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I'm getting sick and tired of the old men and women moaning about every little thing they can find with what they perceive to be wrong. Yes @Freda I'll quote from the Leo Molloy playbook - most of them haven't acheived a great deal of success in racing and are blaming anything they can find for that lack of success. Racing is a tough brutal game for lots of reasons not the least of which is you are dealing with a 500kg animal that is not only tough but fragile, that is not only smart but dumb. PS: @Murray Fish I don't put you in the moaner category by a long way.

yeah right! I will say my insults when I am standing in front of you! Do you get out much, or is it 100% social media worrier! baby!! Ponder this, most times I am on course I will have a brief chat with the stipes on that day! I do find that they give me their time and ear! 95% of the time the topic will be 'unsafe tracks' perhaps that is the approach that you might like to try! re Jockeys, On the surface, there is a lot of gilts and glamour! In reality many are often challenged with weight and the reality of 'dieting' and the challengers that go with that sort of thing! Then having to produce top physical and split second decisions in the race! mistakes are made! rules are broken! The best stipes know that and take that on board! Then of course! Any 'work place' mistake can get serious media spotlight! I could continue in this vain! but sigh! I really am getting tire with 'things racing', very soon I will be gone....

Perhaps @Thomass taking the photos scared it.

wow

i see n40 racing had the first of its 3 high priced purchases from last years yearling sales,line up at the trials last week. The questions i have are ..is it normal for horses sold at nz yearling sales a year ago, to not change ownership officailly. ..And is it normal for the stipes to allow horses to start at trials,knowing that hrnz has the owner as someone who hrnz themselevs have publicised is not the owner and of course the stipes would have known that. I mean,maybe it is within the rules for hrnz to let horses start,when they obviously know the owners listed aren't correct.Will the stipes not only allow it to start at the trials,but can it race under ownership that sold it over a year ago. maybe someone can clarify what hrnz allow,i have read the rule . Is there some type of preferential treatment being shown for a big player,or does hrnz and the stipes allow all owners to run horses at trials and races,knowing the owners shown arenot the actual owners. . i note all 3 of the horses bought over a year ago at the sales by N40 racing, are still owned by the breeders who sold them at the sales,according to hrnz.

Yes @Thomass gets away with a lot online.

Fawcett should've had the book thrown at her. There's few worse sights in a race than an imbecile like Fawcett exiting a beautiful trailing position behind the leader (who carried on and won the race) well before the turn, carving up anything and everything in the process then not having the horse power to improve the position she exited FFS. This is incompetence personified and Fawcett isn't alone with this disease. Furthermore, it's preposterous Pinn was indicted and found guilty of careless riding whilst endeavouring to halt an errant jockey... on a pilgrimage.

Little bastard got off real light.

Really @Thomass!?

More like an elbow in the choppers, after leaning over as far as possible without falling off!

Well you seem to have the "full facts". You tell us why it is "anathema" to you. Or are you like the @Comic Dog and you trust your gossip sources?

I've seen some flighty fillies in my time but this Colt at the recent Karaka sales beats any filly hands down Savabeel colt made 240k with TA buying, vet check ongoing

So that would rule out clubs like the CJC because it doesn't operate on freehold land of its own? Aside from that though, how do you see that your proposal would improve industry revenue?

