Reefton

Moncur of course. He was a prick to everyone else but you lot seem to be the golden boys. Can I just clarify - are you Leggy?

So do I love the Country tracks but I am just thinking what Messara might say. I am not advocating the closures myself(God knows - as I said - we would probably be number one in line) but just thinking realistically what he might recommend. And I appreciate Foxton is apparently a good safe track with a good surface but stand by the comment - the RSDF paying a portion for gates and or plastic running rails for a trials venue is a waste of industry money. Especially when they flat refused (on Moncur's deliberately misleading advice) to help with ours. I think simply taking away your date is how they will do it. Again I am not advocating it I am just being realistic. All the social media talk in the world will not make a difference - Winston will listen to his cronies in the game and to Messara and Winston's cronies are not country racing types. NZ First has already shown with the Taranaki gas thing and the way they have stood by while Eugenie Sage sets up to destroy what is left of the West Coast mining industry that his allegiance to rural NZ only goes so far(about as far as Shane Jones hoped for electorate extends). And given how these clubs have meekly altered their constitutions to give NZTR control of the assets if they fold a clever bureaucrat(if there is such a thing), when tasked with finding the dosh for your all weathers, will soon set his or her eyes on those country venues and their assets. My track is self sustaining yes(though I must admit in the interests of fairness that the Reefton Trotting Club guys have accessed that RSDF(without our knowledge I might add even though the course is half ours) for projects they have undertaken in the last year or two - nothing to do with the track mind you) They hang on the notion that under the Racing Act the governing bodies control the assets of the Club if it folds don't they? And NZTR insisting that the Club constitutions be changed to reflect that will reinforce the thinking. Insofar as I am aware we (the Reefton Jockey Club) are the only Club to have told Moncur to get stuffed. That was covered well and truly a couple of years back on Race Cafe. I agree 100% giving money to the big clubs is akin to pissing it up against the wall(history has proven that time and time again) but in this game my opinion doesn't count. Incidentally isn't it nostalgic to have a Molloy stirring everyone up? Just like the good old days.

I wouldn't recommend holding your breath. If Messara says there are two many tracks AND that gets acted on I would expect mine to one of the first dumped (and I have no argument with that provided they are consistent) but I can see some agitation in the lower NI if tracks get shut while a track which is to all intents and purposes closed as a racing venue is reinstated to full service. AND the basis of this thread is that that track seems unable to handle it's trials workload let alone actual racedays.

I've been preparing myself for years for when New Zealand itself, let alone the NZ Racing Industry, is not run by incompetent self serving individuals. So far it doesn't seem like it is happening or that there is much show of it happening. Messara might (and that is a bloody big might) make a difference but I will be astounded if reopening racetracks where racing is not currently taking place will be part of his recommendations. I am sure Leggy on the other channel said that the Racing Safety Development Fund paid half of those gates - well we had to pay for our own due in part to Moncur telling straight out lies in assessing our application from the NZTR perspective - then I get told Foxton think he is the bees knees and he clearly is pissing in their pocket. That fund and/or NZTR have clearly brought several sets of gates for the area and Clubs should have had a condition that they make them available to others as part of that approval. They cart them around here and in the south so I don't see why they can't do it up there. Or did useless Campbell and Bernard and Greg and whoever else not think of making that a proviso? Whatever happened wasting money on new gates and a plastic running rail for a trials venue is a disgrace. And while I am sympathetic to the Foxton individuals I have got some pretty grave doubts about relying on NZTR past, present or future to return racing there. Having said that I am obviously not privy to the various to and fro in that regard.

What the hell are they doing wasting money on a track that NZTR clearly have no intention of racing on again? First a set of new starting gates and then a bloody plastic running rail? And all because(apparently) some of the committee do a good job of sucking up to Moncur and co. Wasting industry money on non racetracks, whether trials tracks or not, is a disgrace (and if they are paying for it themselves then it is just as big a disgrace in that their future is uncertain and spending that sort of money is accordingly of extremely dubious benefit) And before everyone jumps down my throat about what a good surface it is I suggest that they take that up with NZTR and the NZRB because I am not the one who refuses to let them race there. In the meantime allowing this waste of money seems idiot behaviour to me.

