Should Riccarton be put on notice regarding shifting the Guineas unless improvements are made to the track?

[Chief Stipe]

So if March 2021 was one of the driest on records for Canterbury and this is being offered as an excuse for the difficulty in producing a decent track why hasn't irrigation been used more?

Cost?

Lack of water?  Riccarton has its own bore.

Why?

[mikeynz]

22 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

So if March 2021 was one of the driest on records for Canterbury and this is being offered as an excuse for the difficulty in producing a decent track why hasn't irrigation been used more?

Cost?

Lack of water?  Riccarton has its own bore.

Why?

Might have forgotten where it was.

[Freda]

45 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

So if March 2021 was one of the driest on records for Canterbury and this is being offered as an excuse for the difficulty in producing a decent track why hasn't irrigation been used more?

Cost?

Lack of water?  Riccarton has its own bore.

Why?

I think the track construction requires a great deal of water.

Whether that is a factor I don't know

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Freda said:

I think the track construction requires a great deal of water.

Whether that is a factor I don't know

Mmmmm something doesn't look right with the video above.  Is the grass that tall and green?  Where was the video taken from?

That aside if you have unlimited access to irrigation water (which Riccarton has) then a dry March is an advantage because you can irrigate to achieve whatever surface you want.  Look at Rosehill for example.  If it pisses down as in 360mm in 10 days there is nothing you can do about.  But if you have zero mm and cheap irrigation then you can manage the environment.

[Gammalite]

Feel sorry for that bloke at Riccarton, doing track. He was squirming very uncomfortably. what can you do without rain? seems unusual to have rain problems in NZ to me as when there as a kid it rained every second day! 

so lush and green , unlike dry old QLD with the near dirt tracks. Actually rained heaps here through March with our Feb-March wet season so is lush and green everywhere for a change !! dry and brown rest of year.

Eagle Farm still has problem' s anyway . good luck with the track in Christchurch , just sending some rain over the ditch soon all going well!!

[Freda]

23 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

Feel sorry for that bloke at Riccarton, doing track. He was squirming very uncomfortably. what can you do without rain? seems unusual to have rain problems in NZ to me as when there as a kid it rained every second day! 

so lush and green , unlike dry old QLD with the near dirt tracks. Actually rained heaps here through March with our Feb-March wet season so is lush and green everywhere for a change !! dry and brown rest of year.

Eagle Farm still has problem' s anyway . good luck with the track in Christchurch , just sending some rain over the ditch soon all going well!!

Hell, we need it.

Lord knows where you were when it rained every second day. Fiordland?

I've lived in Canterbury all my life, summer holidays stretched for two months and we rode all the time as kids...it never rained!

[Pitman]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Ditto and put self-interest to one side.

Dust is dust - it can't be anything else.  Don't forget the clods!

So the "dust" is predominantly "sand and soil".  Well from a scientific perspective it can't be sand.  Sand's molecular weight does not allow it form a cloud that remains in the air for very long at any height.  In basic terms sand flicks up a short height (not much more than 12 inches) and drops back down to the track again in a short distance.  Try it at home.  Take a handful of sand and throw it and see where it lands.  

Now that leaves the "soil" that you say has been "added".  Well the only "soil" that will create a cloud of dust is dry soil with a high clay content.  Clay particles are the smallest soil particles.  Why they would "ADD" clay to soil is incomprehensible.  

Sand at its smallest size is 50 times greater than clay and it doesn't fly very well.

Now the second part of your statement - "they use to patch the track" is a clear admission that there is a problem.

Well Pitty I'm not sure you have any "idea what you are talking about"!  A have quite a few pieces of correspondence from trainers that are concerned about the Riccarton track.  So I guess there are more than a few of us that are concerned albeit with "no idea what we are talking about".

I can't speak for them but I can speak for myself in terms of what "idea" I may have.  I come from a practical agricultural and horticultural background which I supplemented with a science degree education.  I have had involvement in the racing industry in both horse codes from a hands on and ownership perspective for over 45 years.  I've walked over 30 turf tracks in NZ and have applied both my practical and science education to assessing them all.  In my opinion the biggest constraint to NZ racing is the state of our tracks.  

Sadly we have closed some good ones and are about to close even more - Riverton and Foxton spring immediately to mind.  Meanwhile owners, trainers and punters have to put up with they shyte track that Riccarton keeps producing.  Let alone consider what is best for the health and safety of the horses and jockey's.

