Brodie

I dont know why we even need to be talking about this? Personally do not think it is beneficial to anyone and think we should drop it! Discussing it in public is not going to achieve anything positive, in fact I believe it is very poor form, and why do some like to kick someone when they are down? Thing is, we should be more concentrating on support for people in the industry rather than trying to put them down! We have had this sort of thing before and will again! We were not there and I do not know what actually happened but if it was your son or father, doubt you would be impressed if people were posting stuff about them!!!!! Let’s just hope that the person involved has great personal support around him and he comes thru this hiccup in life all good!

Same issue again today at Motukarara, and crowd nowhere near as big as the pre New Year meeting! Watch harness Racing Unhinged video today to see just how bad Nigel Armstrong feels about the issue! Where is the TAB response? All is good as there was a big crowd on course! News for them is that it is the picnickers that are there and you need punters there, as that is your bread and butter! You need to look after them far better!

With respect Gamma, unfortunately “ The Race” isnt going to save anything! Cambridge are giving it a go but I am sure they can not afford to run it under the current set up and it may go to Addington in a year or two? Doesnt really bring that much excitement although media might paint it like it does! What we need is to entice new people into owning and punting and by running a race that only the corporations and wealthier owners to participates doesnt achieve this! Anyway good luck to the winner!

Serious punters want to be able to get their bets on, Chief! A serious punter also might like to attend a meeting such as Mot at Xmas but they will not bither in the future if they know that they can not get a bet on oncourse unless it is thru the ticket sellers! If the industry is to stay viable everything needs to be done to retain existing punters, but the TAB in particular are doing an extremely poor job! The big crowd is due to somewhere for holiday goers to go over Xmas just like proplr go to Addington for Cup Day once a year! Reality is that they DO need punters whether it be oncourse or offcourse wagering on harness racing, whether they be losing punters or winning punters! Their current policy of killing off losing punters so that their yield is better is totslly flawed! The flow on effect from this is one of the reasons that harness is going to continue to slide, whether they appreciate this or not? The truth of the matter is that there really does not seem to be anything of benefit coming out from the hierarchy unless I have missed it? Anyway Cromwell today which is going to provide a bit of action for us all! Good punting everyone!

Gamma, “The Race” is a financial loss for harness in NZ, Cambridge are a club that is also losing money, just like Auckland is! Cambridge tried to plug the financial hole for “The Race” by running a raffle last year! It is just an exchange of funds between the corporates and the more financial owners in Australasia! We need to be hearing what the plan is from The Suits that are really well financially compensated!!! The TAB bring out these new betting options like the Power Plays and het they have no option no.s to be able to bet at agencies or pubTabs. If you can not get money on, then wipe them and concentrate on the punters that want to wager!!!

Tab For Ever, you say you would expect Nigel to investigate these serious types of issues I moan about? Firstly, I am not moaning, pointing out something that is not right and needs to be looked into!!!! Secondly and most importantly, Nigel is UNPAID, thats right UNPAID, for the great job that he is doing in promoting harness racing! Surely to expect that it is Nigel’s job to investigate is just further taking the PISS????? Yes Racing Unhinged probably enjoys what he does but I would imagine it takes many hours each and every week, to produce what he does and all for the good of harness racing! Yes he is doing the promotion off his own back, but my personal opinion is that he is doing a great job and he is now taken for granted by the industry! You clearly work for the TAB, and the fact that Motukarara turnover is so good, shows that the powerhouse of harness is in Canterbury! How about sorting out the North Island issues? Turnover would be improved further if you would allow all punters to be treated equally!!!!! Here’s to a great 2024, with the TAB giving more freedom for all punters?

TAB FOR EVER, for the record, Harness Racing Unhinged/ Nigel Armstrongis doing huge unpaid work promoting harness racing if you hadnt realised!!! He is promoting it by syndication and also his many videos! If you havent watched the video he produced on the day of Motukarara races, you should probably watch it? He left the course early which he would not normally do! Why? he was pissed off due to the fact that he was unable to bet oncourse the way he wanted to as well as many others!

Your name says it all doesnt it? Great that you are an employee of the TAB and have come on to support them! TAB FOR EVER, if you believe that the Mot situation was satisfactory then we all can see why the industry is in deep shite with your attitude! As for betting on NZ harness racing, that is basically all I wager on. I do have a major gambling problem and that is that the NZ TAB will not allow me to wager what I want to!!! If you hadnt realised TAB FOR EVER, Bit of A Yarn is a forum for racing enthusiasts and like to express opinions and thoughts on racing! This includes things that are right and things that are wrong with the industry currently and my personal opinions are designed to get people talking. I would hope that anything that seems wrong can be looked into by the TAB and HRNZ etc. because I can tell you now, if the TAB and other relative parties continues on its current trajectory, harness is going to be decimated! Your bury your head in the sand and think everything is rosie attitude, is one reason things are not that flash! Great to have you here and we all welcome your future contributions!

