Chief Stipe

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Awapuni Impressive last-start Otaki winner Platinum Rapper and his stablemate Platinum Wild Card, both heading to Tauherenikau on Sunday, highlighted a quiet gallop session at Awapuni this morning. All fast work took place on the plough (good), where Platinum Rapper (r72 mile) and Platinum Wild Card (r65 1400m) were paired over 800m in 51.2, the […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Actually reminds me of my mate at Lincoln who had a Morrie 1000. Four of us jumped into it to go the 1981 Springbok Test at Lancaster Park. We parked miles from the ground because he didn't want the protestors to damage it. Three of the team were wearing Swandris, carried hip flasks and wore Steel Capped boots. They were on the embankment. My Dad was Secretary of the Westland Rugby Sub-Union and he got me a Ticket in No 1 stand. Surreal day out! Anyway it ended with us going to the Metropolitan Trotting Club meeting that night. Again the old man was a member so I had a handful of plastic swingers to get into the members stand. We got changed into our number ones in the members car park and had a great night out at the trots!!!

I was jealous of my mate who had a Hillman Hunter.

You blamed the buxom blonde of course?

A capacity field of 16 plus three emergencies has been declared for the A$3.5 million Group One Golden Slipper at Rosehill, with global operation Godolphin accepting for seven horses. Godolphin’s head Australian trainer James Cummings has five two-year-olds – Microphone, Tenley, Pin Sec, Kiamichi and Exhilarates – in the field of 16 as well as first emergency Bivouac, while the Anthony Freedman-trained, Godolphin-owned Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre is also in the field. The Chris Waller-trained Todman Stakes winner Yes Yes Yes is the marginal favourite ahead of the all-important barrier draw later today for Saturday’s race. View the full article

Clue?

Who would know Thomaas you write in a language that none of us understand. A crazy mix of hyperbole, metaphor and oxymoron.

Thomaas can you please stop your appalling attempts at humour using sexual innuendo? Just face it your punting prowess has been displayed on BOAY as being NIL. Stop while you are so far behind. OR go head to head with Mardi over a month and we will follow the contest with interest. If either of you are worried about ruining your dividends then I can set up a Thread just for you two to post on and not visible to anyone else until the competition is over.

Yeah well my Dad bought it for me to go to Uni. That was after he moved to Brightwater from Hokitika. I think he knew if I had anything faster I'd probably kill myself with speed. As it was my mates and I did get into some low level flying at times. Some funny stories. It was very reliable. My record from Brightwater to Lincoln was 4 hours. It topped out at 80mph. I raced an Audi once from Wakefield all the way to State Highway 1. He must have been a shyte driver because I'd distance him on the windy bits and build up just enough lead to get through the long straights. The Culverden straight was touch and go. I also had home town advantage having driven close to 40,000 km on that route in one year!

You've just quoted something thinking that it helps your argument. It actually blows it out of the water. They are talking AVERAGE population based statistics. There is no mention of standard deviation. So if there is an average of 10. What is the standard deviation? 2? If it is 2 then the horse could win at 8 starts or 12. The key is the relative price of an individual horse in the a specific field. Duh!!!!

Hi All I guess the Autumn blues are creeping into our conversations a bit. I don't want to wield the heavy hand of moderation but can I please ask that you stick to the topics. Good to see this thread is back onto more happier topics. I first learnt to drive in my father's shop truck - a Bedford flatdeck. My weekly lesson was to the local dump at the back of Hokitika and we would spend an hour or more of me learning to double clutch to the tip. If I was lucky then he would let me drive over the gravel roads up Blue Spur. Dad was a Ford man and a petrol head. Taught me how to drive fast and safely - mainly over Arthur's Pass and Otira or down into South Westland. Great roads to drive on in those days. The first car I can remember him having as a kid was a beautiful dark red Zephyr Zodiac. Lots of chrome and big wings at the back. He then went through a journey of upgrading his cars every two years. Switched to Ford Falcons. Eventually XA, XB, XC, XD and on and on. Switched to a Valiant briefly but we kids continually got car sick in it! My first car was a Vauxhall Viva. Second car an old model Ford Escort.

