john legend

Dumb dumb dumb.   They could have used M8 (Addington Thursday which gives an extra day)     I hope HRNZ see this and complain

One of the key reasons HRNZ listed for the birthdate change was that it was scientifically proven that horses racing as 2yo have longer racing careers. Today I did a search of science literature on that topic and what I've found is largely based on northern hemisphere horses that are housed, not our paddock reared horse population. From what I've seen over decades of horse ownership, our trainers have our babies in and out for early education, and that this combined with paddock rearing, underlies the large number of our exported horses having long careers overseas. I have no objection to HRNZ changing dates to align with Aussie but do any of you believe it is going to alter how we rear and educate our young horses or the number of races in their lifetime? Given the large number of horses exported, I doubt it will do anything to improve field size.  

Is there a degree of inevitability this year... ( alright I am a smart ar.....e)
The 9 winners are....
Amazing Dream
Highgrove
Bettor Twist
True Fantasy
five wise Men
Akuta
Krug
Bolt for Brilliance
Bad to the Bone. (despite Zachary refusing any comment to the press. lol)
 
 
 
 

Oh boy oh boy, BadToTheBone is in this just hope he gets away good, Zac will put him in it, he's come back from aus a slugger I've gown to like him alot.....can't wait for it 🤗
 
Cheers Iraklis

There are some 'shorties' this year for sure . Amazing Dream, Akuta, Bettor Twist, 5 wisemen, Krug all racking up very impressive records. very hard to beat any of them.
Perhaps the Trotting jewels 2 and 4 year olds events could go to the very impressive last start winners Mystic Max and Muscle Mountain ? . 
Kango should lead the last race so Bad to the Bone without cover maybe? a huge task but by far the race full of the most chances. Copy That will need an exceptional drive from that barrier too,  over the short distance. best of luck to all invested in the great days racing.

Thanks.....pretty much sums up what the 'experts' said on Boxseat last night ,along with those who set the TAB markets.
Hard to disagree , but at least one 'hottie' will surely strike bad luck while I've seen the odd young trotter be put off by the big occasion and excitement.
At the last Cambridge event I remember over half the field broke in one trotting event while at Addington 2 yrs ago  there were a couple of false start shambles and several breakers though the very wet day probably contributed as well.

Is there a degree of inevitability this year... ( alright I am a smart ar.....e)
The 9 winners are....
Amazing Dream
Highgrove
Bettor Twist
True Fantasy
five wise Men
Akuta
Krug
Bolt for Brilliance
Bad to the Bone. (despite Zachary refusing any comment to the press. lol)
 
 
 
 

This is what the VBA (Breeders Association ) put in there letter to HRA . 90 % of Victorian Breeders submitted that they do not support the tax/ levy.  Also it was said that the fivernering body don' t have jusidiction in imposing it . 

Dalboy, slanderin or defamin someone don't mean you got balls! just means you were dopey enough to say it without proof, so now who's the idiot?
 
Cheers Iraklis

good comments and good to hear you Iraklis. after a year away many horses lose their sharpness . I am sure Chase must have been thinkin "I thought it was going to be a soft run and we go 1.54 mr . whats that all about." 😬

Iraklis unfortunately Chase pulled up very sore I will let you know the outcome tomorrow.
 

Indeed, I thought Tim would have just sat at the back and made one run at them, bloody great effort.

Hey JL mate, I've always had a soft spot for the mighty Chase so bloody great to see him back on the track thought we had lost him to racin, I reckon that was good first up run good pipe opener 😃 I just been lookin in here and we have had some great racin over past weeks, and not a dickey bird bout it; then after last nights go round the best is some knob goin on about blood dopin, bugger me days.....
 
Cheers Iraklis

Oh dear a poster who cannot accept that on Premier nights some stables are just outstanding. They set them up to win for their high paying owners with a "the best will win"  scenario.
Well done Mr Cullen 5 wins 6 placings 

is this the first time Natalie has driven a non Cullen horse.AND against one of his. I wonder why ? (am aware the A team own South Coast Arden since 2018)but had considered her a stable driver... for Hayden Cullen.. Of course she as a non trainer can drive whatever she wants but thought Chase Auckland was logical for the best driver in NZ (IMHO)😂

Tim and Mark were Chase Auckland's regular drivers so it might be a case Mango wanting her on
Horse Movements: South Coast Arden to Hayden Cullen at Rolleston

Economics lesson 101 for those that can't see the big picture problem with these stud sponsored weanling sales.
The horse breeding business is really no different to any other business - you have wholesalers (studs), retailers (breeders) and customers (buyers).
When the wholesalers (studs) start undercutting the retailers (breeders), the customers (buyers) are naturally going to buy directly from the wholesaler (at the weanling sales).
This will result in many retailers (breeders) going out of business because their customers (buyers) can now buy their product in bulk directly from the wholesaler (at the weanling sales) at a much reduced price due to the wholesalers (studs) much lower costs (stud fees).

