All Activity

Gamma, firstly Entain is no White Knight for racing in NZ! Quite the opposite in fact! They are in it solely to reap 50% of-the profits from the NZ TAB for 25 years, nothing at sll to do with assisting harness racing!! A big mistake was made by the TAB and McAnulty you will get to see! What we dont support is the mismanagement of the finances of harness racing, it is a shocking indictment on HRNZ that they are putting the harness industry into jeopardy! You can go on about the current racing as being great and stakes are good but only due to Entains cash splash which is going go finish and then big time problems bigger than currently! Finally, can you suggest to Boots and Seymour to contribute say $100million each year to harness NZ to keep the stakes where they currently are? Auckland and Csmbridge are in deep shite and thats with the Entain $ imagine what will happen in 2 years? HRNZ are treating the public with contempt

Haha… i think they will be looking for a long time. Have a nice night…

Another name id forgotten, Jack certainly was an icon on the coast, remember the days huddled around the ole valve radio which were the best at picking up the required station, the frustration of the signal fading in an out, Jack called my uncles galloper to win at Nelson, her only win, very frustrating horse, track work an trials nothing would get close to her, remember her bolting in at a trial in hoki one day, a spectator quipped she'd be a cert next start, we warned him,, couple weeks later at hoki races she finished last, race day just wasn't her thing, unfortunately.

The CJC members just approved this at their last AGM though (see 8 in particular):

Similar should be in all club constitutions imo.

I doubt I have it wrong as you say , the cost of anything these days is a strain on organisations of all types. That many pony clubs folded around here it made me near cry. Insurance is a huge cost these days for Sporting groups and social clubs of all kinds. Trotting clubs really feel it too , as have large premises. There's a lot of detail in running a club. for any sport. The Australian Turf Club Sydney went bust , even with running expensive thoroughbreds racing . Racing usually does much better than harness , as is 10 times more popular. I thought people on forums are/were supposed to be Harness racing fans ?, but offer No support to the sport . On this site anyway. Thankfully ENTAIN did for NZ and QLD harness racing, BUT you all get stuck in to them as a bad business decision ???? . hahahaha that's so ironic it's funny. And then the way the HRNZ have supported All the clubs is tremendous with the Entain funding. you blokes ONLY want to support some of the clubs. (and hardly any of the New races and concepts put in place the last 3 years.) Fancy thinking you all have the right to Allocate the funding as You see fit when it's been the job of HRNZ for over hundred years? . They know what they're doing. But keep picking on em' . The racing is better than ever. We even had driver Slot races at Albion last weekend . twas brilliant stuff innovations for plenty of people to enjoy something different. Brodie and Galah would pick it to pieces though as someone had to put up some money for a slot lol 🤣 Thankfully in OZ people make moves to keep the harness racing going, (Seymour sponsors SA trotting to keep them going for example) (Vic State Government bought land of HRV to prop them up from a $66,000,000 debt.) Entain have done the same in NZ but this forum site doesn't appreciate a company worth over 3 billion dollars helping.😂🤣 bite the God's hand that helps them lol. Using punting dollars they made too. so what goes round comes round. . Of course we want the rich Participants to do ok as in getting winners. BECAUSE They pour in the Most money to breeding and yearling sales. Seymour and Mick BOOTs with 300 horses plus each doing a tremendous job (Like Stonewall there I guess as the equal of that effort) so plenty of staff , breeders and trotting clubs benefit. Excellent stuff and never been at this Racing level before . Too high up for you blokes . probably why all the angst. Harness Racing is obviously running very light on the punting dollar everywhere. Not just because it's a very poor betting sport (things galloping out the back taking peoples money with them for example) , but Pokies reign supreme for the average gambler and returns are instant. also animal welfare is a 'thing' these days. My very own 2 children wouldn't support horse racing even though I love it. there's also the 'State of the nation's economy' for people too. There's simply better things to spend on , like your bills, rent or mortgage lol 😋 . people love all the cruises and things like that these days for recreational dollar spending. They're smart and will take a holiday rather than waste hundreds on silly horses . that may or may not be even trying lol 😅

Love these old stories but if it wasn't on the tele how did you know how accurate the calls were. Funny how racing was so big then and no vision and now you can watch everything and nobody is interested

no surprise... sigh, all that hot air wasted from so many.. how can Autumn Glory be the favorite???

