Brodie

So if 4% only win, why is it ok for the TAB to restrict the 4% that win??? The TAB acts with very little integrity! They want to ensure that everyone is a loser, and those that can beat them, they try to eliminate them by big restrictions! The TAB with the monopoly it has has been very bad for the wagering industry.

The thing is the starter needs to command respect from the drivers, or they take the piss which is what happens most of the time! It has come up so many times about the standing starts, the starters don’t seem to care and it is anything goes most of the time! High time the starters take it seriously and are professional, as they just arent currently!

Galah, I was going to make a comment about the Southland standing starts from where the Unruly horses start from lol. You are correct they are often at least 60 metres from the front line horses and he lets them go? They are getting paid for this crap? Not a fair go for anyone! How about some professionalism as it seems like it is just “ it doesnt matter” to them! Brad Steele says nothing yet is supposedly in charge, but doesn't want to get off side with anyone by the look of it?

The state or condition of being substandard! The fact remains that the standing starts have been substandard mostly for years! Punters are being misled or misrepresented by HRNZ by calling them standing starts when mostly they are far from that! Yes some horses stand and others are charging or moving it is just a bag of licorice allsorts as to what you get! Surely it isn't that hard?

The standing starts in the South Island are atrocious and yet they continue to program them? Over the Xmas period there have been far too many false starts and are consistently inconsistent! How on earth the starter is allowed to continue to dish up this amateur stuff is really quite disturbing for the harness industry! And yet a driver is over vigorous in the Stipes opinion gets fined or suspended, but the employees of HRNZ are allowed to get away with substandardness?

Mile racing is terrible to bet into for the serious punter that wants to consistently win! The winners and place getters in mile racing is just so inconsistent and you can not follow firm to much degree. Maybe the Clubs have been told to program these ridiculous short distance races so the punters who are serious dont bother? Anyway the fields at Omakau are good for punting on and should be a good day there, unless it gets too wet!

The two big races at Omakau p. $40k each are over 2000 metres! Wondering why they programmed them over the sprint distance rather than the 2600 metres which would be better viewing and attract more wagering? Not sure why these clubs want to program races over these sprint distances? If you are iut 5he back st Roxburgh then you can forget about it!

Reality is that there would be a heap of horses from NZ that could run 1.50 for the mile on that Menangle track. The Menangle track is very roomy and enables these very fast times but does it really make for great racing?

Taku, you are correct, just an absolute turnoff is the mile racing! Why on earth do they continue to run them? Happy New Year to all!

It would appear to be another meeting where Auckland remains a drain on the coffers and loses money! Looked at the win and place pools for the Auckland Cup not long before the race and $3k in the win and $1500 in the place pool!

Been out so havent watched all the racing from Alexandra Park but the ones I have seen are not overly exciting. Auckland Cup just run was a borefest, and given to Republican Party! Not a great spectacle and very hard to see how Auckland is going to be able to attract new participants to racing?

Mikey, have you ever heard of the NZ TAB actually restricting punters that are losing ? Personally have never heard of this and highly doubt it would happen, they love the losing punters! In fact they totally encourage it by giving them free bets to keep them going.

I am sure the tote pools would have been good at Mot today as they always are at this Xmas meeting. They always get a great crowd when the weather is reasonable, that is not raining! From Trackside viewing It appeared the crowd was not as big as many other years but then again it wasnt all that sunny, so some may have stayed home? Most oncourse would be not regular punters and therefore were probably betting on the tote rather than fixed odds! Still maintain that turnover could double what they are currently taking on harness racing, if they were to be accepting wagering from the punters that want to offload, rather than restricting them to significantly low amounts! What are they scared of, as the odds are always in their favour?

Galah, they are not worried at increasing turnover! They are not wanting punters offloading on harness racing they are wanting losing punters who are not wagering significant amounts! They are not prepared to accept bets of any note and I am constantly hearing of punters receiving nowhere what they want to wager! The decision to sell out to Entain who have no idea about racing by McAnulty, is going to massively back fire on racing. Is anyone getting good amounts on fixed odds consistently??

Yes good punting fields to make money today! Reality is the TAB don’t want the bigger wagering punters!! TAB wanting to increase turnover is bollacks!