Riccarton track

[Doomed]

15 hours ago, Ludwig said:

It's alarming when riders are saying the track is "hard, rough and full of holes". How does this give owners and trainers any confidence to send valuable horses and riders to a course where this is being expressed? Surely someone in the hierarchy of command must intervene?

The obvious answer appears to be to use Riccarton purely as an AWT venue. Give up on the turf track, perhaps use it as a training track at certain times of the year. Sell off the 1,200m chute and some of the steeplechase track and put all of the money raised into creating one decent SI turf track at Timaru.

[Reefton]

15 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Something needs to happen because they are running out of time.  Timaru still looking good?

They won't race at Rangiora because @Pitman won't go there.

'Pitman won't go there'?

He also won't go to Greymouth or Invercargill but they race there

You have a unhealthy fixation with MRP just because he disagrees with you.

The reason they wont race at Rangiora is because they(Riccarton and Petone) extracted themselves from legal action by the skin of a dogs proverbial and they do not want to risk it again.  Nothing to do with Michael.

[Freda]

1 minute ago, Reefton said:

'Pitman won't go there'?

He also won't go to Greymouth or Invercargill but they race there

You have a unhealthy fixation with MRP just because he disagrees with you.

The reason they wont race at Rangiora is because they(Riccarton and Petone) extracted themselves from legal action by the skin of a dogs proverbial and they do not want to risk it again.  Nothing to do with Michael.

Exactly.

The track itself has been the victim of mismanagement and misinformation,  but too much water under the bridge and, as Reefton stated, the legal ramifications have led to the current situation. 

No way back,  ever.

[Chief Stipe]

15 minutes ago, Freda said:

The track itself has been the victim of mismanagement and misinformation,  but too much water under the bridge and, as Reefton stated, the legal ramifications have led to the current situation. 

No way back,  ever.

Then why mention it @Freda?

Were the trials held since then slow canters?

[Chief Stipe]

20 minutes ago, Reefton said:

You have a unhealthy fixation with MRP just because he disagrees with you.

 

Call it unhealthy if you will but I consider it unhealthy or unprofessional for the biggest trainer on the Riccarton course keeps saying that it is AOK!  When it is obvious to EVERYONE except the CJC management that the track is stuffed!!!!

If the transfer to Ashburton hadn't have happened then the CJC would have been struggling to find ground staff.

Is @Freda's assessment of the track that was presented last Saturday right or wrong?  I hope the hell they are working on contingency plans for Cup week if it all falls apart.  So much for the care and welfare of the horses.

[Joe Bloggs]

16 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Something needs to happen because they are running out of time.  Timaru still looking good?

They won't race at Rangiora because @Pitman won't go there.

Another trainer calling the shots, yeah that'll work, Its worked for decades up north, nearly same down south......heres me thinking RVL was a boys club, its alive and well there.

[Joe Bloggs]

WTF is wrong with Rangiora? Riccarton is rooted, well the course proper, you are lucky in Canterbury as you have so many great country tracks, the fools in Petone will remain just that, fools, we had a horse with a Riccarton trainer, she won 3 barrier trials at Rangiora, undefeated, Rangiora Caviar......we had one horse run at Riccarton, he started fav, he came down from the NI, he broke down ........the elephant in the room, it's the worst grass track in the flaming country, all that energy and expense went into a synthetic track, the whole thing is a joke, a trainer with serious numbers who doesn't like to travel and a committee who are basically ostriches, as Freda said, it's too late, no going back, history will remember the idiots, Canterbury, once legendary, now hapless, legless, hopeless....you choose.

[Reefton]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Call it unhealthy if you will but I consider it unhealthy or unprofessional for the biggest trainer on the Riccarton course keeps saying that it is AOK!  When it is obvious to EVERYONE except the CJC management that the track is stuffed!!!!

If the transfer to Ashburton hadn't have happened then the CJC would have been struggling to find ground staff.

Is @Freda's assessment of the track that was presented last Saturday right or wrong?  I hope the hell they are working on contingency plans for Cup week if it all falls apart.  So much for the care and welfare of the horses.

