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Everything posted by jess
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Was in 2 minds whether to bother offering a contrary view but I will anyway. I imagine Anne more than most would wish she was having more success currently. And remember - she would not be alone there!! The others on the thread have all made relevant points. I doubt you could accurately say the former success was all due to Wayne - I am sure he brought his own particular talents to the training partnership but a lot more has changed than simply Anne now training solo: different location; different horses; different owners; different staff; different times. My other observation would be in the heady days I recall (Camacho, Elegant Emerald, Tit for Taat (5 Grp ones if I remember rightly) et al ) - Anne rode work too. And you'd go a way to find a better track rider in judging a horse by the way it feels under saddle. A very capable horsewoman I'd have thought & most would acknowledge, bloody hard working with it - I imagine her horses would be very well cared for (they certainly always look it). Those of us who are owners & have to choose a trainer exercise free will & that's where we can really express our "opinions" I guess. Someone raised Lisa L's patchy recent form - I'm sure she acknowledges this & isn't happy - but it sure doesn't have me consigning her to the scrap-heap or saying she's nil because that is most certainly wrong. As the saying goes - form is temporary - class is permanent. J.
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Chief - cards on the table then - are you saying you actually swallowed (no pun intended) the infamous shared Cobalt trough defence from a while back?
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What a lovely balance you folks have brought to the thread with your responses to the original post 🙏 Crossy - A bit harsh maybe? - either that or you are mates with Wayne and just taking the opportunity to have a crack at Anne .......
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"..... and that your Honour, is the case for the defence" 😜😆
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What do I want them to say? Well I guess they could always give the truth a go ..... 😜
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Never said I was in favor of that Chief - please don't misinterpret my post. If you know of one, please feel free to quote me another example where this early on in the piece, such a quote has been made inviting an inference of innocence.... I am neither for nor against Te Akau. I am for fairness, transparency & a healthy industry. I do not begrudge Te Akau their success. However I find myself pondering the position if a sport/industry has a player in the game who is considered "too big to fail". What then? J.
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Oh Freda ... please don't take me back to that vision of those poor elite 3y/o beauties - schlepping round in the ragwort pasture, trying not to set their beautifully shod & dainty feet in the cowpats ...locked behind the electric tape gazing at the green pasture beyond (but knowing in their hearts they're not bred to jump 😜) ... . forlornly following the silage wagon round when lunch is delivered ... trying to avoid those big Friesians who want to chew their silken tails ...and walking gingerly down the stony cow race to the waiting horse-truck on race-day morning It always makes me sad ....
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Spot on Joe. 100%. Surely a bit premature to start exonerating the "accused"/dismissing the "evidence"?
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Seriously? Lisa Allpress named in New Year's Honours List!
jess replied to All The Aces's topic in Galloping Chat
Good for Lisa getting a gong. Certainly not trying to rain on that parade in any personal sense - she seems a very nice person & is as deserving as plenty of others on the list. But all in all the NY/QB honors thing leaves me cold. Too many ppl getting them on questionable merit. Just my opinion. John Key reintroduced the knighthoods - and why? - so he could land one for himself? I found that rather calculating and repugnant (& how very different from Helen Clark). And lots of people get them for just being good at their jobs. So what? If they're good at their jobs they're bound to be getting rewarded accordingly. Even sportspeople are a similar kettle of fish IMO. And politicians can seemingly get awards just for sticking around long enough .... (& having a crony who'll nominate them). I would rather they were the preserve of genuine acts of philanthropy, altruism and people who do really good and great things for others. And even saying that - not all philanthropy is created equal! I know of a man who had racing interests who got to be a Sir on that basis - & yes it's clear that he spent considerable money on charitable causes. But I always wondered when it came to this extremely wealthy man - if he had simply just paid his taxes in NZ (instead of utilizing offshore tax havens) - whether more money would have been reaped and more good done with it that way. Mind you - you don't get accolades and a knighthood for paying your tax do ya ..... I remember a lovely old woman who was a gardener. She used to strike cuttings of plants (perennials & so on) and grow them on & sell them from the driveway at her home. Now her house was a very modest affair and over the years, her hard work earned well into 6 figures (that is one helluva lot of little plants - as they used to be mostly $2 apiece!). I was in awe. It was clear she could've done with that money for herself & her husband - upgraded their home, had a nice holiday or whatever. But no - she went on for years giving every cent away (I can't recall the charity now but I think it might have been the local hospice). Now that is what I'm talking about. J. -
No worries Chief - hopefully most people here won't let you down by being silly or libelous. How to fact check if not in media? Ensure one is well informed I guess & apply some common sense & intellect to the information gathered & the sources from which the info originates. The media is generally not high on my list as a port of call when it comes to determining the facts of any matter. Sound cynical? You bet! 😜
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Mark & Huey - good points fellas. These CEO gigs (& those occupying them) have survived all the amalgamation malarkey nicely! - and are they really needed? I presume with such a lofty title the role is handsomely remunerated too ....? On the other hand, folks - & I'm no expert in matters of racing governance - but if AR was working an "unsustainable" 70hrs a week - perhaps we should employ TWO CEOs. Clearly there is a lot of very important work to do and so it looks like we actually need two very important people to do it. Chairman Paul Humphries is standing in currently. I understand he is a pretty busy businessman himself - besides his racing role/s - running a large construction company. And now he has taken on this role as relieving CEO. So based on AR's version - someone please get Mr Humphries a cape!
