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Don't worry about those Tipsters Mr Galah. they couldn't care what comes in really unless they have a vested interest in the horse . just the same as most folk around. Anyway , best stick to the South Island where the skies are bluer and the grass is greener for horses and Punters lol. Addington away soon . looking at some Last Start Winners. Let's See if these horses are capable of scoring a double ??  Two wins in a row to win todays  Multi 👍💰  A very hard feat to achieve but we'll see if any are capable lol . Race 1 has Four last start winners so we'll leave that out , and go for races 2 to 8 inclusive.  Race 9 has 3 of the trotters that won last time so we'll skip that too.  Race 2/ He Ain't Fakin $3.40 , Race 3/ Scottlyn Crunch  $3.60,  Race 4/ Ukraine $1.75 ,  Race 5/ Warrior Chief $6.50, Race 6/  Pinseeker $1.55,  Race 7/ Mr Love $2.10,  Race 8/ General Gen $5.00  Taken a few trebles with this lot to Go 2 on the Bounce,  and along with the 7 SPOT Multi for all 7 to win is worth  $2265-1 .  Hope they can all double down on their last starts victories !! lol 😁🍻💰  

can't say i saw much of them last night as married at first sight australia was on ,but i did catch parts of most of the races from palmerston north. i must say,the blokes from out the gate have a good sense of humour. previously i have pointed out how bad a tipster aaron white is whenever cambridge races are on and how the out the gate team reluctantly  kept the faith with whites tips. A white had a knack for tipping them the one horse in each trotting race that you knew gallops 100% of the time.it was his specuiality for months. Each time saying after the race,well ... will win races if only it trots all the way and the out the gate blokes alway bit their tounge. well last night ,after the last race justin evans,the commentator commented how his tips had gone poorly all night(hes actually a pretty good tipster normally, at the gallops anyway) so when justin evans said that,they crossed to the out the gate boys in the studion, the first bloke saying,well thanks aaron for your  tips tonight,the second bloke said,yes, its not often we can get a 100% strike rate in all the races,even if it is for galloping in every race,then the 3rd bloke commented,well i'm looking forward to the return to our cambridge tipster after tonight. their sense of humour is what helps make them entertaining

John Shirreffs, who trained Zenyatta to a Hall of Fame career and saddled Giacomo to win the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1), died in his sleep Feb. 12 at his home in Arcadia, Calif. He was 80.View the full article

Jockey Manny Franco booted home six winners Thursday on Aqueduct's nine-race card, including three consecutive victories to close the day. The six wins pushed his winter meet win total to 25, which leads the current jockey standings. “My agent [John Panagot] is the best, doing a terrific job,” said Franco said. “Every day, he tries to get the best mounts possible. I'm happy to have him on my side. I'm thankful for these opportunities.” Franco kicked off the day with a win aboard Sea Vista (Street Sense) in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden in Race 1, then captured Race 3, a six-furlong claimer, with Kadena (Ghostzapper). He also won Race 5 with Mathea (Tacitus) in a one-turn mile maiden for New York-breds and Race 7, a 6 1/2-furlong claimer, with Top Player (Mitole). He then closed out the card with wins in Race 8, a nine-furlong state-bred allowance, with Otherpeoplesmoney (Central Banker) and in Race 9, a seven-furlong maiden auction optional claimer, with Hot Gossip (Curlin). “I want to thank God first,” said Franco. “Also, thank you to all the trainers, the owners, for always giving me their trust. All year round, I just try to deliver out there. When I have the horse, when I got horse under me, I'm going to make it happen. That's my job.” The post Six Wins for Franco at Aqueduct Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A trainer built equal parts brilliant and idiosyncratic, John Shirreffs passed away quietly in his sleep overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning. He was 80 years old. He leaves behind the kind of record unmatched by all but a select few. At the summit of Shirreffs's mammoth achievements was of course Zenyatta–elegant and imperious, who between 2007 and 2010 achieved the near impossible: 19 straight wins and 13 Grade I victories including back-to-back Breeders' Cup crowns, one of them a Classic. Zenyatta was just denied an exquisite send-off in the Breeders' Cup Classic of 2010, her customary late charge customarily irresistible–irresistible to all but Blame, who derailed history by a head. The deflated echoes from the tens of thousands at Churchill Downs that day could have filled an airship. But Zenyatta was just one of so many superlative runners who performed under the Shirreffs banner down through the decades, each of them nurtured along by a trainer who did things his way. And his was a potent brew of patience, individual care and a