Special Agent

Thinking is a dying art.

I think what you are both pointing out is that racing has changed which requires much thought to work out ways to progress the sport. I'm not sure harness has many thinkers at the helm.

I see there were only 8 submissions lodged with the Commerce Commission against the merger.

Especially with the number of races run. Please collaborate with Chief and put this bullshit to bed.

I don't know how many other ways it can be said but, there are still disbelievers.

To say in the Stipes' Report there is no evidence the horse was suffering an injury, what are they on? The horse ambulance was required. I know sometimes this action can be precautionary but, the vet believed the horse was injured. The vet is obviously competent or would not be employed. A fracture was discovered.

Didn't the vet report there was a fracture? Are the officials overriding a medical expert by saying that happened in the horse ambulance? The horse may have suffered an injury as early as the score up. If the horse was not injured during the running why was he loaded into the horse ambulance? There is not a lot of sense around this.

The listening by NZTR is required before the decisions are made. We are just informed of what is happening it seems. If would be good if the advisory system was transparent.

I think you need to attack this from a different angle too. You have already put time and effort in so, what sacrifice is a little bit more? Bear with me here as I have a bit on today and my brain isn't as crystal clear as it should be but, with the greyhound industry "on notice" and the Department of Internal Affairs hosting the Greyhound Review Final Report why are you pussyfooting around with your concerns? I think it is pretty simple. You have highlighted in yellow your concerns where each group has "dropped the ball". Without any personal attacks I can see how each aspect has accountable people attached who have not been accountable. You have highlighted three concerns and asked three questions. Why don't you put that to AGRC, GRNZ, RIB and DIA and copy in whomever is necessary to get some action and some answers? That's what I'd do. How different would your approach be, Chief?

Double standards. What sort of people are on these panels? I thought because there is renumeration it should mean professionalism. All we want is consistency. Is the horse okay? Once they go into that horse ambulance ...

Very few owners get to race in a group race so to put more money into group racing is not aiding the wider industry. Entain's idea is to put an extra $2,000, for argument's sake, into the winning stake of maidens. To me that is not rewarding mediocracy as indicated by Tesio. It is rewarding the winner, not the also rans. Historical evidence shows how when just a few big races are pumped up the foundation crumbles. If we can keep our horses from being sold at least long enough for them to pick up 10 or so more ratings points the pool of horses will be much more solid so, a more competitive environment and a better betting product. Everyone wins from the breeder, owner through the trainer, staff and jockey, to the punter and even sponsor. I don't see what people aren't getting.

Yankiwi, I agree with you in the fact that not only have GRNZ been slow to recognise (or be told as the case looks to be) the incorrect and endangering distances between lure and leader but, the board has so many knowledgable trainers who must be contributing nothing at meetings and just taking a fee for attendance. I acknowledge this is the tip of the iceberg but, reading your posts it seems the problems are all fixable. I also agree with Chief. You obviously have a degree of intelligence, a knowledge of what needs to be done and time on your hands. I think you should be the better man (I am assuming your gender which is a little dangerous in today's world) as the industry is bigger than us all but, needs saving from itself. Put a decent paper together and lodge it with GRNZ, meet with them and work on a solution of current greyhound woes. Why don't you take up Chief's offer of posting on here to keep us all informed, and we can also keep the authorities honest and accountable?

Money spent on those lower grades would assist everyone and may even push a few up the grades to improve the overall quality.

Here's a task for you Tesio. Get up the list of the rated horses in training for each trainer. You might be surprised how many horses each and every trainer has, as a percentage of their overall number in training, that are R65 or below.

Me neither.

This is a very good point. There doesn't appear to be any proof that any thought or rationale went into this "enhanced funding strategy". God forbid but, these seem to be figures plucked out of thin air because they don't make a hell of a lot of sense. I think we are supposed to be wetting our pants with excitement over this allocation of monies. I understand they are trying to be innovative. I still believe there is this air of grandeur and snobbery. For goodness sake we just want a fair suck of the sav for everyone in the industry, like many on here are saying from the bottom up, not the top to half way down. I can't understand why so many are oblivious to the bad decisions and how it hasn't dawned on them yet that we have heard it all before, just dressed a litle differently this time around.

Nah. How will it effect you?

So was that the only dog to contact the rail today? He/she almost looked like he/she was grimacing. Has the lure being a little closer been a help? What will it now take to get these safety rails in at all venues as promised in 2014?

It is very expensive to feed horses, especially over winter, and it would not be unusual for some to lighten off in colder weather. SPCA investigate a number of complaints but, there may not be many prosecutions.

I'd say he's hiding.

As lay people I think we get it.

To my way of thinking both entities show a definite weakness. Both are supposed to be governing the industry and it's rules. The flippant manner in which decisions are reviewed and changed show this knee jerk reaction to comments from certain groups or individuals. If the original decisions were fair there would be no need to change. It's funny how authorities fold to outside influences yet can be so dogmatic when it comes to listening to those within their own industry who know a fair bit more than given credit for. Really it's not that hard. Everyone must work within the rules. The rules must be applied and administered fairly. Those in charge must have the knowledge and capability to do the job. There must be natural justice.

Like you say, how hard was that? I'd like to thank you Yankiwi for persisting despite dodging everything being hurled at you. I'd also like to thank Chief Stipe for giving the vehicle to get the point across. I know you were advocating formal channels but sometimes being hauled over the coals in public gets a quicker response. Listening with an open mind and applying some common sense can work wonders.

Anyone can access RIB reports from the internet. It sounds horrendous that there were three charges against Alysha Waretini. You can judge for yourself how serious her actions were. The fact remains Alysha has not acted in a manner befitting a licence holder. Not only has she brought greyhound racing into disrepute but, she has let her mother down, not surprising of today's youth however absolutely inexcusable.

You won't get any argument from me.