Write all posts here

Green light for night racing at Turfontein

2008-03-12T04:45:00.000-01:00

Extract from Sportingweb:
The appeal against environmental approval for the installation of floodlights at Turffontein has been dismissed by the Gauteng MEC for Agriculture, Conservation & Environment and it is hoped to hold the first night meeting at the track as early as October this year. Phumelela CEO Jim Tennant said the green light for night racing at Turffontein was “great news all round” for the horseracing industry. “Night racing at Turffontein means more races, more prize money and many exciting marketing opportunities,” said Tennant. “Installation of the lights will begin as soon as possible. The project team will have to be reassembled and the project will have to be costed again. “Construction should begin in the next six to eight weeks and it might be possible to have night racing by October. Obviously this will depend on the availability of the various contractors.” Larry Wainstein, chairman of the Racing Association that represents racehorse owners in Phumelela regions, also reacted enthusiastically to the news that night racing at Turffontein is back on track. “It’s fantastic news for racing,” he said. “Nearly 20 race meetings have been lost as a result of the delay in introducing night racing at Turffontein, which has cost the industry tens of millions of rand. Night racing has always been popular with racegoers and the investment Phumelela has made in improving facilities at Turffontein will enhance the entire experience of racing under lights.” Horseracing and tote betting company Phumelela had hoped to launch night racing at Turffontein last October, but the installation of lights had to be put on ice following the appeal against Phumelela being authorised to hold night races at the venue. Turffontein has been the home of horseracing in Johannesburg virtually since the city’s birth back in 1886 and is ideally suited to night racing because of its combination of private boxes and numerous trackside venues. Major races run at the venue include the R3.5-million Gommagomma Challenge, Africa’s richest race, the R2-million Steinhoff International Summer Cup and the R1.2-million SA Classic, Africa’s richest events for three-year-olds.

HOME PAGE

Kicking King out

2008-03-08T05:16:00.001-01:00

Kicking King, winner of the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup, has been ruled out of the blue-riband event on Friday.
Tom Taaffe's 10-year-old made an encouraging return when second to Nickname at Gowran Park in January, but disappointed when only third on his second run this year.
Connections were still keen to have a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup but they have been forced to bypass the Festival after Kicking King failed to sparkle in a piece of work this morning.
Owner Conor Clarkson said: "Unfortunately after a work-out this this morning Tom Taaffe wasn't happy, and neither was Barry Geraghty, with his work.
"We've therefore no option but to say he will not be running in the Gold Cup. Obviously there just something a little amiss at the moment, his legs are fine but the quality would not be up to the standard of the Gold Cup. He's just not firing on all cylinders.
Clarkson insists Kicking King will not be retired after this setback and will instead be primed for the Punchestown Gold Cup in April - a race he won three years ago.
"This has nothing to do with his retirement, it is just the quality of his work," he added.
"His work was reasonable but Tom is an astute trainer and Barry is a top jockey. The quality of his work was just not up to the quality that he'd been producing in the last couple of months. There may be a lingering, low-grade virus there and he'll have a nice little break now.
"If he shows sparkle in his work in the next couple of weeks we'd be delighted to go to Punchestown. The Punchestown Gold Cup is now the target."
Kicking King, also a winner of the King George VI Chase in 2004 and 2005, was as low as 20/1 to regain his Gold Cup crown on March 14.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Kranji to take Super Saturday racing from Flemington

2008-03-07T12:43:00.001-01:00

The Singapore Turf Club will be taking ‘live’ races from Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, 8 March, in addition to Perth races. Perak Turf Club has cancelled its race meeting on Saturday due to Malaysia’s Polling Day. The first race from Flemington, the TBV Thoroughbred Stakes, will commence at 8.40am with the last race at 13.50pm while the first race from Perth Racing will run at 11.44am with the last race at 16.20pm.
Cash betting on races from Perth and Flemington will be available at the Singapore Racecourse (Level 1 Grandstand), all off-course betting centres and Singapore Pools’ branches from 8.15am, and through TELEBET services from 8.00am this Saturday.
Commented Mr Teo Kim Heng, Vice President (Sales & Business Development), Singapore Turf Club, “To provide our customers a variety of races that afternoon, we have arranged to take some exciting races from Flemington, including two of its richest races – the Newmarket Handicap and the Darley Australian Cup, both Group 1 races with prizemoney of AUD$1,005,000, which I hope racing fans will enjoy.”
TELEBET customers can also tune in to Horse Racing Channel 88 and 89 to catch the ‘live’ telecast of the races from Perth and Flemington respectively.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

New surface for Kranji

2008-03-07T12:38:00.000-01:00

After months of trials and consultations with various racing professionals, the Singapore Turf Club is set to replace the current Fibresand surface at Kranji with Polytrack.
With works to replace the Fibresand surface expected to commence in July 2008, racegoers can look forward to racing on the Polytrack surface as early as October 2008.
In order not to disrupt trackwork during the conversion process, the 1600 metres long sand training track (Track 7) which is located on the outside of the StrathAyr Turf Track will also be converted to Polytrack in May 2008 and is due for completion in June. This will allow horses to continue training for the races while the Polytrack surface is being installed on the alternate racing track.
Several synthetic surfaces had undergone a battery of tests at Kranji since August 2007 and after detailed analysis and evaluation and taking into consideration feedback from trainers and jockeys, the Singapore Turf Club has opted for a surface that in its opinion will suit the Singapore climatic conditions best.
Created by Martin Collins in England, the UK-patented Polytrack is a tried and tested synthetic surface that has been in use in the last 20 years at major racing centres around the world. It is already the surface of choice at Wolverhampton, Kempton Park, Lingfield Park Racecourses in UK, Del Mar, Keeneland and Turfway Park Racecourses in the USA and Woodbine Racecourse in Canada among others.
The latest racecourses to have adopted the Polytrack, a mixture of sand, fibres, rubber and wax, are Great Leighs Racecourse in UK and Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland while Singapore will be the first Asian country to use the surface for racing.

“The Polytrack will be a big asset for Singapore racing,” said Mr Kim Elliott, the Australasian representative of the UK-based brand.
“Its unique cushioning effect helps dissipate concussion forces to provide a racing surface that reduces injury. Horses will be able to have a longer racing life.
“It gives a secure footing as well as being more load-bearing than sand, which will allow for more races to be run. No other synthetic track is closer to turf than ours.
“We have also observed increased field sizes on our Polytrack racetracks around the world. Trainers feel a lot more confident to race their horses on such an even and competitive surface, and that can only boost betting turnover.”
Aside from being more forgiving, dust-free and generating less “kickback”, the one attribute of Polytrack that will be a bonus for rainy Singapore is its efficient water draining capability.
“The total vertical drainage allows water to pass through quickly leaving behind a consistent surface throughout. This greatly reduces the risk of race cancellation because of a flooded track,” said Mr Elliott.
The Polytrack drainage system works on a 60mm thick porous asphalt base laid over 100mm of stone drainage blanket made up of compacted aggregates and topped up with 175mm of Polytrack material. Embedded in the sub-base (beneath the aggregates) is an extensive network of perforated plastic pipes varying between 150mm and 200mm in diameter designed to remove water from the track as efficiently as possible.
“No stones were left unturned in our selection process. We have monitored the synthetic surfaces on factors such as injury rates, infiltration rates, surface hardness and surface temperatures to arrive at our decision,” said Senior Vice President (Racing) Soong Tze Ming.
“All the synthetic surfaces held up well during our tests, but Polytrack proved to have the edge.
“It’s a surface which, we believe, suits Singapore’s tropical climate best and can sustain a higher frequency of racing all year round.
“Above all, it will allow the Singapore racing industry to move up to a higher level.”
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Mike de Kock has an up and down meeting

2008-03-07T12:34:00.003-01:00

Asiatic Boy’s Dubai World Cup hopes took a big dent as he could only manage third in the US$200,000 Group 3 Burj Nahaar, a race dominated by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained pair of Elusive Warning and Blackat Blackitten.
Last year’s UAE Triple Crown winner was hard at work halfway up the straight and in the end was three and a quarter lengths off the winner Elusive Warning, who was completing a double for Kerrin McEvoy.
Of Asiatic Boy, De Kock said: “In hindsight, we’ve left him short, which has caught us out a little. But we haven’t lost heart and we’re expecting massive improvement in the Dubai World Cup.”
His jockey Johnny Murtagh added: “I am disappointed, but better to do that tonight, than on March 29.”
Simon Crisford, racing manager to the winning owners Godolphin, described the result as a “surprise”, while McEvoy added: “I was expecting Asiatic Boy to come at us, but in the end it was Frankie’s horse (Blackat Blackitten) we had to see off, but he dug deep.”
British mare Gower Song sprung a surprise in the US$200,000 Group 3 Dubai City of Gold, bursting through late under Richard Hills to deny the fast finishing Mourilyan, who came from last, and Oracle West, who stayed on for third.
Winning trainer David Elsworth said: “The mile and half (2400m) really suited her, and with a clear run, she would have won comfortably. She’s thrived since she’s been here, and of course we’d like to run her in the Dubai Sheema Classic.”
The winner is set to face the second, third, and fifth home, Quijano, in the US$5mliion turf showpiece, sponsored by Nakheel, on March 29.
Mike De Kock saddled the 1-2 in the Al Bastakiya – the second leg of the UAE Triple Crown - as Royal Vintage saw off the late challenge of Honour Devil.
The winner, under Kevin Shea, was reversing placings with his stablemate in the 1800m contest, and, with the scores now between the pair standing at 1-1, the decider will come in the UAE Derby, sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, on Dubai World Cup night.
“We thought Royal Vintage might win this time, but Honour Devil showed great battling qualities,” said De Kock.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if the placings were reversed again in the UAE Derby.”
Winning rider Kevin Shea added: “It’s equal now between the two, and we could be in for an almighty battle come Dubai World Cup night.”
Godolphin look to have a live contender for the Dubai Golden Shaheen, sponsored by Gulf News, in the shape of Diabolical, who trounced the opposition in the Mahab Al Shimaal.
The American import was drawn in stall one, but settled nicely under McEvoy, and coasted home four and a half lengths in front of Star Crowned, with New Freedom, purchased for AED2.3million at the DIRC Sale on Tuesday, back in third. Trainer Bin Suroor said: “It’s great we have something to run in the sprint on Dubai World Cup night – he needed the race last time, and he works like a really good horse in the morning.”
While McEvoy added: “He has improved from his first run, when he stumbled at the start, and there were no Asiatic Boys in this race and that put him spot on for this race.”
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Jalil puts himself into the reckoning

2008-03-07T12:28:00.003-01:00

Jalil burst on to the Dubai World Cup scene with an authoritative win in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, the highlight of the Super Thursday card, generously sponsored by Shadwell Estate.
The Godolphin four-year-old’s win was the climax of a wonderful treble for Saeed bin Suroor, who has dominated the 2008 Dubai International Carnival, taking his tally to 24 winners for the 10 meetings.
Jalil himself was making it three from three on the Nad Al Sheba dirt, showing himself to be a different horse to the one who failed to really shine on the turf in Britain last year.
Hopes have always been unreasonably high for the son of Storm Cat, ever since he cost US$9.7m as a yearling. But having now won this US$300,000 Group 2 race, over the course and distance of the Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates, he is showing just what a classy act he has developed into.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: “He’s learning to be a really good horse, and clearly loves the sand, and the further he goes, the better he is.
“We gave him a chance as he needed time last year, and it’s paid huge dividends now. He’ll go straight to the Dubai World Cup, and we’ll see Curlin there. He needs to improve again, but he hasn’t stopped yet.”
Winning rider Frankie Dettori said: “He’s taken to the dirt really well, and keeps improving and maturing. He’s got to raise the bar again, but he’s done nothing wrong so far, and fits into the Dubai World Cup field without any problems.”
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Carnival Sale brings the curtain down on NZ yearling sales

2008-03-07T12:23:00.001-01:00

The 2008 Carnival Yearling Sale reflected a decidedly more subdued yearling market than seen in recent weeks, with mixed results at Friday's one-day Sale at Karaka.With the Carnival Sale a new introduction to the New Zealand Bloodstock sale calendar last year, this year's smaller catalogue resulted in 116 horses sold for $2,222,850, with a sale average of $19,163 and median of $15,000. The highlight came late in the day at Lot 182, a King's Chapel colt from stakes performed Clay Hero mare, Wychwood Lass. Offered by Halo Farm, the colt was bought by Louis Crimp's Wellesley Land Co Ltd, based in Invercargill, for $75,000.Although the results sheets were dominated by local buyers, the leading buyer of the Sale was Queensland bloodstock agent John Foote who bought four yearlings for $142,500. His top priced purchase was $45,000, paid for a colt by Halo Homewrecker from Vettori mare, Miabondialee, offered by Seaton Park.The leading vendor by aggregate at this session was Mike Tololi's Twin Pine Thoroughbreds, selling nine horses for $194,500, including a top price of $42,000 for the Postponed colt from Masterclass mare, Class Mistress.The leading vendor by average, with three or more sold, was Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud, with a top price of $57,500 for the Danroad colt from Royal Rhythm, bought by Rob McAnulty.Concluding the 2008 National Yearling Sales Series for New Zealand Bloodstock, Marketing Manager Petrea Vela summed up today's results.'We've seen good horses sell well today, but buyers have been selective in their purchasing, with a lot of horses seemingly not meeting their criteria and the results reflecting that.''With such sensational results just a few weeks ago there were some disappointments today, and we will be reviewing what factors contributed to that and assessing the future of the Carnival Sale over the coming weeks.' All horses bought at Karaka today are eligible to enter the $100,000 Carnival Bonus Race at the Auckland Racing Club's Auckland Cup Week next year, as well as being eligible to enter the 2009 Karaka Million Series.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Jockey Darryl Bradley suspended for four months

2008-03-07T12:17:00.001-01:00

NZTR reports that an Inquiry was held on Friday by the Judicial Control Authority (JCA) at the offices of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) in Petone, Wellington following an investigation into a telephone call made by Jockey Darryl Bradley for making a verbal offer by telephone to a representative of the insurance brokerage firm Fraser McAndrew Ryan Limited in Dunedin.
Bradley’s purpose in making the telephone call was to seek money or some other benefit in the event Eel Win won the Southland Guineas on 16 February 2008, thereby saving the insurance company paying a $100,000 bonus.
An investigation was opened in response to a complaint lodged by Gallop South on Tuesday, 12 February 2008. NZTR Chief Stipendiary Steward, Cameron George, formally charged Bradley on Tuesday, 19 February 2008 with a Serious Racing Offence under Rule 1001 (1) (v) (i), namely ‘does or permits or suffers to be done any act which a Judicial Committee deems…detrimental to the interests of racing.’
Bradley pleaded guilty to the charge.
Greg King, Counsel for Bradley, and Cameron George, for NZTR, made submissions to the JCA Inquiry.
Pursuant to Rule 1001 (1) (v) (i) the JCA disqualified Bradley for four months.
This disqualification starts on Monday, 10 March 2008 and expires on Wednesday 9 July 2008.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Carnival

2008-03-07T12:09:00.002-01:00

Over seventeen days in 2008, the Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Carnival boasts over 40 events, held at Easter on the Gold Coast.The annual Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions carnival has become an Australian icon event that continues to record phenomenal growth, injecting an estimated $90 million-plus into the local economy.The cream of Australia’s yearlings are paraded before a sale like no other and many of these polished babies will go on to success at racing’s elite level before becoming immensely valuable stallions and broodmares later on.The innovative sale company annually posts results that are the envy of bloodstock auction houses around the world: last year gross receipts rocketed from $80.1 million to $108.4 million for just under 600 baby racehorses sold at the four-day Premier sale at Bundall.Everyone is welcome at the sale complex to watch the action with yearling inspections beginning from March 17.The sale attracts the most powerful buyers from across the globe as well as leading Australian trainers and the catalogue stands on its track record of producing very fine gallopers.But Magic Millions is much, much more than a horse sale.It is a uniquely Australian celebration with a diverse range of events to cater for everyone from March 17 to April 2 this year - in fact, with more than 40 associated events, if you’re absolutely terrified of going near a horse, there’s an amazing array of options.“Magic Millions is so much more than just a horse sale; it has a genuine carnival atmosphere and a wide variety of community events. The corporate Gold Coast sector is right behind us," asserts managing director David Chester. “It is very satisfying to see our event calendar continue to expand to really get everyone involved.”John Singleton once described the carnival as “the Melbourne Cup in shorts” and from the moment one arrives at the Gold Coast, the Magic Millions buzz is palpable. The difference, of course, is that Magic Millions is held in one of the world’s most desirable destinations, the weather is likely to be fabulous and because we’re in Queensland, it’s casual and fun.The carnival event program kicks off with a Magic Monday champagne lunch in the opulent confines of Palazzo Versace (where else, really!) on March 17, setting the tone for a whirlwind round of social activities.Dress to impress to be part of the Magic Millions Carnival Fashion Awards on March 18 at Magic @ Marina Mirage centre stage. This is a free event and all are welcome. That evening there is a racing and sports celebrity dinner at the Titanium Bar in Surfers where leading racing and sports celebrities will be interviewed.The following day, March 19, big names of the racing industry will attend the much-anticipated Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions barrier draw at Conrad Jupiters at Broadbeach. Watch the drama unfold as connections of horses engaged in the Magic Millions feature races draw all-important barriers!Of course, some would argue that hats are just as important as barriers and more than 100 exquisite creations will be exhibited at the Magic Millions millinery collection – where a $1 million hat will be unveiled. Those with the energy after such an action-packed day will trot along to the Gold Coast Turf Club Magic Millions members cocktail party.One of the signature events of the Magic Millions carnival is the Hats and High Tea at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa at 10.30am on March 20. This socialite’s soiree attracts a mix of celebrities and partners of global high-flying racing personalities and is held ahead of the traditional Carbine Club lunch, without which no carnival is complete.Carnival participants have the opportunity to catch their breath on Good Friday ahead of a race day on March 22.That evening, there’s the brilliant Magic Millions family day and beach fireworks – a free event to which all are welcome, so kick back in your beach beanbag and watch a latest release movie and take in the fireworks.The look and feel of a Vegas showroom have been recreated for the Gold Coast Star Ball at Sheraton Mirage at 7.30pm on Saturday night with all proceeds from this event going to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.Breeders, buyers and celebrity’s will mingle at the Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Opening Night function – always spectacular – to be held poolside at Conrad Jupiters on March 23.Easter Monday heralds the annual Magic Millions race day with $4.1 million of prizemoney on offer and new legends to be created: the hallmark two-year-old Classic race, now worth $1.5 million, has proven the springboard for several track superstars. Hospitality options are truly of an international standard with the Paspaley Magic Millions VIP raceday room, the Conrad Jupiters Dome, and the Queensland Racing Owners & Trainers Emporium and International Pavilion. The Magic Millions Fashion Awards featuring, the Paspaley Best Dressed for the Carnival Award and the Bang & Olufsen Best Dressed Gentleman Award will be presented at the races, which are a fantastic opportunity to dress up and celebrate the vibrancy and colour of the carnival.The sale kicks off that evening with many racegoers traditionally flocking ring-side to watch heart-stopping bidding duels as selling begins under lights.Of course, a whirl of events continues right through til the second day of April, with the well-established Widden Stud Golf Day, dinners, seminars, and a countless number of associated activities taking place alongside the renowned yearling sales.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Premier Sale concludes

2008-03-07T11:44:00.007-01:00

Four days of record trade concluded at Oaklands Junction late on Thursday afternoon with the close of the Melbourne Premier Sale. When the hammer fell for the last time, the sale had reached new heights with records in all departments for gross, average and median – not to mention the new sale record of $750,000 paid by Darley Australia for a son of Exceed And Excel on Tuesday.
The highlight of Thursday’s Session II trade came late on when a most attractive son of Danbird topped the day when selling for $80,000 to Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan. Eliza Park stallion Danbird has impressed many keen judges with his first-crop and the good looking lot 790 – a half-brother to Listed winners Ebony Night and Hurry Upel – is typical of his offspring.
Session II of the Premier Sale saw 127 horses sold for an aggregate of $2,821,500. The average was $22,217 and the median $20,000.
“The results this week are a ringing endorsement of the Victorian industry,” enthused William Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster. “We are very appreciative for the support we’ve received from the Victorian State Government, in particular the Deputy Premier Rob Hulls, for their commitment to racing and breeding in the state.”
“We were hopeful of a good sale,” said Webster, “but it is safe to say that this has exceeded expectations and we are delighted for everyone concerned. We are grateful for the unqualified support of so many vendors at the sale this year. Good horses attract buyers and in this case we’ve had interest from all over the world.”
Session II - Day 1 Statistics - Lots 603 to 818
Gross Value $2,821,500 Top Price - Lot 790 $80,000 Average Price $22,217 Median Price $20,000V

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-03-07T11:44:00.006-01:00

BIRTHS
1969 - Chastity Bono Los Angeles CA, daughter of Sonny & Cher
1968 - Patsy Kensit London, rocker/actress (Lethal Weapon 2, 21, Hanover St)
1968 - Dinky van Rensburg South Africa, tennis star
1967 - Daryll Cullinan South African cricketer (batsman Warne’s bunny)
1961 - Roger Wessels Port Elizabeth South Africa, golfer (1994 Canadian Masters)
1961 - Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini boxer (killed a boxer in the ring)
1955 - Benny Alexander Secretary-General (South African Pan-Africanist Movement)
1951 - Chris Rea Middlesborough England, rock guitarist (Fool If You Think It Is Over, Heaven)
1948 - Shakin’ Stevens [Mike Barrett], Ely Wales, rocker (You Drive Me Crazy,Green Door)
1936 - Jim Clark, British world champion racing driver.
1932 - Miriam Makeba Johannesburg South Africa, singer (Grammy 1965)
1923 - Astronomer Patrick Moore.(A-Z of Astronomy)
1921 - English actress Joan Greenwood.
1754 - Benjamin Waterhouse physician (smallpox vaccine pioneer)
1678 - Composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi born born in Venice.(4 Seasons)

DEATHS
1994 - John Candy actor (SCTV, Uncle Buck), dies from a heart attack
Arthur Babbitt Disney animator (Mr Magoo, Goofy), dies at 84 of heart failure
1983 - Hergé [Georges Rémi], Belgian cartoonist (Rin-Tin-Tin/Kuifie),
Sergei S Prokoviev Russian composer (Peter & the wolf)
Thomas Arne, composer of ‘Rule Britannia’.
1595 - Robert Southwell English poet, hanged for becoming a Catholic priest.

