Good to see! - Committee being formed for TAB!

[Brodie]

Great to see Brad Steele being interviewed by Greg O’Connor.

Great to hear that everything is positive with harness racing, so we do not need to worry about its future ever again!

[mikeynz]

50 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Great to see Brad Steele being interviewed by Greg O’Connor.

Great to hear that everything is positive with harness racing, so we do not need to worry about its future ever again!

Then stop worrying 🤐 I often wonder about some of the decisions leaders in many sporting codes make sometimes, it's sometimes easier on the outside looking in, Harness racing is making some odd ones, but some of the decisions made by Rugby administration is no better, not just in NZ but worldwide, playing 3 v 4  last when it should be the other way around in the Super playoffs is just one example, Rugby just seem to want more and more, just like Harness in NZ, sometimes quality beats quantity, sometimes I think they fail to understand why people don't maintain interest all the time, you can get too much of anything.

[Brodie]

Is anyone else confused by this Committee being formed?????

Why is there a need for this committee when Brad Steele CEO of HRNZ was telling us all on Trackside last night, that everything was positive for harness??

Everything is so good that Mr Steele recently stated that this Committee being formed “marks a pivotal moment for the NZ racing industry “ 

Why is it pivotal if everything was fine and going well?

Secondly the current Entain CEO, Dean Shannon is finishing up at the end of the month!

He stated that “ it was the right time for change”?

If things were going fine why were they looking to change things??

Just does not add up, does it?

Anyway, hope things are going well for the sake of the harness business.

Good punting!

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 09:43 PM by Brodie

[mikeynz]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Is anyone else confused by this Committee being formed?????

Why is there a need for this committee when Brad Steele CEO of HRNZ was telling us all on Trackside last night, that everything was positive for harness??

Everything is so good that Mr Steele recently stated that this Committee being formed “marks a pivotal moment for the NZ racing industry “ 

Why is it pivotal if everything was fine and going well?

Secondly the current Entain CEO, Dean Shannon is finishing up at the end of the month!

He stated that “ it was the right time for change”?

If things were going fine why were they looking to change things??

Just does not add up, does it?

Anyway, hope things are going well for the sake of the harness business.

Good punting!

 

 

 

Well they have lifted total turnover, it took a extra 30 9or 40 racedays to do it but turnovers is up😊

[Gammalite]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Is anyone else confused by this Committee being formed?????

Why is there a need for this committee when Brad Steele CEO of HRNZ was telling us all on Trackside last night, that everything was positive for harness??

your post is confusing Brodie lol.

Brad is probably saying the current situation sees great horses doing great racing in lots of new races and schemes that have been implemented (with the help of Dean Shannon and his mob) and people are racing for the best prizemoney ever seen in NZ. so looks excellent progress. (you'll find a dampener for it though no doubt lol 😉👍)

You yourself are stating frequently that things will be changing in 2 years (after the 5 great years of the fantastic Entain harness revival is up. and Dean is stepping aside as has put in a decade of effort to achieve these great things.

Perhaps the Commitee is to PLAN FOR THE FUTURE old chap. In 2 YEARS time things change ( i'm just taking your word for this ) so you need to start getting Plans in place NOW for when that time comes. They aren't gunna leave it to the last month Brodster.

Good on em' for putting a committee togeather now to discuss these Future issues.  Timing is good and Future Planning ALWAYS super IMportant. The only thing they could do better is put Gamma , Galah and Seymour (while he's got his billion$ and the world's best horse too, and is still Alive )  on the Committee and things would be running better than the gallops even in No Time.  

[Nowornever]

1 hour ago, mikeynz said:

Well they have lifted total turnover, it took a extra 30 9or 40 racedays to do it but turnovers is up😊

To lift turnover further we will now be racing everyday of the week. There will possibly only be four and five horse fields but at least the turnover is up lol

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

your post is confusing Brodie lol.

Brad is probably saying the current situation sees great horses doing great racing in lots of new races and schemes that have been implemented (with the help of Dean Shannon and his mob) and people are racing for the best prizemoney ever seen in NZ. so looks excellent progress. (you'll find a dampener for it though no doubt lol 😉👍)

You yourself are stating frequently that things will be changing in 2 years (after the 5 great years of the fantastic Entain harness revival is up. and Dean is stepping aside as has put in a decade of effort to achieve these great things.

