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Today is a very sad day as we remember the loss of, Taiki Yanagida, a super young man who tragically lost his life in a race fall that should never have happened. Taiki moved to New Zealand to chase his dream of becoming a jockey, and he was right in the middle of fulfilling that dream when his life was so tragically cut short. He will always be remembered as the smiling, positive and dedicated young man he was full of life, chasing his dream and with so much ahead of him. He was taken far too soon, while still in the prime of his life. Today we remember Taiki, his smile, his passion, his dedication and the dream he had that brought him to New Zealand. Fly high, Taiki. You will never be forgotten . Rest easy, young man.

I'm gutted if the levin jumpouts got the can. I've never said this before because I don't want to blow my own trumpet. I got the Levin jumpouts started 30 years ago in their current form. When I first arrived there they had irregular jumpouts but basically just when G Searle had a few he wanted to jumpout and others would put some in, only 4/5 heats most of the time. I often done the gates, no gates staff or ambulance. But I was always getting asked by trainers from other centers why they couldn't come, but that was the situation. I could see a real opportunity for the club so I proposed allowing outside trainers to come and we charge $30 ,and the club could make some money. I had to organize it though because no one else wanted to, which I was happy to do. We thought maybe 30/40 horses might come but I think we ended up getting 120 , the club got a great boost and so we were away. I have taken great pride in knowing that what I started 30 years ago is still going strong and such a valuable tool for the local industry. If the track is closed and the jumpouts are lost then it will say everything that is wrong with the management of our industry. They are irreplaceable.

A quick update, TA have finally informed the previous owners that BA was sold to a private breeder, she is currently still spelling at TA Stud. The unfortunate bit is that we were only informed because "a couple of owners" had enquired. Not good enough, the owners should have been told as a matter of course as was their right and for complete transparency. The new owners name wasn't given, I can understand this, as privacy is ones right. I'm sure those involved in the syndicate that tried to purchase her wouldn't want their names public. But if this is just a ruse to dampen the situation it will become apparent at some stage. This brings this sad situation to a close, sadly a situation that has arose more through certain parties being more than misleading in their communications, as I have said previously, having been privy to both sides of the communications between the manager and the syndicate , and also my own communications from TA as an owner, none of this reflects well on them. None of it surprises me though as I have come to the conclusion, from over 4 years of dealing with them but mainly one party, that they believe themselves untouchable. I have been heartened to see so many people see how poorly managed this has been, and I thank those that have supported me both on here and privately. Cheers

Riverton Racing Club spokesman Michael Tyler contemplates the 2025-26 season John Langford Michael is an Otautau dairy farmer, Riverton racing club administrator and son and of Southland’s leading thoroughbred trainer Kelvin Tyler. Michael said that the most basic things required to create a sustainable thoroughbred racing industry are getting the race-dates and programming right and then allocating the stake money appropriately. “Unfortunately for the South Island and especially us in the deep south, we have the least amount of dates, the worst programming and the least stake money.” Michael said the South Island are starved of enough meetings on grass tracks. “We had full fields at Oamaru on a heavy 10 track last weekend and only a few of the 58 balloted horses got in after scratchings. Even the 2yr-old race had a full field. I don’t know if the North Island even had a capacity 2yr-old field this season?” “It takes more than four hours for us to drive to Oamaru and we had 14 Southland trainers enter 39 horses. Then we had four Southland winners, including the 2yr-old winner.” There was only two grass track meetings in the South Island for all of July. There were the synthetic-track meetings at Riccarton but only a few from Otago and Southland are keen to run their horses on that track. “In winter, or even the late autumn we are training on a heavy tracks and we all know the easiest way to break a horse or a human down is to train on heavy tracks and then all of a sudden go race on a hard synthetic.” “Winter racing is supposed to be exactly that, winter racing on grass tracks in the winter conditions that the horses train on.” “The synthetic suits those guys who train on it all the time but your not going to travel nine hours to Christchurch and race when there’s a chance you’re going to injure your horse.” The other thing about the synthetic that frustrates Michael and most southerners is how many more race day opportunities the Riccarton trainers get. “I think Te Akau technically probably won the South Island trainers premiership again but I think the Pitman’s had 39 wins from about 450 runners and a large number of those starts would’ve been on the synthetic.” “Brian and Shane Anderton have had 37 wins from only 235 race starts so their strike-rate is pretty good and then I think dad had 273 odd runners for 35 wins.” “So that shows we just don’t get the same opportunities down here to get the winners and the money.” The Tyler’s are not impressed with the middle day of the Grand National meeting at Riccarton is being held on the synthetic. “You take horses like Prince Alby and Vamos, they want a 2000m open handicap on a heavy track but that’s been changed to the synthetic. I’m pretty sure Riviera Rebel is in the same position. You could try freshen up these horses and drop back into the 1600m Winter Cup but they’d be up against a lot of sharp milers. It’s just another example of how that track is affecting us in the South Island.” “When you look at the small fields in the Central Districts and further north that are racing for good stake money it makes you wonder what the programmers are thinking. Their owners and trainers earn a cheque from almost every start due to their small fields.” “That’s why Freddie (Freddie Time) is up in the CD, there’s so many opportunities and seven or eight horse fields week after week, while we have full fields down here, so it just doesn’t quite sit right does it.” Michael notes, Timaru have picked up a meeting in July for next season, and is hopeful that it will get allocated the same stake money as the CD winter meetings do. “There are simple ways of equalling up these race-day opportunities. Oamaru is an ideal winter track and should be racing every three weeks throughout winter, Timaru could share a few of those winter dates as well.” Michael said there are plenty of young trainers in Southland who are doing really well. “It would be easy to encourage them to grow their horse numbers further by getting the race dates and programming right and putting up the fair share of stake money.” “I know for a fact Ebony (Turner) would love to have more horses and get more people into racing but to have more horses you need more staff then you’d need more race meetings so you’re making the money to make it all viable.” “How does she go and set up a syndicate when we have four months of the year when there is next-to-no racing within reach. And when there is racing they’re going to have full fields and if you don’t get some stake money the owners are going to get a decent bill for the travelling costs.” “While I’m at it, my other peeve is our southern region don’t get enough feature race days or more days with the decent stake money.” “A lot of our races are just those lower industry sort of days. As a region, we probably need one or two more dates that carry that decent stake money of $40,000.” “There was one feature meeting added to Invercargill for October which is good after having bugger all on over winter but we just need a few more of those days during the season, but yeah it could be worse, it could be $18,000 like were racing for at the moment.” “At Riverton we are lucky to have our Easter Carnival and New Years Day meeting. Riverton is a sort of a holiday area so we always seem to get a decent crowd on New Year’s Day. ”I think our fields on Easter Saturday this year were some of the strongest we’ve had in recent times, a lot of that was due to having the Gore Guineas on the card. The extra stake money brought more Canterbury trainers and they usually bring a couple of extra horses when they come down.” ”We do a pretty good job in putting our own money into topping the stakes up. I wish we could also increase the Easter Monday stakes some more in the future” Michael said.