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)Following the running of Race 4 (Maneline Farrier Supplies Palmerston North Mobile Pace) Information No.A10260 was filed with the Judicial Committee. It was alleged by the Informant that Mr S Abernethy drove carelessly near the 200m when his horse(IMOLA) contacted a wheel of BILL HALEY (J Abernethy) ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 1 (Thee Auld Floozie Premier), an Information was lodged by Mr John Oatham alleging a breach of Rule 638(1) (d) in that R Myers (SWEEPSTAKE) allowed her mount to shift inwards near the 1100m when not clear of STROLLING VAGABOND which clipped a heel dislodging rider S O’Malley. ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of Race 1 (Tui Backing a Winner Since 1889), an Information was lodged by Mr Neil Goodwin alleging a breach of Rule 638(1) (d) in that L Allpress allowed her mount LA SOEUR to shift inwards when not clear of AMORATA which was dictated inwards onto ALL IN STITCHES which was tightened ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

A solid hitout at Matamata this morning has New Zealand Derby fourth placegetter on target for the Rosehill Guineas. The Ocean Park colt is scheduled to be flown to Sydney tonight and will be ridden by leading Melbourne jockey Craig Williams in Saturday’s 2000-metre feature. Arrogant followed a second placing in the Waikato Guineas with an unlucky fourth in the Ellerslie classic, a run that co-trainer Pam Gerard described good enough to warrant a Sydney campaign. “He got a decent bump from Crown Prosecutor coming down the straight the first time and that fired him up,” Gerard said after Jake Bayliss had put Arrogant through a solid final workout on the Matamata course proper. “It was a run that went under the radar, but I thought he did very well to be beaten only two lengths.” Arrogant gives Gerard’s Flemington-based training partner Mike Moroney a strong hand in Sydney three-year-old features, with VRC Derby placegetter Chapada also targeting the carnival. Vengeur Masque is set to rejoin Moroney after his plucky run for fifth on unsuitable ground in the Auckland Cup, while unplaced Wellington Oaks runner Pinmedown may also join Ballymore’s Sydney contingent. “Vengeur Masque is staying with us here until next week and he’ll probably go straight into the Sydney Cup,” Gerard added. “Nothing went right for Pinmedown at Trentham, so we’ll see how she progresses over the next few days and maybe send her over a race like the Adrian Knox Stakes.” Gerard also reported that On The Rocks, who struggled in the heavy ground for the Bonecrusher Stakes, is likely to be reserved for a Queensland winter campaign. View the full article

Lindsay Park’s Golden Slipper hope Lankan Star will have to undergo a second veterinary inspection before she is confirmed to start to start in Saturday’s juvenile championship. The Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up was found to be slightly restricted in her action in front when she was examined today and will be looked at again later in the week. Racing NSW vets Toby Koenig and James Mizzi inspected all the two-year-olds expected to be paid up as acceptances for Saturday’s race. All were passed suitable apart from Lankan Star, while Godolphin trainer James Cummings told stewards Athiri would not be an acceptor. Athiri was safely in the field but was showing signs of the thumps after her third in Saturday’s Magic Night Stakes won by her stablemate Kiamichi. Godolphin will have six runners – Microphone, Tenley, Exhilarates, Pin Sec and Kiamichi, all trained by Cummings, and the Anthony Freedman-trained Blue Diamond winner Lyre. The withdrawal of Athiri means the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Loving Gaby gets into the 16-horse field, joining stablemate Dubious. View the full article

