eljay

Perhaps Mark has changed his mind - it has happened before - and he wants colours back 😊

A lot of good horses lost to NZ

Already a shooting at/adjacent to one of Phil's "be kind housing complexes" today and it not even finished. Perhaps these new prospective slums should have an MP from the party that built them housed there too.

Next week 7 group & listed races programmed. Noms will be interesting on Monday. Waikato also racing next week - suits decree must have back to backs! 🎲

https://www.barrypurdonracing.co.nz/racing-team

Food for thought

They all have the "pedigree" Karrots.

Hayden has a few trialling at Rangiora today

Snakes & Ladders any day

Some (good) reasons but very few answers. My only suggestion is a lot of either day or night meetings on a Saturday. It may not work - but we don't know unless it is tried. Ellerslie the supposed Thoroughbred leaders have in the past vehemently opposed harness Saturday as that is THEIR day. Well those days are over and the ATC, HRNZ, Racing Bard (whatever it may now be called) the TAB etc. have to all get behind Saturday racing in the country's main area of population. If it's not tried they will never know. And it's also no sense saying next seasons dates have been set. It is easy to re-hash it dont take 6 months for that!

Premier meeting - big money up - pathetic nominations. Why?? The maiden race for 12 thou only 5 noms. Something is drastically wrong! Damned if I can see what.

Imagine - Harness Palmie last Tues then Hastings Sunday then back to Palmie this Tuesday. Summer weather - what a great road trip for the trainers/owners. But I suppose, once was, never to be again.

Ask Swarbrick - the latest expert on Animal Welfare

And (conversely) why is New Plymouth the same as the rest of the country while Auckland level 3. These people went there but not to Orewa!

Poor Hayden - on a hiding to nothing

Hasn't been overblessed with the draws - not saying that why he not winning but if you look at these races this season they have been fair whizzing along. Mightn't be a Cardigan Bay but not a maiden that's for sure.

Tuapeka Knight Last updated 12/02/2021 at 13:04 pm 1984 35 B h Smooth Fella - Tuapeka Dream

Not really a dual code meeting - same as usual Cambridge meetings. Dogs first then harness. When they first announced these meetings I envisaged alternate races with only 15 minutes between the two codes - i.e. 4 races in an hour quickfire.

Yeah - give it to him!! 🐘

Nah - knowing Mike he may give it a bit of time off

Karrots - did you notice a 2 year old filly called Lady La Salle qualified yesterday at Cambridge in time of 2-05.3 for 1700 (1-58.6 mile rate). That's smoking - if Cambridge's timing is accurate. Is trained by Mike Berger. Robert Dunn has 2 trialling at Alex Park tonight before the "races" along with an already qualified filly (yes filly - called Mr Kaplan) of Herlihy's

and still the second & third raters cross the Tasman to new lives.

House 14, The Dicksons 12, Doody 8 - that's over half!

Karrots - many of the clubs seem to be anti-active when it comes to such things. Auckland have "given up" interest. They always bought 3 or 4 yearlings at the sales and syndicated them but lately the number of people interested in these syndicates have dwindled. This has meant after outlaying purchase price they have had to either carry the unsold portion of the purchase price or up the cost to those who have joined the syndicates. Syndicates were 50 members but there have been unsold shares over the last years. A great pity as many have been introduced to ownership through these syndicates. The Palmie club I think syndicates one horse each season. In the north many of the prominent trainers and breeders run syndication and these days this avenue appears to be the best avenue. You may have seen for example the weekly advert in the Herald from Stonewall Stud. The North Island Owners Association can always put prospective owners in the right direction too - Lisa Olsson is the secretary - they have a web site.

Clubs seem to adopt an "oh well" attitude. Nobody wants to either try something or even discuss it. Yes, there are a lot of horses exported, many sold at bargain basement prices. Is there a way we could discourage this or make it less profitable. I'm damned if I can find an answer Should we charge big levies on exported horses that do not return after a given period. Or has it now reached the shrug shoulders situation.