Walt

haha....gotta keep seeing the before shots for Jenny Craig and just have efficient the guys are with their sandcastle buckets and spades. When I see some of the monster dog handlers waddling over to the boxes I feel confident they have very little to do with the fitness of the dog

What happens in the room impacts on more than just the owners, trainers and drivers. I feel every protest should automatically trigger cameras being switched on in the room. There are many reasons for a protest to be dismissed or upheld. Rather than reading about it the following day we should all be able to see and hear all evidence as it's presented by everyone involved. There has always been so much hidden from view surrounding protests. If the decisions made all have 100% merit and don't ever "favour" anyone why not let everyone see that? The people making the decisions are human beings not kings. What say you fellow bit of a yarners?

I don't see much of Jo Stevens but that is mostly related to my diminishing interest in Northern harness. What I have heard is very positive. Nigel Armstrong is Gold. His interviews have been the best addition to NZ Harness Racing I've seen for decades.

The pace being fierce is a mouth watering prospect. I hope you're right. My concern is a Purdon runner will walk them in front and nobody will risk cashing in their chips early by being left posted as it's unlikely another Purdon runner such as Merlin would hand up the parked position. He's won two good races recently from that position so has earned respect. Yes, the Purdon teams are racing each other but they are far more likely to bully a runner from a non family member than each other. I believe that to be factual. Blood is thicker than water and by that I don't mean to impugn the Purdon family who I have considerable respect for.

I also don't give a monkey's what the tipsters / presenters say on Trackside. Why would I if I have access to replays etc and have a functional brain to form my own conclusions? I will however tune in to a trainer being interviewed and try and interoperate what he has just said. Overall, I think Mark Purdon is a good judge so the mute button comes off when he's being interviewed and back on again when funeral director type personality Craig Thompson is doing his near worthless blurb. I'm not wagering at this time so aren't impacted by the cosmetic changes to Trackside. I will say that changing colour and font are important especially for older viewers. This is an area I hope they sought feedback from those most likely to be impacted? Customers matter. I also know several punters who only wager for a place and it seems the fixed odds place prices have now disappeared. That would seem a serious oversight if correct? As for Takaka weed and Nelson sun impacting on my thinking. We are several decades too late on that score

I learned a long time ago not to dismiss any runners in any race...but, having said that you like most others will have noticed something very familiar with the All Stars and Barry Purdon stable runners. This is especially so in elite races and even more so when they have enough runners to "CONTROL" the race. They better than all others know how to use their numerical advantage. Each one of their runners are very capable of winning the race even if they were the sole stable runner so when they have a huge numerical advantage it's virtually game over. No other stable has the luxury of moving early and not risk it being game over well before the home turn comes into view. The Purdon runners will quickly dominate the Grins. Probably inside the first quarter but definitely within the first half mile. They will have lead, trail, parked and likely one, one cover. They won't risk a non stable threat being gifted the passing lane to ruin the party. This is where musical chairs comes into play. After a few seasons it becomes predictable it's almost boring. The only possible hope South Coast Ardern could have is to be three back on the fence and hope the heavens open and the bigger guns have somehow spent their chips. Even if he drew one I'd still have him at 100-1. He can't lead. He'd get slaughtered. He won't be gifted the trail so he needs to draw one and then hope for a miracle. Even with that scenario, I'd still have him at 100-1. I would point out however that he ran only 0.7 slower than Merlin from a shocking draw. He'll be winning a worthwhile race soon enough but I doubt very much he'll be in the first 5 here. Better Eclipse is up against it big time. Not for me when you consider the Purdon runners and the dynamic that will inevitably unfold. Don't Stop Dreaming can lead, sit parked or swoop late. Merlin can lead and or sit parked. Self Assured can lead, sit parked or use the passing lane. Something would need to go terribly wrong for them not to be controlling the race soon after the start. Sooner the Better started fav for a reason last night and even Mach Shard was not far away. I'm not a big fan of Scott Phelan on Mach Shard who is not in the same league as the other drivers. He can however be a thorn in the side of others Alta Wiseguy is 500-1 for mine. The biggest threat to a complete Purdon domination is Old Town Road. He still had something to give at the finish with little room to improve. If he found the one one or three back on the outside ready to rumble turning in, he's a genuine threat but he'd be doing it on his own and needs best case scenario to win. Nothing factual on what I'm saying. Just my perspective that usually comes with a degree of confidence. As an aside. I haven't read all points of view on the new Trackside layout but what I have read and heard is not positive. I'm interested in your perspective as both a viewer and a TAB cheerleader ?

