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As long as his number one focus is on profitability (rather than turnover as the recents CEO's have done) then it will be a good appointment. Grand standing record turnover's without corresponding profit having been generated is like pissing into the wind. We need to see a real shake up in NZRB expenditure and staffing numbers. Lets hope it happens as soon as possible.

Boring Anon89, lol. Forums are a place for discussion. Like it or lump it, in this industry there are many different participants with different levels of involvement and rumors/gossip are a fact of life. If people didnt comment on things unless they knew all the facts it would be a pretty quiet world, we prob wouldnt have a 6oclock news bulletin if that was the case. Until we know some facts there will be speculation etc. Sooner some facts are known the better, and if wrong doings are proven the alleged perpatrator needs to be held accountable and made an example of high profile or not.

Can someone please tell me how in the hell can a Politician/Diplomat be the best guy to run racing???? Or am I missing something here???

13 wins to go and he reaches 2000 not bad for a bloke who gave the game away for 7 years this season he has been riding very well his ride on the Kevin Gray maiden last Saturday Fire and Ice was superb The David Haworth horse looked the winner but CWJ just calmly got home by half a head the figure of 1987 has been checked against all Turf Refisters since 1981 so dont be fooled by the TAB figure or the figure on the NZTR website' He still has a rod in his leg and that stops him riding as short as he did in the old days 55 hurdle wins out of some 260 rides Grand National Hurdles 4 times, Great Northern Hurdles and Wellington hurdles plus many more My prediction is 2000 at Kumara Any thoughts?? The big bonus is there is no Cameron George to persecute him This post has been promoted to an article

I think people just want to know what is going on, and unless we are told definitively then yes, we will speculate. But this is a very serious allegation made against someone in a position where they thought they could collude with their office staff for their own gain and get away with it. We are sick and tired of seeing the so called ' bigger' players in the industry seemingly doing whatever the hell they like, and when caught getting a slap on the wrist and being tod not to do it again. If these allegations are true then the book needs well and truely to be thrown and an example made so others think twice about trying to defraud others and make our code look like a joke, when was the last time a trainer actually got suspended?

Kakama... Your race analysis is fatally flawed, as I previously stated. If the pace set by those at the front of the field was so hot, then they would not have finished second and third. That is axiomatic. The only horse able to pass them before the finish of the race was Lord Module, whose performance in doing so was freakish in the extreme. You say that If Lord Module has been leading at that speed, he would have folded. You are so crass as to suggest that he might have lain down and refused to move. This idiotic statement shows that you know nothing about Lord Module yet still have the gall to try to denigrate one of the best pacers ever seen in New Zealand. Those of us who lived through this period and can put the events into perspective know that Lord Module was an exceptional pacer and that his Alan Matson performance was that of a freak. The memory of that run will live on long after any moronic comments made by the ignorant have been long forgotten. Cheers. Ashoka

Ashoka what these guys don't realise is how both Armalight and Gammalite liked to race. Exactly how that race panned out. But they just don't know these things. Armalight loved the pace on and leading even with a challenger outside her and Gammalite loved the pace on sitting parked pushing the leader. And I'm afraid Armalight wasn't a great mare because Mick says that Adore Me is the greatest mare and her cup win was the best by a mare. Even though Armalight sat parked and ran away by 7 lengths and then backed it up with what just simply has to be the best run here by a mare in the free for all. 2.23.5 for 2000 mobile. Adore Me didn't deal to the opposition this cup week like Armalight.

Impossible to say he was our best ever pacer. Did Cardigan Bay or Young Quinn ever go near 3.54.6 for two miles? Cardy won the Auckland cup off the front in 1961 stopping the clock at 4.18 and repeated the dose in 1963 off 78 yards in 4.11. Young Quinn won the Auckland Cup in 1974 stopping the clock in 4.16. Does that mean Adore Me was a better racehorse? Of course not. Lord Module had an incredible sprint to go with his ability and stamina. I don't buy into the nonsense that his Alan Matson FFA win looked better than it was because he got a drag into the race on the back of Hands Down. He still had to produce the goods against a field of mostly champions and I dispute Hands Down gave him a piggy back anyway. Hands Down went before Lord Module and was clear of Lord Modules so no piggy back there. Lord Module was still last turning in and then unleashed a breath taking sprint. Without doubt the most memorable finish I'd ever seen. Locarno also had a fantastic finish but nothing can compare to Lord Modules Alan Matson. Happy to acknowledge the commentary of Reon Murtha added even more excitement to the finish. Is the Lord Module the best ever? Who knows? I honestly don't care. Was his Alan Matson FFA win the best ever? For me hell yes!