This is one of the most well reasoned, practical, and common sense pieces I’ve read. Sadly, it’s exactly the sort of thinking that’s missing from NZTR’s leadership. Instead of making decisions from the top down, perhaps they should spend more time listening to the grassroots participants who actually keep this industry alive. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that those on the ground often have a far better understanding of what racing needs than those running it.

A bit off track but when the Greyhounds [NZ] go, I think that it's unethical, repulsive, exploitive, morally corrupt and anything else that you can think of to keep take betting on them from Australia. Whilst I can take them or leave them betting wise, [no interest] how can you put hundreds of people out of work, destroy their businesses, substantially reduce the value of their "purpose built" properties, yet still take or make a profit from betting on them from off-shore? If there was problems with them [Greyhounds] in NZ, there is sure as hell exactly the same problems in Australia, that's why I feel the way that I do.

RIB, take note. This is what integrity and transparency look like. When there are serious allegations, decisive action builds confidence in the system. Cases should be dealt with promptly, fairly, and without delay.The ongoing delays in matters such as the Cody Cole and Kurtis Purtab cases only undermine public confidence. If the circumstances justify it, interim suspensions during an investigation protect the integrity of racing and reassure participants that everyone is treated equally. Integrity cannot depend on who you know. It must be consistent, transparent, and applied equally to ALL industry participants.

Hello Janelle, I absolutely knew your dad, he was my best friend, he moved to Otaki when I was in the last year of my apprenticeship with Jim Didham. 1972 I think. I tried talking him into going to America with me! He was riding winners galore and was on retainer to Ken Thomson so he decided to stay in NZ, if he had of come with me he'd still be alive today bless him. I knew a very different David Reed, a calm, friendly and brilliant rider, and I would be very happy to converse with you privately,. I'm living in Australia so coffee is probably difficult however no worries with WhatsApp or PM me.

I am getting really fired up about this, 91m in administrative expenses read it and weep 91m, and you do a report to cut tracks without addressing the 91m, can you imagine Fonterra or Zespri adding jobs at head office and shutting down dairy farms and kiwifruit orchards, without having considered their head office costs, they would be laughed out of every respectable board room on the planet earth, yet these fools at NZTR and their board are saying what a great report they have produced, all I can say is cut 40m off the 91m then let's talk turkey you fools

Pretty sobering reading. My 2 cents worth: The Entain money was like a sugar hit and was not spent wisely. Whoever came up with the slot races should not work in racing admin again. Ditto all the million dollar races. Fairer funding for all the regions - not just give it all to Auckland. Greenfields in Waikato & Flaxmere waste of money and funds better spent upgrading current facilities (but not that sinkhole in Awapuni). Money for maiden stakes & rating 65s should remain at current levels. The majority of racing horses are in this band and its what keeps owners paying to race horses. Admin costs need to be halved. How many managers at NZTR on big money. Get rid of all those Aussie imports. RIB now only have two codes so their funding gets cut by a third. Stop the FIFO stipes. Cross code all jobs to save costs. Let stakeholders be able to vote for their representatives - no more appointments. We need a serious cutback and we need it now.

Project Stamina talks endlessly about change, yet says nothing about NZTR’s ballooning bureaucracy or how head office will cut its own costs. Once again, the burden falls on trainers, owners, breeders, and the grassroots. No meaningful consultation with the people at the coalface just another insiders’ exercise where headquarters keeps growing, nobody listens, and the industry pays the price.Thats my take on it and why oh why MUST they have to close Foxton and Levin...to me its all a load of wasted time and money sorry.A few good ideas but as always the industry has to pay for Dick Street they dont try to cut costs anywhere.

