Chief Stipe

They must be watching. It's fixed. Thanks.

The screens at the agency's showing the up coming race odds have been up to TEN MINUTES behind real time for the last few weeks. WHY? I assume they are fed by an internet data connection - is it YOUR problem or the agency's?

I've been watching the races in a TAB agency. At anyone time for any particular race there appear to be 3 different sets of odds on display. AND THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. Which do you use? The live channel, the screen with the odds or the app? The 3rd at Sale ran 5 mins ago and the odds are still being displayed on the screen!

Victoria Racing Club chair Amanda Elliott has fired a fierce shot in the racing war with NSW by labelling Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys "a silly little man making silly decisions". Elliott was taking aim at Racing NSW over their recent prizemoney increases and races including the $14 million The Everest and $7.5 million The Golden Eagle. Elliott, speaking as she revealed the Melbourne Cup would now be worth $8 million, said there was a responsibility to have a national approach in regards to racing in Australia. "We actually do have a national responsibility to the sport of racing in Australia," Elliott told radio RSN. "We all know that we have geographic boundaries that sometimes gets a bit pushed and pulled and we're all doing our best for our own jurisdictions, but at the end of the day, the Australian racing industry is the one we care about. "So this kind of single-minded determination to knock off Victoria just infuriates me to be honest. "I think it's just a silly little man making silly decisions. "I mean we all understand how important prizemoney is, don't get me wrong. But at the end of the day, racing is about so much more than prizemoney." You can read V'landys response to Elliott's 'silly little man' comments by clicking HERE Elliott later rang V'landys to apologise about her "silly little man" remark, leaving a voice message on V'landys phone, and he accepted the apology. However Elliott believes prizemoney being offered for some races is counterproductive for the sport. "Prizemoney is vital to owners and trainers and connections. But having this sort of prizemoney spiral and everybody thinking that they somehow need to join this race to the bottom, or race to the top, whichever way you care to look at this prizemoney argument, it's just counterproductive," she said on RSN. "Money isn't the only thing. This glorious sport, in some way, is demeaned by this rather unnatural amount of prizemoney that's being thrown at one or two races. "I know people will say 'that's hypocrisy because you've just put up the Melbourne Cup'. The Melbourne Cup is the most important race in Australia. It's the most important staying race in the world and it is now worth $8 million. That's plenty." Racing NSW recently ramped up their quest to usurp Victoria as the country’s premier state for spring racing after announcing a raft of new additions to their $45 million The Everest carnival. Australia's two most powerful and prominent racing states have been at loggerheads for several years and that will reach new levels during the spring carnival.

Seventh Up winning the Easter Stakes. Group Two winner Seventh Up will make his raceday return on Saturday when he contests the Trigg Construction (1200m) at Ruakaka. The Shelley Hale-trained eight-year-old has been spelling since contesting all three legs of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival last year and Hale said she has taken a patient approach with the son of Shinko King. “There’s been no particular reason (for the eight month break),” Hale said. “I just wasn’t that happy with the way he was looking, so I decided to give him a long spell. “The whole spring prep was very rushed for him, he just never quite caught up with himself. I felt like I put him under the pump, so I just wanted to give him a good break to recover. “Since he’s come back he looks really good.” Hale was pleased with his spring campaign last year, and is eyeing a return to Hastings next term with a particular aim towards the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m), a race he finished fourth in last year. “I thought they (Foxbridge Plate and Windsor Park Plate) were both good runs. The Livamol (Gr.1, 2040m) was his first try at 2000m and maybe he just didn’t see it out (finishing 12th). “He has always shown a bit of class, so maybe a mile is his best trip now. “I am going to potter with him during the winter and hopefully have him nice and fit for spring racing. “We might go to the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) and then we might try and freshen him up. “As long as we have got good form in our next couple of starts, if he didn’t get to the Foxbridge (Gr.2, 1200m) I wouldn’t be too concerned, and it wouldn’t worry me too much if we missed the Tarzino (Gr.1, 1400m) and went straight to the Windsor Park.” While Saturday will be Seventh Up’s first raceday start in eight months, Hale was buoyed by his 935m trial win at Cambridge last month heading into Saturday. “I’ve taken plenty of encouragement out of the 900m trial at Cambridge. It’s hard to get back and come and win and he did that,” she said. “I don’t know how strong it was, but he did all we could ask of him. He looks really well, so it just proved that he is feeling good. “He is getting a little bit longer in the tooth now, but he still wants to do it, so I am pretty happy with him.” Seventh Up has drawn the outside gate in the eight horse field on Saturday and will carry 60kg in the 1200m event. “The outside gate doesn’t help us a lot,” Hale said. “It might be a bit tough over 1200m first-up, but he is pretty well and bright. “We are giving everything else six kilos as well. It’s a bit tough, but Grant (Cooksley, jockey) is pretty keen to keep riding this horse. “I certainly can’t label him over 1200m up there, but he is going well and looks well, I am very happy with him.” Seventh Up will be joined on the trip north by stablemate Go Nicholas. The seven-year-old gelding has been unplaced in his last three starts and Hale is hoping they can get a result on Saturday if he can jump away well from barrier two in the Northland Veterinary Group (1400m). “We are going to try and get him out of the gates and get him going,” she said. “He’s just switched off a bit mentally, there’s nothing wrong with the horse physically. “I did my fast work on Monday morning and he galloped brilliantly. He’s just giving them too big of a start, he’s giving them six to eight lengths out of the gate and just can’t make that up at the finish. “We have got Matthew Cameron on him hoping that he can get him a bit fired up and a bit motivated. “The horse has been working well enough to go a really good race, so I hope he can do what he has shown us he is still capable of doing.” If Go Nicholas can strike some form in the next month, Hale said he is a chance of targeting the Opunake Cup next month as well. “I thought as an older horse now we’ll probably just keep him ticking over through the winter, but I haven’t picked out anything specifically. “If he can regain some of his old form then he’s an Opunake Cup-type horse as well. We’ll just see how he goes on Saturday.” View the full article

