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As Liz says, the Telegraph is WFA, so 12 noms is pretty good, and the 3yo race comes a week before a $1m race at Ellerslie. Certainly not ideal for the pattern of racing, but that is the way Auckland does things. They have always wanted to interfere with Wellington's Cup Week and these days they are allowed to do what they like.

It will be super racing, on a great surface. The two Group Ones are run at equal weights so 12 in each is pretty good. If the Telegraph was still a handicap, there would be 18 in it, but it wouldn't still be rated as a Group One...as simple as that! Liz

If he had taken the test - as required of any licence holder - even if positive, he may have received a lesser penalty, possibly involving counselling/rehab, and further testing , than what he now faces. Silly boy.

That wouldn't matter to you cause you can't tell the difference any way.

he failed to provide a drug test and got the resulting concquences move along nothing to see here

As a trotting owner/breeder I too would love to see more mobile sprint races. We breed for speed but to succeed in NZ, trotters have to become proficient at standing. Punters and owners would be in an uproar if pacers were restricted to standing standing starts unless in juvenile or FFA races. I'm not against standing starts - like One More Lap, I just wish programmers could show a bit more initiative. To keep owners involved and racing interesting we need a level of diversity that enables a high % of our race horse population a good chance of paying their way. Just alternating mobile and standing start opportunities each week for trotters would be a start. We could even consider an occasional 3200m hcp in the north!

Re Hastings, two North Island meetings on same day should not happen. The Levin Stakes and Telegraph noms are out shortly (they will be light on numbers).....lets compare these to years gone by., We are saturated with Maidens and 65 rated horses in NZ and not enough races for them. If you are good enough to get out of these grades you generally get sold (except the larger syndicated horses). Horses that can't get out of these grades will find their careers cut short. It is very thin above these grades.

There is plenty of rubbish to choose from on the other site at times -- usually from the same suspects. The best have left IMHO

Firstly, congrats to the BC’s for their undoubted great achievement, despite Cricket not being NZ’s number one sport. Well done. However, to put it into perspective, they’ve had Series wins over the two bottom ranked sides in the world, West Indies and Pakistan. Unfortunately, it will be a different story against Aust and India and when the time comes for the NZ Batsmen to face the venomous bowling attack of Aust and India, they will find they have a much smaller total to defend ! But for the moment, bask in the glory - harder tasks await.

Well, almost. I see a filly named Tauparae winning at Matamata trials today for TA. Stirs memories of the good sprinter/miler Tauporae. He won eight races in the 70s plus third twice in the Railway, 1970 behind Sharivari and 71 behind Ajasco. Good luck to her owners. I hope she's half as good.

i'll hold the line for President Donald J Trump here, so long as im still permitted to do so!! God Bless President Donald J Trump!!!

No I just will not put up the garbage and lies he is trying to post...enough is enough.

Looking back to the weekend and all the meetings went ahead as the cold spell began to ease. At Chepstow, the ground dried from Heavy to Soft and that was a big factor, I think, in the success of ADAGIO in the Finale Junior Hurdle. NASSALAM was always prominent and after early pacesetter BANNISTER gave away looked as though he was going to grind it out but he had beaten small fields in the Fontwell mud and this was a quality field on better ground. ADAGIO challenged two out and readily went on winning well - the front two were well clear of HOUX GRIS who saved my each way pennies in third but was very one paced and it may be he already needs 4000m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNEBvUe4h1c Sad news today with the passing of Prince Khalid Abdullah at the age of 83. Prince Khalid was one of the most significant owner-breeders of the past 40 years. He established Juddmonte who rivals Coolmore and Godolphin as top racing and breeding operations. Prince Khalid owned some wonderful horses such as KNOWN FACT and of course OASIS DREAM, one of the foundation stallions at Banstead Manor Stud. He owned arguably the two greatest horses of the modern era - DANCING BRAVE, the 1986 Derby and Arc winner and of course FRANKEL, the best horse of the 21st Century so far. FRANKEL's exploits need no repeating here and it's worth remembering the vintage 2012 Royal Ascot meeting where the wonderful BLACK CAVIAR strutted her stuff but FRANKEL stole the show with an 11-length demolition of a class field in the Queen Anne which remains the best performance I've seen on a racecourse in the past thirty years. More recently, he owned dual Arc winner ENABLE. I believe one of his sons, Prince Saud, may take on the racing business. Juddmonte currently has 250 horses in training round the world, a further 500 at its various stud operations and employs 250 people.