The mile @ Cambridge last night was an absolute beauty Gammalite. You can watch the replay multiple times and find multiple winners had they had an ounce of luck. The two most notable to my eye were Don't Stop Dreaming and Self Assured. I can't recall seeing the draw for a major NZ race that is as important as the upcoming draw for the Grins. Don't Stop Dreaming must be awfully hard to beat .....but the same can be said for numerous others. If harness followers don't get excited about this race, I don't know what will stir their blood. Best horses, top trainers, top drivers all giving 100%. Will be watching for stable piggy backs and musical chairs etc but they will all be there to win. Without knowing the all important barrier draw, my top 6 prediction and in finishing order is: 1) Don't Stop Dreaming 2) Merlin 3) Self Assured 4) Sooner The Better 5) Old Town Road 6) Mach Shard https://harness.hrnz.co.nz/gws/ws/r/infohorsews/wsd06x?Arg=hrnzg-Ptype&Arg=RaceVideo&Arg=hrnzg-RacehdrID&Arg=41D4C060-E298-42E5-9A7E-C2A0E334D781&Arg=hrnzg-rSite&Arg=TRUE

Some people thought putting a cigarette lighter on the end of a coat hanger was a great idea. I wonder if they sought feedback on the new layout prior to implementing it? People tend to be creatures of habit and don't like change so if you're going to change something you need to be sure of it. If the TAB wanted to prioritize a desperately needed upgrade they should start with that pig of a betting platform. I have little or no confidence and still feel dirty on the fiasco several weeks back. I stopped wagering a few weeks ago so am spared the aggravation......or just as importantly, the prospect of it returning at any moment.

I support the coalition Government who are light years better than the previous Muppets..but my support is not unconditional. The Police describe their pay offer recently as insulting and no improvement on what Labour offered them and was rejected. These Police officers are being put in harms way more and more. Now they are being asked / instructed to stop Gangsters wearing their gang patches in public rather than gifting them a free pass as the previous Government did. I felt their pay offer was tone deaf. I support landlords having tax relief but the perception of many is a conflict of interest. Luxon himself like numerous other MP's have multiple investment properties so will receive a nice injection of funds with their housing investment portfolio's while telling others they are instead motivated by "Mum and Dad investors". Turned out even more funds were needed than originally budgeted on. No problem, just sign that off. No waiting around for this change to take place like the Police and Nurses etc etc have been forced to endure. This change happens almost immediately. Luxon himself was claiming 50k a year tax payer dosh for a property he owns in Wellington. I assume he's been claiming that since he became an MP in 2020? He's agreed to repay what he's received since becoming PM three years later stating it was becoming a distraction. No mention of it being outrageous and tone deaf. Steven Joyce is to be paid a staggering $4000 a day to head a working group. Yep, that's $20,000 a week. Regardless of the duration of the gig it's still a huge windfall for any person, especially an unelected ex MP that removed himself from politics. There will be other considerable perks involved for Joyce. That sort of tax payer money points to a couple of things. One being a handsome treasure chest to call on and these unelected ex MP's deserving pay days that bare no resemblance to the reality facing the rest of NZ including our Police and Nurses etc during a cost of living crisis. I have nothing against Steven Joyce but my understanding of him looks a bit like this. During the 2017 election campaign that he managed, NZ First was treated as the enemy to be destroyed by Joyce. This played no small part in Peters / NZF choosing Labour in 2017 over National. Joyce won his seat at the election. To do this he indicated he was there for the long haul. He then put his hat in the ring to be the new National Party leader. To do this he again needed to reaffirm his intention to stay on long term. His bid failed and soon after he announces he's retiring from politics. Reason given was the old chestnut of spending more time with family. Another ex MP is Murray McCully. Same man known for the dubious 11.5 million dollar Saudi Sheep deal. A report at the time was reluctant to call it "corruption" but described "significant shortcomings". McCully now dragged out of mothballs for a 10k a week plus expenses / perks gig. Not only are National showing themselves to be tone deaf to our Police and a great many others, they are not leading the way in all of us tightening our belts together during a challenging cost of living crisis. They "appear" to be feathering their own nest faster than ever. I have no family members in the Police but do have several friends that are either sworn Police or ex Police. Without exception they are all National Party voters. Also without exception, they are all scathing of the recent pay offer and Luxon's ignorance on what they are actually paid. I do have numerous family and friends in our health system both via the DHB's and Primary Care. The pay situation has dragged on for way too long. Pay equity is still a huge issue especially for Primary Heath Care professionals. My wife does a lot of hiring and firing and I'm aware of ongoing staffing issues. I've witnessed first hand the distress for our nurses with them breaking down in tears no longer being rare. What they are witnessing now with the pay offer to Police has set off alarm bells with them and I assume many other nurses. Labour divided NZ on race. They also taught us that words like "inclusive" and "diversity" don't mean what they tell you it does. Now, National are in danger of dividing NZ into have's and have nots. I hope sincerely they don't wait until the next election comes into view before looking after and respecting our Police and Nurses...........along with a list of others.