If there is a horse in there tomorrow with a bit of a task it has to be Show Cloud in race one I assume the owners are related to the owner of the great mare but it carries the colours of the one and only Show Gate. No pressure!

Thanks. Appreciate the good wishes. Bloody hard to get a good horse but it spoils you too in that the others you have shares in end up with unrealistic expectations(which they invariably do not fulfill) I reckon it is the same effect in NZ sport. Because we have the All Blacks booting everyone's a#*e when the netballers or league or whatever don't do so well we get pretty down on them.

Yes she wasn't quite a match for Winx but with an ounce of better fortune we might have doubled or quadrupled our stake in the QEII. Overall a frustrating year however two G1 placings and $160,000 in stakes but no wins. As a seven year old next year it will be interesting to see if she retains her enthusiasm. One thing she does share with Winx is age and seven year old mares at the top level are unusual and have the potential to go off racing a bit. I am sure Mr Waller will be eagle eyed watching for signs. I guess his dread would be for her too be badly beaten(or beaten at all) prior to signing off. The pressure must be unbelievable.

arrived home this morning I believe

I've got about 20 years of racing annuals from 1975 inwards until I got the stitch with them. Some wonderful horses Show Gate Balmerino Uncle Remus Grey Way et al. Often think I should chuck them out but never have the heart to(unlike a lot of other literature I have sent to the tip!) I always remember my last year at school(1980) when they decided to give me a book prize(must have been a good attendance prize because I got eff all else at School) - they asked Mum who in turn asked me. Eyes lit up and said 'Racing Annual!'. Unfortunately Teachers were as killjoy then as they are today and they got me Memorable Moments in NZ Sport instead(I think it was one of the ones dispatched to the tip because I am buggered if I know where it is) Around about November December I simply could not wait for the Racing Annual to appear on the bookshelves!

Nice to see the boys keeping up with the various goings on on social media. Not that I have read either the blog or the response but clearly the boys in Parnell are sensitive types to any criticism

And just to confirm neither the owners nor, insofar as I know, the trainer were unhappy with the ride Saturday. The horse was posted wide and, while it might not have been the favoured option, going to the front was a forced decision. Clearly being in front does not do her any favours.

At the moment she is set for another year on the track. Julie is not a breeder and has no real idea what is best from that perspective (despite being talked into having her served twice by Tavistock) so the decision has been made to carry on for another year (unless she tells us she has had enough of course in which case she will go to the breeding barn). Julie has only been indirectly approached in regards a foal for foal deal and insofar as I know there has been no recent offer for her. You want to bear in mind she should also be a dual if not three time G1 winner. Vinnie Colgan pole axed her 50m out on VSB in the Bonecrusher two years ago after Girl of my Dreams skittled her as well - could have killed both her and the jockey and in last year's Bonecrusher she was posted off the track and still ran a close up fourth. She is a better horse than her record suggests but much as she is a good horse in NZ she is just another horse in Aussie where they are all good(at Group level I mean)

Without having read the rest of the thread Newmarket but being one of the owners(via my wife of course Mrs DP Molloy) the official verdict is she has gone over the top for the season and will now be coming home on the next flight. In each of the last two seasons she has run poorly at the end of her campaign and each time the paddock has been the result Much as there might be some over the top crap talked about her(I have only just got home and not bothered with that site) I do not think it is as bad as some other NZ horses get burdened with and to be fair she made a significant profit on the trip despite not paying a dividend. I would very much doubt we will get another one good enough to race in a $4 million race let alone against the best horse in the world and it has given me the opportunity to go see two beautiful race courses(and a close up view of the aforementioned best horse in the world) in the last three weeks. In regards the QEII clearly we would never have beaten Winx but Jason said she over raced slightly early on AND they were not winning on the fence that day so with an ounce of luck she might have finished a place or two closer which might have converted that $40000 stake into $90000 or $180000. Steve McKee made it clear it was the owners call(My sister owns her not my brother I might add and made that decision) to run in the QEII but in simple terms she could not lose - even if she had 100m last we would have made a $12000 profit on the entry fee. Further Steve pointed out to us that day that she would have to run a career best to finish in the first five. Like all of us he was disappointed on Saturday but they are not machines and if we knew what was going to happen Goldophin would have the whole lot. My personal view of the Aussie trip was that we were aiming far too high(needless to say I was overruled) but to be fair she got black type(apparently) over there for running fourth in the Ranvet and that makes a quality colt from her worth probably another $200000 at the Inglis or MM sales so there was a method in the madness.

