Reefton

Hardly going to make an official complaint when one of the horse's owners is the President of the Club. And what happens next year when the vet gets the shits and we don't have one? The complaint ought to have been into the two Harris horses not being late scratched when the inital confusion arose. The delay clearly wound Wild Rover up but there have been plenty would up in the past while Te Akau runners with barrier blankets or Kawi for that matter strolled around behind the gates with their favourable treatment in the start area.

no I can't sorry as Michael showed me them(only because I asked - he certainly did not volunteer them nor was he especially critical about the call to not scratch - critical but not vehemently so) And I don't think it will do us any good to be too critical of the vet. He is all we(the Coast) have, a member of my Reefton Committee and I believe the horse would have been competitive regardless if he had had an uninterrupted passage. The issue would never have occurred had the race run to time but if you have never made a mistake in your live then as the bible says 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone' I know Iive made millions of errors but generally out of the public sight

Let's not knock Kumara too much. They do run the pinnacle event of the Coast circuit(when they are able to run it that is) and really is the only reason we get any attention at all. For all that I believe they are not terribly financial and would no doubt have loved Westland's dosh but the other Clubs have always been a bit pissed with the KRC in that all the horse accommodation is provided by the other Clubs - but do you think the KRC committee would help prepare the boxes or clean up after everyone has departed? Not bloody likely! I do not think Westland or any other Coast Club would be busting to give money to the KRC. And one wonders, given their turnovers and the attention they get, where they spend their money? The money Westland 'lent' them was for their share of the gates a few years back but came from Diane Howe not the WRC

Fair comment. It would have been worth far less than the terrace up the back(the sale of which produced the cash in the first place). They might have ended up with $500k in the kitty.

So if Westland should have done that you will be agreeing with me about what all the fat cat clubs should be doing with their extremely valuable and poor performing (rate of return wise) real estate (which would be worth hundreds - if not thousands - of times what Westland's was of course)

I have said it before and will say it again - the responsibility for the Westland debacle lies squarely at the door of the bull at a gate behaviour of the Racing Board and NZTR. They attacked the Club and the club retaliated. All they (NZRB and NZTR) had to do was be patient and they would have got the lot but oh no that was too hard for this mob. They kept poking the bear then expressed surprise and dismay when it reacted. In any case they would probably have only pissed the money up against the wall regardless. They always do.

And given that we have outdone Greymouth on course turnover wise in consecutive years, have consistently produced a superior track surface to any of the other Clubs and a consequent better standard of racing I will be asking for Reefton to be given one of the weekend dates rather than a weekday. Whether we get it of course ......... Apart from anything else it is logical because the gates stay at Reefton and having us first or last means less cartage.

Just to clarify it is the four West Coast Clubs seeking the fourth day not Westland itself. Westland are probably realistic that they have burned their bridges and that the industry no longer wants their participation or contribution. One would expect it would go to Greymouth but we also want the circuit extended. The provisional date calendar next year is a five day Tuesday Thursday Saturday sequence which squeezes my Club particularly numbers wise and you all know how much I like my Club being squeezed by the hierarchy. There were at least two notable absentee trainers this time and if it will take a longer spread of dates and an extra day then I do not think that is unreasonable. Whether we get it of course.........

Did some research at Kumara and yes indeed the vet did assist in starting one or two races at Westport. Explained he did not hear the starter's 'go' comment - whatever it is - due to background noise. And the horse did seem to have significant and multiple wounds from pictures taken the next day yes

I do not watch a lot of Harness racing though I like most of the participants I know but if debacle starts are a topic wasn't the NZ Cup a bit of a circus in November. Biggest race of the biggest day of the year - the point is it can happen anywhere. I wouldn't want the job because if you do it properly you are never noticed but make the slightest cockup and they will crucify you.

We have a caretaker who the tow clubs pay $3000 a year to cover his costs. Great bloke too and does a great job as evidenced by the other day.

