Wild Night - one of those cheap Te Akau purchases that return a lot of stakes, Grp wins and a lot of fun for their owners. Well done @nomates aka Bob.

Group One performer Wild Night has been retired from racing. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Full circle moment for retiring Wild Nighthttps://bitofayarn.com LOVERACING.NZ News Desk 18 November 2025 It will be a full circle moment for Group One performer Wild Night when he returns to Windsor Park Stud following his retirement from racing this week. Bred by the Cambridge farm, the six-year-old gelding is by their Group One-producing sire Vanbrugh and out of Supreme, who is also the dam of Group Two winner Play That Song.https://bitofayarn.com Wild Night was offered through Windsor Park Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $50,000. He proved to be an astute buy, winning five consecutive races as a three-year-old, including the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m), before finishing runner-up to Prowess in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and third behind subsequent New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). He battled with soundness issues in subsequent years but added a further three wins to his tally before the decision was made to call time on his racing career following his seventh placed run in last Saturday’s Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1530m). “He was a really good horse for his connections,” said Mark Walker, who trained Wild Night in partnership with Sam Bergeron.https://bitofayarn.com “He had a brilliant three-year-old season but had a few soundness issues creep in when he was a four-year-old. “He was quite lightly-raced that season and came back at five to kick off with consecutive wins and had an unlucky run in the Cranbourne Cup (Listed, 1600m) in Melbourne. “He was a lovely horse to have in the stables and if it wasn’t for his soundness issues I’m sure he would have ended up a Group One horse.https://bitofayarn.com “He’ll live out a fulfilled life as a pleasure horse and certainly won’t be forgotten by everyone that had something to do with him.” Wild Night retires to Windsor Park Stud the winner of eight of his 23 starts, with earnings north of $550,000.

The rush to sell land must be questioned against the desire of CEO's to keep their jobs or salary. I question the Ellerslie back straight selloff (not the hill) where the steeplechasers used to go. That could have been incorporated into a new configuration. Awapuni troubles can't be helped by selling land where banking of the existing track could have taken place. Similarly Avondale but that seems a dead duck. I am always surprised at UK racing where all you see is green space yet the population is more than 10 times that of New Zealand with similar land area.

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Just how good is The Lazarus Effect? It seems we will find out the answer in Friday’s $125,000 Group 1 Christian Cullen at Addington. The Bob Butt-trained pacer has created a lot of buzz with seven wins from 10 starts and now takes on a star studded line-up that includes recently crowned New Zealand Cup champion Kingman. “I don’t know how good is he to be honest,” says trainer Bob Butt. “He just keeps improving and I haven’t found the ceiling yet. I guess we will know more after Friday.” Capable of running a sub 55 last 800 – “he has real high speed” – The Lazarus Effect has won four of his last five, including a seven length romp in the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales All Aged Pace at Kaikoura. “He really stepped up at Kaikoura,” says Butt, “that would probably be his best run so far.” But Carter Dalgety not Butt will drive The Lazarus Effect this Friday with Butt opting for stablemate Sideshow Bruce. “It’s hard to split them but Carter has driven The Lazarus Effect before down south (winning in Winton in May) and Sideshow Bruce is a big raw boned type who can be harder to drive.” The Lazarus Effect was bred by New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Executive Martin Pierson. He acquired unraced Art Major mare Brook Street and after attempts to get her in foal to Bettor’s Delight they went to Lazarus and were successful straight away. The resulting foal The Lazarus Effect was then sold for $57,500 at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales to Alabar NZ Ltd and was syndicated. Initially he was going to be trained by Mark Purdon but ended up with Butt on the beach at Woodend after suffering from a few setbacks.  “I take a lot of pride in what The Lazarus Effect has done,” says Pierson. “When he won on Cup day last year that was the first time I’d bred a winner on Cup day so that was pretty special.” That was just his second race day appearance and he won by over four lengths. In his 10 career starts he’s never been further back than fourth, and even then he was unlucky in the running and charged home. “I’m sure he won’t disgrace himself this Friday either,” says Pierson.  The Lazarus Effect is a joint equal second favourite with Walk By Faith at $7.50 with Kingman, who’s vying for a fifth win in a row, at just $1.45 following his monstrous win in the country’s biggest race last Tuesday. Also in the field is last year’s VELOCITY winner Better Knuckle Up, who was fourth in the New Zealand Cup. Sideshow Bruce has drawn one the second row, and is at $20 with the TAB. “Its going to a great race,” says Butt. To see the field for the Christian Cullen click here   View the full article

And - as you said - the renovations weren't done properly.   That's my point. Also, correct wrt the 30 year time frame, needs attention any old time but I dont think that's likely.