tasman man

Harness followers typically blame everyone else for their woes ! When I last checked Harness was the code that was receiving more than it actually deserved through betting numbers. Harness turnover slumped some 30 % odd , in recent years ,while greyhound turnover was growing and they were being rewarded with more meetings as a result. Of course the Doggies now under real pressure to continue ,which should help Harness but does it ? This weeks Stakes are for a Group 1 night with $30k and $50k races so not your normal meeting or stakes. Pre -covid times both Domestic turnover and GBR share was Gallops 54% , Harness 27%,Doggies 19% But overseas betting was Gallops 65% ,Harness 12% , and Doggies 23%.....this explained by the huge number of races imported. Meanwhile Code Funding was approx Gallops 54% , Harness 30 % and Doggies 16%. A vagary here is that the doggies cost to operate the same as harness ,so harness got nearly 3 x for Stakes. Over the last 10 years Harness races have decreased every year ...over 2740 domestic in 2013 , 2469 in 2019 The Doggies increased from 5288 in 2013 to 5836 in 2019......they 4933 last year so now on decline too and under threat of extinction.. But total Imported races went from 58141 in 2013 to over 80000 in recent years. Gallops and doggies well ahead here cf Harness. So doggies not advantaged on Code Funding , but hey , don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Some say I work for TAB , but anyone can have a look at the published Reports online !

Billy Slater.......a smooth transition from a great SOO player to a fantastic Queensland SOO Coach......shrewd selector and tactician. Already talk of him being the GOAT....a big call that ahead of the incumbents Wayne Bennett and Cam Smith. Maybe in time he will be , but this year he had massive help from the pathetic NSW outfit. What a sad bunch of losers ,yet many of the commentators kept talking them up ,saying they could come back from 20 points down , haha ie score over 20 points in less than 12 minutes. Pathetic effort NSW...yet again ! Ennis was almost weeping after the game , almost speechless which is odd for him !

5 years on.......Djokovic franks himself as the GOAT ! What a player .....sure a few don't like him personally [ TPS ] but a worthy successor to the great RF. Tough on the Spaniard , but only room on the pedestal for one GOAT , he just playing in the wrong era !

I explained recently I was overseas ...often out of touch in North Sea etc. Currently i in Germany and Austria. I note my content on notice ! Haha . You assume I been on here , well maybe because my computer is being shared for emails etc then some of the small group are clicking on the racecafe posts that appear on my email. That is something that happened in recent times , and I do not want that ! Maybe it is you who has got confused....think about it....Did you ever ask anyone on RC or by PM if they interested in doing some articles. You may have messaged me by mistake and not realised. I remember it well. This would be a good thing , it would show you were showing initiative and trying to stay more current and relevant. Let's face it , not much has changed on here for sometime ! Just the same 65+ old farts being negaholics...it wears people down and really little on Thoroughbreds and Harness ! I'm quite happy to be booted off RACECAFE.......it's a badge of honour ! I never met you and would not recognise you .......I been a member here for some years and paid a subscription for a while etc etc , but I very pleased to be scubbed off . Feels great !

Great question , I agree !

Haha scooby......you seem to have a short memory ! Wasn't it you a while back who asked me to write some articles for your racecafe ?????? A simple yes or no will suffice. I had one post left and was going to use it on Leggy who accused me of using corporate bully tactics...I thought that odd coming from a guy who is clearly the Number one most prolific poster on Racecafe.....has been for some time. WD may challenge that ! i am also informed that he is the number one poster on your main rival site as well......under a different name. He has his little tag team on that as well including WD and Pam who also posts under a different name I'm told....double the grass roots ! What's the point of this.........is it to make points twice as strong , to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds ? Are they employed by sites and used as loss leaders like supermarkets...put out cheap thought starters to create interest. So now I recently been called a polyana [ most popular] , like a corporate bully , an apologist , employed by NZTR ...haha ! I wish I was the latter cos I would be on a good salary and benefit for doing very little and I dare say could add a little ! I've been around a while , worked a bit around horses , written a few stories/previews and had picks published , owned shares in some fast and many slow horses [ both codes] and audited a couple of Racing clubs for a couple of years. The same credentials as when you offered me a role !!!!! Currently I'm overseas , laying low for a couple of days but soon will be again dangerously fit looking forward to NZ Cup week as usual and possibly Melbourne ! I note a couple of our jumpers nominated for NZ Cup , yes I affected by demise of jumping but a few shares in harness , and a recent transfer of a galloper to Melbourne stable gives me an interest in Spring. Then there is Singapore too ! So I happy on holiday and maybe will report back with post in a month ! Keep the names coming !

