MarkyMark

again your clutching at straws. In harness is there an appearance fee when racing? he is obviously then working for himself, and takes a different risk. But the reward for him is obviously more significant if he can get his horse to win or place.

yes, all strappers have to be licensed, they have a special license. Same as a stable hand, they have a special license. Well this is the case for TB, not sure about Harness

in relation to what exactly. all sports codes treat participants unequally. NRL with major sydney and melbourne clubs. premier league with manchester untied and city compared to say a West Brom TB - Te Akau arguably get perhaps moe favourable treatment given their position In sydney, before wallers dominance, Gai got whatever she wanted Sport is also a pyramid, and those at the top are normally there by merit, not always, and those at the top normally get favourable terms if that is what you are trying to ask

thats a nonsense, netball in NZ, they are paid bugger all, and many work addition jobs. But none the less are still considered professional athletes. you are clutching at straws

Chief, Your being silly now. Anyone can drive a horse? Theoretically yes, but under race conditions and to perform? obviously not. And there are not only 2 controls. You have a variety of other factors at play during a race, which not just anyone can do. I cant say ive ever been in a sulky, but ive been in a saddle, not anyone can do it, or atleast properly. Pro rata, there are more accidents in a sulky. And again your being silly mate, all drivers are paid. It is not iirelevant. Thy are professionally paid sports men and women, obviously some are paid more than others, based on merit like any sport. To suggest they are not professional, i would suggest to those that take their occupation seriously would be insulting. they dont test all drivers same way they dont drug test all drivers. Dont be silly Chief, you know why, ofcourse it comes down to practicality and resources, and past behavior and indiscretions. Using Jason Waddell as an example, based on past behaviour it is reasonable to think he would be prone to more testing than perhaps another, just common sense. You cant use the same brush for the rules allowed to the general public, and that of a driver, who is paid to perform to the best of his ability in steering his drive. Turning up to a race meeting, with alcohol in his blood is not in line with what should be expected of both a driver and the countrys leading driver. It is a professional sport, with the odd person who acts like a coy boy. However i disagree, it is about time the code was treated as such, perhaps then this industry, would then have a better reputation, better participation confidence, and we may actually make some progress to diminishing the regular indescrtions this indusry is becoming known for. Whilst you are entitled to your opinion, your response dissapoints me, and i think it is attitudes like this which are stopping this industry moving forward with the times, and getting its house in order.

no Chief there 2 distinct differences. just about anyone can drive a vehicle. Then driving a vehicle is different to being a professionally paid sportsmen, who is in a sulky steering a horse, in which statistically the risks are higher. It also requires far more skill to steer a horse than drive a car additionally. and again its a professional sport. Are you defending his actions? Are you saying it would be ok for drivers and jockeys alike to turn up on course with a blood alcohol reading? How does someone turning up to a race meeting, especially our countrys leading driver, how is that a positive and represent the industry in a good light when Blair turns up to a racecourse with alcohol still present in his system? and how is that fair on punters and owners. I cant understand the rationale of you and Brodie on this topic, FFS its meant to be a professional sport, so it should be treated as such.

but a "race driver" is not permitted to have alcohol in his blood. Different to a regular driver driving a car. your second point, is a dud, because you simply can not be certain of this, aswell as this, how it "may" have impacted his physical state. You are making an assumption which is likely to be correct, but you can not be certain or substantiate this assumption with any actual fact. The danger is ofcourse, does him appearng on course with alcohol in his blood, in anyway, whther small or large impair his ability to drive. Well i know, back in the day when training gallopers and having to do trackwork the next day, from a big night out, even though i felt sober, i was tired, lethargic and it no doubt hindered me, compared to normal duty, asleep early, awake at 3 and gettting stuck in. Im not saying this is Blair, however we can not be absolutely certain through these actions he wasnt in anyway impaired. So then with that being said, what if the unthinkable happened, and he caused a major accident, because those split second decisions you have to make during a race, his ability to think quickly was compromised. These are all what ifs, but if he was completely sober, and had no alcohol in his system, then there are no what ifs, there is no doubt, and there is no possibility than an accident can be blamed on a night out on the piss the day before the races. FFS, this is a professional sport, drivers are deemed professional athletes, and are paid by the punters and owners alike to carry out a duty, which requires them to present on raceday free from alcohol it is as simple as that.

I am starting to think, that in actual fact, the restriction is mental, as opposed to with the tab. You still condone, that in a professional arena, it is ok for a driver, regardless of the amount, to present on course with alcohol in his blood. Unbelievable. He on some occasions has been incompetent, by turning up to the races with Alcohol in his system. Whilst you ASSUME it would not hinder him, you simply dont know and can not be certain. His actions were incompetent. You would be happy if Lewis Hamilton turned up with alcohol in his system?

Snap, very very good horse in the early 90s. won group 1s from 12 to 2400. Whilst her big wins were in NZ, she won a group 3 mile in Australia, and had a couple of placings in some group 1s over there, Aus never saw the best of her. But perhaps the most versatile mare in my recollection. Was a boom 2 year old, ran them ragged. Then could win the oaks, and come back and win further races over sprints to the mile.

thats why i thought melbourne cup this year before someone said the target was the Arc. How good did she settle on Saturday. Best ive seen her in a while. I think she could be in for her best year.