SNAPSHOT in the 1st leg - beat Arrow In The Sand(looks a top liner) in a trial back in October.

I think Mr Johnson will nail the 2000th before Christmas Mr Rumpole. Agree, he is riding very very well at the present time - a treat to watch and enjoy. He had a super NZ Cup carnival and a couple of his wins were "text book Johnson" Just hope the industry has the ability to champion and celebrate the success of a magnificent achievement. Or, am I asking too much? Bring it on .................

Exactly - Expect a rash of departures before 31 July. Cairns top of the list. Boom! $400k banked. $200k extra for Wgtn and Akld Cups in 2016?

This is hilarious. Surfing. They would be lucky to do $100k a year betting on that sport. So enough profit to buy a few new boards? How much does Cairns think she'll be writing the cheque for to Surfing NZ next year? Carefully not scripted as she knows if is 5/8s of FA. Her priority is to be seen to be doing something of value as new CEO climbs on board. Good luck with that.

Glen A Larson creator of my favourite tv programmes including Quincy M.E.,Magnum P.I and Battlestar Galactica has died in Santa Monica aged77.He also wrote and produced Knight Rider,six million dollar man,Alias Smith & Jones,It Takes a Thief and the Fall Guy amongst others. He started off in show biz as a singer in THE Four Preps touring the world and appearing on TV.

Ashoka, I have considerable respect for your knowledge. You are 100% correct in your perspective of Lord Module especially in regard his stunning Alan Matson victory. For those of us who have a long standing passion in the game that victory is like mothers milk to us. To tarnish that memory akin to putting compost in with that mothers milk

Not sure who didn't realize the racing patterns of Armalight and Gammalite. Both great horses with very obvious don't argue race patterns. Those who watched both race won't be forgetting them in a hurry. Do you honestly think harness fans base their descriptions and memories of champions on what Mick Guerin or anyone else says? The win of Armalight in the 81 Cup was astonishing. I can still remember the noise of the crowd when she put daylight between her and Bonnies Chance,Hands Down and Gammalite. I was very hopeful she would win and wagered a tidy sum back then. She won like a $1.10 shot but paid $27. The following year Bonnies Chance did more or less the same thing beating Armalight by seven lengths. We all have our favourites based on our own memories etc. Impossible to say who was the better mare. Pointless in fact just as it is to compare Adore Me with both of them. What all three great mares did in the NZ Cup was magnificent. As for the performances and times etc all three mares put up in the FFA. I feel it's just wrong to rate one mare over the others based on their the FFA runs. The best trotter I ever watched was Maori's Idol. He won something like 24 races in a row. Was good enough to beat the pacers. I can't say he was the best trotter in Australasia in the last 40 years but he was the best one I watched. It's sacrilege to compare Maori's Idol with Lyell Creek. Both champions of a different generation.

Anon89... Please take your own advice. Thank you. Ashoka

If John Allen has been contracted on a similar unrealistic package rate as Chris Bayliss & those immediately prior to him would be absurd. For a start, doesn't John Allen normally reside in Wellington? We understand when he was CEO of NZ Post he was based there. JA would not need the same Hotel Intercontinental accommodation or weekly flights between Auckland & Wellington as Bayliss did. We trust John Allen will be proactive and address the use of Social Media by staff as much of it is nonsense that is posted by the staff employed at NZRB, retweeted tweets - where is the originality and self motivation in tweeting something new & relevant to the industry?

Maybe Hughes was laying the ground with that statement??

If they want to keep a closer eye on WYF is going on in racing then all they need to do is get a racehorse and attend a few meetings. Or try and find a TAB to have a bet in. Just my view.

