Mark D

A minute of so of it - squirming, waffling corporate/politican speak by Dean. Paper going to Cabinet where I suspect their wish list will be rejected (quite rightly IMO) and then Winnie will say "I did my best but parochialism prevailed" (quite wrongly) in my opinion)

Don't watch the show much but I've always found Sheldon very good - one bad habit he developed though (started many years ago when he was No.1 presenter on Trackside) is gazing past whoever he is interviewing or past the camera. Gives off a pompous vibe.

It is not aimed at those who can afford it. Probably no different but that doesn't make it right

So for a while now I have been willingly been taking part in TAB promotions like the Match 3 and "top up account with $20 and get $10 free" and while I would have much preferred a points rewards programme they've been OK. But a few days ago I thought I'd won a $5 account deposit from playing their Match 3 promotion but I was told that it was now a bonus bet to be spent in one go - fixed odds only. The same applies to make a single deposit of $30 or more (up from $20) and get a $20 Bonus Bet. I am, to a large degree, a tote punter which is the type of betting which gives the TAB and industry the best return. Except for the odd sports multi I don't take fixed odds. I am also a punter who bets in small amounts but turns over multiple bets in a days betting (or I used to - my turnover has decreased markedly recently - in the main due to the dog). This is of more benefit to the TAB and the industry. Therefore I believe this is a stupid strategy by the TAB but that should not shock anyone. So I've withdrawn from their promotions and my betting in the future will be at an absolute minimum - just when something spikes my interest. Finally I believe that it is a bad promotion from an ethical standpoint - the TAB is hoping to lull punters into making bigger bets when they can't afford to. I realise they are desperately trying to recoup their massive losses but you have to draw the line somewhere.

Still takes ages for the result to come up tho

Hit "expand all"

Bigger crowd here https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/111160232/near-record-crowds-attend-the-castlepoint-beach-races

Not tuff just a realist and they used to get 4 good bites of the cherry over Xmas. Now they get 4 below par bites over a 3 month period. Be great to see that infield fill again. There's plenty of people in Dorkland over Xmas its bloated enough that even a mass migration of the few hob nobs doesn't make any difference. Corporate marquees might be up but everything else is down. Racing can't surivive just on the cream

No doubt they will blame the weather and I didn't see any of the coverage but no doubt it was a small crowd - for a big day. Weather isn't their problem - Derby and Cup in March just hasn't worked. Shift them back to Boxing Day and New Years Day and try to recapture some of the magic before its too late. Xmas time is NZ's best racing time - don't try and compete with Oz in march/April

Just like he would have pronounced it

Certainly preferable to listening to Cameron Shaw sqawking like a demented hen.

Yip hear her late in the evening/night when they switch to Sky Sports Radio. Sounds more accomplished - better production I suspect

Agree. Unfortunately you also have our Wacko Jacko and his "venue plan". #neverland

So can't find where they show the pools for win/place on the dogofasite but watching on screen when last shown they were about 140k/120k. Allow for some spirited late betting and you may have got 200k in each. OK these days a lot of betting goes on the FO and they may have won a bit of money there but there's still an almighty gulf between the stake contribution and the money earned. But yeah its money well spent. Yeah Right!

Yip I remember both when they were on their "real" days - everything was chocka including the infield. Only people on the infield today are the golfers - if they moved over to the stands they'd increase the crowd markedly

Woeful crowd, woeful TV production and the same woeful betting I suspect - but we need to keep subsidising the stakes on these big days? Let's all embrace change and do it it our way!!

So the Informant reports that the Waikato, Cambridge and Te Awamutu clubs have an agreement to get together to run a feasibility study on the Greenfields project - which I thought that Waikato had already done. It seems that the driving force for Cambridge at least is that they are busting at the seams. Seems a particularly expensive way to solve this problem and of course a misuse of general industry and taxpayer money to fix this. "Bloodstock expert" Michael Wallace opines in another piece that Waikato's original decision passes up a great opportunity for the benefit of "breeding and racing" in the Waikato and that (drum roll please) interested parties should "embrace change" or if not shouldn't shouldn't whinge or moan or seek financial support. I have dealt with Michael in the past and know him to be an astute judge of the thoroughbred but this is a facile argument which is misdirected. Those clubs who run the risk of losing their land, licences etc etc under the Messara report are not the ones who have been receiving the subsidies that he refers to. They do not cost other clubs any money. The ones who currently do Auckland, Waikato, Manawatu, Wellington etc etc will continue to be subsidised but from an every decreasing pool. It is parochialism but the parochialists are the ones in the mirror.

Yes Bill Birnie's appointment to the NZRB board has it seems hastened their progress to his specialty subject - bankruptcy. No doubt the same will apply to MAC

They're consistent in their inconsistency although they are also consistent in being consistently bad.

I thought I read a headline in the Informant last week (just peering at it in the TAB) that Waikato RC had pulled out of the Cambridge track, Geenfields call it what you want. Didn't surprise me in the least. Of course KFE is involved but as they say even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Just an attempt at humour Reefton - albeit a poor one. Anyone who has read my posts on here and previously on Racechat know that. I agree with you wholeheartedly. The "status quo is not an option" is an old trick reverted to when you have no argument.

Never liked Status Quo much anyway - more of a Deep Purple man myself

Exactly Bloke and the woeful decisions of RACE are still haunting them. Only escaped 5 minutes ago. Dark Beau is an eejit

Incompetence