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Surely this weekend sums up everything that is wrong in NZ racing and answers quite a few questions. Te Rapa and Riccarton aren't minor country tracks, that are supposedly causing most of the problems; they are two of our top four or five metropolitan tracks. And there is nothing wrong with their stakes, but to be brutally honest a lot of the fields are rubbish despite reasonable stakes. The Dyke at Te Rapa has attracted exactly the same field for $400,000 that it would have got for $200,000, and a pretty ordinary field at that. It shows that stakes are not our problem. Structure is a much bigger problem. We have far too many 2,000m WFA races scattered randomly throughout the season, all attracting poor fields. Riccarton gets six horses for a $35,000 race. Hardly surprising really, following only a week after a major meeting at Wingatui. The SI doesn't have the horses to be running major races at Riccarton every second week with Otago and Southland holding major meetings on the Saturdays between. And Otago and Southland have for some bizarre reason held low key midweek meetings with only seven races for the last three weeks, whereas the last minor meeting in Canty was mid December. Totally mindboggling really. How do they expect horses to get through the grades and fill the tighter class races? I wonder if anyone has ever thought outside the square and thought of running a 1,200m 3yo race at Riccarton. It wouldn't clash with the Guineas down south. Perhaps even an 1,800m 3yo as an Oaks or Derby lead-up. Anything to shake up the "lets drag last year's programme out of the draw" school of programming. Many people on here love discussing the merits of pouring $20m into an allweather track and would love to create a few $1m races and close down a few dozen tracks, but as I have said many times most of the problems are structural and just down to administrative incompetence and don't actually take much to resolve. Handicapping probably comes into this category as well. With all of the highly paid administrators about it is pity none of them have any interest or skills in the areas of dates and programming and general structural matters. What a pity we can't get the basics right. Then perhaps start thinking about building an all weather track somewhere.

Pike misses the point continually made - those (four actually not three) courses on the Coast cost not one cent to run. It is entirely(and I mean entirely) voluntary. The only one paid is the Secretary. Closing them will not save the industry one single cent not will it provide the industry with one single cent to invest elsewhere. He somehow mixes them up with the example he no doubt sees at Te Rapa or wherever where there is a myriad of track and admin staff. I appreciate that the Coast probably has too many tracks and that they are too small but it is false economy to think that closing them will benefit the industry. Maybe it is time for racing that is more tiered(City/Country) but looking at Riccarton's fields for Saturday(and Te Rapa's yesterday) there does not appear to be a desperate desire for more opportunities in a metropolitan racing environment. And the complaints re the state of the facilities are generally pointed at the Metro clubs as well certainly not the country venues. Having said all that Messara makes some very valid points and the issue of NZRB and its desire to be all things to all men in terms of the codes is something that I have not considered before. Maybe it is time for the codes to take over control of their own destiny. Three separate gaming operations maybe?

Programming is a mess. Not only the WFA 2000m races you mention, but the open staying races have been disrupted since the Auckland Cup moved and had a knock on effect on a lot of other races, similar to what happened with the Derby moving to March. In an ideal world you could work from a blank page and start from scratch with the whole programming of feature racing across the country. You need to have some sort of structure instead of races plonked through the season.

Great post We're Doomed. In recent times as a punter I have looked at a raceday and thought pass as there are only one or two races I am interested in studying and betting on. Largely due to small field sizes etc.Happened with both meetings on Waitangi Day. More to come this weekend. This is down to a variety of issues but as you correctly identify handicapping and meeting programming are perhaps the two key ones. Funnily enough they would appear to be the cheapest and easiest ones to fix as well. No capital spend. Just the right people appointed and get it sorted (and you would think looking at what happens overseas and listening to industry players gives you all the information you need to improve these areas). They are not trying to invent time travel for gods sake. These areas are entirely within their control. No need for a Govt handout, or legislation or trying to get money out of overseas betting organisations. By all means have a crack at those other things. But get our own house in order and change/improve things we control.

