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I thought everyone recognised the number 1 issue in harness racing is lack of horse numbers. so for the well being of the industry,who deserves greater rewards or incentives? I think its just logical to say the trainers and owners who line up the horses in the races which generate the profits from turnovers that are used to subsidise the higher stake,loss returning races. Of course you need those big races and of course the likes of the pudons are very important. But you lose me when you say Dean shannon and all the other rich owners deserve more incentives and rewards to0 keep them interested, than the bloke down the road who works 2 jobs so he can have a half share in a racehorse that hes happy to see line up most weeks without setting the world on fire,simply because he sees his horse more than just in a materialistic way. Increasing the stake of the welcome stakes by $70,000 is such a stupid decision when you consider the good it could have done at the coalface.How many extra runners would it have attracted. zero would be the answer if people were honest. The likes of a michael house or a robbie holmes are very important to the industry. $70,000 could have gone into many series races like the one running tonight for the lower grade at addington. Thats where your grass roots can see an incentive that they could relate to. Not the welcome stakes. Harness racing needs leadership that don't live in an echochamber. Thats the problem with harness racing,the decision makers are thinking ..what can we do to encourage more poeople to participate and they ask those in the same circles and think of what would help them continue,then push forward those policies thinking they are doing everyone a favour. Well to the contrary,the vast majority live outside that echo chamber and HRNZ focusing on 2 year old racing is not helping one bit. -
By Special Agent · Posted
If 14 dogs have gone to America there must be at least 14 spaces somewhere. It seems a bit extreme NZ dogs going to the US. If greyhounds are such lovely pets, what marketing is being aimed at NZ homes? Just saw a race from Caliente on Trackside. Maybe all these NZ ex-racers will make their way to South America, instead of lounging on a couch somewhere. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Turn The Ace has six victories at Te Rapa already under his belt, and Andrew Forsman sees no reason why he can’t add to that tally in the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1300 on Saturday. The five-year-old Turn Me Loose gelding has a well-known love affair with the track and ran a competitive field off their feet fresh-up earlier this month, with a second-up record even more convincing with three wins from four attempts. “It was a great effort, he always tends to run well there and his record is probably better with a run under his belt, so going into it we thought he had the potential to run well,” Forsman said. “When he found the front and railed up like he did, he was always going to be hard to beat.” The Cambridge trainer has secured Opie Bosson for Saturday’s ride, where Turn The Ace is likely to adopt his regular front-running role in the open sprint. “He’ll go forward, he loves to just bowl along on pace and it’s where he prefers to be,” Forsman said. “Whether that is out on the middle of the track at the end of the day, or on the rail I don’t think it matters too much. We’ve got Opie on, and he’ll be instructed to be positive and put him in the race. Hopefully he can do it again. “It doesn’t make much sense to stray too far from Te Rapa, so while he’s in good form and racing well there, we’ll keep racing there.” Among Forsman’s other runners is a pair of last-start victors in City Girl and Lady Pappygate, with the former a half-sister to impressive juvenile and Gr.2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) runner-up Rue De Royale. “She (City Girl) put in a good effort and it was good to see her get her dues,” Forsman said. “She had run well last preparation from a couple of awkward draws and had to do a bit too much, so we gave her a break and she looks like she’ll handle rain-affected footing too which is nice. “She’s quick and likes to jump and run, there will be a few others in the field with the same idea though so we’ll try to be positive as that can be an advantage early on at Te Rapa. “It’s not easy taking the step-up and there’s a few other race winners in the field that’ll be hard to beat, but I’m sure she’ll be competitive.” The daughter of Shooting To Win will line-up in the KPMG 3YO (1100m) with Joe Doyle on board, and he will also partner Lady Pappygate in the Champion Freight 1300. “She’s come along great since her win at Otaki, we wanted to run at Rotorua last week but she drew too wide. She’s got a much better draw here, so the plan is to hold a positive spot in running so if she can trial or lead would be the intention,” Forsman said. City Girl and