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Te Akau PR machine back in full swing


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A shame it wasn't so active in criticising the shortcomings of racing administration, as another large player Lincoln Farms and Barry Lichter, took on, pretty much on their own

Horse racing: Te Akau looking to get jump on rivals as they eye last target

8 May, 2020 5:00am
 3 minutes to read
Three of Te Akau's superstars, including Melody Belle, are spelling in Australia and could race solely there next season. Photo / Bruno Cannatelli
Three of Te Akau's superstars, including Melody Belle, are spelling in Australia and could race solely there next season. Photo / Bruno Cannatelli
NZ Herald
 
By: Michael Guerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Horse racing's big tangerine machine wants to put an exclamation mark on their stunning season.

And they may need to break an unexpected duck to do so when thoroughbred racing returns in July.

Te Akau have been the undisputed kings of New Zealand thoroughbred racing this season, winning both $1 million races on Karaka Million night, training three individual Group 1 winners in Australia, and trainer Jamie Richards is a certainty to win the national premiership for the first time on his own account.

But although they rarely have much of a winter presence, they have one target left for their record-setting season, so they will have horses back racing after the expected return date of July 3, or earlier if the date is brought forward.

 
 

Richards is 27 clear of Stephen Marsh on the national premiership with 99 domestic wins for the season, and Te Akau boss David Ellis wants his man to get to 100 wins.

"I know if you add in our Australian wins for the season we are past 100 wins for the season but you have to have targets and our next one is the 100 wins in New Zealand," says Ellis.

"So we will definitely have horses racing in July when it returns, not huge numbers but some."

That will include jumpers, one of the few areas of New Zealand racing where Te Akau has had little success, mainly because they have rarely tried.

Richards has yet to train a jumps winner of his own accord.

"We have a couple of nice jumpers here and we hope to have them going around before the end of the season," says Ellis. "But we definitely want that 100 wins, even though we realise the premiership is as good as won, and we also want to support the return of racing."


 

Te Akau have 75 horses back in work with 40 more boxes still to fill.

Ellis is expecting confirmation soon of up to 12 visitors boxes they can use in Melbourne should they decide to use that as their base for what looks certain to be more regular Australian campaigns next season.

 

Stable stars Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle and Probabeel are all spelling in Australia and may be unlikely to race here much next season, if at all.

Although the TAB will not confirm any plans to pay out early on Richards winning the premiership, that looks certain as they have done that in recent years when the Baker-Forsman stable had huge leads.

By paying out early on results deemed certain, the bookies give money back to punters which is often reinvested but they may decide to hold off doing so with thoroughbred futures bets until close to that code's resumption, to increase the chances winning punters reinvest the money on thoroughbred racing.

The jockeys' premiership is Lisa Allpress' to lose as she will resume racing on 81 wins for the season, six ahead of Kozzi Asano.

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5 minutes ago, Tonkatime said:

Has anyone got any thoughts on if the premiership markets should be refunded given the interruption?

That’s a bit like like suggesting that all premiership markets should be refunded if there are a rash of meeting cancellations because of weather in the latter part of the season..... and there usually is. 
 

No, everything stands and it looks likely that my bet will run second in the First Season’s Sires list. 

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9 hours ago, Buller Rep said:

What about Brian De Lore? He started the charge well before Lichter ever did. 

Yes,  he did.  Sometimes gets off course with his content,  but his intentions were - and are - to bring attention to,  and promote debate of,  points and policies that have continued to rape this industry.     One doesn't have to agree with his point of view all the time,  but good journalism is meant to be provocative, as well as disseminating information.   To write sycophantic crap that is NOT thought provoking is not good journalism at all.

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11 hours ago, pete said:

Good point about Lincoln Farms. Barry Lichter seems to be one of the only intelligent voices left in the racing media.

Can we get him to contribute on here?

Unlikely, he is paid by Lincoln Farms, and I note he also contribute to RC

Do you want to email him Pete?

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9 hours ago, Buller Rep said:

That’s a bit like like suggesting that all premiership markets should be refunded if there are a rash of meeting cancellations because of weather in the latter part of the season..... and there usually is. 
 

No, everything stands and it looks likely that my bet will run second in the First Season’s Sires list. 

I take your point but a full quarter of the season not being run is a bit different to a handful of meetings. 

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3 hours ago, curious said:

And if you were on one of the winners and they cancelled your bet?

Tough one really, my thoughts are that it’s too larger chunk of the season but each to there own. I don’t have a bet hinging on it myself. 

Edited by Tonkatime
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4 minutes ago, Tonkatime said:

Well you haven’t actually won anything at the 3/4 mark of the season have you? If your lead was unassailable they would or should have paid out all ready. 

No, but if the bet was over the season, and the season ends (as it will), then are they not entitled to the win? At the time the bet was taken between the operator and the bettor, the scenario that has unfolded is unknown - and part of the risk.

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1 hour ago, mardigras said:

No, but if the bet was over the season, and the season ends (as it will), then are they not entitled to the win? At the time the bet was taken between the operator and the bettor, the scenario that has unfolded is unknown - and part of the risk.

Out of interest do you know what the tab are doing with these options?

 

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48 minutes ago, Tonkatime said:

Out of interest do you know what the tab are doing with these options?

 

It's difficult as some will have placed bets - which would be valid, and others will feel aggrieved due to the reduced 'season'. under the betting rules, I'd say they would have to honour the bets - although there have been times when they have also refunded bets. I'm not sure if they even know what defines when they do what.

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You beat me too it MC,was going to ask the exact same question re Opie. I wonder if they'd go back to someone like Matt Cameron? or whether they would try someone fresh,like maybe Jason Waddell?,yes he can't ride light..but neither can Opie. Will be a good gig to get for someone,if Opie does infact move to Oz.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/9/2020 at 7:00 PM, mardigras said:

It's difficult as some will have placed bets - which would be valid, and others will feel aggrieved due to the reduced 'season'. under the betting rules, I'd say they would have to honour the bets - although there have been times when they have also refunded bets. I'm not sure if they even know what defines when they do what.

I see NRL season bets have been refunded, not having a crack at you at all but don’t really see the difference between that and the racing premiership, both have shortened seasons. 

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5 hours ago, Tonkatime said:

I see NRL season bets have been refunded, not having a crack at you at all but don’t really see the difference between that and the racing premiership, both have shortened seasons. 

I didn't know what they would do with either. But I was and still am of the view, the bet should stand. 

Put it this way, if I had backed what ends up the winner, I'd be wanting my winning dividend. At which point should there be a refund? 5 meetings are abandoned, 10, 20, 50, 100?

The major difference with the NRL is that the game venues have changed significantly such that teams like the Warriors do not have home games etc. 

Would you want a refund if you had $5k on the 'winner' at good odds? You'd just be happy to take your $5k back I assume?

 

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