Chief Stipe

@nomates did you and @Comic Dog get stuck in the primary school yard?

Madame Shinko. I've got a picture somewhere of me leading her back into the birdcage after shaking Andrews hand.

How old would he be now? Rode a G3 winner for me in 2006!!

Olympic rider suspended for repeatedly whipping young horse in video says it was a ‘rescue mission’ - Horse & Hound www.horseandhound.co.uk Australian Olympic rider Heath Ryan said he is sad an “awful” video has surfaced of him repeatedly whipping a young horse – which he described as part of a “rescue mission”, and which the FEI and Equestrian Australia are investigating. The 66-year-old, who competed at the 2008 Games in dressage and was eventing at four-star level in 2024, has been provisionally suspended as of today (12 June). The video has been shared widely on social media. Watch the video https://content.jwplatform.com/previews/pWEeG2W3 An Equestrian Australia (EA) spokesperson told H&H the federation is aware of the footage and has received a formal complaint about the matter. “Equestrian Australia is extremely alarmed and concerned by the treatment of the horse shown in this footage,” the spokesperson said. “Equestrian Australia’s complaints, disputes and discipline policy includes high standards to protect all participants and their horses against any adverse physical, social, and emotional conditions during all EA endorsed equestrian activities that are conducted under the auspices of EA or by any EA affiliate. We also have a code of conduct which requires participants to adhere to the FEI code of conduct for the welfare of the horse. “The person depicted in the video is a member of Equestrian Australia. EA is currently investigating this matter through the lens of these two policies and will have more to say about the matter when we have more information to hand.” “A problem child” In a statement, Heath said the “most awful video” was taken two years ago, of a six-year-old called Nico, a “beautiful type” who was “dropped off at my place on his way to the knackery”. “He was genetically a result of my best stallions, all of which were successful in grand prix dressage, so Nico was beautifully bred,” he said. “Nico belonged to a wonderful family friend who had been put in hospital in intensive care by Nico. Prior to this really bad accident Nico had always been a problem child and would just stop. This gradually got worse and worse until the accident. The owner of Nico and my friend is a diminutive lady and 100% not capable of being physically aggressive in any way.” Heath said Nico had always had a very good home, wanted for nothing and was loved. “Here is the question,” he said. “If a beautiful six-year-old horse turns up at your facility and it was bred by your stallion and it belonged to a lifelong friend of yours who had been put in hospital in intensive care by this horse would you just send it to the knackery?? “Well, I didn’t and I felt obliged to the horse to just have a look and see if it was possibly salvageable. Well, did I get a shock. “And so the video. I have never ridden anything like it. I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery. That video was a life or death moment for Nico and of that I was very aware. I felt I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options. “Anyway by the end of that initial ride I did feel Nico was responding. I rode Nico for another couple of days and he responded very well and started to go without the use of excessive driving aids. I then called up another friend of mine who is also a grand prix dressage rider who is always watching out for a special horse but has very limited resources. I disclosed the whole story but said that I thought if Nico could find the right home I thought he was a good horse and maybe a very good horse.” New home He said Nico went to a new home, which turned out to be a very good one; he shared another video of the horse “thriving in a loving and competitive home with an exciting future”. “All of this transpired sincerely with the horse’s best interests the sole consideration,” he said. “Unbelievably it was so successful for everyone except me with the release of this video. “What can I say? If you think I did that flippantly, you are wrong. I hated reaching out in those moments to Nico and asking the hard questions. That was the last place I wanted to be. I have never before ridden a horse that reacted like that and I certainly will never do it again. “Was it worth it? Well, not for me however I am very happy for Nico. I need to add that this happened about two years ago and the video has been posted by an unhappy ex-employee. “All I can say is that this awful video was collateral damage of me from the bottom of my heart launching a rescue mission.” In an updated statement this afternoon, EA said it had suspended Heath pending investigation. “Equestrian Australian takes matters of animal welfare very seriously,” it said. “Contrary to commentary on YouTube, we have no information to suggest Equestrian Australia management asked for the footage of this incident to be removed.” An FEI spokesperson told H&H it had mirrored the EA suspension, adding: “The FEI is aware of the footage published on social media and is taking it very seriously. We are liaising with Equestrian Australia and looking into this incident.”

