billy connolly

That's not enough camber for Ellerslie's home bend, it may be sufficient for tracks like Flemington and Riccarton who have big sweeping home bends but it's not adequate for Ellerslie. Horses don't slip galloping in a straight line (unless Mills is running the show) they slip on bends, notably the home bend whilst under pressure. Put a negative camber on a bend and the field will not negotiate it at all and likely end up in the car park or nearest street.

Take it from me squire, horses do not and will not slip on a cambered surface. Because they primarily race within summer months whereby moisture isn't a problem. As much camber to prevent a fatality.

The majority of horses who loose their footing do so whilst negotiating bends under pressure, which correlates to the final 600/800 metres of a race and any moisture on the surface exacerbates the problem. By not banking/cambering this track, Ellerslie have either ignored or have been given wrong advice. They could've got away with running the last two races yesterday but to my eye they're going to have to completely rebuild this track with camber as they're currently relying on luck to get them through their meetings.

I'm not familiar with Strath Ayr surfaces but when a horse negotiates a bend that isn't cambered its inertia pushes it outwards and if that inertial force is great enough it doesn't take much to make it loose its footing. On a cambered bend the opposite occurs and although a portion of a horses inertia still pushes it outwards, the camber pushes it into the track which in turn provides grip/traction. Jockeys will also try harder and take more risks on a cambered surface.

Oh dear, I thought you had a few clues but you obviously don't. If Mooney Valley wasn't banked it would be a skating rink, car racing tracks likewise.

The crucial error they've made with this track is they never banked/cambered it, which was a monumental risk on their part and in my view is the reason why horses are losing their footing. The significant problem with a cambered track though is it creates a leaders bias, but it looks like they're going to have to do it because safety is paramount.

Like this clown... https://youtu.be/17fQXPnWQ1c?t=60

It's a piss poor assessment, but you'd need to have race-ridden to know that. Every other jockey in that race used their brains by not chasing the tearaway, if they had they would've been the first beaten. There was a class galloper here in the late 60's early 70's by the name of Game who led by big margins and broke the opposition's hearts, as did Vo Rogue. Opposing jockey's back then also did not fall into the chasing trap. If you're going to chase, you must use a rabbit to do so.

Why do these half-breeds have the need to announce their departure. No one gives a rats arse what they do or who they are, they've probably registered here under multiple aliases anyway. The bloke who runs this site (which no doubt costs him money and time) does so to provide a vehicle for ungrateful pricks to voice their opinion (anonymously) to the world without moderation.

An authority on whip use, knew Jim Tomkinson, knew Noel Eales, knew Ray Verner, knew Cecil Devine, knew Dave Kerr and can read the mind of a Racecourse Detective, FFS. And we have another clown here (Thomass supported by that woman trainer from Riccarton) calling jockey's cheats for administering a couple of extra strikes with a feather duster whip. A trainer pushing the physical capabilities of a horse could never be labeled a cheat though !

A trophy for them both -

Correct, she wouldn't have a clue and neither would the sycophants she's in bed with.

Absolutely there is, the woman who posts here as Freda (and elsewhere as Pam Robson) isn't ever likely to train a Group 1 winner. I have respect for anyone who has achieved at the top level in this game.

Oh dear, the know-all (Special Agent) is now calling TAB For Ever, who's raced a Group 1 winner together with other successful horses a know-all, FFS.

Haven't you been espousing (here and elsewhere) the fact that your partner was a former jockey??? A well heeled gentleman came to me for advice not that long ago. He'd been offered shares in a horse to be trained by you. My advice to him was that although she'd been in the game a long time, she wouldn't know whether a horse was any good or not ! Regardless of the sanctimonious nonsense dictated above, you've used horses to obtain a living for close to fifty years.

In my experience those who claim to know everyone and everything actually know very little. FYI, I've ridden winners for Dave Kerr and also ridden Domingo, and although I've never met the man I've also ridden a winner for Cecil Devine. Can you list a few of your achievements in the game please?

Cecil Devine (Lord Module) owned, trained and drove champions, Dave Kerr (Domingo) unlike Freda never took a horse to the races unless it could win, Jack Holmes (Karu) won a host of open handicaps and placed in a Melbourne Cup. With the odd exception, few of the best performed horses over time ever wore full hooded blinkers. Full hooded blinkers are a massive advantage when used sparingly and especially so when used for the first time on a cheat, but they're also a dangerous piece of apparatus when used on the wrong horse and IMO should not be permitted on two-year-olds or jumpers. Regardless of the arguments of the anti whip brigade, padded whips won't be banned here as they're first and foremost a control mechanism.

Then why the need for blinkers, bull prodders, pharmaceutical assistance etc? Even some very good horses were cheats but had that much ability it didn't matter. Domingo was a cheat, Karu was a cheat, Lord Module was a cheat. No doubt there's many more. Toporoa won the 1955 Melbourne Cup (defeating a near champion) but never won another race... funny that.

How many make it to races? How many salute once?? How many salute multiple times??? How many pay their way???? The majority are cheats.

How many laps in the pigskin? Regards cheating, most horses are cheats by nature but very few jockeys are ! Those who want the whip outlawed are all tarred with the same brush.

Aside from those who aren't good enough, the majority of horses who aren't putting in are either mentally or physically tired and any trainer worth their salt should know this and shouldn't need to consult a half baked veterinary surgeon to tell them so, just as any decent jockey should know when and when not to use the whip. The sanctimonious twits who write these papers are doing so solely for their own benefit and to promote themselves. We never heard from these people in good times of full fields and full grandstands.

The usual NZTR paper shufflers dictating the same useless information post the event. From my distant observations that Trentham track in January was far from a standard required of a premier meeting and an indictment on those involved, including management, stewards and NZTR.

He has a few children and one of his daughters is running the stud from memory, but you're right Anderton senior ate, breathed and slept horses so his family have big shoes to fill.

Exactly, I can recall a little known bloke by the name of Peter Moran winning 500k from a $2 bet on a Matamata jackpot in 1970 and immediately afterwards struck another jackpot when he outlaid $25,000 for the outstanding galloper Panzer Chief after he'd won his first two races as a two year-old. $25,000 was also a lot of money then but Panzer Chief went on to win thirteen races and was rated second best 3 year-old of his year. Amazing story and highlights that fact that everyone is equal on a racecourse. Jackpots were an on-course only promotion whereby participants were required to select the winners of six races and as the funds weren't invested on the totalisator, no deductions were made. The biggest jackpot pool was 850k in 1972. I often wonder how much the majority of posters on these forums have actually achieved in this game!

14 slots, 4 pre-sold at $450k to clubs hosting qualifying events, 9 auctioned at $700k approx and 1 freebee to NZTR. Not entirely sure of prize monies and field selection but each slot has a three year tenure and slot owners can either use their slot or lease to a third party (at an inflated price) close to the race. Seems a reasonable investment if you have a spare 700k.