The Grand National double. That's something for him him to remember! No doubt confident that Lord Spencer could do it. But the inexperienced Little Thief?

Unfortunately some people are shallow enough to believe success in racing horses is all about them. It's not The horse is the 'star ' and should be treated accordingly whether it's a champ or a plodder. The way owners of BA have been treated is apalling and it is indicative of the arrogant narcissicist people who have acted in the way they have. Compare this to the way Ryan Fox has acted since he won The Open. He has now been catapulted into being one of the most successful sportspeople..anywhere. Watch how his career blossoms from now on. And yet he remains modest, no 'airs and graces ' like some we are aware of. ' I wouldnt mind a pie ' is what he said when he landed back in NZ, and the bakery he got his pie from has named it 'The Foxy' and sold out of everything today! What a story. I know I've gone off topic a bit but its heartening to see people remain modest when success hits them.

Without Entain - or another lifeline - we were history. Without the cash injection the Tab was insolvent and NZ racing along with it. Whatever problems we are facing now, Entain isn't the driver. NZTR has blown the extra funding without addressing fundamental issues. Entains job is selling bets, not running a racing industry.

There comes a point where criticism of an organisation stops being negativity and becomes an obligation. New Zealand thoroughbred racing has reached that point with NZTR. The industry is entitled to ask a brutally simple question: what exactly is NZTR doing to secure the future of thoroughbred racing, and why should anyone have confidence that it is capable of doing it? From where many participants sit, NZTR increasingly looks less like an organisation leading an industry and more like an organisation administering its decline. Stakes are under pressure, breeding investment is contracting, ownership is becoming harder to justify, clubs are struggling with infrastructure and financial pressures, and the industry is staring directly at the expiry of the Entain guarantee. Yet the organisation supposedly responsible for navigating this crisis continues to face serious questions about administration, expenditure, governance and accountability. The Entain agreement was not a permanent solution. It was a lifeline that bought racing time, provided desperately needed financial certainty and helped prevent an even more serious crisis. That should be acknowledged. But the guarantee has a finite lifespan, and there are now only two years remaining. Two years is nothing in the context of rebuilding an entire racing industry. This should have NZTR operating with an extraordinary sense of urgency. Instead, the industry is entitled to ask where the comprehensive replacement strategy is. Where is the modelling showing exactly what happens when the guaranteed money disappears? Where is the plan for replacing that revenue? Where is the evidence that NZTR has used the breathing space provided by Entain to fundamentally restructure the industry's cost base and develop a sustainable financial model that does not depend on another commercial miracle? The most confronting question of all concerns administrative expenditure. Racing participants are constantly told that the industry has to live within its means. Owners are expected to absorb rising costs. Breeders are expected to make increasingly difficult commercial decisions. Clubs are expected to operate under financial pressure. Stakes can be reduced. Meetings can be reviewed. Infrastructure can be rationalised. Everyone at the coalface is apparently expected to accept that sacrifices are unavoidable. Fine. But then the same brutal financial discipline must apply to NZTR itself. Why shouldn't the industry's administrative expenditure be placed under the same microscope? Show the participants exactly what NZTR costs. Show them where the money goes, how many people are employed, what senior executives cost, what consultants are being engaged and what measurable return that expenditure produces. If racing is being told there isn't enough money, then NZTR should be able to demonstrate that every dollar spent on administration is absolutely necessary and producing value. This is where the governance question becomes unavoidable. Governance is not simply appointing a board, producing another strategy document, holding another consultation and then waiting for the next crisis. Governance means anticipating the crisis before it arrives and having the courage to make difficult decisions before the situation becomes critical. The industry has endured enough reports, reviews, committees, restructures and strategies to fill filing cabinets, yet the same fundamental problems keep returning. At what point does somebody accept responsibility for the results? If administrative costs remain high while stakes are threatened, if participation continues to contract while the industry struggles to attract investment, and if the Entain guarantee is getting closer to expiry without a clearly articulated replacement strategy, then participants are entitled to ask whether the existing governance structure is actually working. There is also a dangerous misconception that because the Entain transaction created reserves, the industry has somehow solved its financial problem. It hasn't. Reserves are not recurring revenue. Reserves are not a business model. Reserves are a runway. If the underlying economics are not fixed before that runway ends, the industry simply reaches the same crisis later with less money available to respond. The worst possible outcome would be to use the Entain money to postpone difficult decisions, only to discover when the guarantee expires that nothing fundamental has changed. Then what happens? Stakes get cut again, clubs face more pressure, breeding incentives are squeezed, owners leave, trainers lose horses and investment continues to migrate across the Tasman. That isn't a recovery plan. It is managed contraction disguised as financial prudence. And this is where the industry's clubs deserve far more respect than they are receiving. These are not faceless organisations making decisions from a spreadsheet. Clubs are made up of people who see the consequences of racing's problems every day. They are owners, breeders, sponsors, punters, volunteers, businesses and members of their communities. They know what happens when a meeting disappears. They know what happens when infrastructure deteriorates. They know what happens when breeders reduce investment and owners decide the economics no longer stack up. They are supporting constitutional change because they have reached the point where they no longer have confidence that simply accepting the status quo will produce a different result. That should not be dismissed as rebellion. It should be treated as a warning from the people closest to the product. Changing a chairman or changing a board will not magically fix New Zealand racing. There is no magic chairman, no magic board and no single policy that suddenly transforms the economics of the industry. But that does not mean governance