Freda

Yes. I'm still astounded by the comment from a club official, BEFORE the first lockdown was in place, that ' it won't be for more than a fortnight, the Govt won't want to miss out on the money they make from us'.....

Pleasant; tie-ups good, nice track, facilities for spectators fine, overall dated but perfectly adequate.

Yes, that surprised more than a few.

Kindling? I thought the whole lot [ mostly ] were dire...not just apprentices.

Neither do I And spending clients money to jump racehorses without any races for them is really asking for them to throw up their hands and give up the whole business.

A wee bit tongue-in-cheek, Billy. I was very young when Dad used to refer to him in tones of reverence....a long time ago.

Ron Carter used to go ok.

Boof got sick of all the knives in his back and resigned. The shambles last Saturday would have amused him immensely.

Not sure...but certainly, Riccarton and Riverton both raced at Easter. Riccarton on Saturday, Monday ( I think ) and the following Saturday. Riverton on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. There were, in those days, sufficient horses/ riders for those days to clash without a problem. Often horses would come up for the last day at Riccarton and the Great Autumn Hcp. A worthwhile target for the Riverton Cup winner. Riccarton changed all that by choosing to go away from the traditional Easter dates, which are dictated by the Church calendar. They felt that, as the dates were not consistent year on year, that connections could have more surety in programming their horses' racing. I think that was the reason for the Ellerslie shift too. Some may think that was/is a sensible choice, others may not. Riverton retained it's traditional Easter focus. With the alarming drop in both horse and rider numbers, it's just as well...although at the time, I don't think that could have been envisaged .

She did lose a brilliant career because of the 'rocket fuel'.

I do know a few who have been very unwell following a booster.

Good news about the job. I don't know anyone who has been seriously affected by Covid, just about everyone in my circle of acquaintances has had it, but for all, a bad cold is how they describe it. Most are triple-jabbed, certainly no protection, and immigrants are still discriminated against it seems.

Awful drug.

Here's hoping they have great day today. Best of luck to them all.

Nah. Wouldn't know how, can't be bothered, and anyway that would only give him more exposure- which he delights in.

Nothing new for him. Unnecessary, although that has never stopped him. And here was I thinking that despite everything, he would make a damn fine mayor. The fact remains that the investigation - whatever the outcome - came too late for the mare in question. And that statement does NOT make any point that Harris is, or is not to blame.

Some may have targeted the second day, I know one at least that left today for Monday. They'll be delighted....not. Monday/Tuesday used to be the norm for Riverton anyway.

Great drive around the coast road back from Tuatapere too. Those early Waka sailors, arriving at the southernmost shores, wow, what a scary business that must have been.

Too late for the full to Aegon, River Falls.

Great meeting, excellent track. Hope they have good figures to give the middle finger to the industry.

The silliest point of all - the small country/provincial tracks are worth peanuts, compared to their city cousins. Those are the ones that need 'rationalisation', aren't they?

That's how I read it too, Huey...notwithstanding the acknowledgement about Ellerslie, etc. And what the hell is wrong with grazing sheep [ income, after all ] on country tracks ? There won't be any sheep grazing in the infield at Trentham or Riccarton.

I don't see any indication that he thinks the 'white elephant big tracks' need to be sold, apart from an acknowledgement that billions of dollars is sitting in property not producing. He's right, and realistically Ellerslie is the prize [ maybe Riccarton too? ] but there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that either will be sold. As for 'training and recruitment' the apprentice system as it stands is a bloody shambles.

They could have been..but many trainers - me included - wanted grass trials specifically. There was a call for an alternative [ Ashburton ] after the penultimate set of AWT trials, but they were rained off and therefore held on the AWT. The consensus, I believe, was to alternate grass/AWT trials whenever feasible. As previously alluded to, the decision to scrap Rangiora as a very close and tidy venue for trials has meant that Ashburton gets hammered with both trials/racedays. Not ideal.

WTF ? Kimberley has taken on a 30 start maiden and in two runs, produced him for a third and a win. Whether she is getting advice or not - and with father Roger in the ownership, probably she is - she's doing a bloody good job.