He told a story when commentating. I don't know how he managed to say so much so often and at the right time in a race. In those days we listened on radio as only the big races were televised. You could listen to Jack and feel like you were there. "Grand sight in sunshine..." "Jack Smolenski gives the dust sheet a tap or two and his charge is out by a length at the moment..." Every race was somehow different as in he didn't often repeat himself like some commentators do - Tony Lee and his last little bit, they're chasing a memory etc. Reon Murtha was good too but not as colourful as Jack.

Jack O'Donnell was right up there as one of the very best

Ohope Wins, no Derby, off to Aus to run in the Vinery and Aus oaks

There are two clear stand-outs in Sunday’s Classic Cup (1,800m), but history suggests the second leg of the four-year-old series can produce a surprise result. While favourites have a good recent record with five saluting in the past nine years, there have been some major upsets including It Has To Be You ($126), Mission Tycoon ($92), Thunder Fantasy ($23) and Healthy Happy ($22) since 2013. The SCMP has ranked the top 10 contenders for Sunday’s HK$13 million feature. 1. Little...View the full article

One alarming aspect was a communication the RIB had with a helmet manufacturer Ffs, just ban them from supplying the industry...simply outrageous behaviour "All agencies were bound to exercise a degree of caution in relation to ARRO Helmets on the basis of that entity not being truly independent and being a NZ-based market competitor. One particular engagement from ARRO to RIB was termed unhelpful and bordering on offensive."

So the report is now out and it appears the RIB have taken some remedial measures ( aka satisfying the Coroner's office it looks as if they're doing something but not really) For example why didn't the RIB charge Jasmine Fawcett with RECKLESS riding last week for trying to force a gap for almost 100 metres? Where they said " we allow competitive riding but not for that long" Or Pinn for FOUL riding when clearly elbowing Fawcett...instead of "you're lucky we didn't charge you" Did the RIB inform the Coroner that "NZ national days" also means 6 days for a Sth Island jockey could in fact be just 2 in reality? Bet they didn't Here's the RIB 10 point plan "Rider penalties – Concern that penalties issued to riders are an insufficient deterrent for reoffending (especially when considering Weatherley’s previous charges up to and including the day of the incident). It was recommended that a review of penalties and their effectiveness takes place, with consideration as to whether stricter stand down periods and fines would be appropriate. Other considerations included could the incident have been avoided if Weatherley’s suspension in Race 4 was effective immediately, therefore not enabling him to ride in Race Cor10 CSU-2022-HAM-000352 4 CS0010 Mandatory post-incident drug and alcohol testing – Supported by other jockeys for safety reasons, but noting the logistics of mandatory drug testing is not straight-forward with accredited personnel not immediately available to attend every race-day meeting. Further consideration to identify how a mandatory post-incident drug and alcohol testing regime could be structured. Racing Integrity Unit steward’s induction manual – This requires a full revision to include improvements that meet “best practice”, including the provisions about serious injury response planning being a priority, an incident checklist to aid an efficient and timely response, and improving and maintaining radio communications until after the completion of the last race. Development to include testing to ensure best practice and deliver a training package for existing stewards and new employees. Next of kin register – To be readily available, with key contact information in order to maintain communications with a jockey’s immediate family members post-incident. Club Health and Safety Procedures – Currently no oversight of club procedures and NZTR to explore options for affiliated clubs’ health and safety policy and practice documents. Preservation of evidence – RIB to develop guidelines for track personnel in relation to maintaining the security and chain of evidence for equipment / exhibits following a serious incident that will likely be the subject of an investigation. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) checks – Introduction of clear standards of what PPE is required, ensure jockeys have clear guidelines and minimum standards, supported by an audit register of all PPE checks. Clearance from rider falls – Work being undertaken by NZTR regarding concussion reviews, whether to extend to track work riding, and the need for medical clearance to return to riding. Significant Event Response – A Racing Incident Significant Event Response checklist has been drafted and under review for use by RIB. The intention of this document is to assist the Chair of Stewards with a framework for assessing, coordinating, leading and managing a serious incident response in conjunction with the racing club and race track personnel. However, this is not designed to mitigate or assume responsibility over other entities’ relevant HSWA obligations and/or responses to an incident. Collaboration of Industry Stakeholders – Noting the importance of industry collaboration to understand any lessons and learnings following serious incidents, make meaningful safety improvements to protect those working in the racing industry, and review of the existing Health Safety and Wellbeing Committee to be fit for purpose with regular meetings to review serious incidents and implementation of proposed safety actions."

