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Romantic Warrior will bid to make more history this Sunday when he chases a record-extending fourth straight victory in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m). He would also become the first horse to win four times at the Longines Hong Kong International Races. First though, let’s relive the three spine-tingling victories that have ensured one of the greatest gallopers of all time stands on the precipice of the unfathomable. Complete domination As far as absolute brilliance and complete domination...View the full article

Personally dont think that whingeing is when someone is prepared to stand up to what they know is morally and ethically wrong! Anyone that has any sense of fairness can see that Brodie is right in his thinking snd if it affected them, then they would hold the same opinion. People need to express their opinions and whether they are right or wrong they need to be heard. The thing is we never hear from the TAB as to why they think they should be allowed to treat punters in NZ differently! What other businesses do we know of that are allowed to treat their customers unfairly and get away with it?

Bob Baffert, who has won 14 renditions of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), has entered Litmus Test, Provenance, and Blacksmith this year.View the full article

i haven't heard the whinging pom words for some time over here. i think its petered out due to the changing demographics of who lives in nz  these days. these days people migrating to nz from the uk are less than half the likes of china or india. Where i live theres lots of indians in particular. i have seen bits of that news coverage on the english cricket supporters reaction to how their cricket team is going.i agree that from what i saw,they do seem hard to please and unrealistic.But i always treat any news story with a degree of skepticism these days so i'm not sure whether i believe the news stories is a true relection of how the average pom feels about their team.

The sole reason that I continue to go on about restrictions etc. is the total victimisation of some punters and the favouritism towards others! The TAB advertises that punters should bet responsibly! Now do they actually mean this or is it just to try and show that they do care? Has anyone heard of the TAB restricting or stopping losing punters from wagering??? Personally I never have, but what the TAB actually does do is restrict punters that do bet responsibly and are winning punters!! So we can see the Hypocrisy in a big way coming from them! They have been giving the Out The Gate extra bonus cash, bonus bets and increased fixed odds since it started whereas some punters continue to be restricted to buggerall! Winning punters are restricted as soon as they start winning consistently and  yet OTG have been winning recently and yet they get rewarded with “Free money”! While the TAB continues to operate morally and ethically wrongly, surely it is anyones right to point this out? The answer is to treat all punters fairly and then there will be no issues. If they havent got the fortitude to take the punters on when they put up fixed odds then say so and put restrictions on every punter in NZ. Why dont they come out and advertise the fact that they only want to take wagering from punters that are going to lose? Brodie just telling it the way most people would think is fair and reasonable.  

A prediction to me, is an informed opinion, NOT a fact, as it hasn't happened.

