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         15 comments
      Today we have seen the only remaining truly independent racing industry publication "hang the bridle on the wall."  The Informant has ceased to publish.
      Why?
      In my opinion the blame lies firmly at the feet of the NZRB.  Over the next few days BOAY will be asking some very pertinent questions to those in charge.
      For example:
      How much is the NZRB funded Best Bets costing the industry?  Does it make a profit?  What is its circulation?  800?  Or more?  Does the Best Bets pay for its form feeds?  Was The Informant given the same deal?
      How much does the industry fund the NZ Racing Desk for its banal follow the corporate line journalism?
      Why were the "manager's at the door" when Dennis Ryan was talking to Peter Early?
      Where are the NZ TAB turnover figures?
      The Informant may be gone for the moment but the industry must continue to ask the hard questions.
       
         0 comments
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    • Ohope Wins, no Derby, off to Aus to run in the Vinery and Aus oaks
    • This year's Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule will offer $1.7 million in purses across 20 stakes races. All three of Pennsylvania's racetracks will host stakes.View the full article
    • Sandman and Magnitude are the only millionaire stakes winners in the expected field of seven for the $500,000 Razorback Handicap being run Feb. 28 at Oaklawn Park.View the full article
    • Popular entertainment comes from ideas in all shapes and sizes, both large, and, in this case, small. Former jockey and exercise rider Robert Montano has achieved rave reviews for something much different and quite personal. View the full article
    • Dreamtime (NZ) (Time Test) is the only horse to have lowered star two-year-old Lara Antipova’s flag in a public hit-out, and all eyes will be on the Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained filly when she makes her debut at Pukekohe on Wednesday. The daughter of Time Test beat Lara Antipova in an 800m trial at Ellerslie last October, with Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s gun filly going on to win all three of her raceday starts to date, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and is a $1.50 favourite for next week’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. The Alexanders have taken confidence out of that trial form and are hopeful their filly can bring that to raceday this week when she lines-up in the Stella Artois 1100. “She wasn’t screwed down tight when she put in that nice trial against Lara Antipova,” Katrina Alexander said. “It’s pretty good form in that respect.” Initially set to trial on Tuesday, the Alexanders had to quickly come up with a plan B after the two-year-old heats were scrapped at Tauranga, and they have elected to test her under raceday pressure for the first time on Wednesday. “Whether she is quite fit enough I am not too sure, but she has drawn nicely (3) so I think we will go ahead and run her,” Alexander said. “We need to get going.” The Te Awamutu couple nominated Dreamtime for next month’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) following her trial win, and Wednesday’s hit-out will give them a gauge on whether they are on track for the Trentham feature. “We are cutting it fine (with the Manawatu Sires’), but it is a race we thought she would suit at the end of last preparation after she put that trial together,” Alexander said. “If we don’t make it there, there is also a nice race for her (Listed Star Way Stakes, 1200m). There are still options for her if we don’t reach that target. “It is nice to have something to work towards.” Meanwhile, Alexander has been pleased with the way Aksil (NZ) (Ace High) has come through his Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) sixth placed run and said things didn’t go right for the gelding on the day. “He was up there four hours before his race and he got sick of the environment a little bit, even before he got to the outside parade ring, and it was quite clear he was above himself,” she said. “He left the barrier and got himself way handier than what we intended him to do or thought that he would. He found himself in a handy position with a bit too much speed around him and he ran his race a bit early, and he took a bit to settle after that. “The horse himself pulled up fine, it was just the circumstance of the day with a green horse that we do have to manage right and keep him calm and relaxed prior to racing, and that just didn’t quite work out for him on Saturday unfortunately.” Alexander said the connections of the horse are still keen to press onto the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day next week. “All connections are keen to continue down the nominated path at this stage,” she said. “We still have faith in the horse, he just needs to be ridden a bit colder, and we will make a couple of gear alterations. “At home he is still a lovely, relaxed horse. He could probably cop a bit more work being dished at him, I may be a bit guilty there that he is still a bit above himself. “I think we have still got some improvement that we can make out of it and we won’t quite let go of things yet.” View the full article
