Where is Happy? Come in Old Mate

[karrotsishere]

You ok?

Have I missed something? 

I come back to chat with some of you, you included. 

Your missed. Come in. Hope all is ok.

[karrotsishere]

What about when we chatted privately about the person riding off into the sunset with a bunch of $.

The rumour that swirled behind closed doors at 1 point.

Fact or fiction ... we shall never know.  Sometimes these rumours are so out there, one thinks this sounds way too cray-cray, but then sometimes you just cant make this s..t up.

Edited March 6, 2023 by karrotsishere

[karrotsishere]

Boo has someone owner of another site, scared you off? Sad. But got his wish.

So much for freedom of speech.

HAPPY if you ever read this and come back. Thank you for your amazing contributions.

Your eye for detail & blunt calling things a spade even when others may strongly disagree. Is admirable.

Hope all is ok. 

Karrots

[Rusty]

5 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Boo has someone owner of another site, scared you off? Sad. But got his wish.

Might be reading a bit too much in to it. 

I dare say it would take a bit more than that for Happy to be "scared off."

Like all good Group 1 horses, sometimes there is much benefit in a well deserved spell, bit of a freshen up etc, before a long slow prep and build-up aiming for the Spring. 

[Addington]

9 hours ago, Rusty said:

dare say it would take a bit more than that for Happy to be "scared off."

Correct, has not logged in since mid February so maybe hes taking a break or gone on holiday

[Happy Sunrise]

On 3/11/2023 at 4:50 PM, karrotsishere said:

Boo has someone owner of another site, scared you off?

Not on your life. Wash your mouth out. 🤣 Brodie's bride doesn't scare me. (it is a joke chief so don't go nuts)

Harness is a bit dull at the moment, with small fields but loads of meetings. I have barely been betting as a consequence. I saw the Nathan Williamson drive on Joe's Rock down south the other week and thought he will be suspended for that but he got off scot-free. If it had been a lesser light they would have got weeks. Akuta V Copy That was a fizzer too.

It is interesting HRNZ said they wanted to reduce costs etc but they have the TAB etc going to Oamaru and elsewhere for 7 or 8 race cards with few horses. I thought it would have made sense to have fewer meetings with full fields and save money that way. I am also waiting to see what happens in the new calendar after the clubs have presented to HRNZ. This will be very telling on the direction of harness and will set the scene for years.

Also good to see Matt Anderson get 5 years +, he should really have been gone for good. He can't change his spots it seems.

Same old stuff on rinse and repeat.

On the bright side, I love Buckskin, gives his best, unfashionable battler outshines the shiny stars in races over and over again. Need to get him in the Cup field this year. Buckskin V Akuta! Bring it on! Buckskin by 6L, Akuta second, Copy That a distant 3rd...

The Team Teal females are a credit to racing. There are so many female drives these days. It is great.

[Globederby19]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:51 AM, Happy Sunrise said:

Buckskin V Akuta! Bring it on! Buckskin by 6L, Akuta second, Copy That a distant 3rd...

Ha Ha, I love your enthusiasm. I got a horse I am following called Charlie Brown. Nice little Art Major who I think will go onto bigger things as he ages . He is just behind the big players at the moment and got out late behind Merlin,  Sherlock and company at the Park. Portfolio horse for sure.

[Mardy]

I love Buckskin,will be backing him again tomorrow. And hell if he lined up in the Cup I'd probably back him as well.

[karrotsishere]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:51 AM, Happy Sunrise said:

Not on your life. Wash your mouth out. 🤣 

Harness is a bit dull at the moment, with small fields but loads of meetings. 

I am also waiting to see what happens in the new calendar after the clubs have presented to HRNZ. This will be very telling on the direction of harness and will set the scene for years.

Great you were just on a wee spell. 

So just did a quick count up & it appears there are only approx 40 horses in North   R56 or higher that have raced past 3 months. 

17 start at Alex Fri, 3 Camb tonight & 7 nomed for Mana nxt week. Thats 27 of approx 40. 40 doesnt seem like many from R56 up.

