hesi

Unforeseen circumstances It would appear that Well Written's overwhelming dominance is likely to see no Oaks or Derby horses tempted into switching. Hard case to make running for second. Unlikely any Aussie horses will make the trip, so other than Well Written, likely to be a poor field. But will still be spun as THE 3-year-old race

Not if you want to make money long term

I lived in Waharoa (just north of Matamata) for a while, working in the now defunct dairy factory. A group of us would never miss a mid-week race meeting in the region. Got to know a few racing people and there was always a usually very accurate tip out for a Matamata horse. That is racing for the mad keen enthusiast punter, so many of us were like that in those days, perhaps because there was not a lot else to do, other than live in the now also defunct Waharoa Tavern. I always felt that Ellerslie missed the boat when they went corporate/elitist, missing out on many of these enthusiasts and also general race-goers who just wanted a relaxing day out at the races, so now they stay at home. There is no reason why Ellerslie cannot offer both options. Many sports and entertainment venues offer the full range to meet all customer expectations, from upmarket to budget

I think the racing industry in NZ along with the various clubs have no idea what attracts people to racing, simply because they never actually find out by asking. For me, it is seeing top horses race. The images of seeing the various greats over the last 50 years will remain with me forever. But that is just me. In recent times, because elsewhere I have learnt about the concept of finding value, it has been fuller and more competitive fields. But that would not apply to many of the people who go on course nowadays

You do hear of a lot of raconteurial stuff where people swear by it for pain relief and allowing them to get to sleep

Excellent question, a day at the races has always rated highly when people have been asked what they like about racing

Where do you draw the line. Are they allowed to do this simply because it is their opinion. I really hope NZTR takes a tough line with these characters that give the impression that this is the norm for the industry, simply because a small number are so incessant with their remarks.

NZTR may very well decide to take a case against the most obvious poster in Wightman, to test the law. They have certainly signaled their uneasiness or whatever you want to call it with social media.

A very imprecise area. There are certain things in the HDCA that are pretty clear cut, but 3. would have to have a precedent such as a case taken before the courts 3.Be grossly offensive to a reasonable person in the position of the affected individual.

So, there are a number of posters, many anonymous on social media who are renowned for their personal attacks on people. How would they be encompassed by the application of the rules

Thanks, that pretty much clarifies it

I don't know, perhaps someone else will know how far the net extends, and what jurisdiction NZTR has over them

You might have to elaborate further, unless you are somehow tied to the Rules of Racing, NZTR has no jurisdiction over you

The NZTR Social Media policy is just a repeat of the HDCA, except it applies to license holders, whereas the HDCA applies to everyone posting. Many companies and organisations in NZ have similar social media policies to try and encourage respectful communication online. No big deal.

That is all from the Netsafe website. Based on the widespread personal abuse we see on social media sites, I can only assume that there have been very few complaints if any. I know privacy is paramount on these sites, but they do have the power to request any personal data that the site owner or administrator has access to. I think you (CS) have this recorded somewhere on the BOAY site.