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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Just six runners will line up for Sunday's €600,000 G1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp after final declarations for the 12-furlong test were confirmed Friday morning. Aidan O'Brien has five prior renewals in the books, some way shy of Andre Fabre's record 14, and relies on G1 Prix du Jockey Club fourth Trinity College (Dubawi), who was last seen annexing Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court Stakes. He will depart from stall five. Jockey Club seventh Frankly Good Cen (Frankel) and 17th Leffard (Le Havre) reoppose from stalls six and one. Leffard's fellow supplementary entry Surabad (Bated Breath), added to the field for a fee of €15,000, has been allocated stall four. Henri-Francois Devin trainee New Ground (New Bay), fourth in the G1 Derby when last seen, gets the two stall. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer registered a first victory in the race with Sosie (Sea The Stars) last year and his G3 Prix Noailles-winning half-brother Uther (Camelot) will exit from stall three. Of the eight overnight contenders, Ballydoyle's G2 King Edward VII Stakes third Galveston (Frankel) and Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner Puppet Master (Camelot) were not declared. The post Six Declared for Grand Prix de Paris, Ballydoyle Relies on Trinity College appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
Open letter response to the recent open letter from the RIB, NZTR and HRNZ. Racing’s Call for Respect Risks Sliding into Authoritarianism By curious. An open letter recently issued by the Racing Integrity Board, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, and Harness Racing New Zealand aims to promote respect and professionalism in the racing industry. It outlines a unified stance against behaviours such as online abuse, public harassment, and negative commentary, and calls for all participants to model integrity and support one another. On the surface, the letter expresses admirable goals: protecting individuals' wellbeing, creating a safe environment, and upholding the dignity of the sport. But when examined more deeply, it raises serious concerns about how far central authorities are willing to go to control speech, enforce conformity, and discourage criticism. In the name of promoting unity, the message risks veering into authoritarianism. Central Control over What Can Be Said The letter promotes a singular, top-down vision of acceptable conduct—defined by governing bodies and enforced through disciplinary means. While civility and respect are important, when leadership dictates what constitutes “supportive” or “negative” behaviour, and equates the latter with moral failure or professional risk, the result is a chilling effect on open dialogue. Dissenting opinions—even those voiced in good faith—may be rebranded as harmful or abusive. This is not inclusivity; it is control. Vague Standards, Broad Powers The letter cites “online abuse,” “unwanted attention,” and “negative behaviour” without defining them. This ambiguity gives the authorities wide discretion to determine what crosses the line. One person’s whistleblowing could be another’s misconduct. One person’s critique of governance might be labelled as “eroding trust.” Authoritarian regimes often thrive in such grey areas, where boundaries are not defined by law or principle, but by the mood of those in charge. The Threat of Punishment The letter makes clear that disciplinary action—including removal from participation—is on the table for those who breach these ill-defined standards. Without transparency about how such judgments are made, who hears them, or what recourse individuals have, this becomes less about justice and more about control. It fosters an atmosphere where people are less likely to speak out—for fear that their words might be misinterpreted as misconduct. The racing industry already operates in a tight-knit environment where reputations are hard-earned and easily destroyed. Introducing threats of punishment for loosely defined behaviour further concentrates power in the hands of a few, while silencing the many. Emotional Appeals as Tools of Compliance Finally, the repeated use of emotional language—“let’s stand together,” “lead with integrity,” “we all deserve to feel safe”—while seemingly benign, carries a deeper implication: that anyone who resists or questions the narrative is an outsider, undermining unity and progress. In authoritarian environments, emotional appeals are often deployed to equate obedience with virtue, and dissent with disloyalty. This framing discourages necessary friction and fosters an unhealthy culture of silence, in which genuine concerns or systemic issues are swept under the rug for the sake of "harmony." A Better Way Forward Respect in racing is vital. But respect must also be extended to those who speak out, ask hard questions, or challenge the status quo. If the industry truly wants to build a safe and inclusive culture, it must begin with transparent, democratic processes—not top-down decrees. There is a clear and present risk that the good intentions behind this letter could slide into an authoritarian approach to industry governance. Rules must be fair, specific, and consistently applied. Dissent must not be mistaken for disloyalty. And integrity must mean more than compliance—it must include courage, openness, and accountability at every level. Otherwise, New Zealand racing may find that in its effort to silence a minority, it has silenced the very voices that could have helped it grow. -
By Nowornever · Posted
