We know a dead duck when we see one

[Kopia]

And its our famous 'Minister'. Remember the 'unveiling' of the Messiarah bullshit report? Peters, referring to the Racing Board..'I know a dead horse when I see one'.

So here we are over a year later, John Allen still getting $650,000 p.a., plus perks..'would you like a car with that John?..no trouble'...over 140 people 'employed' ( doing what?) by the still existant 'Board' getting at least $100,000 p,a,.......

And here's what Murray Baker had to say to a Racing.com reporter..

" It's sad for young people ( in racing ) in New Zealand. they're leaving. This is their chosen industry and you can't survive in it.

I'm coming to the end of it. I don't know what Andrew ( Forsman ) is going to do. He may chase opportunities elsewhere because he's a very good trainer.

We're falling on hard times. Some of the levels of prizemoney ( in NZ ) are ridiculous. Trainers have been told no increases for at least 2 years and a possibility that stakes may go down in 2020.

Racing generates a lot of money but they haven't worried about people at the coal face.'

I recall posting here a few weeks ago about not putting another $1 into racing in NZ. Sad to say but I think there are more and more like me who are saying the same thing. Peters needs to come out and tell the truth, put the sick and dying out of their misery.

[Freda]

Murray isn't saying anything we haven't known for a good while.

[jess]

Ae, Freda. And he says it in that calm, wise, laconic way of his.  No drama or histrionics - just the plain facts from someone well -placed to know them.

Quite grim, really .... (and just makes me realise I'm almost certainly a mug to still be breeding to race ...) 

[Kopia]

2 minutes ago, Freda said:

Murray isn't saying anything we haven't known for a good while.

The difference is he's saying it to an Australian reporter on one of the most viewed racing sites in Australia. With all due respect Freda, its one thing to bitch and moan between yourselves at the track crossing in the morning, quite another to do what Murrays done. Peters has done his usual politician trick, set up 'reports' 'enquiries' 'committees' etc etc costing huge amounts of industry money with NO VISIBLE RESULT.

Peters is doing to the racing industry what his coalition partners are doing to the business sector, dairy industry, the oil and gas industry, the tourism industry..and housing? lets not go there with the ' kiwibuild' lies...it looks clear that this govt is running the economy into the ground so I wouldn't expect a dollar from that source.

[Freda]

Hey now, Murray's not the only horseman to have indicated his concern/frustration/ call it what you will, in the public arena. 

Discussion has been to-ing and fro-ing for ages in the printed medium as well as the more recent social media forums,  road shows from both NZTR and the RB have rolled around the country either trying to ease our  concerns, or adding to them, depending upon one's stance...to what end?9

You're right about the COL....however there are differing opinions as to whether our industry deserves or  warrants govt. support - however much it might ' expect' it.

Previous govts have said, racing, get your house in order - and I think I would have to agree with some very enlightened thinkers,  that throwing more money after a failed  business model is really,  really stupid. 

The funding that Winston HAS managed to procure is too little, too late....but he will dine out on it regardless. 

 

[jess]

Some insightful points made by Freda IMO.  That is one of the big disappointments about the inept and self-serving "leadership" the industry has been subject to (victim of?).  Many pockets have been well-lined courtesy of exorbitant salary packages -but they've done us no favors in projecting ourselves as anything worth supporting/saving/investing in.  

[Kopia]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

Hey now, Murray's not the only horseman to have indicated his concern/frustration/ call it what you will, in the public arena. 

Discussion has been to-ing and fro-ing for ages in the printed medium as well as the more recent social media forums,  road shows from both NZTR and the RB have rolled around the country either trying to ease our  concerns, or adding to them, depending upon one's stance...to what end?9

You're right about the COL....however there are differing opinions as to whether our industry deserves or  warrants govt. support - however much it might ' expect' it.

Previous govts have said, racing, get your house in order - and I think I would have to agree with some very enlightened thinkers,  that throwing more money after a failed  business model is really,  really stupid. 

The funding that Winston HAS managed to procure is too little, too late....but he will dine out on it regardless. 

 

Freda I wasn't referring to you-or any other trainers down our way.....more directed at some of the others who train where Murray does...great at bitching but never gets any further than that.?

[Freda]

2 minutes ago, Kopia said:

Freda I wasn't referring to you-or any other trainers down our way.....more directed at some of the others who train where Murray does...great at bitching but never gets any further than that.?

You're forgiven 

[mumbles]

4 hours ago, Freda said:

Hey now, Murray's not the only horseman to have indicated his concern/frustration/ call it what you will, in the public arena. 

Discussion has been to-ing and fro-ing for ages in the printed medium as well as the more recent social media forums,  road shows from both NZTR and the RB have rolled around the country either trying to ease our  concerns, or adding to them, depending upon one's stance...to what end?9

You're right about the COL....however there are differing opinions as to whether our industry deserves or  warrants govt. support - however much it might ' expect' it.

Previous govts have said, racing, get your house in order - and I think I would have to agree with some very enlightened thinkers,  that throwing more money after a failed  business model is really,  really stupid. 

The funding that Winston HAS managed to procure is too little, too late....but he will dine out on it regardless. 

 

But,but Dave said........

[Freda]

13 hours ago, mumbles said:

But,but Dave said........

Yes,  he did...and he wasn't the only prominent name who pronounced that either.  The cynic in me thinks that had far more to do with sucking in clients to invest than actually being honest...it is/was a  no-brainer that a stakes rise could not transpire.

[Chief Stipe]

[Chief Stipe]

21 hours ago, Kopia said:

We're falling on hard times. Some of the levels of prizemoney ( in NZ ) are ridiculous. Trainers have been told no increases for at least 2 years and a possibility that stakes may go down in 2020.

 

This is worse than it looks.  The punting revenue covers the stakes paid only on a few races in New Zealand .  All race stakes are subsidised by Pokies and Sports betting directly or indirectly.  There is increasing pressure to return the latter solely to Sports and the latest legislation enforces that.  The changes to duty still isn't enough to pay racing's way let alone increase stakes significantly.

Sadly they are dreaming if they think our product is attractive to overseas punters.