My Two Cents

What I found most disturbing about this programme as opposed to the multitude of other times he's been on TV ranting is the final words before the show ended.. "the SPCA were approached for comment and they to don't condone greyhound racing". I've always said that the day the SPCA turns against the sport then its doomed, I now fear that greyhound racing's day's are very very numbered.

Wow that's come as a shock to me. Really enjoyed chatting with Mike at the races, he was one of the good buggers for sure. So sorry for your loss, sincere condolences and best wishes. RIP Mike.

Who could work for that pull through for more than a month?

And trifecta pools are not commingled, all other bet types are.

He probably won't mind doing that, he's still going to make money from the meeting cause the battlers are racing his cast off's that didn't make his standards and he still retains shares in most of them!!

Nope that can't happen, certainly not without huge backlash. The precedent for this rule was set during the Schofield case, the police removed him from the property if I recall correctly. Although Lisa is the registered trainer Brendon is a licensed LP so he will also have to pack his bags and move away from the property..

Shame on her for getting involved with that kennel.

Even if they were granted 20 races I doubt they could of carded that many, not without 10 c1 races.

Hayley's average to above average training stat's started to plummet like a deflated hot air balloon the day she started racing those Cole/Rendle cast off's. A large number of them (like most dogs he moves on) had one start and broke down, bet she didn't get any kennel fee's for rehabilitating those lemons either. Why people can't see that if he is wanting to move a dog on its because he's got the 5 or 6 low grade wins from it to recoupe some outlay and he knows they won't compete, why the hell would he not train them himself for 3/4's of their stake earnings instead of 25%! Time to sharpen up people and say NO to their sh#t!

Finally I'm going to get to watch a dog race with the volume turned on.

All the very best to you both.

I gave up punting on horses when the Tab started announcing during lead up time that "this horse has taken a $5k bet at 2.80 and another $3k bet at 2.70" etc etc blah blah bollocks! There's no way the tab would take bets of that amount and the horse starts still paying $2.70! Furthermore I did not see even one of these horse's win! Utter bollocks and misleading info and backed by the fact we could never ascertain if these bets were actually placed.

What I hope for is that dog racing in the North survives this season...with very few newcomers around and others taking on tier 2 clapped out cast off's I feel its in dire straights...tip to all newcomers (and maybe some not so).... Another trainer will not give you a dog worth it's weight in dog poo if they thought it was capable of earning money, think about it.... Why would they? Yes there is the odd exception ie: not quite good enough for quality Sth island low grade middle distance racing but there's no excuse for low grade or near retirement age sprinters from the CD! Taking these dogs will not only mentally demoralise you and send you broke but also put you off the game in a big hurry. If a young comer has no other option for racing stock I suggest you sign an agreement with these "people" that they take their dogs away from your kennels if they get injured or upon retirement, especially so if the dog has not paid its way whilst in your care.

Personally I'd love to be a fly on the wall if you rang Craik and said you've got a dog for him to train on 50/50 and it will win about $12k a year!!!!!!!!! Even more so if you suggested you had another one that should earn $25k a year but your not prepared to split that stakes 50/50!!!!! https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OGC.e2e6137e062f0efebcd48c694579589a&pid=Api&rurl=https%3a%2f%2fmedia.giphy.com%2fmedia%2f14gjmr7pDMzPXy%2fgiphy.gif&ehk=Xn14ASs4DyEhCEq7AOo84w

I for one wouldn't train a dog for you if you think someone is making money by outlaying $16 a day then getting paid $16 a day! 50/50 dogs HAVE to earn $25k+ a year and then your running at a standard 100% margin, but, and there's big buts!! This doesn't include trial fees, travel to trials, worming, fleaing, registration, bedding, bowls, muzzles, travel to race days, vet bills etc etc etc, all this let alone getting paid something for your labour!!! Sorry to tell you that you didn't make any money from the 50/50 dogs you trained that won $12k a year, you lost money hand over fist!!! Imagine if that word "income tax" was also thrown in the mix!!!!

