TAB For Ever

So Brodie you been banging on about this for 25 years ? Have you approached them about you getting on more of your bets ...Customer satisfaction for you ! Personally I have never had an issue getting a bet on except when after closing time. And I probably been betting since before you were a foetus....do you remember the yellow tickets and the pre-sell close off time at 90 or 120 mins. I'm sure you can get your bets on ...100% of time...guarantee it ! The T's and C's of betting on tote maybe doesnt suit you so I strongly suggest you meet with them and negotiate.

Get Serious Walt , Oscar was up against World Class opposition here. Mark Purdon would not have been unhappy with draw cos he had options and would not have wanted to burn at start. I've watched the replay 36 x times and Oscar ran as well as he could have and was not climbing over the top 2 at line .They both worked hard and the last 800/400 times suggest Oscar ran a nice race but on the night was outclassed !

Brodie old son , You are obviously an exceptional punter...one of the few who win....the top 5%. Have you ever met with the TAB bosses and discussed your situation. Discussed rebates etc I know the odd one who has...they generally happy with their treatment. Sort it out with them once and for all. Cos you been banging on for a long time about the poor treatment you receive....... Have you heard the story about the 'boy who cried wolf' !

What do you do for fun Chief ? Retail businesses disappoint customers ALL the time......get with the program Chief !

Such insults from you Walt old son...and name calling too ! Is that Nelson sun getting to you...I still about to look at your comment that Oscar wouldve, shouldve couldve !

Really irritating isn't Chief. 95% of punters lose......we all know the risk ! We all have choices . I can't be crying every time a see a TAB function with food and drinks etc ONLY for chosen customers or flights to race meetings etc for 'elite' customers. No different to most every other business operating today. So you get a sour taste ? I feel for you....but cheer up cos 95% of us lose W We can all bitch and moan ,misery loves company . Us losers are what keeps Racing going.....Horse owners get only 25% of their investment back, Them and us ...95% of us lose on punt to keep racing going. Get with the program !

Of course.....marketing tactics....bait and switch etc, buy this and get that etc are common in all retail businesses. So why all the commotion about a little initiative from the TAB. When I find out , TAB offers are only online or for elite customers and retail stores offer discounts for bulk buying ,those with club membership etc etc I don't cry with envy and throw the toys out of the cot. The TAB rewards certain cusomers in different ways....occasional punters get way more bonus bets to spur them on etc etc Get with the program Chief. Everytime they do their thing [BGP] the common punter ,according to you gets very offended......pleeeeese Chief. I was in a room at trots on Friday and NOT one person mentioned BGP a few times it was commented on either on TV or elsewhere. It just more 'wallpaper' ......4000 others got involved around on Friday , 20,000 on Karaka Day. I like it....hurts no one .

Just admit you not always on the money Brodster...maybe Northern racing a bit tougher than you think ! And better drivers too !