For @JJ Flash and others benefit: Timeline End of June 2025 - ENTAIN is expected to have completed the planned improvements to its AML and CTF systems. Which were notified to AUSTRAC. Before 4 August 2025 - AUSTRAC and ENTAIN are required to attend mediation. By 12 September 2025 - if mediation does not resolve the matter ENTAIN is required to file its defence to the Statement of Claim. After 12 September 2025 - a hearing date will be set which could be many months in the future and of course a settlement could be reached at any point up to and before that hearing is concluded. There is an advantage to waiting until the system upgrades have been completed and spending the available time to build a defence in case the mediation talks reach a deadlock. There is also the case in progress where Star Casino are pushing back against their fine seeking relief to avert bankruptcy. That said the precedents mentioned in the previous post are good guidelines to what penalty may be agreed. It isn't inconceivable that ENTAIN show that they have made significant steps to address AML issues in their upgrade and that they agree with AUSTRAC to do more and avoid a fine.

It's interesting how some in this industry are quick to promote a doom and gloom headline or rather a perception of one. The perception is that ENTAIN are going to take a HUGE financial hit from the AUSTRAC Anti-Money Laundering charges. Aka @JJ Flash However if you read the 600+ pages of the AUSTRAC Statement of Claim against ENTAIN and then compare to other successful prosecutions there is a strong case to argue that ENTAIN will get either: 1. A statutory enforced requirement to work with AUSTRAC to achieve compliance (ENTAIN had already agreed to pursue that course); and/or 2. A fine. The quantum of that fine will be comparable to other fines that AUSTRAC have successfully prosecuted in similar cases. There is a precedent for option 1 and that is the Sportsbet prosecution. In terms of option 2 a fine. The degree of non-compliance is not close to the level of WESTPAC's which incurred a $1.3billion fine. So it can be expected to be less. Skycity Adelaide incurred a fine of $67 million. Star Casino received a fine of $450 million. Arguably the ENTAIN case lies closer to SkyCity than Star. Star was allegedly turning over $70m a week with high risk customers which is $11.9 billion a year. There were identified 117 high risk customers with one being given $167m gambling credit!!! By comparison AUSTRAC has identified 17 high risk customers who spent $152 million with ENTAIN. In another case Crown Casinos was fined $450 million - just one of their high risk customers had a turnover more than the entire NZTAB!! Other mitigating factors in ENTAIN's favour is that some of the non-compliance was "purchased" in that it relates to activity done by companies purchased by ENTAIN before they took over. ENTAIN have also been cooperating fully. ENTAIN has a market capitalisation of $8 billion and since the AUSTRAC case was lodged has seen no change in share price i.e. the market does not perceive a high risk from the current litigation.

Well based on that description some of the very people you openly deride would fit the bill. Yet it seems being successful excludes them from your list.

@Comic Dog and @Pete Lane BOAY as long as I'm involved is staying right where it is. I'm guessing that will be longer than other forums unless @Comic Dog has a succession plan. @JJ Flash in life we always find our level and I guess you have found yours.

Yes and being the gentle horse that he was you can't help but get attached to him.

Doesn't mean he doesn't have "an interest in racing". Probably a lawyer or such but had an interest in racing. For quite some time now you don't need to walk into a TAB to have an account. Define the "grass roots level"? Imagine the uproar if they hired someone for the top job whose only experience was as a Stablehand. "Grassroots", "The Coalface" and even "Battler" are just metaphors to describe something that is often very fluid in definition. It seems more and more we categorise and label individuals as a means to create virtual tribes which are then pitted against each other.

I can't think of any at a Senior Management level.

That's a bit of a stretch @Doomed . Who has been employed that doesn't have an interest in racing?

@Comic Dog you are not in a position to call anyone a hypocrite let alone @hesi

Yeah well Hokitika teenagers only have to drive 38km now. Soft.

Not sure but I'm pretty sure Ken Rutherford had it at one stage.

LOL just down the road from Nancy's.

Geez @Rangatira that brings back memories!!! Was a teenager in Hokitika and we didn't have any franchise takeaways. Did KFC start in Riccarton Road during the mid-70's? Anyway one Friday night the team met up in Revell Street - not sure how as no mobile phones in those days - just party lines. We were a bit bored with local pubs (under-age as we were) so one of the guys had souped up his escort (had 4 carburettors or something) and we'd heard about KFC opening in Riccarton Road, Christchurch. Some bright spark said "let's go get KFC"! 250kms later we were lined up at KFC!!! Drove straight home. Over breakfast the next morning Mum asked 'what did you do last night?" Oh just hung out with some mates and got takeaways Distance has never worried me.

