Leggy

Nominated horses must have been trained by a person holding a NZ licence for the season under review and must have been stabled in NZ for more than half of the season

That's a ripper!

I thought the matting was in the shallow root zone, not the surface?

The meeting scheduled for Hawke’s Bay on Saturday 27 April will now be a Wanganui JC meeting at Wanganui as the track at Hawke’s Bay requires more time after its recent renovation.

40mms of rain forecast today. Considering that, how they think they can now fix in 4 days to be safe for trials, what they have failed to fix since Millions night, is not really comprehensible to me. It seems they have only just now ordered the coring machinery necessary to remedy the problem? "ATR has ordered a corer machine to help ensure the ongoing track surface will continue to improve ...

Be interesting to see who is willing to trial their horses on it on Monday. I certainly wouldn't.

Isn't that for Strathayr sport fields?

You could say that but none that have undergone a seeding process with all others being turfed, and none that have ever had a weather related abandonment.

I've been offering solutions for 20 years but the powers that be have shown no inclination to implement any of them.. In a sentence, fix the tracks, fix the handicapping system, fix the programming and aim to make thoroughbred racing self-sustainable again as it was then.

It has failed at this point hasn't it, whether anyone wanted to see that or not, which I doubt?

So why are they putting horses and riders at risk on a track that requires "heavy renovation""?

As far as I am aware, there are no similar tracks.

The 2023 NZTR Club Awards Winners are as follows: Metropolitan - Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Overall Winner - Co-winners Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and Whangarei Racing Club

Good question. Maybe an elongated Easter break? Not a word from the NZTR Board chair either.

How?

Yes.

My prediction is that like most tracks in NZ they'll continue to try patching it up for a year or two, and like the Kensington Strathayr at Randwick, end up having to rip it up and spend 18 months re-laying it before it is usable. Meanwhile, they will continue to close usable tracks. Kensington track at Randwick to be replaced 31 December 2015 by By Chris Scholtz - racingandsports.com.au Tuesday’s barrier trials on the Kensington track have confirmed what most at Randwick knew was a fait accompli – the much-maligned track is not up to racing standard and will be replaced. Racing NSW has acted with chief executive Peter V’Landys confirming that the costly “all weather” turf track – out of commission since November of 2014 - will be replaced. V'landys issued the death knell for the Kensington track in its current form after receiving reports that the problems that have plagued the course still exist after it hosted five trials for the first time in more than 14 months on Tuesday. "There is no doubt it is not suitable as a racing surface. We have given it every chance to perform and it doesn't," V'landys told Fairfax media. "There is only one option left available to us. We have to work through the detail but we'll be looking to resurface it. “Everything will be done in conjunction with the ATC.” Another set of trials are scheduled to be held on the Kensington track on January 12 but Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy says it has no future in its current state. “It happens every time we use the track, they just get into it and rip it out," Murrihy said. “It hasn't improved. I can't see it being able to hold a race meeting as it is now.” More than $3 million has been spent renovating the Kensington track in the last two years in a bid to get it up to standard. The Australian Turf Club was prepared to rip up the track six months ago but Racing NSW stepped in and deferred any action as it will finance much of the cost for the installation of a new turf surface – probably kikuyu similar the Newcastle Jockey Club’s successful inner track now being used for racing at Broadmeadow. The current Kensington grass is similar to Moonee Valley’s successful Strathayr track but has been beset by problems from the start. The grass - known as ‘Village Green’ - is lush on top but fails to take root and knit with the underlying mesh. In its current state it could only be used for trackwork and occasional barrier trials. "The grass hasn't knitted. It just rips out and the damage takes a long time to repair because of the lack of a root system,” said Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani.

Race 2 AUCKLAND CO-OP TAXIS MAIDEN 3YO 1200 Following this race comment was made by some riders that their mounts were shifting in the ground. Films from Race 2 were also further reviewed with there being no apparent movement. Stewards convened a meeting with riders along with club officials and after viewing available film footage it was agreed that the meeting should continue. So, they sent them round again before convening a Track Safety Review Panel? Seriously?

Curious to know what Paul had to say when you had a chat Chris?

What negativity?

Sorry. You can't tell them and they obviously can't interpret the numbers.

Great. Please let us know what Paul has to say.

Chris, they chose to grow their own grass on it rather than follow the Strathayr standard used elsewhere in the world in which case it should have been fine for racing in 3 weeks according to Strathayr. My question remains, how long will it take to become a safe racing surface and how many horses will have to be risked in helping it become so?