I didn't realize Ben's nana had passed away during the week and she apparently was his biggest fan. He got the job done easily yesterday but to be fair, the race was his to lose. Muscle Mountain has been asked to do a lot in many of his races. No horse can keep doing that season after season. I've never met Ben but he seems a lovely young man. His driving has improved considerably over the years and so has his confidence. Both important factors. I don't want to be unfair or unkind but if Mum and Dad weren't the forgiving trainers, Ben would likely not have been gifted the quality of drives he has. In saying that, the same could be said of the Purdon and Dunn brothers etc etc. I thought MM was a good thing in the 2023 Rowe Cup. Muffed the start and ran an enormous race for fourth. His issue in the 2023 Dominion when appearing again to be a good thing robs me of some confidence. I'm reluctant to label him against the big guns who are also in great form. A serious contender for sure in the Cambridge feature but no home run. Would love to see him win. Will be an exciting race

100%. I put him and Scott Phelan in the same category. The skill is there to drive winners but I included them in exotic bets just to avoid them doing what they do more than others. Be a spoiler

When Self Assured won in 2021 there was only 7 runners but that should never be a reason to shitcan such a time honoured race. There were 13 runners the year before. Back in the day the biggest money and glory races were the NZ Cup, Auckland Cup, Interdominion Final and the Derby. Not so these days. The industry has been steered toward the young horses to the betterment of a small group of owners and breeders. Completely different set up getting a 2 and 3 year old ready than a 6 and 7 year old with eyes on the G1 classics etc Another aspect to be considered was the absolute dominance one stable was having in all the big money races. When All Assured won his Easter Cup look who ran second and third. Spankem and Amazing Dream. Amazing Dream went around to the front no problem at all. Nathan Williamson would have needed to be a mug to try and hold out any one of the three stable runners. Amazing Dream played musical chairs with All Assured as was often the case. All Assured got a soft lead and then walked them. No rival would dare commit race suicide by going for a look. Spankem walked around them to sit parked but put absolutely zero pressure on All Assured. The result was a formality as per usual. The race was destroyed as a spectacle. I'd go as far as saying the biggest mockery was calling it a "race". If I owned a decent aged horse, I'd be selling it offshore quick smart. It was safe to assume the cream on the cake has already been allocated before the feature races have even started. These are the races owners and trainers dream about but in reality the crumbs was mostly all they could hope for. Heartbreaking when owning a top horse is such a rare treat and so much time, effort and patience is needed to win races like the NZ Cup. I stand by my comments that consigning the time honoured Easter Cup to the history book is compelling evidence harness racing is being steered in the wrong direction. I was on track often at Alexandra Park watching great horses like Franco Ice and The Bru Czar get bullied by one stable that usually had at least 50% of the field and were comfortable to sacrifice stable runner(s) to ensure victory. I love a good fight but it needs to be a fair fight.

