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My partner and I spent a very enjoyable and enlightened evening with Ron and his partner at the Ellerslie Novotel after the first day of the Karaka Sales this year.  What really resonated with me was his farming background (pigs) and his eye for livestock which transferred to buying good horses at good prices.  

Full-on racing enthusiast Ron Stanley passes away loveracing.nz Ron Stanley (right) with his wife Kathy, brother Noel and his wife Suzie following Wahid’s win in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham. Photo: Race Images Dennis Ryan There will be a vacant seat in the owners’ section of the Ellerslie grandstand on Saturday when Ladies Man attempts a repeat victory in the Gr. 1 Livamol Classic.https://bitofayarn.com Ron Stanley, part-owner of the dual Group One winner along with a host of other class racehorses, passed away on Saturday just weeks short of his 70th birthday, ending more than 50 years fully immersed in racing.  Life for Stanley had its challenges due to contracting polio as an infant, but supported by his wife Kathy, brother Noel and a closely bonded group of family and friends, nothing stood in his way. He became a farmer and racehorse owner while still in his teens, making a huge success of both endeavours as well as contributing immensely to racing administration in the Taranaki region. “Ronnie loved racing, every aspect of it, and it became a big part of his life in so many ways,” Noel said when reflecting on his older brother’s legacy. “He bought his first filly when he was 17 and put her with Wally McEwan at Hawera. https://bitofayarn.com “Our father was a rugby man and when Ronnie started to get in involved in racehorse ownership Dad warned ‘They’ll rip the shirt off your back!’ But it didn’t make any difference – he was in for keeps.” The horses had to be affordable, and in that respect the enthusiasm was just as infectious as he and his brother established a solid farming foundation. “Ronnie was 19 and I was 17 when we took over the farm from our father Noel and our uncle Ron, who the two of us were named after. That’s coming up 50 years ago when the farm comprised a dairy unit and a piggery with 40 sows. “Ronnie was the business manager taking care of finances and planning for the future, and he was just brilliant at it. His motto was ‘do it once and do it properly’. https://bitofayarn.com From those 40 sows the piggery grew to now have 500, we developed the rest of the farming operation alongside it and as far as he was concerned it was all about rebuilding, keeping ahead of the times.” That busy farming life was well complemented by the Stanley brothers’ racing interests, which since the late 1980s have centered around New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock. “To begin with when Ronnie got involved, he had horses with a variety of trainers – Wally McEwan, Charlie Gestro, Bob McSeveny, John Wheeler were some – before between us we settled on Allan,” Noel said.  “Later in the 1990s we had a horse called Carter who won his maiden and ran in the Derby, then we sold him for $100,000. That bankrolled us to go to the sales to buy a horse we really liked, but Ron said we’ll only spend half of it. “We bought a lovely Gold Brose colt for $22,000, which meant we still had a fair bit left over, so we decided to look for another one, but Ronnie said we shouldn’t get carried way, and 20 minutes later we bought a Groom Dancer colt.  “That left us with $5,000 of the $50,000, and typical of Ronnie he said ‘That’s good, it will pay to break them in’.” Those two Karaka purchases elevated the Stanley brothers to racing’s major league. The Gold Brose colt was Grout, who became champion two-year-old with four wins, including the two Group One Sires’ Produce races in the autumn, and was subsequently sold for big money to Hong Kong. The Groom Dancer colt, named Woburn, won his first two starts at two but eventually excelled as a stayer. At three years old, he won his two lead-up races to the New Zealand Derby before finishing third in the Ellerslie classic.  He then won the Manawatu Classic and finished third in the South Australian Derby, eventually compiling a record of eight wins and numerous major placings. “We had had a good taste of that level of racing and I remember we were discussing our plans with Allan (Sharrock) and Ronnie said I only want to win one race – the Derby. In one of racing’s great stories, that lofty ambition was realised when the Stanleys’ chestnut gelding Wahid was victorious in the 2006 Mercedes Derby. He had already been a big winner at two and leading into the Derby he won the Levin Classic, Waikato Guineas and Championship Stakes, so his ultimate achievement was as much a relief as a thrill. “I remember Ronnie sitting there in the grandstand, very happy, and he turned to me and said ‘You lead him in and I’ll make the speech’. It was just perfect winning the Derby with the best horse we’ve ever had by a country mile.” Stanley’s involvement in racing was by no means restricted to ownership. His volunteer administrative roles began with the Opunake Racing Club, which he served as secretary/treasurer for nearly two decades and continued when the Taranaki coastal club relocated its raceday activities from Hawera to New Plymouth. “Ron worked tirelessly for the Opunake club, he was such a big part of its success and achieved his target of getting the Opunake Cup to a stake of $100,000,” longtime Taranaki Racing general manager Carey Hobbs said.  “He was on the steering committee to bring New Plymouth and Opunake together, which he and others felt was the right thing to do. He was a very sharp administrator and every decision he made was for the betterment of racing. “He also served many years as raceday judge – apart from when one of his horses was racing – and we’ll all miss him as one of those guys you would turn to when a big decision needed to be made.” Allan Sharrock’s training career benefitted hugely from horses racing in the Stanley name. “The Stanley boys have been with me virtually since day one, owners that any trainer could wish for,” he said. “Ron certainly knew his stuff, he had a very good eye for a horse, he understood pedigrees and we never bought a horse if it didn’t meet his approval. I think the success we’ve had together says a lot for our relationship and the big wins speak for themselves.” The current headline act for Ron and Noel Stanley, along with their respective wives Kathy and Suzie, members of the O’Leary family and Sharrock, is Ladies Man. Already a dual Group One winner, the big Zed gelding will attempt a repeat of his 2023 Livamol Classic when he lines up in the weight-for-age feature at Ellerslie on Saturday. “We’ve already talked about it and we’ve decided that we’re all going to be up at Ellerslie. It’s going to be emotional but something we have to do,” Noel Stanley said. “If Ladies Man can win another Livamol – that would be fantastic, the ultimate tribute to Ronnie.” *Ron Stanley’s funeral service is scheduled for 11am Thursday (tomorrow) at St Paul’s Church, Opunake.

