The Centaur

Spot on. Agree he is best NZ caller but needs to inject style rather than screams into premier days. Don't know how many in the betting syndicate but it wasn't as if one person putting their own 20 gees on the line. As an aside the recent Motukarara Trials caller has considerable promise, never heard him before.

Got to agree the ride was very untidy. Potentially dangerous. At least he didn't do a Matt Cameron and thrash the horse to a 10 length win affecting its future chances. Even so horse and rider didn't inspire confidence for future.

Well the TAB are smart, With over 40 meetings in Australia to choose from they select Mountaineer USA races with tote pools of about $1000 and barely over $600 place. With no one betting then it won't breakdown.

I doubt there will be crashes because the TAB will trade away the updating of tote odds prior to the race starting. That will relieve much pressure on the system. Most punters won't notice it. Thats what they are banking on.

I've known trainers putting blinkers on when they are peaking the horse and also applying the needle. Explaining the form turnaround by way of blinkers being put on is very convenient.

Ask any Australian they will probably say Gunsynd. https://www.flemington.com.au/social-news/2018-07-25/iconic-grey-gallopers There was an era in NZ where Silver knight, Baghdad Note and Kumai were conspicuous. But I dare say everybody's favourite would have to be Grey Way.

Good question. I don't think you will find anyone who would know. I was shocked listening to Michael Dore talking with Peter Earley. Now Michael had been dealing with customers for over 30 years. Whenever there was a major problem particularly in the last 20 years with TAB website he was the man. So you would think he would have some input into the design of the new website. Well according to Michael he wasn't consulted.

For the record this is what John Allen said when recruited back in 2014. from NZHERALD 26 Nov 2014. Mr Allen said he was excited about the opportunity to join the NZ Racing Board. "It's going to be fun. The NZ Racing Board is a $2 billion business that plays a vital role in the New Zealand economy by supporting the racing and sports industries. It is also the owner and operator of the TAB which is an exciting commercial enterprise and iconic New Zealand brand," says Allen.

We have got a bit sidetracked onto to the "turnover" debate. Reefton made some good points on the usage of club assets before that. However the "turnover/sales" interpretation is important for racing because of the easy way betting turnover has been misjudged as sales hence the determination of size of enterprise leading to the remuneration in proportion to size factor. Racing people have been swindled out of millions because of this. Lets adjust the pay packets of all management to a $450 million company not a $2 1/2 billion company.

The way I see it turnover is basically sales turnover. For a gambling outfit sales turnover is the gross figure after the winning bets have been paid out so I agree with Curious. Thats the way every gambling does accounting. (except TAB) I appreciate you are an accountant but apart from the club I doubt you have other gambling outfits. No one would expect you to sit with the hotel poker players to workout their turnover but as far as extracting the cash from the machine at the end of the day then yes.

Curious will confirm this. several years ago I kept up a barrage on Channel X trying to convince the "educated" that contrary to what the TAB was claiming the actual revenue turnover was about $400M not $2billion as all the CEO's, board members etc were claiming. The message has now sunk in but the employment agencies and consultants still were claiming $2billion turnover. Just imagine if every table, machine in a casino submitted turnover as revenue then the amount would be astronomical. John Allen was hired by agents claiming the TAB was a $2billion company.

The real proof would be getting on. Some bookies may not be up to date on racenet. I look at racingpost bookies prices in UK and really the difference is only minor. When the main bookie changes the rest quickly follow. Quite frankly NZ racing can't afford bookies. Its an extra layer skimming off profits. Racing doesn't need them. There was a time they added colour to a racemeeting but the corporates are just parasites. With all the hooha about money laundering I don't think the government allow clubs to accept money independent of the TAB. A compromise would be needed. Big punters wouldn't be interested in oncourse gimmicks but thats whats needed for the casual socializers.

Obvious.... Rule 1. Don't reinvent the wheel. (TAB account services) Clubs have run their own jackpot pools with say a car as prize In fact I collaborated with a punter who won a car two years in a row.

Reefton, The way I see it most of the agencies work in tandem so can't really see where there would be price variations with automated fixed odds. Phantom meetings used to be a common occurrence in Asia. Certainly on Melbourne Cup days could be successful. Club running their own pools would still require the money transaction services from the TAB. Oncourse pools should promote attendance and the sponsors not just gambling.

