TAB For Ever

And what was their mark ? Looks to me there was far less for NYD than their other big days ,especially Karaka and the new Champions day. Even BD seemed to have less advertising , maybe the Stat holiday payrates etc a factor. However the Club seemed pleased with 700 walk up crowd......it often a talking point that somehow events with a charge fare better than 'free' events. Noticable yesterday that both the womens tennis and Auckland FC seemed to be well down on 'normal' spectators. The hotdogs seemed a tasty treat , the sauce was free , and the hot chips well worth $7 and free sauce. The caravan was very well staffed [ at least 4 x at all times ]and seemed very busy. Elsewhere a tasty pie was $6.Budget conscious folk/families could take their own food and many do and the wAter is free. Even us South Islanders with poverty mentality were happy ! And had a free high tide swim in city beach afterwards ! The facility looked good there were free Kids activities incl pony rides ,bouncy things and plenty of organised games and activities ....kids seemed to be having a ball. The form horses ,well weighted ,well drawn etc were dong well so a couple with kids could pay $60 take BYO and have a few bets and leave very happy after 6 hours. A safe city environment with security , free parking ,racebook , good toilets , free water , plenty of seating and grass for kids to run around...Perfect ! Re phone betting ,yes it up to 70% , oncourse location is considered OC and the club benefits thru commission.

According to my info from someone close to the action at the start , two horses were playing up and reared in the gates. One jockey ,apparently was quite unsettled and released feet from irons...nek minute !

I think I said that was the upper limit on Boxing Day.....today was significantly less. Some rooms weren't even open including some hospitality areas where tickets sold include food !

Well Doomed , I know one thing...I'll enjoy the day ,if it is half as good as Karaka Day then it will be excellent ! Best horses available , a lot of good jockeys , a step up from the usual 'run of mill' day . I really enjoy the traditional big days , but often there are some races of little interest like maiden races etc [ Riccarton] The best day IMO is Flemington Derby Day with several group races......this new day will be NZ's equivalent of this. Not to be missed.....get there Doomed, may not impress you as much as your Jumps day at Woodville but the ATR will be trying. Get there !...and report back !

OOPS ...almost forgot Stella Frost , Robalan etc Too busy with the other code.....with NZ's leading owners ,Hazlett s and trainers ...Winsloe ,Cochrane and WHillis and the Collet family etc Plus the best colt of them all.....B McKechnie What happened to Southland ...... Brought in an unlikely Aucklander in Tim Shadbolt to save the place !

Kaikoura ,one of the few tracks where the crowd can get so close to finish line inside the track ! And a bit rare to have a Southern horse second in that race....they always produced a few good ones , and kept racing them. Often watched Cardy Bay ,Tactile , Young Quinn , Holy Hal , Lunar Chance ,Robin Dundee , Forto Prontessa , Trevira ,Holmes DG, Sapling , Giovanetto progress thru the ranks ! I think Robert was a Wellington lad when young !

Seems like you know a lot about cabbages !

He must have passed thru or something , i think the place named after him and he has as statue there ! Grey Way only raced there 7 x times out of 159 starts !

Indeed Robert has had a lot on his plate. Recently he took his health 'issue' to a top USA medical institution .......the good news for all of us was that his NZ notes/opinion etc were rated as world class by the world-class Americans. Robert obviously keeps very busy.....Galah is often confused about his role at ATC but yes RJD is on the Board still at ATC....incidentally just today the ATC president sent members a very positive summary of the ATC's performance of late and proudly announcedv...the ATC is BACK ! [ Please send horses North] The Unhinged weekly stable reports of the Dunn establishment clearly shows what a 'well olied machine' their Wood End stable is. I marvel at the size and efficiency of their staff etc . Certainly an impressive outfit...if it was easy ,many would do it. Here in Auckland 9pm its absolutely pissing down...hopefully just a passing dust settler cos 2 x great days racing coming up ! Re the current circuit of Canterbury and Coast Harness which morphs into Nelson/Marlborogh....gee many use this circuit to educate their horses and give their nags and self a few days away and bit of a holiday.......but gee some of the races are a borefest and many of the horses currently very slow or unfit or both as by the second or third start they struggling to lift their feet. Midrace moves are rare and the final 400m finds many out. The margins just get bigger ! Many finish the race like Browns Cows !! Personally I much prefer the racing on the grit/all weather ....1.55 to 1.57 Mile rates ......Westport Day 1 there were 2.15 MR with half the field tailed Off ! Bit of rain and wind expected tomorrow.....fine/cloud on New Years Ellerslie ! Happy New Year !

