Brodie

It was with sadness that I saw on Trackside today, of the passing of Trevor Wilkes. Seemed to be liked by everyone and was a commentator of the dogs for something like 43 years and only recently retired from calling. Was a very good commentator of harness as well mostly did the West Coast circuit years ago, but also had stints at Addington . Enjoyed life and will be missed by many and left us before his time😩

Elite customers are customers who are losing punters a d that is why they like to look after them. Punters that win are not welcome by the NZ TAB, and they are not treated with any sort of fairness! Yes the TAB would love to be able to bet rid of harness racing and some of their policies is totally in line with achieving this!

Craig would be paid by the NZTAB seem he is on Trackside. Do we really think that it would be in the TAB’s best interests for their employee to actually be tipping out horses that punters would offload on with the Bookies so that the Bookies lose???? Total conflict of interest and questionable that people should be paying a TIPLINE for the same picks that he shows on the WHALE WATCH! Anyway, I suppose if you are not clever enough to do your own research and want to pay someone who also tips the whole country the same tips then it is your business! Just does not make a lot of sense.

There are often very poor drives that go on, when someone wants the lead and the leader does not hand up. Generally on most occasions when they go to war, they both stop! There is a lot of crazy stuff and even from experienced drivers, for some reason they seem to want to stay in front at all cost. If I had backed the one in front, i would prefer to hand up and get the trail than have a speed war that gives the horse less chance! I

Surely John Denton alone shouldve been able to advise that the track was not able to race on? Why on earth they would need to ask anyone else if what was identified was true? We are so spoilt with officialdom nowadays!!

Ross Cameron lol

To be fair, his name says it all! SpatchCOCK hardly ever contributes except wants to have a crack at someone! Wouldnt lose any sleep over it though.

I just think it would be great if the NZ TAB actually took bets that the NZ punters want to put on! When they announce on Trackside that amounts of $200 are worth mentioning then we are in trouble!!!! Hopefully if they do outsource the fixed odds to overseas company, they may actually let punters on for worthwhile amounts?? Firstly they need to raise the ludicrous socalled AML limit from $1k!, Money launderers are not cleaning money by gambling $1k or less on a harness horse! Wake up NZ TAB you are killing the industry but as long as you keep getting paid then you are happy!

Wet track will trip up some today but he has picked form horses. Craig does does do a lot of analysis obviously but It is interesting when he picks a horse and then shows a video of the horse on a grass track when the horse is facing on an all weather track or vise versa?.

If UDR’s matter for anything, then young Carter Dalgety is right up there! Sarah has a lot of drives and wins, however nowhere close to young Dalgety! Nas to be the most talented Junior since Dexter Dunn without doubt! Unbelievable UDR for someone so young

Most know that you will not make money long term by backing favourites, and that is basically what Craig tips. How can his tips pay fair money at race closure time as Craig backs them at odds opening, he tips them on his paid tip line and then on Trackside????? Personally dont know why anyone would subscribe to a Tip Line as part of the fun of punting is picking the winners yourself! Making good money from punting has been made a lot harder nowadays by the TAB Bookies and the unfair policies they have brought in and the treatment to punters that have ability to WIN! However these draconian unfair policies are part of the major problems that is going to kill off racing in NZ!

How long can the harness racing industry allow Auckland racing to continue to be a drain on the coffers?? A $12k stake for a pathetic 4 participants is just taking the piss isnt it? It is just a sad indictment on the sad state of affairs that Auckland finds itself in and it is not getting better anytime soon, due to the economic state kf affairs! NOt sure how they can only get 4 starters, but absolutely pointless running the race although the owners of the starters will at least be happy. Even Michael House has ventured up to assist the hapless club somewhat with numbers! All Costs need to come down dramatically for the racing to be able to continue in Auckland.

