Pam Robson

Really quick note - Janet has had another victory! 
The Real Estate Authority's application for an order that Janet Dickson put up $15,000 in security to pay the REA’s costs if they win has been DENIED by Justice Grau in the High Court.
The REA tried to argue that Janet Dickson doesn't have the means to pay costs should the case go against her and suggested that Hobson’s Pledge’s fundraising efforts indicated this.
Thankfully, the judge disagreed.
The REA have badly underestimated the frustrations of not only their own licensees, but also the strength of feeling on the matter in wider New Zealand. We saw in the response to our emails just how fed up supporters like you are with the forced indoctrination going on in workplaces.
On a personal note, I was really pleased to see that Hobson's Pledge is making a difference and has ensured that Janet is able to fight off these spurious litigious attempts to outspend her by an REA that has clearly lost its way.
This judgement demonstrates just how much merit there is in pursuing this judicial review. It is in the public interest and engages issues of rights protected under the Bill of Rights.
Of huge interest to us was the revelation in the judgement that there are 92 other real estate agents objecting to the imposition of the Te Kakano cultural training course! Incredibly, the REA tried to persuade the judge that this was not relevant because it is only “a small number”.
Janet is not alone as the REA would like her to think. This information should give confidence to any other real estate agents who would like to speak out but have been suppressed by the threat of job and licence loss. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if that is you. 
New Zealanders should be able to go to work without having highly politicised cultural ideas forced on them. No one should fear losing their livelihood because they don't agree with their employer's Treaty politics.
The fight goes on!
Thanks for your ongoing support,

The first day of the Grand National meeting took place on ground described as Soft, Heavy in places on the Mildmay track and Heavy, Soft in places on the Grand National course.
Four Grade 1 championship races on the day and the card opened with the Manifesto Novices Chase over 4000m which saw the 1-2 from the Turners at Cheltenham (GREY DAWNING and GINNY'S DESTINY) take on the third from the Arkle in the form of IL ETAIT TEMPS.
IL ETAIT TEMPS had been let down by his jumping in the Arkle but he's got a serious engine and Paul Townend declined the early gallop sent by Harry Cobden on GINNY'S DESTINY. They went a decent but not insane gallop but on a flat track IL ETAIT TEMPS seemed much happier which he had shown in the Irish Arkle in February.
When Townend put the horse in the race at the third last it was game over for both GINNY'S DESTINY and GREY DAWNING who both look like 4800m chasers for next season and IL ETAIT TEMPS powered away to win by nine lengths. I don't know if Punchestown is on the agenda and the problem they are going to have with this one is he doesn't quite have the speed to mix with the 3200m types but has too much tactical speed for the 4800m races. A race like the Melling here next spring over the same course and distance would be ideal.
Nicky Henderson had a wretched Cheltenham failing to secure a win for the first time since 2008 but with signs the stable was coming back, SIR GINO was strongly supported for the Anniversary 4-y-o Hurdle against the Triumph runner up KARGESE and the promising KALIF DU BERLAIS.
An emphatic win for SIR GINO who was simply too good for KARGESE after the last and you'd think on that line he'd beat MAJBOROUGH as well. Whether he'll be asked to go to Punchestown I don't know but Henderson commented the horse might go chasing in the autumn rather than be aimed at the Champion Hurdle. KARGESE ran well and is the best juvenile filly out there and will no doubt pay her way next year.
The track was all wrong for KALIF DU BERLAIS who looks like a chaser now and I think would beat SIR GINO over fences but that's a question for another day.
Just 27 days after finishing runner up in the Gold Cup, GERRI COLOMBE was a big fancy for the Aintree Bowl. Among the opposition were Gold Cup also rans BRAVEMANSGAME and GENTLEMANSGAME and the enigmatic SHISHKIN as well as the promising staying novice CORBETTS CROSS.
A workmanlike win for GERRI COLOMBE who ultimately had too much class for AHOY SENOR who, as usual, raced close to the pace at a track where he always performs well. CORBETTS CROSS looked to have every chance two out but couldn't go with the leaders in the final stage. SHISHKIN ran okay but didn't jump with much fluency and I just think he prefers decent ground these days while BRAVEMANSGAME has disappointed all season and I think the hard race in the 2023 Gold Cup bottomed the horse.
CORBETTS CROSS is only a 7-y-o and this was a run full of promise and I can see him being competitive in the Gold Cup next year as we know he stays strongly. AHOY SENOR was runner up to SHISHKIN in this last year and again ran a blinder. He seems to prefer the flatter tracks and doesn't perform at the likes of Cheltenham.
GERRI COLOMBE was no match for GALOPIN DES CHAMPS at either Leopardstown or Cheltenham but he's a very good horse and also has time on his side. He's another who looks to like faster tracks and quicker ground and given how wet the winter has been he's done well. I'd love to see him in the King George at Kempton on decent ground.
There's no Grade 1 4000m hurdle for those outside novice company and the Aintree Hurdle fills the role for the intermediate specialists though plenty of Champion Hurdle types have run in the race in times past. This year, IMPAIRE ET PASSE was backed into favourite having missed Cheltenham but looked to have plety to do against BOB OLINGER who had chased home STATE MAN in the Irish Champion Hurdle and for whom the return to 4000m was a big plus.
A race with drama and controversy in abundance and tv viewers got to hear the jockeys giving evidence at the subsequent stewards' enquiry (though not the deliberations of the stewards themselves). From the second last there was a lot of pushing and shoving among the first three home and with IMPAIRE ET PASSE jumping right at the last and LANGER DAN jumping left and the two jockeys trying to correct their mounts, it all got very messy and with BOB OLINGER also leaning in close to the post and the front three split by a nose and a short head you can appreciate the sense of drama.
In the end, I suspect, the stewards opted to file the whole thing in the "too difficult" column and IMPAIRE ET PASSE kept the race. You could argue both BOB OLINGER and LANGER DAN were unlucky and on another day you might get a different result. The winner has had a difficult season and I do wonder if they will finally put him over fences in the autumn. BOB OLINGER is a solid performer at this trip and while LANGER DAN won a handicap at Cheltenham I can't help but think he might be the one to try over further and join the stayers division.
I'll mention the fact I gave you all four winners because no one else will. I backed them individually but wish I'd done the accumulator - £10 on the four winners paid £546 which would have kept Mrs Stodge in steak and champagne for a week or so.

