Rusty

Get rid of the whips - no place for it these days
I took a couple of teenagers to Alex Park 2 years ago - they don't want to go back because of this.

Get HRNZ to develop a coherent business plan in conjunction with NZRB or its successor if one occurs post Messara report and MAC recommendations.
More penalty free races for juniors
More F and M races with tighter ratings bands
A re-look at rating system taking into account different quality of horses competing at the various venues i.e  metrop versus country

Tell you what - there's a group of people that hang out on these sites and say that the racing game is dying. They bemoan everything new that comes, bag the shit out of people who are trying to add interest to the game and create new ways and initiatives for people to get involved. Largely they are bitter keyboard warriors. They make little to no contribution in most instances other than to sit back and moan and bitch about absolutely nothing.
Yet, they are the same people that when a something like BGP comes along, look for the negatives in it. Bag the people behind it, through wild accusations around and can't see past the end of their own crooked and bent noses. Here's a new flash, it's because of people with mindsets like this that the industry is struggling in some corners. The negativity is ridiculous. Yes, there are things that can be done and things that need improved - show me a sector of life where there isn't some struggles. 
I joined Boys Get Paid back when there was less then 100 members. It was a group of lads who threw the odd tip around in the hope of making a quick buck. Largely it was pretty successful, there was some good heat and some big bets landed. Over the past two years I've sat back and watched that page morph into something quite remarkable. I grew up in a township of non racing people. I could reel off a list of about 50 people from my small town who are now frequent racing punters because of BGP - they got a taste, and they liked it. 
It's nontraditional in the sense that there is banter, noise and a new way of looking at punting - but you can't deny that it's a real positive for our industry. They're pumping money across the tote, not just on the big days but even days like today. This morning a tip was posted for a horse at Manawatu. In an hour that horse had moved from it's $31 quote into $11 and it's still dropping. There are countless examples of weights on money being placed on horses because of the BGP input. 
One person throws a tip up and you can almost guarantee that a good percentage of the wagering on that particular runner will be held by members of BGP. 
Luke Kemeys is a bloody genius. The foresight that man has and the ideas him and his mates have come up with for the future are exciting. 
The establishment of the foundation is only another positive step forward, they want to bring people back to the races, encourage the industry to be better and challenge those who have had it good for far too long. And they're doing it in a way which may just ensure that the missing generation of punters are slowly but surely returning to the game. How anyone can bemoan a request that will only be beneficial for the industry going forward is beyond me. 
Like anything, it's not yet perfect and it probably never will be. But it's heading in the right direction and being driven by a group of enthusiastic racing fans who have some pretty smart business acumen behind them. And from what I can see it's only going to get better. 

I play in a sports team with a dozen guys aged late 20s and early 30s.
Approximately zero of them have any family connection to racing, nor any real knowledge of the industry.
The extent of their racing involvement was easybets at the tavern over a few jugs.
A couple of them got added to Boys Get Paid, had a few wins and are now hooked.
Most of the team is on there and they live for the hot tips and all they talk about is the next Ellerslie race meeting they can attend or the Punters Club they can get in to.
I'm a harness guy and have done absolutely nothing to foster their interest.
But because of BGP, there are now 8-10 guys, all professionals with good income, and plenty of disposable, hooked on to the industry.
This is only a small bunch of guys but I get the feeling it's a microcosm of the BGP movement and it's impact as well as future potential.
 