Chris Waller heads to Golden Slipper day with favourites in three of the five Group One races, two of them the highest-profile horses in the country. Winx is at $1.08 in early markets to win her fourth George Ryder Stakes while The Autumn Sun is $1.50 to win his first race beyond 1600 metres in the Rosehill Guineas on Saturday. Waller has been Australia’s leading Group One trainer of recent seasons but has had few runners in the A$3.5 million Golden Slipper, the world’s richest race for two-year-olds. Ahead of the declaration of the final field and all-important barrier draw tomorrow, Yes Yes Yes is the $5 favourite ahead of the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Cosmic Force and Tenley, one of six confirmed runners for Godolphin, at $6. There were 23 nominations taken today for the George Ryder which is scheduled to be Winx’s penultimate start before she is retired. If she is successful again, she will become the first horse to win three different Group One races on four occasions – the Cox Plate, the Chipping Norton and the George Ryder. Waller is conscious of the Winx effect and has been sharing her and some of her routines on social media. “She’s turned into a bit of a model,” he said. “She knows she gets a bit of attention with the social media, which has been good. It’s opened our eyes towards media and how she’s portrayed in the right ways and how people want to get a bit more of her without interfering with her. “She did have a model shoot which we’ve had to keep confidential and she posed as well as the model.” The Waller stable will also field strong candidates in the other two Group One events, the Ranvet Stakes – Unforgotten, Shillelagh and Egg Tart who are all also entered in the George Ryder – and Nature Strip in the Galaxy. European Group Two winner Eminent, who will race as He’s Eminent, is nominated for both the George Ryder and the Ranvet. The five-year-old by Frankel is owned by Pencarrow Stud’s Sir Peter Vela and is having one final preparation in the care of New Zealand’s dual Olympic gold medallist Sir Mark Todd, who has reignited his training career for this mission. Champion sprinter Redzel heads the Galaxy market and is also entered for Friday night’s Group One weight-for-age William Reid Stakes at The Valley in Melbourne but is likely to stay in Sydney despite having to carry 59.5kg. View the full article

Industry leader John Messara has been chosen to receive the 2019 Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit, which recognises distinguished horsemen and horsewomen for lifelong contributions to thoroughbred racing. He will be honoured during a ceremony Thursday, 11 April, in advance of the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes that Saturday in Sydney. Representatives from Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) will be in Australia to celebrate Messara’s achievements. As the official partner and official watch of the IFHA, Swiss watchmaker Longines and the IFHA conjointly created the Award of Merit in 2013 in order to honour public figures for their outstanding contribution to the world of horse racing. Messara, the owner of Arrowfield Stud in New South Wales, has been a key figure in Australian racing for more than three decades. Messara’s highly successful and respected farm, which was founded in 1985, identified, purchased and launched the Australian career of breed-shaping champion sire Danehill and now stands his champion sire son Redoute’s Choice and champion sire grandson Snitzel. Among his many titles, Messara has served as chairman of Racing New South Wales (2011-2016), inaugural chairman of Racing Australia (2014-2016), vice-chairman of the Asian Racing Conference (2014-2016), president of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (2007-2008), and inaugural chairman of Aushorse (2001-2008). Previous accolades Messara has received include life membership of the Australian Turf Club and the Thoroughbred Breeders’ NSW inaugural Heroic Award and appointment by the Australian government in 2008 as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Messara, who was born in 1947, attended the University of New South Wales. After graduating in 1968, he commenced work with chartered accountants Edwin V Nixon & Partners (Arthur Young & Co), before joining the firm of Ralph King & Yuill, member of the Sydney stock exchange, and establishing their European branch in Geneva, Switzerland. He returned to Australia and was elected a Member of the Sydney stock exchange in 1973. Messara is the first Australian to receive the Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit. Previous winners include the Magnier family and trainer Aidan O’Brien, the driving forces behind Coolmore and the Ballydoyle racing stable in Ireland; Yutaka Take, legendary Japanese jockey; the Romanet family, long renowned leaders in both the French and international world of horseracing; Jim Bolger, leading Irish trainer, owner and breeder; Alec Head, past champion trainer and patriarch of prominent stud farm Haras du Quesnay; Seth Hancock of historic Claiborne Farm in America; and the late Marcel Zarour Atanacio, chairman of the South American organisation for the promotion of Thoroughbreds (OSAF). View the full article