Have watched that replay a few times over the years. There is no way the race would be allowed to continue now and rightly so. There was even a dog loose in the area to say nothing about the drivers and horses still in harms way

Basil Dean and Sir Castleton were wonderful trotters. Basil Dean would usually lead and Sir Castleton would come late. Both horses always put in

Easter was always an exciting and enlightening time @ Addington. Easter 1977. Royce Belcher had his good Juvenile Glide Time starting in the Welcome Stakes @ Addington. We knew all about him before he made it to the races. Despite going up against the very good Motu Prince and Main Star, there was a lot of confidence. We drove four and a half hours from Nelson to see him race. Glide Time sat in the trail and then out and won on his ear. Paid $9 so a few crayfish were purchased on the way home. Later on the card was the time honoured Easter Cup. It was a great field. Balgove and Bob Cameron was too good beating Stanley Rio and a host of other top horses. Sole Command and Trusty Scot were in that field and both went on to win the NZ Cup. Stanley Rio won the 76 NZ Cup and Interdominion Final at Albion Park in .1977 I have embraced this race since I first watched it in 1975 when Robalan won it. He beat Lunar Chance. Both Robalan and Lunar Chance won the NZ Cup. Many Easter Cup winners went on to win our most important harness race. So much so I firmly believed it is the best guide to the NZ Cup. Here's a few horses that have won the Easter Cup and NZ Cup. Hands Down an incredible three times. Luxury Liner Inky Lord Blossom Lady Chokin Homin Hosed Gracious Knight Monkey King ,x 2 Terror To Love Adore Me Self Assured In 2021 Self Assured won the Easter Cup and then someone decided we could discard this wonderful race with such a great history. The race and it's significance was effectively flushed down the shitter. Something special was consigned to the history books. I ask the question if history and tradition matter in harness racing. Stand down, I've just answered that question. ps. Happy Easter folks. Please ignore the total horse shit about "Gesture Eggs"....fark that! They are Easter Eggs and always will be. Enjoy them!

same page brother

When it's considered reasonable for a trotting club to dig up Cardigan Bay to make way for a carpark, you know something has gone wrong. I moved to Auckland in 1983 and loved the place. We were at Alex Park three or four times a month. Gradually that became once a month and then once a year. Ironically this unfolded as my enjoyment of harness racing was stronger than ever. I barely recognize Auckland now. The immigration floodgates have been wide open for years and the city is drowning in people yet they are still coming in record numbers. They all need a home, We lived in the Browns Bay area. Unrecognizable now. On our street of approximately 40 houses, we were seeing relatively modern homes being removed off modest sites and replaced with multiple imposing monstrosities. There were already parking issues yet this practice occurred on seven sites over a four year period. The final straw for us was a developer buying two adjoining properties next to ours with a tidy 1995 and 2005 home on them. Those homes were removed to make way for 16 townhouses. If this is deemed reasonable you know the compass has been lost. Some even describe this as progress. Almost all of the streets, roads and terraces in the area were experiencing similar month in month out. We left Auckland in 2022 but I return every month for family and business. The only change is the number of people now calling Auckland home has increased considerably and at an even faster pace. Unsure of the exact numbers but anecdotally, even Blind Freddy can see it. What has been unfolding at just Alex Park and Ellerslie is indictive of what's happening elsewhere in Auckland. Economist Shamubeel Eaqub believes NZ needs a population of 15 million to function effectively. That won't be a NZ any of us recognize but it's on the way. Auckland getting a taste of what's coming. We could run a sad sweepstake on how long it will take for the entire Alex Park racetrack it's self to be in the history books and replaced with housing. My pick is under 15 years. Bye bye Ribbon of Light, The Iceman, The Magic Man, The Wizard and The Chief of course Housing will eventually take over many NZ Racecourses.

Best look the other way on that one Chief...as usual. Doesn't fit the agenda or narrative

There was a different look and feel about his Waimate Cup run. The money never stopped coming. That was not the case at Westport. It was evident they wanted to be a realistic chance of winning in the home straight. That was not the case at Westport. Sam got the jump on Robbie turning in but Mo'unga was not going to be beaten. Very good drives on the winner and runner up. I had no problem with Mo'unga not winning at Westport. It's the fact he was at least potentially the best horse and was the public elect.......but he was given a % chance of winning the race. Not even asking the question on the Westport drive irks me and still does. Spot the difference today. Onward and upwards. I feel sure Mo'unga will be hard to beat where ever he starts in the next few months.