Why not accept that the Riccarton track is shyte?  Then when you accept that lobby for change and the publication of a PLAN to fix it.

Hell 9 times out of 10 Reefton will produce a better track!

I’m no soil expert but at the previous meeting there was nothing wrong with the racing surface. All too often comments on Riccarton are based on how a team performs. Riccarton is a great firm track and horses don’t jarr up, well, well conditioned ones don’t and we should know we race the most horses there. I know of one trainer moaning about last meeting but I’m positive that was form related!! AGAIN

When irrigated close to racing it is a lottery, possibly because of the Poa,  and that is evidenced by track surfaces since and including the 2nd day of NZ Cup Carnival up until last week where a broken pipe on Friday stopped water being applied the day before racing IMO this made the surface ideal for racing, fortunately

[Gammalite]

10 minutes ago, Freda said:

Hell, we need it.

Lord knows where you were when it rained every second day. Fiordland?

I've lived in Canterbury all my life, summer holidays stretched for two months and we rode all the time as kids...it never rained!

Did go Fiordland once ! what a beautiful place that is Freda. No was at South Auckland and Takanini training track always like a beautiful green lush carpet for training . ( now all houses of course sadly)

Wishing you rain soon ! Port MacQuarie and Taree NSW here, submerged virtually, a couple of weeks ago . very sad for peoples houses and business. just stopped in Qld a day ago. so about to mow 6 inch grass !! a rarity indeed.

[JAKH]

7 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Track Preview Riccarton Park Riccarton Turf @ Riccarton Park 10 April

8 April 2021

South Island racing heads to Riccarton Park Racecourse this Saturday with 8 races including two at the Listed level. Track manager Alan Chapman and Tim Mills join to go over Saturdays conditions and expand on a very dry March for the team.

 

[JAKH]

Just now, JAKH said:

 

I walked the track tonight and it is looking in great condition with a great sole of grass. The only place I could find a previous photo of dead grass was in the public carpark !!!

[Huey]

On 5/04/2021 at 3:31 PM, Chief Stipe said:

So you are happy with this?

Good sole of grass on that !

[Chief Stipe]

Pitty will be pleased.  5mm of irrigation yesterday.

[Freda]

19 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Pitty will be pleased.  5mm of irrigation yesterday.

Wet shoes this morning....lol   🙂

[JAKH]

Relax Chief there wont be any dust today !!!

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, JAKH said:

Relax Chief there wont be any dust today !!!

If you are happy to run your horse on that track then good luck to you.  I guess I have higher standards in terms of what I expect from a supposedly "Premier" racetrack.

[Pitman]

I’m happy to run today Kapalka $15,000 maiden raced by M R Pitman thank you 

Hey Chief when was your last winner have you had any?

[Chief Stipe]

43 minutes ago, Pitman said:

I’m happy to run today Kapalka $15,000 maiden raced by M R Pitman thank you 

Yeah I guess it was due.  20 starts and three and a half years of racing before it wins a maiden.  Shame it is only you paying the bills on this one.  Or does the stable give you a discount?

[Pitman]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Yeah I guess it was due.  20 starts and three and a half years of racing before it wins a maiden.  Shame it is only you paying the bills on this one.  Or does the stable give you a discount?

You constantly remind me that you are a tosser, this being another example

Have you  ever owned a winner if so when did you last win a race and what with, TOSSER

[Ludwig]

2 hours ago, Pitman said:

You constantly remind me that you are a tosser, this being another example

Have you  ever owned a winner if so when did you last win a race and what with, TOSSER

Wow, Mr Chief Stipe, you've been promoted....from tosser to TOSSER!!

[Chief Stipe]

11 hours ago, Ludwig said:

Wow, Mr Chief Stipe, you've been promoted....from tosser to TOSSER!!

Yes well to be fair to Pitty his maiden winner yesterday did have the first 15 of its starts for Team Rogerson in the North Island.  Rogie paid $100k for it at the Karaka Premier yearling sale in 2017.  Who knows what Pitty paid for it but obviously looking for easy South Island wins and depending on what he paid for it (I'm not sure Rogie gives much away) Pitty could get a return on his "investment".

