Freda

They have their place, esp. for training. What WASN'T acceptable [ IMO ] was the butchering of a very good facility here at Riccarton to install, the arbitrary closing down of courses to 'rationalise' costs - and force the use of said AWT's for races/trials - and the use of taxpayer funds for their installation. Cambridge with the climatic conditions they face have, I think, found it invaluable for training, but also, there are still available grass courses in the Waikato. The CD has faced track closures, forced - again - by edict from head office. But clearly, the demand for AWT trials is still not there. And the heavy load placed upon the remaining tracks , some of which just can't cope, shows how little knowledge those charged with directing the industry really have. Although Purcell made an ass of himself over the 'I raced 90' rubbish - and cost the industry yet more unnecessary money in bringing the action he did - he was on record of saying he was NOT in favour of forced track closure, but that NZTR would work with any club that chose that option. Saundry took things much further and left a messy legacy. By all appearances Sharrock might have just left! Locally, trainers are getting behind a move to get jumpouts back at Rangiora. Balcombe has been down for a meeting with locals, is quite OK with this, has given verbal indications to this effect, and the team are just awaiting a formal tick from head office. When asked why the course had been 'decommissioned', he was unable to give a reason, but indicated he was impressed by the facility as he had never seen it before. Go figure.

COO Darin Balcombe has been the source of the corporate b/s for quite a few weeks now. Is this a 'baptism of fire' readying him to be the new CEO? Sharrock could be forgiven for preferring the management of elite sportspeople to the embarrassment of his second portfolio. If he is unwell, or merely 'on leave' surely there should have been some announcement to that fact?

Probably lying on couches watching TV, like mine.

Great post, Walt. Jumps racing is well gone here in the south, anyway. The Grand National - as it is now - will only remain while there is the will to travel horses from the North Island. The Hurdles at least will be safe this year, Tim Mills has an ownership interest in Berry The Cash, who is reportedly on target to defend his title. All the tinkering over the last few years didn't help one iota, and IMO, the demise of highweights down here was one very potent factor. No chance for jumps riders to have off-season opportunities - so why bother being here - and those horses suited by highweight conditions, not catered for and gradually dropping out of circulation. The discussions I had with many about this, to be told, oh, but we don't have enough highweight riders...so, I said, make them welters then, with preference to be given first to a jump rider. Didn't seem difficult to me, but maybe I was missing something. Southern trainers have been blamed for not supporting the jumping scene, but developing a jumper is time consuming and expensive. Who on earth would bother, with no riders and no certainty that next season there would even be any events to target? The typically very hard tracks in Canterbury particularly are not conducive to that discipline either.

I note Tory Whanau [ would that be her given name, I wonder? ] is now a Green member and intending to run for office. It fits I suppose. I bet Jeannette Fitzsimmons would be unimpressed with the carry-on of the current lot.

Same. I might be nitpicking, but they are a hard read sometimes. And the transgressions that are missed, or misinterpreted, are alarming.

Yeats

The reason given - as I recall - was the access to more ' horse focused ' personnel than were readily available in the urban Wellington catchment.

I hear you. Sad, indeed. But, I've moved past the anger, and regret, to a sort of grudging acceptance. Partly because beating one's head against the brick wall of officialdom is just so disheartening, but also because of the points you make about riders. As well, there is the fact that many jumpers here, at least, are former flat horses, getting on a bit and well tried. To see a former handy performer battling around making mistakes and not enjoying it is not a nice watch. Buying or breeding horses specifically to be jumpers just doesn't happen now. No one does jumping like the Brits/irish/French. I for one would rather see it not done at all, than done badly.

Very good assessment IMO

Doesn't give one a lot of confidence.

Dairy farmer from Reefton would have been MUCH cheaper.

I'm probably not much help either, inasmuch as some horses will always get down on their bumpers irrespective of surface, and some never will. Depends on conformation and often a shoeing tweak is all that is required. But for a horse that is susceptible, the more coarse and abrasive, the worse it is.

So, for an old fashioned soul like me, 3-500mms is more than one foot, in old terminology. That is significant and could not develop in such a short time, I wouldn't think.

Good farmers can farm anywhere.

I'm sure Reefton could, with a bit of tact and the promise of a modest emolument, get Peter O'Malley up there to have a look. Sorted.

I'm wondering what happens to the mesh inlaid with all this mechanical shoving around?

Very nice horse indeed. Horses aren't machines, and the young ones have all sorts of extra vulnerabilities to boot.

...certainly not sought, and, if given regardless, would be completely ignored.

Just spoke to a club secretary. He said that in his experience it was an NZTR decision, they would indicate a 'main' race at the advertised stake and a 'consolation ' with a reduced stake. Said he had never been party to any discussion about making up the difference from any club he had been involved with, or being required to choose which option.

Eleven races at Ashburton, wonder where they'll put all the horses ?

Well, that was my initial thought, but then the name changed floored me a bit.

I didn't know there was a CD Club Hub.

Given my innate courtesy, that'll do. You don't have a 'Miss Jools' over here, however, so thought I'd dip my toe into the grammar/spelling correcting stuff.

FFS...can we not just accept that T.A have developed into an impressive conglomerate that is very, very good at what they do.? But they are not the only way to go....there are many other successful operations that fly a bit lower under the radar...that doesn't make them inferior, just different. No outfit however has a mortgage on top horses and T.A has its share of horses that are moderate, average, or just plain awful. As we all do. Chatting to a stable representative, locally, a few years ago about the stock he was handling at that time, he said, these are the shitters, we have more of them than the highflyers- but they are part and parcel of keeping the whole thing going. Go Racing has a different modus operandi, but many people have a great experience with them.