Ellerslie Trials

[TAB For Ever]

The Ellerslie track hosted a great trials day today.

Originally 356 entries wanted to run ,hence Avondale trials on Thursday catering for half  !

Will provide a different surface , todays was top shelf.

One negative today was the injury to Michael MacNab who suffered a nasty kick to leg....hope he OK.

Trialists I liked included the Maidens Confesara and Aliandra who competed in same heat , King of the North[ stayer by Jon Snow] and Oppenheimer [65]

One group watching were estimating that 50% of horses running to day will be For Sale.

[hesi]

Broken leg, out for 2 months 

[Chief Stipe]

8 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

One group watching were estimating that 50% of horses running to day will be For Sale.

Have you been visiting the doom and gloom site?

[TAB For Ever]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Have you been visiting the doom and gloom site?

No , I just comment on what I see and hear !

Trials are run fairly slickly ,except for one-off things like injuries etc , but there is  little to do .

Similar to raceday ...too boring except for those closely involved !

That Ellerslie track is really getting superb !

 

[hesi]

10 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

The Ellerslie track hosted a great trials day today.

Originally 356 entries wanted to run ,hence Avondale trials on Thursday catering for half  !

Will provide a different surface , todays was top shelf.

One negative today was the injury to Michael MacNab who suffered a nasty kick to leg....hope he OK.

Trialists I liked included the Maidens Confesara and Aliandra who competed in same heat , King of the North[ stayer by Jon Snow] and Oppenheimer [65]

One group watching were estimating that 50% of horses running to day will be For Sale.

Is that a figure that would be typical at any point in time in NZ racing.  Half the horses trialing in order to make them a better selling proposition

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, TAB For Ever said:

No , I just comment on what I see and hear !

 

Well most young horses are for sale at a price.

2 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

Trials are run fairly slickly ,except for one-off things like injuries etc , but there is  little to do .

Similar to raceday ...too boring except for those closely involved !

 

I find them to be far from boring.  Excellent viewing when on track.  Great for spotting a potential winner.

3 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

That Ellerslie track is really getting superb !

 

Doesn't suit all horses and I see they ran the 2 yr olds with the rail at true and for the rest out to 20m.  You would have heard on Saturday that it is still quickly cutting out and gets shifty.

[Chief Stipe]

4 minutes ago, hesi said:

Is that a figure that would be typical at any point in time in NZ racing.  Half the horses trialing in order to make them a better selling proposition

Some trainers make a career out of getting horses up and running and flicking them.  It has always been the case.

[curious]

Haven't looked it up but probably at least 40% of yearlings are offered for sale aren't they?

[hesi]

Way of the world I guess.

Those buying with the intent of selling, support the local breeding industry, they support the local racing industry by paying trial fees to the club, training fees, jockey fees, float fees etc etc.

The only thing that doesn't happen, is the horse racing in NZ

 

[Chief Stipe]

18 minutes ago, hesi said:

Way of the world I guess.

Those buying with the intent of selling, support the local breeding industry, they support the local racing industry by paying trial fees to the club, training fees, jockey fees, float fees etc etc.

The only thing that doesn't happen, is the horse racing in NZ

 

Always been the case.  

Here is a picture of Phar Lap at the Trentham Yearling sales 1927.  LOL the building in the background is probably still in use!

[Bid]

That is certainly not Phar Lap as a yearling, not sure Tommy was his handler as a yearling! 

 

Yes at Trentham, but prior to his trip to America in 1931 

Edited 4 hours ago by Bid

[hesi]

11 minutes ago, Bid said:

That is certainly not Phar Lap as a yearling, not sure Tommy was his handler as a yearling! 

 

Yes at Trentham, but prior to his trip to America in 1931 

That is correct, taken prior to him going to America for his final race

[Chief Stipe]

8 minutes ago, Bid said:

That is certainly not Phar Lap as a yearling, not sure Tommy was his handler as a yearling! 

 

Yes at Trentham, but prior to his trip to America in 1931 

You're right.  Why did he travel via Wellington?  There are some notable luminaries in that picture!  Even the photographer was famous!

https://www.jameshargest.school.nz/brigadier-hargest/  James Hargest distinguished member of the NZ Forces in both World Wars.

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/coates-joseph-gordon-pc-mc  Prime Minister following William Massey.

