Freda

Not getting into this willy-waving contest, but....Synthetic tracks are not the same as 'dirt' tracks, and American dirt is not the same as Australian 'red dirt' surfaces as prevalent on country/bush tracks, or sand, and even Strathayr has a 'synthetic' component...just saying.

Hardly going to affect owners...the sub group that supplies and funds the product..ffs

There was, however, less enthusiasm from management. What if the gates were damaged by a difficult horse in a trial? was the comment...the races would have to be abandoned...

I can think of a couple off the top of my head - Pat Reardon at Riccarton, Gilbert Butterick at Ashburton, both farmers. Obviously, not all were. But many would have taken advice from farmers on the committees.

As pointed out by Curious when discussing this very topic....farmers - or good farmers - had access to, and practiced, the most up to date technology of the time. Obviously, then, what was done fifty years ago is not, necessarily, what is considered best practice today. But the same applies to track managers, sports field managers, golf course curators, etc., etc. as well. Equally obviously, the practices that are employed at the moment are not fit for purpose.

Trained by Terri Rae, ridden by Hooksy and at Invercargill.....but doesn't help at all!

At least Dunedin gets a crumb.

Why don't we change the administration of the place, bring in Worth's Circus or the Ringling Bros for a bit of sense. Even better, Chief, you'll love this idea, a few FARMERS.

I screenshot the blasted thing so it might not disappear.

Yeah. I managed with a lot of muttering....but never fear, for $30 you can get a plastic card like we used to. I don't want to put extra apps on my phone, and am pissed that they think that's ok.

Eulogy Show? I think there might be a few others, but nothing approaching her freakish ability.

Against Oamaru with its feature level stakes....and now creating a rider availability issue.

Seems to be.

At last, someone prepared to critique the NZTR management ethic other than we 'keyboard warriors'. And, excellent summation, Wingman. I am as surprised as the above poster that they think the current foal crop is 'optimal'. We have the drop off in foal numbers from, say, 20 years ago, when things were going well [ or at least way better than now ] and exacerbated with the loss of competitors through overseas sales. But seemingly not factored in is the ever-increasing numbers which are sent to Australia to compete under local ownership. At a 'roadshow' years ago, under the Purcell / Goodson administration, much was made of [ potentially] those very facts from the floor and the numbers bandied about were rubbished. But they weren't wrong. That same administration was handed some very good work outlining handicapping/programming matters that could have been tweaked even back then. But ignored. And the blasted paperwork referred to....have to agree wholeheartedly with the NZB guy. The big stable/syndicate/owner operations have professional office staff. But most smaller outfits don't. A young trainer remarked to me only last week, it's just too hard. I'd be happier training my own and not worrying about all the hoops we have to jump through. Recently an overseas [senior] rider returned home overseas, with some apprentice funds still in his account. He had applied online - with much difficulty -to have those funds transferred to his bank account. Now I wasn't much help, he, like most young people can find his way around websites with ease, but even he battled with it. Finally, we both checked everything as done OK and pressed ' submit'. Nothing happened. Phone calls went unanswered, finally I was told 'tell him to do it again, it must have timed out' . But he couldn't. Eventually I contacted an employee from NZTR whom I knew well, and she managed to do it herself, although it wasn't her area of work at all. Just hopeless. Without her assistance, this lad's money would have just remained sitting there. The admin stuff - and staff - gets bigger and bigger, and the bits that matter are still unaddressed.

Don't worry, these sites are read all right. Which makes it all the more disappointing that not one will condescend to come on and answer questions or at least put up a reasonable discourse.

Still do, to get a ratings point and a better chance of gaining a run.

Be absolutely horrid without the jumpers going around.

The Cossack/West Coast, Berry the Cash/Nedwin will be mouthwatering contests IF the protagonists remain unscathed and choose to make the trip south; not to ignore other good performers that may just be lucky enough to have their day in the sun.

Tea?

One wonders why Avondale didn't give them the middle finger.

Yes. As I said in another conversation, I've gotten over being angry and frustrated, and aim to continue doing what I love doing, for now. But I have to wonder how long before the penny drops in Dick St in Cambridge that they've fucked an industry?

I've met Portia, heard of Sam Mynott, Nathan Williamson and Sarah OReilly are trotting drivers, Hunter Durrant manages Te Akau's Riccarton barn and who t f are the others?

No, he isn't doing that

What on earth is going to happen with the jumps fields ? Will they be split? That's an uppercut for the notion that jumps should be phased out....a very definite positive vote.

What an effort! Impressive young athletes indeed.