Freda

I remember Lou Cole, one year ( brought a horse or two down for one of the carnivals) being so impressed with the overhead vista. It's an artist's sky, she said, I've never seen anything like it.

Bloody-minded stupidity...! actually, I like Christchurch, winds - and the odd earthquake - notwithstanding. Big enough to be interesting, in terms of cultural activities, dining experiences, etc..close to the beach, handy to the delightful Akaroa and other Banks Peninsula gems, easy drive to the Coast, the magnificent high country, also ski-ing, hunting, fishing, all available and close enough. Something for everyone, really.

The sense of the ridiculous assails me here. While I have no problems with aspects of primary care being targeted to those vulnerable communities which may otherwise get left behind, what happens in the case of serious illness or accident? Does the Maori patient with failing kidneys get dialysis in a Maori hospital or a Pakeha one? What about the victims of serious accidents...do they stay, mangled, on a trolley while decisions are made where to put them? Where does surgery get carried out? Will there be a need for, say, Maori orthopaedic surgeons ? and what if there aren't any? What about Pasifika people? Chinese? Indian? where do they fit? I'm just gobsmacked.

Which brings the quote to mind ' lies, damned lies, and statistics..'

Interesting dinner guest.

Would it need irrigating? don't shoot me down, I'm not at all familiar with the Auckland climate but I do know it rains a helluva lot more than here.

Yeah. Much as I love jumpers, the stakes can't be justified.

Hmm. Not super easy, but I guess we are rating who is there, not who we might like to be there. North : Bosson , Allpress,Riddell ,Asano. South: Williams, Comignaghi, Wynne, and Johnson . Despite only a shadow of his former brilliant best, on a good day he is still better than most.

Sorry, no, I don't.

Yeah....squeezed out of the bottom rung.

Okay, Curious has just answered that.

Is there a specific percentage of races allowed to be black type? Or is it a subjective assessment? Italy has lost its group 1's, but has the overall number diminished?

Saudi Arabia is waiting.....

Statistically, I've lived in ChCh for 69 years. I can assure you that the easterly is the bane of ChCh in the spring, the nor'west kicks in a bit later. In the December/January/Feb school holidays we used to get thoroughly dessicated....and it used to make hay carting a shade awkward as you had to struggle to stand up against it as well as hanging on to the bales.

Ashburton trials today, gd 3 and 140-odd horses. Riders even more scarce than usual...swimming pool, N.M , a valuable asset indeed.

No. A stinking cold easterly. Mind you, howling nor'westers have been responsible for some very fast times down the old 5f chute!

.in closing, imagine, Riccarton with an inside track, a strathayr, oh, and maybe lights, summer nights, markets, band, food trucks. and great racing, coinciding with M Valley/Canterbury.Gold Coast....under lights coming soon.....vision, passion. Only problem, J.B....how would we deal with the bloody easterly, so beloved of Reefton? 😊

You're right.

I mention it because it is another example of a lack of forward planning, rather just knee-jerk reactions to events. The accident from which all this angst comes from should never have happened, a young woman's life ruined, because systems weren't up to scratch. Of course trials weren't slow canters...ffs. As for my 'assessment' of the track, I reported what I was told on the day by riders. I wasn't out there riding. Obviously. There would have been others who, depending upon the horses they rode, may not have been bothered as much. One senior rider told me this morning that he thought it rode as well as it had all year. But, he qualified, it has been the worst this year as it has ever been.

Exactly. The track itself has been the victim of mismanagement and misinformation, but too much water under the bridge and, as Reefton stated, the legal ramifications have led to the current situation. No way back, ever.

To do what, exactly? I agree, not a good state of affairs. But the die has been cast ( as far as Riccarton is concerned ) with firstly, the increase in meetings there, and latterly, the push to reduce racedays elsewhere. The AWT will certainly reduce the wear and tear on the grass course proper, but it isn't quite ready yet. Fulton Hogan have more work to do yet, then trials have to take place. The bloody place was so waterlogged after National meeting that remedial work would have been very difficult indeed.

Pitty would agree with me here - often the rail is NOT the best place to be. Shorter trip, yes, but if the rail is off then its the worst place to be.

Not yet.

I would - and I think most would - expect a higher standard of ethical behaviour from lawyers, not less.

Well, it'll be character-building for them to realise just how it feels then.