David Jones - Minister of Agriculture and Mines - created Federated Farmers (initially a Union for Farmers!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Jones_(New_Zealand_politician)

Adam Hamilton - National MP - Postmaster General and Minister of Labour.  First leader of the National Party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Hamilton

 

Oswald Watkings - In 1901 he was the secretary of the Wellesley Club. Resident of Lower Hutt at 54 Pharazyn Street by 1902. An accountant. President of the Racing Conference in 1931. He was a Hutt City Councillor at one stage. Died in 1936 aged 73 years

Date

1931

Reference

MNZ-2372-1/2-F

Description

Racing horse Phar Lap at Trentham before his trip to the United States, with his attendant Tommy Woodcock. Standing nearby are, left to right, Rt Hon Joseph Gordon Coates, Oswald Stephen Watkins, David Jones, Brigadier James Hargest and Adam Hamilton. Taken by Charles P S Boyer in 1931.

 

[Chief Stipe]

Another photo by Boyer.  Trentham in better days!

Shame the track wasn't irrigated!  They sure cut the grass short in those days.  

 

[Huey]

Surely yours arent for sale @Chief Stipe ? Not a chap as positive as you are about the industry, surely not?

[Chief Stipe]

6 minutes ago, Huey said:

Surely yours arent for sale @Chief Stipe ? Not a chap as positive as you are about the industry, surely not?

Everything is for sale at a price.  I learnt my lesson when offered $180k 15 years ago for a poorly bred gelding and the other partner refused to sell.  In between then and the next offer after another win the damn thing kicked itself in its stall!  

That's why I like the Tangerine filly contracts - it is made very clear that the syndicate partnership is dissolved by selling the horse at auction at the end of its racing career.

Anyway if I had a horse today it would be on the market for a price even though the stakes are fantastic and racing has turned a corner for the best.

[hesi]

Even the anti-racing, anti-whales, anti-OBC protagonist CW sold out to Cambridge Stud with Pivotal Ten when enough money was put on the table

[Chief Stipe]

9 minutes ago, hesi said:

Even the anti-racing, anti-whales, anti-OBC protagonist CW sold out to Cambridge Stud with Pivotal Ten when enough money was put on the table

Looking at how it went first up in OZ I'd say it was a wise choice.  Although a very expensive way of getting invited to the whales table.  

[Gammalite]

49 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

You're right.  Why did he travel via Wellington? 

with the long ocean voyage, makes sense to have a stopover in beautiful windy Wellington for a few days ?

I think he would have taken the usual International freighter between Aus and Nz for part of the journey ,and then had to wait for the Big ship to America some time after.

What would it be ? 3 weeks on a ship NZ to USA 1931 ?  something like that. Wellington probably had the International Port being somewhere in the middle of NZ. 

[Chief Stipe]

25 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

with the long ocean voyage, makes sense to have a stopover in beautiful windy Wellington for a few days ?

I think he would have taken the usual International freighter between Aus and Nz for part of the journey ,and then had to wait for the Big ship to America some time after.

What would it be ? 3 weeks on a ship NZ to USA 1931 ?  something like that. Wellington probably had the International Port being somewhere in the middle of NZ. 

The "stop over" was for 5 weeks!!!

[Chief Stipe]

He travelled from NZ on the Monowai.

Phar Lap's quarters on deck of SS MONOWAI

In November 1931, champion Australian race horse Phar Lap was taken to New Zealand, in preparation for a longer voyage to the United States to compete. On Christmas Eve 1931 Phar Lap boarded the MONOWAI on which had been specially fitted out with a comfortable stall and exercise yard. MONOWAI reached San Francisco on January 15, 1932.

https://bitofayarn.com

 

 

[Chief Stipe]

The Monowai

[Gammalite]

22 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The "stop over" was for 5 weeks!!!

Wellington a fabulous place for racehorses then Chief. Should of given him a race start to thrill the locals.😎

Great pictures on his ship you posted Chief 👍. was just reading a funny story where Phar Lap not only had a sand roll on the ship as well, but used to Jack up a bit  when Tommy wasn't around so Tomm had to eat in the Bosuns cabin so the horses could see him , and sleep beside his stall as well. I would think it is the human that has the 'Connection' issues and not the horse, but that's what they say anyway. Have never found a smarter horse than any dog myself. But I guess if you're a famous in history one , the stories become elaborate.

[Chief Stipe]

26 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

Have never found a smarter horse than any dog myself.

I have.  A trotter called McShane.  Saw him reading a racebook once or twice.