2025 young guns trot final

[the galah]

the independent review makes interesting reading.

so,i thought i might put out my own findings ,based on their findings.

It all started on a sunny waikato morning at the  waikato stables of galloping and trotting trainer graeme rogerson.

there rogie and his foreman, well the foreman seems to remain unidentified in the official report,but lets just say we will make up an alias,say j/s,not knowing what his name is.

So there they were ,spotted leaning on a fence,sunlight glistening on their freshly polished foreheads..

then they got to talking. Rogie.. "i see that young guns trotting final will have a small field"...is our horse yeah nah going to qualify"

j/s.. "yeah nah..doesn't qualify    rogie.. yeah nah the horse doesnt qualify or yeah nah ,doesn't qualify."  j/s..exactly  rogie...no i meant is yeah nah going to qualify next week at the trials

J?S ..what you want yeah nah to qualify   rogie...didn't i just say that   J/S yeah nah... rogie.. are you getting lippy with me son  J/s...what   Rogie...just get yeah nah qualified    J/S  o.k. boss muttering under his breath why would anyone call a horse yeah nah.

and thats how it all started,just a simple misunderstanging over what the initial pause in the conversation about a horse with what turned out to be an appropriate name. Will we never know whether rogie was referring to a qualifying trial to be run the next week,like it apparently was entered for,or was it the young guns final. Well we will have to wait ill his memoirs are written. But we know the foreman took it to mean the young guns final.

so j/s contacted the northern handicapper(N/H),who then called the national hrnz handicapper(hrnz /h)

so this is possibly how the conversation went between the 2 handicappers

n/h..i got a call from j/s and hes saying his boss wants his 2 year old yeah nah to qualify for the young guns

hrnz/h.. but he doesn't  n/h..but can you change it so he can     hrnz/h.. well if i did that all hell would break loose,there would be calls for my head,claims of unfairness and corruption,it would set a terrible precedent....um...let me think about it....um hang on i will toss a coin  heads we do,tails we do,  n/h...did you say heads we do,tails we do,  hrnz handicapper,yeah 50% chance.   thats what i always do in these confusing type of situations.

hrnz /h heads o.k. i will arrange it,but lets just keep it on the q/t as we don't want people knowing     n/h..mums the word

so they publish the changed conditions but tell no one

Yet way down south,on a day when the horses can't be worked because of what they call just a light shower in invercargill.i.e. 24 hours of heavy rain,inside is a trainer called n/w and n/w is on the hrnz website and low and behold,he stumbles upon the new race conditions...n/w  to his wife..look i can run our trotter in that big race at auckland worth $50,000../n/w wife,.what,how can they change that n/w well it is hrnz...wife..well,that explains that,but whats to stop them changing it back,...n/w rings  the   owner n/w..we off to auckland...owner..great..we could do with another holiday. i've only had 2 in the last 3 months,see you in auckland.

little did they know that they had stumbled upon a wasps nest of controversy,as down in little old temuka a former member of a ranfurly shield winning team,a bear of a man,had been awoken from his  hibernation in a cave out the back of the temuka  hotel, after receiving a call from his trainer...the conversation ,i would guess,went something like this.

m/jj...ross....r/m....hhhrrrr   m/j ross,you would never guess what HRNZ have done    r/m...hhrrr this better be good as i was in the deep sleep part of my hibernation   m/j theyve changed the conditions of the race wev'e set your horse for to allow others who shouldn't be allowed to start in the auckland race,i mean wtf,how can they do that....r/m...wtf did you just say, m/j...i mean wtf   r/m...wtf,those dirty f north islanders,they did the same when we played wellington. Grant battys not the handicapper is he,because if he is i'm going to f.. m/j ..,no its the christchurch handicapper who ok'd it,i mean wtf

well i will have to end the story there as its getting a bit long for me,but the above sounds about what most likely happened to me

Edited 19 hours ago by the galah

[Gammalite]

2 hours ago, the galah said:

well i will have to end the story there as its getting a bit long for me,but the above sounds about what most likely happened to me

Well I don't see the point in mocking people like you have here Mr Galah.  so some small change occurred that people didn't like ? so what. 

It used to be a GOOD thing when race conditions were expanded to allow more runners to get a race start. These days iwith the small fields it shouldn't be frowned upon or mocked lol 🙄. more the merrier. best to get over it and move on.

Speaking of kiwis and young trotters. Yesterday Graeme Harris actually drove his young 2 year old trotter in a race at Albion himself. 

They were spread out over 100 m at the end , the baby trotters , but Graeme got 3rd. He is 75 years old now and only drives about 2 races a year 😂. driven about 15 races since 2019 or something like that lol 😎  a rare sight these days.

Some of you blokes will remember Graeme there ?, won a fair few with 'Alba's Reign' winner of the NZ Juvenile Championship one year,  and same year in photo below he is representing the North Island in a Drivers challenge at Addington , along with 3 x Gentlemen Group 1 drivers you can probably recognize as well.  This team probably cleaned up those confederates of the deep South lol. 

