Wingman

Too early too call however at present at least 15 mm rain predicted central Auckland mid sat morning through to 4pm. As for the Easter Handicap, (Easter Saturday was 3 weeks ago) a shadow of what it once was, another victim of ignorant executive having little understanding, or caring little for tradition/pattern and the importance of the thoroughbred racing calendar.

It currently is by design. The official line is 'All information previously displayed remains available through tab channels such as tab.co.nz etc. When turnovers go the wrong way is when they will 'get the message'

Superb ride, superb horse, superb commentary. Thanks for putting up the videos. Once in a lifetime watch.

The new trackside graphics do not show pools as they used to. They show Win dividends only, but you will need to check on laptop/mobile to see what the tote pool is. Not a big deal for small bettors but potentially betting against yourself if a large punter ($ not kilos) If you wish to consider any tote/exotic bet you would be well advised to check what the pool is. This got me thinking, previously, (I am focusing on Saturday racing), we could be tempted to bet into a pool that had jackpotted. We would be badgered by the presenters that the second quad/1st 4 etc. was guaranteed at a certain amount. Now we are in the dark because they no longer give the full result but prattle on about how busy they are and must move on to the next (more often than not from Australia) race. So we don't see the pool size and nor do we know about jackpots. Race 7 at Riccarton today was an excellent 'BAD' example. The presenter said just prior to the start "You might be a bit late to get on" referring to a guaranteed 30K 1st 4 due to 8K jackpotting from the previous race. There may or may not have been a verbal reference but visual is what is a necessity with pools/dividends. This new practice cannot be good for increasing turnover.

New Zealand has a history of screwing up roads, tracks etc. Oh how I would love to sack some of these managerial permanent under achievers screwing things up. After much remedial work it 'sort of' gets things right. That makes this country a difficult and at times very irritating place to live. It is however better than any other alternative country.

Tradition. And old money will not let tradition die which is not such a bad thing for the thoroughbred industry

Depends which personality turns up: semicolon or colon?

This track was supposed to be 'state of art'. At the moment there is an f missing and there is a lot of effing. What we require as an industry is to get this track, Ellerslie, right. The final sentence in the press release "we will work through the issues and come up with a plan going forward" says it loud and clear. The individuals responsible at both management and governance levels are , (a) been in charge too long and (b) are not capable of delivering competent profitable outcomes. Heads at general management, Executive and Board must roll.

Would not matter. To criticise the standard of the track on a TV broadcast would be enough to be censored/fined. Should one complain the complaints committee would 'note' your complaint. Should one feel grievance then that would be escalated to the grievance committee, ...some faces look rather familiar. The grievance committee would take many months to put out their final decision which effectively would be 'No Change'. Outraged, one says this is no good enough, One wishes to complain. So let us direct you to the complaints committee is the hand wringing reply.

A delayed hearing in South Australia re a trainer putting the the racing Industry in 'poor light' confirms your comments Huey re "spouting the company line." I appreciate this is across the ditch but it is the same nonsense. The trainer has been around a considerable period of time. His crime was to tell the truth to a media rep. The question. "How is the track?' (Mt Gambier) The answer to which he was fined $2,000 "It's shit and they are racing accordingly."

Reading about Velocious in Raceform, Trainer Marsh says with regards to next year "The introduction of that NZB Kiwi has certainly changed the way we will look at this filly's 3yo campaign. She won't be going down south in the spring. It's going to be a case of working backwards from Ellerslie in March, which will be her grand final" unquote. The Kiwi has a stake of 3.5 million. This will seriously dilute the quality of the guineas races at Riccarton. My thought as written in an earlier post a few months back is to move the 1000 and 2000 guineas to Trentham in December and put the Oaks to Riccarton late March. The question remains do NZTR understand how these large money races will undermine the group pattern and will they adjust the calendar to maximise quality?

TAB For Ever you have got to stop going to church...or alternatively, go and stay. You go, get lectured to, then come back and double down giving all on this site a lecture who you derisively refer to as quicksanders. The Pearl series is like KM, pay or not pay. Both are a form of limited lottery as any sane person knows the majority of payees are paying for a lucky few. With that said if you have a cheap filly you would be well advised to pay up with the knowledge that if placed well, one win will probably go close to paying for a seasons bills. So less lectures please and for your penance TAB For Ever, get out your beads and repeat 10 times, "I will one day rise to the ethereal heights of Wingman"

Those last four words 'repair the handicapping system' are the key to a better future. The best betting races are handicaps in the truest sense in that there will be a genuine 8 kilo spread between top and bottom, sometimes a bigger spread. The smaller stables, with that in place and a calendar fit for purpose, currently it isn't, will get a fairer crack at winning