Connections of Saturday’s New Zealand Oaks winner Sentimental Miss are hoping rain is in the weather forecast for Sydney next month. If the weather does play its part then the Lisa Latta-trained filly will likely head across the Tasman to compete in the Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 13. “She’s been nominated for the Australian Oaks and she is in that field,” Go Racing Syndicate manager Albert Bosma said. “The weather forecast will play a big part in that. If it is going to be a hard track we won’t go, but if there’s rain around and she is well then we will.” Bosma said his Reliable Man filly will now head to the paddock for a few days before being set for the Australian Oaks. “She’s felt the run on Saturday. She’s quite tired from it, so we are going to put her in the paddock for three or four days and we will then bring her back and put her on the water walker for a week,” Bosma said. “We will get her back in the stable and we will make the decision on whether she goes in the week of the ATC Oaks. We would go into that race without another run – she’s a fit horse and a natural stayer.” View the full article

Four-year-old mare Misstumut made it back-to-back victories when successful over 2100 meres at Tauranga on Saturday and trainer Ben Ropiha is keen to campaign the daughter of Azamour further afield. “She always has shown that staying ability, but she did have a few issues last season with bone chips in both front fetlocks, so just to get her to the Oaks last year was a big effort,” Ropiha said. “She had those chips removed in July and has obviously gone the right way since.” A former top-class jumps jockey, Ropiha has six horses in work at Te Awamutu in addition to riding trackwork for Stephen Marsh and working as a member of the raceday starting gates crew. “My plan from the outset this campaign was to hopefully get two or three wins under her belt and then possibly look at Brisbane,” he added. “I think she deserves her chance.” View the full article

Brilliant race mare Utmost Delight has been forced in to early retirement after suffering an injury. It happened in her first start for new trainer Jess Tubbs, in last Sunday’s Maryborough Cup across in Australia. “It was a below-par performance and she was found to have injured herself during the running of the race,” said Paul Kenny, spokesman for the mare’s owner, Charles Roberts. “That’s ended her career, unfortunately. “She has torn tendons somewhere high up in the pelvic region. “The vets say this injury only happens to the best horses because they run through the pain and make it worse.” Utmost Delight, who was trained for all bar that final start by Steven Reid, retired with two Group 1 wins and over $250,000 on her career card. As a three-year-old, she gave a hint of what was to come when placing behind Spanish Armada in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks. Last season, at four, she took out one of the country’s only two open mares Group 1s, the $100,000 New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Stakes, at Addington. She rounded out that campaign with a dominant win against her own age and sex in the $150,000 4YO Diamond at the Cambridge Harness Jewels. “Those two Group 1 wins, they were fantastic. They really, really were,” said Kenny. “We got such a kick out the Jewels win, mainly for Steven. “It was a huge thing for him and he did such a good job with her. “We’re very sorry for Steven, because he had high hopes for her next season.” Kenny was philosophical about having to retire the five-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare when she was in her prime. “It’s a shame, but hey, we’ve still got a horse and she’s well-performed, and well-credentialed, that we’re looking forward to her broodmare career.” No decision has been made yet as to her first suitor, but the two at the head of the list will be Sweet Lou and Downbytheseaside at Roberts’ Woodlands Stud. “We’ve kicked a few ideas around but most likely we will make the decision nearer to the stud season.” Utmost Delight will stay in Australia to recover before flying home. “She can’t fly home for a while yet due to the nature of her injuries.” For Roberts and Paul and Mary Kenny, Utmost Delight is the third Group 1 performing mare to go to the broodmare paddock this season after Dream About Me and Delight In Me. View the full article

Who throws a shoe anyway? There was a truly bizarre incident over the weekend, where a former Aussie rules player threw a shoe on to the Gloucester Park track during a race. Understandably, many were quick to criticise the alleged actions of Rhys Palmer immediately after. Since the incident, Palmer has been left fighting for his life after a motorcycle accident. I am not in a hurry to kick a man while he is down, but I think the topic still deserves some debate. The shoe-throwing incident has exposed how accessible harness racing tracks are to the public and how dangerous that easy access can be. I would argue the general public has as little clue as ever about the dangers of racing or an understanding of horse behaviour. It seems inevitable that given that, security at race meetings is going to become an increasingly important topic. And the worst part is, the industry will have to fund any increased security measures. Right now, it seems there is only a minimal security presence at race meetings. At most meetings people can walk freely around the stables and touch the horses if they want to. That is an integrity risk that will surely need to be addressed in time. It seems to me it is just a matter or when, rather than if, we see more yellow jackets and more checking of passes at meetings around the country. It seems these cattle have been a talking point with quite a few people since their starring role in this column. Their high profiles must mean they will be highly sought after by farmers around the country? Perhaps, TV producers will seek out their television talents and put them in some kind of ad? Perhaps, all the fuss could result in to a major windfall for the Wyndham Harness Racing Club? Perhaps, that is all a load of rubbish. Whether its cattle, cats or racetrack chaos I welcome feedback and a bit of healthy banter and debate over anything in this column. Happy trails jonny@racingmedia.co.nz View the full article

