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    • Thankfully Sam is alright and hopefully will be released tomorrow. Heard today that Triston was due to be released from hospital either today or tomorrow also.  Hoping for a quick recovery for both.    
    • Wynne recovering after serious track incident www.racingnews.co.nz Https://bitofayarn.com Southern horsewoman Samantha Wynne is recuperating in Christchurch Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries in a horse-related incident on Saturday morning. Wynne, who relocated to New Zealand from her native Ireland over a decade ago, has made Canterbury home, where she has been both a successful jockey and more recently a trainer. She had enjoyed a memorable season, highlighted by three stakes victories with Pivotal Ten, who she rode in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March. As she does on a regular basis, the 36-year-old had taken a team of horses into the track on Saturday but can’t recall anything further after she was kicked in the head and taken to hospital where she underwent surgery for a fractured skull and badly damaged ear. Her family, friends and colleagues were relieved to hear from Wynne on Monday after a couple of days resting in hospital. “I’ve been in hospital for the last couple of days and I’m feeling a little bit better this morning,” she said. “I can’t really remember what happened but the girls filled me in. One of the two-year-old fillies wouldn’t walk into the tie-ups and she ran backwards and kicked me in the head. It pretty much took my ear off and I’ve got a fractured skull. “I was knocked out for about five or six minutes and apparently when the ambulance came I was fighting them because I didn’t want to go to the hospital. Once they got me in, they gave me some good painkillers and I went into surgery that night. “I got my ear sewed back on, they removed fragments out of the fractures and pulled a bone out of my head. They had to make sure I had no brain injuries, and I’m very lucky that I don’t think I have. There is just a lot of swelling, but hopefully that will go down and the fracture will heal. “My partner has spoken to a lot of people and I’ve responded to a couple. I’ve been able to use my phone a little bit more today after being a bit too dizzy over the last couple of days.” While hoping to be discharged on Monday, Wynne said it is more likely that she’ll be heading home on Tuesday and is grateful to have the support of her staff. “I was hoping to go home today, but the doctors think it’ll be tomorrow,” she said. “I have to go for a hearing test later on and a couple of other tests as well. “I just feel upset and frustrated because I don’t know what happened, but I’m grateful for the support I’ve had. “I’d be lost without the girls, I’m so grateful for them. They’re just the best team that you could have. We’re doing okay.” The news comes during an extremely tough period for the racing community, with the tragic passing of apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey last Wednesday, and fellow rider Triston Moodley also recovering from a kick to the head at the Waipa trials last Tuesday.
    • by Michael Guerin Gemma Thornley may find herself forced to make a tough decision if the second half of 2025 goes as well as she hopes. The 25-year-old was the punter’s princess at Addington on Sunday when she reined favourites Belmont Valor and Action Major to win consecutive races before her aunty Olivia Thornley won the very next race for an unusual family treble. It wasn’t Gemma’s first daily double and she even drove at treble at a deep south meeting a couple of years ago but she acknowledges the importance of taking control of a race when on the favourite. “I think it is important to prove to people you can do that, handle the pressure of being on favourites and getting them home,” she told HRNZ. “I might get some recognition for having the family name but on the whole I haven’t had big stable backing in my career so when you do get on favourites you want to show other trainers you aren’t easily intimidated.” The double takes Thornley to 88 career wins here, a number which would already be a lot higher had she not taken 10 months off last year to work at an equestrian stable in England. “I loved it and learning news things but I also missed the excitement of driving,” she explains. “So while it was a great experience I am loving being back and this season is going well.” The question is whether that might be too well as Gemma is already on 21 wins for 2025. “Ideally I’d like the opportunity to drive as a junior again next season seeing how I missed more or less a year last year. But if I get to 100 wins (career) by the end of the season I probably won’t get my junior licence back.” “So I might have some thinking to do if I get to like 98 or 99 wins a month out from the end of the season whether I am better off sitting a few meetings out to stay a junior and keep learning next season.” But Thornley, who these days works for Greg and Ben Hope, also realises she is on pace to get to the 100 career wins mark well before December and couldn’t face sitting out two or more months at such an important time of the year. “But I will think about that closer to time and I the moment I am just really enjoying my driving and thankful for the support I am getting.” She wasn’t the only young female starring on a Sunday afternoon at headquarters but the other one was equine in debuntante trotter Request, who took out the first on the card for trainer Ken Barron. “She is bred to trot well and she does it well, although we still have some tidying up to do on how she corners,” says Barron. “I think she will keep improving and the long-term aim is the Trotting Oaks at the end of the season if she gets to that level.” Request is one of 25 horses Barron has in work with more to come in so he is not really sticking to a promise he made to himself to start slowing down a few years ago. “Ultimately young Sam Thornley wants to buy into the business and eventually I see him taking it over,” explains Barron. “But he might still be a bit too young to take it over yet and I might not be old enough to retire so we will keep going for a while,” he smiles. View the full article