'Riccarton is AOK'?  What the hell are you talking about?  I have never heard Pitty saying Riccarton is 'AOK' in recent times other than three days last spring(the earlier one with the fast times you whinged your guts out about and the first two days of Cup Meeting).  Michael constantly rails against the irrigation policies there and I had a gutsful of hearing that horses in which I have shares(or others for that matter) got trapped in inferior areas of the track caused by inconsistent irrigation.

He is excited about the possibilities of the AWT but at the same time there will be limited big stake days on that if any so I personally doubt he will have that many runners on it.  I guess having it available for training may be to his advantage but the proof in the AWT pudding remains to be seen.  I have heard rumblings already that it might not be the saviour it was held out to be but will await developments.

So since Riccarton gets all the money(feature day wise) and cannot produce a decent track it all gets rather frustrating from the perspective of someone looking for a combination of good stakes and reliability in track surface in the South. 

But then again why should I care?  Why not just cull my interests in horses and walk away?  Bernard, Cameron and the Track experts know everything so not much point in trying to tell them anything

[Freda]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Then why mention it @Freda?

Were the trials held since then slow canters?

I mention it because it is another example of a lack of forward planning, rather just knee-jerk reactions to events.

The accident from which all this angst comes from should never have happened, a young woman's life ruined, because systems weren't up to scratch.

Of course trials weren't slow canters...ffs.

As for my 'assessment'  of the track, I reported what I was told on the day by riders.  I wasn't out there riding.  Obviously.   There would have been others who, depending upon the horses they rode, may not have been bothered as much.

One senior rider told me this morning that he thought it rode as well as it had all year.  But, he qualified, it has been the worst this year as it has ever been.

Edited September 19, 2021 by Freda

[Chief Stipe]

50 minutes ago, Reefton said:

'Riccarton is AOK'?  What the hell are you talking about?  I have never heard Pitty saying Riccarton is 'AOK' in recent times other than three days last spring(the earlier one with the fast times you whinged your guts out about and the first two days of Cup Meeting).  Michael constantly rails against the irrigation policies there and I had a gutsful of hearing that horses in which I have shares(or others for that matter) got trapped in inferior areas of the track caused by inconsistent irrigation.

We've discussed this endlessly.  Two sides to the argument - one says the issue is irrigation - the other side says that that is just a symptom of a much bigger problem.  That is that the underlying soil is absolutely stuffed.  Irrigation won't fix that.

52 minutes ago, Reefton said:

So since Riccarton gets all the money(feature day wise) and cannot produce a decent track it all gets rather frustrating from the perspective of someone looking for a combination of good stakes and reliability in track surface in the South. 

Particularly when good tracks are going to waste and have assigned to the sell category.  When they could have been used to support South Island racing at SFA extra cost by comparison to the AWT's ongoing maintenance cost.  Those other tracks could have been used on a rotational basis and used when subject to prevailing conditions.  Just like happened a couple of weeks ago with the transfer of Riccarton to Ashburton.

56 minutes ago, Reefton said:

But then again why should I care?  Why not just cull my interests in horses and walk away?  Bernard, Cameron and the Track experts know everything so not much point in trying to tell them anything

Yeah well as long as key stakeholders are willing to accept what is dished out to them, keep their mouth's shut and/or focus on the symptoms rather than the cause then there is only one direction that racing will go in.

[Chief Stipe]

56 minutes ago, Freda said:

The accident from which all this angst comes from should never have happened, a young woman's life ruined, because systems weren't up to scratch.

Of course trials weren't slow canters...ffs.

FFS why do some base their actions today on something that happened 15 years ago!  An accident happened in a dangerous sport that may or may not have been preventable.  The key question is were the issues identified and addressed.  The fact that successful trials have been held on the track since suggests that some trainers reluctance is based on superstition rather than fact.

The other chestnut that those blind to fixing the problem are apt at throwing out is "oh look what the experts did to the Riccarton track 30 years ago - it hasn't been the same since".  That ignores the fact that thousands of horses have galloped on the track since that work with SFA annual maintenance.