Pak Star, your comments are appreciated.
I think the problem is that in 2024 statements are vetted by public relations consultants.  When they are trying to explain intricate details the public relations people get tied up in their own bullshit which most people use them to peddle.
An organization"s credibility is inversely proportional to their spend on public relations.

Sheesh Paul Wilcox was discredited multiple times on pages 18 & 19, but then also had his quote used in an effort to make a point.  Who knows what to believe 🤪
Without wanting to wade too far into the ____ measuring contest of who can fit their schlong into the full depths of a 190mm cored Ellerslie surface hole to check how deep the matted roots are...
Is ATR suggesting that the problem last week is the same problem they had on Karaka Million night? 
Pete quoted this piece from NZTR on Feb 2nd:
Ellerslie Racecourse
Immediately after Saturday’s race meeting at Ellerslie where some Jockeys experienced movement after 3mms of rain fell during the race meeting, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) undertook a review which included Frank Casimaty from Strathayr. From that review, it was identified that a thick layer of roots had caused the issues experienced, it was agreed that Jason Fulford, Track Manager for ATR, would use appropriate machinery this week to break down that thick layer of roots just below the surface to ensure the horses get a better purchase on the track. Following the completion of this machinery work, jumpouts will be held at Ellerslie for Auckland based horses. The jumpouts are scheduled for Monday, 12 February. 
Mix the above with this here video showing how deep the root structure really is - in some instances 230mm (at this point I am definitely out of aforementioned contest) and one could be mistaken for thinking the problem quite deep below the surface -   Update on the StrathAyr track project - Part 5 | Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (aucklandracing.co.nz)
The strathyr video from Ohoka would appear to back up the theory that the matting would run quite deep into the cross section.  
But hang on, last week Wilcox was quoted as saying:
“From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” Wilcox said.
From what we can gather based on the ATR coring video AND the strathyr video, the grass meets the sand profile very close to the surface. 
So who knows what the hell to believe.  Seems the reports change every time one is released...  And they prey on industry participants like us knowing slightly less than what they seem to know (or not know) themselves.  And they use terminology that confuses the issue even more.
If they REALLY wanted to be transparent as they say they do, best thing they could do at this point is another one of their coring videos, and visually show us a cross section with the matting.  To give us peace of mind that they actually know what the hell they are dealing with, and how to fix it.  

I would suggest that most in management are self interest welfare advocates first .😝

And he's a horse welfare advocate, so I'm hoping he might bring a halt to the crash test dummy approach to testing track safety.

Don't agree Insider. They need to follow through with renaming Government and other agencies in the normal language for most New Zealanders, ditch thousands of public service bludgers who were cynically positioned in "work" by the Ardern/Hipkins cabal late last year and marginalise Swarbrick and her coterie of queers.
I'm picking most thinking NZers are delighted that the evil bitch Adern is gone and are even applauding the wonderfully lucid  Shane Jones as he lines up the parasitic Waitangi Tribunal.
It's tough to produce financial largesse for everybody when the incompetent previous lot have emptied the pot with their Marxist behaviour.

