Chief Stipe

Tommyra The direction of Tommyra’s winter campaign will hinge on his performance at Hastings late this month. A last-start winner of the K.S. Browne Hurdle (3350m) at Ellerslie, Tommyra is being set for the Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) at Hastings on Saturday week with trainer Toby Autridge planning to use a rating 72 2100m at Tauranga this weekend to further his preparation for the next jumps assignment. Tommyra, a son of Raise The Flag, has won three of his six hurdle starts and been placed on the other occasions, including a third two starts ago in the Waikato Hurdles (3200m) at Te Rapa. The options being considered for Tommyra are Australia, the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) at Riccarton on August 7 and the Great Northern Hurdle (4190m) at Ellerslie on September 7. “We’ll be wiser after the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle,” Autridge said. “Doug (part-owner and breeder Doug Robb) lets me make the plans, but he has said that he would love to have a go at the Grand National. It will all depend on the weather where he goes. “As for Australia, I’m not so sure. It could be a bit risky taking him over there. Sure he jumps well, but he doesn’t like schooling much and he has to school to qualify when he gets there. It’s something we’ll have to consider before we finally decide where to go.” View the full article

Chocante. A gradual approach is being taken in a bid to get stayer Chocante back to racing in the late spring. Chocante, winner of the 2017 Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (2200m) at Doomben and third in the Gr.1 Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney, has been off the scene for 14 months, his last start when unplaced in the Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) in Brisbane. “He did a tendon and we’ve been giving him every chance to make it back,” trainer Stephen Marsh said. “He’s had a couple of light preps and is due to go back to the paddock this week. “He does six weeks in then six out and he’s done most of his work on the treadmill. “We’re just taking him along very slowly and if he stands up well he could have a nice light campaign from late spring. He’s worth it.” View the full article

The Queen Mother arriving at Trentham Races accompanied by the President of the Wellington Racing Club, Mr H.R. Chalmers, in 1958 Christchurch trainers Michael and Mathew Pitman will be looking to add another Kiwi name to the list of Royal Ascot victors when Enzo’s Lad contests the Gr.1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) overnight (New Zealand time) at the prestigious meeting. But, while New Zealand horses have enjoyed their share of Group One success in recent years at the Royal Meeting, few would be aware of the pioneering role of a gift horse from New Zealand dating back sixty years ago. That Kiwi horse was Bali Ha’I, who carried the colours of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, whose horses mainly ran over jumps. The Queen Mother was gifted Bali Ha’i, the half-brother to 1949 Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Foxzami by his owner Sir Ernest Davis after he won the St James Cup at Trentham. The race was run as a one-off in honour of the Queen Mother, who was in attendance. Davis, a former mayor of Auckland and four-times leading owner, made the presentation of the horse after the race. On April 22, 1958, Bali Ha’i arrived at the Royal Docks, London, and was transported to Newmarket to join the stable of Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort. Given time to acclimatise in his new surroundings, Bali Ha’i came into his own in 1959, running with credit at the Chester May meeting before winning at Sandown Park in the hands of top lightweight Willie Snaith. Bali Ha’i was sent off 15/8 favourite for the Queen Alexandra Stakes (4355m), and, ridden by Harry Carr, he defeated three rivals for a famous Royal victory in the colours of the Queen Mother and a dream result for New Zealand. Sir Michael Oswald, former racing manager to the Queen Mother, was fully aware of the gamble such an international adventure entailed in the late 1950s. “Obviously, it was a long, long time ago, and in those days it was often a very difficult journey by ship to England lasting many weeks. Now, they fly horses all over the place and they seem perfectly happy when they arrive at their destination. “Being publicly given a horse as a gift, I suppose there was an element of danger that the horse may have been no good, and that could have caused embarrassment. But Bali Ha’i did his part by winning the Queen Alexandra, the longest race at the meeting. “Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, did not have many runners at Royal Ascot. She went in for steeplechasers and hurdlers, so she was more Cheltenham and Aintree. Most of her runners on the flat were horses getting ready for a jumping career.” Bali Ha’i, however, never raced over jumps. He suffered a tendon injury in 1960, and, while he raced twice the following year, his best racing days were behind him. He was retired and repatriated to New Zealand, where the Queen Mother was able to see him on a subsequent visit to the country in 1966. New Zealand-breds have also been prevalent in recent times, with So You Think winning the Gr.1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (2000m) in 2011 and Little Bridge taking out the King Stand Stakes in 2012. – J.A. McGrath, Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. View the full article