change is irrelevant. If the current compass is pointing towards declining participation, shrinking investment and increasing financial dependence, continuing in exactly the same direction because changing course is uncomfortable is not prudence. It is stupidity. The industry cannot keep pretending that structural problems will disappear simply because another strategy is announced. Sometimes the most responsible thing an organisation can do is recognise that the people currently steering it have lost the confidence of those they are supposed to represent. The greatest danger is that Entain's success masks NZTR's failure to develop a sustainable underlying business model. If Entain performs strongly, everybody breathes easier. If wagering revenue exceeds expectations, pressure is temporarily reduced. If the Soccer World Cup produces a wagering boost, another layer of financial breathing space appears. But that is precisely how complacency develops. The money buys time, but time only has value if it is used to fix the underlying problem. NZTR cannot build the future of New Zealand thoroughbred racing around the assumption that Entain will continue producing more money than expected. Entain is a commercial business. Its obligations, strategies and priorities will ultimately be determined by its own commercial interests. NZTR's responsibility is to ensure that New Zealand racing can survive and prosper regardless. The industry therefore needs to know exactly what happens when the guarantee expires. Not vague assurances. Not optimistic projections. Not another glossy strategy document. A real plan. What revenue replaces the Entain guarantee? What costs are being eliminated? What administrative positions are genuinely essential? What expenditure is being cut? How will ownership be made more attractive? How will breeding investment be restored? How will clubs remain viable? How will infrastructure be funded? How will New Zealand compete with Australia for horses, owners, breeders, trainers and capital? These are not questions for three years from now. They are questions for today. If NZTR does not have credible answers, then it has no excuse for failing to develop them immediately. The alternative is frighteningly obvious. When the guaranteed money eventually disappears, NZTR could find itself forced back into the same cycle of cutting stakes, cutting meetings and reducing the racing product. Owners then ask why they should continue spending hundreds of thousands of dollars buying and racing horses when returns keep deteriorating. Breeders ask why they should retain mares when commercial prospects are declining. Trainers reduce numbers. Staff disappear. Clubs lose economic activity. Sponsors lose interest. Punters become less engaged. Turnover falls. Revenue falls. Stakes fall again. That is a death spiral. Once that cycle accelerates, no boardroom presentation is going to stop it. The industry does not need another exercise in explaining why the environment is difficult. Everyone already knows it is difficult. The people running stables know it. The breeders know it. The owners know it. The clubs know it. What they need is leadership capable of doing something about it. They need commercial discipline, transparency and accountability. They need to know exactly what NZTR is spending and exactly what return that expenditure generates. They need to know what happens when Entain's guarantee ends. They need a breeding strategy, an ownership strategy, an infrastructure strategy and a genuine commercial strategy for competing with Australia. Most importantly, they need an organisation prepared to make the same sacrifices it demands from everybody else. The industry has been given its warning, its money and its time. The Entain agreement provided NZTR with something incredibly valuable: breathing space. The question is what has been done with it. If the answer is that the industry has simply continued operating broadly as before while waiting for the next injection of revenue, then the Entain deal has not solved the problem. It has merely delayed the reckoning. NZTR cannot eventually reach the end of the guarantee and tell the industry that the financial environment changed unexpectedly. Everyone knows the guarantee has an expiry date. Everyone knows the reserves are finite. Everyone knows the structural problems exist. The only real unknown is whether NZTR has the courage and competence to address them before the money runs out. This is also why the clubs' push for constitutional change deserves to be taken seriously rather than treated as an inconvenience. They have skin in the game. They have something to lose. They are not sitting comfortably outside the industry criticising from a distance. They are dealing with the consequences of decisions made elsewhere. They are watching participation fall, infrastructure deteriorate, breeding investment contract and financial pressure increase. They have reached the conclusion that doing nothing guarantees nothing will change. They may not have every answer, and constitutional reform will not magically fix racing, but their willingness to challenge the existing structure should be regarded as evidence of a profound loss of confidence. NZTR should be asking why that confidence has disappeared rather than simply defending the status quo. Perhaps the most uncomfortable question is whether NZTR has effectively abandoned its responsibility to lead the thoroughbred industry and instead become an organisation primarily concerned with administering decline. That is a deliberately provocative question, but the circumstances demand provocative questions. A governing body cannot continually tell everyone else that difficult decisions are necessary while avoiding equally difficult questions about its own structure and expenditure. It cannot demand sacrifices from owners, breeders and clubs while appearing defensive when participants ask about administrative costs. It cannot rely on a finite private sector guarantee while failing to demonstrate what replaces it. Leadership is not about explaining why everything is difficult. Leadership is about accepting responsibility for finding a way forward. So where is NZTR? Where is the administrative cost cutting? Where is the detailed financial modelling? Where is the replacement revenue strategy? Where is the Entain exit plan? Where is the governance accountability? Where is the commercial vision? Where is the urgency? The clubs are telling you. The breeders are telling you. The owners are telling you. The trainers are telling you. The financial warnings are telling you. The Entain countdown is telling you. New Zealand thoroughbred racing still has extraordinary assets, world class horses, talented people, internationally respected bloodstock and a genuine place in the global racing economy. But those assets will not save the industry automatically. If NZTR cannot demonstrate that it has a credible plan to turn those assets into a sustainable future, then the industry has every right to demand change. Entain may have rescued the situation, but NZTR still has to fix it. The clock is ticking, the money is finite, and the industry's patience is not unlimited.

