Freda

I note we are being 'softened up ' to the notion we may go back into the Red Alert level soon, as infections are rocketing upwards again. What's the bet that booster no. 5, 6, and more will be trotted out as the way to go...

Yes, notwithstanding the 'Deed of Gift' and the associated contingincies wrt Riccarton, a portion of that land was released without too much difficulty. It wouldn't have been outside the bounds of possibility to do the same to the rest.

Ngapuke Racing part-owns Vegas Strip. I'm picking Matt and Mandy Brown will be chipping in as well as Kenny. Terry well knows the value of a dollar, he doesn't waste many.

Would have to, wouldn't it?

That's a shame. You're a good poster, always worth reading.

Yeah, it was a shocker, but I'm not dirty on my jock, the horse was ridden as I asked. He is smallish, delicate, and from his N.I form ( which was poor ) used to pull hard in sprints and fail to find the line. His pedigree indicates he should be better over a middle distance but he has had to learn to settle, relax and breathe properly. The girls have done a super job with him, but he does have a short run, so must be held up. Going forward when the pace slackened - which was the obvious thing to do from an onlookers point of view- was not right for him. He'd have fallen in a heap. He's found the line impressively ( home in 35 off the front, so how well did he come home ? ) pulled up well and learned heaps. I'm happy. And I own him so don't have to try and justify anything to anybody .

McNab and Allpress were in the race too...clearly they can't either.

There isn't any way to get on the Awt apart from the trackwork crossing. So they have to go via the turf course proper.

I queried Wendy Cooper of NZTA about this matter, apparently it is 'in the hands of the lawyers'.

$66,000....a tad better than he would be doing here with one win and placings.

A nice piece about Diego on the LoveRacing site. Arrived in 2018, spent time at Te Akau, trackworking before shifting to Taranaki [ Wheeler ] then Christchurch. That'll be why he hasn't been on the radar much until recently. He is very well regarded here, make no mistake about that.

Yep.

The crossing keeper does have first-aid training ....but nothing else for a seriously injured person. Not his fault at all, he did the best he could given the circumstances. But the ambulances and their time-frames have been widely criticized in the general sense, and i don't think it is their fault either. Chronic underfunding as well as bludgers using the service as a cheap ride to hospital for a sore leg or toothache.

Not exactly a racing topic, although I think relevant in this case..shift it if you wish, Chief. Yesterday a young woman had an accident during trackwork, resulting in a dislocated elbow, and compound fractures of her lower arm. An hour and a half lying on a very cold track until the ambulance arrived. You might say, why didn't she walk back and get a lift in someone's car? { I wasn't at the scene btw ] But she was in a lot of pain, and not coping at all. Seemingly getting up and walking was not an option for her, at that time. But, hell, just as well she wasn't bleeding to death.

Had a bit of a whip issue in the beginning, and spent a lot of time on the sidelines as a result.

Conditions are SW & P .for the 2 yr olds.

Delightful young man...they sure can make riders in Argentina.

We try.

You don't feel it's a Cunning Plan to make Oamaru look irrelevant so as to justify it's closure?

The eloquence and reasoning put forward in support was a joy to behold.

Just watch Ascot and dream, JB. Yes, good old blighty has provincial tracks, poor stakes, and battling trainers too, and the odd fk-up as well, like the blindfold left on....but when they present the best, it is just - well, the best.

i was actually going to point that out...the sub-forums, that is. Never mind, some interesting dialogue.

Not as I am aware.

It is a great surface for training. Absolutely. No one is saying that they are not valuable for training, or for giving horses which prefer firmer going somewhere to run during the winter months. But, the point that you and many miss, is that in these straitened times, does the investment of [public] funds and the closure of provincial tracks look likely to grow interest in racing? increase revenue? I won't say turnover, so many waffle on about turnover being the metric, but even a mathematical idiot like me can realise that turnover and profit are not synonymous.

Not sure. Shares in at least two, but may be more.