The Centaur

The PGA in America very much relys on volunteers but is also heavily commercial. I note at every tournament the organizers acknowledge the volunteers.

"maximising profits for the long-term benefit of racing in New Zealand," "to maximise returns to New Zealand sporting organisations, and to support our communities" Racing gets profits whilst sports get returns??? Meaning.... sport always get their money .... racing only gets cut of the profits. i.e. sport will be after a larger % cut than at present. Only the crumbs for racing

As yourself my first encounter with Trentham was as a 14 yr old 1963 when Great Sensation won its third. Arrived with horse in tow for yearling sales just before the race. At the time I believed the crowd reacted that way for every race. The big trick for Wellington Cups was finding an unobstructed viewing spot.

Nahayan cost itself the 1998 Derby by veering out. Been plenty since. Not sure its the screen but must be something. Several dislodgements as well. What's the story with Nahayan By Mike Dillon Is it pique or pain that causes Nahayan to deny herself the spot she could easily have as New Zealand's champion 3-year-old? The question has to be asked after Nahayan's inglorious display on Saturday. Her zigzag Derby third at least ruled out the contention her erratic running had been caused by Peter Johnson's whip. That leaves only inexperience or pain. After the 1000 Guineas, Avondale Guineas and Derby, inexperience is starting to lengthen in odds. So is it pain? Is the highly talented filly feeling discomfort when the pressure goes on in her races? Co-owner and trainer Trevor McKee admits the filly has been "shouldery" - not entirely comfortable in a shoulder - for much of the last year. But he denies that is the cause of her problems. "After she ran erratically in the Avondale Guineas we had her x-rayed from every conceivable angle and it showed nothing was physically wrong with her." If it is discomfort, it is nothing like the pain Nahayan has caused Trevor and Stephen McKee and co-owner Brian Collins. Watching Trevor McKee as the field crossed the finish line was an experience. Like all long-time horsemen, he took the loss with dignity, but the devastation was obvious, particularly as he thought Nahayan had still probably won. He had to wait for the slow-motion television replay to confirm his agony. It was equal to the greatest disappointment McKee has had in a lifetime in the racing industry. "The only thing that matches it was when I found out Flying Luskin hadn't won the 1990 Auckland Cup when from all angles it looked certain he had." Such crushing disappointment has to have its release. While there were no recriminations, Trevor McKee asked, or suggested, that Nahayan may have run straighter had Johnson held her up for a little longer when she had drawn level with So Casual and El Duce at the 375m. There were no recriminations in return, but it was clear Johnson was upset at the suggestion he had been in any way responsible. "I held her up for as long as I could," he said with feeling. "I could ride that race 100 times and there is nothing more I could have done to get her home. She simply beat herself." Three or four lengths was the conservative margin Johnson said Nahayan would have won by if she had run straight. So Casual's winning rider, champion Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver, had resigned himself to second money when he saw Nahayan draw level and put her head in front in the home straight. "I thought you were going to run past us for sure," Oliver told Johnson afterwards in an attempt to console him. The introduction of a set of blinkers is the McKee stable's next act for Nahayan for the $250,000 NZ Oaks at Trentham next month.

Good to see you are learning chief. Didn't I send out a question last year to the effect which race had the highest number of group winners and you couldn't answer correctly. Same trials.

Before reading the above lead posting I had already complained to the feedback section of TAB help line about the idiotic splitting of Ellerslie and Nelson harness on the Trackside channels. Furthermore it appears there is a policy during the week of suffocating local gallops with greyhounds. She might be a nice person but listening to Pippa's long drawn out greyhound analysis is torture. Quite often greyhounds run deliberately late leaving hardly anytime to view 16 or so local galloping runners. As a result of harness and gallops being on separate channels I couldn't even name one trotter likely to start in a NZ Cup or three year old classic.

In the consultation document there isn't a distinction made between riding your horse or employing a trackrider. Not even a guideline how much a trackrider should be paid for a gallop. What the insurance factors are etc. Instead they focus on the idea everyone is a criminal until certified as not. The whole document is waste of time.

Yes its incredible. I would have thought every effort made to attract hobby trainers. Instead possibly constitutionally illegal restraints placed on them. Many owners potter about with the odd horse then when its financially possible only then off to a pro trainer. I go along with the fact professional trainers employ apprentices and need support. But there are only a few that do that. Can someone tell of one local jockey who started with Te Akau and went through with them. Bosson started with Autridge before Autridge trained for Te Akau. Their record with local apprentice jockeys is woeful to say the least.

Hope your horse went OK. Back in the day when I was owner/trainer it was much simpler not even a licence fee. THe clubs would send an account for fees including jockey. Right before a race I got a tap on the shoulder from the racing detective. "H..mm aah.. about these unpaid accounts" No problem I replied ... minutes later the horse won at 40:1. Phew!!!

No gallop meetings on a statutory holiday i.e Tuesday. Rather odd.

Have you nothing better to do than create personal arguments. I said "seems" which is an opinion. Or are opinions not allowed on "your" site.

What are you going on about. One thing to be part of another to be financial partner.