Jesse Duke in action. The usual post-Jewels scramble to buy New Zealand stock has been in full effect over the past ten days. Headlining a number of sales is 3YO Emerald winner, Jesse Duke, who has been purchased by American-based former Kiwi trainer, Chris Ryder. Victorian Co-owner Jean Feiss confirmed on Monday that she and husband Bill had sold their three-time Group 1 winner. But he would continue to race for trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen a little while longer, though. “He’s been sold, and the deal finalised, but I believe he will go to Brisbane first,” Feiss told HRNZ. The A$75,000 Queensland Derby at Albion Park on July 20 would be his first target for Ryder, part of a four-horse Queensland delegation by Purdon and Rasmussen, the others being Princess Tiffany, Speech Is Silver and the Feiss-owned Self Assured. Both the third and fourth-placed horses in One Change’s 2YO Emerald were the subject of intense buyer interest and both have had ownership changes. Zeuss Bromac, celebrated driver Zachary Butcher’s first runner as a trainer, has undergone an ownership restructuring after finishing third at just his second start. Butcher and his fellow owners, including father, David, received offers from multiple Australian stables, including Perth-based trainers Gary Hall Snr and Greg and Skye Bond. Ultimately, Melbourne-based part-owner Lynette Philpott agreed to buy out her fellow owners rather than see the horse sold elsewhere. Butcher will get to train Zeuss Bromac in the interim, and will take the son of Bettor’s Delight to Melbourne for the Australasian Breeders Crown in August. The Ideal Touch surprised many with a cheeky run up the passing lane for fourth in the 2YO Emerald, bringing great delight to his connections, including Roxburgh trainers, Geoff and Jude Knight. Auckland agent Peter Blanchard was quick to pounce on behalf of Gary Hall Snr and the horse was vetted late last week. The deal was expected to be finalised in the next 48 hours, according to Blanchard. He also confirmed that Hall was the purchaser of promising Southland three-year-old Wildwest, who was a 12-length winner on debut at Gore back on May 11. A pair of Canterbury three-year-old fillies are heading to America next week. Shecandance, who finished mid-pack in the 3YO Diamond won by Belle Of Montana, will head to the New York stable of Jose Godinez after being purchased out of Robert Dunn’s barn. And owner Katie Carville is understood to have sold the exciting Millwood Bonnie, who recently recorded impressive back-to-back wins for trainer Steve Dolan. Perth trainer Michael Brennan flew in to Christchurch on Monday to trial open class pacer Forgotten Highway. And he liked what he saw, confirming shortly afterwards that clients of his stable would be purchasing the gelding out of Mitchell Kerr’ stable, subject to a vet exam. Burgeoning Auckland prospect, Big On Personality, was recently purchased out of John and John Dickie’s stable by American Richard Poillucci, the same man who races champion mare Shartin. The three-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight had a brief stint in Canterbury with Cran Dalgety in an attempt to qualify for the Harness Jewels, but missed out and is now headed to his new home in North America. Co-trainer Greg Hope confirmed over the weekend that Kingslayer, a four-race winner who placed at Ashburton last Sunday, has been sold to the Perth stable of Greg and Skye Bond. View the full article

Herlihy reaches new milestone Tony Herlihy isn’t much for adulation or fanfare. But he’s had to grin and bear it over the last ten days. He became the first driver to reach the 3,500 New Zealand win milestone when driving Gambit at Alexandra Park on Friday night, less than a week after recording two wins at the Harness Jewels in Christchurch. “I’ve been congratulated more in the last week than I have in my entire career,” he joked. Recording inaugural milestones is path he has forged for most of his 40-year career; he was already the first to 2500 and 3000 as well, though good mate Maurice McKendry beat him to 2000 by four months in 1999. But ticking off achievements isn’t something that’s on his radar. In fact, it was only after watching Trackside that he even realised he was close to the milestone. “I didn’t know until about three weeks ago when Mark McNamara mentioned it. “I suppose it is nice to be the first one to get there – they can’t take it off you. “For me it’s just a matter of driving winners. Getting as many as you can for your owners and those who support you.” Long gone are the days of him travelling all over the north island for drives and that’s seen his tally slow down markedly in recent seasons. His 32 winners last term were his smallest seasonal number since 1981, though he’s back up to 45 with two months left in the current season. “I’ve virtually shut down compared to what I used to do. “I’m quite happy just to drive at Alexandra Park on a Friday night now; I don’t even travel to Cambridge much anymore. “It’s a long way from when I used to drive at every north island meeting, including Hutt Park. I was never home.” Nowadays, Herlihy is just focused on training his own team in the hope of having horse capable of going to feature meetings in Christchurch or across the tasman. “A big bonus for me is taking horses to meetings like the Jewels or to the features in Aussie. “Taking Temporale over there for the carnivals, those are the sort of meetings you live for. “Over the years I’ve made a lot of friends in Australia and I love getting over there and racing against them.” That trend looks set to continue thanks to Jewels-winning trotter Tickle Me Pink, who has a big future ahead of her. Herlihy has no retirement plans at this stage, so 4000 wins could be a possibility, though at his current rate, the 60-year-old would need to drive for at least another decade to do it. A more achievable goal is a specific race he is yet to win, surprising since you’d think he’s won nearly everything there is to win in Australasian harness racing. Outside of the Harness Jewels, he’s won every pacing Group 1 in the country except the Queen of Hearts, and he does have a Jewels Emerald on his resume as well. In Australia, he’s won the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup and Victoria Cup and both the Victoria and New South Wales Derby. He’s even won four Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Finals. But there is one race that eludes him. After 3500 wins – probably closer to 3600 when you factor in his wins in Australia – there’s not much that motivates him, but this does. “It would be nice to win an Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final. “That’s the one big race I haven’t won in my career.” He’ll get a chance on his home track later this year, probably with Star Galleria. But you never know, maybe his brother in law, Mark Purdon, might come to the party and put him on one of the All Stars squad that is likely to include Spankem, Turn It Up, Thefixer and Cruz Bromac. Wouldn’t that nicely round out the story of the man honoured by the queen for his achievements in harness racing? View the full article

