Wingman

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?

Why??

Learn from the best. What do Melbourne do so well and why can we not apply it do our tracks. Whoops just remembered, maintenance however with Awapuni and Trentham being rebuilt there is hope for the future. Ellerslie should also look at HK/Sha Tin maintenance . Nothing lasts forever but regular maintenance surely must be part of the future planning?

The rules are the problem. Can't do this, can't do that but yes as long as you don't do this and then you can do that but not twice past this point. Then if the jockey has three consecutive strikes instead of one, no strike on next stride, then one again, imagine the uproar if the horse is DQ because a jockey used the whip 3 times instead of twice. So advantage to the clever cheats. And do you think NZTR have either the intelligence or the guts tidy this mess up?

My pet hate raises its ugly head across the Tasman. There was some fierce debate about the state of Rosehill last Saturday and I guess 80/20 rule, majority don't care but the minority who really matter as outlined in that article will continue to become disenchanted. Bottom line is if owners/trainers and particularly the regular punter who is a lot more adventurous with their size of bet loses confidence they will look elsewhere to be entertained.

And I am keen to know what is really going on at Te Aroha as it was by far my favourite track for a decent and often successful, punt.

You may brag. Having a genuine contender in a G1 is what we all strive for, winning is what most of us only dream about..congrats

We can only hope they get it right as my understanding Awapuni will host all of Trenthams races and that track gets a rebuild. Don't get it right and we might be hearing 'and they are off in the Wellington Castlepoint cup!😅

Sarcasm is irony used in a destructive manner, as in your Forrrest Gump quotes. Your lesson for this week is to remember what you would have been told as a child, 'Mind your manners'. Yes excellent training effort by Chad to get his filly to win the Oaks.

This is a racing forum, not a political forum. I joined this forum because I have a long term passion for thoroughbreds, not to have split personalities like yourself to play with the foxes and run with the hounds. I will accept playing the Nazi card is always contentious however what most do not appreciate, concentration death camps were in place in Germany well before WW2 started and they were a minority power targeting minorities. End game be the majority and stuff human rights. So Thomass if you want to keep good company, stay on script...or fuck off to the dark side.

There were quite a few jockeys walking the track on raceday at Trentham yesterday. You, that is you TAB for ever, are quick to say 'move on' and slow to rebut decent, genuine arguments. This is a site to put forward thoughts, yes some may be dissed but overall a site that can do without your continuous sarcastic replies to those that you consider wrong to your train of thought.

So in your 'club of the year' post you twice say 'The past is gone, concentrate on the future' yet here you are having a jolly good name dropping reminisce. As for keyboards running their mouths, how is the the above rant of yours any different other than an attitude of 'I'm right, you're wrong'

Touchy, touchy. Lots of tough talk but you have thin skin as I am not sure how my asking you to remove rose tinted glasses makes me a bully. I did read the optimist article prior to posting and the bottom line is no tracks, no racing, now flutter away for ever

I will try and be very polite. This is directed at you TAB For Ever. A lot of us are not negative we are however tired of the continuous appalling lack of direction and professionalism displayed by the so called executive of this industry. Back to the tracks, and back to the past, as in this January 2024, Ellerslie was on the cusp of being abandoned and would have been if it was a lesser meeting and Trentham being a lesser meeting was abandoned half way through their programme. These are are our two most important tracks historically and between them they still hold the bulk of NZ Group one races. So now with gloves off, I suggest you take your rose tinted glasses off and look at the reality.

Next season I would like to see a 'Most Improved Track' award. Meantime to hoist him on his petard a KEY PRINCIPLE NZTR have not yet identified is how to present tracks for raceday

It is not about the chance of success, it is simply what what was done ( I say, very little) and what was achieved. Again I go back to our track debacle (read plural) and white elephants such as Single National System. In true private enterprise he would have gone years ago because the 'shareholders' would not have accepted the lack of positive progress. NZTR are trying to look progressive on the coat tails of Entain which is a totally separate entity

Key points of failure during his tenure Retained almost all of previous chairs executive Did not improve calendar/pattern Track situation worsened Single National System $4million + abandoned Key points of success???

It was curiouser and curiouser but now..Gottcha

Thanks Curious. Here is why I am so puzzled. Top weight Prise de fer rated 93 weight 57. Dionysus same rating,93 and is weighted 55 then Trust in You rated 89 weighted 54. Mahrajaan rated 88 and Ocean Billy rated 82 are also on 54??

No they sensibly decided that the cup was going back to being a handicap but yes it still looks like SWP. Anyone out there with the answer?

Can someone please explain how the weights work for this race. An open Handicap but the weight scale differential from top to bottom based on their ratings is all out of order