Ocean Emperor. Three-time Group Two winning son of Zabeel, Ocean Emperor, has been retired to Gary and Jenny Hennessy’s Weowna Park ahead of the forthcoming breeding season, where he will stand for a fee of $7,000+GST. Ocean Emperor will be the last Group winning son of Zabeel to retire to stud and boasts a strong pedigree, with his dam the Group One-placed Pins mare Tootsie. A $450,000 yearling purchase at Karaka from the draft of Waikato Stud, Ocean Emperor was raced by his trainer Hennessy in partnership with Andrew Wong and Stephen Yan – the same team that owned the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) winner, Horse of the Year and now Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park. Ocean Emperor had 28 starts for nine wins and five placings, headed by the Gr.2 Japan-NZ International Trophy (1600m) and back-to-back editions of the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m). He contested last year’s Kranji Mile (1600m) in Singapore, finishing seventh. His final start was a fourth placing in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last December. “He’s a beautifully bred horse and had a massive amount of ability,” Hennessy said. “He was a drop-dead gorgeous looking yearling from day one and that is how we aim to promote him,” Hennessy said. “If you listen to the race call of Tony Lee, he referred to him as the good looking boy and that is exactly what he is.” Hennessy said Ocean Emperor came to hand early, but had a set-back during his three-year-old season. “He won a two-year-old trial by five lengths over 800m and sons of Zabeel just don’t do that. That is the brilliance that he has got in his pedigree and what he possessed himself,” he said. “He had a hiccup in his three-year-old season where he had a hoof abscess and he was off the track for 20 months. The hoof was cut right back to the coronet band. “In his two Tauranga Stakes wins, the horses that finished second to him (Miss Wilson and Nicoletta) went on to win the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha later in that same season. He really was a top-class horse and he beat 30 stakes winners of which 12 were Group One performers.” Ocean Emperor is closely related to quality juvenile Probabeel and dual Group One winner Savvy Coup and Hennessy believes he will be a successful outcross for many breeders. “It is a pedigree that Garry Chittick has fostered over many generations. It is a very strong family that Waikato Stud have bred a huge number of stakes winners from. “There are plenty of proven crosses with Zabeel, with a number of the Danehill-line stallions nicking well, in addition to Tavistock and Stravinsky here in New Zealand, so I think he will suit a range of mares.” The Hennessys have developed the 50 acre Weowna Park in recent years and intend to support Ocean Emperor with a number of quality mares of their own, while their Hong Kong partners will also be supporting the horse. “Weowna Park we bought courtesy of Waikato Stud buying Ocean Park. We have 14 in-foal mares there and probably another eight or nine empty mares,” Hennessy said. “We take foals through until they’re ready for a sales preparation and send them off to other people to prepare. “With the enquiries we have had already regarding Ocean Emperor, we have 20 mares lined up for him.” Hennessy has supported emerging sire Ocean Park with up to ten mares a season and believes a number of his broodmares will also suit Ocean Emperor. “I’ve bought mares that I have identified that will cross well with Zabeel, given Ocean Park is out of a Zabeel mare, and in the back of my mind has been Ocean Emperor all along,” he said. View the full article

Nope I'm not posting as All The Aces.