Really, didn’t that body (Queensland) have real problems so long ago?

Bloody good summary of what I think we know PS. Thanks.

Is there anyone left in Wellington?
In particular I am referring to Darin Balcombe.
I know many decided that they weren’t going, and I guess those that did agree, have had their expenses reimbursed. 
That then brings me to the costs involved with selling and buying of a house. Would they be covered?
Whatever way you look at it, the costs of the move would be horrendous and for what?
 

 
 

Give it a rest, just look at the video ( 2.20 on..) it’s not that difficult…..
Laboratory tested sand ? Carefully selected turf for the local climate/environment ??
🤔
 
 
 

Labour is offering bipartisan support for a ban on greyhound racing, calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to follow through with his election campaign intention. The Post on Wednesday reported Racing Minister Winston Peters' comments he was having "a lot of work" done on the industry. He said they were "seriously looking at all aspects of it" and expected to have an outcome in three weeks but - asked if Luxon was premature to talk of a ban - said "he's got a minister now who knows more about it than he does".

Not sure that comment helps your case Neil but it sounds like you have finally grasped that the issue is NOT surface thatch and that no-one has ever suggested that.

So Wilcox was saying on Weigh in they put 3000 tonnes of sand on the track...can anyone tell me what good that will do and how that will solve the rooting problem the grass has...when I was growing up we never grew grass in sand...do farmers or pasture experts grow grass in sand???......sounds like everything is getting rooted in this industry...including the track and that is not being done correctly...oh but geez I need to shut up and stop being negative...sorry but for 55M it should be perfect from day one.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Te Awamutu which is purely a trials track at the moment and has been having a "renovation", isn't ready to hold the designated trials next week , pushed back one week , and a set of trials at the Cambridge Synthetic have been put in their place . 
They are a bit slow , they haven't worked out yet that the majority don't want to trial on the synthetic , especially their babies , so now owners have to wait another week to trial and hopefully get to the races and hopefully before they strike a heavy track .
And what is the problem with Te Awamutu that one more week will resolve ? At least tell us , it's all Chinese whispers and it's getting f@#ken boring .
I'm so over this crap , I have 3 horses at the moment but have made the decision they are my last here , things like the this and Ellerslie just reaffirm my decision . 

Cup Day Tradition - ROOTED
World Famous Jumps race over the HILL - ROOTED
General state of Racing - ROOTED
$55m Track - NOT ROOTED (apparently)
Seems the Muppets can root everything except what they needed to ....
Apparently this shot is from the meeting when they decided to send the Track developers home early

   

I know of two trainers that were there today and they walked onto the track and could not believe how hard it was sure they only walked on the outside 10  15 MTRs said it was like an all weather hockey field with sand on it.i do know that one of there horses came home jarred up.i still don't know why they did not follow all the right procedures and put on the strathayr grass ?
apparently they were advised to put in two water ponds but only put in one and the one they have got is leaking so they are running out of water  you get sugar lips on and he tells every one that they are doing the right thing and every one listens and think he knows what is right. And Leggy you should ask the CEO  of NZTR if grass can root in the sand.As I have said before I like going to Ellerslie and won't it fixed.

Foxton should be in play to, Central Districts struggling for surfaces as well, it’s going to be a long winter…..

No mate I mentioned this elsewhere and was told by a trainer I am just so anti the Ellerslie track ...that could not be further from the truth as we as an industry need this to succeed..it is after all the flagship....but hey lets all just keep quiet not speak out as we are the negative ones...and let the mediocre track and the people who spent the 55M on it take all the plaudits for giving us a track that we all just have to wait for it to "bed in" maybe a year or so...if this is the industry we have become where there is no accountability and everyone is happy with the shit show as it is well then no matter how much $$$$ Entain pour down the hole things will never get any better.

I am that trainer, what I was saying is that you have made your point! 
 

Not much I don't think. The issues were when the track was rain affected as well, including on the rail, and 50 horses galloping round the corner near the rail, on the bridle, on a non-rain affected surface, is not much help to me in assessing its safety

A very fair question.

So... the issues was the 10m rail position so what the hell does holding trials with the rail on the inside prove??? Or am I missing something.

Well I was shocked when watching that performance, very well done. Can remember a NZ cup won in that fashion in the 1960s. Royal Bid an entire and one Frank Skelton, led by 18 lengths at the 5 furlong point.

craig was ensuring mr brightside took some deep breaths between the 1600 and the 1000 n0?