Covid-19 update

[Hesi]

Never happen, they would delay or postpone.  Might as well add Ellerslie in, 800 km further away than Brisbane, but 800 km closer than Perth

[mardigras]

56 minutes ago, Maximus said:

transfer to Perth (left-handed) or Brisbane?

I agree with Hesi - I can't see them ever shifting it out of state.

[Hesi]

I note in the Victorian Level 4 criteria, no mention of 2 things that were the basis of the NZ level 4, and something that will stick in the minds of NZ'ers, hopefully long after Covid has departed, namely the 2m social distancing(most places still have the markings on the floor), and thorough and regular hand washing, and the pump containers of hand sanitiser at the entrance of almost every place in NZ, most also still there

[VC!]

1 hour ago, Hesi said:

Never happen, they would delay or postpone.  Might as well add Ellerslie in, 800 km further away than Brisbane, but 800 km closer than Perth

Peter V’Landys is extremely influential he may just offer Victoria an olive branch

Sydney in the Spring is huge they have plenty group racing including the richest race on turf the Everest the 7.5 million Golden Eagle The Golden Rose, The Epsom The Flight Stakes The Metropolitan The George Main Stakes The Spring Champion stakes, just to name a few, I’m sure Sydney could accomodate The Cox Plate The Caulfield Cup  The Vic Derby The Melbourne Cup The MacKinnon Stakes, why should owners trainers Jockeys miss out on an opportunity if Sydney can accomodate 

Do I think it will happen NO! but do not underestimate V’Landys

My thoughts the Spring carnival will go ahead in Victoria 

I would be ruling out overseas raiders, although Williams may be able to bring a few out to join Macedon Lodge

Rscing lives in a bubble so I think even if they go into temporary lock down it would resume in September sometime in Victoria 

[mardigras]

7 hours ago, VC! said:

Peter V’Landys is extremely influential he may just offer Victoria an olive branch

I'd put every cent I have on that not happening. The way Vic and NSW operate, NSW would be the last place Vic would consider. They never work together and always against each other. NZ would rate a higher chance in my view, of around 0.00001% NSW, I'd rate as 0%

I'd say they would be most likely to abandon the events this year if racing is curtailed long term, but I still expect the major races to go ahead as some stage this year. As it stands, Vic based horses are not even allowed to enter NSW. I think some foreign horses may still come. Mostly those that are then going to be based in OZ. The door is open for one way shipments already - and those are less in the need for staff to enter with them, as they could transition to staff already on the ground.

As for things like the Everest, I am yet to watch one live. I prefer the Metrop or the Spring Champion. I don't get too excited about sweepstakes, don't even watch Magic Mllion's day. Apart from finding sprint racing generally boring.

[Midnight Caller]

9 hours ago, mardigras said:

I agree with Hesi - I can't see them ever shifting it out of state.

I'd have to  agree guys! Australia  is one of those countries that has six countries within a country. In politics and racing.

[VC!]

3 hours ago, mardigras said:

I'd put every cent I have on that not happening. The way Vic and NSW operate, NSW would be the last place Vic would consider. They never work together and always against each other. NZ would rate a higher chance in my view, of around 0.00001% NSW, I'd rate as 0%

100%
But V’Landys is just the type of guy to offer something like that to get under their skin

Like MC said Australia has many countries within a country and each state wants to show their dominance

I 

[Maximus]

14 hours ago, Hesi said:

Never happen, they would delay or postpone.  Might as well add Ellerslie in, 800 km further away than Brisbane, but 800 km closer than Perth

thought of that (Ellerslie) option but if it were to go to NZ would Trentham (left-handed) be a better option?

 

[Maximus]

12 hours ago, VC! said:

Peter V’Landys is extremely influential he may just offer Victoria an olive branch

Sydney in the Spring is huge they have plenty group racing including the richest race on turf the Everest the 7.5 million Golden Eagle The Golden Rose, The Epsom The Flight Stakes The Metropolitan The George Main Stakes The Spring Champion stakes, just to name a few, I’m sure Sydney could accomodate The Cox Plate The Caulfield Cup  The Vic Derby The Melbourne Cup The MacKinnon Stakes, why should owners trainers Jockeys miss out on an opportunity if Sydney can accomodate 

Do I think it will happen NO! but do not underestimate V’Landys

My thoughts the Spring carnival will go ahead in Victoria 

I would be ruling out overseas raiders, although Williams may be able to bring a few out to join Macedon Lodge

Rscing lives in a bubble so I think even if they go into temporary lock down it would resume in September sometime in Victoria 

it will be viewed over there as an essential industry, so if they come out of lockdown mid-Sept to Level 3 or 2 restrictions, a 'carnival' of some kind might be viable, mebbe with dates extended

[VC!]

