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It couldnt of happened to a more couages person than your self Henny (exuse the spelling) I have watch you over the last couple of years battling your issues and with the help of your devoted friends you have archived some great results it just proves to me when the will is there you can always fight the odds.Enjoy the moment.

Thank you so much. He's our kennel star. I refuse to come down from cloud 9 for a few weeks. lol

Leo well done you have a great knowledge for your greyhounds you are a great trainer and proved it with a capable dog at odds well done

One look at Manakau and that's all he needed. 4.45 first section today which is flying. One track specialist.. nope . Think he just needs a look to work things out. Well Done to Floyd, Calum, May and the connections of the best sprinter in the country. Great result

Really enjoyed the shots from the Drone it certinaly gave you a different prespective of the races. Henny congraulations on your third placing your dog more than likely wasnt distracted like a couple of the hot shots.

All the best Erena. Top lady, everyone's friend.

think one of the very best trainers I have met might be going to Australia with mark jones.

I thoroughly enjoyed my chats with Erena at the races and wish her all the very best with her retirement... Best wishes Brent Littlejohn

It is absolutely great to have Tony back.. Teddy you are so so right about Tony's attitude to tipping. It was Glenn Broomhall who stuffed tony but thankfully he is well gone my opinion good riddance

No not at all but they cop so much and mostly unwarranted shit from you and others, so I happen to think they are bloody good for the NZ industry and I am entitled to my opinion as are you....it shows how jealous many are in here of their success... 70 views and only two people can bring themselves to say well done on a good win... each to their own and yes I do give them a plug when I want to...and no they don't have any connection to the site whatsoever.... but David and his team put a hell of a lot into the industry in NZ and good on them for getting results....its not easy to do...no matter what some in here think....

Did you have to make me cry. It really is the pinnacle in our career. Must not forget Leo. Without him we would not be anywhere near this result. Thank you so much for your kind words.

Ohokaman, your comments about The Dame in question are out of line. The naughtiness she was tasked with checking on is widespread in the English Establishment. When a pesky colonial like her started turning up the dirt her position was made very very uncomfortable. Also, the Rupert Murdoch press worked hand in glove with The Establishment in a way to mercilessly pillory her. Altogether it was a sad time for The Dame.

The Club is in great form, well done Al and BS

dWhat a lovely farewell in Cambridge for Erana yesterday, after a 15 year stint as Waikato and Auckland Lure driving. Possibly the best lure driver in New Zealand or the best woman lure driver in the world. If not certainly the most wonderful and beautiful person to do so. It was heart warming to hear the genuine tributes from Robert Death, John Roberts and Wayne Steele whose jobs were made so much easier by the fact they were able to relate the facts without having to embellish anything, making sure people understood not just Erana's lure driving skills but most of all how she so genuinely conducted herself and is loved and respected by so many..

I offered the same queries about Gingernuts...ie was the Guineas ana berration on account oft he Slow8...but on yesterday's form he could be anything. Pleasantly surprised to see Sacred Elixir make up a ton of ground...maybe he's a slow burner and will win in Brisbane in June (or Sydney earliet) Have a feeling he could be a top 2-miler next year in they don't kill him with racing first! Of the undercard...Tavidream and splurge lok topliners in the making.

Good luck to all involved at Auckland today, I'm at work today but hopefully no customers when the race is on! Gutted Vegas Burst got scratched but will be yelling for Letron James to make the top three in the cup at $22 place futures

"Have a re-read son it was not your post in the reference when the comment was made" Don't be so condescending, that attitude solves nothing....

Mrs Cubes went to Logan Park High School in Dunedin just in case any 'Cafers were wondering....

Bloody awful ride by Innes though Trumpy. He had no hope from back where he was. Bosson had Gingernuts ahead of midfield perfectly placed to make his move. SE made up a ton of ground and ended up 3.5l from the winner. Innes didn't have a very good day actually. If he had ridden SE like he did Chenille, might have been different.

I went out with a posh girl for a while....instead of screaming "GOD....I'M COMING!!!! she would tap me on the shoulder and quietly say...."Excuse me, but I am about to arrive" .

Just reading all of this again I'm struggling to work out what Hesi actually said to press your buttons Leigh. The observation that they kept Gingernuts quiet after all the bluster about Xtravagant is a pertinent one. Nowhere did I see Hesi actually bag Te Akau for the win. You are always correct in saying that you own this site but honestly I think you overreacted to this one big time. No offence intended at all in this post.

