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Mark Newnham tuned up for the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) when Notthesillyone continued his fine form on the dirt in the Class Four Austin Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was Newnham’s fifth win on the surface this season and his backers never had a moment's worry, with Luke Ferraris controlling things from pillar to post on the Super One galloper. Pinging out of gate 10, Notthesillyone was always travelling well on the front end and showed a good burst of...View the full article

Not sure I fully agree with that. Of the younger people I was around on Saturday, more were watching and betting on the cricket than the racing. That's a 5 day game. Also one of younger people's complaints that I've heard is that racing is boring because it only lasts a few minutes then you have to wait half an hour for the next one. I heard another similar complaint from a group of corporate professionals that had their Xmas function at the races on Friday, even though they were well entertained with food and drink in between races.

Holymanz (NZ) (Almanzor) and Precious Charm (Per Incanto) shared Werribee Cup honours on Sunday after a dramatic dead-heat finish – the first in the race’s history. Ridden by Ben Allen, Holymanz started a $3.90 favourite after a strong Cranbourne Cup placing second-up. But he was badly held up for most of the 1600-metre contest and looked in trouble as the field fanned for home. There were chances everywhere. Craig Weeding’s Indispensable ($71) loomed on the inside after saving ground, while Precious Charm and Harry Coffey charged down the outside. At the same time, Holymanz finally saw daylight and surged late, setting up a thrilling finish. But the judge couldn’t separate the pair. Symon Wilde’s stable representative Ben Casanelia admitted he thought Precious Charm had been beaten and was pleasantly surprised when the dead-heat was confirmed. With her first Stakes win secured and her versatile profile, options abound for the mare. “Watching the vision in the room there, it looked like she’d got rolled,” he said. “Her best was really good, and she was in A1 order today. The feeling was she’d run a race, the barrier was a bit of a curveball. “She’s tough, out to 2000m might be an option. She seems to go good if she’s fresh over the shorter trips, so she’s got a few strings to her bow. “To dead-heat the Werribee Cup, fantastic.” Bred by Olly and Annabel Tuthill’s Beaufort Downs, Precious Charm is by Little Avondale Stud’s high-class stallion Per Incanto out of the High Chaparral mare Highly Valued, herself a daughter of a stakes-placed sister to Showcasing. The well-related filly was purchased from the Rangiora nursery for $80,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale by Wilde Racing in conjunction with John White Bloodstock and Dave Mee’s Pinhook Bloodstock. For Holymanz, the shared victory was a reward for consistency. Last in the winner’s circle in January’s Listed Coastal Classic at Geelong, the gelding never fails to put in a shift and now has another feature to his name – even if it’s one to share. Holymanz races in the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who stand the five-year-old’s sire Almanzor at Cambridge Stus who purchased Holymanz for A$400,000 as a yearling in Sydney in conjunction with Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d’Etreham. He was offered by Lime Country Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder Jamieson Park. Holymanz will next be aimed at a third consecutive Coastal Classic title, a race of which he is the sole winner so far. View the full article

New Zealand-bred mare Grid Girl (NZ) Time Test) made her first visit to Sydney on Sunday and maintained her rich vein of form, extending her winning sequence to three in the A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill. The five-year-old daughter of Time Test recorded the first leg of her winning treble in a 1454m Benchmark 70 at Kyneton on November 5, then added the A$150,000 Fillies & Mares Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne on November 22. Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes gave Grid Girl her first taste of right-handed racing at Rosehill on Sunday, and she had to overcome an awkward draw in gate 10 among a 15-horse field. But she began well and jockey Jordan Childs was able to take up a handy position in third. Childs moved Grid Girl through her gears in the straight and she finished strongly down the middle of the track. Grid Girl hit the lead passing the 100m mark and then fought hard to the line to hold out the late-finishing Just Party in a photo finish. The winning margin was a half-head. “It worked out well from the wide gate and the plan was to be positive on her,” Childs said. “A couple of them wanted to go quick, so I was happy to let them go and get a bit of cover. “It was a good, tough win in the end, because she got challenged when she was probably a bit out on her feet, but she held on.” Grid Girl has now had 18 starts for six wins, five placings and A$303,996 in stakes. Grid Girl was bred by Guy Lowry and is out of the five-time-winning Savabeel mare Chic. Lowry initially trained Grid Girl for two starts from his Hastings stable in the spring of 2023, placing on both occasions before being purchased privately by clients of the Lindsay Park stable. View the full article

Hugh Bowman showed he is in top form ahead of Wednesday’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) by slamming home a brilliant double at Sha Tin on Sunday. The top rider picked Luke Ferraris’ pocket to snag the final slot at the coveted competition and he tuned up in the best possible way with a pair of typically cool rides. It was a well-needed change of fortune for Bowman, who had to endure three seconds at the Valley on Wednesday night but was in no mood for that to happen again...View the full article

Little Paradise continued his march towards February’s Classic Mile with a comfortable victory at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon. Sent off the $2.65 favourite for the Class Three Salisbury Handicap (1,400m) after three wins from six career starts, Little Paradise notched his first win at seven furlongs after finding a nice spot on leader Ka Ying Attack’s back under Zac Purton. “We didn’t want to go in front because the draw was a bit bad. I left it to Zac,” said trainer Jimmy Ting Koon-ho. “He...View the full article

What you waited 9 months for  that, the things we do sometimes.

If the times are to be believed, Waitak won 

Correct. Refer to my post re breeders cup. There were are lot more dead heats prior to the digital age because they did not have the technical accuracy. Much clearer today however if as other posters have suggested the trackside camera is not in line but past the post then that surely is a case to declare a dead heat. Disclosure, watched, highly enjoyable, but did not bet on the race, so not talking from my pocket