15 minutes ago, Maximus said:

it will be viewed over there as an essential industry, so if they come out of lockdown mid-Sept to Level 3 or 2 restrictions, a 'carnival' of some kind might be viable, mebbe with dates extended

I expect racing in Victoria to continue, racing is kinda in it’s own bubble, only if people in the industry started testing positive would I expect it to shut down which is possible the way they are trending 

[Hesi]

Decisions due, probably today, on what businesses can and cannot operate

On Sunday, Mr Andrews said the business restrictions would fall into three broad categories:

• Business largely as normal: This will include shops like supermarkets, butchers, greengrocers, takeaway food outlets and pharmacies
• Reduced total output: These businesses may be instructed to reduce output, which would result in fewer shifts and therefore less contact between workers
• Businesses that will close: Some businesses will be told to move to a work-from-home model. If they cannot, they must stop operating

The Premier said extra time was being taken to consult with businesses to avoid unintended consequences when the restrictions on workplaces begin from Wednesday at the earliest.

[Maximus]

19 hours ago, Hesi said:

Never happen, they would delay or postpone.  Might as well add Ellerslie in, 800 km further away than Brisbane, but 800 km closer than Perth

well, they managed to run the The Championships with hardly anyone on-course, so if Vic can get its shit together (by allowing movement of horses/people and racing to continue as a essential industry, they could adapt the Carnival the way Racing NSW did.

 

[mardigras]

7 minutes ago, Maximus said:

well, they managed to run the The Championships with hardly anyone on-course, so if Vic can get its shit together (by allowing movement of horses/people and racing to continue as a essential industry, they could adapt the Carnival the way Racing NSW did.

 

Currently it is NSW that have banned movement of horses from Vic into NSW, not the other way around, from my understanding. NSW certainly wasn't in any form of lockdown at that time, near what Vic is in currently. Although even this lockdown is overall less restrictive than the NZ one, imo.

Edited August 3, 2020 by mardigras

[mardigras]

Racing allowed to continue.

Edited August 3, 2020 by mardigras

[Maximus]

1 hour ago, mardigras said:

Currently it is NSW that have banned movement of horses from Vic into NSW, not the other way around, from my understanding. NSW certainly wasn't in any form of lockdown at that time, near what Vic is in currently. Although even this lockdown is overall less restrictive than the NZ one, imo.

my fear is that Vic will struggle to impose a lockdown tough enough for long enough ...it is too late. They are n

 

10 minutes ago, mardigras said:

Racing allowed to continue.

And there in a nutshell, my friends, is the essential diff between racing in NZ and Oz.

They VALUE the contribution of that industry to their economy. Our politicians and leaders don't.

[mardigras]

3 minutes ago, Maximus said:

They VALUE the contribution of that industry to their economy. Our politicians and leaders don't.

They value the taxes the state government gets from betting. I don't think they give a hoot about the people working in the industry. Just my opinion.

So if you compare the taxes the NZ government gets from betting, they are peanuts. Hence the difference. 

[Maximus]

3 hours ago, mardigras said:

They value the taxes the state government gets from betting. I don't think they give a hoot about the people working in the industry. Just my opinion.

So if you compare the taxes the NZ government gets from betting, they are peanuts. Hence the difference. 

receiving taxes is part of the perceived value. There is also the employment value, the entertainment value, the hospitality value, the freight, logistics and accommodation value, the animal welfare value, the export value ...

ALL valued highly. But not in NZ. But we'll make a fuss if/when a Kiwi wins a Group 1 overseas

[mardigras]

8 hours ago, Maximus said:

receiving taxes is part of the perceived value. There is also the employment value, the entertainment value, the hospitality value, the freight, logistics and accommodation value, the animal welfare value, the export value ...

ALL valued highly. But not in NZ. But we'll make a fuss if/when a Kiwi wins a Group 1 overseas

The taxes are part of the value - but that is the key value to their government in wanting racing to go ahead. And it will meet with a lot of complaints that it is. In NZ - there is little to no value to both the government and the economy from racing. It is miniscule. 

Racing should not be valued highly here. It shouldn't have a minister specific to it. Comparing the two countries and how they view the industries makes no sense to me. For supporters of NZ racing, that might sound harsh. But that's the reality and it's borne out by the GDP numbers that relate to it.