This year's Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule will offer $1.7 million in purses across 20 stakes races. All three of Pennsylvania's racetracks will host stakes.View the full article

Sandman and Magnitude are the only millionaire stakes winners in the expected field of seven for the $500,000 Razorback Handicap being run Feb. 28 at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

Popular entertainment comes from ideas in all shapes and sizes, both large, and, in this case, small. Former jockey and exercise rider Robert Montano has achieved rave reviews for something much different and quite personal. View the full article

Dreamtime (NZ) (Time Test) is the only horse to have lowered star two-year-old Lara Antipova’s flag in a public hit-out, and all eyes will be on the Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained filly when she makes her debut at Pukekohe on Wednesday. The daughter of Time Test beat Lara Antipova in an 800m trial at Ellerslie last October, with Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s gun filly going on to win all three of her raceday starts to date, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and is a $1.50 favourite for next week’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. The Alexanders have taken confidence out of that trial form and are hopeful their filly can bring that to raceday this week when she lines-up in the Stella Artois 1100. “She wasn’t screwed down tight when she put in that nice trial against Lara Antipova,” Katrina Alexander said. “It’s pretty good form in that respect.” Initially set to trial on Tuesday, the Alexanders had to quickly come up with a plan B after the two-year-old heats were scrapped at Tauranga, and they have elected to test her under raceday pressure for the first time on Wednesday. “Whether she is quite fit enough I am not too sure, but she has drawn nicely (3) so I think we will go ahead and run her,” Alexander said. “We need to get going.” The Te Awamutu couple nominated Dreamtime for next month’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) following her trial win, and Wednesday’s hit-out will give them a gauge on whether they are on track for the Trentham feature. “We are cutting it fine (with the Manawatu Sires’), but it is a race we thought she would suit at the end of last preparation after she put that trial together,” Alexander said. “If we don’t make it there, there is also a nice race for her (Listed Star Way Stakes, 1200m). There are still options for her if we don’t reach that target. “It is nice to have something to work towards.” Meanwhile, Alexander has been pleased with the way Aksil (NZ) (Ace High) has come through his Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) sixth placed run and said things didn’t go right for the gelding on the day. “He was up there four hours before his race and he got sick of the environment a little bit, even before he got to the outside parade ring, and it was quite clear he was above himself,” she said. “He left the barrier and got himself way handier than what we intended him to do or thought that he would. He found himself in a handy position with a bit too much speed around him and he ran his race a bit early, and he took a bit to settle after that. “The horse himself pulled up fine, it was just the circumstance of the day with a green horse that we do have to manage right and keep him calm and relaxed prior to racing, and that just didn’t quite work out for him on Saturday unfortunately.” Alexander said the connections of the horse are still keen to press onto the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day next week. “All connections are keen to continue down the nominated path at this stage,” she said. “We still have faith in the horse, he just needs to be ridden a bit colder, and we will make a couple of gear alterations. “At home he is still a lovely, relaxed horse. He could probably cop a bit more work being dished at him, I may be a bit guilty there that he is still a bit above himself. “I think we have still got some improvement that we can make out of it and we won’t quite let go of things yet.” View the full article