Tony was in his 8th season race driving at this stage of photo below,  and his most winningest horse was 'Supreme Ruler' , with 10 wins driving it for Mike Berger. It eventually ended up with Graeme Harris who couldn't get it doing much , and like wise with us In Queensland 'Supreme Ruler' was a bit of a disappointment. was so sour and bite ya , quick as look at you. Never the same after the Big crash in the NZ Cup for Richard Brosnan , when Camelot won the Cup. 

Anyway good to see Graeme Harris still in action !! in sunny QLD. Richard Brosnan is too in Victoria . some great ex-pats kiwis still trotting their stuff around the courses. 

 

 

[the galah]

 

3 hours ago, Gammalite said:

Well I don't see the point in mocking people like you have here Mr Galah.  so some small change occurred that people didn't like ? so what. 

 

you say i mock,chief calls it fake news.

obviously i have a different sense of humour. 

I know if someone was poking a bit of funonvolving me, i certainly wouldn't be offended.

In fact i have always been able to laugh at myself,so top speak.

But hey,we are all different i suppose.I have no problem with what i posted even if you or others do.

as to you thinking it was a good move to expand the field with changed conditions. 

well the report said  hrnz could,but didn't think they should have.

now  HRNZ will pay out around an extra $30,000.

but hey,maybe they have  plenty in the kitty to throw away.

Edited 13 hours ago by the galah

[Nowornever]

I’m entering my lawn mower for the next Young Guns final—apparently all you need to do is be in the right place at the right time!

[Gammalite]

They change the original conditions in a lot of races. 

Often the Handicapper is trying to HELP the Trainers get a start for their animal . they're not trying to hinder anyone.

You guys noticed it on this occasion , because the late entry won the race.  and it was larger prize than normal.

and you see on all the forums ONCE AGAIN , all the fellas saying 'HRNZ Shambles '', blah blah blah '  when all the Handicapper was trying to help set up best fields they can , and to give everyone a go. 

So I can't see the point picking on someone for doing this. NZ forums can though lol 😅🤣 

It should be noted as a good thing . someone extra got in the field to spice it up a bit . 

They exclude NZ trained horses from entering the Eureka $2mill race . I find that unacceptable as love International competition. but they are trying to get the best field assembled they can for the local national trainers. maybe one day they will see the light and be fair and let NZ horses in . Afterall LEAP to Fame and Arcee Phoenix took out the Big NZ slots without that sort of exclusion. (a smart person might send Marketplace to an Aussie trainer next year 😉) 

 

[Brodie]

It is the way the condition's were changed on the quiet basically.

The panel picked up many faults and hopefully the wrap over the knuckles will make them wake up to the fact that there is a lot of discontent with the way HRNZ are currently running things!

 

[Gammalite]

24 minutes ago, Brodie said:

It is the way the condition's were changed on the quiet basically.

The panel picked up many faults and hopefully the wrap over the knuckles will make them wake up to the fact that there is a lot of discontent with the way HRNZ are currently running things!

 

you blokes Never stop complaining about your 'poor 'product 'and  discontent with HRNZ, ATC Should not race and all that sort of shit all the time . never happy with anything.  

My thoughts were they are putting on good races with good prizemoney. What more could you want ?  HRNZ and ATC and Cambridge slots , NZ Metro Slots , The Derbies , even the NZ Cups all in Australia for  the last 5 years now. Handicapper is doing that race real Well . 

I've known handicappers to ring trainers and ask if they have runners for fields that they would like to get enough acceptors for ,  and all sorts of things .otherwise the race would not go ahead. they do a marvellous job really. 

Handicappers work very hard to bring you the best racing they can muster. But just more criticism is all that happens is poor meetings. ''Not worth racing . all this sort of stuff. Just No Support for NZ harness anymore. So All the staff cop a hammering for it. Poor buggers. doing their best and get rubbished for it lol 😂

NEWS flash. If the horsemen still competing don't race enough horses , then you WILL Fold . Where was Barry PurdonPhelans and Herlihys and Hacketts tonight ?  none in at all  ? must be all on holiday lol.

Maybe they're listening to you blokes and thought it was All called off ? 😋  Not Long to Go now and your Dream will be true. no racing at all . 

 

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

 

 ONCE AGAIN , all the fellas saying 'HRNZ Shambles '', blah blah blah '  when all the Handicapper was trying to help set up best fields they can , and to give everyone a go. 

So I can't see the point picking on someone for doing this. NZ forums can though lol 😅🤣 

It should be noted as a good thing . someone extra got in the field to spice it up a bit . 

 

 

.

it did cause a lot of ill feeling and friction and will cost hrnz a substanial amount of money,so i really don't think it could be called a clever move gammalite.But while it was a serious topic for those involved ,it wasn't for me and i find it interesting that you took what i said so seriously. 

