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Political Correctness gone wrong.
Then again we have just hosted some sports where a lady competed in 3 events against herself and was awarded 3 Gold medals.
She got more media coverage on mainsream tv than racing has had in 10 years.
What a f......d up world we live in.

Does a Bottle store refuse to sell alcohol to an alcoholic ? Does a supermarket stop selling sugar filled products to fat people? Does a whore house stop supplying woman to a sex addict ? No they don't everybody has weaknesses so stop blaming everyone else dropkick take some personal responsibility. Will auction houses stop me buying horses no it's my choice so instead of having a mansion at the beach I have a paddock of dreams my choice end of story. 

I was in a Supermarket queue one day and an 80yo (approx) lady in front of me had a discount loaf of bread and a couple of other items and I could hear her saying to the checkout how life was tough and that she hadn't eaten fish or meat for months etc. I felt guilty so followed her out and offered to help her to her $1 Taxi ride. Started chatting and ended up giving her a lift home (not far). Got her to her house and noticed her little bungalow had leaking (read holes in gutters etc) spouting and I asked her if she had any family. To cut a long story short, she lived alone and had no family close. She was living on a pension, had no savings so couldn't afford repairs etc. After an hour chatting she revealed shed lost all her $ on the pokies and had borrowed $10,000 from a 4th tier lender (you know, the ones that have a real interest rate of 500%) and much of her pension was going to pay "interest only" on the loan. I got her to sign a letter appointing me her Spokesman and went to the Loan Shark, who at first told me to "Fornicate off". Keeping my cool, I quietly told the shark that my next visit was to the local newspaper, TV3, local radio station and anyone else I could expose this shark to. He agreed to disolve the loan and apply all her interest payments to principal and we did a deal whereby I closed out the loan. This all started from her addiction to Pokies. Don't talk to me about pokies please. They are the scourge of every small town community and create misery for all those who can least afford to play them. That's what I call "problem" gambling at its worst (or should that be best?).

Thanks guys.
Just so pleased for the mare herself as she thoroughly deserved her win yesterday. She is only small, tries so very hard and has been certainly very unlucky on numerous occasions not to have won previously (just refer to stipes reports). Every time she starts you can go to the races knowing that she will put in and whilst it has been a bit frustrating at times with luck going against her, it has also been a lot of fun and that win yesterday gave us a lot of satisfaction in more ways than one.  
 

I remember a trainer called Don Grubb. Trained from Feilding. He had a horse called Monastic and I think he had it in work for two years ! It won quite a few open races around the CD area. The strangest jock I know of was Scrooge Robertson ( not sure how he got that name but surely his Mom wouldn't have given him it !). Anyway, one day the story goes that, he got pinged for hitting his horse on the head with his whip. When asked why he hit the horse on the head, his alleged reply was, "I was hitting it on the arse and it kept going back thru the field so I thought by hitting it's head it might go forward!".

This is how I did the form for the 1st today. Lines ok for me.
M2 Race 01 1800m MDN $10000
Best in these conditions - 83% [01] 20033 Keep Up
Best on this course - 100% [02] X8703 Battle Royal
Best in this direction - 75% [01] 20033 Keep Up
Best at this distance - 100% [02] X8703 Battle Royal
Top Jockey(s)
Opie Bosson [06] 504 Palermitano 58kg 
Leith Innes [11] 4922 Vinorules 56kg 
[01] 20033 Keep Up - In the last 3 nz starts has raced over the distance of 
1600m for prize money of $10000 at its 11th start finishing 3rd on a Dead track.
[05] 43239 Bluesuede Chouxs - In the last 3 nz starts has raced over the distance of 
1900m for prize money of $10000 at its 4th start finishing 2nd on a Dead track.
[11] 4922 Vinorules - In the last 3 nz starts has raced over the distance of 
1600m for prize money of $10000 at its 4th start finishing 2nd on a Dead track.
[12] 53 Artiste - In the last 3 nz starts has raced over the distance of 
1600m for prize money of $10000 at its 2nd start finishing 3rd on a Dead track.
1      40       Artiste [12]
2      22       Keep Up [01]
3      10       Battle Royal [02]
4      0       Marjolet [14]
5      60       Palermitano [06]
6      100       Bizzwinkle [07]
7      35       La Foi [13]
8      16       Over Torque [09]
9      78       Lady Ferner [08]
10      30       The Labyrinth [04]
11      8       Vinorules [11]
12      2       Primrose Hill [10]
13      43       Bluesuede Chouxs [05]
14      32       Run Forrest Run [03]
 

