curious

Here's the 20/23FY data on that. Two standouts with Kumara leading the field by a narrow margin from Wairarapa. Given that the Entain prize is aimed to encourage them to engage in activities that promote oncourse wagering, you'd think that would be a useful metric in considering the winner. On a turnover:stakes basis for the metro clubs Huey, you may want to adjust your market.

I think it's pretty clear by now that it's not from NZRacing though they are keen to get as much from that as they can for as long as possible. NZTR at least, have little interest in generating it themselves either and haven't for the last 20 years, so its survival is now totally dependent on Entain generating sufficient revenue to sustain it. With a reasonably successful 5 years from Entain, I'm guessing NZ racing revenue may be 60-70% of current levels after 5 years.

That should make for interesting racing.

The award is for the club, not the track separately so ATR is the club. It's not an assessment of the Ellerslie course alone, though that effort presumably won't help.

Did they even hold a meeting in 2023?

Riccarton could be a sleeper at that price with its far bigger cup day crowd than either of the other two managed and its innovative winter synthetic racing programme.

I had the privilege of meeting Sir Ivor at Claiborne in the early 80s. Well remember it. He was renowned for his party trick of sticking out and rolling his tongue on command.

Well one of them has to. It's a 3 horse field, so they all pay a divvy.

Don't know but I heard Cillian Murphy is likely to be shortly.

People ask me why I ride with my bottom in the air. Well, I've got to put it somewhere.

The Sir Ivor ride was very un-American. You are supposed to go as fast as you can for as long as you can. They didn't get it.

Agree. There tracks and infrastructure all totally failed on the same day!

One more. Sir Ivor was a narrow winner of the Washington International in 1968, the push-button colt getting home by three-quarters of a length, but the locals reckoned Piggott had made a good horse look bad by somehow disguising his brilliance. A quote in the Washington Post from an anonymous jockey ran “That was the worst ride I’ve ever seen” – and if you held that sort of opinion you’d be very keen to stay anonymous. The following year Piggott rode Karabas to victory and, disdainful of the by-now awestruck US press corps, replied to the question “when did you think you had the race won?” with the astringent, dismissive “about three weeks ago when they rang up to ask me to ride it”. He reportedly added "Now eff off".

There's a few other cracker Lester quotes. Jeremy Tree (trainer): I've got to speak to my old school, Lester, and tell them all I know about racing. What should I tell them? Lester Piggott: Tell 'em you've got the flu

This is about horses' bottoms, not bottom lines.

Classic!

I like the Swedish rule. These countries are light years ahead of us. According to Svensk Galopp's new rules, the whip can no longer be used for encouragement. Riders may still carry a whip, but it can only be used to ward off a dangerous situation.

They might be slow but they are certainly not cheats.

Really? Certainly not my experience. If fit and well they all try hard.

Yes, but Messara didn't bother to visit it or assess it for racing purposes did he?

Like underarm bowling you mean?

Good to see you back Mr. Fish.

IF it strikes the saddlecloth. Might be more common in the US but I don't see that happening much here.

Yep. Tauherenikau 175k on course. Waikato 147k.