Trojan

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?

From what I could see on Trackside yesterday the only part of the track that didn't look like that was the home straight!!!! Smoke and mirrors!

Some would say the same thing is already happening.

So you agree it was inappropriate to make a political expression on Champions Day? So Maori were just Colonists? By the way how did they get called Maori? No race named Maori existed until other Colonists arrived. They were migrant Polynesians of Asian descent.

Yeah what were politics? For that matter simply what was its purpose? I'm sure all the Asian visitors had their cameras filming the spectacle.

You're the one that pulled the racist card. From what I've seen Maori are the ones stocking the fire under the pot because it suits them. The younger brigade are getting as pissed off as the rest of us at the sense of entitlement a vocal group of Maori have. Especially those trying to advance in careers and don't meet the quota. Hell I was at a Body Corp meeting and two units are owned by Maori - I was accused of being a white supremacist because I pointed out that what they were proposing wasn't allowed by the legislation. So the racist card gets pulled when it suits and quite frankly it is wearing thin. The question that many are asking is what was the point of it? Oh yeah lets pay Ngati Whatua some Koha and roll out yet another haka and met some imaginary cultural obligation. So from a Maori perspective @Tim Carter what did the Ngati Whatua haka achieve?

Really a "kapa haka" expert? So ATR paid Ngati Whatua thousands to add some controversy? Great piece of culture that is! Yep they reinvented its purpose! Well they might need to keep reinventing because it is getting tiresome.

Sssshhh!! That place is a hidden gem. Right in amongst the horses and stable talent. Plus no loud music and you can talk without telling! You can wander out look at the horses in the pre-parade ring and still have 10 or more minutes to get a bet on.

Not to mention there are more Polynesians in Auckland than Maori and many other cultures in significant numbers.

Seems Maori culture is a one trick pony. How does "Maori Culture" align with horse racing at Ellerslie? A haka is war cry or war challenge so essentially Ngati Whatu on the biggest racing day of the year are making a statement of war? The original peoples of Australia seem more civilised in offering remembrance and a blessing before a sporting event. BTW is it Maori Culture to start name calling?

For some reason they don't use that tier - section. It isn't as easy to access from the better hospitality areas as other parts of the stand even on the same tier. If you look at each end you see they are packed. Also a lot of people don't bother going outside to watch a race preferring to hold onto their tables. Easy to hide 10,000 people at Ellerslie. Have you counted how many were in that snapshot?

It's offensive to label anyone questioning the relevance of a Haka before a race as racist. But full credit to tbe Ngāti Whātua they've turned these acts into a profitable business. But it is getting repetitive, boring and unnecessary.

I bet the Koha had a few zeros after the first digit.

Seemed like 3 mins. I guess there are different dress standards for some.

I thought Kings and Queens were more into petanque Snow? But then every Queen needs an obsequious chamber maid.

I saw them all together a year ago at the Sistema Stakes day. George, Sharrock, Fitt, Rodger, Wilcox, Baker and I thought SHIT.

Col should look on the bright side he got another 2 days to get it right.