Fair question Gamma.......the BGP movement in my opinion has been fantastic and really has encouraged folk from all round NZ to learn more about racing and wagering. But as those who run it have found out it has really 'fired' up the 'non-believers' who object to some of the special treatment they have received from the TAB....it great advertising ! I speak from some experience as I have supported them from early days ,attended many functions , followed their videos/interviews/ selections etc and spoken with those who also participate.And I usually take a 'ticket' in their betting syndicates . I was a member too which had an annual subscription to help them set up and get running. So I have the merchandise , the polo shirt , the red sox and other gidgets. I think their betting tickets used to be $100 but now it is as much as you choose and the financial side done thru TAB account. So last night ,even though going to races I threw a lazy $50 into the pool and got it back by about 10pm last night. I think there were over 4000 in it last night ....this was the first time it had had a National fund on Harness thru TAB.There was something smaller at last Harness Jewels. I think it got too big for a few guys to do in their spare time so they only really target a few 'big' days ,with the Karaka Day the biggest by far. I think they had 20,000 get involved as well as having a function on course for about 500 with lunch and beer etc.When attending those I get to speak to folk from all over NZ , mainly under 35's and a lot of females etc. But the haters don't like it.......not only do they not like it IMO the just pure jealous. BGP have had shares in horses[bought one at yearling sales] and created interest in all facets of Horse racing. Of course their big Cup week syndicate also bet on the Cup week doggies ,all 3 x Codes. The youngish organisers follow the codes closely there are harness syndicators , Harness administrators , Jockey managers and a few sensible types who understand governance and are professionals in their real jobs......they send out regular tips etc and generally are pretty good. When they lose ,the haters gloat and have a field day. My post here will be critiqued and the haters will hate ....but they ,the average punters are loving all these Bonus bets they receive , all the boosts ,power plays and options available. Entain and the TAB are trying to attract more 'younger' and new people to wagering and are using every marketing/promotional strategy they can think of. Last night , similar to Cup week and big racedays they have staff going around and offering a survey....with the chance of a lucky bonus bet .....I think it one question ,but the idea is to get folk to open up an account and on every occasion ,BINGO....within in the hour someone at my table gets a text and a Bonus bet ...genius ! They didn't give me money last night.....they topped up my bet to its original ,knowing that the warm fuzzies from that would motivate me to bet more happily and joyfully today....and I did...my $50 lasted all day and it now zero. Can't wait till next time !

Plenty of bonus bets and great offers flying around today . And my well overdue little 'sweetener' from TAB on my BGP ticket last night , got turned over a few times today but by about 6pm it was at ZERO balance !

Friday night at the GRINS night at Cambridge great to see the BGP getting involved. Their betting pool over $50,000 and already two multi bets made , so with a bit of churn they should help the turnover for night ! Anyone can invest on their TAB account up to just after 5.10pm on Friday. Get amongst it and hopefully they can turn a profit. Good luck BGP !

Wow Chief , you infiltrating the Gallops chat with Harness ! And you knew WE [ Ted] Lowe my very favourite harness trainer at what was considered a halcyon time in NZ harness where there was a very strong and competitive intermediate grade just below or on the verge of Cup class. Of course Ted was associated with NZ Cup winner Cairnbrae who was trained to win that by CSDonald. 4 x years later Ted won it with Humphrey [ 1968]. Wag came soon after and often raced with its brother Pun and sometimes a 3rd in Atanui ! Ted had a hardy breed and a number of his winning horses come to mind. Like Corwar ,Mitcham, Stavely, Dundas, Allenton, Wing Commander ,Sioux , Lyndhurst . Lyndhurst a pretty handy 3 yr old and won from 36yds and 48 yards over 2200m at Alexandra Park.Thats Cardigan Bay and Lordship territory ! WE Lowe fullstop.a legend in harness , my favourite fullstop.I can see why you and I get on so well !

I'm here Chief ,kinda shocked by the stupidity of the CEO and those in charge of the track management.. It hasn't rained much for weeks yet I watched race three ,and by my meagre wagering had a nice result and thought it a good competitive race to watch where the winner came from midfield and 2 of the first 4 came from backfullstopbut was dismayed at the cut in track . Who put all that water on it and why ? Great to get the teething issues out of the way ,hopefully they can settle in to good track management. If their only solution is to drench the track[ unevenly] in the 24 hours prior to racing then their jobs should be re-advertised . Meeting could have been held at Pukekohefullstop.Avondale is offline and the quicker it sold the better. For NZ's racing sake I'd like to see the $ money go the Waikato Greenfields plan. For future it would be great to have 2 x International courses in Northern region . But no use banging on about it ..some are calling for folk to 'speak up'. Messara told us there wasn't one decent track in NZ .A number of tracks have started work to renovate the tracks , it just doesn't happen in 5 minutes. Again ,send your 'suggestions' into the Club/ track committee on how they should progress. As I suggested to you on the Awapuni thread !

