Freda

Absolutely.

What a stellar performance from the second filly...but Enable, a class act all the way.

That's been one of my points....that the wee clubs have been on the thin end of the wedge wrt preferential funding, and the big clubs have had more dosh...because of their 'strategic importance ' ...well, haven't they done a grand job with that extra funding. As for the CJC staff...yes, it was their cock-up, but no one will have any questions asked. And at the end of the day, the course manager who is the head honcho [ as Thommo said ] of track managers, is working from the same song sheet as the rest....he may not have any choice in the matter. Whoever writes the tunes, however, is certainly one who needs to be shown the door.

With events nationwide, that is, sadly, no endorsement.

There was a mention somewhere about stipes being sent for retraining.. I may be mistaken but i am not aware of any facility for training stipes about soil/turf management or how to ride safely at speed. Perhaps a bit of gardening might help.

Got some of those...!

Well....dont like to repeat myself but.....the bigger clubs have received preferential funding for years at the expense of the small ones....so why would any same person throw more money at them?

Groundbreaker, I believe. Track was open this morning for those affected horses, until 9.a.m. Machinery arrived in the middle of trackwork. That is typical, of course. And my comment about ' being spoken to ' was, I'm afraid, tongue -in -cheek. There were worried looks aplenty, much handwringing, but not much else.

The rebuild twenty years ago was done on flawed specifications. - IMO - although I am certainly no expert. It has been contentious ever since and, as Curious and others have stated, twenty years is about the lifespan of your turf track anyway. As for track men knowing about the hard pam....go figure

So..to harp on about this b/s...which gives me the shits...if Walshy could identify a problem, what about the stipe - sorry RIU member - who walked the track and approved it? Is he blind? Will he be reprimanded? Will the track manager who authorised the mowing/watering be spoken to firmly? Will the CJC fraternity who want other tracks to close and their clubs to race at Riccarton feel, ever so slightly, embarassed? The recommendation in the M report was that many of the 'keep' tracks be reconstructed. Has anyone from NZTR bothered to discuss with the 'close' tracks any likely time frames and perhaps reassure them that they will most definitely be needed while this reconstruction goes on? Oh - hang on, that's right, they all have to be cashed up to get the funds to do the reconstruction. FFS.

Can't comment about urea...but definitely appalling judgement to mow in the manner they did. Yesterday when walking out to the crossing I got very wet shoes and socks...but the ground was hard underneath.

..and yes, Brian, you were quite right re. clippings...I didn't walk far enough around this morning. None where I was.. but apparently plenty around the top. I am told Walshy walked the track yesterday and told Lisa Allpress not to get too wide out or she'd be sitting on her arse.

sure was.

Didn't read your post before pressing button.. but yes, agree. Was going hitch a ride to meeting with Neill Ridley but he didn't have the time in the end, so I didn't attend. Interested to hear your observations about the meeting. I think Timaru [ for one ] has just been handed a bit of ammunition.

Don't be bloody silly...that means 'accountability'. As far as Riccarton goes, Chief has been commenting for ages about stuffed soil structures, and here is no different. Not grass clippings, just a packed, compacted soil and a bit of rain/irrigation to make the top slippery. We usually get away with it because Riccarton is a big, sweeping circuit with soft corners - not because of superior management - but the rail was out today which does alter the contours. Strathayr, yep, no brainer I should think..but could this track team do the appropriate caretaking of the thing? I notice the M report indicated Riccarton needed complete reconstruction....but the advice to close Timaru/Oamaru came from pretty close to home I think. Now watch Ricc get transferred to Mon/Tues or Wed and completely stuff Timaru's Friday meeting.

Great, thanks.

Curious, sorry to high-jack this thread...but can you tell me what percentage of turnover the supposed ' million per month ' that we were supposedly getting, represented?

My concern is, that if clubs resist the land-grab - and why wouldn't they? that portion of the M.Report will not be implementable [ hope that's a word ] ....and Peters may then stalk off, not having gotten his own way, with the Racing Board not disbanded and other good parts of the report not implemented.

So....what is the consensus on here, then? Reduce races/racedays - makes sense to me, years ago I don't recall anywhere near the plethora of races up and down the country. Repair/renovate tracks on a rotational basis to restore product integrity [ horrible term]...also makes sense. So what else? I'm asking for opinions, not just being a smartass. I'm not against allweather tracks in theory, but fail to see how the installation will create the extra turnover required. Is the land-grab a good idea? or not ? assuming that the whole process isn't locked away in a shit fight for years...I don't like the concept at all, it's just not right IMO...but I'm only one opinion.

Yes, I agree. I don't want to be thought 'negative and backward looking' or 'parochial and selfish' as Winston termed resistant thinking [ which in itself is odd considering his politics are ALL about the regions - supposedly ] but I don't see how the whole operation is supposed to work. Yes definitely to NZRB shake-up, no brainer for most I think...but implemenation of the venue thingy is far less straightforward. Just in Canterbury, for example, Timaru and Waimate are on the close list, as well as Motukarara and the CjC's portion of Rangiora, with Ashburton being the second designated track in the region. But Ashburton track and facilities are woeful, and will cost megabucks to bring up to a reasonable standard. So where do all the trials regularly held by Rangiora go? Where will the races held at the not-required tracks go while Ashburton is brought into the 21st century? On the allweather at Riccarton, we are told. But that hasn't been built yet, and - if it ever happens - may be years away. Will the trainers dispossessed by track closures at Timaru and Rangiora meekly sell up, move house/farm/kids' schools and go to Ashburton? That's even presupposing there are suitable facilities for them - as there certainly isn't room in the Riccarton training area. Don't think so somehow. The CJC management are right behind Ashburton being ' the second-tier training facility in Canterbury ' which tells me whose fingerprints could be on some of the paperwork. Those folk dispossessed ' won't be able to afford to live in CHCh and train at Riccarton Park ' has been stated..the arrogance is astounding. As for abandoned racemeetings - I think it has been stated here already that they are the only racemeetings that don't lose money!

Thanks.

Perhaps our resident statistician Curious can put up the more likely amounts that would have been garnered by the legislation? I have seen them somewhere, either from him or from Mardigras..but can't lay my hands on them.

Yeah....bloody great....not. Also, the long wait until things cool down enough ( in high summer) to check horses' waters and put on a different rug if necessary...on a lighter note, what about the woman who complained the extra daylight would fade her curtains?

NZ racing is certainly NOT better, but I'm not at all sure that tracks/less tracks are totally the reason for that. We've had, in recent memory, Foxton and Levin not used and Otaki, after industry-funded renovation, not used either. Marton, Bulls, Fielding all centralised to Awapuni - and possibly others that I'm not aware of. Amberley, Hororata, Rangiora all running at Riccarton. We now have Riccarton and Awapuni tracks under heavy pressure. Tell me again how that has improved the balance sheets? For what it's worth, if anything is to be sold, Trentham is a prime candidate along with the beleaguered Avondale. That should give the present incumbents plenty of money to further piss away and waste.

Freda agrees...not sure if Pitty does.