Chief Stipe

Savaglee marches on to Guineas www.racing.com Gun New Zealand three-year-old Savaglee got his first taste of Australian racing on home soil on Saturday when placing behind Aussie raiders Here To Shock and Bosustow in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and his connections are now looking forward to testing his talents across the Tasman. Raced by The Oaks Stud, Savaglee has been an unstoppable force against his own age group this season, winning five of his six starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), before being tested at weight-for-age for the first time over the weekend. The Oaks Stud General Manager Rick Williams was satisfied with the performance of the Pam Gerard-trained colt and said he didn’t get all favours in the running. “We knew they (Here To Shock and Bosustow) were good horses and it is always hard for a three-year-old at weight-for-age. It was a hell of a race and I am very proud of the horse,” Williams said. “He went a little bit keenly once Babylon Berlin crossed him. He usually drops the bit and relaxes nowadays, but he was a little bit fierce and just got held up a for a while in the straight, which was probably the difference of running second. “He would never have beaten the winner, who was brilliantly ridden by Nash Rawiller and sat outside us, and older horses can lean on you a bit and dominate three-year-olds. “It was his first time against the older horses, so it was a good experience for him, and I am sure he will improve off it.” Williams is now looking forward to heading to Melbourne with his colt where he will take his place in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 8. “I am certain now that he prefers a mile to 1400m and we are going on to the Australian Guineas, there is no reason not to go,” he said. “The form analysts are telling me we are right in the mix. I think he has dropped down to third favourite, but the bookmakers don’t worry me, I am quite sure he will go over there and he will be right in it.” With his $45,000 cheque from the weekend, Savaglee has now surpassed $1 million in earnings, and Williams said that is a credit to the enhanced prizemoney in New Zealand over the last 18 months. “Savaglee has gone past the million-dollar mark already just racing in New Zealand, so it gives you some idea of what the improvement in prizemoney means to owners throughout the country,” he said. “It always takes a while to filter through. The overall economy here and worldwide has got its problems, and there is not the disposable income around. The turnover figures are fantastic, it has gone against the trend, and all credit to Entain.” While Savaglee has been the flagbearer for The Oaks Stud’s racing team this season, Williams has high hopes for a couple of other three-year-olds. “We have got a really nice filly caller Cypher with Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott,” Williams said. “She won her last start and is running in a special conditions maiden at Matamata (on Saturday). I think she is a very progressive filly. “I think Alaskan is a chance in the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m). She just got caught a bit flat-footed when they sprinted in the David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (Gr.2, 2000m). Trentham will suit her and the mile-and-a-half will suit her better.” Williams is also tipping a big future for last start Gr.3 Colin 2YO Classic (1200m) runner-up Tajana. “She is a filly that will go forward from here and be a lovely three-year-old,” he said. Meanwhile, The Oaks Stud tasted stakes success as breeders over the weekend when evergreen gelding Harlech took out the Listed Hazlett Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui. Out of Group One performer Obsessive, Harlech is by former The Oaks Stud stallion Darci Brahma and is a half-brother to stakes performer Obsessive. He was purchased out of The Oaks Stud’s 2018 Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by bloodstock agent Paul Moroney for $100,000 and went on to join Ballymore Stables, run by his brother Mike. Harlech went on to become a top three-year-old in New Zealand when trained by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, winning two and placing in four of his seven starts, including victory in the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m), and runner-up efforts in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). While he went on to place in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and last season’s Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m), Harlech hadn’t added to his single stakes success as a three-year-old until Saturday where he dominated his rivals to take out the Hazlett Stakes by 3-1/2 lengths. “He is such a great, old horse,” Williams said. “He ran second to Catalyst in the 2000 Guineas way back in 2019 and I have always loved the horse. It was nice that we bred the quinella (in the Guineas) and the one we kept the ownership of won the race. “He has been a wonderful horse for the owners, and he is still going strong. I didn’t think he could win from that outside barrier (11), but he got up for them, they are great owners the Fletcher family.” The Oaks Stud are still breeding from his dam, Obsession, and Williams said she has been an asset for the Cambridge farm. “Obsession has been a great mare. She was a Group Two winner and Group One placed,” he said. “She has been a terrific producer and it’s a great family. She has got a Proisir colt at foot and is in-foal to U S Navy Flag.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Jenni gets back to work www.racing.com The possible return from retirement of Pride Of Jenni has reached a crucial stage with the former Group 1 star back in work at trainer Ciaron Maher’s Cranbourne stables. Maher last week dropped the bombshell that Pride Of Jenni’s retirement – after a spring bleed in the Champions Mile – might be short-lived and he confirmed on Saturday that the seven-year-old mare is being prepared for another racing campaign. “She’s just come into the stables and while she’s obviously had her issues, she seems in good order,” Maher said. He insisted the commencement of trackwork did not necessarily mean Pride Of Jenni was certain to race again. “I want to see her come back and for her to show everything is in order,” he said. “You have to make sure every box is ticked before going back to the races. “But she does seem her old self. She does seem very straight-forward. “It’s good to see her happy, healthy and well and as I said, her demeanour is very similar to what it has always been. “First thing is to make sure she’s right. She does seem in a very similar headspace. “She put on weight, but she doesn’t look heavy and she’s moving quite well. “They (owners) looked after her really well. She’s had her time off and she’s done a bit of training.”

Good point. @Freda are the Botannical Gardens between his flat and the racecourse?

What is really interesting is that they put 30mm of irrigation on in the last two days. Also I'm not sure what they have done to the inside half of the track but has it been mown? Good work from some of these 2 yr olds to scoot round the bend that wide out.

"Where's the vase?"