Sleeping Beauty could be set for a Group One tilt in the new season. Matamata trainer Lance O’Sullivan has a small winter team in work but is hoping classy mare Sleeping Beauty can add to her black-type portfolio over the coming months, with the potential to target a Group One early in the new season. The six-year-old daughter of Rip Van Winkle has won nine of her 22 starts, including her most recent start in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) on May 11. Despite a gap between runs, O’Sullivan, who trains in partnership with Andrew Scott, is expecting a good showing from the mare when she contests the Listed The Ultimate Ford And Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m) on Saturday week. “It will be a while between runs, but she certainly looks well for it. She looks great,” O’Sullivan said. “She does better in work as opposed to out of work. We’re hoping to have a crack at something early in the spring at Hastings with her. “She is better off ticking over and having a race every six weeks. We don’t do much with her at home as opposed to her being in a paddock and bored. “She just takes so long to get back. She is better off kept warm and kept in work quietly. She just seems to enjoy being in work.” Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Sleeping Beauty will be a candidate for the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on August 31, with O’Sullivan hoping for rain-softened conditions on the opening day of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Carnival. “She will still be fit and hopefully we get a track that has got a little bit of give in it. If she got things to suit on the day, she is certainly capable at that level,” O’Sullivan said. “But at the first sign that she shows that she wasn’t doing it, Sir Peter and Gary Cossey will make the decision to rest her.” O’Sullivan said horses had to be able to cope with deep ground during a New Zealand winter and only some relish those conditions. “They have got to be able to handle the ground. You can have a horse as fit as fit can be, but if they can’t go on it, they can’t go on it,” he said. “Horses that win in the winter, they are super fit. They carry no excess. It is the sort of ground where they don’t quicken but they don’t stop, and some horses just love that footing. “We don’t have a big winter team. The racing team will be small but horses like Andoyas will carry on and Divine Duke will have his first run on Saturday week too, so we will have bits and pieces.” View the full article

Sensible Princess. Group Two-winning mare Sensible Princess will contest the Listed The Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m) later this month after pleasing her connections with her first-up placing at Trentham last month. The Fraser Auret-trained mare finished third behind Comeback and Art Deco over 1400m and he believes she will thrive in the wet track conditions over the winter months. “She seems quite adept in those conditions,” he said. “I was absolutely thrilled with her run at Wellington and the way she pulled up as well. “We are going to go directly into the Tauranga weight-for-age in two weeks with her. She’s a Group Two winner previously and I am really happy with where she is at.” View the full article

The Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) has received a funding injection and will be run for a record A$8million on November 5 this year. The total prizemoney, including trophies, for the Lexus Melbourne Cup will increase to $8 million, up from $7.3 million in 2018. The winner of ‘the race that stops a nation’ will receive A$4.4 million plus A$250,000 in trophies, second place A$1.1 million and third place A$550,000. Prizemoney will continue to be paid from 1st down to 12th. From sixth to twelfth place, each will now receive A$160,000, up from A$150,000. “At A$8 million, the Lexus Melbourne Cup is the world’s richest handicap and the world’s richest staying race,” Victoria Racing Club Chairman Amanda Elliott said. “It is the race every Australian owner, trainer and jockey wants to win, and internationally, has become one of the most sought after prizes in world racing. “Connections cannot buy a place in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, it has to be earned. The results of the recently revamped Andrew Ramsden at Flemington highlights the sheer joy that comes with knowing your horse has secured a place in the Cup.” The Melbourne Cup will be run at 5pm on Tuesday 5 November 2019. View the full article

Jamie Richards collects the trophy after Avantage’s win in the Gr.3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) in Sydney. As the current thoroughbred racing season draws to a close, a question posed by many industry pundits just over 12 months ago has been answered in emphatic fashion. In May 2018 the boss of Te Akau Racing, David Ellis, made the announcement that young tyro Jamie Richards would be taking sole charge of Te Akau’s Matamata training operation after working in partnership with the experienced Stephen Autridge. Many saw it as a bold, but perhaps risky, move to place the 28-year old at the top of the Te Akau tree only three years after moving into the training ranks and wondered if the Otago-born and bred prospect would be able to match the success achieved with Autridge. The answer to that question quite simply is a resounding yes. Domestically he’s had 96 wins for the season (as at June 11), 17 of those in stakes races including seven Group Ones and the leading strike rate (5.32) amongst the top thirty trainers on the national trainers’ premiership. He also recorded stakes success in Australia when talented three-year-old filly Avantage was victorious in the Gr.3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m). The son of former top jockey and useful trainer in his own right, Paul Richards and his wife Leanne, Jamie was raised in Mosgiel, outside of Dunedin and was quickly immersed in the racing lifestyle. “I grew up in Mosgiel where Dad was training and riding so I spent a long time going around the racetracks,” Richards said. “He always had horses in work so I learnt to ride and was instilled with a good work ethic. “I went to Otago Boys’ High school although I was pretty keen to leave school and become a jockey, however Mum and Dad wanted me to stay and get an education which in hindsight has been great. “I would have been too big to be a jockey in the end so I’m glad I stayed.” Richards continued his academic endeavours at Otago University, where he graduated with a degree in commerce along with a postgraduate diploma in marketing, but just as importantly, some significant contacts from his time at the institution. “I made some good contacts at university and it is actually how I met Dave (Ellis),” he said. “It was through his wife Karyn’s (Fenton-Ellis) daughter Julia-Rose who was also at Otago University. “Through that connection I actually went up and worked for Mark Walker during the holidays. “To be fair, the business at home wasn’t thriving so Mum and Dad could have quite easily said to stay home and work the holidays there but they sent me away and I got some experience which has all been a massive help.” During his last year at university Richards was awarded the prestigious Sunline Scholarship by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and he went on to spend time at Cheveley Park in Newmarket, Coolmore Stud in Ireland along with undertaking yearling preparation work at Taylor Made Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The time away opened his eyes to the best-practice techniques and experiences he could draw on as his training career took shape. “I didn’t have any yearling or breeding experience so when I was finishing up at university I went and worked at the Oaks Stud, which was organised by Michael Martin from the Breeders’ Association and then I was lucky enough to be awarded the scholarship and I went away on that course,” Richards said. “It was just amazing and I met a lot of different people and learnt different skills and techniques which have been instrumental in what I have been doing since. “I came back and worked for New Zealand Bloodstock for the summer, finished up the last of my university requirements and then did an internship with Mark Chittick at Waikato Stud, which was again a great experience as I spent a lot of time with the veterinarians and being involved with their work.” It was at that stage that Richards decided his passion lay with the racing side of the industry and he took on the role of Racing Manager with Te Akau Racing. “I was always keen that I was going to get back into racing at some stage as horses were my passion and I wanted to make a career out of it,” Richards said. “The training side of things came about when David Ellis and Mark Walker made the decision they wanted to get Stephen Autridge back involved at Te Akau as they were looking for a change. “They wanted Stephen to mentor me and teach me, much as he had done when Mark was first getting started as his foreman. “Stephen was great and taught me how to train and manage a large team, manage staff and all that goes with the training game. “I think it was a very smart move by Mark and David and it has proven very successful. “Steve is very straight forward, keeps things simple and I’m very grateful for how he has helped me. “We still discuss horses when I have any questions and he gives me his opinion and I really appreciate that.” Despite the success that he has achieved in his first year as the training figurehead at Te Akau, it comes as no surprise that Richards has a single-minded focus on achieving some lofty goals over the next few years and is committed to making continual improvements in his work. “To be honest it is a very encompassing job and if you don’t live and breathe it, I don’t think you can be successful at it,” he said. “If you asked me the last time I watched a super rugby game at night I’d struggle to tell you, as most of the time I would be in bed by half-time. “You have to make sacrifices to make the most out of your profession, so it’s not just a job for me, it’s pretty much all that I do and I take pride in getting the results we have been able to achieve. “I’m keen to make a good go of it and that means dedicating my time to the horses. “I don’t see a lot changing, as we (Te Akau) want to get bigger and better. “I work with a remarkable team of people who also want to succeed, so that will continue to be our main goal in the new year. “We are hoping to have an increased presence in Australia with the top-line horses we have at present, while we also have some exciting younger horses coming through. “Dave was the strongest he has ever been at the sales this year so hopefully that can flow through into the stable results again this season.” While Richards is all business he is looking forward to taking time off for a Hawaiian holiday in July which will provide him with a chance to recharge his batteries and hit the ground running on August 1. View the full article

