Brodster extending an invite to Brad Steele to come on Bit of a Yarn also good.

also,when m jones said origin,a 1 win horse got to start off the front when the other 1 win horses were made to start off 20m,well thats not true They also could have started off the front had they put concession junior drivers on. Unless what taku said is true. Maybe thats why taku has said what he said. Hes interpreted what mark jones has said as meaning that,when mark jones unintentionally left that possible inference open to interpretation,without meaning to. we will just have to wait and see if anyone clarifies it so we know for sure either way.. Also,if mark jones isn't happy with concession drivers getting drop backs ,then i have no problem with that. I don't believe in them either. I think drop backs should be based on a horses form and $ won ,not concession drivers. But i would point out the handicapping of drop backs for concessions drivers has always been around. Its nothing new. the only thing thats new is, they have realised it should aplly to 1 win horses as well,which to me is fair enough. having said all that,i think its good that mark jones is out there debating these things. Hes trying to help. And hearing both sides of the argument allows topics like this be discussed properly. People should always feel free to express their opinions,especially people like m jones.

Betting is not like other things.  Its hard to get along not buying food or petrol for your car but you don’t have to bet on sport or racing to get along unless you’ve got a problem.  The punters betting with overseas operators were doing it because they didn’t want to take rubbish odds from TAB/Entain.  I would always happily bet with the TAB if the odds were the same and they were prepared to take the bet at odds shown for the amount I wanted.  They weren’t very often but if they were I was always happy to bet with them.  Withdrawals from offshore operators can be a pain. Now I just won’t bet at all.  No POC tax from me.  Racing needs as many punters as it can get not as much as it can get from a small group of punters with a problem.  Long term what they’ve done will be detrimental to the game.

Just to clarify what your saying .as your making some serious allegations. Correct me if i'm wrong,you've just  alleged above,after origin won at addington,they changed the race conditions of todays race,thus giving preferential treatment to the connections of origin. Thats  a serious allegation taku as it would mean favoritism and corruptuion on a scale i've never heard of before. if true then why didn't mark jones allege that. He doesn't say that,he just says they allowed davis to change the driver after the driver notification time had elapsed,due to davis realising that since he won on friday,he could get to still start off the front today with a concession junior on. i also doubt p davis would want any part of what you are say taku. Hes very honest and wouldn't want to be seen to be getting preferential treatmant on the scale you have alleged. I can get why he may want to change the driver... so all thats different from what you say taku, so perahps you had better check that out as  what you have said seems a tad unbelievable.  

Barring a scare at penultimate fence, rising star Billy Boy (So You Think) produced what all the punters anticipated when he powered away with the Apparelmaster Waikato (3500m) at Te Aroha on Sunday. Easily recognisable with his massive frame, Billy Boy has become a fan favourite in the jumping caper this season, winning both the Manawatu Hurdles (2500) and Wellington Hurdles (3200m) to maintain his unbeaten status. Switching to the bigger fences for the first time, Billy Boy was backed as though unbeatable in the market, closing at $1.30 with his nearest counterparts being Zac Flash and Timba, both at $10. With his regular rider Joshua Parker on board, Billy Boy strode out to take the early lead and put a space on his rivals after gliding over the first fence. Throughout the first lap and a half, the gelding put on a beautiful display of jumping out in front, and the first to put pressure on the favourite was Timba, who he promptly shook off at the fence under the palms. Turning to negotiate the final two fences, Billy Boy had his rivals off the bit and chasing, but ploughed through the second to last, and while he stayed on his feet, Go Butch was suddenly a big danger and drew level going into the last. In the same fashion that Zac Flash had fallen at the previous fence, Go Butch misjudged the final obstacle and fell, leaving Billy Boy to cruise in by 6 – ½ lengths, with Saint Bernard running on well into second. Parker was swift in admitting he was at fault and praised the gelding, of whom he has guided to four victories in as many starts. “I was probably getting a bit excited, but Bill put me in my place and just said ‘let me do it’,” Parker said. “I left him alone into the last and he’s run massively, his jumping was absolutely brilliant. “Bill’s just happy being Bill, and that’s the best way to describe it. You don’t try to ask for anything silly because he’ll correct you, he’s old enough and wise enough to know.” Jo Rathbone, who trains Billy Boy out of Wanganui, was relieved to see her stable star on his feet after watching a fair amount of mishaps at that fence through the season.  “There seems to be a few too many action-packed maiden chases lately, but he seemed to get away with it,” she said. “It’s not what we needed. “I said Josh to keep hold of his head because they seem to have a few issues at the fence, I don’t know whether it’s a bit lower and they’re not sighting it very well, but he was lucky enough to get away with it. “Apart from that fence there, he jumped nice and evenly, and he enjoys his job – as a lot of these jumpers do. They enjoy doing it, which is why they try and put in the effort.” Rathbone confirmed earlier in the week that Billy Boy would not be travelling to Christchurch to contest this year’s Grand National Festival of Racing, with the Great New Zealand Hurdle (4200m) in her sights. “I’ll play it by ear, but he may have a flat run in between times and we’ll see what happens,” she said. A winner of seven races from 32 starts, Billy Boy continues to honour the legacy of his late owner Denis Leamy, who passed away in June.  View the full article