1970 Auckland Cup.

Channel Seven To Expand Free-To-Air Coverage Of Sydney Racing SYDNEY’s premier race meetings will be shown live on free-to-air television, starting with the rich Inglis raceday at Warwick Farm on Saturday. SYDNEY’s premier race meetings will be shown live on free-to-air television, starting with the rich Inglis raceday at Warwick Farm on Saturday. After months of negotiations, The Daily Telegraph understands Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club have reached agreement with the Seven Network to broadcast Sydney racing, with particular emphasis on showcasing the Golden Slipper, The Championships and The Everest race meetings. An announcement confirming the deal is expected on Thursday with Saturday’s Warwick Farm meeting to be broadcast live on 7Two. But once the Winter Olympics is completed on February 25, Sydney Saturday racing will be broadcast on Channel 7’s main channel. This will prove a ratings winner for Sydney racing and the Seven Network with the broadcaster’s main channel free to televise champion mare Winx’s comeback race in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Royal Randwick on March 3. The majority of Sydney’s rich autumn carnival, including the Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on March 24, will then be shown on Channel 7. However, Seven’s commitment to televise the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games from April 4-15 means Royal Randwick’s The Championships meetings on April 7 and April 14 will revert to 7Two. Sydney racing’s new free-to-air television deal will significantly expand the sport’s potential viewing audience, helping to generate interest and provide a stimulus for betting turnover. The Daily Telegraph has learned Racing NSW and ATC officials remain in talks with the Seven Network to broker a deal that will eventually result in the televising of all Sydney Saturday racing outside of carnival periods on 7Two. A source said the long-term objective was to “lock in free-to-air coverage of Sydney Saturday racing 52 weeks a year” on either Channel 7 or 7Two. Sydney racing’s new free-to-air deal complements Sky Racing’s already excellent coverage of NSW racing on Foxtel Channel 526, which televises all racing, while Channel 528’s Sky Thoroughbred Central, concentrates on Sydney racing with a popular, expert panel comprising Greg Radley, Ron Dufficy, Lizzie Jelfs and Glenn Munsie. End. Already happening in Melbourne whilst here racing is blocked off from the public. The Aussies realized that Free to Air is a must to increase interest and betting turnover whilst we have gone the other way making it a secret to a select few as turnover drops.

Compare the Two meetings yesterday in the NI . One had thousands of people oncourse and good fields throughout the day even a $20gate charge didn’t stop the hoards Also run primarily on a volunteer basis.The other meeting was run in the city with rubbish fields and no crowd but high stakes .This one wasn’t run on a volunteer basis .Maybe Mr Pike should be calling for the closure of the track at his backdoor?

The word in the street is that the all weather track will be going to Cambridge. It is not going to solve a single raceday problem other than a few racedays will be scheduled there, thus saving a few grass tracks elsewhere. What it is going to do though, is allow the Cambridge trainers to get their horses better prepared through the winter thus giving them an advantage over everyone else and everyone else is paying for it! I disagree with it and feel that the 10 Million (or whatever the cost is) should be put into maintaining the current tracks and bring them up to scratch at this point in time.

The $50 - $60 million extra available by 2020 to the industry surely will not all go to the Thoroughbred industry. Needs to be apportioned to the three codes AND the sports associations as a large proportion of the increase (if it occurs) could come from sports and overseas run racing. The way John Allen put it is misleading IMO.

1970.

1970.

http://media.skyracing.com.au/POD/65/XDlASh.mp3

Agree programming is average to say the least. I don't like harping on about Aus but for most of their races they seem to have a journey thats leads horses there. The only two races I can think of that have a structured journey like that in NZ are the Derby and the Oaks , the rest is a complete shambles. Not to mention the extra races that are put on , how they come up with that is just plain crazy. I don't know why for industry meets they couldn't utilise something to find what trainers wanted beforehand not just a couple of trainers something that covers the entire area.