So if you look at the horse from an individual investment perspective from the time it was put up for sale:

1. Cost $100,000;
2. Insurances and Karaka Million lottery ticket - $5k;
3. Collating together breaking in and training fees plus more insurance and vet fees over 3.5 seasons @ $30k a season - $105k.
4. Winnings to date - $27k.
5. Deficit as a rising 6 year old - $183,000.

Pitty is probably on the plus side of the ledger - good on him if he got it cheap or is it leased?

Now ALL THAT aside.....back to the topic......

What does winning a maiden at Riccarton have to do with all the issues regarding that track and the industry?  Which afterall is the subject of this topic.

I keep saying and will say again:

What is the plan to fix the Riccarton Turf Track?
Where will the money come from?

Anyone who says the track is OK is bullshitting or has their head ankle deep into the new AWT.

[Pitman]

11 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Yes well to be fair to Pitty his maiden winner yesterday did have the first 15 of its starts for Team Rogerson in the North Island.  Rogie paid $100k for it at the Karaka Premier yearling sale in 2017.  Who knows what Pitty paid for it but obviously looking for easy South Island wins and depending on what he paid for it (I'm not sure Rogie gives much away) Pitty could get a return on his "investment".

So if you look at the horse from an individual investment perspective from the time it was put up for sale:

1. Cost $100,000;
2. Insurances and Karaka Million lottery ticket - $5k;
3. Collating together breaking in and training fees plus more insurance and vet fees over 3.5 seasons @ $30k a season - $105k.
4. Winnings to date - $27k.
5. Deficit as a rising 6 year old - $183,000.

Pitty is probably on the plus side of the ledger - good on him if he got it cheap or is it leased?

Now ALL THAT aside.....back to the topic......

What does winning a maiden at Riccarton have to do with all the issues regarding that track and the industry?  Which afterall is the subject of this topic.

I keep saying and will say again:

What is the plan to fix the Riccarton Turf Track?
Where will the money come from?

Anyone who says the track is OK is bullshitting or has their head ankle deep into the new AWT.

Answer the question have you ever had a winner if so when was your last one.

why don’t you do the same analysis on the many horses purchased by your mate at TA that would interest a lot of people At least Kapalka has been a race winner! Oh that’s right they are protected by you

[Chief Stipe]

20 minutes ago, Pitman said:

Answer the question have you ever had a winner if so when was your last one.

What is your point?  I can tell you that I have had 100% win record from horses that I have owned and/or bred.

21 minutes ago, Pitman said:

why don’t you do the same analysis on the many horses purchased by your mate at TA that would interest a lot of people At least Kapalka has been a race winner! Oh that’s right they are protected by you

Again I don't see the point of your question just as I didn't get the point of you posting about your latest maiden winner in relation to the thread topic.  The nuance escaped me.

With regard to doing the "same analysis" on other stables the result will in the vast majority of cases be the same.  It is hard to break even in NZ with any racehorse.  

Meanwhile the fancy white elephants are continuing to be built while the key to success for all is being neglected i.e. our training and racing tracks.

Have you found that plan yet to fix Riccarton Pitty?  Or is it secret squirrel and involves the pinching of other clubs' acorns?

[Pitman]

47 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

What is your point?  I can tell you that I have had 100% win record from horses that I have owned and/or bred.

Again I don't see the point of your question just as I didn't get the point of you posting about your latest maiden winner in relation to the thread topic.  The nuance escaped me.

With regard to doing the "same analysis" on other stables the result will in the vast majority of cases be the same.  It is hard to break even in NZ with any racehorse.  

Meanwhile the fancy white elephants are continuing to be built while the key to success for all is being neglected i.e. our training and racing tracks.

Have you found that plan yet to fix Riccarton Pitty?  Or is it secret squirrel and involves the pinching of other clubs' acorns?

I have no idea but it won’t improve whilst they keep putting so much water on it that is for sure

[Shad]

Impressive win by attishu yesterday, but she would have been a expensive purchase, whale song impressive to, great ride from from the apprentice to cut the inside, fortune favours the brave, and a modest purchase from memory, I guess at the end of the day, every win is special whether it's a maiden or a bigger race, most of us are in it for the passion, and the rest is irrelevant in my book, last one I had an interest in won 7 races and every win was gold to me, still have the photos to reminisce, these days just battling to get one to the races, nothing a given in this game.

[Chief Stipe]

4 hours ago, Pitman said:

I have no idea but it won’t improve whilst they keep putting so much water on it that is for sure

Yeah well that control experiment is working with the Steeplechase course is it?