My 5 cents. Whilst the track at Riccarton presented better than the last couple of meetings, as the South Islands premier track, it is letting all participants down. Prior to the last meeting, the track, its presentation and bias is completely unacceptable. It leaves little confidence when you dont know if their is going to be a bias, or you have a firm tracker, drawn the rail, and its stuck in heavy conditions, but 5-6 lanes wider out, you have a good 3. an exaggeration but you get my drift. For a premier course, its not acceptable. However what I am truly sick of, and i believe this is absolutely fucking our tracks is the constant irrigation and light watering. We did this to copy Australia, and to try and start summer meetings on a dead track with it improving. Prior to this, we didnt irrigate the fuck out of our tracks, and I believe they stacked up better. In the summer, i want a good track, not dead, let mother nature decide. Some horses I use to race wanted a hard track. Why we have this obsession of having to start a race meeting as dead baffles me, and seems more often than not to lead to issues with the fairness of the track. I dont have the stats, but if i recall when i was racing horses in the 80s and 90s, when we didnt water the shit out of tracks, when tracks could be firm, it seemed racing was better. I dont seem to recall an abundance of cancellations de to slippery conditions, tracks raced well in winter, and recovered well for summer.

lol yup, he was serving Clydesdales at one point and you could get a free service out of him, then he had a little run which got him some traction. Was it a horse called Survived? got the ball rolling for him along with a couple of other handy horses.

oh wow, well thats something else, and makes her season all the more interesting. bring it on i say. Who ever would have thought the stallion Zed would have the impact he did. I remember sending 2 mares to him when his service fee was $500

yea shes exciting, shes just got that champion turn of foot in staying races, and how well did she relax in that race. Melbourne cup is looking good surely

your not just a oxygen thief, but you are a shit tipster aswell. waste of space. money for jam that race, you beauty.

thomas, ive never been involved with harness other than the odd bet, and had the odd dealings with a few trainers, but i have no skin in that game, just thoroughbreds. some of you are showing just how little you know. Horace, can you cite the example by naming the horse or jockey in question? because it would take an almighty effort to draw blood from a horse with the whip. Chief, I strongly disagree with this forum and the continued implication Opie is a cheat by a couple on here. It is unfounded, and unfair. Yes Opie may have struck his mount more than the allowed amount, but this doesnt make him a cheat, I know Opie, as do many others on here, ffs dont allow this absolute fuckwit to keep this shit going. I am starting to take real issue with this site, and the mis information, and the fabrication of information by Thomass, is poorly representing its participants and this industry. You must surely question the benefit of having this idiot on here. You are allowing this absolute buffoon to make your site look foolish, and this looses all credibility with the absolute nonsense you allow this person to post. What if, people actually believe his ramblings, how are you and your site doing a service to this industry, by allowing him to submit information on this website that is factually incorrect and derogatory to this industry and its participants.

were is your evidence on the 3 length faster? We have had Opie ride many times, not a cheat at all. Overuse of the whip does not define him as a cheat. You should be more carefull with your words. Walkers situation is entirely different to Opie and not even in the same bracket, it is quite unfair on Opie to be compared in this way Thomas. but who in NZ, what trainers or owners have said a whip makes a horse 3 length faster. I have had some decent chats over the years with a few decent trainers, I had massive massive respect for the late Mr Mckee who would give time to anyone that wanted it, and have never heard any trainer imply something like this. Yes it might help with piloting, focus, driving that last couple of hundred if your horse is on the lazy side, but not make them faster. Its like your theory on blinkers. please back it up with actual evidence, if you have it ill read it, but you have provided nothing of any substance. i think it is wrong also that there is a thread discrediting opie on this sight without any reasonable justification for it

there are many trainers that take a hands on approach. It is not just management. So you think that anyone can do what Chris Waller has achieved, from nothing but a couple of rags ten years ago to what he has built now? Or Jamie Richards and the success he is getting through Te Akau? Or anyone can prime and have a horse perfectly set for the Melbourne cup and win 12 of them, legend Bart Cummings? that joker is just a manager, with no special skill set but somehow flukes it that many times. being able to judge based on your understanding with the horse what condition it is in, how fit he is, how you would best tune him for a race. Mr Mckee being able to have Sunline on her game in a few different countries against the best in the world, anyone can do that? Preparing your horse by riding your own trackwork. Anyone can do that cant they, ride your horses, using your lack of skill to set a horse for a race, bring able to judge pace in training, aswell as educating a horse. it is not your every day management job. Yes anyone can do it if they have the money, but its not a job you can just walk into, and be good at. the above equally applies to harness. however in my experience, and its quite an obvious consensus from those in the game that thoroughbreds are generally far more highly strung and are a harder animal to work with, mentally, and physically for e.g. the feet and being much softer to their standardbred counterpart.

