TARANTULA

GOOD MORNING.THANKS TO JOHN AND SCOOBY FOR COMPETITION TO KEEP US ENTERTAINED.THANKS JOHN FOR EXCELLENT INFO AND SCORING.
HASTINGS.
R1.   # 12.    100 W
R2.   # 1.      100 W
R3.   # 1.      100 W
R5.   # 1.      100 W
R6.   # 2.      100 W
GOOD PUNTING EVERYONE.

Hastings R6  #2  $500 Win
 
A reasonable judge told me this one's a moral - I hope so, have a multi ending on him at $2.80
 

Te Rapa Race 1
Name Jockey/Driver/Trainer Win Place 3 The Mighty Spar Aaron Kuru 2.40 1.20 11 Taika Jack Power   4.80 9 Lord Spencer Michael Roustoby    4.50 54 entries in total.  Around 40% of the $27k invested on the first race.   $10,790 bet on Race 1 with $8,880 collected - slightly worse than the average return.  Of the 45 who had a bet in Race 1, 15 returned a profit.
Crusty leads the way after a $300 place bet on Lord Spencer. 


 

Race 2 bets as follows:

THANKS FOR COMPETITION,SAY NO MORE.
R1 NO 3.     $150.WIN
R2 NO 1      $150 WIN
R5 NO 1.     $150 WIN
R6 NO 3        $50 WIN
GOOD PUNTING EVERYONE.
 

I see Nat R is driving him on Friday.  Fair enough, the owner can pick any driver they want but given Sarah O Reilly works for the stable it makes you wonder what she has to do to get some better drives. To be 3rd on the premiership with the lack of quality she gets is an amazing achievement.   Nat does have a great UDR but most of the horses she gets to drive are hot favourites.   

From left to right Ted and Lynda McLachlan (Taiki Manager) Sally Blyth  (NZTROF VP) Chiaki Yanagida (Taiki's sister) Mike Getting Auckland Owners Assoc Pres)
 
  

On behalf of the Auckland Owners Associations, a plaque was laid for Taiki Yanagida on the edge of the Ellerslie parade ring today. It is laid in front of the rose ‘Imagine’ that was planted in October last year after consultation with Taiki’s family. Taiki’s sister Chiaki unveiled the plaque with some of his closest friends on-hand to share the special moment. Taiki won his first stakes race aboard Dragon Queen at Ellerslie. It was a place that provided Taiki with some of his greatest thrills in the saddle, making this plaque of memorial very fitting

According to MG on the Box Seat the TAB is looking to outsource some of its functions.  Let’s hope it works for the good.  The Auckland development was meant to be a game changer at least for the North but turned into a disaster.  The new TAB site was meant to be a game changer but has been a drag on the industry.  Let’s hope this works out or else it could be curtains for Racing.  I don’t pretend to know how it is meant to work but I didn’t get the impression MG was convinced of the benefits.  

Heck that is sad. I didnt even know he had been off the calling scene, let alone that he was ill.
Met Trevor on a few occasions after a bus tour to a big race day. Naturally funny and a warm nature to add. My mate and I would often bring up the hilarious moments we shared with Trev like the time he lost his betting voucher in the casino. When we talk about true gentlemen and stalwarts of the game, blokes like Trevor should be the first ones mentioned. A skilful and passionate racing personality who was so down to earth.
Rest in Peace Trev.

Unfortunately not that long at all, his health declined quickly just after Christmas 2021, but he wasn’t diagnosed with MND until closer to his retirement.
An absolute gem of a man who will be sorely missed not only by the greyhound community, but across all three codes and his many racing friends.

Sad to hear that Greyhound commentator for 43 years, Trevor Wilkes has passed away after a long illness.
RIP Trev.
 

"Average nightly T/O during February 2022 was $2.77m
This year, for Feb 23 , that number was $3.38m, an increase of over $600,000 per night.
Much of our success can be attributed to our competitive racing, the percentage of winning favorites is 35%, which offers punters a solid chance to bet a little and win a lot.
An international audience tunes in every weekend to see a mile track with non-stop action, full fields, large pools, low takeouts and chances galore to make a score!"
The Meadowlands is a business, it promotes itself to not only harness racing participants, but the wider community, it wants you to know about their success's and come and join them.
NZ is not on the same page, it is not even in the book!
 

No fixed odds market up yet for Ashburton.  And they wonder why betting figures are going south. Incompetence or deliberately trying to suppress Harness at the expense of thoroughbreds?.   Someone at the TAB needs their ass kicked. 