You are correct Galah, the results are the same around the world with the countries that conned people into getting jabs of toxins into their bodies that were proven to be detrimental to health. We are not hearing this on mainstream media for obvious reasons! The Covid19 was the biggest media beat up and over reaction in history and the reason why the world is in major trouble and things are going to get worse for many this year. They now are promoting another so called vaccine for Omicron and something else that is supposedly better that they forced most into having ffs!!! The repugnant thing is that it created a big divide between people and families and pjt a lot of pressure on finances and relationships,! Most people do not want to believe that they were conned, however the intelligent ones do now realise that they have been, even Pfizer have admitted this! Unfortunately we had the worst possible people to be the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in charge!

Harness punting is only a small inconsequential part of my life nowadays! I can take it or leave it and at the end of the day the betting restrictions or ban does far more harm to them than myself! Far more profitable investing ways without the BS that the TAB adopts now! It is a serious worry for racing in NZ that things are so bad that our own country needs other countries to run our sole betting agency! Seriously we have a bunch of muppets in charge of most things now and all to the detriment of NEW ZEALAND.

Retired from stud work nowadays Paleface! Fertility probably gone

You are correct Chief, so surely Service Fees are far to high in many cases? I realise that breeders need to be optimists to be breeding but if harness wants to continue to be in operation, there needs to be more horses bred! Reality is that harness racing breeding requires significant money be spent to get a yearling to the sales and often for no return! As rime goes on, there are going to be fewer breeders prepared to take the risk and therefore less horses bred! For the top bred horses there is profit in it providing the mare does the job, however the average mare it is not worth the time and money! I just hope we can battle thru this to ensure racing continues

No chance at stud nowadays Trotsfan! Firing blanks😩

Point is that paying tens of thousands for a bit of semen to breed a horse with a small chance of making money is not financially sensible.

Good to see that there are some good sales Chief, for the sake of the harness industry. We do need this however for the average breeder at the moment there is absolutely no profit in breeding and selling with all the costs! The ones paying the bigger money for the horses can afford it, but the average person that wants to buy a horse and race it, they are unable to. The Stallion Service Fees for the top ones are ridiculously high for a bit of semen!!!!!!!! Costs compared to what you can win in stakes nowadays are just so out of whack, and the chance of being on the positive side is virtually non existent! You only have to look at the crowd at the sales venues, to see that you need to be past the retirement age to be owning, apart from several trainers buying for stable clients to syndicate!! The only opportunity to own now for most is a small share in a syndicate and will it ever get better??? Some may not agree but Brodster telling it the way it is!

Yes apart from the hikes in insurance premiums for us all, I believe there are going to be many properties that insurance companies will not insure! Even before the floods, the IAG group of companies have become so much harder to deal with, it is a nightmare at times. They have tightened up massively and dealing with people from a Call Centre in the flippen Phillipines is a pain in the xxxx! They will be now reluctant to insure anything in flood plains so difficult to buy and sell in these areas, you would think! No insurance and therefore no Bank finance.

You should be made to change your name Blackie! Not politically correct in this day and age and everyone with the surname White, is racist surely?

Not sure, but it isn’t his driving ability! He seems to improve the hell out of everything he races, and most of them were not flash before he improves them. Dont think he learnt it from Hamish Hunter though? Either an absolute genius or has assistance?

Unfortunately there are no new owners coming thru, same old same old most years now. With the extended lockdowns in Auckland due to the bad flu, the reduction of house prices and now the horrific floods in Auckland and further south, people aint going to be wanting to gamble their hard earned $ on a losing yearling! Some of the trainers that have bought horses this year could be left holding the can!

One third passed in would be high I would say compared to previous sales! Average of 61k not that flash by the time you take out all the costs, there is buggerall profit if any if you are paying full service fee to Bettors Delight! Owners are getting the stitch!,

You are correct! It was the stablemate Philadelphia Filly! The Stipes are pretty incompetent currently, but it also doesnt help that many if the rules that they are operating under are Crazy!!.