Another disaster waiting to happen. The job "will be fun" ....really ?? Just like the last one ? MFAT staff would probably disagree... http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/63550107/mfats-john-allen-off-to-nz-racing-board.html

Through the seventies and eighties, we were spoiled silly but didn't realise it. All the horses featured in this thread deserve a thread of their own...and there were many more, Royden Glen being one. At one stage, Basil Dean's national trotting record for the 2600 metre distance was faster than the national pacing record for the same distance. I was fortunate enough to see Scotch Notch in action in Australia before she came to Auckland for the 1983 Interdominions. At her best, she was a machine. Back in New Zealand by then, I told my friends that she would win the Interdominion Final. Of course, she was beaten first up in New Zealand after starting from a backmark but she then simply outclassed her opposition on her way to winning that Final. Popular Alm is the best pacer I have seen and it is a shame that New Zealanders never got to see him at his best over here. Great horses and great memories that don't deserve to be sullied by crass comparison, in my opinion. All the best. Ashoka

So lets see...... They want to gain more access to the worlds VIP punters....spending millions of dollars with the NZ TAB?? Inwards leakage? This leakage thing could really come back and bite them on the arse. They could loose more than they could ever win

Nice win by Snowdrop today - you lil beauty She's come on and developed a lot over the last six months and is turning into a good looking speedster. Hopefully from here on in she can strike some firmer tracks. Rolled the winnings into Snapshot.. nice looking type, and out of Snap - one of my fave horses of yesteryear

Would this be one of the most bias tracks in NZ. It seems if you aren't in the first 5 turning for home you are no hope, and impossible to win from further than about 3 off the fenc.

Don't underestimate this man. He is very very clever and one who does not suffer fools gladly. If any one can make a difference, John Allen can. Could be some dramatic changes coming up.

I almost said the field No Response beat was very weak but thought I'd probably be shot for saying that Apart from the brilliant Scotch Tar the rest of the field were just good solid trotters. Scotch Tar did his chips at the start so No Response did not have the world to beat, Albie Logan and co did a bit of work and were sitting ducks for something to outgun them. The fact those front runners hit the wall turning in helped make the superb run of No Response look even better. It was a great finish for certain but I believe the run of the great mare Scotch Notch was more impressive when everything factored in.. Basil Deal was a beauty and a real fav of mine. Cliff Irvine's great mare Tussle for Peter Jones was almost impossible to get past for a long period. Sir Castleton (not Sir Castletown ) was a brilliant trotter. Such raw speed. A big fav of mine. Scotch Notch came from well behind them all and ran away from them. Breath taking win. I was there that night and one of the memories I have was just how far the mare was in front of the field 150 metres after the line. Her tank was still half full

Good points and you are spot on... they have their heads so far up their..... it would take a month to find them!!

Talking to colleagues who went to the Races at Riccarton on Cup day, it was an absolute disgrace They took the car for the boot party, took 1 hour to get in, some security guard checked the entire car for alcohol before entering the course. Once they had parked another security guard checked car for alcohol and went through private stuff, then half hour later another security guard checked again Went to line up for a Nice beer after that crap and took 15minutes, wanted 5 beers, but only aloud 4, went back later on and only aloud 2, then they run out of beer Why the hell would you want to pay $60 for that crap, what a great way to entice people to go to the races in the future, Mickey mouse outfit, they should go to Melbourne cup and see how a boot party is run, $140.00 to get in, load your car with as much alcohol and food as you like and have an enjoyable day, leave car there the night and collect the next day

I have not had to go to winz office for a while but have noticed. serurity guard out side the door way. as well as one in side the door and was told a third was sitting at a table inside out of sight. what an extreme way of overkill. and a waste of tax payers money. all I had to do was drop a doctors cert, which really only needed to be dropped in a bin for collection during the day. asked, if I had an interview, (no), can I have your name (no) ehhhh. well I can't let you in.... (well that's okay, they can't have this paper work then...) oh do you need to drop it in? (yes) ok that's alright,why didn't you say so , and I would have let you straight in...(what the fuck)... to some I may have all the time in the world.. but,, I really don't want to be pissed around by government departments that are still shitting themselves from months pior surely they have got over it all by now..not all people on benefits are axe murders... wrote email to parliament, but as yet nothing in return ... next I think i'll picket out side my local office... maybe I better buy them a bottle of something.. the poor dears have really lost the plot... gone from nice ladys who you could talk with/to... to jumpy fragile old people on their last legs. ladies.. if you can not handle it give it up... take your own advice,yep.. when I got held up and robbed at gun point.. the very same people told me.. to get over it... you'll never get a job if you don't.... same old, same old... ... song.....

