We're Doomed

I'm sure everyone would be saying NZ Racing is a laughing stock if this happened here, but I notice no one has commented on the two Lindsay Park runners being disqualified from the Bendigo Guineas after their jockeys swapped mounts.

There are 3 or 4 on here who think he is god. It's a worry.

I thought it was brilliant. Just show us the races and give us a form guide and let us do the rest. Most enjoyable days racing I have had for ages. I'm surprised no one comments about Rosehill. Talk about a front runners track.

You do wonder what was the point holding that meeting at Tauherenikau. That track is all about on course attendance. A meeting at Awapuni would have been more convenient for about 95% of the trainers.

Certainly not a good look, but nothing to be gleeful about.

I would be shocked if stipes travelled between Islands. Of course, I am often shocked, but in this case surely not.

Trentham doesn't really run that many flash race days anymore. A lot of their meetings are pretty shit and all their big races have been consolidated into one or two big days. Last Saturday's Oaks meeting hoovered up virtually every decent race they had over a 3 or 4 month period and held them all on one day. The Cuddle used to be in May, the Guineas used to be in October., the St Leger used to be in January, the Oaks used to be in January. The March meeting used to be two quite big days with the Captain Cook Stakes, the Chalmers, a decent 2yo and several others. My first ever day at Trentham was the March meeting when the Dennis Brothers won the big mile. The Twinkle I think, beating Mun Lee. If anything Trentham should be becoming less of a punters graveyard as their fields are getting much smaller, so less scope for massive upsets.

It only needs one jockey or trainer to get it and things will grind to a halt. It may be though that they only close one island down. It could even be that they draw a line across the middle of the north island and restrict the movement of jockeys and trainers within regions. I don't think we will see northern jockeys chasing mounts at low key Southern meetings for a while. I don't see how the SI jumps season can proceed if they are reliant on northern jockeys. There probably won't be suitable flights for them anyhow. We just have to hope racing can continue in some form for as long as possible. It is going to be the only game in town and the only sport on TV. Surely casinos will have to close as well. I do think they need to start moving meetings out of hard to access areas. Do we even need meetings at Ellerslie when no horses are trained there. If the public can't attend why not race where the horses are?

There is obviously going to have to be some rationalisation if racing carries on and the virus carries on. There doesn't seem much point meetings like Marlborough taking place if all of the participants have to travel to get there and the public aren't allowed to attend. Those two meetings should probably be moved to somewhere like Timaru and Ashburton. Not much point holding any meetings that are largely an on course event. Racing is obviously going to become an offcourse only event for a while so we might as well keep participants costs as low as possible. I am sure someone in management somewhere is thinking this all through, so no need for us mere mortals to worry about it.

You make a good point Blue. The one thing that people don't seem to consider is that most of these low key meetings, and probably some of the higher key meetings, are probably doing turnovers of about $20,000 oncourse and $600,000 off, and yet they still get to race for $10,000 minimum. Compare this with 30 years ago when the oncourse t/o would have been about $120,000 and off course $1.2m, and they used to race for $4,000-$5,000. So it is an industry with rapidly declining public interest and yet they still manage to find money for reasonable stakes. Some trainers/owners/horses get to go around for $35,000 quite regularly, against five or six others. A lot of them have never had it so good. Sure, the input costs, training fees etc, have increased dramatically, but that is another story. Ironically, horse racing could benefit from the virus as long as no jockeys, trainers or others come down with it. It could well be the only game in town for a while. And while everyone is isolating at home horse racing could be the only sport to watch.

I can't see any merit in that at all to be honest. What would the jockeys, trainers, float drivers, tab staff all do for two months. Go off on a cruise?

If people are suggesting the Alligator isn't that flash then surely that doesn't say much for Catalyst who was being hyped up as the next big thing?

Six 3yo winners out of nine races at Woodville today. And none of them in a 3yo race. Not sure what that means, perhaps people aren't persevering with older maidens these days; who knows.

And only two races with three divis out of nine at Woodville today. One field of four and one of five I think. Quite seriously, they should be looking now at scrapping one or two of the unneeded northern meetings over the next few weeks and moving the licences to the South.

Been a lot of very impressive Oaks winners over the years Tauhei. Often won by the favourite and often they have been quite dominant. As recently as a couple of years ago Savvy Coup was pretty dominant. The quality of the opposition this year didn't look that flash. Just a pity the Southland filly didn't get second, I would have got a rather nice quinella. The majority of Oaks winners have gone on to have successful careers, although one or two have never won another race. And of course these days all of the top fillies don't necessarily contest the Oaks; one handy type raced in Sydney yesterday and another ran second in the Derby a couple of weeks ago. All she could do was win though, and she certainly looks like one who will win a lot more. Lets hope she goes to Sydney and the rain stops.