Jockey James McDonald aiming to break Group 1 season mark www.racenet.com.au Hall of Fame jockey Malcolm Johnston is adamant James McDonald will claim his national riding record for most Group 1 wins in a season – it's just a matter of when. And Johnston also declared McDonald could ride an unthinkable 200 Australian Group 1 winners before the end of his riding career if he remains based in Sydney. These were Johnston's comments when interviewed by Racenet as McDonald closed in on his 16 major race winners in a season – a national record that has stood unchallenged since 1979-80. Just a week after trainer Chris Waller set a national record with 19 Group 1 winners for a season, McDonald is also poised to rewrite racing history at Eagle Farm. McDonald has ridden 15 Australian Group 1 winners this season and can equal or even break Johnston's longstanding record at Eagle Farm on Saturday when he partners Rothfire in the $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and Hidden Achievement in the $1m JJ Atkins (1600m). Clinton Payne - Last 28 Days • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "Records are made to be broken and J-Mac has the opportunity to set a new mark on Saturday that will probably stand the test of time,'' Johnston said. "If he doesn't break my record this weekend then I'm sure he will one day – if it is not this year it will be in the years to come because he is going to break all the riding records.'' But like the time when Australian cricket captain Mark "Tubby" Taylor decided to declare on 334 not out so he wouldn't surpass the legendary Sir Donald Bradman's highest Test score, Johnston is hoping McDonald equals but doesn't break his national riding record. Jockey ‘Miracle' Malcolm Johnston took all before him in the 1979-80 season with 16 Group 1 victories. • J-Mac confirmed for Rothfire's incredible Stradbroke bid "I'd be very proud to share the record with J-Mac because I've never seen a better jockey,'' Johnston said. "He's as good as Darren (Beadman), as good as Mick (Dittman), as good as Ronnie (Quinton). "If James gets to 16 Group 1 wins then when you look at the replays of his next couple of Group 1 rides that will be me swinging off their tails. "But to be fair, J-Mac has had a phenomenal season. He didn't have a Kingston Town like I had to win six Group 1 races in a season for me but he did have Via Sistina to help him.'' McDonald rode Via Sistina to win five Group 1 races during the season but did miss another two of the mighty mare's majors. The jockey chose to rode Fangirl in the Winx Stakes only to finish third behind Via Sistina and then he was in Sydney for Epsom Day but missed riding a Group 1 winner while the champion mare won the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. But McDonald's outstanding 2024-25 season has also included six international Group 1 wins to increase his Australian tally of majors to 92 and his overall career record to 119 Group 1 wins. James McDonald needs just one Group 1 win to equal Malcolm Johnston's record season in 1979-80. • Stradbroke Handicap field: Gollan's gun only second emergency Johnston said it was remarkable to think McDonald was still only 32 years of age and rode his first Australian Group 1 winner on Scarlett Lady just 14 years ago. "If J-Mac stays in Sydney, he could ride 200 Group 1 winners before he retires – and I'm not counting his international wins,'' Johnston said. "I hope James does stay here because we are privileged to watch one the greatest ever do his thing each week but I believe he will eventually go to Hong Kong. "Once he breaks ‘Ollie's' record (125 Australian Group 1 wins and 129 in total) then I suspect he will consider going to Hong Kong because he might be looking for a new challenge. "But he has the best of both worlds at the moment because he can go and ride in Hong Kong when he wants to and he still gets the best of the rides in Australia.''

