Chief Stipe

Lightning Jack set to strike in Summer Cup Former Kiwi Lightning Jack is out to make it two in a row in Australia in the Summer Cup. Picture: Grant Guy By Ray Thomas 12:37pm • 25 December 2021 0 Comments Trainer Annabel Neasham can put an exclamation mark on a stellar year if Lightning Jack wins the Group 3 $160,000 Summer Cup (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day. Neasham has prepared five Group 1 winners during 2021 from stable stars Zaaki (Doomben Cup, Underwood Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes) and Mo’unga (Rosehill Guineas, Winx Stakes). It’s easy to forget Neasham has only been training for 18 months such has been her impact on the sport. “You don’t get any time to reflect in racing but it doesn’t feel like it was August last year when we started – it feels like we have been going a lot longer,” Neasham said. “I have to pinch myself when I think about the success we have had so far but the support we have been given and the quality of horses we have got has made it possible.” To that end, former New Zealander Lighting Jack is a new stable recruit, scoring impressively on debut for Neasham over the Randwick 1600m course two weeks ago. Lightning Jack ran unplaced at his only previous attempt at 2000m across The Tasman but Neasham doesn’t believe the Summer Cup distance will be an issue for her gelding. Trainer Annabel Neasham is confident Lightning Jack will handle the step up to 2000m in the Summer Cup. Picture: Getty Images “I don’t think 2000m will be a worry,” Neasham said. “He enjoyed being ridden ‘cold’ last time and he was strong through the line. “I didn’t know what to expect from him last start so I suppose it was a nice surprise that he measured up. “But (owners) the Tyler family have done such a good job with the horse and the fact they wanted to send him here gave me confidence, “Although Lightning Jack has drawn out wide in the Summer Cup, I don’t think that will matter. It will be great if we can get a Group win out of him.” Lightning Jack is on the second line of Summer Cup betting at $5 behind the Joe Pride-trained Stockman at $3.80 favouritism. Neasham has a strong team entered for the Boxing Day meeting including Holyfield and Southern Lights in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1400m). Holyfield ($10) indicated an imminent return to form with a good third to Brookspire at Randwick two weeks ago while Southern Lights makes his Australian debut but is an interesting runner as he was considered good enough to contest the English Derby earlier this year, finishing unplaced behind Godolphin’s Adayar. Holyfield produced a good effort last start and can continue his return to form at Randwick. Picture: AAP The Neasham-trained juvenile Narnia, a $600,000 Magic Millions Yearling Sale purchase, is at $9.50 for his debut in the Drinkwise Plate (1100m), while stablemate Spaltet is $4.20 favourite for the Midway Handicap (2000m). The beautifully bred Rejoiced – three-year-old colt by super stallion Redoute’s Choice out of Joy Toy, herself a half-sister to champion More Joyous – puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Heineken 3 Handicap (1600m). Neasham has also entered Rejoiced for an easier race at Newcastle on Sunday and is considering the best option for the promising colt. Meanwhile, Neasham’s brilliant Wyong Magic Millions winner Soaring Ambition was floated to Brisbane on Thursday to continue her preparation toward the $2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast on January 15. Neasham said Soaring Ambition will be nominated for a race in Brisbane on New Year’s Day but the filly is not a certain starter. “I am leaning to trialling her at the Gold Coast on January 4,” Neasham said. “Soaring Ambition galloped the best I have ever seen her work at Warwick Farm last Tuesday and I’m not sure she needs another race before the Magic Millions. “She is very professional and although she drew wide at Wyong and had to go back, then came around the field on the bend, got a check and still picked herself up and ran home. It was a very gutsy win.” Zaaki and Mo’unga return to Annabel Neasham’s stables on Monday to begin their autumn carnival preparations. Neasham also revealed Zaaki and Mo’unga will return to her Warwick Farm stables on Monday to prepare for the autumn carnival campaigns next year. “They have been in pre-training and arrive back in the stable (Monday),” she said. “Zaaki will be set for the All Star Mile and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. We will find something leading in, but I haven’t decided that race yet. “Mo’unga won the Winx Stakes and ran second in the Makybe Diva Stakes during the spring and I feel they were his two best runs. “He never runs a bad race but he has proved he can do it over shorter trips so I might keep him sharper and go to the George Ryder Stakes off say the Canterbury Stakes.”

Depends on the HKJC contract. There would have to be a transition period with handover's occurring in Singapore and NZ as Logan and Walker moved around. Richards is best placed to oversee the horses currently lined up for the next few months. I would say that initially there is an amount of flexibility being applied to allow the smooth transition to the new regime. It would be in everyone's interests for that to be the case and I don't see where any rules of racing in NZ would be broken.

Is it any different to Richards having horses based in Sydney or Melbourne for months on end and not being on the ground there? Or for that matter Waller having stables in the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne? All different racing jurisdictions. Waller having 400+ horses in work at anyone time. So what "rules of racing need to be re-written"? Or is it the waccy baccy talking @Joe Bloggs?