I've haven't got owners, been there done that. Got tucked based off word of mouth stats as to what their dogs could apparently do hence accepting their dogs on 50/50. Had one run 50mtrs then turn around and run back, one that jumped and hooked so hard to the right it almost hit the outside fence and worse still it stayed there the entire way (which was about 25 seconds for a 300 sprint by the way) That one cost me $50 every trial to pay for the replacement of the sprinkler heads it destroyed on the way around. Had another that was "yip he's ready to go", all but knocked my front teeth out trying to load it in the boxes for the first trial for me, took that one to the best greyhound vet in the country and he couldn't believe another trainer with years of experience could suggest it was "yip ready to race", he suspected it hadn't left it kennel to exercise...... ever!! Just out of interest who in your opinion are the top 5 trainers in the Akl/Waikato region? And who would you suggest has been the most successful, business wise?

What it should cost owners for training of a race dog and what it actually cost's are very different. Personally I believe this inconsistency will be what finally drives smaller trainers out of the game. Here's some facts to consider when pondering what you believe is a fair price to pay. I pay $35 a day for my dog that's 1 6th of the size of a greyhound to go to doggy daycare, the hours are strict, drop off after 7am and pick up before 6pm, no food is given, they expect the dogs are feed prior to arriving, they spend the day in a secure paddock with shelter and toys. For $400 a month instead of the $35 day rate I can drop my dog there as many days as I want. Please can someone give me a valid reason as to why a race dog should be any cheaper per day to train for its owners? Bare in mind race dogs are fed twice a day and fed only the very best meat available, often given expensive vitamin supplements, they are also checked over, massaged or ultrasounded if need be, cared for 24hrs day and night and then prepared and transported to the races, all this plus numerous other tasks involved with their care. Greyhound trainers need to band together, if only just once, and agree on a fixed price that you all charge, hey someone will do it cheaper but leave them to it. With the increased stake money available and the fact dogs can race twice a week I think its high time the greyhound code has a go at shrugging that "far cheaper than owning a race horse" belief of its shoulders and gets with the real times. Personally I just want to sit back and watch some of these owners who have taken the piss for years start to exit "stage right" at a great rate of knots!!

And what have these “supermarket” dogs done for the people who have taken them on? Nothing!!! Oh actually they have done something, increases these trainers outgoings tenfold and completely stuffed their “starters to stake payers” stat’s!

But worse still the greedy owners don’t gift these “lemons” to the trainers.....they still retain ownership and sucker these people into training them on deals!! Disgusting. If they insist on doing this they should be made to take them all back immediately after they have finished racing and be made to care for them until rehomed. Half the reason small trainers are on the out is because their kennels are clogged with these “hospital pass” dogs waiting to go to gap or similar, mostly because these small trainers actually care about the dogs in their kennels and don’t consider them just another number.

Gidday Mike, I notice you commented you don’t race any dogs currently, are you finished with hound racing or just having a break? Although I use an alias (like most on this site) I have met and chatted with you many times so I’m asking the question simply out of curiosity. I was around starting from the days of your top dog Matanuska, he was top dog for sure.

I also noticed the gap between the bigtime prefix. It seems to have come about since his court appearance. I’m thinking (and hoping) it was implemented by the GRNZ to make their job easier to determine how much stake money he has to repay when he’s found guilty and banned...

Thus meaning the trainers lawyer may insist upon calling those up as witnesses perhaps?!!!!

And here I’am thinking I’ve probably seen or heard most things in my life and I stumble across this beauty. No wonder this sport is on it’s knees. I hope the committee didn’t waste to much of their lives coming to an agreement as to who the respondent should actually be, there goes 10 seconds of their existence that they will never get back. One would have to feel sorry for life’s creator, imagine them looking down and seeing that dribble and saying “where did I go so wrong” Anyway gota fly, my greyhound wants to use my phone to send an email, he got a speeding ticket on the beach last week and by all accounts I can’t write his letter of defence......could be a long day.

In fairness the trainer in question has been around the dog racing circuit for a very long time and has also overcome injuries that many may not of recovered from as well as she has. Maybe handlers/trainers that are more capable and physically fit could offer to help, my guess would be that she doesn’t want to ask for help. Some younger newcomers could benefit from her knowledge might I add. It’s a tad harsh crucifying someone whose obviously still got a passion for the sport but physically struggles with the odd over eager dog. I’ve seen a few battle scars, ie black eyes on trainers far stronger than she is as a result of temperamental hounds. Keep doing what you love and training winners Shirley.

Interested to no exactly what it is that you “cannot stand” about Brian’s call’s? Which current caller would you rate of a higher standard all round, meaning pre race tipping and overall in depth knowledge of greyhound racing as a whole?