Perhaps the Commitee is to PLAN FOR THE FUTURE old chap. In 2 YEARS time things change ( i'm just taking your word for this ) so you need to start getting Plans in place NOW for when that time comes. They aren't gunna leave it to the last month Brodster.

Good on em' for putting a committee togeather now to discuss these Future issues.  Timing is good and Future Planning ALWAYS super IMportant. The only thing they could do better is put Gamma , Galah and Seymour (while he's got his billion$ and the world's best horse too, and is still Alive )  on the Committee and things would be running better than the gallops even in No Time.  

At the end of the day, if the CEO’s think things are heading in the right direction then  so Be it!

The call from Winnie to form this Committee quickly with unpaid people like Chris Waller, Peter Vella etc. is not for forward planning when the 5 years is up!

It is a vote if no confidence in what is being done NOW!

Carry on the way they are currently and things are going to be dire.

You can not continue to run meetings each week at a loss snd think that is a recipe for success!

 

Edited Saturday at 01:21 AM by Brodie

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

 

Good on em' for putting a committee togeather now to discuss these Future issues.  Timing is good and Future Planning ALWAYS super IMportant. The only thing they could do better is put Gamma , Galah and Seymour (while he's got his billion$ and the world's best horse too, and is still Alive )  on the Committee and things would be running better than the gallops even in No Time.  

i like your thinking gamma.

whats that old quote"we cannot  solve our problems with the same thinking(or people) as when we created them".

 

Edited Saturday at 01:26 AM by the galah

[Gammalite]

9 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Carry on the way they are currently and things are going to be dire.

You can not continue to run meetings each week at a loss snd think that is a recipe for success!

things are dire mate.

The Galah and others have often pointed out the declining numbers racing as a main issue. That to me is the thing we need to address with haste. No Participants = No Sport. 

I do totally admire that you want to get a Bet on to help out (and line your pockets) great spirit of adventure.

The bottom line is you need Participants first, Races 2nd and Revenue 3rd. 

Queensland and Victoria operate at a Revenue Loss . Does anyone seriously bet on them ? no. I don't bet on them and I'm a big fan. 

The thing is they still operate because we get Sponsor's, and PAtron's , and Stalwarts and Slot races and all sorts of inspired ideas to keep the SPORT going. It's a Sport , people want to play.

Do you shut your local GOLF course when memberships drop off and no-one is 'Betting ' on the players ?? no . They get off their bums and get money from whatever source is available.

ENtain helped harness no end and yet you hate it.  Brad Steele happy with it . and the participants. 

All you blokes on these forums Counting runners and Revenue every 2nd week is No help at all. Race a Horse would help !!! like they do in Queensland. People here still racing a horse (or 3) and KEEPING the Game going. (for now)

[Rangatira]

19 minutes ago, the galah said:

whats that old quote"we cannot  solve our problems with the same thinking(or people) as when we created them".

Albert said something similar

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[mikeynz]

I said about quality over quality, an example, 2 nights in the North, 14 races, 3 at least at Cambridge with only 6, would make sense to only have 1 night, probably 11 or 12 races,  it is winter at present, maybe go back to 2 meetings a week once the weather heats up and numbers improve trainers only need to travel one day, tv crew only one day,,no one would be worse off.

Same in Rugby, quantity over quality, Super Rugby starts in summer, they get to the playoffs and it's played at the coldest time of the year, 16 rounds, if you only had 10 or even 12 rounds you will still get the same result, Rugby is leaking money too,mostly through bloated squads on the payroll plus all the hangers on, why the All Blacks need nearly 40 when touring , mind boggling.

[Brodie]

2 hours ago, Gammalite said:

things are dire mate.

The Galah and others have often pointed out the declining numbers racing as a main issue. That to me is the thing we need to address with haste. No Participants = No Sport. 

I do totally admire that you want to get a Bet on to help out (and line your pockets) great spirit of adventure.

The bottom line is you need Participants first, Races 2nd and Revenue 3rd. 

Queensland and Victoria operate at a Revenue Loss . Does anyone seriously bet on them ? no. I don't bet on them and I'm a big fan. 

The thing is they still operate because we get Sponsor's, and PAtron's , and Stalwarts and Slot races and all sorts of inspired ideas to keep the SPORT going. It's a Sport , people want to play.

Do you shut your local GOLF course when memberships drop off and no-one is 'Betting ' on the players ?? no . They get off their bums and get money from whatever source is available.

