Mustang Kenny

Yeah NAH, not for my babies

Saturdays Wellington meeting sectionals up on Monday, Sundays Matamata and Mastertons sectionals up. Meanwhile Riccartons Saturday sectionals still NOT up late Tues afternoon. Last week even Sunday's two meetings fields were out before Riccartons Saturday fields ... Not bloody good enough again Riccarton or NZTR. Happens week in and week out, we are not also rans!

I didn't mind it 🤪

what a surprise ...

The South Island Breeders Stakes, Riccarton, Group 3, 1600, 100K - great time honoured race and perfect chance for our future broodmares to get some black type. The Cuddle Stakes, Trentham, Group 3, 1600, 200K - great time honoured race and perfect chance for our future broodmares to get some black type. Both races will get good quality fields, probably with several taking on both races, unless some dickhead decides to run them on the same day ... Ahem NZTR, really?? I guess if we reduce the quality of both races it will give them enough reason to move them both to Ellerslie

now the first four button has gone altogether - I think it might be amateur hour

Biggest day of the year, thousands of new or occasional punters and the TAB fails and bets can't be placed. Bloody lucky I didn't have the second horse as I couldn't place my first four despite trying 4 times and two different computers. Unfeckingbelievable on Melbourne Cup day. On the other hand WHAT A RACE

and ... HELLO, down here, can you hear us? HELLO - we in the South Island do exist and we want to be part of NZ racing!!! Whats our travel subsidy grrrrr

In Akshay's defence it was a very hard ride. The horse clamped down on the bit so badly has has hurt his mouth and gums, which we are treating. He is a dream at home but fires up in the race. We WILL sort him out and will happily have Akshay back on him or any of my horses. Akshay is a very good rider who reads a race well and listens to both horse and trainer. On top of that he is a genuinely lovely man who is thoroughly decent and hard working. Fortuntely he knows NOT to listen to keyboard warriors who have no idea of the facts or circumtances and who more often than not speak from their wallets. To the brave out there ... don't let this horse go 😜

So it was downgraded to a Soft 6 and yet how the winner of race two went the same time it ran when third on the same track last April when it was .... a Good 4!

Just checked at Riverton and the winners of the main and the "consolation" both got 5 points but the placegetters of the consolation got more points than the placegetters of the main aka stronger race ... go figure?

Yesterday Friday - NO racing in NZ. Tomorrow Sunday NO racing in NZ. Today 3 meetings, Karaka Millions, Trentham and Rioccarton all vying for the betting dollar, the horses and the jockeys. Who makes the business cases up for these meetings? Surely either Riccarton or Trentham could have been yesterday or tomorrow, especially with tomorrow being the mid day of a long weekend for half the country! It simply makes no sense whatsoever.

They were great days ... https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/300954339/bronze-sculpture-of-waverleys-most-famous-kiwi-to-be-unveiled-next-month

Would be far more beneficial to NZ racing to have 10 x 50K races as heats with 2 x 250K finals along the lines of the Southern Mile series

I have noticed that almost every place getter comes from the outside half of the track at Riccarton - what on earth is wrong with the inside half, horses just go backwrds down there.

It did seem much better when we had farmers and horsemen maintaining the tracks - not a uni degree in sight

This my 2nd cancellation in four Northern trips over the last three years. Very frustrating, very expensive and really is not good enough. We have very accurate weather forecasts nowadays. Contingency plans and watering plans should be put in place to ensure this doesn't happen. Never saw meetings cancelled in the 70's on these same tracks. I don't remember any more falls than we have now, in fact I would be sure there were less ... why? Wrong grasses, not deeply rooted enough? Jockeys riding too short? Too much or not enough watering? I don't know, just throwing ideas out there ...

I remember being in Tapanui visiting my Grandmother - 1972 I think when an unknown horse named Show Gate won her first race. Commentator said this is a filly with a pretty bright future ... understatement of the century 🙂

in all honesty with Labour/Greens in power I think the main goal is just to sustain and keep racing. They have killed southern jumps racing, are gunning for the puppies big time and will be coming for racing generally next. There is always innovation and new ideas, the Riccarton team are a passionate and committed bunch ... Couplands Mile comes to mind. You and I are, of course, welcome to send them new ideas and propose new funding streams 🙂

Well there is the old adage "if it aint broke don't fix it". Still the best carnival in NZ bar none. Even crazy Jacinda can't stifle a great week in Canterbury, try as she might!

so with 6 weeks to go does anyone know how the Kumara track is coming along. Is it being mowed regularly, has it been maintained since last years fiasco? What are the odds of us getting to race there safely in Jan?

Ask Winston

and yet some of our number have carried on training throughout, no social distancing, no keeping in bubbles, transporting new horses - putting our return to racing at risk and no one in authority even wants to know. Thinks he will get a head start on the other trainers. Makes me so angry when the rest of us are doing the right thing

I am with Michael on this one - an awesome club with a rich history. Heartland racing at its best. Wonderful crowd on Wednesday full of families introducing the next generation of punters and owners. Kill these meetings and you kill our future.