TAB For Ever

Come on Chief...more like $55 million for the new track ! FYI I have merely shown a close interest in the entire build , and was amazed in the progress of it in view of the hurdles faced especially atrocious weather . The grass has not been completely covering the track for terribly long and comments from Club officials ,both official and casual it was going to be a very tight timeframe to have it rigourously tested before January. All the testing went well with the main worry possibly being too hard.... there was nerves about it having to be watered shortly prior to races commencing on raceday as they do some football fields etc. The jockeys in trial gallops were very impressed and complimentary. Rain during the day was the one 'unknown' ...it happened and the jockeys who are the main decision makers thought it OK to continue. So don't make things up ,don't guess ,and gather your facts ! And like MG I read all reports ,so please don't fib ! $55mill.

What your beef Chief ? Pukekohe is part of the ATR and ...wait for it ....was rated the second best track in NZ in season ending July 2023 ! The Board and officials at Auckland were not unaminous in starting back so early before the new track had bedded in sufficiently....light rain during the day was their worst nightmare. But I think I read where ALL betting records in NZ were smashed with only 6 races , the world class jockeys were OK to ride on it and most who attended thoroughly enjoyed the day. Seems like mainly the keyboard warriors suffered the most ,sad they cant find more to complain about. Ken Kelso's horse just got out-ridden on day by a Group 1 rival who has beat him previous. MGuerin summed it up in todays Herald very well indeed. Feb 17 is Avondale Cup and Avondale Guineas day ..no surprise if they transfer that day tho the main sponsor Eagle Technology won't enjoy the trek to Puke which they have done previous. Avondale a cot case...... Chief.....when last did you go to Pukekohe on race day.? When last at Ellerslie raceday , when last at Avondale ? And ditto question to Doomed !

Look a bit closer and you will see BGP much more than a big punting pool......don't 95% of people lose on the punt anyway so what chance when a small group of guys get together to try and find some success with other peoples money. A huge ask! I believe Ted was a regular contributor to sites such as this with opinion ,form and trial updates. His passion also spread to Club administration and also as an owner and jockey manager too ! And of course he represents the older generation. BGP is not solely about the betting wins and losses , and I know for a fact that people who put money into the pool aren't necessarily expecting to win....The average investment is $60 I read. Personally I used to invest $100 and was never disappointed. Some wins and the odd free bet from TAB. Look at the positives Chief...IMO certainly making a useful contribution to NZ Racing. They even invested in the odd horse , I doubt this is something that an online site of grumpy old stale male cynics could organise . I doubt folk would cross the road to attend a function organised by online site....so to close the doors at 850 people , with visitors from all over NZ is very impressive. Get amongst it Chief , you'd love it....I'll send you my red sox too ! Get out of the quicksand ! Numbers and facts don't lie...BGP is an impressive group !

😁 Nah ,my face and vocab didn't pass the entry test . They found out I had 3 x years in the third form , at Christs College as well.

Haha....I think Ted was one of the key BGP selectors !

Fantastic Chief that you enjoying yourself , anything else you see as good and worth commenting on ? I see there is $200k bonus for any new owner who buys out of Book 2 sale.....ie the first horse home from this Group of buyer in next years 2 yr old race. And...there's more , in 2026 3 yr old race , repeat chance.....$200 k bonus for first horse home from this NEW owner group ! Brilliant !

Indeed , 8th early then 7th in a field with gaps until just before the turn.Off and out in clesr soon after.....a very impressive last 100 m Velocious was 3 rd early then eased to 5th travelling sweetly in clear. Always looked the winner from 600m . I was working as Race Analyst so pleased to assist 😊

One of the runs of day came from Rogerson horse in last race who came from last on turn to run 3rd ! 4th horse in 2yr old came from close to back. The sectionals will prove that horses arent machines . Its early days....too early to make assumptions ...only a handful of races been run and a few trials ! Let them find their way...its all new ! Change is difficult ,new ideas and changes in technique and attitude come hard.......Anything worth doing ,is worth doing poorly at first ! Thats how you learn ! From chatting to Club officials casually these last few years it was apparent they were very nervous/anxious as how the new track would come back and when etc. I'd say more recently they were terrified....some trial and error with irrigation ,until a few weeks ago there been a lot of rain around.Some officials thought the restart too soon...how would the grass react , would it be bedded in enough to provide good safe footing after such a short period ,and some shocking rain and delays etc. Would it be too hard ...another major worry ! Maybe not as easy /straight forward as it appeared. Overall the Officials were optimistic but cautious. The drizzle on day heightened any worries. The day went off well IMO, no postponement. A great days racing ...much will be learned and much to look forward too !