    • A paramedic at Turf Paradise has been suspended 90 days for refusing to take a breathalyzer test after the track's stewards found “reason to believe the licensee had consumed alcohol and/or was intoxicated” on Feb. 14. In addition to the suspension, which runs two weeks beyond the May 2 closing date of the current Turf Paradise meet, the paramedic, Robert Winters, “is ruled off for the duration of the term of his suspension and barred from all grounds under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Gaming Racing Division,” according to the Feb. 21 ruling. In that ruling, the track's three stewards-Jason Hart, Claudia Alvarez and John Adams–had cited “substantial evidence” to find that Winters had violated parts of the Arizona Administrative Code related to horse racing. But the stewards did not detail any specifics of those findings in their ruling against Winters, nor did the stewards write about any paramedic-related irregularities in their daily stewards' report for Feb. 14. TDN attempted to get some context on the safety ramifications of what happened, like whether or not the paramedic's alleged intoxication occurred while he was part of an on-track ambulance crew during morning training or for the afternoon races. But regulators, track officials, and a representative for The Jockeys' Guild did not respond to Monday's queries prior to deadline for this story. Emails sent Feb. 23 to both the deputy director of the Arizona Department of Gaming (Shannon Nelson) and to that agency's deputy director of operations (John Mazza), did not yield replies. Nor did a phone message that a Turf Paradise receptionist on Monday said would be hand-delivered to the three stewards. The same non-responses also followed voicemails left on the cell phones of Tom Ludt, the general manager at Turf Paradise, and for Darrell Haire, the western regional manager for The Jockeys' Guild. The allegations outlined in the ruling represent only one side of the story. TDN could not reach Winters, and it was unknown if he has appealed or plans to appeal the ruling against him. The post Paramedic at Turf Paradise Ruled Off for Alleged Intoxication appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • On Feb. 23 episode of BloodHorse Monday: Trainer and co-owner John Ennis talks about Great White's victory in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, Byron King gives insight to his Derby Dozen rankings, Tod Wojciechowski on new safety measures at OBS.View the full article
    • This year's Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule will offer $1,700,000 in purses across 20 stakes races. All three of Pennsylvania's racetracks will host stakes.View the full article
    • The only way to stop the sell off is to change the constitution of the Club or it will just continue and we will be stuck in a time warp. So here ya go, let us know how the vote goes? [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Phone Number] [Your Email] 24 February 2026 Tim Mills Chief Executive Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. PO Box 11137, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 RE: Notice of Remit to Amend the Constitution of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. Dear Mr. Mills, I am writing to formally submit a remit for consideration at the next General Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. As a member of the Club, I wish to propose an amendment to the Club’s Constitution to ensure greater transparency and member oversight regarding the disposal of Club assets. Specifically, this remit proposes that any sale or long-term lease of Club land with a market value of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) or more must be subject to the approval of a majority of the Club's members.https://bitofayarn.com Proposed Remit: "That the Constitution of the Canterbury Jockey Club Inc. be amended to include a clause stating that no parcel of land owned or held by the Club shall be sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of for a consideration exceeding $1,000,000 without first obtaining the support of a majority of members via a vote at an Annual or Special General Meeting." Rationale: The land held by the Canterbury Jockey Club is its most significant long-term asset. Decisions regarding the divestment of such substantial assets have a lasting impact on the Club’s future and its ability to support racing at Riccarton Park. Requiring majority member support for transactions of this scale ensures that the governance of the Club remains aligned with the collective interests of its membership.https://bitofayarn.com Ngāi Tahu Property I request that this remit be included in the notice of business for the upcoming meeting in accordance with the Club’s rules and the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, which requires all societies to update or maintain their constitutions by 5 April 2026. Incorporated Societies Incorporated Societies I look forward to your confirmation of receipt and details regarding when this remit will be put to the members.https://bitofayarn.com Yours sincerely, [Your Signature] [Your Printed Name] Member, Canterbury Jockey Club Inc.
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