Freda

That Rangiora asset is still being utilized by numbers of Riccarton based trainers for grass gallop options.

Exactly. While enterprise is to be applauded, the failure of the industry to fund itself is still critical. Even the Nakhle initiative wrt training young racing personnel is a private one - albeit sanctioned by head office - not an industry funded option.

More or less. But the original intent of the 'Deed of Gift' was neatly overridden to get part of the area sold for housing, shouldn't have been hard to get the rest flogged off as well.

I see a notice from Paul Wilcox, C.E.O of the new Auckland Racing amalgamation, promising minimum stakes of 20k across the board. That is great news indeed for stakeholders in that region [although, still not funded from a successful industry model, but from a private commercial development]. It makes me wonder just what may have been possible for Canterbury Racing if the significant asset at Riccarton Park had been capitalised and a business case developed along similar lines? Reefton has been pointing that out for quite some time.

Didn't see...but great that he improved on his hurdle effort. A real good horse.

I don't think so. Which is not to say there isn't some less than ideal behaviour from time to time - but that's life, certainly not restricted to racing. The worst result IMO is the now widespread notion that all racing is both corrupt and cruel. Which we know is NOT the case.

Originally, the only race with more than six entries was the 65 2200...but the 1600m maiden has been deleted so maybe one or two of those have gone into another.

Don't forget - from my perspective of advanced years - I can remember there has often been a bit of a lull with field sizes at this time of the year. Post National, the winter horses are put aside, the spring/summer runners aren't ready yet. The Grigg Stakes meeting at Ashburton used to be the first one of the new season, locally, in early September.

Maybe so...but there are no maidens two days later. So they should be coming out of the woodwork, if they are there.

I think Curious meant she might need further, Chief.

They've sat on their hands for years and watched jumping decline, with no will to do anything particularly helpful. And I don't think that even now there is realisation that the National, in the form it was, is history. While C's idea makes sense - if there were any jumpers - there is no point if they all have to come from the North Island.

Yes. I know jumps races are held in the northern hemisphere on AWT'S ( J.B. can confirm) but the substructure is different on those poly's I understand. I'd be reluctant to run jumpers on tracks with a tarmac base.

On a brighter note, it's good to see a meeting for jumps riders/amateurs only. A few more of those and we may not have seen the dramatic fall-off of numbers in many areas.

What about Urban Sea, dam of both Sea the Stars and Galileo ?

Not the excitement machine that was Frankel....but, the complete racehorse. Class, ability, temperament...the package. What a horse.

Can't comment personally, I'm out the back with horses, not dining..but a long-time member complained to me that the fare hadn't altered - or improved - since the 1970's. I'm told that the Addington offering is very good..but again, I can't comment from personal experience, with the exception of the Spectator's Bar. Basic - pizza, steak/chips, but ok.

Spoke to him, I went to the races briefly to watch the 'chase. Were you tearing your hair out? I asked him. Yes, he said glumly...he needs blinkers. Who, the horse? or the rider? I wanted to know. He's a friend of mine, a lovely, courteous young man...but, oh dear.

Nup. Not even a warning.

Had to look at the replay, had been outside....what a shocker. Will be interesting to see the stipes' report. What's the odds that there will be mutterings about 'horse running greenly ' and a warning ?

As I pointed out...if the perpetrator was a disadvantaged member of society who had ' made good ' the wokesters would be wringing their hands and congratulating him on turning his life around. But because this turkey comes from a background of ' privilege ', a very different perspective. His behaviour was reprehensible and I certainly don't condone it..but..move on. Then was then and now is now. And as for the student crap - how many get pissed, drugged up and behave like morons? heaps of them.

Ask the impotent Trainers' Assn.

That's unfair, Chief...and I think you have misinterpreted J.B's comments. How does 'sanitising' the situation - and telling b/s, as done by Ellis - 'show respect' ? Making an effort to improve training, smarten up stipendiary understanding, and apply consistent penalties - and acknowleging that this doesn't always happen - shows far more respect, IMO, for a young man's life lost.

Irrespective of what the judicial assessment of wrongdoing/penalty is, Sam will know that at some point his actions contributed to the melee. Your last sentence indicates that you feel Sam may not be deemed to be culpable, or totally culpable, if the stewards so decide. Does that mean that officialdom is automatically right? Given your scuffles with the heirarchy - justifiable - I don't think you really believe that.

Gets it wrong often. But, at least he has the passion to make his thoughts/ideas public, in a manner that most of us can't.