bazach

I've watched the whole thing now.
It's a bit depressing watching a series of speakers, all devoid of initiative, bereft of good ideas, but all seeking comfort in banal trivialities of no consequence that seem designed to numb the brains of the intelligent or satisfy the ignorant fools by way of confusion.
I've put a couple of pic's up for you two, John Allen and Glenda Hughes. Put your hands on your hearts and tell me if the pictures resonate, then get a pen and paper and write these few words.
I cannot make a difference, I have no ideas, I'm a liability, I RESIGN.
 

For those of you who haven't seen it here is a copy of a letter which was published in The Informant last month. Of course another top 3yo in Ugo Foscolo has also gone as of yesterday along with a large number from the Ready To Run sale last week. The feedback has been tremendous from a broad spectrum of the industry.
 
Editor - The minimum stakes issue is one of the most talked about negatives by participants in New Zealand thoroughbred racing. Racing for $7,000 stakes these days by international standards is simply ridiculous.
Money allocated to the codes by the NZRB is remaining stagnant, meaning the stake distribution stays constant whilst costs continue to rise for participants. Industry participants are looking to the Government and the Government are saying do something yourselves. Nothing viable has really been achieved to date.
Last year on a website a person suggested a 3 per cent tax paid by overseas purchasers of our horses. I thought it a good idea at the time but no one apparently has run with it.
With discussions about an all-weather track recently, the idea was raised again. I have considered the proposal and can see a lot of merit in the idea, so I have picked up the ball to run with it.
Low stakes are not encouraging people to race in New Zealand and the biggest industry growth by far in recent years has been the selling and exporting of our horses. This has the effect of reducing the numbers of horses racing in this country and the removal of a lot of better horses that would have remained and raced here.
New Zealand has created a reputation with international buyers as a great nursery for horses. This export market however means they are not racing in New Zealand and therefore there is no revenue to the industry from wagering that goes back into funding stakes in order to grow our own backyard from these horses.
The sale this week of yet another promising three-year-old in Pearson Square and last week The Soultaker impacting on the quality of our domestic pool is further proof that a levy should be introduced.
So why not a 3 per cent levy on the sale price of a horse if it is exported, payable by the overseas buyer? This levy would be specifically applied to stakes at the lower end of the scale.
Figures I have heard attributed to overseas purchases per annum of New Zealand thoroughbreds is somewhere in the $100 million-$150 million range. Even at the minimum $100 million, the levy would generate $3 million to go directly to stakes -
more than sufficient to raise all stakes to a five-figure category. The funding increase importantly does not come at any further burden to New Zealand industry participants.
I believe that 3 per cent (after all is only $3,000 on every $100,000) would not be a major deterrent to an overseas purchaser with a clear explanation of what the levy is for, i.e. totally for the implementation of increased stakes to assist in the betterment and growth of the domestic product. Overseas buyers have the luxury if the horse is removed within a certain time frame of not being imposed with this country’s 15 per cent GST tax either, which local purchasers have to pay on top of their purchase price.
That clear explanation of what the levy is for and assurances that it is not disappearing into a black hole should enable the overseas buyer to be more comfortable with it and indeed even support it. Take for example Mr Wolf of Inner Mongolian Racing fame, not only has he purchased more than 1,000 horses over the past couple of years, he also races a large number of horses in New Zealand and no doubt would want the local industry to progress by providing better stake-money to participants.
If this proposal can be put in place, then the next step would be to go to the Government advising them of what has been achieved and getting a commitment from them to also directly contribute to the same level, dollar for dollar. The industry has shown it has done something towards raising stakes and with the Government having received GST on all costs prior to the sale, it too can show some support and commitment towards revitalisation of the industry.
Imagine what $6 million of injected funds into stakes could do for participation at all levels in this country.
 
Ted McLachlan
 

Group One Prix Du Moulin de Longchamp winner Vadamos,by Monsun to stand at Rich Hill Stud 

When looking his ratio of foals on the ground to runners is fairly good, his NZ foal crop of 2yr old runners to winners ratio is just as good as the more expensive sires, plenty of decent sires didn't leave any 2yr winners last season. 
Dalghar didn't get a huge band of mares his first 2 seasons in NZ, in his first NZ season he has got foals on the ground, 2yr olds to the races, had winners and a listed win also.  Efforts thus far by progeny haven't done this stallion a dis-service and hope the best are yet to come.

