Reefton

well nowhere is worse served by weather forecasters than the West Coast - it was supposed to be bucketing down here today yet was a beautiful day - BUT if I have a racemeeting coming up, a dodgy forecast and a track that does not handle rain well I would NOT NOT NOT be watering the effing thing. I reiterate - I do not pay training fees for Tim Mills(even if he is not a bad bloke) and his crew to decide what sort of track I get. It better not rain!

Met Service Rain One News Rain Weather Network Showers Any other suggestions?

Still forecast tonight on three.

I see there is still rain forecast for Christchurch tomorrow as well.

Pitty has said though Curious Riccarton is a very safe track and clearly a very good track(for racing - it is absolutely abysmal for viewing I might say - don't know how the 18-44 year olds are going to embrace being able to see nothing until the final 300m but I am sure the Messiah and Winsome will have the answer to that) I don't remember too many complaints about undulations - more likely the Amenities fund had a few quid in it and they had to find a way to blow it(another thing I am not sure how Winsome is going to deal with - Clubs getting the bit between their teeth on these new amenities he is going to be showering around like Santa Claus) What there was was a definite issue in winter with that outside lane - and they only sorted that in the last couple of years.

Riccarton was 'renovated' about twenty years ago(when they removed the old 1000m chute) and the 1200m chute about five years ago For years the crossing onto the course proper used to be throwing up clods even on the firmest of tracks It has only really sorted itself out in the last couple of years and to be fair I don't know what was wrong with it in the first place. Like most of them run around with the plough and a set of discs and harrows, resow the grass apply some fert and wait for it to take would be my way of doing it. Not jazzy enough for these blokes unfortunately. And when the Messiah report is all actioned there will tracks being dug up all over the show!

yes and I reckon that is a big part of the way we yearn for the good old days of Grey Way Blue Blood Show Gate Jan's Beau or whoever. When the sun was hot and the dust was flying......(or for that matter the Loch Linnhe's, Kumai's(a little before my time admittedly)or Koral's in the winter fro the opposite reason). You lined up because you knew what to expect not taking an effective lotto ticket on how the track will play.

effing well better not be Its hard enough trying to win a race without the track man against you as well

Funny thing is we were also shareholders in The Governator who of course raced all three days on that Cup meeting Trentham track about five years ago winning twice and running third(my best ownership experience in racing even though I wasn't there). The point was they were whinging their guts out about that track being too hard(a G2 on the second day) but the racing was of course exceptional. Shagging around with renovating and irrigating tracks(ESPECIALLY close to raceday) will be the ruination of NZ racing.

Three's weather says rain Friday for Christchurch. Thats a big gamble in my view

With all due respect Pam if you have wet trackers surely the winter is the time to be running them?

That's an example of it. If I was the owner of a northerner who had just paid $2500 to fly my nag down there for the Canterbury Belle looking for a dry track and it turns into a bog I would be pissed right off! I have a mate who is not really a racing man but is in the horse with me - he has heard the Trainer last two times saying the tracks were too wet. If it rains Friday and that track is wet again I can imagine his reaction - something along the lines of the drivers setting up the harness races and the track managers setting up the thoroughbred ones.

Norwester's(the type that really dry Riccarton and set up 1.07 1200m times) are when the Coast is wet Pam But the Coast isn't wet and hasn't been for weeks. My dairy farmer clients are calling out for rain. And nor have the Canterbury temperatures indicated that there is a significant nor wester influence. We've waited months for decent tracks and if that rain arrives on Friday we are potentially going to be stymied again. Riccarton has a history of irrigation cockups - what about when they were plastering it on in the middle of winter. I hope to hell this is not another example.

Well a speedway would suit me down to the ground. Why set it up to(based on the weather forecast)eliminate the chances of several runners all so the mudders get an advantage? If they want conditions to suit run them in the winter. I don't pay training(or entry) fees for the tracks to be artificially adjusted to disadvantage my horse I find it hard to believe that Riccarton would improve that quick anyway - it hasn't been that hot over there and it certainly has not been nor-wester weather(and I know that because it has been fine over here for several weeks) No wonder owners are leaving in droves

Yes and it is likely to be H10 by bloody Saturday if it rains on Friday Does F1 stand for Formula one?

According to last night's telly weather forecast it is supposed to rain in Christchurch Friday but the CJC are irrigating????? Great for someone who's horses hate wet tracks and who has been waiting patiently for a dry one

take your gummies just in case like most things when they start proclaiming how wonderful it is it is just about certain it is a disaster!

Yes Wally and I am not sure what the link between Bill English's borrowing and the NZ Racing Industry being foiked is either. Not that I am saying National helped racing(they were a disgrace!) but I can't see how the steps taken to insulate NZ from the GFC are the reason why our game is rooted.

English had to do that to maintain confidence among the business people - because unless you are silly you will realise that the business people grow the economy by taking risks and creating new jobs not some government department pissing the taxpayers money up against the wall. And that in simple terms is what Teethcinda and her mates have failed to nurture - the confidence of the entrepreneurs. And if looking after the businessmen mean some of them get rich all well and good - there are a bloody lot of them like me and most of my clients battling to make a decent living and facing constant shit from every halfwit public servant doing their level best to make our lives more complicated and miserable every day. Ignoring the risk takers(the business people) is a recipe for economic disaster and if she does not refocus on that then there will be a very hard landing economically and she will be the first one term prime minister in 43 years.

though when I think about it there will not be too many fractions in a $2 pool.

Winston and his Labour cronies would be proud of ripping off the taxpayer like that. I suppose the fractions pay John Allen's wages.

I just wonder though how much bulldozing Winston will be doing with this in order to satisfy his puppet masters and how much ability government departments have to resist the whims of Ministers. Especially if they cannot find legal reasons to (for instance) stop the land grab. Just advising Winston not to do it is not going to work

No but I'm nearly threw this effing iPad out the window. I thought I edited it to correct it but cannot have pushed submit. Should have said if they want rid of me they are welcome to the job. I'm over it and have been for several years. The enthusiasm to attack Winston is waning as the days roll on. What chance the DIA taking any notice of submissions do you think? I could write a hundred pages on that report but really concerned I would be wasting my time.

I'm not too worries Huey. If they want

where do I get some of that good stuff you're smokin?