ENtain helped harness no end and yet you hate it.  Brad Steele happy with it . and the participants. 

All you blokes on these forums Counting runners and Revenue every 2nd week is No help at all. Race a Horse would help !!! like they do in Queensland. People here still racing a horse (or 3) and KEEPING the Game going. (for now)

Firstly, I do want to help out with wagering turnover. 
The TAB needs punters more than I need the TAB

Brad Steele knows how things are really going financially but is paid to perform So that is why he is painting a rosey position.

Anyway we will wait and see what happens.

[TAB For Ever]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:18 PM, Brodie said:

At the end of the day, if the CEO’s think things are heading in the right direction then  so Be it!

The call from Winnie to form this Committee quickly with unpaid people like Chris Waller, Peter Vella etc. is not for forward planning when the 5 years is up!

It is a vote if no confidence in what is being done NOW!

Carry on the way they are currently and things are going to be dire.

You can not continue to run meetings each week at a loss snd think that is a recipe for success!

 

The record is stuck !

Remove needle ,turn off power and give it a rest !

Reset ......change the way you think about things and the things you think about will change !

[TAB For Ever]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:35 PM, Gammalite said:

things are dire mate.

The Galah and others have often pointed out the declining numbers racing as a main issue. That to me is the thing we need to address with haste. No Participants = No Sport. 

I do totally admire that you want to get a Bet on to help out (and line your pockets) great spirit of adventure.

The bottom line is you need Participants first, Races 2nd and Revenue 3rd. 

Queensland and Victoria operate at a Revenue Loss . Does anyone seriously bet on them ? no. I don't bet on them and I'm a big fan. 

The thing is they still operate because we get Sponsor's, and PAtron's , and Stalwarts and Slot races and all sorts of inspired ideas to keep the SPORT going. It's a Sport , people want to play.

Do you shut your local GOLF course when memberships drop off and no-one is 'Betting ' on the players ?? no . They get off their bums and get money from whatever source is available.

ENtain helped harness no end and yet you hate it.  Brad Steele happy with it . and the participants. 

All you blokes on these forums Counting runners and Revenue every 2nd week is No help at all. Race a Horse would help !!! like they do in Queensland. People here still racing a horse (or 3) and KEEPING the Game going. (for now)

Indeed Gamma.....all around the world Horse racing is struggling and inparticular Harness Racing !

To own a horse is particularly expensive.....if you own land to graze and house them decent land is very expensive and needed for the essentials Food and Housing ! 

To own a horse to race is a very expensive hobby ....chances of getting a good one are slim and the average return has almost double of late but it still less than 50%. 

As a punter , 95% of those lose ....overall people don't have spare cash to waste and most would rather spend it on boats ,holidays ,booze and wild woman. If desperate for a punt there are thousands of options ,more on-line casinos and sports that most people can easily follow.

Not like the 1950's to 1980's when Racing was one of the rare things to have a flutter on and most workplaces had some sort of  Weekly Betting Synd with a Xmas pot at the end...kind of compulsory savings !

As to the 'negaholics' with the record stuck , the aversion to talking to the folk they criticise like TAB boss and HRNZ boss they should read the nursery rhyme of the 'Boy Who Cried Wolf'. If there is no library close to their Southern cave I'll recall a brief story of a neighbour of ours ...

Our hard working neighbour ,we called him Colonel had a nice little 'takeaway/dairy' on the main highway. He worked long hours to keep his family safe/fed and clothed  etc and saved a little with a plan to send his oldest son to the city for Uni Education cos his boy considered very clever. Colonel had signs erected on nearby lamposts , farmers fences and in farmers fields for which he paid a fee ! This advertising made him well known and prompted passing traffic to pull-in for some food. His business went from strength to strength and he had to take on some staff to handle the growing Volume. Business was very good !

The time came when he sent his son at great cost to the City for University......after the first year his son came home and told his dad[ Colonel] He said ,..I major in Economics and Business and I've learned that things are DIRE out there. Inflation is raging,GDP is dropping ,Kiwisaver is losing ground ,the sharemarket is heading for a record low ,Trump [First time] has just got in ......things are very bad and will only get worse as we head into recession.

So the Colonel immediately laid off his staff and worked his store alone and took down the signs to save money and shortened his opening hours.........the recession is coming ,and things will be bad ...my son has warned me and the daily News confirms it.

