Brodie

Gamma, I didnt say that NZ harness racing is mediocre at all! What I was saying is that there are mediocre decisions being made that is going to affect harness racings future! The TAB was given a lifeline with the $900m cash input from Entain and in my mind, they are blowing the opportunity. Gamma, at the end of the guaranteed five years of the money from Entain, how do you think that the harness industry has been improved? Are you confident that stake money will hold up and where do you see harness racing going financially?

Yes they are obsessed with yield but without increased turnover you wont increase profit! They are a betting agency so that to me means gambling!! They operate more like accountants and accountants are not generally known to be that flash at speculating to accumulate. At the end of the day if they want to stifle wagering then they are definitely going to stifle the racing industry. It seems very hypocritical that they restrict income by way of restricting wagering which is what pays the stakes, and yet they are having no problem at chucking big money at stakes? Bearing in mind a big amount of the stake money is coming from the gifting from Entain which is going to stop! It is not going to be pretty if things continue like they currently are! Thing is, it is not rocket science.

Gamma, forums are for discussion and to be fair the ones you mentioned are far from perfect! Every comment from Brodie is made with the sole purpose of improving harness racing so that it can continue in the future! I do not believe that we should be accepting of mediocrity if racing is to continue!

The biggest thing the TAB is doing wrong if they are looking at increasing turnover is RESTRICTING THE AMOUNT THAT PUNTERS ARE ABLE TO WAGER!!!!!!!K TAB, if you want better turnover, ALLOW PUNTERS TO WAGER!!! Geez, it is such a stupid policy they operate under. Someone has a bet that I do not consider large and they slash the crap out of the fixed odd so that no one else bets on it? They just do not seem to have the business smarts! It is going to get worse for them unless they have someone who knows how to operate a successful business!

Yes, of course they should be following the Premier Racing site. Pleased they have now advised us that there is technical issues that they are hopefully working on. Not sure why they can not come BOAY to answer our concerns?

Lol hardly be wanting to email them for obvious reasons. You are correct the TAB doesnt let many punters win very much! They think that $1k is a big bet??? TAB with its monopoly should be letting the punters on to win reasonable amounts, without the total control that exert, as it is hindering the industry big time.

Personally do not believe that HRNZ are keeping the public informed enough wuth their decision making. So many decisions made that is not in the best interests of harness racing future!

It appeared that several of the drivers thought the race was going to be called off by their actions! Personally think it should have been but then I am not a stipe. Think Becker may have stood on the loose reins down the back straight.

Shab, they want punters to increase the TAB turnover so that they have employment! So you know the answer Shab? The thing is that BOAY is a forum that is to discuss harness topics and maybe someone from HRNZ could actually advise all of us at the same time? So Shab, what do you think the reason is for them to give these fixed odds and then taketh away? Shab, are you happy with the amount of information that comes out of HRNZ?

Galah, no we have no personal grudge against any of the HRNZ employees! Just so frustrating that they seem hell bent on ensuring that harness racing is going to be in such a dire financial situation in 2 years time! It just not seem possible that they just want to splash money into stakes that has not been earned or they can afford to waste! Some owners must think xmas has come when these big stake money races have only a few starters in it! Reality is I believe that HRNZ are not administering the cash from Entain very professionally whatsoever and the harness industry is going to one hell of a shock when the money dries up! Everyone that I know can see it and it is very surprising and disappointing that the ones running the show are acting so shockingly? Then again everyone knows my point of view as I have constantly maintained and yet no one making these decisions and Entain are prepared to refute what I am saying! More than happy for anyone to come on and say Brodie is wrong but I highly doubt anyone could?

Havent seen them for awhile now? Certainly havent been up anytime I have looked over the past week or two! The disappointing thing is that no one from HRNZ is willing to participate on BOAY the Premier Racing Site in NZ ! How hard is it for someone from HRNZ to actually advise us why this is happening now?

Does anyone know why the fixed odds on HRNZ website have disappeared?? Having them there was one of the better things that HRNZ had done in recent times and they have now got rid of them????? Does it make any sense? NO it does not, unless someone can kindly explain why they have taken them down???

The TAB got bailed out by the government after the Covid BS and now Entain with the $900m and it will nit be happening again! The fact that they have not invested the money wisely is very disappointing and going to be a kick in the guts for harness racing in my humble opinion.

Gamma, personally not terrified at all that Entain are going to stop the cash splash, as it doesnt affect me! However it is going to have dire consequences for those involved in the harness industry. The reality is that HRNZ are responsible for what happens with the future of harness racing in NZ and the result is on their shoulders! If they are happy with the way things are trekking then that is great, just would not be holding my breath!