You first sentence you sarcastically ,cynically and many other traits compare turnover with stakes of one race . The first race was sponsored by Cambridge Stud Almanzor and total stake was $225,000 of which ATR contributed $105,000. So relating this to $9.5 miilion TO. You are a worry !

Go and buy a horse ...or go to the beach ! Please .....your state of mind worries me !

Do you think they will do that Chief ? You a genius ...they need your ideas , ring em up ! 3 of the winners came from the trail ...they were among the best horses in race so no trouble getting there. Belclare went fast from wide gate for 400m to sit outside the leader then kicked clear....very dominant ! The other two were basically four places back and into clear air at top of straight and won well ,the last winner very strong last 100....both favourites. It was always going to be a 'good horses day' and so it turned out.....and the jockeys obviously have read LanceO'Sullivans book and his view that if you are in the first four you only have to pass a maximum of 3 x horses to win !

Oh cheer up Chief .....your bitterness will turn into envy soon ! Get back to the tele and spend big on a horse , the losses there will hury you more cos it will be your money not the TAB's ! And aren't the Karaka races partly sweepstakes ,from money collected at the time ,or soon after a horse has been purchased at sale. Plus some Industry monies ........and didn't they get great value from that. Several mentions /video on mainstream TV ,even the main news ,plenty coverage in Australia and around the world as punters bet into NZ races via the World fund. The Entain boss at trots on Friday night couldn't celebrate his 3 x wins as owner at Trots in Auckland cos he was busy on overseas links spreading the NZ Racing 'word' around the punting globe. He has skin in the game here ! Fantastic !

Messara report stated when released in 2018.........NZ does NOT have ONE track with a high quality racing surface ! And NO ,Hastings would obviously be a track redeveloped......it well situated ,its facilities etc have an OK base and the area has a horse population. It's part of the future. Ongoing bemoaning the past does no body any good...crying about tracks that have closed is..." a Dynamic of an earlier era " JM

Firstly Chief I suspect you wiped one of my posts ...a reply to the small trainer/track rider re getting more recognition in the industry. Unsure why you would do this as I thought it a good post ,quite helpful ! I been reading your posts for well over 10 years but only felt the need to reply recently when I could see you were very biased and needed a bit of balance. Your main supporters are very regular and I guess you scare away anyone who disagrees. You and your tag team soon labelled me as a novice to racing then quickly moved on to veiled insults like Cost Accountant ,Christs College boy and now a patronising sense of superiority. You a funny man Chief , you admit to being a cynic....maybe a man who knows the price of everything , but the value of nothing. As I was raised on a diet of small Southern tracks pottering around with owner/trainers and hobby trainers we probably crossed paths a few times You stating your CV above was interesting ...battling with slow horses and non-commercial breeding and then into running and controlling Racing websites. Unsure if taking your daughter to the Kumara races is the ideal place for her to develop a love of horses but quite a warm fuzzy story. I think many have questioned whether the Entain thing can last ,but they certainly giving it their best shot . Racing certainly is having a huge amount of coverage on National news and Advertising wherever. With pokies likely to be phased out in future and greyhounds kicked to touch the NZ Racing industry sure needs more account holders wagering more at a decent profit. And you not the only one who thought stakes increases should have been spent elsewhere eg on tracks and infrastructure but NZ's stakes have been pathetic for decades and this ailment has been terminal so usually the most essential need at the time. THe chance of winning a $1m or even $2m race certainly had more appeal than racing for bag of kumaras. I have an article when Jim Gibbs retired in 2004. He was already sending his best horses eg Vinaka to Singapore to race. He said action was needed pronto on Stakes and Tracks His Auckland Cup win was worth $500k in 1989 with Spyglass. It was $350k in 2004 ! And he emphasised decent drainage and tracks. Few listened. Then when Racing started falling behind with its personal bias Amateur leadership while Professionalism took over rival entertainment sports/businesses Racing got Neilson to research NZ about the country's top 6 sports ,Racing received a big shock when it found it a long and lonely last ! 41% thought NZ racing was corrupt , ditto a problem with drugs. Only 25% thought NZ racing acted respnsponsibly and ethically. Only 16% had a positive overall impression of racing and wagering. Of course this led to the costly set up of the RIU . These $millions could have gone to better use......who do we blame for this ?

