All Activity

Who they question is subjective to ones opinion of any horses form. nowornever,i think your just likely to be very good at doing the form and therefore aren't surprised when some horses perform well. as to the stipes,the canterbury stipes intent is trying to keep the public informed and thats a good thing. Take it or leave it i suppose.. Its more information that some punters will appreciate and i believe implies that the stipes who do that have the right intent when it comes to oversight as well.

lol and I only found out because I brought the book!!!!!

Gee the stipes must have the toughest job in racing… deciding who to question seems incredibly demanding these days.

yes they are treated as Important. Nigel with his regular people syndicates has 3 or 4 horses at the Dunn's stable. So gets some Wins. They seem like nice small time folk. Allstars and Roy and BarryP . unfortunately were a BIT Too GOOD . therefore just the millionaires get a look in , as pay top dollar for horses and top dollar for training. ( Dixon stable and Pete MCMullen are very dominant in Brisbane as have 4 Millionaire owners each , and near 100 horses between them , so they Dominate the Metro racing Landscape for the same reasons) All my mates can't compete with that very well so go round and round at Redcliffe. Although one did sneak into town and win the Open Mares race last Saturday night . so that was nice. NZ will have to do the same as Emma Stewart and the LEE Stable Mr Galah . which is have Syndicates race with as near to the top barns as you can find. KEAYANG ZAHARA is part of the Margaret LEE camp , and they are out in the Bush and look after a LOT of Normal people. (AS in Not All are Super Rich ) How good is that !! Here's Keayang Zahara with some of her connections. She'll be winning the TAB Trot at Cambridge very soon . and has lots of Normal people in the ownership Syndicate. So there you go !! The Best trotter around and money not in the Millionaires pocket ? . How cool !! she earned a half million dollar bonus for something the other night at Melton too, to split up between them . so Some might be on the road to being the millionaire elite now ? 😎💰😉 Whatta great Sport we Have !!!! best sport on the planet for regular people involvement. If you let them.

Good not food sale 😂

Na, wouldnt be allowed enough on! Bonus Bets from TAB, what are they? Lol

Addington 2 year old race on Thursday night at Addington for $17k! 3 from Kentuckiana, 1 Ross Houghton and the other Tom Twidle! What part of owner and trainers do not want to race their early 2 year olds, that HRNZ doesn’t understand??? Why do they really need to run these early 2 year old races that will have limited wagering and is guaranteed to lose money? Can someone please answer, as HRNZ can not keep doing this and losing money for the industry as well as the crap fields in Cambridge on Thursday night competing against Addington? People need to speak up as they are getting away with it and unfortunately at the end of the day it will not end well! Is there anyone that would trust HRNZ to invest their personal money with those at HRNZ, thinking they know what they are doing financially? More than happy to profusely apologise, if Brodie is not correct

Hmmm Devon or Robbie, that’s a tough one? Stipes really have it easy!

HRNZ And NZ Bloodstock will say what a food sale it was and that is what they need to say even if they are stretching the truth a bit. Many passed in and so many bred and sold will have returned a loss and that will make many current vendors reassess things going forward! The average is always skewed due to the highest ones sold whereas the median is more accurate but with so many taking their yearlings back unsold, does this actually tell the true story? We are at a crossroads with breeding and racing and whether current breeders continue to have the appetite to breed in the future knowing that there are going to be much fewer buyers in the future due to the $ from Entain stopping! Indeed interesting times and good luck to those breeders who continue to provide horses to race. Costs to breed to a top stallion and present a horse at the sales you wouldnt get any change out of $50k

Campbell is on HRNZ’s payroll and paid to talk it up! He will not be aware of the actual financial situation and he is from Victoria where they are in the crap financially! Think I saw him online at the Karaka sales today so no doubt we sill hear how great and positive the sales were! It is fabulous that everything is just so rosey and no problems whatsoever!

