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Bit Of A Yarn

Heads should roll! - New Plymouth Abandoned again


Huey

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3 minutes ago, nod said:

Is there not another course just down the road at Hawera -no public allowed so no problems

I believe that was recently abandoned and I think the Stratford course is no longer in use.

It's time the industry started to call out these serial offenders.

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Bloody hell! I certainly didn't expect to see this when I checked on here. Words fail me really.

This is one of the golden child favoured tracks. They get more special subsidies for weird races than any other club. 

The local council wants the land, why not just give it to them for a golden handshake. Get enough money to tidy up Hawera and start again.

All the money spent on massive salaries for failed ex cops. Surely what is needed is some money spent on turf experts.

I see the listed race is having a third go at getting off the ground. Different direction and different distance this time. 

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MEETING NEWS

Taranaki RI - ABANDONED

 

The Taranaki RI meeting today has been Abandoned.
 
All races have been left open at Counties RC until 9.00am Saturday 19 February.
 

The Listed 3YOF Oaks Prelude will be run at this race meeting over 1600m. This race will also be open, but preference will be given to horses who were already accepted in this race at Taranaki RI.

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I'm another one who has been impacted by the regular abandonments at NP. Thankfully, our float trip is within Taranaki borders. Regardless, it is hard to train horses with targets in mind, only to have the races never happen. Owners really do have to be mad to keep forking out with no solution in sight. The love of horses & the game that owners & trainers have must be incredibly powerful to have withstood this continual caning for so long.

 

As an aside, someone just said to me (tongue in cheek) that the outcome of all of this will probably be that they programme more races at NP, probably at this time of the year. As absurd as it sounds this is the sort of stuff we have seen come to reality.

When will this end? How much more can CD racing take before it implodes? Who (give me a name/names) is capable of fixing the obvious problems? 

SIGNED disillusioned, frustrated lover of TB's and the game in general

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Surely the big question now is do you keep spending massive money (which I don't imagine the industry possesses) on a totally suspect track that the industry doesn't even own or cut the losses and close it down. 

There is a multi million AWT track being built down the road so surely the industry can't afford to spend millions on repairing a provincial track.

When you look at the unwanted tracks like Timaru, Oamaru, Hawera and Foxton and compare them to some of the favoured tracks and their performance and history you do wonder what sort of leadership we have. And to repeat what I have said before, that Messara report doesn't have a great record so far with the tracks it favoured.

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3 minutes ago, Doomed said:

Surely the big question now is do you keep spending massive money (which I don't imagine the industry possesses) on a totally suspect track that the industry doesn't even own or cut the losses and close it down. 

There is a multi million AWT track being built down the road so surely the industry can't afford to spend millions on repairing a provincial track.

When you look at the unwanted tracks like Timaru, Oamaru, Hawera and Foxton and compare them to some of the favoured tracks and their performance and history you do wonder what sort of leadership we have. And to repeat what I have said before, that Messara report doesn't have a great record so far with the tracks it favoured.

Simple answer - you can't!

AWT down the road - the answer to all our prayers - I think not & I'm sure I don't have to explain why I might have come to that conclusion. I think I'd be preaching to the converted.

Local Taranaki tracks not being fully utilised or utilised at all. - It is a crying shame. Bad decision making that appears to be more about politics & power than the best racing surfaces.

But what could I possibly know? After all, I've only been involved in the game for 40+ years.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Doomed said:

There is a multi million AWT track being built down the road

Haven't seen any sign of that yet but maybe you know something I don't. Last I inquired the contract was to be in place last September with work beginning in January. So, what is happening?

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50 minutes ago, Doomed said:

When you look at the unwanted tracks like Timaru, Oamaru, Hawera and Foxton and compare them to some of the favoured tracks and their performance and history you do wonder what sort of leadership we have. And to repeat what I have said before, that Messara report doesn't have a great record so far with the tracks it favoured.

Time to ditch the Messara report recommendations regarding tracks.  

There are ample good Tracks left and they should be utilised rather than canned.  We need them if we are to trade our way out of this.

Tracks, tracks, tracks.  It's been my personal crusade for over 12 years now since I saw the state of our premier tracks as I walked them on the morning of raceday as an owner.

It's the single biggest horse welfare issue we face.

It is also the single biggest issue in terms of improving the amount wagered on our racing.

In the last year NZTR has spent $2.4m and growing on a computer system whose budget is blowing out.  They have spent $95k on track maintenance in the same time!!!!!!!

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32 minutes ago, curious said:

Haven't seen any sign of that yet but maybe you know something I don't. Last I inquired the contract was to be in place last September with work beginning in January. So, what is happening?

The training tracks have re-positioned and the earthworks have commenced from the crossing to the 900m. 

You need to get out more. 

 

Edited by All The Aces
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Guest Whyisit

A NZ Sports Turf Institute representative, under the guidance of NZTR Track Advisor, Todd Treweek, will inspect the New Plymouth track on Monday following Friday’s abandoned meeting.

This was the third abandonment of the previous four scheduled meetings at the track.  The club has been advised that NZTR will not schedule meetings at New Plymouth until such time as the track provides a safe and reliable surface.  The report from Monday’s inspection will provide advice as to what is required to return the track to that state.

The RIB was present on Friday morning when local trainer Allan Sharrock galloped two horses and, after they spoke with jockey Hazel Schofer, they walked the track. While it was noted that the penetrometer readings indicated a Dead 4 rating, the two horses galloping had barely marked the surface. 

The club stated it had followed NZTR guidelines providing a track which was a Dead 4 at 9am, with more than 200mls of rain prior to Tuesday.  However, on Friday morning showers developed and 2mls was received which led to concern being expressed by jockeys.

This concern was related to what riders perceived as the firmness of the surface with moisture sitting on top and comparisons were made with the Saturday, 5 February abandonment.

A subsequent meeting with riders saw them indicating that they had no confidence in conditions being safe in light of the morning’s rain.  Considering these concerns there was no other option but to abandon the days racing.

NZTR will now await the report from Monday’s inspection and, once that is reviewed and implemented thought will be given as to how a return to racing at New Plymouth will be managed.  There will also be an opportunity for jockeys to discuss this and other issues when a delegation meets with NZTR’s Bruce Sharrock and Todd Treweek at a previously scheduled meeting in Cambridge on Tuesday.

The abandonment of the Wellington RC meeting on 4 December saw NZTR announce a series of actions to clarify obligations and support racing clubs to prepare safe and reliable track surfaces.

The first of these actions has been completed and on Tuesday clubs were advised of three policies – Track Preparation Policy; Pre-Meeting Track Safety Review Policy; and Raceday Track Safety Review Policy.

The policies were finalised following consultation with the Racing Integrity Board, NZ Trainers’ Association, NZ Jockeys’ Association, key track managers, and major racing club managers. These policies apply to all race meetings held after 1 March.

 

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Guest Whyisit
4 hours ago, Whyisit said:

A NZ Sports Turf Institute representative, under the guidance of NZTR Track Advisor, Todd Treweek, will inspect the New Plymouth track on Monday following Friday’s abandoned meeting.

Is that after or before they have their usual jump outs after their race meetings. ? I am told they have some scheduled for Monday

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I've never really understood why the current New Plymouth track has been preserved with for so long.

There are multiple issues with the track, and in a growing city with a big demand for land for housing, the site is an obvious solution.

Time to sell up and relocate to a better location

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