The Box Seat Returns

[Noodlum]

30 minutes ago, the galah said:

I said your "perhaps everyone else has lifted their game" comment was interesting because it appears to be an acknowledgment of what you had earlier denied.

 

I didn't deny anything.  It is just another way of showing you that what you first quoted is a statistical nonsense at this stage of the season.  UDR's are a bit pointless anyway.  If you were serious about finding something of statistical significance then you would compare the average UDR's for the top ten for this year vs the previous years you quoted and then compare one individual stable in terms of its current relative performance.

I suspect that that type of analysis is beyond you.

[hunterthepunter]

1 hour ago, JJ Flash said:

Correct you are Matt. its been in the pipelines for quite some time but GOC's influence at the now NZTAB is not what it used to be. Obviously saw an opportunity for himself to make a few $ as heard he  had sponsors lined up a while back and left Met pretty quickly after being appointed there.

you should know what is going on with the box seat as you are going to run the show jj flash 

[boobybec]

14 hours ago, the galah said:

Actually i would like to hear mick guerin's take on how the all stars team has been performing so far this season.  

We all have our own opinions on the lengths guerin will go to ridicule anything negative that may be said about the all stars. So how does he think they are going this season?

Here's my take.

The all stars still set the benchmark for excellence and are our best trainers,but.....anyone can see that in the last 4 months they are not operating at the "Bulletprooof' level that those on the box seat constantly refer too.

Can mick guerin please come up with a reasonable explanation?

Heres the all stars UDR since they have been purdon/rasmussen.

2014  .4543

2015  .4496

2016  .5063

2017  .4493

2018  .4762

2019  .4828

2020  .4540

this season  .3635   Now i know any other trainer would love to have a udr of.3635,but this is a significant drop in performance from our elite stable.

What the most interesting feature of how they are performing is that the horses get tired near the finish after a hard run.That is what is so noticeable.

Like i said,they are still our no 1 stable,but can Guerin explain why.

Of course i know what his answer will be. He will drag out the same old tall poppy,jealous, haters line that he always takes.He will not address what i refer to.

 

Particularly this season in Auckland.  Great to see David Butcher and co hang Mark Purdon out a couple of times, not able to slot into the running line.  And yes I backed Mark Purdon's horses too.  At least guy's like the Butcher's and John Dunn, Blair Orange will make them work from time to time.  Horses aren't machines but those numbers would suggest otherwise ...

[Rangatira]

32 minutes ago, hunterthepunter said:

you should know what is going on with the box seat as you are going to run the show jj flash 

if the wish to increase viewership they should get the old brodster to host it

[Happy Sunrise]

This must have been an open secret.

I really struggle with the idea that funding has come from within the industry to pay for a show that was dumped due to costs to the TAB.

Now Guerin and O'Connor are not bound by the hand that feeds them they can speak freely, otherwise it is a waste of time resurrecting a show that was of limited appeal.

The return of The Box Seat

16 September 2020 , News

Harness racing’s weekly television show The Box Seat is set for a surprise return next week.

And that has been made possible largely because of support from inside the industry.

The Box Seat was taken off screen indefinitely, along with all other NZ-made Trackside magazine or review shows, when Covid-19 caused the first lockdown in March.

With TAB NZ then re-structuring and changing their broadcasting model, with more emphasis on live racing and punting, most of the preview and review shows have yet to return.

But The Box Seat host Greg O’Connor has secured enough funding from inside the industry to produce the show himself as well as staying on as the host.

“I firmly believe The Box Seat has a huge role to play in promoting the industry as well as driving turnover on harness racing,” says O’Connor.

“It is also a great vehicle for telling people’s stories and putting faces to the names in harness racing, whether they be premiership winners or a junior driver getting their first success.

“So I was thrilled so many people inside the industry wanted to support it to get it back, including HRNZ and some of the clubs.”

O’Connor then worked with the TAB broadcasting arm around the logistics of getting the show made and back on television.

