Charlie E

Your obviously not alone. One only has to watch it  let alone read the excellent CMN figures.  

Mark seems like a very clued up individual and probably too honest and clever to be involved in running the sport at the right level 🙄 

I don't like the drone at all 

I don't like the drone at all 

These days I hardly watch the Harness in the North . It's repetitive and very boring and I hate to say that but its true .
Same small fields , same horses , am sure others feel the same . 
Why would people buy horses not knowing what the future lies . Back in the 70's and 80's had heaps of hobby trainers not anymore 

These days I hardly watch the Harness in the North . It's repetitive and very boring and I hate to say that but its true .
Same small fields , same horses , am sure others feel the same . 
Why would people buy horses not knowing what the future lies . Back in the 70's and 80's had heaps of hobby trainers not anymore 

These days I hardly watch the Harness in the North . It's repetitive and very boring and I hate to say that but its true .
Same small fields , same horses , am sure others feel the same . 
Why would people buy horses not knowing what the future lies . Back in the 70's and 80's had heaps of hobby trainers not anymore 

These days I hardly watch the Harness in the North . It's repetitive and very boring and I hate to say that but its true .
Same small fields , same horses , am sure others feel the same . 
Why would people buy horses not knowing what the future lies . Back in the 70's and 80's had heaps of hobby trainers not anymore 

And what happens up North if the training complex is sold?

What the hell was the go with the long drone overhead coverage of the Wellington Steeplechase.  
It was a blight on the race as a spectacle and bloody annoying. It was very hard to tell where they were exactly on the course and was that far away the horses were tiny looking down. When they switched back from the drone to normal coverage it was far better viewing. 
 
 
 
 
  
 

My Prediction for the Future of Harness Racing in New Zealand   It’s becoming increasingly clear that harness racing in New Zealand is heading for a serious crisis—one driven not by a lack of passion within the industry, but by poor leadership, financial mismanagement, and strategic failures at the top.   At the centre of this downward spiral is John Mooney. His reckless spending and apparent disregard for fiscal responsibility are putting our industry at serious risk. It’s baffling how someone with such questionable personal financial history was entrusted with oversight of our industry’s money in the first place. His mismanagement is evident in the race date allocations, where races are created in direct competition for the same small pool of horses. This not only splits fields but drains financial resources—losing the industry money instead of generating it.   Communication with clubs has broken down, leading to infighting rather than collaboration. The lack of transparency and consultation from those in charge only deepens division and alienation. This is not how a national sporting code survives—let alone thrives.   While the introduction of geo-blocking may offer a temporary fix, the real reckoning comes when the Entain funding deal ends. Our turnover figures are already falling short of what’s needed to sustain current stake levels. When that guaranteed money dries up in a few years, and we’re left exposed, those responsible—Mooney and Brad Steele—will likely walk away, leaving the damage behind for others to clean up. We’re also wasting time and money fantasizing about training centres, at a time when we’re losing trainers and horses. The focus should be on retaining and supporting what we have—not building infrastructure for a future that may never come under the current direction.   Auckland Trotting Club is another financial sinkhole. Despite receiving disproportionate industry funding, it continues to produce small fields, low GBRs (gross betting revenue), and poor attendance. The decision to sell Pukekohe—yet still be in financial turmoil—makes no sense. Auckland is losing its training base, which will reduce horse and trainer numbers even further. Alexandra Park is a logistically difficult venue for many, and it’s not serving the wider industry.   The only sustainable path for Auckland is bold: sell Alexandra Park, retain Pukekohe, and invest in a world-class training and racing complex, similar to Menangle in NSW. With the right structure, Auckland could then re-emerge as a vibrant centre with strong prize money, improved horse numbers, and renewed interest from owners and trainers.   Meanwhile, the proposed handicapping changes—also driven by Mooney—threaten to destroy the bread-and-butter racing that actually generates revenue. Overemphasis on high-end age group races may look glamorous on paper, but it risks alienating the core participants who race week in and week out. It’s the country meetings in Canterbury and Southland that keep the engine running—alongside major days like Cup Week. Harness racing in New Zealand is a television sport, and that model only works if you have full fields, competitive betting, and regular racing.   In summary, if we don’t act decisively now—by stopping the flawed handicapping changes, completely reworking our major race dates, developing logical and aligned carnivals, placing the right people in charge of the industry’s money, and getting clubs working collaboratively—the sport will not survive in its current form. We are on the edge of the cliff   Mark Jones   Never one to shy away from major Harness issues IMHO. Good on him

A good trainer and decent bloke.

Yeah but wait till she starts calling races and going on about the Storm or Wahs , god forbid .

She is very annoying too..just give her time.

I bet he wouldn't mind if it was Brittany 😉

Tbh I do like Justin's commentaries but he does ramble on a bit . I used to like Tony Lee and Alex Fields when they used to joke around on Trackside . George Simon he is always a crack up , some people just have the gift 

Tbh I do like Justin's commentaries but he does ramble on a bit . I used to like Tony Lee and Alex Fields when they used to joke around on Trackside . George Simon he is always a crack up , some people just have the gift 

Your going off on a tangent to the subject matter. God help us if Trackside get him presenting again after Queenslands win. And if he's commentating then they need to cross over to him when there is only 5 seconds left.
 
 

The CEO probably went to The Warehouse for a can of Elbow Grease but found it out of stock.  

25 mins before 1st race they finally listed 
These aussie shit races close in 4 hours - I can see the urgency in putting these up first - this is where the punters want to invest
A farking joke

And the clown who injected mortician juice.

Well Uncle Charlie went a cracker after winning the fiasco race last week , amazing what winning can do for a horses confidence .
Good luck to the owner and trainer .

Full credit to Uncle Charlie. He beat some well credentialed runners.

Freya…. Caught asleep….out sprinted…..

What a joke - runs into two horses that were galloping - no they didn't break just in front of him but he still found them lol. The good thing about his driving is that you can get overs betting against him.