A paramedic at Turf Paradise has been suspended 90 days for refusing to take a breathalyzer test after the track's stewards found “reason to believe the licensee had consumed alcohol and/or was intoxicated” on Feb. 14. In addition to the suspension, which runs two weeks beyond the May 2 closing date of the current Turf Paradise meet, the paramedic, Robert Winters, “is ruled off for the duration of the term of his suspension and barred from all grounds under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Gaming Racing Division,” according to the Feb. 21 ruling. In that ruling, the track's three stewards-Jason Hart, Claudia Alvarez and John Adams–had cited “substantial evidence” to find that Winters had violated parts of the Arizona Administrative Code related to horse racing. But the stewards did not detail any specifics of those findings in their ruling against Winters, nor did the stewards write about any paramedic-related irregularities in their daily stewards' report for Feb. 14. TDN attempted to get some context on the safety ramifications of what happened, like whether or not the paramedic's alleged intoxication occurred while he was part of an on-track ambulance crew during morning training or for the afternoon races. But regulators, track officials, and a representative for The Jockeys' Guild did not respond to Monday's queries prior to deadline for this story. Emails sent Feb. 23 to both the deputy director of the Arizona Department of Gaming (Shannon Nelson) and to that agency's deputy director of operations (John Mazza), did not yield replies. Nor did a phone message that a Turf Paradise receptionist on Monday said would be hand-delivered to the three stewards. The same non-responses also followed voicemails left on the cell phones of Tom Ludt, the general manager at Turf Paradise, and for Darrell Haire, the western regional manager for The Jockeys' Guild. The allegations outlined in the ruling represent only one side of the story. TDN could not reach Winters, and it was unknown if he has appealed or plans to appeal the ruling against him. The post Paramedic at Turf Paradise Ruled Off for Alleged Intoxication appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On Feb. 23 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Trainer and co-owner John Ennis talks about Great White's victory in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, Byron King gives insight to his Derby Dozen rankings, Tod Wojciechowski on new safety measures at OBS.View the full article

This year's Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule will offer $1,700,000 in purses across 20 stakes races. All three of Pennsylvania's racetracks will host stakes.View the full article

The only way to stop the sell off is to change the constitution of the Club or it will just continue and we will be stuck in a time warp. So here ya go, let us know how the vote goes? [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Phone Number] [Your Email] 24 February 2026 Tim Mills Chief Executive Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. PO Box 11137, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 RE: Notice of Remit to Amend the Constitution of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. Dear Mr. Mills, I am writing to formally submit a remit for consideration at the next General Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. As a member of the Club, I wish to propose an amendment to the Club’s Constitution to ensure greater transparency and member oversight regarding the disposal of Club assets. Specifically, this remit proposes that any sale or long-term lease of Club land with a market value of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) or more must be subject to the approval of a majority of the Club's members.https://bitofayarn.com Proposed Remit: "That the Constitution of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. be amended to include a clause stating that no parcel of land owned or held by the Club shall be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of for a consideration exceeding $1,000,000 without first obtaining the support of a majority of members via a vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting." Rationale: The land held by the Canterbury Jockey Club is its most significant long-term asset. Decisions regarding the divestment of such substantial assets have a lasting impact on the Club’s future and its ability to support racing at Riccarton Park. Requiring majority member support for transactions of this scale ensures that the governance of the Club remains aligned with the collective interests of its membership.https://bitofayarn.com Ngāi Tahu Property I request that this remit be included in the notice of business for the upcoming meeting in accordance with the Club’s rules and the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, which requires all societies to update or maintain their constitutions by 5 April 2026. Incorporated Societies Incorporated Societies I look forward to your confirmation of receipt and details regarding when this remit will be put to the members.https://bitofayarn.com Yours sincerely, [Your Signature] [Your Printed Name] Member, Canterbury Jockey Club Inc.