Lady Pappygate have been nominated for the ITM/GIB 3YO Final (1600m) later in the season at Ruakaka alongside stablemate Satin Doll, who will chase a breakthrough win in the Greene Racing Mile (1600m) “She has a tendency to get back and leave herself with a bit too much to do, so hopefully by the time her race is run, the rail is a bit off for her sake, because she doesn’t have that early tactical speed,” Forsman said. “Hopefully they are swooping down the straight by then. “The Ruakaka race is an option for them, but nominations are asked for a long way out, so it really depends on whether they are up and going and in good form at the time. They are nice options to have, but not necessarily their target race.” Forsman’s attention will also be across the Tasman at Flemington on Saturday, with Riproar, Mr Maestro and Full Of Sincerity accepting into their respective races. A three-race winner, Riproar burst back into form last-start at Caulfield and remains at three-year-old open grade, while Group Two-performer Mr Maestro will contest a Benchmark 100 event over 1600m. “It was a great return to form for Riproar, I think the drop back to 1400m helped him so he’ll go again at the distance,” Forsman said. “My only concern is the barrier draw (10), he is going really well heading into the race and it’s a competitive even line-up so he’s just going to need a bit of luck from that draw. A soft track does help him, there’s been a bit of rain around up there, but Flemington needs a fair bit on the day to become genuinely rain-affected. “I don’t think that will be the case, but there may be the fire out of the ground which is nice for him as he gets through rain-affected ground better than most. “Mr Maestro was disappointing at Morphettville after being very good first-up, he was just messing around in the gates and missed the start when we had planned to be on pace. “They sprinted off a slow tempo and he almost just got left, which is a forgive for him, but it was disappointing to go down there for a race we felt he could win and see it unfold like that. “We’ve applied the blinkers for Saturday, he had a jump-out with them on last week and Damien Lane (jockey) thought they did switch him on a bit. It’ll be the first time in them since he was a young horse, so hopefully that just sparks him up. “Full Of Sincerity has been a frustration. To be fair to him he was outpaced first-up, he was good second-up over a mile then last-start at Caulfield we just had to ride him upside down in a field with no tempo, which wasn’t where he likes to run his races. “1800m at Flemington gives him every chance to perform like he did at Mornington that day, so if he does he’ll run well.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cindy Falls evened the ledger with Sir Sterling at Te Rapa last start, and she will be out to go one better when the pair meet at the Hamilton track once more in Saturday’s Jones Trucking 1400. The Lauren Brennan-trained Sir Sterling got the upper hand in in their first meeting in September last year, and trainer Jon Miller was pleased to see his mare turn the tables last month over 1300m. “They have met a couple of times, when she was first-up a while ago he was first and she was second at Te Rapa, and she turned the tables on him last time,” Miller said. “She has come through it well, I am fairly happy with her. I am just trying to keep her on the fresh side.” Cindy Falls has drawn the ace barrier, while Sir Sterling has drawn out wide in 14, a place Miller would rather be when it comes to race seven on what was rated a Heavy8 track on Friday morning. “The only thing I am concerned about is if the track gets a bit too cut up on the inside as she has drawn barrier one,” he said. “It is a fairly similar field, so we will just try and ride her the same way as we did last time, just quietly.” TAB bookmakers are leaning towards Sir Sterling on Saturday, with the four-year-old gelding rated a $5.50 favourite, with Cindy Falls a joint fourth favourite at $7. The winner of three of her 11 races to date, Miller is excited for the future with his mare, but said he will take her along quietly. “I am just trying to get her through the first couple of runs before she starts to step up,” he said. “It is just a matter of placing her at the moment, guide her through and then see where we are at. “It is only early days for us at the moment. We are just trying to pick through the grades and hopefully we will get her up over a bit of ground, around 2000m, I think that is where she is going to find her real groove.” Miller will also line-up last start placegetter Super Dailo in the Direct Fats & Oils 1200. While he has also drawn an inside alley (2), Miller said being in an earlier race, he is less concerned about the heavy track conditions. “He is in the earlier part of the day, so I am not too worried about the track at that point. I think it is quite a nice draw for him,” he said. