Chameleon

Have you contemplated offering the TAB the services of the littlies on a short-term contract basis?

You do realise that you can take a roving banker online as a percentage but you have to take three separate TFA bets with the banker marked for 1st, 2nd and 3rd individually? Inconvenient granted, but possible. As for the reason why it isn't available online I can only presume it is a system limitation of some kind. Yes, I agree it seems bizarre that punters are limited to either 50c or incremental $1 options for this particular bet type. And, it is even more bizarre to advertise a bet type that is not available to be wagered on across the board The Help menu on the TAB website clearly states that %age roving banker bets are currently not available online or on self service terminals but they fail to indicate if/when this might change.

Shelley was referring to the date of the Otago Times news article (21 Feb) rather than a race date. Larry never mentioned a date (as far as I can see, but I stand to be corrected)

I have no idea about any incident to which you might be referring but I can certainly say I have heard many a trainer say quite pubicly " This horse is all-but sold so there is something in this for you if you win" If that is seen as being akin to race-fixing then there must be many a trainer wondering when they too will get a knock on their front door. Of course, race-fixing in its truest sense, from where I sit, is completely another matter. A very serious one at that. I guess we'll find out in due course if therereally is a big fire burning where the smoke is currently coming from.

Precisely. The timing ( 21 Feb) led me to wonder whether Shelley was referring to a different incident to the lead poster - clearly she is.

Is this what you are referring to Shelley or are you talking about something altogether different? http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/racing/148524/racing-manager-resigns

Any 'real' punter would understand the necessity to call the Race number, horse number & horse name in that order when reporting scratchings to the public. And, the frustration of being referred to the website (assuming you can access it) is that you still can't sort out the late scratchings from the originals until the result comes through. So this means you have to trawl through all of the scratchings to ascertain which are the new ones. You'd think someone would be able to tweak the software to show an 'L' after the late ones before the race runs to make the punter's life easier. Too simple?

According to us - the first 1000 was run in 1:00:12, the first 400 a tick under 25secs. The last 600 took 37.56, making the overall time 1:37:68. So like you we suspect there is an error here given the differential. A random sampling of other races on the day show the official times to be accurate according to our timing.

that the NZ Trainers Association is doing itself no favours by having a website that is so far out of date. I also have to wonder why trainer's representatives and individual trainers are allowing it to be as it is? I would have thought that the NZTA website would have been used as a means to showcase and encourage 'newbies' to partake in the game. After all without owners where would trainers be? IMO this is sloppy stuff, a poor look that needs to be addressed. Surely they could just disable the website until they have the means to update it. Left as it is yet another poor public reflection on a part of this industry. C'mon trainers do yourselves a favour. Upgrade your visually bland website and populate it with continually updated information.

I think she is special, but had she been mine I think I would have resisted the temptation to ask her to tackle quite so much, so soon. However, she isn't mine (I wish) and I respect that her connections have done what they thought was right and I am not being critical of them. I just felt really sad to see her drop away like she did today and sincerely hope that she recovers from whatever went wrong.

I have just looked at some pictures of Lady Madonna as a yearling. Your filly is a carbon copy of her physique wise at the same age (different colour and markings though). If she has the same sort of attitude that Donna possessed then all the better for you. Donna was more colty than some colts when out in the paddock ( I know because I often agisted her at home). Thankfully her nature when being handled was generally pretty good. I have a soft spot for this family having managed the syndicates that raced both her and her full sister Donna's Gold. I'll be watching her progress with great interest. Best of luck with her.

QUOTE: "Though why on Earth you think those lyrics apply to me is a puzzle, ha.." I just had a feeling that your SOH might be compatible with mine.

This clip might appeal to you...

Headline reads: Jockey convicted of assaulting girl. The lead paragraph begins: A former Hastings jockey has been acquitted of raping a girl but convicted of her assault. How long is it since David Frethey rode in a race? Why stress ex-jockey? Why isn't he described using his current occupation or as unemployed (or similar). The media love to show racing in a poor light. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4605099/Jockey-convicted-of-assaulting-girl-but-not-rape

Tranzformation Sea Za Change

Five previous starts over 1600m for zip. Running on well but never in the placings might have put plenty of people off. Mind you he won fresh over 1200m this time and hadn't done that before either!

Spiro is potentially a better horse than Sapio. He is still 6-12 months off physical maturity and now that he is starting to grow up mentally he should only get better. His trainer is a very astute horsewoman so he will not be asked for too much too soon. Note how easily he was going at the end of 2400m; the ears were pricked to the camera from the 300 nearly all the way to the winning post.

The steward's report is silent on this one.

WRC couldn't attract a naming sponsor so sold naming right options to the race to 30 odd companies/individuals. Each contributor drew a runner in a specific race (which races it was escapes me). The sponsor who drew the race winner got the Telegraph naming rights. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I don't give a fat rats what they look like so long as they do the job efficiently. Well, maybe I'd baulk at a Quasimodo look-alike but you get my drift.

A 3yo filly, perhaps? For mine Twilight Savings is right in it. Or maybe the enigma - Balaq? He could beat any field if the 'on 'switch in his head is in the down position. Of course, on an off day he looks decidely ordinary. Leaving the Oz raiders out of the equation I see Vonusti, Atapi and Celeris (not sure how wetter Trentham staight she can cope with though) as being obvious chances. On a sentimental note I'd love to see Bulginbaah win it.

To be fair Agent Archie had trialled twice on soft and heavy tracks during June/July 2010. Perhaps the original comment was including trials and raceday form?

Please check you email :-)

The only time I enjoy her particular presenting style is during the yearling sales coverage. Unfortunately, I think the reason that she stands out to some as being professional is only because the competition is mediocre at best.