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Admin/Scooby would you pin this please?. Well that was a good entry turnout for the last 2 weeks, very satisfying. So on to the final leg where it must be won!!. Originally I was going to have 3 races and a "most wins, highest total" set up as I honestly thought it would not get to a 3rd leg. In order to create a bit more fun & interest it will be 3 races but you participants will choose them .....sort of. Sorry Mainlanders as there is not a Southern meeting for me to include this week. So here is the challenge lets call it "Risk & Reward" scenario. Wednesday afternoon I will nominate 5 races , 4 NZ and 1 OZ. (I will put up a template for entries as well) You will choose ANY 3 of those 5 races and select one runner for an Eachway return, that should open things up a bit as someone could take it out with 3 decent place returns. Scratchings go to next available runner in the field.

If Laurel Hubbard wins the gold medal as most people expect in the women's 90+ weightlifting this afternoon then I for one will not be cheering, but will be rather embarrassed as a New Zealander and feeling sorry for the 2nd, 3rd and fourth placegetters. Laurel Hubbard previously Gavin Hubbard competed as a male in the 105+ mens division and is a former junior record holder. Whilst I respect his decision to identify as a woman and have transgender surgery I cannot condone that he competes against women in this power and strength event of weightlifting. I believe this ranks alongside another recent ball tampering sporting disgrace.

A nice story to read Swynford. There are a number of these "bargain buys" which come to mind in recent times, ie dams of Tarzino and Gingernuts, and only last weekend, Mazarine (from the eight carat family), the dam of Vinery Stud Stakes winner Hiyaam was purchased (not in foal) from gavelhouse a couple of years ago for 6k. I guess the possibility of having this good fortune keeps a number of people interested in breeding and racing, although of course the odds are stacked against you being one of the lucky few.

Have you bought a bike yet Hesi? The media pile on continues By CS Heather du Plessis-Allan continues to put the boot into this hapless and inept government: Dead wrong. It is a tax and everyone knows it is a tax. When Jacinda Ardern says it is an excise she has forgotten a word that comes after the word excise… that word is tax. Even our own Customs Service calls it a tax. They’ve broken their tax promise and it only took six months. Heather continues: Aucklanders will be hit more than most. If you want to govern you need to win Auckland. Socking motorists to pay for footpaths, cycleways and a stupid tram to the airport won’t resonate well in Auckland, nor will it resonate on the streets of Palmerston North, Rotorua, Kaitaia or anywhere else where people won’t be able to get a tram to the airport. Labour have fallen under the thrall of wombles and lunatics. They should sit beside a few cycle lanes that are hogging our roads and count the number of people actually using them. They won’t challenge all the fingers on one hand in doing so.

I'm glad Winx ain't going to Ascot...La Zip you say "the international stage at Royal Ascot" ...well, isn't Moonee Valley an international stage on Cox Plate day? Winx's current rating is enough for me to feel comfortable that if any international challengers want to take her on, they can go to Oz in October and have a crack!

Something for you Berri Miss Wilson winner of Saturday's Group One New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes becomes the second Group One winner produced from her dam Cierzo a $2,500 purchase from The Informant. Miss Wilson now a very valuable mare being a half to 5 time Group One winner Jimmy Choux. Both horses the results of planned matings using line breeding. It perhaps should be noted Cierzo could not win a race and has been on sold for mega times her purchase price.

Boris three o meter says 35:4 yesterday i love Winx more than little billy salter but geez I’m getting the shits with the TV ad running ad Norseman day and nite n0? pass the remote Boris

You are a wanker Trump, makes us even I guess.

I don"t mind actually P4P as it is terminating so there is really no strategy in being a smart-arse and going for that Rating 75 2500 metre race Hastings as one of the races!! . And with the OZ races it takes the comp to later in the day when most can settle down and watch their selections. Also if anyone else has a suggestion for a preferred race I am happy to consider it on its merits. Also I can see we may be accused of collusion , so I will state here and now guys it is my $500 and ultimately my choice for the 5 races and at the moment I'm content with 3 OZ races and perhaps the 2 big races at HB providing the field sizes are reasonable.

Agree with you there Huey they were handy stallions, but any brood-mare owner trying to breed a Group One winner from either stallion and trying 62 or 108 times would be financial disaster for most. It depends what you are happy with, those odds or < 1 in 3

I guess in the end it will come down to money vs the thrill of racing a Champion and considering that the owners shouldn't be short of a dollar or two - the obvious choice will be to race him. Go the Laz

Yes will be interesting. Being selfish I would love to see him race another season, providing he is sound. The stud offers will still be there the following season, but I realize he could make more at stud next season than he could racing. Still it would be nice to see him win the cup for a third time and being proven in Australia (which Terror to Love couldn't) must make him the most desirable new stallion by far. I would also hate to see all the sucker bets being taken by the TAB (Laz to win 3rd Cup) ending up in the TAB slush fund.

What’s with such hatefulness lover, relax it is about paddy, krusty ran faster lol

Lol fastest of the night lol faster than Paddy lol cheers

Tradition has never really been respected or appreciated in NZ racing, especially not in recent years. Every week we see races in Australia with time honoured names, and races named after famous horses. In NZ most of our races tend to have locality names, Auckland Cup etc. Very few names like The Stradbroke, in NZ. Some races had prestige through their name rather than the stake, but most have now been let to disappear; Haldon Plate at Riccarton, McLean Stakes at Wingatui, even the Chalmers at Trentham - I know it still exists in name only. I am always appalled that there are no races in the SI named after Grey Way, Show Gate, Phar Lap etc. That would never ever happen in Australia. Canterbury Belle is probably the only SI horse to be recognised in "recent" years.

In those days hurdle racing started late March/ early April. In fact I recall a 'New Years Hurdle race at Ellerslie' half a century or more ago, then you had three consecutive weeks of jumps racing at Te Rapa, Maramarua Hunt meeting at Paeroa midweek, plus point to point racing and jumpers were plenty primed for three days at Ellerslie Northern meeting in a week over Queens Birthday. Like Chris Wood, sadly lost IMHO.

Yes probably right, but it was raced and won every year for over a century, the season pattern is still not as good as it was in my mind!

I general I agree Chris - but I do think the move to put the Great Northern to the end of the jumps season was a sensible one.

Messing with tradition hasnt really worked here in NZ. Possibly the Derby is the only race that this has helped, a bit more time for these horses to mature to cope with the 2400m.

Well by far the biggest offensive joke would actually be you Hesi. Now back to your comics.