I think I saw the colours of one of my horses at Kurow. That was exciting.

Good points. Another thing that this report hasn't considered ( albeit, given the parameters that it operates with, it couldn't factor in anyway) is climate. Southland racing used to finish at Easter ( Riverton), Otago at Queen's - King's - birthday weekend. From then on, the winter racing crept up the island through Oamaru, Timaru ( and Waimate) and ending up at Riccarton. Perfectly sensible. Winter in Southland is character-building indeed. I can recall Darryl Bradley wanting to call the races off on one occasion because of the cold....none of this clueless lot has any idea why racing was structured as it was. Obviously, demographics change and adjustments must be made as a result of that, but ad hoc changes for the sake of it make no sense at all. Show us the money. Demonstrate why putting extra money into Invercargill ( for example) makes financial sense.

Watching the greyhounds yesterday brought about a mixture of emotions. Rosso was outstanding and TS need some credit for the presentations they did - well put together and poignant. The scenes of hard working people visibly upset was striking. It got to the point that it angered me. The reflection pieces were great viewing and reminded us of the quality of people who worked so hard to keep their code alive. It made me think of guys like Ray Adcock who travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to race his dogs - and more times than not return home with the spoils. What would we do to hear Peter Earley and Trevor Wilkes again? They were top notch. Chuck in Rosso and they walk into an "all time 10 greatest callers in NZ Racing" list. Fact. For the first time I wrote something on the greyhound thread last night that summed up my views. All I can say is that I feel pretty embarrassed by the way the thoroughbred code has treated the greyhound contingent. The way we are carrying on at present makes that feeling even stronger. Stop talking and start acting - we are an official joke.

Leggy, wake up. This was never about utilisation. It’s about getting rid of anything they decide is “surplus” while protecting the bloated bureaucracy that created this mess in the first place.If they were serious about saving money, they’d start at headquarters. Cut the bloated administration and save the industry $20 30 million before asking anyone else to sacrifice.Instead, clubs are expected to close, communities are expected to lose their racecourses, and generations of tradition are expected to disappear. Everyone else has to pay the price while those responsible for the ballooning costs refuse to take any responsibility themselves.Yes, some clubs may need to close. But don’t dress this up as reform when the people making the decisions won’t make a single sacrifice themselves. That’s not leadership. That’s protecting the gravy train.

Waiting for the RIB to act consistently,transparently and equally is like leaving the porch light on for Lord Lucan.

History will judge Ballasty, Flaxmere folly will be front and centre should it go ahead. With an economy in the toilet and racing on a precipice they should be consolidating not speculating and that's what Flaxmere is, sheer speculation. Knock a few grandstands down, yep, sack a few underachieving staff at HQ, yep, cut stakes at the top end, yep, cut your cloth accordingly and be prudent but wise. Oh well, it won't affect me, I'll cry in my beer and remember when, but the historians will say, ''who's the fucker that rooted NZ racing''? and AI will spew out a few hundred names, inc the incumbent and those that went before, .....bloody sad ain't it?

After tonight's viewing, my first impression of Matt Ballesty (NZTR) vs. Grant Jarrold (HRNZ) would sway me to exit thoroughbreds and increase my harness racing interests. One delivered corporate spin-speak with no plan, while the other consulted with grassroots participants, created a plan with direction, and executed it weeks ago. Grant Jarrold (HRNZ Chair): Jarrold has won a lot of respect recently by tackling the upcoming TABNZ/Entain funding drops head-on. Instead of hiding behind corporate jargon, HRNZ put out a direct, transparent draft Statement of Intent. They consulted directly with grassroots participants, outlined exactly where the belt-tightening will happen, and explicitly committed to protecting the $8,000 minimum stakes policy to keep the everyday participant alive. It gives stakeholders a clear, honest, and executable map. Matt Ballesty (NZTR CEO): On the other side, many thoroughbred participants have shared frustration regarding the communication coming out of NZTR. While Ballesty brings a heavy corporate and international marketing background, the high-level "spin" regarding infrastructure changes, venue rationalisation, and long-term strategy has left everyday trainers and owners feeling entirely disconnected from the actual plan. No mention of cutting costs !!! RIB $18 million to operate ????

The commentators this evening all did an amazing job given the circumstances - not least Mark Rozanowski who nailed the final race and is a legend. Never in my lifetime have I seen this level of unfairness with a decision made by ignorant people that destroys so many others.