Events :
1997 - President Clinton bans federally funded human cloning research
1997 - In London, the match-fixing trial of footballers Bruce Grobbelar, John Fashanu and Hans Segers ends in deadlock with the jury failing to reach verdicts.
1996 - The fourth suicide bombing in 9 days leaves 12 people dead in Tel Aviv.
1975 - Comedy film star Charlie Chaplin receives a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
1969 -London gangster twins Ron and Reggie Kray are sentenced to life imprisonment.
1967 -The first gas from the North Sea is piped ashore at Durham in northern England
1950 - US Premiere of Walt Disney’s animation film ‘Cinderella’ .
1945 - In Britain, Princess Elizabeth joins the British Army as a driver.
1924 - The song ‘Happy Birthday To You’ is published by Clayton F Summy.
1909 - Inauguration of William Howard Taft as 27th President of the USA. Violent snowstorms and high winds cause the ceremony to be transfered from outside the Capitol to inside the Senate Chamber.
1908 - 180 primary school pupils and their 9 teachers are killed in a fire at a school at Collinwood near Cleveland , Ohio, USA.
1881 - South African President Paul Kruger accepts ceasefire
1824 - Formation of Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-03-01T14:38:00.004-01:00

1 March
Births :
1980 - Shahid Afridi cricketer (ton in 37 balls in 1st ODI innings)
1958 - Nik Kershaw Bristol England, singer/songwriter (Wouldn’t it be Good)
1953 - Ron Howard Duncan OK, actor/director (American Graffiti, Happy Days/Willow, Backdraft)
1944 - Roger Daltrey lead vocalist The Who Hammersmith London England

The Big G
HOME PAGE

My Lady's Chamber in Awesome display

2008-03-01T14:26:00.005-01:00

Awesome is an apt description of the remarkable finishing run produced by the Arena 4-year-old mare My Lady's Chamber to win the $85,000 Listed Canberra Sprint (1400m) on Sunday. Close on 200m out she appeared hopeless in last place, but then thundered down the outside in spectacular fashion and went on to win by 1.8 lengths. It was only her second win in 19 starts, but it suggested that this mare trained at Warwick Farm by former jockey Billy Prain for four owners, including her breeder Fred Peisah, owner of the Lomar Park Stud, the home at Werombi in the Sydney hinterland of the Danehill Victoria Derby and Canterbury Guineas winning Arena, could live up to the promise she showed at two and in the spring at three. Her first three juvenile starts resulted in a win by 1.3 lengths at Rosehill Gardens and close seconds at this course and Randwick, while in three successive outings at three, she was second in the AJC Furious Stakes-Gr.2, third in the STC Tea Rose Stakes-Gr.2 and then second of 19 in the AJC Flight Stakes-Gr.1. The performances of My Lady's Chamber to date have suggested she is not far behind her three-quarter sister Regal Cheer in class. Sold in the Lomar Park Stud draft for $85,000 at the Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast and later to Darley for $900,000 at the Inglis Sydney mare sales, this Arena filly won six races and $885,955, including in her efforts successes in the STC Coolmore Classic-Gr.1 and AJC Surround Stakes-Gr.2 and seconds in the STC Queen of the Turf Stakes-Gr.1, AJC Light Fingers Stakes, STC Concorde Stakes and AJC Liverpool City Cup-Gr.3. Regal Cheer is from Regal Chamber, an STC Magic Night Stakes-Gr.2 winner and Golden Slipper second who like My Lady's Chamber was bred and raced by Fred Peisah. He has been a prominent breeder from his base at Lomar Park for more than 40 years, producing hundreds of winners, many from the same family that produced My Lady's Chamber, her dam Queen's Suite (by Marauding), Regal Cheer and Regal Chamber. Other major winners from the family bred on Lomar Park have included Moment's Pleasure, Razor Sharp, Steel Blade, Super Elegant, Elegancy, Mister Elegant, Robian Steel and Miss Fantabulous. All five Lomar Park yearlings contributed to the select sessions of the Magic Millions yearling sale commencing at the Gold Coast on March 24 are from this very consistent source of good winners.They are colts by Choisir and Fusaichi Pegasus and two fillies by Rock of Gibraltar and one by Encosta de Lago.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Blue Diamond Stakes

2008-03-01T14:20:00.002-01:00

Melbourne's premier event for the juveniles, the million dollar
Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, was a bit of a disappointment for the camp of Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum, a world leader in racing and breeding, including having Darley studs at Aberdeen in the Hunter Valley and near Seymour in Victoria. His exciting young sire Exceed and Excel had three first crop runners in the event, but they did not make the placings. However some solace for Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum was found by the winner Reaan, a Hussonet colt, being owned by his brother Sheikh Hamden Maktoum, for the second time in three years. Hamden also won the Diamond in 2006 with the Redoute's Choice colt Nadeem and the Melbourne Cup back in 1994 and 1986 respectively with Jeune and At Talaq, two overseas gallopers he sent out here who later became successful sires. Like the Blue Diamond winners, they were trained by the Hayes family at Lindsay Park at Angaston in the Barossa valley. David Hayes has trained first and second in each of the last three Blue Diamonds. A secret to his success, and earlier of his father, the late Colin Hayes, could not only be extraordinary judgement in choosing horses, but extra fitness achieved on the undulating training tracks, walking paths and open stabling on Lindsay Park. Lindsay Park was established more than 40 years ago and the training operation has been one of the world's greatest sources of winners.
Hamden Maktoum, the owner of Saturday's Blue Diamond winner under the banner of his international Shadwell Stud operation, and Mohammed Maktoum are members of the ruling family of the oil rich United Arab Emirates, one in Saudi Arabia, a region which is four fifths desert. They are world leaders in breeding and racing and have invested more than a billion dollars.This is being boosted by their spending of nearly that amount alone on the building of a new racing centre near the Emirates capital Dubai due to open in two years.To have a capacity for 60,0000 racegoers, it will be a new city including horse and business park, the racing centre, five star hotel and a residential section. Big feature of the annual racing is the Dubai World Cup, one attracting horses from around the world, including Australia. It is to he held this year on March 29 with total prize money of $21.25million American and includes the richest race in the world, the $6million Dubai World Cup, and two each worth $5million.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Paul Nicholls is considering Aintree for Kauto Star

2008-03-01T14:10:00.002-01:00

Kauto Star's season may not be over after he has competed in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week.
Paul Nicholls is considering sending the imperious eight-year-old to Aintree if all goes well in the big showdown with stablemate Denman.
The Ditcheat handler told the Racing Post: "I have raised the issue with (owner) Clive Smith and we have agreed that if Kauto Star comes out of the Gold Cup fit and healthy, then there's no reason why he couldn't handle another outing.
"In which case we could go on to Aintree with a choice of big-race targets - the Melling Chase over two and a half miles and the totesport Bowl over three miles, one."
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Ben Linfoot looks ahead to the clash everyone is talking about

2008-03-01T14:00:00.003-01:00

"I hope Exotic Dancer beats them both," was A P McCoy's reply when asked the predictable Kauto Star or Denman question at Wednesday's handicap weights press conference at Cheltenham. It prompted a few sniggers from the gathered media, but on official figures and ratings and the like it really shouldn't have. He's only rated three pounds off nemesis Kauto Star, and though beaten by that rival five times previously he got very close to him at Haydock early in the season. Yet a no-show in the Letheby & Christopher was the first setback and alarm bells started ringing on Tuesday evening when Ladbrokes reacted to an odd exchange drift by pulling him out of the Gold Cup betting. Puzzled assurances from Jonjo O'Neill initially halted the slide but bookmakers are rarely wrong and so it was proved with news on Thursday from Barry Simpson, owner Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager, that all was not well with the Exotic one. It might only be a minor setback, but last year's runner-up is now out to 20/1 for the Festival showpiece and it feels more than ever like a supercharged match race. 'The Clash On Cleeve Hill' proclaims the Festival promotional bus and as horse racing PR goes this is a pretty flashy effort. In the next week or so it should go into overdrive. Arkle v Mill House comparisons will be aplenty but I can imagine more of a Seabiscuit v War Admiral spin. Instead of Charles Howard rallying an excited throng from the end of a train imagine Harry Findlay and Clive Smith having a friendly arm wrestle from the open top bus. Perhaps Paul Barber's more slender frame would be fairer on old Clive. There is no getting away from it and why would we want to? Kauto Star v Denman is the story of the week and anticipation will be at fever pitch by the fourth day. 'So whose camp are you in?' will become the most-used conversation starter at every bar in Prestbury Park and beyond into Cheltenham town itself. I must admit I haven't agonised over such a dilemma since asked if I'd prefer Buttercup Fool or Lemon Chiffon to brighten up the spare bedroom. Week by week my view has altered. Each time I'm asked the question I wrinkle my nose, shrug my shoulders and raise my hands, palms open. Yet as the day approaches the little punter that lives inside my head keeps whispering Denman. Denman. Maybe Denmania is setting in. I keep imagining how the race could unfold. Denman sets an unrelenting gallop. Kauto Star is travelling well in the pack, laughing at the likes of Turpin Green, who isn't enjoying it as much this year. Denman is foot-perfect at each fence, Kauto Star likewise in behind. Then jumping the second-last, Denman is tanking along six lengths clear, with Ruby Walsh getting a little anxious back on Kauto. He tries to quicken his mount but gets no response, he has nothing left to offer after such a strong pace. Denman powers up the hill, Sam Thomas reaches for the sky with his whip, celebrating victory. Kauto Star follows him home, a gallant second. Basically, I'm reiterating Findlay's much-maligned 'does Kauto Star really stay?' poser. Four Grade One wins over three miles at Haydock and Kempton may convince some that the answer is a resounding 'yes' but neither course is anywhere near as testing as Cheltenham. Add the hill and the extra two-and-a-half furlongs of the Gold Cup and it's a very different test of stamina altogether. We haven't even mentioned the possibility of soft ground. 'But he won it last year' you cry. Yes, off an incredibly slow pace for an 18-runner Gold Cup. Whichever way you look at it, the race played into the hands of a proven speedster. Reservations over Kauto's staying power were not dismissed then and they still aren't now. Maybe I'm clutching at straws. Maybe I've fallen for Findlay's belief and enthusiasm. Maybe gut feeling is taking over all sense of rationale. After all, Kauto's class is undeniable. He is a superstar of a racehorse, a freak even. To win so many top-level races at the variety of distances he has is incredible, and his career has been a joy to follow over the last few seasons. If he can beat his machine-like stablemate in the 'Clash On Cleeve Hill' his star will shine even brighter. We shall see. For now I shall be listening to the voices in my head.

HOME PAGE

Onceuponatime there was a horse

2008-02-29T12:37:00.007-01:00

Trainer David Hill's charge Onceuponatime continued the fairy tale story with a convincing win in the Group 3 Singapore Guineas over 1600 metres on Friday,as was previously reported by formgrids David had decided to fit 'winkers' for this race to keep his mind on the job at hand and this move proved decisive,coming from off the pace he mowed down Big Maveric,Risky Buisness and The Hornet to win going away by just over a length.
After being narrowly beaten in his last three attempts in Group company he has put the record straight today in emphatic fashion and showed that there is a lot more to come,very shrewdly purchased for just $60,000 at a ready to run sale his record now reads 10 runs for 5 wins and 3 (Group) placings.
The Big G
Related Story
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-02-29T11:48:00.003-01:00

Birthdays 29th February (leap year)

1976 - Ja Rule, US Rapper and Actor.
1968 - Suanne Braun, South African Actress.
1960 -Tony Robbins Motivational Speaker.
1932 "Uncle George" Scott South African Trainer

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Curlin Confirms His Class

2008-02-28T16:06:00.006-01:00

The worlds highest rated race horse Curlin confirmed just how he earned that rating when beating a very classy field at Nad el Sheba in the $175,000 Jaguar Trophy over 2000 meters on the dirt in his first run since 27th October last year,he was never extended at any time when beating the more than useful Familiar Territory by 2 lengths, a winning margin that could have been 10 lengths had jockey Robby Albarado just taken a deep breathe,the alarm bells must be ringing for all opposing Trainers with next months coverted Dubai World Cup now looking like a race for second.
The Big G
Curlin ready for his desert debut
Curlin sends out a warning
HOME PAGE

Formgrids Proves it's worth

2008-02-28T12:38:00.004-01:00

Please feel free to publish my bets on the FORMGRIDS site, they are not the biggest of bets but the account is at long last showing a steady build-up of profit since I started using the FORMGRIDS website, these twelve consecutive bets are 10 winning and 2 losing, with one of the losing bets being in a race where i backed two runners in the same race which finished 1st and 3rd, so in effect I lost in only one race, this level of professionalsim is only made possiable with the help of the FORMGRIDS system and I felt that a huge thank you was in order, long may your site (and my bank balance) prosper.
(Name and email supplied)

2008-02-28 13:52
RSA Vaal (RSA) 28th Feb / 14:00 R3 1600m Plt /
10. Speedtrap Lay 17.00 Won Speedtrap Lay 25.00
400.37

2008-02-2814:11 46138268302008-02-2813:48
RSA Vaal (RSA) 28th Feb / 14:00 R3 1600m Plt /
2. Cresta Back 2.44 36.00 Won 51.84
375.37

2008-02-2814:11 4613824135 2008-02-2813:48
RSA Vaal (RSA) 28th Feb / 14:00 R3 1600m Plt /
2. Cresta Back 2.50 12.00 Won 18.00
323.53

2008-02-2719:08 4609208286 2008-02-2719:02
GB Wolv 27th Feb / 19:00 7f Hcap Comm Charged
4.9% On Net winnings of GBP21 (1.03)
305.53

2008-02-2719:08 4609208286 2008-02-2719:02
GB Wolv 27th Feb / 19:00 7f Hcap /
Bussell Up Lay 5.30 21.00 Won 21.00
306.56

2008-02-2717:32 4607782754 2008-02-2717:17
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 17:15 R8 1600m Plt Comm Charged
4.93% On Net winnings of GBP13.58 (0.67)
285.56

2008-02-2717:32 4607782754 2008-02-2717:17
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 17:15 R8 1600m Plt /
7. Tavistock Lay 13.50 5.00 Won 5.00
286.23

2008-02-2717:32 4607743539 2008-02-2717:14
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 17:15 R8 1600m Plt /
1. Saubestre Back 2.82 7.00 Lost (7.00)
281.23

2008-02-2717:32 4607751860 2008-02-2717:15
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 17:15 R8 1600m Plt /
6. Wing Tip Back 2.96 3.00 Won 5.88
288.23

2008-02-2717:32 4607746195 2008-02-2717:14
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 17:15 R8 1600m Plt /
6. Wing Tip Back 2.94 5.00 Won 9.70
282.35

2008-02-2717:05 4607545145 2008-02-2717:01
GB Wolv 27th Feb / 17:00 5f Sell Stks /
Nautical Back 3.00 12.00 Lost (12.00)
272.65

2008-02-2716:53 4607272031 2008-02-2716:40
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 16:40 R7 1900m Hcap Comm Charge
4.9% On Net winnings of GBP42 (2.06)
284.65

2008-02-2716:53 4607272031 2008-02-2716:40
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 16:40 R7 1900m Hcap /
1. Iraquiano Lay 2.68 21.00 Won 21.00
286.71

2008-02-2716:53 4607248730 2008-02-2716:39
RSA Grey (RSA) 27th Feb / 16:40 R7 1900m Hcap /
1. Iraquiano Lay 2.80 21.00 Won 21.00
265.71
The Big G
HOME PAGE

AND they’re off!

2008-02-28T12:03:00.006-01:00

These three sexy jockettes look hot to trot after peeling off for a saucy new racing calendar.
Adele Rothery, 21, Natalia Gemelova, 26, and 22-year-old Kirsty Milczarek stripped down to their racy gear to raise charity cash.

