Riccarton last week vs Rotorua this week

[Chief Stipe]

12 minutes ago, Freda said:

Well, it beats hanging around going nowhere with no grass meetings locally.

And Blenheim used to put on a great breakfast for stable staff,  so costs wrt accom. were kept to a minimum 

Last week everyone was complaining about transport costs i.e. Otaki vs Hawera.  Either way the Owner pays.

[Dark Beau]

On 11/05/2025 at 7:46 AM, Trojan said:

So Trentham will be "repaired" enough to race next weekend i.e. in a week?  Then again 3 weeks later?

Apple Picker, it will all depend on the weather is my opinion.

Gee whiz, they got through today beautifully didn't they?

[Chief Stipe]

24 minutes ago, Dark Beau said:

Apple Picker, it will all depend on the weather is my opinion.

Gee whiz, they got through today beautifully didn't they?

Only a matter of time.  Have you started baking cakes yet for the cake stall fundraising?  Or organised a raffle?  To help fund bringing Trentham up to some degree of respectability in the racing world.

[Special Agent]

5 hours ago, Dark Beau said:

Gee whiz, they got through today beautifully didn't they?

Yes, the track was a little too good for some fronting up today mid-May at Trentham.  I'd say make the most of it as June and July will be more saturating.

[Special Agent]

15 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Only a matter of time.  Have you started baking cakes yet for the cake stall fundraising?  Or organised a raffle?  To help fund bringing Trentham up to some degree of respectability in the racing world.

I think the more immediate problem is Hastings.  At least we are currently racing at Trentham.  It has become such a problem in that racing participants are needing to even think about club finances when they should be just turning up and competing on a safe surface with decent facilities.

[Chief Stipe]

23 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

It has become such a problem in that racing participants are needing to even think about club finances when they should be just turning up and competing on a safe surface with decent facilities.

Well we all turned a blind eye for decades to problem.  "Just turning up and competing" - that is the nub of the problem.  I've never understood how the most important aspect of racing or riding a horse is treated with a "she'll be right attitude" "or I hope it'll be alright on the day" by the very people who are affected the most!!! 

Over the decades and considering all the tracks I have walked I would say at most 5% of trainers or jockey's even bother to inspect the track before they or their charges race on it.  I would say though that there is a difference between those tracks that have a flourishing training centre and those that don't.  

You wonder why trainers are not consulted on track changes!  

But I guess most trainers are more worried about where the next bale of hay is coming from.

23 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

I think the more immediate problem is Hastings.

WRONG!  The immediate problem is making the decision where the limited capital available is going to be spent.  The choice is clear - Hastings or Trentham.  One option is cheaper than the other and has more chance of success.  

[Chief Stipe]

10 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Yes, the track was a little too good for some fronting up today mid-May at Trentham.  I'd say make the most of it as June and July will be more saturating.

Luck and benign weather conditions.  Perhaps Trentham should be left as an Autumn tracks only as at least then the track is irrigated correctly.  I see they broke 1:09 for 1200m and I note there is no mention of the times being hand timed in the Stipes report.

[Special Agent]

9 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

WRONG!  The immediate problem is making the decision where the limited capital available is going to be spent.  The choice is clear - Hastings or Trentham.  One option is cheaper than the other and has more chance of success.  

That is only supposing "the industry" is paying, not the individual clubs.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Special Agent said:

That is only supposing "the industry" is paying, not the individual clubs.

The industry pays regardless.  However some clubs have pissed away more than others.  At the end of the day all a Trainer wants is safe track to race on and a safe stall to tie the horse up in before and after.

[Murray Fish]

On 18/05/2025 at 11:11 AM, Chief Stipe said:

But I guess most trainers are more worried about where the next bale of hay is coming from.

The historical background of racing, always very hierarchical.

Trainers and Jockeys,  they have always come to the table "cap in hand", still do! In the modern era, it's hard to be telling the owner positive things and then going public with 'doom and gloom'...  I admire some of the young trainers in the South who are trying hard to make a living Training.  It would make for interesting reading  to see trainers tax returns, will NZ get like NSW and start asking for that sort of thing! 

Top of tree have been the rich owners  (who mostly know the costs of playing with the Horses, just don't tell the Mrs...) along with the Leadership quorum in the Big Clubs!  Often the same players!

The secretary of those Clubs, counted the cash and then  poured plenty into the 'members troughs' on any race day.  I happened to catch the end of it at the once mighty Trentham!  It was more about the size of the troughs! and who got to get their noses into them!   that what was important, there were always horses to race on the track being presented! Jockey safety! slips, all part of racing.

"let the tracks take care of themselves.." and they have!

[Chief Stipe]

24 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

The historical background of racing, always very hierarchical.

Trainers and Jockeys,  they have always come to the table "cap in hand", still do! In the modern era, it's hard to be telling the owner positive things and then going public with 'doom and gloom'

Yes that is the connundrum for Trainers/Syndicators in general.  However at the end of the day the Owner often pays and gets disgruntled anyway.  However the main point I was making was why don't Trainers work more cooperatively at the local level particularly in relation to tracks.  For example why did the Riccarton AWT get into the state it did?  Surely the locals could have worked together and first challenged Riccarton and then NZTR.  Yes they found a rabid ranting lunatic to do it for them in the end but surely there is a better way.  Now they have a lunatic bagging everyone anyway.

[Chief Stipe]

29 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

The secretary of those Clubs, counted the cash and then  poured plenty into the 'members troughs' on any race day.  I happened to catch the end of it at the once mighty Trentham!  It was more about the size of the troughs! and who got to get their noses into them!   that what was important, there were always horses to race on the track being presented! Jockey safety! slips, all part of racing

Yes the big Club troughs.  They are still there but harder to get into and the suits are looking a bit tardy.  Trainers often weren't invited to those trainers but Owners were and they ended up with a glassy eyed version of reality.  Hence no investment in infrastructure.  They didn't notice the paint fading, the upholstery becoming threadbare or the roof leaking until the red sticker was slapped on the building.  Let alone worry about Track maintenance.  

[Murray Fish]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

They didn't notice the paint fading,

true story, I snapped a shot of the decaying "1st" which was above the winning return to scale slot! It had been slowly decaying... I discreetly slipped a cop of  to a committee member, who did put in some effort to upgrade!

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Murray Fish said:

true story, I snapped a shot of the decaying "1st" which was above the winning return to scale slot! It had been slowly decaying... I discreetly slipped a cop of  to a committee member, who did put in some effort to upgrade!

@Murray Fish sometimes that is all it takes.  We tend to not see what we see every day.