Not interested in the darkside Brodie.....I'm talking about sites that posters generally post under their actual names. And I repeat , its basically the first week so too early to condemn any changes . Give em a chance ! I joined this site because I enjoy the YARNS from a few like that Aussie guy Gamma. I also enjoy the FB poster Unhinged and Paul Campbell another Aussie....he of Campbells Comments but attends a lot of NZ Harness events. I also have a little dementia so it good you repeat your posts and views over and over.......it must be frustrating but give a feelgood boost to know that the TAB actually fears your punting prowess. And I see you now have a tag partner in Walt . He unique in that he must be the first poster ever on this type of site from Princess Drive in Nelson. They mainly ex-Brierley Execs , rich Americans and cashed up Auckland rejects!

I see Chad Ormsby trained another good winner yesterday at Trentham when Outovstock who he part-owns won the group3 Manawatu Classic. He is building some record in big Trentham races ,cos as well as the recent NZ Oaks win he twice was co-trainer with MMoroney in two Wellington Cups.....Graphic and Mister Impatience.

Lighten up old son ......I was just asking for a friend ! You seem to be analytic about things ........what would be the the % of posts on a 50% glass half full basis . But thanks for the lecture .

Be patient old son ! It just the first week and things not up to speed at mo ! A bit of trial and error at moment...do you bet on the TV screen OR on your computer/phone or with the local bookie ! Change is as good as a holiday they say ! I note on a Harness Racing quorum many of the posters seem pleased with many of the changes. This site pretty much has everyone against ! Does this mean that generally speaking MOANERS gravitate to this site ? I just asking for a friend !

Well change can be difficult for many of us to handle. They/we trying to introduce new young people to sport and wagering....not trying to speak to the converted but if it that bad it could discourage folk but i'd doubt that.Maybe it explains why Aussie pools so small compared to win pool. Maybe they think showing $1.20 return for $1 not that attractive .$5 on and $6 back.I think in Lotto you can win several $mil for 5 bucks. And hundreds with a 20cent spin at Casino. Oscar Bonavena was paying $1.02 for place. As 10% of punters spend over 80% of bets ,they unlikely to be put off. Plus Week 1 is fairly early to condemn it ....surely they will tweak and improve...anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first. They held market research groups plus have a marketing/PR agency specialising in retail trends and attracting new interest.In racing terms they have an excellent track record. It bound to get better...does anyone nail these things in ONE week ! The computer/phone shows the converted all the info you need and most bets done on these.

Fair enough...... I also intended to mention the excellent interviews done by Jo Stevens [ North] and Nigel Unhinged [ Canterbury]. I usually view those ! Often ,and I saw it last night , the interviews with trainers at races are conducted when they are very busy ,gearing horses etc so I'd imagine their answers would be fairly generic . Plus going by many comments made by them after the race they often don't really know how the horse will warm up ,how focused it will be behind the gate etc and the intentions of the other drivers. Apparently riding/driving not as easy as it looks !

So big trainers don't mean what they say......interesting .....so let's not listen to what they say. Us keyboard warriors know the truth .......yeah right ! What are these tracks that are closed but would be of great benefit in current day and age ? Are they real, do they exist ?

Re GRINS selections two horses clearly standouts in the betting and on paper..Don't Stop Dreaming and Merlin. They both young and improving and in form...... You refer Purdon as a team ,I think they are arch enemies out on the track. The Grins race is 2200 m but I suspect it will be a fierce speed....a lot of the contenders have been winless for 7 to 9 starts ,including Sooner the Better and Self Assured both models of consistency . The former only won 4 races. He been chasing these ones around a lot ! But never underestimate the Aussies...I think their horses really tough and can run fast times and gutz it out. I don't know a lot about STT and RnR Do who scratched last night, but Better Eclipse I wary of. He raced only 3 times in NZ and been in fight everytime ....2 x close 3rd's and a 4th ...in blanket finishes with Akuta ,SA ,CT etc coming from back of field etc . ,in fast time too ! South Coast Arden looks a real horse now and was OK chasing DSD up straight last night ,and he one that can go hard from gate and lead at all costs .Many won't want to trail him in case he stops ,but many won't want to race him hard over first 800m. OTR always unlucky...big potential For me....1. Don't Stop Dreaming 2.Better Eclipse 3.Self Assured...all tri's and F4 4.Merlin