Right up to the last sentence was going to ask if this guy's name was Donald(you know the one who is going to get the Nobel peace prize)

What are you saying about the whanau? (You are welcome to be honest as I do not offend easily)

Clearly the NZ TAB needs to become more competitive and that is one of the things Messara can and hopefully will address. Some of the takeouts on the NZ TAB are a scandal aren't they?

But surely the NZ TAB has to pay NZ duty in its overseas wagering income (in the same way the Aussie outlets pay licence fees and taxes or whatever over there). One way or another there must be an almost even playing field otherwise how would comingling work? The deductions must be compable on both totes. I'm afraid that from where I am sitting it looks like Aussie's simply wanting to use the NZ product and not pay for it in the same way the NT bookies didn't want to pay before their race fields legislation. Though given the comparatively unattractive product we have to offer I could see them simply dumping NZ racing. The only options to generate more revenue from our own system is to either allow local competition or to cut takeout rates here( and that one would hope would be a major plank of the Messara report being cutting costs to improve returns)The Aussie's would soon find ways to bet on the NZTAB if the divs were more competitive. At the moment having had a bit of close up Aussie exposure in the last few weeks I am thinking my best option is to take a share in a Darby or Dynamic syndications horse(God knows their ads infest social media)and race for the good dosh over there. Running fourth and sixth over there and getting $A72k in stakes seems a bit better return than in available in little old NZ.

So Curious how does Sportsbet and other Aussie operators reconcile this 'anti competitive and protectionist' piece of legislation with the Aussie government's stopping the NZ TAB website being accessible in Australia? Like a lot of things it seems a one way street with the Aussie were they get all the favours and NZ is on the back tit (for want of a better expression) By way of explanation I know virtually nothing of the current Racing Act nor the proposed Racing Act - my opinion being if there is no show of being able to influence it there is no point in wasting time studying it

they probably needed some for their trials and, if NZTR were true to form, they would have refused to assist in their arranging a loan of someone else's or financing these ones. I must enquire.

Chittick??? If he and his crony Alexander(who as I remember went on from his NZRB disaster to almost root Eden Park as CEO then disappeared) had had their way 20 years ago there would be no NZ industry left to save. Other than that great article Dennis Ryan - lets bring it on!

Exactly. Ironically if she runs 100m last we still make a $12000 profit. All courtesy of Winx scaring them off. Hopefully Pitty has a big day as well and I can celebrate with him.

Thanks for that Yes a better track will definitely help. Jason Collett said she couldn't accelerate in the Ranvet and a better track and maybe a stronger pace will not do her any harm. But we will need every possible thing in our favour to have a show of even a place

I'd rather him than bloody Deloittes. At least he has some experience, skin and a record of real success in the game. Probably not good news for the likes of the Reefton Club and course but I suppose there might be collateral damage.

I've got a small share in her too Pete and it is mystery but hey they get beat in this game so who knows? I was interested in the odds pattern cost to the start. 2min before when I was waiting for fhe best bet option she was $8.10 on the tote and $7 FO. A minute later she was $8FO and $6.90 on the tote. Drifted due to start delay to $7.60 but seems bizarre to me (and ultimately irrelevant anyway).Second time in three starts her odds have fluctuated wildly close to the start and the other time that Beauden got the jump on the field by charging the gate with no mention in the stipes report. Just hope for better luck with another one in which I have a small share in a certain $4m race at Randwick Saturday. Though with a certain horse we are running for second and the general 'Consensus' seems to be we are no hope anyway. Still we make a $12000 profit if we run 100m last so it could be worse. Plus I am looking forward to plenty of owners hospo at Randwick and to seeing the great mare (oh and Winx as well of course)