i was going to write for you just a small handfull of things associated with training, but then i was in the midst of writing you a novel or a bible. I truly admire trainers, from both codes, because it is long hard hours, for often little reward. It is 7 days, all year round, for bugger all money for most. On top of this, caring and managing the horse, teaching your horse e,g, swimming, 3/4 pace, retraint, running with others, not shying etc etc studying your horse, what makes it tick managing staff managing owners property maintenance breaking in shoeing and then ofcourse further to the point, training. i have taken some to the beach, then some to track, and you pay mega bucks in track fees for an absolute shit surface most of the time. i could go on and on. you have to understand the pressure at times on a trainer is intense, truly intense, with livestock worth mega money, theres alot of pressure knowing our responsible for a 30k filly there, a 1ook geling there, and trying to manage those expecations of the owner, and understanding the horse you are dealing with, their idiosyncrasies, and determing a training regime that you think will bring the best out of the horse. Rogie wouldnt give you the time of day talking the shit you have on here. If it is as easy as you say on here, how are you qualified to say this?

i thought already you were a dipstick, but jesus, you really are a special person. you keep believing that, anyone can train a galloper. they are easy. managing staff, everything involved from working the animals, to raceday, its all easy you are a special idiot

ok, but that is a different issue, im not changing goal posts to suit my argument. on your last point, then what you are saying is that it is ok to have a alcohol reading above zero as a driver. We are on 2 different planets Brodie. im gratefull you do not run what is already a bit of a shit show. so would you be ok with the player from the all blacks having a beer before the game? i bet the sponsors and the fans would love that. you would be ok with a jockey riding under the influence, its ok for harness then why not? i mean for fuck sake, you want harness to be a sport that shows integrity and prioritizes safety of its participants, this leads to a more widely respected industry, and you see this shit. yes, even sportsman, of all sorts, drivers are entitled to the same civil liberties as anyone else, but when it enters the professional domain, and you are paid to perform a duty, and you rightfully give up your civil liberties in accordance with a contract that restricts you to not performing your duty with a alcohol reading, as Blair knows and would have agreed to. There is no point in defending the indefensible. i give up on this conversation now.

Because Chief he is media, he doesnt have to, and it is to write whatever is out there that will attract attention, that is his job after all. And, all he is doing is writing about the actions of on goings that seem to keep on recurring within this industry. He is not to blame, the industry keeps giving him these stories to write after all. All the media are selective with what they choose to write. when it comes to a professional arena, you have to distinguish societal standards to that of a professional environment. Regardless of whether he was legally aloud to drive a car, 1. he knew the rules 2. he is driving, in arguably a dangerous sport, you can not factually determine in anyway that any level of alcohol reading above zero, how that may impair in anyway Blair compared to being entirely sober rules are rules. and are consistent with other professional and corporate environments, businesses and sports. additionally you have a safety issue, and set a dangerous precedent to then determine what level of alcohol is then permissible for a driver to be ok to drive race day. your coming across in your recent posts as an intelligent form or type of Brodie regarding this

well that post must be an early contender for BOAY'S dipstick post for the year. unbelievable. i know why now the tab restricts you. you incompetence and stupidity levels are too much for the tab to deal with. good day

actually, i think your reply here is extraordinarily dumb. how do you know his level of impairment is not compromised . you do not know how it impacted him, you can not back this up with any fact or evidence to say it did not in anyway impair him regardless of reading. We do know for a fact is that Alcohol impairs people. It affects their ability to make quick decisions, and it affects your ability to think as quickly compared to some, and to be safe. It is absolutely proven alcohol, across various degrees of limits above zero. Please FFS dont make me have to come back and go down the scientific route, or send you information of the effects of alcohol, i hope you are atleast mildly smart enough to agree with that. Im not trying to come across as a know all. Just theres no 2 ways about it. Regardless of the limit, or how much alcohol one consumes, it has the ability to impair your judgement. Simple. and that is a risk in a race setting. and with your logic, harness already has a reputation for cheats on seats, you want the next line to be piss heads on seats? FFS is this not meant to be a professional sport? and ofcourse they are being targeted. No different to any professional sport. If you are known to have past indiscretions, in any sport, you are more prone to being checked/targeted. That is no different to anywere else and absolutely makes sense. your quote, You stated he could be tired, maybe he was and maybe some of the other drivers were also tired but are they tested by a sleepometer? this was mentioned as a side effect to the drinking. Naturally after a night on the piss, and the body sobering up, for most people, they would be a little more tired than usual, ad ofcourse could possibly hinder his ability to drive. If you read my reply it was one of a few examples as to how his ability to drive on that day could be compromised via his actions. think about it brodie.

that is your opinion you can not back this up with fact. he may not have been overly impaired with alcohol, but what about his state of mind, the fact he may not have had a lot of sleep. perhaps he was not intoxicated, but could his judgement as a result of drinking been impaired, his timing, his ability to rigorously drive a horse if needed, his ability to make a split decision mid race, could he have been more tired than normal and perhaps be a percentage less to his peak when driving. if my auntie had balls she could be my uncle shit stick to facts, its undisputable. not defend with opinions and what you think, it has no merit or substance. FFS its a professional sport, with one of our leading drivers. He should have known better. im an orange fan, but he quite rightly was not permitted to the track