Yeah na its all to do with the irrigation.

[Joe Bloggs]

I know it's too late, but,.......I never trained at Randwick, I was at Rosehill when Waller was kicking footballs in Foxton, what I saw though was a brains trust/think tank that knew/decided that Randwick couldn't stand up to the racing it was getting when we had a terrible winter, so they decided to construct Kensington....the inner track of Randwick, so then, at NZTR no-one picks up the phone to call the brains trust to have a 'think tank'...FFS.......and no-one called the Toowoomba committee or trainers/jockeys to chat about the mitigated disaster that their AWT became......Kenso and Headquarters now race terrific, they compliment one another, and Rosehill is there as is W Farm and Canterbury, the best surface in Australia.....I used to ride work at Canterbury away back and it's still as brilliant as it was then.......all this racing and all these alternatives, it's unreal to watch and listen to the wailing over there, Cambridge in 5 years will be a joke and will need replacing, as will Riccarton and Awapuni, the dolts responsible will be gone, skulking away like a fox fleeing the chookhouse with the baying dogs in pursuit......what a bloody tragedy, grown men and women at the Taj Mahal and not a brain to bless themselves with....in closing, imagine, Riccarton with an inside track, a strathayr, oh, and maybe lights, summer nights, markets, band, food trucks. and great racing, coinciding with M Valley/Canterbury.Gold Coast....under lights coming soon.....vision, passion.....nah, just common sense, how much did the AWT cost........how much a new plough? and a Strathayr? New blood is needed at Riccarton, and a HUGE broom is Petone for the geriatric pale stale males......IMO!

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Reefton said:

'Riccarton is AOK'?  What the hell are you talking about?  I have never heard Pitty saying Riccarton is 'AOK' in recent times other than three days last spring(the earlier one with the fast times you whinged your guts out about and the first two days of Cup Meeting).  Michael constantly rails against the irrigation policies there and I had a gutsful of hearing that horses in which I have shares(or others for that matter) got trapped in inferior areas of the track caused by inconsistent irrigation.

He is excited about the possibilities of the AWT but at the same time there will be limited big stake days on that if any so I personally doubt he will have that many runners on it.  I guess having it available for training may be to his advantage but the proof in the AWT pudding remains to be seen.  I have heard rumblings already that it might not be the saviour it was held out to be but will await developments.

So since Riccarton gets all the money(feature day wise) and cannot produce a decent track it all gets rather frustrating from the perspective of someone looking for a combination of good stakes and reliability in track surface in the South. 

But then again why should I care?  Why not just cull my interests in horses and walk away?  Bernard, Cameron and the Track experts know everything so not much point in trying to tell them anything

I get your frustration Reefton , but they think they know everything and continue on because no one and i mean no one that has any big profile challenges anything , these big trainers have dug this hole we are in as much as the administrators .

The ones that are training at the 3 tracks getting A/W's are all happy as Larry because they get a first rate training facility . They have a weeee winge occasionally about the state of stakes but none have the bollocks to say enough is enough " lets get this sorted " , nah just mumble about stakes and waddle away .

[nomates]

30 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

FFS why do some base their actions today on something that happened 15 years ago!  An accident happened in a dangerous sport that may or may not have been preventable.  The key question is were the issues identified and addressed.  The fact that successful trials have been held on the track since suggests that some trainers reluctance is based on superstition rather than fact.

The other chestnut that those blind to fixing the problem are apt at throwing out is "oh look what the experts did to the Riccarton track 30 years ago - it hasn't been the same since".  That ignores the fact that thousands of horses have galloped on the track since that work with SFA annual maintenance.

Yeah na its all to do with the irrigation.

It's the way of the world now " ARSE COVERING " , look at rugby and rugby league , both just a shadow of what they used to be , they have both become all but touch rugby .

[Chief Stipe]

6 minutes ago, nomates said:

It's the way of the world now " ARSE COVERING " , look at rugby and rugby league , both just a shadow of what they used to be , they have both become all but touch rugby .

