Joe Bloggs

The anecdote ''fools abound'' well, it's no anecdote when it comes to stuffing tracks. Here on the Gold Coast yesterday we had farcical scenes, firstly the traffic, lets talk traffic, the Gold Coast holiday season is in full swing, so the GCTC do not have police on point duty, the traffic was like the Santa Monica freeway on a wet Friday night, well dressed ladies and gentlemen were alighting from their Ubers and limos a kilometre or more from the course, and in rain had to trudge through puddles to reach their destination, the traffic was gridlocked for hours. I saw horse floats caught and could only imagine the late arrivals, as the meeting was abandoned this info won't reach the mainstream press, and boy were there lots of mainstream press for this hyped meeting. I was lucky, I dropped the Bloggs lady at Southport golf club and off she trudged, still positive and excited by thoughts of the hype, colour and of course the bubbles awaiting just a km or so away her umbrella raised in salute to the rain gods and glide in her stride, pep in her step. I arrived home and turned on the tele to see the news jockeys were consulting with stewards as the meeting was in doubt. We only live 15 min away, we had bugger all rain during the night and dribs and drabs across the morning so I was dumbfounded by the news. I couldn't raise the Bloggs lady, her phone was off line, I learned later there was no internet on-course, the multitude/throng/crowd was so immense the coverage was saturated and collapsed. Making a few inquiries with fellow non racegoers it was established the 'wet patch' at the 350m mark was the culprit, the cause for the abandonment, a rogue sprinkler you see, and the course curator had irrigated as no rain of significance was forecast, all the rogue sprinklers fault. Now, after viewing the drone coverage and stewards film of J Mac's horse slipping in the 2nd race, it was a no brainer the meeting needed to be called. The stewards panel headed by Josh Adams eventually allowed the jockeys to call for a secret ballot, [ideal] and the meeting was canned. The track was due to be uprooted tomorrow and the complete revival undertaken with maybe a resumption of racing post August, all well and good, but how would you like to be paying training fees above $130 a day to a trainer with no grass tracks for 8 months? horses will need to be floated up to Beaudesert about an hour away to a track that is about as good as Bulls racecourse, or maybe Tauherenikau, and the only tracks to work on at GCTC are a new poly track, [jury's out] and the Kenny Russell a 1000m around sand track. There has not been a B grass for some time due to the damage caused by the laying of said poly. The winners trained at the GCTC by club trainers are drying up fast, real fast and shortly it may well be a drought! Annabel Neasham lasted 5 min at the track before bolting to Eagle Farm, did she foresee the joke evolving? I'm guessing yes, Australia's arguably best trainer for decades DL Freedman is training the odd winner, a small team these days, but Waller/Team Edmonds/Heinrich/Kelly etc are wallowing by their lofty standards. Some of the above are training winners across the border or at b class country meets with prize money equal to NZ, in some cases less, and at the training fees mentioned hardly plausible or financially sustainable for owners with high priced yearlings in many cases. The management team at GCTC are struggling, one we shall excuse as he suffered a serious illness mid season, but we tend to put the boot in to NZ admin when the high profile AQUIS and Gerry Harvey backed club performs like a struggling outback track.....all of course supported by a team of sycophants big enough to choke an elephant. The weather forecast for late in the week is questionable, if it rains, its going to be a financial disaster for the club, not so Katie Page's husband who is creaming it 100m across the road at the wankfest AKA magic millions, where it's stuff of dreams....or more than likely, ...where dreams are stuffed! Just saying Joe.

No, I was in Johannesburg running our incoming travel and safari company, what were you doing to save the industry?

As has been proved you live in the past, 16 years ago, pffft........it was a different world then, NZ even had a racing industry...FFS.

I have bought a dud fridge off Gerry, yes, a while back now, to his credit, we got a refund.........Gerry used to be a gun, now Katie pulls the strings, Gerry is losing the plot, not like his mate John Singleton.

Oh I dunno, I've got an email here from one Chris Waller asking could he train our showcasing filly.........as we breed to race, we don't breed for the sale ring/pedigree page, we're happy thank you very much.

Stop it, you'll go blind.

And thats my whole point, the wankers at the top end are true wankers, WFA performers at the dark art, any sale can produce bargains, the horses look amazing here, a discerning buyer can hook one, but the dicks putting their hands up for the monopoly money are just that ...dicks.......you only have to look at them, rich mens sons and a few daughters thrown in, paying certain trainers $150 bucks a day to train their horse, anyone paying more than $K250 at this sale has shit for brains..... One buyer has just had his stats released from previous auction sales, it's a train wreck/road kill read.......at the top end, got some great results from the bottom end tho, what does that tell you.

What is his total ROI from this sale? the chuckling from the breeders Marquee's is becoming quite alarming.......the steak sandwiches are sooooo good tho.

FFS I've just overheard a MM executive whispering that at next years sale the young ladies leading the horses around will have to wear bikini's. Looking at the short shorts some of these lass's are nearly wearing, I think it might be a goer......

Oh I know I'm politically incorrect, however this wankfest AKA Magic Millions is getting to the point of farcical. God there are some lovely horses here, however if the tables of punters in the auditorium hold 10 people, 9 are sheer wankers, spending other peoples money, and they would be bigger wankers than those present. The money they are dishing out is obscene, little hope of a decent ROI......most of us know that, the real people, those with a brain will shop at Sydney , Sydney Autumn/Easter and Karaka, value for money if you shop wisely the NZ dollar being the only stumbling block with Karaka. A very wise trainer was of the opinion the NZB R2R was the absolute best sale to buy, but back to the Goldie, the smell of alcohol and French fries is drowning out the horse manure, sadly..... The breeders are at severe risk of broken ribs from laughing as a fleet of ambulances are on stand by....our health dept is already under a heavy load, so I just hope the influx of casualties doesn't tip it over........good on the breeders, a collective of cashed up fuckwits under one roof, oh glory be, spend a mil and may get a return of K100, if you're really really lucky. Haven't seen Saundry here yet, he might be trying to find an apple box or such to stand on, see over all the adults heads, perhaps.