Steve Telfer. Steven Telfer’s long-running support of junior drivers should see him rewarded in the open race at Alexandra Park tonight. Telfer goes into the seven-horse race at the truncated meeting with three winning chances, two of them only getting starts because the race conditions allow higher rated horses to start with a concession driver. So Telfer has opted for Alicia Harrison on favourite Check In and Fergus Schumacher on Ivana Flybye, with another junior driver in stable regular Benjamin Butcher to partner Parker. Telfer giving younger drivers an opportunity is nothing new, of the 25 winners he has trained this season 10 (40 per cent) have been driven by juniors, a generous amount considering Telfer’s is a high profile stable with well bred stock so he could easily secure senior drivers. He thinks Check In is the best winning chance of the three after placings behind On The Cards and Triple Eight recently and Telfer is happy to have Harrison on. “She is a good young driver and does her homework so I am sure she will do a good job,” says Telfer. “He is probably in the right race to go forward and be put in the race and he has to be hard to beat.” But Telfer warns punters to watch out for Ivana Flybye as the winter progresses. “She is coming back to her best after a few setbacks and has worked well this week.” Telfer could have a good start to the night with Olivia Rachel having the gate speed to use the ace draw in race two in a race where most of her rivals probably aren’t good enough to work and win so the marker pegs run looks ideal. He is hoping Court On The Edge gets that same marker pegs run in race three but even that may only make him a place chance as rivals Gambit, Ferritts Sister and The Stunning Nun all look better than your average horse in this grade. The seven-race card contains three trotting races as they continue to be the saver for fields in the north, especially during winter and even more so the day after a Cambridge meeting. The main trot is the best race of the night with Pres The Belle, Credit Master, Sunny Glenis, Missandei, Ace Commander and Paramount King all having close to open class potential so manners and racing luck will be crucial. View the full article

Auckland Reactor. When Red Reactor won at Alexandra Park last Friday night it capped off a memorable harness racing week for his sire Auckland Reactor. Auckland Reactor has had a productive time with his progeny both here and in Australia over the last fortnight winning several races in both countries. On Sunday the 26th May a speedy Auckland Reactor filly by the name of Sky Vale turned heads at the Rangiora meeting when winning her harness racing debut by an ever increasing 8 lengths for trainer Glenn Gillard and driver Blair Orange. The winning time of 3-18.5 for the 2600m stand suggests there are plenty more wins in store for Sky Vale when you consider she was still locked up on the fence back in the field with 400m left to go. Sky Vale winning at Rangiora Also winning at Rangiora was the Auckland Reactor gelding Baltimore Jack (Auckland Reactor – D’Amore’s First) who picked up his third win after a run of placings in some tough Addington fields in the previous few weeks. Baltimore Jack was driven by Blair Orange who never had to panic when Baltimore Jack easily spaced his rivals by more than 3 lengths after receiving a good run on the outer during the race. Nigel McGrath is the trainer of Baltimore Jack. Baltimore Jack winning at Rangiora Red Reactor (Auckland Reactor – Edernay) was impressive when winning his fifth race in quick time at Alexandra Park last Friday night. The 4yo gelding ran 2-41.6 (1-58.1 MR) for the mobile 2200m for driver Maurice McKendry. It was a cagey drive by McKendry who bided his time near the rear of the field for the majority of the race. Near the 600m McKendry made his move and Red Reactor rushed into the race and slowly wore down his rivals to win by a neck. Red Reactor winning at Auckland Earlier this week Trainer Mark Jones produced an exciting Auckland Reactor 2yo trials winner at Rangiora. Itz Alldown To Luck (Auckland Reactor – Itz Fatima Kiwi) demolished a five horse field by more than 8 lengths in the standing start 2600m trial. In the trial Itz Alldown To Luck was slowly away settling a long last, but Jones set the 2yo gelding alight with 800m to go and he rounded up the field, before shooting clear at the 600m and winning without being pushed. Itz Alldown To Luck winning his trial on Wednesday Harnesslink Media View the full article

