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Announcing the Spring Stakes Supremo Comp $1,000 Prize Entry is open to all Race Cafe members. The comp will run from Saturday August 4 to Saturday November 10. The rules are very simple so everyone can understand and participate. Competitors are required to select one horse per race in every Stakes race run in NZ and every Group race in Australia during the duration of the comp. Some weeks there will only be a couple of races but later there could be a dozen or more. RULES 1. Select one horse per scheduled race in the comp. 2. If the horse returns a dividend you will be credited with the the NZ TAB/Supertab dividend as a currency tally e.g. $5.20 win and $2.30 place will represent a return of $7.50 for the selector. 3. Group 3 races will be eligible for double points, Group 2 races for triple points and Group 1 races will have their return multiplied by 5. 4. All selections must be posted before the first race on any day in which the comp is run.. 5. If your selection is scratched you may post a replacement before the first comp race on any day in which the comp is run. This must be as a new post and not an edit of your original selection post. 6. If you do not post a replacement selection for a scratched horse then your selection will revert to the TAB sub but not be eligible for double, triple or x 5 bonus unless it is a late scratching. 7. You can enter the comp at any time providing you abide by Rule 4. If you miss a day you may continue in the comp but obviously you would not earn any points for days or races missed. 8. My decision will be final in the event of any dispute. 9. The winner will be the competitor who accumulates the most points during the duration of the comp. 10. In the event of a tie on points, a play-off on Saturday November 17 will decide the winner. I will not provide race-by-race updates but a summary of results will be published on the results thread at the conclusion of each day. I am very grateful to Scooby for putting up such an incredible prize for this competition which he will announce on here shortly. Good luck to all participants !

Forget “It’s a bad look” - it’s an absolute disgrace! It doesn’t matter what industry it is, if it was someone with a car load of poodles - it’s complete negligence and who ever is responsible should be in court and out of the industry FULL STOP. Anyone that makes excuses or allowances for this type of negligence is as bad as those responsible in my opinion.

Start 196 today...Track record ... win number 97... over 5 years old. What a beauty!!!

Things will simply be done badly again unless those at the top actually listen to those that know. Tapeta is average, poly track is average, Kentucky dirt is average. Horses break down, its not right and that doesn't even get to the point where is it interesting to watch and good to bet on. In all of these conversations very little is said about Strathyr. Why not? Looks like the goods to me when comparing the others IF you want all weather racing. Then comes the overall design....not the surface or technology but the actual course architecture. Do you do something half arsed or something for the future generations. No doubt the fuck wits running racing who think they know everything but actually know very little (and this isn't everyone in the industry....just those who pretend to know everything and have convinced themselves that they do), will sell the others who know very little that the best track configuration can be seen in Australia because that's all they think they know. I'll say it 1000 times, look to the future. Don't look to mediocre. These tracks should have the potential to have 30 horses racing against each other. That gives the betting a chance to be better than good, but be great. Heaven forbid the day that our breeding numbers get up again and we start breeding top class horses again in numbers. Having a 16m wide track is soooo short sighted that that notion comes from people who don't understand betting fully. That's like saying a two lane road out of Auckland will be fine in 10 years time. And what about these courses? Shouldn't they be multiple entertainment centers so that the clubs and the industry can exploit entertainment, tourism, leveraged use events and the like? I know they'll fuck it up because there is not enough wide spread consultation with people who just might come up with cracking ideas that make the system work to its fullest potential. It'll be the same old morons bullshitting the same old rhetoric in an attempt to prove their worth. This isn't everyone in the industry, just the same ones that have continuity in their own malformed, mis-informed, delusional opinions that have proven to be incorrect in the past. The welfare of the horse should come first. They can't object to the rubbish that they are dished up with by the pricks that are lazy, complacent and mediocre.

His principles are based on those of the American Indians ( I presume you know that so apologies if I’m talking down to you ), they being that as herd animals horses will respond well to leadership, and they develop strong relationships between reward and good behaviour Clearly we don’t know how Monty Roberts applied those principles ( and others ) in this exact instance, but I could guess. I’ve seen a video of him working with unbroken horses that belonged to Betty Windsor, and he broke and rode them within a couple of hours. Pretty fucking amazing I’d have thought, and further evidence that horse abuse ( spurs, whips, jagging their mouths, over working them, screaming at them ) has NO place in racing.

