All Activity

I thought you were being a smartarse but yes, exactly $1 million in stakes, $5K up on last year

Meeting News NZB Kiwi Conditions and Indicative Weights NZB Kiwi Conditions and Indicative weights New Zealand’s richest race the NZB Kiwi is now only two weeks away and forms an integral part of the Champions Raceday programme. For clarity, the race is run under 3yo Set Weights and Penalties conditions. The base weights are – 57.0kgs Colts/geldings and 55.0kgs Fillies Penalties (not cumulative): Group 1 winner – 3.0kgs Group 2 winner – 2.0kgs Group 3 winner, or winner of 3 or more races – 1.5kgs Listed winner, or winner of 2 races – 1.0kg Maiden allowance of -1.0kg Indicative weights, as at Friday 20 February: Well Written (S) 58.0 92 La Dorada (S) 58.0 82 Lollapalooza (S) 56.5 82 Romanoff (S) 60.0 81 He Who Dares (S) 57.0 80 War Princess 56.5 79 Affirmative Action (S) 58.0 78 Belle Cheval (S) 56.5 78 Asakura (S) 58.0 75 To Bravery Born 58.5 74 Bulgari 57.0 71 Landlock 57.0 70 Fairy Dream 56.5 70 Argo 58.0 69 Zivou 58.0 68 L'Aigle Noir 57.0 67 Tale Of the Gipsy 56.0 67 Panther 57.0 64 Battle Tycoon 57.0 63 Convinced 55.0 63 O'Sweet Darling 55.0 63 Unbeaten filly Well Written obviously dominates headlines, markets and discussion ahead of the race. Her performances have been given deserved credit in preliminary international ratings. She has been assigned an international rating of 115 for her TAB Karaka Million 3yo display. This would be the highest 3yo rating in recent memory (when factoring in 4-point fillies’ allowance). The challenge though for the Pattern race ratings is for the opposition to keep with Well Written, with the race rating being based on the first 4 placings. Her dominance places a ceiling on the ratings for placegetters. For example, in her most recent win by 6.05L, He Who Dares (2nd) cannot be higher than 106 – 2.1points/L at 1600m (-12.7), plus 4 points for 2kgs extra carried. On the positive side Well Written’s 115 season peak rating will be applied to the race rating of any race she has contested this season.

Looking at the weather, could be challenging wind and rain the the lead! tough putting up all the Tents? Showers on the Day. Any chance that Opie could be riding? a G3 and two L black type races. plus a $200k Final.

Superstar jockey Joao Moreira will return to Hong Kong for the final three months of the season as the retained stable rider for Caspar Fownes. The Jockey Club on Monday approved Fownes’ application to retain Moreira, a four-time Hong Kong champion rider, from April 7 until the end of the campaign on July 15. Fownes currently leads the race for the championship on 36 wins and hopes Moreira’s return will boost his bid for a fifth trainers’ title. “Who wouldn’t be happy with a superstar like him...View the full article

Plenty of excitement still for the grass roots participants. As far as I can see , NZ is still running meetings every Sunday , and the Manawatu Club are still racing , Southland seem to have plenty of meetings.?? Is hard to follow them all with there being so many. Indeed The Galah commented on the extra money that was put in to Southland last season , and Mikey thinks there is too many meetings already midweek (at Waikato and places lie that) . so how is that HRNZ Not looking after the grass roots pressure you strive for ? overdoing it according to these blokes ? In fact your Metro Friday clubs run MAIDEN races at most meetings ? never did that much in the past . But it does give, your so-called 'poor trainers' that train bugger All winners can have a go in the city at that even if they want too. Won't get anything against Telfers, Purdons , Green, Kentuckiana and that though. so better to stay in own class. So I say it's better to have REGULAR (52 weeks a year) midweek meet at Cambridge (and/or Southland) that would Encourage the small players (with a smaller team of horses) to make a living , and regularly participate. Just like Queensland and Victoria and NSW do quite successfully. there's a race for every horse , every week available. that's Important HRNZ are getting close to achieving it as well. so are doing the best they can with the amount of participants left running. Good Luck to em ' 🏆 YES = racing horse numbers have dropped everywhere. Because the Costs are very high to run a horse these days , so if you're NOT making a living out of it , and it was just a hobby, might as well do something else these days . like me and Brodie and Galah and Chief . Go and play golf or something 😁 . or get a small Te Akau share in a horse lol . they are still popular 😂😂

