Wingman

30 years ago the Otaki track was described as 'Well banked and drained, resulting in horses performing pleasingly when racing on the inside'. Three decades of chronic under investment has left the industry with massive track issues. The new CEO has his work cut out to sort this out and at the same time issue a new credible calendar..BUT will he?

We on this site cannot answer that. Why do you converse with non achievers?

Lance's training performance has gone to another level since his brother returned from HK. Tony hasn't had the same privilege and deals with horses whose pedigrees would pale into total insignificance compared to the thoroughbreds that enter Wexford. As for the negative tosser on the white horse, take a leaf out of Newmarket's book and next time ask 'Why?' instead of being abusive

Turnover should not be a secret. The figures have to be miserable to have the top two unceremoniously shown the door two weeks before this season's 'grand final'. I do think they have totally misread our market and the following is my opinion only; was the surge in turnover during covid seen as the norm as opposed to an isolated spike. Due diligence was perhaps not as thorough as it should have been. Advantage NZ racing as we have not completed year two of five guaranteed years. That does not mean Entain cannot pull the plug, cut losses and we get to say "thanks for your contributions". I also think they are European centric in their presentation. The focus over there is the race coming up, then the next etc. They do not care about giving clear and detailed information meaning the NZ punter now has to always be searching for place prices, tote pools, carry overs on exotics etc. That leads to discouragement, not encouragement to bet

The only thing missing are pirates patches as they walk the plank. The other thing missing is quarterly results. Only they know what was forecasted for this season and what is actual but from Entain's perspective it is probably horribly in the red.

Far too sensible a suggestion

That is the problem. One looks at a decent field but then we have to second guess if it will be run truly. A slow paced race is not unique to today but they didn't used to be ubiquitous. The 2000m open Handicap at Matamata was worse than slow; horse racing BUT not as we know it. Me too and Oaks day on 22nd March at Trentham should be a cracker

My betting turnover is shrinking and I am sure that for the larger punters, as in $ spent, that is the same for thousands of others. The 50 to 70 something year olds have been brought up on a pattern of reliability. We know racing is unpredictable, we know the jockey who cannot lose, does lose, we know the horse that cannot lose does lose but we are also used to expect races to have a degree of rhythm. Sometimes there would be a tearaway leader but generally the pace would be set by a jockey trying to get away with a pace a second or so slower than the norm. Few got away with it, the leader would be pressured and the best horse or the horse who got the best trip would mostly win. Not always and that in itself was the beauty of thoroughbred racing. I have mentioned this previously, sprint, crawl, walk, sprint is becoming endemic in NZ racing and it is being ignored by the incompetent stipes. I thought the open handicap at Matamata over 2000m today was a decent betting race however I noticed there was no natural leader. I could foresee any number of scenarios so whilst I had a pick, not the favourite, I chose to watch. That is what is happening, more and more of us seasoned punters are choosing to watch, which is killing turnover. Why bet into a decent betting race when you do not get a fair and decent race. EXPLANATION; Kennedy, riding poorly at present sends Terra Mitica forward then on making the front eases his mount beyond significantly. High class rider, probably past his best ,Colgan, decides to send his mount Outovstock from near last to the front and then backs off the pace and whilst this is all going on the over rated (IMO) favourite Loch In Nora is pulling her head off. The stipes wrap up; Loch In Nora 'Over raced on a moderate tempo'. Sassy Lass 'Unsuited to a moderate tempo' 'Glacial' is the term that should have been the description. Conclusion; The commentator called it :AN UGLY RACE, A HARD WATCH'. The race, an open handicap was won in a time of 2.07.85. The lower grade raced earlier was won in a time of 2.04.23, In thoroughbred racing those time differences are enormous. Yet no mention from the so called professional stipes in their report. I am looking forward to the next 2 months of racing, beyond that? I do get the feeling the industry has employed too many navel gazers.

To make it easier for the South Island sprinters Otaki would be my pick. Would be fair given they have said goodbye to Saturday weeks G1 but when did NZ racing admin apply being fair in their critical decision making?

Last chance saloon guys n gals. We have had incompetent, poor or decidedly average leaders at NZTR for a long period. If this latest appointment genuinely has racing as his prime focus than it is well within his brief to rip up the programme and start again. My following comments are focused on the very top, there is a huge amount that needs to be done through middle/lower layers but one must get that top echelon right. We would be naive to think that the changes that now see ARC dominating the calendar will change. Yet there is so much more that can be done to create a different flow from Ruakaka to Riverton and all in between. Big paying novelty races have their place but so to, and surely, more importantly from a breeding/sales perspective, do long term, group races that follow a logical PATTERN. The concern for mine is that the focus will be only towards strengthening the North and that would be a killer blow for NZ racing diversity. Look where racing started in Newmarket England and how today hundreds of years later there are still Group 1 carnivals to both the South (Ascot, Goodwood) and North (York). Riccarton must IMO retain a G1 race and for mine that is the Oaks. Easy to set that up in March and connections can easily fly from there to Sydney if they consider they are good enough. Awapuni has the Sires Produce for 2yo and should also get the 1000 guineas. Te Rapa, I suggest gets the 2000 guineas, which will keep the North reasonably happy re travel. Ellerslie do not need any more Group 1's and if they argue show them what happened to Mr Creosote when he was convinced to have 'One more morsel.' I notice that Ellerslie have also 'nicked' the Thoroughbred Breeders stakes off Te Aroha and I like my idea (I would, wouldn't I) of them getting the Captain Cook stakes in December as compensation. The sharp eyed will have noticed that I am suggesting the Oaks go South , the Captain Cook North and what about Trentham. I deeply regret that this once great track is in its death throws. Everything points to it being swallowed up for residential development. So what about the Telegraph. I don't have all the answers...over to you.

