The Centaur

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.

Why?? Its crazy trying to lineup races in different jurisdictions. Just an opinion at the end of the day. Whats more important is marketing to the general public. Every race should be treated as a group one. Iconic races such as the Wellington Cup with their history should always be promoted as Group One simply because of that. Let the breeding and buying criteria be consigned to the backroom. Racing public comes first.

Robinson was a very good rider. Here is one of his wins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t7ma1UZc5U

The two months suspension is a joke. Compare with driving a car... LAND TRANSPORT ACT 1998 38Contravention of section 8 causing injury or death A person commits an offence if— (a) the person drives a motor vehicle, or causes a motor vehicle to be driven, carelessly; and (b) by that act or omission, causes an injury to or the death of another person. (2) If a person is convicted of an offence against subsection (1) or subsection (1A),— (a) the maximum penalty is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding $4,500; and (b) the court must order the person to be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver licence for 6 months or more.

You may be zeroing in on the wrong horse. If a horse is reluctant to enter the starting stall it may be telling all that racing will be painfull e.g. its got an issue say back problem. Such a horse appears to be Verstappen so I suggest the stipes should inquire into that one.

Could they have transferred the 5 flat races to the synthetic at Awapuni at the Saturday meeting? Or is the synthetic not capable of tote races yet? Even a couple races added to the Saturday meeting on the grass would seem not too hard to organize.

The second owner of the "other site" was Annie Williams after Angie and Dave had launched it. Then the ex mayoral candidate joined up and after a while Mrs Williams wanted out because of the level of abuse. The ex mayoral guy then came in and did a due diligence on the site. However he was caught trying to walkaway with the database of names but eventually Mrs Williams must have done a deal which required her silence. Up till then many high profile racing participants were regular posters under nom de plumes but now were scared of with the breaches of privacy and the "ex mayor candidate's" purchase of the site. This was the period of the worst privacy breaches took place. Around the period 2006 to 2012.

The Awapuni corner into the straight seems very sharp. Can't see how fair racing can eventuate.

The greatest reward a jockey can have is getting the ride on a potential champion at the start of its career. I don't know what Sam Weatherley's role was in the fatal fall but I note that George Simon has got Weatherley on Denby Road which could well do to George Simon what McGinty did to his tutor Keith Haub. Given George's role in racing perhaps not the most appropriate booking.

There are scores of different languages spoken within closed circles throughout New Zealand. Therefore there needs to be a default language so that the country can function. That happens to be English. Its also accepted that Maori is an/the official language which needs to be incorporated in the scheme of things in some instances more so than English. However that doesn't alter the fact that there has to be one default language. Years ago there was a movement around the world to make Esperanto just such a language. Creating a hybrid language as is happening now is rather a debatable strategy.

I get the impression you call people racist because of something that happened 100 years ago. That's common with people who study history, subconsciously they believe they are living in that period. No one currently living had anything to do with that period so its crazy blaming them. I would question anyone trying to rewrite history. I have never seen anyone punished for speaking Maori but no doubt there could have been instances but to make sweeping assertions it was common is not backed up by fact or evidence. Rather than blame all and sundry I suggest that the justice system and dodgy lawyers led to the creation of todays grievance industry. Non Maori would have been victims as well.

Thanks yes I agree and you are 100% right. Calling someone a racist is a pretty serious slur. Its handed out far too often in todays climate. Comparable to calling someone antisemetic because they disagree with Israel's policies against the Palestinians. I fully understood the presenters comments. I was drawing attention to the irony of thinking they had the pronunciation right but in fact worse than before. However my main point was the greyhounds which have wrapped themselves around the galloping audience on TV. I wonder if its something Glenda Hughes arranged with her TAB contacts.

So what you appear to be saying it only matters now. Where were those intentions in years gone by when there wasn't any attempt to get it right. I remember listening to the golf commentator from the UK. He is being told the correct pronunciation of a European competitor but then says "no that's not what I'm going to use. He(the competitor) is in the the UK now."

Does it matter what race agrees with you? I suggest practicing not being hypocritical.

And what stinks even more is calling someone a racist when that person has been a staunch campaigner against racism and without any knowledge of the person.

The snippet you have taken is out of context. If you bothered to read the full context the point that was being made that Otaaarki is not the correct pronounciation so in those circumstances rather than change to something that is incorrect better to stick to whats natural.

I suppose saying "Maori thing" was a bit obtuse. Should have elaborated. I meant all the carry on that is going on by do gooders ramming down peoples throats messages that are doing more harm than good. Clearly the lady in question had altered her pronunciation of Otaki but what was coming out was worse than before. You seem to have misunderstood my posting which basically agrees with your wish of better pronunciation. The rules of most forums is you don't personally denigrate other posters. Bit arrogant if you think the rules don't apply to yourself.

Its definitely not Otaaarki. It would be closer to say ortucki but that may not be 100%. What do you know about my true colours? Its you who is being racist. If I recall correctly in the previous posting I agreed with Willie Jackson. Go and call him a racist. I object to your slurs.

Trackside TV put on sock in it!!! Bad enough leaving the TV on midweek between gallops to get a full barrage of greyhound statistics from the lady. Now it seems she's been "instructed" to do the Maori thing. So we are getting Otaki pronounced Otaaaarki, Opaki pronounced Opaaarki etc etc. My advice stick to whats natural. Better still remove the greyhounds to the other channel.