curious

Really? On my screen it says 26/12/24 @ 3.49 p.m. I thought that was boxing day.

Well if he was looking in the stipes report for the 19th when the falls were on the 26th, that might explain why he couldn't find any mention of it.

Well he posted the headpost after the falls at Otaki on Boxing Day, so I assumed that's what he meant.

Try reading the stipes report. TIMES TICKING (J Chung) - Slipped shortly after the winning post when being eased down wide out on the track, dislodging rider J Chung who was examined and cleared to ride by St John ambulance personnel. Underwent a post- race veterinary examination which was clear. BEAVERTOWN BOY (L Sutherland) - Slow to begin. Shied at the dislodged rider, unbalancing rider L Sutherland, who was also dislodged. L Sutherland was examined by St John ambulance personnel and clear to ride. Underwent a post- race veterinary examination which was clear. Following the running of Race 6, Stewards and track staff inspected the area of concern shortly after the winning post, with a meeting being convened with Stewards, track staff and riders. Riders conducted a meeting after which their representative advised Stewards it was a unanimous decision to continue with the meeting.

Except the races were at Timaru, not Ashburton.

A $9000 Gavelhouse purchase last year.

That's hardly running and hiding.

Or. so he couldn't be bullied more likely. Don't think he hid.

Not sure what Morty has to do with it? You didn't answer my question about where CW has run and hid?

And another nice win for CW. Ears Back holds the challengers at bay and scores a tough win in the Timaru Cup. Photo: Ajay Berry (Race Images South) Ears Back defies draw for Timaru Cup triumph Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk 28 December 2024 Neither a wide draw nor a talented field of rivals at Phar Lap Raceway on Saturday could stand in the way of Ears Back, who took her career earnings past $200,000 with a tenacious performance in the Craigmore Sustainable Holdings Timaru Cup (1600m). The time-honoured $80,000 feature was the seventh win of a 31-race career for the Jakkalberry mare, who has placed on another five occasions and has banked $221,660. She has shown a particular affinity for the metric mile, where her 22 starts have produced six wins and five placings. Ears Back arrived at Phar Lap Raceway on Saturday on a nine-race winless streak dating back to the Southland Stakes (1400m) at Ascot Park in February, but she had shown promising signs earlier this season with a pair of second placings at Ashburton in October and November. The six-year-old was checked in the straight when 10th, only 2.7 lengths from the winner Kopua, in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on November 13, then struggled to see out the distance when a last-start sixth in Ascot Park’s Southland Crystals (2200m) on December 14. The step back down to 1600m brought her back to the peak of her powers on Saturday, despite jumping from gate 12 in a 13-horse field. Jockey Tina Comignaghi drove Ears Back forward from that wide barrier, sliding up into second spot within the first 100m of the race. She cruised around the track in the slipstream of the front-running The Radiant One before pouncing at the home turn and taking command. Ears Back kicked away and stole a big break on the field with 200m remaining, and despite beginning to tire in the final few strides, she held all of her chasers at bay. Ears Back still had a length and a half up her sleeve at the line, with Jimmy Five, Tumuch and Richard Stomper filling the minor placings with two noses between them. The 1600m were run in a quick 1:34.80 on a Good4 track. Ears Back is trained at Rangiora by John Blackadder, who also shares in the ownership. “She’s really well named, Ears Back,” he said. “That’s her style and she’s a bit of a handful at times, but it’s all worth it, isn’t it? “She was a bit of a disappointment up over ground last start, but we freshened her up after that and knew she was pretty well right. Today was the plan. “She’s won six races over a mile now, so she loves that distance. It’s a really good result, thanks to a great ride by Tina. I have to thank all of the staff as well. I’m a bit overwhelmed, actually.” The Timaru Cup was Comignaghi’s first raceday ride on Ears Back. “I know that she’s always shown that sort of ability,” she said. “It was a strong field today, so it was a good effort to beat them the way she did. “She kicked at the turn and I was hoping they wouldn’t be able to catch me before the line. She kept trying so hard and held on well. “John Blackadder does a good job with his horses, and he’s got a very nice mare on his hands here.” One of the only things missing from Ears Back’s CV is black type, with the Timaru Cup having lost its Listed status last season. Ears Back finished a close fourth in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) at Wingatui in February, beaten by less than two lengths by Perfect Scenario, Dazzling Miss and Times Ticking, and that Otago showpiece again holds appeal as a potential target later in the season.

