Reefton

Well they might be PD but I dont know if you have children? Whatever they may do your love for them is unconditional and nobody wants to see their child make a fool of them themselves like this(assuming the charges are proven course). I should imagine the Dunns are no different and it will be breaking their hearts to see this unfold. It puts worrying about Winston stealing our racetrack into perspective.

I asked if you had run afoul of him not for your views on his association with the harness racing industry. The Dunns might be mates of his but he does not generally have too much good to say about that particular branch of NZ Racing. Anyway I have sympathy for Robert Dunn and his wife - nobody wants to see their child in strife and the subject of such intense media scrutiny. The Dunns(I have never met them so this is not personal) have contributed hugely to the NZ industry and it is deeply sad to see things like this occur.

I've seen her quite close up and she certainly is nothing special to look at - but there is a bloody big motor in there.

debatable about the leak - I wouldn't be surprised he leaked it himself What is unquestioned is he could get more out of Labour than he could National and accordingly went their way. Bill English would never have tolerated the carry on overruling what the Prime Minister said like he has in the last couple of days. That is the difference between Labour and National - the National guys invariably have other career options whereas the stereotypical Labour politician is a either a failed School Teacher or Lawyer or a career political scientist. Accordingly they will cling to power like the proverbial to a blanket - hence bending over for Winston to have his way with them - whereas National would not be so yielding. And if you think he didn't know he was being over paid super you are in fairyland.

Yeah... well the first two I have shares in are starting their seasons at Riccarton Saturday so I will not be able to help myself...

Huey I saw your comments on that on the dark side(but don't post there any more). It is pretty disheartening isn't it? Great game great people great history being destroyed for a theoretical bunch of '18-44 year olds' who are totally fickle with a five second attention span and who will drop it like a hot spud if the mood takes them.

Yeah pretty fair comment Curious. This bad publicity on top of the Peters/Messara thing - maybe it is just time to pack up the swag and move on down the road. Watch Winx, the Everest and the Melbourne cup, maybe the highlights of Cup Week and the Derby but the downsides seem to be outweighing the up.

Don't expect Winsome Win to do much. He is not above bit of skulldugery when it comes to helping himself to ill gotten gains. It makes me laugh when he is spouting off about others alleged wrongdoing. Give the pandering crap he used to carry on with to the elderly he would have known EXACTLY what he was entitled to as a pension and would have had to declare his status regularly but he didn't care. Had his snout in the trough didn't he?

Whats the trouble - did you run afoul of the relative in question? He isn't known for suffering fools

I think you would be better placed over on the dark side Anyway my spies tell me it ain't going to happen - too much resistance from the freehold courses being retained

Yes if I was sure Winston and the Waikato Mafia could not get their paws on our land I would do

Looking like it though Curious I am detecting a limited amount of enthusiasm to take up the cudgels And when I think about it from my own perspective I would have to say I fought this battle 20 years ago with Chittick Alexander and Co - do I have the heart for the battle again? And if by chance we did win(at least kept the asset for the people of Reefton - I acknowledge that the racing aspect is gone) then what thanks would I get - probably none. 90 per cent of the people of the town would have no idea who the President is and 90% of them, when they learn it has gone, will probably reckon it was my idea(I live 50 miles away in Greymouth of course). So why don't I just run my horse shares out, close my TAB account and open one with some Aussie outfit(not effing TAB Corp!), maybe save some of the $1500 or so a month I waste on this game and if the desire grabs me down the track take a share in one in Aussie. Without feeling sorry for myself I clearly do not fit the profile these guys want in the industry so rather than have sleepless nights thinking about it perhaps it is time to wave the white flag.

I rest my case

well i have (most of them) but that doesn't mean too much. Only shitty little Clubs on the Coast. But I am as entitled to my opinion as he is but like to think I can be a bit more coherent than his drivel

No we are in the shit now because the industry has been run throughout by dickheads like you who cannot put a sensible coherent sentence together, are incapable of any semblance of creative thinking, who think they are always right and who blame everyone else when proven wrong. If they eliminated the deadwood and ran the TAB/NZRB like a business instead of a Muppet Show NZ racing would be far far far better off. I wonder how it would go down if New Zealand Rugby announced that all football field were to be transferred to their ownership so they can pay their All Blacks more dosh. As for Sir Winston - more like Winston the criminal

I do not often agree with my brother these days Mr Curious but he is writing an awful lot of sense on this issue over on the dark side. This report is a massive disappointment to me(not just because of the track closures and the nationalisation of the properties. What did Winsome Win say the other night 'we're not in Communist Russia yet' or words to that effect. It looks effing like it to me Win!

five letters wink wink!

indeed! that part is the same solution as they offered 20 years ago and it has the fingerprints of the same authors all over it. The racing has become so much more internationalised since then. In those days we never thought about having a punt on Betfair or William Hill. The way breeding has gone Messara(Arrowfield) himself must be under threat surely? He would not have the firepower to compete for the top international stallions either? Coolmore and Goldophin rule the world and for those holding Ireland up well both have major operations there. Ireland as a shining example anyway - look what happened to Ireland(business wise) in the GFC for Gods sake!

And the problem is they won't fix them. They will bugger about and bugger about and eventually have to give up. Maybe Messara has that planned so his Tab Corp gets the majority of NZ betting when the inevitable happens I knew we should trust Aussies

I think we all know Mr Messara did not write the close racecourses section of this report. One would think significant portions of it were written by or under the supervision of a Mr E or Mr C(the latter of whom was the problem 20 years ago when they last tried to shut down a heap of courses.

Fair comment I have a share in a $600k earner - I reckon we have had $200,000 distributed (and there is nothing in the kitty I know that!) I also had a share a few years back in a nag in one of the very prominent stables - despite winning $100000 it still cost $150000(net) to race it for three and a half years(ie total cost $250000) The 18 to 44 year olds are going to love those odds especially when they are wondering how they are going to pay the mortgage(or save enough to even think about having a mortgage)

Transfer it to Avondale John. Oh thats right you closed Avondale down Transfer it to Ellerslie then Oh thats right it is in the middle of renovation(and will no doubt be a disaster when they do race there again) Te Rapa then Oh thats right hat is a debacle and unraceable as well eff it lets head to the healesville greys

question is would it be important enough for Robertson to risk the coalition agreement if Winston throws his toys. From what I hear Winston's supporters are owed a bit for more than racing and if that is right he cannot risk letting them down.

That article makes a good point actually - what protection would there be to ensure Tab Corp pays out the appropriate percentage on all NZ betting? Who says they will pay on Aussie's betting on NZ racing or Kiwis betting on Aussie racing or Kiwis or Aussie's betting on NZ sport. I don't trust the Aussie's and am wary about letting the fox into the fowl house.

They have also mired themselves in plenty of controversy both here and there. Anyone who thinks the banks are there to help you out is a little deluded A Bank Manager - the sort of bloke who would lend you his umbrella. But the minute it starts raining he wants it back again. Aussie bookies aren't like that are they??? it will be a big big big punt to find out without making a proper fist of trying to fix our own problems first. Course like the man said once its gone there ain't no coming back! You will find that out when the NZ Derby gets dropped on the tele for the second leg at the Healesville greyhounds.