I think your have spotted correctly Doomed.....the time honoured 'big mile' at Auckland, was it at one tme the George Adams ? , is currently a Group 2 but indeed it has attracted a very poor field quality/ratings wise and as it has been on an alert in recent years surely a warning will result. A big influence in this would be the proximity of the race to the Boxing Day group 1 [2000m] and next weeks Group 1 mile at Trentham worth $500k and put forward a week. You would have noted that the Trentham Group 1 mile has attracted most of the top gallopers in NZ. In fact the Rich Hill has attracted 2nd and 3rd tier horses and the few nominated for Trentham are ranked about 40th and worse so will be hoping for a win to make the field. The Rich hill is being run on a big day and the good stake is justified but another alert/warning seems certain IMO. Of course when the calendar was drawn up there was no way they could have known the race would have been overlooked by many. Ellerslie actually has several of its races under alert/warning so are not as protected as you seem to infer. The ratings in the South Island don't seem to move much.....obviously the good stakes there boost them . Northern horses are certainly going south regularly now that Stakes are similar !. I'd suggest to you ,as a huge advocate of South Island racing that the South has become the dumping ground for Northern horses....many slow ones. You continue to extol the virtues of Timaru in particular when clearly they have deteriorated significantly since the heady days of Phar Lap and Grey WAy. You did the same last year when the Xmas Timaru Cup meeting was held. They used to have two Xmas/New Years days , a lot more meetings including Jumping etc plus they share the facility with Harness. It's a shame ! But sadly they have sat by for decades ....they lucky to hold that day..... Kurow , Kumara , Central Otago seem to perform much better in crowd size ,betting numbers etc and Ashburton seems to advanced their facilities / trial venue etc .And left them in the dust . Did you attend Timaru ? Kurow ?....how was it ?

Cheers Gamma, In early November I did Derby Day at Flemington and the guy I attend the gallops with in NZ [ no to trots ] recently did Randwick,Caulfield ,Scone [ he enjoyed the scones being given out !] plus some other NSW and Queensland lesser meetings so we compared notes.He too done a lot of big UK tracks ! Derby day is special ,put my wedding suit on and got out amongst the Roses. Spoke to some rough -diamond Aussie types both ways on the train and the pride/excitement that they showed in dressing up and getting to Flemington was very evident. The newish members stand is special and the place was packed . They do it well. Back home for Cup week I enjoyed Riccartons big day but really they short on covered areas and seating .Hence they encourage the boot parties , while down the straight they have the music and young folks. They squeezed a lot in. They cope ! Ellerslie I find very comfortable ...crowds nothing like the BYO days but generally everything is close and accessible...the stables ,parade ring ,racetrack etc Those photos you see of the 1950's and 60's ...how many would have gone if the malls had 50% off everything.Must have been so uncomfortable , like the 1956 Rugby tests , find a spot ,stay put and piss where you please ! I didnt see many A-Listers there even stellar owner Hanger Lindsay who won the race he sponsored ,plus 2 x others , dressed quite casually . I did see the O'Sullivan lass [racing royalty] with pintsized All Black Damien McKenzie [Christs College]...can they produce NZ's smallest All Black or another Champion jockey ! All the best for 2025...Auckland Trotting Cup next up ,before New Years !

A very sensible post Chief.....you been drinking ? Yes track conditions and tempo among other variables. And Aussie jockeys...the word was that Blake S blew two wins on Boxing Day , but I'll leave that to the experts as not really into bagging jockeys !

Seasons Greetings Bloke , great to know I have follower....was beginning to think that my only friend was Chief [ plus Gamma in Harness ]. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone acted and thought the same way ? An interesting thought re perceptions re racing especially around adverts with posers and eye candy featuring....I've read a bit on peoples thoughts re this. The most famous and iconic race meetings in the world with the biggest crowds [ Kumara and Birdsville exceptions ], definitely have a DRESS CODE ,more attune to A-Listers and posers in the best and most popular areas of the course eg Epsom ,Cheltenham , Randwick , Flemington ,Caulfield etc etc. Even Members are turned away if the men dont present with Jacket and tie. First time at Victorian Derby day on a sweltering day there were even signs saying men could not take their jacket off. And I think people enjoy dressing up for a decent day at Races and many of the crowd enjoy seeing a bit of fashion...and the days of rugby ,racing and beer are well gone ....more people enjoy wine and there is also a coffee culture out there away from 'bloke land'. Ive been involved with some feedback groups and I do think your 'poser' and a-lister negativity well off the mark. In the not too distant past I was villified in my community for being seen in the local TAB's ....I don't think it was anything to do with the fact I only showered monthly ,worse muddy gumboots and shorts with the arse hanging out of them.Not only was gambling seen as bad but horse racing was seen as corrupt by significant % of population . This basically led to the hurried arrival of the RIB around 2011. Research and feedback from participants is often interesting....I've done a lot around sports and sports clubs. Often the old stale gray males who run clubs believe they run a good club while the younger members especially females think they are shit and leave in droves or refuse to join. I've seen so much of it .......