The sun had just barely emerged above the tree line at Turfway Park when Ethan West was given a leg up onto his next galloper that morning. It was the usual late August affair–hot, humid, and deviating from the direct line of the nearest fan made it feel like one was walking through soup…or drowning in it. And yet, the barn moved to the beat of its own drum as everyone went through their usual paces. Emerging from the shed row on the back of an eye-catching grey, West allowed the colt to stand and watch the action on the track in front of him as we chatted about little pleasantries and made the obligatory complaints about the weather. There would be a brief gallop, and then Chunk of Gold (Preservationist) would be brought back for a rinse and graze to end his Friday excitement on an easy note. Plan in place, and off we went with assistant trainer Shania Ehret accompanying the next group of workers while West was on horseback. As we stood there, so did the pair of the hour. Chunk of Gold was quite content to observe the breezers along the rail, watch his stablemates go by, and listen to the tens of scattered conversations between riders returning to the barns. According to West, this behavior was nothing unusual for the GIII West Virginia Derby winner, and it had been his defining personality trait for as long as he'd known his stable star. Almost from day one, West knew he had the horse, but like many young runners, his charge needed time. And as it has for many racehorses–popularly known as the 'tale as old as time'–his auction price did not tell the entire story. Though, if you still didn't know it, then you likely did not watch any of the Kentucky Derby coverage provided by news organizations. The question of his grey's origins was one he answered over, and over, and over again. So, rather than have him shleck through another copy and pasted paragraph explanation, this writer was more curious as to the how and when of the ownership change. He was purchased for $2,500 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling sale by Chris Melton out of the Airdrie Stud consignment, and current owner Terry Stephens bought in after the fact, but the latter was alone on the program now. “What happened was–Chris picked him out as a yearling,” said West. “[Melton] bought him at the sale. Why [Chunk of Gold] was that cheap, I don't know. I never saw his X-rays, never saw him as a yearling. I don't know that end of the story. “He went out to the East Coast to train for a little bit and needed more time to mature. Grow up. But they did like the horse. They just weren't ready to press on him.” West said that, with no pressure to get the grey to the races, they sent Chunk of Gold back to Melton's farm in Southern Kentucky, and it was then that Stephens bought into his future Kentucky Derby runner. It started out as a half, but later after the horse broke his maiden at first asking, Melton sold his remaining portion to his new partner. After the aforementioned Dec. 19 maiden special weight at Turfway, it would have seemed that West had a great many well-paying conditions to his disposal, but as it later turned out, those options were a little slimmer than it appeared on the surface. Chunk of Gold popped up on the entries for the Jan. 18 Leonatus Stakes against some tough locals, skipping several of those conditions, due to what West said was simply yet another unfortunate hand dealt to horsemen by Mother Nature. “[The] weather is what convinced us,” he said with a laugh. “We got pounded with terrible weather. The Kentucky winter was terrible. The race we were planning on targeting, they weren't going to use it because of all the cancellations. They weren't going to get to that race in the book, so we were kinda screwed. We knew going in that the [Leonatus] was going to be our next step. It was run in a stake against a bunch of freshly turned 3-year-olds, or wait another three or four weeks before we got an allowance race. “We wanted to take a swing because we knew we wanted to stretch him out. Never in a million years did we think the horse was going to run short.” Chunk of Gold ran a very green second that day, but still well clear of the third-place runner, and kicked off what would be a string of respectable runner-up efforts through Louisiana's Derby Points Series. While he was well beaten by Magnitude (Not This Time) in the GII Risen Star Stakes, and tried bravely to match strides with Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) in the GII Louisiana Derby, those efforts garnered him just enough points to secure a spot in the starting gate. Which, West admits, was more or less the plan all along. Ethan West aboard Chunk of Gold at the Derby | Coady Media “We studied the points. Talked to enough people–[found out] how many it was going to take to get into the starting gate. The consensus was somewhere around 40,” he said. Between the inevitable scratches and horses skipping the race for various reasons, the team calculated that the number would potentially be enough of a buffer and off the dreaded 'Derby Bubble'. And they were right. “We went into the Louisiana Derby thinking 'if he can run fourth, we're in'. That was our target. Obviously, we wanted him to run the best he could, and he exceeded our expectations.” As is an almost universal experience, arriving for the Kentucky Derby proved to be one of the most hectic weeks of West's life. The lead-up celebration–and even the day before Oaks/Derby weekend (affectionately known as Thurby)–carries a lot of new experiences not just for young horses, but for many connections as well. Interviews at nigh overwhelming tallies, a parade of Thoroughbreds most tracks won't see in a year, and enough people to double a small town's population. While many trainers have expressed concerns that the dramatic change in environment would ultimately prove to be their runner's undoing, West admits it wasn't the horse who was stressed, or worried, or even remotely bothered. Chunk of Gold proved to be cool, calm, and collected. “The horse has always had a very relaxed demeanor. He doesn't get worked up over much, he's a very intelligent horse. You can see he's thinking about his next move,” West said. “And that's exactly what he did all week. He's very classy, he stands all day, he goes out to take everything in. Not once did he get turned up by the crowd in the morning, any of the cameras, nothing. “I think [Chunk of Gold] was the calmest out of all of us,” he admits. Quite the hallmark of the Derby phenomenon, isn't it? The most relaxed member of Team Chunk of Gold…was Chunk of Gold. All the more fortuitous knowing that the grey is a May 11 foal, but was blessed with the mind of a salty veteran when the moment called for him to deliver. “He was very professional, and that was one thing that I was very excited to see. It was a big relief. I couldn't image taking one down through all of that who's not like [Chunk of Gold].” For West though, it all came to a head, and the reality hit, during the walkover. “It was very surreal. It was one of those 'holy s**t, we're actually here' type of moments. I did not get much sleep the night before…my nerves were frazzled. The whole week leading up to it is [hectic]. There is so much going on, you're not getting much rest. It's enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but