Having bred many horses over years the profit potential is simply being eroded by acceptance of $4000 to $6000 sales of quality weanlings by the studs that try to have it both ways .they want payment plus add ons for breeding a foal then  accept lower prices for selling their own progeny from their own mares.It is good for those that want to race horses (very tempting)but expect even lower mares bred this season .. by private breeders.

Having bred many horses over years the profit potential is simply being eroded by acceptance of $4000 to $6000 sales of quality weanlings by the studs that try to have it both ways .they want payment plus add ons for breeding a foal then  accept lower prices for selling their own progeny from their own mares.It is good for those that want to race horses (very tempting)but expect even lower mares bred this season .. by private breeders.

The big studs continue to talk up the success of their weanling sale but the numbers tell an "interesting" story.
Take Bruce Negus for example, the biggest buyer on the day.
His purchases at Karaka were :
Lot 1 What The Hill – On the Mantelpiece Filly    $3,000    (service fee $7000) Lot 22 Downbytheseaside – So Many Words Colt    $4000    (service fee $6000) Lot 29 Majestic Son – Susan Colt    $9000            (service fee $5000) Lot 43 Sweet Lou – Yasmine Bromac Filly    $4000       (service fee $7500) Lot 47 Sweet Lou – Arden’s Pearl Filly    $4000       (service fee $7500) Lot 73 A Rocknroll Dance – Chevelle Star Colt    $2000    (service fee $5000) Lot 75 Ultimate Machete – Cracka Dawn Colt    $3000    (service fee $3000) Lot 95 Downbytheseaside – G B Blaze Colt    $4000        (service fee $6000) Lot 101 What The Hill – KC Spur Filly    $4000        (service fee $7000) Lot 129 Sweet Lou – Nicky’s Power Filly    $3000       (service fee $7500) Total paid: $40,000
Service Fees: $61,500
For the average breeder to have brought these yearlings to market would cost a very conservative $100,000, yet the big studs were prepared to dump these yearlings on the market for $40,000, thereby undercutting their own clients (and devaluing their clients remaining stock).
Who experienced success here?
Certainly not the average breeder!
 

Good luck to Bruce Negus .obviously a great investment getting 10 nice looking weanlings (in the main well bred) for the cost of 1 or 2 yearlings.He could recoup the cost of all at yearling sales by selling a few and then has 7 or 8 free potential race horses. Auctions are simply supply and demand  and a great opportunity for a bargain. however agree that studs selling less than stud fees is not a good look and can only make many breeders think why should they bother.

The issue isn't the big studs but lack of owners.  As stated above it is simply supply and demand. I say thank goodness for the big studs because without them imagine how few horses would be bred. There are multiple reasons why people are choosing not to participate in harness racing, not the least being the high levels of debt many households have due to the high cost of housing and student loans.

The thing is, when a controlling body, be that a government or in this case HRNZ, are faced with dissent within the ranks they have two ways of dealing with it ...
Fix the issues that the ranks are concerning about, or Quell the ranks HRNZ obviously realise that they have neither the desire nor the ability to fix the issues, so they've decided to go with Option #2!
You only have to look to Russia to see how Putin is currently dealing with his critics to see this "business model" in practice!

Oh dear, a meltdown by our resident lawyer who tells us on another thread he charged some poor individual 28 k for 15 hours work.  Wank Wank
I have every idea about the M Kerr  issue. I have impeccable sources when i post on this issue which  to be fair is  not that many times. The guy fucked up badly- again. Given life by the industry the only thing left is a possible criminal prosecution.  
As for sources, the majority of it is not solicited by me but given freely. Why should i indulge you any further info given the abuse above.
 

For sure. as the bugger won't even own up to it or apologise or anything. some remorse might of helped towards restitution for the industry image and the poor victims.