horseman's eye that was more of an X-ray into the souls of the horses that walked past him at his barn each day. A Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, Shirreffs cut his teeth as a horseman in the jutting mountain cathedrals of Northern California's Grass Valley at the sprawling Loma Rica Horse Ranch, where the transatlantic phenom Noor would later be interred. He started out on his own in 1976, beginning a career that would see him train nearly 600 winners and earn some $58 million. There were plenty of good ones. Shirreffs trained an upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, Giacomo, in 2005. In 2009, he conditioned a companion Breeders' Cup winner to Zenyatta, Life Is Sweet in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. He could train the precocious sorts who came to the boil early. But he was especially adept with the late-bloomers and the quirky sorts who had a way of navigating the world as differently as their trainer. He could do it because he could read a horse the way an accountant reads the ledgers. “The industry has lost one of the most amazing trainers ever,” said jockey Mike Smith, who enjoyed so many great days with Shirreffs. He rode Zenyatta in 17 of her 20 races. “Not only was he great horseman; he was a great man. Boy, he was, whew… it's hard. He meant everything to me, man, not just in my career but in my personal life. We were very, very close,” said Smith. “He was big John, man,” Smith added, of the six-foot plus trainer. “I'm just thinking about his whole crew. I just can't imagine his barn and what they're going through right now. He meant so much to them as well, you know,” he said. For Shirreffs, “the horse came first,” said Smith. “He'd get inside their heads, you know. He just knew things that a lot of other people didn't. He'd try different things, work with them until it worked, give them all the time that they need for it to work. He was just really great at that.” In 2021, Shirreffs gave a glimpse into this thinking for a series of articles in the TDN. He talked about his one-eyed Grade I winner Hard Not to Love, a nervous filly. He put a mirror in her stall to help with her field of vision. “It made all the world of difference,” he said at the time. John Shirreffs with his Derby winner Giacomo in 2005 | Horsephotos He talked about Morning Line, a top-class runner on the East Coast who had lost his way completely. After the horse arrived at the Shirreffs barn in California, it was back to basics. First, the driving reins. Then a rider with the driving reins–a performance that necessitated a relay race, where the more athletic members of the Shirreffs's team would be situated around the track, ready to be handed the driving reins from their rubber-legged counterparts. “Pretty soon, it got to the point where we just started him with the driving reins, and then the rider would let go of them and carry on like usual,” said Shirreffs. On his first start for Shirreffs, Morning Line won the GII Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park, and two starts later, finished third in the GI Triple Bend Handicap. Shirreffs approached his craft by burying into the horse's psyche, encapsulated so perfectly when he discussed what he termed the “bio-rhythm” of a horse. This is the idea that a racehorse can be brought to peak performance only when they're mentally, physically and emotionally in balance. “You have to figure out how to get things flowing together,” Shirreffs explained at the time. “So, when they're physically at their peak they might not be mentally at their peak because you've trained them really hard, but mentally they're tired or emotionally they're off–you know, upset about being pushed so hard. He continued, “So, you're going to have to lose a little bit of conditioning maybe to bring them up mentally and emotionally, right? It's always: How close you can get everything? “That's the one great thing about campaigning a horse, because when they're campaigning, they're conditioning–they're physically staying at a pretty high level. And as they campaign, and as they get used to the rigors of racing and training, mentally they're getting stronger, too. And then, if there's some sort of pleasure involved–some sort of reward for the horse–then they're emotionally getting better,” he explained. Shirreffs with his most famous charge, Zenyatta | Sarah Andrew In a statement, Santa Anita wrote that it “joins the racing community in mourning the sudden passing of trainer John Shirreffs. He was a fixture at Santa Anita Park throughout his career and his legacy as a caring horsemen will remain embedded in the fabric of our history. “Every horse who races at Santa Anita must first pass by the statue of John's greatest trainee, the wonderful mare Zenyatta.  