Tom ,you always good for a laugh ! Often a bit from left field , but always a loyal one-eyed Cantabrian. Possibly Southern racing would be in better shape if mainlanders put more effort into their particular area ! I experienced the sharp decline in Otago racing , and recently Otago trotting ! I experienced the terminal decline in Nelson gallops and the trots hang on with 3 x meetings [was 4]. The Blenheim circuit seems shaky as well. Ashburton were gifted the Jewels ,eventually losing them , Washdyke seemed to decline similarly .. Jumps racing almost gone.....no grass roots Tom ! Geez I loved Koral and No Offence before him ! Watch out......the Group 1's in November will be next.....Speaking ones mind needs to be directed thru correct channels. Speaking ones mind on Internet like winking in the dark...you know what you doing but no one else does ! Grass roots work was required years/decades ago. Folk firing bullets and slagging off THEIR industry on the INTERNET and Social media has never been the answer & never will be. Talking of speaking one's mind Tom do you remember the story about the 'Boy who cried wolf ?''

If you say this WD ,then it must be true , but generally in the business / normal world that publicly rubbishing the administration of an activity that you financially gain from is called 'biting the hand that feeds you'. Who would have thought that a few 'conflicted ' posters from the 'we are doomed party' have jumped to the lady's defence. Conflicts of interest and personal agendas seems behind a lot of NZ racings woes ,and my memory goes back a while. Chris Wood makes some very factual points , he seems the type of trainer I'd be happy to take a share of a horse in , and there are several others out there too . Trainers who realise it's their livelihood and its futile to continually slag it off publically. Making comparisons with RV , or NSW and Hong Kong racing etc is kinda futile as NZ racing has much more problems and much less money to try and fix them. Maybe you WD can divert some of your study to producing some comparisons between RV and NZ racing. That would be of some interest !

You looking at the negative side ONLY ! Seems enough positives there re trackwork and jumpouts etc to build on their usefulness. Only been in less than 15 months in NZ and most of NZ top trainers support them . RV has the luxury of being able to spend significantly to upgrade their grass surfaces which a majority of participants prefer ...this was always obvious..poor old NZ was technically bankrupt ,unable to pay their monthly creditors when Winston stepped in and gifted these tracks. They were never going to be a 'silver bullet ' but the local trainers should be at least be seen to be supporting them. The number of meetings in NZ to date has not been great and as the Messara Report emphasised NZ did not have one decent track....at the time of report he said all needed significant work ! I attended the first meeting at Cambridge and quite surprised at the venomous negative comments made by a few people close to the industry....the very people they were introduced to help. Similar to Jumps racing in NZ [and South]. Many close to the industry want the races put on but make no attempt to produce horses to race in them. I've been told that you are a battling trainer who spends far too much time spreading negativity about the industry , don't know you from a bar of soap but if true I'd wonder why ?

Oh dear.....cheer up boss ! Grass roots enjoys many of the best summer days over Xmas etc and with Summer racing promotions etc these have been given a boost in recent times including extra NZTR help and funding !

Lifting those minimum stakes for a small number of races ie Maidens IMO was necessary and not good for the clubs image. It was 'nickel and diming'. And the announcement of how much the Club puts into Stakes from it's own money , has in the past included the significant nomination and acceptance fees that Owners need to stump up months ahead of all the big races. So it's smoke and mirrors IMO. I 100% support what ATR is doing about raising stakes significantly. , but it will make it tough on the other Clubs to raise theirs . Of course the negaholics will point out the ATR races receive significantly more money from NZTR already . Even before the merger with Counties and selling land etc the ARC had a very nice nest egg accruing good income every year from this and other non -racing activity. And Clubs need this outside revenue to survive let alone prosper ...impossible to fund racing from the core business of horse racing. Well done ATR......bring it on !

Good to get out a reminder of the big racedays for the season. Certainly this advert has jolted me into action and I booked a few flights , getting some new threads and joined a gym so I looking good when all the well dressed females turn up at the track ! Now we just need some horses with a bit of profile and good crowds and good betting etc ! Looking forward to those days ! Thanks for the reminder. Good to see some positive advertising !

Devastating and tragic.....so sad .....RIP Taiki !

Many of the worlds top drivers raced at Levin including Stirling Moss , Jack Brabham , Bruce McLaren and Graham Hill. Legends !

Funniest post ever ! Me mate TORCH says Hawera one of best courses in the country !