Last week's news that juvenile champ and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was off the GI Kentucky Derby trail because of bone bruising resulted in a No. 1 vacancy. I went right down to deadline trying to figure out which of the top three listed below should be the new kingpin. I felt I could have made a cogent case for any of them being No. 1. However, I also feel that from No. 4 on down right now it's a kaleidoscopic free-for-all to round out the Top 12. The Derby prep races yet to come will far outweigh the value of those we've already seen. There are points-awarding stakes this Friday (Aqueduct, Oaklawn) and Saturday (Tampa Bay Downs and Santa Anita) featuring six of the contenders ranked below. 1) DESERT GATE (c, Omaha Beach–Theogony, by Curlin). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Twin Oaks Bloodstock (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $125,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $260,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-2-0, $246,000. Last start: 2nd Oct. 4 GI American Pharoah Stakes. Among the races that never came to pass last year that I would have liked to bet on was the matchup of Desert Gate and Ted Noffey in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The undefeated Ted Noffey still would have been favored over fellow 'Rising Star' Brant (Gun Runner), just like he ended up being in that Oct. 31 stakes. But Desert Gate would have made for an intriguing third choice considering his final prep, the GI American Pharoah Stakes, was a lot better than the runner-up finish appeared on paper. That showdown never happened, because this son of Omaha Beach missed the Breeders' Cup with a hock infection. Ted Noffey won the Juvenile and subsequent Eclipse Award honors. Now that champ is sidelined and Desert Gate, last month's No 2-ranked contender, has been elevated to the top spot, edging out two other closely matched contenders. Desert Gate will be in action Saturday, having drawn the rail for the one-mile GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. This colt (125,000 KEENOV; $100,000 KEESEP; $260,000 OBSMAR) broke his maiden at first asking June 13 sprinting five furlongs under strong handling (86 Beyer). Trainer Bob Baffert entered him next in the Aug. 9 GIII Best Pal Stakes over six furlongs, and pace-pressing Desert Gate delivered an 8 3/4-length blowout (79 Beyer). In the Sept. 7 GI Del Mar Futurity, Desert Gate was second, a length behind his $3-million stablemate Brant, executing several in-race moves to get better positioning, then kicking clear to finish 3 1/4 lengths ahead of the rest of the pack (88 Beyer). In the Oct. 4 American Pharoah, Desert Gate led as the 9-10 favorite and took pressure from the second fave. He put away that rival when headed, then repulsed a new stretch bid from a different foe. He got nailed at the wire by 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), losing by only three-quarters of a length (86 Beyer). He fought off multiple challengers and came up just short of victory. Desert Gate has been let go at juicy odds of 59-1, 68-1 and 58-1 in the first three pools of the 2026 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW). 2) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner–Secret Sigh, by Tapit). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $184,250. Last start: WON Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes. Paladin, at 2-for-2, is the only Top 12 contender to have won at nine furlongs. He'll go that distance again as the likely favorite in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. This $1.9 million FTSAUG son of Gun Runner took down Aqueduct's GII Remsen Stakes by two lengths (85 Beyer) Dec. 6. Paladin has recovered from getting roughed up a bit in that win (hind-leg cut, lost right front shoe). Trainer Chad Brown has been breezing him at Payson Park in Florida, where Paladin has recorded five half-mile works since Dec. 28. Brown doesn't ship many horses to New Orleans. Over the past five years, the majority of them (10/16) have been turf starters. On the main track there during that time frame, Brown has saddled four colts in the Fair Grounds series of 3-year-old Derby preps. Sierra Leone (2024 Risen Star) was the only winner. Brown's three other sophomore starters on the Fair Grounds dirt since 2021 have been third (Zandon in the 2022 Risen Star and Tuscan Gold in the 2024 GII Louisiana Derby) and sixth (Septarian in the 2025 Risen Star). Favored at 1.13-1 first time out, Paladin broke his maiden via disqualification in an Aqueduct one-turn mile Oct. 17 (87 Beyer), finishing just a head behind the horse who fouled him, the No. 9-ranked Renegade (Into Mischief). Again well-backed at 1.88-1 odds in the Remsen, Paladin broke running from post two and settled in third along the inside behind dueling longshots. He worked his way closer starting at the half-mile marker, required some far-turn urging from Flavien Prat, but responded well and swept out to the five path for the drive. Paladin finished focused, this time opening up from Renegade. 3) NEARLY (c, Not This Time–Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft). O-Centennial Farms; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $249,900. Last start: WON Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes. If we were ranking Derby prospects exclusively among those who have made a start at age three, Nearly (Not This Time) would be the division's clear leader. In this past Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes, this $350,0000 KEESEP colt from Todd Pletcher's stable forced an overheated pace and drilled the favorite into defeat. Nearly had plenty left to swat back an off-the-turn closer before opening up to win by 5 3/4 lengths over a short-stretch configuration. Nearly has now won three straight at Gulfstream by a combined 20 lengths. He clearly relishes the surface there, and it plays well to his speed-centric style. Nearly's winning Beyer figure of 98 for the 1 1/16-miles Holy Bull and the 97 he earned winning a Jan. 2 seven-furlong allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream both rate as the top two Beyers for any 3-year-old so far in 2026. Visually, Nearly looked good under pressure. He went blitzingly fast yet finished with aplomb. But the pace profile of the 1:44.52 Holy Bull was so exaggeratedly fast early/slow late (quarter-mile splits of :22.82, :23.14, :24.36 and :27.10, final sixteenth in :7.10) that it's hard to get a handle on how well Nearly might fare at longer distances against better competition. It's also reasonable to wonder just how much of a home-court advantage he gains from Gulfstream. His only previous race on a different surface was a last-place run in his Aqueduct debut that left his connections baffled. The Mar. 28 GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream is next. Nearly | Lauren King 4) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief–Sippican Harbor, by Orb). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $165,459. Last start: WON Jan. 3 Mucho Macho Man Stakes. Commandment, who dominated the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream by 6 3/4 lengths with a 91 Beyer Jan. 3, will target the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes there Feb. 28 for his two-turn debut. This son of Into Mischief ($485,000 RNA FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA FTSAUG; $500,000 KEESEP) has been slightly slow from the gate in his first three races, but not alarmingly so at this point in his development. Commandment makes up the difference by settling into a comfortable rhythm, even when covered up in traffic, and has shown he can split horses without hesitation when asked to. Prior to winning the Mucho Macho Man under confident handling, Commandment rallied from 11th to get fourth going six furlongs in his 82-Beyer Keeneland debut Oct. 4. Stretched to seven furlongs at Churchill, this Brad Cox trainee won going away by 5 1/2 lengths. Six horses have since run back out of Commandment's Nov. 1 maiden victory, but none managed better than fourth in their next starts. However, Commandment's Oct. 4 race has yielded some key performers: Runner-up Rockies Balboa (Girvin) lost his next start but then won back-to-back races at Gulfstream by a combined 10 3/4 lengths. Third-place finisher Gallivant (Into Mischief) won Keeneland's Bowman Mill Stakes by six lengths Oct. 25 while still a maiden. Sixth-place finisher Mesquite (Union Rags) broke his maiden at 4-5 odds at Churchill, then was second, beaten only three-quarters of a length, in the Jan. 17 GIII Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. 5) BUETANE (c, Tiz the Law–Taboo, by Forestry). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Merriebelle Stable, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $150,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $1,150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 3-1-2-0, $148,000. Last start: 2nd Jan. 10 GII San Vicente Stakes. Buetane was second best as the 1-2 beaten favorite in the Jan. 10 GI San Vicente Stakes. But considering he hadn't raced since finishing second behind Ted Noffey in the Sept. 1 GI Hopeful Stakes-and considering he was not hammered on for run by Juan Hernandez in the late stages of the San Vicente when it was evident he wouldn't catch the leader-that two-length defeat sprinting seven furlongs shouldn't be held against him. We'll get a better read on Buetane ($150,000 FTSAUG; $1.15 million OBSAPR) in Friday's 1 1/16-miles GIII Southwest Stakes, his two-turn debut. Trainer Bob Baffert had cross-entered this son of Tiz the Law in both the Southwest and last Saturday's Holy Bull Stakes, but scratched out of the Gulfstream race. Leaving the gate in the San Vicente, Buetane broke in and bumped the eventual winner, So Happy (Runhappy). He was last in the field of five down the backstretch and got second run at the lead in deep stretch after So Happy collared a tiring pacemaker at the eighth pole. Buetane finished up ridden out but by no means fully extended in an effort that upped his last-race Beyer by 10 points to 92. Joel Rosario, who is based at Oaklawn, gets the call in a jockey change. He's ridden only sparingly for Baffert over the past four years, with just 10 mounts since the start of 2022. But the most recent one was a winner, with Baffert and Rosario teaming for victory with Goal Oriented in the Grade I Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on opening day of the 2025-26 meet. 6) LITMUS TEST (c, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-0-1, $350,188. Last start: WON Dec. 13 GII Los Alamitos Futurity. Litmus Test, an $875,000 FTSAUG colt by 2016 Derby winner Nyquist, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Friday's Southwest Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile prep got rescheduled from this past Saturday, when winter weather wiped out a weekend's worth of racing at Oaklawn. With five lifetime races at age two, including three at two turns and two in Grade I stakes, this Bob Baffert trainee has a broader foundational base than many of his Top 12 counterparts. Litmus Test has enough speed to be a pace-pressing threat, but being right up on the lead isn't a requirement for this colt to fire his best shot. Although he was third, then fourth, behind the now-sidelined Ted Noffey in both the GI Breeders' Futurity Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Litmus Test really wasn't in the same league as that eventual divisional champion back in October. But his 1 1/4-length clawback score over five rivals in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 13 did put Litmus Test the same Beyer ballpark (96) as the division's fastest horses so far in 2025-26. Litmus Test | Benoit photo 7) SCHOOLYARDSUPERMAN (c, Practical Joke–Tizlegal by Tiznow). O-Hit The Bid Racing Stable and CMNWLTH; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC; T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $150,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $295,000 RNA 2yo OBSMAR. Lifetime record: 3-1-1-0, $63,750. Last start WON Dec. 6 AQU Maiden Special Weight This big, strapping gray from Chad Brown's stable will attempt to win Friday's nine-furlong Withers Stakes at Aqueduct coming off an 86-Beyer, 5 3/4-length wiring of a one-turn-mile maiden special weight field there Dec. 6. Brown has won the Withers twice, with Risk Taking in 2021 and Early Voting in 2022. Both of those colts then had two-month layoffs until the GII Wood Memorial Stakes and then started in the GI Preakness Stakes. Risk Taking (who is still in training as an allowance-level steeplechaser) was seventh in the Wood and eighth in the Preakness. Early Voting ran second in the Wood and won the Preakness. This son of Practical Joke (150,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $295,000 RNA OBSMAR) clipped heels and fell in his favored Sept. 13 debut over 6 1/2 furlongs, then returned Oct. 26 to finish a pressing second at the same distance as the 4-5 favorite. The stretch to a mile benefitted Schoolyardsuperman, who was allowed to drift up to 3.61-1 odds for career start number three. He handled pace pressure down on the inside and drew off under strong urging. 8) LIBERTY NATIONAL (c, Maxfield–Virtuoso, by Awesome Again). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Brookdale Racing, Inc. & Fern Circle Stables; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Sales history: $525,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0, $90,675. Last start: 2nd Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes. At first glance, Liberty National's 80-Beyer, runner-up try as the beaten 13-10 favorite in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes doesn't resonate as a productive effort. This closer from Kenny McPeek's barn was afforded a fairly quick early tempo, yet the field chased home a caving pacemaker in a tepid fourth quarter of :26.30 and a dawdling last sixteenth in :7.48, with that latter fraction representing the slowest final half-furlong of any points-awarding 1 1/16-miles Derby prep in at least the past 3 1/2 seasons. But look beyond the abbreviated chart comment of “rallied inside, short,” and you'll see that this $525,000 KEESEP colt got sideswiped leaving the gate by the eventual winner, then gained good ground up the fence and ended up galloping out several lengths in front of the field after the wire. Considering that McPeek has described Liberty National as a large-framed colt with an “aircraft carrier body type,” plus a pedigree that suggests longer distances could be more to his liking, his under-the-lights experience when facing winners for the first time might not be as poor a stepping stone as it seems on paper. Liberty National is entered in Friday's rescheduled Southwest Stakes with a 10-1 morning line and a gate seven draw in a field of 14. 9) RENEGADE (c, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin). O-Robert Low, Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-0-2-1, $79,000. Last start: 2nd Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes. Although still a maiden, this $975,000 KEESEP colt has kept good company in New York. Renegade was third behind a 17 3/4-length winner at Saratoga in his Aug. 16 debut. He finished a head better than No. 2-ranked Paladin, but was disqualified for stretch interference, in a one-turn-mile maiden special weight win Oct. 16. He then was second, beaten two lengths by Paladin in the Dec. 6 Remsen Stakes. This son of Into Mischief from Todd Pletcher's stable is expected to be entered Wednesday for this coming Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes going 1 1/16 miles. Pletcher told DRF.com last week that a possible path to Louisville for Renegade might include the GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 28 if he runs well at Tampa. 10) IRON HONOR (c, Nyquist–Orenica, by Blame). O-St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Cathi Glassman; B-Mike Freeny and Pat Freeny; T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $475,000 Ylg KEESEP. Lifetime Record 1-1-0-0, $46,750. Last start: WON Dec. 13 Aqueduct Maiden Special Weight. Iron Honor, a May 1 foal by Nyquist, has been breezing at Payson Park since a 95-Beyer debut win at Aqueduct Dec. 13. The second- and third-place finishers out of that six-furlong sprint both came back to win their next starts. In that win, Iron Honor ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) tracked, engaged the favorite, then edged away to a 1 1/2-length score. Brown said in January that, “He's a horse that mentally needed time to come around, but now I'm seeing the best of him.” 11) GOLDEN TEMPO (Curlin–Carrumba, by Bernardini). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Phipps Stable & St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $183,000. Last start: WON Jan. 17 GIII Lecomte Stakes. Golden Tempo, a Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables homebred son of Curlin out of a Bernardini mare, won the Lecomte Stakes in last-to-first fashion, letting loose with a three-furlong run while weaving through the pack prior to diving down to the inner rail to prevail by three-quarters of a length (81 Beyer). Trainer Cherie DeVaux ended up running one-two in the Lecomte, as stablemate Mesquite (Union Rags) came flying six wide to complete an exacta of the race's two favorites. DeVaux said the plan will be to keep Golden Tempo and Mesquite separated on the Derby trail from here on out. “I don't feel either one of them is even close to their top yet,” DeVaux told TDN the day after the Lecomte. “We have time. Going into a race like the Derby, you want them peaking at that time. Also, in these races, you always want to win, but if they run a big number then they are probably going to regress the next time they run. Showing improvement each time and getting there and winning is the best-case scenario.” Golden Tempo winning the Lecomte | Hodges Photography 12) MY WORLD (Essential Quality–Quebec, by Into Mischief). O-Robert V. LaPenta & Madaket Stables LLC; B-Cove Springs, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MSW, 4-3-0-0, $217,750. Last start: WON Jan. 3 Jerome Stakes. My World (Essential Quality), a hard-trying gray who has won two straight one-turn-mile listed stakes at Aqueduct, is being sent overseas in search of yet another one-turn-mile engagement. This one's far more ambitious than either the five-horse Nashua Stakes or the four-horse Jerome Stakes: The G3 Saudi Derby Feb. 14 carries a $1.5-million purse and 30 Kentucky Derby qualifying points (15-9-6-3). This $350,000 KEESEP colt has punched above his weight, so to speak, like when bullishly bouncing a rival off the inside rail to make a winning move in the Nashua, or when becoming emboldened after brushing with the heavily favored runner-up in deep stretch of his Jerome score. But My World also has caused some of his own in-race adversity by lugging in and not being fully focused. His connections have stated that although the colt has grown up a bit, there is still room for improvement. So after having recently shipped from New York to Florida, My World will now have to fly to Riyadh and then back, presumably in time for another points-earning prep if he is to stay on the Derby trail. That's a big ask for a lighter-framed horse who needs to be a bit more mentally dialed in. But My World's tenacity has been appealing enough to keep him on the Derby radar for now. The post TDN Derby Top 12: February Kicks Off With Four Stakes, Six Ranked Contenders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I don't believe it is hindsight more head in the sand and Clubs running as Clubs not businesses. The Clubs that will surivive will have freehold land, low cost structures and the ability to earn other streams of revenue. Ideally they will have training facilities. They will be able to support at least 12 race meetings a year. I thought the Mesara Report was close but too harsh. Now after seeing the financials for the TAB and what was needed to bail it out coupled with visiting a few more racecourses in the last year I don't believe the Mesara Report went far enough. I did think at one stage the industry could work a rotation model of racing but the fact is that Clubs are not cooperative enough and are too financially constrained to work like that.

