Chief Stipe

Yes it was won by Powley. One of my favourite horses of the early 80's. She won it in 1980 and two starts later beating Glamour Bay by a head in the 1000 Guineas. Orari was a fairly decent track and looking back there were good lead up races in both islands at "lesser" tracks to the bigger Group events in the late Spring/early Summer.

It was the Geraldine Challenge Stakes - a Stakes race for 3yr old's run early in the new season. Canterbury Belle won it by five lengths in 1984. The race figures in many a fine pedigree. The Grand Dam of So You Think ran second in it. Lomondy another. Seascay's dam ran 3rd in it. Essentially it attracted the same class of horses that raced in the Canterbury Belle Stakes in that era. It was run at Orari racecourse - the home of the mighty Grey Way. The Harness code had a Group 3 race called the Orari Challenge Stakes for 3yr old's - it also attracted eventual top line 3yr olds.

I just measured it on Google Earth and it is over 400m. Geez when did they last race at Opaki!!!!! I remember standing on the concrete pad remains of the Grandstand, in the early dawn breathing clouds of steam watching my horse work nearly 20 years ago!

It's at least 400m.

I thought Motukarara has the longest?

Hijacking your own Topics again @Brodie!! Please keep on point!

So if you had been told that she was being ridden forward would that have changed your decision to not punt on her? Your rating of her in that field wouldn't have changed would it? Was she at value per your assessment of her ability?

Perhaps there is a Canterbury Mafia?