Stick to the topic? These plenty of claims flying around about people who run bgp on here without them been pulled up. I got called a tosser the other day or is it just selective people you call out

So many contributors to social media on the demise of racing who have the answers to the sport/industry's woes spend so much knocking the AllStars and others when surely their enthusiasm could be better employed working on solutions.
I note Fridays 20/20 cricket match at Eden Park was a sellout with over 40,000 people there.A few years ago Cricket was on a steep decline ,20/20 was launched and many 'dedicated' cricket fans rubbished the concept.
Now we learn 20/20 has saved cricket.
Meanwhile at Alex Park trots the place was like Chernobyl.....take away the staff , families involved with Kidscarts , owners [some ,not all] and those at Top of Park dining , the place virtually empty!
During some races I counted 4 x people in entire asphalt area from Winning Post to 100m mark.
On a warmish night this was shocking.
Even the fact it was Chinese New Year was barley noticeable .
Sure the fields were shocking...no AllStars so can't blame them.......and 10 South Island horses have arrived to boost numbers.
Folk just not prepared to battle traffic up to 6pm to attend an event with little action and watch 8 horses run around for 2min 43sec every 30 mins........for 5 hours !
Its not considered entertainment.
Grass track racing in rural areas not the answer ,either !

No one has demanded anything.
Any rebate would be at the discretion of any club once they have weighed the commercial considerations.
Any private outfit is absolutely within their rights to ask or open a dialogue about commercial deals with race clubs.
If owners want a better deal maybe they should organize themselves and demand it.
What the f*** does a 'true racing supporter' mean!
 
For someone who bemoans the left wing of politics you sure like to throw around alot of anti free market group think.

If BGP put 170 k through Tab and get x percent Tab still make money. Would those individuals bet with Tab without BGP , I've no idea. If they negotiate a deal offshore Tab get nothing .I suppose it's no different to say a big fleet purchaser of cars getting discount . I've not really taken much notice of them and got no intention to as not my thing but if bringing fresh blood into punting and on course cannot be bad I  reckon.They not bringing in loads people to track for fashion show , they are punters to be fair .
I take it its only a few  one off events through the year  . 

BGP have done a great job of bringing racing to people through what they are doing. 13,000 members throughout NZ and Australia is testament to that. The atmosphere they are bringing to racecourses is huge not to mention the turnover created for the clubs involved and creating great interest throughout both countries.
You could probably count on your fingers how many meetings do $200k in turnover throughout the season from punters on course. BGP with the syndicate bets and what the ones involved did individually on Karaka Million evening was somewhere between  $230- $250K.     
Clubs are lining up to get them on course. Interest from other sectors of the industry has been immense also.
Everything being done by BGP for everyone is free and from what I understand continuing to be done so for the members.
What is being created at present from my understanding is a BGP Foundation whereby funds are going to be built up to help clubs  as well as other sectors of the industry along the lines of increasing stakes on races, sponsoring young people into cadet schemes and other initiatives to help the industry. So any money raised is being ploughed back in to help racing. 
Therefore if any club did a rebate somehow (as occurs with various betting agencies if they bet with them) and the rebate money is used to further help clubs etc 
Clubs are still winning by turnover on course and then later with sponsorship in stakes funding.
Surely everyone wins.
 
 
  
 
 

No, they volunteer mate.
 
The boys that do this have been on committees, are owners and have worked at racecourses. Why do you want to drag something down you no nothing about?
oh thats right its the New Zealand racing way, if its different bag it.
they turned over $200k plus in their room alone, more than most courses do in a day, making the club 15k plus from their room alone
They could of done it through phones or overseas agencies, prob getting better options and prices!
Just let them be, if they make some money helping the industry and have started a foundation, let them.
maybe do some research before bagging them on a site full of people that love to moan. 
Isn’t this a good thing? Bringing people, fun, money, new owners, new youth to a game thats deteriorating weekly?

So much negativity about anything new on these pages these days. Te Akau Steven Marsh Ellerslie and plenty of other clubs and people clearly do not have a problem with BGP.
The only people who seem to have a problem are all you guys who want racing to stay as it was in 1980.  

And what, racing dies in 5-10 years, no young people to carry it on, you lot need to grow up and see what  good this is doing!
they do a bit more for racing than NZTR are at the moment, and for free

Nope, do you bring 300 people and 170000 dollars?
do you know how much work goes on behind the scenes before and after, all for free, and they have started a non profit foundation, whats anyone else in this fuked game doing?? Except sitting on their arse bagging every other person or idea out there??

