Te Rapa Track today

[Berri 2,131]

Penetrometers are outdated and quite useless unless they are used correctly. A current track reading is like the met service when they make a weather forecast.....Waikato, Waitomo, Taumaranui....scattered showers....the resolution sucks. People want to know what is going to happen on their properties.

Same with the penetrometer...if you take 5 recordings from around the track, you are reliant on the data at those 5 points. If those points just so happen to be the driest points on the track, then you're stuffed in respect of accuracy. If you have an average irrigation system, then even worse.

Get a ground truth radar system, link it to GPS, make a virtual map of the track, link together the data and voila, you've got a complete record of the entire track and its surface. Then you make correlations between race times, the penetrometer and anything else you want to throw into the basket, and out of the basket comes a track map visual of the amount of water contained within the soil with a number so that the results are articulated appropriately

Easy if you know how. Maybe we should be a World's first on this one.

[Jefferson 207]

On 13/02/2016 at 9:49 PM, Insider said:

Ivan, If you are inferring that I will be on Weight In tomorrow you have got me mixed up with someone else. 

However if they would invite me I would be there in a shot and I would ask the hard questions.

If it was tomorrow Karen and Rutherford wouldn't know which way to look given the corrupt crap they dished up this morning when I backed Sacred Star for big money based on a Good 3 track.

That is the worst lie ever told about a track [on the morning of the races] in my living history.

Liz 

They put jockeys out for not giving "A Horse" a chance of winning, I wonder how long they will give Karen, Ken & the track manager for giving a whole bunch of horses a chance of winning. First Trentham water and ruin Sacred Star's chances now Te Rapa, the incompetent roll on unpenalised.   

[rdytdy 5,343]

1 hour ago, Berri said:

Penetrometers are outdated and quite useless unless they are used correctly. A current track reading is like the met service when they make a weather forecast.....Waikato, Waitomo, Taumaranui....scattered showers....the resolution sucks. People want to know what is going to happen on their properties.

Same with the penetrometer...if you take 5 recordings from around the track, you are reliant on the data at those 5 points. If those points just so happen to be the driest points on the track, then you're stuffed in respect of accuracy. If you have an average irrigation system, then even worse.

Get a ground truth radar system, link it to GPS, make a virtual map of the track, link together the data and voila, you've got a complete record of the entire track and its surface. Then you make correlations between race times, the penetrometer and anything else you want to throw into the basket, and out of the basket comes a track map visual of the amount of water contained within the soil with a number so that the results are articulated appropriately

Easy if you know how. Maybe we should be a World's first on this one.

What is wrong with a couple of horses galloping in the morning with experienced riders up to obtain an accurate reading as well. After all, following the first they check with the riders and adjust track ratings on their opinions then.   

Throw the bloody pentrometer away. It is too inconsistent.  

 

[Huey 2,037]

39 minutes ago, Jefferson said:

They put jockeys out for not giving "A Horse" a chance of winning, I wonder how long they will give Karen, Ken & the track manager for giving a whole bunch of horses a chance of winning. First Trentham water and ruin Sacred Star's chances now Te Rapa, the incompetent roll on unpenalised.   

Wasn't Trentham  the doing of the gods though?

[Hacko 123]

Easy answer - Artificial tracks are required?

[Whyisit 232]

Apart from Te Rapa.  Nobody has questioned Overtheriver's sensentional 1.20 and change on a dead 4 track at Awapuni last Saturday . All other times on the day point towards a 1.22 plus time but he comes out and does that.  Vetted by the vets earlier in the day to pass to race and  ridden by Wuzz and you would think that a sizzling time would have not been the order for that horse . Even Tom Wood said they weren't going  fast at the 600 .

So would be interested in Neil Davis split times for that race or anybody's time of the race.

[GONSTA 1,148]

8 minutes ago, Whyisit said:

Apart from Te Rapa.  Nobody has questioned Overtheriver's sensentional 1.20 and change on a dead 4 track at Awapuni last Saturday . All other times on the day point towards a 1.22 plus time but he comes out and does that.  Vetted by the vets earlier in the day to pass to race and  ridden by Wuzz and you would think that a sizzling time would have not been the order for that horse . Even Tom Wood said they weren't going  fast at the 600 .

So would be interested in Neil Davis split times for that race or anybody's time of the race.

Neil Davis timed the race being run in 1.23.08... Quite a staggering difference and I know who I'd trust. 

[rdytdy 5,343]

I was staggered when I heard the time they posted as there wasn't much speed on from the start and at the 600m they have good holds and are travelling comfortably. It was at that point also that Tom Wood says, " they are still not going overly quickly, just an even tempo."  

They should be reviewing calling it  a 1:20 time and I will be amazed if it is ratified as a track record.  

[barryb 2,064]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/76964572/waikato-racing-club-launch-internal-review-into-overwatering-and-downgrade

[Don Clarke 6]

Surely the stipendiary steward that was responsible for the reading of a good 3 at whatever time in the early morning at the very least be the subject of an internal assessment and a suitable press release  made by his employer. The cost to nz racing has been huge in terms of turnover on the day and future turnover. Don't forget that we had the starting gates fiasco a few months ago and no action was taking about the stipendiary stewards on duty that day. We cannot carry on like this or the end will not be 10 years away but 5 at the most.

