Reefton

To be fair Pitty(as he says) chases the best money and usually that is at Riccarton in the south. If there is a feature meeting he will go elsewhere obviously and I imagine will have a good team in at Wingatui on Friday. He makes it quite clear that Riccarton pisses him off with its irrigation policies and incompetent implantation of them resulting in lanes but that of course is the idiot idea of plastering water on inconsistently and too close to raceday. As a small scale owner of his I get pissed off too when the continual excuse of getting onto the wrong part of the Riccarton track is trotted out (and before anyone blames the jockeys Pitty legs up one of them at Cup time was one of NZ's very best and the same thing happened)

Thank you for the kind words Pitty and I can categorically state that having been in a syndicate with a VERY prominent NZ syndicator and at least one other VERY prominent and successful Trainer in this Country the Pitman charges are minimal by comparison. AND more importantly he doesn't get big ideas about what horses are capable of and spend vast sums of money on travel(probably reflects having to drive the float himself). I would almost have sworn the aforementioned syndicate Manager had either shares in or kickbacks from the Float companies the way the horses used to trip about.

(1)Return to the situation where the Board Reps(for ALL Boards - NZTR TAB NZRB or whatever it is called) are elected by the clubs/stakeholders and are accountable to the Clubs/stakeholders. I might not have always agreed with what Murray Acklin/Brian Kinley/Jack O'Donnell said or did by by hell I knew where to find them - at the next race meeting. The current guys are faceless(although Darryl Park has put himself out there lately) and insofar as I am aware the Chairman has been in Aussie for quite a few months(though may be commuting now with the travel bubble) (2)Cash up the obscenely valuable and vastly underused and under performing industry assets(ie property) and relocate to purpose built facilities. The cash freed up will enable massive stake increases for those 'lucky' Clubs and ultimately achieve exactly what Messara saw as the necessary move in NZ racing - course rationalisation(because the small clubs could not complete on stakes). (3)Attack the cost excesses. Easier said than done because the TAB/NZRB are just like Councils and Government Departments - they are not paying their own bills and accordingly don't give a stuff about what things they do or don't do cost the industry. If M Pitman does something stupid it comes direct from his back pocket - if Dean McKenzie or his mates do something stupid it comes indirectly from M Pitman's back pocket. Oh and from a personal view point MRP to fix my NZ racing could you locate me a nag as good as Winx to have a share in please. Not much to ask is it and it would make me feel extremely positive(and you too I am sure)

Shesellseashells. trotter back in Reon Murtha's commentating days. Remember him saying it was one of the worst

Yes Pam but there is SO much potential for the likes of Riccarton/Ellerslie/Awapuni/Alexandra Park and Addington to realise their unbelievably valuable assets and in doing so create racing that is complusive(there is nothing like huge prizes to generate interest - just look at those soccer bosses in England - having a million dollar stake or two will generate interest like never before). The likes of Reefton/the Coast in general would never have a hope of competing (on anything other than a good day out basis) because they simply would not have the financial resources these clubs have the potential to unleash if they would only see it. And even if the Racing Act says they take our assets if I see them strive to help themselves then I have far less objection than the current scenario where they are doing the same old same old and simply have their hands out for more dosh. I always said market forces would close the small clubs eventually when owners and trainers stopped supporting them and committees ran out of enthusiasm(like I did years ago but am only there really because of emotional blackmail)

all my thought there is to utilize a facility that might only otherwise be used 50 or 60 days a year. I know what you mean though but regardless of that the industry needs all the revenue it can generate

Whats more I would have two grass tracks to allow one to be rested and maybe even a Motor racing track outside the Trotting track for yet another income source The place would bloody boom!

And the ironic thing(from my perspective) is this: They are as keen as mustard to get rid of the small clubs(like Reefton). If Riccarton gets its act together and ends up with a couple of hundred mill in the bank(or better still in commercial property assets making capital gain) and paying(say) $50k minimum stakes then it won't be long before nobody will want to go to the likes of Reefton with its dismal $10k purses. So in one fell swoop you vastly improve the image and fortune of the glamour clubs and eliminate those pesky wankers (like me) firing shots from the sidelines. To me it is blindingly simple but what is it I am missing?

