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I understand the Marlborough racetrack has been placed in some sort of trust which makes it untouchable. At a value of about $20m that was probably the second biggest target after Avondale. The asset stripping isn't going too good so far. Perhaps just sell off the TAB. You wouldn't get much for the Intellectual Property, and they don't own their own buildings anymore, but you might get something for some used vehicles and a bit of office furniture.

Getting back to Avondale....just thought I would share this from the secretary.... c, d interesting. RACING INDUSTRY BILL - This has been fast tracked by Parliament and is now law - The Racing Industry Act 2020. Comments on the law as it relates to industry renovation and potential venue confiscation, from our Treasurer: The Government justifies the taking of racing club land it deems “surplus”, without full compensation, on the basis that privately owned racing club assets are in fact “industry assets”. An assumption that underlies this justification is that clubs have relied on industry funding to prop up club operations and capital spending. It is widely considered that Avondale JC’s venue – 30 plus hectares of inner-city open space - is the primary target of this expropriation, because it is the only ‘industry day’ club whose wealth is significant (north of $280 million). The Government’s justification is undermined completely by the facts: (a) NZTR’s policy that drives racing activity, applying to all racetracks in New Zealand, is a “command model” designed so that the governing body controls the financial outcomes for all weekday meetings. Thoroughbred clubs hosting weekday events (“industry days”) should break even on those days. (i.e. generate no income and suffer no losses). Commissions for the club from the level of on-course or off-course betting are non-existent. All industry day clubs get the same level of race day funding from NZTR so there can be no argument that some clubs are more of a drain on the industry than others, unless additional funding is given to struggling clubs that cannot operate within the NZTR rules. (b) Funding operates in a monopoly environment in which NZTR’s funding is simply part of a “money-go-round”: the bulk of the costs of holding races are passed through the host club by NZTR and industry day clubs have neither business interest in betting nor on-course patronage. c) Avondale Jockey Club has not and does not receive racing-related funding additional to the NZTR funding policy. (d) As far as capital funding is concerned, the racing industry has not – and does not currently - provide financial support to Avondale. As members know, we introduced night racing in 1987 and by 1989 the club was in financial trouble as a result. Ultimately the club’s financial woes were resolved with an interest-free loan from the New Zealand Racing Board. Avondale JC repaid principal at the rate of $150,000 p.a. and fully repaid the loan in October 2008. Other clubs got into financial difficulties in the 1990s as well. A number had debt forgiven as a bailout – Ellerslie, Riccarton, Alexandra Park and Addington to name some. Considerable debt was forgiven. Avondale was deprived of equal treatment in the aftermath of night racing and was the city track that missed out on capital funding or bailout money.

I was once charged by the trainer for a new rug @ $330 , but when i rang up manufacturer got quoted $220 . Horse didn't go back after spell .

Hughes Toolooa Fable Margaret Will

Apparently Dick Turpin told the stewards after he had been found guilty "it's hardly a hanging offence". The stipe replied "You're wrong about that too!"

Average comment, in fact I thought the Queenstown business owners were the arseholes, been milking tourists and Kiwis for yrs & absolutely flogging the price and now the shits hit the fan they want Kiwi support in droves, but apparently not when theres a tiny risk of Covid. Can they please make up there mind. PS: Be kind, mikenz

Might just have to make an offer to someone to take it off their hands , bit of a reno project now as is the whole of NZ racing .

The invincible Jacinta, best world leader etc, has lost a bit of shine as NZ Active Covid-19 cases exceed those in Qld, South Australia and Western Australia!

An Auckland trainer has managed to breach the requirements of the purpose of the lock down, and traveled to Cambridge. The Govt asked people not to leave the Auckland area if you live there, to help stop the spread of the virus.

Great to see Cambridge creating a meeting for today all in the space of 24 hours. I remember years ago when people were moaning about the industry losing gallops meetings due to wet tracks, etc I questioned why the "power brokers" couldnt transfer meetings a few days out (Hey they did it for one of the Hastings Spring carnival meetings pretty easily - remember Otaki?). With all of our technology and ease of communicating it should be a reality, if not a formality. At the time the usual keyboard warriors bagged the idea.....well hello, look what we have today. Well done to those who created this meeting - great initiative!