While John's victories were plentiful and prestigious, what he accomplished with Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic was a masterpiece and deservedly was voted as the top moment in Santa Anita Park's 90 years. “Our deepest condolences are extended to John's wife, Dottie, and his family, including those horsemen and women who worked closely with John for so many years. May his memory be a blessing.” Breeders' Cup also released a statement Thursday evening mourning the loss: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Shirreffs, whose grace, humility, and skillful horsemanship left an indelible mark on our great sport. “Beyond his three victories at the Breeders' Cup World Championships–with Life Is Sweet in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Distaff and with Zenyatta in both the 2008 Breeders' Cup Distaff and her historic 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic–John was widely respected for his integrity, patience, and steadfast commitment to the care and development of his horses. “Campaigning Zenyatta to a Hall of Fame career, he never failed to make the great racemare accessible to her fans, promoting the sport to thousands across the nation and around the world. He understood the responsibility that comes with greatness and embraced the opportunity to share it, helping broaden racing's audience and inspire a new generation of fans.  “Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, team, and friends.” Shirreffs is survived by his wife, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, sister Anita Shirreffs, stepson David Ingordo (Cherie DeVaux), and step-granddaughter Reagan Ingordo. The post Training Great John Shirreffs Passes Away at 80 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbeaten filly Lara Antipova will head Te Akau’s assault on their home track two-year-old features on Saturday. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s speed demon has been untested in either of her appearances and will face her sternest test in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). Meanwhile, stablemates Kinnaird and Out Of The Blue will fly the stable flag in the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) following unplaced runs in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). Lara Antipova romped home by eight lengths in her Te Aroha debut and was again untested to take top honours in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. “She’s in great form and has freshened really well since Wellington,” Bergerson said. “She had an exhibition gallop last week at Tauranga and worked well on the course proper at Matamata this week, she’s in really good order. “The weather forecast is a bit of a query, there’s no good things in racing and there’s some talented fillies there, but she has been faultless so far.” All going well, Lara Antipova is most likely to target next month’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). “We’ll get through Saturday and hopefully press on to Ellerslie and then we’ll have a team talk after that to see what’s next,” Bergerson said. Opie Bosson will partner Lara Antipova and will also ride Kinnaird, who won on debut at Otaki before landing the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), but the bubble burst when he tailed the field home in the Karaka Millions. “He was disappointing, a few things didn’t go his way and he threw his toys out of the cot,” Bergerson said. “It’s a smaller field and although he has won at Ellerslie, he did a lot wrong in the Eclipse and he might be a bit better going this way around. “We can’t fault him and his work has been good this week.” Out Of The Blue was undefeated in two spring starts at Riccarton before he was third in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) and a last-start seventh. “He was really good in the Millions, he ran the fastest last 800 and 600m after he blew the start from a bad gate,” Bergerson said. “In a smaller field on his home track, we certainly don’t think he’s out of it.” They will have three runners in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m), including the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) placegetter and last-start Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) winner Belle Cheval. “She’s the up and comer and we always had this race pencilled in as a nice stepping stone to The NZB Kiwi (1500m),” Bergerson said. “She’s really talented and keeps improving so it will be exciting, with the forecast the only query.” Stablemates Captured by Love and My Lips Are Sealed will complete the Te Akau challenge. “Captured By Love has been freshened since Te Rapa (Gr.3 J Swap Sprint, 1400m) where she got a long way back and was never really in it,” Bergerson said. “She’s had a couple of exhibition gallops and we can’t fault her at home while My Lips Are Sealed had a disappointing spring. “She ran a really good race (third) in this last year behind Legarto and typically finds form this time of the year, so we’re hoping she can bounce back and rediscover her zest.” The other stakes contender is What You Wish For, who will defend his title in the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m). “He’s in really good form and Wolfgang puts him in at a suitable weight and he’s absolutely bouncing around the place,” Bergerson said. “He’s looking to win it again and we can’t see any reason why he can’t.” View the full article

