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Thanks Baz, yes, Voltaire’s Secret makes his debut this Saturday at TeRapa in race 4, the maiden 3yo 1200m. His work has been good, he has blinkers and a tongue tie on, and Vinny Colgan takes the mount. I do think he will handle the ground, although TeRapa can trip a few up these days. Good luck to his new owners and I hope he runs a big race for you.

High Sparrow & the Wood Team with Voltaire's Secret in Race 4 at Te Rapa Saturday! Race Cafe members I'm sure will be cheering you home! ....I might even pop down and watch him live! All The Best!

I'll look after Riccarton Maria.

Being clear of the well clear of the field at Forbury and jumping a puddle - think he fell if my memory is correct

Deja bloody vu! One of my ancestors once lived in London, where the King of England did. Top that! So much dropped here that it will take a bloody big shovel to shift it.

Final flight for Errol Skelton New Zealand racing is set to farewell another member of the Skelton family with the sudden death of Errol Bryan Skelton. Skelton, just a month short of his 82ndbirthday, passed away last Friday at home in Levin and a celebration of his life will be held at the Salvation Army Worship and Community Centre in Levin on Thursday at 2pm. The five Skelton brothers – Bill, Frank, Bob, Errol and Max – are synonymous with New Zealand racing, original West Coasters hailing from Cobden in Greymouth and all enjoying success as jockeys, though Errol’s main highlights came as a trainer. The brothers rode a total of 4581 winners in New Zealand with Bill setting the benchmark and becoming the first New Zealand jockey to notch 2000 wins, while Bob included a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Van Der Hum among his host of victories and Max also enjoyed success overseas. Both Bill and Bob Skelton passed away in 2016, several years after brother Frank, and now with the death of Errol, Max Skelton (living in Christchurch) is the sole survivor of the famous five and feeling the latest loss. “We were all good mates – competitive on racedays, but we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company,” Max Skelton said. “Errol’s death has left a big hole. We were pretty close. He was quite a character, often funny without trying to be, and he loved helping people. He was all set to come for the Grand National meeting next month.” While overshadowed by his brothers as a jockey, Skelton still managed to ride 37 winners from 1955 before increasing weight and injuries from a fall saw him switch to training in 1964. His most memorable win as a jockey was the 1963 Otago Steeplechase on Tarmine. Skelton retired from training in 2006 with 296 wins in New Zealand, the latest being Royal Shaka at Wanganui in September 2004. He never had a big team in work and in the twilight years of training he pottered around with just a few horses. But the statistics don’t tell the whole story. Within his 40 years of training he saddled up some of the best horses in the country and his success spilled over to Australia. “He was so casual with his horses and they responded so well to him,” Max Skelton said. “Some thought he was too casual, but he got results. “One of the biggest thrills Errol got was winning the Greymouth Cup. Brother Bill was there and his son, David, rode him, and Frank, my other brother, had a share in him.” To go back to his hometown and win that 1994 Greymouth Cup was indeed special for Skelton and Grey Raider went on three starts later to also win the Kumara Gold Nuggets (2000m) for the same combination. Skelton initially rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the versatile Frederik, who won 11 races, including the 1971 Listed Parliamentary Handicap (2200m), the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) twice, the Wellington Steeplechase (5400m), the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3100m) and the McGregor Grant Steeplechase (4900m). Rose Mellay then emerged to win the 1974 Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) with Bob Skelton aboard after being runner-up the previous season in both the (then Gr.2) New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) when they were run at Riccarton for the last time. Skelton later produced his top filly Our Flight, who won the 1982 Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie after just failing to land the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) – New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) double at Riccarton when going down by a mere nose to Clansman in the first leg. Our Flight’s eight wins that season also included Skelton’s hometown feature, the Gr.1 Bayer Classic (1600m), and she was third in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), winding up the 1982-83 New Zealand Filly of the Year. Sly Wink was the top filly on the 1976-77 New Zealand 2YO Free Handicap for Skelton. She won 13 races, was Group One runner-up in the 1978 Telegraph Handicap (1200m) and 1977 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and third in the Gr.1 Railway Handicap (1200m). Rose And Thistle was a hardy performer, winning 10 of his 106 starts, including the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Handicap (2400m) at Ellerslie and was runner-up in the 1981 Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and the Gr.1 New Zealand St Leger (2800m). Skelton regularly took Rose And Thistle to Australia, where his many fine efforts included a second in the Gr.3 VATC Herbert Power Handicap (2400m) and thirds in both the 1984 Gr.1 Brisbane Cup (3200m) and Gr.2 P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2232m) and probably the most memorable of all, a fourth in the 1984 Melbourne Cup when ridden by Bob Skelton after being among the tailenders in the 1982 edition with the same rider. In 1990 Skelton won the O’Shea Stakes - Brisbane Cup double with Shuzohra, a dual Group Three winner in New Zealand who went on to finish third in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), the Gr.2 Turnbull Stakes and the Sandown Cup (2400m) and was unplaced in the 1990 Melbourne Cup. Shuzohra ended her career with a second in the 1991 Gr.1 STC BMW Stakes (2400m) after being runner-up to Castletown in both the Gr.1 Wellington Cup (3200m) and Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2400m). Other top performers for Skelton included Asheen (Gr.2 Cuddle Stakes, 1600m, second Gr.1 Easter Handicap, 1600m), Kosha (10 wins; Gr.2 ARC Flag Inns Trophy, 1600m, second Gr.1 Telegraph Handicap, 1200m) and Fairfield Lad (11 wins; Gr.3 CJC Winter Cup, 1600m).