    • by Adam Hamilton The first 200m will go a long way to deciding young Kiwi star Bet N Win’s winning chances next Saturday night’s $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final. Bet N Win drew well in gate five and will move even closer into four if emergency Sir Fahrenheit doesn’t gain a start, but his main danger Arcee Phoenix drew even better in barrier one. All eyes will be on the start and whether trainer-driver Chris Svanosio can muster enough early speed on Arcee Phoenix to hold the lead. In contrast, Bob Butt will be charging out as quickly as he can aboard Bet N Win in search of the lead. While leading isn’t everything, around Albion Park it’s a huge advantage. “Bob will come out and have a look at the start, but I doubt he’ll have enough speed to get across. We’ve got to have a look,” Bet N Win’s co-trainer David White said. “It’s a balance. You can’t afford to burn too much at the start especially over a long trip (3157m) like this. “We’d love to be in front because the whole series has shown how hard it is to be off the pegs. Arcee Phoenix and Gus have gone enormous both weeks and not won.” Arcee Phoenix firmed from $4 to $2.50 after the draw, while Bet N Win eased froom $2.50 to $3.50. The other Kiwi trotting finalist, Oscar Bonavena landed gate 12 after being ruled out of the draw following another gallop in his second round heat. “It’s a good thing. He seems to make his mistakes when he’s off the front,” co-trainer Nathan Purdon said. “We thrilled he managed to sneak into the final and we know he’s good enough to be right in the finish if he gets it all right.” In the pacing final, not even the worst possible barrier draw should stop champion pacer Leap To Fame from winning a second Inter Dominion title. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon initially shook his head in disbelief when Leap To Fame drew gate one, after having barrier eight (inside the back row) in both qualifying heats. “Most horses would love the pole, but it’s the one draw we didn’t want,” he said. That’s because Leap To Fame has only average early gate speed and, if he’s crossed at the start, traffic and luck in running becomes a potential issue in the $1 million race. But Dixon’s initial look at the rivals drawn on the front row, eased his frustration somewhat. “It’s not a really fast front row. There’s nothing explosive, who looks certain to get across us,” he said. “I think we’re a chance to hold up and lead. That’s what I’ll be trying to do anyway. “At least it’s a real staying race (3157m) so if he is crossed, we’ve got plenty of time to find some clear air.” Leap To Fame will start the shortest priced Inter Dominion favourite in history, but did ease from $1.10 to $1.25 after drawing the pole. The six-year-old hasn’t been beaten at Albion Park since November 4, 2023. He’s won 20 successive races at the track since. Just as he did in the 2023 Brisbane Inter Dominion, Leap To Fame is aiming for a clean sweep after winning all his qualifying heats. Leap To Fame missed last year’s Sydney Inter Dominion through illness, which paved the way for Don Hugo to win. Don Hugo then upset Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile on March 8, but Leap To Fame has beaten him in all three other clashes, including last Saturday night’s heat when Don Hugo had torrid run and tired for seventh. Don Hugo has gate six and loads of early speed, but will trainer-driver Luke McCarthy dare to unleash him over an untried marathon distance? Leap To Fame is one of three finalists for Dixon. His wife Trista will drive Aroda (gate 13) and Jack Chapple will partner Tims A Trooper (gate eight). Queensland trainer Shannon Price said “ask me Thursday” who stable driver Adam Sanderson will partner out of Speak The Truth (gate three) and Sure Thing Captain (12). Menangle trainers Kerry Ann and Robbie Morris also have two runners, Cya Art (gate four) and old marvel Petes Said So, who will contest his fourth consecutive Grand Final at his 215th start. Victorian star Catch A Wave drew outside the front (gate seven) and is a $21 shot. GRAND FINAL DRAWS PACERS Front row: Leap To Fame, Rakero Rebel, Speak The Truth, Cya Art, Petes Said So, Don Hugo, Catch A Wave. Back row: Nyack (E1), Captains Knock, Tims A Trooper, Max Delight, Sure Thing Captain, Aroda. TROTTERS: Front row: Arcee Phoenix, Love Gun, Sir Fahrenheit (E1), Parisian Artiste, Bet N Win, Not As Promised, Golden Sunset. Back row: Constantinople, Harry Stamper, Zealous Spur, London To A Brick, Oscar Bonavena, Gus. View the full article
    • The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Group One winner Warmonger has been sidelined due to injury, with plans for a tilt at this year’s Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in tatters. The son of War Decree has suffered a tendon injury that will see the four-year-old out of action for at least 12 months. The runaway winner of last year’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby finished second in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) behind Alalcance in the autumn and raced without luck when unplaced in both the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes and Gr.1 Sydney Cup. View the full article
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