Reefton

Walked into this one. I am talking turnover of course. Reefton got in funding about $105k (I think) from a turnover(I think) of about $700,000 or about 15% (still far too high). Ellerslie probably got $1.5m on a Turnover of (say - I don't know for sure) $2.5m or 66.66% - it just cannot be sustained - even if it was $3m T/O it was still about 50%. But fear not - David Ellis assures us stakes will double next season so there must be a magic wand somewhere

NZ Derby Turnover $867K Industry funding contribution $1000000? Am I thick or does something not add up here?

Trentham is hardly overrun with numbers for Saturday either and while Auckland has fair noms the man working out the ballots won't be over busy

Couldn't get the turnover percentages to do it MC. Unfortunately the way it is structured NZTR is our only funding option(unless we negotiated deals with individual betting organisations and that is probably illegal in this country). Plus the logistics of organising it without the NZTR systems would be too tough.

Yes I agree with you Pam. I need to be careful not to go the early crow!

I never said I disliked Michael Guerin you dickhead. Given he left the Coast probably 30 years ago I know him no better than your average racing devotee. What I was objecting to was you addressing me as 'son' Even if you are right about the MAG recommendations you should be crying not crowing. Six months ago you were overjoyed(and your usual pain in the arse) in telling us how great the recommendations were and how good it was going to be when they were implemented. Methinks your friend the bewildered one has filled his pants at the thought of the heartland reaction to this and the potential loss of votes. And if what you say is correct it is entirely down to the likes of me harassing the hell out of people like Bernard and various MP's that the attitude has been modified. Or do you think in that little world of your own that my only attacks were on BOAY??? Two in particular who impressed me greatly were Murray Acklin and David Lloyd at Oamaru in September. I have tangled with both of them in the past but they both spoke total common sense at that meeting. You cannot attack Country racing to try to cure the ills of the industry. And of course they tell me Pitty was very impressive at the Riccarton meeting(and of course the Marlborough HRC threat to stop Thoroughbreds stopping in transit at Waterlea would have helped). If it is correct and we continue it will be hugely satisfying to have fought these bastards off a second time (and for me the last time). A victory for us ordinary blokes! As a footnote really if the rescued Clubs have to prove they are not a burden on the industry then every club should have to - now that would be a tough ask for the Riccartons, Ellerslies and Te Rapa's.

You might raise pertinent topics but you then proceed to ruin them by talking utter piffle in a language most sensible people don't understand. Hardly worth saying again because you simply do not listen but if you want to be taken seriously learn to write coherently and succinctly and to use correct grammar.

There are several relations of mine that I am not happy to have my name associated with but I guess I can be forever thankful that I am not your 'son' Thomass. You're a plonker.

As usual you are out of your depth Thomass. Despite the way you talk you know absolutely nothing including having no idea how much sleep I do or don't lose over racing issues. I have a frigging sight more important things to worry about than the NZ Racing Industry. I have told you before you have no place in intelligent debate so get back to your fantasy about Japanese female jockeys(or whatever poor female has taken your attention lately). Only please keep your lewd thoughts in that regard to yourself.

It happened at Te Rapa a few years back Thomass. Passing Shot won the race but they initially had the gates 100m ahead or behind(certainly not in the right place). it is not confined to the South. Everyone makes mistakes. Some people even vote(on purpose I might add) for Witless Win

I reckon you might be right. And I have suspected that for a day or two. Bottom line is they are living beyond their means and until they recognise that there can be no meaningful improvement

'stupidity' is the word you are after

get your mind out of the gutter Thomass. And as far as the production team sucking up Matt Cross has more class than you will ever have

Yes I asked Bernard what he had to say about that at our meeting on Friday. As with any sticky questions not a terrible lot (though perhaps he might have actually said 'the status quo is not an option' - he said that to most questions). Needless to say Bernard left in no doubt about my thoughts on the big clubs in this country of ours.

yeah well sorry for the reaction if that is the case. But I am finding myself spending hours on racing issues when the industry doesn't pay my mortgage or fill my guts(well maybe Consensus has been helping a bit lately but that is an exception not the rule). I am sick to death of telling people like Bernard what the problem is (well one of the problems)and all the while knowing they will go back to Wellington and trot out the same BS line. Otaki the other day - oncourse turnover $108k with a Group one and $375k total stakes for Gods sake! Wairoa the next day $111k with $112k in stakes. What the F... is going on in this industry?

