Fred

Are you just plain thick ?

So you get a race that has 6 horses that normally lead -there will be some of them change their tactics , usually after the start has been made. Most times I give jockeys instructions they end up not meeting them -not their fault, its just what happens.

Te Akau's David EllisThe nick name of course comes from his style of bidding -winking at the auctioneer rather than waving a catalogue or putting a hand up.

Was sure busy at the sales last night -bought 12 of the 70 sold. If he keeps up that rate it would be 80 odd from the first session. Perhaps he thought there was value early on. Most notable was the absence of many Australian trainers that used to feature.

Your costs are a bit light -agistment for 8 months to be added plus another insurance bill this week , trial fees & transport, attendants fees and transport, holiday surcharges .....syndicate fees ?

Looking at his record it appears he has always been a delicate proposition.

You are quite right Thomas

Of course there was a time when Pitty was himself a purely Australian trainer -about the same time the famous Gabriel Marie was training in NZ.

Quite correct Curious- but after owning hundreds of horses and employing dozens of trainers the guessing is getting better.....

You look at their record-the basis of all punting

Anyone with basic racing knowledge knows that SOME horses favour SOME tracks. It may be hard to fathom why but in respect of Wanganui and Rotorua [and others] it may be to do with ground composition .I can recall one horse that was unbeatable when humidity was close to 100%, other than that it was not much cop.They all have their little quirks or foibles, especially track conditions -when you hear someone say that the track will suit all runners they are talking through a hole in their hat.

I agree with Freda and must admit I enjoy many of the Thomas posts -sometimes he is way ott, but he has a good sense of humour most of the time. His punting observations are pretty right and Curious should stop baiting him over things like blinkers [Curious knows full well the advantages of blinkers but pretends to be dumb] Yes, he is a bit like Colin , knows his stuff but not how to put things politely.Those who feel they are offended by the cut and thrust of a racing site should either get a life or take up macramé. Compared with the grubslinger on another site Thomas is [almost] angelic.

The fast times are usually set on a track with a bit of give in it -not on concrete like going. Trentham and Riccarton are conducive to fast times over 1200m because of the track lay out.

I notice the speed maps on trackside for Trentham are also the wrong way round ! That is the number 1 draw is on the right hand side and the outside draw against the rail.

Prior to being the jilted lover in the T A arson affair

No Thomas -she was in stall one which was the outside one -the numbers on the stalls were effectively back to front because it was a right handed track

I think you will find she drew one and was in one -just the gates were numbered the wrong way for a RH track

Mandy Hawkins jockey who, oops, another engagement not fulfilled.......

Well Thomas there is a bit of a theory that Trudes gets 'picked on'. An old bloke like you will remember when she and little Mandy had a little tiff in the stewards room and continued the discussion in the ladies room -poor Mandy was unable to fulfil her engagements. Being fair minded the stipes chucked both out for a few months -probably until the weather cooled also....

Not Opies fault -sudden shy by the horse and unavoidable interference.

It is plain silly for clubs to not receive the same amounts for on course and off course betting. People are betting on their programme and their domicile should not come into it. The original idea was to boost on course attendances and get folk involved in the industry but that idea went down the drain when competition between clubs was wiped out and what was an important day for the local population became a ho-hum mid week yawn. Unless 'grass roots' racing and competition between clubs is restored we are galloping into the sunset.

The new tie up stalls at Ellerslie are a vast improvement and there is also a 'hole in the wall' where stable staff who are stuck there all day can grab a bit to eat and a drink. Trouble is, a soft drink can costs $5 -yep, the same can that a supermarket retails for 50c. ffs Ellerslie, these are workers , not viaduct playabouts.

Out for eight days for whipping Are the stipes getting serious ? It's probably time , go back 25 years or so and the maximum fine for whip use was increased to $2500 and nothing happened to reduce the offending and the fines were minor. I note D Danis , an apprentice copped a $500 fine the other day and that seemed harsh compared with mere warnings being dished out. . 8 days could equate to $10,000 in lost earnings for a decent jockey like Trudi, one wonders if she has been singled out for her habit of calling a spade a shovel or if we will now see similar penalties for similar offences. I'll get Thommo on the job of checking

It's school holidays and even the janitor has a break -last spotted at Muriwai but likely to show up at the tennis if Serena is a starter

Once a beer keg exploded in the Garden Bar -saturated a group of us. Matamata club covered the dry cleaning etc. Was a day or so back , probably the day Yeman tried steeplechasing.