awego

Cobalt today. Lithium tomorrow. Most horses have only limited ability. Instead of resorting to drugging them they should be retired and given a second equine life. End of story.

Meantime at Matamata this morning two Friesans and a Jersey worked a 1000 in 1.01.2, the last 600 in 34.6, hard held.
 

What an ..... Interesting defence - that the horses in question drank the dairy cows' treated water, thus developing high systemic cobalt levels themselves. 
I guess they weren't actually sharing with the dairy cows - that would be a rare sight (just one reason for which being `cause cows have a similar penchant to "pony-tails" as John Key - only they not only pull, but often chew them as well) - but nevertheless the troughs in the cow-free paddocks might still have been under treatment with the cobalt...just for no particular reason ....
Interesting place to have horses in full work just prior to major racing assignments - in dairy cow paddocks.  Do they "paddock train" many at Wexford?  It does suit some horses well, I know ....
Are these 3 horses all friends and happily graze together whilst in work - or maybe they had separate paddocks which all, unfortunately, contained the troughs with treated water prior to them racing ....
You may have noticed properties fenced for equine vs bovine are set up completely differently.  Most trainers of valuable racehorses steer away from dairy paddocks even for turn-out purposes - as they're often inappropriately/unsafely fenced (high-tensile, non-battened, one or two few wire fences are common) and considered too risky in terms of injury.  But perhaps the pampered bovines were treated to post'n'rail on this particular unit ....
A lot of dairy pasture would also not be considered appropriate nutrition for race-horses in work - but perhaps some individuals respond surprisingly well to such a dietary regime ...  
Did the owners sometimes visit their charges only to be told "come on out and see him/her - s/he's just out the back, down the track, past the silage pit, out in the sun with no shade because we've cut all the trees down for that pivot irrigator which, incidentally, we're thinking of renting to the racing club for the course if this drought doesn't break soon"  
I have many more wonderings and ponderings but let me finish by saying - how much professional, competent, thorough, relevant and robust investigative work has been done into the matter by the RIU - including consideration of likely/proffered defences? 
Let's see how this one plays out.  I know where my money would be ...
 

I think you mean uncharted? Though you got the waters bit right and if you did mean unchartered, I can see how one might conclude that something rather unconstitutional is going on here. I'd love to see the detail of the trials conducted. If they are as robust as suggested, no doubt Grierson will publish and we can see how this research aligns with previous published literature on oral administration and a rigorous explanation for any discrepancy with that. I presume the horses concerned were not running round the cow paddock eating grass on race day and presumably also not the day before?
The good news is that I now know if I want to administer super high levels of cobalt, I can put it in the water and not be charged with administration and hope I can win a nice race with the sample not sent for cobalt testing.
As an added advantage, I'll more quickly know which ones to sack if they can't beat the heifers round the paddock!
 

i choose silence over expressing my opinion on this matter's creedence,
but it seems that Suffire drank not quite half the trough water that Quintastic did..and that Sound Proposition wasn't quite as thirsty as Quintastic.
 

Without knowing anything about Wexford Stables(never been there nor even to Matamata) and also having the highest respect for Lance(who they tell me is a great bloke) there is a question or two .....
Why were there dairy cows at Wexford stables(I know he is a farmer but presumably not right next door) and if there is a legitimate reason why they were there why would you introduce high doses of a prohibited substance to their water when you know that your racehorse(s), in one case primed for the richest race(bar one) in the land, have access to that water?  

Well well well [to coin a phrase] and pardon the pun.......well indeed, a dark and murky well, full of cobalt eh? then will the farmer be charged with cruelty by the RSPCA? for knowingly feeding such a toxic substance? were these cattle for human consumption, milk maybe? what a load of bollocks, small town NZ eh? we may as well be living in a Louisiana backwater where rednecks rule......any respect, gone now.

Wonder if the RIU took urine samples of the cattle as well!

541, 640 and 309.... WOW.
 
Someones been a naughty little boy. With those high readings anything under 3 years for the both of them is a joke.

But if he has cheated, then surely we can't condone it?

Great effort, hes a large young horse not yet matured, just needs to finish growing into himself,  will be much improved for the experience.  
 

I do feel a bit sorry for the trainer, she is giving the horse some good experience and probably getting the results she expected. In the long term it will prove worthwhile.
She could have stayed in NZ and won another four in a row, so good on her.
Its just that some some fairly inexperienced punters got far too excited with all the hype and got people's backs up a bit. Now of course we are getting the tall poppy syndrome kicking in as well with even less experienced punters.

Went off in the gates and never settled in the run. He'll keep. Some can't seem to wait to get on here as soon as the race is finished to show their glee that he was beaten. Sad. 

No need to rubbish him. It was a nice enough run, its just that the class was better than he is used to. If he came back to NZ he would probably clean up. If he stays in Sydney he could well win a race. I have no doubt the trip will do him the world of good. Could well be the making of him.