The Big G

HOME PAGE

Bennie Blue running in Qatar International

2008-02-28T08:38:00.002-01:00

While all South African race goers have their eyes firmly on the Dubai racing tonight Mike de Kocks Bennie Blue lines up in Qatar for the $US275 000 Qatar International Cup today and is to be ridden by South African Jockey Paul Devlin also riding in the race will be two other South Africans Christopher "Chippy" Taylor and Keegan Latham,this will be the first time a South African horse will compete in Qatar but taking Mike's track record into account it should be a case of first time lucky.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-02-28T05:45:00.001-01:00

28 February
Births :
1959 - Sydney P Mufamadi South African leader (SACP, Ex-Commissioner of Police)
1940 - Mario Andretti race-car driver (1969 Indianapolis 500)
1935 - Clive Halse cricketer (South Africa fast bowler on 1963-64 Australia/New Zealand tour)
1906 - Bugsy Siegel gangster created casinos in Las Vegas
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Well Run runs well

2008-02-28T05:14:00.001-01:00

Well Run made just about every yard of the running to secure his third win of the season in the Powers Ulster Grand National at Downpatrick.
Trained by the resurgent Noel Meade, the 6-1 second favourite soon assumed his role as pacesetter and travelled kindly for Paul Carberry.
Jumping like a buck, Well Run set a decent pace in the three-mile-four-furlong test and only two of his rivals seemed to be travelling with any comfort as the field entered the business end.
Of those, 5-2 favourite Arbor Supreme dropped away late as his stamina gave out and eventual runner-up Forest Leaves (12-1) could only plug away at one pace.
That left Well Run to ping the last and gallop on strongly to register a convincing five-and-a-half-length success.
Forest Leaves hung on for second, while 8-1 shot Operation Houdini grabbed third.
Meade said: "This horse won on New Year's Day and was the last winner I had (before a quiet patch).
"I never thought there was much wrong with the horses and we never found any virus or infection in their blood.
"It was just frustrating that they kept stopping quickly.
"All I said to Paul on going out was that I didn't mind if he made the running.
"He (Well Run) made the running in his work the other morning and he went very well.
"I'd be keen to go for the Irish National and think he needed to go up a few pounds to make sure he'd get in that."
The George Stewart-trained News Item was seeking a third successive win in the gruelling handicap but his supporters were left downcast after the gelding got no further than the first
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Dane O'Neill in hot water

2008-02-28T05:11:00.003-01:00

Dane O'Neill was referred to the British Horseracing Authority after he was found guilty of using his whip with excessive frequency at Kempton.
O'Neill was riding runner-up Suhayl Star in the digibet.com Classified Stakes.
As the jockey had already been suspended for a total of 25 days for whip offences during the previous 12 months, he must await the verdict of a BHA disciplinary panel before learning his fate
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Equipment change for Onceuponatime

2008-02-28T05:06:00.005-01:00

Trainer David Hill will apply winkers to the gear of Onceuponatime when he contests the Group 3 Singapore Guineas over 1600 metres on Friday night.
Hill said the three-year-old has been “throwing away” races of late with his habit of laying-in and the addition of winkers should make the three-year-old race a lot truer.
“I think he dreams a little bit when he gets up near the lead,” Hill said. “Putting the winkers on him I hope will make him concentrate a bit more.”
Onceuponatime threw away what looked a certain victory in the Group 3 Three Rings Trophy on February 8 when he layed-in over the final stages of the race and was edged out by Top Spin at the end of the 1400 metre trip.
Top Spin has since made the form look good with his decisive win in the Group 3 Four-Year-Old Mile last Saturday.
“Barring accidents I think he should win,” Hill said of Onceuponatime. “He’s drawn out in gate seven and that’s perfect for him.
“He’s such a big horse – 16.2 hands – and he needs a bit of galloping room. He doesn’t like being cluttered up on the fence.”
Onceuponatime will be ridden by Danny Beasley who has been riding in great form of late. Beasley had his first ride aboard the colt in the Three Rings Trophy and no doubt will have learned a great deal about the three-year-old from that race.
Onceuponatime is opposed to eight rivals on Friday night with Laurie Laxon saddling up two runners – Big Maverick (Saimee Jumaat) and Ace Amigo (John Powell) – in the feature event.
Both Laxon runners drew well – Big Maverick in five and Ace Amigo in two.
Laxon is aiming for his third Singapore Guineas victory, having previously been successful with Big Easy in 2005 and Ace Armada last year.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

$750 bargain cracks half million mark

2008-02-28T05:04:00.002-01:00

Bargain Karaka graduate Ista Kareem won the AAMI Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m) by a dashing one-and-three-quarter lengths yesterday to take his career earnings to over $580,000. Although notching up five stakes-placings including third in the Group 1 Adelaide Cup almost two years ago and third in the Group 3 Hobart Cup at his last start, the win was his first at stakes-level. The Colin Little trained seven-year-old has now won on 10 occasions and been placed nine times. A NZ$750 purchase as a weanling, Ista Kareem (Germano x Princesses Touch by Touching Wood) was onsold through the 2002 Karaka Ready to Run Sale for NZ$18,000.Second-placegetter was fellow Karaka graduate, Lady Atire (Pentire x Lady Acumen by Sound Reason). Paul Moroney purchased her at the 2004 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$90,000 from Rich Hill Stud.After two years of conducting separate Weanling and Broodmare Sales, New Zealand Bloodstock will reunite the sessions in 2008 in a combined National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale on 11 & 12 May at Karaka.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

A hat-trick for Wheeler at Awapuni

2008-02-28T04:57:00.005-01:00

A perfectly judged ride by local jockey Bruce Herd got the visiting Roger James's Giant’s Causeway filly Grande Ballare home at the head of the field in the NZ Travel Brokers (2100m), a Rating 80 race at Awapuni today.
Herd made the right choice early in proceedings when easing Grande Ballare to last from the outside gate, and his task was made easier as Robert Hannam aboard Omata Road (Daggers Drawn) set up a strong gallop in front. As the ranks closed nearing the 600 metres Grande Ballare travelled into contention seemingly full of running, and was driven to the line for a strong win once she cleared traffic early in the home straight.
Last start winner Elle Pickle (Deputy Governor) made the transition to a higher grade in stylish fashion when also coming from back in the field for second, and could well have narrowed the three quarters of a length margin if she had been able to obtain a clearer passage in the straight. Similarly, Untouched (Danske), also a winner last time out, had trouble clearing a pocket near the rail at a vital time in the straight before claiming third, half a length away.
Notably, the first three across the line were all mares, and each of them gave the impression they are capable of carrying their strong performances on to their next assignments.
The time for the 2100 metres, on excellent footing, was 2:09.45.
Trainer Roger James had said that Grande Ballare would be better suited to racing over a middle distance when speaking of her prospects earlier in the present campaign, and she delivered the goods at her first step-up, having had three previous starts since resuming from a spell of almost a year, and only a rider error late in the piece robbed her of finishing closer than fifth to promising Danske gelding Red Square over a mile at Ellerslie on February 16, at her previous start.
An expensive yearling purchase, Grande Ballare was signed for by James at the 2005 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale from the draft of Ascot Farm for $300,000 and is owned by Huntington Bloodstock Ltd.
Racking up a hat-trick on the seven-race card at Awapuni was New Plymouth based trainer John Wheeler and rider Shannon Doyle, who combined to win aboard each of the three Wheeler runners.
Debutante, Resounding (4 B. G. O’Reilly – Star Reason by Sound Reason), a half-brother to Kingsinga (Danasinga), kicked off by winning race one with ease by three and a half lengths.
Pintot, a three-year-old Pins filly from Blues Traveller mare A Bientot was their next victory when scoring fresh up at only her second race-day appearance, having not raced for over twelve months, and they concluded the programme where they started off when Spikesmatecharlie (6 B. G. Flying Pegasus – Ladybird Lee) came off a let-up to record a dominant all-the-way win by two and a three quarter lengths in the last race.
Both Wheeler and fellow trainer Roger James will be hoping their good stable form continues through the Auckland Cup carnival, which commences on Saturday March 1 at Ellerslie with the Group 1 Mercedes Derby, sees the Group 1 Stella Artois Auckland Cup raced on Wednesday March 5, and concludes on Saturday March 8 with the running of the Group 1 Ford Diamond Stakes, and Group 1 First Sovereign Trust New Zealand Stakes.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

NSW now officially equine influenza free

2008-02-28T04:50:00.003-01:00

The NSW Government today declared victory over equine influenza (EI) almost exactly six months after the State’s horses industries ground to a halt as a result of the outbreak.
“It’s official, horse flu has now been eradicated from NSW,” Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald announced today.
“This fantastic news means that from today all permit and testing requirements for moving horses within the State have been lifted.
“The only remaining precautionary requirements to move a horse are prior notification with a Travelling Horse Statement (THS) and event registration.
“The once heavily infected purple zone and the Illawarra red zone have been abolished and replaced with a minimal risk green zone. All other areas join the white zone.
“For the first time since August 25 last year horse owners are now free to move their horses anywhere within the State with a THS.
“This is a dramatic contrast to the dark days of the State-wide lockdown that stopped all horse movements and forced the cancellation of every horse event in NSW.
“I thank all parts of our horse sector – recreational and professional – for their support and assistance in stamping out the disease.
“Only a few months ago there were EI infected horses on thousands of NSW properties and at its peak over 200 new property infections each day.
“Tens of thousands of tests have been carried out and today we cannot find one single EI infected animal.
“More than 47,000 horses on 6,000 properties have now recovered from EI infection and no longer carry the disease.”
Minister Macdonald said today’s declaration follows one of the largest exotic animal disease eradication campaigns ever undertaken.
“NSW conducted a massive campaign on a scale never before seen in Australia, using the latest vaccine and laboratory testing technologies,” Minister Macdonald said.
“More than 63,000 horses have been vaccinated with the latest genetically modified vaccine.
“To date 128,000 laboratory tests have been conducted to both locate infection and demonstrate that the virus has gone.
“There have been 50,000 tests this year alone, with the majority in the highest risk purple zone where more than half of all horse properties were infected.
“The Department of Primary Industries has been unable to find any infection since December, despite actively searching for isolated pockets of virus on more than 10,000 properties in the purple zone.
“All States and the Commonwealth have agreed that the purple and red zones could be relegated to minimum risk green, and the other 97 percent of NSW to EI free white.
“Given the extensive spread of the EI virus before it was detected and its highly contagious nature, we have succeeded in stamping out this disease in an extremely short time, if not record time.
“South Africa is the only other country to have eradicated EI. New Zealand and Iceland are the only other EI free countries.
“Many international experts were pessimistic of our chances, but again we have demonstrated our proud history of successfully eradicating animal diseases.
“As a precaution, NSW will continue surveillance and testing of sick horses until we can be sure we have won the battle. It therefore remains vital to report sick horses.
“Travelling Horse Statements and event registrations will continue in the interim in the highly unlikely event an isolated pocket of virus is found.”As part of the EI eradication campaign the NSW Government:• Vaccinated approximately 50,000 horses for control purposes;• Provided vaccine for horse industry sectors to vaccinate more than 13,000 horses;• Established more than 20 control and vaccination centres across NSW;• Enlisted an EI workforce of about 2,000;• Implemented a successful four colour zoning system to free-up movements, allow the breeding season to be undertaken and horse events to resume;• Implemented a whole of Government response including Rural Lands Protection Boards, NSW Police, RTA, State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service and NSW Health.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

A Night at the World Cup with Jim Caple

2008-02-28T04:25:00.007-01:00

Jim Caple shares with us his experience at the 2007 Dubai World Cup:
In addition to paying out $21.2 million for seven races, the World Cup is the social event of the season in Dubai, where the rich and beautiful go to see and be seen. With a prize of $5,000 and a trip to Thailand awarded to the best-dressed woman, it's where the Daily Racing Form meets Oscar night's red carpet. Hundreds of women from all over the world -- Dubai, Lebanon, England, South Africa,Turkey, Ukraine, Asia, America -- have been on parade outside the track all afternoon and evening, providing new definition to the term "racing silks." Elegant, formfitting dresses display beautifully tanned legs and accentuate every curve of the body. Necklines plunge low to reveal lace-trimmed satin bras. Wide-brimmed hats are outrageously topped with enough exotic feathers, flowers and ribbons to shame an Ice Capades skater. The men, meanwhile, sport pin-striped tuxedos and morning coats, suits, sport coats, kilts and top hats as they suck on water pipes called hookahs and mix among Arabs in flowing white robes.

Many of the non-Muslim expats are now also drunk ... or, at least, nicely buzzed. This is the prophet Muhammad's birthday, and out of respect, the sale of alcohol has been banned throughout the country for most of the day. But not here at Nad Al Sheba. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, rules Dubai, and horses are his passion, the World Cup his baby. So race day goes on as usual, and bartenders have been serving $120-$500 bottles of champagne at the Bubble Lounge and more reasonably priced cups of Guinness for $10 in the Irish Village since early afternoon.
And now these beautiful people need a ride home.
The line for taxis is two to six people thick and snakes around the parking lot for at least half a furlong. That would be bad enough, but the taxis are appearing, at most, two or three a minute. The people at the end of the line are going to be here a very, very long time.
Fortunately, I have hitched a seat on the van ferrying the ABC television crew back to its hotel. And as we crawl out of the parking lot, desperate men and women race up to the van, tripping in high heels and waving at the windows, begging us to let them on. It's like the last chopper out of Saigon, only with more feathers and bigger cup sizes.
There is no room available, not that anyone is in the mood to let anyone else on, anyway. "Don't stop! Keep going!" we howl. "Don't look them in the eyes!!!" someone shouts at the driver.
We pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road leading back to the city center. There is a sleek convertible ahead of us, with a man and a woman in the front seat and another man squeezed into the backseat.
Wait. "There's another woman in the backseat," someone yells from the front of the van. "If you know what I mean."
I can't see from my seat, but I think I get the picture. And all this is taking place, mind you, in a country where there's no betting on horse races and where public intoxication or excessive public affection can earn you a jail sentence; a country bordering Saudi Arabia, 100 miles across the Persian Gulf from Iran and down the Gulf from Iraq.
A country that wants to host the Olympics.
So the next time you see a report about suicide bombers blowing up markets in Iraq, or Israel shelling Lebanon, or Iran's president talking about the destruction of Israel, or Dick Cheney issuing warnings from the deck of an aircraft carrier, or any other news from the many violent clashes over religion, culture, geography or oil in this part of the world, you should bear this in mind: Dubai part of this same neighborhood considers sports more important to its future than oil. and far from damning and shunning the West, Dubai would very much like you to visit and watch a horse race, golf 18 holes, play some tennis or even ski. Rather than fight over fundamentalist Muslim, Christian or Jewish beliefs, Dubai is partly betting its future on the new world religion of sports.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Curlin ready for his desert debut

2008-02-28T04:20:00.010-01:00

Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, the likely favourite for this years Dubai World Cup and who, even at this early stage is being touted as the probable winner, makes the first start of his 4-year-old campaign at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai tonight in the $175,000 Jaguar Trophy a handicap that will be contested at the World Cup distance of 2,000 meters, or about 1 1/4 miles on the dirt.. The race will serve as a prep for the the "big one" on March 29th and if all the hype is to be justified then he should win this comfortably.
The Big G
CURLIN SENDS OUT A WARNING
Back to Post
HOME PAGE

Breeders' Cup Friday card now all-female

2008-02-28T04:19:00.003-01:00

The Breeders' Cup announced on Wednesday that the first day of its two-day championship event this year at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting on Oct. 24-25 will feature a card exclusively for female runners, with concurrent marketing to support the program.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Transition to dirt becomes a worry

2008-02-28T04:17:00.002-01:00

The trainers of 3-year-olds based in California this winter are hoping their Kentucky Derby prospects are not as artificial as the surfaces over which they have been racing. The current crop of 3-year-olds is the first of locally based horses who - unless they sneak in a race at Bay Meadows or leave the state in the next two months - will head to the Kentucky Derby on May 5 without ever having raced on conventional dirt, which is still in place at Churchill Downs.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-02-27T10:47:00.003-01:00

27 February Births :
1962 - Adam Baldwin Chicago IL, actor
1944 - Graeme Pollock cricketer (South African batting prodigy)
1941 - British politician Paddy Ashdown.
1932 - American film actress Elizabeth Taylor.
1930 - American actress Joanne Woodward.
1902 - American writer John Steinbeck.His best-known novel: ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ (1939).
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Vermilion continues his dominance

2008-02-25T17:36:00.001-01:00

Japan’s 2007 Dirt Horse of the Year, Vermilion continued his dominance of Japanese dirt feature races with a convincing win in the Grade 1 February Stakes held at Tokyo racecourse today in front of a crowd of over 50,000 people.
Ridden cleverly by leading Japanese jockey, Yutaka Take, Vermilion was pushed along in the early stages and settled around 7th on the outside of the field from barrier 15. As expected, the leader in the early stages was 4yo Victory having his first start on dirt, and 6yo mare Daring Heart sat second. Of the favored runners, Vermilion was positioned closest to the lead, with Yasunari Iwata on 2nd favorite Wild Wonder following him all the way. Field Rouge was the 3rd favorite for the race, but unfortunately needed to be pulled up soon after the start when jockey Norihiro Yokoyama sensed he had badly injured himself.

As the field reached the straight, Daring Heart went past Victory to take the lead, but Vermilion and Wild Wonder made their runs down the outside and quickly hit the front. At one stage Wild Wonder went past Vermilion, but when Take showed the favorite the whip, he found plenty and gradually pulled away from Wild Wonder. As Wild Wonder tired, evergreen 8yo Blue Concorde charged through the field to grab 2nd, but even though he was making ground on the leader, Vermilion had too big a break, and the Japanese champion horse went to the line to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Blue Concorde finished 2nd and Wild Wonder held on for 3rd.
Vermilion is a 6 year-old horse by El Condor Pasa out of the Sunday Silence mare Scarlet Lady, and is trained by Sei Ishizaka. He is owned by Sunday Racing Co. Ltd, and was bred by Northern Farm. After today’s victory, he will head to the Dubai World Cup where he will try to improve on his 4th placing from last year – the last time he was beaten in a race.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

War Pass a future Super Star

2008-02-25T17:26:00.002-01:00

War Pass, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, won his 3-year-old debut as easily as it looked he would on paper, cruising to a 7 1/2-length victory in a $60,000 allowance race on Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The victory completed a sensational half-hour for his trainer, Nick Zito, who won the Grade 2, $350,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes one race earlier with Cool Coal Man.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Einstein gives Pitts another Gulfstream Park Turf victory

2008-02-25T17:20:00.003-01:00

For the second time in three years, trainer Helen Pitts looked like a genius for running Einstein in the Grade 1, $273,000 Gulfstream Park Turf. The decision to run on Saturday was not made until earlier this week, but it proved the right choice as Einstein held off longshot Dancing Forever to win the 1 3/8-mile grass race under Jose Lezcano.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Fellowship Victorius

2008-02-25T17:14:00.003-01:00

The promising colt Fellowship (NZ) continued his climb up the Hong Kong racing ranks with a sound win in the Class 2 Indigenous Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Trained by Paul O'Sullivan, Fellowship (NZ) finished half-a-length ahead of the former New Zealand-galloper Jackpot Delight (NZ) (formerly Hamlets Ghost) and recorded his fifth career raceday success, his third win on the Hong Kong turf.
Fellowship (NZ) was one of four NZ-bred winners on the night with the Zabeel (NZ) pair Summerville Power (formerly Tea Party) and Special Dragon (NZ) gelding Happy Ambassador (NZ) (formerly Blister) also saluting the judge
The Big G
HOME PAGE

St George Stakes Gr 2

2008-02-25T17:05:00.004-01:00

Hopes of success in next month's Gr.1 Australian Cup were at a justifiable high for New Zealand owners Ray Coupland and John Bromley on Saturday after their talented racemare Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago x Stoneyfell Road by Sovereign Red) unleashed a powerful finish to win the Gr.2 St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
Princess Coup is on target for the Gr.1 Australian Cup
When called upon in the straight, the 2007 Gr.1 Kelt Capital winner produced a stunning turn of foot for rider Damien Oliver, eventually distancing the efforts of runner up Sirmione by ½ a length at the line.
The Matamata mare is now widely reported as being the one to beat for the Gr.1 $1 million 2000m feature at Caulfield.
New Zealand trainer Mark Walker said Princess Coup had a minimal break after finishing 13th in last year's Melbourne Cup but had trained on well since her first-up fourth to Shinzig in the Group One CF Orr Stakes (1400m) on February 9.
"It is very pleasing," Walker said. "We are building towards the Australian Cup and it looks like we are well on target."Acting on behalf of Coupland and Bromley, Princess Coup was originally purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $A260, 000 in the winter of 2004.
The outstanding racemare has long since rewarded this purchase, achieving ten wins and seven placings from her 25 career starts to date, along with attaining title honours as the 2006/07 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Zarita (NZ) passes Grade 1 test

2008-02-25T16:55:00.004-01:00

Pentire's (GB) three-year-old daughter Zarita (NZ) (ex Gin Player by Defensive Play) signalled her readiness for a Gr.1 tilt on Saturday, after registering a one length win over Pleasantsundaygirl (NZ) (Cape Cross) in the Gr.2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield.
Trained by Pay Hyland, Zarita (NZ) has achieved four wins and two placings from her eight career starts and beyond Saturday's win claims additional Gr.2 honours in the VRC Wakeful Stakes (2000m).
Rich Hill Stud sire, Pentire (GB)Zarita's (NZ) win in the Angus Armanasco is the second victory in the event for her owners, the Frost Family, with earlier success coming from Ballet Society (NZ) (Stravinsky), who was also trained by Hyland.
"We bought another Pentire this year in New Zealand at the sales, a filly from Gemscay that is a full sister to Group One winner Penny Gem, so I'm happy to stick with the Pentires." said Bill Frost.Purchased for $195,000 at the 2006 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, Zarita (NZ) will now press on to the Kewney Stakes at Flemington on March 8 before leaving for Adelaide where she will tackle the Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks (2000m).
Last successful with the ill-fated Marju Snip (NZ) (Marju) in 2006, victory in the Australasian Oaks has acted as an important precursor to a number of kiwi-bred mares who have gone on to produce Gr.1 winning sires.
Included here is Lee Freedman's 2000 winner Grand Echezeaux(NZ) (dam of Darci Brahma), the Hayes' stables 1994 winner Tristalove (NZ) (dam of Viking Ruler) and Bart Cummings' 1994 winner Our Tristalight (NZ) (dam of Danske)
Bred by Scott Williams, Zarita (NZ) joins Run Like The Win (NZ) (Pins) as the second Gr.2 winner for her unraced dam Gin Player, who is also well represented in Hong Kong with last season's champion griffin Joy and Fun (NZ) (Cullen)
Based at Rich Hill Stud, Pentire (GB) (Be My Guest) is a proven Gr.1 sire with representatives at this level comprising: Xcellent, Penny Gem, Recurring, Art Success, Pentane and Pantani.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Viking Ruler Rules

2008-02-25T16:45:00.003-01:00

Hot on the heels of the Red Ruler's (NZ) dominant win in the Gr.2 ARC Championship Stakes (2100m), Viking Ruler (AUS) (Danehill) notched another winner to his successful tally on Saturday, after his Singapore representative, Recycle King (NZ) (Viking Ruler x Penny Arcade by Straussbrook) shot home for 2.5 length win in the S$65,000 Restricted Maiden (2&3YO, WFA, 1200m).
Trained by Stephen Gray, Recycle King (NZ) was having just his second career start.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Lim is Zerperb in a Kiwi 1-2-3

2008-02-25T16:31:00.004-01:00

The honest John Meagher-trained galloper Lim's Zerperb (NZ) (Zerpour x Hugging by Bevelled) led home a kiwi trifecta in the S$125,000 Open (1400m) in Singapore on Saturday.
Situated behind a wall of horses turning for home, Lim's Zerperb (NZ) launched a determined challenge out wide and was duly rewarded at the line when crossing two lengths in front of Breckenridge (NZ) (Anziyan x Snow Mass by Kaapstad), who held out Big Easy (NZ) (Spinning World x Nicole's Niner by Forty Niner) by just under a length.Lim's Zerperb (NZ) demonstrated ability from the onset with a debut win and cemented this class two starts later when taking out the 2005 STC Gr.3 Steward's Cup (1400m).
Bred by Bloomsbury Stud, Lim's Zerperb (NZ) has attained seven career wins in Singapore, and has added to his record with 13 placings from his 27 remaining starts.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-02-25T12:48:00.009-01:00

Birthdays
1966 - Tea Leoni New York NY, actress
1945 - Singer Elkie Brooks.
1943 - George Harrison, Beatle.
1937 - British actor Tom Courtney.
1901 - [Herbert] Zeppo Marx New York NY, comedian/actor (Marx Brothers)

Events
1964 Cassius Clay Ko's Sunny Liston to become heavy weight world champion.

