Freda

That's what it has been for 15 years or so...since the accident that nearly claimed the life of Judy Lawson. The topic has been done to death..but racing ceased from that time. Some intrepid locals decided to run trials off their own bat and did very well [ financially] out of them. Their aim was always to prove that the track was safe under appropriate management conditions and trialling went ahead. However, once NZTR decided it was surplus to requirements, the desire to sell up the asset was revisited and that's where things are at the present.

Quite a few of us thought that was the best option. However, don't forget about the harness club who also held an ownership interest in Rangiora. They might not have been so chuffed about a Polytrack taking over their grass racetrack.

No. One of the selling points of the AWT was the ability to 'rest' the turf track, switching some races to the AWT and therefore lessening the wear-and-tear. e.g the middle day of the National meeting. So trialling is not an option given that circumstance. Formerly, the Hunt Club meeting, run just a couple of weeks before the Grand National meeting, meant four days of racing in a very close time frame - exactly how that was managed, is hard to imagine now.

Trots still run there don't they?

They can't run trials on grass at Riccarton.

Ashburton is being hammered from 16th Oct - 28th Nov with 3 race days and two sets of trials. Quite plainly, there is nowhere else to put them. I wonder if the rationale for getting shot of Rangiora has ever been questioned in the Halls of Management?

and has it stayed there?

The track looked great too, a good sole of grass and no 'incidents' that I could ascertain. As always, my beef about 'awful riding' or the perception of the same, is the policing of it. If standards were strictly adhered to and sloppy or dangerous riding penalised, the riding would improve smartly. It would have to. I recall, a few years ago, the whole field of riders [ apart from the winner ] was called into the room at Riccarton to justify their stupidity. I'm not sure whether any suspensions were handed out, I suspect a dressing-down was given and the lot of them put on notice. But I don't think those 'policing' the industry now would have the faintest idea. ' ..your own length and another clear length before changing ground ' was the rule, and to my knowledge that hasn't changed. But we see many riders 'shaving' the horse on the inner as they roll across, or diving under the necks of rivals to get a gap, without penalty and probably not noticed unless there is an obvious check. No wonder accidents happen. I'm not implying that riders of yesteryear were squeaky clean, of course they weren't, but if caught, they knew they'd be dealt to. I've always felt that if the local product is not given a chance, there eventually won't be one. Same goes for trainers [ and to any who think I'm referring to anyone specific, I'm not, this is just a general observation ]. When local owners jump on the bandwagon and support a northern trainer with a local base, it doesn't help the resident trainers build, or keep, their client base. When the perception is that neither local trainers nor riders are 'good enough ' the demise mentioned above wrt jumping, has to become self-fulfilling.

Would the Racing Manager not represent the owners, ffs? I'm picking that if he had sat quietly ( and he would still have been beaten) he would have still got a serve. And no, I have never displayed such poor sportsmanship and I hope I never do. Not that I've ever had such a high profile horse. I've certainly had a chat with riders afterwards ( wtf did you think you were doing? ) but in private, and can, in most cases, accept their reasoning. Having a jockey as a partner for twenty years, I am only too aware of what can go wrong, or at least not according to plan....and people, even rich arrogant ones, must realise that horses are not bicycles.

More likely ( IMO ) that the muscle injury occurred as the horse left the barriers, which MAY have been the reason why he wasn't quite quick enough into stride. He'll have a holiday, which is good, Williams behaved like the professional he is with a beautifully judged ride on Mr Brightside, the owners of Giga Kick can STFU and life goes on.

I would suggest that many of N.Z's rich became so by a] being smarter than the opposition b] working their asses off to achieve note I said many, not all. Inherited wealth doesn't imply any great intellect or work ethic - but retaining it may do!

I find it very good too.

Oh dear.

In fairness I don't think it is the CJC as a club that is putting up the money - that couldn't possibly happen given the state of their finances. The Racecourse Trustees were, I think, the body to provide the funding. It might seem a small matter but they are a separate entity. I agree that a better use of spare dosh might be to try and foster - or resurrect - some two year old races. There are some who think the Guineas races will be lost down here. To have some smart rising three year olds trained locally, coming through from a nice two year old series, to support those Guineas races, seems to me to be a better way of [ attempting ] to retain these spring 3 year old classics than throwing extra stakemoney up.

Lord knows. The Timaru Cup has consistently had good numbers of decent horses. I think someone checked the ratings of the horses on at least one occasion that I'm aware of, and found the Timaru Cup quality far outweighed the equivalent N.I race around the same time.

...changes to ' improve the flow of 2 y o races in the northern region ' We down here don't have a flow to improve. And - while only nit-picking - why shift the Welcome Stakes to autumn? It's days are clearly numbered as a stakes race, leave it where it is and put another race on as a 'lead up ' to the Champagne. Doomed will know, wasn't the two year old race at the Midsummer meeting called the Challenge Stakes? Thats gone, put it there are as a lead up .

IMO - no. He isn't a great communicator, and so much of his freakish ability is innate - balance and timing, for example. Those qualities can't be taught. And he despises idiots.

On a par with using has-been jockeys-turned-trainers I suppose. Under the 'old' system trainers were the mentors and teachers, some were awful, others superb. Luck of the draw what sort a young hopeful ended up with. Something had to change, what it has changed to is not wonderful, obviously, although Noel Harris seems to be doing a pretty fair job. And being a good exponent of something - rugby, race riding, or mathematics - doesn't automatically make one a good tutor of that.

Trials were held at Ashburton yesterday, on a pretty warm day. Canterbury has lurched from wintery temperatures and grey days into sunshine, warmth, and blustery winds. How, with the limited resources available, they managed to produce a track rated initially at a Soft 5 - and although drying during the day, still remained forgiving - should be an object lesson to others. Hats off to Jeff McLaughlin [ former stipe and now club sec ] and trainer Snooky Cowan for their efforts. Timaru trainer Warwick Coles also does a very commendable job at his local track, producing a surface that has, in recent years, been presented extremely well.

And Entain will want every bit of exposure that can be garnered. They aren't, despite all the apparent largesse, a charity. They are in to make money. Given the superb track-in-the- making at Ellerslie, along with the new training facilities to be developed at Pukekohe, it seems pretty obvious to me that any new ownership enterprise will be based largely around that.

Looks very similar, IMO.

Actually I didn't, too early in the morning [ that's my excuse anyway, I'll stick to it! ]

Haha...be a surprise all right.

Specified to be high-profile and successful trainers who will give owners a great experience with excellent communication, stable visits, interaction with top jockeys, etc, etc....which probably leaves out most S.I based. Maybe Carston?