The breeding of All You Need Is Me certainly gets your attention. Her race debut was only two months ago @ Nelson so she's come a long way way in a short time. Carter is a very promising young driver. He drives like he's not only driving the best horse but the fittest. The confidence from knowing his drive is better and fitter than all his rivals is clearly evident. To my eye, this has played no small part in a percentage of his winning drives. If he stays on the trajectory he's on now he'll be joining Dexter in North America within a few seasons but plenty of time for that.

So if people don't share your take on a topic they are ignorant old fools? The Maori Party is a racist Political Party that have successfully encouraged and harnessed divisive contempt for the bad white man to feather their own nest. Waititi himself is the epitome of a racist. Virtually everything he says and does is a display of contempt for the Colonial invaders, even down to his attire. Our alleged media won't tackle his racist views due to their agenda and lack of backbone. Waititi again expressed his racist views when discussing Maori DNA allegedly being superior to non Maori. Forget Kenyan runners etc. Most knew exactly what he meant. It was very deliberate and safe in the knowledge he'd be gifted another free pass while his supporters rubbed their hands and applauded. That was entirely consistent with what he's about and makes a good living out of. Some will look for any tenuis justification to minimize what he stated and the implications. Many however won't, including Peters who has a backbone. The Nazi regime were all about the superiority of one race over another so Peters comparison may be confronting for some, but is both appropriate and correct. If you want to see hypocrisy at work just compare the media / left wing reaction to Waititi's racist and false claim which was remarkably and predictably, yet another free pass. Then line up the faux reaction to Peters statement about alleged racial superiority from past to present. Out come the perpetually offended with their pitchforks. Pathetic.

Wake up to yourself Thomass. There may still be time.

Even way back we would get the word to just watch a certain horse racing at Nelson because it had a very strong connection to Marlborough which had it's two day meeting off the back of Nelson and that was the only target. The stake of the Marlborough race was no bigger than the Nelson races. Sure enough, the horse used Nelson to improve it's fitness etc. Then surprise surprise, driven differently at Waterlea and never looked like being beaten. I assure you this is still not a rare situation. I remember attending the first day of the Marlborough gallops and seeing a horse win after a perfect ride from a leading South Island jockey who has had numerous G1 wins. In the stabling area post race the jockey was being shouted at and had strips teared off him by a prominent trainer and told he'd never ride for him again. The issue was that horse was owned by a gentleman who lived North of Wellington and wouldn't be attending the meeting and punting the horse until day two. Mo'unga is clearly the best horse (potentially) in the Waimate feature @ Oamaru despite Homebush Lad having won 15 races. If the race on Sunday is a genuine target you'll see three things unfold. 1) The money for him will keep coming. 2) He'll be driven differently than he was especially at Westport. 3) He'll win.

You mentioned Trump.....again The establishment media have waged a relentless campaign against Trump and his supporters since Trump put his hand up. Yes, Trump can put his foot in his mouth at times but he's an apex leader at the very time one is required big time. He's never been credited with all the good he achieved as POTUS. Now he's been subjected to the most under handed campaign against a political rival I've ever known of in the United States. The D.O.J have been used by the Democrats to eliminate their biggest threat against re-election. If you dive deeper than what CNN and their ilk present as news you will see a completely different picture. Do you honestly believe the war in Ukraine would have unfolded had Trump been President? Biden is much more than a bare faced liar, a man that can't string a sentence together or walk 30 feet without tripping over or looking completely lost. He and his son Hunter have received huge payments from certain countries for complicity. That's a fact. Had that been Trump it would be leading every news bulletin until Jesus reappeared. ....yet the establishment media turn a blind eye to it due in no small part to their hatred of Trump. It is them dividing the country, not Trump. It is Biden, Harris, Obama, the Democrats and their media bosom buddies that are the threat against democracy and to world conflict ....not Trump. Unfortunately, the left can't or won't see what is not so well hidden in clear view. It's become a way for them to connect with other lefties. Can you imagine what would unfold if they dared to suggest Trump is not the monster he is relentlessly portrayed as to their fellow lefties? They'd lose their mind. It's far safer and expedient to just go along with the narrative.

Thomas, Peters didn't compare it to the holocaust at all. Only those that want to believe he said that will think such a statement was made. He was comparing favouring one race over another as superior to the mindset of the Nazi regime. When you look at what the co leader of the Maori Party stated about Maori DNA, Peters was 100% correct.