First 500 punters betting into the pot for Saturdays big races in Aus will get matched up to $50 bonus bet…. enough to sway me…. I am in for $50.    Only first 500, currently about 280 are in pot, so get in quick if ya interested 

I will bet against him….

Gee Chief…. How is Freda being sarcastic? You need to stop posting about Te Akau….its upsetting you too much. 

While he admitted he would have preferred to reveal his own gate, Ka Ying Rising’s owner Leung Shek-kong was in his element all the same during Tuesday night’s Group One The Everest (1,200m) barrier draw aboard super yacht “The Jackson” on Sydney Harbour. Big-race barrier draws in Hong Kong see owners select their own card before peeling away a sticker to show the horse’s gate, however the draw for The Everest was done by computer earlier on Tuesday before being projected into the Sydney sky in...View the full article

5. (tie) BLAST FURNACE, KEE, 10/8, 1 mile 1/8th (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-83 (g, 4, by The Factor–Aliquippa, by Yes It's True) O-Three Diamonds Farm. B-EH Beau Lane (Ky). T-Mike Maker. J-Luis Saez. This should sound familiar: Maker gets new horse in barn, runs him longer distances on grass, and improvement ensues. Blast Furnace was transferred this summer by Three Diamonds to Maker, who ran him 1 5/16 miles and then got this MSW victory at 1 1/8 miles. 5. (tie) CUT TO THE CHASE, KEE, 10/12, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-83 (f, 3, by Complexity–Listen to Libby, by Indian Charlie) O-Thomas Bachman. B-Brereton Jones (Ky). T-Wesley Ward. J-Victor Espinoza. In her second start, Cut to the Chase led all the way for a sharp 4 3/4 length Keeneland score. Owner Thomas Bachman–who previously raced Grade II winner Kehoe Beach with Ward–bought the filly for $375,000 at Keeneland September 2023 from Airdrie Stud's Brereton Jones, exactly one week before Jones' death. 4. SIMPLE SONG, SA, 10/10, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-88 (2nd) (g, 3, by Munnings–Serene Melody, by Street Cry) O-Muir Hut Stables. B-Lewis Thoroughbred Breeding. T-Mark Glatt. J-Kazushi Kimura. He proved no match for the latest Zedan/Baffert freight train Jude (see below), but all things considered his debut second was highly encouraging–as is his pedigree. His dam Serene Melody was a minor stakes winner, but her dam was 11-time Grade I winner and Hall of Famer Serena's Song. 3. JUDE, SA, 10/10, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-93 (c, 3, by Uncle Mo–Helena Bay (GB), by Johannesburg) O-Zedan Racing Stables. B-Runnymede Farm, Peter Callahan and Three Chimneys Farm (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. J-Juan Hernandez. Baffert's soon-to-be 2026 3-year-olds will sort themselves out eventually, but his Derby hopeful list continues to grow. Amr Zedan's $2-million yearling purchase Jude, named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', debuted with a sharp 2 1/2-length victory in fast time–and he broke slowly, then rallied from last. He's a half-brother to former Baffert star Collected, whose remarkable 2017 run began with four straight stakes wins including the GI Pacific Classic, followed by a second to Gun Runner in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. 2. COFFEE TALK, KEE, 10/9, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-94 (g, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro–Desert Legacy, by Tapit) O/T- David Jacobson. B-Godolphin (Ky). J-Jose Ortiz. Fifteen months ago, Jacobson purchased Godolphin owned-and-bred 4-year-old Banishing at auction for $80k. At the time, Banishing had made $100,000 on the track; since the purchase he has earned $1.8 million and is being pointed for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. This summer, Jacobson went back to the Godolphin well, spending $30,000 at Ellis Park to claim Coffee Talk, who had made $14,443 in five starts with a top Beyer of 76. Jacobson ran him back for $50,000 and got a 10 3/4-length win with a 94 Beyer. The bad news for Jacobson: Coffee Talk was claimed again out of the race, this time by Linda Rice. 1. FURTHER ADO, KEE, 10/10, 1 mile 1-16th (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-98 (c, 2, by Gun Runner–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa) O-Spendthrift Farm. B-John Oxley (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. Further Ado, named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', is now being pointed for the Nov. 29 GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes after this 20-length romp continued Spendthrift's remarkable October run. His 98 Beyer tied Ted Noffey for the second-fastest 2-year-old figure of the year behind only Brant's 101. His female side traces back to Oxley's champion mare Beautiful Pleasure.     The post Five Fastest Maidens, Presented By Taylor Made: Oct. 6-13 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I found a few things quite interesting in this report. One was that sportsbet have agreed to stop using commissioned VIP managers who offer significant inducements to get and keep the biggest losing customers betting. I'm guessing that was part of the settlement arrangement with Austrac. You'd think that might mean that Entain will have to do the same since all the remaining claims involve the actions of VIP managers and those sort of inducements without appropriate checks as to where the customer money was coming from.  Another surprising figure is that 2/3 of bookie revenue comes from 2% of customers. That is presumably primarily those big losers that have VIP managers. If Entain does reach a similar agreement and/or if Australia implements the review recommendations, I wonder if similar will happen here?

