Special Agent

It is so cool to see down to earth people with such talent, skill and effort gain success. The Melbourne Cup throws up so many interesting stories, the like you'd never see with so many of the races we are putting so much faith into. History, heritage and tradition will never be beaten by novelty.

The Pattern Committee govern the Group criteria. If the "classics" do not consistently attract quality I think it is fair for the race/s to drop in status. I think moving location is not the only method to retain quality thus Group One status. I think clubs need a swift kick in some cases. The Levin Classic is a prime example where various committees have folded to the whims of NZTR and RACE. As their attempts to keep the race at Group One have failed I think it is time for some fresh thinking to get the Levin Classic back to the great race it once was. Tinkering with programming and fitting in with the ever increasing novelty races has done the 2000 Guineas no favours.

You might not agree with everything someone says but, credit where it is due. Colin has done an amazing job just getting NZTR to listen. The desired result may not eventuate (personally I'd like to see NZTR cut "our" losses and restore grass tracks where synthetic ones currently lie) but, we can at least now see action. Thank you.

If the races are not Group One quality they don't deserve to hold the staus. Keep them where they are but, drop off the G1 title. There are more than enough named races in the north. Any more and they will face dilution too.

Activists have been trying to ban horse racing in Australia for many years. How's that going? The best Checkpoint can do is get comment from Emma Brodie of NZ group SAFE. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but, she's not even in the same country.

Why does Holy Ravioli offer a fake news reaction? The deeds of the horse were pointed out more than 12 months ago.

Darin Balcombe states that the fracture rate is higher on synthetic tracks here. I bet other career ending injuries such as tendon and ligament damage are higher too. The statistics don't seem to mention the horses that have dropped dead without broken limbs, or bleeders. Also not considered are other injuries that are ongoing and require treatment like muscle damage and breathing difficulties. Well done for listening to the yelling.

Every day and every statement gets more stupid. Very, very frustrating.

Considered safe to race on.

And the outcome is .......

I wonder what is happening at Trentham. Early afternoon inspection must have happened. Northern trainers travelling to the meeting won't want to arrive to be told to turn around and go home.

Wiremu and Madan are not stupid people. These exceptions are confusing. As the NZJA head, and consulted by NZTR, how did Andy ensure all jockeys understood the changes to the whip rule? If they have been in place since June 2023 why have they taken 16 months to be enforced? What jurisdiction has rules and then adds two exceptions?

Why?

Every jockey is entitled to defend themselves, whether they be innocent or guilty. There are jockeys who seem to count okay. NZTR do tend to over complicate everything.

That's the thing isn't it. The track was safe last week when others around NZ over previous weeks have not been. I think it is more a case of not wanting to create maintenance work leading into more important meetings.

I wonder what all the overseas riders think about our track safety and protocols.

Exactly. No point to not have follow through.

The debrief will be awaited with interest by many.

We should all be embarrassed for being a part of this industry. Is it rocket science? I don't think so. We can't just keep saying it will be better next time, because it never is. These stringent protocols are not stringent enough.

Fate is a funny thing. Lucky he put the reserve on her. What faith.

As stupid as that sounds, you may have nailed it. Poor owners paying training fees for nought. Poor trainers with disrupted plans. Poor jockeys getting to the races and not getting to ride. Everyone is out of pocket.

Maybe they could if despised tracks (the safe ones) were reinstated as raceday venues. The Waipukurau trials will be watched with interest, a track that spent many years off limits as deemed unsafe. It seems that it is now acceptable if the track is a certain degree of unsafeness.

Why is it acceptable to provide an unsafe surface? It is not once in a while. It's now common place.

In any other industry a groundsman who failed to present a perfect pitch would be dismissed.

Maybe to conceal an underlying problem. Why are horses slipping on all sorts of tracks around the country? Is it because the standard protocols are flawed?