Trojan

That cost pales when you can't get a start! Or as happened to my mate two away trips to see their horse race and two abandonments in three weeks. Abandoned one week then raced two days later at a different location. Then two weeks later race abandoned and two days later racing in a different location again! Add to the cost of the duplicate float trips there was travel and accommodation costs for the owner to watch Group races! What would you rather have a race that is transferred a week or a few days out to a different location or no race at all?

Oh well at least it is a jumps race but the "steeples" looked more like hurdles!

Riccarton last raced on a Heavy 10 track on 26 April. Their next meeting is scheduled for 21 June i.e. 9 weeks between races on the turf.

They also have trials scheduled for the 20th May.

Obviously you know the answer. What is your point?

They had 4 race meetings and a trial meeting in 8 weeks. So 5 in 8 weeks.

So they are happy to thrash and trash Ashburton to look after Riccarton but don't race at Riccarton to save the track for the meeting in 7 weeks? Yeah the makes sense - not.

So Trentham will be "repaired" enough to race next weekend i.e. in a week? Then again 3 weeks later?

How much "repair time" does a track need? At the end of the day as long as the track is safe who cares we race?!

So Riccarton Turf gets transferred to Riccarton Poly due to heavy rain and a heavy 10. Some Owners and Trainers moan. Fair enough. Rotorua heavy rain and a heavy 10 today. Fields have good numbers and scratchings minimal yet some people are complaining that the track will be stuffed.

Seems echo chambers are being created everywhere. Last thing the industry needs - symptoms of bigger problems.

@Transparency is both right and wrong. They are only toothless because they are incompetent not because they are part of the OBC.

Dee off the mark in Japan www.racing.com Michael Dee can now tick Japan off the list of countries he has been succesful in, after partnering his first winner at Tokyo on Sunday. Having also ridden winners in Macau and Hong Kong, as well as his native New Zealand and Australia, the 28-year-old got the best out of Ask Come On More in the Fuchu Stakes at his fourth meeting in Japan. Speaking to Racing.com, Dee said it was a relief after five placegetters to get the $2.40 favourite home, having also had to overcome a riderless horse in the straight. "It was a huge relief to get my first winner. My first day riding, I had three seconds, so naturally I thought a winner would've come quickly but that wasn't to be for another 20-odd rides," Dee said. "I've felt I have given most horses every opportunity and some at big odds have run nice races with the right run. "I have been lucky with opportunities, my first weekend riding I had 18 rides and this weekend just gone I had 20 rides. I just need to keep giving horses the best possible chances and hopefully I can get on some better horses." WATCH: Dee wins aboard Ask Come On More Dee said he is basing himself in Tokyo and has been riding trackwork at the Miho Training Centre multiple times a week. With final fields for the weekend's racing released each Friday, jockeys in Japan are then placed under restrictions across the weekend's racing - which requires riders to hand in communication devices. "I have enjoyed all of my experiences so far, it's hard to explain the differences but everything is completely different to Australia or New Zealand, whether it's the amount of people in one small space or even the racing and some of the rules take a little adjusting," he explained. "I have a great agent and manager/interpreter who have made my life super easy over here as the language barrier is very tough." Dee expects to have a ride in Sunday's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo. WATCH: Japanese Racing news returns for 2025

I see Neil has worked out what's wrong with the Owners Federation. Basically "if you don't like someone don't engage"!

What do you mean "out of the area"? It's the wonderous CD all working together! Put the rail out all the way round and save the inside. A 12 day turnaround shouldn't be a problem. Isn't that what they used to do in the "good old days"?!

But where does that toxic culture come from? I can understand it with the RIB.

I see another NZ Record at Trentham. The broke 55 seconds for the maiden 1000m on a Soft 5! No doubt hand timed AGAIN!!!

One heat so far. Very little kick back. Nice!

Well you couldn't award one finalist who has had 3 abandoned meetings in 5 years!

Perhaps it did in your opinion but I disagree. But why did the Stipes amd NZTR turn a blind eye to Trentham not preparing a track according to policy? Once again the conned everyone by saying the track was a Soft 5 on raceday morning when it was a Good 3 at least. Then the Stipes retrospectively upgrade to a Good 4 just before they equal the world for 1200m. Hand tined of course. I bet there are a few trainers with sore horses today.

