Standardbred Breeding

I bet, another thing that irks me, if ya at the races, nothing worse than music in the back ground, if ya want music head down to the disco.

Hope you fellas had a good day out an found a few winners, I find riccarton not the greatest day out, the racing so far away, not many vantage points to get high enough to use the binoculars, only way to see where your money goes is to find the TV monitor, used to enjoy the public stand, guess if your a member you get more privileges, but from a public point of view, it not ideal.

Horrendous noise. 

A perfectly judged front-running victory on Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed) in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) capped a memorable New Zealand riding debut at Riccarton on Saturday for apprentice jockey Logan Bates. Born and raised in Canterbury and a son of leading southern rider Kylie Williams, Bates is forging a successful career as an apprentice in Victoria. The 24-year-old has ridden over 110 winners, headed by a first black-type success with Jigsaw in the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) on Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley last month. Bates jumped at the opportunity to return to his homeland on Saturday and ride against his mother for the first time. Both mother and son got on the board early in the afternoon – Bates with Enterprise (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) in the One Good Horse At Avonhead Tavern Premier (1100m) and Williams aboard Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) in the Scenic Hotel Group Premier (1200m). But then Bates stole the show with a feature-race triumph as he guided the Kevin Myers-trained Just Charlie to an all-the-way win in the Metropolitan. Bates took up the lead within the first 100m of the race and was able to dictate terms from that point on. He began to up the ante and pull ahead of the field coming down the side of the track, and then Just Charlie kicked off the home turn and put three or four lengths on his nearest challenger. Titicaca (NZ) (Tarzino) launched a powerful finish from the back of the field and got to within three-quarters of a length at the finish, but there would be no catching Just Charlie. Bates exchanged fist bumps with his proud mother after unsaddling and was loudly cheered by family members on the front of the stand. “It’s a big thrill and I have to give credit to ‘Dummy’ (Myers) and his team, they presented the horse in super order,” he said. “I was quite excited to ride him today after looking through his replays, because I could see his staying capability. “There wasn’t a lot of pressure in the race and I was able to just let him do it his own way. He’s a big, strong, big-striding horse. I let him roll and ramped it up from the 1000m. He just gave me a wonderful feel. I was even able to have a couple of looks at the big screen to see how far in front we were.” Just Charlie has had 24 starts for six wins, six placings and $206,435 in prize-money, and he now shares $4 favouritism with Titicaca for next Saturday’s Gr.3 Martin Collins 162nd New Zealand Cup (3200m). “We think he’ll love going up to 3200m for the New Zealand Cup next week,” Myers’ son Jason said. “He was rated beautifully in front today by Logan and he just outstayed them in the end. Logan is a very good rider – we wouldn’t mind having him back home in New Zealand a bit more. “Just Charlie’s ready to race now and we’ll just keep him ticking over through the week ahead of the Cup next Saturday.” View the full article

Progressive stayer Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) showed his versatility when winning his second race at Rosehill in the space of a couple of weeks for trainer Bjorn Baker. The five-year-old son of Redwood was gallant on Saturday carrying 59kg topweight under Dylan Gibbons when winning the Chandon Handicap (2400m) on a Good track, having saluted last start on soft ground. Given a good ride by Gibbons, Thebudgiesmugla was taken out of his comfort zone when the pressure came on early but still proved too good. “He is just an out-and-out stayer,” Gibbons said. “He’s a funny sort of horse. It was a completely different race to the other day, where I had a lap full of horse. “The two times I have ridden him on top of the ground, he is just a casual bugger.” When War Ribbon took off with 800m to run, Gibbons was forced to push forward three-wide and he had enough in the locker to defy Claim The Crown (Acclamation) and Sting In The Tail (NZ) (Savabeel). “Because the move was about a 100m sooner than I would have liked, the last hundred he was out on his feet, but he has pure stamina,” Gibbons said. “I was always subconsciously aware that when you are on the favourite, people are always trying to do what they can to beat you. “I had my guard up and he was able to get out when I needed to. Full credit to the horse, he was able to ping off the mark and then sustain a long gallop.” Raced by Darby Racing, Thebudgiesmugla was a private purchase from New Zealand where he won two races for original trainer Jo Rathbone. Rathbone paid just $3,000 for the son of Redwood who was sold via gavelhouse.com as a broken-in gelding. Bred by Bradbury Park, Thebudgiesmugla is out of the winning Keeper mare Hot Pants. View the full article