The Centaur

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.

I saw what Newmarket has posted. The bet was on Orchestral for a win. Why has Talisker then been added at seemingly no advantage odds wise. When one is talking about $1.2M thats serious.

Avondale still without power after the fire. Sunday markets however seem to manage. Telephone out of order also.

I am sure most owner trainers with one or two horses have heard a licensed trainer say "if you want your horse ridden in trackwork then put my apprentice on for raceday". Similarly owners will tell the trainer "you want my horses then put the best jockey on." Racing PR people love to promote the overseas angle. So it goes on meaning new participants e.g. jockeys or owner/trainers are discouraged from the industry. Its not a level playing field. I guess it never was.

I suggest a new jockey fee structure for any race above $499,000 in stakes. Half the jockey percentage with the other half going to the regular rider if that jockey not riding in that race and able to do so. This will still enable overseas riders but won't upset locals.

What a load of twaddle!! Its a day setup up to hype up spenders at the yearling sales. Anyway it will rain so heavily flooding out the place. Make sure you get your COVID booster.

Thats immaterial. Denying any chance of horses competing sold by competitors is illegal.

The Slot Race is ILLEGAL. Although with a slight change then would make it OK. The conditions restricts competitive behaviour in that any potential competitor to NZB is discouraged. Thats against the Commerce Act. If NZB puts up the whole stake then perhaps they can be OK but since the money is coming from the TAB funds its not OK. It's like the Auckland Racing Club running a race just for horses that are fed Dunstan products and Auckland putting up the stake. Given the number of industry resources now going into the Karaka Millions and not just NZB funding I feel The Karaka Millions are now also illegal.

The max oncourse Ellerslie crowd is 10,000. Already booked out this week. The question is how much revenue comes from the big racing days. Also why overkilling a few days with all these goodies when there is no extra return unless the attendance charges are upped. The same hype existed at Ellerslie in 1990 when the million dollar international race was inaugurated. That I don't think lasted more than two years.

TAB has gone all in on sport. They are right into scoring own goals. No need to retire Tony at all. Also old time racing punters would have been bewildered not having a tote double on the Thorndon and cup. Options on all other stupid eventualities but the one option likely to attract once a year punters deleted.

SENZ Radio - Total rubbish. Didn't hear a mention this morning of Tony Lee. The second hour of the show total rubbish. Mostly talk on Karaka Millions and sales. Not a word about Wellington Cup. There must be some way of suing whoever owns the station for wasting listeners time. Why waste 10 minutes talking about delayed barrier draws for Karaka Million just baffling. Any humour on the show puerile and pathetic. At least Stephen Marsh who is experienced in media gave the first hour some plusses. The rest of the show just pathetic.

H'mm you bring back bad memories. Had Suttle relatively for me a huge bet then all the way up the straight "knew" Suttle would get past Simon De Montfort. If you listen to the Peter Kelly replays you would note SDM ran a great 4th the year before. So in hindsight the $180 unexplainable.

My memory of 1963 is vivid. My father not on any high paid job got a free service to the stallion Copenhagen simply because Mr Alexander of Wynthorpe stud was so taken by the appearance of the mare. We spent that summer preparing the yearling for the sales and arrived at Trentham with horse mid afternoon driving past the main gates. Then over the fence to watch the next race which so happened to be the Wellington Cup. Couldn't find any vantage point but I remember the grey Blue Blade which was from our neighbourhood 10L clear before turning for home. Ran 3rd paying 66 for a place. Seeing it was the first time ever at Trentham I thought the giant reception for Great Sensation occurred for every winner. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19630121.2.19

In case you missed this link. Peter Kelly just made the race. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA6nfXJkAsc&t=1031s