Brodie

I see the JCA at Oamaru on Sunday relieved Alana Cameron Of $150 for using the whip in excess of the permitted no. Of 10!!! She was driving the old plugger Paul’s Verdict who isn’t exactly known for his sprinting prowess, and he was a few back on the outer until running home fairly thru the urgings Of Alana, who has only just begun her driving career this year. She is not an overly large person and was hardly whacking the horse with all of her might, more just friendly persuasion. Just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever in hammering our newest Juniors with fines and license cancellations, hardly encouraging them to perform at their best!! There are far worse things going on in harness than Juniors trying their best to forge a career in harness racing! Racing Integrity? Yeah right!,,

The reality is that the ones that are getting charged are normally winning the race, they aren’t finishing out of the places! The whip is clearly giving the driver an advantage so reinstate the old rule and make it fair!

Yeah/Nah

Good to see Cran back training winners as he has been pretty quiet. Part of the reason 5 wins is due to M Anderson driving

Matt Anderson has always shown real promise as a driver, but this season he has gone to another level. Yes he has been driving Mitch Kerr’s horse but also others. 16 drives for 9 wins and a 3rd and a UDR Of 5833! Yes he has charges hanging over his head, however the harness industry can ill afford to lose young fellahs of his ability!

Sam Thornley lost his junior drivers license and sent back to the trials after his first drive! Ian Cameron gets fined $300. Both drivers won with their horses and both horses retained their first placing! Probably Ian Cameron’s first charge for using the whip in excess of the permitted amount! I appreciate that Sam Thornley’s was worse but on both occasions both drivers got excited with the prospect of their horses winning. The inexperienced driver gets hammered whereas the very experienced horseman gets away with not a helluva lot.

Only with oil and smoke, Ranga!

TAke the sleepers, you may not have to prove that you are not laundering money if you want sleepers!

Na, not investing at the moment! I am sulking and not currently prepared to play by the NZ TABs BS, in regards to having to prove that I am not a money launderer!

Noble Mistress I believe is trained at Rangiora and not Woodend Beach

Would not have won a race while it was with Maria Peritton. Never really showed anything while it was with her, and it just shows how much different trainers can improve a horse. There are many horses in Canterbury that could be improved dramatically with a change of trainer.

Plenty of examples Ranga! It is What you do to the Brodster, Ranga lol

Ranga does make stuff up just to antagonise Westview

So TAB not adhering to the $1k Ranga ?

Far better punting on mediocre fields that aren’t dominated by form! Only problem is that you can’t get much on!! Havent had a bet for 2 weeks and just can’t be bothered with this stupid punters flippen card. Anyone put on or collected over $1k without the card?

Wouldn’t bet on it Hunter. Owners pay big vet bills!

Can’t afford the power Ranga? Give the nags away and you will get reconnected!

The thing with Junior drivers is that really only learn on race day with fuller fields than at trials where the fields are small and times are slower. I respect any junior driver that takes out a license and then has to step up and race against not only their peers but against experienced horsemen. I believe that the Stipes need to take into account the inexperience of the Juniors when looking at things and they clearly did with Alana but not Sam Thornley. Both are going to make it as reins people in the Junior ranks and you have to remember that our top junior John Morrison took over 100 drives to gain his first win! Stipes are very erratic with their decision making and Some of their rules that they are applying just doesn’t make sense.

The Ozzie’s aren’t worried about the use of the whip! So why are we worried now? Go back to the previous rule that worked just fine. Drivers didn’t have to be able to count to ten or wonder whether they have hit to many times without a break. Blatantly ridiculous rule needs to go!

Does anyone know what the several new sources of funding coming on stream mean? reduction of betting levy? Point of Consumption? Race fields?

Ranga, go and get into the ones on the Darkside and tell them that charges weren’t dropped, as they are saying the charges against McGrath were DROPPED!!!

Sorry no money

Jewels Day would cost the industry a helluva lot of money as well. We all know that there is money in racing a horse nowadays, with the costs continuing to increase and stake money no better than 30 years ago. You can not blame owners selling their horses overseas when they have got next to no show of winning the stakes races where the bigger stakes are! Stakes decreasing, punters being driven away, yeah going good Ken!

There clearly has been things said by trainers/drivers during the investigations, however does it constitute race fixing? Certainly got no real idea of what has been said or done by those charged, however if it is just people discussing driving tactics, this would hardly constitute race fixing, as this has been going on since racing probably started and drivers even discuss this on Trackside prior to races. Some of you will be well aware of what has been said, but from what I have heard, whether it be right or wrong, nothing like race fixing at all. Most of the drivers know each other pretty well and would often discuss things prior to a race. Are you saying that the drivers for a stable that has 4 or 5 runners in a big race never discuss things prior to the race??? Of course they do, so does that constitute race fixing charges as well?

Jonny, I reiterate Sam did manifestly overdo the whipp8mg without doubt, and no real defence either! However, there is a common trend that happens with many of the decisions made, and that is that the easykill are always targeted, and the big names are shown leniency and favoured. There are many instances of this which there is no point going into at this stage. Not defending Sam Thornley whatsoever and he should receive some sort of punishment. Have never seen him drive before and so just going off the one and only drive that he had on Copperhead Rose which I understand now is a male horse rather than female, as it name suggest more on the female side. The horse only responds to serious urgings as previous wins have shown it is the only way he wins. Apart from the excessive whip Sam drove the horse perfectly and sending him back to the trials to learn more is not necessarily the right way for him to learn that he used the whip far too many times! We need as many young ones coming into harness racing rather than driving them out of the sport, and geez we have got a major shortage of male juniors throughout the country at the moment and probably not looking too promising in the future! First drive and we castigate the young fellah and yes it was pretty reckless, however a severe telling off and maybe some work helping someone out unpaid would be more of a suitable punishment. Hopefully this young fellah doesn’t spit the dummy and leave the industry as I believe he has the makings of a very successful junior. As for the other stuff Johnny, you could be right, just frustrating when things are brought in to the detriment of the punter, who,without them, racing is done!