Danielle's win on Prince Hareem for Stephen Marsh in the first race at Hastings today gave the Marsh/Johnson combination their 100th win together. They then combined to make it 101 in the last with the impressive Andado bolting in and making it three on the trot.
They now have 101 wins and 130 placings from 561 races with plenty more to come.
Danielle's treble today gives her a 17 win lead in the jockey's premiership.   

Why would you ever bother betting with them at all if you having that much stress just getting a few dollars back that is  yours.

He has put out two songs about that Cup:
Here's one:
 
 
 

What a fantastic night.
"Miracle Mal Johnston" was at his brilliant entertaining best again tonight. One of the best speakers you could wish to hear.
Great character and a genuine lovely guy, an absolute pleasure and privilege  to meet.   
 

As Branson said today if the water is being exported it's commonsense it should be taxed etc. The Chinese are coming here in droves on holiday why not incorporate a day or two at the brand new racing complex ? Every time I stay Ridges in Rotorua fior the races  the place is teaming with well heeled Asian tourists being herded onto buses of  follow the well worn path  of  tourist attractions.All i I see is a missed opportunity for Arawa park and the racing industry in general that they havent somehow formed a relationship   to entertain them at the races which is only 200 metres from Ridges lobby.

Great effort by all concerned, especially Te Akau.
He's won with about six lengths up the spout, ears pricked and looking distracted, almost bored, all the way up the straight. Too easy.
Well done and thanks for carrying the Kiwi flag.

Racecourse food is basically a metaphor for the whole industry. Thinking crap that played 50 years ago still will is why we are where we are.

No Midget, I bow down to your powers or Knowledge, which actually I greatly admire & note - even so with your cynical humour.
not an expert as you qualify  (buy hey, I'll take that compliment if it is intended  
-  always observing/noting following things through best way one can.  Unfortunately got into racing as something on my bucket list and found a festival buy at $13,500 which turns out to be as quoted est. $500K should she go through as a broodmare at auction. No I haven't made that one up either where trainer's uncle is management at NZ Bloodstock  thank you.
FYI  , that 1st ever buy at bloodstock wasn't luck. Elite Bloodlines have the story so that is my expertise albeit it Skill/research?
You share your intelligence as you like BUT don't fart on us forum newcomers who stick their neck out and actively share thoughts/experiences 'cause there are some out there who want to really Learn or discuss how it works. Okay?
 
 
 
 

No not at all but they cop so much and mostly unwarranted shit from you and others, so I happen to think they are bloody good for the NZ industry and I am entitled to my opinion as are you....it shows how jealous many are in here of their success... 70 views and only two people can bring themselves to say well done on a good win... each to their own and yes I do give them a plug when I want to...and no they don't have any connection to the site whatsoever.... but David and his team put a hell of a lot into the industry in NZ and good on them for getting results....its not easy to do...no matter what some in here think....

yep, that's quite some achievement to top off a hell of a year for TA & OP, well done to all. 

Great ride... very good win... good on everyone associated with the horse and the team..... the team is flying lately.

After both missing in action for four years from NZ racing good to see both Tony Lee and Jason Waddell back at the top of their games right from the get go.

It was an absolute disgrace that Trackside did not recognize the fact that this was Tegan Newman's first ride and a winning one at that. It was a perfect opportunity to promote racing by showing the personal side of the excitement and joy the win meant to viewers and an interview with Tegan should have been mandatory.
Instead the punting, churn it out race after race mentality of those driving Trackside immediately cross over to a wet, rain soaked Randwick instead which was also being simultaneously shown on Trackside 2. Absolute morons!! 
Where is their mandate to promote domestic racing?
Not so sure about ride of the day though as it got a bit messy turning in but congratulations to Tegan on her debut win, a great start for the 21yo lass and a big thumbs down to Trackside for their appalling coverage and lack of intelligence.     