How dare you , You have no idea how hard we work ! We are trying to save your industry , we need all these staff ! We we even worked til 5.30pm every night for the last week while we found the glossy pictures to go in the report . Geeeeez , you participants have no idea how hard it is here in Dick St. And then we got caught in the rush hour traffic on the way to Onyx, nearly missed the 1st round on the company card ! We need even more staff to make your industry great again . And now we'll need even more staff on top of that to answer all you dummies questions. Give us a break

So I’ve Just reread through this Project Stamina piece of rubbish sorry , and to me it’s just more of the same. The answer always seems to be closing tracks, centralising racing, creating more training hubs and expecting clubs, trainers and participants to adapt. What I find incredible is what the report doesn’t talk about. There’s virtually nothing about cutting NZTR’s ever growing bureaucracy or reducing the cost of head office. Instead, it’s the people at the grassroots who are expected to make all the sacrifices while administration carries on as usual. The other question is who they actually listened to. The people at the coalface the trainers, owners, breeders and clubs who keep this industry going don’t appear to have had much influence over the outcome. Once again, it’s another top down plan that asks everyone else to change while ignoring the biggest and growing problem that never gets resolved the cost of governance.

for those interested club had a great day big crowd all corporates full and over $260k on course turnover

Congratulations to Paul Moroney on an outstanding achievement of 150 winners in a season.Paul is one of the true quiet achievers of the racing industry and in my opinion one of the best judges of horseflesh there is. No fanfare, no bells and whistles just a remarkable eye for selecting quality horses and purchasing winner after winner including so many top line Group winners, year after year.He has never had the biggest budgets or the biggest headlines, yet he continues to let his results do the talking. His consistency, professionalism, and horsemanship are second to none. Congratulations. to him and Catheryne on a thoroughly deserved achievement.

Don't write off all trainers, Cluny. There are plenty of others- some small, some larger- that respect their owners and the lovely horses.

Just watched the 2nd part of the Guerin report . Kudos to Mick , found a hard edge I didn't believe he had nor seen before . I still believe a lot was unsaid , but I understand time constraints etc . I'm struggling to know what to say because I just heard so much fluff from Warwick , first I will say that the Harness guy shit all over him for articulating his and harness' position , get galloping someone like him and we might start getting somewhere . His argument for the retention of Motukarara was on point , and something that Warwick simply couldn't grasp when questioned about Trentham . Trentham , well what a pot of shit was spouted . Trentham have to provide a business case for their survival but Awapuni who are the basket case of CD and possibly NZ racing gets a free pass as the CDs metro track , FO . And don't get me started on the travel friction gobbled de gook , just FO with that shit . In a country the size of NZ "travel friction" should never be an issue . And if they are worried about travel friction to Trentham why the F@#k are they building a track at Flaxmere ??? One of the unasked questions . Maybe it's me but WTF , anyone with smarts asks Race to provide a business case for their survival as well . Because there is no guarantee that Awapuni will ever sort their track out , and how long is it going to take to clear their debt , or as I suspect Race and NZTR are expecting to clear that debt with Trentham , Levin or some other clubs sale . Warwick raising Marton and Fielding , forgetting to mention others as well , joining Race was embarrassing , and shows how little he understands that situation . I would lay money that if those that got their clubs into Race the first time could go back they wouldn't do it again . After watching both Ballasty and Warwick anybody can get a clear insight into why racing is in it's current predicament , neither came across as having a clear handle on how to take the industry forward , nor gave any confidence that the industry is going to even get through this . Warwick is gone and I can see Ballasty moving on in the next 18 months . I have said for a long time that we need to consolidate our tracks and our racing , it's a no brainer , but it needs to be cohesive and work for all clubs , and done with full consultation .

Great write up from David McCarthy A Victory 125 years in the Making ? If Lord Spencer is able to add the Grand National Steeplechase to his list of achievements it will be more than just another triumph for the Rayner family It will be a celebration of 125 years of continuous training effort and success for them going back to the turn of the 20th century when Walter Rayner,already a successful jockey,added a training licence to his armoury -though only in his mid 20’s when training was the mature man’s game. In his second year of training he won the Thompson Handicap at Trentham which he owned himself. In those days Wanganui and the surrounding area was a powerhouse of racing and breeding. When he started training for example there was Hall of Famer George Price who would dominate Sydney racing for so long: Fred Tilley,record setting trainer for the Duncan family; his successor David Marks who twice won 5 races on an 8 race programme, one at Tauranga when his only other runner was second. Harry Telford, later to train Phar Lap was another;Bill Dwyer was a minor legend in Wanganui at that time-and the list goes a lot deeper. Walter won a heap of major races,thanks to his skills and dedication having attracted the local studmaster George Currie just after World War 1 to his Gonville stable as private trainer. He was still there 40 years later though retiring from the Koatanui assignment in the mid 1940’s Currie,a newcomer to breeding, for less than $2000, bought in England Absurd, the first champion stallion here to be a sprint producing specialist; and Eulogy one of the greatest mares in our Stud Book still. Absurd was followed by another champion stallion in Limond. Nobody yet has been able to count all the winners from the Eulogy family at a time when anybody interested in breeding knew she was the 22 family icon.60 years later champions like Bonecrusher and Show Gate continued the family fame. She was a prolific producer of fillies, many of them were retained at Koatanui Currie’s was the Cambridge Stud of its day. A very successful stock breeder he was talked by a friend into branching into thoroughbreds with enormous success. But it was a double edged sword for a trainer. George Currie kept fillies and a few colts but most of the stock was sold at public auction. He also kept his racing interests to what are now Stakes and Group events. Rayner became a genius at developing youthful speed,especially among the fillies who were quickly retired to stud to advance its fortunes once they had showed their skills. While his wins were chiefly in two and three year old racing he developed stars like Lysander, Thespian (one of the few to defeat the great Gloaming) Submission,Homage,Spiral Motley etc altogether winning over 160 races for Koatanui,few of them minor events - many would have had Group status today. He also had the later champion jumper Coalition for a time. When the filly,Submission, won the Manawatu Sires Produce the two behind her,Beau Vite and Beaulivre, both later became turf champions on both sides of the Tasman. Walter was still riding work well into his 50’s,and at not far from his raceday weight as a jockey. He was invariably first out on the track in morning gallops, quiet but popular for running for the public. His assessment of the stud youngsters was a much sought after opinion. Another Rayner, Harold, was also a successful trainer at Waverley and Marton and given a civic reception there when he showed great bravery risking his life to save his horses in a stable fire. Walter’s son,Percy, was a top class lightweight rider and another,George, was a successful trainer in his own right before and after succeeding his father educating youngsters for Koatanui. The next generation was headed by Evan, a New Zealand rodeo champion (bareback riding) and a successful rider returning 65/1 one day in an Amateur event. Evan, a genial down to earth character in the family tradition, could handle youthful speed (Josette Nicole,Wakefield Stakes) and won a Thorndon Mile with Raywood Lass as a four year old. But his best horse was probably Start Wondering (when in partnership with JJ and the pair having solved the horse’s serious issues along the way) who won a Railway and the G1 1400 BCD Sprint at Te Rapa).When training in Marton Evan had up to 50 horses in work and once won four in a day at Wanganui but that was cut back to less than 20 when JJ became a partner. This gives the family record an even greater flavour. There was always a place for stayers and jumpers. Mister Divinsky’s walkover in the 1990 Grand National Hurdles,trained in partnership with Jay Parker and in the hands of rookie Craig Clifton,under 62.5 was a stunning performance and he produced several more to make him a special memory But there have been a string of class horses flat and jumpers before JJ took over on her own to make the 4th generation Rayner an ongoing success story. The National is never a given.What is a given is that the JJ Rayner personality,obviously dedicated but without taking it all too seriously, has made her a media favourite.That means widespread cheering if she can pull off this feat - and add to a remarkable family history. -- David McCarthy

