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    1. Galloping Chat

      Thoroughbred Racing forum discussion.

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    2. Chief Stipe

      Videos from around the world

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    3. Gallops Punting Selections

      Thoroughbred race punting selections from Guest Selectors.  BOAY'ers post your selections for a meeting and earn BOAY points.  End of Season Prizes.

       

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  2. Trots

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    2. Harness Punting Selections

      Harness racing punting selections from Guest Selectors.  BOAY'ers post your selections for a meeting and earn BOAY points.  End of Season Prizes.

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  3. Dogs

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  4. Racing News

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  5. Politics

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  6. Covid-19 Yarn

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  8. General Yarn

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  • Blog Entries

         15 comments
      Today we have seen the only remaining truly independent racing industry publication "hang the bridle on the wall."  The Informant has ceased to publish.
      Why?
      In my opinion the blame lies firmly at the feet of the NZRB.  Over the next few days BOAY will be asking some very pertinent questions to those in charge.
      For example:
      How much is the NZRB funded Best Bets costing the industry?  Does it make a profit?  What is its circulation?  800?  Or more?  Does the Best Bets pay for its form feeds?  Was The Informant given the same deal?
      How much does the industry fund the NZ Racing Desk for its banal follow the corporate line journalism?
      Why were the "manager's at the door" when Dennis Ryan was talking to Peter Early?
      Where are the NZ TAB turnover figures?
      The Informant may be gone for the moment but the industry must continue to ask the hard questions.
       
         0 comments
      Duplicate to remove spam.