During a spring campaign in which she pushed Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) first-up, beat all bar Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) second-up, and contested a Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) never quite pleased trainer Chris Waller. While she put in some exciting performances on the track, the champion horseman admitted she never looked the part. “She ate well through the spring, her bloods were good, but she never looked well,” Waller said. “She looked light.” The fact Aeliana’s appearance was having no bearing on her appetite or her form led Waller to the conclusion she was still growing. With the benefit of time and a break in the paddock, she has returned around 15kg heavier, and much more pleasing to the eye. “I’m much happier. She’s perfect,” he said. “She will be very hard to beat on Saturday, as we saw first-up in the Winx (Stakes) last spring. She almost beat Via (Sistina). “As long as we didn’t overtax her. That’s my only fear, but there was no sign of it. We pulled up after the Cox Plate, and she was a bit unlucky there.”  Aeliana will be among a six-strong contingent for the stable in Saturday’s Gr.2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, along with exciting mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), and hardy gelding Lindermann (Lonhro). That trio is considered the stables main chances, with Waller expecting Wootton Verni (Wotton Bassett), Soul Of Spain (Phoenix Of Spain) and River Of Stars (Sea The Stars) to all benefit from the hit-out. Autumn Glow is an odds-on favourite with Aeliana and Lindermann third and fourth market picks respectively, the latter returning from one of his best campaigns in the spring when he won three of his five starts. Waller warned punters not to underestimate Lindermann, especially with bold jockey Nash Rawiller on board. “He’s pretty forward because first and second-up is his chance to beat the better ones,” Waller said. “You’ve got Nash on, there’s always a Nash factor. He can always pull something out of his hat.” – RAS Newswire View the full article

David Hayes calls the legendary Silent Witness (El Moxie) “the first great sprinter” and “the best he ever saw”, and delights in having a horse that has equalled his incredible feat of 17 straight victories. The Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer said it would be a “great thrill” to surpass the Hong Kong hero as his charge, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), enters final preparations in the bid to claim a Hong Kong record 18th consecutive win in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on Sunday, 22 February. Between December 2002 and April 2005, the Archie da Silva-owned Silent Witness swept all before him during an extraordinary winning streak, which included two Hong Kong Sprint titles (2003 & 2004), two Centenary Sprint Cups (2004 & 2005), two Chairman’s Sprint Prize triumphs (2004 & 2005) and a Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (2005). He also captured Japan’s 2005 G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) in his final career win. Silent Witness’s success took on greater meaning to an adulating Hong Kong public, given the city’s wider struggles during that period. “Hong Kong was going through very tough times back then — the SARS epidemic, economic difficulties,” said Silent Witness’s trainer Tony Cruz. “He became a symbol of hope. He showed people that great challenges could be overcome. That’s why he was affectionately known as the ‘Spirit of Hong Kong’.” During the intervening years, several challengers have threatened to reach that “magic” number of 17 victories, but none has managed to sustain a run, until now. “I would say it’s a real magic number,” Hayes said. “To equal it was magic, and to beat it is even better, especially at a distance (1400m) where he’s stretching out to show the diversity that he has. “The expectation is for him to win; you just want him to and not let everyone down. But he hasn’t, and the way he trialed recently, I don’t think he’s going to,” Hayes added. Comparisons between Silent Witness and Ka Ying Rising have only grown as Hayes’ five-year-old has coasted toward equalling the record. But for connections of the former, nothing can compare to the “Spirit of Hong Kong”. “There’s no doubt about Ka Ying Rising’s natural talent. That’s clear for everyone to see,” Cruz said. “There’s no horse in Hong Kong that can compete with him right now. He’s simply outstanding. “Silent Witness’s temperament and character were like no other horse I’d trained. He was confident, relaxed, a true professional and an absolute pleasure to train. “Even going to the start, we had to manage him carefully. If another horse tried to pass him, he’d want to take them on. He refused to let anyone go past him,” Cruz added. Felix Coetzee was in the saddle for all 29 of Silent Witness’s career starts. Despite a decorated career during which he was crowned South Africa’s champion jockey three times and claimed multiple Group 1 victories, nothing