Freda

I fear you are right. The nom/acc fees removal is a huge benefit to owners for all that, far too long coming and hopefully maintained. But a few hundred k off the top would make things a lot more sustainable.

Back to stakes....they look pretty good considering the free starts are still in place ( so far...,) But is this model likely to be sustainable?

Conghua looks an amazing complex....but the dragon is flexing its muscles like never before. Trust it at your peril.

Reported the comments to justify the phonecall made. That is not the crux of my post, suggest you read it again.

I saw a discussion elsewhere about the 'outsourcing ' apparently mentioned in the b/s from McKenzie in his valedictory press release. The only reference to 'overseas content' that I can see in that release is to BIUC money yet to come, as well as the PoC tax which will, I assume, hit everyone. The amounts to be realised from those sources would appear to be insignificant, given that the majority of overseas providers are already paying on a voluntary basis. I don't get 'outsourcing' or 'partnering' from that. I emailed Saundry yesterday with some of my concerns, but have yet to receive a reply. A fellow trainer told me yesterday that she spoke to him about the proposed race distances for the resumption, she had issues with the intended 800m and 1000m events . She said she found Bernard to be pleasant to speak to, and in the context of the conversation, he asked what a normal time frame might be for readying a horse to race. She indicated that a period of about six weeks of conditioning work would be undertaken before speeding up to galloping. And then, he wanted to know, do you gallop every day? At this point she was lost for words. As she pointed out to me, that is akin to the CEO of Fonterra thinking that milk was blue.

It would seem [ lack of ] accountability is found right up to Ministerial level...so not much show there.

Quite. Dont forget, we are upgrading selected tracks with all the dosh realised from selling the others. How's that going again?

Not exactly...Rick Donnelly, who is the assistant starter, has been covering for Kevin Ogden who is off injured. I agree, the starting seemed to be a chapter of mismanagement all day. I've always thought Rick does a better job.. .although there was the Hokitika number debacle come to think of it...

Tina is a quality rider, but there have been plenty of others, who, over time, have tried the inside when track conditions are testing. Sometimes it works, sometimes not...but Riccarton isn't the only track where there can be a charge for the outside. My peeve at the moment is not the track, but the average performance from the barrier staff [of which I am normally very supportive ] which led to my little mare being placed on a 'warning' for her barrier manners through no fault of her own.

The rail was out, so the 'inside' strip was actually the middle of the track....which is often the best portion. Dont assume that a blueprint can be followed for future use....the track was a glue pot yesterday, quite different from the sludge of the first day back and conditions vary markedly from day to day. It's just trial and error when rain affected.

I tend to agree. The Winter Cup is reinstated but what appeal, overall, without the two Nationals will the meeting have? As for an Invercargill meeting in July - and Dean a Southlander, ffs - has he forgotten how close to the south pole the blasted place is ? Or that southern racing ceased in that area after Easter for good reason?

Great post.

It sure is. However, the open entry model ( which I personally favour, although not like this ) does ameliorate the stupid scenario we have had with 65 r horses balloted and eliminated time after time, with higher rating fields going to post with 5, 6, 8 runners. While this system is in vogue ratings penalties have been capped so as not to disadvantage those winners off a low mark.

George has been suspended from his job on the starting gates for the gallops. As far as anything else, no idea.

Yes, we all knew that....big ups to them!

Any significant alterations?

If you can find a copy of the Messara report, there is a list of all clubs and the ownership status of the tracks they race on.

In all this shambolic restructuring it has struck me ( okay, maybe I'm slower than most here ) that the original aims have been lost sight of. Alan Jackson has had the track reduction fixation in mind for many a year. Forcible cessation was not on Purcell's agenda but appears to be on Saundry's. But from NZTR's position the line was always justified by the position that maintenance of all the tracks were are huge drag on industry funds. Many agree that there are too many tracks, but definitive costings to show us all the wastage has never been displayed. The Chief has shown that the fibre capability is really just a red herring and convenient excuse...and our close neighbour over the ditch recognizes the importance of fostering regional racing, not squashing it. Roll forward to the Messara report and the recommendation that endorses that closure stance....but for the specific purpose of renovating the selected tracks using funds received from the asset grab to provide a slick and modern medium to attract offcourse betting. So...where are we? A shitfest of frustration and disagreement over track retention, no financial light at the end of the tunnel for track upgrades because so far nothing has been cashed in and may not be for some time - if ever. No slick product to attract the offshore dollar. But the penny seems to have dropped ( somewhere) that concentrating racing on the few selected courses is going to produce tracks that are absolutely shagged with no money to upgrade, short or medium term. So now we have a grudging acknowledgment that we are going to have to use some of the previously unwanted courses. The funding/race stake issue is a separate drama to all this IMO... contributing to all the angst and uncertainty but running alongside the mismanagement at code level. I don't think anyone could have scripted such a complete and utter cock up of something that used to work quite well.

I'm probably speaking out of turn here, not being a 'dog racing' insider....but, wrt horses and other large livestock, the SPCA are effing useless.

Passed, done and dusted.

We'll not know until we see some figures.

The money providing the $15k races in July was found by shaving the RIU budget....which is funded by pokies. Looks promising, no?

A more likely reason [ I'm being kind here ] is that there simply isn't the funding to run any more racemeetings.

more money to be sucked out of the pot...

I think I already knew all that..but it looks worse in print.