Joe Bloggs

Thats why a national think tank is needed NM, it falls under the licensing issues, there are men and women out there with apprentices that shouldn't have them full stop. They are learning from fellow track riders and willing jocks, those jocks might have a good heart or are being amiable, however they struggle to sit on themselves. We had the benefit of marvellous teachers, Lance had his Dad, plus in those days and I was well before Lance, every jock rode work, you had to or no rides, I had Deac at Hawera, how bloody lucky was I, even though he was a hard bastard, we all knew how to ride, Deac didn't have poor apprentices, nor Eric Temperton, or Noel Eales, or Wally McEwan, and so on, you are only as good as the man/woman that teaches you. Petone have been far too free and easy handing out licences, that has to stop, but at the same time, that decision should be in the hands of someone really experienced and talented, hence the ongoing problems at Petone.....who appoints who? We can't live in the past, and nor should we, the future belongs to those that plan for it, Petone just stumble along, make it up, and probably write it down on a napkin, no-one will reinvest at this rate, except the cartel, it all suits their narrative, but south of the border it will all go pear shaped unless there is a line in the sand. Saundry has been a complete failure, he should have incorporated the same program that RVL have with their apprentice scheme, and monitored the intake accordingly, it's all well and good bringing these kids from Japan, Mauritius, Malaysia etc, but you need to start at home and have a schools program and incentive, pony club and employment drives with Government apprentice subsidies. The new CEO of NZTR might turn it around, if he has the ability to listen, circulate and engage, and show bi-partisan support for non cartel aligned industry participants, we can but hope.

Here's a striking Roc de Cambes horse going places.....HK probably as his owner Jenny Chapman [Price Bloodstock] lives up there, this bloke is a super talent, he's got it all, size, confirmation, tractability, you name it, and in NZ today at Te Aroha his 3yo full bro had his first race start. Roc Up, started fav and ran a lovely close up 4th, raced by his breeder Dick Karaman an Aussie [Brizvegas] who also owns The Oaks Stud in the Waikato here's hoping Dick [who doesn't need the money] races him over in AUS. Maybe the QLD spring carnival as Tony Pike his trainer is not adverse to fleeing the harsh Kiwi winters.

The reason Mark? simple,......Stupidity.

FWIW, why not a licensing dept with maybe 3, [neg] and 1 boss, each and every licence application to be treated on it's merits? Criteria in general; Experience, financial standing, Police check.........like it is here in most states, not rocket science is it? NSW used to have an edict, first timers had to begin their career in the Province's, Like Hawkesbury, Gosford, Wyong, Kembla etc......most accepted that, we had exceptions like Mark Newnham, he had done 20 odd years as a jockey and right hand man for Gai Waterhouse, however even Mark who lived at Mascot had to begin at W Farm, a hard slog of a drive across town back and forth 4 times a day, 3 in peak traffic........he did that gladly. It needs a licensing person who knows their stuff, I'm not saying an ex-trainer, but someone who is close enough yet divorced from making biased decisions......racing needs a massive overhaul, but self preservation is a precious thing, if I was a bookmaker framing a market on voluntary redundancies Petone would be 100-1.......sadly.

May I just add, Petone seems to forget or to not acknowledge Darwins theory of evolution, as to become a high performance horse trainer one would need to go through the 'lower cost model training process wouldn't one''?........unless of course you are a rich mans son or daughter, and have 'friends' in the right place.

There's got to be some brave souls that work in the Petone Taj Mahal, good people that know their limitations. There are also a number of mediocre executives that come up with shite like this. I remember when we all respected the old Racing Conference, they were vastly different animals to what inhabit the Taj now. The racing today at TAU was deplorable, but I bet the car park piss up was awesome, it always is, the biggest boot party in the Valley, and Welly for that matter, it will be gone within a decade, owner trainers, small trainers, all gone, it's progress, defined by fuckwits for fuckwits, and overseen by even bigger fuckwits. You can't steal memories, you can steal the future, Petone is full of robbers, NZ has learnt nothing, to attract new blood, younger people, to a stagnant and poisonous industry you have to be innovative, creative and pro-active, this mob are neither, at best they are re-active and even then can't seem to drag themselves above water level, by alienating grass roots New Zealand they are locking themselves into a fortress, backs to the wall stuff, when whats needed is consultation by a cross section of the racing industry. People like Reefton, Nomates, Freda, Pitman, Carter, just to name a few, all have/had skin in the game, no use heading to the Cartel, that's why we are where we are, if anyone at Petone reads this forum, for Gods sake show some heart, some courage, some intellect, something!!! and call a national conference and ask for help......the helps there, I know it, I feel it, it just takes one person at NZTR with cache to get things rolling......if it happened the boss and I would re-invest, gladly, at one stage we had 5 in work with trainers in NZ and 10 mares and foals/weanlings, Change, it's possible, but maybe not probable, and thats heartbreaking for those of us that entered this wonderful sport/industry decades ago, in my case 1967..... I might well be a fossil, but a passionate one, I've left well over a million dollars behind chasing a dream, and we had a go, a good old fashioned go, and don't regret a minute of it......the lows included, the saddest part of it all.....to be dudded by Duds at the end of our innings, being run out on 99........oh well, said my piece, a dram or two of single malt and off to walk the dog. Correct Weight ?

In your own words, they were cantering, if he'd wanted to go forward all he needed to do was put her in 2nd gear, if she wasn't having her 3rd start in a month I would agree with you, but Rogie takes no prisoners, this lass is doing serious gaol time and I just hope she gets parole before she's gutted big time.

Absolutely!.....in a perfect world.

See my reply to Mumbles......

