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Bit Of A Yarn

Porkies..


Freda

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Word is that the back straight at Kumara has suffered considerable depredation from wild pigs   [ 27 apparently ]  deciding to do a bit of gardening on the track.

Apparently NZTR will send a representative to check out the damage.   

Hilarious, on the face of it -  but, given the weather conditions on the Coast of late,  it seems unlikely that the damage [ if as bad as I'm told ]  can be remediated in a matter of weeks.

With Hokitika now not a racetrack,  this could mean two extra meetings at Greymouth ?  what chance of that working if the weather pattern continues?

Reefton,  as it has before,  may offer its facilities,  but the likelihood of Kumara playing with that song sheet seems unlikely.

The end sooner rather than later for the Coast,  perhaps?

Edited by Freda
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Reminds me of the Muppet classic 'Pigs in Spaaaaace'

Headed by Captain Hogthrob ably assisted by Dr Strangepork and First Mate Piggy....

Maybe a Throb lookalike was stretching a porker out to his mate piggy while high on some high grade Coast gunja...

...then turned into a group sesh with a damn good track rooting après puff?

IMG_0908.JPG

Edited by Thomass
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5 minutes ago, Shad said:

At least they were free range and will keep the animal rights people happy, as long as we don't get that swine flu, had a mate that thought he had contracted it, rung up the 0800 health line, but all he got was crackling. 

Terrible.....

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Racing has a history of 'flying pigs' "dead cat bounce', now we have real pigs turning up!!! you couldn't make it up! ?

Challenging I'm sure for those involved!

ps, I have a long term family connection to this track! Maternal GD won the 1926 Kumara Nuggets!  sadly he died two years later of the "flu that kills so many back then! later other rallies have been stawarts for many years...

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An update to the piggy problem.....knowing how,  in this business, rumours fly everywhere gaining traction and embellishment along the way,  I thought I'd better do some fact-finding.

I rang the Hokitika president   [whom I know well ] ,  she hadn't heard of the events described,  but went over to Kumara and walked around the track.

Very little grass in the area concerned,  but it has been seeded and rolled,  she said.

Whether a sufficient grass cover can generate in the just over three weeks remaining before their meeting,  remains to be seen.

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With moi's intimate knowledge things porcine...

...the 27 will be back quick smart for another round of porkies scratching...

...a quick solution would be to volunteer our friend REEFTON MOLLOY over there...with his motley mob of pig dogs....

...a bit of buckshot up the head Hogthrob's ass end should work the poracle

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  • 2 weeks later...

Doesn't sound too promising does it?

Meeting News

West Coast Racemeetings in January 2020 - Update

 

Earlier this season the Kumara track incurred damage in a number of areas due to wild pigs getting on to the surface. Remedial work has been hampered by significant and regular rainfall. In recent weeks NZTR, Club and RIU representatives have made two trips to inspect the condition of the Kumara track as well as the Reefton and Greymouth tracks.

Currently it is still the intention to run the four meetings as scheduled, however this will be dependent on any further rainfall and the improvement of the racing surface at Kumara. A further inspection at Kumara will take place on Sunday 29 December with another communication being made either that day or on Monday 30 December.

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12 hours ago, curious said:

In recent weeks NZTR, Club and RIU representatives have made two trips to inspect the condition of the Kumara track as well as the Reefton and Greymouth tracks.

I wonder how much whitebait they ate at our expense.  Would be interesting to hear Reefton's comments on their visit to Reefton.

Why would the RIU need to visit to view the track condition?  Surely in the lead up to an event this is the responsibility of NZTR and the Club.  Sure the RIU have a responsibility on raceday but why before?

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13 hours ago, curious said:

Doesn't sound too promising does it?

Meeting News

West Coast Racemeetings in January 2020 - Update

 

Earlier this season the Kumara track incurred damage in a number of areas due to wild pigs getting on to the surface. Remedial work has been hampered by significant and regular rainfall. In recent weeks NZTR, Club and RIU representatives have made two trips to inspect the condition of the Kumara track as well as the Reefton and Greymouth tracks.

Currently it is still the intention to run the four meetings as scheduled, however this will be dependent on any further rainfall and the improvement of the racing surface at Kumara. A further inspection at Kumara will take place on Sunday 29 December with another communication being made either that day or on Monday 30 December.

