curious

https://loveracing.nz/RaceInfo/44948/Meeting-News-Article.aspx

https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/racing-families-devastated-by-bondi-mall-attack/

If you take average performances in middle grade handicap races here through the so-called tiers, the winners performance on industry days is the same as that on feature or premier days. Only difference tends to be that the horse that finished 8th on a feature day say, might have run 3rd on the industry day because of the difference in the performance quality through the depth of performance quality in the fields respectively. The actual placing has nought to do with that.

I don't use place position in previous runs in my assessment of chance at all. No idea what that has to do with it or how I could use it to assess chance in the current event.

I have his last two runs both equal to his winning run and his best lifetime performances.

While I have concerns that they may still consider racing or even trialling on it until they are as certain as possible that the risks have been remedied, I think this is a much more comprehensive and detailed report of the outcome of today's work on the issue than we have been getting, and to me, sounds hopeful that it can be sorted.

Super mare. I wonder where they'll sell her? Gavelhouse?

Wilcox is reported as saying it should be good to go by this time next year isn't he? “Naturally we are disappointed in relation to having an abandonment. We pride ourselves on doing things right, so we let ourselves down when this happens,” Wilcox said. “From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” “After the last race meeting here (this season), which is the 25th of May, it (StrathAyr track) will get a heavy renovation and that will be focussing on removing that matting to ensure going forward that that can’t cause any issues. This time next year, it will be settled and hopefully racing perfectly,”

I'd say they've escalated the cost a good deal more by doing what they did.

They could have done it in Aus if that's the case but I fail to see why it couldn't have been done here if they wanted. It's not a big scale and they did that for the likes of Hong Kong. Never the less, they will continue to do what they have been for the last 20 years or so and continue to lose punter and other participant involvement and confidence. Nothing we can say here or elsewhere will change that ignorance.

What? ATR reported it themselves. No farmer would even put their cows on that grass in that time frame, let alone race 500kg horses on it. Totally mad. It is interesting to note that this is the first StrathAyr track to have undergone a seeding process with all others being turfed – where sods of turf, pre-grown offsite, are laid on the track. There are benefits to both with turfing providing a ‘readymade’ surface for those tracks where time is of the essence, however, with the luxury of time, seeding is recommended as it results in greater root strength.

But ATC did not follow that recipe. They decided to deviate in accord with their own wisdom which is not currently looking too sharp.

Chris Wood was going to talk to him about it today. Maybe give Chris a ring to see what he found out.

The brilliant Dillon on the matter a few years back. Twice the cost and half the result. It has proved sensational at Melbourne's Moonee Valley and in close to 20 years since its introduction there has never been a wet weather abandonment on a StrathAyr track. It's all-weather, is enormously forgiving on horses' legs, has high load-bearing capabilities, wears better, needs less irrigation and lower maintenance costs than conventional turf surfaces. Without quotes, it might cost $20 million to $25 million for Ellerslie, a figure beyond any racing club here, but this is an industry issue, not a club issue. Racing clubs will not agree with this, but clubs are a vehicle for racing, they are not the racing industry itself. EVERY decision should be seen from an industry point of view. It is an inescapable fact that the industry needs Ellerslie as its showcase. There is no better course to win a race on. There is no city with anywhere near the population to draw on.

I'd suggest you help yourself, maybe by reading Horse Sense for People by Monty Roberts.

Cripes. Where did I say that? Just to set the record straight, anyone who knows me would know that I think the behaviour is a total disgrace and imo, after warnings from senior trainers, deserves a lifetime ban. I've started heaps of horses and remedied behavioural issues of a number of others and never struck one of them, let alone around the head. A while back now, but the man who listens to horses once offered me a job. I resent the implication in your post.

Won 3 trials at Foxton today all the same.

No. Probably get an inch later in the week.

No, but my own weather station 5kms north of Foxton shows 110.2mms for April. Often quite a bit of variance between the two from my records over the last 20 years. Ring the track manager if you want the exact figures for there for some reason.

Why not?

Foxton weather in April Temperature April 13.8°C | 56.8°F Precipitation / Rainfall April 116mm | 4.6 inches Temperature April max. 17.2°C | 63°F Temperature April min. 10.9°C | 51.6°F

No doubt about what?

What myth? 116mms this month. Probably a G4 tomorrow.

I think the likes of Foxton would almost cope if the water table is not too high and the tide is going out. Hopefully the new Awapuni track and Ellerslie and the new polys would also have that level of drainage.

Yep that too and the St. Mags head mistress would go around with a ruler to make sure you weren't dancing too close together!