Trainer James Cummings to train in Hong Kong from 2026-27 www.racenet.com.au James Cummings has withdrawn his application for the famous Leilani Lodge stables at Royal Randwick after accepting an offer to train in Hong Kong. Cummings flew to Hong Kong on Tuesday to front a press conference this morning in which the Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed the trainer would move there for the start of the 2026-27 season. It's a real coup for Hong Kong racing to secure one of Sydney's most outstanding trainers. Cummings' tenure as Godolphin's private trainer comes to an end on July 31. He will take a "sabbatical'' from training before he moves to Hong Kong next year. Clinton Payne - Last 28 Days • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "This wasn't a decision I made lightly. With the upcoming conclusion of my exclusive role at Godolphin, I have carefully considered the right path forward,'' Cummings said. "While continuing to train in Australia was my intention, the opportunity in Hong Kong presented a unique and respected environment to challenge myself and grow further as a trainer. This is a progression to the next stage of my career in a new jurisdiction.'' Cummings said he was privileged to lead a "talented and committed team" at Godolphin since 2017. "In deciding not to train next season, I also wanted to be fair to my staff by giving them the opportunity to commit to a long-term role with another stable,'' he said. "To the owners who had already been forthcoming in their support, I want to express my sincerest appreciation. "I felt it would be unfair to continue, only to step away and leave the team and yearlings without guidance during a pivotal stage in their development." Cummings has been reconsidering his future since Godolphin Australia recently made a bombshell announcement that it was moving to a public training model from August 1. The trainer had lodged an application to take over the vacant Leilani Lodge stables at Royal Randwick. The Australian Turf Club's board of directors is due to meet this week to discuss which trainer will be allocated the 60-boxes at Leilani Lodge where Bart Cummings trained so successfully for more than 40 years. An original Hall of Fame inductee, Bart Cummings prepared some of his greatest champions out of Leilani Lodge including Saintly, So You Think, Beau Zam, Shaftesbury Avenue, Sky Chase, Campaign King, Dane Ripper and many others. The nation's leading trainer, Ciaron Maher, and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott team are the clear favourites to be given the keys to the Randwick stables which have been vacant since the licence of James's father, Anthony Cummings, was revoked earlier this year. The famous Leilani Lodge stables at Randwick. • Comeback star can give Cummings a Golden send-off in Stradbroke James Cummings is only 37 years of age and has already trained 52 career Group 1 winners including two with his legendary grandfather, Bart. To put this achievement into context, Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith didn't train their 50th Group 1 winner until they turned 45. Chris Waller may rewrite all the training records but he didn't get to 50 big race wins until he was 42. In fact, the only other trainer to reach 50 Group 1 wins before the age of 40 was Lee Freedman who was 38. Cummings has been Godolphin's trainer since 2017 and has been hugely successful for the global racing and breeding giant, preparing 48 Group 1 winners for the "Blue Army" and more than $200 million prizemoney. Anamoe has been Godolphin's best horse during the Cummings era winning nine Group 1 races including the 2022 Cox Plate and earning Horse of the Year honours in 2022-23. Cummings trained a Golden Slipper quinella in 2019 with Kiamichi and Microphone, and the winners of the Golden Eagle (Colette, 2019), Doncaster Mile (Cascadian, 2021), Epsom Handicap (Hartnell, 2018), Tancred Stakes (Avilius, 2019) and two Golden Roses with Broadsiding (2024) and Bivouac (2019). The champion trainer also enjoyed tremendous success for Godolphin interstate preparing the winners of the All Star Mile (Tom Kitten, 2025), two Australian Cups (Cascadian 2023, 2024), three Newmarket Handicaps (Bivouac, 2020, In Secret, 2023 and Cylinder, 2024), two VRC Oaks (Zardozi, 2024 and Willowy, 2021), two Caulfield Guineas (Anamoe, 2021 and Golden Mile, 2022) and the Stradbroke Handicap (Trekking, 2019).

www.racenet.com.au Arrowfield Stud's super sire Snitzel, the nation's four-time champion stallion, has died. He was 23. John Messara, Arrowfield's chairman, told News Corp Snitzel passed away just after 11am on Wednesday. "We are all devastated by what's happened,'' Messara said. "Snitzel had not been well over the last 12 months with a liver complaint but he has gone downhill rapidly the last few days. I'm still in a state of shock.'' Clinton Payne - Last 28 Days • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In an Arrowfield press release it was revealed: "Despite comprehensive veterinary support and the daily dedication of Arrowfield's experienced stallion team, his condition deteriorated rapidly over the past week. With no treatment options remaining, the decision was made to allow him a peaceful and dignified farewell." A former outstanding sprinter, Snitzel won the 2006 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate before retiring to stud where he forged a deserved reputation as one of the all-time great stallions. Snitzel has sired 23 individual Group 1 winners and more than 150 individual stakes winners including three Golden Slippers, two The Everests, a Cox Plate, two Golden Roses, four Guineas', a Flight Stakes, two Magic Millions 2yo Classics, an Inglis Sires trifecta and most of Australia's feature sprints. Super sire Snitzel has died aged 23 The acclaimed stallion's best progeny included Redzel, Lady Shenandoah, Trapeze Artist, Russian Revolution, Shamus Award, Snitzerland, Switzerland, Wild Ruler, Sweet Idea, Estijaab and Marhoona. Boasting more than 1600 race wins as a sire, his progeny won just $273 million in stakes. Snitzel was a four-time Australian Champion Sire, four-time Champion 2YO Sire, two-time Champion 3YO Sire, and five Inglis Easter sale-toppers and 71 yearlings that have sold for $1 million or more. READ: ‘Never seen a better jockey': J-Mac closes in on Miracle Mal's mark The super stallion has averaged 24 stakes wins every season for a decade and at the southern hemisphere's premier yearling sale, Inglis Australian Easter Sale, he had seven $1 million-plus lots, including a $2.7 million full brother to Switzerland for a sale-high average of $708,000 for his 32 yearlings. Jockey Craig Newitt rides Snitzel to victory in the 2006 Oakleigh Plate Snitzel, like his sire and former Arrowfield great Redoute's Choice, is creating his own legacy with 17 stakes-siring sons and his broodmare daughters are already the source of 46 stakes winners. The great Snitzel is currently fourth on the Australian Champion Sires rankings for 2024-25 with more than $20.7 million but is also the leading sire for individual stakes winners and stakes wins. There was a real poignancy to Snitzel's last winner before his death – a two-year-old first starter at Seymour on Monday called "Job Done".