Perhaps but the industry is worried about looking good from an animals safety perspective yet seem to condone the shit tracks we keep putting the horses out on to race.  

How many other fetlocks were "stripped" on Saturday?

A few years ago they dodged a bullet at Awapuni.  Trentham and Te Rapa aren't too flash and the sooner Ellerslie builds their Strathayr the better.

[nomates]

17 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps but the industry is worried about looking good from an animals safety perspective yet seem to condone the shit tracks we keep putting the horses out on to race.  

How many other fetlocks were "stripped" on Saturday?

A few years ago they dodged a bullet at Awapuni.  Trentham and Te Rapa aren't too flash and the sooner Ellerslie builds their Strathayr the better.

Yeah , but the animal welfare people don't look that deep or realise the intricacies enough to understand that tracks can be a welfare issue .

[Joe Bloggs]

12 minutes ago, nomates said:

Yeah , but the animal welfare people don't look that deep or realise the intricacies enough to understand that tracks can be a welfare issue .

Someone should tell them.

[Reefton]

9 hours ago, Joe Bloggs said:

Someone should tell them.

problem with that is they won't distinguish and (as they do) they will use as another reason to try to shut the lot down.  A very fine line to walk with those animal rights chappie's.  Not unlike Jacinda's little quandary with the Chinese.

[Reefton]

9 hours ago, nomates said:

I get your frustration Reefton , but they think they know everything and continue on because no one and i mean no one that has any big profile challenges anything , these big trainers have dug this hole we are in as much as the administrators .

The ones that are training at the 3 tracks getting A/W's are all happy as Larry because they get a first rate training facility . They have a weeee winge occasionally about the state of stakes but none have the bollocks to say enough is enough " lets get this sorted " , nah just mumble about stakes and waddle away .

the big profile guys(in the main) are quite happy with the prospect of grabbing all the little men's hard earned assets and pissing the money up against the wall.  Once that is gone they will find some other way to squeeze the last of the juice from the orange.  David Ellis assured us a couple of years ago that stakes were going to double didn't he?  Where other than from the proceeds of the small club's properties was that going to come from? Cost cutting in Parnell Petone Riccarton and Ellerslie perhaps?  Not bloody likely.  We will rape the Dargaville's, Timaru's and Reefton's to fund our reverse Robin Hood strategy.

[Freda]

.in closing, imagine, Riccarton with an inside track, a strathayr, oh, and maybe lights, summer nights, markets, band, food trucks. and great racing, coinciding with M Valley/Canterbury.Gold Coast....under lights coming soon.....vision, passion.

 

Only problem, J.B....how would we deal with the bloody easterly, so beloved of Reefton?       😊

[Chief Stipe]

58 minutes ago, Freda said:

Only problem, J.B....how would we deal with the bloody easterly, so beloved of Reefton?

Isn't the predominant wind direction in Spring from the North West?

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

.in closing, imagine, Riccarton with an inside track, a strathayr, oh, and maybe lights, summer nights, markets, band, food trucks. and great racing, coinciding with M Valley/Canterbury.Gold Coast....under lights coming soon.....vision, passion.

 

Freda , Freda , WAKE UP , your having a nightmare , WAKE UP , you have horses to work , by yourself .

 

[Freda]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Isn't the predominant wind direction in Spring from the North West?

No.

A stinking cold easterly.

Mind you,  howling nor'westers have been responsible for some very fast times down the old 5f chute!

Edited September 20, 2021 by Freda

[Freda]

2 hours ago, nomates said:

Freda , Freda , WAKE UP , your having a nightmare , WAKE UP , you have horses to work , by yourself .

 

Ashburton trials today,  gd 3 and 140-odd horses.

Riders even more scarce than usual...swimming pool, N.M , a valuable asset indeed.

[Joe Bloggs]

12 minutes ago, Freda said:

Ashburton trials today,  gd 3 and 140-odd horses.

Riders even more scarce than usual...swimming pool, N.M , a valuable asset indeed.

There's a rumour Bernie was spotted at Rongatai with a skully and boots!