I guess you could have lights that are portable so you don't have shadows across daytime racing tracks but as I have said time and time and time again - racing is the richest sport in NZ by a street but those assets(mainly in the major cities) are massively under-performing in terms of rate of return. Turn Ellerslie into a commercial hub owned (at least significantly) by the industry(the ARC actually) so the dividends keep coming and move out of the city(Pukekohe has a railway line right there - is it linked to the city?) Transport is a major key - these days they want to get carried there and dropped back (and I don't blame them) The beauty of the Riccarton thing is that they have the huge payout due for that stand as well - why not strike now while the opportunity is there?(bearing in mind of course that they may have just pissed multi millions up against the wall on the all weather - I hope it works out because if it doesn't........) You try to tell the like of Bernard this but they seem to struggle to grasp the concept of rate of return.

Has to be beside the Railway Line Pitty so you can get the punters there and back without drink driving issues but that is what I have been on about for years. Despite the fact that Riccarton is racecourse reserve I am sure they could have negotiated a fat price for vacating the place(not to mention the grandstand payout) and if they got Addington in on the deal they would have potentially had more money that they knew what to deal with. My vision was a triangular building - the turf track on one side, all weather trotting on another and the all weather galloping on the third(might have taken some design but they would do it). Admin, raceday stabling and jockeys on the bottom floors then two or three levels above with views all ways depending which meeting was running). Night racing for all three types and Friday nights a specialty. Train them(the punters) out from town and send them home pissed. Could have brought a couple of hundred hectares and added the necessary training facilities and permanent stabling as well with horses able to be kept secure instead of the current float them from the stable to the stalls at Riccarton requirement. They would probably have a couple of hundred mill in the bank and be able to run three four or five $1million dollar races a year and the effect would soon begin to snowball. And the David Ellis's of this world would be begging to come to your joint not threatening not to if they didn't get their own way. Plus cash up time for any Riccarton trainers who own their own ground(just like it was for Takanini a few years back). Not sure if there are any who still own their ground but I know you(MRP) do.

So you admit that the cancellation statistics were better before all the track renovation that has gone on? Because the vast majority of these cancellation issues have involved tracks that have been 'renovated' and they have in general occured soon after the 'renovation'. And I would say that you have no idea what in the way of maintenance any NZ track has had. All you are doing by suggesting renovation is(based on history) in all likelihood creating more cancelled racedays. The Riccarton issue is clearly caused by persistent(and - more alarmingly - inconsistent) irrigation too close to raceday. It is simple and nobody but you seems to fail to understand it. Certainly as Michael said the punters would have been happy there yesterday given there was only one long priced winner(six of nine paying less than $4.50). The track ran true to expectations and I didn't notice too many connections complaining of not handling it And stop this crap about 'dairy' farmers. You are only proving your ignorance. O'Malley was never dairy farmer(his son is not Peter). Dairy farmers operate an entirely different system to drystock farmers but in either case you don't see them taking up two feet of soil when they 'renovate' a paddock. Might have some thing to do with the fact that they pay their own bills unlike most of these courses sucking on the industry tit when they employ 'consultants' to 'renovate'(or should I say root) these tracks.

'Could just as easily have been Riccarton yesterday' It must be dead set effing miracle that there weren't jockeys getting killed all over the show back in the seventies and early eighties. Miraculous! Astonishing! Beyond belief that there are not a hundred jockey's headstones about the place Because as I remember there were tracks that were (rock)hard and fast all over the show in those days.

There were you?

Well as he told me he tends to have horses who appreciate decent tracks (Our Rosette being an example). And they got one today. He is entitled to be happy and he bloody deserves to be happy. I'm not talking through my pocket here I might add - I did have small bets on a couple of his winners but lost money overall for the day. But I had a share in one(now sacked) which time and again fell victim to ending up bogged in the shit down on the fence at Riccarton and I got sick of that excuse.