Been there three times this season. Obviously your lady is blind Freddy. How did she get on with her Binocs peering through people's washing lines trying to get a glimpse of the horses up the chute? Did she walk the track?

He's like most of that Trentham OBC can't see past the last 200m of the home straight and I'd say it was about 40 years since any of them have walked the track. The restricted view of the infamous 1200m chute is appalling.

The track is appalling. Soft 5 at the start of the day and just over 5mins after the first race upgraded to a G4. Yet it was faster than that wasn't it. The 3yr olds in Race 2 equal the NZ record for 1200m going 1:06.51. Yeah right! Oh that's right the electronic timing is still stuffed someone was timing the race off the TV in the only stand left on the course.

Infrastructure blues continue following Taupo abandonment loveracing.nz There’s growing frustration within the thoroughbred racing industry surrounding the sport’s infrastructure, with the abandonment of Taupo’s trials on Tuesday the latest in a long series of raceday and trial cancellations. It comes just two days after the abandonment of Tauherenikau’s Sunday race meeting following a slip in the opening race of the card, adding to the growing track woes in the Central Districts, with both Hastings and Awapuni currently out of commission due to track renovations. “I think we are starting to get to a point where we have got a bit of a crisis with our infrastructure,” New Zealand Trainers’ Association President Shaun Clotworthy said. “The Central Districts have been under pressure for quite a while now, so we feel for them. In the northern area, with Ellerslie and Te Aroha coming back on board it has been a big relief to trainers up this way, but we still need to address these problems properly. “We probably need to look at a complete review of our processes and get someone in to have a different look at it from a different angle because it’s not working at the moment. “The cost is huge to the industry and especially to the owners, who are getting really sick of it, and trainers, who have to reorganise staff and pay different people and juggle things around, so it comes at a personal cost to them as well. “Owners are frustrated. It is not cheap to race horses and they aren’t looking to have any extra costs added on. “On the bright side, I think Ellerslie are going to take two trial dates next week on Tuesday and Thursday, so that is some relief, but that doesn’t alter the fact that horses have been carted to Taupo today for no result.” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s chief operating officer Darin Balcombe said the latest string of abandonments is frustrating for the industry, with a number of provincial tracks feeling the pressure of extra racedays, with a number of metropolitan tracks currently out of commission while renovations are taking place. “We completely feel for the industry stakeholders that have been to these meetings that have been called off,” Balcombe said. “It is a terrible situation, and it is a big drain on the industry. “The tracks are struggling with the weight of racing on them at the moment and that is causing issues. “It is putting pressure on a number of our provincial tracks that generally are set-up to run three to four racedays a season and are being asked now to run seven or eight, and the stress is showing on those tracks. “We need to ensure that we are getting these tracks up to speed as early as possible to make sure it doesn’t carry on. “It makes it very difficult to be an owner when these things are happening, so we have got to get it right and we are working hard to get it right.” Awapuni Racecourse in Palmerston North is currently one of those metropolitan tracks undergoing renovations but is set to resume racing on their turf track next month. “It is very important that we get Awapuni back on speed, which is scheduled for the 25th of April, so I am looking forward to that,” Balcombe said. “We won’t be pushing Awapuni, so it will probably only run two or three meetings before we put it aside for winter and get it back because it is going to be an important venue next spring.” With Hastings racecourse also out of commission, and Trentham set to undergo renovations in the near future, Balcombe said New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have partnered with several provincial clubs to ensure they have the means to handle additional race meetings year-round. “We are making sure every track undergoes a full renovation period,” Balcombe said. “Knowing that Hastings and Trentham were going to be out in the short-term, we did put irrigation in at Waverley and Hawera to ensure those tracks can be used because previously without the irrigation they were only available through the winter months. “We are also looking at the possibility of having an irrigation system at Woodville just to allow that track to cover off as well because we are going to have Hastings out for a little period and on the back of that a decision has got to be made on Trentham and what needs to be done there with the track and facilities.” Balcombe said meeting abandonments will always be a part of racing due to severe weather, particularly over the winter months, but acknowledged the number of abandonments of late is unacceptable. “We are always going to have weather abandonments, there is no way you can get around the extreme weather, but we need to stop these track abandonments when the weather has been like it has been. The tracks need to be in a fit state,” he said.

Are you suggesting there are a lot of bodies buried under the grey area?