Guessing if u are R70 or higher then u will be in top 10 North Island male/female all ages. No wonder Alex P struggles with field sizes when they cater for higher class. 

Then looking at it from an hamdicapping prospective u have some maidens win who have had limited starts popping out as R50. Thats not far off an R56!

Wonder if the Handicapper has been looking at this, or if he is having a sleep? Took me all of 30 mins to do a quick check now.

Anyone heard anything about the Camb workshops? Nothings come out so far by looks. 

[karrotsishere]

4 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

 So just did a quick count up & it appears there are only approx 40 horses in North R56 or higher that have raced past 3 months. 

17 start at Alex Fri, 3 Camb tonight & 7 nomed for Mana nxt week. Thats 27 of approx 40. 40 doesnt seem like many from R56 up.

Guessing if u are R70 or higher then u will be in top 10 North Island male/female all ages. 

Then looking at it from an hamdicapping prospective u have some maidens win who have had limited starts popping out as R50. Thats not far off an R56!

Wonder if the Handicapper has been looking at this, or if he is having a sleep? Took me all of 30 mins to do a quick check

Last post for today. Heres a classic example. Why on earth is a 1 start horse named Commander Lincoln racing against 3, R56 or higher horses eg Loutenant, A Bettor You & Cos I Can. Might add Loutenant is a 4 win horse whom won x2 times in past 5 starts. 

Poor Commander Lincoln doesnt even get an advantage even tho its pref barrier draw! As looking at it the pref barrier draw is based off ratings not winning stake. Private Eye a 2 win horse gets barrier 1. While Commander Lincoln gets barrier 2! This is so wrong.

Come on Mr NZ Handicapper. Wake up!

[karrotsishere]

15 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Heres a classic example. Why on earth is a 1 start horse named Commander Lincoln racing against 3, R56 or higher horses eg Loutenant, A Bettor You & Cos I Can. Might add Loutenant is a 4 win horse whom won x2 times in past 5 starts. 

Poor Commander Lincoln doesnt even get an advantage even tho its pref barrier draw! As looking at it the pref barrier draw is based off ratings not winning stake. Private Eye a 2 win horse gets barrier 1. While Commander Lincoln gets barrier 2! This is so wrong.

Come on Mr NZ Handicapper. Wake up!

Quickly heres another example, R2 Addington R46-56. Remember in North only approx 40 horses rated 56 or higher that have raced past approx 3 months including Mana horses up from South. Therefore you are in top 40 horses in North going around if you are rated 56 or higher.

So lets use that as a guide looking at South.

3 start horse Dare Devil young 3yo. Inexperienced. 1 win is R50. He is in this race racing against R56.
BUT he also does NOT get an advantage. INFACT he is handicapped! Yes thats right folks handicapped against him. Its pref barrier draw again & he is 2nd row outside 2nd row. Horse with top prefer draw given barrier 1 is a 4yo 4 start 2 win horse R48. Horse 2 is a 4yo 21 start 2 win R49. Horse 3 is a 39 start 5 win 5yo R49.

Yet the 3yo 1 win 3 start horse is handicapped to back of the back row. How is this fair!?

Maidens should NOT be popping out at R50. NONE of them.

Looks like there has been a change lose a point 5th. Therefore horses are coming down faster. Therefore all maidens should also have dropped too to pop out lower, to match this drop. Plus it bottoms out lower now at R35 not R40. Therefore an R56 is now more like an old R61 ish.

Edited March 23, 2023 by karrotsishere

[Happy Sunrise]

59 minutes ago, karrotsishere said:

Plus it bottoms out lower now at R35 not R40.

The ratings are quickly becoming meaningless. With so many horses under 50 horses are just all the same big melting pot and get packaged into races but essentially they race the same horses all the time.

Is a 6 win trotter rated 37 worse or better than a newbie trotter with a rating of 43? The rating is limited value.

