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Bloke gets a bit excited because the opening prices are different to the starting price.  I would open Herlihy runners (who ran 2nd and 3rd ) a lot shorter than a Merediith runner too any day.  But a fabulous driving engagement and Top steer by one of the best reinsmen going in Carter, saw the number 2 get home after cushy run trailing leader. God help those poor bookies . lol 😆🤣 cleaned right out ? lol.  they'll be back to collect more off the mugs in some other races . so don't worry. 😋

Hong Kong-trained horses dominate the March edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday, 12 March, occupying the top two spots.  David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) maintained his position as the top-rated horse in training with an international rating of 128, while Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) was ranked second with a rating of 124.  Japan’s dirt giant Forever Young (Real Steel), trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was third with a rating of 123, while the Karl Burke-trained eight-year-old Royal Champion (Street Cry) was fourth, rated 122. From the United States of America, Bob Baffert charge Nysos (Nyquist) rounded out the top five of the March list, rated 121.  Ka Ying Rising, raced by the Ka Ying Syndicate, broke the record for consecutive wins by a Hong Kong-trained horse when he added an 18th straight triumph to his already glittering CV with victory in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on 22 February. It was the five-year-old’s eighth Group One success and sixth win this season.  Romantic Warrior was at his peerless best when the eight-year-old, owned by Peter Lau, blitzed the field to claim a record-extending 13th Group One victory in the Gr.1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 1 March.  Both horses are focused on domestic glory for the remainder of this season: Ka Ying Rising is aiming to retain his Hong Kong Speed Series honours with victory in April’s Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), while the world’s highest-earning horse Romantic Warrior is looking to complete the Triple Crown with a win in the Gr.1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 24 May.  Ka Ying Rising next races in Easter Monday’s (6 April) Gr.2 Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin when he goes for a 19th win in succession.  Hong Kong boasts four entries in the top 20 of the March edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. Manfred Man’s Lucky Sweynesse is ranked joint-11th with an international rating of 118, while John Size-trained Helios Express is joint-15th with a rating of 117. View the full article

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson looks to have an exciting juvenile on his hands in Ronaldo (NZ) (Ribchester), and he is hoping he can score again at Wanganui on Saturday. Ronaldo has yet to be beaten in four public hit-outs to date, including in his debut over 1200m at his home track last month, and he will be out to continue his wining ways in the Palamountains Nutrition 2YO (1200m) this weekend. “He is a gorgeous horse,” Patterson said. “He has got a beautiful draw (2) and he will put himself right there. I imagine his ability will take him a fair way.” A tilt at elite-level is calling Ronaldo after Saturday, with the colt set to head to Trentham in a fortnight to contest the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and Patterson believes Saturday’s run will have his charge cherry ripe for the two-year-old feature. “He is getting ready for two weeks in the Sires’ Produce and he hasn’t put a foot wrong since he won first-up,” Patterson said. “I am really excited about seeing him go around again.” Ronaldo is a $1.75 favourite with TAB Bookmakers for Saturday’s contest and he is currently at $10 on their futures market for the Sires’ Produce. Patterson will head to Wanganui with just one other runner in Ma Te Wa (NZ) (Time Test), and they too are getting ready for a Trentham assignment. The Time Test gelding has hardly put a foot wrong this preparation, winning two and runner-up in one of his four starts this season, with his only unplaced run coming in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) when seventh. “He didn’t get any luck that day, he got back and on the inside in unfamiliar territory for him and the breaks never came,” Patterson said. Ma Te Wa bounced back with a last start victory over 1400m and Patterson is looking forward to lining him up in the Shane Stone Builders Open (1340m) on Saturday ahead of the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m) a fortnight later. “It was only a four-horse field (last start) but he beat a reasonable horse home from our stable in Our Jumala,” Patterson said. “He had a quiet few days after that and I looked at the Flying Handicap as an option for him, so I thought this would be a good one to kick him back off in. “There is a lot of pace in the race. He normally jumps and puts himself there, but I would imagine he might be fourth or fifth in the running with all of that pace. If they go hard it will suit him and hopefully he can get over the top.” Ma Te Wa currently heads the market for his Wanganui assignment at $1.90, with Old Bill Bone the next fancied runner at $6.50. Patterson is tipping a bright future for Ma Te Wa and believes the best is yet to come. “He is just a model of consistency, he is a good galloper,” Patterson said. “He is still 12 months away really, he is still weak, but he is strengthening up all the time. Next season, with a good break you could see a nice horse.” View the full article

