Special Agent

Were the comments on the missing threads, like the synthetic tracks, too close to the bone for some?

The membership numbers highlight the disaster in any club joining RACE. Has Ashurst Pohangina got no members remaining? The old boys of the clubs would tell you what the assets of each joining club paid for. Ashurst Pohangina may have purchased the land in Te Wanaka Road for training stables which has been sold (or partially sold) for the development which has stalled due to various ongoing problems. I notice on here Trentham is noted several times as having no horse training population. This should not be considered an impediment. It is widely accepted horse training operations run at a loss, with Cambridge and Matamata exceptions to that rule. Like Trentham, Ellerslie has no training. CD racing has an interesting training model. The largest training centre is Awapuni which is well shy of the number of horses in training guaranteed in the application for the Provincial Growth Fund. CD is an area which boasts large private training facilities, thus significant individual trainer investment. Someone on here may have the figures of horse numbers trained at Riccarton and Rangiora which might support claims the latter is fast becoming a very important and strategic training venue, even since such reports as the Messara version came into being. Quite an amazing evolution without, and perhaps against, traditional racing administration. Thank goodness for cross code collaboration.

The article and photo with Terry and Debbie Kennedy brought a tear to my eye. I've known Jamie for years and he's been a great servant to racing. Such a sad way to go but, you know what he's still upbeat, grateful and thinking of others. Some people moan about nothing. I wish the world had more Jamie Searle's.

That is only supposing "the industry" is paying, not the individual clubs.

I think the more immediate problem is Hastings. At least we are currently racing at Trentham. It has become such a problem in that racing participants are needing to even think about club finances when they should be just turning up and competing on a safe surface with decent facilities.

Yes, you are right. Although that saddle is small and light it's not unusual to see a raceday saddle weigh less than 130g. The interesting part of the photo is that the irons are quite a heavy version of a light variety at about 190g for the pair. Light irons are commonly 120g or less for both irons. Funny to think of a saddle and irons being the equivalent of cutting a pound of butter in half.

Yes, the track was a little too good for some fronting up today mid-May at Trentham. I'd say make the most of it as June and July will be more saturating.

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?