[karrotsishere]

1 hour ago, karrotsishere said:

Quickly heres another example, R2 Addington R46-56. Remember in North only approx 40 horses rated 56 or higher that have raced past approx 3 months including Mana horses up from South. Therefore you are in top 40 horses in North going around if you are rated 56 or higher.

So lets use that as a guide looking at South.

3 start horse Dare Devil young 3yo. Inexperienced. 1 win is R50. He is in this race racing against R56.
BUT he also does NOT get an advantage. INFACT he is handicapped! Yes thats right folks handicapped against him. Its pref barrier draw again & he is 2nd row outside 2nd row. Horse with top prefer draw given barrier 1 is a 4yo 4 start 2 win horse R48. Horse 2 is a 4yo 21 start 2 win R49. Horse 3 is a 39 start 5 win 5yo R49.

Yet the 3yo 1 win 3 start horse is handicapped to back of the back row. How is this fair!?

Maidens should NOT be popping out at R50. NONE of them.

Looks like there has been a change lose a point 5th. Therefore horses are coming down faster. Therefore all maidens should also have dropped too to pop out lower, to match this drop. Plus it bottoms out lower now at R35 not R40. Therefore an R56 is now more like an old R61 ish.

Here is yet another example

Race 2 R45 to R56 Auckland

Mr President 3yo 3 start 1 win R49 has to race against R56. And wait! for it he too is handicapped against him. Its Pref barrier draw! He also gets handed a 2nd row draw.

Meanwhile Horse gifted barrier 3 is a 2 win 5yo 17 start with form of 4 placings in past 5 runs R48.

15 start 2 win 3yo With Style gets barrier 4 R49.

Ideal Kingdom 13 start 2 wins 3yo gets barrier 5.

10 start 1 win 3yo Colonel Lincoln gets the number 1 draw R45.

How unfair is this?!

No wonder its a common phrase used by owners who say "dont win too quickly, its hard on them if they do".

No shit. It is. This is terrible.

[karrotsishere]

18 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Is a 6 win trotter rated 37 worse or better than a newbie trotter with a rating of 43? The rating is limited value.

Haven't looked at trotters, but that sounds terrible too.

[Happy Sunrise]

8 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Haven't looked at trotters, but that sounds terrible too.

And then we have 6 horse fields at Addington on a Friday night. 

[karrotsishere]

13 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

And then we have 6 horse fields at Addington on a Friday night. 

Is that because of lack of horses? Did a quick count & running around in North there are approx 250 that have raced in past 4 months. So field size makes sense say approx 100 Camb - 80 Auck - 70 Mana = 250. so when having back to back racing or all that is it. Camb 10 races x 10 horses - Mana 7 races x 10 horses - Auck 8 races - 10 horses. (say these are approx acceptors lets say, then get scratchings).

Pretty obvious to utilize the current race fit population to fullest, have to do what is done here North America shorten the distance racing to miles or 1700 or whatever.  That way they can race more often per month, oppose fortnightly. Looks like Camb did that the other nite. Not sure what can be done in the South as the distance is already shorter at a 1950 metres. Which works.

Edited March 24, 2023 by karrotsishere

[karrotsishere]

Results time folks, lets see how these poor 3 horses who are handicapped against them got on.

Commander Lincoln - LAST by many many lenghts

Dare Devil - LAST

Mr President - Also Ran - race replay shows poor horse was LAST turning for home.

This is outrageous. But proves what I am saying.

Am I the only 1 along with Trotsfan & Happy that finds this unfair?

What does the handicapper do all day? - what is his job description?

Then people cry out, we are losing all the horses, well hello of course. Get a nice offer, take a look at your options & if your horse fits in this category what starts to look like a more attractive & best thing for you & your horse? These horses will likely be handicapped again at their next start & have to line up against R56 horse/s again also.

And I note the stripes report 2 of these 3 horses that came Last were questioned performance & had blood samples taken. Hmm not rocket science as to why. Unless horse is super-horse or on something or just has alot of ability & is heading for the top, then very hard to go around an entire field of older horses that are more experienced & have more wins that you at that time or sit (drawn to face the breeze, oppose a nice handy fence run).