Hindsight is always 20/20. So, what is you better model for the next decade or two? Put it up so we can consider and debate it. I think you'd agree that the current and proposed ones don't and won't work.

the harness 5000 concept. i understood that was the concept, where they have a raceday with 60,000 finals, for horses 3 years and older, whose sire was a stallion who had a stud fee that cost $5000 or less. so what your saying is, theres breeders out there who have factored in king of swings stud fee making their mares foals eligible, in a minimum of 4 years time ,for a one off race day,as the reason why they chose king of swing. look,hey,you may be right. But are breeders who actually thought like that being smart or just a bit gullible? Would they be the same breeders who bred to nz stallions 2 or 3 years ago on the promise they would be paid a 10% bonus for stakemoney earned when their progeny, by nz bred stallions,raced in years to come.Now scrapped. or would they be the same people who factored in their progeny getting paid $12,000 bonuses when they had their first 2 year old win. That also doesn't apply anymore. I don't really keep up with the different bonuses that get announced each year ,just the ones that are announced with much fanfare,but i've noted the obvious,some are quietly scrapped 2 or 3 years later,without any chance of those who factored them in the year they bred,ever getting a chance to have an opportunity to earn them. so ,while i don't want to put a dampener on anyone who may think the big stakes and the big bonuses will still be around in 4 years, shouldn't they at the very least use some common sense thinking and take a very cautious approach to such hrnz promises. yes,i know,mr steele has assured everyone that things are looking really positive and are on the right track and there will continue to be all this cash just sloshing around to be paid for the likes of bonuses,after the entain money has been spent,but wheres that money coming from and is that realistic thinking? i mean,for a stud it may be a good marketing ploy to promote the harness 5000 factor to breeders considering a sire,but have i missed something,as its it appears nothing more thanwishful think on the part of brrders. My guess would be,maybe there will be a harness 5000 in 4 years,maybe not,but the stakes will be reduced significantly if they still exist.