The 2026 Thoroughbred meet at Hawthorne is supposed to start in just over a month. The ominous wall of silence and uncertainty hanging over the track's future, however, is leaving the horsemen and women relying on the meet's go-ahead “extremely worried and concerned,” said Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) president Chris Block on Monday. “We've implored the [Illinois Racing Board] executive director and the chairman [Daniel Beiser] that they get Hawthorne to the table. I'm hopeful that'll happen,” said Block, who estimated that there are currently around 175 Thoroughbreds stabled at the track, under the watch of about ten different trainers. Both Block and ITHA executive director Dave McCaffrey, however, voiced frustration they've been unable to elicit any concrete details about whether the financing will be in place for the Thoroughbred meet to go ahead, and whether track operators have managed to nail down an agreement with investors to operate a casino. “I don't know the details of where things stand on that, their pursuit to get their financing in place and the mess that they're in cleaned up,” he added. In 2019, the state granted Hawthorne the go-ahead to convert its old grandstand into a casino. Since then, nothing concrete has materialized on that possibility despite repeated promises to the contrary by track operators. At last month's racing board meeting, John Walsh, Hawthorne's assistant general manager, suggested once more that a deal was imminent. “We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” said Walsh, who stood in last minute for absent Hawthorne president and general manager, Tim Carey. “Whatever's going to happen is going to happen in the next two or three weeks,” Walas added, at the time. Nearly a month later, “no one has ever called Dave McCaffrey or Chris Block over here and said, 'Hey, here's where things stand,' which is really infuriating and frustrating to say the least,” said Block. “Unfortunately as of today we have no additional information we can share, however, perhaps later in the week you are welcome to call for possible updates,” wrote Illinois Racing Board executive director Domenic CiCera in an email Monday, responding to a request for a status update. The racing board did not respond to follow-up questions. Over the weekend and into Monday, the TDN also made repeated attempts to contact Tim Carey, the track's CEO of Gaming Kevin Kline, director of racing Jim Miller, as well as Walsh. None of them responded. If it goes ahead, Hawthorne's Thoroughbred meet is set to begin March 29. That's a big if, however. At last month's racing board meeting, the extent of Hawthorne's financial troubles, and with it the enormous ramifications for industry stakeholders in the state, were made glaringly clear. The track's standardbred stakeholders have been the hardest hit. The meeting followed the action of the state racing board to suspend the operating license of Suburban Downs, Inc., which manages Hawthorne's harness meet, for “failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity, and proof that they can meet the minimum standards” as outlined in state law. Hawthorne is responsible for more than $580,000 in bounced checks between some 66 individuals in recent months, according to an Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association representative. The ITHA is apparently owned around $600,000 from Hawthorne for payments dating back seven months. Some horsemen and women have also been unable to access monies in their horseman's bookkeeper accounts at the track. This includes earnings as well as funds put into the account in advance of the meet. According to McCaffrey, the organization has retained an attorney to help free up those funds. “There are a bunch of Thoroughbred people whose accounts are inaccessible,” said McCaffrey. “We've retained an attorney to protect the rights of our owners and trainers and jockeys and whoever has money over there.” As for preparations to prepare the track for Thoroughbreds with the end of the Standardbred meet, Block explained that while the rail has been switched, the annual reconditioning of the track surface is moving along in slow-motion fashion. “They normally contract that out to a company that brings in some heavy equipment-semi-trucks and tractor trailers-that they can use to expedite the process of putting the surface down,” said Block. That hasn't happened. Instead, the usual track maintenance crew are using existing equipment, which is wholly inadequate for doing a quick job, said Block. “That'll take forever to put that down with the little bit of equipment they have there,” said Block. Last week, the ITHA issued an email to its constituents with the headline: “Past Time for Tim Carey to Address ITHA Members About Hawthorne's Financial Condition and Plans; Commit to Racing at Hawthorne at Your Own Risk.” When asked what will happen to the horsemen and women and the horses currently stabled at Hawthorne if the meet doesn't go ahead, Block predicted some will likely move their shingle to Fairmount Park, in Southwest Illinois. However, “there'll be some that will probably just step away. I don't think they're equipped to go anywhere else on the financial side of it,” said Block. “I feel extremely sorry for these people. I mean, they're hardworking horsemen that have been in Chicago for their whole lives. Their homes are here. Their families are here. I think there's quite a bit of anxiety and concern,” said Block. “I hear it daily. They want an update and I feel really bad that I can't give them any positive news right now. It's getting old to be honest with you, to tell them the same story week after week,” said Block, who suggested that some concrete answers about the upcoming meet need to be delivered by the end of February. “That's why I implored the racing board that we need some more clarity than just what we're hearing here, and by the end of this week, so these horsemen can make some hard decisions,” he said. The post Hawthorne Update: Illinois Stakeholders ‘Extremely Worried and Concerned’ Over Status Silence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

They extended the cut off time until Feb 20 for the trotters slot race, any news?

Constitution Hill's owner says he has Melbourne on his mind—and Melbourne says it would love to have him.View the full article