No Tip winning at Trentham on Saturday The new training partnership of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal secured their first win at Trentham on Saturday when No Tip was victorious in the Gazley Mercedes Benz Hurdle (2500m). Nelson was pleased to get the partnership off to a winning start, particularly with the long history between the pair and the hardships McDougal has had to face. “It’s a great thrill, I think she first worked for us 20 years ago and she has been with us constantly for the last five years,” he said. “She’s had to go through kidney failure and dialysis for 10 years and at the end of October she had a kidney and liver transplant. “We have got a new model now, she was very good before but she has got even more energy now.” No Tip was heading into Saturday off the back of a runner-up performance at Woodville last month and Nelson was relatively confident ahead of Saturday’s contest, although he did have some slight reservations. “We didn’t know whether he was going to handle that track (heavy11),” Nelson said. “It was his first go in that ground and he hadn’t had a hurdle race this year. There are always reservations.” No Tip could possibly return to Trentham next month to contest the Wellington Hurdle (3400m). “He’s a seven-year-old and he’s been in work since he was a three-year-old, so he’s mature enough now to do something,” Nelson said. “The fact that he does handle Trentham, it does make you think about it. “It may be too soon (Wellington Hurdle), but we will see how he pulls up. He’s been out in a good grass paddock since Saturday night and he has just come back in now. “I let him go in his usual paddock and he just galloped to the top of the hill. It doesn’t look like it has upset him much.” Meanwhile, stablemate Zardetto finished runner-up to Napoleon in the Super Star Zed Em ‘Chase’ (4000m) on Saturday. Nelson was pleased with his run and is hoping to contest some of the bigger steeplechase races with him this winter. “I never like running second that much, but second is better than third and Napoleon looked like he was going to be a good horse, especially a couple of years ago when he first came out,” he said. “He has raced very well so far this winter, but he is very prone to accidents and you never know whether you have got him or not. “When you have got him, and the ground is reasonable, he’s more than useful. “We will hopefully run him in the Hawke’s Bay Chase (4800m) and then we might come back to Wellington with him (for the Wellington Steeplechase).” Nelson said his winter team is smaller than usual, but he is looking forward to lining up a few of his stable stars in the coming months. “We are a bit quieter than we have been in the last couple of years,” he said. “Ooee will probably run in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle and Perry Mason will probably follow some of the better steeplechases around.” View the full article

Supera winning the Gr.2 Travis Stakes Top gallopers Supera and Princess Kereru are due back in work next month, but already a decision has been made to bypass the first major events for the new season with the pair. While most open-class performers will be aimed at legs of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown, beginning with the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on August 31, both Supera and Princess Kereru will be absent. “They’re not going to Hastings,” co-trainer Ken Kelso said. “They’re better having a bit more time and getting ready for the summer. “Princess Kereru is really a 1200m horse and she could kick off in the Sweynesse Stakes (Gr.3, 1215m) at Rotorua in October, while a race like the Captain Cook Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) at Trentham could be a better first big target for Supera, though nothing will be confirmed until we see how they do when they come back into work.” Both Group One placegetters went to the spelling paddocks on winning notes, Supera taking the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa and Princess Kereru prevailing in the Listed NZB Finance Sprint (1200m) at Hastings in April. Also currently out spelling is stablemate Shoshone, who became the first winner for Waikato Stud sire Sacred Falls when winning at Ellerslie last Monday. “She’ll be back on July 1 and will kick off at the Taupo meeting on August 21 then go for the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) at Hastings,” Kelso said. View the full article

Enzo’s Lad (outside) winning the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in January A decision by the owners of Enzo’s Lad has enabled Michael Pitman to experience a lifelong dream in England. As the Canterbury trainer says, he is “living the dream” as he soaks up the atmosphere in the countdown to his first appearance at Royal Ascot next week. Pitman and his wife, Diane, are in Newmarket, England, preparing dual Gr.1 Telegraph Handicap (1200m) winner Enzo’s Lad for the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting next Tuesday. And no matter the result, he has already made himself a promise. “This won’t be the last time I’ll be here,” Pitman said. ‘’My ambition will be to come back again. I’ll be out to find another one good enough to come over here. “I’ve always loved the racing game and I was always going to find a way to get to Royal Ascot one day. At home I sit up and watch Royal Ascot every year. I love its history. It’s the best racing in the world and it’s where it all started. “To be part of it is simply a dream come true for me. It’s the absolute highlight of my career.” Pitman is overwhelmed with the racing scene in Newmarket, amazed at the constant string of richly bred horses going out to work on the various training tracks scattered around the town centre. ‘’The other morning I watched John Gosden send out a string of 57 horses in one hit and that’s not unusual over here,” he said. ‘’It’s amazing how many track riders they have here. Honestly it blows my mind.” Pitman has Enzo’s Lad based at the stables of Jane Chapple-Hyam and describes it as ‘’horse heaven.” “Jane has been so good to us and she looked after Enzo’s Lad before we got here,” Pitman said. ‘’He loves it over here and why wouldn’t he? Our neighbours are Saeed Bin Suroor, John Gosden and Sir Michael Stoute, legends of the turf.” The Pitmans have been overwhelmed by the welcome they have received in addition to the broad media coverage. The English media has been quick to pick up on the hardships Pitman has gone through, particularly his battle with bowel cancer. It’s a fight which Pitman was determined not to stop him from getting to Royal Ascot and on route to England he received an email which lifted a great weight off his shoulders. While at Los Angeles airport he opened the email which notified him of the all-clear after having to have an operation in Christchurch halted midway through surgery last month when some polyps were discovered. ‘’The results have come back and all is ok,” Pitman said. ‘’What a relief it has been. Now we don’t have that hanging over our heads so we can enjoy Royal Ascot even more. It’s a trip of a lifetime and we’re making the most of it.” But when Enzo’s Lad tailed the field home in the Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin last start, Pitman said he almost cancelled the UK trip. ‘’After Hong Kong I threw my hands up and was going to go straight home with him,” he said. ‘’But I left it up to the owners and they really want to go to Royal Ascot. Just about all of them are coming over and they’ve organised their top hats and tails.” Pitman is fully aware of the class of the field in the Gr.1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m). But he has been heartened by the form reversal of last year’s winner Blue Point after finishing last in the same Hong Kong lead-up, the Chairman’s Prize Sprint. ‘’Blue Point is going to be hard to beat again and there’s another one or two they are all talking about,” Pitman said. ‘’But just to have a runner will be special for us. People might think we’re mad coming over here, but it’s an experience I will never forget.” Provided Enzo’s Lad comes through next Tuesday’s race in good order he will back up on the last day of the Royal Ascot meeting four days later in the Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) and Pitman, who trains in partnership with his son Matthew, said he may stay on for the Gr.1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket on July 13. ‘’Matt’s got a seven month-old baby and he can’t be here, but he can say he is part and parcel of an international training combination,” Pitman said. View the full article