Deaths
2001 Sir Donald Bradman arguably the best batsman of all time scored 6998 runs in 52 tests averaging 99.94

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Tony "The Iceman" McCoy

2008-02-24T19:55:00.006-01:00

Champion jockey Tony McCoy is the latest high profile sports star to turn to kriotherapy to help speed up a return from injury.
The so-called "ice chamber treatment" sees the patient spend up to two and a half minutes in temperatures as low as minus 130c.
It has previously been used by international rugby players, footballers and jockeys and its reputation is growing.
Kriotherapy, popular in Japan and Poland, works by stimulating the hormone system and enhancing blood circulation, leaving the patient feeling extremely alert.
In addition to helping recovering athletes it has been used to help people suffering from depression.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Alamosa shows no respect for his elders

2008-02-24T15:44:00.005-01:00

Star three-year-old colt Alamosa (3 B. C. O’Reilly – Lodore Mystic) again beat the older horses at Group 1 level, when winning the Group I $200,000 First Sovereign Trust Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age (1600m) at Otaki on Friday.
Not only did he win, but he smashed the track record in the process, by running 1:32.69 for 1600 metres, almost three quarters of a second better than the previous record.
Formerly known as the Terrace Regency Handicap, the race had been won by some outstanding weight-for-age horses of bygone years, including King’s Chapel, Zvezda, Hero, Surface, Poetic Prince, Centre Crest and Javelin, and the performance of this year’s victor should sit firmly above the mantel, especially given the devastating time he ran.
Clearly New Zealand’s best sprinter/miler three-year-old, Alamosa had done what very few of his age are able to achieve when winning a Group 1 open handicap race, in the Thorndon Mile at Trentham racecourse in Wellington at his previous start on January 26, and to repeat the dose under weight-for-age conditions is true testament to the sensational all-round attributes he possesses.
Having only ever been aboard Alamosa when successful in a trial, Premiership leading jockey Michael Walker was able to get a taste of the sensation experienced on race-day by colleagues Gavin McKeon and Paul Taylor, who had ridden the colt in his two prior Group 1 wins.
Alamosa secured a position fourth on the outer as the winner of the corresponding event last year, Sir Slick (Volksraad), set a frenetic pace in front. He set-sail for home with a handy advantage, while Alamosa was looking for room and giving the million dollar earner three lengths with 400 metres to run, but he found clear air two off the fence inside the final 250 metres and boomed to the lead near the line with his trademark acceleration in full-flight.
Beaten by half a length, Sir Slick was game in defeat, while another son of Volksraad, Fiscal Madness, ran a very creditable third, a further half a length away.
There was a gap of one and a half lengths to fourth placed O’Reilly Rose (O’Reilly) who produced a meritorious performance at her first attempt at a Group 1 race.
But all honours rested with the winner Alamosa, who can look forward to embellishing his already first-class record when he contests the Group 1 First Sovereign Trust New Zealand Stakes over 2000 metres at weight-for-age at Ellerslie on March 8.
Alamosa has now won nine of his seventeen starts, three of those at Group 1 level, for stakes exceeding $720,000.
Matamata based trainer Peter McKay continues to receive top accolades for his preparation and placement of Alamosa, and also does a fine job as part-owner with his wife Kim, and Christchurch businessman Trevor Luke.v

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Sweet Caroline in foal and in form

2008-02-24T15:38:00.000-01:00

Thoroughbred mare Sweet Caroline (5 Ch. M. Lake Coniston – Minori Express) is currently thriving while racing in-foal, as she racked up another win on Friday at Otaki, in the Rating 80 $40,000 Falkirk at Windsor Park Stud over 1400 metres.
Co-trainer Paul Moroney had referred to her being in-foal to Waikato Stud freshman stallion Fast ‘N’ Famous (Redoute’s Choice – Zalinda) when she won two starts ago at Te Rapa on January 23, and suggested she could be carrying his first winner.
Sweet Caroline had little go her way in the Wairarapa Breeders Stakes, a listed race for fillies and mares, at Tauherenikau at her previous start when she was held up at the rear of the field passing the 600 metres, but to her credit she found the line wide on the track to finish only four lengths from the winner, promising mare Pams Pompallier (Volksraad).
It is not uncommon for mares to display their best career form while in-foal, and Sweet Caroline is no exception, as she has now won two of her last three starts and presented in magnificent order for this assignment.
After travelling beautifully in the trail, rider Craig Grylls angled Sweet Caroline into the clear on the outside of the leader early in the home straight. She accelerated to the lead, established a winning break, and was allowed to ease near the line for an impressive victory.
The Raymond Connors trained mare Our Sista (Cape Cross) came out of the pack with a strong finish for second, in her first start since a freshen, and the strongly supported Trudy Tee (Chief Bearhart) made considerable ground from back in the field for third, on a good track that generally assisted those racing near the pace.
The margins were half a length, by two lengths, and a long neck, in a fast time of 1:21.58.
Bred and owned by Llanhennock Trust for Des Hawkins at Wentwood Grange, Sweet Caroline is trained by Mike and Paul Moroney at Matamata.v
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Valley Chief repeats 2006 victory

2008-02-24T15:29:00.001-01:00

Locally trained galloper Valley Chief (6 B. G. Colombia - Dainty Lace) emulated his feat of two years ago when winning the $70,000 Stanley Group TRAC Stakes (2000m), a listed open handicap event at Matamata on Saturday.
Valley Chief had recorded a course and distance win at the corresponding Breeders Stakes meeting at Matamata in February 2006, and the Mark Brosnan trained galloper gained the victory with a similar tenacious performance.
Renowned for racing in or near the lead, Valley Chief with regular rider Reese Jones in the saddle posted second on the outside of pacemaker Galleons Reach (Victory Dance), remaining there until a shuffle of positions occurred near the 900 metres. Jones sent Valley Chief to the front at the 600 metres, rounded the home turn in front on the rail and sustained an unwavering gallop when hotly challenged by Resolution (Pentire) at the furlong, to win by a long head.
The early leader Galleons Reach fought on for third, two and a half lengths away, with the remainder of the field six lengths and further in arrears.
The time for the 2000 metres was 2:08.33, on a track downgraded from good to soft and run in constant drizzle throughout the day.
Valley Chief had returned to winning form at his previous start, at Te Rapa on February 2. In his recent starts he had produced a brave run for sixth to Pasta Post (Postponed) in the group two Don Ha City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on January 1, before being narrowly beaten by Desert Flight (Desert Sun) at Avondale at on January 19, and the tough galloper has now won 12 races and $284,000 for his owners.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

War is declared

2008-02-24T15:22:00.002-01:00

The waiting is over. War Pass - unbeaten in four starts last year, when he was named the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male - will make his first start since his victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile nearly four months ago in a $60,000 allowance race, dubbed the Silver Series Purse, one race after the Fountain of Youth Stakes today at Gulfstream Park.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Spring House rallies

2008-02-24T15:11:00.001-01:00

Spring House rallied from sixth in the final half-mile to win Saturday’s $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap at Santa Anita, his first start of 2008.
Ridden by leading jockey Garrett Gomez, Spring House took the lead in the final furlong and pulled clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 20-1 Church Service. On the Acorn, who was second in the 2007 San Luis Obispo, closed through the stretch to finish third in the field of eight.
Gomez had Spring House well off the pace for the first mile, tracking the mare Sohgol, who led through a slow pace of 47.33 and 1:12.59.
Spring House moved closer to the front with a rally on the inside at the end of the backstretch, and took over from Porfido in early stretch. Spring House ran 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:27.21.
Owned by R.D. Hubbard and trained by Julio Canani, Spring House, 6, earned $90,000. A gelding by Chester House, Spring House has won 6 of 30 starts and $544,284.
The Grade 2 San Luis Obispo Handicap was Spring House’s first start since a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup in Decemberv
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Curlin sends out a warning

2008-02-24T15:03:00.002-01:00

Curlin, the star name among a host of the world’s best racehorses out on the track at Nad Al Sheba on Sat morning, “went very, very nice” in his first workout.
With exercise rider Carmen “Carlos” Rosas trying to quietly contain him, American Horse of the Year Curlin strode easily through 800 metres in :50.50 on Saturday morning.
Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, said: “Curlin gets over the ground here really well. And he’s anxious to do something. He did things the right way this morning and I think Steve will be pleased.”
Asmussen had given strict instructions prior to the move that Curlin should not exert himself too much with only five days before his first scheduled start of 2008 in a US$175,000 race over 2,000 meters at Nad Al Sheba on February 28.
“Carlos did a great job. He went very, very well,” said Blasi, who reported that Curlin was feeling so good after the workout that he had to put a lip chain on the colt as he cooled out.
“I’m very happy with how he’s acting. I see a lot of similarities with how he has been before his previous races,” he added.
Curlin is scheduled to walk on Sunday and then just gallop up to the race, with a visit to the Nad Al Sheba starting gate planned for Tuesday morning.
Blasi noted that most of Curlin’s serious training was accomplished at the Fair Grounds Race Course prior to his departure from the United States.
Earlier, New Zealand’s champion mare Seachange worked on the grass and appears to have recovered well from her journey, while Youmzain, third in last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic, also worked on the turf under the watchful gaze of trainer Mick Channon.
Mike De Kock’s UAE 2000 Guineas winner and runner-up Honour Devil and Royal Vintage stretched their legs on the dirt, closely followed by Oracle West, runner-up in last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic.
The world’s best Purebred Arabian Madjani, was also on the track, as he looks for his fourth consecutive win in the Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night. Trainer Gill Duffield took up a vantage point in the stands to watch her stable star work on the grass.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Wigham and Mackay to Face Hearing

2008-02-24T14:56:00.001-01:00

Michael Wigham and Jamie Mackay will face a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel on Monday after their original hearing regarding the running and riding of Granakey at Kempton on January 2 was postponed last month.
The duo will present their case at 10am, with Wigham potentially facing a record fine if found in breach of the non-trier rules twice within 12 months.
The BHA panel will also consider if Wigham and Mackay breached the rules in Granakey's previous race.
Wigham was fined £5,000 last June over the running and riding of Silver Hotspur at Newmarket, a penalty that was increased to £7,500 on appeal.
For a trainer's second offence, the penalty ranges from £15,000 to £30,000 and the panel could also restrict entries and prevent horses running from the yard for between 14 and 42 days.
The largest fine imposed on a trainer was £17,500 against David Elsworth in 1988, when Cavvies Clown tested positive for a prohibited substance.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Mc Coys date with the doctor

2008-02-24T14:52:00.000-01:00

Tony McCoy faces a crucial appointment tomorrow as he seeks the all-clear to return to the saddle in time for next month's Cheltenham Festival.
The 12-times champion suffered a back injury when coming to grief from Arnold Layne at Warwick last month.
Although serious, the injury turned out to be not quite as bad as first feared and he has been undergoing revolutionary treatment in an effort to ensure he is back for the biggest meeting on the jumps calendar.
"If it was up to me I'd be 100% (to ride)," McCoy told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"But it's basically down to the doctor though I'm pretty confident that he'll be happy with what he sees and with how much I have improved in a short time."
Aiding McCoy's progress has been Kriotherapy treatment, which was also used by Ryan Moore last year.
It involves going into an insulated compartment where the temperature is minus 135 degrees to help improve blood circulation
McCoy went on: "It circulates the blood in your body and it can only do you good.
"I've made great recovery and have been in full exercise, so hopefully I'm going back to the doctor on Monday and he'll tell me I can ride."
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Noland Favourite in the Arkle

2008-02-24T14:45:00.001-01:00

John Hales does not expect to be in a prime position to view ante-post favourite Noland in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
The owner lost the hugely promising Granit Jack at the course earlier this season when he suffered a fatal fall two out, and at one stage it was reported he did not want Noland to go to the showpiece meeting.
But while he accepts the Arkle is the logical target for his Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old, he will just be glad when it is all over.
"I'll be in the gent's loo," he told the Shropshire Star. "I just want him to come back safe and sound.
"I'm still not happy. His ability has got him to Cheltenham and I know he has to go there.
"But I won't be able to watch. I won't be able to relax until he's home again safe and sound. It's coming down that hill that worries me."
Noland won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2006 and is unbeaten in two starts over fences, the latest of which came at Sandown on Friday.
He is a best-priced 4-1 favourite with Ladbrokes for the Arkle on March 11.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

2008-02-24T14:44:00.001-01:00

Barbaric Phillipine Horse fighting.

2008-02-24T09:23:00.013-01:00

THIS MUST BE STOPPED!

The crowd roars its approval as the chestnut stallion sinks his teeth into the throat of his opponent.
The terrified victim rears up on his hind legs and veers away in a desperate bid to escape, but it is no use.
Blood is pouring into his eyes and he can no longer see. His right ear is torn and bloody.
Fight club: Goaded into a frenzy by a mare who is 'in season' and chained nearby for up to six hours, stallions battle for 'sport' in the Philippines
The bigger horse moves in for the coup de grace, repeatedly kicking the weaker animal in the head with his front hooves.
His opponent soon collapses and lies panting on the ground, an all too typical end to one of the most horrific spectator 'sports' ever devised - horse-fighting tournaments.
But that hasn't stopped them becoming hugely popular in the Philippines, where these appalling pictures were taken.
The images are deeply disturbing so I have not posted them,sufice to say they are horrific.
"These tournaments are truly barbaric," says Andrew Plumbly of the welfare group
Network for Animals, which has been campaigning to bring an end to the savage contests.
These scenes in the town of Don Carlos involved 54 horses, many of which had gruesome injuries
"Our vets have seen horses being kicked in the head so hard that their eyes have popped out of their sockets. Other horses have had their ears ripped off. It's straight out of the Middle Ages."
Horse-fighting occurs almost exclusively in Mindanao in the southern Philippines, and in parts of China.
The horrific tournament captured in our photographs happened in the town of Don Carlos and involved 54 horses, many of which had gruesome injuries.
Thousands of people turned out to watch the bloodbath, including hundreds of children. Many of the adults were drunk and spent their time gambling and jeering at the battling animals.
Though horses do not normally fight one another, these stallions had been whipped into a fighting frenzy by the presence of a young mare who was "in season" and had been staked to the ground in the middle of the muddy arena.
Overwhelmed by desire, the stallions attacked each other in a bid to defeat their sexual rivals.

Many were soon covered in gashes and bites. Others limped around the arena with a glazed look in their eyes as they pathetically tried to escape.
The tournament was equally traumatic for the mare used as "bait" for the stallions.
Not only was she repeatedly hit by stray blows from the duelling horses, but the poor creature was also obliged to mate with the victorious stallions from each "bout", meaning that she was mounted as many as 30 times during one tournament which can last up to six hours.
"Horses often die in the ring from exhaustion or their injuries," says Mr Plumbly, who has witnessed one such tournament.
Veterinary care is too expensive for most owners to bother with, so wounded horses are often killed for their meat and the choicest cuts barbecued and sold to the crowd.
A similar fate awaits those horses deemed too old or too weak to fight. These are "sacrificed" by pitting them against much stronger stallions.
Some break their legs as they desperately try to escape. But the bloodier the injuries, the louder the crowd cheers.
Although horse-fighting is illegal in the Philippines, corruption and lack of enforcement ensure that the tournaments continue - and with apparent official sanction.
Matches are featured on TV, and local businesses sponsor horses and tournaments. Local authorities offer prize money.
The tournaments are promoted as a "cultural tradition", but in fact they are largely organised and controlled by crime syndicates, who rake in huge profits from gambling.
Thousands of pounds are bet on each fight - a small fortune in a desperately poor country such as the Philippines.

Network for Animals wants to build clinics to treat injured horses and to educate local people about caring for animals. It is also encouraging tourists to avoid the southern Philippines.
"If people want to help stop these tournaments they should write to the embassy in London and tell them that they will not visit these islands," says Mr Plumbly.
"The threat of a loss of tourism money will help bring this despicable blood sport to an end."
The Phillipine authorities should hang their heads in shame!!!!!!!
Please post your comments so that we can forward our protests to
"Network for Animals" who are lobbying for the end to the carnage,thanks.