5 years!! You must have been one of the priests Favourites 😄

I have looked at 6 premier/book 1 sales, 2015-2020 with the view that this should give a decent insight of the reality of David Ellis buying success. 2015- 25 lots purchased, 3 million spent, 122K average. Best buy Heroic Valour, 400K, nearly won back his price in prize money and sold to stud which would have given syndicate a profit. No other notables, top priced buy 800K, no good. 2016 - 15 lots 3.5M/232K . One gem, Melody Belle 57.5K/4.2M. Top buy 500K, no good. 2017 - 27 lots 4.6M/171K . One top horse, Avantage 210K/2.1M, one VG horse Pris de fir 100K/938K and Sword of Oman paid his way, 165K/287K. Highest purchase Al Hasa 625K/200K. No others that I saw of note. 2018 - 27 lots (again). 7.6M/282K One gem, Probabeel, 380K/4.5M. Two other decent racehorses, Aotea Lad, 200K/425K and Aromatic 160K/419K and the sold as a broodmare. Amongst the also rans were some expensive failures. Lethal, 1 Million and 25 thousand to return 6K as a placed maiden, Fall of Joy, 900K, unraced/deceased, Laureate 625K, placed 5K, Equinox 750K, 4 wins, 94K and Exaltation, 900k purchase, 5wins, 57K return. 2019 - 38 lots 7.7M/203K No gems, Amarelinha 300K/600K, Cool aza beel 150K/700K and Fashion Shoot 320K/to date 300K. Campionessa passed in at 70K, purchased later and to the delight of her syndicate, to date 1.2M. A poor buy was Conquistador 775K, placed to return less than 1K but the 'howler' is No Limits which Ellis went to 1.4Million to secure for a maiden win at Wanganui and a return of 6K. 2020 - 28 lots 6.6M/235K, no gems. Best was Noverre, 800K, won 2000 Guineas, 355K stakes and now at stud. On the bubbles 90K/953K, another KM winner. Highest price paid Espionage 875K/22K (1 win) and 'Ouch' an unnamed I Am Invincible colt $625,000...zip 160 lots purchased over 5 years/six Premier/Book 1 sales. 2 top class, 10 very good profitable horses gives a strike rate of; 7.5%

Damian Browne, now there is another very classy rider to add to your list of yesteryears top jocks Newmarket/popeye

Chris Johnson, Noel Harris, those type of top class riders would do exactly that. One of my best results was on a horse that despite looking like it was going to be beat kept finding for Noel who was tapping over the shoulder. The video that Chief Stipe kindly put up for us unfortunately doesn't show the head-on that I saw on trackside yesterday. It wasn't pretty but still, both Jockeys were compliant within the current rules.

George Ryder stakes at Rosehill today gave everyone a thrilling finish yet exposed the brutality of whip rules. The Australian rule is the jockey can apply the whip 5 times and then in the final 100m 'unfettered use'. Lane by my calculation on the winner Veight at least 12 consecutive hits. Schiller on narrow runner up, Lady Laguna, at least 10 consecutive hits. McDonald riding Militarize, a few then probably from inside the last 50m, 6 consecutive hits. It was as my title says an ugly watch. Both jurisdictions have got it wrong. NZ says every consecutive stride which just does not work and the Ryder race today shows graphically why open slather does not work. Regrettably the Ryder finish is perfect material for anti racing protagonists. Chief Stipe are you able to put this race up for all to see and judge? My thoughts are yes to the 5 before but only 5 inside the final 100m. Why do you need to a horse more than 5 times? inside the money line which is the last 100m. Relegating the horse is in my opinion wrong but should the jockey be faced with a warning if they hit the horse 6 instead of 5, suspended, automatically 1 week if 7 hits, 2 weeks if 8 or 9 and automatically 1 month if ten or more...THEN watch the problem go away.

Well summed up Freda. I notice the last four runnings of the Melbourne cup the winners all carried high end weights, specifically 55.5, 57, 57.5 and 56.5 so even this once great handicap race is being effected

I do not mind we/us being polar opposites but I do object to when one has a firm opinion that because it is not 'your' opinion suddenly those that you disagree with are idiots. That weight will stop a train is just one of racings hundreds of clichés. Correcting us for not including the words 'not a 2yo' REALLY! Joe Bloggs comments are on the money and speaking of which I made a lot more on the punt when we had true handicaps because only a select few could ever carry weight

Class will overcome but yes at some point that extra kilo will be too much in the last 100m. Compressed weights, e.g. max 58, min 54 play a big part as does SWP in making handicapping almost irrelevant at present. Tauranga's main race tomorrow has a 3kg spread for 14 horses, yet a 20 point rating spread, 78 - 98. NZTR have to date refused to address the serious problems with Calendar/pattern, grades and handicapping.

Close Centaur but no cigar. I think it is after winning the Thorndon at Trentham Jan '93 with Calm Harbour and Lance O'Sullivan the rider

What I like about your response Doomed is that the reader can feel the passion, understand the logic and importantly you do not stoop to making disparaging comments about previous posters. Well done and no if you have experience behind you there is not a prerequisite that unless you have achieved at the highest levels you are unqualified to comment. Most top coaches are/were not that good at the game they coach

A charming faux pas

Why did they build it differently. All the PR was how these tracks followed a very quality controlled specification. We know how well Sha Tin performs so again WHY?