Brodie

The question just needs to be asked! Can Harness Racing afford to be running these Premiere meetings with such stakes currently? We now know that the distribution from The NZ TAB is going to be less for next season and therefore stakes will need to drop! There is absolutely no point in dipping into any reserves to keep the stakes next season the same as this one! Most know that there are just so many meetings that are a total drain on the coffers of harness racing, Auckland being probably the main culprit and it is not going to improve!!!! Yesterdays Premiere meeting would be a helluva big loss financially for harness racing, as there is no way on earth the turnover would enable those stakes to be paid!! The fact is that we all know that the majority of the big stake money is going to the same owners from the blue and Silver barn, which is must not beneficial to keeping the industry healthy. There is no way that the Invercargill Cup should be $100k, as it is going to have a small field of AllStars, Telfer and Dunn horses and stuff the rest! The ones who are currently in charge of the decision making at the TAB and HRNZ need to WAKE UP and make correct decisions now, or there just will not be a viable harness racing business in NZ in 5 years time!!! Many live in LaLa land and need to open their eyes and start earning their large remunerations!!!!!! There needs to be accountability but all we see is same old same old, and unfortunately this is going to be the downfall of harness racing . We need to entice new people into the industry, but this is just not happening unfortunately! TAB is trying to dissuade punters from wagering and would rather give away free bets to certain punters, where this is not making them anything! Some they give away free bets to and others they wont let them bet, GO FIGURE!!!!

Unbelievable performance from Bolt For Brilliance in his races over there, carrying that injury.

To be fair, there are a lot of overweight people dog handlers at the Greyhounds on Trackside! Clearly the dogs are walked on walkers nowadays rather than the trainers! Don’t shoot the messenger!

Good days racing if you are into stable dominated races. There were some unbelievable runs today by some horses! You can just wonder how some of these horses are just so much better than the others? What I do know is that the export market is not going to be stopping anytime soon, and really you can not blame it! Horses at least can be placed where they are competitive in both Oz and the U.S.A Yes harness racing has been a great industry for many decades but certainly has its issues now. Does anyone see things as going well at the moment?

Thanks Gammalite for your efforts! I am sure it is appreciated.👍

You are correct Galah, seems like not too many apart from the normal owners who always seem to plunder the major stakes. Tou are correct you are pushing the proverbial uphill if you are wanting to win major stake money unless you are in the blue and silver. But then what has it cost you to win it? Punting wise, these meetings are such a waste of time unless you are the favoured Boys Get Paid! The industry is not improving under the current guidance. The person who is actually trying to promote harness racing, Nigel Armstrong of Harness Racing Unhinged and putting in the most effort is TOTALLY UNPAID, so shows you how things are going! As for stable domination it just is not healthy for harness racing and you will find that owners are getting the stitch.

Not that I am aware of Gamma. There has to be a reduction in stakes next season or there is going to be major issues. The government will not be bailing out NZ racing again. The figures that I am seeing just do not add up to being able to afford the current stakes. Brodie is on the money. Watch this space!

Gammalite, the big problem is that Invercargill has not got the money to finance a 100k race, in fact harness racing has not got the money to finance a 100k race!! Watch this space as the true picture in regards to the overpayment of stake money in NZ comes out! Harness stakes are going to be reduced next season or things are going to become dire!! There is no way on earth that most clubs can be paying the current stakes with the amount of money the NZ Tab is going go be paying out next season. You only need go look at the betting pools to see that things are far from rosey!

Gamma tough fields put me down for no. 7 cheers Brodie

Down to 41 starters at Auckland Friday night! Tragic for racing in the North Island! The tote pools for Cambridge tonight are pathetic with very little in the pools! Can things get any worse for the North Island? Probably unfortunately.

Harness needs to get people back on course to enjoy the racing to entice them to wager on harness! Without new people being attracted to harness racing it will certainly disappear. Without the wagering there will not be any money to pay stake money and therefore there will be no owners as existing owners move on to greener pastures. Reality is that harness administrators and the NZ TAB are just going through their paces at the moment and hoping things will improve. Unfortunately I can not see things improving while so many have their heads in the sand and collect their remuneration for doing very little!