Thanks for the supportThis can be debated ad infinitum, but the simple fact of the matter, is that people have voted with their feet, they have not liked the way BOAY has been run, and exercised their freedom of choice. Please note also, that no one on this site has ever been stopped or discouraged from contributing to other sites.We put up what we have and people decide whether they like it enough to become part of it. It's been a hard road but worth it, and we will soon be moving to a new level.Jason left, as did the others that made contributions, because they were not looked after at BOAY.The site owner at BOAY, seems to be falling into the same thinking that the owner at RC had, namely, that they were doing everyone a favour by putting up a site.We think differently here, that the site is all about the people who contribute. Without the Jasons, PJs, Say No Mores, Barrys, LFVs, VCs, Mardis, Sir Castletons, and all those that post their thoughts on racing, the site would quickly die.All those people, did not come here to be allowed to be personally abused for having the courage to publish their thoughts and knowledge, and input to the site.I don't know Jason personally, but I have been appalled at the level of personal abuse he has received on BOAY, and when he has taken issue with the site owner, basically been told he was a perennial complainer.Is there any wonder at all why he is leaving

Rosewood winning at Awapuni on Saturday Wet track specialist Rosewood added a tenth victory to her record at Awapuni on Saturday and if conditions suit she will back up in this weekend’s Listed The Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m). It was the ninth win on a heavy track for the daughter of Redwood and trainer Marilyn Paewai said her mare flourishes in the wet going. “She just handles that wet stuff so well,” Paewai said. “She doesn’t look like she is trying that hard, obviously she is, but she always comes back in like she hasn’t had a hard run. “She seems to skip over the ground and doesn’t go right into it and have to work as hard as the others. That’s what makes her look better, but it’s easier for her I think.” Paewai admits she is covering new ground with Rosewood and is finding it a new challenge to find races suitable for the ten win mare. “Up until she came along I have had horses who have won four or five races,” she said. “I never thought there would be so much talk and worry about where to place a horse because it has won too many races. “It makes the job a bit harder, but I’m lucky, I have had help from Allan Sharrock and a lot of other people who are more experienced than what I am.” Paewai was able to utilise apprentice jockey Hazel Schofer’s 4kg claim at Awapuni on Saturday and she said she may have to continue that strategy into the future. “It’s just the placing of the horse,” she said. “We are very aware of the weight, but we are lucky there are so many races that we can claim in and lucky to have riders at the four kilo claiming level that can handle her well.” While Rosewood has placed at stakes level a number of times, Paewai is hoping she can breakthrough for her maiden stakes victory in the Tauranga Classic on Saturday. “At this point I am going to nominate her for the fillies and mares weight-for-age at Tauranga,” she said. “The weather is going to be a deciding factor there. They are saying the track is fairly wet at present, but whether it stays like that is another matter. “The experts tell me that Tauranga can get really deep. We are not sure how she will go on something a little bit better (than a heavy track).” Paewai is hoping the weather will play its part ahead of Saturday, but believes her mare will be challenged with the step up to weight-for-age company. “If you are going to give them a start and try and catch them up, like she does, it makes it harder,” she said. “We haven’t backed her up within a week too often. Lisa (Allpress, jockey) is going to the South Island, so Sam Collett is going to ride her.” View the full article

Our Libretto. Victorian-trained mare Our Libretto is yet to net a win on her interstate travels but will get another chance when she steps out in the Tattersall’s Cup at Eagle Farm. The Grahame Begg-trained mare finished fifth in the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at her most recent of three Queensland starts after being unplaced in the previous two. Our Libretto will be tried over 3000m on Saturday with Tim Clark booked to ride. A placegetter in the Group Two Sandown Classic last spring, Our Libretto will be tried beyond 2400m for the first time. “She doesn’t hit the bit in her races. She goes around very casually in her races so we don’t think going over a longer distance is going to worry her,” Begg said. “She won’t over-race, that’s for sure. She will just go around and give herself a chance. “On face value her first two runs in Brisbane looked disappointing but we felt she had excuses. “At Eagle Farm two starts ago (Premier’s Cup) there was a very big bias towards the inside and she was back and tried to come wide and got beaten about five lengths. We thought there was quite a bit of merit in her run and we thought she ran well in the Brisbane Cup.” Our Libretto began her career in New Zealand where she had her first two starts, while in 12 starts since joining Begg’s stable in Victoria she has won five races including four in town. Saturday’s race is her latest opportunity to snare a valuable stakes race win, with Begg unsure of the mare’s racing future beyond this season. “We’ll see what they want to do,” he said. “Obviously they’ve got probably the option of going to stud. From my point of view I’d like to see her hanging around but you can understand the commercial value of some of these valuable mares, so there’s every chance she may go to stud. “If she could win a Group Three it would be very valuable for her resume.” There were 17 entries taken on Monday for the staying feature. View the full article

