Special Agent

If you were a conspiracy theorist you could really go to town on this subject. Threads that have disappeared in a puff of smoke. Why indeed? It's a bit like the dates calendar shrouded in secrecy. Who are these dates and venues being hidden from? Add to that the chitter chatter at Trentham today with suspicious undertones regarding the upcoming synthetic meet. Insufficient entries for trials ... really?

I believe there is a draft calendar that has been out for some time and seen by ... not sure how many.

Angus Mavor?

The memes of Donald Trump as the Pope have come to fruition.

Highly Lethal was the omen bet. That's him in the photo above as he and Jimmy head for victory at Levin.

Just like Ka Ying Rising winning impressively at the Levin Jumpouts before his sale overseas where he has become a superstar, todays 2nd race winner at Hawera at $38 trounced his rivals at the most recent Levin jumpouts too. Trainer Brendon McDermott was upbeat following that jumpout and gave his opinion freely to all watching the heat. Hope they heeded Brendon's advice and all got a piece of it.

With 36 entries you could've just run jumpouts up the back straight from the practice gates. There are 107 entered at Cambridge with one being in two heats. Most trials and jumpouts on grass have many more entries.

There is nothing wrong with robust debate. You just don't want personal nastiness over a difference of opinion.

And Japan?

Well we don't need less than we have now. We especially don't want the ones that don't sponge on the industry going.

Didn't the club run a farm as well?

That's an interesting question. Was any compensation offered? Or because there was an alternative venue, did that negate any compensation arrangement?

I'm with you Beau. Sometimes I think I am talking a different language. When I said ... "Don't these figures make it even more annoying that Awapuni is not up and running. The comments given do not compensate for lost earnings and incurred expenses as already obviously stated." ... I wasn't even talking about the move from Otaki to Hawera. Rather the NZTR comments and lost earnings with Awapuni not up and running. The fact of the matter is that racing needs a bomb under it, especially in CD. I think many of us make comments to let out some frustration. These comments are just opinions which are sometimes asked for. They don't need twisting and I too don't have time to be justifying any of it.

Maybe some are reserving that action until the AWT report comes out. Or is it already out?

Not Majestics, not a monopoly. Not my horse, a client booking.

Don't these figures make it even more annoying that Awapuni is not up and running. The comments given do not compensate for lost earnings and incurred expenses as already obviously stated.

Thanks Beau, I was working out the figures too. Chief is right. Only 9 would have walked from box to birdcage. Also only 14 are stabled within the Kapiti/Horowhenua region. On current 115 non-scratched entries 41 from the Palmerston North area are travelling about a further 100km each way. 2 from Hunterville will travel about 50km further each way. Hawkes Bay incurs 90-odd km extra each way and there are curently 4 horses from that area. Turakina and Marton is 20-40km more with 4 horses engaged. 1 from Wairarapa @ 100km further. 1 from Bulls/Sanson area which is approximately 70km difference. I make that 76 horses' owners negatively impacted in travel costs alone. Not taking recorded scratchings to date into account, I think you could guarantee some of the 76 will scratch as a result of this particular 200km venue change.

Trainers and owners can, and do, go to any racetrack in the country. However, to move a race meeting so far away from the host club's venue is head scratching material, especially when Foxton is in close proximity and deemed by NZTR safe and suitable for trials run under their jurisdiction. The number of participants who utilise Foxton speaks volumes. What value do the Otaki and Foxton sponsors derive from a race meeting in Hawera?

Anti-intellectualism! Now, that's a word!

Consider it flattery if they are looking at what is happening here.

They are no different to anyone else in New Zealand who has been made redundant, and would have to learn. With menial jobs, if you can get one, at least you know what day you get paid.

What the new gorge road emphasizes is the importance of Woodville. It will be a very short trip from Awapuni. RACE and NZTR are well aware of this. Woodville should never have been on the surplus list. In fact it would be a great alternative training venue for any fed up Awapuni trainers who might have had enough of the AWT and keeping their horses inside 24/7.

It costs a fortune to float there for trials from the west coast and the ride for the horse is shitty from anywhere from Awapuni west while the new gorge road is being built.

If you enter for Hawera you can budget for the trip from wherever your horse is trained. It's a bit different when it is thrust upon you. Last year one way Otaki to Hawera cost $571. It's okay though. If you get to a race meeting that is put off NZTR will give you $200 compensation. Maybe ask a Waikato trained owner what the float fare is from Matamata to Trentham. I'm sure the $200 wouldn't put much of a dent in the travel bill.

That is what I am trying to get across, the distance the race meeting has moved. Now had it moved from Otaki to Foxton that's only Kapiti to Horowhenua. Otaki to Taranaki goes across a few provinces.