Another point that occurred to me - in the recent spate of abandonments, there has been on at least some of those occasions, the opportunity to re-locate somewhere handy. But the TAB throws its collective hands in the air and can't manage the shift at short notice. I have to wonder just how many 'abandoned' meetings an allweather will save. Certainly none on the West Coast, Southland, Otago - or Canterbury. Mind you, Canterbury has an unused track sitting idle a scant twenty minutes from Riccarton....just saying....

there was a bloody interesting article on Hec Anderton on Facebook a month or so ago. He reckons a lot of the slipping is to do with the shoes they wear these days. If you are on facebook try the White Robe Lodge site.

And generate about as much revenue as the residents there.

To be fair Puha, there is a major meeting 4 days later which will have many thousands at it. Wait until the AW track is built at Te Rapa and they race every 2 weeks there, will be quieter than a morgue.

and his brother Barry who sadly passed away.

1970.

Is really turning into a very bitter reporter. I am afraid I have completely given up reading his rubbish. Notice he jumped in on the bandwagon started by Simon Doull.

Jack Glengarry did some research (some years ago, now) on sales-topping yearlings in several countries and the returns on investment did not make good reading. His opinion was that the breeding principles were wrong. Don't have current data but see some 'well-bred' horses are carefully placed to create a good winning record - more quantity than quality.

They would have drawn the same ordinary field for 50k.Where else are they going to go.The big stake is a reward for being just a bit better than average.(not by much) Tradition and structure something commercial interests have stepped on big time and they don't give a rats .

Saw the ctu President on 3 this morning discussing the unemployment figures. What a f.....g sad bastard he is.Bitch,bleet moan and groan. Hey Richard,how many jobs has the CTU created lately apart from internal make believe jobs.

Good interview from Mick, The Champ at the Meadowlands could that be a possibility? whoar now yuh talkin Lazzie would have to be the hardest workin champ we got racin round at the mo wouldn't he? Cheers Iraklis

I think I saw it in the ODT.

Gubes, do you have any record of any harness trainers using the Whangarei track when it was at Kensington Park? Most trotters/pacers seem to have been basically farm trained before the AW track was built at Ruakaka around 82.Some handy horses came out of the north though including Chequer Board, several of Brady/Martins including Franco Ice and Rain Again who won them in a row culminating in the Messenger for Brian & Beryl Madsen of Ruawai, and Lord Vader for Shane Hayes who, like Franco Ice but for being skittled at the start would probably have won an Auckland Cup.

I think I asked this once before and got no reply, but is there anyone that people know of in the Racing Board or NZTR that knows all about dates and programming and has a history in Racing that is making any progress in these areas? Or do they all just have a history in posting letters? Because it does appear to be getting worse rather than better. As McKenzie mentioned above a lot of the problems in the NI are caused by Auckland; firstly plonking an Auckland Cup carnival in where it doesn't fit and then slotting the Karaka meeting in and clashing with established meetings.

Well, they do have full time paid staff like the other clubs.

Have you thought about a stallion like Contributor, plenty of proven success on that HC Danehill X and the people at Mapperley Stud a really great to deal with.

Bevins just had another nightmare interview. This time it was Alan Sharock re Kawi and his upcoming.program. So Allan the Telegraph is his major near term target. Yes Bevin. Any chance he could back up in the Thornton. No Bevin as they are on the same day!! Game set match big red

Great to see Michael back in NZ to ride Flying Feet. He a great jockey .

Arawa Park?

Fartoomuch totally agree. I think he is a bit limited. Would not surprise me if they soon flick him off to an Australian country stable. Not metropolitan track material imo.

Oh oh, PJ is up to his old tricks. Me vs the bro. Great hd to hd this one, better sharpen the dart.

Total nonsense. He raced against inferior horses with a better draw and was aided by the DD runner breaking at the start. The 2nd horse is a flea and so lets talk about how good the winner is after a few more starts.

Thank you for that, much appreciated and shows a modicum of my aging brain cells must be issuing some spark, no matter how weak.

That is extremely worrying and very sad for the southern trainers.

That box list shows quite a few names now easily forgotten, in those days very good trainers.