Super Hoof winning at Te Rapa on Saturday Matamata trainer Glenn Old is set to pass on his top stayer Bizzwinkle to Ballarat trainer Patrick Payne, but he believes he could have found another potential staying star in his stable. Old produced the easiest of winners at Te Rapa last Saturday when Super Hoof raced away to an eight and a quarter-length maiden win over 1600m in the hands of apprentice Jasmine Fawcett. It was the third start for Super Hoof and Old feels the four-year-old son of Cape Blanco has the ability to work through the grades and maybe get an opportunity to emulate Bizzwinkle in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton in November. Bizzwinkle provided Old with one of his major highlights as a trainer when taking last year’s New Zealand Cup, the occasion being right up there with the Matamata horseman’s best win, with Our Famous Eve in the 2013 Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga. “He’s the same sort of horse as Bizzwinkle, but has a bit more speed,” Old said. “He’ll go back to Te Rapa on July 8 for a Rating 65 2100m and if he wins a couple more I’ll set him for the New Zealand Cup.’’ Super Hoof is owned by Hong Kong Real Estate agent Sam Wong, who purchased him from the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2016 Select Yearling Sale at Karaka for $110,00 and re-offered him at the Ready To Run Sale, at which he failed to meet his reserve. From the family of dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn, Super Hoof began his career with Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh. “He went sore and I ended up getting him,’’ Old said. “The owner planned to get him to Hong Kong, but he’s got bad knees and that has held him back. But it’s good for me. He was a bit claustrophobic to start with, but we’ve taken him along quietly and he’s always shown ability.’’ Super Hoof won his first trial, at Taupo in August last year, then did well in his debut over 1800m on the same track for second to subsequent Gr.3 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) winner and Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) third placegetter Prince Jabeel. “He was sore after that so he had a good break then won a trial at Taupo and it was just too heavy for him when he ran at New Plymouth,” Old said. “We knew if he handled it on Saturday he could win, but I didn’t think he’d win that easily. He was just a tick outside the time the open horses ran over the 1600m and he wasn’t pushed.’’ Meanwhile, Old is hopeful Bizzwinkle can return to his best when he heads to Australia. “He had a break after the Wellington Cup and he’s been back in since mid-March,’’ Old said. “He did well with the spell and I’m just working him along quietly. “The plan is to trial him at Te Rapa in July then send him over to Melbourne in early August and leave him with Patrick Payne. He can mix his work with some jumping and get him ready for the staying races. There are plenty of them over there for him. “I don’t know if he’s good enough, but if he does well he could have a go at the Geelong Cup (Gr.3, 2400m). There’s also a 2800m race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day that could suit him. He’s not up to the Melbourne Cup class.’’ With Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) winner Our King Sway retired and Bizzwinkle being Melbourne-bound, Old’s focus on the homefront is on Super Hoof, while he also rates the chances of Hay Tiger and other younger members of his squad. “Hay Tiger will run at Hastings at the end of June and if he gets a slow track he should be hard to beat,’’ Old said. “It was just too heavy for him at Auckland (when fourth). He could become a good stayer.” Old has a racing team of a half-dozen with the rest of the 20-odd horses in training being prepared for the Asian market. “My job is to get them up and trialling and ready to be sent up to either Hong Kong, Singapore or Macau,’’ he said. “I’ve got a couple, one by Ghibellines and the other by Nadeem, ready to go up to Macau on Sunday.’’ Old also does some pre-training for champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller and one of those through his hands is Kolding, who won the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday. View the full article

Dexter Dunn CHESTER PA – New Zealand native Dexter Dunn, who has ascended to third in the Harrah’s Philadelphia driving standings behind perennial leaders Tim Tetrick and George Napolitano Jr., took five victories during the Thursday afternoon harness racing card at the riverside oval, including wins in the feature and one co-feature – neither of them predictable. In the $18,000 headlining trot, Dunn rallied the Cantab Hall gelding Newcastle to a 9-1 upset, swinging wide off of cover to the lead and then resisting the inside charge of Kinda Lucky Lindy in 1:55.1. The half-length victory brought Newcastle’s lifetime summary to 25 victories and $364,338 in earnings. Jennifer Bongiorno conditions the winner for Andiamo Racing Stable. One of the $14,500 trotting co-features went to Dunn and the RC Royalty gelding Coastal Region, who took a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2 while catching bettors unaware at 14-1. Whereas last week Coastal Region was shuffled back and had to come from far off the pace, this week the winner could move outside from third-in at the three-quarters for his late kick, catching pacesetting Sheez On A Cruise by 1¼ lengths for trainer Arlene Cameron, now 3-for-4 with her recent acquisition, and owner Jaypaul Hoover. Coastal Region broke the six-figure lifetime bankroll plateau with the win, with earnings of $101,879. In the other $14,500 trotting contest, the Donato Hanover gelding Don Dream and driver David Miller cleared to the lead on a first-over bid towards the three-quarter pole, then drew off by 3¾ lengths over Armageddon Seelster while lowering his speed mark to 1:54. Joe Holloway, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month, trains the winner of $179,882 for Crawford Farms Racing. View the full article