Versatile galloper Leitrim Lad (NZ) (Tavistock) bounced back into winning form over the bigger fences at Te Aroha on Sunday, claiming a comfortable victory in the Te Aroha Veterinary Services Te Aroha Cup (3500m). A winner of 11 races on the flat, Leitrim Lad has successfully stepped into the jumping role over the past couple of seasons and impressed when winning a restricted open steeplechase at the course in mid-June. The son of Tavistock didn’t back up that performance when finishing midfield in the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) last time out, but with a gear change, punters didn’t lose faith, backing Leitrim Lad into clear $2.70 favouritism over Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) winner Smug ($4.70). In the hands of regular rider Emily Farr, Leitrim Lad cruised up to be near the speed early, settling into a good rhythm alongside Super Spirit. The open chase field put on a professional display of jumping throughout and all were well in contention at the 800m, where another key rival in Obrigado began to make up ground on Leitrim Lad. Farr didn’t panic and got over the second to last fence safely, and with his pace on the flat, Leitrim Lad was able to hold off any challengers, clearing the last and powering clear to win by an extending 4 – ½ lengths to Obrigado and an improved Izymydaad. Farr was delighted with the result, having won four of her seven starts aboard the eight-year-old. “He’s an absolute superstar, and even today, you only feel like you’re in third gear when you’re going pretty fast,” Farr said. “When he won here last time it was exactly the same, and at Te Rapa, he made a little bit of a noise, so we put the noseband on and he’s come back.” She commended the efforts of Leitrim Lad’s trainer Eamonn Green, who also bred and races the $333,000 earner. “To keep the old boy – as I call him – going as well as he is, it’s amazing,” Farr said. “Kenny Rae has a lot to do with Eamonn’s training as well, and Eamonn adores every single horse he has. “He does a wonderful job.” View the full article