Furore won the HK$18 million BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin yesterday with a brilliant victory that fulfilled Frankie Lor’s dream of becoming the first “home grown” Hong Kong trainer to land the race for 11 years. “I can’t express my feelings,” the handler said, after claiming Hong Kong’s most prestigious local prize in only his second season with a trainers’ licence. Lor, whose father was a mafoo, grew up in Happy Valley, Hong Kong racing’s spiritual home. After 36 years advancing through the Hong Kong Jockey Club system as jockey, assistant and now trainer, he has an acute sense of what the 146-year-old feature means to the city’s racing folk. “To have one horse to even run in the Derby – now I’ve won the Derby, so it’s a dream come true!” 53-year-old Lor said. Tony Cruz was the last “local” trainer to win the race. He achieved that victory with Helene Mascot and Furore emulated that horse in winning the Derby after first claiming the opening leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, but failing in the Hong Kong Classic Cup between times. Lor began his career in racing as a jockey, riding 27 winners between 1981 and 1995, before becoming an assistant trainer under two of the great exponents of the profession, John Moore and John Size. He was granted a full licence ahead of the 2017-18 season and ended that first campaign second on the premiership behind Size. He is again in second place to his former master on current standings. While Lor has made a rapid advance to the top tier of Hong Kong’s training ranks, and in fact saddled three of the blue riband’s four top-rated gallopers, his Derby breakthrough was due in no small part to an astute ride from one of the world’s great exponents of jockeyship. Hugh Bowman charted Furore’s path from gate 12, rolling his mount forward and slotting neatly into a handy berth one spot off the rail, all before the field of 14 had made it through the first turn. “Although Furore drew poorly, I was confident he could do the job if I could get him in the right position,” the Australian ace said. “I had the stablemate (Mission Tycoon), the likely leader, drawn next to me, I thought I could at least go with him to start with and see where we end up. I was able to get a lovely run three pairs back.” That proved to be the perfect position for the Group One-placed Australian import as Ka Ying Star and Mission Tycoon shared the lead in pedestrian style. The tempo was no help to the chances odds-on favourite Waikuku, taken back from the outside gate to sit second-last under Joao Moreira. Zac Purton, meanwhile, decided his chances on the stamina-laden Lor runner Dark Dream, who had been left three wide, were being compromised. Bowman slipstreamed Purton into the home straight and with 300 metres to run, Furore quickened to the lead as the two front-runners wilted and Dark Dream boxed on. The son of former champion Australian two-year-old galloped on strongly, stopping the clock at 2:01.3s. It was Bowman’s second Hong Kong Derby triumph, three years after he partnered Werther. Waikuku got going late to take second narrowly from another late closer, Sunny Speed also closed off strongly, missing second by a short-head at odds of 86/1. Although sired in Australia, Furore is New Zealand-bred, having been born and reared at Haunui Farm when his dam Stormy Choice was sent across the Tasman to be covered by the Australian Guineas winner Ferlax. That ill-fated stallion was owned by GSA Bloodstock’s Jonathan Munz and his first crop includes leading three-year-old filly and fellow GSA Bloodstock-bred Imelda Mary. Furore was offered in Haunui Farm’s 2016 Karaka Premier Sale draft, where he was knocked down at $210,000 to the Australian Bloodstock/Kris Lees partnership, for whom he finished third in last year’s Gr. 1 Rosehill Guineas before his sale to Hong Kong. View the full article

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