Popular grey Chattahoochee (NZ) (Reliable Man) made a pleasing return to the races at Matamata last month for part-owner Lisa Anderson, and the Cambridge horsewoman is looking forward to giving him his first stakes test under her care in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. The son of the late Westbury Stud stallion Reliable man had his first start in nearly a year when fifth in the $350,000 Wairere Falls Classic (1500m), and Anderson was rapt with the first-up effort on a Heavy9 surface. “He went a huge run at Matamata fresh-up, it was his first run in 10 months, he drew outside and the track was pretty heavy,” she said. Previously in the care of Debbie Sweeney, Anderson elected to pre-train the gelding when he returned from a lengthy spell and subsequently decided to press on towards the races with the seven-year-old. “He went to Melbourne and ran in that greys race the year before (2024) and he had a really long campaign,” Anderson said. “We brought him back and he won another one and then he went to the Easter Handicap (Gr.3, 1600m) and he was a bit disappointing and probably had come to the end of it. “He hadn’t had a long break, so we gave him a decent spell. “I had another horse in work so I said I would get him ready and I have ended up just keeping him. I had two in work, so it was easier to work two than one.” Anderson has enjoyed having Chattahoochee in her care after enjoying watching him win seven races for Sweeney, and finish runner-up in the 2024 edition of the Easter Handicap behind Group One winner Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock). “He is really hard to give up because he is gorgeous and he knows it. He is a really awesome horse to have around,” Anderson said. Initially raced by breeder The Oaks Stud, Chattahoochee is out of Group Three performer Auspicious (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who Anderson had previously trained, and her link with the mare attracted her to purchase her son off gavelhouse.com for $8,250. “I trained his mum, Auspicious, for the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m),” Anderson said. “When he came up on Gavelhouse he hadn’t done a lot and I spoke to Rick (Williams, The Oaks Stud General Manager) and he said he was sound and he probably just needed a bit of time. “We took a punt on him and put him in the paddock. I got him ready up to a trial stage and then gave him to Debbie because I was so busy with work and then he started winning. She did an amazing job, she won seven races with him. “Everybody loves him, he is definitely a bit of a favourite.” Anderson is looking forward to lining him up for the second time on Saturday where he has drawn barrier six and will be ridden by Joe Doyle. “He has a good course and distance record,” she said. “At set weights and penalties he is probably not as well off as he would be if it was a handicap, but in saying that, he is bright and well and I can’t fault him. He is a happy horse.” All going well after Saturday, Anderson said she would love to head towards the Easter Handicap with Chattahoochee and try to win the race sponsored by his part-owner Brian Black. “Through this we would love to win the Easter,” Anderson said. “Brian and I own him together and Brian sponsors the Manco Easter Handicap. He has a lot of horses in work and he is a massive supporter of New Zealand racing.” View the full article

For how they managed to get it so wrong or what?

We are waiting for your explanation.

Masterclass on how to get the book completely wrong.  

I guess the racing calendar will be getting close to being finalized, one wonders what radical idea they will implement for the next round, Cambridge Tuesdays was one great initiative, that's why they moved it to Thursdays then they have actually removed some completely for the winter, will they stick with the 2 sunday meetings in the South Island, will they race more at Auckland, will Nelson get a better deal, might help themselves if they got rid of miles day, what will the CD area get, so many questions to be answered, or maybe just stick with status quo.

Good to hear that numbers havent dropped this year but yes due to HRNZ subsidies which hopefully helps the breeding industry! Are we confident that HRNZ are in a financial position to be able to continue to be able to pay subsidies in the future? Did hear that one North Canterbury breeder sent something like an extra 70 mares to stallions this year? wondering how many current breeders will bother breeding if stake money was substantially reduced in 2 years time?