bestbets 206 Report post Posted January 5, 2018 Is this How our neighbours really see us... I recall a person who came into our club and was sitting at the leaner and watching the horses on the TV. I observe his betting and I'm not sure our clubs TAB turnover has been so high or ever will be again. I introduced myself and he told me he was living in Australia. We talked about the state of racing in NZ and that was the start of his rant on NZ racing and how we were a bunch of amateurs and that he and all his associates never put a cent on NZ racing. Points he made that I can remember were Jockeys here are not up to the standard and most wouldn't ride in Aussie, he accepted that we did have some good riders but most wouldn't get a ride in Aussie. Track bias was so evident on so many of our tracks. Reporting by stripes was poor, with some instances not reported and horses performing badly with no reports, horse quality was rubbish. Horse information and sectional times not up to world standards. There were other points which I would only be guessing but it got me thinking more seriously about what he said and to be honest he not to far off the mark. I took 6 people out to the Boxing day races. I was the only person that had any understanding of how to read form and to give the group some understanding of bet types etc. I was totally aggrieved with the track after a few races, I blamed the track manger for over watering and thought how bad could it get that on the biggest day we get serve this crap up and basically gave up betting and starting drinking (depressed). My group loved the day they had no idea on horses or track conditions and any other variables but all agreed that racing was so difficult to understand when I showed them the race book and then I try to explain all the abbreviated terms within and they go where the hell is the bar I just back names. One of the group took Irish Mist as I am half Irish and thought it was a omen. Later in the day he took Authentic Paddy as some mates call me Paddy, he thought racing was great. The other mates loved the day and we are now making it an annual event. The food is average but it was acceptable and the beer was priced ok other than waiting in long cues for a beer it was a great day stuffed up by drowning the bloody track and then rain arriving. Found this article on www.racingandsports.com. I couldn't say it any better and reflects what the person I meet in my club said about NZ racing. When I grew up we were the pinnacle and envy of most racing countries, oh how it has all changed. Another quote by the same author...There has been way too much wet track or poorly presented or over-watered G1 racing so far this season in New Zealand and surely enough is enough with this dumping of so much water on a track close to raceday. The desperation or inexplicable need to beat or defy weather on racetracks is almost like a pandemic of global gallops spoiling or a communicable climate change disease of sheer asininity. If you cannot beat the weather then why bother trying as all it does is ruin the form worth totally, curb wagering enthusiasm alarmingly and shrink audience participation to near boutique sport numbers. Watering so much so close to G1 racemeetings is akin to too many cooks spoil the broth and since they have it backwards and upside down these days too many broths spoil the cook. Synopsis: Zabeel Classic: This G1 at WFA over 2000m saw almost not one position in the running change at the line and on a poorly presented and performing Ellerslie track continued the demise of favourites all day. Not one favourite won all day as the track looked off and behaved very tricky after a little rain with that watering in the lead up once again causing chaos for bettors and they are the life blood of the sport. The WFA depth has been dreadful for ages in New Zealand the result today only confirmed the obvious plus showed racetracks and bias are rampant with just a little rain causing all hell to break loose for bettors. Authentic Paddy, an 8yo that not won a race since April of 2016 and that came at G3 in the South Island at Riccarton, led and was allowed to canter around before making it a 400m sprint home. He had raced at G1 a staggering eighteen times prior to today for five placings (two seconds and three thirds). He won by a length and a quarter and clocked a very pedestrian 2:06.321 so what the other riders were doing or thinking defies belief and it must be they had zero confidence in their mounts to be able to do any work in the running. Today was the eleventh win for Authentic Paddy from seventy-seven starts so it is not like as a well-tried 8yo that he has improved and it seems the depth is non-existent and everything gets a turn these days. Lizzie L’Amour sat second and finished in that placing after going up to lodge a bid at the 200m and looking likely. Volkstok’n’barrell after sitting fifth the inner got through to third at the 200m and held that position albeit beaten three and a half lengths. Consensus trailed the leaders but like many on the day when drawn out did not ping at all and finished fourth beaten almost seven and a half lengths. The margins showed the track was biased and off and the tepid rate the race was allowed to be run at just exacerbated the poor visual nature of the race the run home and at the finish. It was a poor spectacle indeed for a G1 race over Summer when the audience is bigger than normal. Benzini was one of the very few to run on a shade from back on the inner but he came through to fifth at the 200m and was beaten over eight lengths at the line. Stolen Dance plugged on and Sofia Rosa did too with the latter in foal. Hi Flyer the favourite was awful and never looked a hope at his first G1 under WFA outing and first look at 200m. He is very one-dimensional and needs a solid pace to bury his rivals so his options are shrinking and as for WFA and at middle distance no one is the wiser as a massive asterisk of doubt is already on him. Chance To Dance after doing a bit of work early stopped badly and his effort was blatant proof the track was awful as he had won prior at G3 under WFA and third home that day was Authentic Paddy. He somehow lost over thirteen lengths in the interim and that is simply not acceptable as fair dinkum. Endean Rose stopped badly too after being wide early and it was not a proper reflection surely or else the G1 WFA form in New Zealand is worse than even thought. She was third at G1 under WFA at 2040m at Hastings in October behind Wait A Sec and Gingernuts and sixth that day two lengths behind her was none other than Authentic Paddy. This whole meeting today needs a line drawn through it as the track was so biased and poorly presented and performing. The WFA depth in New Zealand has been poor for many years but could be at its lowest ebb with old handicappers winning now at this level (Close Up an 8yo gelding, Wait A Sec a 7yo gelding and Authentic Paddy an 8yo gelding) to name a trio). It is like the movie Cocoon is happening at not just the WFA level but Open Handicaps in staying and even sprinting racing in New Zealand as nothing seems to be coming through to replenish the old guard. If the 3yo depth was not so dubious too this season it could be the only explanation for the younger horses not to have a crack at a clearly ripe for the picking WFA, as the older well tried handicappers are having a real Last Of The Summer Wine season so far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOM(the other Molloy) 1,774 Report post Posted January 5, 2018 Great. Dufficy still moans every week or at least regularly about track bias and the Sheik lost $120m. Dodgy characters pervade the place as Cassidy and James Macdonald are well aware. Aussie racing is all things to all men all right. It's good but let's not get the idea it is racing paradise. elbow, von Smallhaussen, Insider and 2 others 4 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portfolio 728 Report post Posted January 5, 2018 Mornington gallops off today as its too hot while those in parts of the US are freezing their nuts off. Gotta love mother nature. Memphis2, elbow, Insider and 1 other 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted January 6, 2018 One thing that the lengthy analysis above does show up is the lack of quality racing jourmalism in NZ. You don't really get anyone writing stuff like that these days in any mainstream media. Fartoomuch 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOANCRUSHER 39 Report post Posted January 6, 2018 Bestbets the points you make are the very reason you should be punting on NZ racing, different tracks and conditions means there are decent overs if you are prepared to work and because the market is smalll you are only up against 1 or 2 odds setters and very few big players the margins are huge compared to aus where there are numerous large smart players who take out the early value if they can get on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted January 6, 2018 3 minutes ago, LOANCRUSHER said: Bestbets the points you make are the very reason you should be punting on NZ racing, different tracks and conditions means there are decent overs if you are prepared to work and because the market is smalll you are only up against 1 or 2 odds setters and very few big players the margins are huge compared to aus where there are numerous large smart players who take out the early value if they can get on. Unfortunately there is no real logic to NZ form regardless of how much work you put in. Catalano 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...