Happy to put my hand up here and accept the mix up. For some reason i had a stand in my brain at the time, Missed it on my edit as well. and by the time i had picked up my mistake we were too late. I've made changes to my way to editing so this mistake shouldn't happen again. Apologies. Thanks Andrew Fitzgerald

Firstly thanks Peter should be fun....lets all join in this great comp...If its Ok with you Peter we may on the days the comp is run provide updates for you to check at the end of the day as official scorer...then that gets me off the hook too....its the most thankless task LOL.... Thanks again for the support...now Racecafe members lets make this a winner of a comp. Prize is $1,000.... $650 1st $250 2nd $100 3rd.... Hope everyone joins in this is the first of many new comps with great prizes coming up here.... Cheers Leigh

Today a champion bloke was laid to rest.The large gathering a testament to his popularity and the respect in which he was held in the Racing and larger community.A recurring theme from the many who spoke was of his willingness to help others, many times beyond the normal call of duty,his punctuality,work ethic,dry sense of humour and mostly his commitment to his family.Also his "occasional"and legendary use of the odd profanity.Many of the trotting and galloping fraternity present spent time with Russell in the truck and all have memories to share about a guy who would never let anyone down.A Legend.RIP Mate.

I thought the article was tracking ok, until the author went off on his tangent about being a jockey’s agent himself, and how some young Aussie kid behaved badly ( do the Australians ever behave any other way ?) That was very unprofessional and shameless self promotion. I should add that if I had Dillon as a manager I’d definitely go off the fucking rails ( I presume this was a Dillon article ). As for Wiremu Pinn.....column inches won’t kill him.....and there’s only one bloke who’ll decide which path he takes in life, and that’s Wiremu Pinn. If he’s strong and disciplined like many who’ve gone before him he’ll do well, if he’s a weak prick who makes bad choices he’ll be consigned to the scrapheap of life soon enough, and like all other weak pricks who make bad choices he’ll blame everyone else Your choice Wiremu, you either want to be a winner or a loser....I’d have thought it’s a rather easy decision to make. A footnote if you’re reading this Wiremu. Go buy a book called The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck ...by Mark Manson.....read it three times....you’ll be a far better person for it, and every time you catch yourself thinking you’re famous, important, or an elite human being, read it again.

Worst way and most painful way for a dog to die if it was heat exhaustion.....grnz need to stop greyhound farming and eliminate the numbers game right now if they are serious about welfare.....limit numbers breed per kennel and numbers trained before our sport is destroyed through greed...

By "joining" a sports club most people associate that with participation. Getting tickets for car parking or a stand or a function is hardly participation. The only real participants are the committee or board members. There has to be a rethink in racing just what a member should be. The current status quo is obsolete, unatractive and a waste of time.

Whats the value of 9 admission charges over Grand National Week and 9 over Cup Week (ie 3 people each day) ? I suspect that would cover the $275 quite easily but haven't checked the $. Plus the value of having access to Phar Lap Room (best room on course - just saying), and smaller Members Only room. There are members promotions as well which appeal to some and discounts on lunches etc from time to time. Foe me I love the place and like being a member. I enjoy the people and atmosphere and get full value for my membership (measured by $ as well). If you don't go that often or don't want to use the facilities it may not be worth it for you.