Haha...remember the real Chief.....Shifnal Chief.....top weight ,an outside gate , firm ground .....no problem ,but that was the Railway nearly 50 years ago ! More recently , the past 23 runnings at Ellerslie the Railway winner has drawn 8 or higher on 13 x occasions. Namely Recurring ,Miss R A , In Style, VV all drew 8 S T Alarm , Jacowils ,Julius drew 9 Imananabaa and Santa Monica drew 10 Balderessarini and Atomic Force drew 12 E Raine and Gold Trail drew 13 You very welcome !

Dead Cat Bounce !

Don't be a grinch Chief........I never said there was 12k +. Yet another big meeting has gone by...ditto NZ Cup week with little feedback re the race day experience. Kinda confirms that us keyboard warriors are in the main TV trackside viewers . I hope you can get your phone bets on from oncourse Motukarara Trots this year or are you too chasing the Mall retail sales or out in your boat ?

Come on Chief , you better than this ! It is very common for a good majority of the winners to come from the 8 inside draws. But there was a winner from 13 [it beat horse from 14] , and a winner from 10. Plus the 2 yr old winner drew 7 from 8. But hey , don't let the facts get in the way of a good story !

I guess I qualify to comment re todays Ellerslie racing on a track that looked and played superbly , the first BD meeting there since 2021. The venue looked superb and the various groups in attendance all seemed happy and positive about the day.....the serious punters. , the families , the racing folk and the young people many of who dressed up for the occasion. Importantly to me the racing was excellent , with very even and keenly contested races with horses coming from all parts of the track. There was really only one 'hot pot' winning at $2 [snazztavi] in what was a brilliant race of quality Group horses . The Stake was over twice it was a couple of years ago [$500k] and it was a Group 1 finish and great to see Hanger's horse prevail. The Dunstan races were also keenly contested and the classy Australian jockeys found their match in some well timed 'local' jocks ! I didn't walk the track ,but walked the areas where the Public and members were situated.Most areas buzzing with several rooms in members stand seating 200 plus. The Food /Hospitality areas were busy and most food nearly all consumed at end. And obviously a lot of casual punters as lines , at one stage I counted 14 in lower public stand,tellers ,kiosks and outside caravan all over 20 deep. The TAB room and serious punting ones were flat out on phones and a couple of younger ones tried to show me the Betcha App and the options avaliable with boosts ,bonus while keeping a sly eye on the boobs and bums ! The TV news just showed the Public Stand ,every seat taken ,and two levels ! Fashion in the Fields looked full on , the newish stable area is brilliant for viewing horses up close and the 4 x majestic clerks horses were creating a lot of interest. So the racing and hospitality side was very well catered for...many people prefer to watch the TV screens while the race on. Families were having fun and kids playing in the infield. Left with a big crowd of others after 8pm when the music finished...at least 3 x different musicians enjoyed by hundreds...the Grand Tour with music catch is very popular world wide . So overall it was an excellent days racing IMO ,even I got ahead of the game.......the Herald suggested 5 x steps to punting success ,but only the Snazzytavi tip came off ! The years not over for me for on-course attendance but I rate today as by far the best raceday of the year in NZ...yes ahead of Karaka day , and only behind Victoria Derby day overall. Today I counted 8000 then gave up so I'd guess between 8 - 12 k there. Perfect size IMO

As usually the case in recent years Aucklanders have deserted the place , for the Coromandel and Bay Of Islands ...one in 3 x households own a boat/craft ! Then for the other 50% Immigrants and those with absolutely no racing DNA at all and trying to stretch their money sensibly in a time of high inflation there are the Retail SALES with many massive ,genuine price reductions. I walked in CBD this morning ,it was quieter than during COVID lockdown yet Dressmart Mall was chaos.......most stores had 40% or 50% or 60% off everything in shop even expensive essential for school items like laptops. ! Max out the credit card , no cash for racehorses running around a small track . Thankfully , there were enough Waikato enthusiasts and horse racing tragics like me to enjoy a FANTASTIC days racing ,which I feel deserves its own thread on here ,. It would be a shame if my summary of the day was discoloured by the knockers ....I'm surprised you weren't there Sunline !

Love your work Gamma............personally been on the road a lot of late , taken in a few meetings so haven't really missed a beat ! Keep the keyboard warriors honest......don't let negativity take over the World....especially the Harness world !