Great to have a strong and positive response from Mr Rutherford today but again lets not forget that at noon last Tuesday he only had 4 noms for his clubs top race of the year. Lucky the benchmark 70 horse won the race (a Group 1!!!!) and perhaps gave the race some credibility although the rating of the winner was only a poor 92 barely listed level but clearly she has plenty of upside. Xtravagant was top shelf at 114 and his meeting with Mahuta over 1600 will be interesting probably allow a horse like Tarzino to come over the top of both of them.

[Jefferson 207]

On 13/02/2016 at 0:01 PM, von Smallhaussen said:

Guys - the problem is not who is walking the track. The big problem I see is the missreporting of track conditions to trainers, owners and punters at 7am raceday.

You are 100% correct, they lied at 7am and hoped the track would dry. It was so wet that was never happening. Will anyone hang, of course not. A great race day ruined, the chances of a number of very good horses ruined, but no one will be held accountable. The track was severley misrepresented to the punting public, no consequences!!

[Jefferson 207]

On 14/02/2016 at 7:59 PM, napier said:

 Dosnt matter who does it....you will still get the same readings Huey.....D4 at 7.30 and 5 hours later with a bit of sun and wind do you think it will still be a D4 ?

Tells you it wasn't even a D4 at 7.30am, those lieing bastards.

[Huey 2,037]

On 2/14/2016 at 7:59 PM, napier said:

 Dosnt matter who does it....you will still get the same readings Huey.....D4 at 7.30 and 5 hours later with a bit of sun and wind do you think it will still be a D4 ?

Perhaps , but if you had someone independent of the club doing it, usually in my experience the club does it leading up to the race day and the morning of the races. Ifind it odd how a few tracks post a D4 all week even the morning of the race then its  a G3 without any assistance from the weather.

[Bimbo 734]

1 hour ago, Don Clarke said:

Don't forget that we had the starting gates fiasco a few months ago and no action was taking about the stipendiary stewards on duty that day.

Are you talking about Washdyke in October?  If you are, then I think you have got things wrong.  The steward in charge on that day recommended to the JCA that the race should be declared void.  The JCA who don't understand how to interpret the rules declared it a race.  A body like the JCA not being able to follow the rules could only happen in New Zealand.  It's no wonder the handicapper must have thought it wasn't a problem if he had a bet on the races he was handicapping.

[Insider 3,961]

People with a small head like Stipendary Steward John Oathum usually have a small brain. 

What is the medical name for it. When it was mentioned it to me one time it seemed to sound Latin! Am I correct and what is the name?

P.S. Shouldn't  Oathum be charged with giving out false information whilst carrying out an official duty?

A jockey or a Trainer or any other licenced person doing the same would be!

[Don Clarke 6]

No Bimbo, the positioning of the gates at the 1100 metres for a 1200 metre race on December 12. Took an alert Trackside viewer to ring the club and tell them. Same Chairperson same stewards on both occasions they got away with it that time. But last Saturday was a howler how can any of those stewards now think a licenced person will take them seriously in the room.

[Bimbo 734]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Don.  With so many balls-ups going on I'm finding it hard to keep up with which ones people are talking about.

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

8 hours ago, Don Clarke said:

No Bimbo, the positioning of the gates at the 1100 metres for a 1200 metre race on December 12. Took an alert Trackside viewer to ring the club and tell them. Same Chairperson same stewards on both occasions they got away with it that time. But last Saturday was a howler how can any of those stewards now think a licenced person will take them seriously in the room.

However it would  have been a track record for 1200 me thinks.

[Insider 3,961]

How can John Oathum keep his job given that he was the Steward responsible on both occasions at the latest two Te Rapa stuff ups'?

Surely it is time for the R.I.U. to call him in and ask the hard questions? 

[Guest 2Admin2]

12 minutes ago, Insider said:

How can John Oathum keep his job given that he was the Steward responsible on both occasions at the latest two Te Rapa stuff ups'?

Surely it is time for the R.I.U. to call him in and ask the hard questions? 

What you are asking Goober to do something?  Geez he couldn't walk down the road to Mortys hearing.

[Insider 3,961]

2 hours ago, 2Admin2 said:

What you are asking Goober to do something?  Geez he couldn't walk down the road to Mortys hearing.

That's the very point.

Protection for their mates in any official position, yet charge or attempt to, any of us who dare to question their incompetence!

[Leggy 4,090]

9 minutes ago, Insider said:

That's the very point.

Protection for their mates in any official position, yet charge or attempt to, any of us who dare to question their incompetence!

I wouldn't have thought there was much to question about their incompetence Insider?

[Canelo 459]

What is the general consensus on the watering of tracks? Do the benefits of watering outweigh the negatives or is the jury still out on this as the methods become more refined through trial and error(empahasis on error). Is the grass used compatible with intsensive summer irrigation?. Seemingly you would assume that over watering in summer, especially when you are saturating the top profile of soil would create issues with root depth of grass and the structure of the soil and ability to hold together and permeability of water at other times of the year or does a sand based track negate these issues? These irrigation set ups run up into the hundreds of thousands, is there a need for this or is it more of an aesthetic requirement to have green tracks? I am assuming the issue of soreness is a major reason for watering or is it not necessary in that regard? 

[Insider 3,961]

I may have had my eyes closed but has anyone else seen the promised report?

[Whyisit 232]

Back to Awapuni again

thought I heard Tom Wood during the Wanganui races yesterday mentioned the fact of the stipendary stewards before racing starting take time to review and time Overtheriver's race on Saturday and they ratified the time to be 1.23.03 .

l see that it hasn't changed on Overtheriver's race profile and there was no mention in the stripes report as a supplementary item.

they must think we are all mushrooms keep us in the dark and feed us bs