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    • Ryan Moore is hoping Satono Reve can put his best foot forward once again and give the “exceptional” Ka Ying Rising something to think about in the Group One Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Noriyuki Hori-trained star is a Group One winner in his own right, landing the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo in March. Either side of that run, he has felt the wrath of world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising, finishing third in last year’s Hong Kong Sprint and second in...View the full article
    • Pensioner faces $20k vet bill after new puppy breaks both front legs www.nzherald.co.nz   Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald· 10 Dec, 2025 06:00 PM3 mins to read The young pup broke his first leg after doing zoomies around the lounge. Photo / Givealittle   A Whangaparāoa woman who recently lost her beloved dog was dealt another round of tragedy when the dog she bought to replace him broke two of his legs.   Diane Woodhouse, 67, turned to Givealittle after surgery and vet bills for her puppy climbed beyond $20,000.   Woodhouse was “distressed for six months” after her Italian greyhound of 14 years, Georgio, died of old age in January this year.   “He’ll always be the first,” the semi-retiree said.   “He’s on the mantle now, there’s pictures of him everywhere.”   Heartbroken, she made arrangements to buy another Italian greyhound “to be the fun, cool friend I need as I age gracefully”.   She travelled to Christchurch to collect new puppy Romeo from a breeder and brought him home to Army Bay.   But within seven weeks, the “fearless” pup, whom she affectionately called a “lovable psycho”, broke one of his front legs while doing zoomies around the lounge.   “He just jumped off the couch and it didn’t look like he landed badly, but he let out an almighty scream and I immediately knew what he’d done.”     Romeo will require further corrective surgery on his bow leg. Photo / Givealittle Italian greyhounds are notorious for fragile legs between 0-18 months, Woodhouse said, “because they think they’re Superman”.   The second break happened as Romeo was recovering from the first.   Woodhouse was at work when she received a call from her housemate saying Romeo “must have got inquisitive”, and knocked over a large painting and taken another tumble.   “He let out another almighty scream.   “I just ran to the car and drove home as fast as I could,” she said.   Romeo had broken his other front leg and required further surgery.   Each surgery costs up to $8500, and X-rays alone are $1100.   “There’s only so much a retiree can do. The well is dry,” Woodhouse said.   Although pet insurance contributed $10,000, it didn’t fully cover even the first break.     Romeo the Italian greyhound broke both front legs in separate accidents. Photo / Givealittle Through it all, Romeo remains “the love of my life”.   Woodhouse takes the small pup to her part-time job so she can keep a close eye on him.   “He’s tiny, and people instantly want to cuddle him.   “He just wants to be with you, in the car, on the couch, at work, always.”   Romeo still needs corrective surgery for his bow leg from the first fall, and another to remove “a couple of screws and a plate” from the other leg.   “He’s doing well; it’s been a journey, but he’s a sweet little boy, and people just love him.”   The Givealittle page has raised more than $2500 so far.
    • But thats ambiguous.  How do you slap the fore shoulder without going in forward of it? As for the hits on the noggin between the ears it's how they carry the whip when they are goimg hands and heels.  The whip is so flexible it bends without any effort.  Doesn't hurt the horse (haven't seem one flinch)!
    • Promising filly Places To Be’s first two cracks at black-type didn’t go to plan, but trainer Kelly Van Dyk is hoping to get her preparation back on track in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The three-year-old daughter of Hello Youmzain was impressive when winning by four lengths on debut at Taupo in September but ran out on the turn when looking ominous in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie in October. She took up her customary front-running role in the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1340m) last start but faded late to finish fifth. Van Dyk, who bred and races the filly in partnership with Ben Kwok, and bloodstock agent Bevan Smith, was happy enough with the run and expects to see plenty of improvement when dropping back to 1200m this weekend. “I am really happy with her. She came through her last run really well at Wanganui. I just think she peaked on her run there,” she said. “It was a few weeks between runs since Ellerslie, where we had a bit of a mishap there where she ran off (around the last bend). I just wanted to get her confidence back, back left-handed, and we were happy with her performance. I think back to the 1200m will be ideal on Saturday.” Places To Be has drawn the outside gate in the eight-horse field, but Van Dyk said they don’t intend to deviate from her racing pattern. “Matt Cameron will be riding her and he has been riding her in her trials,” Van Dyk said. “She does like to go forward, but we certainly won’t be going all out for the lead. If there are other horses that want to take her on, they can, we won’t be getting into a war for the front. “She jumps very well out of the gate and naturally she does want to go forward, and that is where she is happiest. We will be leaving it up to Matt, but ideally we won’t be changing tactics too much, but on the other hand, we won’t be fighting for the lead.” Van Dyk has yet to nail down a summer plan for Places