Interestingly I thought he'd changed his whip action somewhat during his losing streak Appeared to refrain from striking his mounts over the head by letting his whip recess into his inside elbow When winning on ULTIMATE HABIT...didn't need to do a thing basically...that horse looks outstanding Then reverted back to type on ARCHAIC SMILE https://loveracing.nz/Common/SystemTemplates/Modal/Video.aspx?v=http%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202601%2fM4_WELL_R08_310126.mp4&i=%2fCommon%2fImage.ashx%3fw%3d565%26h%3d314%26a%3d1%26o%3d1%26z%3d1%26bg%3deeeeee%26p%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202601%2fM4_WELL_R08_310126.jpg&r=Race 8 - MODE TECHNOLOGY SPRINT&rs=1 No only struck the flank on 2/3 occasions once through the gap but also flattened AS's near side ear when striking the neck/head area I'd post the screenshot but as you know I've been BANNED from fee speech Drop me your addy if you want to see the screenshot nastys...but I'm picking you can do exactly what I've done n.b After Kelly Myers finally got charged for whip flanking...she change her whip action Now on a 29 run losing streak she reverted back to type in the last Whip flanking and numerous over the head strikes, flattening ears on 2/3 occasions in a desperate ILLEGAL attempt to win https://loveracing.nz/Common/SystemTemplates/Modal/Video.aspx?v=http%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202601%2fM4_WELL_R10_310126.mp4&i=%2fCommon%2fImage.ashx%3fw%3d565%26h%3d314%26a%3d1%26o%3d1%26z%3d1%26bg%3deeeeee%26p%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.racingreplays.co.nz%2fmedia%2f202601%2fM4_WELL_R10_310126.jpg&r=Race 10 - JOHN TURKINGTON FORESTRY DOURO CUP&rs=1

