Joe Bloggs

When I started riding back in 68 we couldn't carry a stick until we had 15 rides I think it was, and you couldn't ride in a 2yo race until you'd had a certain amount of rides either. We rode a lot longer back then and when you rode them out they could feel you kicking them in the ribs......now, they kick the saddle cloth or number cloth, if at all........what a different world it was. John Harris without doubt the strongest rider I saw, better than MRC, but he was a lazy bastard to boot, Heckle did his block that many times, it made no difference, all the Harris's had that genius, every bloody one of them, horses just ran for them.

Roy Higgins told me one day, he didn't 'hit' horses if they were in front, only pulled the stick if he was challenged, or if he felt said horse would benefit from a couple......he was a kind man, in heart and sprit he cared for the animal.......nowadays these young kids turn for home and start flailing about with the thing, who's teaching them? they unbalance them and many horses resent the whip. Roy was especially strong on using it on fillies, ''turns them sour' he used to say, I would back Roy Higgins over any of the modern day cowboys...with exceptions of course, but most are not taught and don't have the smarts......

I'm surprised Brown is relocating, the lifestyle is vastly different to what he's gotten used to, and no matter what spin they put on it, the lifestyle is why they are there. Walker has to stay, where else would the average TA horses go? There must be hundreds of slow TA horses, I saw one on Gavelhouse the other day for 500 bucks. Most of the Singapore horses are euthanised, not repatriated, a few are, however my vet said he was disgusted by the lack of post race career welfare. Singapore used to be a cesspit, it still is, just with a bit of bling!

An ecological Osama Bin Laden, an equine Twin Towers, FFS why did they not ask those that went before, and failed.......AKA TTC.

Yep, the Aussies were siting pat, keeping their gunpowder dry, at 1-07 it's still not like it was a few years back, some lovely horses, and a lot cheaper than SYD Easter where the creme de la creme goes. If I was buying I'd use PC and BP for sure, even the NZB live stream has improved, is everything heading north, as in improving? Come in Huey?

No one is my 'favourite target', well Petone is, but I think most on here target hopelessness and stupidity resulting in the demise of good hardworking buggers. There are none so blind than those that Cannot see, my gripe is no one, and I mean no one should place themselves in a position where integrity is compromised.......Te Akau would have contravened the rules of racing here, but apparently not in NZ......so why then defend them to the death, I've got nothing against Mrs Bosson, good on her, nothing against Richards, he's got a great record, good on him, the worlds his oyster, but no-one should get preferential treatment over others....here, there....or anywhere.....if you're correct, the rules in NZ are vastly different to here and very lax. End of....I'm going for a surf.......33 degrees and the water 24.......

I see Rutten is buying for Gai, there you go, the lady trainer trusts a Kiwi......blue ribbon stuff.

Nope, just not a sycophant. Can't cop sycophants.

Nope, definitely not. Bent a few broken none!

Spot on Flash, a couple of Aussie trainers told me there was no-one they could trust over there.....that's worrying in itself.

I don't, and that's the whole point......you eliminate risk to the closest common denominator...........does Covid19 ring a bell?

You're laughing at the AUS rules of racing chief, I'd back those over the joke that is the RIU and JCA Chief,

You carry the saddle and you've had contact with someone I mentioned earlier? You just don't get it.....have you ever watched border security, it happens all the time........

It didn't happen to just any trainer, it happened to Gai........the buck stops with the trainer.........a stablehand on cocaine chief, you think it doesn't't happen.......thats why the rules here changed, a dangerous precedent. Laughable you say?

Absolutely!

Here's a hypothetical and in no way am I insinuating Emily partakes, however....lets say for instance I'm really busy with 5 runners, I seek out the assistance of a trusted colleague, a person I see every day and trust, I ask them to assist with carrying the extra saddles for me. Unbeknowns to me, the night before, said person was at a pre Raceday party, lot's of party drugs at this soiree, said person had no part in the partaking of recreational drugs, but did come in contact with a known user.....so......a few weeks after the race in question with my 5 runners, the stipes ring me to say, ''old fella, you've blown positive....your A sample is positive to Cocaine, a class A drug.......my world collapses, the owners do their arse, and my reputation is rooted......that Chief is why we have stringent and transparent policing of Raceday........

Your rules are very different......here I have to apply to the stewards to have anyone else saddle my horse, and that person has to be a licensed trainer!

The Aussie buyers with the exception of Mulcaster are very quiet, the pass ins a very damning, there are some lovely horses not getting anywhere near their reserve, this should be really worrying for the NZ breeders........the sales here on the coast were red hot, what's the problem in NZ?

As Huey eluded to Chief, it's NZ and NZ is a very different animal to other racing jurisdictions......you may very well NOT have a rule in NZ Rules Of Racing........here the policies differ from State to State, however the security surrounding Raceday procedure is very very stringent, and rightly so.

Not at fingertips Chief, no, but as per my licence criteria I'm only allowed to saddle my horse with the assistance of my designated and regulated stable personal. The only way I see TA being able to do what they did is to have registered the 'reporter' as a stable employee....and that's feasible if not likely.

Freda summed it up but to reiterate, it's against the rules here, I think it is there too, however, TA should have had processes in place for such an event! With a positive swab in the offing, you'd think everything would be done with complete compliance......wouldn't you? You can't have one rule for some and another for Ellis......or can you?

Also Huey, against the rules here in Oz, no-one other than the trainer or a foreperson can retrieve a saddle from the weighing room before a race......if it was handed to the reporter the stable is compromised.....how bloody unprofessional.

Huey, I notice on all official stewards reports yesterday from NZ, no pre-race testing. The huge prizemoney on offer at Ellerslie and NO pre-race testing..........yep, 3rd world and why the hell would any Aussie put credence on any results from Ellerslie, or anywhere else for that matter when there is NO money for pre-race testing? How many horses raced yesterday with elevated levels of C02?..........we will never know shall we, it kind of detracts from TA's achievement doesn't it? Not their fault, but when the governing body can't offer transparency like in other racing jurisdictions even closed race limited black type should be null and voided!!!.........shame on the World Pattern Committee.

In a city of 1-1/2 Mil, surely you could pull a crowd of 25k min? No rugby? No cricket?........is there so much to do in AKL, the crowd or 'gathering' looked abysmal, or did someone throw a party with free booze somewhere.

When Levante takes on Gr racing here we will know the answer to how good the horse is, Melody Belle and the Shark were well above average and proved it here........it would be brilliant to see another Kiwi come over and do the business.....good for everyone, TA inc.