Freda

Thanks Gamma, was good to follow your comments, and very satisfying to forward Wiremu's tally for the day to a naysayer who announced yesterday morning that he is an 'overrated piece of shit.' !

I've always been very careful about where my retirees go..sometimes it isn't possible of course, and yes, a bullet the best option. Even that isn't as easy as it used to be, and euthanasia by a vet is costly. Now we have a number of re-homers , registered with NZTR ; it is, I guess, an attempt to 'do the right thing' but plenty of holes in the system for all that. They get an admin fee for doing the paperwork, and a grant is available for outside practitioner fees, ie vet. But nothing to cover feed etc, and in the case of horses in poor shape, a costly exercise for the business. I can understand completely why they may refuse welfare cases, and also - although not ideal for either horse or new owner - why they are moved on in a matter of days sometimes. Nice pics of the animal jumping a fence and off they go as 'educated jumpers' .....not. And once the horse is moved on to its new home, it then drops out of the system and there is no way to keep tracking it, unless the goodwill of the new purchaser runs to contacting the former trainer/owner.

You got a prize ( or portion thereof ) today, Reefton, your perseverance does you credit in more ways than one ! Hope you had a celebratory drink!

Another legacy of Cameron George. The original RIU was his brainchild. Prior to that we had code allocated stipes. Not sure whether the Racecourse detectives in those days were code specific or oversaw the lot.

Oxymoron comes to mind.

Well, certainly a lifeline of some sort for 5 years. After that - we just have to hope that turnover/revenue has been improved by better professional management to make TAB's 50% at least on a par with now, if not more. Otherwise the ship can still sink. And that is only the funding. We as an industry still have to deal with the incumbent Code body management - and the RIB.

Buggered if I know....things look the same to me.

That's what concerns me.

Not disagreeing. But it is what it is - now.

Like it or not, we were toast in two years - possibly less. Facing a 20% drop in stakes for the new season. How well was that going to go down? We now have five to 'get our affairs sorted' as the saying goes. Because after 5 years the income is split 50/50 Entain - NZTAB. So to keep treading water the revenue from turnover has to double what it is now.

The figure-eight course is run around the inner portion of the track, with ground that is noticeably firmer than the course proper and particularly the home straight. Possibly The Grinner was outpaced on the better going but found itself able to take closer order on the heavier stuff ? Just a thought.

Thanks. Clearly I heard only a part of it

I'm with you on refraining from comment etc....however I have a dubious faith in those who brokered this deal. Generally, a 25 yr contract would certainly have clauses either way...but how can one have faith in our mob? It would be unusual to say the least to think all is squeaky and professional. But, as you said, we don't know the details. However, I thought McAnulty stated that the TAB now has the structure to enable it to be taken back AFTER 25 years, if need be ? but I may have misheard. No doubt Messara would have preferred Tabcorp as the partner..but the value of the 'asset' has been run down even more in the ensuing four years. Tabcorp have their own issues atm. The deal with Entain - in whatever shape it turns out to be - is the best we could hope for. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

And...here we go again ? All the reports, reviews, track manager intervention, assistance from NZ STI....wtf for? When is someone going to wake up that the current method of management just ISN'T fit for purpose?

I don't entirely agree that TAB is our 'biggest asset'. It possibly could have been, properly run, but as it is, it's a basket case. No wonder Tabcorp didn't want it, given the issues it is facing at the moment as well.

In a properly-run 'tiered ' racing model that would be the case. But it isn't. The same horses plod round for fair stakes one day, crap stakes the next, with no ratings penalty differential. The best one can do is place horses where distance/track conditions/grade is appropriate and cross fingers that sometimes, the gods smile and the stakes are decent too.

They were.

Think you're on the money.

Was waiting for someone to pick that up.

Kelvin Tyler's. Myers probably. Heaps more no doubt if I thought about it.

Yes, Tito Poblete. Peter always felt that the stringhalt could have been the reason he wasn't so comfortable right-handed.

Little Brown Jug [ B Thompson ] vs Manikato Orr Stakes I think. I used to work for Peter Jones [ LBJ's trainer ] I clipped the colt as a yearling.

Seems logical to me.

That's on the turf.

And that is VERY helpful when planning a horse's racing programme going forward. Have these muppets any idea at all what is happening from day to day?