Phar Lap Fan

By the way, I probably won't return to this discussion. Racing is rather ho-hum nowadays.

poundforpound - Fact - there has not been a majority (single party) government, under F.P.P. or M.M.P., since 1951 so your assertion gets left in the starting gates. That election was called due to the waterfront 'crisis' and you could argue about the tactics of government and workers all week. As to your other claims, wait to see. 'granting political favours' is a universal S.O.P. - without them would be like racing without horses. Isn't the bigger issue that the racing industry is in terminal decline but shouldn't expect the government to fix it. Can you imagine a queue of candidates begging to be Minister of Racing?

The success of some country meetings could be due to; 1/ racing in Summer 2/ much of the population is on holiday 3/ no shopping malls to attract Joe & Jane Public 4/ the comparative rarity of races in the area 5/ an attraction for people away from home, getting a bit bored of holidays. However, are they profitable enough to improve the facilities to a standard that would be desired for more regular meetings? The West Coast has 4 courses (was 5) but would it be better to have one good sized course, rather than the trotting tracks, and improved facilities? Similar situations in Taranaki and Southland. Marton, Rangitikei, Feilding & Ashhurst-Pohangina Clubs centralized at Awapuni, where facilities are better than the inidividual clubs could afford. Does that model work, where clubs are joint owners? Some clubs may be profitable but are they going anywhere?

Why are there 2 w.f.a. 2,000 metres races at Ellerslie, no w.f.a. 1,200 m. race and no w.f.a. 2,4000 m. race in the Group 1 schedule? Also, more 1,600 m. races than seem necessary. Perhaps a racing structure like football leagues is needed.

Jack Glengarry did some research (some years ago, now) on sales-topping yearlings in several countries and the returns on investment did not make good reading. His opinion was that the breeding principles were wrong. Don't have current data but see some 'well-bred' horses are carefully placed to create a good winning record - more quantity than quality.

Why is the Marketing/Public Relations Department on N.Z. R. so quiet? So quiet that I wonder if there is one. Somebody could point out that problem gamblers have other outlets (pokie machines that seem more addictive), T.A.B. returns approximately 80% of investments in dividends ( Lotto about 50%, casinos less?), racing is an industry that employs people, racing and breeding are export industries, etc. Must be a Media Consultant somewhere who is paid to invent this crap! I'm more bothered by the Government spending money on the America's Cup 'sport', which is rather dependent on N.Z. winning the damned thing several times to warrant any investment. Hardly a spectator sport and provides employment to a small group of skilled people. Nearly forgot - betting is taxed on turnover, not profit alone. Where else does that apply?

Where should an all-weather track be sited? If it's a new site, will it be away from larger population centres so hard to support regular meetings? The lure of a good track in Winter doesn't match the disadvantages of distance, poor facilities, poor catering and average racing. Impractical to consider it as a replacement venue for abandoned meetings , as a few days notice would be required, whereas meetings can be abandoned during race days. Might it end up as a venue for industry days, attended only by those who have to be there? Closing surplus courses (a sensitive subject) would give it good usage but other things need to be improved to get punters on the course.

That there is no local breeding industry? In the Gr. 3 race for 2 y.o. horses at New Plymouth today, there are 7 entries. Of those, 6 are shown as by X (Aus), out of Y (Aus). The solitary local - if you go back 10 generations, you will find an Australian mare. Are local sales just a clearance shop for Australia's 2nd tier, as I can't imagine them releasing their best? What do local studs offer?

A truly subjective matter. Like 'the best field in 10 years' for the 2,000 Guineas yesterday, the horses might be 'a poor crop' to the die-hards, if Winx did go and thrashed them. Consider horses such as Clansman, Pride of Rosewood and Happyanunoit (relying on memory rather than research here) that won Grade 1 races in U.S.A., while considered to be not the best that we produced. Would have rated them below Balmerino or Daryl's Joy but they succeeded there. Racing in Europe, in a different season and environment, is not easy and owners would wonder if it is worth risking their horse's record. Of course, their horses can compete in Melbourne Cups but that's only a handicap and we Australasians hardly breed stayers these days.

Prime TV had 30 minutes coverage of the 2,000 Guineas, of which probably 75% showed NO horses. When the horses appeared, captions would have been helpful. Does the Head Of Whateverfancytitlejustifiesmysalary think that talking heads are more attractive or interesting to casual viewers? Horse are quite attractive animals and possibly appeal more to people than Him, Her or The Other Bloke. After the race, it was obvious that the woman presenter had been told to stretch to fill the time, but had nothing interesting to say or show. Would this persuade somebody to invest in paying for Trackside TV? Not bloody likely! Saw TV advertisements for the TAB over recent weeks, promoting the Melbourne Cup. Didn't mention that there was free coverage on Prime but that you wold have to buy Sky if you were to get serious.

Does anyone else think that there is a Northern Hemisphere bias? Looking at his racing record, I wouldn't have placed him in the top 20 of the century (perhaps with the proviso that it is only 17/% done).

Is the (or any) Minister of Racing the likely saviour of N.Z. racing or a historical hang-over that most governments would be glad to drop, given the declining popularity of the game? Of 120 members of parliament, how many have an interest in racing? I don't expect to see solutions there.