Sorry I missed some of this thread conversation!!!! The other thing about Canterbury Belle was her name represents the Wigley's and Inglewood Stud. KEN AUSTIN - THE BEGINNING An historic stud with an exciting new future Inglewood Stud is the oldest thoroughbred stud still standing a stallion in New Zealand. Still operating from its original Ohoka property, Inglewood Stud was founded in 1938 by breeder, auctioneer and administrator Ken Austin. Austin’s great-grandson Gus Wigley is the current manager of the stud, taking over the running of the farm from his father Nick in 2012, some 75 years after Austin first set foot on Inglewood Stud. Ken Austin was one of the key figures in the history of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding. His achievements in the industry include co-founding the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, breeding and racing numerous Group One winners, and standing the successful sires Sun King, Battle Song, Lucky Bag and the first really successful colonial bred stallion, Defaulter. Austin immigrated to New Zealand from Australia in 1932 after travelling annually to New Zealand for the previous six years to conduct the Trentham Yearling Sales as auctioneer. He played a key role in setting up the first New Zealand national yearling sales and was involved in both the recommending and selling of the two great horses of the time, Gloaming and Phar Lap. The Wigley family still holds Austin’s original Trentham Yearlings Sales catalogue containing the pedigree page of Phar Lap, with Austin’s handwritten notes a prominent feature. Austin moved to New Zealand in 1932 to manage the Elderslie Stud at Oamaru for the Reid family, who stood Phar Lap’s sire Night Raid. It was six years later that Austin leased the Inglewood Stud property in North Canterbury, the farm’s historic homestead built in 1864. From the stud Austin established himself as one of the country’s most successful breeders, leading the breeders’ list in the1949/50 season with 18 individual winners and again in 1950/51 with 17 individual winners. In 1954/55 Inglewood Stud was the leading prize money earner with 14 winners of 38 races earning 42,000 pounds. Austin’s breeding feats were matched by his ownership achievements, usually with unwanted stock unsold at the yearling sales. His most famous racehorse was Monte Carlo, a gelding he bred from a daughter of Raphis, an unraced sister to Phar Lap. Monte Carlo was offered at the 1955 yearling sales where he failed to reach his reserve of 2000gns. Following a failed private sale as a yearling, Monte Carlo was broken in by Austin before being sent to Sydney trainer Frank Dalton, an old associate of Austin’s from his Australian days. After a nine length win at his fourth juvenile start at Rosehill, Monte Carlo was set for the AJC Derby. Two weeks prior to the Derby, Austin accepted an offer of 6000gns from the USA but the sale fell through because of custom difficulties. The colt went on to win the AJC Derby, VRC Derby and the AJC St Leger before a further US sale fell through due to problems with air transport. Monte Carlo went on to win two City Tatts Gold Cups, the VRC Queens Plate and the STC Cup as a four-year-old before winning the Metropolitan and the Mackinnon Stakes prior to his second in the Melbourne Cup as a five-year-old. Austin finally got his sale in 1957, Monte Carlo sold to the USA for 30,000gns where he broke the track record when winning the Sussex Turf Cup at Delaware Park. While Monte Carlo was Austin’s greatest claim to fame as an owner, his Group One winners certainly didn’t end there. With Frank Dalton as his conditioner, Austin raced Slogan to two Doncaster Handicap wins and Count Cyrano to a win in the Metropolitan Hcp. In 1956 Slogan won the Doncaster Handicap on the same day that Monte Carlo won his AJC St Leger. Austin was also instrumental in forming the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, being the first President from 1946 to 1951, Vice President in 1951 and life member until his death in 1959. He was a leading contributor and writer for the NZTBA’s annual publication, The NZ Thoroughbred, and a writer for many thoroughbred publications throughout the world. THE WIGLEYS The family connection continues Ken Austin’s early death in the late 1950s saw the stud and its bloodstock sold outside of the family with Austin’s entire bloodstock portfolio sold on the Inglewood Stud front lawn in a final dispersal sale. It was not until 1971 that the stud fell back into family hands, Austin’s grandson Nick Wigley – son of Austin’s daughter Barbara (Bing) – returning from his OE in England to purchase the stud with his wife Carol. Much of the stud’s bloodstock, including its stallion Tiber, were included in the sale, but it was not until the Wigleys imported the Nashua stallion Beaufort Sea in 1974 that things clicked up a notch for Inglewood Stud. Beaufort Sea’s very first runner claimed the first two-year-old race of the season, and the stallion never looked back. In a stud career spanning 20 years, Beaufort Sea left over 300 winners whose earnings exceeded NZ$6,429,746. He finished third on both the 1981/82 and 1984/85 New Zealand general sires’ premiership with over 17 stakes winners to his name throughout his career THE FILLY One of the greats of South Island racing While Nick’s parents, Sandy and Bing, raced the grand Beaufort Sea mare Seamist to 10 stakes wins, including the Gr. 1 ARC New Zealand Stakes, Beaufort Sea reserved his best for the couple that put the feed in his bin, siring for Nick and Carol the glamour filly of the 1984/85 season, Canterbury Belle. Canterbury Belle was born and raced in an era when the ‘one-eyed Cantabrian’ was at his most parochial, and with the filly’s appropriate name, black and red silks, and undeniable ability, she captured the hearts of Canterbury’s staunch racing public. An imposing chestnut with the size and strength of a colt, Canterbury Belle won her first three starts in the South Island as a three-year-old by a combined 12 lengths. She started favourite in the NZ 1000 Guineas with the weight of the Canterbury public behind her, the filly’s victory in the Classic as emphatic as her previous three starts. Unbeaten, she tripped north to the Bayer Classic only for a starting gate injury to dismiss any chance of a fifth straight win. The injury took the filly off the scene for four months, but she was soon back showing her dominant power, winning her first two starts back to take her record to six wins from seven starts. Trainer Dave Kerr had the Queensland Oaks in his sights for the filly, but none guessed at the heights the filly would reach at that 1985 Queensland Winter Carnival. Her first two starts in Brisbane in the Queensland Guineas and Doomben Roses both resulted in second placings, and while the filly looked a certain chance over the mile and a half of the Queensland Oaks, critics raised their eyebrows at Kerr’s seemingly bizarre decision to instead take on Australia’s best sprinters in Queensland’s marquee sprint, the Gr. 1 Stradbroke Handicap. Just one three-year-old filly had won the race in the 82 year history of the event and most thought the Kiwis had bitten off more than they could chew with their star filly. But it was the Wigleys and Kerr that knew the filly best and it was to be the daring Cantabrians that had the last laugh, Canterbury Belle exhibiting her rare ability with her trademark powerful finish to re-write the history books and claim the Stradbroke Handicap with a dominant display. Canterbury Belle’s 10 wins in 21 career starts will forever have her cemented as one of Canterbury’s great racehorses, but it will be the way the province rallied behind the mare that will be the defining memory of her outstanding career. THE NEW INGLEWOOD STUD Gus and Bianca take over the helm The new millennium saw Inglewood Stud consolidate, the Wigleys moving away from stallions to concentrate on their select broodmare band – many descending from both Seamist and Canterbury Belle – with Nick turning his hand to training with a small team of homebreds in work. A 13 acre block of the stud including the Inglewood homestead and stables was sold off in 2002, with a new house and stable complex built at the back of the farm. From the stud’s broodmare band the Wigley’s continued to sell yearlings at the Karaka Sales, while Nick’s patient and dedicated English style of training came into play. In 2012, Nick and Carol's son Gus, and his wife Bianca, shifted down to the stud from Auckland with the intention of ramping the stud back up to its stallion standing days. That they have done on the back of their sensational young stallion Zacinto, with new comer War Decree now added to the stallion ranks. In the short time they have been running the stud, Gus and Bianca have produced the stakes winners Ugo Foscolo, Fifty Fifty, Secret Allure, Replique and Zigwig, from just 40 odds runners. The training arm of Inglewood Stud offers another dimension to the opportunity afforded to Zacinto and War Decree. The future of Inglewood Stud looks bright under the next generation of this historic New Zealand racing family.

