nomates

Had it on for 30mins going to and from Otaki races , MEH , not going to help increase turnover but better than nothing when in the car . Can't see the point to not broadcasting races before 1pm , but about sums up NZ racing , it's racing but not as we know it . Love the fact that when the industry is battling for dollars the TAB can give the announcers 1k to punt with every Saturday , i know it's only a drop in the ocean , well pond in our case , but it just doesn't sit right with me , not in the current climate .

Have a couple of days off then repeat , i know it's tough being blindingly positive but believe me when you get it it will be NIRVANA , and you will be wondering why it took you so long to get on board . And the great thing is you will then be able to read and fully understand the positive ones rantings , life doesn't get better . Well Ok yes it does .

Yep running every fortnight right thru till mid October , so plenty of time to se how numbers hold up . The one interesting thing i'm waiting on is a wet track , been very lucky with the weather so far , i would like to see how it plays on a very wet day .

Not so bad paid now , as i said the good ones have woken up to the situation and are really looking after staff to ensure they stay , but a lot of young people don't get into the industry because parents or friends of parents have been in the industry and have told kids and their friends not to touch us . I could tell plenty of stories of all the abuses i have seen , some tried on me but i didn't take the shit , would just walk if they didn't change . Unfortunately a lot of the kids are too scared to stick up for themselves . Saying that i've seen the same in other businesses so racing isn't alone , become self employed , can give yourself shit and tell yourself to F Off with no repercussions

So perhaps the shine is wearing off , only 7 races programmed again and the nom's not big enough to split any , which was a regular situation a couple of meetings back , only 6 for the 65 sprint again . Perhaps a lull before the new season .

Mate they don't like the long hours , especially in the season . To some degree some have brought it on themselves but the younger generation aren't grafters . Westbury Stud have started 40 hour contracts , with overtime provisions etc , because they were struggling to keep staff . Now stables i have no sympathy for , they have abused the privilege of hard working staff for decades , the good ones have now woken up to the issue and look after their staff far better , but the ship has sailed .

The stallion handling especially is a specialist position , having handled stallions myself you need to know what your doing when dealing with stallions during the breeding season , i knew plenty of good horsemen who said they wouldn't even consider trying to handle a stallion during a service . The very reason i don't bother anymore , gave up getting to the track to find rider hadn't turned up or was late , that was after dealing with the fact that most weren't that good , but needs must at the time . As for BS doing a survey , well as usual well off the speed , bloody season officially starts on Sunday , this should have been organized months ago .

So i see another of our top 3yo fillies has left our shores , Atishu , a late season star has been xfered to C Waller , trialing on Friday in Sydney . Will we have any good 3yo's able to step up and fill the better races later in the new season . Getting scary .

Yeah , every word , not . Well if we're relying purely on racing turnover to fund racing then we're F@#ked .

Well i don't see the point of the TAB doing , their job is to gain revenue for racing , taking betting on other sports purely for them isn't their brief . And why would they take betting on sports that don't have a national body , who's negotiating and signing off on contracts for those sports . The TAB will surely be taking a bigger slice of each dollar invested on sport otherwise pointless . But i'm sure there is someone who will put us straight .

Not sure of the cuts but i don't believe that each sport gets all profits from any investments on their sport , this is why they push sports betting so much , it's profits get put back towards subsidizing the 3 codes . Don't know all the specifics but racing certainly profits from sports betting .

I think the Olympics will be helping this fortnights sub's .

If you were a positive person you wouldn't even have to ask that question , it is a given . Now go back to your studies , and no more silly questions .

Can you please remember to return it to the positive one when you feel you have attained enlightenment .

It is interesting , only 6 in the 65 sprint . It is the big opening bash so i would have thought they would have wanted to showcase it with more than 7 races . Perhaps they were expecting more nom's so they could split , which has been the case for the previous meetings . The interesting thing for me was the lack of new blood trying the track , there has been plenty at the trials . I have always said it is a specialist surface , very few horses will perform on it and wet grass tracks , there are the odd exceptions .

Bureaucrats sitting in darkened rooms that know SFA about the issue are making these decisions . I was told at my last warrant on my old ute that has basically passed every warrant for the passed 10 years bar the usual wear and tear , will fail until i get a rear tail light cover without the crack that it presently has , doesn't leak , which is the standard for fitness , but the mechanics at the testing station are pulling their hair out . They have told the suits that it is not a safety issue , but the suits won't listen . It's the bureaucracy trying to get older , even safer , vehicles off the road . I cannot for the life of me get a replacement part , same when i had to get a new steering wheel , 30yr old ute , now got a little sport steering wheel .

But is it's demise going to be by supply and demand when policy is what is restricting the success of the coast circuit . If they get their way and you guys go and what is left is as precarious as you suggest what trainer from far afield is going to risk the trip , if they don't come how long till a large proportion of the locals give up , even if you guys exist for many more years as i said horse supply , hence racing stock , is becoming thin on the ground , even in established areas such as the CD . Even the Xmas /New Year circuit in the CD is becoming skinnier by the season . My worry as i stated is i see no plans or ideas to stymie the decline of racing stock , how long till only maybe 10/15% of horses bred are left to race in NZ , could well see racing down to 1/2 meetings a week , nationwide . This will be poo poo'd and called negative by some but the figures don't lie .

It is inevitable that the coast will go , trainers wont travel there unless there is a proper circuit , as Huey says , it is their end game . The way it's going numbers wise we will be lucky if there is racing in 25 years , look at the nom's for Saturday , simply the worst field i have seen for the Rotorua cup with a top weight rated at 84 , plus the nom's for the open races at both meetings small as well as the Ryder stakes . And with all the positivity in the world i can't see that they have a solution to stem the decline far less improve the numbers . And studs have to take their share of the blame here , the costs associated with breeding a foal are just getting ridiculous , when put alongside the stakes the figures just don't add up , something has to give . Everybody is clipping the ticket .

And they are all tight with Castles , dominos are falling into place at NZTR . I do know that A Sharrock isn't happy with current direction of NZ racing so hopefully his brother is coming to him for some coalface ideas .

Perhaps you could ask some pertinent questions around the local traps if you get a chance .

Thomas is just " a ghost in the machine " now , appears randomly and unannounced . You will only know he's been by his emoji . We have talked to Bill Murray and he is putting his team together and will be here as soon as the bubble is burst .

If the CJC sell it , which they will , shouldn't the money go into the NZTR bank ? , for the betterment of the industry , after all , all tracks are "owned " by the industry aren't they . If it doesn't go into the industry fund wouldn't that be setting a precedent for other clubs to say " fine we will sell it but we are keeping the money as well " .

Obviously they are making too much money , closed betting on the Oamaru cup on official start time , took over another minute before they jumped , a lot of money goes on in the last minute before a race jumps so they have cost themselves . Again .

Foxton was the same Aqua , always drew a good crowd , on a fine Queens Birthday for Castletown day the place was packed , these were the days that racing WAS about .

Add Foxton to that list , i'm sure there are others .