I was at Te Rapa, in February 1999, and I had purchased a Zabeel Cap for $30 and Sir Patrick Hogan saw me wearing it and asked me how much were they selling them for and I said $30, he reached into his pocket and gave me $30. I was in shock afterwards as he walked away.

Really interesting reading the messages in social media, sent by many, about Sir Patrick. One thing that stands out to me is the massive amount of mentoring he did with young people/staff. The two key points were his setting very high standards and the gaining of respect (ie. how they all called him The Boss). That respect seemed to go both ways with those that worked hard, listened and achieved his standards.
These are probably considered "old fashioned" to many these days but I think where they have been lost it shows up like a massive spotlight.

Tauranga R1               13-17
Tauranga R2                 5-13
Tauranga R3                 2-11 
Tauranga R4                 3-5 
Tauranga R5                 2-3
Tauherenikau R1         1-5
Tauherenikau R2         2-6 
Tauherenikau R3         2-6
Tauherenikau R4         1-10
Tauherenikau R5         2-9

Many thanks for this entertaining comp, John, for Christmas/New Year.
Much appreciated.
And thank you Scooby for these comps on Racecafe.

Good luck to all competitors today. Most runners today have promised more than they've delivered, so finding winners won't be easy.

Congratulations to Samantha Ottley for being the leading female driver in 2022. Miss Ottley drove 71 winners and finished seventh in the Drivers' Premiership. Samantha Ottley has taken her driving to a new level this season. She looks fitter and stronger and I think the competition from Sarah O'Reilly has focussed her mind. It's working...
Sarah O'Reilly had another mammoth season. She's won so many championships I won't mention them here. Sarah O'Reilly is such a natural in the cart and with her genes it is hardly surprising. What a line: Sire Gerard one of NZ's most underrated drivers/trainers, uncles Kerry, Leo, Patrick, who was the best in the business in the 70s. 
Sarah O'Reilly drove 70 winners last season. Wow, considering the class or horse she drives and with little support that is a huge effort from Sarah. Sarah was leading Miss Ottley by a number of wins in the final two weeks of the season. But Miss Ottley and the Mark Jones' team were on fire on the coast and picked many wins to just sneak past Sarah. 
Sarah finished eighth in the Drivers' Premiership. Well done Samantha and Sarah. 

Both are incredibly talented and a credit to the code
In due course Sarah will no doubt be given greater opportunities both in Canterbury and in the deep south where she travels to frequently.

Tempting fate here, but after 36 attempts I just don't think it can win. 
Mind you 37 is quite a nice number - it's the 12th prime number and it's mirror (73) is the 21st prime number (21 being the mirror of 12), and the product of its digits (3 & 7) is also 21.
Intent's recent trial was nice.

At least I'm consistent - finished 2022 shite and started 2023 in the same fashion 💩
Thanks John for your immaculate as always run scoring and of course Scooby for convening the show .... 

Thanks for running this competition all the best to everyone tomorrow 

THANKS TO SAY NO MORE AND SCOOBY.
TE RAPA
R1.     9,10
R2.     1,7
R3.     2,10
R4.     7,11
R5.     3,10
R6.     6,13
R7.     1,5
R8.      7,9     BB
R9.      1,9     BB
R10.     2,14
HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2023 TO EVERYONE

Rotorua R1  2/5
Rotorua R2 4/10
Rotorua R3. 6/11 BB
Rotorua R4. 2/8
Rotorua R5. 5/11
Rotorua R6. 3/5
Rotorua R7 1/13
Rotorua R8. 6/7
Rotorua R9 3/8
Timaru R6 8/11 BB
 
thinks I’ll need to check scratchings in morning just in case

Rotorua R1  6-7
Rotorua R2  4-8
Rotorua R3  11-14
Rotorua R4  4-10
Rotorua R5  2-7
Rotorua R6  2-11
Rotorua R7  12-13 BB
Rotorua R8  10-14
Rotorua R9  14-19
Timaru R6   10-11  BB
My trainer said to his wife as he was loading me on the float this morning that today is a   "redemption run" for me (I think he may have gone all religious overnight) given my "poor recent form". He's put the winkers on today (I can't see a damn thing) to see if that will curb what he termed my "wayward tendencies" (the cheek of him) - so we shall see. He added he "wasn't holding his breath" but said that if he found I was holding mine or had become a "windsucker" then he might have to cut a tennis ball in half. I'm not sure what he's going to do with half a tennis ball but he sounded quite serious, so I think I better put in an improver's effort today.