jess

Yep it looked pretty clear & the pair did well not to go down. Not being able to find the applicable slip marks isn't too relevant I'd have thought - when the slip was so apparent and deemed free of interference. I think of "slipping" like skidding - like when my boot goes out from under me, slipping on a slimy boardwalk ... I wonder if these slips we now see on these tracks are not quite that classic slip/skid due to slipperiness - & won't necessarily look like that either, when examining the ground? Rather than a hoof skidding across the surface - maybe what we're seeing is more like the substrate not staying intact - so the hoof lands and then some of the upper part of that substrate parts ways with the subsoil - hence the horse losing its footing, becoming unbalanced and appearing to slip. End result for horse & rider is pretty similar though - it's unsafe.

Brilliant.

Huey - both funny posts but possibly just ... "too soon"? ... for us sensitive types who started the day so full of hopes n dreams .... and that's from someone who is not on-course and doesn't even have a horse there - so plenty of others will be feeling it more .... BUGGER!

Unaccustomed as I am to foul language .... F#$k ..... how gutting ....

Was thinking the same watching it on tv Chief - accustomed to old school tracks - I'm not used to seeing that kickback of loose particles - and even the odd clod flying - when the track's rated Good 4 .... The intro from Bevan S was quite guarded, I thought - theme being don't expect the track to be at its best yet. Also interesting to hear the track manager talk about learning a lot from the trials (couple weeks back) & making some changes after that ...

Hear hear Chief - I've been to jump-outs at Levin - they are well organised, the track is presented in workmanlike order and they are extremely well patronised. They also have recently upgraded infrastructure in the form of good, new tie-ups on-course (rather than horses having to cross the road from the old tie-ups area). From what I can see, selling this paltry piece of the family's silver would be folly. I'd be keen to sign the petition, for sure. Think it's worth a scrap, if they are trying to can it. There's plenty of merit in the arguments to keep it - and no more than a short-term, meagre & quickly spent gain if it was to be sold. The money would disappear without trace & either opportunities to ready horses to race would be lost - or undue pressure put on local racing surfaces - or horses forced onto the synthetic (chances are - actually all of those negative impacts would result). NZTR - get a grip. Have any of you big salary earners from HQ even been to jump-outs at Levin? J

Long awaited race-day debut for the new track. Weather's been good & the sun's out there. From time to time, we all have our grumbles & criticism here on BOAY - but 99% of us are here because we love the horses & the racing. And it's pretty important this track proves to be the goods. Especially amidst reporting of rumored closures - pending announcements re the future of Hastings etc So all the best to everyone for today - officials, track staff, workers, punters, trainers, riders , owners & of course the horses. Wishing all those competing, a swift & safe path to the finish line today. Jess

Precisely.

Well it's an opinion based on way more info than I have so appreciate your account. It may become a track where there is a real pattern of racing that emerges - eg. crazy dash to get to the front early - whatever your draw. And it also may become quite horse-specific. Shiftiness in a track can produce that IMO. I had a big long striding horse a few years back - would gallop well on a range of going from goodish to heavy - but the one thing that would slow her down was a shifty track. It was as if she lost confidence in that bold big long stride, if when her hooves struck the surface - she didn't know where they'd end up - because the ground was literally moving under her.

Thanks for that Chief - I've never walked it & I found that a very interesting & easy to understand description of that track. Enlightening. Cheers, J.

Interesting SA - some jockeys will be more politic than others I guess - but surely nothing in the rules for licence holders precludes them from offering an opinion on how they felt the track rode? If that was the case - the TAB presenters might as well stop asking them that inevitable question that they ask (especially early on in the card)- and opt for something less tricky/controversial - like - what did you think of the rose gardens around the parade ring .....

Yep Chief - I'm not expecting jockeys to comment on "how the track for to the condition it may be in" - just their take on it as riders who are out there doing the business on it! They've got way more idea than me sitting in my chair watching trackside. No-one expects them to be agronomists or turf culture specialists. Although for all I know - one or two of them may be ....

No argument from me Curious. Owners will trust their trainers to make the right decisions for their horses. I don't know enough about that track to know what those decisions would/should be - although I'm aware of some of the opinions that have been aired. I was just bemused that the press release didn't just leave it at "depending on sufficient entries" - rather than what seemed like a "poke" at the trainers - that they've been given what they asked for - now front up & use it! (at least, that's how it read to me ....) It's not a big deal - but simply not what I would have expected in a factual, info-only bulletin regarding possible upcoming trials. Maybe the Comms team had Easter weekend off .....