Mr Brightside might be missing from the autumn weight‑for‑age spotlight, but Lindsay Park could still have a serious player emerging, with trainer Ben Hayes confident Evaporate is ready to step up as soon as Saturday. “I haven’t spoken about him much, but he’s trailled up excellent and will be hopefully announcing himself this autumn,” Hayes said confidently. “What has let him down is his racing manners. He’s always been a headstrong horse and doing things wrong but still ran well. “When Jamie (Melham) rode him in his last jumpout (win at Werribee on February 6) he actually relaxed and he finished off and we have been really working on it in his trackwork. “Jamie was really happy with him, and I think she’s keen to ride him (in the Futurity).” Now an autumn four-year-old, Evaporate has long served his apprenticeship as an elite galloper. After finishing third in the 2024 Caulfield Guineas, he was thrown into the deep end in the Cox Plate two weeks later but he failed to adapt and did not beat a runner home. He reappeared last autumn for a handful of runs – including a second placing in The Kiwi in New Zealand – before returning last spring for a number of impressive efforts when second in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, third in the Golden Eagle and then third in the G1 Orr Stakes. Evaporate may wind up as the main danger to the early favourite Treasurethe Moment in Saturday’s Futurity Stakes as the current second favourite Tom Kitten is not likely to run. The Lindsay Park stable also have claims of taking Saturday’s G1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) with Oak Hill. “He’s going really well,” Hayes said. “Again, he’s a horse that was doing a lot wrong. He was an aggressive horse, and we saw last start he relaxed and he ran well so if he does that in an Oakleigh Plate, he’ll run very well.” View the full article

Opawa Jack (NZ) (War Decree) prevailed in a battle of attrition in Sunday’s K9 Petfoods Ltd Wairoa Cup (2100m), carrying his 60kg impost to victory on rain-affected footing in the Waipukurau feature. The Chrissy Bambry-trained gelding jumped away well and settled outside pacemaker Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed) for jockey Kate Hercock before getting some brief cover when Vickezzmargaux (NZ) (Eminent) came around to challenge for the lead. The John Bary-trained mare eventually wrestled it off Just Charlie at the 600m mark and Opawa Jack ranged up alongside the Hastings mare, with the pair working their way towards the better part of the track when turning into the home straight. Just Charlie and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hopeful Tulsa King (NZ) (Staphanos) took the shorter way home, but the outside pair rallied again late, with Opawa Jack just getting the better of Vickezzmargaux to win by a head. Dropping back from stakes company in his last four outings, Bambry was confident of a bold showing from Opawa Jack, however, she did share concerns about his topweight on the rain-affected surface. “It was a great win, he is a pretty good horse,” she said. “I didn’t think he would probably handle the wet track but it was a summer heavy and Kate got out to the better part of the track, so he was able to cop it. “He deserved to have 60 kilos, it was just when the wet track came I was a bit worried that he had that much weight.” Bambry had initially planned to trek north from her Foxton base to contest the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata a day prior, but the wet weather forecast forced her to change tack, and while she was met with similar weather, her decision to target the Hawke’s Bay meeting was vindicated. “I had thought about going to the Kaimai Stakes with him but saw it was going to be wet up there, so I swapped to the Wairoa Cup, which ended up being the right move,” she said. A return to stakes company is now on the cards for the son of War Decree, with Bambry eyeing next month’s Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) at Trentham as his next major assignment. “That will be his main target and he might run in a couple of weeks to keep him up to the mark,” Bambry said. Bambry is also upbeat about the prospects of stablemate Southern Chilli (Al Maher), who pleased with her second-up runner-up performance in the Equestrian Athletes Handicap (1200m) at Waipukurau. It was just her second start for the stable, and first in 18 months after previously racing in Australia where she won four races for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. “I think she will be an exciting mare going forward,” Bambry said. “She was given time off with a few little niggles and she got a bit of an extended break. Good friends of ours bred her and they decided to bring her back and we have put a little syndicate into her. “I think she is going to be a pretty exciting mare when she gets that race fitness under her belt. It is a long time to have off so she just has to get that race fitness back into her.” Southern Chilli came through the race well, giving Bambry the confidence to back her up at Otaki on Saturday. “She licked her bowl clean and has bounced through the run,” Bambry said. “She will probably head to Otaki on Saturday. There is an Open 1200m for her with the rain still about. “I don’t think she is a real Heavy tracker, so it was probably getting a bit too wet for her yesterday, but a bit of this wind might dry it up and Otaki might not be as bad.” View the full article