A great article which puts things into perspective from line one Let’s get straight to the point, the racing industries in NSW and Victoria are flying. There is massive prizemoney being splashed around like it’s growing on trees, and the participants can’t help but rub their hands with glee. The jockeys in Victoria are even competing for a $400,000 booty in the Star Of The Saddle competition, well at least a couple of them will be. Over the past couple of weeks we've had drum rolls followed by huge industry announcements, last week it was more than $100 million in prizemoney being on offer during the Melbourne spring, including five bonuses totalling $4m. In Sydney of course there’s the $14 million The Everest, which is this year complemented by the shiny new toy, the $7.5 million Golden Eagle. Queensland and West Australia are being left behind in the arms race while South Australia is a basket case. The end of the rainbow finishes in Sydney and Melbourne, so it came as no surprise when West Aussie Bob Peters elected to send a couple of his stable stars to Sydney for the spring. Forget about the summer back home, the money on offer in the east is impossible to ignore. There’s plenty of talk around that the money trees in NSW and Victoria haven’t shed all their leaves yet so there’s more to come. It’s like someone found the combination to the vault, or better still they’ve discovered a money-making machine out the back. And they have. So where is all this money coming from? Well the answer is simple, it comes from you, the punter. Without punters racing has nothing. With a raft of tax increases over the past few years administrators have found a way to squeeze every last drop out of the bookmakers, and in turn those taxes are passed onto the punters with bigger percentages and smaller returns. Then there’s the old rounding down issue which gets pushed aside as if it’s nothing, but the reality is punters are getting ripped off big time. A horse could be paying $1.99 but with the rounding down the dividend will be $1.90. This delivers tens of millions to the TAB’s coffers every year. As far back as 2003 the then TAB supremo Warren Wilson said "rounding is part of the funding model or price, so if you take it out of the equation there is a need to make up the revenues somewhere else" while adding "in the end it is the same result". So, the bottom line to the ‘rounding issue’ would be take out the rounding down and replace it with another model where that $1.99 would be rounded up to $2 but the result would most likely be a rise in the takeout rates. Another beauty is the rebates being paid to major players for doing their business with the jolly green giant. The take-out for win dividends is 15% on every race, but some players are getting back anything up to 10%, it’s a pretty good deal if you can get it. Rule out some no-hopers and bet to a 100% market with the view to finishing even on the race then pick up the rebate. Again, the bottom line is the punter at the lower end of the food chain is the one subsidising these rebates. The racing industry in NSW and Victoria has never been healthier and it’s getting bigger virtually every week, however along the way there has to be collateral damage and the ones getting damaged are the punters. While all the power brokers are giving themselves a pat on the back maybe somewhere along the way they could spare a thought for those who are actually paying the piper, the punters. I spoke to a bookmaker about the increased taxes they are paying and there’s the Race Fields Fees, Point of Consumption Tax, GST and company tax, plus you’ve got your normal costs associated with running a business with the result being the prices now being offered are close to 120% on Victorian racing. “Previously we’d bet to a 110-112% market but with all the taxes now you have no option than to pass it onto the punter by betting shorter odds,” he said. So, is it sustainable to be injecting so much money into the racing business through increased prizemoney which is funded solely by the punter? “We bet $1.95 lines for the State Of Origin and that equates to 102.5%, and while understanding there’s a difference in sports betting and betting on the races the discrepancy in the percentages is significant,” the bookie said. “We are seeing dramatic increases in sports betting while I just don’t know whether it’s sustainable on the races, and in the end if turnover flattens out how can they possibly continue to increase prizemoney levels.” Mark Haywood, who has a been regular contributor to Racenet over the years wrote an article on Champion Bets where he compared the market percentages on all Victorian thoroughbred races from September 2016 through to May this year. He used official SP prices and found the percentages fluctuated between 118% and 116% early in his study until steadily rising from March 2018. His study showed from January this year the percentages were always over 120% and more recently they have been over 121%. So, while the racing industry is clearly winning, there must be a loser to pay for the journey and who is that loser? The punter of course Racenet