Trump totally agree with you that Racing Ministers of all hues have been ineffective. Some made Yes Minister look a serious documentary. The NZRB need to lift their game and explore other revenue streams such as a levy on horses exported or a levy on stallion fees the revenue from which would be directed straight into stakes.

I wasn't comparing teachers salaries to anyone else,what i was trying to say is that the useless teachers get paid the same amount as good teachers ,which in my opinion is wrong,.
In NZ we have a habit of rewarding mediocrity and hence poor teachers are paid the same as top teachers and we seem reluctant to replace poor performing directors and board members.So in a way we have nobody to blame but ourselves for our education sytem and our poor governance of companies.
 

I doubt very much if they will be sacked.
If you look at all the finance companies that failed,many were controlled by people with chequered pasts.
Also if you look at the latest NZX companies to turn up their toes,PUMPKIN PATCH & WYNYARDS,you will find that they have been underperforming for a while especially in the case of PUMPKIN PATCH and yet still no removal of directors.
New Zealanders seem to have trouble getting together to remove non  performing people.
A bit like teachers,you can't pay the good ones more so the useless ones still get top money.

Your post is excellent common sense BruceL. I wish Dalghar all success, and all feedback about the Kings is they are very nice people. Hopefully he isn't one of the 95% of stallions who, despite all the hype and glossy brochures don't measure up to what their promoters think or hope they will.  My only negative is that on the basis of one listed winner they raised his stud fee from 6k to 8k, - "The Aga Khan-bred grey has stood at a fee of $6,000 since 2012, but with a number of talented first-crop performers headed by the impressive Listed ARC Champagne Stakes winner Astara, his fee has been raised" - which is typical of the sales spiel talk studs use. In my view his fee increase was totally unwarranted until the stallion has proven himself, and having one listed winner doesn't mean he has (proven himself).

I'm surprised they only fined him a grand.     Bloody brilliant.
Teddles, it was more arse than class, but I backed the winner.  Well, I didn't, Dubhghall did.
I decided he had to back #9 as he's now 9 months old and looked at Peeking Duck - which I didn't fancy.  
When I looked at Lasqueti Spirit (barrier 9) I saw she'd run 4th, a 1/2 length from the winner, over 2400 metres. 
So I thought if she could run 4th over 2400 in pissy company, she'd get 2500 and might just hang on for a place.
So Dubhghall, my troublesome child, has backed the Cup winner, won the sweep at work and now backed the Oaks winner.  
He has $209.10 in his Cat TAB account - which I shall carefully administer for him of course.     Definitely his mother's son!  
Isn't Spring Racing wonderful??
 

Cubes is always easy to spot 'cause of the eye patch and the regulation sombrero
Mrs Cubes is easy to spot 'cause she is the one who had to visit the day spa , get the new outfit , buy another freaking fascinator ( and it's only the first day of the carnival !!!) , blow out the credit card balance and gets Cubity to run fool's errands at vital puntingness moments (like......can you get me another glass of Lindauer ?) !

Your post is excellent common sense BruceL. I wish Dalghar all success, and all feedback about the Kings is they are very nice people. Hopefully he isn't one of the 95% of stallions who, despite all the hype and glossy brochures don't measure up to what their promoters think or hope they will.  My only negative is that on the basis of one listed winner they raised his stud fee from 6k to 8k, - "The Aga Khan-bred grey has stood at a fee of $6,000 since 2012, but with a number of talented first-crop performers headed by the impressive Listed ARC Champagne Stakes winner Astara, his fee has been raised" - which is typical of the sales spiel talk studs use. In my view his fee increase was totally unwarranted until the stallion has proven himself, and having one listed winner doesn't mean he has (proven himself).

No Paul Messara did but we give him and the other Aussies here so much shit over the rugby and anything else we can, that there had to be a response sooner or later...