“They have been great to deal with and we really appreciate being able to use the same studios and sets because they have been a big part of the show. So a lot of people have worked hard to make this come together.”

The Box Seat, with regular co-host Michael Guerin re-joining O’Connor on the show, starts next Wednesday but with some slight changes.

“It will be recorded Wednesday, as it always was, so we can preview races that coming weekend and have the markets available.

“But it will first screen on Trackside at the close of live racing most Wednesday nights and then be replayed on Thursday. So that could be 9pm or sometimes even later on the Wednesday night.

“So for many people who are used to using Sky they could well MySky it and watch it when it suits them but it will also go up first on www.hrnz.co.nz probably late Wednesday afternoon.

“With people getting so used to streaming and watching shows online I think that will be a realistic option for plenty of viewers.”

O’Connor is also working with racing channels and websites in Australia to allow them to screen the show to drive engagement with the New Zealand harness industry.

The series is expected to run for 33 shows and is likely to include the traditionally popular The Box Seat special New Zealand Cup preview show.

[hunterthepunter]

were has the counter punch Andrew Fitz show gone or is it still going??? as it was great

[Brodie]

29 minutes ago, hunterthepunter said:

were has the counter punch Andrew Fitz show gone or is it still going??? as it was great

It has finished apparently!

Wasnt appreciated by HRNZ but I wouldve told them to suck eggs, and start doing their job that they are being paid for!!!

[Brodie]

Will be very interesting to see who is actually sponsoring the Box Seat?

Should be able to tell by the advertising!

I would be putting forward that connections to the Blue and Silver stable will be in the mix somewhere!

Good on Greg OConnor for starting it up again, but if it is the AllStar benefit show again, most people will Just give it a miss again!

Very boring when we hear about past races and he is a nice wee fellah, blah blah blah!

[Rangatira]

12 hours ago, Brodie said:

Will be very interesting to see who is actually sponsoring the Box Seat?

levi road enterprises would be a great fit

[Happy Sunrise]

I flicked through it.

I see it has a variety of sponsors including HRNZ which means it was a very tame show and no comment on the hand that is partially feeding the show.

Just more of the same as before.

 

[Brodie]

13 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

I flicked through it.

I see it has a variety of sponsors including HRNZ which means it was a very tame show and no comment on the hand that is partially feeding the show.

Just more of the same as before.

 

Happy, I watched it as well, took me about 6 minutes!

Same as previously, and with respect, there was nothing of interest to Brodie whatsoever!

Does anyone out there watch it religiously?

Does anyone really care about reviewing races already run and hearing Purdon talking about horses that have won?

Is anyone really interested in what the fixed odds are for the big races on Cup Day 2 months out??
Bearing in mind why would anyone be punting into races when there are horses paying $2.50, why would you bother??

Good to see Greg O’Connor putting an effort to have the Box Seat on Trackside, and personally think that Greg is aN asset to harness racing!

However, the show needs a makeover or is itjust a race review show and do we really need that?

 

 

[Happy Sunrise]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Does anyone really care about reviewing races already run and hearing Purdon talking about horses that have won?

No

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Is anyone really interested in what the fixed odds are for the big races on Cup Day 2 months out??

No

 

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

or is itjust a race review show and do we really need that?

No

[mikeynz]

In all reality what do you put on a show although it would have been nice to see someone from hrnz explaining why there is basically no racing in Eastern Southland,why Forbury lost meetings and yet strangely  got them back,those sort of issues make good viewing.

In reality it is just a chat show,see it for what it is.

Edited September 24, 2020 by mikeynz

[Brodie]

Greg needs to front a TV show that has things that is going to keep any viewers interested!

With respect it is very boring most of the times as it ks the same format week in and week out!

People would tune in if there were previews rather than reviews and items of interest and topics to discuss!

The AllStars on each and every week is just a turnoff for most people!

A suggestion would be instead of talking to Purdon and Rasmussen take the cameras out to the AllStars stables and show us why they are so much better than anyone else!