Absolutely Disgusted,
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Today in History

2008-02-24T08:28:00.004-01:00

Births :
1884 - Rolland Beaumont cricketer (South African batsman in 5 tests 1912-14)
1910 - Uys Krige South African playwright/novelist (Orphan of the Desert)
1948 - Vincent Furnier aka Alice Cooper, Detroit MI, rocker (School’s Out)
1959 - Zenani Mandela daughter of Nelson & Winnie Mandela
1973 - Oscar De La Hoya Los Angeles CA, boxer (Olympics-gold-92)
Deaths :
1894 - Antoine J “Adolphe” Sax instrument maker (saxophone), dies at 79
1911 - Peter A “Piet” Cronje South Africa Boer General, dies at about 75
1983 - Karen Carpenter singer/drummer (Carpenters), dies of anorexia at 32
1987 - Liberace flamboyant pianist dies at 67
1993 - Joseph Mankiewicz Oscar-winning writer-director dies at age 83.
1995 - Betty Davis British dance teacher of Dame Margot Fonteyn, dies
Events :
1920 - 1st flight from London to South Africa takes-off (flight duration 1½ months)
1971 - British car maker Rolls Royce declared itself bankrupt
1971 - Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell walked on the moon for four hours.
1977 - Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” released
1998 - Bill Gates gets a pie thrown in his face in Brussels Belgium
2008 - You get to read this post :)
The Big G
HOME PAGE

2008 Magic Millions breaks all records

2008-02-23T14:32:00.000-01:00

The record breaking 2008 BMW Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale has come to a close at Belmont.
Friday's fifth and final session gave the opportunity to buyers to complete for a quality selection of yearlings.
The Session Four and Five Sale held this week grossed $1.896 million - bringing the complete sale gross to a record $18,161,500.
Astute buyers looking for value were busy bidding on Friday - with prices ranging from $1,000 to $37,000.
"There were plenty of well conformed and presented yearlings going under the hammer today," Magic Millions managing director David Chester said.
'"There's no doubt a number of these graduates will race to black type level on the track'"
"The past two days have given buyers the opportunity to snap up a likely racetrack performer at a value price."
"Friday wrapped up a fantastic five day auction held over the past two weeks," he added.
Chester is confident the growth experienced with this year's sale will continue on to 2009.
"Due to the travel problems since the EI outbreak a number of yearlings entered for the sale from the Eastern States didn't end up being catalogued."
"This sale is now attracting buyers from around Australia and overseas - new ones every year - and not surprisingly after they see what's on offer they come back year after year."
Chester said results like that of the juvenile race at Moonee Valley on Friday night again confirmed the Perth Yearling Sale's place as one of the best in the country.
"The brilliant debut win of Penny Banger was another great example of the type of racehorse produced in Western Australia," Chester reported.
Bred and sold by Ellie Giles' Korilya Stud, Penny Banger was purchased by the Aquanita team for $67,500 from the 2007 Perth Sale.
A half sister to the stakes winner and Group One Derby placegetter Master Minx, Penny Banger is from the six time winning Twig Ruler mare Miss Firecracker.
Penny Banger's yearling half brother by Bletchley Park made $80,000 to the bid of Canal Enterprises on Sunday.
TOP SELLERS
$37,000 - Delago Brom-Low Fee coltVendor: Anita Vale Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: KL Chong (Malaysia)
$35,000 - Dante's Fury-Shinta coltAvoca Park (As Agent) / Paul Jordan (WA)
$34,000 - Bletchley Park-Majority Rules fillyParkview Thoroughbreds / Ascot Bloodstock (WA)$27,000 - Oratorio-Our Grey Hostess coltRosewood Thoroughbreds / Ross Price (WA)
$25,000 - McFlirt-Prime Attrice fillyRosewood Thoroughbreds / John Chalmers Bloodstock $25,000 - Face Value-Tag Jeur coltLindsay Park Stud (As Agent) / Magic Millions as agent SALE STATISTICS
(Session 4-5 sale)
Lots Sold: 197 Sale Aggregate: $1,896,000 Average Price: $9,624 Top Price: $40,000 Lots Withdrawn: 55Lots Passed: 89Lots Catalogued: 341 Sold 69%:
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Jason Waddell and Te Akau Coup win $120,000 Group II

2008-02-23T14:21:00.000-01:00

It was a case of déjà vu for jockey Jason Waddell when he won the $120,000 Group II Robin, Duke Of Bedford Matamata Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Matamata on Saturday.
Waddell won the event with a heady ride aboard Te Akau Coup (2 B. F. Thorn Park – Beyond The Sunset), in circumstances surrounding the victory that were very similar to his win aboard Naturo (Postponed) in the 2006 running of the event.
Waddell said, “When I won aboard Naturo she had only had one start for a win before the Breeders’ when ridden by Darryl Bradley, drew barrier one and I picked up the ride and won on her, and this filly had one start for one win coming into the race, was also ridden by Darryl in that win, and drew barrier one, the same as Naturo.”
Waddell was referring to Te Akau Coup’s winning debut at Waipukurau with jockey Darryl Bradley aboard.
The win capped a fantastic day for the stable of Matamata based trainer Mark Walker, as he had also prepared Minstrel Court (Danehill Dancer) to win the equivalent event for colts and geldings earlier in the day.
A downgrade in track conditions from an initial read of good, to dead after race one and then to soft, saw most riders scout wide on the track in search of better footing, but Waddell gambled on a run close to the rail in the home straight after travelling midfield on the fence from barrier one, and the shortest way home near rail had Te Akau Coup two lengths clear at the furlong and she maintained a strong gallop to repel the challenge of favourite Il Quello Veloce (Captain Rio) by three quarters of a length.
One and a quarter lengths away in third place was Raid (Pins) who had travelled handy to the pace throughout, with the first three finishing well clear of the their rivals, headed by another Walker trained filly, Bankside Belle (Volksraad), fourth.
The win by Te Akau Coup was richly deserved by his Christchurch based owner Ray Coupland. Coupland is Principal of Couplands Bakeries and has dedicated a lot of time and investment through sponsorship and horse ownership to supporting the New Zealand racing industry.
Originally from Timaru, Coupland ventured into his first business while still a teenager and has had marked success with his entrepreneurial ventures.
A half-sister to Don Garcia (Danehill), bought by David Ellis for $1,050,000 as a yearling, Te Akau Coup was also purchased by Ellis from the 2007 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, but for a far more conservative sum of $150,000.
The Matamata Breeders’ Stakes has always offered terrific residual value for the winner, and it should be no exception for the good bodied and athletic Te Akau Coup.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Minstrel Court wins Fairview Ford Slipper Stakes

2008-02-23T14:15:00.000-01:00

The coveted $65,000 Fairview Ford Slipper Stakes, a listed race for two-year-old colts and geldings, at Matamata on Saturday, went the way of the locally trained Minstrel Court (2 Ch. C. Danehill Dancer – Tregurrian).
Trained at Matamata by Mark Walker, Minstrel Court had suffered defeat only once in four starts and won in the hands of top rider Opie Bosson, who kept the colt balanced throughout the running on a track that had been downgraded to slow prior to the event, after drizzly rain had continued to fall from the outset of the meeting.
Under instruction to ride the horse off the pace, Bosson made a decision to maintain a handy position after Minstrel Court had cleared the gates in smart fashion, and moved forward to assume the lead with 800 metres to run. Rounding the home turn with an advantage, Minstrel Court was immediately challenged by the favourite San Bernardino, a colt by Gold Mine, but found more in the run the line to win by three quarters of a length.
Rider Opie Bosson said, “He travelled well. I was supposed to ride him back.”
Finding the line stylishly for third was Ekraar colt Gigino, ahead of the stable-mate of the winner Tell A Tale, a gelding by Tale Of The Cat, in fourth.
The time for the 1200 metres was 1:11.72.
Minstrel Court had won his previous start in impressive fashion at Tauherenikau on February 6 when aided by the addition of wearing side winkers, after a tendancy to hang brought about his only defeat at his previous start at Te Rapa on December 15.
Owned by the Te Akau Syndicate No. 16, managed by David Ellis, Minstrel Court had indicated he had what it takes to prove competitive against the best of his age, and this victory is a perfect platform for him to launch into upcoming Group 1 assignments for two-year-olds.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

4 timer for John Meagher

2008-02-23T14:07:00.000-01:00

Trainer John Meagher notched a magificent four-timer when Lim's Hero got up in the shadows of the post to score by a whisker from Maxi Marine in Saturday's last race of the 12-horse card, including the Blue Diamond Stakes in Australia.Two of the other four legs were also earned for stalwart Meagher ally and last year's champion owner Lim's Stable - Lim's Joy (Race 1) and Lim's Zerperb (Race 8).The Meagher stable is in irrepressible form at the moment following on from their hat-trick of victories at Kranji on February 15.
Lim’s Zerperb, ridden by Din Azis, followed on from the victories of Lim’s Joy (John Sundradas) and Gust (Danny Beasley) to take out the $125,000 Open Class Stakes over 1400 metres.
Beasley was aboard the Meagher treble back on February 15 and jokingly quipped after the race: “I must be a good trackwork rider”.
Lim’s Zerperb was ridden quietly by Din Azis and was with the backmarkers as the field turned form home. He charged home out wide to record a two length victory over Breckenridge (Jacky Low) with Big Easy (Sam Subian) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Meagher told Din Azis to ride Lim’s Zerperb quietly in the early stages of the race.
“I was a bit concerned by the barrier but he had a luxury weight and I thought he’d run super,” Meagher said.
Din Azis said the the pace was on from the outset and that suited Lim’s Zerperb.
“John wanted me to let him find his feet,” Din Azis said. “They went along at a good pace which suited him down to the ground.”
Lim’s Zerperb’s victory was his seventh from 34 starts and Saturday’s victory took his prizemoney to near the $500,000 mark.
In the opening race of the day – which was race two on the 12 race program - Lim’s Joy, having start number 17, broke his maiden status following a perfect ride by John in the $35,000 Maiden Stakes over 1400 metres.
John had the four-year-old Australian-bred gelding in the perfect spot behind the leaders on settling and stayed to the fence throughout. He followed the pace set by Fingers Crossed (Alan Ng) and World Fantasy (K K Ng) before gaining a rails run with 300 metres to run.

Once clear, Lim’s Joy raced clear to go on and score a two-and-a-half length victory over Working Wealth (Mohd Azrull) with Fingers Crossed a nose away in third spot.

Lim’s Joy was heavily supported to run the $11 favourite on his return to turf racing after performing just fairly on the sand.

“He’s finally won a race,” Meagher said. “He may go on and win another one but I can’t really tell you much more about him.”

Lim’s Joy was a $14,000 yearling purchase in Australia. He is by the Danehill stallion Johan Cruyff from the Our Maizcay mare Misdirection and is owned by the Lim Stable.
As for Lim's Hero, he owed his last-grasp victory to jockey Robbie Fradd's never-say-die attitude. Maxi Marine (Ronnie Stewart) did not look like he would surrender the lead when Lim's Hero ranged up alongside, but in a last-ditch effort, Fradd summoned the last drops of petrol left in his mount to lunge at the post a short head clear.The win incidentally brings Fradd to the top rung of the Singapore jockey's ladder, which he now shares with Saimee also on 13 wins.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Top Spin wins Mile and now eyes the SIA Cup

2008-02-23T14:02:00.000-01:00

Champion trainer Laurie Laxon scored back-to-back wins in the $200,000 Group 3 Singapore Four-Year-Old Mile with raging favourite Top Spin on Saturday, automatically earning the Lim’s Stable star a ticket for the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup in May.
Laxon captured the premier Mile event last year with Crusoe, who eventually RSVP'd the invite for the $3 million race three months later, albeit without success.
Top Spin, who has yet to win beyond 1800m, showed all the makings of a classy sort when he shook off a small but select field including Royal Star and Fantastic Owners, among others.
When asked if the Arena gelding is up for the SIA Cup challenge, Laxon revealed he did not have just the 2000m showpiece on his radar screen.
“I’d like to aim him for the QEII Cup and the SIA Cup, but the series of races like the Patrons’ Bowl, the Derby Trial and the Derby appeal to me as well,” said Laxon.
“Even if they are sprinters, against their own age they can get away with winning over a staying trip,” he said.
But Laxon added Top Spin was likely to have a quiet time in the stable in preparation for a tilt at those major races later in the year.
“I would say he won’t have a saddle on him for a week now,” Laxon said. “He’s had some racing of late but by the same token I don’t think he’s fully fit.
“He’s such a good doer. He looks a little round to me, but he’s still doing a good job.
Jockey Saimee Jumaat decided not to take any chances by camping Top Spin just outside early leader Fantastic Owners (Barend Vorster) for the first 400m. Immediate danger Royal Star (Noel Callow) had the perfect slipstream just behind Top Spin, on the outside of Strawberry Power (John Powell).
The order remained unchanged until the home turn when Top Spin levelled with Fantastic Owners and edged forward. But Brian Dean’s horse put up a stirring battle before giving in, by which time other contenders were lining up.
Royal Star was two lengths adrift at the 100m but started to bridge the gap as Top Spin started to feel the pinch in the concluding stages. But the SIA Cup 2008 invitation was never going to slip from Top Spin’s grasp as Royal Star fell in by three parts of a length on the line.
Mohd Yusof’s former Malaysian-based Watch The Crab (Robbie Fradd) ran on well for third, giving the impression he needs longer.
Top Spin has been a consistent money spinner for the Laxon stable. Saturday’s victory was his tenth from 16 outings with a further six placings. He has prizemoney now approaching the $900,000 mark.
Saimee said Top Spin was now looking for more ground in his races.
“He’s looking for a trip beyond a mile now,” Saimee said. “I gave myself as easy a time as I could but he does it easily. He gets to the front and then does it easily. He’s so easy to ride.”
Callow was delighted with the first-up performance of Royal Star.
Having his first start since December 16, the Danske four-year-old kept chasing to the line and will benefit from the run.
“I was mindful that we were first-up at the mile,” Callow said. “I couldn’t pop out on straightening as I didn’t want his run ending on me.
“I would say on that effort he is definitely the up-and-comer from the race.”
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Ruby Walsh confident in the Racing Post Chase

2008-02-23T13:54:00.000-01:00

Ruby Walsh is confident three miles will bring out the best in Gungadu as Paul Nicholls' runner bids to defy the welter burden of 11st 12lb in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton on Saturday.
The eight-year-old is fresh from beating fellow Racing Post rival Burntoakboy at Sandown three weeks ago, having failed to stay three miles and five furlongs in the Coral Welsh National when sixth to Miko De Beauchene.
"He's got top weight but he has it for a reason. Top weights have done well in the past," said Walsh.
"Simon won under 11st 5lb last year and it's race top weights can go close in.
"He's a decent horse, he'll love the track and the trip. The Welsh National form is holding up so we'd be hoping for a big run.
"He travelled unbelievably well in the Welsh National, going into the straight he was going better than Miko De Beauchene and Halcon Genelardais and just stamina saw him out.
"I guess three miles is his trip," Walsh told Racing UK.
Nicholls, seeking his first win in the Racing Post Chase, believes Burntoakboy could provide the stiffest opposition.
"We'll be hoping Gungadu can continue our run of big wins on Saturdays, but he has top weight and went up 9lb for winning the other day," he said.
"Burntoakboy is 5lb better off for a length and a half which makes life quite hard for Gungadu.
"Strictly on the book I think Burntoakboy might be hard to beat and I thought Ungaro and Wee Robbie had good chances in a competitive race," the champion trainer told Teletext.
Nicholls is convinced his other runner Le Volfoni is badly handicapped.
"He tries three miles for the first time and if he is going to get the trip it will be at a track like Kempton," he continued.
"Nick Scholfield takes 7lb off, but he's the worst-handicapped horse I've got in training."
Ungaro is reported to be in good form as he bids to register his first success since the Grade One Feltham Novices' Chase over this course and distance in December 2006.
The nine-year-old, owned by Sir Robert Ogden, ran arguably his best race since when second to An Accordion in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster last month
"He's very well and in good form. Hopefully conditions should be in his favour and we are hoping for a good run," said his trainer Keith Reveley.
"He's run well at the track before, but we could have done without the weights going up. Anyway we'll have a go.
"He does marginally favour going right-handed and we also want a good, strong pace and decent ground."
John Spearing is hoping for rain to boost Simon's bid for back-to-back victories.
The going was soft when the gelding, owned and bred by former trainer Mercy Rimell, swept to a 10-length success over Cornish Sett.
However, conditions do not look like being as testing this time.
"It would be more to his advantage if it came up really wet, though he can go on this ground all right," said the Severn Stoke trainer.
"Last year it stopped the others and he was the only one who could keep going. If it was like that I would fancy him a lot.
"They were all exhausted from three out last year and it just left him there."
Spearing believes this year's renewal will be more difficult to win than 12 months ago.
"I think it's probably a bit tougher than last year and he's 8lb higher in the ratings.
"He won it off 143 and he's on 151 now, but he's in good form," he added.
Nick Gifford is expecting a big run from Wee Robbie, who was third to the Nicholls-trained Silverburn at Sandown three weeks ago
"He's in very good form and he's on a lovely racing weight. He deserves a crack at a big one so we are taking our chance," said the Findon trainer.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Trapped nerve floors the King

2008-02-23T13:42:00.000-01:00

Tom Taaffe identified a trapped nerve as a possible reason for Kicking King's lacklustre show at Gowran last week.
The 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner impressed when runner-up behind Nickname on his return from a long injury lay-off but failed to improve on that show in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran.
Kicking King could finish only a distant third behind outsider Ballistraw in the two-and-a-half-mile event but Taaffe reports the 10-year-old to have been suffering from a minor ailment.
"On the face of it, the horse hasn't run as well as he did the previous day," he said.
"He hasn't built on it for some reason - that 'bounce factor', as they call it.
"The second run can often be a flat run and that's what he did, he ran flat on the day.
"We found a little problem behind in his back, a trapped nerve, which we only really discovered on Wednesday.
"He was moving well on Thursday morning so I'd be hopeful he will be fine.
"I'm not put out by it because it's not the first time I've had a horse run that way on his second start."
Kicking King, who also won the King George VI Chase in 2004 and 2005, is set to return to Cheltenham and is a 33-1 shot with sponsors totesport to regain his crown.
"If he shows his wellbeing between here and the Gold Cup, then it's all systems go," Taaffe said
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Beef Or Salmon to retire

2008-02-23T13:33:00.000-01:00

Michael Hourigan has confirmed that Beef Or Salmon will not run in the John Smith's Grand National and that retirement is on the cards for the 10-time Grade One winner.

Hourigan, and owners Joe Craig and Dan McLarnan, have decided their pride and joy will not carry top-weight at Aintree but the 12-year-old may still run in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on March 24.
"Beef is not going to run in the English National and as things stand he'll be entered for the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday and he's a possible to take his chance there," said Hourigan.
"He's 12 now and like the rest of us he's not getting any younger but he's still in very good order.
"Like every horse, he cannot go on forever and we have talked about retiring him, but we'll see how things pan out over the coming months before we make any decisions,"
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Barbaro junior

2008-02-23T13:23:00.000-01:00

Two years ago, the racing world was awed by the tragic drama of Barbaro, the dominant thoroughbred who won the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby by 6½ lengths and broke down two weeks later, soon after the start of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, never to recover. Never to breed.
For one shining moment, the we all watched greatness roamed the track. And then he was gone.
But that is not quite the end of the story. These days, another horse is getting attention, even though he is more than a year away from competing in the Triple Crown.
His name is Nicanor a 2 year old, the son of the sire Dynaformer and the dam La Ville Rouge -- Barbaro's parents. That makes Nicanor Barbaro's full brother, and by definition, it makes him a horse to watch.
"I think the whole world has hopes for Nicanor," said Bayne Welker of Mill Ridge Farm. "This guy is going to have some huge expectations riding on him."
On a trip to the farm it's clear that no other horse is getting quite as much attention as Nicanor. There may well be a future Triple Crown winner out there in the blue grass pasture, but all eyes are on this one horse.
"I think he's ticketed to be a race horse," said Welker, who is a mainstay at the farm, supervising the care, feeding and development of foals and yearlings who may one day thrill millions as they pound down the stretch at Churchill Downs, Pimlico or Belmont.
As for Nicanor, there is the undeniable fact that history has not been kind to the siblings of champions. Nobody remembers Secretariat's sister or whether Seattle Slew had a brother. And the folks at Mill Ridge acknowledge that fact.
"It's probably about the same chance of hitting the Powerball twice in your lifetime," said Mike Bell, a farm employee, as he watched the colts gallop over the rolling hills near Lexington.
Barbaro's owner, Gretchen Jackson, also owns Nicanor and has no illusions about the horse's prospects but so far the signs are positive.
"He has the physical attributes. He's a leader among the group in the field. And that's what you want," Belker said.
Nicanor will spent the summer in Kentucky and then was moved in September to Florida, where he will learn to become either a race horse or a pampered flop. In the past year he has almost doubled his weight to about 1,100 pounds and is showing signs of promise.
"These traits are emerging," said Welker, "but we'll never truly know till he breaks from the gate."
Stay tuned. If the plans for Nicanor pan out, you could see him at Churchill Downs in 2009.
But not everything is riding on Nicanor alone -- another brother was born to the family just last month. Farm officials said if anything, this unnamed foal looks even more like Barbaro than Nicanor, and that may raise the hopes and up the ante even more.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

A.P Indy (south africa)

2008-02-23T11:31:00.000-01:00

Born 1998 (it would seem)
By Moaner out of Groaner
A South African imposter who unlike his name sake has a chip on his shoulder rather than the knee that cost the real AP his career absolutely no relation to the great Horse nor Yours Truely and therefore not worth a mention.
The real A.P. story
The Big G
HOME PAGE

A.P.Indy a Legend

2008-02-23T11:19:00.000-01:00

A.P. Indy (born 1989) is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired by another Triple Crown winner: Secretariat. He was the top-priced yearling of 1990 at $2.9 million.
Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, A.P. Indy raced in 1991 and 1992. As a two-year old, he won the Grade I Hollywood Futurity. At three, he took the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic, the Belmont Stakes, the Grade I Santa Anita Derby, the Grade II San Rafael Stakes, the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes, and came third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. In 1992, he was voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year and the Eclipse Award Champion three year old. In his career he had 11 starts, winning 8 and showing in one, earning a total of $2,979,815.
A.P. Indy was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2000.
Since being retired to stud, he has sired hundreds of winning Thoroughbreds. In 2005 alone he sired 16 stakes winners. Among his progency are Sweet Symphony, Suave, Congrats, 2003 U.S. Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Golden Missile, and Aptitude. So far he is the sire of six more winners in 2006, including Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini, and A.P. Warrior. He is also the sire of history-making 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches, the first filly to win that race in over a century. As a broodmare sire, mares he has sired have produced 14 more stakes winners. He currently stands in stud at Lane's End Farm, where he commands $300,000 for a single live cover breeding.
A.P. Indy South Africa
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Marlon Aronstam

2008-02-22T19:21:00.000-01:00

Marlon started in the game on the first rung of the ladder, as a punter at the age of 17, and even then, he was a dynamic, fast-moving go getter, an approach which has seen him on an upward spiral that has put him in the upper echelon of a very competitive industry.
Throughout the years, Marlon has always been ahead of the pack and it wasn’t long before he did the logical thing for any forward thinking punter, he became a successful bookmaker.
Never one to sit on his laurels, in 1999 he listed his bookmaking business sucessfully on the stock exchange showing the early signs of a man who was innovative and driven; since then, nothing has changed, with Marlon flying all over the world, connecting with the elite of the horseracing industry.
Marlon has now moved into the bloodstock world with the gusto and passion that has become his trademark, purchasing and syndicating horses from abroad, mainly Brazil.
To name all his purchases would take forever however suffice to say that the list is super impressive and in true "Marlon fashion" he has now managed to aquire the unbeaten 3 y old Pointing North (4 runs for 4 wins) including BLOODSTOCK SA CAPE GUINEAS (G 1)
Marlon’s has recently stepped into the cyber arena and his site, http://www.anfieldsports.com/ is well worth a visit.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Racing Terminology For The Uninitiated

2008-02-22T19:09:00.000-01:00

Here are the REAL meanings to some racing terminology, so often misinterpreted:
Lunging: Popular training method in which a horse exercises his owner by spinning him in circles until dizzy.

