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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
With 64 of the term’s 88 meetings in the bag, the veteran pair have some serious work to do to avoid a third strikeView the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Racing NSW stewards are currently probing the circumstances surrounding race four at Tuncurry on Thursday, which was inadvertently run over 1305m instead of the correct 1205m. The discrepancy went unnoticed until stewards at the mid-north coast track had already confirmed the correct weight. Despite the oversight, race favourite Cool Duke ($1.70) clinched victory by a commanding 2.33 lengths. In an official statement, Racing NSW addressed the matter, stating, “Having regard to the time that had elapsed after correct weight had been declared, thereby confirming the result of the race being official, Stewards determined that the result of the race should stand with the official results to reflect the distance of the race as being 1305 meters. Accordingly, all bets placed on the race stand.” The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Horse racing news View the full article -
Seeing any horse get hurt is awful Aquaman regardless if it's in a race or just in the paddock. I was at Riccarton about 40 years ago when four horses fell at a fence prior to turning for home. Three of them were a ghastly distressing sight. One hobbled up the straight on three legs in full view of everyone on-course. To have three horses put down on one jumping race is not something you forget in a hurry. We had a rural property North of Auckland and had 11 ex racehorses at one point. Have always been a softie for all animals, especially horses. ...even when it cost us a fortune to keep them. Had we not, their destination was grim. We'd like to save all horses from that same grim fate but that's just not practical. It's a side of our industry that has always irked me. I went to the yearling sales in the early 80's and a truckload of yearlings that didn't meet their reserve were sent straight to the slaughterhouse. I made my feelings known about that but was told it was a better outcome for those horses than risk them ending up with an "unreliable owner"....when you're dealing that that logic and justification it's not easy to make progress. A more honest answer would have been the breeder needs to get a return from these horses one way or another. It's what is expedient not what is in the horses best interest. Five years ago after a lifetime of being a big meat eater I came to a confronting realization. Me supporting an animal sanctuary and caring deeply for animals but being part of the processing of animals for human consumption and knowing what unfolds makes me a hypocrite to continue eating them. I did what felt right for me and started eating a vegetarian only diet. It's not a protest or an attempt to convert others. I just do what feels right and is comfortable to me. The reason I share this is to highlight that I'm not indifferent to the suffering and distress of animals, yet I strongly support jumping races. These horses are bred to race. There is no lush green paddock waiting for many horses when their racing days are over. Stopping jumps racing does not extend the life of many horses. The reality is it does the opposite. Some of my best memories on a race track involve jumping races. As I stated earlier the irony of that is that some of my worst memories on a racetrack also involve jumps races. I've seen so many horses meet their maker in flat races and it's always distressing but thankfully we are not rushing to shut down horse racing. Perhaps waiting a month until the tracks have a bit more give in them would help lessen injuries or other improvements to tracks and fences rather than shutting down jumps racing. Remember Mr Hickey, Crown Star, Hunterville, Loch Linnhe, Our Jonty, Grey Warbler, Hadfield, Cuchulainn, Orca, Rock Crystal, Eric the Viking, Teak, Kumai, The Cossack, Koral, Sea King and thousands of others. Take away jumps racing and very few others would know about the great achievements of these horses. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Ben Melham has suffered a serious thigh injury. (Photo by Ross Holburt/Racing Photos) Following a harrowing incident at Caulfield on Wednesday, Victorian jockey Ben Melham has thankfully been given the all-clear from a suspected broken leg. However, the Group 1-winning jockey has suffered a torn thigh muscle resulting from the fall. Initial apprehensions over a potential leg fracture were dispelled after thorough scans, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the setback. Nevertheless, Melham’s recovery has just begun as he faces the disappointment of missing out on the upcoming The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot scheduled for Saturday. While sidelined, Melham will undergo further examinations to evaluate the extent of the thigh injury sustained during the fall from Heed The Omens, a notable contender trained by Chris Waller. Having showcased prowess with a midweek city victory at Sandown just last month, the untimely setback poses a setback for both jockey and connections alike. Horse racing news View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Andrew Forsman will be chasing several repeats of history with seven runners across the two features events