Freda

She's a top trainer and has been for a good while

You couldn't make this up.

Don't forget, the Sth Island is now considered to be 'one region', so I am told. Therefore, feature meetings somewhere the other side of Cook Strait would fulfil any obligations that might be felt in H.Q. Maybe send them a map?

I stand to be corrected, but....Entain isn't the 'customer' as I understand things, the punter is, you, me, BGP, anyone who has a bet. So, while Entain throws money around, it is NZTR which has to deal with their crap tracks, silly programming, poor riding, and if they don't, Entains 50% take after 4 and a half years will have us in the poo again. We don't have to know how to make their business more profitable, we have to make ours less of a joke.

Shame, but understandable if committee interest/involvement and staff issues are as I understand them to be. Someone has to be paid to do the maintenance work if horses are to be worked - on any surface.

Nick Wigley was in this morning for a gallop, as there were trots at Rangiora. Said the track was superb. Could be used anytime, he reckoned.

That, to me, illustrates some of the issues creating misunderstanding, and - to many of us - silly decisions. The case for using grass tracks close by, for trials, former racetracks, was well put indeed. The CEO and COO both seems decent blokes and very approachable, but - as indicated - Balcombe wasn't aware of the history around those venues. One would think an incumbent office-holder would be well enough informed on this sort of thing. To his credit he apologised for his lack of knowledge about this, and also, for an apparent oversight in returning communication. I've always found both of these men very good in that respect, a huge improvement from previous incumbents. It would involve very little extra effort or cost to reinstate Rangiora for trials use over the summer months.

In one breath, you are rubbishing some of us for 'looking back' and enjoying tales of days past. Now you want to 'look back' to prove a point...or something, not sure what. But in those days, horses could be - and were - sent around AT the races to get educated. Bugger the public. One of my old bosses would pull them up until he decided that they were sufficiently educated, race-wise, and fit enough to have a punt. And he was very successful. But we cannot treat our customers like that any more.

See above

Yes. One trial - maybe two . Then four days later Ashburton hold trials - feast or famine.

Or dear old Frankie Stammers towing the Bomber to the Coast in a single float behind his Ford Escort.

You can learn from the past, Chief.

Much more interesting

Think he did too. By Waikiki Star.

Sounds idyllic

No, that was Robert Thomas, from Bermuda

Ivan Thomas

He lived just up the road. Kept a horse at mine only a couple of years ago.

He may have done. Yes, there was something ticking over in the back of my mind!

All well and fine. But why are these issues only identified after the fact, never before? Does someone have to be seriously hurt or worse before the systems are actually fit for purpose?

No, I can't remember any trained there but I do recall, way back, that the odd one or two would front up for a gallop, probably a farm-trained model.

I'm not sure about Motukarara either. Harness still race there, although I don’t know how often now. Akaroa trots, I'm pretty sure still have a day. At one stage I heard that the committee were struggling to attract new and younger members, so were not in a position to fight for the gallops to continue. Rangiora is still a viable and important training venue, and had run trials successfully - and profitably - for years.

When Riccarton was reconstructed, back in 1998, we used both mentioned above until things were ready. Very pleasant it was, too.

Er...plenty of grass tracks ...? Ashburton which got hammered in the spring and Timaru, although a good surface, a fair way and cost to get there. Don't think there'd be too many keen. Shows the wisdom of getting rid of Motukarara and Rangiora, both 20-30 minutes away.

Interesting topic on its own, bandaging. Many American horses - incl the greats - work and race in bandages, run-down bandages specifically to protect the horse's bumpers from the abrasive dirt. Freda White used to cringe at the sight of poorly applied bandages, look at that, she'd say, break the effing horse down putting the things on like that. And that was when we used crepe bandages, sewn on raceday. Not Vetrap. A lot now couldn't put one on if it wasn't self-adhesive. And, of course, Vetrap doesn't have any stretch either. I'm sure Curious and S.A will have heard the term ' bandage bow' and no doubt seen plenty as well. Can be as damaging as a work-induced tendon rupture. Should never happen.