Your a big Ladbrokes fan Rusty,  now it was formed in 1362 as a boards bookmakers situated in the betting ring at Lord John's Castle jousting grounds, near Nottingham . Given that old Nostradamus had a bit of an edge when it came to predictions would he have been banned or restricted by them as I hear others are ? 

Nostradamus. 

Nostradamus. 

Tiger woods dominated once.the opposition got better trained harder trained smarter and caught up.its not down to mark itsdown to other trainers to lift their game.look how Ireland have caught up to the all blacks.the all blacks aren't worse the opposition have got better..

Stables 
You really have got a chip on your shoulder. You seem to think there is something wrong with being successful, why shouldn’t the Allstars purchase yearlings (cheap ones too ) to keep their operation ahead of the game .?? They have   got staff to pay ,probably a lot of money tied up in the  property and they need to keep the ledger square . Think of the stress they have on a daily basis running the big operation and juggling the horses  they have . They are away from home for long periods and evidently work very very hard . You’ve probably have never had a business so wouldn’t understand the pressures of running  one or if you have it can’t have worked out very well which probably explains your ligh level of jealousy towards the very professional, successful machine that is the All Stars . Its human nature to strive to be the best. Why should they pull back just to let the lesser lights catch up.  As far as your comment about his lack of loyalty ,nobody has put more money into breeders pockets and industry participants than his operation over the last 20 years . Stables add up what you have contributed over that period. . Somehow I think it would be pretty insignificant in comparison 

Where have you been - he has been buying at the Aussie sales for many years now

May as well High Sparrow. I fully recommend it. I've put a few of my mates on to Ladbrokes and they haven't gone back to the NZ TAB.
I've had a Ladbrokes account for a year now and love it. Site is very easy to use, the odds are more often than not better than the NZ TAB and there are plenty of promos on offer (back a horse for a win, and if it runs second, get paid out as the winner with no decrease in odds. Hear that Petone?), you get to hit the "Odds Booster" button when you like, and can even lay the favourite for most races, as a betting option. My favourite was when they gave away free money last year; Winx at $2 fixed and refunded if scratched. 

Very, very sad state of affairs. 
No problems with Ladbrokes Australia... displaying all their normal info for NZ racing. 

I see that my post has been edited, and the female trainer's name has been removed.
I do not know her from a bar of soap. However I could not let her good name (which is also her username and not hiding behind any other name, which most people do on here) be tarnished. I have a lot of respect for her and other trainers or horse people that come on here to give their two cents worth. Let someone carry on like they have and the site will lose not only credibility but also a lot of good contributors from within the bloody game. 
I have no further comment, and will not post again on this thread. 
Rusty 

Scooby , I look forward to any possible rating system. Will certain threads be locked to the filthy dirty  working classes like me .

I see that my post has been edited, and the female trainer's name has been removed.
I do not know her from a bar of soap. However I could not let her good name (which is also her username and not hiding behind any other name, which most people do on here) be tarnished. I have a lot of respect for her and other trainers or horse people that come on here to give their two cents worth. Let someone carry on like they have and the site will lose not only credibility but also a lot of good contributors from within the bloody game. 
I have no further comment, and will not post again on this thread. 
Rusty 

Yes, you are not the first person to say the ole run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds line. It's clearly there to see, however I don't mind Desmond overall. He genuinely enjoys the industry and I think overall he does a pretty good job. It was actually one of his guests from the TAB last Sunday that offered to call me back anyway. Just wanted to know why the TAB app required access to one's media files, storage and some other bloody thing on my cell phone, before I could download the new app. I didn't download it in the end. There are too many creeps around these days, and I have worked in enforcement long enough to know that no industry is immune, especially IT departments! 
Funny how Ladbrokes Australia never asked for weird permission to perve on my photos on my phone when I signed up years ago. 
The NZ TAB head honchos are that far removed from reality from the punters it is a bloody disgrace. The staff at the coal face however, are doing an amazing job I found, and they deserve a pay increase, especially the staff at my local TAB.