curious

It was a long time ago and ranitidine which is legal now.

Absolutely, but Bossy blamed pellets which are actually a remedy or mitigation.

Another cracker but Bossy should stick to what he knows, not dive into equine nutrition matters and gastric ulcers which he obviously has no clue about. Even Gai went silent in response.

You beat me by a year I think. I was there the following year when Robalan won it.

If it were a Māori word, it would be 'ah rah pah hor' anyway, wouldn't it?

It seems to me that any horses that someone is willing to race here that is competitive at some level is good for the industry. Better horses may be of more good than average ones.

This is gold. Thanks so much for posting. How do you find these things? I took the time to watch it this arvo while I had trackside on mute to avoid the umms, ahhs and looksies. Again, it makes me very sad to think that we can't produce anything of near similar quality here with respect to interviewing or interviewee skills and knowledge while retaining some humour and good natured banter.

Set Weight and Penalty and Set Weight 2YO and 3YO Races For all Non Group and Listed Set Weight and Penalty races, the weights will be 57.0kg for Colts and Geldings and 55.0kg for Fillies. Penalties: Winner of a Group 1 3.0kg Winner of a Group 2 2.0kg Winner of a Group 3 and / or three or more races 1.5kg Winner of a Listed and / or winner of two races 1.0kg Maiden weight allowance 1.0kg Penalties not cumulative The weights for all Set Weight mixed gender open Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Group and Listed races will be 57.0kg for Colts and Geldings, and 55.0kg for Fillies. 18 The weights for all Two – Year – Old and Three – Year – Old fillies only Group and Listed set weight races will be 56.5kg For all Non Group and Listed Set Weight races, the weights will be 57.5kg for Colts and Geldings and 55.5kg for Fillies

It's only used for handicaps.

Perhaps you should go back to school and learn to read before you comment. I neither questioned his integrity nor his experience.

And weekends?

Isn't that just a case of the bookies getting their pricing wrong as they will continue to sometimes do?

John Craig has a lot to answer for here it seems to me. It is surely his responsibility to ensure that the photo finish equipment is fully functional for the race day and in the event of a malfunction where the result is not clear, the default call should be a dead heat? Then he says, "he didn’t want to get involved in debating the issue". That's transparent.

So, if it's good enough for jumps racing? Recommendations: Consider modifying the whip rule, especially for the final 100 meters, to align more closely with flat racing standards

From the jumps review report. They are getting it but need to do something about it. "Even those who supported the continuation of jumps identified a concern about use of the whip during the races, especially at the end of the races after the last jump

https://nztr.co.nz/sites/nztrindustry/files/2024-11/Jumps Recommnedation Report 2024-3.pdf

The NZTR Board has today confirmed their support for the continuation of Jumps racing as part of the racing programme ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ No images? Click here NZTR Board Support Continuation of Jumps Racing The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Board has today confirmed their support for the continuation of Jumps racing as part of the racing programme. This decision follows a process announced in September that included the appointment of a Jumps Racing Review Panel. The panel resolved to recommend that Jumps racing in New Zealand should continue, but that continuation will need to be supported by several initiatives to ensure the success of the industry, both in the short and long term. "The panel have taken a comprehensive review of Jumps racing in NZ and whilst the recommendation is for the continuation it is not for jumps racing to continue in its current state, changes do need to be made to give it the best chance to thrive,” said Darin Balcombe, NZTR COO and Jumps Racing Review Panel Chair. The panel provided 19 individual recommendations with priorities that include: · Supporting, mentoring and attracting Jumps jockeys · Reviewing and optimising the Jumps racing calendar · Enhancing race programming for consistency and competition · Ensuring fit-for-purpose infrastructure and rules The panel has also recommended NZTR develop key performance indicators to evaluate Jumps racing’s performance annually and a comprehensive strategic review every three years to ensure objectives and performance are aligned. NZTR Chairman Russell Warwick applauded the panel for their hard work and collaboration throughout the review process. “I would like to thank the panel and Alan Galbraith KC for their support throughout this process. Many factors were taken into consideration, and we believe implementing the panel’s recommendations will give Jumps racing the best opportunity to perform at a high-level long term,” he said “This decision gives the industry the opportunity to reenergize Jumps racing and will make winter racing an exciting prospect into the future.” The full Jumps Racing Review Panel Recommendations Report can be found using the link below. NZTR’s implementation process will include creating a framework and outlining KPIs to measure Jumps racing’s performance annually, to be delivered prior to 31 March 2025. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 252 2803 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

“Some breaking news this morning from New Zealand and that is that I can confirm that jumps racing will continue next season,” Hall said on SENTrack. We knew that. NZTR announced last month that it would continue unaltered this season. The question is what happens after that. "NZTR acknowledge the jumps fraternity will be looking to bring horses back into work in the coming months and want to ensure all participants that any decision made on the future of Jumps Racing will not affect the 2024/25 season."

Might have just taken Colin a couple of centuries to catch on?

