Freda

I know Mitch well, although I haven't seen him in quite some time. He bred Generous, I was told? He and Phil Kerr used to pop round home with some rum, went down very well, along with fascinating anecdotes of horses - and horsemen - he knew. Phil is helping Champion/Murphy at the moment, has a very nice horse in work too. Small world.

Still is I believe. Saw him at Riccarton one morning, quite some months ago. Hasn't changed a bit.

yeah, that too.

Same here....looks as if NSW is a bit more enlightened..?

marital law will take over come February It already has...

Ha, no....was it Gunner Nyhan? sorta rings a bell. You may be thinking of Dance the Breeze....

Hmm......slow 7 yesterday? I didn't notice the howling nor'wester....clearly the predicated rain isn't going to happen. Farmers doing hay should employ this lot.

I'm in complete agreement here. My ramble earlier on., about 'how things were' shouldn't be taken as a suggestion we should turn the clock back...rather, just an explanation of why we seemed to have random and ill-thought programmes. Changes have been made on an ad-hoc basis without a broader approach such as you suggest. As for the drift of 'power' north? Not surprising, given population distribution of both horses and people. Which is why sensible programming is even more important.

Yes, it did used to work Ok then, but now it is a dog for some horses. The changing in classification of horses also hasn't helped. I'm not against the ratings system per se, but it is nowhere near as inclusive as earlier models. Some play the system very well, others not, but overall it leads to huge disparities in opportunities for some grades of horses.

Historically, Canterbury and Otago/Southland racing districts had stakeholders and horses in sufficient numbers to be able to stand alone, mostly. But more recently, it is obvious that that was no longer the case, and there was a tacit agreement not to race against the other district's premier or important meeting. So, once Cup meeting was over, there was a modest Coast circuit ( offered a welcome break from the heat and dust and tough competition) and a few other smaller meetings in both districts leading up to Boxing Day at Dunedin/Timaru Cup in Canterbury. Then Invercargill had its day in the sun, followed by another Coast circuit for Canterbury along with Omakau/Cromwell for the southerners. Things have been fiddled around with since and dates altered - but the arrangement did work well. Wellington was a target after the Dunedin/Invercargill options, for the classier southern horses, coming as it did, then, right after the second Coast circuit in early/mid Jan and at times clashing. At least there wasn't the situation seen up north with the change in the Auckland Cup meeting as well.as the Karaka meeting pulling the Wellington Cup meeting to pieces -ruining the Trentham Stakes and other races into the bargain. A premier meeting at Riccarton was never considered, between Cup and the Midsummer meeting late January, too many folk away on holiday and too much racing all over the place to make it work. There have been mutterings from a few trainers who don't want to travel away, but the summer racing pattern did work well. There were even two- and three- year old races over the period. Fancy that.

Very tidy win indeed. May not be the last to have a trip over, I know Kelvin is pretty disillusioned with the scene here.

Yeah, I'm staggered. I realise that some congregations in West Auckland got vilified for holding their gatherings - but, turning worshippers away has to be the most un-Christian behaviour ever. A bit of common-sense and modification surely would be all that was necessary - if there were more than 50 people, that is.

Cool dog.

Some of the underlings aren't much better, IMO.

He will, if he can be bothered. After all, he does have to work for a living, he will know it will be a thankless task, and - as stated - probably ignored. Two gentlemen, known on these websites, did a report on handicapping/allowances, some years ago, at their own cost and forwarded it to NZTR. Goodson and Purcell were the incumbents then. Don't think Purcell took much notice and Goodson didn't understand it.

You are again quite right about needing to retain some funds for the prestige races. No one disputes that, it is necessary and important to reward those. But it is the extent of the preferential treatment that has been unfair over the years. I'm sure, if you could be bothered with a report, you'd get a good bit of buy-in from those two gentlemen mentioned in your post, and a few others besides.

Bang on. And - I can add [ although, as a club sec and accountant you will know amounts EXACTLY ] small clubs have had their funding from TAB revenue selectively attacked over many years; the percentage and method of distribution has changed over the decades, but their payout is proportionately far less than that of the metropolitan clubs. So, then, as money becomes tighter and tighter, and the willing volunteers become older and and just can't be arsed any more, the ageing facilities are pointed at and used as a reason for closure.

Riccarton does not make a profit on its training operation..Rangiora, just up the road 20 minutes and a much more modest facility, doesn't either. Both would be more sustainable financially if they didn't have to provide training grounds. Can't answer for other tracks however.

Did they notice?

Very sensible. However, that practice falls well outside the obligation of a jockey to 'give all possible chance' to their mount. Refusing to ride would have been more honest. My first partner [ jockey ] was occasionally maligned for 'calling the races off' ...actually, he didn't, and didn't have the power anyway. But he, and fellow senior Paul Richards were often at the forefront of discussions re. safety, both in the room, as well as talking with other riders about their thoughts. Frequently, after such chat, there would be an announcement to the effect that any rider with concerns could stand down without repercussions. I know N.G.H would do so on occasion. H & S practices were nowhere near as developed as now, where, if there is a query about safety, races must be called off. Sending riders round 'to find out' is appalling and I'm surprised there haven't been further repercussions from Workplace H&S. Perhaps too soon.

Yes, he/she certainly was. Peer pressure perhaps? didn't want to be thought 'scared' ? it is very easy to throw around remarks like 'he's got the shits' but, they stick, and can dog a rider's career for ages. Options? Don't ride, and face recriminations from connections of horses. Do ride, do your best, and risk injury. Canter round carefully and take everyone's money.

Yeah. Sure.

Would indeed. But, where is the [quality] control? Who assesses tracks before racing starts? If we go back to the infamous 'cone' incident at Riccarton, clearly, no-one. I went into the judicial room at Timaru, to intercede on behalf of a rider under a warning for an incompetent ride in a hurdle race. Now, he wouldn't be alone in that. If incompetence is to be considered, then most would be in the room at some time, and some, a lot - especially down here at the moment. This young fella was being grilled as to why he allowed his horse to drift so far off the last horse so as to give it no show. He tried to explain that the horse was hanging so badly, that it was taking all his strength just to keep it from going over the outside fence. It wasn't until the last bend was negotiated that the animal straightened enough to allow his rider to urge him forward. Head stipe - who to the best of my knowledge has never ridden - said, you should have let the reins go. !!! WRT Wellington, I understand that a senior rider -maybe the same one to whom you refer, Huey? told officials that there would be serious safety issues BEFORE the races started. But, hey, they're expendable, send 'em round and lets see, eh?

I kinda think you are right. Although, I note that overseas ( and was it Eagle Farm or Doomben that was buggered when it was 'reconstructed? ) places like Ascot can renovate their royal turf without fucking it up. I know Peter O'Malley fixed the fix at Greymouth....and I was at Reefton when he was told by the venue inspector to put 4 ml - or some such inconsequential amount of water - on the track there. He refused. Waste of time, he said. Not enough time to soak in, not enough, will be slippery and I'm not doing it. Track raced fine.

I missed the first, so didn't see anything...but yeah, not good at a premier track this time of the year. Just what Chief has been saying, ad infinitum, how the soil structure in so many tracks is stuffed.