Never got the justice he deserved, a blight on a failed racing body! Yasuraka ni onemuri kudasai Taiki.

I see NZTR trying to cut $10 million off the prize money this season with no consultation with anyone, and yet they’re still advertising for more staff.WTF is going on. I believe there’s another new person just started, and now there’s another role being advertised. What planet are these guys on? There seems to be absolutely no talk about cutting their own administrative and running costs. Instead, they just want to cut the prize money for the very people who do all the work, put on the show, and ultimately keep these people in a job. They all need throwing out now. The clubs need to get together and say this cannot continue. These people simply cannot stay.The industry must stand up, and we all need to work together to get enough clubs on board to vote these people out. Then we can get back to scratch and start again with people who actually understand the industry, understand the grassroots, and understand where the money should be going, instead of continually wasting it while apparently thinking they’re doing a great job.The industry must stand together and demand change.

I believe even if all racing had been on straight tracks and injuries eliminated the animal activists would still be campaigning to close the industry down. For them it’s not really about animal welfare it’s about imposing their holier than thou morality on others. They couldn’t care less how many people loose there livelihoods while they destroy an entire industry and community. The fact the activists were turning up at Greyhound meetings to gloat over people having their lives upturned shows you exactly what thet are about.

I was out at function tonight and ran into John Alexander. Some of you older RC members will remember John as the CEO of the NZ Racing Industry Board. I simply asked him if he still followed racing and he responded in the affirmative. I then asked him if he was aware of Project Stamina. His immediate response was, what planet are those guys on? He then said; suggesting that Trentham be closed down in the second biggest city in NZ is crazy! Using the analogy of no horses being trained there, surely means Ellerslie should go too, and followed up with a laugh. As it was a non racing function I didn't want to prolong the discussion in front of others so I didn't asked anymore questions but John immediately came back with; did you read Garry Chittick's comments and I responded with a yes. He then said that; he at least is talking sense. I say no more.

Here we have a CEO who prior to appointment had none or very small experience with thoroughbred Racing, hire some consultants who clearly also had limited knowledge and between the two parties they conspired to come up with this crap. This just continues the trend of the last 20 odd years where the industry has hired numerous people at senior management who I would call sea gulls. They fly in, then settle, then shit and then fly away leaving the mess for others to clean up.

How good is it to see Lisa back riding and straight back to riding winners . Brings some real class back to the CD riding ranks. After everything she has endured over the last couple of years, her perseverance is a lesson for us all. I hope she achieves all her goals.

Project Stamina is just another glossy report that asks the grassroots to change while avoiding the real issue. For years, New Zealand racing has been promised reform, yet costs keep rising, bureaucracy keeps growing, clubs disappear, and the people who fund and sustain the industry are expected to carry the burden.What is most telling is what the report doesn’t say. There is virtually no focus on reducing NZTR’s expanding administration or cutting the cost of head office. Instead, the pressure is once again placed on trainers, owners, breeders and clubs the very people who create the product and seem to get less and less say but just get told this is how it will be run. The industry doesn’t need another review or another strategy. It needs accountable leadership that is prepared to cut bureaucracy, put participants first, and return more money to racing. Until governance is fixed, nothing else will be.Thats just my view FWIW

Prizes will be as follows and the usual Win Place single bet..... 13 weekly winners x $20 = $260 Premier league winner = $100 Champions league winner = $100 Cup final winner = $40 Wish everyone a lot of luck and thanks Saynomore for the tireless job you will do every weekend...its really appreciated.

