nomates

The problem is that many good racing people haven't sat back , they have tried plenty , over many years . They fight or ignore or pay lip service to people who have had a great deal of on the ground experience . I myself have had battles over the years , they just think that they know better and everyone else is an uneducated pleb , unless you are one of the wealthy ones or part of the group . Good luck to you if you go ahead with the project , who knows someone might listen .

Completely concur , their dye is cast , serious racing in NZ ( now there's an oxymoron ) will start above Taupo . The chief will be happy because Ruakaka is north of Taupo but unfortunately north of Taupo will stop at Ellerslie .

Don't waste your time Reefton , they have a plan and it doesn't include improving SI or CD racing , they are only building an A/W at Riccarton and Awapuni as it was free money so cost them nothing and it made it look like they were doing something . The Messara Report was another smoke screen , they have basically used it as toilet paper .

Forget about them fixing SI 2yo racing , the CD is not a lot better , they simply don't care . They would happily see the SI become the backwater that 2nd rate horses go to continue a struggling career , and the CD is is on the way to joining it .

Sorry for the triple post , kept returning as if not posted , you can remove a couple if you wish CS .

No , never , wash your mouth out . Add the other supposed NZ Metropolitan tracks to that list .

No , never , wash your mouth out . Add the other supposed NZ Metropolitan tracks to that list .

No , never , wash your mouth out . Add the other supposed NZ Metropolitan tracks to that list .

Been saying it for years , do it now when the money for the land would set NZ racing up for the foreseeable future .

2 paragraphs , 1st on building north of Foxton , 2nd talking about Ellerslie and Waikato ending with where would you spend your dosh , your the one that quoted me from the 2nd paragraph , nothing to do with Foxton .

No , somewhere north of Taupo , keep up . You asked where i would spend my dosh , which was the same paragraph as the Ellerslie and Waikato subject , 2 and 2 .

Did you miss the first part of the paragraph ?

I've written small articles on this topic on here , sell and rebuild north of Foxton , sell Awapuni as well , they are both worth a small fortune and would cover a large portion if not all of the project . Future proofs the CD industry but they aren't worried about the future in the CD , said it earlier 5-10 years all major racing will be north of Taupo . Strathayr at Ellerslie and the if the Greenfields happens in the Waikato Strathayr there also , sorted , 70-80% of racing on these 2 tracks and the rest playing support roles , as for the rest of the country , well if they can keep enough owners ploughing money into horses these areas maybe they can sustain some sort of racing , but really if you want to race a horse with money and tracks there would be only one place i would be spending my dosh .

I don't know who the track manager is or what his experience , maybe he's an ex jock or trainer who needs a job , seems to be happening more and more , D Bradley at Foxton and H Mathews is now doing Otaki , both good blokes and both good at their respective careers but track maintenance isn't a sideline or fallback option . We used to have a national track manager who seemed to be at odds with a large portion of tracks around the country and never gave anybody confidence that he knew what he was doing . Why can't employ someone with career knowledge and experience on the topic who can guide the inexperienced or lesser competent track managers , being saying this for years but it seems the one position they have never given serious credence to .

I was , couldn't sleep so was up and about , i could have gone down and done a track inspection with my post hole spade .

This is nothing more than a tick off the KPI boxes . BS is just hoping that it takes long enough so that he can get his shit outa the country before the report comes back , hospital pass to the next WOFTAM that replaces him . Really , WTF are they going to do if it comes back that the soil structure is completely fecked , which we already know , it's never going to undergo a full track replacement , so what then . If the northern cartel decide that they are not risking the travel because they distrust the track , where then . Sell it , move on .

Most group races in NZ are dominated by northern stables hence why eventually the call to base the vast majority of those top races up there will become louder , makes sense when you see how weak the rest of the country is . The Coupland's mile , the NZ cup and the Metrop , the G2 race for mares on the Wednesday , all poor and deficient in strong northern horses at the cup meeting and they were poor races , outside of the 2 Guineas the rest of the meeting was pretty ho hum . As for the 2yo's in the CD , the 3 that missed a run today now have to travel north , they along with any other 2yo in CD hoping to make the Karaka 2yo now only have the 2yo 1100 mtr race at Awapuni in 2 weeks to qualify via a CD race before the karaka race , nothing else programmed for the CD in the 5 weeks leading up to the big race . About sums up the attitude towards the chances of any CD hopeful . Plus those 2yo's that were headed to the 40k 2yo at Te Rapa next week have now been shunted , oh that's right they have a 1000mtr race for 12k programmed for them 4 days later , happy days . Whatever was looking to qualify via Te Rapa now has to win at Pukekohe to guarantee themselves a start without having to going back to the races . Sometimes they get forgetful and even shaft the northerners .