Waikato Stud-based stallion, Ocean Park Ocean Park gelding Kolding has emerged as the latest New Zealand-bred star for Queensland owner Neville Morgan, extending his winning sequence to four with a brilliant win in Saturday’s Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm. Carrying the same colours as multiple Group One-winning New Zealand-breds Kermadec and Rangirangdoo, Kolding produced an irresistible surge from fourth-last to beat Baccarat Baby by half a length. Adding to the New Zealand flavour of the result, he was trained and ridden by expats Chris Waller and James McDonald respectively. “I think he’s the right horse to go through to the spring – an Epsom (Gr.1, 1600m) type of horse, in my opinion,” Waller said. “He’s owned in the same interests as Rangirangdoo who won that race, and this race looks a good launching pad.” Kolding has now won five of his 11 starts, including all of his last four since being gelded earlier this year. “It’s been the making of this horse,” Waller said. “Prior to being gelded he had the ability but didn’t want to be a racehorse.” Kolding was bred by Warren Pegg in partnership with Wentwood Grange, who sold him at the 2017 Premier Sale at Karaka for $170,000. Wentwood Grange’s Hawkins family also bred and sold Kermadec four years earlier. “It’s a fantastic result, and that combination of Guy Mulcaster buying our yearlings and Neville Morgan racing them seems to be working extremely well,” stud manager Dean Hawkins said. “We were so pleased that they decided to come back to the well again after Kermadec, and we’re thrilled that they’ve got this result with this horse. “It was an amazing performance in the Guineas. They’ve always had a big wrap on the horse over there, but he’s really come on in leaps and bounds since he was gelded. To win four in a row, culminating in a Group Two, is great.” The Wentwood team are delighted to share the accolades with Pegg, who has been involved with the farm since the beginning. “Warren was actually our very first client when Wentwood Grange first got started,” Hawkins said. “A few years ago he decided to stop breeding horses on his own, so we started to breed in partnership with him. “He’s been a wonderful client for such a long time and has become a close family friend. It’s fantastic to share this result with him.” Kolding is out of Pegg’s Danzero mare Magic Star, who had previously produced two other stakes winners – the Listed Counties 2YO Challenge Stakes (1100m) winner Miss Upstart, and the well-performed stayer Sampson, the winner of 11 races including the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m), Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) and Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m). A filly by Iffraaj was sold by Wentwood Grange for $150,000 during last year’s Book 1 sale. Meanwhile, the win was the biggest so far for Waikato Stud’s up-and-coming stallion Ocean Park, who had previously been represented by a further 12 stakes performers including Rondinella, Another Dollar, Mongolianconqueror and Arrogant who were all placed at Group One level. Now with three crops of racing age, Ocean Park has sired 94 winners from 167 runners. He has sired 27 winners in the last two months alone, and he had a double on Saturday as the promising Star Of The Seas scored at Randwick – the sixth win of his 12-start career. View the full article

Waimate Racing Club President Mike Cooney (far left) enjoying the sun on the Club’s last raceday with (left to right) George Hennessy, Bob Fenwick, Dick Langford, Bob Goodeve and Ron Williamson A brilliantly fine day and a huge on-course crowd combined to provide the appropriate farewell to thoroughbred racing at Waimate on Sunday where the Waimate Racing Club ran their last meeting at their home venue. The club has been issued a licence to hold its annual race meeting next season, however that will take place at an alternative venue from the Waimate track, following the release of the Messara report and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s subsequent venue plan. Rather than using the meeting to politicise the issue, the club took the opportunity to celebrate the rich history of thoroughbred racing in the area, with Club President Mike Cooney determined to make the most of the meeting for everyone involved. “While we are still not too sure as to why we need to stop racing here and what difference it will make to the industry, we decided to focus on celebrating what we have achieved in nearly 150 years of racing here,” Cooney said. “We invited as many of our former members and committee members as possible to the day although there are a few who couldn’t attend due to old age. “I’m sure those who made it thoroughly enjoyed their day with plenty of tall tales being told along the way. “While the fields had fallen away due to a number of factors, the day dawned fine and the crowd was rolling in well before the first race.” Included amongst the many in attendance was former Waimate-based trainer Dick Langford who reminded Cooney about some of the many stories associated with the track over the years. “Dick trained here for many years and had plenty of stories about history of the place,” Cooney said. “He also was pretty quick to remind me about his jockey days where he rode in a hurdle event on the course over seventy years ago.” Progressive galloper Pippi Rea provided one of the day’s racing highlights when he made it four wins in a row when taking out the rating 90 1200m event. The five-year-old Pins gelding, who races in the colours of his breeder and co-owner Valachi Downs Stud founder Kevin Hickman, sat outside the pace for rider Tina Comignaghi before driving clear in the straight to score by a neat length from Riccarton visitors On Point and Saber. Trained at Balcairn by John and Karen Parsons, the stakes placed Pippi Rea has now won eight of his 33 career starts. Comignaghi made it a winning double when she guided Wild Jack to victory in the feature race on the day, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup (1840m) after facing only three rivals due to the scratchings of the Kevin Myers-trained runners Scapolo, Shadow King and Overtheriver, who experienced transport issues trying to get to the meeting. View the full article

Bad Boy Brown (left) finishes strongly to defeat Gallante at Trentham Talented jumper Bad Boy Brown booked a place in next month’s Wellington Hurdle (3400m) at Trentham when he outstayed his open-class rivals in Saturday’s feature hurdle contest at the venue. The seven-year-old gelding bided his time at the rear of the field for rider Isaac Lupton before looming into contention approaching the home corner. In a slogging finish on the Heavy11 surface, Lupton brought his mount with a powerful staying run to snatch victory from race favourite Gallante with Guy Fox battling on well to claim third. Trainer Harvey Wilson was pleased with the result despite his charge putting in a few rough jumps early on in the event. “He’s not the best jumper going around and he was a little dicey early on there,” Wilson said. “Isaac handled him beautifully though and came into it at the right time and he was tough at the end. “He seems to like it here at Trentham as that was his second win and he can handle it when it gets pretty deep.” Wilson believes Bad Boy Brown can match it with the better hurdlers going around so will test that theory in some of the feature hurdle events over the winter months. “He has won three out of his four hurdle races and the other time at Rotorua he was pulled up with a slipped saddle,” he said. “He can have a run in an amateur flat race at Waverley next and then we will come back for the Wellington Hurdle in June. “If he can go well in a race like that, then we might have a think about a trip south for the Grand National Hurdle after that, but it is still a wee way off at this stage. “He didn’t race over the hurdles last season as he had had a bit of trouble with his feet but, touch wood, he is over that now and we can set him for those better races.” Wilson was also pleased with stablemate It’s A Wonder who finished third in his steeplechase debut after making most of the pace in a restricted open contest over 4000m. “He (It’s A Wonder) jumped well but he got a little bit lost in his first taste of the figure eight course,” he said. “I think his future is over the bigger fences so we will just take him along slowly before we get too ambitious with him.” The victory by Bad Boy Brown provided Lupton with the first of a unique double on the day as he also visited the winner’s enclosure later on as the owner of promising winter galloper Herengawe who prevailed in the rating 72 1400m contest to bring up his fourth career victory from just 11 starts. View the full article

