The Centaur

During COVID lockdowns there was a reawakening of online conferencing. It could be possible through technology to have experts based in Australia officiating over racing in New Zealand. Therefore the key to attacking the massive RIU and judicial costs is forcing the use of technology. First Step: With this in mind there needs to be someone with a current profile to introduce a petition for signing by jockeys, trainers and owners. Judicial costs should be no more than $1M per year.

Summertime is about getting people on track. If that means twilight then YES. If Saturday then YES. If mixing trots and gallops the YES. If More meetings less horses then YES. There are plenty betting options available everyday of the week so no need to program everything around betting.

This week is Fieldays week. Date changed this year. To illustrate your point I doubt NZTR know how to leverage the thoroughbred industry around the event. There are numerous ways e.g. grabbing some of the exhibitors for sponsorship and free space at major meetings.

One of the things to make an event of it could be to have a reasonable large screen. As the role of the TAB Christmas at the Races is to supply marquees to clubs then perhaps they could hire reasonably large screens to private functions and I repeat some exclusive livestreaming. Can't see any problem in that.

Somewhere in all that is a formula which a club could cooperate and licence outside functions. Perhaps some exclusive livestreaming to add to the day.

Radical?... who on earth put that word in. NZTR wouldn't know what the word meant never alone how to spell it. It seems NZTR is trying to deflect blame on to the club. NZTR is in charge of racing therefore they should have had someone qualified on the ground doing inspections and other duties ensuring safety of all participants. If they want be radical how about standing up to the TAB particularly on the televising of racing. NZTR need to extract Trackside TV from TAB setting up a stand alone media organization which would make TAB easier to close down or sell off. NZTR should be pushing the changes to legislation to allow clubs to run their own pools which can be combined with marketing efforts.

Retiring???? That's silly. He's just starting to get a fan club.

Looked in good order albeit I noticed that after the race. There is a R75 1400m at Cromwell which has a nice smooth surface. Does he need only 1600m?

Mr Bloggs were you riding when Great Luck led all the way winning a jackpot race at Marton. I had the 2nd thru to 8th horse in the jackpot. Amazing when these massive upsets occur its invariably a horse leading all the way. Light Up just reminds me of that day.

Someone will probably have to rescue Brent. What a win!!

Looking back at some recent replays what strikes me is the amazingly quick construction of the all weather. Over recent years the farcical playing around with the bend approaching the straight. The housing development where one could have allowed for extension of the course. This probably started 20 years ago. There has to be some logical explanation.

Yeah good observations. My take is that the hysterical scream from the starter has something to do with. The horse hears it and at the same time the noise of the gate totally mesmerises some of them. Why the starter has to yell "watch the gates" is beyond me. Hate to think what happens when the gates fail and the scream has already taken place.

I fail to see the logic in knocking the NZ Cup. This is a race that allows the bread and butter participants to exercise their wares. If there is a problem it's the absurd placement of the race as Race No. 11. Should be about Race 6 when there is maximum interest. Also the problem is North Island racing not giving more recognition to handicap racing. The winner will be carrying the Bonecrusher colours so whats wrong with that?

Just as well you didn't pursue a career in the judiciary. For your info Weir is serving a four-year ban from racing after pleading no contest at a Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board hearing to possessing the jiggers and conduct prejudicial to racing. The board made no finding that he used the jiggers on any of his horses. Possessing jiggers is not a crime, but is a breach of the rules of racing. Given the number of horses Weir had and the almost universal statements from his staff at the time championing Weir proving cruelty is going to be mighty hard. The so called video says nothing. Terms such as cruelty, torturing are in the legislation that's why they are being used.

What if the racing officials, lawyers, judicial officers responsible for "clean" racing had put in a decent days work instead of trying to justify their excessive salaries with bullying tactics. Strange when it comes to the possibility of perjury the "witnesses" disappear. However they probably found poor old Willie an easy catch. "A fourth man, 31-year old retired jockey William Hernan, is charged with using corrupt information. Sources familiar with the investigation said this related to a $50 bet on a horse suspected of being jiggered."