He's an interesting stallion to try and judge, he has the bloodlines to be a stallion but that doesn't always translate to being a success at stud (and he is hard to judge as his family is full of middle distance performers although he was a sprinter/miler,he was a 'limited' group performer on the race track although he did run some really good time in some of his performances so had a great turn of foot. H
He hasn't served massive book's so far and judging by his performance so far you wouldn't expect him to in the future so its going to be hard work for him, so far he has sired 10 winners from 37 to race which includes 1 Listed winner so he has a lot of work to do ahead of him.
I hope he progresses as Brighthill haven't had much luck with their stallions and haven't stood a good one for some time, but personally I would be waiting to see his stat's improve and to see him produce consistent quality horses before utilising him at $8,000

Classic! Great work. Did PJ come up with that?

GOLD!
 

$7,000 Maiden races at Tauranga on a Saturday is a total disgrace.

What Bazach proposes Midgie has been advocated by many of us for many many years. Look at Trentham. What a joke. There's no horse population, no punters, no race goers. Foxton = excellent natural drainage, easy access, plenty of room. Great horse population within one hour, country people who love racing. Sell Awapuni, Trentham and invest in Foxton with track upgrade ( straight 1200m, etc, new stables and new patrons facilities (eg, Sunshine Coast) with Grandstand on opposite side of the track. Build accom on the track precinct, (tow houses) for participants to rent or buy. It goes on and on. But it will never happen - vested interests, govt that doesn't give a stuff and NZTR who doesn't know what to do, Betting landscape that is 15 years behind where it should be ...

Great post Midget. We have too many tracks, and too little money to upgrade facilities to the level the public expect in the 21st century. We have greatly changed how towns and cities operate with great roads and fast cars. Having areas like Waikato with four courses, all within 45 minutes drive of each other, and all having what I call 1970s facilities is not going to engender any interest whatsoever in racing from the younger generations. Pooling resources, selling off, or retaining sources for training only if applicable, and buying an unimproved rural property to build a top class racing and equine facility - which would also have function rooms non racing people would want to use, may sound radical, but isn't it needed for the survival and rejuvenation of the industry?

An easy way to start is just give the details here and people will spread the word or even maybe interested themselves. There is also the Classified section on RaceCafe you could also put it on for free.
I think you can also advertise it on the Thoroughbred Breeders site ( not sure if you have to be a member).
The other option is talk to the stud standing the stallion you'd like to see your mare go to --they might be interested themselves or have a client who would lease it.

Or it illustrates a lot of breeders have more money than sense and love hype, promotion and glossy pictures in choosing a potential consort for their mares.

And therein Scooby lies a very real issue--too many dreamers/shysters/bullshit artists in the industry who take trainers, transporters/vets/agisters for a ride and then the good payers end up subsidising the bludgers. Must be especially tough on trainers who extend credit and then get nothing when these charlatans walk away from a horse that does't measure up. I've been there, agisting horses for others (tell you to keep the horse when they fail to pay and then you have to embrace that animal's welfare) and also running syndicates where you try to cover your bases by having members on AP but that is no bloody use when the AP is dishonoured due to lack of funds!
Also cannot help but be cognisant of the fact that too many trainers have too many shares in too many horses and expect other owners to prop up their indulgence.And they take the 10% of stakes BEFORE divvying up the residual.

The most telling  quote was "no government wants to close down an industry and there are many many  people who have done nothing wrong. They have been let down by their own industry"                         When the queensland report came out a few months ago it was apparent the queensland government gave similar action serious consideration.    While some may think it harsh,personally I find it hard to have much sympathy  for those involved in the industry over there.  Yes you had some whistleblowers, but either those in authority did not care or realised the problem was so big,and involved many high profile names that it was best kept in house.   What mugs. Anyone with sympathy should read the queensland report. The nsw report obviously will make interesting reading.                 "You reap what you sow",  

A great post, and really hits the nail on the head I think - so what if it's only a dream; life is short. The only difference between me and you Catalano is that my wife talked me INTO giving it away!

A great post, and really hits the nail on the head I think - so what if it's only a dream; life is short. The only difference between me and you Catalano is that my wife talked me INTO giving it away!

A great post, and really hits the nail on the head I think - so what if it's only a dream; life is short. The only difference between me and you Catalano is that my wife talked me INTO giving it away!