The Centaur

I've mentioned it before but one has to wonder how smart some yearling buyers are. The full brother to VE sold for only $140,000 to Bob Peters WA. A magnificent type now a 2yo I keep looking to see if its trialing but haven't seen it. The word however is that its a very good horse but no Verry Eleegant.

What happened to the "ALL weather tracks"?

Orange Race 1. Couple of Waikato Stud horses. Colville House and California. California is odds on. Bit small looks typical beaten favourite type. However Colville House now trained by M Mullholland and ridden by the same jockey he had winning last years Orange Cup. Colville House backing up and 3rd up this prep but in a prev prep had ding donger with subsequent stakes placegetter now racing in Hong Kong. Last run was quite good so seems about ready. Currently about $20. In the race Kerrisdale was $320,000 purchase. Just some tid bits for a Sunday afternoon.

You are looking at it from the front end ... fair enough. But the question remains how is racing going to benefit. Radio Trackside was a racing asset in that it was racing that created it. However it is being sold off to promote directly or indirectly sports betting. Just what consultation was there?

Lot of questions to be asked about this. One can look at it as TAB selling the frequencies divesting Racing from the airwaves and pushing sport. Offcourse the yes man Bernard Saundry wouldn't offer a word after all SEN is Australian. Ok they have got McCallum a keen racing man but essentially racing has lost control. ******************* Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is set to expand into New Zealand announcing plans to acquire 29 TAB NZ AM/FM radio licences* and signing former New Zealand Test captain Brendon McCullum as headline talent. SENZ – as it will be known, will become New Zealand’s new Home of Sport and Racing – and aims to be the destination for New Zealand sports fans, with soon-to-be-announced live sports rights to be supported by marquee local programming. McCullum will front and co-host the all-important breakfast shift – bringing local sports fans all the breaking sports stories, news and opinion each morning. Other on-air talent will be announced soon. “I’m obviously hugely excited to be taking the lead on such an inventive move forward for sports radio in New Zealand. This has been a long time in the making and I must thank Craig Hutchison who has been instrumental in both germinating the idea and then making it happen. I still live for sport and this is another opportunity to remain immersed in it in my own country, putting my stamp on SENZ’s coverage and hopefully having a lot of fun along the way!” McCullum said. Sports Entertainment Network CEO, Craig Hutchison said he was excited to be expanding the SEN footprint internationally. “New Zealand is one of the most passionate places in the world for international and local sport and we are delighted to have reached agreement to unleash SENZ onto an unrivalled radio footprint across the whole country,” Hutchison said. “Not only is Brendon revered as one of New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketers – he’s also a racing expert, horse owner, coach and commentator. There’s possibly no bigger name in New Zealand sport and we are honoured and excited that he will join SENZ. “Our business has long championed local content for local fans and that’s exactly our plan in NZ. Our 24/7 sports talk format will include shows hosted by some of New Zealand’s most loved sporting identities – as well as a block-buster line-up of live sport – all delivered through a fiercely local lens. “We thank the TAB for reaching terms to take on the former Trackside radio footprint and look forward to partnering with them to provide a unique offering to sports and racing, pacing and chasing fans alike.” One of the keys to SEN’s impressive growth in Australia is its fast-growing digital network providing sports fans with all the breaking sports stories as well as on-demand podcasts and live streaming. The same model will be replicated in NZ with the SENZ radio product created in parallel to a suite of digital products, including an SENZ app, website and social media to drive access to the shows live and on-demand. TAB NZ Executive Chair, Dean McKenzie said the sale of the Trackside radio frequencies to SEN was a positive outcome. “SEN has a proven track record in delivering quality sport and racing coverage in Australia and we look forward to a close and mutually beneficial relationship in promoting and covering sport and racing in New Zealand. “We’re confident racing fans will be well-served by the introduction of the new venture which will be in addition to Trackside’s separate existing live simulcast of racing which continues to be available through the TAB website, app and streaming services.” Sports Entertainment Network is a dynamic multi-platform sports and entertainment business – connecting brands with fans across radio, television, digital, publishing, stadiums and events. In Australia, the business owns and operates 18 radio stations around the country – including 1116 SEN Melbourne, 1170 SEN Sydney, 1629 SEN SA in Adelaide, as well as 11 stations under its racing brand SENTrack. It also owns a newspaper, magazine and talent management business. It holds broadcast rights to the AFL, NRL, A-League, Big Bash and Test Cricket as well as international sports events like NFL Super Bowl and boasts the biggest names calling the biggest games across its commentary teams: AFL Nation, NRL Nation and Big Bash Nation. It is also the largest syndicator of sports radio content across Australia. SENZ will establish radio studios in Auckland and Wellington and will produce local sports content from both studios.