I can't see Richards going to HK is something special. Quite frankly he has been too successful for his own good and Ellis has had to pull every string to get him the HK position. I note that Mark Walker is a now a partner in the Te Akau operation and has found its time to move back home. So seems Jamie has been pushed sideways.

With a few minutes to go TAB announced guaranteed $200k first four last race at Matamata. With such short warning no time to organise a deposit. Like to know how much the closing pool was and the amount TAB lost.

Probably late offering any constructive criticism towards Mr Lee. One aspect is the screaming near the finish excepting in some cases e.g. "dream burst into reality" but certainly Justin Evans needs to be pulled up. Please "less screaming more style". Will get a bit tiresome towards the end of the holidays.

Herald Article Kiri Gillespie By Kiri Gillespie Multimedia journalist A new school, an indoor equestrian centre, a destination park complete with a pump track and - potentially - a hospital are among options touted for the redevelopment of prime reserve land originally considered for housing. Tauranga City Council has today revealed seven options for future use of the 85 hectares of Crown-owned reserve land in Greerton currently shared by the Tauranga racecourse and neighbouring golf course. The options are the result of feedback from the community as part of the Greerton Maarawaewae Study, which aims to futureproof the reserve land for up to the next 50 years. Initially, the land was being considered for housing development. However, only two of the seven options as part of the $230,000 study include housing. Up to 1500 homes could be included under one of the options and the rest of the land would be used for a community centre, school, and park area. Council commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said there was a lot of opposition to the land being used for housing. "Everyone wants more housing but not necessarily in their green space," she said. Both the Urban Form and Transport Initiative and the Te Papa Spatial Plan identified the racecourse area as a potential key to providing more homes. Asked what concerns Tolley had at the community reluctance for housing despite the city's dire housing crisis she said: "It's very clear this is a very special piece of land ... with history. We have to respect all of that. We have to take note of what the community says." The land was originally confiscated from Ngāi Tamarawaho and the council was working in partnership with mana whenua, and Kāinga Ora as a Crown representative, on the project. The Crown owns the land and the council is its administering body. It is leased by Racing Tauranga and the Tauranga Golf Club on a fixed term until 2039 with no automatic right of renewal. The clubs are members of the Tauranga Racecourse Reserve Charitable Trust, which manages the leases on behalf of the council. The study aimed to provide certainty to those clubs as to what their future at that location might be, while also potentially helping to address the city's dire need for housing, Tolley said. "We do have a housing crisis in Tauranga," she said. "We are not shying away from that - that sits alongside the promises we made to the current users. It was in those plans for housing. It certainly was part of the motivation (behind the study)." One of the options for the land is to retain the status quo, while others incorporate varying degrees of active reserves, racecourse and golfing use and a space for the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. Tolley said that as part of the feedback process, the DHB lodged its interest but any more details on this were unknown at this stage. She confirmed nothing was "set in stone" and there was the ability to create hybrids of the options if that's what people wanted. "There are some big decisions that this city should've made, could've made and didn't make over these past 10 to 15 years," Tolley said. "We are here to make these decisions so the city can go forward." Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy said the lack of housing in the plans showed how well the project team had taken on board the feedback of what people wanted, "otherwise there would be seven options for housing". Toy refused to say what support the Crown would offer to help bring the final option to fruition. People have until late February to have their say on which option they would prefer. Council staff are expected to present these findings to the commission in March before a potential final decision is made in April. More information and a complete list of the options is available on the council's website.

TAB should never have got into any sort of broadcasting or publishing. TAB forte is fleecing punters. Instead the codes should have got together and created a standalone media and publishing entity. That would have included all sorts of specialists particularly advertising professionals.

I like your analysis. Petone is just down the road from Trentham. Its where all the high salaried staff of TAB and NZTR work. What were they doing all week apart from socialising? Whats the point of head offices in Petone? Quicker they can be transferred to Ellerslie racecourse the better. You've mentioned the elitist European model. The problem begins with the proliferation of parasitic bookmakers. The bookie format of betting is expensive and inefficient. Something Hong Kong has known for a long time.

What makes you think he wasn't playing bowls Saturday? An option could have been to hold the three 1200m races then make a decision for races around the bends.

70:1 into 5:1 supposedly because of the blinkers. Now the thing I don't get is that there was a tongue tie as well. The trial before the race where the horse beaten 20 lengths (hard ridden) or so most probably something to do with tongue over the bit. Blinkers always a good excuse to justify the reversal. https://www.racenet.com.au/news/the-story-of-the-plunge-horse-tidal-rush-that-was-almost-on-the-scrap-heap-20211126

I would have thought Fawlty Towers more appropriate in this case.

You miss the point. Trainers want to have a healthy horse. When a low blood count is detected injections are the remedy. Next start BINGO a form reversal.

You seem confused. A complex usually means a range of vitamins. B1 isn't the vitamin associated with cobalt.

Why has Awapuni now been abandoned? Seems they are desperate to promote the idea of a synthetic track.

What? Do you want me to post an encyclopedia of all the substances. As an example look at the number of trainers rubbed out in Australia once they changed the levels for cobalt. Previously it would have been legal.