Gagarin (right) and Zedace are locked together as they jump the last fence in the Manawatu Steeplechase at Awapuni on Saturday Talented jumps jockey Mathew Gillies was able to put his self-described Awapuni hoodoo to rest on Saturday when he rode home a winning double at his former home track. The Cambridge horseman, who these days also trains in partnership in Cambridge with Graham Thomas, spent half a decade working at the Palmerston North track and said he was pleased to get the wins aboard Gallante and Gagarin. “I worked on the course there for five years and it means a lot to go out and win those two races,” he said. “It has been one of my hoodoo grounds, I have only ever won three races there in my whole career before (Saturday). “I have a lot of seconds and thirds in those big races and it’s always been annoying me, that is why I was so happy and emotional after winning them on Saturday.” Gillies suffered a serious race fall in 2016 when riding Gagarin at Trentham and he said it was great to get the win aboard the Kevin Myers-trained runner in the Manawatu Steepelchase (4200m) in his comeback season of riding. “He caused my head injury, but that was just bad luck,” Gillies said. “I have forgiven him for that because he has been so good to me through the years. He jumped outstanding the other day and is a great horse to ride.” Gillies said it was a big decision to return to raceday riding, but he is happy he did and is concentrating on the future. “I had a conversation with my Dad a while ago, I said ‘is it alright with you if I come back’ and he said ‘If you come back 100 percent positive, I have no problems’. “After the head injury I carried on riding and I probably shouldn’t have. I just didn’t know quite how bad it was. With head injuries, you don’t realise how bad you actually are. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and lost all passion for it (riding). It’s all back now and I am 100 percent again. It’s good to be back and good to be back winning.” While he was pleased to win aboard Gagarin, Gillies was delighted with the performance of dual Group One winner Gallante in the Awapuni Hurdles (2900m), winning the race by 12 lengths. “He could have won by 20-plus lengths if I had put it to him. He won by 12 under a hold, I hadn’t even moved on him,” he said. “I never thought in my entire career I would be riding a horse that has won two Group One races in a jumping race, it’s quite unbelievable.” Both horses are being set to contest the major jumping races over the coming months and Gillies believes both geldings could be in for a lucrative winter. “Gallante is going to Hawke’s Bay next and then we are going to Trentham again for the Wellington Hurdles and then down to the (Grand) National Hurdles, 4200m) I think,” Gillies said. “It could be a wet National and that will be quite up his alley as well. “The (Grand) National (Steeplechase, 5600m) is definitely on the cards (for Gagarin), and just the way he raced the other day the Pakuranga (Hunt Cup, 4900m) and (Great) Northern (Steeplechase, 6400m) might be on the cards if he is still racing well when that time come around.” View the full article