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Chief - you have nothing to fear from me - you should know by now I operate here within appropriate boundaries - as have the others on this thread. And I have no idea what you have heard & class as "salacious gossip". Speaking for myself though & in relation to what I have "heard" - I have reason to believe a fact check could well find it more accurate than what I've read in the media. J.
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Fair call Chief .... have to say though - there has been considerable restraint exhibited by the good & mature folks here at BOAY on this thread - even when taunted by reportage such as we see coming out now. Sometimes it's possible to feel one's own intelligence - however modest - is being a teeny bit insulted. There is no elephant in the room people. You may have noticed in the corner, an enormous grey leathery-hided mammal waving around a particularly long & flexible proboscis - he's currently on loan from the local zoo. But there is NO ELEPHANT.
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Ha! I chuckled a little at the "technically" too .... and as for the second most wealthiest - again - had me pondering just how that "fact" was arrived at - and the grammar simply made me wince ....😜
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300203423/racing-boss-steps-down-citing-personal-reasons So here you go - here is the "real" story. Nothing to see here folks - and of course it is a vague variation on the other 2 trusty old chestnuts when it comes to explaining hasty or awkward exits: 1. Leaving position to spend more time with family 2. Leaving position to pursue other (unspecified) opportunities I'm a realist & have long since given up on the notion that the stakeholders anywhere, are told the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth. But then the mischief in me takes over and I start thinking - if we aren't (or can't) be utterly, transparently forthcoming with all the facts - let's dispense with the same old-same old boring script - & at least apply some creativity and imagination to these press releases. I am thinking more along these lines: 1. Leaving position after being attacked by a woolly mammoth (hitherto believed to be extinct) in the Palmerston North City Square - now hospitalized & doing well but expected to be a protracted recovery/rehabilitation required so relinquishing role. Hunt for woolly mammoth continues - please remain in your vehicles or indoors if visiting Palmerston North until otherwise advised. 2. Leaving position to attend a retreat in outer Mongolia (which specializes in achieving intensive weight-loss) in the hope of fulfilling a life-long dream to become a jockey. At 68 years of age & tipping the scales at a portly 120kg, s/he did not see any barriers to this new direction & s/he leaves with the full support of the committee (& as a token of the committee's appreciation - a gift of a one-way air ticket to Ulaanbaatar). 3. Leaving position after failing to turn up at work for a month - enquiries reveal s/he has likely been abducted by aliens. Updates to follow as they become available (a Givealittle page has been launched accepting donations so aliens can be contracted to remove several other individuals from the organization's executive team. Please give generously - aliens don't come cheap) Apologies. My imagination can run away with me sometimes. Getting back in my box now. Bye. J.
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Greetings and a kind wish to you Freda! Yes I have been quiet - and it's been quiet round here on the odd occasions I've dropped in. Esp on the breeding forum - but in saying that - I could have tried to rev up some conversation by posting there (not that I've had a great deal of success in the past ...) - so in fairness, I must shoulder my share of the blame for a lack of traffic there 😛 I have been busy working (to support the tribe - and I don't mean the human tribe!) & playing with the ponies. Have new foals but not doing any breeding this year - I will miss the wee tackers come next spring but we all have our limits - mine being time & dollars. I always pay my bills before the due date (usually as soon as they arrive, really) & I will never get myself in a position where I can no longer do that. Even talking to providers I deal with - there are far too many racing people who leave a trail of bad debts. And I will never add to that list. Also - as much as I try to be optimistic (as you must, to survive in this game!) - I do hold grave fears for this industry. Getting back to the thread - without delving into the details - I do reflect here in NZ we do tend to get very starry-eyed & bowled over when someone from Aussie applies for one of our higher vacancies. We seem so flattered by them gracing us with their interest we appear to lose our minds & our ability to do due diligence and give good consideration to what we need & what we might be getting. I am sure you can think of examples of this. What is even more galling is the lack of accountability by those who appoint the "duds" - they seem to carry on their merry way, enjoying their fat salaries & corporate hospitality at premier race days. We are very slow learners. But then - how can you learn a lesson if you are never prepared to admit when you err? (when I look back, I've learned way more from my mistakes than the things I've done well - it hasn't always been fun making the mistakes but many of them have at least yielded some benefit & I definitely don't tend to repeat them!) Anyhow - summer is here. The hay paddocks are ready so just need the weather to play nice. Those conventionals seem just a wee bit heavier each year it seems - but I'm pretty sure that's more about me than the man who bales the hay! And what that reminds me, is that if we love our horses - keep doing it while we have the health to allow it. I probably won't be up to wrangling TBs when I'm an old duck so I'm doing it while I can. You know that saying - about the outside of the horse being good for the inside of the man (or woman)? That's the thing for me. They can be frustrating & they will break your heart sometimes - but I just love the bloody things. Much as I have incredulously asked the other half when he arrives home - how it can take so long to play a round of golf - he sometimes asks me how it can take that bloody long to feed half a dozen horses. But you see it's not the feeding - it's the hanging out with them - the smell of them - the feel of them - watching them in the paddock just being horses - breathing in the breath of a foal who is just learning to come up & trust you. All that stuff. Well back to the grindstone - work to do; mouths to feed. Happy days to you one & all. And personally - while it is not always PC these days to profess to have favorites - if the Chief Stipe was to issue an award for reasoned opinions, humility, intelligent discourse and humor - Freda - I've never met you in person, but you get my vote. Jess
