The Centaur

Todays events are shocking for New Zealand racing industry. OK its bad news but it should be making it to TV news as news. What the hell is wrong with those running Avondale Jockey club. I have been trying for weeks to get in contact with someone from there and I do have there their numbers. The main number has been disconnected and Manny Boyack the CEO is not answering his phone or messages. There was a time some 50 years ago that the plan was to run one meeting either Saturday or Wednesday in Auckland every week. I don't think Pukekohe can take much more racing. Its all f**k*d.

Clearly the Ellerslie track is not up to scratch. Maybe they could send someone over to Avondale to supervise preparations for meetings there for the rest of the year.

"namely that penalties are designed to punish offenders for their wrongdoing but are not meant to be retributive in the sense that punishment is disproportionate to the offence." Someone should send this to those rubbing out Darren Weir. How much has the jigger thing cost him? Millions lost. Horses such as Nature Strip, Verry Eleegant etc his whole complex gone or sold off and still they can't get enough.

The missing link is the demise of second tier racing. My suggestion is combining 6 tote races with 20 trial races. Each tote race with $10,000 stake money. Budget costs. No glorified photo finish costs, no tote machines or operators, stipes by remote link plus a few other cost savers.

Fifty years ago I won a race at Tauherenikau. I would have preferred starting at Feilding on the same day but was ballotted out. I think there was also a division race at Feilding meaning extra jockeys. Those dual meetings happened Saturday and Monday. Both meetings had a huge influx of Wellingtonians it was treated as a ritual getting out of the capital. The crowds were huge.

I do a bit of golf on a sports field. Last spring perfectly smooth surface etc. Now quickly taken over by some weed type grass looks terrible. So it seems turf culture is not that easy.

Good to see Mathew Eales get good win with horse he owns at Trentham. I vaguely recall reading Noel Eales learnt his trade with Syd Brown but wonder what were the horses at that time. Was it Redcraze or later Daryll's Joy?. Also early on Brown had an awful suspension of 2 years from training. What was all that about?

Interesting that the Warriors with Cameron George at the helm have invested in a sports bar complex near Eden Park. Now to keep racing interest out west perhaps a farm property to rehome ex horses, spell and break in racehorses. A place where enthusiasts can visit and meet other like minded racing followers. Somewhere suitable between say Helensville and Orewa.

Looks like you have stumped everyone. the "TR" most likely is Trentham. Take a guess Tall Poppy or Calm Harbour. Jockeys Damon Smith and Jim Cassidy.

No two year old race and neither on Saturday. Yet 14 2yo heats last week trials at Taupo (over 100 horses). Just what is the strategy?

Stupid.. Stupid.. Race 1 only a few starters therefore best to run it after race 10 and leave everything else the same.

Introducing some new is not easy. You can't even get thru to TAB by telephone. What gets me is that new technology should make operations cheaper and easier. Instead they spend huge capital and get themselves into a total tizz. People now are far more au fait with scanning with their phone. Its ridiculous paying and collecting after each race. Transfering money into a temporary account doesn't require any operators. The problem is TAB only thinks in terms a normal account with extensive ID requirements for money laundering laws. Thats rubbish. Temporary accounts are the key to oncourse betting.

There is nothing difficult about oncourse betting. 1. No machines or operators required. 2. Patrons establish temporary account on the day receive card with id i.e. bar code. 3. Bets placed through qr codes bringing up the race and temp account linked to phone. Customers need no pre education how to bet online. Use of qr codes for access makes betting easy. 4. Payout end of day cashing up card with bar code etc. Simple.

Assange, you must be getting quite nervous. The expected appeal decision expected before March 10. Al least Albanese is now in your corner. Be lovely to see you at the races this year.

The General Admission charge of $30 is a negative. Previously just turning up at the gate still had the advantage of knowing ones mates or friends would be in attendance. Nowadays that is a rarity. The on the day gate charge is simply there as a backstop to encouraging function or social group bookings. The dismal looking "crowd" on Derby day will probably be worse on Cup day. Promotion by showing splashy looking 20 year old models is a discouragement for middle aged women to attend. Certainly attendance by Mr Average or family groups on a budget won't happen.

Chief, based on my 54 years IT experience (1st tertiary qual for programming in NZ) the above what I have written is my take.

Two principles that should be followed. 1. If it ain't broke don't fix it. 2. Don't reinvent the wheel. Legacy software quite often is perfectly OK. It's just that young programmers want to learn the latest fad in order to get the big pay. No one wants to learn the old way so businesses are sucked into needless "upgrades" where only minor tinkering is required. A good example is the Western Australian website. It used to be satisfactory. Then they changed it but obviously the people doing it had no idea what punters wanted. Its actually a total joke now. Seems knowledge of IT and also racing is a rare commodity.

Nothing to do with Entain but NZTR is kissing $4 million good bye. That's because they have ditched the integration into Australia's management of participants data. Background. NZTR’s current Racing Management System requires replacement due to Microsoft Access no longer being supported. The Single National System Agreement between Racing Australia and NZTR was signed in August 2020. The project began in September 2020 NZTR and Racing Australia agreed on a list of customisations that will be specific to NZ and tailor the system to our needs. Communication, Education & Training programs are being developed Until this change is implemented racing industry participants will continue to use the service portals accessed through LOVERACING.NZ (this website has a dedicated information section for external participants). Improvements through technology will take all participants on a journey to a new platform within our Industry. Thank you for being part of this change. That's the fairy tale but now...... according to Dennis Ryan NZTR are reverting to their old system and "upskilling" its own IT department.

I Am Unstoppable will win. Private Eye 2nd, Imperatriz 3rd.

There has to be huge doubt about Imperatriz this autumn. The two videos I've seen don't show a happy and keen horse. Bookies may clean up.

Looks like the Herald reporter had trouble with the tape measure on the female cop.

Racing participants deserve NZTR breakdown of legal costs. Until recently James Dunne (LLB and BA (History) from Victoria University admitted to the bar in 2008) was employed by NZTR. It would appear all this trouble started when he was there. It happens all the time. Lawyers like the monetary rewards but not the work.

Chief, the billy connelly post is way outside the posting guidelines. It's probably illegal as well. Your action on this is required.

$1 million is as much as paid for a horse yet when it comes to helping starving, injured, sick children in Gaza our Foreign Minister also the Racing Minister cannot bring himself to denounce other western countries pulling funding from UNRWA just because he wants to stay onside with the genocide exponents Israel and USA. $1 million is a pathetically small contribution for NZ to make yet even then for Winston Peters that seems too much. Racing doesn't need to associate with those types of politicians.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350161098/kiwi-jockey-hospital-after-aussie-race-fall Hoping for positive news. Another case of an incident after the finish line. Why are there so many? Jockeys must be instructed that the pulling up phase can be dangerous. All the over the top on the post celebrations must be banned. Care has to be first priority.