Forums

you gentlemen don't realize the costs involved in maintaining a racing industry these days . The ATC has done well to keep trading while in debt with the failure to raise capital from the disastrous Apartments project that failed due to the building company declaring Bankrupcy. Instead of feeling compassion for your 'fellow' Harness racing supporters that make up the ATC , it's sink the boot in and scoff at their predicament all the time.  Victoria (HRV)  managed to bail out of their losses for the moment. The Australian Turf Club , in the much more popular Thoroughbred industry has debts of $145,000,000 and are unable to pay back the bank loan of $30 mill due this year. They even tried to sell Rosehill Gardens track for $5 Billion to the state Government, to support themselves well into the future . Members voted against the sale in the end. I think an administrator is going to be appointed  In a nut-shell , you can see that running a racing/harness club is Not a Prosperous Enterprise these days.  Why pick on someone and people TRYING TO KEEP Your sport going in Difficult times ?? Jump in and help with some ideas. Brodie says get young people involved, Galah says create a training/racing establishment with barns and stables and training facilities to lease to the young trainers who don't Have property of their own.  2  top ideas that can be expanded on and implemented . and probably will be in the future too as no choice really , Example =  like what Menangle did 2010 (shifting out of Harold Park in the city and funding themselves and setting up well)  ATC may have to do this too?. ( *and help the young participants simultaneously with training facility)   

The Saffie Joseph Jr-trained White Abarrio (Race Day) will ship to Oaklawn to target the GII Oaklawn Handicap April 18, his trainer said Wednesday. Detailing next starts for his stable stars, Joseph said, “White Abarrio is going to come for the Oaklawn Handicap. That's the plan. Dubai is still in play for Skippy, but we haven't come up with a plan yet.” Last seen finishing runner-up to stablemate Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) in the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park last month, White Abarrio also owns a win in the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. While the race is still two months away, last year's Champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is also possible for the Oaklawn Handicap. The post White Abarrio To Target Oaklawn Handicap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

my take  is,no one in power at the atc or hrnz or the media want to talk about the atc anymore.They would rather ignore it. Everyone knows its a joke. everyone knows hrnz policy towards the atc will hurt nz harness racing everywhwere in years to come,especially auckland. I think mr steele,when last asked about the atc,put his fingers in his ears and starting cheerfully singing.

Really pleased to see 2 good blokes with small teams have a day out at Riccarton yesterday. Jamie Bullard, who i would say had his whole team in yesterday and ended up with 3 wins and a placing and Danny Crozier has 1 in for a win. They were both top riders and are doing an excellent job with their small teams. I watched Danny getting a post-race interview with Brittany, and you would have believed he was back in Ballarat with his Aussie accent, and I am not sure why he was licking his lips throughout the interview. Interesting that Murray Hamilton has shares in 2 of Jamie's winners. He was the person that 2 RIU investigators, when hiding in trees, observed him either putting a saddle or a rug on a horse, when he was disqualified. Good to see him having some luck and long may it continue

Does anyone know whether there is any interest in the sale of Franklin track? If not what is going to happen with the ATC, as without that sale then ATC will end up in liquidation  you would think? Not sure of exact figures of amount of their debt but was it approx $80million? If so then the debt will be increasing by approx 5 million per year from interest costs which is crippling. How is going to be able to continue like this as costs escalating with interest on interest?  

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has called a March 11 board panel hearing to address what it says is Churchill Downs Incorporated's refusal to pay millions of dollars of required assessments from four of its tracks.View the full article

Samuel Marin's total of 13 wins for the week included a stakes race victory.View the full article

Good to see some big selling lots to the normal big spenders! A lot of yearlings passed in, seemed like more than normal? Was advised by a trainer that there was next to no young ones at the sales, unless they were employed in the preparations? We do need to have younger owners buying but are they able to afford to buy and race horses with the costs and also the cost of living?    

Recent winner Dante Nonantais will continue his career Down Under after the leading Australian ownership group OTI Racing went to €180,000 to secure the Florian Bellemere-trained son of Hunter's Light on the second and final day of the Arqana Mixed February Sale on Wednesday.  The three-year-old gelding was the most expensive of the 170 horses sold at a clearance rate of 78% on the day. Meanwhile, the clearance rate for the entire sale stood at 70%, for an average price of €13,709 and total turnover of €3,299,750. A wide diversity of buyers attended, coming from Germany, Australia, Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey.  Dante Nonantais, the overall sale-topper, was added to the sale as a wildcard following his debut victory on the all-weather at Deauville. He will now head to the yard of Tony McEvoy, winner of the 2025 Melbourne Cup.  “I've bought him for OTI and he will head to Australia,” said the winning bidder Thibault de Seyssel. “He is a superb horse that made a very promising debut and has real potential. His profile should suit Australian racing perfectly.” Just minutes later, the hammer fell at €120,000 in favour of Amy Murphy for Recollect, from the stable of Gavin Hernon. The three-year-old son of Recoletos won on his second start at Chantilly.  “I've bought him for Henry Dwyer, with whom we have worked for a long time,” Murphy said. “He caught his attention and was strongly recommended by his trainer, Gavin Hernon. We are confident he has the potential to succeed in Australia and we look forward to following his progress.” Another wildcard, the Louisa Carberry-trained Highbourne Karisma, sold for €120,000 to JH Bloodstock on behalf of National Hunt trainer Tom Symonds. In the breeding section, a yearling filly by Earthlight (Lot 239), presented by Haras des Capucines, generated strong interest around the ring before being knocked down at €125,000 to Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency. The filly is a half-sister to the top-class Sajir, winner of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last season. “She is a filly who attracted interest from many buyers,” said Nicolas de Watrigant. “She is well put together physically and comes from a very strong family.” The post Recent Winner Dante Nonantais Headlines Arqana February Sale To OTI Racing At 180k appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article