biff

Well, I've been told. If I nominate her horse for Awapuni next week, should they race, she will give the horse to another trainer.......and I have to wash up for a month!

Would you not expect Glenda to tell all executives, ''People, feet on the ground, you are needed at HQ for urgent damage control'' or, is that over and above?

I heard GP telling all, ''I'm going to Mums"!........maybe he'll be told to call Mum to explain he is needed back here! Has the game ever been so bad/sad....for God's sake.

She looked a picture at the track this week, what a bloody shame, at least she's ok.

We get back to that dirty dirty subject, =accountability.......it just doesn't exist here.

Just that I bumped into him at a stud open day over in the Manawatu last year, and when he found out I was foreman at Caulfield for 4 years before training at Flemington he seemed to disappear, I would have loved to have chewed the fat, perhaps he had better things to do, more interesting people to chat to? I wanted to learn about RACE you see Insider.

Listening to the stipe explain on trackside was an eyeopener, waiting now for the enquiry into why and how, I'm framing a market shortly as to when.

I've got two close friends driving with their runners toward Awapuni, about to do a U-Turn, shame they almost made it to the track after a 2 hour drive eh, this is the 3rd time it's happened to the poor buggers this year, I reckon they'd knock up training winners in Oz, they'd have to get used to professionalism though, sadly lacking here.

Is the bloke that ran MRC based at Caulfield now running RACE?

How can you be a skeleton with a diet of sausage rolls and pies? That's not right? is it?

Touche!

That's true, somehow their tote model is different to ours, no off course and they struggle with the Levy Board for decent revenues! The Bookies are not taxed to the level of AUS either , however it's changing as they recognise the need ! Unlike here.

You've stumped me for one Blue, I think I'm racing people, can you explain further?

Des Copout needs re-programming, his show is dated, no hard questions, well he did once and we saw what happened. He might be a nice bloke, but it would be lovely to have a take no prisoners type guy. Thank God we have AUS to send our horses to, and to Sky Racing so we can watch them, one day though, before I die, I would love to see NZ racing back to where it was, before foreigners arrived to squash it.

The position of 'Boss' of either NZRB, NZTR should be of the same standing and conditions as a footy coach, your team don't perform, you're a gone burger.........in UK those coaches are answerable to the board who in turn answer to thousands of paid up members, or the club owner or both, it's called ultimate accountability, here in the Rock Star Economy Land, there's bugger all accountability, or consumer protection, either/either, that's why racing is in the position it is, your Aussie cousins wouldn't stand for this, their DNA wouldn't allow it. Having a business in Latin/South America I'm au-fait with third world politics and business acumen, however in places like Peru and Argentina racing would never de-generate to our level, although they don't have Pari-Mutuel capabilities like us, the sponsorship from leading business's is massive, Polo also, sponsors we could only dream of, and gambling taxes are distributed as per demand/request by racing entities. We could learn so much from places like Japan/France who collect and distribute revenue to race clubs in accordance with profitability/sustainability, and as for marketing that drives the product, it's a lost world, never in my corporate life have I witnessed such a lack of marketing nouse and abilities, the industry and it's passengers deserve much better, much better, however the sad reality is NZ is not first world, it's tailed off, going so poorly the ambulance has had to change down a gear and in danger of stalling. Mr Lindsay and his wife sustained their racing interests because their core business was the cash cow, without people such as the Lindsays', the salaries at Petone and Parnell would not be so impressive, and if we lose people such as the Lindsays', then kiss the whole kit and caboodle goodbye. Our company sponsored races at Moonee Valley, our ROI was not the primary objective, the end game was brand exposure and wining and dining our clients, until there is massive change here, no way will we invest our marketing funds into a race-day experience, it's a wasted opportunity, and I'm very happy to explain in person to the marketing gurus [oxy moron] here why.

Isn't Nathan a farmer? Well thats what he said, a man of the land eh? I bet there are some very nervous animals then, I bet he can hand milk though, ....think about it.

I voted for both of them, if one stands on the others shoulders he'll reach the mic. The use of binoculars though may prove a bridge too far.

You are absolutely correct on all points Tom save the last paragraph.......to change it all it needs is a class action funded by every, and I mean every licensed person in the country........a challenge to the board, a no confidence, and you will get change. There are some good legal minds out there, the funding of such action must come from all participants, starting with trainers, jocks and then onto owners and breeders........well, that leads to a conundrum, there are some that have never had life so good, they wont rock the boat, so until there is a 100% united front, morally, financially, and emotionally then it's like pissing on a bushfire. I've got 4 2yo's to come in next year and 2 older stock, like VS above they will either never see the track from our yard or go to AUS, already been approached to sell two of them, so do we vote with our feet? or join a united action to ''get things done''?

And there in itself is coalface reaction, how can the management team hold their collective heads up? I've lost a potential 10 mil investment from my corporate partners, one of which has now invested in USA........he owns one of the largest freight forwarding companies in Latin America, no matter how I spin to him, he's an intelligent man, he reads the 'reports' and he read the business plan I spoke about in a separate post, could someone else tell me, save maybe DPR Congo, or some other despot ruled country where would this behaviour be tolerated, as Gough Whitlam once spruiked, ''It's time' good people, it's time''!

I've been concerned the 'big' trainers have been strangely silent on the plight of our industry, it's refreshing therefore to read Tony's letter, it's sad also to read the response from Mr Allen. Spin is easy, decisions are not, there may well be a change of Gov shortly, or at least a new racing minister, I wasn't here when you had Winnie, but God knows we need a change at board level. I've lived in 3 countries and travelled to many, the lack of accountability in New Zealand, the place I was born in and will hopefully die in shames me, you buggers can't be that apathetic, surely, rid the industry of all these hopeless passengers that are reclining in the first class cabin, get some fresh air in there, please, they wont go of their own accord, they need to be pushed.

Geezus that looks like Liz Hurley? surely not.

Midget, where are Te Akau, Baker, Logan, Rogerson on this? or Pike, or Marsh? haven't mentioned Chris Wood as he's obviously had enough of these people. It needs the leading stables to speak up, speaking for myself, small voices are insignificant in this country, it needs clout to be heard, if the big guys/gals don't give a damn, what chance does the little fella/lass have? For Gods sake, what you sat here is very important, having been foreman to the greatest trainer of 2yo's AUS ever had, I know he would have scaled the fence to get at their throats for making decisions like this without suitable consultation>.......however> maybe they have, maybe, just maybe the big guns gave their blessing, in such case shock treatment is required for all concerned.

Hesi, we were lucky enough to have sold up in Chatswood Sydney 2 years ago to fund our move back to NZ.......unfortunately/fortunately the demand from China is so great we listed on a Thursday and sold on the first viewing Saturday. So we are the other part of the equation. However this is a world wide issue. We were only talking with a couple from Toronto and they say its the same in Canada. Its the same in South Africa, so we're not the only people with this problem. In saying that, the NZ economy is doing well albeit dependent on the export market but whilst I do think John Key has turned things around rather markedly, I do believe he is now the "teflon" man - nothing sticks. From my observation, corporate NZ tends to get away with things that would not be possible elsewhere. Corporate NZ gets an easy ride here - low wages for those working in major retail outlets whilst pricing is out of control. Most Kiwi's have been able to travel so surely they see the disparity between pricing in NZ and elsewhere. I don't believe politicians ever question why this is so due to the very cosy relationship big business has with government. I don't believe this will ever change as the precedent has been set. But its going to be a very interesting 18 months, whatever way things develops!

What an amazing strike rate, shame the prize money down there doesn't reward excellence such as this.