Gamma, to be fair I do not believe that there would be too many harness enthusiasts that would be happy with the decisions that have been made by the four parties you mentioned? Brodie is just pointing out fact, that you could not defend! ATC, absolute incompetency Entain, self interest only and will pull the plug in 2 years, racing profit not what they require and poor decisions being made. HRNZ, no comment needed North Island harness - cot case! Gamma, all very sad but just the reality, snd things need to change for the sake of the long term racing. Hopefully I am totally wrong but I havent spoken to a single person who thinks things are going in the right direction.

Lol, i have never mentioned that the champions of North Island racing should piss off! Of course they should get accolades for what they have done for harness racing in the last 40 years or so! Its not Hrnz’s fault that the ATC has stuffed the racing in Auckland who was trying to make millions for racing up North! Problem is that they made decisions that have now ensured that it is not financially viable to continue to race in Auckland unless there is a massive bail out, and not sure whether that is ever possible? HRNZ certainly have no ability to be able to bsil them out as their finances are going to be in dire straights in 2 years time! Would be great for someone from HRNZ, probably the CEO to actually come on BOAY and advise us what is going on with racing in the North island? The thing is they wont because they havent got an answer and yet they continue to make decisions that anyone with business acumen would not be making! To be running races at Invercargill today for $40k and having 6 horses and being a group 3 is just hard to justify? Once again Gamma, never put down the champions of harness in either the North and South, just pointing out that what is happening can not continue.

Probably be larger as they wont be walking the dogs?

Can not be correct Galah? Brad Steele says everything is positive, he said so when Greg O’Connor interviewed him a few months back? I know in a couple of years there are going to be a lot of harness participants sho are going go be very irate at how HRNZ have handled the money from Entain!. Probably wont worry them cos they will be gone.

Fair enough Gamma. Lets have 8 or 9 horses races on every programme so that owners have more chance of getting some stake money! What I would be betting on is that harness racing in NZ will be gone in 10 years if not sooner through lack of participants, lack of punting and lack of horses! It is going to be bad enough in 2 years when the stakes are going to be slashed and there will be owners and breeders running fir the hills.

Gamma, not used to gallopers finishing down the track at all, as I do not invest on them! Too hard to follow form, so I dont touch them! You mention when they had 11 or 12 horses over the mile at Albion park, if you were out the back you had no chance! Rest my case, mile racing is not what harness should be running over! Horrible boring racing on all tracks in NZ.

Reality is that those that support the banning of greyhound racing must also support the extinction of the greyhound breed from NZ forever! I understand that the dogs are being desexed now, and despite the fact that greyhounds make good pets, we are going to eventually see no greyhounds in our streets being walked! shame really.

If that happens in NZ thrn you might as well turn out the lights! Mile racing is just so boring and doesnt attract wagering from serious punters! To attract new punters and enthusiasts to harness racing they need racing to be over longer distances than a mile. Just isnt a fair contest and there is no doubt ownership will drop, but then again the ones making the decisions arent owners or punters and with little business success.

Regards the closing if greyhounds due supposedly to cruelty to the animals? How hypocritical is it surely that NZ isnt able to wager on NZ dogs as it is too cruel, and yet we are able to wager on Austrslian greyhound racing?? Clearly the Ozzie dog racing isnt as cruel or we wouldnt be allowed to wager on it? Absolute lunacy to can greyhounds in NZ and wipe out the greyhound breed totally. Far better to Close down the Green Party and The Maori Party for the cruelty they would cause NZ citizens should there be enough losers who vote for the LEFTY Losers!

So how much does Entain have to give racing when the 5 years is up? Significantly higher turnover will bring bigger profits, maybe not yield wise but bigger profit overall. Yes some punters will do well but many punters will lose more as well! Where is it written that a gambling agency is only required to take wagering from losing punters? They put up the odds for punters to wager on and then only take the wagering from who they want? With the monopoly that the NZ TAB has now, they should be treating everyone with the same respect! If they want to have these restrictions, then restrict everyone to the same amount, that is my point!

Chief, I appreciate that the odds need to be set right for fixed odds! However there is generally a 30% margin approx. in favour of the TAB and so how on earth can they not be making money?. The bigger the turnover the more they can make, just like Briscoes etc. they have big turnover and make a % profit on that. Far better to encourage spending and make % profit on big turnover than making larger yield on much lower turnover by putting punters off! If they want to have betting restrictions on punters then so be it, but have those betting restrictions on every punter in NZ, just corrupt to be singling out some! They take a bet and then slash odds so that it is not attractive for other punters, so lose turnover. At the end of the day, that is the way they think is best for them to operate, however we will wait and see if it is going to be beneficial for NZ racing! It wont be!!