I personally don't like this overarching theme that still seems to be getting pushed in nz. Lockdown has just made it more obvious too. Many of us prefer to live out of the big cities but then have to commute to and from work, due to a lack of jobs in smaller towns. Also a necessity due to cost of housing eg who can afford to buy a house in Auckland? During lockdown many people worked from home, just as productively, if not more. But lo and behold there is a govt directive that everyone must go back to their inner city offices to support central businesses. Not because it's better for us, or better for LOCAL economies, or better for the environment, but because it supports inner city businesses. Now we can all see clearly the 2 hrs or so daily we waste on commuting backwards and forwards, and what does it gain? In most cases zip. So I agree, Foxton would be a great little hub if investment was directed there. Affordable housing, good for the local economy, jobs for locals or would encourage more to move there. Surely we want to be taking pressure off struggling infrastructure in cities, not adding to it...looking again at Auckland and their water woes as an example.

Yep, however they are not the only ones struggling with COVID lockdowns, food outlets across Auck are getting punished again for 2 more weeks, along with many others. Jacinda did the only option available realistically to her, despite what a few crackpots on here post. The public are not yet ready to accept this widespread in the community & let grandma/grandad take the hit. What’s happening in Vic would be intolerable here as it is for Australians, maybe by round 3 we will be happy to accept it more.

I see and understand where you’re coming from. On the flip side, there’s a lot of people who derive their livelihood out of Qtown. Ngai Tahu are heavily invested (one of the more astute and well managed Maori Trusts) so they will be taking a big hit. Let’s face it, it’s a Tourist Mecca. It will be the hardest hit in NZ. But you know that..

OK this is MY prediction Biden will step aside because he is senile....they will promote Harris. Team Trump will show she is not a natural born American because her parents were Jamaican and India citizens at time of birth. She therefore is a native born American and as cosequence not allowed to become president. VP ok They will show Obama was the same and therefore show he was an illigitimate president. That is how you show the people the truth.

I’m being flippant as I said. You can’t compare times between courses only idiots do to back up assertions. In your opening post your bitch was the course manager does it regularly if you feel that serious about that take it to the Racing Integrity Unit course you would have give your name along with your allegations .I’m sure they would take you seriously because I’m not.

Yep , everyone wants us locals now spending our hard earned . We all in this hole together so best we stick together, work, pay taxes and get the fxxk outta it .

BTW Harris can't become President. She is not a natural born Ameican

This is what happens when people don’t work together.

I said an intelligent answer....you are not capable If it's conspiracy bullshit why bother writing hundreds of hit pieces? they are scared and theres nothing they can do about it. Just like your pedo mate Maher who appears to be running short of adrenochrome because Trump has decimated the child traffickers. Billy got nowhere to hide.

Ok Smart arse The media has rubbished the Qanon phenonomen thousands of times thus drawing attention to it. Not one reporter has asked Trump if Q is real and are they working together....very very simple Now tell us all why they haven't....an intelligent answer will be suffice.

CNN aren't scared of Trump. It's the other way round. At briefings when they ask him a question that he can't, or doesn't want to, he turns and walks out the door. The buffoon is actually a chicken in disguise .......

Cambridge shouldn’t even race, not just because of Covid because of the terrible stakes and shit facilities they have

I know in two cases the trainers won’t be there but the horses will. Remember the border is just out of Pukekohe. Stables in Waikato looking after horses.

Its not about the horses, its about the people, and that is why road blocks were in place early Wednesday morning. No problem with the horses being there, but the people should not be.

Any dorks positive in s Island should be named and shamed.

You think that's bad,planeloads of dorklanders flew south in last few days,keep them effing bugs to themselves.

Your sort are enemy of the people and gunna be on the wrong side of history Obama colluded with Russia (dossier) to rig the 2016 election Your fake news told you every hour it was Trump I don't like conspiracy theorists like you. I like conspiracy facts.