Waipukurau trainer Simon Wilson enjoyed the rare luxury of racing on his home track on Sunday, and while the weather didn’t play its part, his racing team did, recording a winning double at the meeting. With remedial work taking place at both Hastings and Awapuni, Waipukurau has enjoyed a return to the racing calendar recently, with their November meeting well patronised by locals, with many returning to brave the wet weather in support of Sunday’s eight-race card. “The weather didn’t play its part yesterday, but it was well supported,” Wilson said. “There were a lot of people who came down from Wairoa, as it was a Wairoa meeting, and the locals were out in force to support it too.” Wilson is rapt to be back racing at his home track, which he said is great for the local community. “It’s fantastic,” he said. “It is great for the racing club and community to be back racing there. We have had amazing support from far and wide, and the trainers are supporting us, which is great, bringing horses to jump-outs and supporting the racedays. Long me it last. “We are positive that things are going in the right direction. We have got a great committee that are passionate about racing and the community, which is what it is all about.” Wilson lined up his entire race team of two on Sunday and was pleased to get a 100 percent strike-rate, with debutant Concorde (NZ) (Contributer) taking out the ICIB Brokerweb Three-Year-Old Maiden (1200m), while Plain Sailing (NZ) (Ocean Park) broke through for his maiden win in the Davmet Maiden (1400m), both in the hands of local hoop Kate Hercock. “Concorde has got a lot of speed and I was happy that she relaxed and finished off the race nicely, aided by a good ride from Kate Hercock,” Wilson said. “She was working well and being her local track, she does all of her work there, so it was an obvious choice to go there rather than travel somewhere else first-up. “Plain Sailing is a four-year-old now and is a weaker type who has taken a little bit of time to strengthen up. We added the blinkers yesterday, which was an assist.” Wilson said both horses have come through their runs well and he is now looking for their next assignments, with their return to race at Waipukurau’s next meeting on April 26 high on the agenda. View the full article

Looked like quite a few getting passed in today. A few lots were sold over 200K. On the other end of the scale a couple of bargain buys at around 2-3K were purchased. Will be interesting to see the numbers when they come out.

Usually economic downturn is their go to excuse.

December $23,194m (3.7)% January $20,418m (3.2)% Reduction in average spend one of the main reasons according to HRNZ

It's one thing that you don't get paid for your work, another that it is used without even any acknowledgement. Shame on them.

Only 2 noms for rating 50+ race at Cromwell and scrubbed but one would think day 2 numbers will pick up, no guarantees though.

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) 11 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3-Year-olds" closed as the 9-2 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.View the full article

GEM N EM - when questioned regarding the improved performance connections advised the mare had been held up for clear racing room throughout the run home at its last start and had received an economical run today. GEM N EM being questioned for an “improved performance” doesn’t make much sense. This horse was absolutely stiff last start and would have won with clear room! It had two thirds in its last three starts before that so no improvement at all just a better trip. Even the public knew it was the best chance as it started favourite. Meanwhile Normie Stead, had worse recent form, sat parked and still won — even after the driver dropped the whip — yet drew no similar scrutiny. What is going on!

sadly, those days have passed... happy to snap some photos of them if I be on course! ps. amusingly, LR obviously didn't have a suitable photo! noting in my post how camera shy Martin was, it happen not so long ago Woodville RC put out a book, used one of my photos for Bill Pratt, claimed they got it of someone else! sigh, couldn't be bothered arguing with them!

In a thrilling stretch run, Reddam Racing homebred Pavlovian nailed Express Kid on the wire for a nose victory in the $500,000 Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park Feb. 15.View the full article

Bottle of Rouge solidified her status among the top 3-year-old fillies with a tenacious victory in the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 15. View the full article

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) 11 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other 3-Year-olds" closed as the 9-2 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.View the full article

yeah ,all those people have been great for the sport and invested lots and no one begrudges them or anyone else whatever level of success they have. But theres been thousands of small time people who have invested heavily in nz harness for donkeys years and as a group they are of just as great importance. the point is,does the nz cup stake being worth 1/2 a million or being worth $1m,mean you are going to get the wealthy people like seymour,boots,harvet,stonewall stud starting or not. it doesn't make one iota of difference to who will line up. Like seymour,a man worth close to $800m is going to care. the nz cup is one of many examples of races with overinflated stakes being currently run each year in nz. I have said it before,the victorian cup in recent years ,since the stake was cut to only 30% of the nz cup,has drawn the best field to run each year in australasia. its why i ,when i watch people like that campbells corner video clip from last week ,i can't but think,what a .... so according to that bloke campbell, nz harness racing is going enormous and on the rise,with its small field size,yearly reduction in number of mares being bred,yearly reduction in number of licenceholders,aging licenceholders,reducing number of trainers with training establishments,turnovers only being reasonable compared to the year before because of the geo blocking,the auckland and cambridge clubs huge financail woes, i mean that bloke campbell,seriously,how could anyone take anyone who can look at all those factors and make comments like he did.. But heres the problem,its because you have people talking a load of ... ,that we continue to see industry money spent in a way that will really hurt the industry in years to come when they are in need of funds.