I never said I approved of them. However for your information. POLICE TAZER Stun guns, which have been used by law enforcement for decades, can temporarily immobilize a person — think of someone who is combative or resisting arrest, for instance — by jolting them with 50,000 volts of electricity. A discharge, also known as a “cycle,” can last five seconds. CATTLE PRODDER About 4000 volts JIGGER Probably the same as a cattle prodder. ELECTRIC FENCE Don't know the voltage but better ask the thousands of farmers that utilize them. All I'm saying is I don't agree with media beat ups and any crime or indiscretion should be impartially judged and the penalty proportional.

How many millions has it cost Darren Weir... FOR WHAT? a couple of jiggers in his bedroom. One shouldn't forget he could still have been training Verry Ellegent and Nature Strip. As well a host of other group winners incl Golden Slipper winner Yes Yes. Amazing how the woke TV presenters "must not mention" Darren Weir. He should be back next year ... look out!! _______________________________________________________ Conspiracy charges against banned Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir have been dropped. Prosecutors had alleged Weir and co-accused, former stable right-hand man Jarrod Mclean, had conspired to cheat and defraud Racing Victoria officials by using illegal training methods including the use of a ‘jigger’ on horses Yogi, Red Cardinal and Tosen Basil in 2018. Weir, and co-accused Jarrod McLean were due to stand trial beginning on Melbourne Cup eve after pleading not guilty, Other charges relating to allegations of animal cruelty and corrupt betting have been downgraded and will be heard in the Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court. Weir, who at the time was one of Victoria’s leading trainers, was banned from the sport in 2019 for four years after electric shock devices were allegedly found at his Ballarat property when raided by Victoria Police. Weir and Mclean are due to face court in Warrnambool on December 14.

News media just can't get it right. Firstly it was a partnership conflict. Everyone knows who the partner is but do you think the media will tell us. NO!. The media get plenty advertising from LOTTO so they aren't going to say anything nasty about LOTTO Then the story changed. Starship didn't want gambling money. But that didn't sit right with LOTTO after all the they ARE a gambling outfit. So the story changed again they didn't want racing money. No doubt someone would have told them the late Queen was a staunch racing follower. So the story is back now with a sponsor i.e. LOTTO that is competing with racing. If a reporter was diligent enough he would point out that the money is coming from overseas and from a non gambling entity i.e. a racing club. They are not competing with LOTTO. Just goes to show that the huge salaries paid to these dumb twits has always been excessive and a waste.

Bit of a marathon job following racing today with quite a few pedestrian type race calls then suddenly Darren McCauley from WA injecting real excitement.

I take issue with that. Last time when left alone doing the Sunday South Island meeting he was terrific. Plenty pertinent interviews. Got someone on the ground giving wrap on recent jumpouts. Tips were spot on. Maybe he was too good and stole your thunder as to tips. Your criticism not fair at all.

Please people incl the Opto. Do a bit more thinking. TAB partnering means racing is beholden to the TAB who also promote competition to racing i.e sports. NZTR partnering with similar overseas jurisdictions then sharing the betting platform costs means racing is in charge of its own destiny.

Its NZTR that should be partnering with other racing jurisdictions and sharing the costs of running a betting platform. Quite frankly the TAB (taking things to an extreme) is just at piece of software. Surely Kiwi's aren't that stupid they need an outside outfit to scoop up all the gambling cash.

I am absolutely shocked at what I'm reading. e.g. https://racingintegrityboard.org.nz/decisions/cambridge-jc-3-august-2022-r4-sam-weatherley/ Weatherley states that he was riding his sisters horse the inference being he needed to win at all costs. How can it be careless when there is so much pressure to win??????? I note that earlier on the very day the tragedy occurred he was also suspended for a similar offence. Yet there are "mates" such as Bruce Marsh and George Simon giving the opinion there was nothing wrong with Weatherley's tactics. This is outrageous.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/130125611/suspended-jockey-sam-weatherleys-cavalier-break-before-fatal-fall-an-unfortunate-habit--judgment

Breeders perception of racing can differ from the public's. By all means have the breeding sector designate races as group ones which in most cases correspond with the publics view of racing. However I find it an own goal downgrading races which are popular with the public and therefore the best to market. It's criminal downgrading in any shape or form races such as the Wellington Cup which when aligned with the yearling sales was far greater in stature than the current Karaka Million races.