In my point of view, a top trainer is a top horseman. - someone who can take a crap horse and make it average, take an average horse and make it ok, and take an ok horse and make it 'good'. However, often the real horsemen never get the opportunity of having a 'great' horse, because their focus is on the animal - not the people. I feel that what often makes a trainer appear to be 'good' is, as TBL alluded to, the 'brand' of the trainer. In order to be a 'brand' they are generally fabulous talkers - basically salesmen, who are able to capture wealthy clients, who invest heavily in the horses. They therefore will often have a huge number of horses in work. In regards to actual 'training', they may sit at the track in the morning spinning yarns, but not actually dealing with the animal. These trainers also have a huge number of horses However, many of those in work never go to the races because they either: 1. break down 2. aren't good enough. As the trainer is basically running a 'sausage factory' operation, if one horse doesn't stand up, the wealthy owners have another horse waiting in line. As a result, their horses tend to be well bred and their winning stats will automatically be high because they have, essentially, the pick of the crop. It then turns into a cycle of what appears to be success. However, the horsemen isn't often a salesman, so doesn't get wealthy owners at their door. This isn't to say they are rude or poor communicators (often they are anything but), but they are not a really charismatic personality. Because they don't get the wealthy owners, they often have shares in the majority of horses they do have, and because they don't have the wealthy owners, often have to sell their better horses just to survive. As a result their appearance of 'success' (having really high strike rates, or winning group races) is less. And, like the salesman trainers cycle of success continues, the horsemen's cycle of average horses continues. If I was looking for a new trainer, I would approach jockeys and ask their opinion about which trainers they think are the best 'horsemen' and go with them - the jocks know who they are.

Couldn't pick me nose with a selfie stick at 3 feet at the moment Mark. The mojo from the first couple of weeks has gone . Wee way to go yet, let's not panic, another joker to play and a couple of wins and we are on the pigs back. I see I have drawn another of the fairer sex this week, PJ must know my weakness.

a good horse, but with a 500k price tag? would need to be good enough to win a copuple of good races in aus to re-coup costs

Even by your nut case standards this is a new low. Gingernuts resembles Bonecruaher because they're the same colour, sort of, one was a livery chestnut the other is a ginger chestnut, they also share other characteristics like the same number of legs and hooves. They're also both trained north of Taupo if that matters. Stevie Autridge is well recognized and much admired, and he'll be delighted that you've decided he's singlehandedly responsible for this remarkable run TA is having, and it's to be attributed entirely to him. I'm not convinced JR or the rest of the TA team will be quite so happy but I'm sure they'll care greatly about your opinion and they'll have sleepless nights as a result. The trainers can and do run Gingernuts over sprint distances in training twice a week, and they have these things called jockeys, they in turn report back to the trainers about various matters, including if or how the horse is retaining its speed and whether it feels like it wants more or less work. I note SA said on Trackside that putting the horse over a trip had been the making of him, even a village idiot would've noticed that, unless the said village idiot didn't see the Avondale Guineas. The same village idiot would surely have noticed that TA didn't think the horse good enough to nominate for the Derby until they ran him over a trip and he showed them he had special qualities in that field. As for the Cox Plate v. the Melbourne Cup....even a really thick village idiot would know it's WFA over a sharp trip around a turning track v. a handicap over a stayers trip on a big scopey track that favours back runners. Besides we're talking about a gelding here so his stud opportunities are about the same as yours. Did I mention also that the MC was worth far more and Gingernuts would carry less weight. As for the multiple preps, hard to know what you're on about there given that most healthy horses have two preps a season whether they're running in a WFA spring race or a summer handicap. I'd have thought it's of more relevance ( if you're saving the wear and tear ) that the horse is not worked as hard at home, and alternative techniques like swimming supplement conventional training, and I'll bet you TA use every alternative technique they can now so you can rest easy on that. What might be of interest ( but you'd have missed it because you're brain dead ) is that this horse might be one of those rare gems who shows nothing at home ( hence he wasn't nom'd for the Derby ) but who performs raceday. Interestingly those horses who save themselves for raceday are usually more intelligent and occasionally great horses. Anyway, enough of a rant, you're not worth wasting time over, other than to mention that you're a village idiot, and if all the villages donated their idiots to one new village full only of village idiots, you'd be the idiot in that village. And to close, as mentioned Gingernuts is a gelding, what a pity it is that your father wasn't.

one of the best you will ever see mate, especially as you do not see at all many hard running front runners win over a mile there

First off welcome back sir1galivant.! Thanks to Team Turbos for the outstanding performance (apart from captain...will dig hard for 500% turn around this week) Bryn wow you love the (summer) firm tracks!! Betty,Rosina & Teddy love ya work..!! You guys & gals make me proud to be a first ever Captain..!!! Go the Green Turbo Machine..!!!

