Special Agent

Trevor Robertson and Fiona Tonks were at the helm at Ashburton from what I recall. If the model you refer to was mooted in any other industry you would be deemed a failure and expected to come up with a proper solution. As for relying on the sales of courses you have mentioned, they are partially owned by harness clubs. Has the problem with this concept not been realised yet? I'm sure the Geraldine Trotting Club and Banks Peninsula Harness members will be thrilled to own a slice of a floundering outfit with a syntheic track where standardbreds will not be welcome.

What do you think the main reason for being cash strapped is? Do they only run industry days? Are not all races sponsored? Are they paying out a lot in wages? What have all these reports come up with to make their operation a viable one?

Aw come on Chief, that is sounding sexist. I know plenty of mothers partial to hot dog and chips.

Am I right in thinking that on the debut day of the Awapuni AWT on Sunday week that there is a Mothers' Day soiree at Trentham? With the Awapuni opening a big deal to the industry how is Creative Catering going to run two operations about 175km apart?

I don't buy that. There are people interested in racing right across the country. Bruce told us at the latest Road Show that they have people working in some of their departments like finance who have no idea about racing. There are worse places to live than Wellington as far as work is concerned. So, I would take much convincing on that statement.

There is this delusional idea that elitism is the way to go. Oh boy, are they wrong!! Anyone who has recently seen invoices for feed, plates, vet or transport will realise it is going to take more than the exclusive to keep the industry ticking over. The costs and risks need to be spread across a multitude of participants. Even the licence groups along with their affiliates being squeezed out will unlikely return. The field sizes are already reflecting a dire state. NZ seems to want to pick and choose bits from Aussie to weave into the Kiwi racing fabric. As you say Huey an industry catering for many rather than a few is one aspect we should be adopting/adapting. Any business looks for a wide customer base to set an unbreakable foundation. Even the mighty fall. Mr Wolf not that long ago a prime example.

Three things spring to mind after reading this thread. 1. NI and SI AWT meetings do differ. The trainers in the north have enough options to not have to race on synthetic. If the trialling at Awapuni so far is anything to go by I still don't think we are going to see racing on it. 2. Another anomoly is we are still breeding true blue wet trackers for which trainers will find hard to place if AWT's are the only option. 3. What double standards are at play making the south island one region when reasons given for the closure of Wairoa, Gisborne etc included the travel distance.

Is Centaur the only one concerned about the illegal side of this? What penalties are there, and for whom, for breaching the Acts? Centaur how can these misdemeanours be dealt with?

Trentham take heed.

The more you read the worse it gets. What makes the NZTR Board think this is a silver bullet?

It makes no sense whatsoever to hold Grand National steeplechases or hurdles at Riccarton when the south island has no jumpers and no lead up races. We could go on until blue in the face about how inept the people in charge are for letting this happen but, the fact of the matter is they have let it happen. Has anyone been privvy to the responses received to last year's survey on the matter? Did anyone get a return email following their submission? The decisions around jumping have been poor ones. For the south island at least there needs to be a whole new class of horse and programming structure created to stop wastage. With this "duty of care" rule now in place, rather than the group of horses that could normally go jumping now destined for a plate or can, NZTR had better devise regular races to cater for those requiring longer and slower events. They may have to be for amateur riders, probationers and apprentices with less than 20 race day rides under their belts. These races could serve as qualifying events for emerging jockeys where trials are scarce. Let them only use the whip with their hands on the reins and make the races penalty free for the horse and owner.

I am also surprised at Karen Blanchard too. For goodness sake let's find all their numbers and give them a ring. This cannot happen. Let's stop it.

I don't know this president but, judging his stints on the television news in the role he's a halfwit with no respect for harness history. His comments on the Hall of Fame were appalling. Excuse my ignorance but, is Robert Dunn on the ATC committee or administration?

Dean was a very respected talent and being and will be greatly missed. Enjoy the highs in racing, and life, and hold the memories close. Tragedies remind us how short and precious life is. Try to keep arguments and fights to a minimum; there are better things to do with your time.

When you think of the goings on at Riccarton it is quite ridiculous. Putting in a synthetic track, not maintaining the turf course to an acceptable racing standard during summer, and demolishing the whole jumping scene, are all the most stupid actions a racing club could make. Foresight would have told you to hold off on the shutting down of jumps racing, not only at their own track but killing jumps racing across the whole south island, in case the AWT fails.

Whoops, track was PUKEKOHE not Riccarton.

I note from the Stipes' Report that TCO2 testing applied to one race at Riccarton, and one horse at the meeting had hair samples taken. I know that cobalt testing is expensive and arbitrary so, was there a target with these testing examples at Riccarton or was it penny pinching? Why on earth is testing not carried out on everything or nothing? Consistency and transperancy is all we ask.

I haven't checked out statistics on that.

You would think not. Like Chief asked when is the CJC fixing the most important track at Riccarton? And spin was the right word for that rubbish about the inorganic track. What nonsense written to keep a job. The balance sheet on that track would be as shifty as the surface. As for Awapuni, what jockey in their right mind is going to go out in a field of TEN and properly compete riding a galloper around a greyhound circuit??!! Don't think much of your trainer either if he/she is sending your horse out on it.

Doesn't he still hold the all time record for the most wins by a jockey? I'd have thought that would be reason enough for inclusion.

Pretty sure they were a Riccarton Turf Club oncourse licence. When you think about it why would the CJC need an oncourse only meeting?

Some of that information is trickling rather than flooding back now you mention it. Good days and good memories. When you think about it times were much more simple then. You'd wonder why people of today have to over complicate everything. Also trickling back with the tote busting grey Legalize, I know his trainer Marlene Bennett was harness trainer Frank Bennett's first wife but, someone else might confirm if she was the daughter of Dick Jennings?

They definitely ran race meetings that had on course only betting when Viv Jack was the President. Winsome Shaw may have been Secretary but, my memory is fuzzy. The large dividend winner many recall was the grey Legalize trained by Marlene Bennett, maybe for her father. Not sure if Judy Hawes/Collett rode him that day or Sheralee Boyce (former partner of Chris Johnson).

My concern also. Run by hard working volunteers with a respected following. Don't know but surely an idiot.

Because it's south of Taupo.