Forums

Awapuni trainer Ashley Meadows is hoping to get the new year off to the best possible start when he heads to Ellerslie on Thursday with his in-form gelding The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress). The six-year-old son of Shamexpress hasn’t put a foot wrong so far this preparation, winning first-up in September before finishing runner-up behind Hi Yo Sass Bomb in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham a month later, and he went one better last start when returning to the Upper Hutt track to take out the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m). “That was a huge run last time,” Meadows said. “This prep he has improved so much. He started off in an open handicap and then went to Group Threes and he just keeps stepping up.” Meadows has been pleased with The Scunner’s progress since his last-start heroics earlier this month and he is looking forward to testing him at a right-handed track for the first time in Thursday’s Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). “He is looking smart, I think I have got him pretty spot on,” Meadows said. “It is his first time going right-handed, but I don’t think it will be a problem, I think barrier 11 might be the bigger issue.” Despite his barrier concerns, Meadows is expecting a strong showing from his charge, particularly if the forecast rain continues. “I am expecting him to run well. It is a long way to travel, so you do want them spot on,” he said. “If it rained up there it would probably help us.” The Scunner will carry equal topweight of 56.5kg, with jockey Kelly Myers retaining the ride. TAB bookmakers rate The Scunner a $26 winning chance in a market headed by She’s A Dealer at $2.80. Following Thursday, Meadows is looking forward to returning to The Scunner’s favoured track of Trentham later next month to contest the Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m). “He is in the Thorndon, that has always been the main target,” he said. View the full article

Kelvin Tyler celebrated a quartet of winners on his home track 12 months ago and he will have numbers on his side for another successful New Year’s Day meeting. The Riverton trainer will be strongly represented throughout the card, including King Of The Castle (NZ) (Castledale), Master Marko (NZ) (Contributer) and Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) in the main event, the Pankhurst Sawmilling/Waiau Valley Shearing Handicap (1600m). “I would really like to see King Of The Castle bounce back to what he can do, he looks really well,” Tyler said. “At the weights, he comes into it best (55.5kg) and Master Marko has got a bit (60kg) and Go Lotte (53kg) probably isn’t racing as good as she should be.” The nine-year-old produced an encouraging effort last time out when fourth in the Tapanui Cup (1335m) and the step up in distance on Thursday will be more to his liking. “He is looking for more ground now, it’s taken him a bit to get over that fall he had at Riccarton, but I can’t fault him now and the rest is up to him,” Tyler said. Master Marko has been racing consistently and is expected to give another good sight while Go Lotte will need to improve significantly after a string of under par efforts. Tyler will also have three representatives in the Carriers Arms Hotel Summer Cup (2147m) and the Riverton Racing Club Memorial (1200m). In the former, he nominated Indie Ardie (NZ) (Ardrossan) as his best chance and a fresh Go Thea (NZ) (Tivaci) as the pick of his trio in the latter event. “Indie Ardie is going great races at the moment without a lot of luck, she should be a very good chance,” Tyler said. “I’ve also got a few three-year-olds in, but most of them are inexperienced so my best would be Go Thea. She’s resuming and has got a bit of form behind her.” The Tivaci filly hasn’t raced since she finished runner-up at Gore last September. One of Tyler’s four winners at the fixture a year ago was Freddie Time (NZ) (Time Test), who will continue his successful North Island sojourn at Trentham on Saturday when he runs in the Listed Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Ltd Marton Cup (2200m). He was a winner over ground two runs back at Otaki before he produced a sterling effort to finish a close runner-up in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m). “He couldn’t have got much closer, it only looked like half a nose he was beaten but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Tyler said. “I’ve been talking with Howie and Lorraine (Mathews) and they said he came through that race very well and they’re doing a great job with him. “He should be another good chance and we’re just taking it race by race. He’s only a four-year-old so as soon as he looks like he needs a wee break then we’ll give him one.” View the full article

With plenty of big races over the next few days, Michael takes a deep dive into New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day action, catches up with Lance O’Sullivan, Tony Pike, Cran Dalgety and Ellerslie Track Manager Jason Fullford. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 17 – NYE and NYD Preview View the full article

On the Dec. 29 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Louie Rabaut, Sean Collins, and Steve Kornacki unveil who they are voting for in each Eclipse Award category.View the full article

motukarara had no nz galloping meeting to compete against ,as had been the case in previous years,so that would have helped the turnover. westport had several false starts  and that would have helped boost their figures as well.  

Capping off another tremendous year that included a win aboard Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby, Junior Alvarado has been named the 2025 Male Venezuelan Athlete of the Year. He is the first jockey to ever earn the honor. The Venezuelan Athlete of the Year is the most prestigious sporting honor in Venezuela. It has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Circle of Sports Journalists of Venezuela. This year's female winner was Yorgelis Salazar, whose field is karate. “I was shocked, to be honest with you,” Alvarado said. “I knew I had been nominated but there never has been a jockey that has won this award. I remember when Gustavo Ávila won the Derby and Preakness with Canonero II back in the day. We all thought he was the one who had a big chance of winning the athlete of the year award. But he didn't. To be the first jockey to win is a big achievement. l can't even describe it. It is an amazing award. And I think that for our racing industry in my country, it is also a big win. It is more than just a big win for me. I am still on cloud nine. I wasn't expecting this.” Through Dec. 29, Alvarado has won 116 races on the year and his mounts have earned $18,318,159. His biggest wins came aboard the Bill Mott-trained Sovereignty, who is the leading contender for the Horse of the Year title. In addition to the Derby, the pair teamed up to win the GII Fountain of Youth, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy and the GI Travers Stakes. Sovereignty did not run in the Breeders' Cup, but Alvarado still had a successful day, winning the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff with Scylla (Tapit). “There were other people who were nominated, including some very good baseball players,” Alvarado said. “This Is the icing on the cake to get this award after the year that I had. I don't know if I will ever have another year like this again. I will try. But being honest, this is very hard to do. You have to have the horses to succeed. I'm just very grateful for all the opportunities I had.” Alvarado rode his first winner on Dec. 30, 2005 at La Rinconada Hippodrome near Caracas, Venezuela. He came to the U.S. in 2007 and had his first American winner at Gulfstream Park in 2007. He was a regular on the Chicago circuit before coming to New York in 2010. “I was always shooting for the stars when I was riding in Chicago and I always thought that was a good step forward to what I wanted to be,” he said. “My goal was always to be in New York. I knew that if I wanted to win the Kentucky Derby and other big races, and that if I wanted to be a somebody in this sport, I would need to ride in New York because that's where all the big horses are. That was always my goal ever since I was a little kid in Venezuela. The Kentucky Derby was the one race I always watched on television when I was a little kid. To win it this year was unbelievable. Then we kept adding to it…the Belmont, the Travers. It has been an amazing year.” The award has been dominated by baseball players, including stars like Miguel Cabrera, Jose Altuve, Luis Aparicio, Johan Santana and Andres Galarraga. The post Alvarado Named 2025 Male Venezuelan Athlete of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Certainly is a concern in the public sector but its rife through a lot of industries. NZ racing as one currently as a prominent leader. Not a good look for racing and in particular NZTA.

nice to see a worker getting named...