Widely reported and criticized TN...it is a matter of record. She got paid a hell of a lot for not doing much, then walked away. No doubt there are two sides to the story, but you just don't take on high profile jobs like that and not complete them. Just MO.

Yes was a top run

I backed the Busuttin/Young-trained Rising Red which got topped off thanks to a brilliant ride by Opie and a good horse in Gingernuts of course. But no disgrace, a game effort, Redwood seems to have an early penchant for leaving stock (not progeny as many commentators and adverts for syndication keep calling the sons and daughters of sires) who can stay. I wish someone would tell these so-called experts that mares are "progenitors" and sires leave stock not progeny.

Hahaha, that sounds like Nigel. A spade is a spade and most certainly not a shovel. He's not afraid to offend with his opinion and won't back down, to anyone. Top bloke. And although his involvement in racing is still relatively young, I would suggest he's done more for the industry in that short amount of time than what most of us could dream of doing through his ownership, sponsorship and syndications.

Dead calm Raining all over me Too late Sense of mortality Dark skies Threaten to swallow me Down to the flame While my flesh and my bone melt away I defy you to stand on the crack in the ice With the power of your hand On the crack in the ice

Don't be mischievous Ted. Tony Lee is in a position to throw his weight around(having well and truly earned the right) where Andy McCook is a young guy starting out and clearly has to toe the line. Whether he tips a winner or whether he does not his primary role is as a commentator and from the little I have heard of him he has started off very well. It's all very well to criticize but put yourself in his boots. You don't like it when people criticize the state of the Te Aroha track so cut this young guy some slack.

Jeez I can't see where there are any negatives here. I was one of those that thought the Avondale Guineas was a fluke but today's run was superior and the sheer acceleration the horse showed was exhilarating. How about we all just celebrate a good horse? If Te Akau own it well good on them.

Don't worry about the QC. Midgie could get in and be out before she realises

Always a relief when a plan comes together - what would we have got if the Aussie won the Derby!! Actually missed the last race and just watched a replay - talk about cutting it close!!

Hesi you are only dirty on it as you said it would not finish in the first half of the field. Good on them they got another nice horse. if they spruke them you give it to them for doing it, if they don't you give it to them for that too.... TA can't win either way.

Totally agree. So professional and compassionate. She will be a hard act to follow. Nevertheless all the best to Mike Lozell.

One of lifes true gems for sure, All the happiness in retirement girl Clarkie

I don't believe there is a rule against it. I see no problem with it, and have done it myself when employed by a trainer, handled for someone else when I have a runner engaged, because someone else has that connection. Id say he is asking the question Twirly because in the harness I don't believe a driver can drive another horse if he has ownership or trains another runner in the race.

so are you saying that an owner or worker whos favourite dog it is, is handling the dog. And because the trainer isnt busy and another trainer needs help, that the first trainer cant help? seems silly. I do not believe there is any such rule. I know ive handled dogs for other people while my partner has handled dogs under my name.

My advice to fellow industry participants is to get involved in the political process this election year. I don't care who you vote for but if National are returned and Nathan Guy continues to be the Minister of Racing nothing will change. The NZRB will continue to have appointments based on political allegiances rather than merit and a knowledge of racing and gaming.

I used to work at EY, and while on a salary of around $75,000 per year, was being charged out at $650 per hour. Partners were $1,000+ per hour. It doesn't matter how good you are, no one is that good. That organisation, and others like it, altered the strategic direction particularly for their "advisory services" business, to target the public sector (including organisations like NZRB) because it was viewed as easy money compared with trying to get work from privately-owned organisations (with greater scrutiny over spending). They will be adding very little value with the partners getting rich at the expense of the overall industry. All I can say is that I wouldn't be surprised by the amount of consultants fees, but I would still most likely be disgusted.

The best trainers are ones where you give them a horse & you can trust them enough leave them to it & where you feel like you are not getting shafted/bullshitted. They know more about horses/training than you do, so keep the heck out of the way & let them get on with the job, pay the bills on time and trust they will tell you if needed when its time to pull pin. Everything else is immaterial if the above can't happen.

How to tell a bad trainer ? Not sure but I can recall a certain trainer giving a 2yo, wait for it... 17 Starts !! !! As a 3yo, it hardly did a thing. I think that could be classed as a "Bad Trainer".

Give the guy a chance he is still learning...you seem to have a personal dislike for him.

Teaz is awful. He makes so many mistakes. Race 1 Otaki trots the other day he calls Commando One clearly in second place over Aunty Jan. Didn't even say it was close. Just awful inaccurate commentating.

reg clapp in harness racing was 1 of the very best. in oz thought john tapp was 1 of the best also

Great days. Id have them back in an instant.

Would Kevin Payne or Ian Chambers want their old jobs back.