at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Cambridge-based trainer won last year’s edition of the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) with White Noise, and the son of El Roca will be among Forsman’s talented trio contesting Saturday’s race, alongside Group Two performers Saint Bathans and Devastate. White Noise has been lightly-raced since his impressive 2023 title and Forsman is hoping to see improvement out of a uncharacteristic performance at Trentham fresh-up on April 6. “It was disappointing on face value, Masa Hashizume rode him and said he failed to handle what was a shifty track. Hopefully we can just put it down to that,” he said. “He has improved a lot from the trip to Trentham, and his work has been great.” Stablemate Saint Bathans has thrived since returning from Forsman’s Victorian stable in December, with a narrow miss in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) highlighting a consistent campaign. “He ran well again last time (at Pukekohe), he’s in really good form,” Forsman said. “He is a horse that operates better on rain-affected surfaces so Ellerslie is a question mark, but he has drawn a barrier which means he can get a bit of cover and won’t have to get too far off them. “If he brings his best form, we know he will be competitive. Completing his Easter Handicap contenders is Devastate who is appearing second-up after being badly hampered late in a strong fresh-up run for third at Pukekohe. “He ran well first-up, he had a tough run and wasn’t given any favours at all,” Forsman said. “Stepping up to the mile will suit him, his ability to race on pace is a big advantage and I think he’ll run well.” Saint Bathans is the first-elect with the bookmakers of Forsman’s runners at $7, with White Noise at $8.50 and Devastate at $9.50 in an even market. Among Forsman’s quintet for the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) is The Patron Saint, a half-brother to the stable’s dual Horse Of The Year and Oaks heroine Bonneval, as well as Lord Arthur, who Forsman and former training partner Murray Baker prepared to win the three-year-old feature in 2019. “He’s a promising horse with good ability. He is coming off a maiden win so it’s a big step-up in grade for sure, but he has the ability to jump and put himself in the race which is a big plus at Ellerslie,” Forsman said. The lightly-tried son of Dissident is the lesser-favoured of the stablemates sitting at $18, with promising filly Moonlight Magic topping the early TAB market at $4 after running sixth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), and facing interference in fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m). “She’s had a very frustrating preparation,” Forsman said. “She’s a better horse than her form line reads, she was very unlucky last start and was cost valuable black-type through interference so hopefully she can gain that on Saturday.” Forsman has engaged Joe Doyle and Craig Grylls respectively aboard the pair, while Listed performer Rebecchi and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (3200m) runner First Innings will have the services of Billy Jacobson and Masa Hashizume respectively. “It was nice to see him (Rebecchi) back racing well last time out, and his sectionals were very good so the step-up to 2000m should be perfect for him,” Forsman said. “First Innings probably didn’t have all favours in the Derby, he got caught in a bit of an awkward spot and had to work quite hard early. “It may have been a bit too much too soon, but he’s had a freshen-up since and his work has been great this week. I’m looking forward seeing how he goes.” Forsman will also be represented by Armino and Blissfull Lady in the Vale Bob Fulton 2100, the latter he indicated to be a key hope in the staying ranks next season after an impressive last-start victory over 2200m. “She (Blissfull Lady) was in really good form, that’s why we ran her from such a poor draw last start. We thought even if she got back she could win, and Billy (Jacobson) rode her perfectly so the plan came off,” he said. “Again, we’ve had no favours with the barrier on Saturday (14), and going up in grade at Ellerslie means we can’t drag her back to last and hope for a similar result. She will be up against it, but I feel she’s a mare that will really hit her straps next season, so if we can get one or two more runs into her, she’ll be in for a big campaign next time in. “Armino has had a couple of runs at distances short of his best, heading to the middle-distance will suit and his ability to race on speed will certainly help.” Proven filly Ethereal Star will aim to overcome a muddled month of missed racing when contesting the Auckland Co-Op Taxis 1500, alongside stablemate Russian Satire. “She (Ethereal Star) hasn’t had much luck of late, the last month has been a mess for her having to be scratched off the heavy track at Tauranga, then we thought we had the perfect race for her but she walked out of her box with a foot abscess the day before,” Forsman said. “She got over that pretty quickly, and now hopefully we can get her back to the races in her best form. “Russian Satire is coming off a bit of a freshen-up and trialled well, we’ve just been looking for a good race to kick her off in. She’s drawn well, she’ll get a soft run and will improve for the day out.” View the full article
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