I see the beached cannine @Comic Dog the self judged more learned and knowledgeable online commentators have needed to go talk to a horse valuer to challenge my assessment that Damask Rose is probably worth around $1.5m+ (NZD!) as a broodmare at this stage of her career. Valuing any bloodstock is a subjective exercise and only an auction gives the true market value. But having followed the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for a number of years I would say my analysis was close to the mark. You only have to look through the sales results to see broodmares sold around the AUD$1.3m mark that have done far less on the racecourse to say that contrary to one persons view if Damask Rose sold for AUD$500k you would be quite disappointed. Some people should really graduate from reading comics and watching cartoons! https://catalogue.magicmillions.com.au/sale/25GWM

There is a saying "If aint't broke don't fix it" So who's decision was it to start Jacobite Rising at 2000+m after winning 1600m at its third start?

Isn't that how any form analysis or ratings are calculated? Isn't racing all about winning and who you beat? Then compared to who they are up against next? I'm sure the irony of what you are saying doesn't escape you when the whole basis of your critique is who DR has raced against and been beaten by!

I think we need to separate excitement from reality here. Celebrating the headline nights while ignoring grassroots pressure, shrinking depth in some regions, and long term participation challenges is short sighted. The conversation shouldn’t be “isn’t this amazing?” It should be “is this sustainable?” Enjoy the good racing, absolutely. But let’s not pretend everything is bulletproof just because the top end looks shiny. When an industry becomes heavily reliant on one commercial partner, that’s not dominance, that’s dependency. If priorities shift, what then?

Absolutely Brodster. You are on the money having respect for Entain for a change. And yes Changes happen , and the function changes bit by bit as improvements made all the time. HRNZ and harness racing participants can rejoice that Entain stepped in (when they didn't have to as is a poor betting product ) but wanted to help out . As their Subsidary LADBROKES has in queesland saving the day for us too . and allowing us to produce great horses like Leap To Fame and GUS that have been crushing it in NZ lately. As The Galah has told you ENTAIN/Ladbrokes make their most money from SPORTS Betting. and a bit on thoroughbreds , esp places like the crazy rich Asians on the Hong Kong races and things like that. Chief has told you how many Billions ENTAIN have. they even have 100,000,000 set aside Chief has told me, to Pay their Money laundering fine if it comes to that out of the courts. Water off a ducks back. Their Contributuion is being lapped up by the NZ harness racing world (and QLD too via Ladbrokes) to have some of the best racing ever seen , by some of the fastest horses ever to wear a bridle, by the BEST Trainers on the Planet. North Island NOT STUFFED yet old sport. hang tuff mate. Barry still winning races after all these decades and been one of the best in the world , along with brother Mark and brother-in -law Tony. Clearly the best around lol 👍🏆😉 Rejoice and be grateful we can still see the marvelous horsemen go round , and try and match the Aussies . How good is NZ harness going? Fabulous . Cambridge on soon .. TAB trot and The race by BETCHA . how good ?? wait to you see the next Queenslander Brodster. Named THE JANITOR. he is gunna Blow your socks off old boy. 💪💰🏆😁 NZ harness never been better. The last 2 Cup weeks have been staggeringly good at Addington . with the Velocity and The Ascent. You got to see Leap To Fame and Keayang Zahara. 2 of the best ever. How Privaliged are we lately ?? just amazing what HRNZ are doing . What amazing people to put this entertainment on.

that question implies you think that is relevant in a certain way. well,yes i believe its relevant,but not in the way you imply. ask yourself this who's opinion should one listen to and value.. A)someone who understands how the industry works and is run ,who has no self interest at stake and who promotes what they belive is best for the overall industries health. or B)someone who understands how the industry works and is run,but who promotes policies that benefit their own self interests or prioritises the interests of certain groups within the industry . clealy the answer is a no brainer. Its A. so the point is,the having skin in the game argument is just a deflection.