All they wanted was to piss test him as is part of his holding the licence conditions , for 3rd time in about four years big bloody deal , he needs to grow up and piss in the pot , why don't people like him get a bit of perspective in life , piss in the pot man and move on . Decent enough trainer though, keeps some old horses in form and running well, got old Selfie going OK before this incident , and had few other horses he got decent years out of so he knows his stuff , hope he grows up and comes back .

Just get rid of another druggie please

It seems obvious to me that he might as well be a druggie, the penalty would be the same.I have to put up with this crap every day on every building site " random" drug tests on" safety critical workers"(broom pushing labourers) The cops cannot random test for drugs but they do for alcohol and the law relating to drunk drivers has been tested in a real court ,the penalties have been well established and do not automatically cost you your livelihood,you only test the drivers not the passengers, with drug testing everyone is at risk and a refusal is as bad as a positive test and can make you unemployed AND unemployable as his evidence in this case demonstrates.There is no doubt drug testing is needed but it should be more in line with the law relating to alcohol in all workplaces

What’s he ever done....??? Ignorance personified...... https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio

In the North Island this time last year there was maiden races at Rotoroa 15 Jan New Plymouth 16 jan Te Rapa 19 Jan Otaki 20 Jan Avondale 22 Jan Wingatuii 23 Jan Te Teko 27 Jan Hastings 29 Jan This year in same period we have: Wanganui 14 Jan Te Rapa 21 Jan Matamata 25 Jan Hastings 28 Jan This is half the races. If you are going to half the races then lets at least double the stakes!!!

Big Al gone hasn't he? Even though the fields are light some pretty interesting races , I'm looking forward to it can't wait!

Why is it "interesting"? Seems pretty straightforward and justified to me or am I missing something? Surely your" rights" in a civilised society are somewhat correlated to your "lawful" behaviour.

This is getting more ridiculous than some of 100 1 stories. He's finally disappeared in embarrassment. Or maybe his internet has been cut off due to his betting problems? Or has he just been de-platformed like his idle idol?

7 maiden races at Wanganui.full fields too,so what was the problem with Taranaki.Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa over xmas new year with small fields,does anyone have an answer? Wingatui,(Waikouiti) this sat,I'd say numbers will be strong,2 weeks since Riverton,something wrong if there ain't.

Yet you're still posting and reading there ... LMAO!

Rangiora punter 'shocked' at betting agency TAB's reluctance to investigate counterfeit notes Mariné Lourens05:00, Jan 12 2021 An avid Canterbury punter says he was “shocked and annoyed” when he reported receiving counterfeit notes in a racing day payout and was told by the TAB there was nothing it could do. Bruce Gasson, an elite TAB customer, won $680 at the trots at Rangiora Harness Racing Club on the first Sunday of the new year. His payout included three $100 notes. Gasson said when he arrived back home, he realised two of the notes “didn’t look quite right”. After a closer look he realised they were counterfeit. “They can pass for the real thing at a quick glance, but if you study them closely you can pretty much tell they are fake,” he said “ He contacted the TAB, which said the information would be passed to its investigations team. He was told the only way the TAB would consider reimbursing him was if police ordered it to do so. “I am trying to be a good citizen by reporting this, and they treat you like that? I was really quite shocked and annoyed about it.” Gasson had no better luck with police. After reporting the counterfeit notes, officers visited his home and confirmed they were fake. One of the officers took a photo of them, told him there wass not much the police could do and left without taking the illegal notes with them, Gasson said. “There are fake notes being circulated. Surely [the police] should be a bit more interested than that? After Stuff inquired about the case, both agencies appeared to have amended their response. Gasson was contacted by the TAB over the weekend and told the agency would reimburse him for his loss. Meanwhile, on Monday morning police officers arrived at his Rangiora home to collect the counterfeit notes. Gasson said his concern was less about being reimbursed and more about the fact that counterfeit money was making its way through a national betting agency’s system. “Surely they should be alarmed that [counterfeit money] is flowing through TAB payouts.” A TAB spokesman confirmed Gasson had been refunded for his loss, but referred further questions to police. A police spokesman said the notes were initially left with Gasson to allow him to “further engage with the betting venue to negotiate claiming legal tender”, but acknowledged this was not standard practice and that officers later collected the notes. “It was established there were no available lines of inquiry into how the notes came to be in circulation,” the spokesman said. Jon Duffy, chief executive of Consumer NZ, said he expected businesses would not be giving out counterfeit money and if they did, they should be willing to refund customers with legal currency and pursue the matter with police or the Reserve Bank. --------------------------------------- Surprise surprise once Stuff got involved they changed their attitude. Unbelievable the TAB has an investigation team and also employs plenty for the money laundering Act. Hello laundering money = counterfeiting of money yet they sit back and do nothing until asked the question why not by Stuff. Once again what do you think would happen in private enterprise when a department acted the way they did initially. Just continue to make jokes of themselves and they want people to come back and bet with them when you read a story like that, yes they are obviously taking the piss.

