curious

This from Saundry today: The industry needs to be aware that TAB NZ has not underwritten a total amount to be paid to the codes this season, rather they have provided a budget of the funding it aims to pay. We now exist in a funding structure where we are paid in arrears, rather than in advance and cover as much of what would otherwise be a negative cashflow position. My understanding of the legislation is that TABNZ distribute to the codes any surplus as determined by S16 to the codes during or after the season, so are they not always essentially paid in arrears? My belief was that the profit from the previous season was paid out once determined and essentially funded the current season.

I was wondering that too. The track record is 1.07.01 I think and they went 1.07.18? The next heat of maidens took 1.08.27 which is pretty amazing in itself. Presumably the stipes will have been investigating and report. Did they forget to apply the advertised irrigation to the chute?

I think we just have very different ideas about this. A horse being "on the bit" to me means it is travelling on a light rein and responding to light pressure with barely any contact, not that I need "leverage" to control it. The dining chair execrcise is about demonstrating how you can increase the leverage which is not what I want to do.

Doesn't make much sense to me. Taking a short hold just seems likely to tense them up, set up for a scrap and give them something to pull against. Maybe not a kiss and a cuddle but probably some pain relief, not the application of more.

Lol. Hadn't heard that one. Classic Boomer though. I liked the way he used to just show up out of the blue with a truck load of goods then equally mysteriously disappear a couple of days later not to be seen again for months.

How can that be when half your bodweight is in the cart not providing leverage? Anyway, imo the solution is to teach them to work and race kindly, not wait till or expect the driver or jockey to win a physical battle at race time.

Another polytrack replacement under way. A synthetic surface, Tapeta replaced Turfway's Polytrack and has been in use for training over the past month. Tapeta is already in place at Woodbine, Golden Gate Fields, and Presque Isle Downs and the light-brown color of the Tapeta at Turfway is similar in appearance to the one at Woodbine. Turfway became the first racetrack in North America to install Polytrack on its main track in 2005. Initially advertised as being maintenance-free, it proved to require upkeep, as all racing surfaces do, and its materials, such as its wax, gradually degraded with time.

Well may be they've improved it. When the Arlington Park one went in the report said: The next step in the process included trenching and the installation of more than four miles of irrigation pipe and nine miles of perforated drainage pipe covered by 4,000 tons of four-inch-deep graded drainage stone Pretty sure Pakenham were considering irrigating theirs when they had kickback flying over jockeys heads after a periopd of no rain dried it out.. Something doesn't add up. Hard to see how the colour and texture could change that.

I just don't get the no irrigation thing. You'd think it would blow away in those conditions or at least redistribute and pile up like sand does.

So it's really a shortfall of more like 600k on average for each of the 16 days at Ellerslie? That's before sport, pokie and overseas racing subsidies?

Surely the 13% is net revenue after expenses?

They could probably just use two hand candles to get it down to the 50 JB.

OK. Thanks. Tough to work out why they would need 50 lights whwn you'd think half a dozen would do. Hard to know without seeing the design/plan though. Does the Cambridge AWT have the same lighting scheme?

It probably has a limited life if we keep running meetings that are losing 300k a day one would think.

Does it? Where did you see that? Irrigation as well?

They are in the NZTR annual reports.

Oh cripes. It gets worse! Please sell up ARC yesterday. Anyone got a mate on the Westland Council to see if we can buy back Hoki?

Probably well below average then by the sound of it. Try punting where you can find the best value and see how that goes.

Oh cripes. That Ellerslie figure is a shocker. FFS sell it up before any more damage is done.

I'm looking for one of those and a trainer with the same attitude.

I agree. Can't see any argument or evidence to suggest that AWT turnover won't be similar to turf turnover for the same level of meeting. Not sure where that idea comes from.

Net revenue numbers. You don't have them cos they just don't exist as mardigras points out.

Don't think so. They probably cost the industry less but as far as I know no clubs or racedays cover their costs anymore from wagering on those meetings, let alone prop up any others.

Originally trained aat Hoki didn't she?

Tarsha Boland/Stokes. May have had other reasons for the move but sensibly after a successful stint there and at Rangiora, gave it away in frustration.