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Irrespective if Taupo today has been a success or not, the fields were ok,I think by locality it will more than likely do better than Ruakaka on Easter Monday, I just don't think northerners have the same connection with harness racing as in the South, turnovers suggest that.

Wonderful horses, both of them. A privilege to watch them. Lucky Sweynesse not disgraced either, he's such a genuine performer....and very little evidence ( that I could determine) that any of them had the stick applied.

Has to be a lay at that price at this point?

while on the promotion type thinking for that meeting. i think they need use the promotion of new zealands leading drivers being there. the point being,you've got a crowd ,many of who have probably never even heard of blair orange or zac butcher. what i would do is have hrnz fund the air fares of nz's leading driver,blair orange,new zealands leading woman driver sam ottley and new zealands leading junior wilson house. Then i would get 2 local classic car enthusiast ,with cars that can be driven with the top down. then i would have those drivers introduced,along with the leading north island drivers,zac butcher and leading north island junior harrison orange and leading new zealand female junior, crystal hackett and have them driven up and down the front straight.Maybe have a bit of music,say fly bye from blue playing over the speakers as they do that to add a bit of colour. Then i would have them go in front of the main stand and have a pre promoted as the biggest lolly scrambe in nz racing history,where they move around and throw lollys to the public. Amongst the lollies could be prizes of say 5 betting vouchers, inside a lolly papers.Get a nz candy company involved in providing the goodies and reward them with nameing the big races after their produucts. also i think the commentator could also be asked to highlight the horse who races on the day who has won the most money. For example romeo foxtrot could lead out the filed in his race and the commentator go through his record,highlighting how he has been such a good earner over a long period of time. Maybe the trainer and owners could get introduced as they lead him out in front of the field.the commentator could also,only pre race,give a mention of what those drivers are driving. I don't believe a whites mentioning of drivers nick names throughout races is helpful at all. People want him to commentate a race,which hes good at,not tell tehm what someones nick name is. anyway,the point is,these type of meeetings need to utilised to create that spark of interest in the sport and its people and horses,that seems to be totally under promoted on unique racing days,like taupo could become.

$1.20

bump

psd $380,000

I think the racing at taupo has been a very good initiative by hrnz and the waikato club. Good size fileds and it looks like a nice crowd aregood to see. just a shame the weather not ideal,but still you can see a lot more people and kids than a normal north island race meeting. That has to be part of the strategy for north island racing going forward. Provide a grass track circuit with dates coninciding with public holidays.its just about getting the right number of racing dates that still sees the public and owners and trainers turning up in good numbers. the crossing may ned a little bit of work but its not that bad. some horses break on crossings no matter how good they are. i really like the idea of having the rail out as far as they have.It means the horses are getting to run on the parts of the track that the gallopers won't have used as much and therefore it would be smoother.I'm not sure about right on the outside of the track as far as that goes .. and the fact that the horses are actually racing closer to the public due to racing wider on the track,really its that closeness to the public which is a major part of the appeal of grass track racing for the public.Thats where people can get a feel for the buzz the sport can provide when so close to you.Only thing would be maybe a passing lane,even if only for 1 horse,would help the punters. another positive for sure is the 25-27 minute intervals between races. these sunday meeting where there was 4 nz meetimngs and when they had some 40 minute intervals are a a real turn off for on course patrons. today taupos got it spot on. My only suggestion to promote that may help that meeting is to promote it as a bit of a market day,where you work with local authorities and interest groups to coincide with promoting their things. It would get even more people at the track I've seen where a club had a market day every month on course,then one day it just happened to coincide with a race meeting,and the number of people who attended was quite substanial. It just provided the meeting with an extra buzz even if those people weren't punters,you could capture the childrens interest with a kiddie tote or something.Even the likes of those travelling gypsy perple who turn up with there caravans and trucks and read palms and sell there goods and all that type of sttuff.I'm not into it but i've observedwhere a town where they turned up every 3 years or so,and half the town went for a look.Anyway,just a couple of ideas. But what we see at taupo i think is what the industry needs to capitalise on and the decision makers and club officials and track amnager who made todays meeting happen deserve much credit. Its just a shame the weather looks a bit dull.Still if i was young,a we bit of drizzle wouldn't stop me from having a good day out.

When the fastest last 400m is 32.6 and worst 35.7 and they are running 2:17 MR it is definitely NOT a Good track even if they are two carts out.

Entain still says fine and track good at Taupo after Race 5 yet it has been raining and times suggest dead at best. Which clowns are running the show today.