My take on today for what it's worth . Firstly nothing has changed , we have been seeing meetings abandoned for unsafe surfaces for many years and yet no major track refurbishments have ever been undertaken , mere tinkering . The establishment of A/W tracks will not resolve a situation such as todays because we don't know the track is dangerous until racing has commenced , so the first big lie that they perpetrated about A/W's has been laid bare , A/W's will never stop us having abandonments , and therefor save the industry lost revenue , how much was lost today ? Secondly for me , today's abandonment and subsequent xfer of 2 Group races to Te Rapa next week is a window into the future , CENTRALISATION , as in all major racing in the North . The reason these races were moved to Te Rapa is because if they had been put on at Awapuni next week the fields would have been decimated , the northern trainers simply wouldn't travel their horses down to the CD twice in a week . So how long till they say " well wait a minute all the good horses are up here , why are we doing all this travelling ? " , even more so with the huge upgrade in stakes with the new ATC . Then how long till the Guineas races are xfered north , it has been a point of serious discussion for a number of years , nearly happened this year . They say all the best horses in these races come from the north what's the point in travelling all that way with young horses . How long till the calendar and best races are programmed to suit northern trainers and BIG owners . Have your guineas CRC they will say , we will just put on a Great Northern Guineas and the horses will stay home . CD racing is dying , numbers are poor on the whole and decreasing , and whilst numbers in the south are strong , overall quality is poor , and i'm not just knocking SI racing for the sake of it , they still produce some good horses but they are few and far between , and i mean group quality , and along with the quality of horses the riding is of a very poor standard . It is what it is . I'm not suggesting that they are trying to kill off racing in these districts , but they will be happy for them to play a very secondary roll in the overall picture of NZ racing . Will it work for the overall betterment of NZ racing , i don't know , i would suggest no one knows but it's what they want . So while today is hugely disappointing for us hard core supporters and the local participants , i believe those with the real power and say in the direction of NZ racing wont be crying , more power to them . How long till this becomes reality , how long is a piece of string , i would think sooner than later , maybe 5-10 years . This is just my take on it , i try not to get too involved in these discussions these days , here or in other spheres , as being so passionate i get very frustrated and emotional and i find it detrimental , i'm not alone in feeling this way , many people that i have known to be passionately involved have drawn back because it gets them so upset . It saddens me greatly . Good luck to you all .

Ex NZ mare Belle Plasier is in R5 at Cranbourne today , has had 2 starts in Aus for 2 cracking runs , this mare grows another leg when track are rain affected and she gets a heavy track today , already in from 14's to 7.5 . Going to be a tuff day with the rain coming in at both Tauranga and Riccarton . One horse that was mentioned in a thread a few weeks ago , Saignon Hot Nights is is the last at Riccarton , will appreciate the rain , at 51's could be worth a gold coin . I like Madame du Soir in the cup , goes on any surface and form is on the improve and should have no issue with the distance , good race last week so at 17's i'll have a little bit on her . Going for And We Danced for an upset in the fillies race , rain shouldn't be an issue and she is shortening in the betting , and should be vastly improved after her first up run . Imperatriz will be tough tho , seen her win at Otaki last year on a heavy track so she should be fine with rain . Good luck .

The TAB are getting exactly what they want , they think this is what keeps punters engaged . Airy fairy describes the management of NZ racing and gambling administration .

Go look thru the stipes report for the last 8/9 days , plenty of jocks still don't follow the rules , plenty fined and i think 1 got a double suspension . Slow learners . But S Wynne is a very average rider , but considered one of the better ones down south , how bad does that make the rest .

Your a bit like me at the moment , a poison chalice , i only back to win and had 6 seconds today . It's been like walking in treacle at the moment .

At the moment he is the best in Aus , the ride on Zaaki was fantastic , horse a little bit fresh with a month between runs , and was a little keen the whole way but JMac got the balance perfect , just fast enough to keep the horse happy whilst keeping something in reserve , beautiful hands . New record for winners over the carnival , 10 , great achievement . Could he be the best ever , maybe , but certainly at the moment IMO he is at the top of the tree in Aus .

Good try , they're not going to take the foot off the throat of Australian racing just to let you guys win a bit more . As for Gammalite , god old enough to remember him , don't follow it too close now but back when i was younger loved the sport .

Good to know Aussies can do something right .