Pam Robson

Wash your mouth out. Whatever are you thinking.

Very efficient and always answered his phone.

With races on Friday and Sunday in the CD, not necessarily as easy as it might seem. Times of flights in and out of Invercargill aren't always helpful for jockeys.

Can't say I noticed many.

I [ personally] think the roadshows are an expensive waste of time. I have found Bruce Sharrock to be very responsive to individual approaches and does his best, I feel, to communicate. However, in this age of digital communication - and considering we are supposed to be dreadfully short of money - why on earth waste the stuff by flying a group of people all over the country? Especially, as pointed out above, the timing of such doesn't lend itself to participation by all.

That is exactly what a former Riccarton manager said to me. When walking the track one evening, I came across him inspecting a sprinkler. You can leave those things on all night, I said to him ( I had a soft tracker in on the Saturday). I water for grass growth, he said, sternly. Not to change track conditions.

Good on the US.

Same for me, although it's always great watching the lovely horses.

That'll never happen, Hi Ho. They cost millions of taxpayers money, they won't be shelling out again.

One [ that I know of ] has run around the Riccarton one. An older woman, but very fit and an experienced runner and harrier. She found it extremely difficult, and jarringly hard [ her words ] . I find it hard to just walk on. I take my dogs around the track most Sundays, and when I tried the AWT I struggled. It's just such hard work. Okay, I'm no athlete, I've had an ankle reconstruction [ no biggie I know] and both knees fully replaced. But walking on the grass, or even the ambulance track, no problem. Even the dogs, by preference, steer away from the AWT and the greyhound wants nothing to do with it at all. Maybe the smell of the product?

Interesting indeed. And the AWT track at Riccarton is vastly better after rain.

There is a crossing at Riccarton, between the mile and 1800m starts, but it has always been there, to access the work tracks. Not a new one.

Yes. And Leo, irrespective of his polarising nature, pointed out for years, the folly of the lack of investment in infrastructure and training. Every time there was a little windfall - like the results of the Fair Tax campaign, for example, the extra funds went straight into stakes. Or got swallowed up in the higher echelons of management. His term was 'wasted ' on stakes, which got backs up. But he was right. And we can see the results everywhere. Wrt training, the riding standards have dropped badly, and the incentive to start a jockey or track riders' school has had to be undertaken by a private individual. Good on him, but it shouldn't have been necessary. It should have been an industry undertaking. Stipes can't read races; I have no idea what system - if there is one - teaches them anything.

The only surprise is that it took this long.

' tactically inept ' ....I like it! And how right he is. Not confined to the young either, be they 'guns' or otherwise.

I have to say I haven't seen all his interviews; however, in those I have seen, he has been quick to thank owners/trainers for their support, and gives credit to his mounts, too, where appropriate. I haven't heard him criticize any fellow riders and would be surprised if he did. As for our talent pool...? it has never been worse.

Fractured heel.

Shamrock should move from Little Whinging and try and recruit Harry Potter.

If our polytracks were harrowed to six inches they'd be digging up the tarmac base.

The previous track manager used to do this without anyone needing to tell him.

Well, unless someone or something can shake the shit out of the TAB it's all academic, because Colin Wightman's sacks of kumaras will be what we are racing for.

We've been taken to the next level all right.

Why would the Regional Track Managers be of any help? Ffs, the R T.M produced Riccarton. Do I need to say more ?

Same. But that doesn't ease the frustration. I'm a lot older than you, Aaron, and I think I, and others of my vintage, have seen the best of racing here.

No.