Haven't seen any proof or legit evidence of Weir or anyone being cruel. He had huge operation with many staff. It would be impossible to be cruel on a permanent basis without someone objecting. The odd case could happen but so many horses there is always going to be an exception. As for the betting plunges, Well every stable in Australia would be banned if betting plunges were illegal.

The charges (excuse the pun) are constructed in flowery language that is obvious. e.g. "terrified and overworked". Most farmers including many horse farms use an electric fence. I've seen electric fences at studs running along the top of permanent fences keeping in stallions. I've used an electric fence both for cattle and horses mainly ponies without any problems. I daresay a jigger would hardly have more current than a fence. If the once only use of a jigger is termed cruelty then every farmer in NZ should be up for cruelty. However if the racing rules have been transgressed then that's where the legal action should begin and end.

Unless John Allen has got some deal for singing its going to be hilarious the judge or jury deciding what is a corrupt riding style. Strange how these "charges" have surfaced at the height of the racing season. And oh.. the betting irregularities. Well after 8 months they are still investigating them and scrutinizing the videos. This looks, smells and feels like a beat up.

Thats not a good rule. With a large screen far more information can be fitted on it in one go. Why should PC users be restricted simply because the developer wants the same format on mobile phone. With clipform.net I've tried to keep the information on screen whilst switching to a new page of information. That way the viewer doesn't lose his train of thought. Just because google were finding it harder indexing frames they deprecated frames in html5. Iframes are not as versatile whilst surplanting a previous page with a new page is far slower than using frames.

I dispute that. Jess was querying just NZ racing. racenet doesn't have NZ trial form and the commentaries. If you look what even clipform has for NZ its nowhere near. Its not a question of finding winners its in assimilating the form in the most efficient manner.

You should try my website. clipform.net I go by the "if its not broke don't fix it:. Have done nothing to make it mobile friendly. Was told it works perfectly on mobile. Overall the same format for last 20 years. As I said if its not broke.......

By FOB I mean the OpenBet/Paddy Power deal which originated only a few years ago. The clue for anyone in racing was that this was all about sports betting and its proved so with the huge stuff up. Rather than get out on the limb and question the "experts" some trainers and I emphasize SOME (eg ex trainers) quite happy to go with the flow.

Hedley, In a way super sleuthing is not required to add 1 plus one to equal two. I know you have always been consistent and able to grasp the maths. Others when these high salaries were being paid would come on "You need to pay that to get results" Just how could anyone deliver a miracle not knowing anything about the industry? Similarly when the FOB was announced there were many saying "Must modernize, keep up with technology". You, myself and not that many others were right simply by doing the math. Where were the trainers and even Brian de Lore when the FOB was first mooted? In a way by not speaking up forcefully and a few being misdirected by the likes of Leo Molloy now have only themselves to blame.

Maybe someone can educate me but I'm blowed if I can sea how treating sectional times in isolation is of value. Trainers love saying "my horse ran great sectionals" but what does that mean? Back in April Lord Arthur ran one of the fastest 2100m seen at Ellerslie for 20 years yet his last 600 even though fastest in the race was still slow on the day. His subsequent form prior to breaking down turned out poor. On that logic does that mean Melody Belle's win is of little value form wise and not a positive for the Cox Plate? Must agree some of the over the top "celebrations" after the race are stupid particularly in Australia.

Yes so many names even overlooked a couple of Melbourne Cup stars unplaced in the Wellington race i.e. Polo Prince and Fans.

All household names at the time from a golden era of stayers. e.g. Gear Sensation, Stipulate, Floutulla, Eiffel Tower, Red Crest, Palisade, Terrific, Bright Chief, Michael Molloy, Loofah, Tatua, Il Tempo, City Court, Johnny Cash, Proud Chief, Whakamoa, Simon De Montfort, Princess Mellay, Artifice, Trelay, Ansin, Anne Gable, Silver Knight, Duty Free, Suttle, Sailing Home, Apollo Eleven, Rustler, Topsy, Glengowan, Peg's Pride, Battle Heights, Rose Mellay. Peter Kelly's audio which everyone relied upon as live direct TV was still in its infancy. https://youtu.be/xA6nfXJkAsc NB. Peter Jenkins Fort Hagen failed to stay. Try the Auckland Cups. Mystery.... Simon de Montfort ran great 4th then the following year paid almost $200 for win.