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Bit Of A Yarn

Special Agent

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Everything posted by Special Agent

  1. Special Agent
    I've just been to the TAB. As I thought the self serve machines are causing mayhem. Queues out the door for the remaining terminal. I can't think of a juvenile or sprint race that attracts so much attention.
  2. Special Agent
    More geared for the internationals I suppose. It's disappointing there are no Kiwi trained runners. I see the Frampton colours are on the Ghibillines veteran and there is a Tarzino.
  3. Special Agent
    It was a race over 2500m. One year it was the Saab. 2023 Ladies Man raced in the Lexus Archer Stakes it may have been called. Not sure if it ran last year.
  4. Special Agent
    What has happened to today's staying test as a last ditch effort to gain entry to the Melbourne Cup? Maybe it's been gone for years and I haven't been paying attention.
  5. Special Agent
    I do wonder what the motivation is for some getting on a racing club committee.
  6. Special Agent
    I wonder how far the straight can be angled outwards when all of the carparking outside the Otaki track has been sold. Likewise with adding stabling, would they be going in between the 400-600 affordable homes that are going to take up just a tick under 150 acres space currently being used for stabling?
  7. Special Agent
    What an amazing story if the bet comes to fruition. Advertising any gambling agency would be proud of.
  8. Special Agent
    "Following recent trials and gallops at Awapuni, it’s evident that further, more aggressive renovation work is required to bring the surface up to the standard the industry needs. At the same time, we’re progressing a wider investigation into the track’s long-term suitability,” O’Keeffe said. Jess, I think the second sentence from Liam O'Keefe raises even more serious questions.
  9. Special Agent
    Just as I thought. Hindsight confirms what some in the industry already knew, and due diligence definitely lacking. "Fair location" - pretty close to the major CD horse population now. "No licences from 2021/22" - no contingency plan should the Awapuni synthetic fail, let's not even mention any problems with the Awapuni course proper because we have experts on the job. Oh that's right, don't bother listening to the experts we've paid for. "Freehold" - there's the magic word because we can cash it up no matter it's worth.
  10. Special Agent
    I wouldn't class the Woodville horse facilities inferior to Trentham or Awapuni but, welcome comments from anyone who regularly races or trials or jumps out there.
  11. Special Agent
    I agree with the dinosaur. Take a look at what NZ has done with traditional races. Tinkering and tampering by those who have come and gone has done us no favours.
  12. Special Agent
    NZTR didn't say it per se. I don't have the Messara report handy but, I think you'll find Woodville was on the not required list. Whatever is happening at Awapuni is not working. Horses and riders cannot be continually put at risk. Throwing money at something is not always the answer. Looking at the location of the RACE racecourses they would fetch more than the little CD tracks combined. If a business person from outside the industry looked at the situation, the land, the debt, the wages, the balance sheet etc they would surely laugh.
  13. Special Agent
    Just like Winton which is mentioned on one of these threads, Woodville was gone burger too yet NZTR tell us today there will be trials at Woodville on Monday after their Sunday racemeeting. I wonder when NZTR and the industry will refrain from throwing money at Awapuni, when the tracks without this luxury are almost carrying the workload.
  14. Special Agent
    I hadn't seen that term used before for this circumstance, just assumed the track was back on the roster. I think the issue of a temporary licence has two points of interest. Firstly, what a kick in the guts for any club with the initiative and energy to want to take on three meetings at a time the industry is in obvious need of an extra venue. If they do it well, why would it need to be temporary? Secondly, does temporary infer the use of the track is only due to desperate measures?
  15. Special Agent
    "but the licence is being reinstated as a temporary measure for the upcoming $35,000 Waipukurau Cup meeting, the Wairoa Cup meeting on February 15, and the Hawke’s Bay Cup meeting on April 26." Must have missed the temporary bit elsewhere.
  16. Special Agent
    Remind me how much money was up.
  17. Special Agent
    Exactly, her opinion comes from broadcasting experience. I don't think Karyn will give a toss about what some think of her appointment either.
  18. Special Agent
    Is that galloping and paceworking on grass? I just wonder how many grass paceworking tracks there are in NZ, especially in the bigger centres.
  19. Special Agent
    Two points I found interesting in David's article was the fact Te Akau look after their young horses' conformation by not running on a synthetic track, and that Karyn has been appointed to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, an apt appointment in my view.
  20. Special Agent
    Question ... what happens if the 5 year guarantee becomes impossible?
  21. Special Agent
    Not arguing with you Chief and not prepared to give examples. I don't know who you converse with in racing but, obviously a very different group to those I continue to chew the fat with. There are some very learned racing people out there but, they are possibly not flavour of the month in many current circles. Takanini was sold with many promises not honoured. How's that state of the art facility looking at Prices Road? Do you think recent ideas are going to be any different?
  22. Special Agent
    It is all relative. Outsiders do not know the lay of the land, any pitfalls.
  23. Special Agent
    Land value. NZTR love to tack a few zero's on the end of any registered valuation.
  24. Special Agent
    According to Masa Hashizume in an article on the NZTR site Matt Cartwright has a bruised arm and is off for two weeks. There seems to have been quite a number of falls and injuries in racing of late. I wonder if there is a staffer at NZTR assigned with going through videos and incident reports to work out forms of prevention under the Health & Safety Act.
  25. Special Agent
    What do you think other clubs around the country have been trying to tell NZTR and the rest of the dopes in racing? What some think racecourses are worth are way off. All Winston Peters and racing admin have done is cause angst within communities and cost clubs money fighting a cause that never needed to be fought. Bring in as many foreigners as you like. You will never know more than the locals.
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