Sorry Walt , I not too fussed about colour and layouts etc on the TV trackside and not too fussed either about what the previewers /tipsters say or the interviews with trainers and drivers. I bet modestly with my computer and own judgement while at home with my computer and TV at the ready .I don't mind watching the replays on HRNZ if out when races run.Just keep my eye off my balance. Unlike many on here I don't hang on every word the studio folk say while looking for mistakes , bad grammar or bad deodorant. I follow stable updates ,emails ,spies ,trials etc so I know more than them anyway...like many on here......except for Michael Guerin and Adam Hamilton. This is horse racing afterall....I know those guys know their stuff ,get real info from insiders etc and I like their logic and MG's know-all attitude. Confidence is important and he been around a while ! And I don't mind if a race comes up from Dapto dogs or Aussie/Japan outback cos TAB is for betting and TV the best info of who is racing...last 2 minutes ,get on quick. Racing is dependent on Betting. Racing is a Television Sport. Some of biggest Harness followers on-line don't bet or own horses.....they should be BANNED ! I attend on-course often so when there I tend to check the horses etc and see what is happening......Chief in a bad moment said I'd be in Bar...Nope ! I went to Cambridge last night as a lead in to next week GRINS but already I'm looking for excuses.......another YARN I'm having a little side-bet with a guy from down your way tasmanman as to who can attend the most meetings.When younger while working in fulltime jobs we clocked up 100 meetings one year .Some effort . Don't let that Nelson sun effect your thinking and stay away from that Takaka weed !

Well its your big opportunity for input to track renovation Chief. The sand layer is about to be completed....you have a lot of knowledge about sand layers on race tracks.....and the grass seed is about to be sown and the drainage etc completed. They have weekly meetings on progress , talk to like minded track folk including Aussies and bounce ideas off each other to increase their chances of success. You need to get involved...don't wait till the first raceday and the inevitable problem arises and you bang on about what should have happened etc etc Its your chance to contribute....I'm absolutely confident that if you had some input to the 'new' Awapuni track , that track would become OK , proving what I often read on here. If you Change the way you look at things, the things you look at change ! When the Awapuni Synthetic was gifted to the CD , I thought I read where a number of the 'bigger' trainers supported it , maybe couldn't look a gift horse etc but with racing folk a consensus well nigh impossible. And always get a % of negative folk....I even heard the good Foxton track was considered by some as 'too hard' earlier in week . But I not one to gossip and know very little re CD other that regular trips to Trentham since I was a foetus ,and never lived in CD.But I always thought it had a silly number of tracks and clubs . Get that input in re Awapuni track Chief.......NOW !

A good race alright Walt.....I sneaked across town to see the horses live. Don't forget Bettor Eclipse ,the Aussie, in there some where ! And up close South Coast Arden a magnificent looking specimen....he could be a roughie ! Draws were often discussed when Jewels held at Cambridge but winners came from everywhere. Being on the rails a big plus at Cambridge if you on the right horse or following the right one ,as it hard to go wide and win IMO.

Again your reading of History rather narrow minded. Most Historians DON'T blame Nero for the great fire of Rome ! Please remember...If you change the way you look at things ,the things you look at change ! Looks very much like Awapuni track renovation taking shape , a very informative video just out on Racing This Time TV. Look for the good stuff in it ! And remind me again of the decent tracks and clubs that have been closed down .....I think you have mentioned ONE, Foxton which still runs great trials ,so very much still operating ie NOT closed down ! There seems to be a strong bias on here toward it too ! As a poster with little conflict and bias I see a clearer picture ...IMO of course !