Freda

Not here, I wouldn't think...but it is the way it is done in Europe.

Agree re. handicapping system. But, the purist in me, regardless, doesn't think that Grp 1 or 2 should be attached to a handicap. Grp 3, listed, perhaps. The piss up would still happen on Melbourne Cup day irrespective of what rating it had. The money is huge and the best that can be obtained, turn up for the race. It certainly isn't about stud value, many competitors are geldings anyway and it has been long thought that staying handicaps won by an entire will see that horse relegated to National Hunt status. Even Vadamos has joined that queue. To quote : handicaps are for betting , WFA is to determine best of breed/crop. Different aims all the way.

I have read, and do comprehend. Opie is superbly balanced and yes, definitely a Grp 1 rider. No argument there. Tina? How many Grp 1's has she even ridden in? Apples with apples. Different education, different requirements re. employment, no exposure to the high-faluting stuff, nah, can't compare with any degree of fairness. But I have seen Opie have brain fades that I wouldn't expect either, from a rider of his quality. Earlier in his career those top Aussie jocks could put him where they wanted him...and I think HK might have found him out a bit too. But, coming from a different perspective altogether, would i pick Opie for my runner? Do you think the lot I am getting up to every morning would interest him in the slightest? My experience of top NI jocks has been ( generally ) woeful, they don't rate either SI horses or their trainers as a rule, unless they have been brought down by trainers to ride their team. I'm not the only one to find that instructions are ignored and the whole experience to be a waste of time. At least the fledgling apprentice will try for you. Exception would be Lisa Allpress, who is a consummate professional . James Mac rode a winner for me a while ago, he was pretty switched on too and great post race feedback.

Wrt to the guys mentioned earlier- they are referring to value from a punting perspective, not whether he is better than the other riders in any given situation. I'm not clever enough to do the maths but I do get where they are coming from.

And the track looks grand too. What a shame

It was funny though.

If you are referring to strangles, for starters it isn't a viral infection. I don't think any trainer is 'complacent' about strangles, ill-informed perhaps, and maybe unwise in practice, but not complacent. I'm certainly not. As for the Covid thing, the 'herd immunity/ let it take its course' approach espoused by Sweden hasn't turned out so shit hot, has it? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, an anti-vaxxer, I prefer to take a pragmatic view; and keeping us as safe as possible and not allowing our health system to be completely overwhelmed was, I think, the best course to take. I'm not a Labour/Jacinda fan [ sorry Jess ] but, she was a young mother thrown into a helluva three years, I don't think too many would have improved upon the response. Not perfect, but far better than most. The economic downturn [ which could have been a lot worse ] would have happened regardless - we are, after all, a trading nation, and other countries were hammered. It was always going to affect us whatever we did.

Your point?

I see the NZTBA have endorsed the application of Dr Alan Jackson for the new TAB board.

No and not that I've heard.

No, it isn't. And I do have concerns that the imminence of a vaccine will lead to even more complacency than I see around me.

Yeah....same as a positive attributed to feed stored in a warehouse where party pills were made. I like to think I am fairly logical, and look for science-based facts or proof....but, ffs, how much 'contamination' is really likely? Cattle water troughs shared by Derby colts? Really?

Swings and roundabouts.

Don't I know that..

Somebody would still win.

Brilliant!

Agree, a neat wee chap and such a cruiser. Would love to see him shake it up.

Ahhh....might be entertaining though! Pissing everyone off isn't clever and destroys good debate. Less often works better...

This is becoming tiresome, it's done and dusted now. However, from the horses' mouths, so to speak, as it happened; Mr Harris, having 3 runners, was assisted by two experienced horsemen to saddle up the two horses concerned. Done and all sorted. Appears a stable rep of the trainer who then insisted that the NUMBER CLOTHS were on the wrong horses. Despite the fact that the two men were positive all was kosher, they were required to swap the saddle cloths. Hence Bothamley's confusion, and then the subsequent swapping again around at the barriers. This was related to me by a close contact of the helpers.

You're quite right there, more expertise = less common sense in many cases. However, you must factor in modern H&S requirements which did not exist yesteryear.

I believe Hokitika raced there once, it was a disaster.

You probably have better access to those facts than most of us...however, my understanding is that the loan often referred to was advanced much more recently than Diane's one, and has been paid back. Regardless, we can argue forever about what Hokitika could have, and should have, done ; but, at no stage can anyone, hand on heart, have confidence that NZTR will do as they promise. So, now, under the new racing act, it is legal to usurp club/community assets should they wish to, how can anyone blame Westland R.C for doing what they did? As Reefton said, if NZTR had shown a bit of patience and a lot less big stick they would have got the lot may be correct from a legal point of view - but is it morally right? I don't think so. Using their capital to enrich West Coast racing is a sop when West Coast racing may not exist under the centralisation agenda...and all NZTR has to do is deny permits, and the whole show falls over.

Yes, good result, the mare was badly injured but, for once, a happy ending and Meg's first winner. Her Dad was on course as well, making the day even more special for them. Overall, another great day and a huge crowd. I noticed a petition doing the rounds at Greymouth, presumably carried through to Reefton and yesterday, for Hokitika getting a day on the circuit again. Not at the Westland track, of course - which is a real shame IMO - but four days does make the trip a bit more viable for some trainers from out of the district. What must be frustrating for the Westland folk, is that any 'improvements ' that NZTR may have deemed necessary for the club to continue, could have been done without industry financing. They had the money.

I just had that clarified. Cameron George insisted upon all horses carrying their weight to the start . Leading by the clerk of the course permitted but the horse must be ridden. My recollection was that that was stipulated some time earlier than that... McCutcheon I thought. Regardless, that is how it is now. Once in the starter's hands, what happens from then on is his call, but generally would be allowed only for matters of safety or loading expediency.

I suspect that will be because of that horse' s rating and position in the field - not that I have looked - and I'm certain a computer does it, not a real human that might think.