Feed: Expensive substance used to manufacture manure.

Colic: Gastrointestinal result of eating at horse-auction food stands.

Horse Sense: The inborn ability that horses have not to place money on one human running faster than another.

Grooming: Fine art of removing dirt from your horse's body and applying it to your own.

Auction: Popular social gathering where you can change your assets into a liability.

And finally a thought for the day that will only make sense to racing folk...
The only difference between praying at church and praying at the track is that at the track you REALLY mean it...
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Sun Classique (AUS) too Classy

2008-02-22T18:45:00.000-01:00

7th February 2008
The 4 yold Filly Sun Classique (AUS) Fuji Kiseki (JPN) - Elfenjer (AUS) by Last Tycoon (IRE) proved far too good for her rivals in the F&M Listed race at Nad Al Sheba tonight. Kevin Shea's only sweat was to steer the Mike De Kock trained Filly through the field as she left them for dead. Sun Classique (AUS) beat MANY COLOURS (GB) by 2.25l with the 3yold CLASSY-LADY (BRZ) a head behind in 3rd. It will take a very good Filly or Mare to beat this one.

RELATED ARTICLES:

BACK TO POST
HOME PAGE

Sun Classique (AUS) much too Classy

2008-02-22T18:02:00.000-01:00

Sun Classique (AUS) refused to be beaten after being locked in a pocket as Light Green (BRZ) drifted off a straight course hampering her severly, Shea had to wait to find daylight while the contenders skiped clear, Sun Classique (AUS) seemed to know what was needed and gave her equally determined jockey full co-operation which saw them and the rest of South Africa's racing faternity surge forward to get up for a brilliant win. \
Related Article

HOME PAGE

Marco Latorre

2008-02-22T17:00:00.000-01:00

Marco's ride on Des Egdes 5 yold mare GODDESS OF HEARTS left no doubt that he must rate as one of the best light weight Jockeys riding in SA at this time - the man has great hands, is very well balanced, rides 52kg comfortably and is an expert judge of pace. What more could one want from a rider?
Although he continues to get very limited chances, he still boots home the rides he does get, which are usually formless. Unbelieveably the only rides that he has had in the last 8 months that have had half-decent form were Apple A Day which duly won...and, of course, Look Alike which shortened from 8s into 6s, and once again, scored comfortably.
Marco has won three on Look Alike, and scored a double with Rose Bay at 10s the day Look Alike broke his Maiden.
Hopefully he will start to get some realistic chances to show his worth before he gives up the ghost and is lost to our shores for good.
Anyone who plays exotics would be well advised to add him in when looking for a good payout in the knowledge that the horse will be given every opportunity from the saddle... a point to ponder.
HOME PAGE

The beauty of the horse

2008-02-22T16:55:00.000-01:00

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Paul Nicholls speaks about his Cheltenham runners

2008-02-22T06:42:00.000-01:00

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls' challenge for the Cheltenham Festival is dominated by the Gold Cup duel between his chasing stars Denman and Kauto Star but he and his stable jockeys, Ruby Walsh and Sam Thomas, have a wealth of talent to represent them at the meeting which is now less than three weeks away.
Nicholls is 2-5 with William Hill to be the top trainer at the meeting with Walsh Evens favourite to be the top jockey at the four-day extravaganza. Here, Nicholl runs though the talented Festival supporting cast behind the big two.

NOLAND: Favourite for the Arkle Trophy. Picked up a bug after winning at Folkestone and was off colour for 10 days but is back in tip-top shape now. I hope to run him at Sandown on Friday, as long as the word firm doesn't appear in the going description, but alternatively he could run at Kempton on Saturday. I'd prefer Sandown because he needs to get experience of an undulating track. Because of the fatal fall of Granit Jack at Cheltenham in November, owner John Hales wants to get some more experience into Noland. But as a former winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, if we get him to the Arkle, he is the one to beat.

ELUSIVE DREAM: Ruby said after he won at Ascot last Saturday that he might be better suited by a flat track. There is a good chance he could go to Fontwell on Sunday. He's in the Spa Hurdle and the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle. But then he could miss Cheltenham and go to Aintree instead. He jumps and stays well and next year could be on the shortlist for the Stayers' Hurdle.

DEAR VILLEZ: In the Sun Alliance Chase and the Jewsons Novices' Handicap Chase. Likes give in the ground and if he gets it he could be a lively outsider.
TURKO: Ran well when second behind The Listener in the Hennessy Gold Cup (3m) in Ireland when I wasn't sure he would get the trip. Although in the Gold Cup, he is almost certain to run in the Ryanair Chase.
PIERROT LUNAIRE: Entered in the big juvenile race at Kempton on Saturday (the Adonis Hurdle) and we'll know more after that race. He is in the the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Triumph. I think he has got a big engine and is capable of holding his own in whatever race he runs in.
SILVERBURN: Denman's full brother who has won two Grade Ones, the Tolworth Hurdle and the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. Looked like he didn't stay when third to Joe Lively in the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. But that was Ruby's first ride back after injury and I don't think he was fully fit. We made more use of him in the Scilly Isles at Sandown and put an emphasis on stamina which suited him. I'm confident he'll run a big race.

STAR DE MOHAISON: Won the Sun Alliance Chase two years ago and won at Aintree but then got heat in a leg. I've had some niggly problems with him but he looks fantastic. We're trying to get him to the Gold Cup but If not he'll go to Aintree. We've not seen the best of this horse yet.
MARODIMA: DIdn't run well at Ascot last time when fourth in the Lightning Novices' Chase but there were excuses. He doesn't get on very well with Timmy (Murphy) and Sam will ride him in the Arkle Trophy. We've freshened him up since and, if the ground is good, he is a lively outsider.

ORNAIS: If the handicapper is right, this is a certainty in the Sun Alliance Chase. He has put him on a mark of 156. I just thought he was a nice staying chaser but he may be right and I may be wrong.

CELESTIAL HALO: I left him a bit short at Doncaster when I was trying to give him an easy race and he ran into a good one (Sentry Duty). He stays really well and I think he will run a really big race in the Triumph Hurdle.

PASCO: He's in the Supreme Novices' and the County Hurdle and we'll have a look but suspect he'll run in the Supreme.

NEPTUNE COLLONGES: Probably produced a career best when he won at Wincanton last Saturday. He'll definitely run in the Gold Cup and, although I suspect he is better on flat tracks, he could be placed and deserves to take his chance.

FIVE DREAM: Ruby said after he was seventh in the totesport Gold Trophy that he was flat out all the way and he should be entered in (the longer) Coral Cup. We've taken Ruby's advice but he has other options.

CHAPOTURGEON: I hope that in 12 months time we'll be talking about him as one of our Arkle Trophy horses. He could run in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle on the opening day of the Festival.

RIPPLING RING: Has good form on the Flat in South Africa but because of where he has come from, he has started growing his winter coat so we clipped him yesterday. I'd like to see two weeks of mild weather to get his coat right. He's joint favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

ARTURIO: Backed down to a ridiculously short price at Wincanton as the ground was far too fast for him. His only entry at the Festival is the Jewsons Novices' Handicap Chase. He needs soft ground but will run well if he gets it.

MAHONIA: Won well at Chepstow last week. We've got some nice bumper horses but this is the only one we will enter in the Festival Bumper. He's been working well with FIve Dream.

THETOTHERONE: In the Spa Hurdle, the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle and the Coral Cup but I suspect he'll go the novice route, especially if Elusive Dream goes to Fontwell and then misses the Festival.

BIG BUCK'S: Could run in the Arkle and I'd love to win at the Festival for his owner Andy Stewart but he looks to me like a horse who is crying out for a summer on his back to return stronger next season.

I'MSINGINGTHEBLUES: Runs at Kempton on Saturday and suspect we'll go the County Hurdle route rather than the novice one as the really fast pace in the handicap will suit this horse.

BREEDSBREEZE: The Tolworth Hurdle winner. Would only run in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle if the surface was testing and the (longer) Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle is more likely. He's done nothing but improve throughout the season.

MASTER MINDED: The joint favourite for the Champion Chase. Has been doing some sensational work this season. Received 6lb from Voy Por Ustedes when he beat him in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury but I don't think that made much difference and think he has improved since. Ruby is likely to ride him.

TWIST MAGIC: I made a pig's ear of running him at Ascot after Christmas when the ground was wrong. he wants good going and I feel he is a spring horse. Sam rode him to win the TIngle Creek and is likely to partner him again. Whereas Master Minded will not run again after Cheltenham, Twist Magic will be kept busy. I'm thinking of talking him to Punchestown in April and then bringing him back for the Grade One at Sandown.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Unbeaten War Pass makes 3 year old debut

2008-02-22T06:23:00.000-01:00

War Pass, the Eclipse Award winner as the top 2-year-old in 2007, will make his 3-year-old debut in a mile allowance race Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
The unbeaten colt, trained by Nick Zito, will be an overwhelming favorite in a field of six.
Last year, War Pass led gun to tape in all four of his starts, which concluded with a 4 3/4-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Monmouth. Cornelio Velasquez rode War Pass in his final three starts last year and will be aboard again Sunday.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Santa Anita to replace racing surface

2008-02-22T06:15:00.000-01:00

Santa Anita will replace its synthetic main track following the conclusion of the current winter-spring meeting on April 20, track president Ron Charles said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a daylong panel on synthetic tracks convened by the California Horse Racing Board, Charles said a decision has not been made on what surface will be installed later this year.
Santa Anita hosts the Breeders' Cup in late October and has been awarded the 2009 Cup as well.
"This is a surface that will only last us until the end of the meet," he said. "We'll have to make a major change at the end of this meeting. It's going to be critical. I've got an open mind. We're going to go back out and weigh everything. Hopefully, we'll make the best decision possible."
Santa Anita installed a Cushion Track surface last summer, but the surface failed to drain after a series of rainstorms in January and early February, leading to the cancellation of 11 days of racing. In early February, the track underwent a five-day renovation, installing polymers and fibers from the Australian synthetic surface, Pro-Ride.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Curlin has arrived

2008-02-22T05:50:00.000-01:00

Horse of the Year Curlin is settling in at his new home in Dubai, a spacious stall at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.
The Breeders' Cup Classic winner arrived Sunday night following a long flight from the United States, and will begin training for his 4-year-old campaign this week. Curlin is expected to run in a Feb. 28 prep race leading to the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 29.
"Curlin is pretty smart he knows he's here to do something," trainer Steve Asmussen's assistant Scott Blasi said in a news release issued Monday by the Dubai Racing Club. "He's got quite a bit of pep in his step, so I'll be anxious to get him to the track."
Curlin will spend 48 hours in a quarantine barn before getting a feel for the dirt track Wednesday.
Along with Blasi and his stable pony, Poncho, Curlin's regular exercise rider, Carmen Rosas, also made the trip.
"Right now, Poncho thinks he's died and gone to heaven," Blasi said. "He's got a stall the size of a paddock."
Blasi said Curlin is scheduled to breeze early next week before the race. Regular rider Robby Albarado is scheduled to arrive Feb. 26, with Asmussen arriving the next day. The trainer saddled his 4,000th winner Sunday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Curlin had a sensational 3-year-old season with six wins in nine starts for earnings of $5.1 million. The son of Smart Strike won his first three starts, including the Arkansas Derby. He then finished third in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness and ran second to the filly Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes. Curlin also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup before taking the BC Classic at Monmouth Park on Oct. 25 in his last start.
Jess Jackson, the founder of Kendall-Jackson Winery and owner of Stonestreet Stable, owns an 80 percent interest in Curlin. Midnight Cry Stable, operated by William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., owns the remaining 20 percent, but its ownership remains in question.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Barbaro's final return to Churchill Downs

2008-02-22T05:43:00.000-01:00

Barbaro will return to the site of his greatest victory after Churchill Downs was selected on Tuesday as the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner's final resting place.
Barbaro captured the hearts of horse racing fans around the world for waging a brave fight for survival following a horrific breakdown at the Preakness Stakes in May of that year.
The colt's ashes will be interred outside Gate 1 at Churchill Downs in a large elevated space enclosed by bricks.
The memorial site will also include a larger-than-life size bronze statue commissioned by Barbaro's owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson.
The popular colt will become the only horse buried on the grounds of Churchill Downs.
The adjacent museum has the remains of four Kentucky Derby winners interred on its property -- Sunny's Halo (1983), Carry Back (1961), Swaps (1955), and Broker's Tip (1933).
"Gretchen and I are pleased to be collaborating with Churchill Downs in this wonderful project," said Roy Jackson on the Churchill Downs Web site (www.churchilldowns.com).
"In the year that has just preceded, we have spent much time thinking about Barbaro's memorial and where it would be best placed. Churchill Downs became the obvious site for us.
"It was here that he ran his best race. It was here where we spent our most memorable day as horse owners and breeders. It was here where his racing fans could visit daily and it was here at Churchill Downs where he was cordially invited to rest."
Unbeaten Barbaro shattered three bones in his right hind leg and was pulled up before the first turn at the Preakness.
The colt battled for eight months in a Pennsylvania veterinary hospital but succumbed to the injuries and was euthanized one year ago.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised in Barbaro's name to help find a cure for laminitis, the hoof disease that ultimately caused his death.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Lingari dissapoints De Kock maintains SA dominance.

2008-02-21T17:02:00.000-01:00

LINNGARI ran a below par race in the Al Fahidi Fort run at Nad al Sheba on Thursday night but Mike de Kock's ARCHIPENKO ,well ridden by jockey Kevin Shea insured South African trainers maintained there strangle hold on this race by storming home to win a very good race, making it 4 "Fort" wins in the last 5 years for South Africa.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Thought for the day.

2008-02-21T14:56:00.000-01:00

Even the greatest beauty hath it's blemishes and that be the horse that stumbles least
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Horse Chestnut

2008-02-21T13:58:00.000-01:00

Raced in South Africa at two and three.Between 20 December 1997 and 24 April 1999(16 months) ran 9 times for 8 wins (1000 - 2450m)and one third and total earnings R2,501,536. Exported to North America August 1999. Stood 60 days in quarantine New York.Moved to Ocala, Florida in October 1999for preparatory training, then to Calder racetrackfor serious prep for American debut on 8 January 2000.

2-Y-O: 3 starts; 2wins; 1third.

20 Dec '97. Won Maiden Juvenile Plate (1000m Turffontein) by 5,75 lengths from Gang Man.
10 March '98. 3rd Morris Lipshitz Juvenile Plate Gr3 (1000m Newmarket) beaten 1,75 lengths by Clifton King.
15 July '98.Won Kwa-Zulu-Natal Free Hcp (LR) (1200m Clairwood) by 2 lengths from Abernant Star in new class record 1min 9,31secs.

3-Y-O: 6starts; 6wins

24 October '98. Won Three-Year-Old Hcp (LR) (1300m Germiston) by 7 lengths from Pablo Zeta (gave 6 half-kilos).
22 November '98. Won The Dingaans (Gr2) (1600m Turffontein) by 4,20 lengths (8lb) from Pablo Zeta (Arg) at level weights, with 8 other superior colts soundly beaten 3 lengths and more further back.
16 January '99.Won Cape Argus Guineas (Gr1) (1600m Kenilworth) by 7,15 lengths from Pablo Zeta (Arg), and 12,75 lengths from Global News, with "The rest (13 of them) nowhere."
6 February '99 Won J and B 'Met' (Gr1) (2000m Kenilworth) by 8 lengths from 4-y-o Classic Flag.
27 March '99 Won The Classic (Gr1) (1800m Germiston) by 3,80 lengths from Fort Defiance.
24 April '99. Won SA Derby (Gr1) (2450m Turffontein) by 9,45 lengths from Dangerous Donald.

VOTED CHAMPION 3-Y-O SOUTH AFRICA. HORSE-OF-THE-YEAR AND SOLD TO THE US

4-Y-O: 1start; 1win

8 January, 2000.Won Broward Hcp (Gr3) (1700m Dirt Gulfstream) by 5,5 lengths from 4-y-o Isaypete on 3lb better terms than Wfa.