Messara stated in his report that no track in NZ was up to scratch.......since then this has been proven correct plus weather extremes have become worse. A few tracks have had quite major work which may now give them a pass mark. Why not act on what was obvious over 50 years ago ,but is more obvious now. NZ has too many tracks . Concentrate on complete renovation/replacement of 10[ yes 10 x tracks]. Close the rest and where possible sell the land to fund the new surfaces. Ellerslie cost $55 mil. A sale of Avondale would go a long way . Add the 3 x synthetics and allow the once a year tracks to continue should they meet standards ! In total there would be less than 20. For decades the track issue has competed with the pathetic stakes as the most urgent ailment of the industry ,and the well overdue recent stakes increase would not go far @ $50 mil a pop. At one time not so long ago it was estimated that transport costs in NZ racing was greater than the total stakes paid out . Do them once and do them properly...the past has gone ,concentrate on the future. Create don't cry and bemoan the past !

Bang on Gammalite......keep up the good fight !

Total agree..... having people spend big time at Sales helps everyone , the breeders ,the trainers the jockeys ,the thousands of stable wortkers ,admin staff ,gardeners , vets ,transporters etc etc The govt gets the tax , NZ gets a mention overseas other than via our yachties , sports stars ,honey and smiling PM's. Whats wrong with that ?.....the money keeps the world spinning. A small sector of NZ folk get great enjoyment out of NZ racing still........all those involved cover a huge cross section of society.Racing tomorrow will be a wide cross section of society. The horses owned by racing roylaty ,judges , ex jockeys , storemen ,cleaners and many ma and pas in the big tangerine syndicates which is being duplicated by many trainers now. And the big money owners started with nothing....the big chief PVela was a fisherman in a dinghy and hanger made widgets in a garage while living under a bridge. They now tall poppies. They create , we cry ! And as they battled away to survive ,you earned a good living off the industry they have maintained...you been in racing a lifetime ,doing stuff for bookmakers and others for a lifetime ! Why you bitter ?

Haha...FYI Christ's College has it's fair share of bad buggers , attending there doesn't guarantee anything ! I find it interesting that internet trolls who maybe give the impression they interested in NZ racing and have the ideas and passion to see it excel into the future , spend their time on line cynically putting the boot into it which flies in the face of what they setting out to achieve. Realistically what would you personally like to see in NZ racing ,given NZ's size , our closeness to Australia , current governance requirements and Racings relevance to the average Kiwis life ! If you suddenly thrust into an influential position , and could cast aside your bitterness, personal bias and 'me against the world' mentality .....how would you run NZ Racing ?

You a funny , and at times bitter ,man Chief.......there are plenty of ways to get a ticket especially if you think about it in advance .Ask your daughter she will be aware of how to get to the movies , concerts , on the bus etc in the organised world which runs civilised events ! A day at the beach or a picnic outing beside the Grey river or at the Kumara showgrounds not so much. Tho they have had to up their spend on security to add some decorum ! Impressively Kumara continue to 'justify' their 'iconic raceday' rating which keeps Coast circuit on Calendar and they can still find enough trainers to cart 75 horses over there to race. But I can't see any Group 1 days being diverted to the Coast anytime soon. Assuming you seriously want your daughter to develop a love of racing then what other meetings do you wish to take her to! The fun at Kumara will be hard to match , cant think of too many others which will impress.Possibly the tarted up boys at Karaka Day may take her fancy with a bit of Mumm champers to cheer her up further. Try her out ,it may not be too late for Saturday, ring your fellow coastie Leo , he in the know ! It is mean't to be the sport of Kings ,afterall ! Good to see you got the noble count from the gypies ticking your cynicism !

Come on guys ,I know its very hard to admit that this day is the best..... Of course the above factors I mention only tell part of the story ! A major plus for the modern generation is they dont want to spend the whole day on a racetrack. Official times out tomorrow but the days 6 races will only take some 4 hours ...4 to 8pm. Who on here is going to get amongst it ? NZ Racing is back and looks like it going to press on to better things next year !

Chief , please confirm how many attend Kumara races ? I did a quick google and there was mention of 3000 in a Stuff article 2019 .. Articles before raceday say that 5000 to 9000 will attend Articles after state that some 5000 attended and those stories often highlight things like the 'Fashions in the Field'. I was lead to believe those gimmicks were only for the posers and poofters in big city clubs. A cost accountant I know told me the accounts show $24 k in gatetakings in 2022 and $33k in 2023 . Apparently there was an increase in gate charge from $10 to $15 then again to $20 for walk up entrance this year. Using between $10 - $15 as a guide this would suggest around 2500 paying adults . Kids are free . Others may jump the fence which one year couldn't keep the pigs out from eating up the track ! I gotta go some time !