In the interests of protecting West Coast Racing's forthcoming circuit I am electing to come back onto BOAY.

(1) I am not happy with that release, have told NZTR so and requested it be amended

(2)The Reefton Jockey Club stands ready to host the day(if by chance Kumara is unable to race at their venue) or in fact to take over the day if the KRC were to decide against relocating(quite likely knowing them).  The only proviso is that our course does not get hammered by next Monday's trotting meeting which might bugger things up.  NZTR were advised long before that release came out that we are  ready and willing to go.

(3)Stakeholders(especially trainers) need to be aware that we will absolutely do our best to ensure that there are four racedays in the circuit and that we are prepared to use our course to facilitate that.  So long as the trotting meeting does not render our track unusable and assuming NZTR agrees to fund us the same as Kumara we will standing by.

The bottom line is this.  The spring and early summer weather here has been absolutely dreadful(I have been here 56 years and cannot remember it worse).  Track preparation has been bloody difficult even for us on a very free draining track let alone Kumara on a swamp. Four of five days of fine weather(which is in prospect) will make the world of difference and I am sure their track will be fine come the inspection on Saturday or Sunday.  I might add if the weather was to deteriorate again I would be doubtful of Greymouth's ability to race either but again we stand ready.  The Coast is equipped to handle a lot of rain but this has been phenomenal - having said that a few days fine weather and all will be sweet.

How Kumara did not pick up the fact that they had a pig problem is a mystery but their track monitoring system is their concern.  Certainly if there had been a pig or any other issue at Reefton then we would have known about it within a very short time.  My understanding is that nobody had been around Kumara for months and hence the surprise when the RIU and NZTR turned up.

John Oatham and Todd Treweek came down here(well Oatham had been in Cromwell on the day before so deviated on the way home) the first time and Treweek the second.  My understanding is that all tracks get yearly inspections so nothing unusual there and I do not begrudge them the trip over here. 

 

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Always been locked up that track, even when their were a couple of local horses from out that way, they had to travel to omoto to gallop them, the kumara track was always of limits, from what I was told, this way back in the eighties, they certainly won't want to race at reefton, they have always been a stand alone club, cant understand why they wouldn't. 

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22 hours ago, Shad said:

they certainly won't want to race at reefton,

More of a harness man than a gallops fan, so please excuse me popping up on the gallops thread... 

What is the beef between the Kumara and Reefton clubs? 

As an outsider looking in, it appears Reefton are quite accommodating and Kumara don't want, and never wanted a bar of it (Reefton's offer of assistance). I could be wrong however. Is it just different personalities at play, or is there a bit of history (bad blood) between the two clubs? 

Can't beat West Coast racing. It's the real grass roots stuff and backbone of the racing industry. For either code, gallops or trots. 

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On 25/12/2019 at 2:45 PM, Rusty said:

More of a harness man than a gallops fan, so please excuse me popping up on the gallops thread... 

What is the beef between the Kumara and Reefton clubs? 

As an outsider looking in, it appears Reefton are quite accommodating and Kumara don't want, and never wanted a bar of it (Reefton's offer of assistance). I could be wrong however. Is it just different personalities at play, or is there a bit of history (bad blood) between the two clubs? 

Can't beat West Coast racing. It's the real grass roots stuff and backbone of the racing industry. For either code, gallops or trots. 

There is no beef.  Only thing is the Kumara Committee tend to look at their operation only and to be fair there are few real racing people on their committee so they are interested in their day on their course alone (and to be fair they run what is clearly a very good day).  You rarely if ever see any of the Kumara people at other race meetings. I think one of them denied that I ever offered Reefton two years ago but(being an Accountant and habitually keeping records) I havethe email where the offer was made.

And while they were tardy in paying their share they did stump up with the money for their quarter of the gates.  There is a lot of talk about their financial situation but I am not a member of their club and have no idea or interest.

For all that the Kumara Committee I know seem like decent people. Patrick Meates(the President) is a good bloke and some of the older Committee really have total commitment to making their day the success it so often is.  Good luck to them.

And what's more we have(finally) had some decent weather the last week or so so I expect all will be well with their course when the inspection occurs over the weekend.

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