Well as you have(I think - didn't you say they should 'embrace change' a couple of weeks back?) shown in the past you are from an area or a club that has had a habit of getting huge amounts of industry money and pissing it up against the wall. So in the case of your club no the status quo is not an option because they are hoping to get a whole heap more industry money out of this Messara plan and piss all that up against the wall as well. And when they have blown all that where are they going to look for another handout? Because as sure as eggs they will blow it all and need more dosh and if there are no country clubs to screw where will it come from? The big clubs and their excesses(along with other factors like the idiots at NZTR and NZRB) got the industry into this mess. It is about time they faced up to their inadequacies and stopped trying to blame everyone else for their problems

she's not Thomass' sister is she? They seem to talk in a similar way

you're decrepit and slozzed now. these kids better get round there fast

We had Bernard down here last Friday and it is clear he is just flogging the line he has to. Every tough question was met with either 'the status quo is not an option' or 'we are going broke' He had no constructive responses or justification for the proposals. Yesterday we had another meeting with Mark Patterson an NZ First member who was also clearly under instructions that he was not to sympathise. On the way home i was thinking about 'the status quo is not an option' and emailed the following to my co presidents, Patterson, Maureen Pugh, Michael Pitman and Bernard 'Good morning everyone, As I drove back from our clubs meeting with Mark this morning I thought of this mantra of the Messara Report and the NZTR report 'the Status Quo is not an option'. We heard this a hundred times from Bernard last week and from all these journalists flogging the Messara tripe and of course from those behind the scenes pushing the agenda(and we hear it every time someone wants radically change an accepted process in life - usually someone on the public payroll) My question though is this from the point of view of the West Coast Clubs - Why is the status quo not an option? We are not the problem in NZ Racing. We are happily going along providing product that our supporters, many from far flung places, want to turn up to see. We are not broke(though maybe not far away in some cases) and our remaining committee retain their enthusiasm to 'go another round'(ie to race on). We and our facilities cost the NZ racing industry absolute zero and our net efforts in obtaining sponsorship, maintaining(for free) our properties and organising our racedays produce far more for the NZ industry than we get out of it. And most of all our public want to attend. What have those doing the bleating in this saga(mainly in the Waikato) done to change their status quo? From where I sit absolutely nothing other than get behind this agenda to destroy the fabric of NZ country racing. They are the ones living beyond their means that are providing product that their customers show little interest in and yet all the while sucking the NZ industry dry financially. The status quo bloody well IS an option Brian Molloy' To his credit Bernard this morning thanked me for my input and the opportunity to meet last week

Shit stirring you say. By gee Witless Winston would be proud of you - one of his very favourite pastimes

Well that certainly doesn't qualify as 'topical relevant and interesting' Incoherent tripe describes it better but then again I suppose you vote for Winston so incoherent tripe appeals to you.

Sorry seem to have missed those ones

Do you mean it was the third fastest time on a slow Otaki track or the third fastest time on the Otaki track? If the former entirely possible - if the latter I am very very dubious

I didn't rely on hearsay advice. I reported hearsay advice. Apparently the bloke has no idea what he is talking about. We may as well have put Gee Sujegnor(or what ever his or her name is) on the horse. What I relied on was my own knowledge of how the horse handles wet ground As for it being the third fastest time this century on that course how sure are we the gates were in the right place?

The man says she didn't handle it. He has ridden thousands of winners. He was sitting on her back yet you lot from miles away know better than he does. Foik no wonder I don't back any winners. I am relying on the advice of all the wrong people.