There are a few top weight drivers in Oz! Was it David Magri you were thinking of Walt? Dont think he needed Xmas pudding this year 😂

Clarrie owned Rhodes Rental Cars, way back when, which wouldve been one of the largest fleets, I would say?

Eddie sat in the cart like Eric R lol! The good days of NZ harness racing.

You are correct Blackie. I was just hoping the TAB would suggest that I could have a free bet, although I know that isn’t happening

Wouldnt have thought that giving a horse Saline after a horse had left the course and arrived home was not permitted though?

Clarrie I think had a freelegged pacer, think it was called Free Bet and was pretty fast! Wouldve been faster if it had a lighter driver than Eddie Cowie! 😂

Does show that punters arent too interested in North Island racing anymore. Mot souldve had more turnover as well if they had cellphone and wifi connection!! Cambridge and Auckland figures are depressing reading !

Special Effects came down from Auckland with James Stormont and did show a wee bit down here ! Korbyn Newman will be training from Woodend Beach which would certainly help it!

Lol. I did have a spell Paleface! Thing is Xmas racing is when punters should do well , and this is the case once again! If you are good at something Paleface, it is hard to not participate! No Bookies dont play fair, but I overcome that!

Who trained the winner True Peterson? Was it Clarrie Rhodes, from memory?

With respect, Mot runs sufficient number of meetings each year to deserve internet and phone reception It is not in the Wop Wops, it is only about 15 to 20 mins from Halswell! Methven is more Wop Wops and it has reception. Some of the serious punters want to bet late, On account or phone when the bookies change the odds! There is absolutely no way on earth that anyone can defend this situation in the 21st century! Yes there are issues regarding the hills but seriously if men can land on the moon in tge 1960s then how hard is it to put a tower in the correct place to obtain cell tower reception?? Just undefendable and tragic for harness racing once again

Was wondering why you would be needing an assistant judge? Is it really that taxing that it needs at least two people to decide placings? Surely in this day and age with the photo finish, it is very easy to judge the placings? Wonder how much the assistant judge actually wagered? Lol

Just been watching Racing Unhinged video of the stable tour for Motukarara a few days back! Apparently there was no Wifi or phone reception at all out there! So, people were not able to bet on their phones or account ! This would have a detrimental effect for oncourse wagering on the biggest day of the year for the club! This used to be a problem and put many people including myself from going oncourse. The TAB are supposedly trying to get people punting and this is not one way of doing it, quite the opposite! I was under the impression that they had put a cell tower up that was going to work, but obviously doesnt! In this day and age it just is not good enough and is also very dangerous for medical reasons and emergencies with no phone reception! Even racing Unhinged’s Nigel Armstrong, a total enthusiast had had enough by race 7 from not being able to punt, that he left the course. Wonder what the TAB’s response to this is? Stop certain punters wagering what they want and restrict them to small amounts and now stop every punter from punting on account and phone at Mot!

With a minute or so to go on the maiden with 5 starters at Auckland there was 3k in the win pool! Not sure what it closed at, but diabolical result. Yes, be selective at what you punt on and do your homework and $ to be made, however they very restricting! Head to Heads, flipping pointless!

Forbury, It depends on whether you have backed the winning boat! This time of year with all the racing going on, is very easy to make $, but then it isnt easy to be able to get what you want on! Is anyone getting much on the head to heads? I have the luxury of netting less than a dozen 🍺!! Gutless bunch, where is their Xmas spirit?

Not sure why we need to worry about who is who? If someone has posted under 2 separate aliases does it really matter at all? BOAY is a site that is very well run by The Chief, and allows us to basically post what is on our mind! Absolutely pointless at arguing about who is who, we should be celebrating that we got rid of those useless muppets that we endured for 6 long years! The new coalition has done more in a couple of weeks to the benefit of the citizens of NEW ZEALAND, than the Labour[loser) party did in 6. Absolute travesty that so many Dickheads voted them in not once but twice when we actually needed intelligent people to be in Government. I have learnt over the past few years just how many NZers are so easily sucked in and want to be controlled! Please think long and hard before you vote in 3 years time, as a vote for the Labour communist party, The Green with Envy Party and The Rascist Maori Party would see the country rooted and people leaving in droves!!!!!

Sam Thornley is a very good young Junior driver. Probably not Sam’s best drive but to be fair, I reckon that Flo Motion is more a 2000 metre horse than 2600m on grass!! First day on the fence and you could see that it was flat at the finish! Yesterday wanted to lead as driven out if the gate with the whip snd in front till Blair took over. yes shouldve trailed for the rest of the race instead of hooking out but the length of the race was crucial in why the horse stopped despite it previously having tough runs and sticking on, but over shorter distance! Sam will be back! Yes all 3 youngThornley’s drive very well, but not necessarily the other ones lol