Don't forget Chmiel, both their records on the telfer runners are terrible. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Michael Guerin New Zealand’s two equine racing codes are set to join forces to plan for the future of the industry. The thoroughbred and harness racing codes were once considered staunch rivals because while there is plenty of cross over between owners, punters and even trainers in the two codes, they uses to compete for turnover. Those days are all but gone, with harness more or less a non factor on thoroughbred racing’s biggest days while both codes benefit from a stronger overall turnover at the TAB. At the moment racing’s percentage of that TAB profit is also shared with greyhound racing but it is slated for extinction next July, the death sentence handed down by Racing Minister Winston Peters last December. That is, however, being legally challenged by Greyhound Racing New Zealand, although they may not get their day(s) in court until as late as next March. The other two codes, thoroughbreds known to many as the “gallops” and harness racing still referred to as “the trots” have announced they will work together on their infrastructure issues and even which tracks may survive the next five years. Racing’s aging infrastructure is one of its greatest concerns, with abandoned race meetings on tired track, mainly in gallopiing, costing the industry tens of millions in lost turnover and eroding owner and punter confidence. So New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing New Zealand have launched Project Stamina, which supported by TAB NZ, will work toward answering the infrastructure questions which hang over the industry. Some of the biggest questions will be around the Waikato Greenfields project, the almost certain closure and sale of Avondale and the troubled Central Districts where Hastings and Awapuni have had serious track problems and Trentham may need a new grandstand they can’t realistically afford. In harness racing the Auckland region will need a new training track once Franklin Park at Pukekohe is sold and with so many potential projects looming the two codes are better working together, especially when applying for funding from TAB NZ after their legislative net payout from Entain or even asking for government assistance. Project Stamina’s main purpose is, according to NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty, to move from “reactive maintenance to long-term, future focused investment.” What that means is maybe stop fixing tracks that don’t work or will eventually be closed and spend money on the tracks that can be fixed and make long-term financial sense. Working out which tracks are which, overcoming parochial bias and building a cohesive and affordable plan is a mammoth undertaking. Ballesty and HRNZ boss Brad Steele say that plan to use consultants for initial leg work but are quick to emphasise that their boards will be making the final decisions, with input from TAB NZ and the new TAB Advisory Committee, which contains some of New Zealand racing’s biggest players. Working together makes sense for the two codes as it ensures a sharing of information and what each code hopes to achieve, especially important as they already share some venues and could end up working together on others, especially any Greenfields projects “We have reached a critical point that calls for bold decision making,” says Ballesty. “Project Stamina is about making the necessary decisions to ensure our infrastructure supports a thriving future for horse racing in New Zealand. “Working alongside Harness Racing NZ and TAB NZ, we have a chance to build something enduring and unified. HRNZ boss Steele echoed Ballesty’s sentiments and sees the potential in code collaboration. “This is a chance to reshape our future. Collaboration is key to creating venues that serve our people and our sport for generations. It’s time to build infrastructure that matches our industry’s potential,” says Steele. Project Stamina is supposed to have a “first draft” of what the future of New Zealand racing infrastructure may look like by January. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Jordyn Bublitz In-form trotting mare Boss Jo added another strong performance to her record at Cambridge Raceway last night, taking out the Gavelhouse.com Silk Rd Northern Trotting Mares Ht. 1 Mobile Trot. The six-year-old daughter of Sebastian K has now won two of her last four starts and continues to build on her consistent vein of form. Monika Ranger guided the mare to victory, settling patiently 5-back the pegs and moving forward as horses came off the fence in the final lap. Rounding the home bend the pair found their way to clear air and let down with a powerful sprint to win the race by a 1 ¼ length margin. Trainer Jason Teaz said the team felt she was a strong chance going into the race. “At times last night we were all a little bit nervous,” Teaz said. “I thought Monika showed a lot of patience and it paid off for her. She’s got a horse there that possesses a lot of speed so she can sort of make her way out of trouble which she’s had to do a couple of times. Last night when they went so hard early it just played into her hands.” While Teaz holds the trainer’s licence, he’s quick to point out that much of the credit for Boss Jo’s progress belongs to her owner and his stable foreman, Jan Gillies. “I thought Jan might’ve spent too much when she bought her but as it’s turned out it’s been an amazing buy for her. She does all of the work with her; they’re a great little team and Jan is certainly in love with her.” Boss Jo has been a bit of a traveler during her career. She originally raced in the South Island before spending time with Derek Balle in Pukekohe. She was later purchased off Gavelhouse by Gillies and transferred to Teaz’s Ohaupo stable. “Jan is a really dedicated person, and the horse has really responded to her,” Teaz explained. “To be fair she’s also taken a liking to the laid-back lifestyle here, she’s paddock trained and she’s just a really happy horse at the moment.” Boss Jo will now head toward the Silk Road Series Final in two weeks — a $20,000 race with the added bonus of being penalty-free. “It’s a $20,000 race,” said Teaz, “and the prospect of it being penalty free is even better. After that the world is Jan’s oyster, she could easily sell but the way she loves that horse I’d say she’ll keep a hold of her for now.” View the full article
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