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Ahhh Mikie. Well that's where I went wrong - I only started with a very small fortune. And it's disappearing fast! best I breed a champion STAT!!! 😃
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Ha Mikie! - nothing hallowed about my circles ... just another horse-lover who follows a bit of racing here 'n' there, breeds a few, races a few ... and will probably at some point retreat with an empty wallet & my tail between my legs 😜
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The sudden departure sans explanation raised an eyebrow around the place for sure - serious ill-health or wrong-doing are the reasons I've seen in the past for the rapid, unheralded exit from these sorts of positions. What I have heard since, I can't repeat here at this stage. Hopefully it's not true - and if it's not - and I posted it here - it would be a low blow to repeat a rumor of that nature. Here's hoping I am poorly informed. J
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This sort of thing and the blatant team driving I've seen in harness has put me off betting at the trots. Only times I bet nowadays is if I'm on-course or have connections to a runner. Now don't get me wrong - the TAB won't miss me! - I am a very modest punter & spend my hard-earned more on breeding & racing my own (TBs). But I can't see any of this enhances turnover when you add these sorts of things to what you are up against every time you have a bet .... J.
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Karrots - if you mean to sack the starter I personally wouldn't be comfortable to participate in something like that (but maybe I've misunderstood your post - apologies if so). This is about more than just that one employee IMO. What instructions is he working to - what support/education has he had in the past when found wanting - and how do the stipes and officials actually expect/direct these starts to be undertaken? And if I'm really going to cover all bases - what are the agendas for the various parties and is it a coincidence which runners got a huge advantage out of what some people just see as simple folly by one man. Even before we go down any conspiracy trails - I think the picture is a little bigger than the title of this thread suggests .... J.
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Don't want to unload on anyone (or launch any conspiracy theories) but to my way of thinking that start was just so downright unfair. They shouldn't have a pacing race with a standing start if that shambles is the best they can do. Would expect the drivers to have been briefed before the race so they were clear on the terms for the start. And the starter & officials to be on the same page as well. I have noticed in standing start trots, some get the walk-up treatment - this was even worse! The blue runners on the outside were well into pacing (at a good rate too) when they hit the line - poor old Ray Green's horse was standing still - good manners both driver & horse - for what good it did them! And then Mr Purdon had the temerity to wahh on about how the horse wasn't reliable off a stand & he was so pleased he brought his A game today & went away etc - FFS - because it wasn't a bloody standing start for the horse - so he didn't need the manners! The commentator/comments ppl too were disingenuous - talking about everything but the elephant in the room - which was the horrendously biased start! This was the equivalent of a gallops race where the outside 3 gates opened 2 seconds before the rest of the field! I didn't have a bet so not talking out of my pocket - just feel sorry for the connections of the rest of those horses in the big race. Looked unfair & unprofessional. Yet the trackside coverage that I saw seemed ok with it as they blatantly ignored it! (or perhaps they too scared to offer an opinion/state the obvious in certain situations ....?) Disappointing. Jess
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Thank you NZTR for doing this article. It was a very sad & sobering watch. Thanks most of all and the greatest of respect to Cody's dad, mum, sister and the others who participated. That can't have been easy & I admire that despite the pain of your own grief you are trying to help others. Cody never rode for us & I never met him - but I can see what a great looking, well spoken & accomplished young man he was. Clearly a loss to our industry but much more importantly - a terrible loss for Cody's family & friends. Kindest regards to all of you. Jess
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Best of care - best of facilities - and still these things happen. Horses eh. Just an awful year for Cambridge Stud and I wish them all the best and a change of fortunes in 2020. J.
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All right-thinking people are naturally disgusted at the behavior of the individual convicted of Grace Millane's murder. NZ has unique law when it comes to name suppression. We might not like it but sometimes there are good reasons. When people breach suppression laws thinking they are punishing the wrong do-er - they may end up creating collateral damage in the form of someone else whose rights are trampled on in the process - someone who most certainly does not deserve for this to happen. There is nothing heroic or admirable in breaching suppression in this case. And taking such action certainly does not make the 63 y/o (whoever it is) a good or righteous person. I am content to stay within the law and let matters run their course. And that position is most certainly not because I have any sympathy for that person who was convicted for that heinous crime. My father used to always say to us kids "fools & bairns should never see a job half done". I'm well past being the latter & I try not to act like the former. I am prepared to be patient. I believe all will be revealed in the fullness of time. Seasons greetings to you all. J.