The following is taken from a blog named Farnham Street - the highlight in the middle section is mine to demonstrate the key point. It discusses the difference between people who know what they are talking about and those who do plenty of talking but are full of B/S. A situation very common in many fields notably in local body and national politics (love the comments on journalism) and is so obvious once you read and absorbed the thoughts discussed below. Cue the engagement of John Messara for the NZ racing industry to move past this systemic problem. Charlie Munger, the billionaire business partner of Warren Buffett, frequently tells the story below to illustrate how to distinguish real knowledge from pretend knowledge. At the 2007 Commencement to the USC Law School, Munger explained it this way: I frequently tell the apocryphal story about how Max Planck, after he won the Nobel Prize, went around Germany giving the same standard lecture on the new quantum mechanics. Over time, his chauffeur memorized the lecture and said, “Would you mind, Professor Planck, because it’s so boring to stay in our routine, if I gave the lecture in Munich and you just sat in front wearing my chauffeur’s hat?” Planck said, “Why not?” And the chauffeur got up and gave this long lecture on quantum mechanics. After which a physics professor stood up and asked a perfectly ghastly question. The speaker said, “Well I’m surprised that in an advanced city like Munich I get such an elementary question. I’m going to ask my chauffeur to reply.” The point of the story is not the quick-wittedness of the protagonist, but rather — to echo Richard Feynman — it’s about making a distinction between knowing the name of something and knowing something. Two Types of Knowledge In this world we have two kinds of knowledge. One is Planck knowledge, the people who really know. They’ve paid the dues, they have the aptitude. And then we’ve got chauffeur knowledge. They’ve learned the talk. They may have a big head of hair, they may have fine temper in the voice, they’ll make a hell of an impression. But in the end, all they have is chauffeur knowledge. I think I’ve just described practically every politician in the United States. And you are going to have the problem in your life of getting the responsibility into the people with the Planck knowledge and away from the people with the chauffeur knowledge. And there are huge forces working against you. My generation has failed you a bit… but you wouldn’t like it to be too easy now would you? Real knowledge comes when people do the work. This is so important that Elon Musk tries to tease it out in interviews. On the other hand, we have the people who don’t do the work — they pretend. While they’ve learned to put on a good show, they lack understanding. They can’t answer questions that don’t rely on memorization. They can’t explain things without using jargon or vague terms. They have no idea how things interact. They can’t predict consequences. The problem is that it’s difficult to separate the two. One way to tease out the difference between Planck and chauffeur knowledge is to ask them why. In The Art of Thinking Clearly, Rolf Dobelli offers some commentary on distinguishing fake from real knowledge: With journalists, it is more difficult. Some have acquired true knowledge. Often they are veteran reporters who have specialized for years in a clearly defined area. They make a serious effort to understand the complexity of a subject and to communicate it. They tend to write long articles that highlight a variety of cases and exceptions. The majority of journalists, however, fall into the category of chauffeur. They conjure up articles off the tops of their heads or, rather, from Google searches. Their texts are one-sided, short, and— often as compensation for their patchy knowledge— snarky and self-satisfied in tone. The same superficiality is present in business. The larger a company, the more the CEO is expected to possess “star quality.” Dedication, solemnity, and reliability are undervalued, at least at the top. Too often shareholders and business journalists seem to believe that showmanship will deliver better results, which is obviously not the case. One way to guard against this is to understand your circle of competence. Dobelli concludes with some advice worth taking to heart. Be on the lookout for chauffeur knowledge. Do not confuse the company spokesperson, the ringmaster, the newscaster, the schmoozer, the verbiage vendor, or the cliché generator with those who possess true knowledge. How do you recognize the difference? There is a clear indicator: True experts recognize the limits of what they know and what they do not know. If they find themselves outside their circle of competence, they keep quiet or simply say, “I don’t know.” This they utter unapologetically, even with a certain pride. From chauffeurs, we hear every line except this.

It wasn't till I got to Alexandra Park tonight that I realised there was a 3/4 hour gap between two races, both here and at Addington. After investigating I was shocked to learn the reason was that the time was being occupied by a Greyhound "bonanza" of 2 dog races. No body in the area I was was remotely interested in this but we were told that this was done at the Command of the TAB (or Racing Board) (or both). The club's race book didn't advise this was happening so most patrons were non-plussed over the whole episode and a list of these dogs were not printed anyway.. I will admit that I am not a lover of dog racing but each to his own, but for the life of me, if "they" wanted 45 minutes of such boredom, surely they could have shown the whole "event" on Channel 2 for those interested and not hoisted it upon the majority of racegoers who were attending to see Horses, not Dogs! Could you imagine this happening on a Saturday and Ellerslie told they had to pause for an hour just to accommodate TV coverage of dogs from a village like Wanganui. Also tonight this enthralling interlude was bang in the middle of their Turbo Pick 6 which incidentally in my opinion, started far too early in the night. I was told the harness clubs just obeyed and did not apparently object to the TAB etc. for interrupting their programme. I cannot imagine they would have been in favour of this - I might be wrong. During the day the Greyhounds are on Trackside 2 so why couldn't they have shown this there tonight??

