Freda

How many mill, Fish?

Exactly.

I've always felt that if you don't support the local product, there soon won't be one. But, locally, with three of the top 4 riders approaching retirement it's not looking great...and I'm hard pressed to think of a kiwi-born apprentice.

There'll be even fewer young kiwis coming through with the latest 'initiatives ' wrt apprentice training.

However, to add balance, if Sam feels the pressure of training/ riding in a very different arena and decides to devolve some of that pressure by standing down, then that will be her decision. Rest assured though, she won't be pushed.

Was there a 'surge in turnover ' though, during Covid? We were all treated to the boo-hoo crap about how Covid was at fault for the appalling balance sheets when revenue should have been pretty positive; zero costs and tbe excellent Australian product to still watch and bet on.

Sam can give as good as she gets, and then some. It can be very entertaining.

Damn right!

State of shock? No. The five years of excess funding is finite, it always has been, and any increase in revenue and participation has to be driven by other improvements apart from stake money and novelty races. As there has been no evidence of the latter, there is little reason for a state of shock.

Don't know what to think. Timing seems odd however.

Best of luck to them. Whether over-subsidised ( as Doomed comments ) or not, the South needs to be able to put on a decent show. A good track, has always suited good horses.

C'mon, have I EVER done that? !!

I'm wading into a topic I don't get too bothered about really..but if a horse has beaten others of moderate ability, irrespective of how easily, it can still only be given points relative to the others it has defeated. Australis has much more depth of performance so ratings will be more reflective of real ability. I hear people complaining that horse A has won X dollars, how can it rated less...etc, etc, stakemoney is largely irrelevant, they can only be rated relative to the rating of the opposition.

I'm surprised Hitabell hasn't had some attention- presuming all is well with her of course.

Utterly contemptible. I might give Justine Slater a ring and see what she has to say about it. I've got a fair idea.

You were right.

He does indeed. He does go off half-cocked at times, but this industry does need a decent cage-rattler. He should definitely be more careful from a slander point of view, but it can be very frustrating indeed trying to get sense and accountability out of management. Curious would recall the dialogue with Justine Slater about a welfare matter. That was productive, wasn't it? Not.

OK, but a step in the wanted direction?

Yep. Was waiting for something like this.

I think Col is persona non gratis ATM....

No. The 'other codes' can barely communicate with the wider public as it is...yes, initiatives are publicized on racing channels and other media but not to Joe Citizen who largely remains oblivious to the likes of welfare matters, traceability, rehoming, etc. Likewise the money spent by GRNZ on treating and repairing injured dogs before going to rehoming kennels is just not known either, talk about industries bent on self destruction. If these matter were made public, very public, it would have been a lot harder for Winston to get suckered into a backroom deal for whatever.

Just an observation...I do feel that the races aren't policed adequately, and officials- in the main - have little idea about what good or bad tactics might be or what practices are potentially dangerous until an accident happens. If you watch overseas jurisdictions, in ( for example) Japan, and the Americas particularly, there isn't this habit of 'stacking' fields which leads to all sorts of schemozzle behind the leaders. Add some who think it's ok to dive under the necks of other horses or close a gap suddenly and it's not hard to see how riders can clip heels, especially the younger ones. If races were run at a solid clip and deviations from a line strictly dealt with, the whole thing would be much safer. In the UK/ Ireland it is common to put in a pacemaker to ensure this, which i think is a good practice.

Isn't Net betting revenue the most important of all?

Look at the character it built..🤣🤣

I have a new phone which i am learning to drive...was locked out of a few places but mostly all sorted now, thanks Chief. BNZ also very helpful, had to go into a branch because the phone help couldn't, but the girls in the local branch were amazing, took them ages but well done to them! But I must have offended at Channel X. Can't login in, failed security check....? Didn't think I had said anything out of place at all, I do try not to offend.!