Freda

Thanks, Reefton. Good to have your local knowledge, and rational discourse. Welcome back.

Yes, I got that...but this is about a galloper....? I struggled to find any link to , well, anything.....

I must be missing something...but why is a comment from Macca about a galloping matter creating a furore on a harness forum..?

She could have had a couple of sandwiches. Just saying.

Burgundy had laminitis, Chief....don't think Tavistock did.

Quite right, IMO, Rusty and Jess. I see on the other channel, a poster maintaining that there is a ' moral obligation to break the law if it is wrong or unjust ' to force society to debate that law - with the purpose of putting it right, I assume. I don't disagree entirely with the sentiment that made that comment - however, that same poster has denigrated [ fiercely ] people who DO break the law, with the comment that the rule of law must be upheld, if you don't like it, lobby to change the law. Can't have it both ways. There is a reason, as stated, for name suppression and we just have to accept that.

All of the above...and, notwithstanding the awful economics of our industry now, another 'own goal' was scored when studs started using second-rate Aussie sprinters and/or unremarkable European two and three year old performers to try and ' compete ' with the fast and early Australian horse. Our strength, as it was once, was the classic and staying horse and we pissed that in the sea - for a while. There are signs with some recent importations that that tide has turned, but the flow of U.K. stayers hasn't stopped yet.

Merry Christmas everyone. .. ?

What a horror year for the Lindsays....it couldn't get any worse, could it? Hopefully some successes on the track with their own stock might brighten things up for them, and all the stud workers/employees too.

Same. Especially on the Android. I get a complete page blocking everything, I can't remove it and have to turn everything off and start again.

He's an incredibly focused young man, his success is very deserved indeed.

Thanks....she certainly deserved a decent trip - and, courtesy of Tina, she got one.

I'm no apologist for Saundry - but the notion that closing tracks would somehow bring us back from the brink has been the idea beloved of Allan Jackson for ages, long before Saundry appeared. Even Purcell went on record as stating ' we will NOT forcibly close tracks, but will work with clubs and support them if they wish to relocate.'.....or words to that effect...so Jackson's wish didn't get much traction at that point.

I don't think I put my thoughts very well..! I meant that, given the astronomical stakes in Australia, any downturn there will still [ to us ] be insignificant to the differential. They will still be considered the utopia for racing from our point of view. Given that our managing personnel haven't managed to comprehend that higher takeouts stifle betting, any correlation is likely to be missed.

Thick is the word...but, even when revenue is impacted, it will still be light years ahead of ours, so the problem won't be recognised as a 'problem' here, for quite some time I should think.

Pro punter Dr Nick exits Australian racing, says bookmaker Rob Waterhouse. Waterhouse blames increased taxes on bookmakers, for the decision. 'The flow-on effect for the industry could be a disaster ', he says, ' I suspect he accounts for about six per cent of Aus racig turnover, so that will be lost immediately. Sean Bartholomew has been a huge punter, but now concentrates on England and America. Zelijko still bets big, but nowhere near as big as he once did. It's all in response to taxes.' The concern is that the increased taxes of recent times could see many big punters abandon racing and turn to other sports. I think Mardi and Curious, in particular, have been indicating the likelihood of this result for quite some time.

Hope so too. Good to see the Riding for the Disabled given priority ongoing, too. Sad, though. Will be interesting to see who and how quickly follow suit.

Do you think, that the 'Royal DCM' will produce a slick, professional replacement ? ...or not....

My brother has a repertoire of awful jokes too....

You'd be one to avoid at a party.....

An update to the piggy problem.....knowing how, in this business, rumours fly everywhere gaining traction and embellishment along the way, I thought I'd better do some fact-finding. I rang the Hokitika president [whom I know well ] , she hadn't heard of the events described, but went over to Kumara and walked around the track. Very little grass in the area concerned, but it has been seeded and rolled, she said. Whether a sufficient grass cover can generate in the just over three weeks remaining before their meeting, remains to be seen.

Oh, they are - they want a thriving industry to frank the value of their stock...but don't comprehend that their demands have, in the main, contributed to the current state we are in, where stakes paid out have no relevance to what is earned on a given race.

If you compare NZTAB and our govt. with Aus state govts and their TABs and corporates, I dont see where our govt earns a great deal - if anything . Now, anyway. May have done once. Can you explain to a mathematically challenged person please?

We didn't have a Minister initially, did we? We were under the auspices of the D.I.A as far as I remember, and whatever structures we operated under, seemed to do very well ( by todays standards).

Terrible.....