John Clydesdale

Trump, you are not too far away from reality, or what it really should be. But if you have seen him in action, you can see how he could convince the “Board” he was going in the right direction. The chair was the culprit, she of little upstairs, but plenty everywhere else. JA convinced her, and she wouldn’t know what he was talking about because she didn’t understand the industry anyway, as exampled by the resignation statement. JA will show up again, possibly as the new President of the Labour Party as he and Jacinda would get on well together, both smiling and shallow and trying to provide answers to everything. Sorry folks, there is still a funding shortfall of significance, so there has to be less racing or races, to consume the less money available for stakes. Betting levels will be a real challenge but if the second part of the plan is franked in Parliament before Christmas then there is light ahead, but a wee way off as yet.

Question for Dean There are various platforms available in the communication world today. But the TAB have closed the door on the phone punters and the small bettors that had an interest, and also closed the various TAB sites and agencies around the country, therefore leading to the closure of the 4 to 5 hours of churn betting that such platforms generated. Can we expect to see a return of phone betting and less closures of TAB outlets to facilitate the 20% of betting that was lost as a result of such closures? The average age of a racing bettor is increasing and that age is not a reflection of the latest communication platforms available in NZ. There could be an increase of up to 10% betting available if they understand markets and customers!! John John Clydesdale The decision to move away from phone betting was taken in 2016. Like other industries, TAB customers were increasingly shifting online. At the time, more than 70% of customers over 65 were using online channels and very few new customers were using the Phonebet service. The TAB has continued to provide touchtone betting and a phone service for medically restricted customers. As we look to increase distributions to industry we have to be very conscious of our spend as well as what our customers want. Returning to phonebet is not an investment we are looking to make. The retail network remains a very important part of the TAB offering . However, given the ongoing migration of customers to other channels, we are constantly reviewing our network to ensure it’s fit for purpose and commercially viable. We have more than 500 TAB outlets around the country and we continue to invest in our branches to improve the customer experience.But it’s also a very costly part of our business so we need to continue to be mindful of driving efficiencies where we can, including through our online offering.

I have two mares from this family, whilst not black type horses, they have left plenty of winners. Blancpain, the best of them and all hers to race have won. It was witnessing Il Tempo winning the Cups that prompted me to get in the family, backed up of course by Show Gate and her wonderful deeds. I just need to breed one with a bit of the class of those two horses and I would be happy. cheers John

Does anyone know how/when the computer upgrades it’s betting? I went to have a bet on my IPad on a horse racing tomorrow, somehow the TAB doesn’t like IPads at the moment. So I use my phone. 3 hours ago, the race had $81 in the win pool. I backed the horse I wanted. 3 hours later, the win pool is $86 and yet the money for my bet has left my account, but clearly not into the win pool as my bet was modest but significantly it would have put the win pool into three figures. How does this multi million dollar contraption work? Just saying Glenda John Clydesdale

Tripple, where do you get $ 50 - $70 from? Not a show in the next few years. Go back ten years and look at the Balance Sheet of the Racing Board, that will explain to you how idiot after idiot believed they could expand the make things improve and work well. All they did, bankers and the unprofessionals like John Allen was to use reserves completely, sell the assets (eg. purpose built building) and then borrow money to exist on their total misunderstanding of the industry. Between the Stiassny (sp?) and the Hughes techno disasters, these Wally’s have spent in excess of $60 million designing a platform that we did not need to make, it existed already. Not only that, they have warranted their own self importance by increasing the overhead of their own operations to a level that now almost equals the total local turnover of our code. The plonkers have a belief they were doing a good job...........................Beggars belief that they thought they were doing a good job. Racefields and POC are going to provide input, but we have to get the costs and overheads out of the management pronto, but that is going to cost money as JA and his sycophants will have very profitable exist clauses no doubt. I would say 20% cost deletion out of management, but the upfront cost will have to met and amortised over time. But where does the money come from........? I’m picking we won’t last next season without a significant input from somewhere......that will have to be borrowing, or maybe the Jones fund, but it will certainly have to be a reduction in races staged as we will not have the funds to run them. Accounting 101. Just saying

Trump you are so right. I am not sure what Tripple is on, but he is miles away from reality. The question I need an answer to is, where is the money going tome from to; - to sustain the industry - pay the exit clauses on the contracts that prevail under the Allen regime - create the marketing change that delivers more to racing than the focus on sports that delivers very little to us - so where does the dosh come from, Allen and the Chair have exposed the industry to the extent that we have become a risk to lenders on any platform. Just saying............