Johnny Nevits still in the field for race 2 even though officially still stood down. I see that Cam Jones has a couple in. No charges as it but that doesn't see to stop the rumour mongers beating the jungle drums.

When does the NZ season end and the Hong Kong one start?

One problem though is that now they have to do it EVERY time something similar happens. Otherwise it raises the possibility that in this instance a particular punter was favoured over others.

Well it appears the AWT at Awapuni will only be big enough to canter on. Given it is a bitumen road with sand on it perhaps they could have Go-kart circuit racing.

For a start it is a "rumour" and no doubt the article is all based on innuendo, inference and supposition. The trainer wouldn't have been named so how can anyone sue the scumbag excuse for a journalist? That said the inference given the clues is one stable in particular. As for the assertion that there has been a positive test to EPO then it would be a major coup for the NZ RIB given that positive tests to Human EPO in horses is a very rare event. When was the last one anywhere in the world? If there has been a positive then surely there would be an announcement from the RIB? If there has then someone is still leaking from the RIB.

They're all here: https://loveracing.nz/RaceInfo/45390/5/Race-Detail.aspx

Johnny Nevits has secured a start in race 5 at Ashburton 23 December 2021. Still trained by Cam Jones.

So the scumbag excuse for a journalist Peter Profit is making up shit? I see Johnny Nevits has a start in race 5 at Ashburton on Thursday.

I see Johnny Nevits is nominated for race 6 at Ashburton this Thursday 23 Dec 2021.

I'm surprised that if there has been another RIB raid at Woodend that it hasn't been reported on main stream media.

Fair points but we don't know how the ratings were measured. Is there any enforced standard that says ALL readings must have been measured with a penetrometer or going stick (are they officially used in NZ?)? For that matter isn't it a gap in the reporting that it isn't stated what method was used to determine the readings? I can understand as a trainer why you would be interested in the improvement in track conditions over the week however from a punter perspective it doesn't matter until within 24 hours of racing commencing.

Here's the video you refer to @Reefton - you wouldn't be "sniping from the sidelines would you"? 20170111HOKI05_BB.mp4

Dead 5 now. For the record here is the progression of readings: Monday Morning Weather: Fine Track: Dead 5 Rail: Out 2m Weather and Track updated at 6.29am Monday 20 December Sunday Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Dead 6 Rail: Out 2m Weather and Track updated at 2.21pm Sunday 19 December Sunday Morning Weather: Fine Track: Slow 7 Rail: Out 2m Weather and Track updated at 8.00am Sunday 19 December Saturday Morning Weather: Fine Track: Heavy 10 Rail: Out 2m Weather and Track updated at 8.57am Saturday 18 December Friday Morning Weather: Drizzling Track: Heavy 11 Rail: Out 2m | 76mm Rain Past 48 Hours Weather and Track updated at 9.40am Friday 17 December Wednesday Morning Weather: Drizzling Track: Dead 6 Rail: Out 2m | 3mm Rain Overnight Weather and Track updated at 6.37am Wednesday 15 December Withdrawal Morning Weather: Cloudy Track: Dead 5 Rail: Out 2m | Drying Weather and Track updated at 7.41am Tuesday 14 December Nomination Afternoon Weather: Fine Track: Dead 6 Rail: Out 2m | Drying Weather and Track updated at 4.45pm Monday 13 December Nomination Morning Weather: Fine Track: Slow 7 | 12mm Rain Over Werekend Rail: Out 2m | 50mm Rain Last 7 Days Weather and Track updated at 8.10am Monday 13 December

I didn't even mention Pitty I was just responding to @curious's post. Are you obsessed with defending @Pitman even when he isn't mentioned? My reply was in reference to the fact that often a track is officially rated on raceday as a D4 or G3 and then proceeds to race much faster from Race 1. This is a problem throughout the country not just Riccarton. What does having "run a raceday" got to do with commenting on the track ratings? Once again I was responding to @curious's post regarding the deployment of "that device" which I assumed was an oblique reference to the penetrometer. Noting of course that a penetrometer doesn't officially have to be used as frequently as it appears to have been used at Ashburton. Hell they can gallop a horse over it and take the opinion of the Jockey! The improvement in track conditions is quite remarkable given the amount of rain that fell - now that either indicates a problem with the measurement, the track condition or something else. As for Jeff McLaughlin - is he the track manager and trained in using the penetrometer? Oh and before you get off your high rocking horse again @Reefton in response to @curious's post above I actually proffered a reason for the rapid improvement i.e. the presence of N to NW winds and high temperatures which as I said would "dry the lips off a camel"!

I doubt they will have gone to the effort of using the penetrometer that often. Too much work involved.

Which will be reported as a G3.

LOL they might have to irrigate tomorrow night!

Nup been blowing from N to NW all day - temp peaked at close to 28 degrees. 24 tomorrow NW.

Nor-Westers will dry the lips off a camel!

Don't know. Possibly not. There is a plethora of associations. I think the officially recognised one is the NZ Harness Trainers, Drivers and Owners Association.

But we all know who created it. I'm surprised someone so prominent in the industry seems to be fueling the fire.

You should get less dusty oats @Joe Bloggs