The Centaur

Hoorah, someone who is thinking. A racemeeting betting pool is more than just a gambling pursuit. It can also be a marketing tool benefitting oncourse attendance and promotion of sponsors. THE TAB is an entirely separate business. It offers betting on everything that moves. The TAB has got nothing to do with the goals of a racing club. Modern technology means clubs can run their own pools independent of the TAB although perhaps the money transfer facilities can be used after all its no point reinventing the wheel. Clubs must realize that at the moment they don't offer betting on their events. That's a huge disadvantage and can explain the dire financial environment.

I've got my own stuff to approach. Its got to come from the owner.

Attention Chief, I note with interest that Dean McKenzie is willing to answer questions on station 2. In these cases persons in that type of position usually invoke the principle of fairness by not just seeming to support one outlet. Could I suggest you approach McKenzie and offer the same.

140 thats a shocker. Technology should mean no middle man. i.e. no TAB or bookies. Therefore just punters and clubs. It can happen. In fact its the only way racing can survive.

Has there been any results up to 30 June 2019 either 6 months or 1 year been published yet? Want to get some actual figures to judge the new platform.

Backing locals in testing conditions may not be a bad idea. I once had to fetch a local horse to get it to the track for a race. Heavy track. Found the horse lying sound asleep in its box and took quite some effort to wake it up. Still looked sleepy going to the start. End result horse led all the way and won by many lengths totally turning its form around.

Reefton, for a start your opinion is compromised with your association. Other opinions here approach it from an entirely fair and impartial perspective so perhaps they deserve some respect. Given the outcome the penalties and reparations and ability to pay the $400,000 is extremely lenient. I ran a riding school for a while so have knowledge about the stages riders go through to get proficient. One thing I found is that horses react differently to different riders. Sometimes a heavyweight fully experienced for many years can hop on very quiet horse and it goes mad whereas a lightweight non rider with no experience gets on and the horse is quiet as a lamb. When I worked in a stable (Brian Deacon - great record with apprentices) the trainer only allowed me to trot on the track even though I had been riding ponies for years. No doubt if I had stayed longer the process would have been gradual with supervision. No one is wallowing in others misfortunes. What riles people is just the attitude taken by you Reefton. "Oh Steve is such a great fella he can't do wrong" From the evidence revealed Stephen McKee is guilty of shocking negligence and if a person of his standing is not properly penalized it paints a dark picture on others of lesser standing.

Splendido is a real enigma. Here he was in one of the weakest fields possible with a huge pull in the weights. The horse has been competitive in Group 1 both in NZ and Australia at middle distance. If ever the punter needed the trainers perspective it was on Splendido. If the trainer thought the horse was OK then should have paid $1.50 not $9.00 showing earlier in the day given the racing pattern.

That comment is not needed.

Surely the TAB can suggest or endorse links where the real form can be found. In some ways its arrogant of the TAB not to do so.

Right now I believe Michael Dore farewell taking place at TAB. One of the few at TAB willing to engage with punters on an intelligent basis. Big loss for TAB. I can remember him being at the TAB in eighties so his time there probably closer 40 than 30 years. Not sure where he stood on some matters e.g. Triple Trio. Anyway hope he fares well in his next phase.

Listened to him for the first time via the podcast. Very disappointing. Not a fluent speaker and beats about the bush basically saying nothing. Never nails the topic on the head.

Agreed. Few seem capable of looking at the big picture. WE hear talk about closing tracks but little is presented about other activities some commercial others of community benefit. Actually some clubs might welcome respite from racing as Avondale did for a few years. More data, more informed discussion, less egotism and fewer jokes (e.g. LJM thinking of getting on the board) is needed.

And considering every time there is some whistleblowing or investigation huge cache's of dodgy hidden funds are discovered. e.g Panama papers. From a 2016 sub headline "New details from the Panama Papers show how a stream of foreign cash became a torrent flooding into New Zealand trusts in order to avoid tax offshore." Therefore why on earth are NZRB spending money on monitoring penny farthing transactions whereas the real problem is not really being addressed.

Most working at the TAB couldn't care a hoot about it so I don't think they do it for the benefit of the TAB as such. They do it because its something black and white so they can show they are doing something. Most just haven't a clue about racing, wagering etc. Also its like many on racing club committees don't know much about racing but had a bit of experience buying and selling real estate.

Look at any UK jump race. You can't tell me NZ horses are better educated. Don't know where you get your claim from.

About time NZ realized this isn't good old England. There is no way safety, training and resources can go into jumps racing the way it does in the UK. No problem horses being educated for jumping e.g. eventing. Perhaps some flat races can be restricted to jumpers but really the costs need to be weighed up.

wouldn't it be more accurate that luring the National Party and Racing Board hierarchy to his drinking hole has more resultant influence on attitudes to Allen, Hughes and Peters. Someone should ask how much NZRB funds authorized by Allen have gone to the Viaduct enterprise for "staff parties".

My old English teacher always said keep it short. So instead of..... "The delayed timing of benefits expected from the new Fixed Odds Betting (FOB) platform is a large contributor to the variance to budget" in short "a fuckin loss"

Seems the TAB have figured a way to claw back some profit. The fixed odds place odds are hugely disadvantaged to the NZ punter. e.g. Race 1 from Singapore tonight every single horse is priced lower than Tatts Bet. Some as much as 50%. That's just unprecedented. NZTAB UBET 9.35pm 1.80 1.90 1.90 1.90 13.00 28.00 3.50 3.80 2.90 3.10 2.60 2.60 8.00 16.00 13.00 22.00 2.40 2.60 3.50 3.80 4.80 6.00 2.40 2.60 6.00 10.00 4.00 4.80

The problem seems to be throughout the industry. Those getting into various influential roles are more keen promoting their own successes in their fields rather than studying the industry. Their motto seems to be "I've been a successful in business therefore I'm the best for racing." Meanwhile those that do have the solutions are sidelined by the "follow the money" yes men.

Much more interesting is the goings on in USA with J. Epstein, Clinton. Trump etc. True to form the USA press don't mention the Mossad.

Didn't know you frequented those sites that seem to pop up everywhere here.

OK that was a no go. Dead slow just a plodder. I suppose good rule for fresh up runners should be that the precocious ones are the best in that they would have got fitness through their own exertions. Therefore looking at a horses that have pulled or raced keenly in their previous runs bit of a clue. Lets turn the page to Avondale.

Race 9 today at Te Aroha. Carlsberg $61 Comes in fresh today which is the big query but consider? Has won fresh up 1600 in Hwt whilst fresh first up and was unlucky not to run 2nd to The Mitigator when overall first up. Has 100% record on soft or heavy. Its win was very impressive being held up and storming late. The fact from day one has had concussion plates suggests has aversion to good tracks. The big plus for me is the trainer. Seems to specialize in first ups. The 5 horses he has had over recent years have all won first up or second up and when second up unlucky first up. Those horses are Sellwood, Anacapri, Deagon, Conroy and offcourse Carlsberg. Not sure about jockey bookings as the winning jockey Gary Walsh is riding another one. That would be the negative At $61 I suggest ticks a few boxes.