Who Can Tell in action at Awapuni on Saturday Watching the familiar colours being carried to victory by Who Can Tell at Awapuni last Saturday was a reminder of the once powerhouse of jumps racing in New Zealand. When Who Can Tell scored a dour win in the IPL Plywood Maiden Steeplechase (3200m) in the hands of Toni Moki, the Sakhee’s Secret seven-year-old sported the brown with the red armbands and cap, colours made famous on the New Zealand jumping scene by the late Ken Browne and his wife, Ann. Since the death of her husband 13 years ago, Ann Browne has continued in the sport she loves, but now leaves the training to others. Who Can Tell is one of the two horses she has in work with Wanganui horseman Kevin Myers, having sent him and stablemate Merlot south 14 months ago. “I can’t run after them like I used to and I can’t ride them so it was better to let someone else do it all,” she said. “Besides, having just a few in work it was hard getting riders and there are no shortage of riders down there at Kevin’s place. “I’d also had a few health issues and spent a bit of time in hospital so I couldn’t be around to do them all the time.” Browne is to undergo an operation at Waikato Hospital on Monday (today) to remedy an irregular heart beat she has suffered for some time. “It’s atrial fibrillation, similar to what some racehorses get,” she said. “My heart is beating too fast at times. “I’ve had it for quite a while now, but it’s been happening more often since early February so I need to get it sorted. It’s a day procedure and they tell me it’s got a good success rate.” Browne and her late husband were dominant on the New Zealand jumps scene for several decades and proved the stable to follow during the winter months, both over fences and on the flat. They won nearly 800 races over the length of the country and together as owner-trainers they won every important jumps race in the country, including nine editions of the toughest of them all, the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) at Ellerslie. Ken Browne amassed an almost unmatched record as a jockey and trainer of jumping horses. His contribution to racing was recognised with an MBE in 1991 and two years after his death he was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. He rode 156 jumps winners in New Zealand, 102 of which were over steeplechases with the last steeplechase win as a 67-year-old in 2001, not long before a schooling accident left him with a broken neck. He spent the last five years as a quadriplegic and, through it all, his wife was not only at his side but also continued to run the training operation at Cambridge. Just a month after the accident, Smart Hunter won the 2001 Great Northern double at Ellerslie, taking the Great Northern Hurdles (4190m) by eight lengths then two days later backing up and making history in a deadheat for first with Sir Avion in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m). “We had a lot of good wins, but that was amazing the day he deadheated in the Northern,” Browne said. After her husband’s death, Ann Browne went on to win three more Great Northern Steeplechases with Fair King (2009), Ima Heroine (2011) and Tom’s Myth (2012), taking her personal tally in the gruelling event to a dozen. And she still has a few links to two of those winners. She has the three-year-old filly Ima Wonder, Ima Heroine’s first foal by Eighth Wonder, in work with nephew Graham Thomas and Matthew Gillies, who rode Ima Heroine to the 2011 Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4900m)– Great Northern Steeplechase double, and at home she has her half-brother, a yearling gelding by Jakkalberry, and a two-year-old by Civics from a half-sister to Fair King. “Hopefully they’ll do something,” Browne said. “For now I’ve got the two with Kevin (Merlot and Who Can Tell), Unpainted with Niall Quinn and Raisafuasho with Rogie (Graeme Rogerson). “It’s not the same as training them yourself, but it’s still good to get a win. I’m glad Who Can Tell managed to win. He’s always shown plenty of ability.” Who Can Tell was Browne’s last training success when scoring by 21 lengths in a maiden hurdles at Te Aroha two years ago and the last runner from her stable was Unveiling at Ellerslie last October. Browne also hopes Merlot can recapture his best form for Myers. He was a debut winner from Myers’ stable in July last year and after a next-up second he was off the scene until resuming with an eighth at New Plymouth recently. Meanwhile, Raisafuasho, the runner-up to D’Llaro in the 2016 Great Northern Hurdles, has overcome a setback for Team Rogerson and is likely to start at Te Aroha on Sunday. “Racing is not what it used to be, but I still like to be involved,” Browne said. View the full article

