Reefton

Pretty hard to believe not one of the 9 riders realised the error. Going the wrong way around is not really an excuse because in a 9 horse field the 1 2 and 3 barriers would still be empty.

They've got $400000 in the bank - there is a threat Witless Win will get his hands on it so can afford better stakes. Plus they are paying a trainers incentive $150 per runner

Don't think so. Julie is the dead spitting image of our great grandmother (in fact her Facebook profile picture is of that particular lady). The speaking well is a reflection of the relief I believe she was feeling. I didn't hear or see it but it has been a little bit frustrating with that horse this season. Really thought she was looking for the broodmare paddock but what a ride CWJ.

Agree entirely BUT .... The issue with outside Directors is the have no genuine enthusiasm for the game and no appreciation of the fact that 95% of the participants are in it for love not purely business. Given that fact a straight business model does not fit and even if it did then I have said it before the first call(from a strictly business perspective) is to cash up the very valuable and non returning assets being those big city tracks with their massive bureaucracies and minescule crowds. Ouside directors the likes of Julie Christie(who for disclosure purposes is my sister) who have admin histories but also skin in the game would be more suitable than a bunch of people nobody knows. She made her name producing popular programmes which the critics regularly panned but the general public liked (and that meant the advertisers loved them and the TV channels wanted to play them). Sound familiar? Events the superior pricks who think they are God's gift to NZ racing hate but the public love?

My issue is that I have no tolerance for wankers which is why I could never consider a position higher up the chain where I would have to deal with public servant types full of their own importance and determined to make it hard for the genuine blokes trying to enjoy what is merely a pastime(albeit a much loved pastime)for the majority of its stakeholders. And besides which racing doesn't pay my mortgage. I did though a month or so back see an NZTR circular announcing the resignation of a 'Roger Finlay' from their board and detailing all he had done. Now I do not know nor have ever heard of Roger Finlay before but I do know he is not a household name in NZ Racing - so that tells me the powers that be are full of non entities whose only claim to fame is their lack of achievement in the industry(I do not claim to have achieved much myself to be fair). I have no desire to have to try to get through to a bunch of Board Members with a heap of letters after their name but whose total racing knowledge could be written on the inside of an extremely small matchbox with an extremely large crayon.

Well looking at the West Coast crowds and comparing them to Trentham yesterday it is bloody sight more sensible to allocate prime holiday dates to here than to that dump. And the Matamata versus Reefton turnover on another thread doesn't alter that opinion. You lot with your superiority complexes about your own dung hills want to start proving the claims by actual attendance at meetings. Bottom line is people want to go to the country races and simply do not want to go to the same old same old fare the metro clubs provide.

We reckon we will apply to the Provincial growth fund to extend Reefton to a 1600m circuit. Tons of room and all we need is the money.

'By far the best track' in your opinion Reefton in fact is comfortably the best track on the Coast - sits on a riverbed(equals superior drainage) the only one to run both trots and gallops and consistently produces a superior surface. On average over the last ten years the track has been 2 points better than any of the others here for the gallopers. That's what happens when you have top farmers like the O'Malleys on board. And Westport's chutes are definitely gone - why would the trotting Club keep them? As far as racing three weeks after that damage the bloody trotters will race on anything. And the (thoroughbred) trainers who wouldn't go there to race obviously didn't rate it the best on the Coast Having said that the Westport trotting boys are great blokes(as are the Reefton Trotting guys - we would be buggered without them)

Of the currently being used tracks I mean. Westport has had the chutes removed and the running rail of course so pushing the proverbial uphill for it to ever hold another gallops meeting. And Witless's Waikato friends would hardly tolerate opening another gallops venue on the Coast.

Reefton is the only decent track surface on the Coast. But equally they are all too small.

They can't tell you the fixed odds T/O because of the new platform so not sure but no doubt they got a lot more than us but so they should. They had most of the best riders in the country where we had CWJ and accordingly were bound to attract more betting off course but that is irrelevant

Wednesday January 9th. Races Matamata and Reefton. Both nice days both good tracks. Field numbers comparable and both 8 races. Oncourse turnover at Reefton $85k Matamata $31k. What do you have to say?

Essentially quoted Ronald Reagan in Berlin 30 years ago. 'Mr Peters tear up section three of the Messara Report'.

Yes Pam. $85k on a weekday(even if the holidays are still in place for some) is not too bad. Good day, good safe racing, good atmosphere and all up pretty pleased. Just hope it is not the last time for the course. I gave Winston and his cronies a serve in the President's speech. That was my personal highlight(other than backing that last winner that is)

Congratulations on that. Impressive performance. Managed to back it as well but still a little doubtful re that time I'm afraid.

Even I have to be dubious about the 1.21 Shad. That would not be far off an NZ record would it and realistically they are not going to set an NZ record at little old Reefton. The track was lightning fast but everyone was happy with it and complaints about it were non existent so all good. Very happy with the day.

Anyone(Shad?) who can make it there tomorrow come and make yourself known I will be on the PA(so will be easy enough to track down) but will make sure you get a free beer or whatever(maybe even a bit of a feed if you time it right) Even if it a contributor from the other side you will be most welcome(just come and say hello)

It's called a democracy Barryb. I am not aware of any Clubs were it is not one man one vote. Unlike NZTR and NZRB where it is some bizarre method that selects nobodies to run the outfits.

Ever been on a club committee and tried to engender enthusiasm? It ain't there the same way it ain't there for the rugby club or the golf club or even the PTA. I have been on our committee since my mid 20's and certainly didn't feel left out of decision making or any other aspect of club activity. It would be an interesting experiment to have an entire committee removed and see the upshot. Despite what people say Club Committees are in general battling their very best to run the outfits and get very little thanks for their efforts either. They are easy targets both for disgruntled participants and for those halfwits at NZTR (well some them are halfwits). The Clubs are run a hell of a lot better than NZTR the NZRB are (mind you that wouldn't be difficult)

Bit harsh there on the 'old coots' Barryb. They were probably like every racing club administration hoping some younger people would put their hands up to help with the committee side of things. Which clearly didn't happen. Good news however. Witless Win and John Messara are going to have the game thronging with 18 - 44 year olds all wildly enthusiastic to be part of the admin and punting enormous amounts of their hard earned. '..........and they all lived happily ever after.'

Now ya talking!

Other than perhaps with the handicapper I was not aware MRP held a lot of sway at NZTR?

AND it only has two starting points(like Kumara)

They don't let them programme an open race, they end up with only 65 noms with 30 of them from one stable, there are always concerns with safety and consequently they have a bad habit of abandonments. Exactly who is it who picked that course for retention and why? (we know Winnie likes to get on the piss at Kumara so that explains keeping that but Waikouaiti?????)

Suspect there might be an injunction flying in that case Curious but like the concept