two questions.... There's $45m in an unsecured revolving credit facility coming up for renegotiation by 31 August this year. With low interest rates the ability to service this debt is not in question. 1.What are the thoughts of the TAB as to how, and when, this debt will be repaid? This year's code distributions have been pegged with the proviso that these distributions will be subject to a quarterly assessment based on the TAB's actual performance. Q1 performance was well ahead of plan and Q2 is also tracking favorably. 2.When, as in an actual date, was the TAB's code distribution for the quarter ending October 2020 formally confirmed to each of the codes?

Haha that is the truth...I know for me I would have him on any day of the week...before most others.

Wet dreams have a meaning. Just saying...

Another lottery that lessens Harness,appeal to punters.

Less race days, less races - look at the fields sizes haven't we done well !!! Wait a minute AWT will definitely fix this problem ... ffs!

totally agree shane and maidens are still getting eliminated

Meanwhile, as Waikeria burns, it's "selfie" time for Ardern at the ice-cream shop and serial defector Davis MIA. Probably show up in your precinct tomorrow Ted to pimp the child named after the local mountain.

Back on January 9th, a group of HELLS ANGELS, South Carolina bikers were riding east on 378 when they saw a girl about to jump off the Pee Dee River Bridge. So they stopped. George, their leader, a big burly man of 53, gets off his Harley, walks through a group of gawkers, past the State Trooper who was trying to talk her down off the railing, and says, "Hey Baby . . . whatcha doin' up there on that railin'?" She says tearfully, "I'm going to commit suicide!!" While he didn't want to appear "sensitive," George also didn't want to miss this "be-a-legend" opportunity either so he asked . . . "Well, before you jump, Honey-Babe . . .why don't you give ol' George here your best last kiss?" So, with no hesitation at all, she leaned back over the railing and did just that . . . and it was a long, deep, lingering kiss followed immediately by another even better one. After they breathlessly finished, George gets a big thumbs-up approval from his biker-buddies, the onlookers, and even the State Trooper, and then says, "Wow! That was the best kiss I have ever had! That's a real talent you're wasting there, Sugar Shorts. You could be famous if you rode with me. Why are you committing suicide?" "My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl." It's still unclear whether she jumped or was pushed.

no words but awesome n0? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJagAMtp6AE&list=RDEJagAMtp6AE&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFoJDlPMfZ4

Been working in stables for 40yrs and im not quailied to entry stabling area what a load of rubbish rules brought in for financial gain by nztr

To be fair I think the trainers want a system that will help not hurt the owners horses ?

RIP mary ann,

becos of your ignorance i captured this for you.. so you might understand the context!!

end of the day opies had the opportunists others cab only dream on theres a lot of jockeys with better strike rates iam sure would have same success , if opie wasnt picked up by te akau would he stil be riding as for his appeal why the ...... was old man ellis allowed to say what he said personally hope it fails more to racing than opie seems to be a lot in racing that thinks thats all there is in racing and alot of top jockeys dont get the opportunities sooner he calls it quits the better

I would rather have Leith