Edited 10 hours ago by the galah

[Brodie]

52 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

you blokes Never stop complaining about your 'poor 'product 'and  discontent with HRNZ, ATC Should not race and all that sort of shit all the time . never happy with anything.  

My thoughts were they are putting on good races with good prizemoney. What more could you want ?  HRNZ and ATC and Cambridge slots , NZ Metro Slots , The Derbies , even the NZ Cups all in Australia for  the last 5 years now. Handicapper is doing that race real Well . 

I've known handicappers to ring trainers and ask if they have runners for fields that they would like to get enough acceptors for ,  and all sorts of things .otherwise the race would not go ahead. they do a marvellous job really. 

Handicappers work very hard to bring you the best racing they can muster. But just more criticism is all that happens is poor meetings. ''Not worth racing . all this sort of stuff. Just No Support for NZ harness anymore. So All the staff cop a hammering for it. Poor buggers. doing their best and get rubbished for it lol 😂

NEWS flash. If the horsemen still competing don't race enough horses , then you WILL Fold . Where was Barry PurdonPhelans and Herlihys and Hacketts tonight ?  none in at all  ? must be all on holiday lol.

Maybe they're listening to you blokes and thought it was All called off ? 😋  Not Long to Go now and your Dream will be true. no racing at all . 

 

The thing is Gamma, we are actually very concerned for harness racing in NZ and that is the sole reason for us commenting!

Yes they are putting up good stake money due to Entain’s cash, but do not agree with you that they are doing a marvellous job!

Programming of mile racing is not marvellous and running races with 4 horses for big money is also not in the best interests of harness racing future.

Yes owners and trainers have been recipients of getting good stake money when there has only been a handful of starters but this is not great and will not be able to continue.

We would be remiss if we did not comment about what we feel strongly about and if HRNZ are to continue to blatantly waste the $ then that is on them and the industry.

It may well be that finally someone has got in their ear and are going to dramatically pull back on the wastage as now they are believing there could be a funding problem!

No shit Sherlock!  Who would’ve thought?

The TAB have recently become even more risk averse than what they were before, if that is possible and I am sure there are going to be many changes in the next year or two!

Dies Anyone know if the Committee that was announced has actually had a meeting as yet?? 

Edited 10 hours ago by Brodie

[Gammalite]

13 minutes ago, Brodie said:

We would be remiss if we did not comment about what we feel strongly about and if HRNZ are to continue to blatantly waste the $ then that is on them and the industry.

It may well be that finally someone has got in their ear and are going to dramatically pull back on the wastage as now they are believing there could be a funding problem!

It seems the funding will change , as it always does , as time progresses. But as always HRNZ and the Handicapper can just assemble fields with the money funding available. and the horses that are available. same as anywhere.

You need support from the participants too. Telfers Stable Are Putting In a HUGE sensational effort to gather prizemoney currently , working very hard with large teams in both Islands , and keeping the sport going. and paying their way well for the owners.  just as Dixon does here in QLD. he may have won the Interdominion , but still put horses in tonight at Redcliffe to win $4000 first prize as well. like he did tonight. Keeps the sport going. 

Eventually the funding will drop and they'll be racing for 4-8 thousand $dollar races in NZ,  like we do in QLD. You always say the Money is too much they race for in Auckland .?  I think that was to try and Keep the Millionaires (like Dean Shannon, Barry Purdon and owners, Tony Herlihy and owners, Hughes and Owners , old Butcher, Old Ferguson and people like that still INTERESTED. They need the Better prizemoney to stay interested. they're all quite wealthy and after spending BIG at the yearlings sales, and with training Fees THROUGH the Ceiling. you need that better prizemoney for those 'Better' horses and trainers. Not many owner/trainers there mate lol.  

. Otherwise it would be very BLAND slow week to week horses and racing like QLD . Where the class of races is just set by the Handicapper to allow horses to just pay their way , week to week, month to month. Plenty of owner trainers pottering around Redcliffe twice every week .

NZ has much More Exciting Racing !!! and Higher Quality Trainers . by tradition. 

They are  Quality Participants , and no one NEW is/ are stepping up to threaten them . Young Dunn at AKLD is having a crack , but NO NEW participants can possibly compete with those trainers.? and they shouldn't race for peanuts . they can prepare Fast racehorses.  Not many of them actually raced tonight though  (but it's still Winter) 

so I'm going with the Flow of your Assessment . And have stopped betting NZ to help out,  and don't care if they Fold or not anymore. They're all near retirement age at Auckland anyway . Harness racing can just retire with them .  

But at least the Handicapper tried to Get more Young Guns into that trot . good on him !! 🍾😋 

[Nowornever]

10 hours ago, Gammalite said:

you blokes Never stop complaining about your 'poor 'product 'and  discontent with HRNZ, ATC Should not race and all that sort of shit all the time . never happy with anything. 

Well many of the trainers I have talked to are not happy with the situation on handicapping either

Two of our most prominent trainers Mark Jones and Michael House have been quite vocal on social media about this as well recently so it is not quite as rosy as you are suggesting.