Or at least sat a half behind the leader...she is tractable, doesn't pull or reef, she's the real deal, but as I said Mumbles, she might be cooked now, for this prep at least......unless we have another Showgate and GT scenario? if that's the case Rogie will go again next week.........at least GT had a plethora of top riders to choose from, in those days we were blessed, nowadays we are cursed......you agree?

My mate emailed the [NZ] stewards once, ranting about the ride on one he owned, no reply, so he went again, no reply, so he rang them, one steward gave him lip service, my mate told him he wouldn't race another, the young steward was not interested......the race was at Oamaru, there was one steward working that day......my mate was true to his word, he never raced another, he owned 3 cafes in SYD and one in NZ....he was cashed up, the industry needed owners like him, he'll race another, I''l make him, but it will be here in Oz.......sadly.

That's why he should have gone forward FFS, they were doing evens!!! My old Boss would have kicked my arse til my teeth rattled if I sat out here doing pacework, experience should have told him they were going to sprint home and 2 inside him and the leaders were having a bludge, when you do your dough you become very subjective, like Turny, KITK, me and hundreds of others......she might have been cooked, I'm going easy on her now after those two slaughters, I bet she slept well in her bed last night.

Why haven't blokes like Marsh, Baker, James etc said something? Bosson, Cameron, Innes ? ....Nod's onto something alright.....catastrophe in waiting.

No replay, apologies from NZTR........I can't comment then as only watched it once....live........BUT......if these people with track records are covering something then it needs to be outed, too many jockeys [Bowman, Berry] over here, and too many to mention in NZ take liberties with horses and other jockey's lives, the stewards do not do their job, and therefore become complicit before the fact. If Johnson contributed to the fall, and I'm saying 'if' she should be held accountable, as any jockey should, honest mistake or not, the penalties are far too light, as yet I've never seen legal action by the horses connections against jockeys, here, there, or anywhere, I've seen jockeys sue each other, it finished champion jockey Malcolm Johnstone, and I'm sure Cory Brown considered it, but if history repeats we will see nada, zilch about this sad loss, be warned......the animal activists are circling the wagons, sooner or later it will hit the fan, and when it does it will be like a spay painter on ICE.

I agree with Turny, I started the thread as I was pissed off, as I usually am after a shocking brain dead ride. The pilot got the horse beat, this filly is way above average, I backed her at her second start when she was slaughtered and on the strength of that run and taking into account Rogie going hard at the stumps I backed up again yesterday at great each way odds. Yesterdays ride was a massacre of epic proportions, he rode one of mine last year, I told the trainer never again, he's just not improving, having said that, he's not Robinson Crusoe and just because this filly only went down a nose can you imagine ridden with cover? or even sitting just off the leader? Rogerson has a super talent with this young lady, however I'm hoping he sends her to AUS as she's a moral in the QLD Oaks, Tony Gollan, Lee Freedman it's a no brainer, there's a bloke that trained 5 MEL cup winners who would love a filly like her.......or to Melbourne and Mike Moroney, Patrick Payne, ......ah, if only.

No stewards report yet ?

She may well be under offer already, he great grand dam is Deck The Halls, Rosehill Guineas winner, lovely family, so would be a beaut buy for the gazillionaires looking for the next Caulfield Cup winner.

Does Rogie not realise what he's got?

Oh Bullshit, I'm speaking through my kick, I put my dosh where my mouth is, he had a chance to get in, and as I've told all my jocks, if you can't get in go forward, sit outside the leader if you have to, or go back if you're riding a non tugger.....but FFS make a decision, sitting out there 3 wide in a field of classy fillies was suicide, if he'd gone forward and sat a half length of the leader I've no doubt she would have won.......she was butchered last start as the jock just perched, sometimes Chief I think you just argue for the sake of it...... It's pissing down here on the coast, if the MM was on today, it wouldn't be......I'm off to walk the dog, and kick a tin along.

Poor Princess Lowry, 3 runs in 4 weeks in her first racing prep, slaughtered last week By R Elliot, 3 wide the journey and still fought on for her Gr2 placing. Today, slaughtered by S McKay, 3 wide the journey and only just touched off in another G2. Owned by Rogie, the best thing he could do is send her to anyone in Oz, anyone, and watch her become an absolute champ........a long long time since I've seen a 3yo filly do what she has been asked to do and bloody nearly pulled it off today despite the efforts of the rider......FFS, can the riding get any worse.

He must have friends in high places that bloke.

Patrick Payne is doing just that, a bloke from Masterton is sending him horses, Michelin won about 150k [couldn't keep up in NZ] Sig Positano won about 100k already over here, and I see he's just sent him that bloody good horse Trosette, so God willing he'll win heaps over here........get on the Queue Chief, it's a procession.......

You've actually got a point, however, as I pointed out above, the know alls shied away from those two, and missed a great opportunity, NZ doesn't have the money to bring in top line stallions, the prize money is so poor and the black type so devalued, over here we are breeding so many good colts that are whisked off to stud too early the market is saturated.....these suited up 20 and 30 somethings with little life experience, and many are rich men sons are becoming commodity traders, not bloodstock agents per se and the money being shelled out for yearlings is laughable, it's a house of cards, who the hell pays 150K for stallion services? only traders, breeding for the sale ring, not the racetrack........it's no different than Wall St, NASDAQ, etc etc.....

Absolutely !!!

I'm generalising, however, Iffraaj got Rizeena, champion 2yo filly, and Chriselliam who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile. He also got Hot Streak, great sprinter over quite a few years and now standing at Stud. Lets not forget Gingernuts, so for sheer versatility Iffraaj is more than proven. Showcasing got Advertise ! Gr1 winning champion sprinter in Europe and the UK........and God knows how many very very good horses over middle distance. The best horse in Australia [potentially] last year was Bob Peters lovely horse that bowed a tendon in MEL just prior to the Carnival......