To Be, but said depending on how her filly performs this weekend, she could even head to the paddock for a break. “We will see how she goes on Saturday before we make any firm plans. She could go to the paddock after that,” she said. Stablemate Hit ‘n’ Run will head to Tauranga a day prior, where she has also drawn the outside barrier in the Rob Pinny Maiden 1200. While disappointed in the barrier draw, Van Dyk is hoping a few gear changes will help her mare find some form. “We haven’t had a good few days with barrier draws,” she said. “We have made a few key gear changes with her and would like to see a big improvement. “We think we have sorted out her breathing issues in her races where we thought she was holding her breath a little bit. A tongue-tie and noseband go on, so that will be key to her hopefully improving off her poor form to date. “She is a very good trackworker and she certainly worked the house down on Tuesday. We will be expecting her to show us something this time.” Van Dyk is also busy preparing nine yearlings for next month’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, where she is hoping to build on the strong momentum of last month’s Ready to Run Sale, with the highlight being selling a Written Tycoon colt to James Cummings for $775,000. “We are excited to present another yearling draft off the back of a very successful Ready to Run Sale,” she said. “We have got a really nice draft of nine horses. We have got some beautiful fillies in there. We have got a Per Incanto filly (lot 366) that we will sell on behalf of Duncan Fell, who I think is top-class. “We have also got a Satono Aladdin filly (lot 321) that we pinhooked, and she is a very nice filly as well. “We have got some very nice horses, and I think they should be popular.” View the full article
    • Wexford Stables partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have plenty to look forward to this weekend with a mix of proven and fresh talent engaged on the Waikato Cup programme at Te Rapa. After finishing a luckless second in last year’s Gr. 3 SKYCITY Waikato Cup (2400m), Sassy Lass is primed to go one better despite a formline that on the surface might not suggest as much. “Her Counties Cup run this year was actually better than last year, she only got going late and finished less than a length and a half from the winner,” Scott said. “We’re well pleased with her work since and she’s had a better build-up than last year, when she was coming out of a winter campaign. “This time in we’ve been able to space her races as we’ve wanted to and she’s peaking at the right time, so we’ll be looking for a strong effort from her.” The Staphanos mare, who gets into Saturday’s staying feature on the 53kg minimum, will have a change of rider with Masa Hashizume back in the saddle for the first time since last year’s Counties Cup. Checkmate will contest the Gr. 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) The Okaharau Station colours will also be carried on Saturday by Checkmate, one of three Wexford Stables runners in the Gr. 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m). The talented four-year-old will be resuming from a short break, stablemate Lux Libertas will be having her first start since June, while Smart Love brings an impeccable formline after winning her only three starts this campaign as well as her last start as a three-year-old. “After his run in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) we decided spring was coming a bit too soon for Checkmate, so we put him aside and he’s come back looking much better,” Scott said. “He had a lovely trial at Taupo last month, he’s been working well since and he’s there now with a good bit of condition hopefully ready for a big campaign. “Lux Libertas has had the one trial where we didn’t ask her to do a lot and she’s coming into this nice and fresh. She loves Te Rapa and while most of form has been on deeper tracks, we expect that at least to begin with she’ll cope with this better ground. “Smart Love has worked up to this level with some impressive form coming through the grades, so she deserves her chance at a good race. “Her Tuesday work indicated she’s as well as she has been heading into her earlier races and we expect another good run from her.” Smart Love requires one scratching to gain a start in the J Swap Sprint, while she is also an acceptor for the Rating 75 1500m on the Te Rapa undercard. Balancing Wexford’s proven contingent are two juvenile debutants in Saturday’s DJ Bloodstock 2YO, Noverre filly Firebird and Alabama Express filly Dashing Dixie. “We haven’t raced many of our two-year-olds over the past couple of years, but these two fillies have shown us enough to say they should be given the opportunity,” Scott said. “Firebird put in a beautiful trial at Te Awamutu and impresses us as a filly with early speed. “Her mother is a half-sister to (star two-year-old) Ruud Awakening, so we’re thinking the family genetics may have come through to her. “We bought Dashing Dixie to look to race at two and so far she’s lived up to those hopes. She has looked natural and willing in her two trials and going by her training she’s also ready to run well.” The Wexford contingent also includes Tristar, having her first start since finishing fourth in stakes company during the winter and primed to run well in Saturday’s Rating 75 1200m. “She’s a young mare with her share of ability and should sprint well fresh after two lead-up trials,” Scott said. “In the same race I’munstoppable is dropping back in grade and it will be good to see her back left-handed on a track she likes, plus she’ll be helped by a claim with Hayley Hassman engaged.” View the full article
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