Mark D

So according to this article Shane Jones reckons AWTs will address horse welfare concerns - Sorry Shane you're wrong again it will make them worse https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/11-08-2020/the-sorry-stench-of-nz-firsts-horse-race-politics/

Feel much the same about the ubiquitous "the shark" selections shown on Trackside. Clearly not one person and no way of knowing if they have any special knowledge to impart. At least when you know whent it's Aidan, Bevan or Pops know they haven't.

Ok apologies to Andre I thought he was still doing his on course stuff for the TAB which I thought was a bit strange given that they've given up on on-course

An observation that the TAB's cost cutting has not been made on an objective basis. I notice on TV today that Andre Neill is still doing his on track stuff at Matamata - I thought all contractors were gone? Then we have bookmaker Stephen Hunt still commenting on Trackside - I thought that all the bookmaking had been contracted out so why is he still there? Nothing against those guys personally - they are far from the worst - but it screams out favouritism.

Have you got a new starter there Freda? I agree they didn't seem very good yesterday

Not owners/trainers? 50 maybe

That reconstruction hasn't done much. No racing for months and the first meeting back they're hugging the outside rail - same as Riccarton was. That's why we need AWTs you say - not in my opinion but you'd get about the same number of people watching tho

Well it's certainly giving me the shits

And then I see a facebook post where "love racing" got the name of the horse wrong. Said Bruno Kelly was the winner when it was Super Flash. We're in an incompetence pandemic

So the same old production staff is still there - Maria Sanson rides her first winner and only have to stay with her for a few seconds to see her salute th judge but no we have to go to Flemington where we are 2-3 minutes away from a start. Pathetic

Aidan and Brendan appear on screen crammed into the outhouse again and I laugh for a full 20 seconds. Priceless.

Also calls into question, not for the first time, of the dubious transaction benefiting "related parties" in establishing the palatial TV studios in Stanley St.

Employee not a contractor. Although I have always found him one of the best.

I must admit that watching the races on Trackside most of the time the sound is muted except for the actual races - I prefer to listen to music. But in the past I have always tuned in to Canterbury and Otago/Southland pre race presntations as it provides good local knowledge and the presenters, Greg, Jason, Davey and the rest of the gang were worth listening to. So I decided to tune in and what do we get Brendan and Aidan babbling on about fields and horses that they obviously know nothing about even though they clearly would have done their research on. (Plus when I saw them on screen they looked like they were squeezed into someone's outhouse and I thought I'd have to get a wider screen). Not for me. Call me negative but I know what I like and what works. Don't blame Brendan or Aidan but clearly the place is being run on a shoestring and it shows. They would probably arging that they are doing "more with less". But that is a crock and all you do with less is less.

So it would seem that this lot is not good at keeping promises and recognising loyalty - see page 3 https://mcusercontent.com/0f03ffa2a8f2b4c50efcd3f82/files/89e098c1-24bf-4108-b5e1-d4870224275f/June_25.pdf

So I come home from work and George Simon is doing the dogs (too much of a good thing) and Aidan in the studio crossing to Bevan after a race at Whanganui which is something that we didn't need in the past, and don't need now or ever

Pat Comerford - think he came from the Northern Terriority

So Greg O'Connor is gone - our best presenter across the codes and country - and a couple of others I liked, Jason Teaz and Dave McDonald. So who are we left with? The deadwood?

Yip and I don't

No radio and newspaper form spring to mind

As the account dwindles am I willing to brave the cold and wet and make a deposit to back an organisation who has shat on me from a great height for the last 10 years and with increased intensity in the last few months? Currently I think not. (note: an internet bank transfer usually takes 3 hours to come through but is not available on the weekend)

IMO Rather than waste time and energy fighting a battle they were unlikely to win, the committee is concentrating on making the best of an opportunity to shift their annual meeting to the Hastings racecourse. When the provisional dates for the 2020-21 season were released last month, Makaraka was among the 10 tracks not included in the schedule. The PBTC committee quickly decided that it was more sensible to embrace change than oppose it and has already had a meeting with Hawke’s Bay Racing chief executive Darin Balcombe.

Truly a sad day. Also truly sad that Tim Barton should write such toady BS https://loveracing.nz/News/30414/ThePovertyBayTurfClubmakeavitalshift.aspx?utm_content=bufferf6f82&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwAR3yIwulwrpajT46MU2IYxl56PBcEk97HjJLI4Irve7zE9H0VCUY-UMoodE

And Editor of Bloodhorse which may have gone under before being resurrected? Not sure he should be advising anyone on tracks - spent quite a bit doing up Awapuni back in the day but it only lasted a year or so because lack of proper maintenance. I think there were more to blame for the land development debacle eg Sargent and co but they all disappeared.

But its just another example of the TAB "dissing" their loyal longstanding customers. They're competing for MY discretionary dollar but expect me to change to fit THEIR needs.