billy connolly

Didn't seem to be that much interest, same select few chasing all nine slots at 700k approx. What doesn't smell right to me is the fact that the perennial CEO, Mills got a Slot for 450k... on time payment.

Absolutely correct, quality horses shouldn't be racing that far from the (inside) rail in February. Makes a mockery of summer racing, especially at Group 1 level.

12 starters who'd won 14 races between them prior. You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.

Wigley, IMO was one of a group of individuals responsible for kissing goodbye to half ownership of this now very valuable asset which is Rangiora. Wouldn't ask Wigley the time of day.

Jennings was the ultimate risk-taker and gambler. He once owned a large slice of land and stables in Craven Street, Sockburn which he would've paid no more than 20k for including the house he eventually built there. That property today would be worth in excess of 20 mil. Old-time Riccarton trainers would turn in their grave if they saw the value of their land today.

It'll be interesting to hear any witnesses turn of events because knowing the Police they'll lie and do anything to obtain a conviction. I'm currently taking the Police to court over (an alleged) trivial traffic offense to which they've so far sent me approx 5 courier packs totaling 34 foolscap A4 pages of absolute nonsense and lies and the court hearing is still more than a month away. A preposterous waste of time and resources for an initial $150 fine !

So an uninvited guest in our country who has lived off McKee's generosity for approx 6 years to the tune of at least 200k... then the rotten prick does this in return. I hope his Lawyer helps himself to most of the 10k and with what's left send him back to the slums of Calcutta where he belongs. The stable-hands of yesteryear were exploited to a far worse degree than this bloke... without any comeback.

Had a lot of respect for Maurice Jones. His son (Philip) rode from the mid to late 70's from memory. R.I.P

Lot 661 - Moroney vs Moroney !!! https://www.facebook.com/NewZealandBloodstock/

Lot 661 - Moroney vs Moroney ! Preposterous.

Doesn't the starter get an all-clear from elsewhere before he pulls the trigger? What is Wadley's role at the start? He's witnessed several starting debacles and always seems beyond reproach. If your attention span is limited Mr. Wadley, please fuck off back to the incompetent stewards room.

You'd think NZTR would do something about the lack of horse numbers and dwindling participation here. Why can't NZTR log into Gavel House, buy approx 100 reasonably priced horses on a per anum basis and syndicate them? When the likes of Ellis, Bosma et al turn their backs on the game it will be too late.

Clarification please?

Yes, a Daryl's Joy/Frankel/Tulloch would almost certainly chase the Slot event in favour of the Derby. Barrier draws a big factor over 1500 metres though. The Derby will end up a glorified maiden race... or maybe a Fillies race!

By The Son (Dennis breed) who only sired approx 50 foals all-up. The Son's dam (The Twinkle) was an outstanding racemare but a flop at stud yet her full sister, The Fantasy left the multiple group 1 winners, The Phantom and The Phantom Chance. Then I must have been at the wrong Parish, all I saw was burnt vegetation one side of the altar and a quagmire the other with horses coming down the straight like brown's cows... in January FFS. I've been spoiled though, flying into and landing centre track at Trentham in beautiful Wellington weather, shaking hands with old friends and dignitaries, then witnessing great gallopers fighting out the finish of time honoured races... on good ground... hard up against inside rail... and running track records to boot! Small mercies.

Farcical, this was once the most celebrated race meeting of the year where the best of the best raced on the best track for the best prizes before packed crowds. A mockery of the Trentham of old.

Eloquence personified, TAB - you wouldn't be a cock relation of Molloy by any chance?

L. Molloy was a better than average jockey. From the early to mid 1970's he rode a substantial amount of winners, regularly saluting on multiple occasions and rode a few decent ponies to boot. Molloy was also educated and smart which are rare qualities in a jockey and IMO would have made an excellent captain of racing's sinking ship. Mister Pompous was a very good galloper who also won the 1974 Wellington Stakes and Wellington Derby beating the best three-year-olds of that year. Timaru Cup was reduced to 1600 metres in 1975 with the likes of Show Gate, Catastrophe, Grey Way, The Twinkle, The Dimple, Clansman, Random Chance, Just Tommy and A Gordon For Me winning the event.

Aren't they maintained by the installer, Martin Collins? The last time I frequented Riccarton, Martin Collins were machine leveling the Polytrack. Ironical that Martin Collins also underwrote that abandoned NZ Cup meeting... on turf. Surely the Polytrack is an improvement on that old sand track at Riccarton. In my time there the most used tracks were the sand, the plough and the inside cinder track for warm-ups. The sand (which was a piss-poor track) was open winter/summer and the plough, summer only whereas grass/turf tracks were mainly available for fast work with one open per session. In winter the grass/turf tracks cut up very badly after a single fast work session and had to be rested to recover. As alluded, the drawback with Riccarton's Polytrack would be the fact that it has decimated all the former grass/turf tracks which provided very good footing throughout spring/summer/autumn but in its favour the Polytrack would provide consistency of footing year-round.

Isn't the asphalt and stone chip the water-proofing membrane? There should be ample Polytrack material on top. What are the majority of trainers views of this track? If the CJC were forward thinkers they could've completely rebuilt their main turf track 25 plus years ago and used the big trial grass (which was just inside the course proper) as a temporary track for race meetings etc. The half-arsed attempt they made of rebuilding the last 800/1000 metres has brought about most of Riccarton's current problems. Riccarton is now an on pace, front runners track which is the total opposite to what it was before they fiddled with it.

Fine and firm at the Bullring, will the a3 and a4 claimers need a compass?

But it had 40k on offer for a 65 rated, 1-win pony in the Greymouth Cup. We once used this race as a prelude to the Wellington Cup (with a lot less than 40k on offer) but with a quality horse who'd won a dozen or more races ! Regarding Omakau, they originally raced the first Saturday/Monday of January and clashed with both Kumara and Hokitika, but the writing was on the wall when they lost their second day. A reduced horse pool combined with the travel involved for one raceday has seen Omakau's demise. Omakau was once an excellent 2-day meeting, it had a decent track, atmosphere, weather, hospitality, fishing, shooting (rabbits) etc.

72 runners, 15 trained by M. Pitman, 10 trained by trotting trainers, race 8 only full field, Greymouth Cup - 6 runners, 3 on 65 rating. No K. Meyers. Without Pitman and the trotting guys, would've been game over.

This is what I see here, but I made a point of getting rid of all ads online which would be over your head.

What about this bloke?