Greenwich Village (c, 3, Quality Road–Houtzen {Aus}, by I Am Invincible {Aus}) not only got his blinkers off and switched surfaces, but also completely changed tactics Sunday in Santa Anita's Baffle Stakes, eschewing his pace-setting and pace-pressing past while opting instead to drop back to last down the hillside turf course. While he caboosed the field, 25-1 Track Tiger (Sharp Azteca) and 5-2 Later Than Planned (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) battled up front through :22.41 and :44.25 fractions. The first half-dozen runners stayed tightly packed as Greenwich Village continued to trail by multiple lengths. He unfurled a sharp turn of foot, thundered wide down the course, and reeled in favored Hey Nay Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the final sixteenth to win by a neck. “After I broke a little slow, I said, 'Okay I'm going to stay here and make one move,'” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “Crossing the dirt, he crossed like a professional and he was passing horses. I was like, okay let's win this race. It was a really big effort for him because he is a really big horse, heavy, but he has a really good turn of foot.” Greenwich Village, a $350,000 yearling buy signed for by SF Bloodstock/Starlight Racing/Madaket Stables at Keeneland September in 2024, debuted Dec. 6 at Los Alamitos with a front-running, 6 1/2-furlong score on the dirt, then tried the GII San Vicente Stakes Jan. 10 at Santa Anita, pressing the pace after a slow break and tiring late to finish last. Sunday's Baffle Stakes marked his first try on the lawn. The winner's dam, a multiple group winner in Australia and group placed in England, sold to Stonestreet for $1.5 million at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. The mare has a 2-year-old colt by Charlatan, who sold to Paul Neatherlin for $25,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, and a yearling colt by Not This Time. She was left open for 2026. GREENWICH VILLAGE ($11.00) fires from last to first winning the $100,000 Baffle Stakes at @SantaAnitaPark under @JJHernandezS19. This 3YO colt by @LanesEndFarms Quality Road is trained by @BobBaffert. @StarlightRacing @MadaketStables @StonestreetFarm pic.twitter.com/k5kVIAAANt — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 25, 2026 BAFFLE S., $101,000, Santa Anita, 1-25, 3yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:12.63, fm. 1–GREENWICH VILLAGE, 120, c, 3, by Quality Road 1st Dam: Houtzen (Aus) (MGSW-Aus, GSP-Eng, $1,599,872), by I Am Invincible (Aus) 2nd Dam: Set To Unleash (Aus), by Reset (Aus) 3rd Dam: Leash (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus) ($350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Bashor Racing, LLC, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $91,000. 2–Hey Nay Nay (Ire), 124, c, 3, No Nay Never–Travel, by Street Cry (Ire). ($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC and Iapetus Racing LLC; B-Lynch Bages, Camas Park & Summerhill B/S (IRE); T-John W. Sadler. $20,000. 3–Later Than Planned (Ire), 124, c, 3, Cotai Glory (GB)– Asking Price, by First Defence. (€8,000 RNA Ylg '24 TATIRY). O-Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify; B-John P. Mangan & John S. Mangan (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000. Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 4.50, 1.00, 2.60. Also Ran: Track Tiger, Bust Out, Won for Lou, Cal's Goal. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post From Last to First, Quality Road’s Greenwich Village Takes the Baffle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Usha became the first grade 1 winner bred by Kristen and Matt Esler of Thirty Year Farm, and also became a source of inspiration for Kristen as she recovered from spinal surgery.View the full article

You must have been living under a rock 🤣🤣

The three of them had hard seasons BEFORE heading to OZ. Arguably they went one or two races too far before being asked to adapt to OZ racing. As I said earlier my theory is that the way NZ races are run now - sit and sprint - our horses are less able to adapt.

Here is a point to ponder 3 or our best 3-year-olds in the last 2 years, Leica Lucy, Willydoit and Molly Bloom, all showed themselves to be well superior to the opposition, an ability to show good acceleration and easily put distance on rivals, much the same as Well Written. The spin machine on all 3 went into overdrive as it usually does with a horse that puts up good performances in NZ, the superlatives flowing All 3 were sold or part sold to Aus buyers with bottomless pockets. Between the 3 of them, they are yet to win a single race in Aus, Leica lucy being the best performed with some nice placings at G1 level Just putting things in perspective, based on recent experiences

Why would Jimmy Jerkens leave the sun and warmth of Saudi Arabia for the cold of the Big A? It wasn't about the weather. View the full article