I have been very lucky over the years to race some very good horses, including Scandinavia, Love to Dance, Star Worship, Amnesia, Ketchikau, Big Twister, and a few others. Throughout that time, I’ve always believed that if a jockey does a good job, they’re entitled to a sling. I’ve always tried to give them something as a gesture of appreciation.But if it was ever demanded from me, then no way would I put that jockey on one of my horses again. I don’t think that’s fair on anybody. They’ve already earned their riding fee and percentage. If, as an owner, you decide to give them something extra out of goodwill, that’s a completely different story. Full stop.

“stopping dog racing here because of dog welfare, but lets take more from Aus because we cant give a toss about their dogs??? It puzzles me…” Seems you have answered your own question - welfare is just an excuse, the real reason is far deeper than that.

This post was never about comparing individual cases. It was about comparing the way two different racing authorities deal with integrity issues.Australia has shown what swift, transparent, and decisive action looks like. That sends a clear message that integrity comes first and gives participants confidence that the rules apply equally to everyone.In New Zealand, too many high profile matters seem to drag on for months with little visible progress. Whether people agree or disagree with the outcomes, the lack of timely, transparent decision making undermines confidence in the system. So no, this isn’t about comparing one case with another. It’s about comparing two different approaches to integrity. One demonstrates prompt and transparent enforcement. The other leaves people waiting and wondering. That’s the point and it’s not a difficult one to understand unless you are intellectually challenged like Hesi..

Yes, some awful reports here too. They are generally useless with large animals - horses and cattle - and there are some heartbreaking stories of their inaction wrt dogs kept in appalling conditions, concerns rung in by numerous people and nothing done. My first greyhound used to stand with his feet on the back of a couch and watch people in the carpark across the fence. Some regulars used to call out to him! Sure enough, a complaint from some twat that there was a dog with 'thin legs' next door and I got a note pinned on my letterbox. Made contact with an earnest young woman who gave me a list of instructions. Come and see the place, I said. Come and see the area they have ( a large back yard of half an acre) and meet the dogs. Too busy, she said. He's a greyhound, I said. What's that? was the reply. Have you never seen a racing dog? No. They might be well meaning but that's about all.

Obviously not. He appears to have some knowledge of racing.

Top 20 on the trainers list last season with 25 horses is no mean feat. Big season coming up I think.

What a day at Winton today! Nathan drove 6 winners, trained 4 of them. So well deserved, has clearly bounced back since his mishap at Auckland, well done!

Well I know people from NZTR read this forum. So here’s a simple question, why won’t you let your boss, Matt Ballestey, come on here and answer questions from the people who actually make this industry what it is?He will be put in a controlled, respectful environment where knowledgeable racing people with hundreds of years of combined experience, can ask honest questions and get honest answers? What’s there to be afraid of? Instead, you keep circling the wagons, shutting people out and refusing to engage. The more you do that, the more it looks like you don’t care about the people who own, breed, train, bet work day in day out for little return, and support this industry. It looks like the only people you’re interested in protecting are yourselves. If you truly believe in your vision for New Zealand racing, then front up, answer the questions and have the conversation. Leadership isn’t hiding behind media releases and marketing teams. Leadership is facing the people you represent. Everything is set up and all its needs is participation and consultation something sadly lacking so far from the NZTR side.

Plenty of trainers and Jockeys give their time to keep us all informed in their runners, sometimes the rest of us do not show as much appreciation as we could. But watching Chris and Stephen with their horse comments today, just reminds me how good they are, great speakers, easy to listen to, sense of humour and very informative, brilliant. As mentioned, we do have many others in same class but these 2 have certainly stood out to me this morning. Well done all you jockeys and trainers…

Chris Wood says it as it is... I wish we had more like him...been a great guy from the day I knew him as a young whippersnapper.

The small breeder has been squeezed out, partly by increasing costs of both breeding and racing, and partly by the dreadful dates and programmes. Those folk would breed two or three a year, race them, sell if any offers appear. They use moderately priced, mid-range stallions and have no pretentions to top the sales. Provincial racing is where the majority of such horses ply their trade. Now these mares are being left in the paddocks, sold or given away to breed sport horses, and until those same smaller breeders see a light at the end of the tunnel, foal numbers will continue to decrease. Locally, the Parsons are the epitome of owner-breeders, but they are fortunate they can afford to continue. Most of their starters are their own now, they patronize reasonably priced stallions and do very well with their own good mares. Most, however, don't have their resources either in stock or property. I dont see any improvement in foal numbers in the short term, and if the racing side of things is not properly managed, unlikely at all.

There are....from time to time. Starts off with a hiss and a roar, then peters out. There were horse condition checks on trainers, done alphabetically......don't think they got to R...then stabling facilities monitoring, that fizzled out too. One little bit of humour - a local young lady had her horses standing politely in their boxes, rugs off, for inspection. The chick with the clipboard stopped at one, said, oh this one is too small, and it's very fat. Not suitable to be racehorse at all. Why is it here? She won a 30k race 3 weeks ago, said the annoyed trainer. No more said. They left soon after.