All good....perhaps focus more on the decisions and the errors than abusing the individuals. Changes will happen with the Judiciary one way or another very soon.

Full moon last night Forbs?

Used to be the Geraldine Challenge Stakes run at Geraldine. Moved to Riccarton around the mid 80's when Geraldine closed down.

Riccarton were lucky to get through the Grand National with the way they had maintained the Steeplechase Track!!!!

We wouldn't gain anything in my opinion. NZ can only be a follower on this aspect of racing. If NZ was really focused on horse welfare AND punter revenue it would be putting all its efforts into providing and fair tracks. Anything else is just virtue signalling grandstanding hypocrisy.

Correct me if I'm wrong but....were Victoria or NSW Jockey numbers hit this hard by Covid?

MEETING NEWS Riders Not available at Matamata 16-03 Wiremu Pinn, Sam Weatherley, Chelsea Burdan, Courtney Barnes, Jonathan Riddell and Trudy Thornton will not be riding at Matamata 16-03 Replacements to follow: W Pinn: Race 2: #7 STAR TRAIL – Now A Goindasamy Race 5: #5 SIDE HUSTLE – Now A Goindasamy Race 7: #2 PAISLEY PARK - Now R Elliot C Burdan: Race 5 #1 DAVONE GEORGIA- Now K Asano S Weatherley: Race 1 #5 CANNY MAN- ENow R Elliot Race 3 #4 THE RACKETEER- Now T Yanigida Race 4 #4 HIGHLIGHTER- Now R Elliot Race 5 #6 PRINCIPESSA- Now R Elliot Race 6 #2 CLASSIC BEETHOVEN- Now T Newman Race 8 #8 STOCKTON - Now S McKay C Barnes: Race 2 #10 TELERIN- Now C Grylls Race 4 #9 JOEY'S GIFT- Now A Calder Race 8 #7 SUPER SIX- Now T Newman J Riddell: Race 3 #6 BELAFONTE- Now A Goindasamy Race 7 #1 TIME TO CELEBRATE- Now A Calder Race 8 #1 BAGERINGDAWITNESS- Now A Goindasamy T Thornton: Race 1#12 EL COOLIO- Now L Satherley Race 8 #3 SMUG- Now T Yanagida

I thought this would have happened a week ago and affected the Derby meeting. This doesn't help either: MEETING NEWS Suspended & Injured Riders Updated at 4.00pm Tuesday 15 March Suspended Riders: Mathew Cameron | From close of racing Saturday 19 March to close of racing Saturday 26 March Elen Nicholas | From close of racing Wednesday 23 March to close of racing Wednesday 6 April Chris Johnson | From close of racing Monday 21 March to close of racing Saturday 2 April Tina Comignaghi | From close of racing Thursday 17 March until close of racing Friday 25 March Shankar Muniandy | From close of racingMonday 21 March to close of racing Saturday 2 April Courtney Barnes | From close of racing Saturday 19 March to close of racing Saturday 26 March Kavish Chowdhoory | From close of racing Friday 11 March to close of racing Wednesday 23 March Leith Innes | From close of racing Sunday 13 March to close of racing Sunday 27 March Joe Kamaruddin | From close of racing Sunday 13 March to close of racing Saturay 26 March Samantha Spratt | From the close of racing Thursday 10 March to the close of racing Saturday 19 March Corey Campbell | From the close of racing Saturday 5 March to close of racing Wednesday 16 March BB Hong | From the close of racing Friday 25 February to close of racing Wednesday 16 March Niranjan Parmar | From close of racing Saturday 5 March to close of racing Friday 25 March Injured Riders: Vinnie Colgan | Out until further notice from Friday 11 March Leah Hemi | Out until further notice from Monday 7 March Erin Leighton | Out for 2 weeks from Thursday 3 February Liam Kauri | Out until further notice after a fall at Awapuni 11 December Chad Ormsby | Out until further notice from Monday 11 January Not Currently Riding: Bailey Rogerson Wiremu Pinn Leith Innes Opie Bosson Sam Weatherley Courtney Barnes Chelsea Burdan Jonathan Riddell Sanu Toolooa