Jarret Prussin is the Chief Strategy Officer at Ben Crump Law, a firm which is dedicated to ensuring justice for marginalized people in American society. He is also Co-Founder of DreamFi, a financial literacy platform to help people create generational wealth. Prussin fell in love with horses through his father, George, a partner with Richard Santulli in Jayeff `B' Stables. He and John Sikura bought into Thorpedo Anna together with Ben Crump, LL Cool J, and Marshawn Lynch. He is very involved in the Stable Recovery program, which helps recovering addicts find meaningful work in the Thoroughbred industry and beyond. THORPEDO ANNA, 5, Fast Anna–Sataves, by Uncle Mo. Will be bred to Gun Runner. Thorpedo Anna was the 2024 Horse of The Year and last week's winner of the 2025 Champion Older Dirt Female Eclipse Award. She won seven Grade I races and over $5,440,000. We think the red-hot sire Gun Runner is a perfect match for her. CLEARLY UNHINGED, 6, Into Mischief–Smart Win, by Smart Strike. Will be bred to Gun Runner. A winner of over $640,000, she is Grade I-placed and a graded stakes winner. She comes from a deep female family that includes Grade I winner Harmony Lodge and stakes winners Graeme Hall, Win McCool and WIn Crafty Lady. We love the cross between Into Mischief mares with Gun Runner. SWEET AS PIE, 7, Tapit–Treasuring, by Smart Strike. Will be bred to Gun Runner. She is a winner of over $141,000. She hails from family of the Broodmare Of The Year Better Than Honour, Belmont winners Rags to Riches and Jazil, and Arcangelo, the winner of the Belmont Stakes and the Travers. HAMPTON YARD, 5, Uncle Mo–Amagansett bt Tapit. Will be bred to Curlin. She is a half-sister to the Grade I winner Tenma, who sold for $3.2 million at the 2025 Fasig Tipton November sale. Also in her family are Grade I winners Fasliyev and Misty For Me. SHE CAN'T SING, 9, Bernardini–Distorted Music by Distorted Humor. Will be bred to Nyquist. She comes from a deep female family. She is a stakes winner of over $883,000 on the racetrack, is a half-sister to Grade I winner Sandman, and her 3-year-old half-brother Canaletto (Into Mischief), a $1-million FTSAUG yearling purchase, debuted with a 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard'-worthy performance at Gulfstream Park Sunday. She is also from the family of the stakes winner of $430,000, Whiskey Decision. Her third dam is dam of Grade I winner Music Note, who is also the dam of Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide. SERENA'S LEGACY, 6, Curlin–Lady Serena, by Bernardini. Will be bred to Arabian Knight. She hails from the family of Serena's Song, producer Serena's Cat and multiple Grade I winner Honor Code. The post 2026 Mating Plans: Jarret Prussin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rather impressive! I stayed up pass my bedtime and watch RW cream them in the Mile!