They cop a lot of criticism, most of it undeserved, but there are none tougher or more fearless.
How can you bounce back from this ? It makes a big hit in rugby or league look like a tickle with a feather duster.
For those of you who don't know those crossings are normally impacted crusher dust so they're as hard as State Highway One, and to all you grandstand jockeys and keyboard toughies out there, why don't you throw yourself out of your car at 50k, do a few somersaults like that, then wrap yourself around the post supporting the running rail, and jump up, dust yourself off, and carry on as though nothing has happened.
IMG_0242.MOV
The video seems to have not uploaded, 2admin2 can you edit the 50m where MC got tossed off please and post it as it sure is worth a look, otherwise anyone can go to NZTR results videos and check it out.

my mate had a horse racing at awapuni yesterday ran 3rd- as soon as race was over  and the last horse pulled up it went to some meaningless ad praising somebody or something-
 
I just switched to coronation st- or emmerdale farm or  harry meets lucy.
 
overall we have to be thankful for what they provide - but I think you need a racing brain to oversee the post race  production side of things- do they have one?

Interesting re the track.
Just how dumb are our jockeys??
I say this because the jocks that had a ride in the last race all would have noticed "assumption" what Mat Cameron did in the previous ie; pointing out that the track on the inside isn't as bad as maybe was earlier in the day, they had around 40 minutes to think things over and react accordingly, but no, they all just ride the race just like the previous 7 races, all scouting centre to wide  of the track while Jono Parkes who actually did think things through does exactly as MC did and wins with a leg in the air.

Betting $56,000 a month....??!!! How much were they paying him.....???!!!

You told blatant lies this morning when you put up a Good Three Track. 
Based on that, I had a decent bet on Sacred Star, which I knew was doomed the minute I saw the two year olds' turn for home in the second.
I didn't see the first because I was in the garden finishing off before coming in to watch what I expected would be a great days racing!!!!
I know that I wont get my money back, but a public apology is expected. 
You can start the healing process tomorrow morning on Weigh In.
I await your response with interest and will judge you for all time [as will many others] based on your response.
Liz
 
 

As a general course of action why doesn't everybody hassle their local MP.
The MP should then hassle the Minister until the Minister is forced to do something to stop them annoying him.
Far too easy for Minister to ignore the complaints issued here, it is just "one" channel/voice after all.
No good complaining to Minister directly, too easy for him to file it in the round file cabinet.
If every second MP is knocking his door down saying "do something to get these racing loonies off my back" it may be more effective.
To raise the bar a bit, have a standard letter/email outlining your concerns, that you send to your MP on a regular basis until action is taken.
I would of thought that with the geographical spread of Racecafe members, you should have most electorates covered.
Just a thought. Of course you would need consensus about the problems facing the industry and what action you want taken.

NZTR was told the handicapping model was flawed.
The architect was an Australian handicapper who'd lost his job.
The females allowances discourage males from participating, unless you're Benzini or El Chico.
Now Te Rapa has 7 races because the R85 had only 4 entries.
The industry statesman Brian Anderton is on Trackside this morning lamenting the disaster that is the R85 grade and the non existent opportunities for that 85 rated horse.
Meantime NZTR prove they just have no idea about handicapping by forcing the professional Dean Nowell out of his job and then appointing a series of less qualified persons, culminating in the tragic appointment of an accountant with an apparent gambling problem, and then passing the poison chalice to a youngish " Mr Fixit " in Matt Hall, in conjunction with a low achiever who was a modest and insignificant jumps jockey, and who cannot seem to decide how to treat identical cases.
Meantime the influential trainers who are on the Review Panel abuse their position and power by insisting horses cannot be brought into the handicap ( and that makes banding totally irrelevant ).
This is just a chaotic and catastrophic mess that's destroying the industry from the top down because idiots masquerading as know alls are applying a sick model that's designed, sanctioned and supported by a minority few who have a secret agenda, but who have NO grass roots knowledge of the industry and the damage they're doing.
Tommy Heptinstall, Michael Pitman, Brian Anderton, Murray Baker.....these guys have to be listened to.....it's time the independent board at NZTR was replaced in its entirety and the executive team orchestrating these septic policies is dismissed.
Rise up you all, express yourselves now and act with urgency before it's too late. 
 

Actually the 'present CEO' is not the one to be taken to task here.  He is clearly either incompetent or deliberately destroying this industry for God knows what reason.  
My gripe is to do with the Board (the makeup of which we seem to have absolutely nil control over) who are that thick that they are happy to sit there and watch it happen.
Ditto the NZRB and it's mob and out to lunch Minister.
This is so bloody frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
 

Does this present CEO have a lifetime job or will we be rid of him soon. Anyone know when? If this organisation was running a big business concern and its forecast was to improve returns  by 2020 by a small percentage I.E. $7,000.00 to $10,000.00 how long would they have a job. The offer is fairly safe as there will be nobody around to collect. We need a united front to force some changes but we also need someone like M.Pitman to stick their neck out and demand we be heard as most in the industry feel fearful to stand up and be on the chopping block. Unless something is done soon it will be too late. 

Yep cheers TAB I didn't swear once at you yesterday or last week

I'm no expert, it was only announced in September that the race was back to 3200m, maybe not enough time to prepare for 3200m?
Good on them for putting it back to 3200m, maybe in the future it be back to being a great race.
Why is it people are only interested in pointing out the negatives?