scooby3051

Fair Go Please Thu, 02 Oct 2014
Michael Pitman       Yes, this article pertains to me, Michael Pitman.
Last week I reluctantly took one horse to the Otago meeting held on Saturday. I left Christchurch just after 7.30am on Saturday morning, having given serious thought to scratching Coup Rotorua, which I race myself, concerned that the track may be too puggy. No they got rain Thursday night it should be reasonably loose, well it wasn’t. It was a heavy puggy 10. I arrived back in Christchurch at 8.30pm. My horse ran fifth and the stake money was $200 not enough to cover the petrol.
That I can handle, what I did not take kindly was that I was fined for being seventeen minutes late in declaring my rider, 10.17am Thursday morning, over 53 hours before my horse was due to race. I know it’s a bit like getting a parking ticket when you are 10 minutes late, and it’s just revenue gathering but it makes me annoyed.
 As a professional trainer I am driving all over the South Island arranging horses racing, nominations, withdrawals, feed, vets, farriers, apprentices and their rides, wages, rent, staff hours, owners calls, etc, etc. That’s my job and I work hard for long hours to get things done and occasionally I’ll run a little late. While it seems that the bureaucrats seem to have to account to no one, giving out false pentrometer readings, poor track inspections, there is plenty more as I am sure most of you are aware.
But, oh no, no one polices the police. Well I for one have had about enough  of employees of the industry  whether they be NZTR, Racing Board or RIU employees not being more accountable it’s time they were, just as much as we trainers and jockeys have to be accountable, you need to smarten up your acts. Sure we are easy targets and you lot make sure we get done every step of the way.
David Walker was stood down instantly and tried by everyone before his hearing. I do not condone what David Walker did, I have spoken to him and told him so, but on the other hand I feel sorry for David as he was obviously pushed into a corner and saw on opportunity to make some much needed money. Was it wrong? Of course it was, wrong and illegal. So we take his livelihood away for seven years, he gets disqualified, no longer can he ride race day, ride work,  he can’t associate with any license holders.
Why not lock him up and throw away the key, racing provided David with the dumb Head to Head bet. If two horses are going to finish out of the placings there is no onus on either rider to ride their mounts to the line, yet we have head to head betting, get rid of it or only payout if one horse is placed or earns a stake.  A lot was made of David and his race day evidence, as he was not charged on race day but well after the event, can the police change a transcript of events on the day of a crime being committed?  I will leave you to ponder that thought.
Meanwhile I will ensure that my riders are declared on time not wanting to be dobbed in by a pen pusher in Wellington who sits in a comfortable office getting paid regardless of weather, track conditions, wrong reports, bad rides, interference, bad luck or heaven forbid human error.

Agree in areas too but if I'm paying the bills and I've got to pay the same amount for all jockeys I'd like to have the choice of what I perceive as the best available for my horse same as any industry really.

I see where the little guy named Hamish..although I prefer hamster is posting what has been posted here again on another channel...I guess he is like little Johnny who runs off and tells tales....the way we moderate here is try to be fair to everyone! which is no easy task???but it will not be a rumor and slanging site as long as I own it??sorry but that is not where we are heading....but I guess we must be doing something right or little hamster would not be wanting to try to pull us down....thanks hamster keep up the free publicity for me please....

I think some village is missing their idiot.

Sarcasm is angers fat ugly cousin. The lowest form of communication.

Have a say by all means but leave the small man syndrome at home. Im sure you have something intellegent to say ,please say it in a gentleman-ly fashion and it will be respect.

please take that on board and dont have some goofy comeback. This isnt one of the rock music forums the kids of today get their jollys by making smart arse gibberish up.

What a wonderful gesture by the family to guarantee an on-going stake of $300K for this race. Such generosity helps to off-set the profligacy at Head Office.Well done the Dykes and Waikato Racing Club.

This is a joke and needs to be addressed immediately.
 
It is reported that a late scratching costs the industry 13k,we have had a half dozen or so in the last month.What does this do the profile of our product.One week we have the the RIU saying this is a club matter and then the following week say they are going to look into the matter.
 
The West Coast of the SI paid 100k for a set of 12 stalls,THAT CAN BE TRANSPORTED around meeting to meeting.The 4 clubs paid for the stalls themselves and had NO financial support from the NZRB or NZTR They were forced into this action because i am told the CJC has refused the clubs to use there gates.Now these clubs race on one day a year,so if they can do why the hell can't RACE???
 
Now we are told that another junket is being arranged to Paris.I was told that the last junket cost the Industry 40k plus when they went to Hong Kong.
These junkets must be stopped and the infrastructure that is so important to our product must be addressed NOW.
 
Did GP and his band of merry followers pay the training fees and float fees for the horses that were late scratched due to the continuing problem with the gates?I will say NO but they continue down this Road of Destruction of our Industry.

Their horse their choice...