Good crowd at Timaru today. This was after the second race so early in the build up to the cup.

Never known him to run for cover. Do you have an example? And if you read anything from recent months, he's certainly named plenty of names. Have another look.

You obviously haven't read much of what he has written, or talked to him.

Just had a look around there. It's very tired and dilapidated looking. Even Pharlap is cracked and has a hole in him with cobwebs in his ears. Nothing surprising given it was scheduled for extinction for a long time. The track itself however, is in super order and should present a fair surface to suit most horses tomorrow.

Pivotal Ten and Samantha Wynne won the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day. Photo: Race Images South Pivotal Ten takes Wingatui feature Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk 26 December 2024 Progressive filly Pivotal Ten completed an impressive hattrick of victories when she proved too tough on a testing Heavy 10 Wingatui surface to capture the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m). Ridden by her trainer Samantha Wynne, the daughter of Ten Sovereigns had broken her maiden status on a Slow 7 surface at the venue back in October over 1200m before repeating the dose at Timaru a month later. Given time to get over that run. Wynne presented the filly in superb condition for her biggest test to date and she didn’t disappoint after enjoying a dream run in the trail throughout the slowly run 1400m contest. Wynne angled Pivotal Ten into the clear at the 300m as she set out after Lil Zena, who had shot through along the inner to take the lead and from there the pair set down to a tooth and nail battle which went in favour of Pivotal Ten by just on three quarters of a length. Raced by Colin Wightman, who purchased her for $15,000 out of the Valachi Downs dispersal sale draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale in 2022, Pivotal Ten is a half-sister to the stakes placed mare Woodcote Lass and hails from an extended family that includes European Group One winner Maarek. Wightman was impressed by the varied European bloodlines that the late Kevin Hickman had brought to his Valachi Downs breeding operation and was keen to secure the filly. “Kevin had some really lovely mares from England and Ireland at Valachi and the pedigree of this filly included a high class sprinter in Maarek who won about seven or eight stakes races including a Group One,” Wightman said. “The family had plenty of speed in it and Ten Sovereigns was also a speed machine so we expected this filly might get up and run. “She is still developing and on the up and up, but she is just a super competitor who just wants to go out and win. “We have spaced her races to give her plenty of time as we think she will be a much better four-year-old but you can’t argue with what she is doing now. “This win means a lot and I’m thrilled with her as she didn’t really handle the track but it was her toughness that got her home. “She may have a break now or we will hang around for some of the upcoming stakes races for the three-year-olds down here.”

I wonder if the NZTR system doesn't allow for a zero margin to be posted?

I thought the judges decision was final and couldn't be reversed by any inquiry?

Looks like a dead heat, eh?

Interesting performance given this. https://loveracing.nz/News/47751/DamaskRoseBloomsintoNZBKiwiCalculations.aspx

The clubs probably do re their oncourse turnover %

And it's only an R82. The solution might be to just never extend nominations in which case that race for example would have been canned.

Fair point. Actually thought about putting an R75 in there. Would likely have been running for 3rd or 4th but $750 for getting round pays for the start. I still see that as more of a programming and handicapping problem though. If a lightweight like that in that field got a fair suck of the sav in the weights, then it would be way more attractive in the first place.

I agree but I can't think of any way that can be prevented. Scratching fees are already high for horses that don't run for very good reasons.

To add extra races, you have to get NZTR approval for the extra funding which for the most part is not available. Same goes for upgrading meetings to feature level. The programming committee is limited to asking for those, but NZTR finance holds all the cards. They can't just add extra 40k races willy nilly. For the most part if they add one somewhere they have to take one out somewhere else.