nomates

Hard to start complaining when they are building you a training track .

I might be being parochial , but the 3 days of the Wgtn cup meeting for mine was the best meeting , i'm talking 70's and 80's , when Trentham was choka and the crowd rose as one when the horses hit the 250 mtrs there was nothing to beat it . I well remember when my dad took me to my first cup day as a 14yo , on the rail by the birdcage as Blue Blood, Mop and Panagor flashed across the line in the Telegraph is something that will stay with me till my dying day , the noise , no one knew who had won , absolutely electric . The only way i get that buzz now is going outside and touching the hotwire on the fence .

Toooooo late , the ones that cared enough got sick of being shut out and poo poo'd , moved on to other things . Most are into or getting towards retirement , myself included , consensus on the whole is that we were lucky to see the best of NZ racing and time to do other things .

Totally , but unfortunately in the long run it divides it .

The problem is more around the willy nilly way meetings are thrown at the " Metropolitan " tracks without any real strategic placement . With those figures , and they are not figures in isolation , we can clearly see why our industry is leaking money .

Whilst i think he was lucky to win last start , Paeareanui Bay wins with a clear run , that form is strong and i think against 3yo's he will see the mile alright . It is an average field this year so hard to see him beaten , his rating is a mile above anything else .

Yeah , doesn't matter what the service fee and associated costs are , feeding and raising them costs the same as the million dollar ones .

Just checked out Sword of State' pedigree , a worry , a bit light on black type , him , his dam won the G2 Light Fingers , 4th dam left Angst who won the G1 Flight Stakes , that's it . For me i like to see a bit more depth on the page with a stallion prospect .

Could well be right , won't do it tho , just a press release saying he has an issue that requires his retirement and of to Cambridge Stud . A fast G1 son of Snitzel , just what NZ needs , i would be interested . off to check his pedigree . OTB i think that was definitely just a track gallop .

I think they are pulling their hair out to be honest , no OPB or Johnson , their go to riders , not just in big races but even the lower grades . Once D Johnson goes to HK it will be interesting to see what they do , if OP is out or in Aus they are left thin , even with him riding they need a good second string . If they could prize Parksy out of Wanganui i think they would definitely go for it , but he's not that keen on moving .

Well for me it would make me very nervous , 1.6 Fav with a guy who has never been on her back in a G1 . I hate backing a horse that has McNab on for the first time , 1 of my little rules when i bet , if McNab , Grylls , Elliott and a couple of others are riding a horse for the first time , don't back them . And i can honestly say it very rarely fails , so i will be sticking with it . If we were in Sydney , no issue , any one of a dozen could replace and you would remain confident .

Just watched both trials , geez Sword of State looked average , hope all is well .

These are the rules , whether you agree with them or not , ride within them or suffer the consequences . It's all well for DE to say hit OPB with a bigger fine but will that really solve the issue . For me it is a simple solve , if your jockey breaks the whip rules your horse is automatically disqualified , 1st or 10th . Harsh , for sure , but after a couple of disqualifications and people understand that breaking the whip rule is going to be strictly adhered to jocks will start to fall into line . And trainers and owners will soon stop using jocks that aren't following the protocols . It again highlights the big issue of the depth of our jockey ranks , OPB suspended , D Johnson and a couple of others better jocks missing and we are looking very average for a G1 day .

He's a good judge for sure , i wish i had half his good fortune or money . I'm just one of the many battlers Joe , hoping for a small slice of good luck .

I must be a good judge , bought a weanling for $1400 sold for 100k as a 2yo , another for $1500 sold for 80k as a 2yo , bought a mare for $200 in foal , sold the resulting foal for 60k as a 3yo , these 3 in the space of 4 years , then paid $1200 for a weanling who's half brother won 2 x G3 at the Brissy carnival and a G2 in Sydney the next spring 18 months after i bought him . Could go on , probably bought another 15 either side of those , a good judge or working the numbers .

No Lotto is cheaper to play . Ever read about Robert Sangster and his mates , in the 80's started buying all the best bred yearling colts in the northern hemisphere , paid millions for most of them , their theory , if they can get a couple of the best of their crop , guineas/derby winners , syndicated they get truck loads back . Great read . But why didn't they just earmark the ones that were going to win the big races ???? Gai Waterhouse used to buy 200+ yearlings every year , and whilst she won many of the top 2yo races , many of the purchases never saw a race track , broken down , too slow . So why did she buy so many when she could have just bought the top ones . It's a numbers game , everybody can see the pedigrees and look and see a great type , but no one , and i mean no one knows what is inside the animal . If your girl friend VE had gone thru a yearling sale what do you reckon she would have gone for , she was born to be a champion , so everybody would have seen that surely , 1,2,3 million at least . Yet most of the horses that get sold for that amount come to nothing . It's easy looking at the page and the animal .

Tell me the last sale topper anywhere that was a champ .

You going to pay all air fares and accommodations plus expenses , i would want inspect them myself . If yes i'm in . Seriously it's lotto buying yearlings at the top end , Te Akau shows with their top end purchases that it's a tough world to select top class horses when they are only 1 year old .

Now i know you have been around long enough to know that the " Experts " buy in bulk with other peoples money most of the time , we only ever hear the success stories , just like the guys who buy at the bottom end and get a good one .

American Pharoah's sold for much more , so far in Aus in 2 season's he has 1 G3 winner , i think there is a few owners chasing their cash . American dirt horses have in the main struggled in the Southern Hemisphere .

If kids can vote Elephant is a shoe in , what kid is not going to vote for a horse called Elephant .

Shortsightedness , no , blind .

I could probably go just to watch those to trials , then go home and watch the rest on TV .

Don't agree with trainers incentives , yet again they have lost sight of who should be getting bonus' , the owner . Put up bonus' for a horse winning twice over the 3 days , even all 3 days , or for a horse that can win and then place in a black type race . Something that rewards the right person . No we will give the guy who's job it is to get horses to the races already . And can lead to a trainer lining up horses just to chase the bonus .

Couldn't wait for boxing day and new years day at Ellerslie on TV , and was a regular at Trentham for cup week from the age of 14 , wouldn't be able to move , the public stand , top and bottom , would be heaving , even the dedicated family area which was up by the 200 mtrs used to choka . Fantastic atmosphere and fantastic racing . Now in the CD those days along with the old Bayer day have gone from being true ICONIC racedays to just another ho hum raceday . Even the Ellerslie races at this time of year , outside of Karaka Mills night , are just ho hum affairs . I'm getting misty just thinking of the great times i used to have at the races .