Pam Robson

For sure....but what I can't understand, for the life of me, is why [ supposedly ] commercial breeders would spend money on travelling poorly-prepared and conformed horses to try and sell in the first place? I commented yesterday on a youngster working itself to a frazzle in its box, to be told ' oh, it's never been in a box before ' ....wtf? Bloodstock agents and many trainers are buying for the overseas market in a lot of cases, Asia and Australia, where stabling 24/7 is the norm. What is wrong with people? What do they expect? White Robe horses were, as always, standouts.

Hell no....! And my take on any specific figure is that as the board of trustees - as separate from the board of the cjc- have been and/or will be the recipient of any funds, this will not be shown in the normal balance of accts at CJC board meetings.

Callao Queen, by Sea Artist

I think the 'fire axe' referred to the pacer Vanderford becoming panicked on a plane....Powley was on a very rough ferry crossing and died as a result ....dehydration and associated stress....as a result of that horror crossing NZ Rail altered the criteria for livestock crossing Cook Strait.

I remember that well...it still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck just watching. What an unbelievable horse, no wonder he was so cranky with the pain he must have suffered from his bad feet...and yes, the stories of some of the 'methods' used....! Wouldn't happen now, one would like to think. My father was on the committee of the old Canterbury Park trotting club, before it amalgamated with the Met...I always followed harness racing as a child.

She's a good rider, notwithstanding all the suspensions.....and aren't jocks supposed to be able to judge pace? Zawhip seriously good horse in the making, IMO - but given little chance.

And here was I thinking Mr Bidlake was taking the p......

Used to love the chowder and whitebait that the local ladies provided in the tearoom

Some are not impressed ...none of us want to see the trees and spacious areas gone, but the more pragmatic are happy to see progress. One point of concern to all is the loss of the pony club/ chute area where horses had a nice walk through the trees and were able to be exercised off the track in the old pony club grounds. I don't think any thought or consideration was ever given to that side of things. Also, with respect to further stabling areas being developed, the space is very limited for that purpose now. I guess no one ever envisaged the scope of development of stable complexes back in the 70's....but if only there had been some plan or design made instead of the hotch-potch of barns and shelters and stable blocks thrown up with little thought to access for feed delivery trucks, manure removal, transporters, etc.

A little, further to the discussion....but the amount I will not disclose out of courtesy at this point in time. The Racecourse Reserve Trustees have been paid a deposit by Ngai Tahu property.development. The Trustees [ NOT the CJC ] will invest the sum, the interest on that will go the the CJC for racing funding matters, more of the same will follow that path as further payments are made. You can easily look up the personnel on the Board of Trustees.

No problem.....

Correct. The then Conservation Minister, Nick Smith, gave permission for the original intent of the Founding Fathers of Canterbury's Deed of Gift to be 'modified' in the case of housing...National needed housing of course, and the development is in partnership with Ngai Tahu Property.

Busloads used to go to watch the Amateur Riders Steeplechase. Best entertainment ever.

Thoreau was the sire of my first winner as a public trainer - off topic and of no consequence to anyone else - but I will always have a soft spot for little Hooray Henry, who won a 2000m maiden fresh up ridden by Lorna Cook. Lorna was apprenticed to Dave Kerr; I couldn't get a rider for him, so Dave said, use Lorna, she probably won't fall off..she didn't, and the pair won next time out at Riccarton as well.

M.C.T was here celebrating a birthday just the other day....haven't run across him yet though.