army

Totally agreed. The fact that these strategic clubs get paid a higher rate for meetings and they are gaurenteed that rate means that they dont need to encourage punters on course. For the industry to survive you need punters as well as the obvious tainers owners breeders. If clubs got a percentage of on course turnover it would mean that they would promote there race meetings more and try to get more attendance on course as at the moment it doesnt matter how many you get on course you are all paid the same within your classifaction as an Industry day. Of course the Strategic clubs get both a higher rate per meeting and a percentage of the tote. Every meeting and club need an incentive and a percentage off the on course turnover would be just that. The smaller clubs are getting paid less to run a meeting but there costs are the same and as you said the bigger clubs are sucking all the funds so the smaller ones are struggling.

You say that but I ask yo this question. Considering the state of the track at Elleslie on New Years days could they really have anymore races. I believe Otaki course is the same. So therefor if you centralise it and get rid of these country meeting are you saying that we need to reduce our race meeting and horse to accomodate that.

Why not counties

I am a dairy farmer and there is noway in this world that we spray our silage paddocks with round up before cutting and baling. It is not a comman practice and I could not name one person in this area that does that. So Berri dont talk rubbish

I meant 6 bottles

It is the council was talking to someone at Taupo and unlike Tauranga they can take as much alcohol in as they want. At Tauranga bags are checked and you are only allowed 6 bottles beer or 1 bottle wine per person

Exactley they need to have a good look. The madiens are struggling to get a start then you see a race with only 6 or even 5 in inthe 75 85. Also the 65 grade is so overloaded. If you win a 65 you only go up to 67 68 points so 2 starts without any placing and you are back to 65. Open your eyes and get it sorted perhaps is the time to bring in a rating 60 so these horse can gestarts on a regular basis. Start 16 in a field instead of 14 and introduce more maiden fields. All horses need to start at this level when they first start racing if they dont get a start they dont race. Time for a change.

Perhaps they should start opening their eyes and setting the programme to suit what is required. Rating 65 and madien races have so many entries that alot of them are missing out especially since the got the new starting gates and they can only start 14 now not 16. If you get over 30 entries they look at splitting but 15 to 29 they often wont and these horse and forever chasing races which they may or may not get into. They expect you to travel and spend 600 on a float fee to get a start.

Yes was a madien race amd it did get 5th but it also got last so never beat a horse hoem so why should it get any points

The rating system seem to be a bit odd. If you hav points and race and finsihed further than 5th 6th you loose a point fair enough. Today my horse raced and thee was a horse who finished behind her that is rated above her because this horse got 2 points for finishing 5th out of a 5 horse field. How can a horse get points for getting last. The syatem needs to change

There was a large crowd on course

The season has dried out really qycikly around here but you need to adjust and deal with it. Something you quoted from an earlier abandonment

I thoughts on that is that too much money is being given to the Prem clubs and the industry clubs are struggling because they are running race meetings and the cost to both is around the samebut what they get from NZTR is alot different. 30g compared to 50-60g and no share of the tote like the bigger meetings. If you look at Elleslie for example on Saturday the fields were alot smaller than what was scheduled for Matamata to day but because of the grading system that is in place Elleslie will get more money than what Matamata would get. Can you tell me that Ellselie needs more money to prepare their track compared to Matamata as it is obvious the answer is no. Track preperation cost the same no matter whether you race on a mid week meeting or a saturday meeting so perhaps the stucture needs to change

If they operate like that and dont give refunds for a cancelled or an abandoned meeting after one race that is bad. If they didnt get what they were offered then they shouldnt pay. Not many functions pay up front so I just wouldnt pay them

If it is a late scratching then does Innes still get a riding fee. I would hope not

No you dont. It was Te Rapa and it was the Te Aroha course manager that went across and sorted it out

Sorry to here about that. You should have been able to get a ticket for your wife as well. I know how it feels because I have horses to and often my name is only on the ownership for one reason or another. People often dont go to the races by themselves often they have their spouse or a friend especially if you travel and they are entitled to have a drink too. Something for us at the club to look at

Bit harsh dont you think. Did you say the same about the Hawkes Bay track manager when their Saturday meeting was called off. Was it not similar. A good 2 then rain ove night and some rain on the day.

It is part of the licencing laws. Whether it is fair or not. When a racing club applies for Liquor licences they state that they will employ to correct staff to be responsible hosts. The bar manager employed on that day has the reponsibility to ensure that over intoxicated people arent served. Everywhere in the world a few spoil it for the rest but there are guidelines that we have to follow whether we like it or not. I agree people need to be responsible for themselves but that is not how our society sees it and we cant change it.

I disagree. I have been to their big day and all you get is teenagers drunk all over the place. They are still all getting served when they can hardly stand up. The bar downstairs is so over crowded and packed with people waiting for drinks that the staff are so busy they wouldnt even notice who they were serving. To see some teenagers leaving the course by 12.30 (as we were entering) totally drunk and unable to walk by themselves is not a good look for any racecourse. So over the top harassment I dont think so. The liquor laws are in place for a reason.

Where you want to live Hesi. Right in the miidle of Auckland in a flash apartment. Manakau Takaninni Franklin some good looking home there for 400-500k. Remember most people first home isnt there last it is a stepping stone into something better.

I dont think so because the young of New Zealand dont know how to save money to own their own homes. When did we ever spend 1200 on a phone and then repeat the same 2 years later to get the lastest phone

What are you on about what has Steven McKee got to do with it. And sorry my typo erro it is Te Aroha Grains and Stock feed so why call it jelly feed.

One of the sponsors was Peter Marquand 60th but he also owns a business Te Aroha Grains & Stick Feeds Ltd so that was included in the sponsors.