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Out of interest how do they restrict you more than anyone else on a self service machine? I walk into my local pub with a machine and the tab wouldn’t have a clue who’s placing the bet? Granted if you win over a certain amount you need Id. 

Jamie Melham will bid to become the first female jockey to claim a coveted double in Australian horse racing when she rides Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours in the A$9 million (US$5.85 million) Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday. Last month, Melham became the first woman to win the Caulfield Cup in its 149-year history, guiding the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Half Yours to an emphatic victory in the A$5 million handicap over 2,400 metres. Ten years after Michelle Payne’s breakthrough on...View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Surely they can’t be a more popular winner at Kaikoura today than Rachmaninov.  The veteran trotter, having his 289th start, outstayed his rivals to win the Smartpanel Construction Ltd Trot.   It was his second start in two days, his 12th career win and it pushed him over $200,000 in career earnings. “Everyone’s so stoked with him,” says co-breeder, co-owner and trainer Trevor Grant. “He really is everyone’s favourite horse isn’t he? After a safe beginning Rachmaninov went up to sit parked with a lap to go before Robbie Close went to the lead at about the 600 metre mark. He held on to win by more than a length. The win came just 24 hours after his second placing in a heat of the World Driving Championship for Frenchman Pierre Vercruysse behind the impressive Hoof It Hagrid. “I said to Pierre, just drive him like a diesel tractor!” Monday’s victory was his second in 35 starts this year and while he is 10 years old he is clearly racing in fine fettle. Until last year Grant had been hesitant to line up his grand old trotter at South Bay. “I didn’t start here him until he was a nine-year-old because I didn’t think he’d go around the bends but he goes as good here as anywhere.” Last year he finished second in his Kaikoura debut and now he has a win and a second this year. Grant has been inundated with well wishers since the win. It’s a testament to a popular harness racing figure and a very popular horse. View the full article

Europe has flexed its muscle on day two of the World Driving Championship in Kaikoura. Firstly it was Jaap van Rijn from the Netherlands who took out Heat 4 and then it was Germany’s Michael Nimczyk who prevailed in the second and final heat of the day with the Matt Purvis-trained Flying Bird. Their victories completed a hat-trick for the Europeans, following Italian Giampaolo Minnucci’s win in the third heat yesterday. The opening two heats were taken out by Australia’s Gary Hall Junior. In today’s heats It’s Tough produced a powerhouse performance to run away from his opposition for van Rijn. It was the Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained four-year-old’s fifth win in his last six starts. Flying Bird was also tough in her run. She got to the front and then held on for a gritty win as Major Happy and Miki’s Courage charged late. New Zealand’s representative Blair Orange is currently ninth on 22 points, 32 behind Hall, after finishing seventh with Classie Linc in the opening heat today, and then last with Gem N Em. The leaderboard (after five heats) is : Gary Hall Jnr (Australia) 54 James MacDonald (Canada) 41 Giampaolo Minnucci (Italy) 37 Michael Nimczyk (Germany) 33 Pierre Vercruysse (France) 32 Santtu Raitala (Finland) 28 Brett Beckwith (USA) 28 Jaap van Rijn (Netherlands) 25 Blair Orange (New Zealand) 22 Mats Djuse (Sweden) 17 The WDC now heads to Cambridge for a further five heats on Wednesday. Overall there will be 20 heats with a world champion being crowned on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington on Tuesday, November 11.  View the full article

Jaap van Rijn (The Netherlands) has registered his first win at the World Driving Championship. And it was a powerhouse performance at the South Bay race course in Kaikoura in heat 4 of the WDC.  Van Rijn made a mid race move with favourite It’s Tough and from there it was all over. The Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained four year old has been in outstanding form and just powered away from his opposition to win effortlessly. It was his fifth win in his last six starts. For van Rijn it was a welcome return to form. He was last on five points after the opening day at Kaikoura yesterday. The WDC has one more heat today at 2.15pm before heading to Cambridge for five more heats on Wednesday. The WDC overall has 20 heats culminating in a world champion being crowned on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington on Tuesday, November 11.  Ten of the world’s best drivers are taking part including New Zealand’s Blair Orange who was sixth equal after the opening day. It’s a brilliant day in Kaikoura for its biggest day of the year. Highlighting the action will be the 100th running of the Alabar Kaikoura Cup at 4.40pm, the White Morph South Bay Trotters Cup at 4.03pm and the NZBS Yearling Sales Aged Classic Handicap Pace at 3.24pm.   View the full article

Two-time champion Swayzee is out of the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup. The Jason Grimson-trained star was vying to become just the fourth horse to win three New Zealand Cups in a row but today he’s been officially withdrawn from the $1m feature at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The news was not unexpected. Over the weekend it was reported he had a suspected cold and was scratched from a race at Menangle. He also missed last month’s Victoria Cup with a bowel infection. Australia’s two starters in the great race will be superstar pacer and $2 favourite Leap To Fame and Victoria Cup winner Kingman ($4.80). Swayzee’s stablemate Hi Manameisjeff also won’t be making the trip. He had been earmarked for the NZ Free For All at Addington on Show Day. Also withdrawn from the New Zealand Cup are the Arna Donnelly-trained trio of The Surfer, Little Spike and Jolimont and Da Vinci, trained by Craig Ferguson.  The current rankings are : The final rankings for both the New Zealand Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot will be released following the running of the Kaikoura Cup meeting this afternoon.   View the full article

So you bagged two horses and a Jockey.  Not quite your best form.  So that leaves 22 horses for you to give us your selections from.

Going early crow popeye. I will wait until tomorrow afternoon once have seen what the track is, not what at present it might be

I feel your frustration however logically it cannot be every one who is interested or passionate about thoroughbred racing to be responsible for the woeful lack of infrastructure maintenance. I was both a punter and owner in the nineties. I backed a horse(I think it was the month of June )at Awapuni on a heavy track. 200m out it wins for fun then inexplicitly falters, picks itself up but runs 2nd. Turns out it put its leg into a hole. I voted with my feet and whilst we cannot bet into an Awapuni meeting at the moment, for the last 25 years I have never bet on that track unless the condition is fast/firm or easy on a good weather day. Last decade at Awapuni on a summer track I had my biggest single win bet which won but there is no way I would be betting large into that track this decade. As a customer I am looking elsewhere. Many of us were complaining, even insisting that money must be set aside for maintenance. As you know those cries fell on uncaring ears. Ultimately the the responsibility and hence the blame  lies with those that govern the industry.