Fair enough....It is your site.
Not sure about the personal attack statement, I cant see how I have offended him.
I have not been posting as much recently because of the negative bullshit.....you do get sick of it.
Seems that many others have done the same looking at the recent posts.....I will get back under my rock...

My opinion and I will put it out there... J OShea = overrated...

My opinion and I will put it out there... J OShea = overrated...

I agree enough of the character slanging of each other...David walker chose to do what he did.. got caught..got punished and as always there are different view points but no need to go to personal stuff... move on..

Ok think this thread has run its course.
 
Maybe the punishment was "harsh" but I think the RIU was making an example of him and we can all hope any would be offenders might be turned off trying to pull a similar stunt. There is no place for cheating in racing.
 
D.Walker may be a great guy etc but he was caught red handed. The ride was a disgrace and caught on camera collecting his winning was the icing on the proverbial cake. You have to take responsibility for your actions.
 
Sure he might have money problems but hey we all have our crosses to bare,it doesn't mean we go cheat the system to get back in front.
 
He didn't want a lawyer by the sound of it and as he said 6months or 6 years didn't matter he was finished.
He would have needed the same lawyer as a certain South African athlete to get off.
 
So yes a very sad story but also a lesson for us all. Respect the law or learn to fear it
 
Move on

Well guys I will probably get shot for my choice of races but most of the best races had small fields this weekend so I went away from them to make it more interesting...
 
Hastings Race 4 Gold Trail Stakes
 
Hastings Race 8 Windsor Park Horlicks Stakes
 
Caulfield   Race 5 Dalziel Handicap
 
I am ready for it...Cheers.
Scooby.

Cubes did the login thing tonight and saw Racecafe had 100,895 replies to 7,588 topics .
Cubes thought that the 100k mark was something to be acknowledged and congratulated.
 

In your world nothing is wrong...just stop pedaling senseless drivel in here please... You are the ONLY one in here who thinks things aren't crook and getting worse..so everyone else is wrong and you are right???...I think not...You fasthorse are stuck out on a limb like a shag on a rock..

Do you overpay your staff when they do not do a good job and when you profits are dwindling, and your salary costs keep spiralling upwards??? if you are honest you will say no... but lets wait and see...

If anyone asked Nathan Guy (or the other useless ministers before him)about racing in China, broodmare numbers , stakemoney levels, racehorse owners, the last chief executive of NZTR or pretty much anything about NZ Racing you'd be hard pressed to get any response other than a quick exit in the direction of Bellamy's. Pretty impressive stuff from Winston off the cuff.
 
Don't know that I agree with much else that NZ First talks about but when it comes to Racing Ministers he's in front by the length of the straight !

Here we go again.
 
The mouth from the south brings dribble to the table,stirs the pot and gets his pay off :everyone starts to argue with him.
 
End of the day this thread requires a very simple response.
 
Fasthorse please compare apples with apples if comparison is your argument of choice.
 
This is just gibberish.
 
If I was to come on here and say NBA All Stars earn $50mil a year  so our top 5 jocks should earn the same,id be laughed out of town. Same logic used. Equally flawed.
 
Don't humour the man. There is no logic behind his thinking. Its chalk and cheese.
 
You can tell yourself everything is ok as the house burns down around you but it doesn't make it so.
 
Lock the thread scooby its a waste of time.

lets hope you get a decent week of weather and a good surface for Saturdays big meeting...you are one of the most open and honest clubs in the country... well done.

lets hope you get a decent week of weather and a good surface for Saturdays big meeting...you are one of the most open and honest clubs in the country... well done.

Good idea Boris...the entry fees will help pay for the Hospital costs after anyone tries Olga's recipes.......

Ze hedleyz makes good posts maybez we has private room for tipperz - charge entry feez to read olgas recipes

Good on you Hedley... you are always a welcome poster here...

i've always intended posting thoughts here pre the race or races..but i usually decide not to because of how many nasty bastards post here, and so i never do...but i always Have an opinion on how and why runners will go good or not..but i choose to 'stay out of it'...just as i choose to stay out of the tipping comps etc.
 
crap i've seen posted by people here in the last few days affirms my opinion to just leave you all to it., no matter how robust my posts are with perfectly good reasonings, contentions and protests against mediocrety being accepted by the community here...i still get the smart arses telling me i'm wrong.
 
if i posted tips or pre race previews, i'd divulge considerable knowledges i've taught myself over 4 decades of 'following' the gallopers...and i've often intended to...but then the smart asses 'kill my fire' as a desire to do so
 
..i guess i'm too sensitive / stubborn to be able to be a properly practising member of this community...but i'm very glad i'm not some of you other bastards
 
..if this posting disqualifies me in any way...sobeit too

Great idea....includes all sections and shares the largesse around..not just to owners.

http://www.racingnetwork.com.au/spring-racing-premiership-launched/tabid/83/newsid/21562/default.aspx