This is an interesting challenge and I wish Tony and the Archers the best of luck. But you need a truck load of it to get the loot. We raced a horse in the race many years back that could run 1600m in 1.32.29 (won the Easter in that time) who trailed for most of the run in the Straddie, then has a hiccup, and Thorn Park strode home in a really good time off that very quick pace. If Cahill can get the same sit as the two runs so far, then he is a winning chance. But believe me, luck is significant in this race, the pony from New Plymouth being testimony to that effect. All the best for the Boston connections John

RR - A lot of companies now lease, or lease to own, as a means of getting the vehicle and paying a little more to do so, and then hand the vehicle back should they upgrade or go broke. It is still subject to tax implications which I won’t bore you with, but fair to say they are paying for the privilege in some way shape or form. A lot of people want to look the bis and are willing to pay the cash for it. I prefer your logic personally. cheers John

RR, you need to have a look at NZ Tax laws when talking about new cars. Something call Fringe benefit Tax applies to cars, tax rate (last time I looked) 45%. Depreciation claim is slower than the drop in value of the car, no refunds at all and you keep paying the FBT on the purchase price value, not the current value. You should look at the Tax laws in NZ instead of making ridiculous proclamations about cars and refunds and cash backs. Cheers John

Hi Leo I am not going to inflate the fire by annoying you with detail, but......whilst I share some similar concerns with NZTR, the industry is a bulk funded platform as per the 2003 Act. So each code gets their apportioned share of the available spare from the NZRB to operate their business. Your ex mate from the Eastern suburbs spent $22 mil on Typhoon that was chucked in the tip. At 14.5% of turnover, work out the numbers as to the turnover that fired against the porcelain. J Allen has no idea of the value of a dollar. J Allen is an flee economically. Sold the granite, the purpose built Perone building, and drained the $20 mil of reserves he had when he took up the role. The guy has absolutely no idea what he is doing running a business. He never has run a successful business. Whilst verbose and interesting to listen to, he is humorous as he no knowledge of what he is talking about. He has spent the borrowed $25 mil and RITA get the hospital pass to extend the credit line. He is responsible, no question. You have been there with regards spend versus debt and you have learned, this codger has not learned a skerret from his underwhelming performances at NZ Post or MFAT and we, the industry, are paying the price. Unless the credit line is extended from August 1st, with turnover dropping as a result of an inferior website performance, the thoroughbred distribution to NZTR to operate the code drops dramatically and so racing has a reduction both in stakes and horse volume. They are all interconnected as a result of a CEO not knowing what the hell he is doing, on any front!! Turnover drives any industry, yours, mine and racing, when it drops so does the scope of that business performance within any industry. Pure economics 101 my friend. Cheers John

Hi fans, have a look at the main race yesterday at Rotorua, Zacada was in front for the length of the straight, wasn’t he? cheers John

Leo What a croc! Adamson got the heave from Fletchers for obvious losses, Allen has proportionately generated bigger losses from a no competition monopoly. The guy got the flick by McCully after his fiasco at MFAT, and palmed him off to his ding dong cabinet mate from Foxton to look after Racing. Spare me, if you think he shouldn’t be given the heave for bad management, then you clearly know little about what happens in Wellington. NZRB paid $265K for the Best Bets masthead, check the Balance Sheet. News Media, owners of BB could not believe their luck. A form guide that was going down the drain and the NZRB paid the dough. The man at the centre of that is now a consultant to NZRB, there is your answer. J Allen has a history of failures in business, this will be yet another because he excessively spends money and creates turnover losses unprecedented by any monopoly business NZ has known.....and it is not his responsibility? Does this not sink in to your thinking? cheers John

