Freda

He's certainly an excellent speaker, I attended a Bomac seminar years ago where both he and Ken Browne were down to address. I imagined being bored shitless, but on the contrary, both were riveting speakers and kept us all entertained and informed. But that didn't give him a mortgage on visionary ideas, quite the contrary.

Is it though? We don't have clearly defined metropolitan/provincial/country areas. For a small nation such as NZ, maybe met/provincial would be the more logical categories, but regardless, we don't have them. And many of the biggest trainers are based at the likes of Matamata, which would be deemed a country town and is certainly not a large city. I think that categorisation of that type is unworkable in our country. And that was the very idea that - from my recollection - started the downgrading and subsequent underfunding of smaller clubs, to the detriment of all. John Wheeler started the Queensland winter campaign idea, and floated the idea [ to the then RIB incumbent Garry Chittick ] about 'grading' clubs so they could be termed ' country' or otherwise, making it easier to place NZ horses when racing over there. As there wouldn't have been a training centre in NZ further than 100km from a GPO at the time, we were all effectively categorised as 'metropolitan'. Don't know how that works now, obviously we have GPO's although it is next to impossible to find an ordinary, stand-alone Post Office. The closest one to me is lurking at the back of my local bookshop.

Thought you would be noticing this. Only problem, that 'Ellerslie dump' has just realised millions from a part-sale, and has spent millions on refurbishing itself. And, if I'm reading it correctly, the approach to the state Govt was made by the ATC. Riccarton could realise huge dosh from a similar approach; but by the time the slash-and-burn policies of NZTR have been completed there will be very few trainers left to benefit from a purpose-built, state of the art facility in Canterbury. One can dream....

JMac is successful anywhere. He's just bloody good. But he's still human and can make mistakes, all of us can and do, so we don't need a dissection of every error whether real or imagined.

I see the occasional reaction still from that gentleman.

And there is a very valid point. How many apprentices - and under-used riders generally - actually bother to WATCH races? glue themselves to the screen to take in the skills of said Allpress ? as well as Kennedy/Bosson/Zahra/Rawiller/Moore/Moreiera/Buick.......et al...most that I know [ and nice people, all of them ] will go to the pub and play the pokies, go home and watch Netflix..anything but focus.

Dilution ? 🤣

Hopefully.

It's a topic very important to me, to see young people achieve their dreams, and excel in their chosen path. But for a fair while now our riders, especially down here, have been moderate at best and often appalling. While the old 'indentured to a trainer ' system was deemed to be past its time - where the boss managed everything about the lad's life and career - the newer system with mentors coming in and the apprentice school system and content being modified could not, IMO, be considered a sensational improvement.

I'm sure you would be correct in that. Lisa can be pretty snarky when she wants to be ( for the record I have the utmost respect for her, and get on with her very well ) but she is not always popular in the jockeys' room and can be very critical of a difficult horse. I suspect that the spray would be to do with the ability of young Kauri to adequately manage his mount, and the bigger issue which has been commented upon here and elsewhere, the overall standard of our riders particularly many apprentices.

Missed Chief's post....which makes the exercise even sillier.

I assumed the money was from Entain. At this point turnover won't be increasing revenue in any shape or form, surely? So it appears to my admittedly uneducated eye that it is a shy at the stumps from Entain's lolly bucket with the aim of increasing participation, and therefore interest and betting revenue for the future. But, as already alluded to, throwing money at stakes doesn't have that effect.

Yes indeed. He'd have been a good age too. He nearly ran me over with his mobility scooter at the Ashburton races not that long ago, we had a giggle about it

Common what?

Jeez, C, ya don't get it. NZTR have withdrawn Rangiora's licence to run races and trials, it just ain't gonna happen. Perfect solution, of course. Yet another own goal by our industry.

One of the tracks that is very well managed. Facilities tired and old, but that is beyond the current administration to deal with.

Surface flooding, tie ups inundated, no brainer surely?

Bits in their mouths are far less of a problem than the hands at the other end.

And then we have the other side of the coin...the sight of J Mac throwing the kitchen sink at Romantic Warrior and Riff Rocket was not pretty. Would those horses have won without the striping? Probably not. So then, therefore, whipping works. Is there a happy medium? Should whips be banned altogether? No whip rules at all? For the future public acceptance of the sport, banning is probably the way to go.

No doubt, we do ask them things they aren't designed to do. Whipping, then, has to be both cruel, and stupid - as they are being punished for not doing what they can't do.

I'm a bit curious - no pun intended - as to how one might re-educate a horse which appears to resent being struck with a whip? Educating riders, I feel, might be more productive.

Never. Accountable? Doesn't happen. Just ask Reefton.

Excellent summation, Walt - as are your previous thoughts. Spot on as always.

Perception is everything.

Yes, I lost a nice horse as a result. Cost made surgery not an option. But not only thoroughbreds suffer, warmbloods and part-breds do too. I venture to suggest the condition may be even more debilitating [ although probably not as publicly visible ] for sporthorses, who have to suffer the fat arse of some overweight female for hours, not minutes.