frankie

What Tim is referring too is S Reid leaving to run the M Jones stable in Sydney. That's the most current rumour.

Surely giving this horse 14 days is ridiculous. It has galloped in its last two races, both group one, and interfered with other starters. Why was it not given 4 official trials before it can race again?

When 100% didn't HG deal to Smolda in the Auckland Cup. Clearly he's not 100% right now, as he can run home much quicker than 55.3 in his sleep, when right. Hopefully we'll see the real HG next month in the 4 year old races.

What was Maurice to do from barrier 7 with 3 team driven Purdon horses. Go back, with Purdons up front running home in 55 ? Go forward and get dealt too by the team driving tactic we saw last night? Team Purdon would have recognized Shandale as the only horse who could stop their quinella and were always going to deal to it.

Great news. They had trials at Alex Park today, while work was happening on the building site and the sky didn't fall in. Amazing!

I now know how to train a derby horse. Put it in a cattle paddock (with or without cattle ), 5 or 6 hours before the race and let it drink 5 litres of tainted water. Now that makes sense!

Nslram why would you want me to resign? Because I don't agree with all decisions? Surely not. We're not all sheep, sometimes people will not agree with all that you do. Get over it.

Seems that membership problems have only developed since this current board came in. Certainly there haven't been many since the bad old days of the Meale Board. Every motion is now passed by the members only because of the many new ones signed up last year. Finally I don't believe all the Boards moves are rubbished on this site, some are actually very good.

Interesting point. Can't run horses on a Saturday but can have an open day for the Blues. Perhaps its time to quote from an ATC newsletter on 24/6/14 signed by its CEO, " there will be no charges to the programming of Saturday workouts ".

I'm sure its just a coincidence, just like the time they programmed a C0 trot (for the first time ), when a director just happened to bring a C0 trotter up from the South island. As far as paying the trainers per starter..... don't they get training fees? Looks like we will now have social welfare payments for trainers via the ATC! Don't know if this has been well thought out. Perhaps the Board is missing the brains of K H , who unfortunately passed away last year. They are now acting like progressive liberals going against the natural laws of survival byway of wealth spreading. This approach has never worked.

Breeders are not running the show alone they have been joined by trainers. I fear we are doomed.

Ohokaman, I don't always agree with what this Board may do but they are going in the only direction they could, unlike the Board in the era you keep phasing. Remind me again what that previous Board did with the $7 million they got for the back carpark?

I'm not anti ATC Board. They've done some great things recently : returning the Auckland Cup to where it should be and more importantly starting the Greenlane Road development. But I don't agree that the club should go down the track of becoming a financial benefactor for trainers.

"It's not money that would have been going to owners"?. Where would it have gone then? Once a club has the facilities it requires all its surplus income goes to the owners via stakes. This is what Harness Racing clubs are set up for. To hold races and paying out as much in stakes as they can afford. Have the rules changed recently?

How does it help owners if money that would have otherwise gone into stakes is paid directly to the trainer? Will he lower his training fees or not charge transport?

A senior northern harness person indicated that if the crazy ATC scheme came in the last horse home would be paid $500, half each to the owners and trainer. Surely you've heard of this Nslram as it has been openly verbalized at numerous ATC meetings?

I keep hearing/reading that we must pay "the owners and trainers" to supply product for race meetings. Has something changed? I've always understood that the clubs paid stake money to the owners who then paid the trainer, both training fees and a percentage on stakes. Why are the ATC looking at changing this by gifting $250 to a trainer for every horse that starts at Auckland. Gifting money that should be increasing stakes to owners.

With Auckland running very short of race horses, it doesn't seem logical for the ATC board to bring harness racing to an end, north of the bridge. What am I missing hear? Can anyone inform me?

Agree that both horses are over hyped at this stage but I am of the opinion that HG will end up the better open class performer. My reasoning is 3 fold. In no particular order : the way such a big horse never gave it away all the way up the straight ( he was as close at the finish as he was at the 100), the patience its Trainer and the very poor open class record of M Purdon's horses (they win it all as 2 & 3 yr olds - which is great - but very few are competitive as older horses.) Many will disagree with the last point but when you consider that M P starts of with 50-70 of the very best bred 2 yr olds, how many go on and compete with credit once older than 5.

He's a competent enough driver, but not top draw, and was at home last night as he is more of a Cambridge and Palmerston North driver than an Auckland driver.

The O A may have had every chance but from the draw, the work she did and the lack of work the winner did, she couldn't win. Was God Forbid merely there as a defensive block for the Purdon team?

Usual South Island rubbish from sheep shagger country were the only thing bigger than the chip on their shoulders is the size of Canterbury rugbys cheque book to buy players. Hughie would have cleared out in that sires race in Chch 13 months ago but he was green and made a mistake. That's racing. If he's back to his best H F I M won't see which way he went.

Last time she cut the corner at Addington and saved 5 yards (and allowed to keep her placing?!?!), perhaps this driver and Willow should be able to save 20 yards around the last corner. Now that would be fair.

Sorry, a small correction - the other non qualified horse is Have Faith in Me and not Dream About Me as stated above.

Maybe rules are made to be broken. But on a quick perusal I've noticed 3 other horses who do not qualify. Namely : Dream About Me, Hug The Wind and Linda Lovegrace. Perhaps the same rules don't apply to this stable and its owners?