Happy to help PJ....I've been to Specsavers after the last one.....

This is really starting to piss me off. The horse is now 7 years old, has competed at the highest level, winning 13 races and amassing $A8.8m in stakes. "So much to offer.." Really...?? He has now failed to jump on five separate occasions.....anyone can see he does not want to be there anymore. Just retire him now. Or is the temptation of The Everest riches too much for you ??? He deserves a long and happy retirement. Don't continue on until he breaks down. Anything else will just smack of greed...and provide further ammunition for the anti-racing brigade.

I think it was Michael Stiassny who first said that......about industry days. With regard to Strathayr....I understand your concerns but surely you’d agree that if we’re going to penetrate global markets we need a product equivalent to that of our global competitors to attract customers.....that seems to me to be the rationale behind this. With regard to Winston, well he’s made it clear that the RDF is there for the industry to use, but it’s to be a collaboration with the clubs, a JV type exercise I suppose. On that basis aren’t we back to square one ? If NZTR can’t give the industry a visionary strategic plan and the clubs can’t unite to stand together for our common good what hope have we got ? We have the resources, we have the assets, but we don’t seem to have the will or the vision required to make the necessary changes. Is that fair comment ?

Yep Brodie is the guy who will be backing the unlucky outsiders for a place. Once apon a time you could make good money doing that I did it myself for a few years but the bookies are too a bit too smart for Brodie now, hence why he is always whinging.

I am a member nowadays at TeRapa and the facilities since their revamp are great, and at $125 for two passes I feel they represent great value. The Friday night before the Foxbridge Plate, they have John Letts there at a cocktail function, following on from Greg Miles last year. Well done to the Waikato R.C , their lounge improvements are fantastic, let’s hope the Owner Trainers area is next!