Cambridge trainer Brendon Hawtin Cambridge-based trainer Brendon Hawtin achieved one of his career goals when lightly raced four-year-old Simply Optimistic scored a decisive victory over 1200m at Royal Randwick on Saturday. After spending a good part of his youth in Sydney where his father Keith played an integral role in fellow New Zealander Graeme Rogerson’s multi-state training operation, the younger Hawtin had always cherished the thought of returning one day with a horse good enough to compete in the competitive Sydney market. That goal was fulfilled on Saturday when Simply Optimistic produced a sustained finish in the closing stages for rider Josh Parr to win at his first start since September last year. Hawtin was on top of the world as he ticked off a career ambition. “That was an amazing feeling and I’m just so chuffed to get the win and stick it up the Aussies like that,” he said. “It’s not often our sprinting types can come over here and win against them so that made it even better for us. “I’ve been waiting a long time for a horse good enough to be able to bring over and this guy has proved to be the one. “I spent 3-4 years with Rogie over here working in his two-year-old barn and since I’ve been back in New Zealand, I have always wanted to come back and win races here.” Hawtin firmly believed the Encosta De Lago four-year-old had the ability to compete at a high level but immaturity issues and a minor injury had combined to restrict the number of starts they could give the horse since he made his debut at Te Rapa back in August 2017. “He always showed us plenty on the track but he needed to strengthen up and mature before we would see the best of him.” Hawtin said “He won two of his last three starts as a three-year-old then won first up at Ruakaka in September last year. “We had him ready to go for the last day of the Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival but he tweaked a suspensory so we had to pull him out and give him a break again. “He started back on the water walker in January and has had a long, slow build-up since then. “We actually had him entered for a race at Ellerslie but he missed a trial at Waipa when they were called off so we decided to have a look at Sydney instead, and here we are. “When the track came up a Heavy8 on Saturday I thought he would be a big chance but might be feeling the pinch a bit at the end. “I said to Josh to cuddle him up as long as he could but circumstances played out where he had to make his run a lot earlier than expected. “It turned out to be a very brave effort by the horse as he was coming to the end of it 100m out, but he never stopped trying.” Hawtin will now look for another Sydney target before sending the horse south to the stable of his good mate Trent Busuttin for the foreseeable future. “I’d like to think he can win again here but the 1200m will probably be too sharp for him so we’ll take a look at what is available over 1400m next,” Hawtin said. “He can have that run and maybe one more but after that he will head to Trent and Natalie (Young) down at Cranbourne for a break. “He’s going to stay over here in Australia now and we hope he might be competitive in and around Melbourne in the spring. “I do think in twelve months he will be at his best and could be a real Carnival contender so that is the plan for him as it stands.” View the full article

Star of the Seas cruises to victory at Randwick The Chris Waller-trained Star Of The Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park) failed to make the field for the Stradbroke and stayed at home in Sydney with a winning result in the Racing to Win Handicap (1600m). The four-year-old gelding has been a model of consistency having record four wins and four placings from eight starts this preparation and never running out of the money in his 13 career starts. “He’s had a fantastic preparation,” Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth said. “He was balloted out of the Stradbroke so he came here instead. “He’s just a beautiful horse and jumps and travels and just wants to please.” Star Of The Seas gave his jockey Jay Ford a double for the Waller stable after his earlier win on two-year-old Catwalk. Star of the Seas who was bred by Trelawney Stud, was sold off the back of a trial win in New Zealand when prepared by Clayton Chipperfield through bloodstock agent Phil Cataldo to Sydney based Tony Muollo. View the full article

Simply Optimistic upsets the Australian sprinters New Zealand trainers are noted for bringing stayers across the Tasman with success but their sprinters don’t rate as highly. So Brendon Hawtin knew he was taking a gamble with Simply Optimistic ‘who has lived up to his part of the bargain with victory at Randwick. A $10 chance in the Tab.com.au Handicap (1200m), Simply Optimistic beat the favourite Southern Lad ($5) by three-quarters of a length. Hawtin is familiar with Sydney racing having lived in the city for many years when his father Keith was foreman for Graeme Rogerson at Randwick. The father and son are the owners of Simply Optimistic. “We thought we would bring him here or to Melbourne,” Hawtin said. “This horse is qualified for the BOBS bonuses so it made sense to bring him here. “We thought we’d test the waters and he has done it well.” His jockey Josh Parr was impressed with the win. “He’s a lovely horse,” he said. “There’s loads of improvement to come, both fitness-wise and mentally. “He’s a nice one.” Simply Optimistic capped a big 10 minutes for Hawtin who won the last race at Te Rapa with Money Trail. -AAP View the full article

Chouxting The Mob completes a hat-trick at Flemington Chouxting The Mob has completed a winning hat-trick at Flemington with his trainer now looking to the first Tuesday in November. Trainer Simon Morrish said the Lavazza Long Black, a support staying race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, was the logical option for Chouxting The Mob after his win in Saturday’s TAB/ATA Celebrates Women Trainers Handicap. Ridden by Beau Mertens, Chouxting The Mob ($13) scored a widening 2-1/2 length win from the $2.50 favourite Last Week with Observational ($9.50) a short-neck away third. Chouxting The Mob was lining up for the 11th start of his campaign after having almost two years off the scene because of a cracked bone in a hind leg. He now races with three screws in the leg and Morrish is mindful of how far he can push into winter with spring races approaching. Saturday’s win was his fourth in his past five starts and follows victories at Sandown and Cranbourne. “He’s gone through his grades well and is probably deserving of a better race,” Morrish said. “I don’t know how good he is but he’s a real stayer. “I think the style of racing suits him. He does nothing for the first 2000 metres and dashes home over the last 500 metres. “You’d like to think the Lavazza Long Black would suit, or that other race (the Melbourne Cup), but we’ll see how far we press on.” Lindsay Park co-trainer Ben Hayes said 2017 Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time ($26) had been retired after finishing last on Saturday, beaten more than 18 lengths. -AAP View the full article