Special Agent

To me it would suggest vendor buy backs are okay but, open to comment.

Reading the terms, I'd say no.

Yes it does. How is this being addressed?

More gimmicks.

Oh dear. Is that a $80K race in our money? The Entain way ... quantity.

These are all great points that everyone is bringing up, and so bloody obvious those in charge are just giving us all the fingers. It can only end in tears!!

It is quite surprising breeders are backing this one as it will not reflect a genuine black type race. I thought I heard Bruce Sharrock correct himself saying the CJC would have to buy their slot. What with? They'd have to sell the two houses on the property, if they haven't already.

So to enter your horse it either has to be NZ bred or to have gone through the NZ sales. I'd say NZB's contribution is providing the vehicle to Auction. NZTR is retaining a slot for whatever knows what purpose.

If you ask do you think you will be answered?

Well that makes sense doesn't it because Palmerston North is so close to Petone where the settlers landed on 22nd January 1840. Even the citizens of Maxwell get a holiday on Wellington Anniversary Day, not that their town's sign will let you know these days that it is Maxwell you are passing through. Anniversary Day will be celebrated on Wednesday 20th January in 2025. The Awapuni race is much earlier than that. It's like the Easter Bunny turning up at Christmas.

Is there any more land to sell? On the subject of the CJC, where do they feature in the highlights package? A weird one for me is the transfer of the Anniversary from Trentham to Awapuni early in the New Year. One would assume the Anniversary was so named as it is usually staged on or around Wellington Anniversary Day.

Maybe some of the money put into novelty races could go into track renovations. I don't undetstand why it is not obvious that if the track surfaces were in tip top condition and all of the horse facilities were decent field sizes and the quality of racing would magically improve.

Pretty poor showing.

And that is what happens. You get tired and drained trying to get valid points across. That doesn't mean you should succumb to those in charge who, more often than not, know so much less than you do, AND your livelihood and existence relies upon a successful industry which you have poured your whole life into. Most people in administration can walk away and find another job. If you have completed an apprenticeship or cadetship and worked hard at your craft there is little else you know much about.

Yes, granted. They can go off and bet on tennis or something but, sure won't be betting throughbreds.

So what did the committee do?

I couldn't agree more!! Costs and administration ideas (for want of a better word) are squeezing out the alternative to the mass production areas of the industry. The literature dished out is mind boggling. I am sure hardly anyone has read it all and have no idea what they are agreeing to. There are errors, contradictions and all sorts of shit that will have ramifications that will bite someone in the arse down the track. It is a potential trainwreck. If you are truly going to centralise you need to ensure you have the infrastructure in place and excellent personnel to run it. I am sorry to say that the New Zealand Racing Industry has neither. Our industry is racing horses. In order for the wheels to turn the most important parts of the industry are horses and the people who get them to perform, trainers, jockeys, trackwork riders and stable hands. I am not ignoring owners and punters, both very important to the industry but without the horses and those who get them to the races, the owners and punters will not exist. Before you start looking for new participants you actually need to look after the current ones but, most importantly all racecourse facilities must cater for the athlete expected to perform. Chief, you talk of NZTR coming up with a low cost operation and entice new participation at every level. I can't see the new licencing and accreditation system doing that on either count. As for the RIU stable audits to ensure all trainers are professional, that is ironic when racecourses around the country are seriously not up to scratch. Maybe the RIU should start in their own back yard first. I wonder if the real meaning of centralisation is understood at NZTR. I know the answer to that. There are many race tracks and training facilities that are more central and cost effective than the currently favoured ones. The top training centres and racecourses of the past sadly no longer deserve those titles, not now under new management.

Axing Radio Trackside was not a good decision overall for the industry. You can see why RITA have taken drastic action. Their brief was to cut costs in a hurry. Dean McKenzie gets the total blame for this decision but, wasn't he the mouth piece for a committee including Sir Peter Vela, Brian Mollet's daughter and others? The real question is though, why the hell did the industry bodies not insist on an audit or financial accountability long before the situation became dire? Most of the racing groups could see overspending and ineffective systems and staff. Why did they not officially question it?

As the Chief said "Stuff the horses". I get a bit sick of this attitude. Yes, let us put up with substandard facilities as we await funding. It's okay that some of the box doors are insecure or take two people to open. It's okay that there are not enough stalls for a trainer to get horses ready for 2 or 3 races in a row. It's okay that the racing surface is clearly patchy maybe because the watering system now has to factor in housing very close to the track. And it's all okay right across the country because we have these money sucking all weather tracks to save the day. OMG, the real money sucking has not even started yet. I have to wonder. If the synthetic tracks are the way to go according to some on here, and the strathayr surface won't be used in winter, why didn't Ellerslie put an all weather track inside the strathayr? Ellerslie could race all year round, week in and week out.

He absolutely did, and was questioned for clarification on it at Awapuni. He believed they had incentives for owners and trainers currently being used in South Australia (I think) that could also benefit the industry here in terms of more participation and revenue. He was very keen to get more patrons (particularly younger ones) oncourse to experience racing first hand, and had ideas to implement to entice them to place more bets, then larger bets. The presentations must have varied slightly between venues. I suppose it depended on questions asked. How they expect to do it seems to be to copy a tried and true method. I think New Zealanders are different and have less disposable cash so, await the results with interest. The why is past experience shows them that more races, racers and racing equals more revenue.

Dean from Entain clearly stated at the Roadshows that they want to drive turnover by having more meetings, more races, more participation. Getting those horses back from Singapore and Macau may be a project Entain could spearhead.

She was bought by the Scott/Young partnership on the say so of Adrian Clark who recognised her underlying ability. She is obviously loving the southern lifestyle. Like Freda said the beach will be doing wonders. The beach has that "kind and consistent surface" you talk of TAB man.

Should the finances be public record, discussed at the AGM and lodged with the Incorporated Society?

If you look good and feel good you must surely perform better. Throw in the fact that having a uniform means you don't have to think about what to wear, then the job must be so much easier. I agree the dress sense of some is very bad and such taste should not be let loose on the public. Branded clothing should help to feel part of a team, surely.

Grant Cullen trained Miss Bailey to win the Wellington Cup. I doubt Jimmy Walker ever rode her race day. Leanne Isherwood was the Cup winning hoop.