The Big G
GO BACK

Sea Cottage

2008-02-21T13:37:00.000-01:00

Sea Cottage (SAF) 1962. Bay Colt.Rated 140 lb.
Bred by: BIRCH BROS
Stud: VOGELVLEI STUD DORDRECHT, CAP
Owned by: SYD LAIRD
Trained by: SYD LAIRD
Of all the great horses which have thundered over the South African Turf during the past three decades, the reputation of one towers above the others. Some, a few, of those who saw him race say that his immediate predecessor, Colorado King, might be compared with him. Those who know only his reputation have challenged it with successive stars - Hawaii, In full Flight, Gatecrasher, Sledgehammer, Politician, Wolf Power and Fool's Holme - but Sea Cottage remains the standard by which we judge Thoroughbreds for class today. Syd Laird knows what great racehorses are all about. He played a vital role in the illustrious careers of seven of the 27 supreme champions remembered in this edition - Java Head, Colorado King, Sea Cottage, Mazarin, Yataghan, Archangel and Politician. Sea Cottage was his favourite. As Syd recalls. "Sea Cottage stood about 16 hands. He was an effeminate, light-framed horse who was extremely difficult to hold in condition. He lacked substance and he wasn't what I would describe as a quality individual. He was long in the cannon bones, a bit straight in front, slightly calf-kneed. But he did have extremely good length from hip to hock, and his action was quite unbelievable. He was a docile, even tempered horse, who would erupt occasionally, and he was probably the most intelligent horse I've known - maybe even more intelligent than his trainer! He barely resembled his sire Fairthorn, who was a big, fiery, extremely handsome horse". "His two performances which remain foremost in my mind were his victory in the Queen's Plate as a three-year-old and the very last race of his career. In the former he turned for home tailed off last and had to catch the likes of Gaskell, Renounce, Fair Mountain and Atty Persse. Horses don't run faster than he did in the final 2 furlongs". "His last race was in a handicap over 8½ furlongs at Germiston. He was set to concede 28 lb to his contemporary Magic Mirror, a brilliant sprinter-miler who 2 weeks earlier had won the Durban Merchants in impressive style. Another tough opponent was the top-class four-year-old Caradoc who carried 99 lb against Sea Cottage's 134 lb. I expected him to win, but thought he would have a hard race at the weights. He simply annihilated his opposition, beating Magic Mirror and Caradoc by 5½ lengths. One had to see it to believe it. I saw it and will never forget it". "To underline just how phenomenal the form was, Magic Mirror won 3 major WFA races from his next 4 starts - the Transvaal Spring Champion Stakes (7f) from Prize Bell, the Joseph Dorfman Memorial (5f) and the Drill Hall Stakes (7f) from Damask". "No other horse in the world could have done what Sea Cottage did at Germiston that day. I want to tell you. He was some horse". There is an eighteenth century proverb that goes - 'the greatest beauty hath its blemishes, and he's the best horse that stumbles least'. History records that Sea Cottage 'stumbled' only four times from 20 starts. He lost four races. Each counted a stunning upset, for he was never beaten by a better horse. His first defeat came in the Cape Guineas when he was left with too much to do in a false run race. His next defeat was suffered in the Rothmans July run 22 days after he was shot in the quarter with a .22 bullet, and he suffered a further setback when he was badly bumped int eh running. Two weeks after that debacle he gave King Willow a 13 lb WFA beating in the Clairwood Winter, only to suffer his third defeat at the hands of that colt a fortnight later when badly hampered in the Champion Stakes. Sea Cottage was again desperately unlucky to lose when he was nearly brought down 7 furlongs from home in the Metropolitan Stakes and then forced very wide on the turn. These four blemishes did nothing to detract from the greatness of Sea Cottage. He was a champion and Horse-Of-The-Year each of the four seasons he campaigned. Sea Cottage stepped onto the racecourse for the first time on 12 December 1964. Backed from 8/1 to 7/2 he finished like a train to outrun the odds-on favourite Zeus for an extending 1½ lengths victory over 5 furlongs at Milnerton. When next he ran, 2½ months later, the might of Sea Cottage was demonstrated for the first time. This was in the 5 furlong Festival Juvenile Handicap at Kenilworth. Twelve opponents included top-class juvenile winners Siaram, Peter Beware, Refinery, Kew and others. Bert Abercrombie, one of South Africa's greatest ever jockeys, deputised for and injured Robert Sivewright. His account from the saddle is well worth hearing. "I had never ridden the horse before, and had no specific instructions - just to win as far as I thought fit. He was 2/1 favourite, but no-one really knew what he was all about. As he jumped I eased him back and he suddenly dropped the bit. After half a furlong he was tailed off last and losing ground, so I decided to shake him up to get back into the race. I gave him one firm tap down the shoulder. His reaction was faster than anything I had ever experienced. In a matter of strides he streaked through the field to join the pacemaker Peter Beware. From then on the race was a walkover. I can honestly say that I have never ridden or seen a racehorse with greater acceleration. It was unbelievable". Following on this spectacular demolition job Sea Cottage started odds-on favourite for his last three starts as a two-year-old. After drubbing the country's best juveniles by 5½ lengths in the Cape of Good Hope Nursery, he hacked up by 2 lengths conceding weight all round in the African Breeders, and made a sorry exhibition of the 7 rivals who ventured to take him on in the Champion Nursery Stakes. Sea Cottage began at three where he had left off at two. Three highly meritorious wins included a 6 furlong B division at Milnerton, the Queen's Plate with a terrifying stretch run, and the Guineas Trial by 4 lengths after being 6 lengths last on the home turn. Come-from-last tactics resulted in defeat in the Cape Guineas, a setback soon made good by the sound thrashings he handed out to his rivals in the Cape Derby, Newbury Stakes ans S A Guineas. As already discussed, a bullet and a bump cost him his first attempt at the July, followed by a towering demonstrating of class when giving King Willow a stone beating in the Clairwood Winter. At four, despite losing the Champion Stakes and Metropolitan through interference, Sea Cottage was something apart. Most notable of his 6 graded stakes victories were a clear-cut 3 length win in the Queen's Plate, his dead-heat in the July on 20 lb worse terms than WFA with 3-year-old Jolify who had won the S A Guineas at his previous start, and a rare demonstration of superiority when giving 19 lb and more and a sensational beating to a strong field in the Clairwood Winter. Sea Cottage's first of two starts at five, the Gr. I Champion Stakes, was not a horse race really, for the great horse had already established his inordinate superiority over all his ravals. He was racing against memories of great horses in other years. After wresting the lead from Grade I winners on the turn he tore their hearts out in the straight to win under restraint by 9 lengths, the widest margin in the history of the race. After the grand finale at Germiston, Sea Cottage was retired to stud. Robert Sivewright, his partner at 23 of 24 starts, remembers him as "a horse with an unbelievable action and a devastating finish which he could sustain for 2½ furlongs. He was a horse the like of which is seen but rarely anywhere in the world". There never was, and never will be, a racehorse that will let us forget Sea Cottage. He was, and remains, a national hero.
TRACK RECORD

Raced in South Africa from 2 to 5 years (1963-67). Won 20 races (1000-2400m.), R118 128.

2-Y-O: 5 starts; 5 wins; R13 320.
Won JUVENILE PLATE (1000m. Milnerton) by 1½ lengths from Zeus. R Sivewright up. 7/2.
12 December 1964.Won FESTIVAL JUVENILE HCP. (1000m. Kenilworth) by 6 lengths from Siaram (gave 10 lb). B Avercrombie up. 2/1.
20 February 1965.Won CAPE OF GOOD HOPE NURSERY Gr. I (1200m. Milnerton) by 5 lengths from Siaram. R Sivewright up 4/6
13 March.Won AFRICAN BREEDERS PLATE (1200m. Greyville) by 2 lengths from Glengyle (received 6 lb). R Sivewright up. 4/5 .
29 May.Won CHAMPION NURSERY STAKES Gr. I (1400m. Greyville) by 3¼ lengths from Heralds Choice. R Sivewright up. 1/2

3-Y-O: 9 starts; 7 wins; 2 fourths; R44 230.

Won B DIVISION HCP. (1200m. Milnerton) by a neck from 4-Y-O Cranford on 36 lb worse terms than WFA. Carried 131 lb. R Sivewright up. 2/5
11 December.Won QUEENS PLATE Gr. I (1600m. Kenilworth) by ¾ length from 5-Y-O Gaskell. R Sivewright up.1/2
1 January 1966.Won GUINEAS TRIAL (1400m. Kenilworth) by 4 lengths from Falstaff. R Sivewright up. 1/4
22 January.4th CAPE GUINEAS Gr. I (1600m. Milnerton) beaten 3¾ lengths by Savonarola.
Won CAPE DERBY Gr. I (2400m. Kenilworth) by 2 lengths from Courtly R Sivewright up. 5/4. 26 February.Won NEWBURY STAKES (1200m. Greyville) by 2½ lengths from 4-Y-oO William Penn. R Sivewright up. 9/2
28 May.Won S A GUINEAS Gr. I (1600m. Greyville) by 3½ lengths from Refinery. R. Sivewright up2/5
4 June.4th ROTHMANS JULY HCP. Gr. I (2100m. Greyville) beaten 4 lengths by 6-Y-O Java Head on 4 lb better terms than WFA. R Sivewright up. 2/1 July.
Won CLAIRWOOD WINTER HCP. Gr. III (1800m.) by ½ length from King Willow on 12 lb worse terms than WFA. R Sivewright up 4/7

4-Y-O: 8 starts; 6 wins; 1 third; 1 fourth; R48 828.

16 July.3rd CHAMPION STAKES Gr. I (2000m. Greyville) beaten 2½ lengths by 5-Y-O King Willow.
Won QUEENS PLATE Gr. I (1600m. Kenilworth) by 3 lengths from 5-Y-o Tuan. R Sivewright up 4/7
11 January1967.4th METROPOLITAN HCP. Gr. I (2000m. Kenilworth) beaten 3 lengths by Ding Dong (received 19 lb).
21 January.Won SOMERSET PLATE WFA Gr. I (1400m. Kenilworth) by 1½ lengths form Peter Beware. R Sivewright up 4/7
18 February.Won NEWBURY STAKES WFA (1200m. Greyville) by 2 lengths from Bad Penny. R Sivewright up 4/5
27 May.Won GORDONS HCP. Gr. III (1900m. Greyville) by 2 lengths form 5-Y-O Smash and Grab (received 7 lb). R Sivewright up 4/6
31 May.Won CLAIRWOOD WINTER HCP. Gr. II (1800m) by ½ length from 5-Y-O Atty Persse (received 26 lb). Carried 136 lb. R Sivewright up. 11/10.
1 July. Won ROTHMANS JULY HCP. Gr. I (2200m. Greyville) dead heat with 3-Y-O Jolify on 20 lb worse terms than WFA. Carried 127 lb. R Sivwright up. 11/10

5-Y-O: 2 starts; 2 wins; R11 750.

Won CHAMPION STAKES WFA Gr. I (2000m. Greyville) by 9 lengths form 6-Y-O Smash and Grab. 2/7 R Sivewright up
5 August.Won CUTTY SARK INVITAION HCP (1700m. Germiston) by 5½ lengths from Magic Mirror (received 28 lb). Carried 134 lb. R Sivewright up.1/2
This was to be his last run and he retired a true Champion.
The Big G
GO BACK

Santa Anita scores a Breeders Cup Double

2008-02-21T12:52:00.000-01:00

Santa Anita Park will be the first track to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships in consecutive years. It was announced today that the Arcadia, California track was selected to host the 2009 event. The 2008 Championships will also be held there.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

6000 winners for Edgar Prado

2008-02-21T12:47:00.000-01:00

Jockey Edgar Prado won his 6,000th race on Sunday, February 10, 2008 aboard Sumphin in the sixth race at Gulfstream Park. He is the 16th jockey in North America to achieve this feat. The native of Peru began riding in America in 1986, and was thrust into the limelight in 2006 as the regular rider of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

Find out more about his career.

The Big G
HOME PAGE

Thought for the day.

2008-02-21T12:17:00.000-01:00

Today I will strive not to be to be a nonconformist like everybody else.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

37th annual Eclipse Awards

2008-02-21T12:12:00.000-01:00

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin swept Horse of the Year and three-year-old male honours at the 37th annual Eclipse Awards on Monday night.
Curlin, sired by Canadian-bred Smart Strike, overwhelmed the competition in Horse of the Year voting, receiving 249 first-place votes to 12 for Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches. Last year's winner, Invasor, earned two votes.
Corinthian, English Channel and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense received one each in balloting by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers Association.
Curlin dominated Street Sense and Derby runner-up Hard Spun in voting for male three-year-old. Curlin received 262 votes to Street Sense's three and one for Hard Spun.
Curlin's other victories last year were in the Preakness, Arkansas Derby and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Curlin's immediate future could include foreclosure.
A lawyer for 418 people, plaintiffs in a lawsuit against two of Curlin's minority owners, wants a judge to order foreclosure on the horse, the stable that officially owns him and its parent company.
A foreclosure could have 20-per-cent ownership in the horse up for bid with the Boone County, Ky., sheriff, with any money made from the public sale going to settle a US$42-million judgment.
The plaintiffs effectively have held a lien against Curlin since November, when a state judge granted them rights to Tandy LLC, the parent company of the stable with an ownership stake in the horse.
The award was made to settle the judgment, which stemmed from a lawsuit accusing Curlin's co-owners, William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., of defrauding clients in a $200 million settlement over the diet drug fen-phen.
A hearing on the foreclosure request was set for Tuesday in Frankfort, Ky.
Rags to Riches won three-year-old filly honours after upsetting the boys in the Belmont.
Todd Pletcher earned his fourth consecutive Eclipse as trainer of the year with 139 votes, easily outdistancing runner-up Steve Asmussen, who trained Curlin and received 65 votes.
Garrett Gomez, who led the nation in earnings last year, was named jockey of the year and teenager Joe Talamo was chosen apprentice jockey.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes winner War Pass was voted two-year-old male and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Indian Blessing won two-year-old filly.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Strange but true

2008-02-21T11:30:00.000-01:00

Multi-millionaire dog receives death threats!!

A dog left £6million by her late owner has been moved to a safe house after receiving death threats.
The aptly named "Trouble", a small white Maltese, inherited her fortune from property and hotel billionaire Leona Helmsley.
The dog came out significantly better in its owner's will than members of the Helmsley family - two of her grandchildren received nothing.
But the so-called Queen of Mean's multi-million dollar trust fund for Trouble may have backfired.
The New York Post reports that Trouble's new guardians have received around two dozen death threats directed at the bitch.
Two months ago, the dog, travelling under an assumed name, was flown in a private plane from her Connecticut home to another Helmsley estate in the Sarasota area of Florida.
John Codey, in charge of Trouble's trust fund, estimated it would cost more than £150,000 a year to look after the dog, including the cost of a rotating security team, medical care and grooming.
He told CBS television: "We received any number of threats to kidnap the dog, so that was a major problem for us after Leona passed away.
"We've had problems keeping her identity confidential and we had to change her name even to take her on the aircraft. We called her Bauble instead of Trouble."
The dog used to live in a luxury 46th-floor flat on top of Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, in New York, eating food prepared by the hotel chefs. The mind boggles!!!!!
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Woodruff set for a big day at the vaal today

2008-02-21T09:52:00.000-01:00

Trainer Geoff Woodruff looks set for a big day at the Vaal race course today with all of
Race 1 ROCK CONCERT ( full sister to the brilliant Rock Opera)
Race 4 WINTER ADE
Race 8 EXCLUSIVE HALO (ARG)
Race 9 COUNTRY LODGE (IRE) who is coming back from a very long lay off but has been the subject of huge betting support,all look like having BIG winning chance and with the "home ground" advantage that Geoff has it would take a brave man to go against him.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Best ever???

2008-02-21T09:18:00.000-01:00

...................................................................................................................................

Horse Chestnut is the best horse i've seen run in South Africa, I never saw Sea Cottage in person but he must have been great after having read Ernie Duffield's book "Through my Binoculars", where he claims Sea Cottage was the best he saw in his 60 odd years. Ernie was an ex jockey, ex trainer, founder of "Duff's turf guide" which is the predecessor to Computaform. You be the Judge Horse Chestnut or Sea Cottage

HOME PAGE

A word of welcome from David Safi.

2008-02-20T19:13:00.000-01:00

In a strong vote of confidence from the racing fraternity world wide,we are pleased to advise that we have had 160 new members register on the Formgrids website from the 16th-20th of this month.
I would like to welcome you all aboard with the assurance that we will continue to maintain our current high standards of service excellence and to let you know that we have new and exciting additions for the site in the pipeline that will be implemented soon including our new weekly show that will be televised on both Teletrack and youtube from early March with previews and reviews of all the weeks racing both local and abroad, negotiations are also in progress to bring back our UK and USA race cards.
If there is any new feature that you would like to see added or if you have any queries whatsoever regarding the site please do not hesitate to contact me either by leaving a comment below this post or emailing me at info@formgrids.co.za.
Once again a special welcome from the Formgridian family to all new members.
David Safi.
HOME PAGE

Aqueduct wins 11th hour reprieve

2008-02-20T15:06:00.000-01:00

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has won the rights to a 25-year exclusive franchise to run thoroughbred racing in New York and continue operating Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga race tracks. NYRA has held the franchise since 1955.
The deal was approved February 13 in exchange for NYRA giving up its disputed claim to ownership of the tracks, an issue it used as leverage in the talks that ended hours before a temporary franchise extension was set to expire.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Din Azis in top form.

2008-02-20T14:57:00.000-01:00

Underrated jockey Din Azis continues his excellent start to the new 2008 season with his first Kranji treble at the Wednesday night fibresand meeting, incidentally notching a perfect score as he was booked for only three rides.He struck twice in quick successions in Race 1 and 2 with Valiant Master and Able Win respectively, before wrapping up the proceedings with an easy win in the last race with Rapidflare.
While the lanky Adelaide-trained rider made it pillar-to-post with Rapidflare, he elected for waiting tactics in the two early wins, though the more spectacular of the two would have to be the one aboard the Brian Dean-trained Able Win.
Dropping to his customary role of backmarker in the $55,000 Class 4 race over 1600m, Able Win was still last at the 200m mark after Lim’s Glory (Danny Beasley) and favourite Strategy (Mark Ewe) had matched motors in front.
But Din Azis conjured up an eye-catching little slalom number inside the last furlong with Able Win threading his way to hit the lead.
Din Azis’ mount however gave the impression he was stopping in the shadows of the post, allowing Sinma Victory (Eurico da Silva) to reel him back in, but the winning post arrived on time with only a head splitting the pair.
Din Azis was having his first ride aboard Able Win but spoke to several other jockeys who had ridden the gelding previously.
“I spoke to Saimee and a few others and they all said he’s a bit lazy,” Din Azis said. “They said to keep him on the bit and don’t let him relax too much.
“I was certainly happy with the pace up front,” he said.
Dean said he chased Din Azis for the ride because the gelding had no weight.
“He needs a strong rider and that’s why I chose Din for the ride,” Dean said. “He’s a horse that gets back in his races and needs a lot of luck.
“He’s a horse that has four or five good runs before he puts in a poor one and then it’s time for a freshen.
“He’s now won five races. That’s been a great effort by the horse,” he said.
Able Win, a seven-year-old US-bred son of Southern Halo from the Generous mare Quinella, has now had 57 starts and amassed around the $190,000 for the Lucky Stable.
The winning ride aboard a reinvigorated Valiant Master in the $35,000 Class 5 race (1100m) was less arduous for Din Azis to carve out.
After travelling in third, the $25 shot swept past the short-priced favourite Dusky Maiden (Mohd Airy) to score comprehensively by two lengths.
Trained by Charles Leck, Valiant Master was having his first start since missing the start hopelessly over 1000m on December 20.
Din Azis said a lot of barrier practice had been put into the gelding since his start effort.
“He missed the start badly at his last start and had done a lot of work on him in the barriers since,” he said.
“That practice certainly worked as he jumped a lot better tonight.”
Din Azis' memorable evening ended on a perfect note when Rapidflare made it back-to-back wins in the $55,000 Class 4 race over 1200m. He however had a small fright when the Leck-trained galloper seemed to take fright a few metres shy of the winning post.'He stopped. I think he got spooked by the lights,' he said.Din Azis on the other hand did not mind being in the limelight on Wednesday. He is now joint-third with Robbie Fradd and Noel Callow, all on nine wins, two short of leader Saimee Jumaat who had a blank day.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Apache Cat on the war path

2008-02-20T14:43:00.000-01:00

Apache Cat, the baldy faced new hero of Australian racing who took his record to 13 wins (12 stakes) and over $2.3 million when he was successful in the Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, recording his second Group 1 win for the month, is the only stakes winner here by his sire and is the only stakes winner or black type money earner under his first four dams.
A 5-year-old gelding trained at Cranbourne by Greg Eurell for six owners, Apache Cat is by Lion Cavern, a 1989 foaled brother to the influential Gone West, both of them being sons of Mr. Prospector and from the Secretariat Stakes winner Secrettame.
One of the best juveniles at two in Europe, a French Two Thousand Guineas third at three and a good sprinter in America at four, Lion Cavern went to stud first in England then moved to America. Also, he shuttled three times - 2000-02 - to the Lynden Park Stud at Red Hill South in Victoria, leaving about 180 potential runners, the oldest of which are current 6-year-olds.
So far he has had 144 runners from Australian use, including 86 winners, headed in class by Apache Cat, the Malaysia stakes winner Lion's Prospect and stakes placed Regal Chivas, Jennifer, Jayemzed, Bullmix and Palace Horse.The latter has won eight races in Macau.
Apache Cat is one of two of the Lion Cavern progeny world wide to earn in excess of a million dollars.The other is Crimplene, one of the top fillies at 1600m in Europe at three in 2000, a year she won both the Irish and German One Thousand Guineas. In the same year another of his early offspring, Peony, was a neck second in the French One Thousand Guineas.
Raced in a partnership of six, by his Victorian breeder P. Radford, Apache Cat is one of six winners from seven to race out of the Whiskey Road mare Tennessee Blaze, a winner of four races and earner of $10,500. None of the others have earned black type money, but they include Melbourne winners Tiger Belle and Raptor.
Bought by Radford for $7,000 at the Melbourne Premier yearling sales,Tennessee Blaze is the only runner from the three foals from Centasia, a Century mare who won one race and $1,400.
Her mother, Deep Fantasy, was a minor winner by a pioneer shuttle sire, Deep Diver, who died on the eve of being shipped back home, and from Kofa, produce of a non winning half-sister to the magnificent Agricola filly Farmer's Daughter. She won both VRC and AJC Oaks, finished second in the QTC Stradbroke Handicap and third in the MRC Thousand Guineas and AJC Chipping Norton Stakes.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Lingari seeks Al Fahidi Fort hatrick