After a couple of weeks he looked at his weekly sales and concluded.......Yes his son was right ,things had gotten very bad ,his business had gone down the toilet !

Mentor note....8 June 2025

[Brodie]

9 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

The record is stuck !

Remove needle ,turn off power and give it a rest !

Reset ......change the way you think about things and the things you think about will change !

TAB, public forum to express opinion!

If we agree or disagree with someone then we need to point this.

Currently the money from Entain that was to assist the TAB and racing is being wasted and needs to change now!

This is why the committee is being formed to sort out what is going on!

Very poor decision making and by saying everything is rosey when it is not, is not helping!

[Gammalite]

10 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Indeed Gamma.....all around the world Horse racing is struggling and inparticular Harness Racing !

To own a horse is particularly expensive.....if you own land to graze and house them decent land is very expensive and needed for the essentials Food and Housing ! 

To own a horse to race is a very expensive hobby ....chances of getting a good one are slim and the average return has almost double of late but it still less than 50%. 

As a punter , 95% of those lose ....overall people don't have spare cash to waste and most would rather spend it on boats ,holidays ,booze and wild woman. If desperate for a punt there are thousands of options ,more on-line casinos and sports that most people can easily follow.

Not like the 1950's to 1980's when Racing was one of the rare things to have a flutter on and most workplaces had some sort of  Weekly Betting Synd with a Xmas pot at the end...kind of compulsory savings !

As to the 'negaholics' with the record stuck , the aversion to talking to the folk they criticise like TAB boss and HRNZ boss they should read the nursery rhyme of the 'Boy Who Cried Wolf'. If there is no library close to their Southern cave I'll recall a brief story of a neighbour of ours ...

Our hard working neighbour ,we called him Colonel had a nice little 'takeaway/dairy' on the main highway. He worked long hours to keep his family safe/fed and clothed  etc and saved a little with a plan to send his oldest son to the city for Uni Education cos his boy considered very clever. Colonel had signs erected on nearby lamposts , farmers fences and in farmers fields for which he paid a fee ! This advertising made him well known and prompted passing traffic to pull-in for some food. His business went from strength to strength and he had to take on some staff to handle the growing Volume. Business was very good !

The time came when he sent his son at great cost to the City for University......after the first year his son came home and told his dad[ Colonel] He said ,..I major in Economics and Business and I've learned that things are DIRE out there. Inflation is raging,GDP is dropping ,Kiwisaver is losing ground ,the sharemarket is heading for a record low ,Trump [First time] has just got in ......things are very bad and will only get worse as we head into recession.

So the Colonel immediately laid off his staff and worked his store alone and took down the signs to save money and shortened his opening hours.........the recession is coming ,and things will be bad ...my son has warned me and the daily News confirms it.

After a couple of weeks he looked at his weekly sales and concluded.......Yes his son was right ,things had gotten very bad ,his business had gone down the toilet !

Mentor note....8 June 2025

What an excellent collection of ideas and events. Hope the Colonel can recover. So many small businesses have collapsed the last few years with the cost of staff and shop rent especially hard to manage. The Cost of living far exceeded the inflation rate , with the cost of 'everything' escalating all the time.

(luckily my wife and I sold our local small business we had for 7 years , about 7 years ago to the Chinese ,so I semi-retired, just very recently the Chinaman shut the door for the last time actually , a sign of the times 🙄)   

Brodie and I discussed previously a few times what the costs of racing/training a horse these days are, and realized the folly of doing so , even though reasonably well off. I would want to do the horse myself but feel too old to get back into it now as a participant lol. Plus the many horses I trained in my prime before marriage, we just tried to 'break even' for the regular people owners we had. none of the horses were stars and even if could get just a second placing each month , at least the horse broke even from it's 4 starts that month. It was a Tough Battle.

I've always been surrounded by some of the best Horse people on the Planet. young Herlihy and MarkyP while in Nz ,Vinnie Knight and JimmyO in Victoria, and some amazing families like Dixon's, Rasmussen and McMullen in QLD . Feel like I walked in horse heaven mixing it up with these fine people. 