With the cash currently available the incoming CEO should be quickly able to rectify that mistake

Tauherenikau on Sunday may not go ahead. Noms left open for as at present they are as follows Open 2050m 7 noms, Open 1400 3, R75 1600, 2 R65 1600, 8 Mdn 1600, 13 Mdn 1300 4, Mdn 3yo 1400, 6 noms. Total 43 for 7 races. The calendar has the following low grade meetings over a 11 days in peak summer in CD. Sun 9th, two days ago at Otaki. Fri 14th New Plymouth, Sun 16th Tauherenikau, Fri 21st Wanganui. A glaring example of the racing calendar no longer being fit for purpose. The new CEO needs to be all over this and the pattern.

My 'drive me nuts' phrase is "IN TERMS OF". The mute button saves me from talking back at them. As good an example as any would be "looking at the map, in terms of pace in the race"

When the industry was looking at a partner for the NZ TAB I thought that going with Tabcorp was the logical step however the 5year 'investment' from Entain won the day. Like you I could not see 'Why' from Entain perspective but testing new products for SPORT. not racing is high on my radar. The 5 points highlighted in the above article do not address the most important 'must fix' which is the calendar, pattern and minimum stakes levels . That, as most on this site are aware, requires huge change and has to be made known latest end of this year for implementation for 2026/27 season. 2027/28 is the last of the 5 year funding. By then Entain's true intent will be known so NZTR has to make massive changes under urgency to enable the industry to be prepared for the 20 year 50/50 arrangement.

So if it is loose change why the intense interest in being involved in NZ?

The idea that "WE" keep our best horses in NZ is ludicrous. Money talks and owners walks, thanks for the millions. Those owners that are not totally money orientated tend to keep a minor share achieving the best of both worlds. Most of our horses despite the marketing do not stack up against international competition. Don't bother giving me your Mr Brightside, Ka Ying Rising etc rebuttals, because they are the exceptional exceptions that keep overseas buyers coming back for more. We are a trading nation. A lot of the nostalgic comment about the great years of 60's/70's is due to the fact there was not the markets available then that is now. In fact back then the Aussies really feared the NZ staying horses even though it was a lot harder to travel from NZ compared to today. Footnote, they have never feared our sprinters as todays G1 result vindicates so from time to time clever people say "lets play them at their own game" and get results such as purchasing Imperatriz!

Great racing and something for everyone with favourites, a roughie and a few ten dollar shots. Leica Lucy looks special and so was the race. Should be a must to show young riders how to ride competitively with McNab giving Grylls no quarter but noticeably Grylls never used the whip on the hot favourite, found room and and got her home comfortably

Watch it Chief. My thoughts/contribution on this post only are about the screwed up pattern in New Zealand which I do know you at least agree on that. I have no interest in being dragged into comparisons with races in Australia

And there in lies the real problem. At the beginning of the season the group races are known, the quality of the future fields are not known; however an astute planner would know that the pattern has been stuffed therefore serious adjustment is required otherwise there will be some chronic sub standard group races. Apart from stripping group races from southern clubs and moving them north what was changed 9 months ago? I suggest the next move will be to also move this race north. The agenda is set and unless the incoming change at the top of NZTR says enough (unlikely) you/we are watching the future of NZ racing, which will be totally top heavy and ultimately a disaster.

Ha Ha, wait for Newmarket's retort Special Agent as hell hath no fury like that of a losing punter scorned

My reference to 'smashing' was focusing on the individual jockey in question who gets little slack from the stipes

It's obvious. I've heard numerous reports of horses becoming unbalanced on the last part of the turn. Sam Spratt is a master at stacking them up. I am with the pair of you. Occasionally there is a runner winning from the back but I think they are a grade ahead of their opposition. Mostly it is starting to become that those further back, that look like they are going to charge by late; DO NOT. So has the unbalancing taken its toll late on the back runners?

Just adds to the 'woeful' lack of professionalism in such a critical part of the industry. As an aside are you connected to the Auckland cup winner? (1982..I think) Got me out of a huge hole as an over confident young man.

I can recall last decade the stipes getting stuck into riders about going quickly early then easing the pace appreciably. Seems they no longer care. They damn well should. R3 at New Plymouth is an extreme example of of a long list in recent times of this shitty tactic. Mitchell and Lerner the culprits in this case with senior jockey Elliot trying to settle his horse and Grylls deciding to not allow the nonsense to continue and surges forward from the back. Elliot and Grylls fight out the finish. The stipes to their shame make no mention of this in their report.

Ellerslie Stipes report today " The meeting was conducted without the use of an inside photo finish camera due to the unavailability of the appropriate equipment in the Auckland region." And that gives me confidence in how the racing industry deals with the fundamental must have technological assistance..not