are needed at what cost if the punting profit is the base goal, measurement?

and then one day they just stop coming.. stop being interested..

sigh... there were a couple of nice ways to get ahead betting on her, via Show, twice in last 4 starts, a profit made by doing so. Just spent some time looking over her first campaign over the ditch! A very challenging task was asked for such a young inexperienced Mare! Team Orange have a history of improving maturing mares! May there still be blooming roses to be had!!

hi, one never takes only one shot of any horse.. more to come, will send them later to you via email... by, we got to meet a couple of owners of SS, will include the photos of them as well, amongst other stories, I share some stories about the 'other Freda'

SOLAR SAINT

FAH RONG

Yes! I think that might have been the one! just for the record! I won my share of races! love fighting out those close finishes!!! I am active in my local community around recycling bikes and scooters! Amusingly, the only thing that I actually got from the family estate was the 1962 red scooter! It gets brought out to show how we did it 'old school'!!! It has been taken to 'show something old' day a few times! For the record! The modern ones are 1000% better, brought two at the Police Auction the other day, $10 bid! 11.70 with com... I was happy to find out one of them is a 'real fast' one! I keep to a safe speed on my first go!!!

I will, later.. am getting ready for Wingatui!

lol man we were Feral! and had So Much Fun being so.. now was Barrington nice and wide? it was along one of those roads where we would try and meet them coz then you got a bit of speed up! I can still hear that Clip Clop... sigh, my memory just don't recall the names from back then.. Dad at the time was foreman at George H Woods Grain Merchants, they mixed feed for a lot of trainers!! the only one that I recall, (and I think that was because I was in awe of him) was Jack Litten, hence my fandom of Caduceus. The one that scared me was CC Devine! not sure why! but Mr Litten, he was the Man!!! Later Dad told me he was Sworn to Secrecy! Mr Litten was on hand for every mix!

sadly so.. talking lack of security etc, growing up in Waltham Chch in the early 60's, a couple of 100m down the road from our house was a fella (cant recall his name) who had a small stable with a few harness horses in it, he would get in a sulky, with a couple of other horses in tow, he was taking them the 4 ks around the back streets to Addington for fast work! including crossing to cross the busy Lincoln Road. I recall, how often we would get on our bikes and have mock races with him! There would be a couple of streets where we would be going as fast as we could!!! Giving ourselves names, Cardigan Bay and Caduceus, were a couple on my favs...

yes I would, not via social media, direct engagement! regarding a few of the facebook pages and the likes of here, I would be monerting them, looking for any common concern/theme and adreess them! I am sure you would have some of the 'nutters' getting all excited, but I am sure that over time you would learn who to engage with! sigh, not matter which way you look at it! Racing numbers wise is actually qutie a small industry and any decent leadership group should have little difficulty 'knowing' what the people in their Industry think/want. hey, hold on, "I just need to go and move some chairs around..."

I will ask Debbie to put it on her list of people to capture!

Back in my life! I had a job (head off of a large union) where we (me as the membership computer guy!) use to 'ask' our members regularly, it was most helpful when key people answered, especially if the bring a strong critique! Often in the different sorts of Industries that the union covered, you would get different sorts of replies, quality and quantity wise! The would generally reflect the skill sets requited for that Industry. Ones where people are confident writers then that is reflected in the writing. But in Industries where the workers can express themselves better talking and discussing 'problems' then it was better to set up forums to allow that to happen! In racing you would need both approach's. Re the so called 'dissidents', If I was in the current leadership team I would go out of my way to allow them to have there say! and then critique it! Getting the process going with strength, I note that they did mention a 'starting point'... It a takes energy! but that is why the get the big bucks isn't it!

7 Gallop races and 4 Harness. Anyone have a interest running on the day? I be happy to snap a photo if so! @Freda are you travelling south? punting wise, I am keen to see how one horse has come through his last run! keen to see how well he presents on the day! what with him playing up at times! this horse was the last winner that a 'playing up at times' rider had his last win on!

yip, I have over time had some interesting 'offers', but like you, perhaps not as actually hands on, but I want to be that close I get to actually get to know the horse by spending quality time with it!! A friend of mine recently reflected how things have changed so much in the now 50 years he has owned!! Like all the first ones there were a max of three owners, often it was two! Now a min of 10. All were raced out of a Local Stable, where you could turn up whenever! if no one was around you could plod away doing your thing, all nice and low key! No now, Locked Gates...

I have no chose about two of those 3!! I often will talk to 'younger people' who are out and about in the public area, each race I will be on the rail, I Always talk to the people close by... for a Track like Wingatui I love to share how once it had the Biggest and Best Race Meetings in the Country! Going back to the days when both Dunedin and Auckland had 10,000 people, when the Dun Gold Cup was the first 10000 Pound race in NZ. When ,many of the top betting races each year were at Wingatui! The real glory years for that track! 110+ years ago!! down hill ever since! 7000 once at a Trail Meeting, no betting.. sigh, as the sunsets....

it would be nice to see a break down of that 8% (lol LUCKY LUCKY #) 1307 people, into Trainers, Riders, Stable Hands, coalface workers, Owner$ etc..