Group One winner Crown Prosecutor will spearhead trainer Stephen Marsh’s Ruakaka team over winter . Crown Prosecutor will spearhead a squad being sent north by Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh to be temporarily based at Ruakaka. “I’ll be sending horses up there at the start of July to get through the winter,” Marsh said. “At this stage I haven’t finalised them all, but Crown Prosecutor and Santa Catarina will be two of them. I’ll also send up some unraced horses to maybe get ready for the early two-year-old races. “It’s the first time I’ve done something like this, but it’s worth trying. “In Crown Prosecutor’s case, it’ll be to get him going and hopefully have him on trial for Melbourne. We’ve got no set races for him over there yet.” Crown Prosecutor provided Marsh with Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) glory at Ellerslie in March and has been gelded since finishing ninth in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill later that month. “He was a bit of a handful and the owners decided it was best to have him gelded,” Marsh said. “He’s been back in a couple of weeks and looks good. He should be ready to step up more when he gets up to Ruakaka.” Crown Prosecutor is part-owned by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, which also bred and owns Santa Catarina, a winner of four of her 11 starts. Santa Catarina, a daughter of Savabeel, was a Listed winner as a two-year-old and proved most consistent this year with two wins and three placings from five starts. She ended her campaign with a third in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa in late April. “She’s a very promising type and if she comes up well she might be good enough to sneak into a Sistema Railway (Gr.1, 1200m),” Marsh said. Marsh also has high hopes for Vernanme, who was third in both the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham and the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2000m) at Ellerslie. He joined Crown Prosecutor in Sydney after contesting the New Zealand Derby, in which he finished midfield, and was spelled after being unplaced in the Rosehill Guineas. “He’s back in work and I really rate him,” Marsh said. “He could be a Cups horse.” Marsh is experiencing his most successful season with 89 wins, placing him a clear third on the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership behind Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman (109) and Jamie Richards (96). “We’re a long way ahead of past seasons,” he said. “Our goal was to get to 75 wins and we’ve done that easily and had a Derby win under the belt, too. “There’s still a rough chance of getting to 100, but we really need to notch a few winners over the next week or so. We’re going to have a really quiet July.” Marsh’s stable has earned in excess of $2.5 million in prizemoney in New Zealand this season and six Group or Listed wins and this weekend he hopes to add to both tallies. He plans to start Pretty To Sea, Ritani and Campari in the Listed Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m) at Tauranga with Sam Spratt, Michael Coleman and Michael McNab being the respective riders. “They all like wet tracks so a bit of rain won’t bother them,” he said. “Pretty To Sea missed the jump last start so we tried her in a barrier blanket in a jumpout last Friday and she flew the gates. She’ll race in it on Saturday and should be a good chance. “Ritani won well at Ellerslie and is racing well and Campari was relegated (from first) last start and is going well, too.” View the full article

I'm not asking him to justify taking his "Club" elsewhere. Just asking him to be honest. How hard is it for you to understand Mo that I haven't protected anyone? I haven't kowtowed to mob rule and as for loyalty doesn't that argument cut both ways? Afterall who provided the forum in the first place?

Rule Number(s): 869(2)Following the running of Race 9 the “PGG Wrightson Uncut Gems Trotters Classic (Stand Start H’Cap) (Listed)” an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward Mr S Renault alleging a breach of Rule 869(2) by Open Driver Mr C Butt. The information alleged, C Butt (THEODOSIA) used his whip on more occasions ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869 (2) and Whip RegulationsFollowing the running of R 1 the Fat Sally’s Pub & Restaurant Trot Stewards charged Mr L Dobbs (KEN’S DREAM) with a breach of excessive use of the whip alleging that “Mr Dobbs used his whip on more occasions than permitted under Clause b of the Whip Regulations.” Rule 869 (2) reads: No horseman shall ...View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of race 1, Waipa Home of Champions 1150, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638 (1)(d). The Informant, Mr Coles, alleged that near the 800 metres Ms McCall permitted her mount SLEEPY GEEG to shift in when insufficiently clear of NU ROUGE which was checked losing ground. Ms ...View the full article

Well instead of hiding behind the scenes like Heslop just post what you think.

Jason can you try to be honest?!

Who are we talking about?

Come on Jason. Which woman are you specifically referring to?

Jason you can't play the "holier than thou" card now. Can you explain why you needed Admin rights?

Oh ok but you have prompted another site against the one that supported you.

Thanks Jason. However how do you justify the behind the scenes pressure that Chestnut (Maria) experienced?

Probably not but BOAY is different. Blatant advertising will be hidden - but then I guess socialists like everything for free or at others expense! If anyone wants to volunteer to run a punters club here you will have my full support. Any donations to "charities" will be declared from the start. Please message me if you are keen.

Race day abandonments are a RED HERRING of WHALE proportions. I doesn't matter what jurisdiction in the world where Thoroughbred Racing takes place there will always be abandonments! The UK is not immune to them nor is Australia. As for the abandonments this season, although we don't see the stats anymore, my guess is we have had less than previous years. Where NZTR fail is in their lack of contingencies for abandonments however in their defence they have the NZRB to contend with when looking at an contingency for an abandoned race meeting. The BIGGER issue is the condition of the tracks we DO RACE on!

I've tried the android app and have given up. Too SLOW!!!!!