Would make more sense for Auckland to move it's Cup to a couple of weeks before or after slots race to try and attract Aussie runners, maybe a bonus if one can win both, maybe simply best performer bonus, Auckland Cup on new years eve is dead now, only Republican Party went from the south,,rest went to Oamakau, Auckland shot themselves in the foot on this one.

Greenwich Village (Quality Road) with Juan Hernandez aboard timed things just right to get his head down at the wire in a tight finish in Sunday's Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. Sent off the 8-5 choice after a first-time turf score in the 6 1/2 furlong Baffle Stakes at this venue on Jan. 25, the bay exited post 2 in good order and soon set up camp in a ground-saving fourth as Medici (Into Mischief) led Brigante (More Than Ready) and Army Man (Battalion Runner) through an opening quarter in :22.82. Still content to survey the 7-1 leader through a half in :46.38, Greenwich Village was asked for more and responded as he swung out four to five paths wide turning for home. Taking dead aim at the game pacesetter down the lane, Greenwich Village closed with every stride and put his head down just in time to edge Medici with a fast-closing Iriseach (Ubettabelieveit {Ire}) grabbing third. A debut winner in a 6 1/2-furlong test at Los Alamitos on Dec. 6, the Bob Baffert trainee showed good early speed but wilted to finish fifth–beaten 15 lengths by winner So Happy (Runhappy)–in the GII San Vicente Stakes over seven panels on Jan. 10. Greenwich Village, the third foal out of a multiple group winning mare in Australia, Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), has a juvenile brother by Charlatan and a yearling brother by Not This Time. PASADENA S., $102,000, Santa Anita, 2-22, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.72, 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). O-SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Bashor Racing, LLC, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $151,000. 2–Medici, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Avenge, by War Front. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Bass II, Perry R. and Bass, Ramona S.; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $20,000. 3–Iriseach (Ire), 120, c, 3, Ubettabelieveit (Ire)–Max's Dandy (Ire), by Dandy Man (Ire). (15,000gns 2yo '25 TAOJN). O-Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Strand Beach, LLC and Nentwig, Michael; B-Hyde Park Stud (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato. $12,000. Margins: NO, NK, 3/4. Odds: 1.70, 7.10, 8.20. Also Ran: Caro Buono (Fr), Later Than Planned (Ire), Unrivaled Time, Army Man, Brigante, Smoovin Saturday. Scratched: Bust Out, Sammy Davis. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Greenwich Village Finds a Home on the Lawn, Takes Pasadena in a Thriller appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ka Ying Rising cruised to a Hong Kong record 18th straight win in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (G1) Feb. 22 at Sha Tin Racecourse.View the full article

brodie,as far as trainers saying how well things are going. Its people preferring to live in the present and judging things on how they,themselves are currently being impacted by how hrnz is currently running things. For example,if they are trying to get owners interested in yearlings they may have recently purchased at the sales,being a good saleman and highlighting the positive aspects of what your selling,is necessary,so they focus on the current high stakes a a positive and chose to ignore all the other indicators of the industries health. Another factor is these high end,high profile trainers are dealing each day with a lot of stresses and worries that come with running bigger stables. So theres a degree of,i've got enough stresses running my stable as it is,i don't need to overcomplicate things further by taking on board the stresses of having to think about things outside their wheelhouse. and even if they did take a look around them and conclude current hrnz leadership is squandering a once in a lifetime chance to ensure the future of the sport,well if they were to express those views publically, that would get them offside with the prople running the industry,the very same people who are currently prioritsing the self interests of the high end people,of which they are one. So in effect,these high end trainers are never going to advaocate for policies that will impact them and their client base. Its just the way human nature works. After all,its a cut throat world and people have to fight for whats best for themselves,so thats also part of why the high end trainers and owners are happy to take a head in the sand approach. so really its just self interest driving how some people who appear to ignoring reality.Its people with a stake in the game playing their cards to their own benefit.Its just the way the world and people work.Its understandable,its not because they aren't smart,but at the end these people who are supposed to be smart a playing a game that may see them negatively impacted most long term.And thats not that smart. But life really is never black and white,its always shades of grey and the nz harness industry is no different.