When Were Blinkers First Used? The use of blinkers or blinders on horses is believed to date back to ancient Greece, where chariot racers used them to keep their horses focused and prevent them from being distracted by the other horses, the crowd, or the surrounding environment. The use of blinkers gradually spread to other cultures and became a common practice in horse racing. In the early days of horse racing, blinkers were not yet widely used. However, as horse racing became more organised and competitive, trainers and jockeys began experimenting with various equipment and techniques to help their horses perform better. In the late 19th century, the use of blinkers became more popular, and they were eventually adopted as standard equipment for many racehorses. One of the earliest documented uses of blinkers in modern horse racing dates back to the late 1800s in France, where a trainer named Henry Jennings began using them on his horses. The practice quickly caught on, and many other trainers and jockeys soon adopted blinkers. Today, blinkers are commonly used in horse racing and other equestrian sports, and they are considered an essential piece of equipment for many horses. They can be customised to fit each horse’s individual needs, and different types of blinkers are used for different purposes, such as reducing distractions, improving peripheral vision, or providing additional eye protection.

How many have to die for a track to be deemed unsafe and in blatant breach of the venue preparation guidelines?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/racing/mick-on-monday-savaglee-owners-turn-down-big-australian-offer/WVWGTFQA7ZCHXLMCGP7LFS62K4/ Mick on Monday: Savaglee owners turn down big Australian offer By Michael Guerin NZ Herald· 25 Nov, 2024 06:00 AM4 mins to read Save Savaglee winning the 2000 Guineas. Savaglee is now New Zealand’s most valuable racehorse after his connections turned down a huge offer from Australia for the 2000 Guineas winner. But while the 3-year-old colt isn’t going anywhere just yet, that doesn’t mean he is going to start either of our two richest races this summer. Elite thoroughbred colts become mini-businesses in their own right these days, as major studs attempt to buy them, with the ultimate goal of a Group 1 win in Australia to thrust them into the A$15 million-plus value bracket. Savaglee isn’t there yet, but a major Australian stud made his owners The Oaks Stud a multi-million dollar offer for Savaglee after his Guineas win at Riccarton but it was turned down. “We are going to roll the dice on him at least through until the autumn,” says Oaks Stud general manager Rick Williams. “It was a lot of money but our ultimate goal is to try and win an Australian Group 1, the most likely target being the Australian Guineas. “The form and ratings guys we’ve spoken to suggest he is up to winning a race like that, and if he was able to pull that off, we think he’d double in value from the offer we just had. “So that’s our plan, if of course he comes back as well as we hope, so we’ll start planning backwards from the [Australian] Guineas and go from there.” The Australian Guineas is at Flemington on March 1, and if Savaglee heads there, it will rule him out of the inaugural running of the $3.5m NZB Kiwi slot race at Ellerslie on March 8. “We love the NZB Kiwi concept and what Entain are doing for New Zealand racing, and if he was a gelding, he’d be heading there for sure,” says Williams. “But being a colt, an Australian Group 1 has to be the major aim for his future stallion value, so we’ve already turned down a couple of NZB Kiwi slot holders who were keen to negotiate. We wanted to be fair and tell them upfront what our aim was.” Williams says if Savaglee suffered a minor setback, even one missed race, that caused him to miss the Australian Guineas, they could re-route to the NZB Kiwi a week later. “If something like that happened, then of course the Kiwi could become an option, if there was a slot that hadn’t be filled, as I imagine we would still be in demand.” While racing plans are rarely set in stone, Williams’ transparency is likely to see Savaglee drop out of his $6 equal favouritism for the NZB Kiwi and punters should also avoid backing him in New Zealand’s second richest race, the $1.5m Karaka Million Three-Year-old at Ellerslie on January 25. It is possible to race over 1600m in the Karaka Million in January and win the Australian Guineas five weeks later, as Legarto proved last year, but Williams says that is almost certainly not the path Savaglee will take. “Obviously everything will depend on how he comes back, but so far, he looks great. “He was 481kg when we put him in the paddock after Riccarton but has come back in weighing 500kg and is only getting stronger. “So one target could be the Telegraph [Trentham, January 4] because it’s weight-for-age but more likely would be a race like the Almanzor Trophy on Karaka Millions night, then into possibly a BCD Sprint at Te Rapa [February 8].” That would give Savaglee races at 1200m, then 1400m into the 1600m of the Guineas, which most trainers favour as a natural progression, so while he is not being ruled out of the Karaka Million Three-Year-Old, it looks unlikely and punters should steer clear until they hear otherwise. Whether Savaglee eventually joins an Australian stud or stays in New Zealand could depend not only on whether he wins that Australian Group 1 but also on whether The Oaks Stud is sold. The 200ha property on the outskirts of Cambridge has been placed on the market, as Australian-based owner Dick Karreman looks to free up some cash, and Williams says they would love to see the land stay in the racing industry. But if The Oaks property is not sold, they would have the option of retaining Savaglee to stand at stud there when his career ends.