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  • Posts

    • I've got One Chief . PENNYWEKA I think . Not that long ago . she had about 80 owners it seems , and I remember half of them flew over to Sydney and had a great old time in the mounting yard. was like a Big kiwi convention going on down there lol. 
    • Starter for 10 - name the four fillies that have done the NZ Oaks - Australasian Oaks double?
    • Nerveless J-Mac seals Oaks double for Ohope Wins   New Zealand Oaks winner Ohope Wins (outside) charged home to take out the Australian Oaks at Randwick. Picture: Bradley Photoshttps://bitofayarn.com   By Adam Dobbin 04:23pm • 11 April 2026 0 Waller, McDonald and Group 1 glory. It's become a rather familiar theme during The Championships and it was once again to the fore in Saturday's Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick. The all-conquering combination took aim at the $1 million feature with New Zealand filly Ohope Wins and the daughter of Ocean Park lived up to her hype and favourite tag to the roars of punters. In claiming the feature fillies' event, Ohope Wins became just the fourth horse to claim the prestigious New Zealand Oaks-Australasian Oaks double. And trainer Chris Waller was quick to heap praise on her New Zealand connection in the aftermath of the stunning Group 1 success on Saturday. "I can't take all the credit," Waller said. "I've been trusted with her by Yulong's Mr Zhang and Sam Fairgray and all of the team there. "Prior to coming to me, Lance O'Sullivan did a great job with her and with (Andrew Scott) they've been very friendly and very helpful which I've got to thank them for." After finishing fourth at her Australian debut in the recent Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, opinion was divided as to the merit of the performance heading into her Oaks grand finale. But Waller's confidence never waned, confident the gun filly would be cherry-ripe for the stern 2400 metre test on Saturday.https://bitofayarn.com "We knew the horse is good enough so it's just been about sticking to the process," Waller said.   • Bomshell delivers Thompson Randwick milestone "Since the Vinery we've kept it simple. Maybe if anything we got it a little too simple first up. "But I think she just needed the run and having spoken to Lance and the confidence he had in her, like I said he's one of the best and we came here confident." With the Group 1 Oaks double now complete, Ohope Wins heads off for a break ahead of a return for the spring. But Waller said what direction she heads in is still very much up in the air. "We're still learning about her and as you've seen in the past winning an Oaks might not mean too much come the spring," he said.https://bitofayarn.com "All we know is we've got a horse at that elite level and it's now our job to train her like an Australian and see how much speed she's got and where we go." Ohope Wins' Oaks success made it a third Group 1 for The Championships for McDonald and Waller following the wins on Day 1 by Joliestar (TJ Smith) and Campione D'italia (Sires' Produce).https://bitofayarn.com  
    • Buoyed by three winners at the past four meetings, Richard Kingscote hopes his commitment to ride Rising Force at a light weight on Sunday will be vindicated with a Class Two victory. The British jockey lifted his seasonal tally to 12 winners after a dirt double last week and a Class Three triumph on Rising Force, who steps up in grade in Sunday’s Class Two Pilkem Handicap (1,200m). “It’s not easy but I think I’ve done OK, I’m keeping a few of my supporters happy,” Kingscote, who has also ridden...View the full article
    • Interesting question.  The Victoria Racing vets stopped him racing twice - yes there has been a spectacular change of in vet personnel but would they let Sir Delius race?
    • Will they switch plans now from the Cox Plate to the Golden Eagle and a likely meeting with Sheza Alibi
    • Sir Delius spoils Autumn Glow's party in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes   Sir Delius won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images.   By Racenet 06:51pm • 11 April 2026 Comments Autumn Glow's unbeaten run ends at 12 after she failed to stay in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday.https://bitofayarn.com A strongly run 2000 metres brought about her undoing and Sir Delius confirmed his standing as one of Australia's best middle-distance horses. Sir Delius defeated Lindermann with Autumn Glow in third.https://bitofayarn.com   Sir Delius has now won seven of his 13 starts and his earnings total more than $4.6 million.https://bitofayarn.com The five-year-old Frankel entire was ridden to victory by Craig Williams and provided trainer Gai Waterhouse with her fifth Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner and her training partner Adrian Bott his first win in the race.
    • Local runner Toa Haka (NZ) (Iffraaj) claimed the biggest prize of his career when he made every post a winner in the $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The six-year-old son of Iffraaj began his raceday career in the north in 2023 under the tutelage of Te Rapa trainer David Greene where he collected a win and four placings from 16 starts before transferring to the Riccarton base of David Walsh in late 2024. In a further 16 starts before Saturday he had produced five wins and a further five placings and went into the Southern Alps Challenge final off the back of a game win at Ashburton over 1300m earlier in the month, which qualified him for the contest. Such was the quality of the field, the free-going gelding was allowed to start at a generous $34 Fixed Odds quote and immediately took up pacemaking duties in the hands of in-form apprentice Amber Riddell. Riddell dictated terms and had Toa Haka travelling powerfully rounding the home bend as they slipped clear by two lengths and asked the rest of the field to chase them down. Although visibly tiring in the last 50m, Toa Haka clung bravely to the lead and took the major spoils by a long head from the late charging Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel), Betty Spaghetti (Stratum Star) and Stonybreck (Tavistock) who finished virtually in a line behind him. Walsh was thrilled with the effort from a horse who has just kept on improving with age. “What a great result as he is such a genuine horse,” Walsh said. “He was quite immature when I got him and has just got stronger over time. He is very game and the best part about him is he gives it his all and knows where the finish line is. “The plan today wasn’t to lead but I always say to my jockeys that if no one else wants the front don’t be afraid to go there as if you get beaten it is my fault not yours. “Amber (Riddell) came back in and said that nobody really wanted to lead and when he jumped so well it seemed the right thing to do as he likes the track and is hard to get past when he is at his best. “He has had three preps for us and when he has won for us he has won his next start as well, so when he is on he is really on.” While it was his first test beyond 1400m, Walsh wasn’t worried about the distance as Toa Haka’s breeding suggested he would thrive on the challenge. “His dam was a very good mare who won up to 2000m at Group level so I thought he would get a mile as he can relax during his races and he’s now got the maturity to cope with it,” he said. “I don’t have any plans for him after today as I don’t make those sorts of decisions on raceday and I like to see how they pull up before looking ahead. “He goes on most track surfaces and has performed well on good tracks as well as with the sting out so we will have options for him. “What will be interesting is how many rating points he gets from today which will have a bearing on what we do with him next.” Out of the Darci Brahma mare Rasa Lila (NZ), who won the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) as well as being placed in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m), Toa Haka was bred by Sir Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and purchased by Greene for $40,000 out of the Pencarrow draft during the Book 1 Sale at Karaka in 2021. He was offered for sale during the gavelhouse.com October 2024 thoroughbred auction where he was purchased by owner Brendan Hewlett for $1,800. Saturday’s victory took his record to seven wins and nine placings from 33 starts and over $363,000 in prizemoney. View the full article
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