Gee Winton on Thursday, then Northern Southland 3 days later, too much perhaps, main races on Sunday are a rating 55+ and a 2yo fillies race, numbers nominated will be?

Brodie, Serious question... do you have any skin in the game?

Is that Captain Memphis worth a punt on buying? If so, who would you suggest an ideal trainer? Thanks

Three Chimneys Farm and John Ennis' Great White took the winning bite out of the $174,835 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park Feb. 21, joining the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail with 20 points.View the full article

No doubt, some sitting at the top of the pyramid in harness will be doing extremely well at present, never probably been so good, great stakes with tiny fields, get it while it's there,

Would have to be a trainer supported by some big owners to be saying that. Someone winning the bigger money races would be loving it. Anyone at grass roots level or hobby trainers with no money behind them would not be saying that.

Ka Ying Rising has to be rated one of Hong Kong’s all-time great racehorses and will have the chance to sit at the top of that tree if he continues his incredible winning streak. The world’s best sprinter broke Silent Witness’ 21-year record with an 18th consecutive triumph in Sunday’s Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m), smashing the track record in another dominant success. He has been an unstoppable force since starting the streak two years ago, just after the only two defeats of...View the full article

Journalism, winner of last year's Preakness Stakes (G1), Santa Anita Derby (G1), and Haskell Stakes (G1), had his first official workout of the year Feb. 22 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Haulin Ice became the first accredited Arkansas-bred to reach $1 million in career earnings with a front-running 11 3/4-length tour de force in the $150,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders' Stakes Feb. 20.View the full article