2008-02-20T14:23:00.000-01:00

The only Group II Thoroughbred race in the UAE outside Super Thursday, and Dubai World Cup night, the Al Fahidi Fort has been dominated by the internationals in recent years. The last five renewals have all gone abroad with South Africa winning four times. The last two renewals have seen Herman Brown’s Linngari prevail and he seeks his place in the record books with a third win. Two years ago, he had won the Al Rashidiya before running in this race – the only time one of the five international winners had the advantage of a previous run that season. Mike De Kock has won with both Ipi Tombe and Yard-Arm, on their local debuts, but both his runners this year, Admiralofthefleet and Archipenko, have had a run this season. Both De Kock’s winners carried Group 1 penalties, as does Linngari this year. Ireland won it in 2004 with D’Anjou and their challenger, Lord Admiral, won the Al Rashidiya last time, as had Linngari two years ago. He was second in this in 2006 and sixth last year so would need to become the first international winner previously beaten in the race. The draw is no help as the eight winners have all been berthed in different stalls (5, 10 and 11 are yet to win) and Yard-Arm overcame the widest draw (12) in 2005. UAE debutant Danak, being five, could be the best of the local challenge and represents the same age group as Yard-Arm and Ipi Tombe who both made a winning local bow in this race. Five-year-old Royal Oath also fits the same criteria but no UK-trained runners have won this race to date. Four and five-year-olds have both won the race three times. Linngari would be the first six-year-old to win the race but has to go close, while the De Kock pair of Admiralofthefleet and Archipenko, both four-year-olds, give South Africa a strong hand in a race they have dominatedv

Full field and form summary

LINNGARI (IRE) 2002 ch h Indian Ridge – Lidakiya (Kahyasi)22 starts 10-2-1
Winner of this event for the past two years and favoured to make it a hat-trick here. Record on the turf at Nad Al Sheba is first class and returned in brilliant style on second night of the Carnival with strong performance to beat the smart Divine Jury in a 100+ handicap. Back to set weight conditions here and although has to concede a three kilogram penalty for a Group 1 success last summer, has the class to make him the one to beat.
BIG TIMER (USA) 2004 ch g Street Cry – Moonflute (The Minstrel)9 starts 3-0-1
Group 3 winner as a two-year-old in 2006 but yet to win since. His two runs at this year’s carnival have merit and he hasn’t enjoyed the best of luck in either outing. Stepping up markedly in grade here and weights against him, so place claims appear best.
DANAK (IRE) 2003 dk b/br h Pivotal – Daniysha (Doyoun)7 starts 5-0-0
Won first five races in Ireland (including a defeat of Lord Admiral at Group 3 level at Leopardstown) before suffering first defeat when fourth to Notnowcato in Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last May. Only run since then was unplaced behind Jambalaya in the Arlington Million. Sold after that run and having first run for new trainer here. Is a horse with plenty of ability and firm surface will suit. One to keep an eye on.
LORD ADMIRAL (USA) 2001 b h El Prado – Lady Ilsley (Trempolino)39 starts 5-13-8
Second to Linngari in this two years ago and last year was placed in Zabeel Mile and Jebel Hatta. Showed he had returned better than ever with his impressive performance to defeat Gharir in the Group 3 Al Rashidiya last start. This is harder, but has shown his ability at this level in the past and will again be prominent.
WARRIORS KEY (IRE) 2004 b c Key of Luck – Warrior Wings (Indian Ridge)12 starts 2-2-3
Lightly-raced type having first run for new trainer here. Form towards end of last campaign in Ireland was only fair including third behind Latino Magic (reserve in handicap tomorrow night) and he will need to improve sharply to figure in this.
ROYAL OATH (USA) 2003 b h Kingmambo – Sherkiya (Goldneyev)11 starts 3-2-0
Brilliant winner of the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot over this distance last year and showed good form in three subsequent runs when stepped up to Group company. Certainly has the ability to be involved here, though fitness the query against many of main rivals who have had the benefit of a run.
ADMIRALOFTHEFLEET (USA) 2004 b c Danehill – Rafina (Mr Prospector)10 starts 3-1-1
Formerly trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien where he won Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester as a three-year-old and the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot at two. Purchased after fourth in Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes and sent to Dubai where he impressed on his first run here when second to Turn On The Style in 95-110 handicap over unsuitable 1200m. Better suited to this trip, bound to be fitter and must be considered.
ARCHIPENKO (USA) 2004 b c Kingmambo - Bound (Nijinsky)9 starts 2-1-0
Another formerly trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien where he was used as a pacemaker on a number of occasions, but did win Group 2 Derby Trial at Leopardstown over 2,000m last May. On first run for new trainer in Dubai was always well back and never a threat when 10th behind So Will I in 100+ handicap a fortnight ago. Step up in distance here will suit and while this is harder it wouldn’t surprise to see him improve sharply.
ETIHAAD (GB) 2002 b h Dubai Millennium - Elfaslah (Green Desert)5 starts 1-0-0
A half-brother to a Dubai World Cup winner in Almutawakel and by a Dubai World Cup winner in Dubai Millennium. Latest efforts require him to improve markedly to figure against these at level weights.
DARK ISLANDER (IRE) 2003 b h Singspiel – Lamanka Miss (Woodman)16 starts 4-1-2
Winner of the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby in 2006 but hasn’t managed to be placed since. Will have benefited from his first Dubai run last start when a good fourth to the smart Sentinelese in handicap company three weeks ago under a big weight. Steps up in grade here on that performance but has the ability to cope with that and forward showing would not surprise.
Reserve Runners:
QUEBEC CITIZEN (BRZ) 2003 b h Know Heights – Importanza (Basim)13 starts 1-5-0
This is far tougher than recent efforts that have seen him unplaced and others preferred.
DELUDE (IRE) 1998 ch g Be My Guest – Deceive (Machiavellian)58 starts 9-8-7Recent form consistent but in far easier company and others are preferred here at the weights.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Kiwi Champ has her first work out at Nad el Sheba

2008-02-20T14:08:00.000-01:00

Champion New Zealand mare Seachange has had her first taste of the Nad Al Sheba track on this morning (Wednesday), having safely completed her 24-hour journey to the UAE.
The six-year-old is a seven-time Group 1-winning champion in her homeland, where she has a huge following, and has travelled further than any other Australasian-based horse coming to the UAE, having left Auckland, and arrived in Sharjah via Singapore.
The daughter of Cape Cross is set to be the first Kiwi horse to run at the Dubai International Racing Carnival, when she lines up for the Group 2 $US250,000 Jebel Hatta (1777m) on March 6, ahead of the Group 1 $US5 million Dubai Duty Free over the same course and distance on March 29.
And the first part of that route to Dubai World Cup night has been completed safely, according to her groom and regular trackwork rider, Jayne Ivil.
“She’s physically fine and has come through it well,” said Ivil. “It’s taken us more than 24 hours to get here, whereas before, the furthest she had travelled was three hours to Australia.
“So naturally she’s a little quiet and is taking it all in, in her own time. I think she’ll perk up once we start getting her into a routine again, and we’ll take her to the track tomorrow morning.
“We’ll probably give her a serious work-out on Saturday morning, and continue to work her pretty hard.”
Trained by Ralph Manning, who arrives in Dubai on Friday, the star mare will be hoping to fare even better than her compatriot Sunline, who finished third in the 2001 Dubai Duty Free.
“She is the best New Zealand horse since Sunline,” Ivil added. “She tries her heart out each time she races. The only doubt is the distance which may be a touch beyond her, but she will not let us down.”
Ted Durcan, the multiple UAE champion jockey, will be aboard Seachange for both starts.Champion New Zealand mare Seachange is set to have her first taste of the Nad Al Sheba track on Wednesday morning, having safely completed her 24-hour journey to the UAE.
The six-year-old is a seven-time Group 1-winning champion in her homeland, where she has a huge following, and has travelled further than any other Australasian-based horse coming to the UAE, having left Auckland, and arrived in Sharjah via Singapore.
The daughter of Cape Cross is set to be the first Kiwi horse to run at the Dubai International Racing Carnival, when she lines up for the Group 2 $US250,000 Jebel Hatta (1777m) on March 6, ahead of the Group 1 $US5 million Dubai Duty Free over the same course and distance on March 29.
And the first part of that route to Dubai World Cup night has been completed safely, according to her groom and regular trackwork rider, Jayne Ivil.
“She’s physically fine and has come through it well,” said Ivil. “It’s taken us more than 24 hours to get here, whereas before, the furthest she had travelled was three hours to Australia.
“So naturally she’s a little quiet and is taking it all in, in her own time. I think she’ll perk up once we start getting her into a routine again, and we’ll take her to the track tomorrow morning.
“We’ll probably give her a serious work-out on Saturday morning, and continue to work her pretty hard.”
Trained by Ralph Manning, who arrives in Dubai on Friday, the star mare will be hoping to fare even better than her compatriot Sunline, who finished third in the 2001 Dubai Duty Free.
“She is the best New Zealand horse since Sunline,” Ivil added. “She tries her heart out each time she races. The only doubt is the distance which may be a touch beyond her, but she will not let us down.”
Ted Durcan, the multiple UAE champion jockey, will be aboard Seachange for both starts.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Jockey Darryl Bradley charged

2008-02-20T14:00:00.000-01:00

On Tuesday, 19th February 2008 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s (NZTR) Chief Stipendiary Steward, Cameron George, formally charged Jockey Darryl Bradley with a Serious Racing Offence under Rule 1001 (1) (v) (i), namely ‘does or permits or suffers to be done any act which a Judicial Committee deems…detrimental to the interests of racing.’
This charge has been brought against Bradley for making a verbal offer by telephone to a representative of the insurance brokerage firm Fraser McAndrew Ryan Limited in Dunedin seeking money or some other benefit in the event Eel Win won the Southland Guineas on 16 February 2008, thereby saving the insurance company paying a $100,000 bonus.
The bonus was offered by Gallop South to the connections of a horse that won all three Gallop South Festival Guineas races at Gore (1355m), Dunedin (1400m) and Invercargill (1600m).
The Inquiry will take place at the offices of NZTR in Petone, Wellington at a time to be determined by the Judicial Control Authority (JCA).
This investigation was opened in response to a complaint lodged by Gallop South on Tuesday, 12 February 2008. Interviews were conducted by NZTR with Bradley, employees of the insurance brokers Fraser McAndrew Ryan Limited and three other relevant persons.On Tuesday, 19th February 2008 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s (NZTR) Chief Stipendiary Steward, Cameron George, formally charged Jockey Darryl Bradley with a Serious Racing Offence under Rule 1001 (1) (v) (i), namely ‘does or permits or suffers to be done any act which a Judicial Committee deems…detrimental to the interests of racing.’
This charge has been brought against Bradley for making a verbal offer by telephone to a representative of the insurance brokerage firm Fraser McAndrew Ryan Limited in Dunedin seeking money or some other benefit in the event Eel Win won the Southland Guineas on 16 February 2008, thereby saving the insurance company paying a $100,000 bonus.
The bonus was offered by Gallop South to the connections of a horse that won all three Gallop South Festival Guineas races at Gore (1355m), Dunedin (1400m) and Invercargill (1600m).
The Inquiry will take place at the offices of NZTR in Petone, Wellington at a time to be determined by the Judicial Control Authority (JCA).
This investigation was opened in response to a complaint lodged by Gallop South on Tuesday, 12 February 2008. Interviews were conducted by NZTR with Bradley, employees of the insurance brokers Fraser McAndrew Ryan Limited and three other relevant persons.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Who would be a Teletrack presenter????

2008-02-19T15:17:00.000-01:00

Off the top of my head I can think of a few career choices that can only be described as bourne from a labour love decision and they are:
1.An ambulance driver and/or medic working the Hillbrow beat on new years eve.
2.A Cash in transit driver at the end of any given month.
3.An on course or studio based Teletrack Presenter at any given time.

How can can I put option 3 in the same catorgory as 1&2 ??? I hear you ask, quite simple, let me explain.
Take into account that locally we race 7 days a week and have a minimum of 7 races a meeting on the odd occasion, more often 8 but mostly 9 and these poor guys are expected to disect all the form, question the relative connections and then advise viewers on how they see the race panning out, but Heaven forbid that they should suggest that it looks like a 2 horse race with the favourite and second favourite looking set to fight it out!!!
"These F##@#$S are getting paid to tell us that the 2 Favourites are going to run 1st and 2nd" I heard one irate punter exclaim at my local tattersalls, what a load of C*%#P ..........(the favs ran 1/2 and I doubled up in the PA)
In the very next race Shane Shaw finds a horse at decent odds, breaks down the form and explains exactly why he feels it must have a chance, the self same Mighty Mouth who is now back watching the tote TV that he was abusing the race before, hears this and shuffles off to take swingers with the horse hoping no one else heard what Shane had to say so as not to deplete his payout.
The horse in question which was paying R18.60 a win and R4.80 a place shot out the pens and was clear half way up the straight to the thunderous vocal support and finger cracking Mighty Mouth however after showing all the pace in the world it was snared on the line for third by an official "no hoper" which returned R11 plus for a place, once again Shane and his last 5 generations where the subject of MM's verbal abuse and the entire Tote had to hear how he had switched from the "dog" that ran 3rd to the horse that the ##@%%#% Teletrack presenter had "made" him back, IF EVER I GET MY HANDS ON HIM etc etc etc!!!!!
The simple truth of the matter is that Teletrack presenters are on a hiding to nothing, taking into account that there are over 80 local races each week for 52 weeks a year and for anyone to be expected to be consistanly accurate day in and day out, let alone week in and week out is ludicrous to say the least, surely ability like that would have them retired in the Bahamas some where with a direct line to their telebet account or some hapless bookie???
The moral of the story is simple.... Stop the pocket chatter and start being realistic, all you need to do is go back to the pre Teletrack days where "priviledged information" was exactly that,information for the priviledged few and when the man in the street was left in the dark and that was without the help of Eishkom, and then thank your lucky stars that we have this surperb service.

Back in my local the Southwell 3rd was about to start and the windows had quitened down a lot so I sauntered over and collected my USO PA (which payed me just under R500 for a R108.00 outlay) and made my exit away from all the mayhem.
As I was leaving I heard this Sgt.Major like command "SHUT THE F$*%#* UP,I CAN'T HEAR WHAT THIS OKE ON THE TV IS SAYING"
I never bothered to even look around, I knew exactly where it was eminating from.
Thankfully,
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Chilean Miss headed for the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes

2008-02-19T11:38:00.000-01:00

Trainer Clinton McDonald is confident a race eve inspection by a Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) veterinary panel will pass Chilean Miss fit to run in Saturday's Group One Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
McDonald said X-rays taken last Wednesday revealed no abnormalities and they would be presented to the panel on Friday to support the case for the Hussonet filly running in Victoria's premier two-year-old race.
"I'm more than happy with everything about her," McDonald said.
"I wouldn't be running her otherwise."
Chilean Miss's connections paid the $5,500 final acceptance for the Blue Diamond which has attracted 14 runners, well short of the 16 plus four emergencies capacity.
A six-length Mornington winner at her only start, Chilean Miss is at $14 with TAB Sportsbet for the Diamond after she drew barrier two and Sydney jockey Larry Cassidy was booked to ride her.
She hasn't raced since her debut in January after she was a controversial late scratching from the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) 10 days ago when three RVL vets declared she was sore in the near-foreleg.
Two of those vets, Paul O'Callaghan and Geoff Hazard, pronounced her lame in her other foreleg before she beat Blue Diamond rival Marveen in the fastest 1000-metre jumpout at Caulfield last Tuesday.
McDonald maintains that Chilean Miss has nothing more than a "scratchy" action and is perfectly sound which was evidenced by vets who couldn't detect any lameness after last week's trial.
O'Callaghan said that he and at least one other RVL vet would inspect Chilean Miss on Friday.
"It will be an intensive sort of examination of her and with consultation with McDonald's own veterinarian (Dr Rob McGuinness)," O'Callaghan said.
O'Callaghan said a secondary veterinary examination may be required on Saturday depending on the outcome of Friday's inspection.
McDonald said McGuinness had already passed Chilean Miss to run in the Blue Diamond.
"She is a funny-gaited horse," McDonald said. "She's got an action where she half bobs her head at a walk and trot and swaps legs.
"Once she gets out there and warmed up her action comes good.
"They can look at her as much as they like but she is not going to change. She has been like that from day one and she is like that today."
McDonald said that lack of race experience made it difficult to assess Chilean Miss's chances going into the Blue Diamond.
"It is mission impossible because you can't get a guide where you are at," McDonald said.
"She is coming off a soft Mornington win so there are a lot of unknowns.
"However it is a $1 million dollar race, we think she is fit and well and think she has the ability to be there.
"We don't want to be making up the numbers. We want to be in it and be competitive."
Lee Freedman-trained stablemates Wilander and Exceedingly Good maintained their place at the top of the Blue Diamond betting charts after drawing gates five and one respectively.
Sportsbet expects them to finish in the same order as in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude with Wilander at $5.50 ahead of Exceedingly Good ($6).
Freedman's other runner Okaylah ($21) drew barrier four.
Mark Kavanagh-trained Fillies Prelude winner Believe'n'succeed is $7.50 but has drawn the outside of the field.
"There are 13 better barriers but with a bit of luck she will be out of any trouble," Kavanagh said.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Shane Dye back at Randwick

2008-02-19T09:29:00.000-01:00

Internationally-acclaimed jockey Shane Dye has wasted no time getting down to business since relinquishing his Hong Kong riding licence and returning to Sydney.
The 41-year-old revealed his shock plans to head back to Australia late last week after eight years riding in Hong Kong.
Dye signalled he was serious about making an immediate impact in Sydney, heading out to Randwick trackwork on Tuesday morning and putting several of trainer Graeme Rogerson's team through their paces.
Rogerson and Dye, who both hail from New Zealand, have enjoyed great success over the years with their feature wins including the 1997 AJC Australian Derby with Ebony Grosve.
"He rode eight for me in work this morning. He looks fit and well," Rogerson said.
"He's riding a few nice horses for me at the Randwick trials on Friday as well."
Dye is currently serving a careless riding suspension incurred in Hong Kong and can return to the saddle on March 2.
Rogerson said he would have no hesitation putting Dye on his horses and predicted the flamboyant hoop would make an immediate impact in Sydney.
"For sure, he's a world-class rider," Rogerson said.
"We've had a good association and we've won a lot of big races together."
While Dye has handed in his Hong Kong licence for this season he has left the door open for a return, telling the South China Morning Post he was primarily heading to Sydney to get his fitness back on track.
Dye said a combination of injuries and suspensions meant he was lacking "match practice" and unable to ride enough in Hong Kong to get his form back to where he wanted it.
He believed Sydney's busier racing program would give him the foundation to return to his top.
He is also keen to spend more time with his sons, Nicholas and Jack, who both live in Sydney.
"I'm going back to Sydney for the rest of this season, but I will be applying for a Hong Kong licence again," Dye told the South China Morning Post.
"At my age, I'm not riding often enough to get back to being properly fit. With two meetings a week and a handful of trials a week, it won't happen in Hong Kong."
Dye, who suffered life-threatening injuries and required emergency brain surgery following a horror fall at Sha Tin in June 2006, has had a below-par season in Hong Kong as a result of his setbacks, riding just seven winners.
He has never won the Hong Kong jockeys' premiership but was runner-up to Douglas Whyte three times in 2002-04.
The Big G
HOME PAGE

Superman vs Ace Ventura and Jody Schecter in a Porsche

2008-02-19T08:35:00.000-01:00

Theres a race where Super Man is riding the favourite Ace Ventura makes the pace and we see a great ride from a jockey who was christened Minnie yet rides like a Porche but when they get into the final furlong Barend just goes Voster and Voster and Voster and draws away from Jody Schecter like he's looking for parking, in fact if you wanna catch Barend you'll have to call the police so if you have backed number 2 go get in the queue..........
Listening to that comentry you would be forgiven for thinking that fantasy racing has eventually become a reality in South Africa however the reason behind this race is quite simple the effervescent Smiley (no pun intended) Moosa is back behind the Mic and calling races again.
This larger than life character (who is the race callers answer to "Andrew Fortune" manages to make you smile even if the horse he calls home is not the one carrying your hard earned South African currency) is at long last back calling,he was at Borrowdale over the weekend and was as entertaining as ever,good to see you back and welcome home Smiley I for one hope that this is the start of another Smiling era.
The Big G
HOME PAGE