The show could be made to be very good I am sure?

 

[Happy Sunrise]

2 hours ago, mikeynz said:

In all reality what do you put on a show

Lots of things.

2 hours ago, mikeynz said:

it would have been nice to see someone from hrnz explaining why there is basically no racing in Eastern Southland,why Forbury lost meetings and yet strangely  got them back,

Lots of things like this.

2 hours ago, mikeynz said:

In reality it is just a chat show,

It is not a chat show. They don't talk about anything other than superficial analysis of races which should only account for a third of the show.

The viewership is doomed with the dross presented. The show could be electric but not when the sponsor is HRNZ lol.

 

[Happy Sunrise]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

The show could be made to be very good I am sure?

Phil Holden being asked real questions but one has to look after the sponsor!

[the galah]

I just watched most of it. I skipped through some bits as i was getting bored and  saw nothing of interest and don't know what all the hype was about.

Maybe they have a limited budget,but why could they not highlight any of the grass roots participants.

I thought the most interesting story last week was that of the Southlander who trained his first winner in tad lincoln.,decades after first trying.  Or what about the clive herbert colours being seen in the winners circle again at cambridge. i don't think it was there was it? Surely one of these inspiring stories could have been given 3 or 4 minutes. Or what about smokin bye. Sold for  good money not long ago but now on gavel house.  There's so many relatable stories out.

 I can only speak for myself,but to me those running the box seat are sadly out of touch with what potential viewers are interested in. 

 

[Happy Sunrise]

On 16/09/2020 at 10:09 AM, Noodlum said:

I didn't deny anything.  It is just another way of showing you that what you first quoted is a statistical nonsense at this stage of the season.  UDR's are a bit pointless anyway.  If you were serious about finding something of statistical significance then you would compare the average UDR's for the top ten for this year vs the previous years you quoted and then compare one individual stable in terms of its current relative performance.

I suspect that that type of analysis is beyond you.

Beyond Galah?

I disagree.😂

[Brodie]

The beauty of this site, Bit Of A Yarn, is that Chief allows us to express our opinions.

Geez if  everyone agreed with each other on everything, then it would be very boring indeed!

Some dont always agree with Brodie, even though what I write I always believe, even though every now and again there could be a bit of tongue in cheek!

[Happy Sunrise]

12 hours ago, the galah said:

I thought the most interesting story last week was that of the Southlander who trained his first winner in tad lincoln.,decades after first trying.  Or what about the clive herbert colours being seen in the winners circle again at cambridge. i don't think it was there was it? Surely one of these inspiring stories could have been given 3 or 4 minutes. Or what about smokin bye. Sold for  good money not long ago but now on gavel house.  There's so many relatable stories out.

But that would require real effort and time and the excuse would would be they don't have the resources they used to or they working their way back into the show as they were off air so long.

The biggest problem is it is a monopoly. No one criticizes HRNZ or the TAB because they are all in it together. These people are not prepared to stand up for the industry and are just the rah rah boys. Cushy.

[Happy Sunrise]

Finally got round to watching last week's show. Thought it was a bit better with the Rakero racing piece and the chat about the ranking systems for the Cup etc.

I think I now accept the show for what it is and understand and the fact they will never get into the nitty gritty of what is happening in harness racing in NZ. 

[Noodlum]

On 15/09/2020 at 7:25 PM, the galah said:

Heres the all stars UDR since they have been purdon/rasmussen.

2014  .4543

2015  .4496

2016  .5063

2017  .4493

2018  .4762

2019  .4828

2020  .4540

this season  .3635   Now i know any other trainer would love to have a udr of.3635,but this is a significant drop in performance from our elite stable.

 

I see the All Stars UDR is tracking back up.  Currently 0.4114, 51 wins - 195 starts, $1.6m in stakes.  $600k in front of second place - Robert Dunn - 52 wins out of 335 starts, UDR 0.2448.