curious

From discussions I have been involved with about adding a greyhound track to a thoroughbred facility, the funding would come from the greyhound club and/or GRNZ.

I think the benefits of that, if there are some, should be pretty immediate.

I can't work out why there are such long delays in this becoming available. It seems to me if it is available instantly on raceday that it should be able to be posted the next day at least if not immediately. It often takes weeks to appear, by which time it is rather too late to be of much use.

It does service a large provincial area for racing purposes, so why not?

Huey, I don't think it was ever thought that the AWTs would increase wagering revenue. As far as I can see, the objective was twofold. Firstly, to provide an excellent year round training facility in each region and secondly to take the pressure off the diminishing number of grass tracks over winter. They seem to be doing that. As Freda says, they are unlikely to significantly increase or decrease wagering revenue overall. Mostly done with free money to the industry, I don't really see the problem. Like any surface, heavy or firm grass or AWT, they will suit some horses more than others and even that will likely vary given that the moisture content clearly affects the speed of the surface quite significantly. From a punting perspective, I don't really see much difference. I've certainly done a lot better on AWTs over the last year than on grass but the n for that assessment is limited.

Fair decision, lenient penalty as was pointed out. You can't have this behaviour going on if you want the perception of the integrity of the industry. Needs to be deterred strongly and that may not be enough to do it. Rules are rules.

What do you see that makes it seem cruel Huey?

I saw you tried to put up a song with this KitK? The song should probably be this. We gave him a new stable name of Styx when I got him - after this.

A fantastic job by an awesome team and a really neat but totally enigmatic character of a horse. That said, I'm pretty sure the riders he dropped in recent weeks concur and would have been cheering him on today.

I see they updated it at 8.54 am!

True but a staggering number of 7 horses went round at the Cambridge jumps trials on Monday.

With nominations for all races closing at 9am this morning, would you not think that someone could have got out of bed and posted updated weather and track conditions by now?

So did I. That Act abolished the RIU and established the RIB in its place.

It was dissolved by Winston's Act.

2010. A parting gift from Cameron George until he resurfaced on the NZTR board in 2019.

Yes. Brian seems to run with the hares one minute and hunt with the hounds the next. Generally, his writing tends to present his latest new idea which often comes from buying into someone else's ideas without expressing any critical thought. The other sides of his arguments are hardly ever considered. I did watch Weigh In this week for the first time in many months, if not years. A refreshing piece of quality racing journalism that I haven't seen the likes of in any New Zealand media in yonks.

There is a feature meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday too. Not sure how industry day stakes can compete with that in attracting horses regardless of the track surface.

A few trainers quite keen, a lot not?

Of course, some continued very successfully. Some gave it away later. Others battled on and some of those still are. A few moved to greener pastures at the time and later, a number very successfully. Chris Waller springs to mind as one who astutely made the move to Oz then.

Yes. I A bloke I know quite well gave up training commercially in 2001 when that Act was still a bill. Not a bad call I think.

Gosh. Has Brian lost the plot again? I realise that the NZ breeding industry and pattern racing are intertwined with the racing industry but neither is necessary for the other. There are plenty of sources of horses for a racing industry here without a breeding industry. Hong Kong for example has a vibrant racing industry without a breeding one. It seems to me that breeding industry industry interests have been a big part of the downfall of NZ racing. I agree with Doomed that the assets of the NZ racing industry are not the real estate but the racing events and the people involved with conducting them. The size of the foal crop or number of pattern races is largely irrelevant. That blog is just another side of what caused the demise of NZ racing in the first place. Shame.

Here is the actual rule. You'd think the RIB could at least transpose it correctly. 656 (1) A Rider who rides or presents himself to ride a horse, or any other Licenceholder who has carried out, is carrying out, or is likely to carry out, a Safety Sensitive Activity at a Racecourse, Training Facility or Trainer’s Premises shall thereby be deemed to have consented to a Sample being obtained from him by or under the supervision of a Registered Medical Practitioner or by an Authorised Person if and whenever the Rider is required by a Stipendiary Steward or Investigator to permit such a Sample to be so obtained. [Amended 1 December 2013] [Amended 1 August 2014]

The first and the last on opening day for Freda would be pleasing!

Yes. It's known as colonisation. Hasn't worked very well in the long term anywhere I can think of. Can't see it working in racing. Not a good look.