Talented hurdler Our Daymo (NZ) (Zed) did it the tough way to maintain his unbeaten status over fences at Te Aroha on Sunday. A capable flat performer, Our Daymo switched over to jumping at just his ninth start and took to the new role immediately, defeating a subsequent winner in Quid at Trentham in late June. The son of Zed appeared on the flat in between that race and Sunday’s Peter and Jess Brosnan Hurdle (3100m), where he closed second-favourite behind Jerricoop. In the hands of English hoop Ashley Dascombe, Our Daymo settled near the tail of the field early, negotiating his fences well as English Gambler went forward to take up his customary role as pacemaker. Entering the second lap, Our Daymo was caught three-wide and covered plenty of extra ground as the pressure began to dial up along the back straight. He looked to be feeling the effects of the tough trip and was under a ride nearing the 800m, but he responded to Dascombe’s urgings, picking up again as Abu Dhabi led the field into the straight. It was a two-horse war between Abu Dhabi and Invisible Spirit over the last couple of fences, with neither horse giving an inch, but after switching back to the inside, Our Daymo came powering up and outsprinted the pair to defeat Invisible Spirit by a long neck, with Abu Dhabi less than a length back in third. Dascombe is based with Our Daymo’s trainer Raymond Connors, and he made no secret of how highly he thinks of the gelding. “He’s by far my favourite horse now, he’s unbelievable and just gives and gives,” Dascombe said. “He’s been like that since I rode him at Trentham, even at home, he’s just tough and tries. “I wanted to be a bit further forward because I had to make up ground turning in, but he jumped well. “We did think they might be a little bit too quick for him in the open, but he took to it and he was brilliant.” It hadn’t been the easiest watch for the Bulls horseman, but Connors was rapt with the result. “It was a great race and a good finish, he looked flat a long way out but he kept giving,” he said. “It gets harder as you step up, so hopefully he can keep going. “He’s definitely going to be Ashley’s favourite horse.” Out of a High Chaparral mare Kyrenia, Our Daymo was bred by Anne Corcoran, and is raced by Connors and his father Mark. In 12 appearances, he has won on four occasions and earned over $76,000 in stakes. View the full article

Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll is recuperating in Waikato Hospital after sustaining serious injuries in a shocking race fall at Te Rapa on Saturday. Lawson-Carroll was one of four riders taken to hospital after the fall, alongside Ashlee Strawbridge, Rihaan Goyaram and Hayley Hassman. His fellow jockeys were cleared of any serious injury, but Lawson-Carroll went into surgery on Saturday night, having an operation on his femur. The 20-year-old is indentured to Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, and the former was pleased to share that Lawson-Carroll was feeling positive when they spoke on Sunday morning. “He’s in Waikato Hospital and had an operation on his femur last night, they were a bit worried that it may be cutting off some blood circulation so they operated on that,” he said. “I believe he has to have an operation on his hip and his shoulder, so he’s got a couple more to go. “We’ve spoken to him this morning and he’s pretty positive, his partner is up there with him now and Emma’s been there today, and I think we’ll go in after the races today. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to the surgeons yet, but when I go in, I’ll hopefully be able to have a chat and see what sort of rehabilitation and recovery he’ll be doing. “He’s a fit young man, with a positive attitude.” It was an unfortunate end to a career-best season for Lawson-Carroll, having guided 51 winners and his first at Listed level this term. View the full article

Three-year-old gelding Arcadia Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) proved the superior stayer when taking out the Listed Belmont Classic (2200m) in impressive style on Saturday. Ridden by Clint Johnston-Porter, Arcadia Park worked to the front inside the final furlong and despite a determined chase from the well-fancied filly Fancy Red, proved too tough in the run home to score by just over a length. Arcadia Park continued his winning ways, notching a hat trick of victories and second straight feature after claiming the Listed Aquanita Stakes (2019m) at Bunbury for trainer Michael Grantham and owner-breeder, Bob Peters. Royal Trooper, sent forward passing the 1400m mark by jockey Holly Watson to inject tempo in the race, stuck on gamely in the straight to hold third. Peters said Arcadia Park was impressive and praised the gelding’s response when challenged by Fancy Red in the straight. “It was quite good,” Peters told RWWA. . “I think once he felt the other horse coming, he found another gear, and his stamina kicked in. “It showed there is something there. “He’s bred to do this and it’s nice to see him do it. “He’ll go out for a month and come back; we’ll get him up to staying again.” Arcadia Park is bred to be good, he’s by Cox Plate winner, Ocean Park out of Arcadia Dream, who captured both the WA Derby (2400m) and Natasha Stakes (2200m). When asked whether Arcadia Park could be aimed at the Perth Cup (2400m), Peters responded cautiously. “We’ll find that out,” Peters said. Johnston-Porter claimed his second Belmont Classic, adding to his earlier success aboard Jackpot Prince (2017). View the full article