Anyone know who the caller was at the latest trials at Rangiora? I've heard plenty having a go at trials but this one seems much better than most. However I also heard George Simon call his first trial back in early nineties and I would rate that the worst. Keith Haub was telling him to slow down but I think he only mentioned about one horse per furlong.

You have to laugh at the owner of the "other site" The congratulations should have been for Pomare/Ocean Billy. When Probabeel won the Epsom I posted that Margaret Bull won the Epsom and Turnbull on the same day. This was seen as some sort of attack on Te Akau and I have been on restricted posting ever since.

An own goal. I wonder what the half a dozen residential home owners think? Quite frankly a crazy idea. From my memory the bit of land slopes way from the track so how one could build problematical. Must be better ways of raising cash particularly being asset rich.

What he means probably they are not very effective. Was any jockey in court giving their take on the incident?

Did NZTR do any representation in court? The cost is far higher than $8000 e.g. extra security, higher insurance premiums etc. Another $10,000 should have been awarded to the Jockeys Association.

Not a bad idea yes bit of beyond the square thinking required. i.e. Transfer Derby to Trentham and Oaks to Ellerslie with Trentham next Sunday. Reprogram central districts racing for that weekend.

Speaking of travel, interesting trip Andrew Forseman driving home from Auckland on his own, pulling up on the side of the road and watching on phone his horse win first up in Australia. Like the idea of a golf tourny at these circuit meetings.

One day racing will query the law that says TAB must be run to benefit nz racing. At the moment tab is run to benefit tab. That doesn't mean benefit to nz racing. Aegon being a 'small horse" kind of has escaped my attention.

Look if you want to just drive and see the sites its far better "driving" google. In fact because of the aerial view as well the scenery gets far better implanted in your brain than physically being there. Any way if you are the car driver you have concentrate on the road not the sites. Its seems a long way from the ferry to Kingscote where the track is but then thats only one fifth of the length of the island. Always thought Kangaroo Island was a few acres with a racetrack carved with kangaroos running around it. Seems an excellent getaway for people from Adelaide.

Usually before an OZ country meeting i like to take a trip around the town using my keyboard and google maps. Certainly didn't realize Kangaroo Island was that big. Been "driving" for hours and can't find the racecourse. Anyone been to K.Island races? Maybe a tip might help as well.

No. I would say the other way around. If you listened to Richards interviews he said Melody Belle is carrying more condition and bit more muscled up. Always at this time of year you get a Royal Performer. A horse who has fined down in the hot weather and is in peak form. If trainers were prepared to disclose the weight of their horse then it would probably show Melody Belle is about 15kg overweight. Jamie Richards thought he could get away with it but give a few weeks and easing of the tracks a different story.

100% owners so the delight obvious. When was the last time a Grp1 was won by a 100% owner/trainer?

Traditionally the post race photograph includes jockey, trainer and owners. Now the owners are usually over 50 years so won't be around 50 years time. Yet having the day to day carer and track rider in the photo means the person will have something 40 years on.

Not very diplomatic criticizing Jamie Richards at the top of his game but it gets tiresome hearing from him about the great team. Yet hardly ever hear who is in the "great team" or interviews from them. Anyone else think the "Plonkers of the week" award go to the Melody Belle syndicate owners. Seems they want to sell when she finishes racing possibly at the end of this season. When it comes to sentiment the first sentiment is quick cash.

Certainly don't mean those self serve. My scheme is system of scanning a customer form with QRcode, barcode etc then checking the bet on the mobile phone before sending it by phone.

Sorry I thought you were back there visiting. There are several innovative ways to make oncourse betting pleasurable. Fiddling around with a phone app in glaring sunlight is not one of them. Payments should be made just once and a deposit slip carry the balance. All selling machines must be self serve but I agree some form of bookmaker presence be available however more as a marketing gimmick.

JB, Looked a terrific crowd. How did they handle the betting? Any new technology around the selling terminals?

With Probabeel winning yesterday in Australia thats another high class winner to come out of the Matamata Trials. I stand by my statement. The Matamata Trials was the best meeting in terms of quality, interest, entertainment and spectacle to occur this season. The problem is NZTR were blind.

BGP getting the formula right isn't going to be easy. Pooling cash together for a big splash isn't a sustainable model. We saw that with the Melbourne Cup day. Also going to the races e.g. "a bunch of boys" sneaking off with the household budget for a day out is no longer all that appealing. Race crowds when they happen are more family orientated with the female side more interested in the animals. Having accumulated say 18,000 internet members and say 600 keen racing followers that really is the easy part. The big challenge is capitalizing on that.

I said look at the meetings on the NZTR calendar where they are classified as meeting, premier and trial.