From the NZTR website:

Lets get this right. The NZ TAB is very happy to have overseas leakage betting on NZ Racing and Sports. But NZ leakage being bet on overseas Racing and Sports is just not on. A classic case of hypocrisy in my book. The only solution available to the TAB is. Get with the times, clean up your act, become competitive, lower the ripoff takeout rates to fall in line with overseas racing jurisdictions. Fix dilapidated starting gates and running gear, address tracks that are more suitable for goat racing, in other words, present a product that will entice overseas leakage on to our product. The genie has been out of the bottle since the advent of the internet, and the only solution is to become competitive or sink.

Page looks good and Sahkees secret kicking some goals lately,good luck. And Yes Louise we are selling lot 968 select sale. Shocking/ French lion We raced French Lion, in Victoria, she had one start for one win TVN black booker and was well up in the markets for Thousand Guineas,broke down,so remained unbeaten. Her son who we race with a friend of ours,has been impressive called Caduceus is also unbeaten and a listed winner and horses who finished behind him like Consensus, Darci's dream, Asprey etc have since franked the form. A look at her page will show Group and black type winners from Japan, South Africa and the UK. Her fourth dam is a full sister to the dam of UK champ Dancing Brave. From all reports she is beautiful mover and great type,we are hesitant to sell but we cant keep them all. Given that fillies seem to be heavily discounted regardless of the deeds of Silent Achiever and many other great fillies and mares, we think this presents an opportunity for someone to race a future Classic winner with plenty of residual value for less than her true worth. We think she would not have been out of place in the premier sale, but maybe we were biased.

Firstly,I would like to thank Sir Patrick for sponsoring the race,Earl Harrison and the rest of the Cambridge JC committee for the promotion of this race and to the trainers for supplying the horses. Secondly i would like to thank Bob Vance for jumping off and hence making me look good. Thirdly,i would like to thank Wally O'Hearn for putting the start time as after the 2yo race which was the first and Earl telling me/us it was after the 3rd race,so my driving to the races was always timed to arrive after the 2nd and by doing this my shocking lack of fitness wouldn't be exposed by the race already being run. As surprising as it may sound ,the Journalist got it wrong and an ex jockey was right so this embarrassment was going to take place. So when the field came out,,you do what any jockey would do and have a look at the form of the horses in the race.i soon realised that some where taking this FAR to serious,I mean Husband supplying a horse for their wife,A brother supplying a horse for his brother and that horse is a Half Brother to a G1 winner,A leading stable that has a connection with high priced yearling purchases suppling a horse for the father of an Employee,etc etc.The one positive i can read into the form,is that my horse is trained by 2 excellent trainers and are great horseman. So off we go,leave the birdcage and to no surprise to me i see Bob Vance take the easy way out and clearly jump off,but we just continue around to the start and halfway around the realization came to me that i am not as fit as i was believing and this 1000m was going to be like 2 miles,the only danger i could see in all this was the thought of losing my false teeth,but then i thought i will be like the legend C W Johnson and take them out,but with no pockets and the starters assistants refusing to hold them,i just took a punt that i could retain them in place Any way we line up and i go into barrier 1 after Bob jumped off and was thinking we will just go a nice pace around to the straight entrance and then quicken up down the straight,did i get that wrong,the first 2 home jumped out,like it was the Railway and crossed over,never to be seen again until we pulled up,which I am pleased to say didn't take me long. It was an excellent day and I would like to say sorry to all the solo mothers in Hornby that would have tuned in to watch after we met in the Pub after Cup Day,but the bright side would have been that you couldn't lose money on me. I was thinking, if i do the next one,about ringing the sponsor,Sir Patrick and asking if he would have a nice Tavistock he would like to enter and as long as it is quiet and i mean really quiet we may be able to do a deal. I would like to thank the wee 3yo named Pilgrim for being on his best behaviour and giving me the pleasure of making it home in one piece,and to Pilgrim you will sleep well for the next few days as like me you enjoyed your day out and good luck in your future races,which i will follow with interest.

Until Christian Cullen came along, Lord Module was undoubtedly the best pacer I'd ever seen and he remains one of my all-time favourites. He was incredible - and this win highlights that superbly! What a field he demolished here!! Yes - he was enigmatic, but he suffered throughout his career with terrible quarter-cracks in his hooves. He was freakish on his day though. Thanks so much for putting this up.