curious

It also seems to me that the race fits the criteria to stay listed. I'd certainly say it is a target race for many in its own right at that time of year. It meets the rating criteria and wasn't on a warning or alert. It is also well placed for SI horses leading up to Group races at the Wellington Cup meeting. Hard to figure out where it failed.

The 22/23 race rating for the Timaru Cup last year was 100.5 cf. the expected minimum of 100. There is no specific information in the report justifying the decision to delist it. Only the general criteria below against which those decisions were apparently made. Key criteria for the removal of races from the Pattern included: consistent depth and quality of the field; whether the race was well-placed as a lead-up to Group races; whether the race was an important target in its own right in the region, with no alternatives; opportunities for the category of horse to attain other black-type in similar races over the season.

The Taranaki race has gone to alert. They have 2 more editions generally to get back on track. Wairarapa Breeders looks fine doesn't it? Wanganui Guineas needs to get its act together.

2022/23 Pattern Review Outcomes Sent on behalf of the New Zealand Pattern Committee The review of Pattern races run in the 2022/23 season has been completed by the New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC) and the schedule for the 2023/24 season has been finalised. A number of changes have resulted. A significant decline in the number of races run in recent seasons has seen the New Zealand Pattern race percentage increase to over 6%. This was generating international concern and affecting the perceived quality of the New Zealand Pattern. The NZPC formed a sub-committee to review the Pattern with the aim of reducing the percentage of Pattern Race towards international norms of 5% or less. Following consultation with affected Clubs, the total number of Pattern flat races scheduled in 2023/24 will decline by eight races to 142 races. The races below move to unlisted. · Rotorua RC, Rotorua Challenge Plate · Feilding JC, Feilding Cup · Levin RC, Levin Stakes · Auckland TR, Newmarket Handicap · Timaru RC, Timaru Cup · Wellington RC, NZ St Leger · Riverton JC, Riverton Cup · Canterbury JC, George Adams Handicap The NZPC strongly endorses the “Heritage” race concept for these races as continuing to support races which are major regional targets, have considerable historic importance and wide public appeal. With the exception of the Newmarket Handicap, this will see prizemoney remain as though each race had its former status. To further ensure future quality control of the New Zealand Pattern, the tolerance threshold of three points has been removed from all Listed races. Further status changes for the 2023/24 season are: · Auckland TR, Soliloquy Stakes upgraded from G3 to G2 · Auckland TR, Mufhasa Stakes upgraded from L to G3 · Canterbury JC, Stewards Stakes downgraded from G3 to L Notable race movements for the 2023/24 season are: · Wellington RC, Levin Classic (G1) – the Asian Pattern Committee unanimously agreed with the NZPC request that it be given one last chance at G1 level on condition it returns to its former mid-January date. · Wellington RC, Wellington Guineas (G2) – returns to its March date. · Auckland TR, Uncle Remus Stakes (L) – from Boxing Day to Avondale Cup Day on Saturday, 17 February and reducing the distance from 1400 metres to 1200 metres. This will lead into the newly promoted Mufhasa Stakes. · Auckland TR, Great Northern Guineas (G2) – from New Year’s Day to Boxing Day, with the distance lowered from 1600m to 1400m. · Canterbury JC, Welcome Stakes (L) – retains its Listed status for one last opportunity on condition of moving to the Autumn to lead into the CJC Champagne Stakes. The NZPC also approved changes to improve the flow of 2YO races in the northern region: · Waikato Racing, Star Way-Wentworth Stakes (L) – to Sat 20 April, 1200m – Ellerslie · Auckland TR, Great Northern Foal Stakes (L) – to Sat 4 May, 1400m – Te Rapa. · Auckland TR, Great Northern Champagne Stakes (L) – to Sat 25 May, 1600m – Ellerslie. A copy of the comprehensive report from the meeting of the Pattern Committee can be found below. https://nztr.co.nz/sites/nztrindustry/files/2023-09/Report-of-the-NZPC-2023_FINAL.pdf Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Emma Thompson +64 21 071 2929 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

https://careers.loveracing.nz/riding-mentor

It would hardly be in the NZTAB business plan would it? They are not paying for it. Entain is buying the yearlings and engaging and paying the trainers for the ownership club I think.

Not there for mine. Seems you have no data to support your claim either?

No. I'm asking for the data you have that shows the difference in performance that you claimed between our top 3 or 4 jockeys and others.

Not at all. I'm wanting to see the data you have showing that there is daylight between the performance of our 3-4 top jockeys and the rest. I haven't seen that.

I'd like to see the data you have supporting that view please.

Absolutely. I've been present when a horse was given IV bute 48 hours prior to raceday for ouchy feet after shoeing. Horse won. Swab was clear. Vet was confident and it unlikely had any effect on performance.

Makes no difference according to the UK data.

Exactly. If you were carrying the whip for control, you'd do so in your outside hand wouldn't you?

Is that why most jockeys carry the whip in their right hand when going right-handed? If they were using it for control, surely they'd carry it in their left hand?