One of my Trainers has monthly charges of $140 for supplements,two Chiropractor at $100 each,and one shoeing per moth at $170 all plus GST.Track fees are $75.Gallops on the grass $21 each.Odd thing though is farrier and Chiropractor accounts are not available for inspection when requested.

Haha Ohoka wrong again Trump and Jarrod for Nobel Peace prize ....but they wouldn't take a rigged deep state award anyhow

The odds are the same because games don't typically end with a 3, 9, or 13-point margin. Therefore, there would be minimal difference in the odds, or none at all, which is what the TAB has gone with. There has been only one game this season decided by either 3, 9, or 13 points. The most common odd-numbered points diff is 7, hence why the odds are adjusted.

Hidden The CEO was a great decision and is far more racing friendly than the last 2 and definitely ahead of the Met Board . Best ever appointment - Ohokaman and I think most would agree. Maybe programmer needs reviewing before finger pointing at Brian

@stodge less than 2% of people have Coronavirus. It's not killing people left right & centre in the street. It's way less than the number of people been killed or injured in road crashes a year. Do we stop people driving bc the MAY die or get injured that way? All things must be viewed in "Proportion" and with a balanced outlook. There's absolutely no reason racing shouldn't be operating with patrons attending & enjoying them. We have a health system in the Western world that can cope, don't we? They aren't even using hospitals to care for those who are tested positive with what they call Covid19 in NZ & are now talking about QUARANTINE CAMPS been set up.... If it's so serious wouldn't one think they would be in hospitals where there are ventilators not a shonky motel??

The use of the penetrometer is controversial up here. So much depends on the nature of the soil whether it be limestone, sandstone or clay (among others). Drainage is key and on other forums I've been critical of over-irrigation at some tracks which does not promote normal grass growth. Bath today raced on ground called Good to Firm, Firm in places (7.3) while Salisbury raced on Firm, Good to Firm in Places (8.8) with thunderstorms forecast at both venues while at Hamilton it was Good to Soft, Soft in places (6.4). Bath race on old downland turf - they don't water and the ground never has any jar because it's well looked after. Salisbury is another very old track where the turf has been in situ for centuries - sometimes it's best to leave the grass to manage itself.

It is not the track managers fault - it is the penetrometer that is the problem. Down or up grading the tracks after the first proves it. Down or up grades after the first is due to Jockeys opinion which is usually the same as what the track manager could have advised at 7.30 am / scratching time - they know their tracks better than the penetrometor.

This is not a high profile trainer,he also charged $270 to travel the horse 29km to the races.One of my other trainers only charged $160 to travel 140km to do the same.Differences in fees make for interesting reading,vitamins and supplements,gear hire,chiropractor frequency, farrier charges and frequency of shoeing etc.Can make a big difference to ones monthly account. This charge for race attendance is a new one on me.They must think they are bloody royalty,

Mate i know of one high profile trainer charges if you phone him .

First part of the weekend review covers the Saturday action. At Deauville, the local PORT GUILLAUME was a convincing winner of the Hocquart and looks a key player for the Grand Prix de Paris. He was fifth in the Jockey Club and the step up in trip was just what he wanted. The British raider VOLKAN STAR was disappointing. We may be still trying to establish the pecking order among the 3-y-o in Europe but in North America, there are no such problems. TIS THE LAW was a majestic winner of the Travers and you'll go a long way to see an easier winner of a top event. He won by five and a half lengths on the bridle and I can't see one to stop him in the rescheduled Preakness or Kentucky Derby and perhaps from there to the Breeders Cup Classic before the big winter prizes in the Middle East. As for the fillies, there's a new superstar in the shape of GAMINE who obliterated the field in the Test winning by seven lengths in a jaw-dropping 1:20.84 for the 1400m. She won the Acorn by 19 lengths on her previous outing so she is a real machine and I hope we'll see plenty of her in the autumn.

After Dick Turpin gave Black Bess the best ride any jockey has ever given a horse, after an objection , the stewards handed out the harshest sentence ever given in a stripes room at York , and in 1739 he met his end on the Knavesmire .