Trotting resumes Thursday the 2nd of September 2021.

[Double R]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:14 PM, Happy Sunrise said:

HRNZ probably used the nominations as a guide to whether horses were fit or not. I severely doubt they actually asked or surveyed trainers.

I don't think these horses would ever have been out of work, maybe down slightly but trainers would have always kept them close enough to race fitness. Many horse come back needing a run or two anyway.

While animal welfare is of paramount importance it is only so when it is convenient. Racing resumed today in the south after 2 days out of Level 4 which shows the mighty gambling dollar will always take precedence over anything else.

The whole set of rules around Level 4 were nothing more than lip service in my opinion.

My cynicism is quite high at the moment if you can't tell. 😂

Here is one trainer that seems to have abided by the rules when asked about the performance of his horse.

Glenthorne lay in under pressure on the final bend. When spoken to regarding the gelding's performance driver T Williams advised he felt the horse's condition had given out over the final stages. Trainer K Chapman advised the horse was effectively fresh up today from 23 July after galloping and taking no part at its recent start. He added that combined with the horse's restricted training programme he expected his runner would derive considerable benefit from tonight's event.

[Happy Sunrise]

9 minutes ago, Double R said:

Here is one trainer that seems to have abided by the rules when asked about the performance of his horse.

Glenthorne lay in under pressure on the final bend. When spoken to regarding the gelding's performance driver T Williams advised he felt the horse's condition had given out over the final stages. Trainer K Chapman advised the horse was effectively fresh up today from 23 July after galloping and taking no part at its recent start. He added that combined with the horse's restricted training programme he expected his runner would derive considerable benefit from tonight's event.

Beach Ball must be a good horse then 😂

I see John Dunn used the same phrase for Sundee's Son. The Stipe's must have decided on the phrasing. It was a ready made get out clause for racing last night. I see some of the times were pretty quick last night.

[Double R]

3 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Beach Ball must be a good horse then 😂

I see John Dunn used the same phrase for Sundee's Son. The Stipe's must have decided on the phrasing. It was a ready made get out clause for racing last night. I see some of the times were pretty quick last night.

Agree.

I would have thought the stipes would have had leniency in expectations, given that, in my opinion, racing shouldn't have been scheduled for another two weeks if everyone was following the Harness Racing New Zealand guidelines.

[Happy Sunrise]

3 minutes ago, Double R said:

Agree.

I would have thought the stipes would have had leniency in expectations, given that, in my opinion, racing shouldn't have been scheduled for another two weeks if everyone was following the Harness Racing New Zealand guidelines.

Money rules the game.

[Rusty]

7 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

You went pretty well there, Rusty.

Life of Art gave a great site in a full on race.

Small profit overall, but it was just good to have some local racing back after a short break.

Life of Art was looking good for a while there, did a wee bit of work, so despite folding the last 150m, still happy enough with the run, considering. 

[Rusty]

6 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

If you want to see something from the 'Ripley's believe it or not' file, have a look at Ross Cameron's drive on Saginaw last night. Brain fade?

I'm not a professional driver but I'm just trying to think of the rationale behind not pulling out of the one-one, when entering the home straight. 

Just before the home straight, on the final bend, it looked like the horse was being niggled at, to try and keep up with the parked horse (or what Matt Cross calls "the chair", god I hate that term). The commentator said that 3rd quarter was 27 something. Perhaps the driver was thinking there was not much gas in the tank to pull out and try run past the runners in front, so instead he was to try for an inside run.

Doesn't quite make much sense to me, so you're probably right Happy, with the brain fade explaination. 

[Happy Sunrise]

2 hours ago, Rusty said:

(or what Matt Cross calls "the chair", god I hate that term)

I can't stand 'early doors'

How did this term come into vogue?

[Globederby19]

40 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

I can't stand 'early doors'

How did this term come into vogue?

Couldn't be any worse than ,"all dressed up with no where to go". A broken record.

[Rusty]

2 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

I can't stand 'early doors'

How did this term come into vogue?

It's an old saying that one Happy. Some say it goes back to the early theater days where patrons would pay extra coin, to be allowed to enter first (early doors), to pick their seats. 

But where/when the hell did the parked position, become "the chair"?!?! Soon after M Cross started the full time calling gig, post Mark Mac? I can't stand it... the chair. Keep an ear out for it next time, it's in almost every race. 

[Happy Sunrise]

12 hours ago, Rusty said:

But where/when the hell did the parked position, become "the chair"?!?! Soon after M Cross started the full time calling gig, post Mark Mac? I can't stand it... the chair. Keep an ear out for it next time, it's in almost every race. 

He may have had to drop the references of the parked position relating to death, such as 'sitting in the death' 'death chair or the 'death seat'

Animal welfare is the priority after all lol

[Happy Sunrise]

14 hours ago, Globederby19 said:

Couldn't be any worse than ,"all dressed up with no where to go". A broken record.

Commentators just need to call the race using simple harness terminology, not over the top jargon which confuses people and has little or no meaning half the time.,

[Globederby19]

33 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

'sitting in the death' 'death chair or the 'death seat'

Yes, sounds like the electric chair for horses. Wouldn't go down well with the looney left.  Sitting parked would suffice.

[Happy Sunrise]

2 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

Sitting parked would suffice.