Probably means that there should be better systems but the best horses should run faster than the others, shouldn't they? If you can find the national records, and it won't be easy, you might be surprised how old some of them are. It seems that thoroughbred horses may not have developed much over the last 30 years, whereas harness racing times continue to improve - very close to a sub-1:50 mile in N.Z. now. As a promotion, what is there in gallops to match their Harness Jewels series? N.Z.T.R. seems disinterested in record times but what other measures are there that the breed is improving? Stud owners can invest millions in the 'best, international blood-lines' to breed winners but there will be a winner in every race. Doesn't necessarily mean that horses are getting better.

Careful. You'll give bastards a bad name.

The one who asked, the one who answered and I'd grill the vet too. Assuming that the horse wasn't winning much, the vet might have some money. Similar to a tenant demolishing part of a house, I see this as a clear-cut case.

Okay. Racing in N.Z. is run professionally.

More intrigued how Shirayukihime is grey. How is that possible when there are no grey genes in 3 preceding generations? Skewbald colouring of foal is probably due to a mutated gene. Wasn't there a chestnut horse racing in 1990s-2000s, possibly trained at Foxton, that had a large white patch?

Where does the profit from pokie macines go nowadays? If to community good, the council's opinion is illogical. Perhaps they think that the N.Z.R.F.U. is not commercial.

I watched this, trying to do so as an uninvolved viewer, and was quite underwhelmed. Should I complain and to whom? 6.00 - 6.02 - an arty piece showing some racehorses, some of which were racing on left-handed tracks. 6.02 - 6.05 - talking heads. 6.05 - 6.07 - the betting market shown, with more talking. 6.07 - 6.08 - Sistema Stakes shown but no results or identification of horses. 6.08 - 6.11 - advertisements (not one from T.A.B.). 6.11 - 6.13 - Bonecrusher Stakes, introduced before the ads, then no results or identification of horses. 6.13 - 6.17 - advertisements. 6.17 - 6.22 - a few preliminaries, horses behind the starting barrier, interviews with trainers, pictures of horses then loading them. No good identification of horses or trainers. This is not a major race where the horses' names are attached to the saddlecloths. 6.22 - 6.29 - the race plus replays and interviews. During the race, there were captions for the leading three horses. Result of first 2, plus photo for 3rd, shown. ''Brought to you by the T.A.B.'' As an exercise in promoting racing to non-racing people, this was not encouraging. IF (big 'if') I subscribed to the Trackside TV service, could I expect a better service? E.g. - 'That is the favourite, Quadrupedic, No. 14, ridden by the champion jockey, Boots Wellington, in the heliotrope and cerulean stripes'. Horses are generally more appealing to look at than people. I liked the look of the grey horse - No. The other one.

Given the trend towards milers wanted as stallions, should there be more emphasis and money directed towards races at 1,600 metres? Is the primary purpose of a race to 'make' stallions or for the thrill of the contest? Stallion owners benefit from such races but there are other people involved in racing. Whether it is the Caulfield Cup or another race, at another date, I still think there is a place for an elite event at 2,400 metres but, as I said in the first sentence, perhaps that is old-fashioned thinking. Tradition for its own sake is counter-productive in a changing world. As horses seem to have reached a speed plateau and N.Z. racing is in the doldrums, the issue of stallions seems rather unimportant. The gene pool isn't going anywhere.

Crikey! Some people can hold a grudge. Regardless, I am totally unrepentant. Personal attacks on my intelligence, sanity, health or whatever are pointless. They reflect more on you and the paucity of your argument. Couldn't be bothered to go down to the lake, when next it rains, to ask a duck for a loan of its back. She is there. She is 'famous'. She is not great. Please note that 99.99% of the population don't care. Likewise, I had forgotten about this 'controversy' until now. Will do that again. Have a nice day!

Absolutely agree. Not many sports that promote uneven contests - polo, ummmm, polo,???. Isn't competition about finding the best? W.f.a. races over 2,400 metres are the standard for elite events in major racing countries. To do it properly requires major stakes money. The Melbourne Cup is still an iconic event but you don't have to have a great horse to win that. Consider all the N.Z.-bred winners in the past, very few who could perform in w.f.a. races. Wonder if this thinking might ever arise in New Zealand (apart from myself, of course, who has thought this way for years). One thought is about the course. Isn't Caulfield track a bit tight? However, Moonee Valley is weird also.

Phantom - fair comment. Haven't bought one in years. Last time that I did, most of the racing news was Australian, so no local reporters? Much of the other 'news' was repeated from Dominion Post. Haven't missed anything, it seems.

Would the provincial courses be sustainable if there was more regular racing there? Great to have a large crowd but the attraction could be that it is a community event, a rare event and the clubs survive on volunteers' work. However, are they profitable enough to upgrade facilities that would sustain more racing. To remove courses from the large population centres doesn't make sense. The counter to that is the number of other attractions that discourage people becoming regular patrons. There might be a happy medium but I think that a reduction in courses/meetings may be unavoidable. Consequently, there would be a reduction in horses raced and bred but N.Z. Racing needs to face the current market rather than provide quantity over quality. Do you see any bold leaders around? Watched the video of 2006 Stoney Bridge Stakes. With horses like Sir Slick, Seachange, Darci Brahma, Kristov and Legs in the field, one can dream that we will get that again (some day).

Al Akbar was born in Australia, by an American sire out of an English mare. However, her female line traces back 12 generations to Deception, foaled here in 1855. This is the Stepdancer (5) family, which has produced numerous good racehorses. Nereid would be the star of it; Sometime, Fox Myth (sire of Elkayel), Galston, Galilee and Arbroath. El Mondo was unraced but sired winners. Other branches produced El Khobar, Classic Wave and Master Morgan. So, a lot of Kiwi in Winx and damned good stuff!