The year 2025 was not a good one for jockey Florent Geroux. A jockey who had won at least 100 races for 11 years in a row, and won 217 races in 2016, he won only 75 races last year. The start of 2026 was no better. When he left Fair Grounds after the Feb. 14 card, he had only seven winners on the meet. Worse yet, after going 5-for-5 on Disco Time (Not This Time), he lost the mount on the 3-2 favorite in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. He was replaced by Flavien Prat, who finished eighth on the Brad Cox-trained horse. “It was simply because people were taking away from me the horses I used to ride,” Geroux said when asked to explain why his business was suffering. “When every time you lose and they take you off of the horse, there's no way you can succeed. Maybe sometimes the connections wanted the guys to ride that were on top at the moment. That's the way it is. A lot of people want to ride Flavien and/or Irad (Ortiz, Jr.) any chance they can get them. A guy like me will get taken off.” Knowing that he needed a change, Geroux packed his bags and headed to Southern California, arriving there on Feb. 15. For the native of Argentan, Normandy, France, it's been a game-changer. Geroux won Saturday's feature race at Santa Anita, the Wishing Well Stakes aboard Gratefully (Laoban). It was the third weekend in a row that he has won a stakes race, a mini-streak that includes a win aboard the GI Kentucky Derby hopeful Plutarch (Into Mischief) for Bob Baffert in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Through Saturday's races, he was 5-for-25 at Santa Anita. “To have momentum, you need to ride good horses and have a little bit of luck,” Geroux said. “Definitely, I am riding good horses again and that makes you and everyone else look good. That's the key to success, riding good horses. The thing is, I never lost faith in my ability. What you have to do in this business is you just have to keep pushing and working hard, especially in the morning. I am always out there working and people see that. They see you getting up in the morning and showing that you are hungry. Then you win a few races and you start to get back on track. I am not the first person who got into a slump.” That he was in a slump probably factored into why he was taken off Disco Time, who is owned by Juddmonte. It is unusual to take a jockey off a horse after a win, and especially after five straight wins. “At the end of the day, that was their decision,” Geroux said. “I thought I did great work with the horse. Those people have been great to me. I was upset, yes. But I was not mad. Juddmonte and Brad have been great to me through the years, so I could not be mad at them.” Geroux sporting the Juddmonte silks on champion Idiomatic | Sarah Andrew Geroux was convinced to try California by agent Matt Nakatani after his top rider, Umberto Rispoli, was hurt in a spill on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream. Rispoli, who suffered a fractured ankle, tibia, and fibula, is expected to be sidelined for several months. Nakatani told Geroux that he could get him on many of the horses that Rispoli had been riding. That has worked out fine, but what no one could have expected is that Geroux would fall into the Bob Baffert camp, which is not easy to do. Not only did Baffert give him the mount on Plutarch, but he also rode another winner for Baffert on Friday, the maiden winner Blacksmith (Liam's Map). Baffert has given him four mounts so far at the meet. During his career, Geroux has ridden 12 winners for Baffert from 43 starts. “Bob has given me a big vote of confidence,” Geroux said. “Other people see this, too. When you have the opportunity to ride and win for a trainer like him, everyone is paying attention. When I came here, I was hoping to do well. When Umberto got hurt and injured his leg, I was able to pick up his agent. Everyone likes to work with Matt Nakatani here at Santa Anita. I thought he would have some business for me, and I had already ridden for Bob in the past. I think that's it's been a mix–the business that Matt is getting for me, plus the fact that I had established a relationship with Bob over the years. Umberto never really rode for Bob, and I have been riding for him.” Geroux's other recent stakes win came back at Fair Grounds, where he won the GIII Mineshaft Stakes with Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). In one of the few highlights of his 2025 campaign, he won the G1 Dubai World Cup with Hit Show, who is headed back to the Middle East for another crack at one of racing's richest prizes. After taking Geroux off of Disco Time, Cox stuck with him for the Mineshaft. “Hopefully, I will ride the horse back in Dubai,” Geroux said. “He enjoys the track and the distance will be to his liking. The last time when he ran at the Fair Grounds I thought it was a speed-favoring track that day and he was able to run that horse down. The race was a little short for him and he was coming off the layoff. So, if he can move forward off that race, he can make a good showing in Dubai.” Win or lose in Dubai, it looks like Geroux is back. The Awesome Story of Awesome Hawaiian The story of Awesome Hawaiian (Awesome Bet) continues to be a feel-good tale for the sport. Bound for the slaughterhouse, he was saved by owner John Stewart and his family from a kill pen and given the chance to become a race horse. He won at first asking, winning a $30,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs. He was claimed out of that race and entered the Joe Sharp barn. In his first start for Sharp, he ran third in an allowance race for Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds. He came back Saturday night at Delta Downs and won a $50,000 claimer. The same horse that someone deemed was worth nothing more than what he could fetch from the meat buyers has now won $62,570. The Hunch Bet of the Weekend Considering what happened last week in the Supreme Court, how could you not like a horse named Tariff Mindset (Tiz the Law) in Saturday's fifth race at Aqueduct? As it turned out, not only did the horse win, but he was extremely impressive. Tariff Mindset | Coglianese More so than any other high-profile trainer on the New York circuit, Chad Brown has never shied away from running good horses in the winter at Aqueduct. Tariff Mindset obviously fit the pattern. He walked out of the gate and then started climbing badly down the backstretch over the sloppy track. He wound up last, hopelessly far behind. But he found his best stride under Prat and, despite having to alter course in the stretch, managed to close from a mile back to win by a nose. No doubt Brown will find a way to get him to be more focused in future races. If so, he's got a good one on his hands. The post Week in Review: Florent Geroux Has His Mojo Back appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article