Anyway HEARTY congrats to you , racing both gallopers and harness horses I believe from this forum. Supporting both Codes and enjoying yourself no end . Up the Karaka Day !! 🤣😂

Today is public holiday Kings Birthday in Vic and NSW. wonder if it is in NZ too?  Stupid stupid QLD changed our Kings B'day holiday to Oct. WTF. and we don't even have Daylight Saving at all. talk about backward state lol. My wife and I used to go to the Brisbane Cup run this Very day (when queens b'day holiday Monday) every year as our galloping outing. but they changed it. so we go No more, and is gorgeous day today. and nothing on. spose do have BOAY and Collingwood v Dee's at the MCG AFL  (80,000 crowd today) on tele for a bit of entertainment.  

[Gammalite]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

TAB, public forum to express opinion!

If we agree or disagree with someone then we need to point this.

Currently the money from Entain that was to assist the TAB and racing is being wasted and needs to change now!

This is why the committee is being formed to sort out what is going on!

Very poor decision making and by saying everything is rosey when it is not, is not helping!

you often say this Brodster, But you don't say how they can improve ? What should they be doing with the funding Entain has provided ? 

New races and assorted things s like that seemed a good idea to me. spend it while you have got it .

you say harness only benefits for 5 years. What should they do after that time then ? 

(I would tinker with the actual racing itself if in charge lol.😂. If they want to make the Invercargill Cup a Group 1 for $100,000 for example, (which also drew BOAY criticism at the time for wasting funds) I thought it was good as gave the locals a chance to WIN Big Bucks with their Best pacers. (a bit like the Golden Gate initiative at Alex Park gave regular folk with regular horses a chance at big bucks , Unhinged Nigel even WON one of them . great stuff )

Your man Carter from Canterbury far too good for the Southerners though so mugged the Invercargill Cup money with Krug and Republican Party anyway. so the locals can't win their own race. 

I would make it a stand and plonk winners off 10m . This has what has slipped in NZ for a few years. The Handicap.

Sundee's Son Lazarus Copy That and even bloody SWAYZEE 'Gifted' the big races (Dominion, Rowe,NZ Cup etc)  as after winning them once. were  NOT given the 10m or 20m handicap , so Easily won them a second time . Swayzee might be coming back for 3rd NZ Cup shortly ? just silly giving it to him.  put him on 20m 👍😎

To Give Others a Chance handicap the winners  .  as they have done for 100 years previously.  you need more than One Winner and you especially need all the participants to Have a chance of winning. . This keeps ALL Trainers and owners interested in competing in these races too. The interest will drop away otherwise. 

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

you often say this Brodster, But you don't say how they can improve ? What should they be doing with the funding Entain has provided ? 

New races and assorted things s like that seemed a good idea to me. spend it while you have got it .

you say harness only benefits for 5 years. What should they do after that time then ? 

(I would tinker with the actual racing itself if in charge lol.😂. If they want to make the Invercargill Cup a Group 1 for $100,000 for example, (which also drew BOAY criticism at the time for wasting funds) I thought it was good as gave the locals a chance to WIN Big Bucks with their Best pacers. (a bit like the Golden Gate initiative at Alex Park gave regular folk with regular horses a chance at big bucks , Unhinged Nigel even WON one of them . great stuff )

Your man Carter from Canterbury far too good for the Southerners though so mugged the Invercargill Cup money with Krug and Republican Party anyway. so the locals can't win their own race. 

I would make it a stand and plonk winners off 10m . This has what has slipped in NZ for a few years. The Handicap.

Sundee's Son Lazarus Copy That and even bloody SWAYZEE 'Gifted' the big races (Dominion, Rowe,NZ Cup etc)  as after winning them once. were  NOT given the 10m or 20m handicap , so Easily won them a second time . Swayzee might be coming back for 3rd NZ Cup shortly ? just silly giving it to him.  put him on 20m 👍😎

To Give Others a Chance handicap the winners  .  as they have done for 100 years previously.  you need more than One Winner and you especially need all the participants to Have a chance of winning. . This keeps ALL Trainers and owners interested in competing in these races too. The interest will drop away otherwise. 

I am not sure exactly what the terms and conditions of Entains agreement with the NZ TAB is?

It shouldve been ironed out prior to signing, giving racing its best options!

The 900m promised should not be blown on stake money and bonuses indide the 5 years.

it should be rationed out over a longer period, money held over for future years and proportioned .

When the 5 years is up the owners and trainers are going to feel it dramatically as the stakes will not be propped up by Entain as they are currently.

Auckland dire situation should’ve been sorted, training centres set up and punting being encouraged rather than stifled.

Hopefully the committee will be helpful.

Media propaganda saying how well things are going is not helpful!

more transparency needs to be applied.