Special Agent

It seems to me across the three codes it is expressed to participants they must be more professional. I think our leaders should lead by example.

Plus he was such a beautiful horse and an obvious gent. Watching some of those races again makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

I don't see many greyhounds out walking the streets so where do they go? Are there greyhound sections at dog shows?

It is quite mad to think the 150th running of the Easter will run well outside of the Easter Holiday period. Is this Paul Wilcox's idea? Chief, they don't give a stuff what the track is like. That little detail is of no significance to running a successful race meeting. The precedence at Ellerslie on the new fandangled track has been set. You can slip and slide and still run. As safe as houses.

During Covid it was okay to work away from the Petone office, including members of the Racing Bureau working from home. Now it is essential to be near a racing hub. Heard of the internet??!! Another sad part is that the racing governing body has moved from a building they owned on The Terrace to renting part of a floor at TAB head office in Petone, now to renting a whole building for what seems a much larger compliment of staff. The industry is going down the gurgler, trainers and others are cutting costs to stay in the game, yet the governing body gets up and runs off on a whim at whatever expense it takes.

Are you able to tell me anything that makes sense in racing at the moment? NZTR moved to Cambridge I thought. Maybe Dr Forbes can keep a corner in his Wellington office for the Keeper of the Stud Book as I believe Bruce Sharrock is travelling to the Waikato without one.

Is it just me? I could never have faith in anything Paul Wilcox says, bearing in mind that interview is 11 months old and we know what has transpired. Those key phrases make you think ... - "Is it sustainable?" - "Our investment fund will provide stakes". With the hill gone which set Ellerslie apart, and the obvious ongoing problems, I can't help think it might have made more sense to have sold the lot and start off with a new canvas. They might think they have a large enough water storage facility to capture all the storm water from the new subdivision. I have seen how much run off there is from a new subdivision on a bit of a rise, not a steep hillside like at Ellerslie. I don't think they are fully aware of what they are in for, despite Paul Wilcox's repeat of the 100% confidence he has.

Quite often the question was asked as to why Petone was where HQ was stationed when there was ample room and parking at Trentham.

I was introduced to Scoot Boots a year or so ago. Since then I've discovered how widespread their use is. Like you say it is amazing what is thrown at you through Google and how much you can learn without getting off the couch.

I thought the general consensus over the years was that sand slitting didn't work. It seems they are going the whole hog now, which you'd think would blow the problem out to huge proportions.

Is it worthwhile letting them know via the 0800 line? It may be by design but, more likely an oversight.

As you have walked the track on more than one occasion and have an obvious idea about turf, if you were asked to advise is there a simple solution? From a logical view point adequate consolidation takes time so, that has to be factored in to any plan.

I have read and listened to a shit load of waffle leading up to the installation of the new state of the art surface at Ellerslie, then more absolute bullshit up until this point. It is clear that the project is a failure. If I had commissioned such a job on my own property, at my own expense, I would not be singing the praises of anyone involved. In this case at Ellerslie several questions come to mind ... what are the members of the club thinking and doing about it, does a CEO of a racing club that doesn't have a decent facility at their head quarters to race on become a Catering Manager to retain his salary, and when do the replacements for the CEO and Board start?

Administration, do you mean?

That just tells me those in the National Party have more motivation.

Haha. Kitten and puppy drowning.

I wonder where the people are who put those in. It would also be good to know what is different about the Ellerslie surface, it's construction and length of consolidation.

Weren't there some Australian contributors on here way back warning about pitfalls of StrathAyr surfaces? If I recall they said these tracks weren't all they are cracked up to be. Isn't NZ Racing ridiculous at the moment!! I have to keep reminding myself I am not asleep. It's not even mediocrity reigning, it's absolute stupidly that is accepted as the norm. I can only shake my head, as I am sure many others are also.

Sometimes the galloping Stipes Reports are laughable too. Have you found that interpretation varies a lot in everything these days? I wonder about the standard of education some people have been subjected to.

How many times until it is unacceptable? Like Chief said, to speak out prior to these disasters meant you were negative. Is that another word for "correct"?

It could have been disastrous but, how impressive was that horse not slipping over, falling off onto the tracks, and hardly turning a hair when so close to a moving train?

They sure do need to roll. NZTR has also been singing the praises of this wonder track. This is not a game but, they all appear to be merely playing.

FFS. Cameron George scarpered in time. With the quotes seen from Paul Wilcox and the Ellerslie track unusable for a further 18 months his salary could be saved too. The headline says, should have raced at Avondale. If racing authorities were truly in the job for the good of racing Avondale should definitely have been at the top of the list. Racing big wigs really are in Disneyland. They are a laughing stock, no other words to describe them.

It seems bullying is in all parts of our society. Why are we worrying about some of these children? With what they have already unfortunately seen in life they are going to grow into clones of their no hoping parents. As I said somewhere else on here start by sterilising all the useless people. Problem solved.

I'm a bit sick of tightening my belt. Let people who have kids feed them lunch and cut that monstrosity out for a start. The crap lunches given is a joke and the waste partly because of that is inexcusable. There is no excuse for not paying nurses and police what they are worth. The saying pay peanuts and get monkeys certainly applies in the health sector. If you think employing people who hardly speak English to look after your old or ailing loved ones is okay, you are kidding yourself.