 

Just like you were with your husbands Liz ? Some of whom were your own, some of whom you borrowed.
They were all separate but most of them overlapped, sometimes on the same day if the press is to be believed.
How did you remember who was doing to you what the NZRB and NZTR have been doing to NZ racing ? It gets hard ( I bet it did on occasions ) to remember who's up who, who's paying, who's a short term rental, who's married, who's playing the front nine, back nine, who's staying over, who's sleeping under, who's up all night.......tell us how you kept track of who was who Liz.

I must be a hell of a trainer and a very good judge then !!!
The last five horses I've raced ( but sold on or disposed of in some cases ) have been 
1. Who Dares Wins, 20%, cost $40k, won nothing, bad decision to buy him.
2. Little Red Devil, 50%, cost nothing, bought in utero, sold after winning his maiden then won four in Ozz including one in the city.
3. Girl Of My Dreams, 50%, cost nothing, a gift because she wasn't good enough to enter into a sale, now a G1 performer and won over 240k.
4. Riding Shotgun, 100%, group and stakes performer, best G1 placing a fourth, cost 45k, won over 300k
5. Consensus, cost a service fee, about $4500 from memory, a G1 winner and G1 placed,  won just over 360k.
Can't be as bad as some on here say !! using your criteria, less than a 100k outlay, about a million in stakes, and the value of the residual stock which would have a net worth ( including dam and sister ) of say 1.2 million.
That's not a bad model for a bloke who someone described here last week as being a useless trainer with no idea  
How would it stack up with the combined staff of NZTR, Trackside, and the NZRB ?
 

In my early days I had an interest in a mare and on her retirement I went to do a deal with a Waikato Stud. I told them it was a winning mare and secured a foal for foal deal. On producing her to the Stud, in conversation with a  studmaster, I was asked who trained her. When I gave my reply I was told "I thought you said she was a winner". When I replied "she was" he said she must have been a good horse then. I replied that we had three wins and a half dozen second places and the same again for thirds etc and the response was "you must have had a bloody champion then". Found out the trainer was know as "fence-post" as that was the major feed for the horses. Later found she was worked only twice a week "because no horse needs more work". That might account for the many seconds thirds and fourths.
Guess that is a reasonable example of a not good trainer.
I was young, foolish and learning. Now I am  old, not so foolish and still learning.

You only have to look at the likes of Gisborne last Sunday. Good stakes, huge turnout, and great incentives to race there. My argument is that you have to take racing to the people in these areas for them to experience the thrill of being involved.
Wairoa this week will have two days of racing that the community embraces, the crowds flock there and at what cost to NZ Racing, nothing. Dargaville is another club that runs at no cost to the industry, apart from their last meeting which was unfortunate for all concerned.
Itis okay saying shut this one down, shut that one down, but until we get surfaces that we can race on regularly all year round, we cannot do this.
i don't know how many times I have stated on here, Ellerslie, the premier track, we drive past it all winter apart from a few jumps meetings, to race at Ruakaka, at what cost to participants.
Ellerslie are going to upgrade their drainage, wow, how many times has this happened?
I suggest, do it properly, Strath Ayr, you've got the money, bite the bulletin, turn it into a world class set up, race there every 2nd week, people get back into the habit, for gods sake, how many people want to drive to Ruakaka from Auckland when you have an under used facility within 10'minutes of your city centre?
Thats my rant for the day, better get down to the stables!

Just walked past 2 TABs in melbourne around 9.00am local time. Population near zero.
Not the hottest day here with a high of 19 but hi ho its off to Flemington we go. Great fields, great TV previews of every race in the last 24 hours. Leaves NZ lot for dead.

right - now get someone with some nous to sit down ( 10 minutes for am and pm teas and 30 mins for lunch ) and revamp the racing calendar and cut the number of races by a third and make the minimum stake $20,000.