Harness racing is in a dire situation in most parts NEW ZEALAND! It is due to many decisions being made by HRNZ and the NZ TAB! However, I do not believe we have seen anything yet as the true cost to the economy shows up in 2023 from the shocking performance from the current Communist Labour Party that over 50% of the population surprisingly voted for! Many People that currently own horses will just not be able to afford to to race the horses , due to the cost of living increases that havent hit us fully yet. Auckland will continue to provide small numbers of horses and some meetings will be abandoned. Training costs are just far too high to justify racing horses if you want any reasonable return on your investment!! Auckland continues to be a drain on the coffers and just can not continue the way it is currently going!

You what? He turned up what???

The drive was very poor, no thought went into it, as the lead was never going to be there for Hurrell, with Nathan Williamson in front with a hot favourite! MArk Hurrell can drive, but that drive was very poorly thought out. They went a 1.58 mile rate on a slushy track and you deliberately put your maiden 2 year old filly parked as being in its best interests???

Lol, quite the opposite ! No point bothering when they dont let you on for worthwhile amounts.

Kane, how on earth can you say it was a GREAT drive? Sat 3 back on the fence and didnt have to do anything?

Didnt back Melody Arden but still maintain he shouldnt be hooking out and sitting parked when he had no show of getting the front over a lap out on a wet track. Pretty average field so a sprint from the 400m wouldve been more productive for the horse, but always poor drives in most races.

The wet track is a great leveller, and you can often throw the form book ouT the window! Didnt have a go today, and not bothering at the moment, until the NZ TAB Bookies pull their heads in and allow punters to net 2k on any fixed odds bet rather than win bets! They also need to allow punters to offload oncourse and agencies on the Power Plays. Thought it was a less than average drive by Mark Hurrell on that Melody Arden! Why would you hook out from having cover on the outside to go around and sit parked on a wet track, when it had no show of getting the front????

Mr Cockhead, If I chucked a plug into the Avon River, can you guarantee that you will jump in with it?

Yes it is a choice Galah whether they wear a mask still or not! That does not alter the fact that they are Dickheads if they are still wearing them! Sorry but how could any respect someone who continues to wear a mask when it has no benefit whatsoever and quite the opposite. If you are worried about catching stuff still you are always going to always wear one, as viruses are always going to be with us! They are doing more damage to their lungs than catching a mild virus that has been grossly over done.

if anyone at HRNZ are still wearing masks then they deserve the “Don’t come Monday” Only total Dickheads wear masks now and if their thought process is that masks protect them from catching the “Deadly Covid” then they have nothing between the ears! It is now a know fact that being jabbed is bad fir your health and Pfizer has admitted it never stopped transmission, that is the repugnant thing about the BS we have had for well over 2 years!! You are either disqualified or you arent and the stupid decisions are continuing to made!

Lol Blackie , they would bet on flies racing! It is the challenge I enjoy, sorting out my own rather than others! The NZ TAB are a monopoly that just do not play fair😩

I think you will find the turnover is also hugely boosted by the TAB giving back heaps in Bonus Bets like nothing else on earth. Do I believe that TAB turnover is increasing by more punters betting, then no I dont! Most meetings around NZ have buggerall people on course to watch the racing unless you are an owner trainer or employee, or there for the hospitality! As a punter, there ks absolutely no reason for me to go on course now, when you can bot get reasonable amounts on and this Anti Money Laundering BS!

Lol it aint going to get any better if you look at the new ones coming thru😩

Yes Needs to be promoted Eljay. However there is next to no one training in the area and no young trainer is going to set up in the area as too gar away from the Metro tracks! Once Michael House gets the stitch, racing in Central NZ will not be happening. Just reality unfortunately. You will note that even the Nelson and Blenheim trainers have basically stopped trekking across the strait now!