Parked is a position of unfairness so not sure the left would even be happy with that. Refund for punters if your horse is parked?

Hang on, the left don't like punters as they encourage animal cruelty! The only kind of solution is to cancel racing of all kinds. Problem solved. 

Got to love the current climate we live in. Hang on, climate change.....

[Rusty]

12 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Hang on, the left don't like punters as they encourage animal cruelty! The only kind of solution is to cancel racing of all kinds. Problem solved. 

Great post Happy.

Last Friday afternoon this subject was discussed on the leading commercial radio station in the country, Newstalk ZB. 

I can see greyhound racing being closed down within 5 years in NZ. Soon after that, the horse racing will be targeted even moreso. 

My perception (hopefully not reality), is unfortunately, there is a growing percentage of the general NZ public that take a dim view of dog and horse racing. The predominantly left-wing media certainly doesn't help things either, and will put the boot in wherever possible. To be fair, some industry participants (eg. Trainers), really don't help racing's cause, by doing bloody stupid things such as doping, or committing fraud via race horses.

Probably getting off topic a bit, but I think if whips were to be banned (still carried by jockeys/drivers, but their use during a race banned), this would go some way to stalling the inevitable. 

[Hesi]

If you view Racing as negative, because it is humans exploiting animals for their own gain, then surely the huge Equestrian community would/should also be targeted.  Horses also break down there, and the question still arises of the fate of unwanted animals, maybe not so much as in racing

Agree, the banning of whips would buy a lot of time

 

[Happy Sunrise]

9 minutes ago, Rusty said:

I can see greyhound racing being closed down within 5 years in NZ

Would the other 2 codes actively oppose this or pay lip service to it because they want a bigger share of the gambling pie? It would be selfishly good news for harness would it not? 

11 minutes ago, Rusty said:

but I think if whips were to be banned (still carried by jockeys/drivers, but their use during a race banned)

Only a matter of time before they are gone, same for jumps racing.

I have always maintained that harness racing is the safest form of racing, and therefor, the least in the firing line.

[Rusty]

Yeah, I wouldn't miss the dish lickers if they packed up, by choice or otherwise. 

[Turny]

15 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Yeah, I wouldn't miss the dish lickers if they packed up, by choice or otherwise. 

Dish lockers  are likely to be toast and will pay the price for years of not being open about their industry

I understand there  is immense distrust on the law makers side and the report recommended much more severe action over the time period granted

Greyhound Racing need to play with a straight bat here to stand half a chance, but I feel it will be too little too late

Edited September 4, 2021 by Turny

[Rusty]

I haven't fact checked this, but the other day someone was saying grehound racing only occurs in 8 countries.

Perhaps soon to be 7?! 

[Turny]

I think your numbers are right Rusty, but even in Australia, the land of betting on anything,  they are under the microscope and the events here will not be received with warmth by Aussie Greyhound Board.

It is 2021 and any form of activists have a very loud voice and silence, and manufactured truth gives them free fuel

[Rusty]

4 minutes ago, Turny said:

It is 2021 and any form of activists have a very loud voice and silence, and manufactured truth gives them free fuel

100% correct. Dead on the money.

[Double R]

1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Commentators just need to call the race using simple harness terminology, not over the top jargon which confuses people and has little or no meaning half the time.,

Agree Happy.

Keep it in every day words, as adding in terms that new people have no idea what is being talked about is, as you say, confusing. I have had new people at races asking what number is, the chief, the wizard, the chair, the iceman, morrie mac, in the death etc.

Robert.

[Globederby19]

RACING THIS TIME, and the mobile arm pulls away with the Wizard spearing to the lead from the outside, followed by the  Chief who slots into the trail (not the wild west trail) and leaves the Iceman in the Death(normally Ice cold in Death ?)  , Morrie Mac grabs the 1 by 1 behind the dead Iceman with the Chair 3 back when he really wanted the Death(strange) and All dressed up with nowhere to go is ? ,well, All dressed up with no where to go. at the back of the field, and sensation at the start as the Favourite  ,  Just give me the Fucking No,s , goes into a hopeless gallop. 

Enough to make any punter go home really.

[Double R]

26 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

RACING THIS TIME, and the mobile arm pulls away with the Wizard spearing to the lead from the outside, followed by the  Chief who slots into the trail (not the wild west trail) and leaves the Iceman in the Death(normally Ice cold in Death ?)  , Morrie Mac grabs the 1 by 1 behind the dead Iceman with the Chair 3 back when he really wanted the Death(strange) and All dressed up with nowhere to go is ? ,well, All dressed up with no where to go. at the back of the field, and sensation at the start as the Favourite  ,  Just give me the Fucking No,s , goes into a hopeless gallop. 

Enough to make any punter go home really.

Hi Rees.

Do remember last century, when the horse without a trail was occasionally referred to as sitting in the suicide seat. If a horse landed in that position facing the freeze, it was unlikely to figure in the finish.

Robert.

[Globederby19]

20 minutes ago, Double R said:

Hi Rees.

Do remember last century, when the horse without a trail was occasionally referred to as sitting in the suicide seat. If a horse landed in that position facing the freeze, it was unlikely to figure in the finish.

Robert.

Yeah that's right Robert ,it was a common term back then, and associated with a horses chances if it landed there.