Read it Puha. I know you dislike all things Aussie (it appears so) but Messara has "been there and done that, at time Oz needed him. Now NZ needs someone like him to turn the river upside down.

Thanks to Kathryn Ryan for hosting a good discussion, and asking some pertinent questions. Of the four speakers,Tony Lepper was the more interesting. His analysis was to the point and stressed that some Central Otago clubs attracted big numbers to their meetings. When I go to Otaki and see more stable staff than punters, my heart sinks. Our industry is so poorly promoted, it's not surprising. Tony Pike's point that there are too many tracks (3 on the West Coast SI, 2 on the East Coast NI) was well made. He shirked the issue of top-heavy administration that Ryan tried to address. Saundry gave credible answers to Ryan's questions, but what he said wasn't very convincing, nice words but will he do anything? John Allen as usual was glib and articulate as ever, but unconvincing. Where his '$60 million by 2020' will come from I can't see. Good talker, but it's action we need. The issues were addressed, and now what's needed is some decent analytical discussion, without backstabbing, bleating and blaming the breeders. If Winston Peters could put a bomb under the administrators who have allowed our beloved industry to atrophy at the expense of inept management and bloated salaries, things might improve. Sadly racing has lost it's appeal, and it's hard to imagine how it can regain it, administered the way it currently is. Clubs should get off their backsides and realise that they're in the entertainment business, and the way to invigorate racing is to make it more sexy, more interesting. Right now I'd rather watch my horse on Trackside than on-course. How sad is that?

The discussion around tracks is just one small part of the vast issues the industry face, but after Winston's announcement the media seem to have zeroed in on it. A bit frustrating also having these interviewers with clearly very little clue about how the industry works asking the questions. Last week on Breakfast and again today expecting the interviewee to describe in 30 seconds the whole industry model.

John Messara's take on NZ racing in the Informant is on the money, by a man that knows. Love him or hate him, he's been ever so successful in the thoroughbred industry and he should be listened to. Will the people with the say do that? I very much doubt it, that's the reason we are in such a pickle, pride, ego's and self interest, oh how I wish I was wrong, if only that Peters guy grew a pair, showed us all he was an honest man....and did just as John suggested.....we could have a wonderful rich industry here, it's just sitting there, like a ripe apple, just waiting to be picked..........

Sure, if this was a small country club by now we would have many calls to shut the club down because of the financial drain they are to the industry

Thanks Brian. Going ok with these H2H bets. 8 wins from 9 bets and 67% profit. Can't last

Cheers mate was extra special with the loss of a good friend on Sunday due to the effects of depression . Racing has a way of dealing cards your way when you need them .

Stop stirring you don't know that for a fact that is just you supposing... as i said stop the shit stirring wait for it to run its course.

Well as my name suggests I'm flabbergasted. I just watched a show on TV1 called "Purina Pound Pups To Dog Stars". They rescued a Golden Retriever from a pound and he had no idea about being a dog having obviously been backyard bound and neglected. Scared of water wouldn't chase a ball etc. Well blow me down got him used to water and thanks to a squeaky toy (rubber chicken) learned to retrieve and was retrained and became normal. The dog trainer's words were quite prophetic "They respond to the sqeaky noise as part of their natural prey drive, they enjoy it and it's fun for them" and "these dogs make the perfect family pet". Well blow me down the show highlighted the predicament of the poor dog and the very thing responsible for saving this dog's life (a squeaky toy) is praised and perfectly ok but here our authorities are basically taking away the our breed's fun to try and appease some do-gooders in the general public. Talk about a hypocritical society. If it's good for one breed then it has to be good for all breeds and there should be no discrimination.

Yes have just received a phone call from Julie to tell me about my girl that went to her new home in the weekend. Julie said that she had resigned because of somebody bagging them. Sorry that her and Richard have resigned,I found them to be great with the dogs.

Well I just received an email re South Island GAP kennel base manager have resign for the second time. The South Island will not have a GAP base once again as from end of this month. Not good enough at all. GAP has let us down on so many things. Where to next.