compared to his association with Silent Witness. “Silent Witness was something unique, something special. It’s wonderful when horses like this come along,” Coetzee said. “He had such a huge presence and gave us incredible memories. I learned a lot from him. Anyone could have won on him — I was just lucky to be there at the right time.” Now aged 26 and enjoying his retirement at the Living Legends facility in Victoria, Australia, Silent Witness is still widely regarded as the greatest racehorse Hong Kong has ever showcased. Though it’s a perception that could alter if another bumper crowd at Sha Tin gets to witness Ka Ying Rising, who was recently named the world’s best sprinter, make Hong Kong racing history on Sunday week. Hayes is thankful that the best horse he’s handled in his career came at “the back-end” of his career. “It’s nice to be the trainer of the most consecutive winning horse in Hong Kong,” the 63-year-old said. “I keep pinching myself, and I’m at an age where I really, really appreciate having a horse with this ability. “I’ve trained two of the highest-rated horses in the world in my life. One was at the start of my career, called Better Loosen Up, and then I have this horse. I’ve had 107 Group 1 winners in between. But nothing like this horse.” An 18th consecutive victory would resonate well beyond the Hayes stable. – Paul Ryding View the full article

Waikato Stud have announced unbeaten Group One winner Return To Conquer (Snitzel), a son of Champion Sire Snitzel, will join their star-studded roster this season. “We’re very excited and proud to stand such a top-class racehorse with a beautiful pedigree and impeccable looks,” said stud principal, Mark Chittick. “He will complement our broodmare band extremely well and to have Kia Ora remain in him adds to the excitement; the Australasian industry will get every opportunity to support him at this introductory fee of $15,000 plus GST, LFG. “To stand a horse bought by one of the best judges in the industry is a real privilege, and it’s a testament to the Te Akau Racing team to have him retire with an unbeaten stakes record.” Purchased from Blue Gum Farm’s draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$1.3 million, the colt had many admirers, including Bruce Perry, but it was John O’Shea who pushed the bidding into seven figures, with David Ellis CNZM having the final winning bid. “From the moment I first inspected him at the Magic Millions’ sale, he stood out. He was a magnificent individual – strong, athletic and beautifully balanced – with the pedigree to match,” Ellis said. “He developed into an elite racehorse under Mark (Walker) and Sam’s (Bergerson) guidance, retiring unbeaten in four starts. All four of his victories were at stakes level, including the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Records like that are seldom found. “Just as importantly, he has a beautiful temperament and a real presence about him. We buy these well-bred colts to compete and win at the highest level and Return To Conquer did exactly that. To see him retire unbeaten and now head to the renowned Waikato Stud is immensely satisfying – it gives him a tremendous platform, and it is a wonderful result for the New Zealand breeding industry.” Group One winning Snitzel colt Return To Conquer and Blake Shinn Photo: Race Images (Kenton Wright) Return To Conquer won all three of his trials before making a winning debut in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m). He continued his stakes sweep, with victories in the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m), Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m) and Gr.1 Sistema Stake (1200m). With Mark and Garry at home in Matamata anchoring operations, Harry and George Chittick travelled to Te Akau Racing’s Cranbourne base to give the colt the final tick of approval. “Ben Gleeson showed him to us and he was really impressive, he has a good brain on him, and he’s such a dude,” Harry Chittick said. “Speaking to Jamie and Chanel Beatson of Ohukia Lodge, he was the best they broke in that year. Everything about him is impressive – from his pedigree to his performance, temperament and physical presence.” “He’s a beautiful horse and very precocious,” continued George Chittick. “One of the things I took away was, yes, there is plenty of Snitzel in there, but there is a touch of Lonhro, too. I’d be very pleased walking out to get him from the paddock each day and bringing him to the barn or showing him to clients. We’re very excited and proud to be a part of the next stallion for WS.” Return To Conquer is out of the unraced Lonhro mare Vaujany, a three-quarter sister to six-time Australian sprint winner Andermatt, and the colt’s granddam, Portillo, won the Gr.2 Surround Stakes (1400m) and finished second in the Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old. “At the end of the day, he’s a Group One-winning son of Snitzel and a good specimen. To get all those things together is not easy,” explained Garry Chittick. “We have a very good spread of stallions, so he fits into our mix well.” View the full article