I don't think either Oliver or V'Landys have much of a leg to stand on. Hard to educate the public that whips don't hurt horses when the research says they clearly do. I don't think the public is that gullible but maybe I'm wrong. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/11/12/first-conclusive-evidence-horses-hurt-by-whips--whips-don-t-aid-.html First conclusive evidence horses hurt by whips, whips don't aid jockeys 12 November 2020 Conclusions based on 10 years of research could rock racing industry Two papes published in journal Animals lend support to a ban on whipping in horse racing. They respectively show that horses feel as much pain as humans would when whipped, and that the whip does not enhance race safety. Do horses feel pain when whipped? Racing industry officials have long held that they don’t. Yet in two studies released around Melbourne Cup week, Professor Paul McGreevy from the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science and his colleagues have found that not only have horses evolved to feel as much pain when whipped as a human would, but that there is no compelling reason to whip these animals at all. The culmination of nearly a decade of research, these findings have the potential to fundamentally change the racing industry, locally and worldwide. Published across two papers in open access journal Animals, Professor McGreevy says he would not be surprised if the findings prompt the phasing-out of whipping in Australian racing within two years. Whipping hurts horses Professor McGreevy and colleagues examined whether horses are likely to feel as much pain as humans would when whipped. Using microscopic samples of skin from 10 deceased humans and 20 euthanised horses, they looked for differences between the species’ skin structure and nerve supply. The results revealed “no significant difference” between humans and horses in the concentration of nerve endings in the outer layers of skin, nor any difference in thickness of this skin layer. “This was not surprising, as horses, like humans, need robust yet sensitive skin to respond to touch, say, from flying insects or other horses,” said Professor McGreevy. “From this, we can deduce that horses are likely to feel as much pain as humans would when being whipped.” “Repeated strikes of the whip in horses that are fatigued as they end a race are likely to be distressing and cause suffering. A horse’s loss of agency as it undergoes this kind of repeated treatment is thought to lead to learned helplessness.” Images of horse (A) and human (B) skin, showing comparable epidermal thickness. Whipping doesn’t make racing safer, faster or fairer In another paper, Professor McGreevy and colleagues, including Professor Phil McManus from the School of Geosciences, used data from the UK racing industry to compare 67 races with whips to 59 without, controlled for variables including number of horses, racetrack surface characteristics on the day, and race distance. “In the UK, unlike in Australia, the racing authorities hold whip-free races for apprentice jockeys,” Professor McGreevy explained. “This seems at odds with the racing industry’s claim that whips are necessary for steering, and therefore, jockey safety. “Nevertheless, our analysis of racing stewards’ reports from the two types of races revealed no statistical safety difference between races with and without whips.” He and his co-authors also found that race times and metrics of racing integrity – compliance with rules – did not differ between the kinds of races. “This invalidates industry assumptions to the contrary,” Professor McGreevy said. “The findings of this study clearly show that the use of whips in horse racing is unnecessary, unjustifiable and unreasonable.” The use of whips in horse racing: background facts According to the rules of Australian racing, before the final 100 metres, horses must be struck no more than five times. Ove the final 100 metres, they can be struck every stride. The industry has said that the padded whip (mandated since 2009) prevents the horse from feeling pain (but does not stop it from feeling ‘encouragement’). It has been shown that unpadded sections of the whip, that most likely cause greater pain than the padded sections, are more likely than not to make contact with the horse. Aside from this, there is evidence that the padded sections can also cause damage. Rules around whip use are hard to police. Previous studies by Professor McGreevy’s team have revealed evidence of at least 28 examples of breaches of the whip rules in 15 NSW races, that did not appear in routine, post-race steward reports. Norway outlawed the whipping of racehorses in 1982. Meanwhile, in the UK, since 1999, The Jockey Club, and more recently, the British Horseracing Authority, have run whip-free races for apprentice jockeys since 1999. In Australia, three quarters of the public support a ban on whipping. Declaration: These studies and the costs of open access publication were supported by the Sydney School of Veterinary Science and the RSPCA Australia.

Yes. Super work from Kirsty to get this all cracking and new industry workers as a result.

Who would have thought? Meeting News Foxton to Trial 12 September Given the current run of weather the trials scheduled for Tuesday 12 September will now be held at Foxton. This decision may be revisited closer to the time if the weather significantly deteriorates.

It’s no secret that the massive scale of government stimulus through the pandemic has seen core Crown borrowing surge in nominal terms. It was up another 17 per cent in the year to May 30 — to $193.63b.

New Zealand’s total gross debt continues to expand and break new records. Liam Dann Liam Dann 1506 words 24 July 2023 The New Zealand Herald NZHLD A018 English Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Ltd. New Zealand’s total gross debt continues to expand and break new records. In our annual Nation of Debt series, we tally all the nation’s debt statistics, from across the private and public sectors. This year we’ve hit a grand total of $790 billion. That’s up from $739b last year — a relatively subdued increase of 7 per cent. But that’s now an average of $151,000 in raw debt for every Kiwi. Since the series began in 2016 that total nominal figure has ballooned by 60 per cent — from $492.5b.

Some ride here

A couple more from this season. Such fun.