Freda

I think the thrice-yearly visits by Martin Collins staff is part of the contract - so, in theory, no extra cost incurred for that. The local track staff have been applauded for the good job they are doing. However, as far as replenishing material that has lost resilience, body and structure, no idea what is planned to remedy that.

Make your own mind up about that !

Polytracks were the only option considered. Saundry had some connection, Reid Sanders is a former stipe from here, a lot of back-scratching.

This is an interesting topic [even though I tune out when the figures/percentages come in] Another factor, covered, to some extent, by the displayed data about number of races, age, workouts, etc...is the potential for catastrophic injury already carried by horses as a result of prior exertion. Something that here, we have absolutely no idea about. Obviously, the cost of scanning each and every horse on a regular basis is enormous and prohibitive in the NZ context. But, we do know that injuries don't as rule just 'happen' whatever the track surface is. Even just from my little corner of the track, there can be many horses go past where I tie up looking anything but sound....and a slight lessening of bone density, for example, isn't necessarily accompanied by obvious lameness either. A complex subject.

Okay, I'll wade into this topic - fully prepared to be shot down. Fed the horses, nothing to do for the next hour. US data compelling, although I am presuming, in all cases, the track/surface preparations are as close to perfection as could reasonably be in practice. Otherwise, the data would be meaningless. IMO. [ and I'm no statistician]. In our case, here in NZ, we have no comparable data, or none that I have seen anyway. We can remove dirt as one parameter as we don't use it. So, we have synthetic, which is ALL polytrack with no Tapeta as an alternative to compare, vs turf. Is the synthetic presented at its optimum? do we have any idea wrt that? there is already evidence from the Kempton Park conversation, that the 'top' is 50mm less here than there, for example; and turf, with variations ranging from rock hard, shifty, too much grass, not enough, slippery, rough, full of holes, patchy, wet, gluey, sticky, heavy, bottomless and combinations of the above. How that can be assessed or compared with any accuracy is beyond me.

So all good then.

They do seem safer than dirt, certainly. Curious will have the data - it also seems that Tapeta is the preferred option of synthetic.

Unlikely.

Good points. And no to the last.

Jeez, didn't mean to imply that wash my mouth out

Do you remember when Lisa Cropp was the premiership leader...but couldn't be awarded top jockey award..

Great watch. What is the surface in the Saudi Cup? looks like American dirt.

Yeah

I was fortunate to be able to hear Tom Tobin at one of the Bomac lectures series some years ago. A very interesting man. I recall a woman asking him about blood testing racehorses [as a pre-race check, not wrt illness] He looked at her, bemused, and said, why? doesn't your trainer know if the horse is fit and well? He went on to qualify that blood tests can indicate many things, but not whether a horse will win or not!

Which potentially makes a mockery of some of the penalties and findings with recent testings, a subject I know the Chief is quite vociferous about. Although trainers do have control over which loose box or yard a horse is placed in their own premises, there is no such control when going away and using visiting stable facitilties....most of which haven't been adequately mucked out, never mind completely cleaned.

Worthy of discussion ?

Not sure where you get that idea from?

Going back even further...there was a 2 year old parade, just up the straight, run at the National meeting, often two heats of a dozen or more babies. No shortage of youngsters then. Along with the ordinary handicap two year old races, the first major aim following that was the McLean Stakes at Otago, into the Welcome Stakes at Cup time, the Otago two year old race on Boxing day [ DJC Champagne I think ] then the Challenge at the Midsummer meet, then the Champagne at Easter. sigh...structure...

I don't think you are the only one scratching their head about the programme. It's almost as if there is a desire to destroy the carnival - as we knew it - altogether.

Those poor bloody owners.

Yes. It makes the whole process farcical. It would be appropriate for the next rider to be asked for their opinion to refuse point blank. I know its a VERY long bow...but an ok verdict re. a track's condition could then leave that rider liable in the event of an accident.

Join a club or committee, you say?...there will be many on here who have been part of those, and no doubt have tired of the same old rhetoric. Form another splinter group, you reckon? Fk me, there are more than enough partisan groups, most achieving absolutely nothing. More and more upper levels of administration; at a time when our Govt is doing its best to strip away much of the self-important and unaccountable layers of management.

Yes, I'm ok racing on the synthetic, with a horse that suits it. Not all do, and to be forced to race there or nowhere is simply not acceptable.

Did I imply it wasn't serious?