Joe Bloggs

Fix this easy peasy, Saundry and his mates are going to fly down each weekend on working bees and drop in an all-weather......done!

Where else in the world would Nathan Clown have got away with his recalcitrance, he contributed to the train wreck alright, the fact he's not accountable is almost as bad as the crime itself. It beggars belief our industry has come to this and yet those responsible seem totally ambivalent.

About 6-7 years back I mooted militant action would be the only way to save NZ racing, back then the Trainers Association along with the OA could have should have stood up to the plate. We all know the Northern Cartel runs racing therefore the TA was severely compromised and in fact a lame duck. Since then we have seen several changes at management level at NZTR/RB to what effect? The Messara report highlighted so many wrongs, but then the infighting started, so many private agendas, now we see a mooted legislation that borders on Stazi like behaviour, there is no leadership from those high paid salary men and women in Petone, none whatsoever. As long as Asian racing prospers the Northern Cartel will ride on it's coat tails, much to the detriment of the Hoi poloi within out industry. NZ needs to play the long game now, it's too late for the usual bandaid approach, however as long as you allow those Northern mercenaries to control racing it will just simmer away until there is a smell of burning and fire alarm goes off......collectively you could still save NZ racing and turn it around, but it needs the right people to do that, from a racing minister with integrity and passion to an owners association that can look at the big picture and a trainers association that represents the hard core racing participants that hold the code at heart and soul, it could be done, but the culture needs to change, and I fear, really fear that is nigh on impossible!

The train wreck continues. The race caller there today, well, he might be a lovely fella, he probably is, but he shouldn't be there! Anyone tuning in from overseas, anyone, what on earth.......better to have no volume at all, it's just a train wreck and of course there will be an explanation.......

What you do is your business, however from an industry perspective there are other people who actually contribute to racing and it would have been nice for Mills to have googled a coffee cart so others and I mean others could enjoy positive input and support from the CJC. You admitted you had no industry background Pitman, well, where I come from that's what industry does, goes that little bit extra to make the backbone feel wanted. No-one likes a boys club, that died a while back, think Global, act local, you might just enjoy it.

Ok, I see an announcement ''No Catering' at these trials, why not? I've never been to Riccarton trials, I know Freda will have an opinion, but what does it take to arrange a coffee stand and some savouries available? and subsidised to the industry participants? Owners must attend these trials surely, not in numbers, but there must be quite a few.......why wouldn't Mills man up? leadership starts at the top, what a nice PR exercise that would be, even acknowledging all the strappers and work riders for their valuable contribution to the industry, a Christmas gesture......I'm wasting my time aren't I?

Coz it's NZ......you know, the place where pre race testing is practically non-existent.

Breaking, Raelene Castle for CEO.......apparently she has the correct attributes for the position. Very impressive resume, born in Wagga Wagga also, so it will meet the necessary/required criteria.......Glenda might meet her at the airport, drive her to Petone via a TAB outlet, [long drive indeed] and open a TAB account en-route to the palatial office with stunning sea views......oh if only.

The strongest rumour yet is it's Mr Bean. Can't wait.

Kevin was a stock and station agent back in the 60's.......he trained a few for himself, I would never ever have guessed he would kick on like he did. Herbie Bergerson had an apprentice with the Mumby surname, obviously he is Lisa's Dad.......Hawera produced not only good horses.

Again, how many owners understand its the punter that is contributing to keeping this sunset industry afloat....and if that was indeed the situation on Saturday at Ellerslie, it illustrates the contempt some of these bigger operations have for the punter...and bravo to the stewards for proceeding with the inquiry...

With all your experience and there would be other trainers I'm supposing that would support your synopsis Freda, why would the CJC not listen to a deputation of senior trainers putting their views and suggestions forward re the track and a strategic remedial plan? Of course you have a problem with a certain senior trainer that seem to have the 'boss's ear' and has too much clout, especially by his own admission he didn't know what end kicked when he entered the industry? Just asking, however I can guess what the answer will be.

Yes, sorry, referring to our great ploughs of yesteryear........I had a look at the dirt track at Gulfstream that day, their dirt was finer than our ploughs, sieved I presume, would be interesting to see the difference if any between Florida and California. The day I was there Skip Away won the Don Hcp Gr1, first up over 9 furlong, ran the first half mile in 45 sec, won 11 million, back in the 90's, now there was a horse.

Unfortunately Tapeta was the surface at Meydan when all those horses broke their legs! Alarm bells, I've been to Gulfstream in Florida albeit in the 90's and that track was just brilliant. In my time riding on ploughs and running home the last 3 furlongs often in sub 35's and sometimes 34's on our better horses, never once did we lose one, and I'm talking thousands of gallops between us 4 apprentices over a 4 year period. Therin lays the answer, good tough horses, well trained by bloody good trainers and tracks that were looked after by good people, often volunteers helping out the caretaker/s.........dirt would do me, if we had to.

