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MOONEY VALLEY R1     3,9 MOONEY VALLEY R3     7,8   BB MOONEY VALLEY R4    4,9    BB MOONEY VALLEY R8    4,11 MOONEY VALLEY R9    2,7 RANDWICK R2    11,15 RANDWICK R3    7,17 RANDWICK R5    1,4 RANDWICK R6     2,10 RANDWICK R7     1,10 RANDWICK R8     1,5 RANDWICK R9    5,7 Thanks John and Scooby

Well even though overall it was a relatively poor field, Sharp n Smart was the outsider of the nine runners so to finish in third place after running second-last for most of the distance wasn't a bad run l guess.....

Not our Kevin Stott I suspect but an Australian jockey. The UK Kevin Stott hasn't had the best of things recently - just one ride in the last fortnight at Southwell last Wednesday. He's ridden 29 winners this season but has been making more headlines off the track as a result of splitting up with his partner Megan Nicholls. Megan was his Agent so booked his rides and is the daughter of jumps trainer Paul Nicholls - she is also establishing himself as a tv pundit for Racing UK and for ITV Racing. I saw her working alongside Nick Luck at Sandown and Lydia Hislop at Goodwood and I wouldn't be surprised if she is being lined up to become a lead presenter in a few years - possibly taking over from the beloved Francesca Cumani on ITV especially in the winter when Francesca doesn't appear and poor old Ed Chamberlin looks a bit lost dealing with the likes of Ruby Walsh and the wonderful Sir Anthony McCoy.

R1. Moonee Valley R1      1, 10     BEST BET R2. Moonee Valley R3       4, 7 R3. Moonee Valley R4       8, 9 R4. Moonee Valley R8       5, 7 R5. Moonee Valley R9       2, 8  R6. Randwick R2               2, 4      BEST BET R7. Randwick R3                4, 7 R8. Randwick R5               1, 2 R9. Randwick R6               3, 9 R10. Randwick R7            1, 2  R11. Randwick R8            1, 14 R12. Randwick R9            5, 12 Thanks John and Scooby On the road in the morning so will try and get to scratchings at some point ...

Not got time to go through the Moonee Valley Gold Cup contenders - SERPENTINE was an English Derby winner once as you all know and JUST TIME was a decent handicapper (just below Listed class) in 2022. Overnight (for me) we have the Cox Plate and DOCKLANDS is the sole European representative. You could argue he has a huge chance on his Queen Anne second which is very strong form but he was midfield in the Juddmonte at York which, to be fair, was one of the two or three strongest races run in the UK this season. Yes, he was no match for CITY OF TROY or CALANDAGAN but he was only three lengths behind BLUESTOCKING who went on to win the Arc de Triomphe. Would any of the others in the Cox Plate field have done as well? Obviously, I've no clue how well he has travelled or prepared and he's 16/1 over here running off an official UK rating of 115.  If he brings his best form to the table he'd have a serious chance but it's a big ask - my idea of the winner is the Japanese raider PROGNOSIS who is no LYS GRACIEUX but has still mixed it with the likes of EQUINOX and ROMANTIC WARRIOR who are world class animals. True, PROGNOSIS has to come back from a poor run last time in Sapporo but we know the Japanese horses can be laid out for specific races. 