There will be a vacant seat in the owners’ section of the Ellerslie grandstand on Saturday when Ladies Man attempts a repeat victory in the Gr. 1 Livamol Classic. Ron Stanley, part-owner of the dual Group One winner along with a host of other class racehorses, passed away on Saturday just weeks short of his 70th birthday, ending more than 50 years fully immersed in racing. Life for Stanley had its challenges due to contracting polio as an infant, but supported by his wife Kathy, brother Noel and a closely bonded group of family and friends, nothing stood in his way. He became a farmer and racehorse owner while still in his teens, making a huge success of both endeavours as well as contributing immensely to racing administration in the Taranaki region. “Ronnie loved racing, every aspect of it, and it became a big part of his life in so many ways,” Noel said when reflecting on his older brother’s legacy. “He bought his first filly when he was 17 and put her with Wally McEwan at Hawera. “Our father was a rugby man and when Ronnie started to get in involved in racehorse ownership Dad warned ‘They’ll rip the shirt off your back!’ But it didn’t make any difference – he was in for keeps.” The horses had to be affordable, and in that respect the enthusiasm was just as infectious as he and his brother established a solid farming foundation. “Ronnie was 19 and I was 17 when we took over the farm from our father Noel and our uncle Ron, who the two of us were named after. That’s coming up 50 years ago when the farm comprised a dairy unit and a piggery with 40 sows. “Ronnie was the business manager taking care of finances and planning for the future, and he was just brilliant at it. His motto was ‘do it once and do it properly’. From those 40 sows the piggery grew to now have 500, we developed the rest of the farming operation alongside it and as far as he was concerned it was all about rebuilding, keeping ahead of the times.” That busy farming life was well complemented by the Stanley brothers’ racing interests, which since the late 1980s have centered around New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock. “To begin with when Ronnie got involved, he had horses with a variety of trainers – Wally McEwan, Charlie Gestro, Bob McSeveny, John Wheeler were some – before between us we settled on Allan,” Noel said. “Later in the 1990s we had a horse called Carter who won his maiden and ran in the Derby, then we sold him for $100,000. That bankrolled us to go to the sales to buy a horse we really liked, but Ron said we’ll only spend half of it. “We bought a lovely Gold Brose colt for $22,000, which meant we still had a fair bit left over, so we decided to look for another one, but Ronnie said we shouldn’t get carried way, and 20 minutes later we bought a Groom Dancer colt. “That left us with $5,000 of the $50,000, and typical of Ronnie he said ‘That’s good, it will pay to break them in’.” Those two Karaka purchases elevated the Stanley brothers to racing’s major league. The Gold Brose colt was Grout, who became champion two-year-old with four wins, including the two Group One Sires’ Produce races in the autumn, and was subsequently sold for big money to Hong Kong. The Groom Dancer colt, named Woburn, won his first two starts at two but eventually excelled as a stayer. At three years old, he won his two lead-up races to the New Zealand Derby before finishing third in the Ellerslie classic. He then won the Manawatu Classic and finished third in the South Australian Derby, eventually compiling a record of eight wins and numerous major placings. “We had had a good taste of that level of racing and I remember we were discussing our plans with Allan (Sharrock) and Ronnie said I only want to win one race – the Derby. In one of racing’s great stories, that lofty ambition was realised when the Stanleys’ chestnut gelding Wahid was victorious in the 2006 Mercedes Derby. He had already been a big winner at two and leading into the Derby he won the Levin Classic, Waikato Guineas and Championship Stakes, so his ultimate achievement was as much a relief as a thrill. “I remember Ronnie sitting there in the grandstand, very happy, and he turned to me and said ‘You lead him in and I’ll make the speech’. It was just perfect winning the Derby with the best horse we’ve ever had by a country mile.” Stanley’s involvement in racing was by no means restricted to ownership. His volunteer administrative roles began with the Opunake Racing Club, which he served as secretary/treasurer for nearly two decades and continued when the Taranaki coastal club relocated its raceday activities from Hawera to New Plymouth. “Ron worked tirelessly for the Opunake club, he was such a big part of its success and achieved his target of getting the Opunake Cup to a stake of $100,000,” longtime Taranaki Racing general manager Carey Hobbs said. “He was on the steering committee to bring New Plymouth and Opunake together, which he and others felt was the right thing to do. He was a very sharp administrator and every decision he made was for the betterment of racing. “He also served many years as raceday judge – apart from when one of his horses was racing – and we’ll all miss him as one of those guys you would turn to when a big decision needed to be made.” Allan Sharrock’s training career benefitted hugely from horses racing in the Stanley name. “The Stanley boys have been with me virtually since day one, owners that any trainer could wish for,” he said. “Ron certainly knew his stuff, he had a very good eye for a horse, he understood pedigrees and we never bought a horse if it didn’t meet his approval. I think the success we’ve had together says a lot for our relationship and the big wins speak for themselves.” The current headline act for Ron and Noel Stanley, along with their respective wives Kathy and Suzie, members of the O’Leary family and Sharrock, is Ladies Man. Already a dual Group One winner, the big Zed gelding will attempt a repeat of his 2023 Livamol Classic when he lines up in the weight-for-age feature at Ellerslie on Saturday. “We’ve already talked about it and we’ve decided that we’re all going to be up at Ellerslie. It’s going to be emotional but something we have to do,” Noel Stanley said. “If Ladies Man can win another Livamol – that would be fantastic, the ultimate tribute to Ronnie.” *Ron Stanley’s funeral service is scheduled for 11am Thursday (tomorrow) at St Paul’s Church, Opunake. View the full article