This article is a couple of years old, but ponders some interesting ways to look at any sale. " Ever since the second half of the 17th century when farmers in Yorkshire and surrounds began selling the thoroughbred to the court of King Charles II and the Lords and gentry who created our sport on the chalklands of Newmarket, the market has rarely found the perfect balance between supply and demand. Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything Generally the market has been cyclic, but for the last forty years the trend on foal crop production has been downwards and the 2024 season looks likely to continue the decline. Since the short-lived, stock market driven, global peak in thoroughbred breeding in the 1980’s and the demise of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy in Ireland, the two powerhouses of breeding have seen substantial falls in foals on the ground. In the US it has been particularly acute, numbers over 40,000 in the 1980’s are expected to come in around 17,200 for the 2022 crop factoring in late registrations. In Australia where we have always ranked second globally by numbers, and New Zealand, the falls haven’t been as steep but are still significant. This is down to a number of factors but primarily a reflection of racing’s position within the fabric of our societies, whereas in America the sport is very much seen by the general public almost exclusively as a gambling outlet. Irrespective, for 2023 New Zealand has registered 2,744 foals at last count and Australia is expected to finish around the 12,800 mark when at their peaks both countries were knocking out 50 per cent more. “New Zealand has registered 2,744 foals at last count and Australia is expected to finish around the 12,800 mark when at their peaks both countries were knocking out 50 per cent more.” Down the years it always amazed me how, with evidence to the contrary, those supposedly with their finger on the pulse across the thoroughbred world would tell you, “it’s ok the numbers have bottomed out”. For once we might actually be getting to that point as, using the statistics on the Australian Stud Book website, and excluding the Covid fuelled 2021 season, the number of live coverings for 2022 fell 1 per cent against 2020 and 4.7 per cent against 2018. A single percentage point per year drop would appear manageable as long as advances in veterinary science and training practices can keep horses on the track longer. What are we to expect in Spring? So what might we expect in Spring 2024? Playing devil’s advocate the statistics (yes I’m conscious of the Mark Twain phrase of ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’) suggest those dealing with stock at the lower end of the market might require a sanity check, but then the economy they will be selling to in 2027 may well be a very different beast to the one we are wrestling with at the moment. The top end seems impervious to economic pain so up in those lofty heights it will be a case of ‘steady as she goes’. With crystal balls in short supply we have to look back to try and see forward, starting with the results from this year’s yearling sales. The 2022 crop of yearlings were conceived off the back of the Covid sugar hit where all was thought to be rosy in the thoroughbred garden. Yearlings in a paddock | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything Wagering, and therefore prizemoney, had outstripped expectations while simultaneously some stallion owners had made the decision to reduce the pressure on breeders. A noble sentiment, not followed by all, but combined they created a stimulus to the marketplace with an extra 560 coverings, or 2.8 per cent, recorded by the ASB, bucking the decades old trend of decline. From that came an extra 252 foals with 49 more, or 1 per cent, making their way to the sale ring, a figure itself no doubt influenced by the rise of digital sales. The problem those breeders faced was they sent their yearlings to market at the same time economic factors such as mortgage rate hikes, were having the greatest effect. In the two and a bit years from conception to sale day, rates and sundry costs have spiked. Determining a breakeven point For the purposes of this article determining a breakeven point for the ‘average’ breeder was, as they say, very much a pineapple. Just how much a yearling costs depends on the service fee, whether the breeder owns a share in, or breeding right to, the stallion, whether the service can be acquired at below the advertised fee and at which sale the product is sold. As individual details can’t be obtained I’ve looked at horses sold in 2024 through the live auctions of William Inglis and Magic Millions, not tried to separate the key costs by the sale date and not applied GST on the basis most commercial breeders can claim that back. I’ve also avoided insurance, but have applied the auction house 8.5 per cent to any sales and then sundry levies. Using advertised charges from a few farms I’ve applied a nominal number for production costs from births of $24,000, but that in itself doesn’t allow for expense incurred on the mare during gestation. The table below offers a brief summary of what the chances of a profit were. returns offered sold passed in % showing roi Up to $20,0002169175641344.40% $20,001 to $40,0001378112125748.50% $40,001 to $60,00067454712758.70% $60,001 to $100,0004063495767.90% $100,001 plus4083357370.10% Table: Yearling returns by service fee (less GST) Throw all that into a spreadsheet and hey presto; it makes for difficult reading, particularly at the bottom end. Using the auction house published figures for the purpose of this guide, of the 1,756 horses sold that were conceived by stallions standing at $20,000 or less, 977 or 55.6 per cent made a loss, and that doesn’t account for a further 413 lots that were passed in, the vast majority carrying reserves that would not have covered expenses. Profitable yearlings Surprisingly, the percentage of profitable yearlings in the $20k to $40k bracket only climbs to 48.5 per cent on smaller numbers, but from there to the elite end of the market your chances of a profit do climb significantly. Yes, there were some spectacular results achieved from modest covering fees, the $625,000 filly out of Cosmah Domination (Oratorio) from a $15,000 visit to Playing God the most notable. And there are plenty of examples where mares with modest credentials have more than held their own, but the vast majority of mares worthy of stallions at the lower reaches of the market would be significantly overbred if the breeder shelled out, say, $40,000. Spending that sort of money on mares that may have won a provincial maiden or has a few country victories to her credit demands she throws a cracking type for a fighting chance of breaking square. Playing God | Standing at Darling View Thoroughbreds The reality is general economic pressures have led to fewer buyers and far less demand. So just how many of those breeders will stump up again in 2024? Many play the numbers game, hoping one home run will cover any number of strike outs. But for the majority of breeders who treat the industry as a hobby, they won’t have the stock to operate in that fashion and a diminishing bank balance has to rule. That said, experience tells that the hardest thing for a breeder to truly digest is advice that that modestly bred and performed mare with the good bone and gorgeous head grazing serenely on the flats just isn’t worth sending to stud. In years past her progeny would most likely be fighting for attention from country trainers, but with prizemoney where it is they can now afford to be forage further up the thoroughbred food chain. Using a concoction of guesswork and a smattering of anecdotal evidence, the current trend of a 2-3 per cent drop in mares covered will continue into this coming Spring. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was as high as a tick over 4 per cent, but let’s be optimistic. In coming articles we’ll look at what that might mean for farms standing stallions at the lower end of the market, the possibility of long term consequences for field sizes and wagering, how dependent we might become on imports, what impact advances in veterinary science and increased prizemoney levels are having on the longevity of racing careers and so the number of yearlings required each season, what it might mean for aftercare programs and what the industry might look like in five years’ time." https://www.ttrausnz.com.au/edition/2024-08-26/foal-crop-review-what-should-we-expect-this-spring

The clearance rate wasn't on the press release that you posted. Not disputing it has been a good sale so far

FFS @hesi the clearance rate is on the same page as the press release!!! It was 77% - previous 3 years 78, 78 and 79. The clearance rate improves over the course of the sale as passed in lots are negotiared over. 23% passed in is a factor of seller unrealistic reserves, faults in horse comformation and the current market fashion. The fact is this sale is as good as any Karaka Sale. Spin is where someone is trying to paint a good picture of a sows ear. The results in the article speaks for themselves.

Paid 1.00 for the win on the tote (only tote available) Someone was bemoaning that Well Written paid $1.20 lol

Who's the hybrid in glasses standing next to auctioneer waving like a Hillmorton patient?