Meeting News Possible Riccarton Synthetic Trials - Wednesday The Ashburton Trials scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled. The Canterbury Jockey Club has offered the Polytrack as an option to have a Trials meeting at Riccarton Park on Wednesday. This is subject to two things: Sufficient entries being received. Being able to step in when weather and other conditions make a turf track unavailable was a key plank in the industry wanting Synthetic tracks so hopefully there will be. All staff, service providers and contractors being available. Good to see another option being put up - with the release as above. Interesting! The second part of #1 comment makes it sounds like you're on notice, Canterbury trainers! (to support the synthetic). And as for #2 - I'd have thought trials wouldn't even be proposed unless those ducks were in a line? But I guess I don't understand how these things work & the batting order for organising them ... Options to trial are important I believe - for all participants equine & human - including punters. J

Couldn't agree more re KH, Freda. Also I appreciate when they interview these jockeys they've just jumped down off the horse & not much time to gather the thoughts. It definitely wasn't a criticism - I'm just always interested in what they say (or don't say ) - because they're the ones who really know! It's like the Awapuni track - at first we heard a lot from the officials but I had been waiting more for those jump-outs & trials to see what the riders said. They are in the best position to know how the surface played - how the horses went on it. Oh & a bit less prone to spin 😝 As for the Ellerslie track - I offer no opinion. I find the whole concept of its construction and people who refer to it as "hydroponic" interesting - but don't know much about it & haven't been on course to see it. Happy Sundays, everybody. Jess

Huey - TBH - that's the impression I got too - that she checked her (usually) forthright self & appeared to insert the filter before the words escaped! But I was interested in what others here had to say - and didn't want to be unfair - so reluctant to put a spin on it that may in fact not have existed. As for your comment Curious - I know what you mean. I've the impression there's not a lot of bulls##t about the woman - strikes me as a hard worker & genuine and I like that about her. Respect, KH. J.

When Kate Hercock was asked after her win - how was the track - she seemed a bit lost for words initially - I can't recall her whole response but she did hesitate at first - and then said something about it being very different from what they race on at home (central districts). Haven't watched any other interviews to hear the other riders' comments ......

... such as the mega maiden series etc. Yep. (and no, I don't put my home-breds through the sales!) Clearly NZB is entitled to put up whatever money it chooses & pitch its various commercial propositions to NZTR. With races like the mega-maidens and other KM/NZB initiatives - is NZB the only contributor to the handsome purses? - or does NZTR and/or Entain also join the party and sign a few cheques?

Thanks D - that explains it. A false dawn. Meanwhile truckloads of money pumped into races where owners have scratched the backs of NZB. Just another kick in the guts for home-breds. Feels like a cartel.

I clearly missed an announcement along the way .. after the much vaunted increase to 18.5K minimum stakes - I see now mid-week races for 17K. They giveth - and they taketh away ...... J.

The accounts of the actions giving rise to the charges in both cases, were extremely distressing to me. I see it listed the breeding of the horses that were subjects of the charges. As a breeder & owner I can only imagine how it would have felt to recognise my horse amongst those animals - distress compounded with guilt for sending them into the lion's den to be treated like that. I urge those who bear witness to blatant ill-treatment and cruelty to have the courage to speak up, challenge & intervene. That is the only way we can rid the industry of inhumane practitioners. It's also the way to help those who need more education & support to manage their behavior & build their skills, to ensure they don't take that path. I acknowledge that there is often a power imbalance & that speaking up can be at considerable personal cost, especially when employees are part of the picture. For those who have stood up for those who cannot speak for themselves - the horses - I applaud you. I acknowledge the right of the accused parties to put their case & defend the charges. But in so doing, their defence & upholding of patently cruel and inhumane practices speaks volumes - & is almost as distressing as the actions themselves. Because it provides little to no hope of change or redemption. In my opinion it also vindicates the judicial body imposing the stiffest of penalties, including lifetime bans. While it's no small matter to lose the means of earning one's chosen living - there are other means to pay the bills. And perhaps some should reflect & offer thanks they were answering only to the industry body & not additionally to the District Court on criminal charges. From what was reported, & albeit the jurisdictions are held to different standards of proof, it would seem the threshold for such charges would have been met. Regards, Jess

Yep here's hoping. More important than ever that this turns out to be a good, sound track - with all the recent abandonments and tracks undergoing renovation. I understand there's been a bit of rain there in the last few days - hopefully the trials will still go ahead. I can imagine there's a reluctance to risk damaging the surface from trials - but equally it's probably important that the surface undergoes that "test" prior to the big inaugural race-day later in the month. All the best to the team - it will be especially good for local owners to have their home track back in action. Jess

So not ready for Sires Produce day @Awapuni - but track good to go Anzac Day. Is the TAB running a book on this? And if so - what odds? ..... J.

Heya Freda - thanks. And ok - I'm arriving at the same conclusion - next question is - why not? The info/decision making is all known & readily available - the means of disseminating that info in a (very) timely fashion is also available (at a few strokes of the keyboard) - so why doesn't it happen? The more cynical version of myself has a saying - "everyone has an agenda" - what's the agenda here - and whose is it?!

Yep thanks SLB. So there are 2 sides to it - what track we should have/want to have/need to have (for "insurance" purposes if showers are forecast arrive on race-day etc) - I guess everyone will have different takes on all of that. So maybe they planned to irrigate Otaki yesterday - then at some point - the track manager (or his bosses?) pulled the pin on it (if so - arguably that should have been announced when it was decided that their actions would be different to what they'd declared?). The other side to it - which is more what my post was aimed at - is transparency & accurate/current facts about those tracks. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but I'm starting to think the racing/betting public - for whatever reason - are not getting that. I am happy to be wrong if someone can explain it ....