Chris Wood

Sad but true, TeTeko, sadly lost, Wairoa, Gisborne did noboby any harm, locals flocked there! 1962 Gubes, 5 meetings, hardly enough competent Jocks to ride at two meetings these days, whip rules have put paid to that! Love the names mentioned in the 1972 line up, great horses and jocks, we are on a down hill spiral when you put it all into perspective! The breeding of horses is the next problem, over priced service fees and no hobby breeders with a few mares, farmers investing into the game, interesting times on the horizon!

Sad as it is, the overheads for trainers on Public Holidays really do affect the bottom line. Horses have to be worked, stables cleaned, water buckets filled, horses fed, it all takes time and a real commitment from your staff. You can’t charge a surcharge, well I don’t, along with a lot of my cohorts, some of the big stables might get away with it. The costs keep climbing, and the returns??

Another prominent TAB bites the dust at the end of November, Frankton TAB in Hamilton which is attached to the Hamilton Working Mens Club. I hear Royal Oak closed down recently to.

And I thought the painting was bad! Who the fork approves this nonsense? Love to know the budget!

Is this for real? Very poor spending of our funds! No disrespect to the participants, but this is so average, quite unbelievable actually! Your opinions?

Popped over to the Waipa trials with one runner in today. The track was picture perfect, ideal conditions and a good turnout of connections to see their charges performing. Well done guys and girls, a great committee who are very much hands on. A special mention to Bart Cowan, the TeRapa track manager. He has overseen the track now for a period of time and he has obviously worked with the Waipa team to produce this surface. A track that is badly needed in times of Ellerslie, TeAroha out of action, TeTeko wiped, Avondale dodgy, Pukekohe with a cloud hanging over it, hopefully rectified soon. Doesn't leave to many , Ruakaka has proved its worth to, which has been great. Hopefully Waipa gets the all clear to race again.

Waipa on Tuesday, all reports from jumpouts and gallops on the track have been good. Hopefully all goes to plan, it would be a welcome addition as a Raceday venue if it ticks all the boxes!

I didn’t get the official word, and not sure what is scheduled as far as grass track trials go, but we have jumpouts weekly here at Cambridge, this Friday on our old Number 2 grass the reverse way around. (RIght handed)) Some trainers are still a wee bit stand offish, I find the track is consistent and still hop on the odd one to get a feel of the horse and track, no complaints from this end!

Not many better racing clubs in my mind than this one! Facilities are good, great local support and a good bunch on the committee.

This is getting boring guys, let it be!

With our numbers in Cambridge, the track has been an absolute blessing once again through this winter period. The set up was originally for 200 horses to be trained there, and we are now up to 1000 to utilise this fantastic complex. Our grass surfaces are still there to be utilised throughout the year at a set fee over and above the monthly track fee. Trainers utilise that with their better horses heading into the Spring, and the use being at their own discretion. We have numerous other tracks to work on, and every trainer has their own theory on what surface suits their own needs, but the AW surface certainly has its avid followers.

Tauranga still allows it and look at the crowds they get heading into the Festive season, well done!

BYO is a great idea, bring it back. The inside at Ellerslie, Thames and a lot of other courses with the picnic atmosphere were great. A lot don’t attend the races anymore for the specific reason of over priced drinks, poor on course catering and inexperienced staff beh8nd the bars with no idea. Remove the monopoly I say!

Par for the course sadly, WP the only one who has come out with any real credit, jeez we have had some drop kicks!

Not happy with the 7 points TA, normal 65 winners get 5 points, I thought 7 was a bit harsh, not having won a race for 18 months.

I for one are happy, my horse has slipped down the rating, R 60 programmed, in like Flynn, and will be competitive to!

One of Racings good guys, Happy retirement Rob!

Well said and put Roger. The Roadshow that Bruce Sharrock ran was attended by a good crowd at the Cambridge track and the trainers were unanimous on their opinions on running R 60 races. They have had one up this way, I think at Avondale and the nominations were huge, showing there is definetly a need for them. Bring on the new season!

Weather bomb predicted, proactive response from the CJC, no use getting everyone here, then the jockeys calling it off with visibility concerns. Postponed till Thursday, everyone is happy! The real harsh weather hasn’t hit yet, a bit of rain, but what was forecast hasn’t arrived yet!

Got my wires crossed Leggy, it was the trials shifted, and they have been postponed today as we are due the weather bomb here today. I totally agree, wet tracks surely have their place on the NZ Racing Calendar, we don’t want to lose sight of that, not so many Head Hunters around these days, but those good old hardy breeds kept the industry going back in the day. With our track closures and renovations going on it makes for lean pickings throughout the North Island. And I do realise the Synthetic is not the complete answer, but it has been a blessing to get our horses up to scratch without smashing our grass training surfaces. Over a 1000 in work at most times of the year at Cambridge, so it was money well spent.

Like herding cats Scoobs, to many in this industry with their own agendas, Big picture, what Big picture!

Don’t worry, a lot of trainers have an abundance of shares in horses within their stables to, so they prop the game up to as owners. I cannot fathom why the industry let the likes of TeTeko go. Waipa not racing, TeAroha is under renovation, Ellerslie out, for a great reason. Leaves us short of tracks to be honest, nice to see Avondale pre empting things and moving their meeting to Cambridge on Wednesday, that’s the perfect scenario for the all weather track.

Trainers association sold their sole when the got NZTR to collect their subscriptions a good few years ago now. NZTR hold the power, end of story!

Gisborne and Wairoa were two bad decisions in my mind, the locals supported those meetings to the hilt, and do you think any family from either region is going to drive to Hastings to the races. Both courses run and managed by the respective committee’s, at bugger all cost to the industry. A set of people that will never experience horse racing in their lives, sad really!

Nothing wrong with the track, horse numbers at this time of the year dictate trial fields, and regular trials and jumpouts are now accessible with the surface. With a few tracks out of action, there are not to many alternatives! I can’t work out why they let TeTeko go, and what is happening with Waipa, another good venue gone west!