Happy Sunrise

Oamaru is an 8 race card with 4 races of 7 starters. And one 8 horse and 9 horse field. Junior penalty free saves the day along with a big trot. This kind of day is unappealing to me, and I suspect, other punters, but maybe they like it. Who knows. The race dates and programming in both the north and the south seem to be stretching horse numbers with a philosophy of quantity over quality. Personally, I would rather see 2 Canterbury meetings this week of full fields than 3 limited ones. Maybe the question to ask would the turnover stack up in both scenarios? Maybe HRNZ need to decide what direction they want to follow, and quickly.

The summer racing period over Xmas is great. But looks like they have over extended themselves again with 3 meetings in 5 days with Oamaru 79 Addington 114 and methven 138. Little Green Jug 3 year old race only has 5 in it for 20 000 at Methven. Non winners at Addington are very low but the junior driver penalty free race has 18 which is very positive. The mares race should be a good watch and also seeing the return of castelo vide on the grass after a long layoff.

Not worried that Chief Stipe may hate me as I'm sure Noodlum loves me.

oh, Craig, and no to Franco Cornel. 😂

Nice work.

Chief, I have removed the statement and retract it at the same time. Happy Sunrise.

I couldn't care less.

We are obviously bred on different lines 😁 Tim was subjected to one of the worst stipes calls years ago at Auckland but yesterday was one of the worst drives I have ever seen, it was pretty much indefensible and he only gets 3 days. The stipes have laid ground work for these kinds of drives eg Higgs, Cameron and Newman but yesterday they forgot all that let him off with a wet bus ticket. Evidence of that is not even putting his explanation in the report. The matter should have been adjourned to a later date for a more thorough investigation eg betting patterns because it looked like possible race fixing as it was more than an 'error'. Field of Poppies was bet on, its odds came in from 14 to 8 I think, so somewhere out there is a punter or punters who will wonder what that was all about and think they should be collecting a full divvy, except it is going to those who backed the stablemate. The stipes talk about perception, yesterday was a great example of harness at its worst. Did they give him 3 days? Yes, they did, but they openly swept it under the carpet very very quickly but we also know some participants would not be afforded that luxury. Exhibit A, harness in decline.

FIELD OF POPPIES - briefly locked sulky stays with COOL MOON which was being shifted wider on the track by an inside runner near the 400m. Held up for clear racing room inside the final 200m. Stewards questioned driver T Williams regarding his decision to shift inwards near the 300m when having a clear run on the outside of the track before being held up inside the final 200m. After considering Mr Williams' explanation, Stewards issued a charge under Rule 868(2) alleging that he failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to win or obtain the best possible placing when shifting inwards near the 300m when having a clear and unobstructed run to the finish resulting in his runner being held up. Mr Williams admitted the charge and after viewing the replays and hearing penalty submissions the Adjudicative Committee suspended Mr Williams' driver's licence from the conclusion of racing today up to and including 15 January 2023 (3 days). Extremely lenient. I wonder what his explanation was.

Lucky? You actually think punters who backed Field of Poppies were lucky? What was the error? So small errors driving are ok away from premier meetings?

That is ok then. 🙄 What about the punters? What about the drive? You have driven winners, what is your professional opinion of it?

The only topic of conversation on that site appears to be, Bag Mr Brodie. Very sad. I think they're just jealous that their site is full of has beens who couldn't handle energetic, mischievous debate. mischievous debate is correct.

Why did he go back to the inside when he presented the horse wide and had room? Then only to be held up for racing room. I look forward to the explanation.

But it has to be critical of past actions and current processes, that is why the meetings are being held in the first place. Tiptoeing through the tulips won't solve anything.

While it is a well mannered and positive move it is still a shot across the bow of HRNZ but a move, like you suggest, would be a last resort. Good to see Cambridge force the issue and try and get support. Who else is brave enough to do the same? Southern Harness? I doubt Addington would. Awaiting the article in the Herald by Guerin about it. Oh to be a fly on the wall listening to all the internal politicking going on because of the Cambridge meeting. Guerin, being a mouthpiece for the industry, combined with the lack of transparency of HRNZ, could be the one to publicly deliver the official response. One has to wonder what is the point of the annual conference HRNZ holds and what goes on it as it was held only a couple of months ago. It must be ineffective or concerns fall on deaf ears to be at the point where Cambridge is taking HRNZ to task at the moment.

Cambridge Raceway has had enough. Good on them. They may say it is to be a constructive meeting etc which is good but it still means they will be standing up to HRNZ.

More shots fired, it is what most are thinking I imagine. https://harnesslink.com/new-zealand/cambridge-questions-unanswered-with-stakeholders-left-holding-the-phone/

HRNZ can't do the small things right let alone get the big picture stuff. It would take an age to go through the issues for trainers, owners, breeders, clubs, drivers and punters individually. It all adds up. The smaller foal numbers coming through now portend to a general weakening in harness racing overall.

Brodie has more chance of being Jacinda Arden than Wayne Higgs.

Also peddles disinformation cheaply. He is lined up for ATC Board position I hear but that could be misinformation. Between Brodie, The ATC and HRNZ I don't know who to believe. Seems I will just have to wait until the next episode of The Box Seat for the truth.

That is Brodie's disguise when he enters any TAB. All those cameras using face recognition to identify successful gamblers. I am just surprised a successful punter who doesn't bet would bet on amateurs at that track. It must be easier to launder money on amateur racing? Bless Brodie, if he is still the same as he was on Racecafe and BOAY all those years ago then he is as predictable as ever. PS each blue dot signifies the injection location of a covid booster.

Who needs to move the Hall of Fame when you have all those carpark spaces available on race night. Just park the cars between the punters. Hardly Times Square in NYC or even the Timaru Trots in winter on a rainy day.

While I believe Lincoln Farms are firmly out for themselves, they and Brad Reid seem to be the only 'official' voices who are willing to speak up. The rest are bought and paid for.

The metropolis of Reefton can generate a bigger crowd. Lincoln Farms will do anything to justify their position on the viability of the Franklin Cup.

Not sure Williamson should be heading home, next week is a group 3 race so according to Morris logic it will run like the Franklin Cup did. Phil has 2 runners, probably only need one more lol.