Why now do we not have a regulatory body to scrutinise all these foreign entities who all of a sudden arrive with gazillions? Surely the public gaze is enough to inspire true transparency. Or, is it they are too frightened as to what might 'surface'?

There was an application to wind them up last month in Luxembourg, it appears it is live as we speak.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds ......been named in court under oath in NYC........Dermot Farrington resigns, all can be read on racing post.........twitter has been in overdrive since this broke, however those in the know eluded to this last week.........now I wonder who could be next as rumblings suggest another Global Thoroughbred entity could be in the headlines........

Have no idea what happened above, but here goes.... Ahh, we are coming together Curious, merging as one so to speak, you may be right..to a point, I don't agree at all with GT report, however you would be closer to it than I, I'm just so sick and tired of the whole ungodly mess. Messara was wrong listening to the expat, sycophantic lunatics that pushed him the wrong info, their own agenda's, he didn't quite realise the gulf between the two countries/psyches, and although much of what he mooted is common sense, his push for compulsory acquisition and lack of understanding re NZ's lack of gambling culture is damning. Petone drove the bus over the cliff, with the help of some pretty prominent people, it makes me sick in the guts as it's all been self interest, private agendas, and the industry ran last......you and hundreds like you are now suffering and in fact only a few are holding the industry together. Forget about the cartel up north, I'm talking about real people, not cardboard cutouts, tax minimisers and high flying traders........

I'll refer you to Brian De Lore's comprehensive dissection Curious, he was very articulate and pointed in his various blogs, I have a roast to cook so to spend time arguing with you re Petone's fairytales is not happening......everything Petone touched during the past 10 years is poison, and on many posts inc on that sycophant collective you seemed to agree over the years, what happened? Are you now part of the non accountability consortium, why has NZ racing reached the lows it has? And in summary, the two blokes that stood up at the lectern at the AGM to deliver this dribble actually believe it........well do they? I think you believe they do.

Yep, I'll do that........you are at cross purposes with Brian, you feel this report is the ants pants, or have I misread you, it may well be comprehensive Curious, however it's a crok of shit, it's in their DNA, to put that out demeans us all, insults our intelligence and somehow I reckon you know that, and agree, because you know grass roots and have a heart...and a brain.

There is a loud mouth on another site who criticises Brian to the point of defamation, he moots he is the peoples champion, and has the best interests of racing at heart and mind, if so why pull the man apart? if you don't agree with some/all of Brian's opines then by all means go for it, but when I read the vitriol directed at De Lore I wondered why Brian even bothers.

Gee Curious I disagree, I don't know Brian, never met him, but I have to admire the fact he is one of the few with a backbone. Whilst I don't agree with the 'forced or compulsory' whatever, Aquisition of lands not belonging to them by NZTRB/RITA, whatever, at least Brian has tabled the absolute tripe and bullshit masquerading as a p&l report, financial review, state of play....whatever. This behaviour goes back to 2011 when Purcell tabled the full and fanciful garbage put out and disguised as a future and projections white paper, and now this sewage from Petone whereby owners are led to believe that while they [Petone] are not delivering, stand by, as they will shortly. If there had of been true accountability, we would have seen custodial sentences handed out to those that deceived the stakeholders by hiding [as Brian pointed out] the true state of the finances and the true and expected/budgeted income streams..... Trading while insolvent is a criminal activity and having done so after misleading investors, [owners, breeders etc] and having to borrow to keep up the charade [ponzi scheme] leads one to surmise, when will this all end up with a Royal Commission? The train crash that is the FO Betting platform and the residual payments to the 3rd parties involved should now be examined forensically, there will be a lot, a lot of good buggers caught up in all this, led by blind loyalty to those above them in the chain of command, we can forgive that, not forget, but forgive, however those that pushed so hard to enter into this black hole need to be held to account, and in all honesty, if history repeats, it's never going to happen. In a short time we will hear of prizemoney reductions, and other cost saving initiatives no doubt, only the truly loyal, or dumb, deaf and blind owners will stay in the game, the big breeders will continue as long as Oz and Asia stay viable, but with a new generation of gambler emerging, read sports betting, racing is doomed and Rome will again have burned to the ground.....et tu brute..

I know a few racing identities that used the pages in the dunny, he had as many enemies as friends, and I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Gai told Dad she was marrying Bill's son, that moment would have been priceless.

News throughout twitter re the onecoin connection? If what they are alleging is true, questions will be asked shortly in our neck of the woods. The British Authorities are already onto it, the rumour mill is rumbling.