Purcell's spiel FFS

[rdytdy 5,343]

1 hour ago, biff said:

Compared to the poor buggers in the South Island we have it good up here, I really feel for them down there. What I can't understand is why they are not revolting?

Come on Biff, most of them are revolting down there  

Just joking   

[biff 2,158]

34 minutes ago, Trump said:

Maybe Biff. But I don't think the Racing Minister is the problem. If the problem is well known, why aren't the wise heads of the Racing Industry fixing it. The head of the Australian Racing Board is John Messara. He needs no intro. He is heavily involved in the industry outside his prime responsibility as the Arrowfield Stud chief and is a driving force for Racing NSW. In Victoria, you have David Moodie as the chief, also a prolific breeder of TB's and one who has definitely raced more than 90. Who in the NZ Racing Industry is the driving force and a recognised racing figure with lots of skin in the game?John Allen? I'm running out of names so please help me here. But I would suggest to you that the answer is ZERO!

Yes and no Trump, you use the term 'wise heads' that's an oxymoron in this case, however the Racing Minister is indeed the problem, he has a portfolio he knows zilch about. Like all politicians they survive on bullshit. Who in their right mind would leave private enterprise to work in the public service? who?.......the CEO of both the racing board and the other, and I loathe to even title that as they are useless would earn 3-4 times more in private enterprise than they ever would with a public service, service! So, why would anyone, anyone with an opportunity to earn in the private sphere choose the public and not private....the mind boggles doesn't it.......John Allen left the public service, and wammo, look at the salary he'd be on now.......the guy talks the talk, but hobbles at the walk.......but he's surrounded by cripples anyway, who would be advising John Allen? the dozen or so well off and comfortably entrenched racing identities we all know? you betcha, they aren't going to rock the boat, why should they, life's rosy as it is, why stir the pot? I have come to realise, no matter how much diatribe I get involved with only you lot at the coal face here can change things. I've only been back here a year, and in that time I've probably been out of the country for 3 months or so anyway, but what I do know is that in far away countries like Peru/Chile and Argentina they talk about the racing here in NZ and not in glowing terms. They can't understand how the people allow it to happen, and to continue happening, using Messara and co in Oz as benchmarks IMO is not relevant here Trump, your comment though re who is a driving force in NZ, well that's been answered above, a select few Trump, and they don't give a flying f^&k for the grass roots/coal face people. The poor noms these past weeks should have rung alarm bells, but no one is in the fire station......there is one well known poster on the other site, he has close links to Petone, his suggestion that owners need to look long and hard at their trainer should he/she choose to race on a Thurs or the lower stakes day and not race on the high price Sat or premium meets is deplorable. It epitomises the mentality of people chosen to lead us, however I bet the management at Petone would divorce themselves from that comment in fear of heavy flak. 

Speaking for myself and my wife, we don't want to support Oz racing, their trainers, and their bloodstock sales and studs in favour of New Zealand's, far from it, we chose to migrate here, we love living here, we love the people we love the land and the animals, we hate the apathy, the kick me again thought process's, we live in hope that there will be a peaceful uprising of the suppressed and that the wrongs will be righted. If we didn't have a strong solid core business to fund our racing endeavours we would be in the same boat as hundreds of other racing folk we chat to, that boat is damaged and listing badly, if it sinks and we have no life jackets their will be a lot of casualties.

 

[Scotch Thistle 133]

I don't know that this Racing Minister is any more of a problem than each of his predecessors, except for Winston Peters (who achieved more for racing than the rest put together).

If the Minister isn't well informed of industry issues, the first question is how well is he supported/advised by his officials.  I think the department which supports him is Internal Affairs, which has a grab bag of responsibilities, most fulfilled poorly (passports being a possible exception).  The next question is how well, individually and collectively, do racing industry bodies represent their needs and issues to the Minister (and other Ministers), through coherent submissions and effective ear bashing.

Ministers in general can't miss seeing media reports of shambles after shambles within the thoroughbred portion of the racing industry.  Examples over the last few months are fiascos with starting gates, the incompetent watering of tracks, crude persecutions of small trainers (Morton), the chief handicapper sacked for punting, kid glove treatment of industry darlings (O'Sullivan).  Loads of other festering matters, not dealt with or unresolved, are chronicled on Racecafe.  

In the face of constant evidence of the failings of thoroughbred racing administrators, even a competent and energetic Minister of Racing would find it hard to get other Ministers and Cabinet to pay active attention to thoroughbred industry issues.  Except those raised by the breeders and NZ Bloodstock.