You too clever for me Chief ! Many of the food areas used on non-raceday events which total close to 1000 a year are in the Events Centre/ Public Stand but on raceday they are all over . Some 22 venues/rooms for food ,all going at once so it a bit unique. Of course the popular Birdcage bar where many trainers watch the screens is still closed for revamp so may throw a few out. I thought they may bring some of the Coast staff up from the Hokitika Food Festival.

I think it a wise decision for the recommencement of racing there. Two years ago I mostly sat among the BGP crowd and that day I remember the total was 9000 and it very comfortable both there above the Public seating and also in the Ascot stand where members and owners tend to congregate there.The place has been closed for a couple of years so getting up to speed won't be that easy. A lot of the hospitality and security staff will be new ,parking will be a bit tight etc etc. There will be a bit to 'moan' about , some have already started I hear it whisping over the strait from the South Island ! A green cloud ! These days I think 10,000 is an ideal number, very busy but comfortable. The halcyon days of being packed to the gills , no thanks. I remember how uncomfortable the big days were ..the Wellington Cup , NZ Cup , NZ Trotting cup. Often near impossible to get a bet on , get to a bar[ now limits !] and worst of all difficult to see the actual races. The huge 'old days'New years Day crowd at Ellerslie was hugely boosted by BYO [food and drink] in the infield ,froze to death there one year just before I was bored to death. A friend got the Railway trifecta [easybet] and it took them 30mins to bring in the money cos the thousands in there hadn't bet enuff ,too busy playing cricket with their bored kids ! Even NZ Cup day has huge crowds just out the back at "boot parties" or at dance party at top of straight . NZ Trot cup day many claim on here about the temporary tents blocking some of view !! Big crowds really bring out the glass half empty lot ! These racedays have gotten huge because like Kumara they are the place to be.....FOMO sets in .....gotta be part of it ! So this Saturday some will be disappointed ,will still probably watch it on TV and bet...racing is afterall a TV activity.....and many more will want to go next year and/or the next meeting and the facilities will be extended to fit them in eg..grass area along the straight . Who knows ,may even boost membership...it has dropped a little [20%] since Covid . Of interest is todays NZ Herald already advertising next years big day on 8 March 2025 ....Front page via a sleeve ,2 full pages which connect to Sports page...these guys are serious about gettin NZ Racing back !

Chill out folks.....this new raft of high stake races just been announced today and within minutes we are looking at the possible pitfalls and shortcomings. The glass half-full team will looking at getting involved behind the whole stradegy. Our racing in NZ needs more foals , more owners and more punting to flourish into the future....already todays announcement has made mainstream media and already they have closed the doors at 12,000 people this week. Personally after giving up on taking shares in NZ horses cos of the low return on stakes.....these now boosted across the board and there appears to be a ton of opportunities across all regions to race for decent money than previous....I'm tempted again ! And many will feel the same way....maybe more foals born , higher returns for breeders and higher returns for owners and trainers.And hopefully better and bigger fields to encourage betting. At least they giving it a crack , I think it fair they be given the chance .They have shown the courage and a few dollars to change things around a bit and I'm confident this will continue for a while yet. Get on the bus ,don't go against the tide ,avoid the quicksand crowd !

And Craig Grylls closing in on the top 'two mile' Cups jockey Bob Skelton. RJS won 5 x Wellington Cups on 3 x horses , numerous other 2 milers including the Melbourne Cup. His brother WDS did similar while another brother Frank won NZ cup on showy chestnut Royal Bid. Another brother Errol trained Rose Mellay to win Auckland Cup from memory while Max [ MJ] the baby robably got close too , I saw him at Riccarton races recently. See people still go to the races these days ! The top Wellington Cup trainer with 4 x wins is Mike Moroney who I note won 2 x races at Flemington yesterday. Mark Walker also got one at Flemington ,and another Wellington Cup winner Donna Logan won in Singapore ! Another great memory popped up when Humbucker won the Gore Cup carrying the colours of Hazlett /Hillis...white jacket ,green sleeves ,yellow cap who won Wellington Cup with Eiffel Tower and a ton of big jumps races there. And BJ Anderton still winning races at Gore...he featured in many Cups and features ,along with his family...Princess Mellay ,Trelay , Powley ,Mellseur, Kumai along with their many sires runners ...Mellay, Trelay , Noble Bijou ,Personal Escort et al. Oh the memories........ The magic of Trentham was created because the best horses and trainers came from all over...North ,Central and South ...often the only time they clashed. It was that that made it the top betting [ gallops ] meeting in NZ . It should hold on to that cos it was a long way ahead mostly , especially since ARC carnival split into 2 or 3 ! It should still head off the West Coast !