Dame Cat Williams’ story is utterly inspiring. A world-class equestrian rider, her world was tipped upside down when she had an accident and become a tetraplegic in 2002. The founder of the Catwalk Trust shares her journey, lessons, and love of racing in a truly special episode. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 22 – Dame Catriona Williams View the full article

Six-win mare Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion) will resume at Riccarton on Wednesday where she will be seeking to take out the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) for local trainer Ross Beckett. She was a model of consistency last year, winning three and placing in three of her six starts, highlighted by her victory in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) on the Riccarton Synthetic in August. Beckett is looking forward to kicking off her preparation this week, but is wary of the wet weather forecast ahead of the midweek meeting. “She has done a great job, she is very honest,” Beckett said. “She has come back from a spell and hopefully we don’t get too much rain, she needs a firm track.” While hopeful of a bold showing first-up, Beckett is hoping she has bigger fish to fry, with the Yaldhurst horseman eyeing black-type with the seven-year-old mare. “We will just get through this race and then try to find a nice race for her,” he said. “Getting black-type is something I would love to do with her, it would help her out as a broodmare.” Beckett is also upbeat about the prospects of stablemate Pogacar (NZ) (Eminent) if he can bring his manners ahead of the TAB Southern Alps Golden Ticket Race (1400m). The four-year-old son of Eminent has shown a fair amount of ability, winning two and runner-up in two of his six starts to date, but Beckett said he lets himself down with his manners behind the starting gate. “He has been scratched two or three times (because he’s refused to load), so we have got a fair bit of headgear on him, which is just to give him a bit of confidence going into those gates,” Beckett said. “He will be a better horse without the headgear but we need to get him going into those gates and doing things properly. “The boys around at the start are getting to know him now and what we have to do to get him in, so we will take another step I hope.” Meanwhile, stablemates Wanderin Spelle (NZ) (Wyndspelle) and Grouse (NZ) (Darci Brahma) will be first-up in the GM Accounting and Consulting (1200m) and Stuart Racing Maiden (1200m) respectively, while Pearl Opulence (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) will make her stable debut in the Tim Dyer – Bayleys Real Estate (2000m). “Wanderin Spelle’s wide draw (14) won’t help,” Beckett said. “I wanted to give him a run, he will be better over 1400m or a mile. I don’t mind the horse. “Grouse wouldn’t be out of it, she won a trial the other day. Her work is on the improve every week and she will still be better with the run under her belt. “It will be the first start I have given her (Pearl Opulence), she has come from Lance (Robinson). She has done a lot of work so we will sit back and see how she goes.” Beckett’s team will be rounded out by Canterbury Flight (NZ) (Verdi), who will be seeking to improve on her last-start runner-up result, but will have to overcome her wide draw in the Join Canterbury Westland Owners Association Now Maiden (1600m). “She went really well last start,” Beckett said. “She has drawn 15, so we will most likely get back again and will just have to ride her for a bit of luck.” View the full article

If you are deferring maintenance of your core racing assets you are NOT living within your means. Costs increased at a faster rate than revenue and maintenance kept being deferred. Looking back I doubt the industry was ever living within its means. The belief systems 50 years ago believed that our tracks would last forever just like we thought our crop, pasture and market garden systems would. In the 80's and 90's they started to collapse.

Amberley must have done some begging, 7 in the Cup rating 60 but 2 under that.........Wairio noms as expected, none in the 2yo fills race, 6 in the main pace, Horarata cup 18 noms rating 49+ still believe any race with 6 or less starters penalty free.

A lot of expenses may have been deferred but the industry lived within its means. Since then, we have increasingly paid out more to codes than we have earned, bankrupting the TAB and requiring a taxpayer bail out and the sale of that. As you noted above, more tracks with less racing required less frequent significant maintenance. I don't think the principle of living within our means and not having to beg steal and borrow to exist fails as a model. If you have a better one, what is it?

No wonder we still have one of the highest rates of violent aggression if you've been 'sorting it out' with a "long history" The FACT that Mudhoo had maintained his length and another length (the rule) for the entire race, according to stipes, shows Silly Billy was bullying this apprentice in the run Senior jockeys bullying apprentices is rife through the years The race in which Megan Taylor died showed yet another example Before the race senior jockey Chadhoorey asked Denby-Rose what her tactics were (something that should be banned) and upon finding out told her to "stay clear of me" Entering the straight he then shouted her name 3 times...perhaps this resulted in her panicking.. soon after Megan Taylor met her deadly fate with Denby-Rose being charged with careless riding Bullying, riding horses into other horses after the race, striking other jockeys et el ...has NO PLACE on a race course no matter how laissez faire you want to be Silly Billy deserves at least 3 months DQ but he'll probably get 6 weeks thanks to sops like you

You model fails on several levels. As for it "working" twenty years ago - that is a myth. I don't understand why you keep perpetuating it. The fact is there wasn't enough money twenty years ago to fully fund track maintenance and rennovation. It was deferred and deferred until the track systems have failed.