Freda

I agree with the 'expertise' allusion. However times have generally been quick at Ricc, since the renovation in 1998. Good horses can really fly - but even moderate ones go fast as well, it may have something to do with layout, camber, incline, whatever, but the trouble is, it isn't consistent. And horses will cop a couple of runs on unforgiving ground, but most can't manage too many. Years ago, not long after renewal, I had a very average horse which posted a time of 1.10 for his 1200 mtrs. Fair go, he couldn't have run 1.10 downhill with a tail wind.

I can too. The Hazlett jumpers I recall particularly.

A healthy industry has to have strength at the bottom levels. Throwing an extra 50k or more at Grp 1's won't stop the exodus of promising horses which can earn good money without being elite runners. Those with modest performers are still struggling, and the 14- 15k industry day stakes, while certainly better than the 7k on offer only a few short years ago, goes nowhere with the ever increasing coats across the board - and don't forget, we had 7k days some 30+ years ago [ ..and some pretty fair jockeys too, you could toss your colours into the jockeys' room and it wouldn't matter who picked them up.. ] Add the increasing number of tracks deemed 'not necessary' while those favoured ones are frequently unusable, no, sorry, Mr Goodson, I don't see any remedy in your mindset.

Unfortunately Goodson - along with his then sidekick, one G Purcell - demonstrated his lack of understanding of the nuts and bolts of process, when given the work done by two educated statisticians on the effects of handicapping policies, allowances, and so much more. All done pro-bono, and probably consigned to a drawer somewhere as clearly neither understood one side of it. Why he should now have a silver bullet, I fail to comprehend.

Unfortunately, makes perfect sense.

I don't buy a lot of meat, but use the local butcher when I do. There is a direct Market for fruit/vegetables just up the road, far better value than the outrageous prices seen at supermarkets for the same. Also, I keep to what is local and fresh [ mostly ], there is no need to buy Australian tomatoes [ taste like wet cardboard ] or Californian grapes...on the whole I manage ok. And I don't have an income that I can waste. New World otherwise for grocery items, the range of products I find far superior.

Ha....neither am I!

Tell us please.

We care all right. But the solution isn't so easy. I have some ideas, but many others may have differing ones.

I'm playing Devil's Adocate here....maybe the terminology was ' jumpouts' and/or 'barrier trials' ? Neither of which come under 'trials' that are official and which have results shown on the NZTR website.

It will be as the others...it will suit some, not others. As do many tracks/surfaces. It is the notion that wet trackers, set for a grass meeting with soft/heavy ground, will happily switch to a track where they will be required to produce 22 sec final sectionals. That is a flawed premise.

Sad indeed..as is the magnificent jumps course at Riverton now not wanted. Oamaru, at one time, held jumping for Dunedin while the Otago R.C renovated their track..seems all so pointless now. But, a wee bit unfair to say the ' south has given up'. They had no choice. I know that plenty - Jo Gordon for one - did an enormous amount of work to try and retain some of our traditional structure..all to no avail.

Timaru trainers are certainly punching well above their weight. I wonder if anyone in the echelons of management has actually noticed? With Aaron Tapper's stud now standing two pretty useful looking stallions, there would seem to be plenty of upside in the area.

Just let the bloody thing go North. Sad, but - although I love the jumpers - it is a travesty to see five horses running for good money [ although, fine if you can get some of it ] . My boy was the last horse to gain his ticket and race over jumps from this centre. Three runs for me for a minor place, spelled for the next season - and, nothing. No jumps races any more. So he went to the Myers barn. Now in new ownership, he won a steeplechase at Te Rapa a couple of months ago. So what's the point of a survey? Isn't it bleeding obvious?

Wouldn't a survey be more useful if it included as many as possible?

No.

You shouldn't need a password just to peruse the site...only to use the trainers' area, wrt nominating, etc. I had a quick look for you, the horse concerned has no trial history.

Where did you get that from ?

Go to the Loveracing website and then Race Info, then trials, then results.

Agree...and the delay has only increased speculation and discussion about the matter which would have been quickly put to bed with an appropriate investigation.

Pretty sure he did, yes. I hadn't seen anything about him for years, didn't realise he was still training. Tough effort from Callsign Mav.

It's a beautiful language and should be embraced. The only small beef I have, is that when presenters on mainstream Tv use Te Reo, there are no subtitles which could help the likes of me, who struggle to pick up individual words [apart from the very familiar ones] and therefore can't add to one's vocabulary. Many countries have several languages in use, there is no earthly reason why we should think that one is enough. After the earthquakes, I don't think there could have been anyone who objected to the messages of ' Kia Kaha, Christchurch ' from all over the country.

Perhaps that is what they want? ...apart from the grass track meetings, that is.

I think they probably know...or some of them anyway. I agree one in particular could take himself off to somewhere in darkest Africa.