He was English wasn't he? He lived two doors down from the first house I lived in as a child in Hokitika in Davie Steet. Worked for the Council I think. Had a bloody knack for training horses. Mind you he spent more time training horses than he did at work and home. Same era as Cathy Wildbore, Johnny Hurren and the Coleman's. Hokitika was a busy little training centre! Rod would have had a winning strike rate right up there with the best.

Is it possible that shifting these meetings will negatively affect TAB revenue?

What Waitangi Day thread?

Yes my memory is a bit vague but I'm pretty sure she was trained by a neighbour of mine in Hokitika. Rod....his last name escapes me. Also had a good horse called Godspell.

You missed the other part of my statement or are you Australian? Getting out of step with the Ozzie market would be detrimental to revenue.

It puts pressure on other tracks that are also stuffed. But what other options are there? Doesn't seem to be a coordinated industry plan.

Ellerslie farewells racing for 18 months NZ Racing Desk 14 March 2022 Horses will be an absent sight from Ellerslie racecourse for at least the next 18 months. A StrathAyr track will be put in at the Auckland venue as part of several measures agreed after the amalgamation of Auckland Racing Club and Counties Racing Club into Auckland Thoroughbred Racing last year. While the club has given the industry the estimated timeframe, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox said it may take longer if needed. “Our plan at this stage is 18 months but one thing I have been vocal about is that we won’t be back to race unless the track is signed off that it is ready to race,” Wilcox said. “We will go through a period of working with senior jockeys and the trainers and make sure the track is ready for racing - doing jumpouts and moving into trials. “We will have smaller cards to start off with before we build into a 10-race card.” The curtain was pulled down on racing with the Auckland Cup meeting on Sunday, while Monday’s trials marked the last day of the current track’s operation. Construction of the StrathAyr track is set to get underway in the next few weeks. “Towards the end of March – early April, the track will start to be dug up,” Wilcox said. “Our first priority is the track, but we are putting in a new underground entrance down by the 600m mark. That will be the entry and exit for anyone coming to Ellerslie. We want to remove the crossing. “We have got the underpass already at the 150m on the home-straight where people come into the track. All our parking will be on the inside of the track. “There is a lot going on, but our priority is to get that track right. We will then start to be looking at increasing stakes, which is incredibly important for our industry.” The club is currently working with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to decide where the club’s feature meetings are held over the next two years. “We are still working out where individual races will move to,” he said. “Counties will be taking some of our bigger days, as well as Te Rapa and Te Aroha, when that is back. “We will also be looking further afield and what is best for the distances of those races and making sure it is close to the proximity of trainers and owners. “But Boxing Day will be at Pukekohe and New Year’s Day will be at Te Rapa.” Wilcox said the club will take a phased approach to return to racing. “Right at the start we won’t be having a full schedule of meetings like we normally would,” he said. “You still have to give the track the time to bed in, and that is making sure the grass is rooted properly so you get the structure and strength of that grass. “We have seen examples of tracks coming back too soon, so my priority is to make sure it is done properly.” The sale of the Ellerslie Hill has been a controversial topic, but Wilcox said the industry will see the benefits of the sale, particularly with increased stakes. “The Ellerslie Hill is a part of our history that is no longer here,” Wilcox said. “I love our history, I support our history, I respect our history, but my thought process is you don’t live your history, you live your future. “It (sale) is a decision we made that I knew wasn’t going to make me popular. Unfortunately, you have got to make changes to have a sustained long-term success in this game and what we have done is going to do that. “Now it is on my, the board, and the team here’s shoulders to make sure it is done properly. “While people are upset about it, when they are winning those races when we are back here on a really good track for decent money, hopefully that will help heal some of those wounds.” It has been a tough few years for the club as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions and Wilcox said it is nice to finally get underway in investing in the club and industry’s future. “It has been a hell of a two years here and we have been restricted more than most clubs around New Zealand in the fact that we only had a New Year’s Day and Karaka Million and the rest have been pretty restricted,” he said. “It has been tough, but after the trials (on Monday) it is a matter of working with civil guys and girls (engineers) and we will start going from there.”

Is there a video? He landed on his feet holding the reins. They're still chasing your last ride!