Yeah all those incidents at hick country meetings - like the ones I mentioned the wrong starting point,the horse left behind, the huge hole appearing in be track, the golfers wandering on the race course, the lack of video coverage of part of the track. No no wait sorry they happen at two of NZ's premier tracks not in the scrub. It was a mistake on the part of the person who legged the jockey up which snowballed into total confusion and it could have happened anywhere. Definitely no fault of anyone from the Club

No idea

I was a bit busy Thomass but I certainly didn't notice any blood. I only glanced though. I am sure he will be OK but expect Michael will run him somewhere like Riccarton next time with a bit more space. Re looking at the video he actually went a lot better race than it appeared at first glance. Every time she (the rider)looked for a run she ran into traffic That's racehorses for you

Not sure but they wouldn't let the vet be on the starting crew as well would they?

As I said on the other thread you idiot I own 10% of that nag so I have more reason that most to be unhappy BUT - Julian Shorten is a qualified vet of many years experience and insofar as I know the horse came to no real harm. Pitty told me last night he will run at Kumara so long as he comes through Ok. As far as your apparent fascination and fantasizing about Deliverance I will leave that to you but I suppose you can't spend all your life dreaming of what you would like to do to Emily Bosson or some other unfortunate young girl

My understanding is this:- Everything was done correctly - horses had correct saddles and numbers but the initial error was the jockey(s) was legged onto the wrong horse. They realised pretty quick but attendants got confused that the jockeys were right but that they had saddled the two horses incorrectly. Took them away, jockeys reweighed and swapped saddles (which meant everything was cocked up of course). Matt Cross commented on the wrong jockeys being aboard as they finally left the birdcage which was realised at the start - they swapped saddles again I think at the start and then I am not sure what happened but the two of them were late scratched maybe at the stipes insistence. I commented to a few people that I would get arseholes on BOAY over it and was surprised to arrive home last night and not find any comment - only just picked this up. I might add that I own 10% of the favourite who went off in the gates so I am as unhappy as anyone and needless to say embarrassed at the debacle on our raceday. It was not however our brand checkers or any officials fault - the simple solution would have been to immediately switch Calloway and Bothamly in the birdcage and everything would have been correct. As for the Vet well he studied vet science for five years so I am not going to tell him how to do his job (though I understand one M R Pitman let him know his thoughts). Regarding the title of this thread I will remind the initiator of the time the gates were set up at the wrong distance point at the Waikato RC the time when the race was started with an unloaded horse and the time a huge great hole in the track was discovered at Ellerslie no less. Not to mention the casual golfers at the ARC venue strolling around in front of the Great Northern field. Or the interference occurring where no camera footage was available at Ellerslie. The South has no monopoly on mistakes. All clubs have cockups - I would just prefer that yesterday's was not on my patch

Why would I prep for a big raceday 'tomorrow'? My big raceday was yesterday. Get with the programme

In an entire season Ellerslie would not get a quarter of the crowd (based on comparative populations) Kumara does

I think he is taking the Mickey - based on history the Members Council appears to favour faceless Board Members who are ever sighted and clearly lack real interest in the game. They have cocked up if they have appointed a genuinely interested person prepared to talk to the rank and file

Would that argument get you a reduction in Aussie?

I really have nothing against Auckland but I get sick of the wanking on by the hierarchy about how important they are and how deserving they are. The reality is they are(for the value of the industry asset involved) by miles the worst performing organisation in the NZ industry.

Actually we were facing south so Kumara of all places. Or maybe Timaru.

Kumara got it last year - when they abandoned I bet it was Greymouth who scrubbed them after Reefton. They are sponsored(and that is gratefully appreciated) and just turned up last year but why they are white I have no idea - black with white numbers would be easier.

absolutely agree. I dare say there have been many going there to make a difference who get shouted down or who walk away disillusioned. A bit like the local Council or Parliament really