Back from my off-grid break in rural Derbyshire - very relaxing part of the world, full of mills and mines and quite near three racecourses, Uttoxeter, Southwell and Nottingham, none of them Grade 1 venues but all have decent racing throughout the year.  A full review of Champions Day at Ascot to follow but we have quite a busy weekend up here as we begin the journey from summer to winter and jumps racing returns. Today sees the opening two day Cheltenham fixture which takes place on Good ground - the feature is the Grade 2 Novices Hurdle over 3250m. A clash between two or three who have been making hay through the summer - GALE MAHLER comes over from Ireland and has won six on the bounce since May including, last time, a Galway Bumper by ten lengths. He's looked much too good for the British summer jumpers from the smaller stables but now meets some interesting contenders from the bigger stables. Paul NIcholls saddles BRAVE KNIGHT who was rated min the mid 80s when handicapping on the flat but has taken well to hurdles winning his three races. He wasn't convincing at Newton Abbot last time but that is a really sharp track and I think he'll much prefer the galloping expanse of Prestbury Park - the Abbot, as it is known, for those unfamiliar, is basically Taupo with hurdles and fences. Dan Skelton, who was once assistant to Nicholls and of course finished in front of his former employer when runner up in the trainers' championship behind Willie Mullins last season, saddles VALGRAND who has won his two hurdle races, last time over 3950m at Market Rasen (or Raspberry as it is called). VALGRAND was second in the Bumper at this meeting last year so the course should be fine but I just wonder if he could do with a bit further. Olly Murphy is a rising star in the jumps training ranks and has started the new campaign strongly - he runs IMAGINARIUM who he has recently got from Lucinda Russell in Scotland. IMAGINARIUM raced off marks in the low 90s in Irish flat handicaps and won on hurdles debut at Perth. He may lack the jumping experience of some of the others but has potential as does hurdling debutant DANCING IN PARIS who ran over 2400m on the flat and in decent company (Class 2 handicaps at Ascot and York running off marks around 90). An informative race I hope - my selection is BRAVE KNIGHT but I'll not play financially. Tomorrow sees Cheltenham, Doncaster and Newbury all complete their two day fixtures. Cheltenham's card tomorrow is competitive while Newbury, where the ground is Heavy, stages its final day of Flat action with a couple of Group 3 events so the main focus shifts to Town Moor which sees the final British Group 1 of the season - the William Hill Futurity - over the straight 1609m for the juveniles. The ground is Soft but it rarely gets that deep at Doncaster and it's more likely to be tacky, dead ground. Eight go to post and it's an interesting heat. Current favourite is Royal Lodge winner WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE who saw off ROYAL PLAYRIGHT, the latter given an enterprising ride by Jamie Spancer but now ridden by Oisin Murphy, the champion jockey. Can the latter make up a length and a quarter from Newmarket? It's hard to see why though the bigger question is which of the two has taken the Newmarket race better and we won't know that until the paddock. Aidan O'Brien relies on DELACROIX who won a Group 3 over the same course as the Royal Lodge at Newmarket a fortnight ago. Again, it's a quick turnround but you obviously have to respect anything and everything Aidan sends over and he's not had a lot of racing and of course Aidan's record in the Futurity and the horses with which he was won the race also speak volumes. The Gosdens have had, by their high standards, a quiet spell and the unbeaten DETAIN comes here from two wins on the Polytrack at Kempton and could be anything.  Aidan's runner has a big chance but of the Irish contenders I prefer Beresford winner HOTAZHELL from the Jessie Harrington yard. Previously, HOTAZHELL had chased home HENRI MATISSE in the Irish Futurity (over 1400m) so it's solid Group 2 form and at 7/1 is an each way play.  Charlie Appleby runs ANNO DOMINI who won two races in midsummer on very much quicker ground but the sire, New Bay, went on slow ground but it's a leap of faith if you fancy this one. Without seeing them in the paddock it's hard to make the call so I'll suggest an each way play on HOTAZHELL if all eight stand. Sunday sees an excellent card at Saint-Cloud featuring three Group 1 races headlined by the Royal Oak over 3000m which is generally referred to as the French St Leger. The ground is Heavy so it'll be a real slog in the sutumn mud - the final declarations are out this morning and I'll post some thoughts on these later.

Interesting that SNS has to carry 4kg more than the horse that beat him in the VRC Derby.

The fastest one always wins ?

Francesco Guardi is way overdue.Won this race before.

Thoughts on the steer…..

I think it's "Wait For Ages". 

Charlie Brown 

Charlie Brown……

I'm sure @Canterbury Man will know!

From raceday performance figures, mid July. North Island-   641 races & 5641 starters                       Stakes $10,041,121          Funding $12,787,247         GBR $7,317,989 Lower South I-  550             5401 starters                                     $7,366,135             Funding $8,820,678          GBR $6,976,421 The North Island received  $3,966569 more funding than the lower South Island, while only earning $341,565  more GBR GBR to Funding North-  57%      GBR to Funding South-  79% Each starter in the North Island raced for an average of $1,780, lower South $1,363 Population of the North Island  4 million     -     Population of the South Island from Oamaru south  -  230,000

Avondale Jockey Club Members Endorse MOU New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is pleased to update the industry on the progress following the previously mentioned 21 October Avondale Jockey Club (AJC) members’ forum to discuss the recently signed non-binding memorandum of understanding. The MOU between AJC and NZTR outlines a framework for which parties seek to resolve the future of the Avondale Racecourse when racing ceases at the venue following the end of the 25/26 season. The outcome Monday showed a majority of AJC members present at the forum endorsed the non-binding MOU between AJC and NZTR. This endorsement provides a mandate for negotiations of a legally binding Racing Venue Transfer Agreement. “I am encouraged by the support the AJC members have given to explore a legally binding agreement,” NZTR CEO Bruce Sharrock said. “I would like to thank AJC President Tracey Berkahn and her committee for the work put in over the previous 12 months, and I look forward to continuing to work together to find the best solution for NZ racing, the West Auckland community and AJC” Negotiations between NZTR and AJC will now commence with an aim to find a resolution by 30 June 2025.  Should an agreement be reached, it will be subject to the approval of a special resolution of the members of the club. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 252 2803 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

Can't say I understand the weight scale.  3 geldings of similar age and rating are carded 59, 58 and 55kgs.  Anyone know how the penalties are set?  

Would be amazed if he won. I worry that he is....past it and needs a major reboot. Time will tell. 

Nothing on google about this Hedly so you are being scammed but I did find this ,  New data from the CDC show that the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna dramatically cut hospitalizations in older adults. Europe is on track to reach herd immunity this summer, BioNTech's CEO said.  New real-world CDC data show that the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines cut hospitalizations for older adults by 94%. For those who are partially vaccinated, the risk of hospitalization is cut by 64%. Europe has struggled to get its vaccination program off the ground, but now the region is set to reach herd immunity in three to four months, BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin said on Wednesday. The pandemic has changed how people work, and Pfizer is adapting. The company is putting its Philadelphia campus up for sale as it seeks to "provide more modern and flexible workspaces for our colleagues," Philly Voice reports. The Philadelphia Business Journal first reported the mov

Don' we F@#CKEN know it !!!