Freda

Clearly not.

There won't be any 'Park' left soon.....it will all be housing with a track in the middle.

Good.

Carrie McCarthy, Euripidies Lionel Pratt, Cloudy View....

I liked Hedley's contributions....

Pfft.....I agree, Mark is a decent bloke and very approachable....but how bad can a rider be to cause his horse to fall arse over kick on the flat in a straight-ish line? Just get Foskett to come back and give some advice to the Dunedin staff......?

Nope, course not. Just more head scratching from officials and no decisions anywhere.

....and the autocorrect decided ageing was agreeing....

Couldn't agree more. And to Jess - dont apologize, I agree with you too....but I couldn't quote your post because my phone is agreeing and doing the weirdest things. Look at the races Tina Comignaghi wins, she does flap with her whip but really, what a waste of time, she can't use it but her mounts just keep giving for her. The English model might look a bit ugly to our eye, but the strong upper body is the key there....and how many bashers do you see in HK? As Thommo says, it wont take long to positively select those free going and genuine sorts....and - as for punters - who wants to drop a heap of money on a horse who doesn't want to be there?

I find it somewhat ironic that Irishman Downs and expat Pom Higgins seem very adept at the bash....wouldn't get away with it at home

Wondered if that debacle was going to get a mention..yeah.. running start for one...the eventual winner...that portion of the track around the corner is known as Puddle Alley for obvious reasons; Neill Ridley said yesterday that it has always been a shit of a corner. Some years ago I had a runner down there - Finians Rainbow, ridden by Lisa Young and no slug in the wet - slid for 50 metres on his belly in that exact same spot. The track was closed and 'fixed ' after that, winter racing/jumping was held at Oamaru for a season or two. Worked, obviously.

Stunning!

No, no....its lost whatever appeal it had ( to me ) in the days of Lord Module, etc....

The day whips are banned - or their use drastically reduced - there will be a good number of jockeys looking for a new job....

Now that is a good idea.

Poor Bart He did a great job when he was at Riccarton, he looks very uncomfortable spouting that b/s.

Simply awesome, what a brave girl.

I stand to be corrected....and as a horse lover of course the idea of a horse drowning in its blood is abhorrent...but I cant bring to mind any horse dying on a NZ track as a result of EIPH.

I do.

Yep, good on them indeed. That bone remodeling stuff, the name of which escapes me, I believe may be indicated in some cases too.

Looking at the Wingatui / Wellington fields, numbers look healthier down south than in the CD.

I'm not sure of the exact criteria - and I'm only asking a question - isn't NZ HOTY based on NZ form...?

It's always the way, that one fk-up outweighs the 99% of times when everything goes smoothly....but the point Thommo is making ( very well IMO ) is that the checks and balances aren't there to prevent the inevitable mistakes...and its not just the wrong colour paint or the omission of the baking powder, the lives of people and horses are on the line. That's why critique is so important, not to be dismissed with a ' I'd go to war with these guys' attitude.. as if they shouldn't have to EVER stand scrutiny.

Yes, you're right, and I didn't imply blanket criticism of the many decent blokes and girls who work very hard. But I think a few more attendants, even, would help avoid some of the dramas.

Good stuff Thommo. Couldn't agree more re. starting crews being employed by NZTR instead of by clubs...where not only is there not centralized control or training, even payment and conditions vary. Quite apart from this latest awful result, there have been plenty of instances when plain common sense would have avoided a balls-up.....the tape start in the steeplechase at Wellington, for one - the recent ( completely unnecessary) escape of the mare She's Gallant at Riccarton for another....the list just goes on. Then we have the situation where the chief stipe makes arbitrary decisions about which horses can be delayed and/or have a man up.....jockeys pointing out that they are in the wrong gate and being told to shut up....jockeys calling for assistance and being told we're too busy deal with it yourself....oh dear , professional....no.