Edited August 3, 2020 by mardigras

[Hesi]

And with that in mind, we still have not seen the budget projections, to demonstrate how they will be maintaining stakes for 20/21.

I note in yesterday's Herald, that Ellerslie are subsidising racing to the tune of 1 mil in 20/21.  Good on them, but it must be in their best interests to do so

Racing: Ellerslie stakes maintained

3 Aug, 2020 5:00am

 3 minutes to read

The $1 million Vodafone Derby will maintain its huge prize money. Photo / Photosport

NZ Herald

 

By: Michael Guerin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellerslie boss Paul Wilcox couldn't have dreamed a few months ago he would be able to make the announcement he will today.

But remarkably, New Zealand's glamour racetrack will be able to maintain its record stakes for this season.

The Auckland Racing Club will tip nearly $1 million of its own money into stakes, which when added to the industry funding and sponsorships means almost all races at Ellerslie this season will match last year.

After the huge financial impact of lockdown, the effects on TAB turnover of Covid-19 worldwide and the fact Ellerslie had to shut its enormously popular function centre down for months, maintaining stakes for the new season feels like a giant win.

 

"We couldn't have believed this would be possible a few months ago," said ARC chief executive Wilcox.

"Obviously we went into lockdown as unsure of the future as everybody else and all our staff had to take pay cuts and we had to adapt.

"So to come out the other side and still be able to put almost $1 million into stakes and pay above the industry minimum for so many races is a massive result.

"That is made possible by revenue streams like the function centre and rents we receive, but at the end of the day, we are a racing club, so we want to return as much of that as we can to racing and the participants."

Both the $1m Vodafone Derby and $500,000 Barfoot And Thompson Auckland Cup maintain their huge stakes, as do almost all the other group races with stakes confirmed so far. All non-stakes races run on the club's four biggest days — Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the two days of Cup week — will be run for $50,000, while all rating and open races on feature days over summer will be run for at least $5000 above the minimum stake required by NZTR.

Ellerslie will now wait to hear New Zealand Bloodstock's decision on August 31 about the timing of the national yearling sale to confirm whether they hold the two $1m Karaka Million races on the same night in January or whether they are split and the 2-year-old race held in conjunction with a later yearling sale, should that move to April.

"If that happens we will adapt to that and have three separate days with $1 million races."

While the money on the track is being retained, so too will Ellerslie's emphasis on hospitality, with no plans to scale back the twilight series of meetings that have become such a huge part of the Auckland social scene.

 

"We will be working hard to keep the energy levels high around our major race days, too, because that is a big part of what we do," said Wilcox.

[Hesi]

725 cases in Victoria

Just think, if all these other countries had done as well as NZ, we would not have had to close our borders

[Hesi]

5 minutes ago, barryb said:

Stop it Jacinda.

We havent got through this yet mate, the worst is yet to come. Sunday after election day is hell on earth for intelligent Kiwis, goons like you will be out Whitebaiting & dipshits like Craig will be trolling through 1960s music videos.

I thought you had died

I know we are not through this by any means

I'm actually picking it will be a close run thing, once we get to Sept and the subsidy stops.

The Nats though, need to get on with the policy roll outs, instead of this personal bs that Collins engages in, and all this rhetoric about having the better team.  Jacinda I think, has made a wrong move in saying they will be focussing on Covid and not announcing much policy.

In racing lingo, she has left a huge gap on the inner for the Nats, but can they take it

[curious]

22 minutes ago, barryb said:

Thanks for your nice thoughts Hesi. I was thinking of you earlier tonight when looking at my 3 whitebait nets mate, hence my post.
 

 

We were eating whitebait which is much more fun than looking at nets.

[curious]

Interesting.

In a bizarre turn of events, New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has actually fallen from 4.2% to 4% for the June quarter, according to the Household Labour Force Survey released by Stats NZ today.

[mardigras]

25 minutes ago, curious said:

Interesting.

In a bizarre turn of events, New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has actually fallen from 4.2% to 4% for the June quarter, according to the Household Labour Force Survey released by Stats NZ today.

No doubt some negative things to come out of next quarter - anecdotal evidence for me is that there are a huge number of entities doing a lot better than last year (irrespective of wage subsidies). Many industries I am hearing from are reporting they have got so much work, it is incredible.

[Hesi]

Hard to figure the dynamics of what is actually driving it all

Impact of the wage subsidy?

A lot of people with lots of spare money that would normally be spent on overseas travel, now spending it locally?