it is very exhausting. “It really got to me when we were walking over…wow. We're finally here. This is the day we planned on. I did my best to keep my game face on, treat it as any other race, but obviously that's impossible at that level.” Chunk of Gold did his team proud that first Saturday in May. Running ninth is nothing to sneeze at by any means, and despite the bedlam around him, he'd held his own. It becomes even more impressive when one glances at his past performances. In just about every race this year, West's charge has produced a different running style, and it was no different for America's marquee spring event. “It was a great race. We were very proud of him, and we still think we have a very nice horse.” Of course, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has since gone on to stamp himself as king of the hill in North America. But it isn't just him and Journalist (Curlin) who make the running line. Almost every horse to finish in front of Chunk of Gold either went on to win a Grade I race or placed at the graded level. “The best horse doesn't always win, because they're getting so many things thrown at them. Not just the number of horses, but you're throwing 150,000 screaming people [as well]…it's a lot of luck (though he added during the interview that he believed the best horse did win this year).” And his final thoughts now long removed from the event? Both West, and this writer, came to a comfortable conclusion that the Derby was simultaneously the best, most stressful, longest, and shortest day of one's life. Morning works at Turfway (Chunk is on rail) | Coady Media “Interviews were the most exhausting thing. I always had to be on guard for them. I was warned prior to it going in, and was told [the reporters] might throw some off-the-wall stuff I had to be prepared for, but the news stations asked the same question over, and over, and over. “I've never been a big [person who] had a lot of publicity, and had to do a bunch of interviews, or podcasts. I think [the Derby experience] numbed me to the media. I used to get really nervous about [being interviewed], but now it's 'let's go'.” Despite our profession's impressive persistence, West added that he'd barely had time to get home before he was already thinking about a trip out to Churchill Downs next spring. But first came Chunk of Gold, and once the grey was home, rested, and recovered, the planning began for his next target. West knew he wanted to try for a chance to take home one of the regional “Derbys”, and so they settled on the GIII Ohio Derby for his first start since May. Running into Grade I-placed Mo Plex (Complexity) that day, he was again the bridesmaid, but proved he was back to his consistent ways. So, they tried again at Mountaineer for the GIII West Virginia Derby, and in a frontrunning masterclass, Chunk of Gold finally became a Derby winner. Inheriting the lead when East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) bobbled out of the gate, West's runner ran some of the easiest fractions he'd ever had on a largely uncontested lead. When :48.23 was posted on the board, the trainer's confidence went right through the roof. “[When] they flashed up a 48 [half-mile split], I started getting excited because I'm like 'he's got this'. This is the slowest pace he's ever seen. He seemed happy to be doing it. They're asking East Avenue to rally, and McAfee (Cloud Computing) is being asked, and Jareth [Loveberry, jockey] was still sitting like a statue. When he asked [Chunk of Gold], he responded exactly like we wanted him to.” The field was left over four lengths in his wake. Coming out of the race, Chunk of Gold remained the same as he ever was–beating the bottom out of the feed tub, training up a storm, and happy-go-lucky as ever. An initial plan had been to target the GI Pennsylvania Derby, but his path eventually diverged to the Bourbon Flight Stakes Sept. 20 beneath the Twin Spires. Heavily scratched down due to other commitments by the rest of the entrants, he faced only two other horses and had to settle for second behind Brotha Keny (Mo Town). “It turned into…basically a match race. The horse jumped out on the lead, and we just couldn't get to him.” Chunk of Gold dominated a Keeneland allowance | Coady Media With limited options from there, and hoping to stay with his classmates, the horse's team had to make some choices, and they found themselves in a Keeneland allowance Oct. 24. There was no catching the grey as he employed the same tactics at the Lexington venue which got him beat across town in Louisville, and he rolled home by 8 1/4 lengths. It was yet another notch to an already banner year for the West barn, but they weren't done just yet. Facing Magnitude again in the 151st running of the GII Clark Stakes Nov. 28, Chunk of Gold went right to the front and made them catch him. It took Magnitude and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) every step of that Churchill stretch to fully get by, and even then the trio crossed the wire within three-quarters of a length of each other. Chunk of Gold lost second by a head to the latter. In 2025, 'Chunk' has been off the board only once in nine starts with five of those placings coming at the graded level. He's earned $868,893 and there are plans to race into his 4-year-old season. Not bad for the $2,500 underdog story of the year, and with all he's learned of his colt, West is dreaming big for next season. “[The Clark] is going to be a good test for him. There's going to be some nice older horses, and 3-year-olds, in there,” West said in a conversation before the race. “We're all excited for his 4-year-old campaign. Obviously, it would be sweet to get him to the Breeders' Cup [at Keeneland] knowing that he loves that track. “The [retirement] talk hasn't really come up. [Stephens] likes racing–that's what Terry likes. Obviously, Chunk of Gold will have to retire eventually, and when he does we'll cross that bridge, but hopefully, it's not for a while.” Despite his reticence to work too far into the future, West is quite comfortable waxing poetic in regard to what Chunk of Gold has meant to his team. “He's not just mine, but everybody in the barn's, pride and joy. Every time he goes out to work, they all go out and watch him. They revolve their schedule around Chunk just like I do, it seems. He's such a cool horse to be around, so it makes it even better. Kids come to the barn, they pet on him. They love him. That mentality makes it all the more enjoyable for everyone.” The post ‘They Revolve Their Schedules Around Him’: Chunk of Gold Gives West a Year to Remember appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fair enough. I would still contest the 'Laws of Probability' in mathematics and even calculating for an event to occur,  are slightly different to the PREDICTION and OPINION of an outcome.  but they do all inter-twine I guess.  Gammalite didn't win at Addington in 5 attempts as the Brodster had the Canterbury locals 'fired up' far too much 😎 so the 'Prediction' of a NZ Cup win (or any Addington Win didn't happen , and the 'Opinion' of that is well  > "That Sucks'. 🤣  but the 'Laws of Probability' of winning the NZ Cup off the Handicap (on 2 occasions)  given to him suggested he would Not win the race anyway.   

No that isn't how probability works.