What's the point of having an $11m asset if you can't look after it? Resource the damn thing!!! Surely the Stipes are all over safety - have they looked at the Clegg readings and walked the track? Suits look good in these:

Blinkers for Asfoora at Royal Ascot? www.racing.com Trainer Henry Dwyer is considering applying blinkers to Asfoora for the Australian mare's defence of the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot next week. Asfoora turned in a pleasing gallop in blinkers on the July Course at Newmarket on Monday as Dwyer prepares her for her first assignment of this year's overseas campaign. "We threw a set of shades on her," Dwyer told RSN's Racing Pulse on Tuesday, talking about the gallop. "I've always wanted to but it's a bit hard to change things when they are going really well. Not that she's not going well, but I just feel like we're nearer the end than the start and I've got a bit of an itch to scratch with the blinkers, I think. "I reckon they'll help her find a length or two, so we threw them on in trackwork just to make sure she'll be OK with them, and she was. "So I dare say at this stage we'll put them on when she runs next Tuesday." WATCH: Asfoora's 2024 Royal Ascot win Dwyer said he had long thought Asfoora would improve with blinkers but had been reluctant to change given how well the flying mare has continued to race. But he feels now might be the time to try the sprinter in the headgear on race day. Asfoora stormed to victory in Adelaide first-up this preparation in the RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) in April, before finishing seventh in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) two weeks later in her final start before her trip back to the UK. "She won well first-up," Dwyer said. "I just thought she probably was entitled to go a bit better in Adelaide (in the Sangster), despite the fact it was 1200m and despite the fact she was a bit flat second-up, maybe. "I just thought she was probably a bit below her best and then she trialled at Flemington before she left and once again I just thought she probably didn't do as much as she should. "And just her recovery has been a lot better this prep. I think it's a legacy of her reserving her energy a bit more. She used to get very wound up, whereas now I think she's just being a bit complacent. "I think she's in good order and she's going well but I just think there's one little key missing and I'm hoping it's the blinkers." WATCH: Asfoora's Sangster run Oisin Murphy, who rode Asfoora during her UK campaign last year, including her Royal Ascot win, was aboard the mare in the gallop over 800m with a workmate. "We strode off from the five-furlong marker and we used the one-furlong mark as our winning post," Dwyer said. "It's sort of downhill, the Newmarket July course but the last 200m is pretty stiff uphill and I didn't think she needed that strong a workout uphill. "They went evens for the first furlong, Oisin just sat off a workmate there and I didn't want him doing too much on her, but I said 'Just make sure you get your head in front on the line', so he just squeezed up the inside, inside the workmate and put paid to him pretty quickly. "As he said after the work, he said 'I had to break her jaw to pull her up, she was charging through the line'." Dwyer revealed Murphy was suitably impressed by the way Asfoora is going leading into her Royal Ascot defence. "Initially he just said 'She gave me the same feel as last year' and then I pressed him and he said 'She's absolutely flying' and that she's going better than last year, he thought," Dwyer said. "He's probably galloped her five times, last year and today, and he said it's the best she's ever galloped, so I'm hopeful that he's a good judge." While Dwyer expects she is shaping as one of the main contenders again for the King Charles III Stakes, he also feels Asfoora has some improvement to come in her coat, having arrived in the UK summer later this year as compared to 2024 when she raced at Haydock in late May ahead of the Royal Ascot meeting. "I still only think she looks probably a seven out of 10, maybe. The work was still fantastic, but I just feel like there's room for improvement in her looks," Dwyer said. He said Asfoora still looked a bit 'wintery', having come from the cool Ballarat weather. "She'll catch up and she'll reacclimatise but it just hasn't happened yet," he said. "It will happen between Ascot and Goodwood, so still looking at those races at Goodwood and York as better chances for her to win races because she will be more acclimatised, but off what we saw in her gallop this morning, you'd be hard pressed to think she won't be right there."

Exactly. A self policing system is not going to work as evident with the penetrometer readings out of some major track venues. Surely it could be a role for the RIB and their Stewards who take control on raceday. They could perform an independent QA role.

Name them.

You buy that indecision for $55m?