Lo and behold it's fixed.

https://loveracing.nz/RaceInfo/54262/Meeting-Overview.aspx Ellerslie Trials 11-02-2025.pdf

30 Trials at Ellerslie today. About 180 horses going round. Ellerslie Trials 11-02-2025.pdf

Probably thought Gore was Bangalore.

It's because you're called Doomed.

Or was it the Bank of England? If Truss was dumb then Reeves is even dumber. The UK can't tax itself out of the mess it is in. I suggest you @Huey and @Doomed reduce your risk on UK stocks. Sell your Landrover shares ASAP. Actually liquidate your Landrovers as parts might become hard to come by.

You dont know how a Thesaurus works. A synonym is a word with a similar meaning not the same. The meaning of Aftermath is negative. All the presenters are parroting it now. From the Oxford Learners dictionary just for you @TAB For Ever aftermath noun /ˈɑːftəmæθ/, /ˈɑːftəmɑːθ/ /ˈæftərmæθ/ [usually singular] the situation that exists as a result of an important (and usually unpleasant) event, especially a war, an accident, etc. in the aftermath of something A lot of rebuilding took place in the aftermath of the war. the assassination of the prime minister and its immediate aftermath How does a country cope with the aftermath of war? The president visited the region in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Yes but to apply your approach the penalty should represent a quantum of the breaches of the above rules - obviously some of the misdemeanours carry more weight that others. Moran broke more rules than Hart.

The Australian Rules: 170. (1) (a) A driver shall, throughout the course of a race, drive with both feet in the rests of the sulky, unless he is activating approved gear. (b) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (a) hereof, when activating approved gear by foot, the driver’s foot shall not be moved in a downwards direction from the sulky footrest. (2) A driver shall not drive in a race with part of the driver’s body protruding beyond the sulky. (3) A driver or person in charge of or responsible for affixing a sulky to a horse shall ensure that the sulky is affixed in a manner which prevents the hind legs of the horse from contacting any part of the sulky or the driver’s feet. (4) A driver shall not:- (a) Attempt to or allow his foot or leg to come into contact with the hind legs of the horse he is driving; (b) Attempt to or allow his foot or leg to be placed in the immediate vicinity of the hind legs of the horse he is driving. (5) A driver who fails to comply with any provision of this rule is guilty of an offence and in relation to sub-rule (4) the Stewards may in addition to any other penalty disqualify the horse.

So the rule is vague.

So you don't think casting aspersions on the Dunn Woodend Stable is not "ripping into them"? He is no more a Journalist than I am. You must set a low bar to call him successful although I guess you need to justify your subscription some how.

Define footrest.

As I've said many times before. If raceday control is handed over to the RIB Stewards on raceday morning why aren't they off their arses earlier than they are? Were they there to see the two horses gallop the track as per NZTR protocol? The RIB are the Quality Control arm of the industry however it is about time they dropped the suits and wore some Red Bands and tested all raceday systems including the track well before the first race! Lo and behold was upgraded to a Good 4 AFTER race 1. They wonder why punters have had enough let alone trainers!

But that has happened every time NZ has increased stakes. How many of Winnie's $1m races went off shore? On the up side Channel 7 Australia who have partnered with Racing Victoria did show case the Grp 1 races.

The cockups aren't confined to the North Island.

Said like a true socialist. How is Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves doing? Apart from taxing the shyte out of anything productive that moves? Hell Truss wasn't Chancellor of the Exchequer and was only PM for 49 days! Hell it took Ardern longer to stuff how economy and arguably she wasn't as bright as Truss!

Read the Stipes report in the first post. The gate malfunctioned, horse got upset, attendents climbed up, while the starter was resetting the start button the gates released and three horses weren't ready. All horses started but 3 were disadvantaged.

Is the guy on the left with the red star @Brodie? Or @Gammalite on a comeback?

Race 9 DR JOHN SOUTHWORTH MEMORIAL VASE 1200 I’M ALL IN (W Kennedy) - Began awkwardly losing ground. Declared a non-runner by the Adjudicative Committee after it was prevented from taking an effective part in the race owing to the mechanical failure of the starting stalls. SLIPPER ISLAND (R Hutchings) - Began awkwardly losing ground. Declared a non-runner by the Adjudicative Committee after it was prevented from taking an effective part in the race owing to the mechanical failure of the starting stalls. Underwent a post-race veterinary examination which did not reveal any abnormality. DECEMBER (G Rooke) - Reared as the start was effected losing ground. G Rooke reported to Stewards that the barriers malfunctioning had affected his mount in the early stages, however under [Rule 632(1)], the runner could not be considered to be declared a non-starter as it finished in fourth position. IMPENDABELLE (M McNab) - Restrained in the early stages to obtain cover from the outside barrier. WHISKEY ‘N’ ROSES (S Spratt) - Raced three wide without cover through the early and middle stages. Went off stride passing the 600 metres and was then pulled up by its rider. When questioned, the rider reported that she felt that after going off stride rounding the bend, something had been amiss with the gelding. Underwent a post-race veterinary examination which did not reveal any abnormality. Following this race Stewards interviewed the Starter and all riders in relation to the start. The Starter reported that the gates had opened as he was in the process of resetting the starting button and without him giving his verbal call. After considering submissions, Stewards lodged a request for a ruling with the Adjudicative Committee as to whether I’M ALL IN (W Kennedy) and SLIPPER ISLAND (R Hutchings) were denied a fair start due to a malfunction with the starting gates. After considering submissions from Stewards, the Starter and riders the Adjudicative Committee ordered I’M ALL IN and SLIPPER ISLAND to be declared non-starters.

With a geo-blocked limited market of 5 million people. The only way they will gain monopoly profits is if they dump racing at the end of the first 5 years when their funding committment ends. Even then they are competing with established gaming businesses in NZ. Perhaps they are waiting for Sky Casino to go broke.