Woodville??

[Newmarket]

Ok, what’s happening with this meeting. One of the few times I have had a few bets on shitty NZ racing….and not racing. Surely wouldn’t be the track would it? Oh well, least I get my money back to invest in Aussie later. 
How lucky is NZ that Australia give them access to their racing for a small fee, with the dogs gone next year TAB / Entain gonna be in 💩 

[SLB2.0]

A vet issue

[Newmarket]

11 minutes ago, SLB2.0 said:

A vet issue

Thanks, I heard something like that? Always something, vet issue, no ambulance, starting gates wrong place etc. 

That track looks an absolute bog, Soft 5 my arse…..

[SLB2.0]

Definitely heavy - awaiting the inevitable downgrade.

[Chief Stipe]

29 minutes ago, SLB2.0 said:

Definitely heavy - awaiting the inevitable downgrade.

Didn't horses gallop this morning?  Didn't the RIB inspect the track after 7:30am when they took charge?  

And the BS continues - they downgrade 1 rating from a Soft 5 to a Soft 6.  FFS.

[Special Agent]

The RIB are not helping anyone.

Owners and trainers take their horses to the races expecting a certain track condition as advised in the morning.  I doubt there has been a meeting this year where there has not been a downgrade or upgrade after a race or two.

And what about the punters??!!

The whole industry deserves to be boycotted.

[SLB2.0]

It's clearly a ploy to avoid scratchings based on track conditions, right?

[Chief Stipe]

Did it piss down between Race1 and Race 4?  They dropped it two ratings to a Soft 8!!!

[Newmarket]

4 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Didn't horses gallop this morning?  Didn't the RIB inspect the track after 7:30am when they took charge?  

And the BS continues - they downgrade 1 rating from a Soft 5 to a Soft 6.  FFS.

Yeah agree…. Could tell during first race it was not a Soft 5

[Newmarket]

3 hours ago, Special Agent said:

The RIB are not helping anyone.

Owners and trainers take their horses to the races expecting a certain track condition as advised in the morning.  I doubt there has been a meeting this year where there has not been a downgrade or upgrade after a race or two.

And what about the punters??!!

The whole industry deserves to be boycotted.

Punters getting sick of it…. I had a free day at home so invested a few bucks in early races, didn’t bet after race 4. 
Pretty obvious it was heavy before first race

[Murray Fish]

5 hours ago, Special Agent said:

And what about the punters??!!

sigh, they have never really counted that much,,,

5 hours ago, Special Agent said:

The whole industry deserves to be boycotted

believe it or not..   often people that can afford the horse of being involved with horses tend to be on the more conservative end of the spectrum.  most just slowly reduce their inve$tment slowly over time.. same with many now elder punters..

[Wingman]

I do believe it. Probably a slow burn to start with a decade ago for many but now picking up pace. My spend this season is 80 % down on the last which in turn was 50% less than the previous. Dodgy tracks, dodgy track readings, a calendar and a handicapping system that does not work, musical chairs with the usual corporate hacks telling us total b/s, latest cry we are to be led to 'a new age'.

Top class horses will always attract attention and decent turnover/spend on a particular day as will KM type days  but they will not annually sustain an industry, that continues to invest in mediocrity

[Murray Fish]

42 minutes ago, Wingman said:

Probably a slow burn to start with a decade ago for many but now picking up pace.

not wanting to appear prickly!!!   

Lets go back a few more decades   I can share on then/that, as I was donkey deep involved!  the last really big Boom was pre the Share Market Crash of the Late 80's... amongst other things that destroyed quite a bit of 'racing investment'..  as the economic reality of the neoliberal policy  that were started by Labour in 84/88 were being bedded in, along came the Nats and the Ruthless Ritchson Budget of the early 90's, the week benefits were cut back $20 there was a immediate drop in TAB turnover..   also, if you start again at say mid 80's and say racing go X % of the available disposable income that is available then! thatnow is way way down and continuing to scrink! some bounce back via sports better and some pokies A$$$

Jump to now!  and if you look  in todays paper it was pointed out that

"The Financial Services Council’s (FSC) latest Financial Resilience Index found 55% of New Zealanders – equivalent to just over two million people – worry about money either daily or weekly."

 

where is that coolaide!

having said that! I'm with @TAB For Ever  now, where can one find some simple fund and joy via Racing! we be all keen, 5 day road trip coming up! two race days!!!

 

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/more-than-half-of-kiwis-worry-about-money-weekly-as-financial-pressures-remain/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawJ-vf9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE4VXpGSVQzM1VMNndZTVVhAR4qKquvpxTtySNJVcQUNjU3bMpPCnhPeAoIXD1Onyxc84z6xAWW5OXzf9Rb4w_aem_9YpuQJ9yhy2I1Uqzi1bAOA#Echobox=1745888788

 

[Murray Fish]

59 minutes ago, Wingman said:

Top class horses will always attract attention

forgot to add to my previous post..

while there was a measurable decline in lots of important stats as the industry entered the 90, (especially in tracks etc) there happened to be some very good horses! ones winning many of the better G1s over the ditch, though, as real world costs escalated, it became more and more economic sense for a skilled trainer to on sell. Some  Trainers got lucky that their stables could be developed, I know of smallish trainers cashing out for Millions! others say like Woodville almost walked away..  Way less actual good horses over the last 30  years, IMO

[Wingman]

We had better horses in the 90's because there was was more breeding stock and diversity. That was the one positive of the hangover from the 80's sharemarket crash, from a thoroughbred breeding  point of view. Rough Habit and Sunline came from marginal breeding lines however such was the depth of numbers a mare with 'a chance' could be bred and potentially justified from an accounting perspective.

The thoroughbred studs in NZ are continuing today to do a wonderful job yet even they cannot work miracles when the foal crop continues to tumble. Racing horses was always an expensive pastime but the cost today to buy/race has become extremely prohibitive. That is why syndicates have become popular including probably a short term fad called micro shares.

The real issue now is the diminishing foal numbers. That makes a horse with a 'chance' unrealistically expensive, so why bother? AND RIGHT THERE we have participation drop-off.  That is what ultimately, will prove to be our once marvelous industries, Achilles heel.

Fact; 1983 to 1989 5,000 to 6,000 foals each year. The next 20 years, between 4,800 and 3,800, mostly in the 4,000 plus. From 2010 the number of foals per thousand start with a 3 and in 2022  dropped just below 3,000 to 2,974 foals born. Before you apportion blame however understand this true fact and that is since 2010 the global foal crop decrease is about 20% globally. GFC and Covid have played a significant part. 

Meanwhile the most greedy corporate players have painted themselves into a corner. Most average people who are interested in horse racing are of above average intelligence and can, whilst maybe not as quickly as the savvy business types, see where the 'Game' be it betting, racing or breeding is stacked,(more than ever) against them. They, including me reluctantly, are starting to vote with their feet.