Good luck to him hope it all goes well. Refreshed Waddell riding for charity Jockey Jason Waddell will start the new season at Tauranga on Wednesday with even more incentive to ride winners. Phill Cataldo (left) with Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) heroes Vin De Dance and Jason Waddell. Picture:Trish Dunell The 32-year-old Group One-winning jockey has had a lengthy battle with depression and he’s not about to hide it. In fact, he has decided to use his own struggle against the illness to highlight the growing issue in an attempt to help others. Depression is an illness gaining increased mainstream publicity and Waddell wants to bring that awareness out more in the racing scene. “From the beginning of the season I am donating five percent of all my earnings to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of help from psychiatrists in the last two years and it’s my way of giving something back. “I’m getting a bit older and in a position financially to help others not so fortunate. If I can also help even just one person suffering from depression by them coming to me then I feel I’ve done a good job. “I’ve just had my best season with a couple of Group One wins, including the Derby, and I want to show that you can still be at the top of your game even if you do suffer from depression. “It’s nothing to shy away from. There is help out there and I’m fortunate I’ve had it, so now I feel it’s my turn to help if I can.” Waddell has the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand logo stitched to his silks. “It’ll be there every raceday I ride to help make people more aware of depression and the help that is out there,” he said. Depression is in all walks of life and racing has been hit with tragic results at times. To say the Cambridge jockey’s career has been a rollercoaster ride is an understatement. He’s has too many suspensions and disqualifications and spent time at anger management courses, all through what he describes as“stupid mistakes”. Underlying a lot of it was his depression. “My first bout of depression was when I was 19 and my parents split up,” he said. “Initially it was thought I was suffering bipolar disorder, but then it was changed to depression.” A variety of medications led to weight fluctuation and mood swings. “I was doing things wrong and I knew it, but I still did them. I don’t know why,” he said. “I’ve been off that medication for five years now. The medication doesn’t sit well with fluctuating my weight and keeping the weight down is important for a jockey.” Certain events have set off his depression and the death of his mother, Sandy, last year from bowel cancer was naturally one of the saddest days in his life. “She was my rock,” Waddell said. “She was an amputee and had been a fighter all her life. She lasted until Melbourne Cup day and it was too much for her. It got her in the end. “The day after she died I had two rides at Waipa and won them both. I didn’t give myself a chance to grieve. I was focused on not letting it (depression) happen. “Fortunately I had so many good rides to focus on and a good support group that helped me get through it. “My wife Anna has been amazing. She has lived with my highs and lows and been there to pick me up. And my manager Darryl Anderson has stood by me throughout.” Waddell says he managed to fight off the depression knowing he had the chance to win the Gr.1 ATC Derby (2400m) with Vin De Dance. “I managed to hold it together and it was tough, but I knew I had a good chance over there,” he said. “I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’d been there and done that in the past.” A month after his mother’s death,Waddell won the Gr. Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) on Kawi then finished a close second on him in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m). To top that off he won the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Vin De Dance. “I had a necklace made with some of Mum’s jewellery melted down and inside the capsule are some of her ashes,” he said. “I wore it for the first time in the Derby. Mum was with me. “I’ll never forget that day. It was bitter sweet to beat Michael (McNab). If I hadn’t won it, I’d hoped he would. He’d been through the same as me, losing his mother to cancer. There’s a bond between us. We were friends before, but now we’re great friends.” Waddell got to Sydney for Vin De Dance’s Derby tilt, but he admits it was tough. “I was suspended directly after the New Zealand Derby and didn’t ride in the New Zealand Oaks,” he said. “I was having trouble with my weight, then we got relegated from second in the Rosehill Guineas and I was suspended, but luckily got back for the (ATC) Derby ride.” However, straight after finishing fourth on Vin De Dance in the ATC Derby, it all got too much for Waddell and the depression set in. “The day after the Derby I flew home and virtually didn’t leave the house for a month,” he said. “Rather than let everyone down I decided to take four months off to try and get myself right. “I started seeing my psychiatrist again and fortunately we had a trip planned to Sweden to see Anna’s family with four days in Spain on our own, just me and Anna. That all helped. “I was 67 kilos when I left home, but I started training over there and within a month I’d lost six kilos.” The holiday, along with the training, has helped Waddell resume race riding earlier than he imagined. “I didn’t expect to be back until two weeks into the new season, but I was back at Te Rapa (July 21) and I’m feeling great,” he said. “My weight is coming down, but I don’t plan to ride under 56.5kgs.” Waddell has ridden 590 winners in New Zealand, enjoyed success abroad, and last season he raked up 35 wins from 183 rides in New Zealand for a personal prizemoney record of $1,602,115. “I’ve had an amazing season,” he said. “I had seven stakes winners, including two Group Ones. It was my best season, but because of the depression I didn’t ride through it all. “The holiday is just what I needed. It’s made me hungry for winners and I’m so looking forward to riding horses like Julius, Demonetization and Vin De Dance again. “I’m an all-in or all-out guy and I’m telling my story to try and help other people in my situation. “I’ve got an amazing wife, two lovely kids (Charlie and Connor) and so much to look forward to. I want to prove you can handle depression and still make the most of life.”

Sorry can't agree...the young fella is doing just fine. Both his roles are challenging ones and his dedication and preparation is obvious. He will continue to impress IMO.

Sports is where the growth opportunity is, that’s just commercial reality. Racing ( well two of the codes ) can’t really point the finger when their own product is flat lining. If we were brutally honest we’d lay the blame at the feet of the code administrators and clubs because they’re guilty of doing nothing useful or constructive to initiate change and produce a better product. It’s time we stopped behaving in an entitled manner, stop making out we’re the victims, stop blaming others, and sort our own mess out.

Definitely not a good look. Appears Mr Munro has anger-management issues with a past racist rant and now a misogynist rant. Frankly, I have doubts about him working with animals if he has little self-control and temper issues. What could happen if a horse upsets him? I believe he is likely to lash out and ill-treat the animal. The industry does not need hot-headed individuals like this. A lengthy ban is in order with a compulsory anger management course included.

Don't complain just take the under

We all make the odd mistake, good on you for fronting up and admitting yours.