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cody Cole is hopeful that his promising mare Kind Thoughts will have her chance at stakes glory in Saturday’s Listed James Bull Rangitikei Cup (1600m) at Trentham. The talented daughter of Tarzino has scarcely put a foot wrong in her short career, posting two victories and two seconds from five attempts, most recently surprising the Matamata trainer with a success fresh-up at Ruakaka on May 1. “I was really happy with her, she wasn’t anywhere near ready for that race, but we thought we’d just go around for a run, and she just had too much class for them winning it quite easily,” Cole said. “She’s a real staying mare that doesn’t take a lot of work once she’s up and got her fitness. We haven’t done a whole lot with her since then, but her work on Tuesday was really good and I couldn’t fault her.” Rated at 68, the four-year-old fell just short of making the field for the feature but needs only one scratching to take her place under regular rider Matt Cameron. “She loves Trentham, she loves the big straight so fingers crossed we can get a start,” Cole said. “Matt will just let the speed unfold and get back a couple of positions, he’s got the big wide open space so I wouldn’t be worried in she was in the last half of the field in running. “When she quickens up, she looks like she’s never going to get there but once she gets going she’s got a pretty good turn of foot. “The topweight (Justaskme on 59kg) obviously compresses the handicap, but at the 53kg, if the best of her turns up I think she’ll be running a very bold race.” A Gerry Harvey-owned and bred Kind Thoughts will travel south alongside stablemates Latrelle and debutant Haughty, who will contest the Southern Rangitikei Vet & TransAg Centre (1600) and TAB Odds Surge Every Race At Trentham (1400) respectively. “She was very unlucky at Ruakaka last start, everywhere she wanted to go she didn’t get a run and would’ve been right there, but she was still pretty close-up anyway,” Cole said. “She’s got a sticky gate (15) on Saturday, but she doesn’t cop heavy tracks and we’re probably going to end up on a soft track, so we’ll have to roll the dice and hope she gets the break she needs. “Haughty has been working really well, she probably lacks a bit of experience and another trial would’ve done her good, but we’re getting to the time of the year where the tracks are a bit heavy and I’m not sure she’ll be a wet tracker. “I think the big space at Trentham will allow her to wind up and be hitting the line well, but whether she’s a winning chance, she may not know enough just yet.” Closer to home on Saturday, Cole will have eyes on the Te Rapa meeting with two impressive last start winners in Part Time Lover and The Prophet both engaged. Lightly-tried Swiss Ace mare Part Time Lover steps into Rating 65 company in the Champion Freight 1300, while Jarvis Trading Mile (1600) contender The Prophet gave a sight at the Woodville meeting putting 4-1/4 lengths on his challengers on debut. “She (Part Time Lover) worked particularly well on Tuesday and has come through her trip to Woodville really well,” Cole said. “She’s got a nice cosy gate down on the rail (2) that shouldn’t be too worn by early in the day, Gryllsy (Craig Grylls, jockey) knows her and the track should be in the range she wants. She should be able to give it a good shake and will be one of our better chances this weekend. “The Prophet’s win was a bit of a surprise, he’s always shown us a bit but not that much, he really made them look second-rate which I didn’t really expect. “He’s come through it really well, he’s a pretty straightforward, clean-winded horse and he worked with Kind Thoughts on Tuesday. “He’s drawn a horror gate (20), but I’m not too worried about that because he drew a good gate at Woodville and ended up five-back the fence, so he’ll end up back in running. If he can get out and produce a sustained sort of run, you’d think he’d be running a pretty good race.” The pair also sport the colours of Westbury Stud owner Harvey, who has been a key supporter for Cole in his training career. “They’ve been great supporters of mine all the way through, back when I was breaking in and doing Ready-To-Run preparations they had horses with me and as I moved over to racing they’ve been great,” he said. “I can’t thank Russell Warwick, Gerry Harvey and the Westbury team enough.” Cole’s weekend contingent is completed by maiden contenders Rareza and Hanginonbyathread, who line-up alongside each other in barrier 12 and 13 in the Direct Fat & Oils 1200. “Both of them have shown us plenty of ability at home, Rareza obviously did it all wrong at Taupo and tried to buck back in November, but her trial at Te Awamutu recently was really good,” he said. “We were pretty disappointed by Hanginbyathread’s maiden performance, he just got a bit worked up at his home track. I think if he ran up to his work, he’d be running a race.” View the full article
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