Freda

That decision re. George Pell is certainly justified, and it is astounding that so many legal minds seemingly ignored the one resounding principle understood by people everywhere - that of reasonable doubt. Yes, he deserved to go free, and should never have been convicted in the first place. However, the presence of ' reasonable doubt ' does not automatically confer innocence.

But, while the point you make is both real and valid, businesses carefully managed wrt safety matters, would benefit the economy and have closed down as required; sadly, I see fkwits everywhere still openly flouting directions. A woman who rents a ' granny flat ' from me, and is thus perfectly placed for effective isolation, continues to go out and ' hang out ' with her mates. Cannot get through her thick head the meaning of lockdown. Given the habits of some of those 'mates' she represents a considerable risk. After digesting the rebuke I gave her recently for not just going out, but for getting behind the wheel when she was so wasted she could barely stand, she informed me that she had a job over Easter weekend.....doing security work for a supermarket. Ffs....

Yeah, I probably am there.

I'm thinking some clubs won't be travelling too well either.

Another thought - we have discussed at length the financial situations of RITA and NZTR, to the extent of our knowledge. What about racing clubs themselves? How will they be managing with no track fee income, and, whatever else they may earn from ancillary activities? hospitality, etc. The smaller ones might be impacted less, with only one or two employees, but the larger ones may be looking a bit ill.

One meeting per week per region....that will, nevertheless, prevent Otago [ Wingatui ] and Southland [ Invercargill ] from racing at all, until unrestricted travel is permitted. There are only three jockeys [ Barnes, Campbell, and Lowry ] in Otago, and none in Southland - apart from Stu Higgins. I'm fully supportive of 'lockdown ' but, the disorganised shambles that has ensued from conflicting information, poor, or non-existent testing protocols, few organised quarantine facililities, will dog us all for quite a while. If - and that is a big if - 'racing' can start again as per the above statement, there has to be availability of farriers [ currently deemed non-essential ], horse transporters; many businesses have been summarily shut down, that could have continued trading with suitable protocols. I'm sure we can all think of retailers which could be at least as safe as some supermarkets - and many, more so.

Especially the analysis by knowledgeable people.. !

Have received one, finally, from Dan Smith.

I never got an acknowledgement anyway.

I don't wish to be unkind, Lord knows, I wouldn't like to be tasked with turning the show around ; but, given that Australian racing is so far superior to the NZ version, one would think that a good administrator would be administrating over there.

Jeez, I don't run...lol...they do!

Sadly, probably, yes. I just hope that those affected clubs can do as Hokitika did, and return to their community. Without a drastic change in their operating model they will, otherwise, be just frittered away and wasted. It occurred to me - and no doubt I will be corrected if I have completely the wrong notion - that, as trading while insolvent isn't allowed, does that mean RITA goes into statutory management? And, as Winston instructed RITA to maintain funding to the codes at the same level ( no reductions) how does that make him look? Stupid? Ill-informed ? Incompetent? Certainly, not up with the play with his portfolio.

Hmm, not a bad idea. I've already emailed poor Bernard, I can just visualise his thoughts as he presses the 'delete' button - god, not this mad bitch again...but any and all ideas have to be worth looking at.

My garden might - I said might - get some much needed attention. I don't see housework being a beneficiary...ugh. I'm looking forward to doing more cooking/baking, I like cooking, I just resent being expected to do it. And, now that I am not coming home from the stables tired, stiff and sore, the dogs will benefit hugely. We all went round a deserted track this morning, the greyhound had a few semi-energetic canters, the crossbred bitch ran for the hour we were out, the elderly terrier became selectively deaf until I was able to sneak up on him towards the finish...all now home, muddy and very pleased with themselves.

Yes, that's certainly true...! Colin was a polarising character, but was very often bang on the mark with what he said or predicted.

But, Chief, as well as the Covid-19 mess there is also the fact that Rita is flat broke. Even if lockdown ends sooner than anticipated ( it won't) what the hell are we going to go racing with? Colin's bags of kumeras?

Absolutely, even before the Covid-19 situation, the drop in turnover at Melbourne in spring should have been a wake-up call that excessive levies and penalties to take money from the punter would, eventually, produce a backlash. Good call, Richard.

Brilliant

You are so right.

I for one will be happy to see him back...but it seems we are getting a few different posters nowadays and it would be a shame if he puts them off contributing.

At the risk of appearing a snooty, self-important creature, I don't think there's much to think with.

Good to have your input, Tim. We are all going to become avid commentators, there is only so much TV one can watch and books one can read !

I would think that provisions 3- 1 and 2 precludes public training rracks, but not, necessarily, private properties where the provisions are met. Certainly, having our local track open for training ( although appreciated by me for reasons of wound management) was more for the purpose of getting racing off to a flying start than any 'wellbeing' notions. And safety protocols were, with the exception of two trainers, ignored.

Our prescient management obviously has worked out it has backed itself into a corner. They were gung- ho to keep things rolling so racing could start as soon as possible once levels were pruned back. That, of course, was never the reason for allowing horses to be exercised, and the protocols that needed to be adhered to just, well, weren't. A ticking time bomb, and the right decision.

Agree, Chief...test, test, test, which is still not being done. Asymptomatic people can therefore have infected tens, hundreds before lockdown came into force. And, scarily, many are paying lip service only to distance and cleaning protocols. What I see around me is frightening. One young woman whom I forcibly pushed out my door told me to 'stop being anal ' and several of her friends were out on the piss night before last. I kicked out a flatmate's g/f who had arrived unannounced, because she had no notion of any safety protocols at all. Flatmate packed a sad and left too....so at least a quieter- and cleaner - house now....but they only left yesterday, lockdown day. No effing idea.