Dewse

Totally correct. Huey is using post racing history to judge a race. Winx????? cheers John

The Lion confirmed Berri. Outstanding opportunity from a branch of the Sadlers Wells line that works everywhere. Well done Cambridge Stud. Cheers John

Thanks Naz, puts a few races into perspective when thinking about stallion selections. cheers John

P4P - I don’t think Mr Notts quite has a grip on things taxable, but I would suggest that Mr Cullen thinks that if you gain you pay, but if you don’t gain, you also don’t get to claim. That’s all fair as far as he is concerned.......It will have as much chance to get off the ground as a walrus.

Sorry to say Peter, the Racing Board did the job two years ago.

I have a 2YO filly bred on the same cross as Lisdoonvarna that I would like to sell. She has been broken and has spelled for a few months to grow. Any interested parties can respond on 21 939 119 Cheers John

Sat at home, watched great fields competing and made a small positive amount. Observations; Track has improved considerably, new CEO has some clues as the presentation of all aspects of the club which has improved enormously over the previous 2 CEO’s, a bit of style and an invitation to become part of it. Great benefit from the investment in the track surface, and will only be better next year. First time I have seen in years that the Railway has been a “true quality Gr 1 race”. Winner was the best horse, ridden well and got the “air” at the right time. Second and third can win a group one any tick of the clock, great race to enjoy watching from afar. Very strong form from a number of winners will evolve from the race day. Well done Ellerslie.

Red Rum Do even own a horse?

Not wanting to undermine todays performance in any way, but the time is a reflection of the competition involved. I was in Melbourne last week and I think Shillelaghs run on Derby day was 2 seconds faster than today. How may lengths that translates to over a mile is significant. But he should go there for sure to test himself, if he can run 1.33 and change, he will be a real chance in the Donny. He may just be able to do that, but that’s lengths faster than he ran today.

Don’t get over excited there PFP, there is no legal precedent where an incorporated society with a defined constitution (club) that describes what is to be concluded should liquidation of that Society (club) [if it happens] occur. The actual outcome is defined in the constitution of the club, it does not automatically transfer or delivers the proceeds of that sale to a leasing licence provider. Put simply, you own your mobile phone, if you sell it, do you give the proceeds to Vodafone, Spark, 2 Degrees or whichever provider you use. Of course not. As far as I am aware, the sitting Govt would have the devils own job of trying to take ownership of the any land and then selling it to gain the proceeds. That is according to NZRB’s own lawyers report, Bell Gully, completed some years ago. Your mate Stiassny explored that possibility and was advised to go no further. NZTR tried a manoeuvre a couple of years back with clubs to change their constitutions to gain this same outcome, I am not sure what the success rate was for NZTR, but poor outlook for the clubs that did accept that constitutional amendment. There will be a protracted outcome to some of the reduction of courses, in saying that I believe we have to accept the report for what it is, reality....................... I hope there is someone to be appointed who can manage the plan and gain the outcome desired.

Hedley, the costs of operation of the Racing Board have tipped the industry into the position it now finds itself. I believe the Messara Report needs to be implemented in the most part, but there will be flexibility along the way to get the desired outcome. However, when you hear John Allen stating that a consideration of using an offshore supplier for betting is worthy of consideration (on National radio news at 11am) you have complete confirmation that the Govt employee he was and will always be, has absolutely no idea what he is doing. He wouldn’t be able to empty his boot appropriately at the local recycling centre. The industry has to adopt change to move forward, the assumptions of the report will be put to the test, as they should, but, and it is a huge but, we have to accept the inevitable, change is required. Clubs need to merge, but the tier system will work, as it does around the world. Get on with it.

Ditto