Freda

Great post. My dad used to say, if I got critical or dined out upon someone's supposed inadequacy ' the man who never made a mistake never made anything '.

I remember all those horses, such great days, used to stay at Bill Kennedys when campaigning on the Coast. Bill and the O'Malleys shared a horse truck, which got a lot of use, based as both trainers were, at Ikamatua. The old flatdeck Bedford would get backed under the horsebox, which was bolted on to the deck. I recall going with Bill one day, following the truck driven by one of the O'Malley team, when Bill said, that bloody box isn't bolted down. Sure enough, you could see the box lifting as the truck cornered. Luckily nothing untoward transpired and the horses arrived safely! Thoreau will always have a special place for me, he was the sire of my first winner as a trainer in my own right, a tough little gelding called Hooray Henry owned by Penny Hargreaves.

You live in a monastery?

I'm not in favour of completely banning whips. There will always be the odd smarty pants who has worked out that they can cruise home untouched, without so much as a flick to say, wake up!

I think we got our indication. But good on them for having a go.

Yes, it will certainly be interesting. That's what WFA is all about, and I think I can recall a 2 yr old also, years ago, competing under those conditions. Might it have been Wood Court Inn, ridden by Noel Eastwood?

And...given this info, and more, recently, besides - for how long are we going to be encouraged to 'scan in and save lives ' when contract tracing is a waste of time, healthy people with at worst, a sniffle cannot go to work, industries and workplaces are running so low on staff that some will have to close down [ for now, if not for good ] ..? And, as well, this was a racing site [ although this category was added to specifically discuss covid ] ...so, what happens when most jockeys on any given day return a positive R.A.T. ? I await that possibiity with some interest.

I don't think the best horse won the race. But all credit to the winner.

Very interesting indeed...albeit nearly a decade on ? unless I have misread the credits. My father was an avowed Anglophile, he always maintained America was a nation of clowns [ didn't mince words, the old man ] and referred, in particular to their very underwhelming record in overseas conflicts. I guess we have grown up thinking - or being told - that the might of America will keep us 'safe', it is fascinating to be made aware just how the shifting power blocks come to play out. The 'benign hegemony' seems to have shot itself in the foot.

No, he didn't. And he does have the resources for a fight, unlike many who just have to suck it up.

Col does like a cause to get behind. He won't take that lying down!

This is all a revelation to me. To say I'm staggered is an understatement.

I'm not into trying to compare different horses, or those from years ago to now - pointless IMO - and every great horse is a privilege to witness. But how many would have shown the class she has over such a wide array of distances?

A commentator on TV news last night was at pains to stress that the judgement didn't apply to any other portion of society. What qualification or backing he had to announce that I have no idea.. but that seems to be the party line at the moment.

Have to have a 'bob each way ' here, I agree in principle with both Reefton and Chimbu. Some very average 'officials' at time go well beyond their level of competence in enforcing utterly ridiculous instructions....and equally, professionals should not behave in the above described fashion. I understand Jim's annoyance and frustration, if [ as Reefton stated ] the horse concerned had not been prevented from working the matter may not have escalated in this fashion. The horse may have been racing or trialling in a matter of days, to work would have been critical. Faults on both sides. During my time in racing, in which I have been all my adult working life, I have heard some appalling abuse from supposed professionals, particularly to subordinates,with little done to rein them in. Different if an official is lambasted, though. The hapless stable hand or apprentice has to cop it, often in the birdcage and in front of an audience.

Absolutely. I read $55 bn - and counting...? How many ICU extra nurses might some of that have covered, not to mention an upgrade in facilities and equipment? but no, a separate Maori health system. is in the wings...ffs

Ice packs, Chief. Bandage them on. Keep up. Used to do it with my show ponies.

I read that somewhere, too.

Agree, love Bruce's commentating

Yes, agree here. Add studs too . There was a situation some years ago, locally, with a thoroughbred stud managed by a former licensed trainer. He had trained from that property initially, but at the time of all the angst, wasn't licensed. There were anecdotal reports of horses in appalling condition, some truck operators gave graphic descriptions of the state of some of their transportees, the local SPCA was involved, and finally a court case involving a former employee uplifting some of the stock because of their condition. [ She was exonerated ]. The Racecourse D of the time would do nothing because he was unlicenced. The local branch of the NZTBA would do nothing. The national office of NZTBA would do nothing either...' we had a meeting but no one was very keen on .....' There was - is - no council legislation for running/managing a horse stud, as there is for running a boarding kennel or cattery, for example.

No.

I do know that this forum will be the poorer for the absence of two excellent posters.

My former partner was the regular rider of a normally back-running horse, the Trictrac stallion Beau Tric. On a particular occasion, at Riccarton, he lobbed into his normal out-the-back possie, then looped the field and went to the front. At one stage he was out by twelve lengths, won by a couple. The stipe at the time took the rest of the riders into the room and gave them a proper serve. When I asked him later he said, they were just pissing around doing nothing. He only had to come off the front in 47 and they couldn't beat him.

It's not good, it is one thing I'm always harping on about; but trainers have to take some little responsibility too, because they don't insist upon their charges working to time.

Me too. All the best!