The surcharge is because it's a ''Horror Movie'' without peer.

It was to stop them getting out!

Hey Doomed, win a car? or life membership of Welly?.........the car then would be a hearse.

Doomed has raised the issue no-one has an idea how to fix NZ Racing, so I might be setting a precedence here, but I'm having a go. A. Sack all those on 200, 000+ per annum. B. Make all those at executive decision level reapply for their jobs, C. Call for consultation from industry professionals across the board, even breeders who have been driving their own agenda /s for decades. [You can learn from fools even, quote AA Armanasco] D. Licence oncourse bookmakers./and corporate bookmakers E. Bring in AUS gambling professionals who can advise on how TAB can become profitable. F. Tell Messara he's to stay out of it. G. Tell Messara's advisors to stay well out of it. H. Negotiate with GOV re a new tax structure for racing as an emerging/salvaged industry. I. Call for assistance from GOV re funding a 'learn how you go ' program in schools for careers with horses, as per AUS aimed specifically at school leavers and TAFE/POLYTECH........etc. J. Stop funding for closed race sales series, that funding goes to infrastructure and stakes for maiden and two years old racing. K. To tax the export of all horses to ASIA, at all levels as these horses diminish the betting pools. Tax both parties seller and buyer. L. Encourage all race clubs to attract sponsors and volunteers, as country clubs do in AUS. M. Negotiate with approved gambling agencies for racecourse signage and easily viewed advertising for TV purposes. All the above suggestions are part and parcel of the behemoth racing industry here, tried and true, even the tax on exported horses at 49% capital gains...... We owned and operated a very successful marketing company, so much so that QANTAS approached us to assist them in putting together their South American product when they launched to Buenos Aires. Marketing you see, drives sales, and to sell NZ Racing to the public who in the wash up will decide if it survives is paramount therefore root and branch reform needs to be implemented immediately. Here in QLD the GOV recognised the importance of the racing industry and acted accordingly, in most states of Australia the respective Governments work with racing officialdom, an exception is South Australia who are in the worst condition of all states, the new GOV might change that as pain is natures warning, being physical or financial. The mood at the sales here on the Gold Coast yesterday was of confidence and excitement, not doom and gloom, so, I've only touched on the 'deemed necessary' changes and improvements and the retrenchment packages will be a financial short term hiccup, however it needs to happen if you want a future for your kids in this industry. If anyone from Petone reads this, mainly you Mr Sharrock, please feel free to plagiarise any content and implement it for the betterment......after all Racing is a big ship......it carries a lot of passengers, it should be a pleasure cruise, not a voyage of the Titanic.

Hey Chief, just a nudge nudge, whatever it takes Chief, get this poster on the other sites on here plus vite, too much talent for rat cafe and the other one, sycophants united, come over here Allovertheform if you read this, equal intellect on here, top shelf, blue ribbon.......bring it on.

Simple question for you Reefton, did you ever consider putting your hand up as an applicant for CEO NZTR?.......if not, why not, if it's not a too intrusive question........when I look at the talentless people running/or not running NZ Racing it beggars belief that you wouldn't have been a shoe in., and do the job a million times better than this mob! Most of the problems would have been solved, or at least addressed, with professionalism, passion, honesty, and transparency........there you go......Just saying.......and by the way I'll PM you my address so you can send the cheque....

Model T Ford?

When I got my drivers licence back in the early 70's the rule was a car length for every 10km hour, 80km = 8 car lengths, FFS, nowadays the fools are tailgating at 100km only 2-3 behind you, and it happens all the time, what intellect is that? actually, it's very hard to miss heels when your horse is pulling like a mad thing, but some jocks nowadays get far too close to the horse in front, why they do that is just stupid, so is slowing the pace, that's as dangerous as pushing out, good jocks can manoeuvre the horse on their outside as to obtain a run in many cases, Roy Higgins was a master at it, so too John Harris and Roger Laing, they were exceptional, but we all had great teachers back then, while Moseley is nearly of that era he is as guilty as most these days, careless, many are reckless. The stipe in this instance needs censuring, too many of us of the older vintage can see there was an ulterior motive at work here, and it stinks, I hope Reefton gets his preferred outcome, otherwise, lets all see it for what it is.

Chris's sis Tessa copped time too didn't she? I see she is back training gallopers..........colourful racing identities you think.....or something more sinister?

Sadly no in all probability.

Nah SA, nah........accountability and all that,....nah........self respect even, god forbid!

There was a steward named Ron Bottle Gamma, you forgot him? thats a story in itself, and of course the heroin dealing vet back in the mid 80's and the talented but deeply troubled Vinnie Knight who topped himself when it all went wrong.

No confidence motion coming perhaps?......then again.....not.

You better start going again HJ, by the look of yesterday it was a ripper of a day.

Just back from a surf, water 25degrees, air temp 28 already, and the huge Magic Millions polo and show jumping extravaganza is on today, crab/lobster and watercress sandwiches in the Marquee, wouldn't swap for quids, oh, yes I would, if only I could have been a natural lightweight and kept riding, instead of pissing blood due to the diuretic tabs prescribed by Dr Fitz Egmont JC Dr, to assist us in keeping our weight down........#fortheloveofthegame. #indefenceoffatjockeys