I've told you how to go some way to fixing it but you refuse to listen. Get an effing chisel plough onto it to try to get some aeration into the shit hole. But as far as you insulting Michael Pitman well I will tell you exactly what I told a few moaners among a syndicate of owners in a horse I had a share in a year or two back - 'he's trained the guts of 2000 winners - I've trained none. I am not telling him what to do'. The difference between you and MRP is you have an opinion and he has a record. When it comes to Riccarton I think I will be listening to him before anyone else.

Dunno Just been talking to the man and he is fairly chipper about the way the track was today. First half decent track since the middle day of Cup week. For all that they will make a point, piss irrigation on close to raceday and turn it into another shit hole in a week or two

Omoto used to be like that in days gone by but they made the mistake of letting 'experts' renovate it -predictably they f#*"#d it up. Lucky for the GJC though Jim Findlay their trackman contacted O'Malley a couple of years back - they got the chisel plough onto it and it is considerably improved. Not as good as it was but when you let idiots near tracks that is the consequence. In the state it was in it could never have handles three consecutive days last season .

360mm in ten days? Thats called a sun shower on the Coast. Reefton would be hard and fast. Mind you Reefton is lucky enough to have track people who know what they are doing.

I see there is a 'pipe burst' preventing irrigation there today after they watered it even on a day when it was wet anyway earlier in the week. Good 3 rating this morning and afternoon - does that mean it will be a slow 7 on the fence and a fast 1 on the outside? Here's hoping the dust will be flying!!!

Still a major cockup. With computerization those things should be loaded automatically and no possibility of error.

Farmers and their tractors? Well let me remind you that it wasn't 'farmers and their tractors' that f*#"^d it in the first place Nor was it 'farmers and their tractors' that f*#"^d Invercargill, Gore, Wingatui Ashburton, Kumara, Greymouth, Rangiora, Trentham, Awapuni, Te Rapa, Pukekohe and Ellerslie (some admittedly temporarily) If they listened and relied a bit more on 'farmers and their tractors'(as Riccarton effectively did for 100 plus years without major issues) they would be a frigging sight better off. That track may have had issue 25 years ago but all it needed was a bit of reshaping(and not too much of that either given its circumference) and resowing occasionally. Given its size they could have an inner and outer track to give part a break while being resown As for telling me about Aussie well I only need to think of R Dufficy's regular comments re lanes and bias to know it is not all perfection over there either

The Riccarton issue is clearly irrigation being inconsistent and the inside especially down the straight) being damper than the middle and outer track. I would be astonished if there was not a significant variance between readings across the track at the various points on race mornings and prior to. If there is not that track should race fairly right across and it is clear that it is not doing so. Mind you they would be easy enough to doctor. This is presented as the premier South Island Club(based on the NZTR money dished out) and at the moment it is not presenting in a manner anywhere near befitting that title

They do penetrometer readings at 1.5m off the rail 3m off the rail and 4.5m off the rail and probably a couple more at Riccarton. The variance between the inner readings and those further out is the significant matter not whether the track will break up

Reasonably rare for stakeholders to demand all the penetrometer readings for a meeting. I did the Reefton ones (prior to race morning) and would gladly have produced the info. There were variances but they were not consistent variances (if that makes sense). If you are asked and refuse to provide them then one can only conclude that you have something to hide? I know Riccarton have the big money meetings but how long before trainers start to boycott them? I know as an owner I am sick of getting the excuse that the horse got down on the fence and never had a hope. And that two year old filly should have back type on Cup Day but got switched to the inner and the rest is history. I only lease a share but if I owned her I would be quite shitty. She has a stakes race in prospect in early May(assuming she gets there of course) but am I better buying a lotto ticket?

The presentation of Riccarton is a disgrace and it has been every since the last day of Cup meeting. Too much listening to 'experts' who clearly know f all. Get O'Malley in - he'll fix it. A chisel plough all over it for a start to aerate it then get a half decent irrigation system. For all that looking at the photos before the last meeting it is probably too far gone and wants ploughed and resown right now to try to get a half decent surface for next spring. Whatever they do it is a lottery - get the run in the right spot and you're halfway home. NZTR need to demand some answers right now.