I note Cormac Leo also is now in same cateogory wins on debut so now R50.

Edited March 24, 2023 by karrotsishere

[karrotsishere]

On 3/24/2023 at 11:33 AM, karrotsishere said:

3 start horse Dare Devil young 3yo. Inexperienced. 1 win is R50. He is in this race racing against R56.

BUT he also does NOT get an advantage. INFACT he is handicapped! Yes thats right folks handicapped against him. Its pref barrier draw again & he is 2nd row outside 2nd row. Horse with top prefer draw given barrier 1 is a 4yo 4 start 2 win horse R48. Horse 2 is a 4yo 21 start 2 win R49. Horse 3 is a 39 start 5 win 5yo R49.

Yet the 3yo 1 win 3 start horse is handicapped to back of the back row. How is this fair!?

Maidens should NOT be popping out at R50. NONE of them.

On 3/25/2023 at 10:11 AM, karrotsishere said:

Dare Devil - LAST

Where is the Handicapper A Morris? Is he still out having lunch for goodness sake. Hopeless. Even M Purdon has backed up what I have said re Dare Devil. This is so unfair on this horse Dare Devil, he has been put up against up to R65. And wait for it he has been handicapped yet again in this field! On the 2nd row due to pref draw. As he is a R49 with having only 4 starts, 1 win. Maidens should NOT BE popping out at R50 or around there. Its not fair. And they certainly shouldnt be off the 2nd row FFS.

For R44 to R60 3yo-&-older pacers. Also R61 to R65 4 yrs & older mares if driven by a concession junior driver. Preferential Barrier Draw Based on: Rating then Winning Stakes using the track grid.

https://harnesslink.com/new-zealand/huge-year-on-horizon-as-champion-juvenile-trotter-resumes/

Race four will see the second up run of the well-bred son of Sweet Lou, Dare Devil, who has had some time to forget about a torrid run first up at the end of last month and will be looking to get his campaign back on track with a better performance.

“He has bounced back really good, and it’s probably been around three weeks between runs. I think he is fit and ready to go. It’s probably a grade he shouldn’t have to tackle just yet with a couple rated in the low 60’s whereas he is rated a 49.

“I think he will run an honest race but there are probably a few who will outclass him on the night,” he said.

[karrotsishere]

16 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Where is the Handicapper A Morris? Is he still out having lunch for goodness sake. Hopeless. Even M Purdon has backed up what I have said re Dare Devil. This is so unfair on this horse Dare Devil, he has been put up against up to R65. And wait for it he has been handicapped yet again in this field! On the 2nd row due to pref draw. As he is a R49 with having only 4 starts, 1 win. Maidens should NOT BE popping out at R50 or around there. Its not fair. And they certainly shouldnt be off the 2nd row FFS.

For R44 to R60 3yo-&-older pacers. Also R61 to R65 4 yrs & older mares if driven by a concession junior driver. Preferential Barrier Draw Based on: Rating then Winning Stakes using the track grid.

https://harnesslink.com/new-zealand/huge-year-on-horizon-as-champion-juvenile-trotter-resumes/

Race four will see the second up run of the well-bred son of Sweet Lou, Dare Devil, who has had some time to forget about a torrid run first up at the end of last month and will be looking to get his campaign back on track with a better performance.

“He has bounced back really good, and it’s probably been around three weeks between runs. I think he is fit and ready to go. It’s probably a grade he shouldn’t have to tackle just yet with a couple rated in the low 60’s whereas he is rated a 49.

“I think he will run an honest race but there are probably a few who will outclass him on the night,” he said.

Results time, Dare Devil last.

Thats 4 examples Iv done & all 4 times horses have come last with one 2nd last. All from top stables too. (2) starts All Stars, (1) Donelley, (1) Lincoln Farms. Maidens should not be rated above race winners & should not be popping out ahead of race winners. R40 they should be popping out. 

Hopeless where is the main Handicapper A Morris, still away at lunch?