You may have read it many times , but sadly you are summarising the message of conditions /eligibility etc incorrectly. As you seem very negative on many things Harness it is a great thing for these pages if you refrain from commenting on things you neither understand how they work and how they fit into the wider picture and the current attempts to futureproof or reignite the Harness scene in NZ. I'm the first to admit that this may not be the gamechanger or silver bullet that some think every promotion/bonus etc should instantly produce. Firstly stop knocking the new CEO.......he's only been here 5 x minutes ! Secondly these recent promotions are Entain driven and I think it admirable that HRNZ get behind them and sponsors such as NZB also think they worth a shot ! HRNZ couldn't just hope to do same thing and expect different results. Personally I saw as Harnesses 3 x big challenges as being ...lack of breeding horses , these horses racing in NZ and lack of betting cos of age of punter ....young peoples indifference to all 3 x challenges. This next gen 'bonus' is a positive way to solve some of the above and improve things. Personally I like it and already I'm signing up ....The press Release is well explained on one small poster.......I'm heading off to an annual job in 5 mins , harnessing up the Reindeer ,and getting into costume and make-up ! Ho-ho -ho In the meantime no wild stabs in dark as how the Next Gen works and what people and horses are excluded......briefly ALL trainers can be involved in next gen , even the two recent young kids who trained Group 1 winners and Dr Luc and Big Baz and the Dunn team ! All horses can race in the big 3 x Million races ,but only those by Next Gen sires bought at NZB sales can earn the bonuses. Its all about 2 year olds...........get involved !!!!!

The big nite Gamma , and not much Interdom chat from your Kiwi pen pals on here. I see Mufasa Metro in Trotters final.......is he worth an each way nibble at 25/1 ? Good to see a Kiwi win the Junior Drivers title ,certainly drew a useful horse tonight !

You seem paranoid about this Galah and after a busy and exciting month I read a few posts Galah where you trying to flush me out by poking the borax.......I been a little busy , you probably haven't noticed but there been some great racing this past month. My November started with a trip to Derby Day in Melbourne , often the years best day racing with the lead into a great Melbourne Cup week with tour of big racing stable then back to NZ for the best week in NZ...Cup week. As always really enjoyed it and even came away with a pocketful of Cash ,which is very rare as I pace the Investments at the best of times.The Ashburton Trots produced an outstanding profit ,tho with 14 races...first time ever ?? ...it was a marathon and the horses racing in the distant with no big screens IMO falls well behind the 2x premier tracks in NZ . But good for a picnic and some face-painting ! Even committed the crime of racing back to Christchurch to see the NZ Cup Greyhounds to support a friends pooch. Sigh....the $100k Cup won by a Aussie dog ! Riccarton too was excellent. I then took in race meetings at Alex Park, Ellerslie Counties and Manawatu aswell as stable and stud visits and the Ready to Run Auction........bumped into many of the well known personalities of NZ Racing both codes including Board members , CEO's and Entain bosses at various venues ! They are regularly out and about and often willing to chew the fat for a few minutes. November racing as good as ever Galah....I strongly recommend you give up the keyboard and padded cell for a while and get out and about and enjoy the fresh air. It can be fun.....costs a few bob ,but the memories remain ,long after the cost is forgotten !

Quite amusing summary from you Galah ,I'm not sure why you so keep going on about one of NZ's top Harness Clubs ,trying to drum up negativity and set off Brodie with his repeated drivel of same ole ,same ole. And Aucklanders have more things to do than to frequent chat sites worrying about things outside their control. It must be 7-8 years since the horse-trainer and breeder based ATC Board saw their investment dream turn to custard and their club basically bankrupt. Well they have battled thru that ,Covid and many issues worsened by a lack of cash flow and more recently a lack of horses and demotion to a second tier club with poor dates from HRNZ and they not only have survived but have a plan to rediscover their mojo . This peter prophet character apparently gives the worst case scenario with much cynicism , while the ATC President and Board gives an extremely positive outlook ...the current situation or truth is somewhere in between. The glass half empty type will scoff at the liquidity issue of Current Liabilities exceeding Current Assets by $55m , while the half full club will point to the overall equity of the Club being $95m . Closedown Auckland Harness and have $100m plus in bank ! And some cry about the Chinese buyer defaulting but the Club will say we have banked the $10 mill and still own the land which is increasing in value . The Clubs various departments are Trading well and they are looking to continue this and prosper into the immediate future. 12 races this week , the first such programme since 2017. The guys trying to battle thru this are showing real resilience and despite the challenges ,are doing pretty well...they weren't the ones who created the mess with the disastrous building development !

Sounds like this peter character knows someone very close to the action ! But you report nothing he has reported , maybe its too positive and doesn't suit ? My connections are barely home from the meeting , so in view of this and the fact that media is excluded from meeting it no surprise nothing in 'media' ! The meeting began at 6.03pm Tuesday [ last night].....all the positive news and future plans took well over 2 hours , then the free meal and open bar took part as excited club members and chatted about the encouraging news coming out of the Club and Harness Industry. A quiet celebration overlooking the ribbon of light in the City of Sails , all locked up and nowhere to go other than back to the dessert table and Bar ! Onwards and upwards , 12 races on Friday into Group racing and Golden Gait [$million night] into New years eve Feature. The ATC is back......form is temporary but class is permanent !