Jack, one of our comp stalwarts has just been in contact and due to unforeseen circumstances was unable to register earlier - I'll slot you in as first reserve Jack

Great thanks Positions filled. Charlie and Winfreux you are in For those that have not registered just post your selections on the selections thread and if anyone doesn't post on Saturday by close at 2.15pm I will slot you in their spot Thanks everyone!

Chestnut , put me down for Beaudesert if you the extra player. I am across in Hong Kong. Just be patient with my Posting's. It would be nice to play with Dad in a Team Tipping Competition. Beaudesert is a special Town in his life. Cheer's.

Charlie is keen Thanks

Hi Maria, Beaudeset or anything else, Thanks for all your effort. Cheers Tony

Why not build a new Racecourse/Golf Course on White Island?

IMO the big guys won't add anything because everybody on this site is seen as a potential owner,and given the list of some of their present owners,one bad comment might put them out of contention of being the trainer of your choice and their present owners choice.

Thank you to Scooby for the very comprehensive coverage of the career of the late Errol Skelton. Thank you also to Chestnut for that sterling photo of the Skelton clan. My own treasured possession of the Skeltons is the Souvenir Card -- 2/- of the Greymouth Jockey Club's Summer Meeting of Monday, November 28, 1966. The cover shows the 5 brothers in their racing silks - in age-ascending order - and in the centre pages of the race book.are further excellent photos. First, the boys' parents, Mr & Mrs W G Skelton, then, below, Mr & Mrs R J Skelton & their young family of 4. Atop the next page it is Mr & Mrs W D Skelton and their family of 3 young ones. Finally Mr & Mrs F H Skelton and their even younger 3 children. This is a genuine Souvenir Card. I have two personal memories of Errol. One of my brothers and I were in the Regent Restaurant in Broadway, Reefton, waiting on our fish and chips when jockey Errol came in and ordered Steak and chips. We were amazed but, on reflection we realised that at the time it was not unusual for horses to be rehandicapped 10lbs for a win and this could happen 2 or 3 times over the Coast circuit. Consequently Errol, always a little heavier than his brothers, could put away a good meal without having to worry too much about over-tipping the scales. Only a few years ago, I saw Errol at Riccarton at the Grand National meeting. He seemed a bit lost so I called out to him to offer some assistance. It turned out he had been told there was a lift at the bottom of the main public stand and it is/was almost hidden away right round the back. On the way there, I asked him if he could confirm what one of my uncle's used to say. Namely, that the first time the 5 boys rode together in a race was at Reefton. Yes, said Errol, that is correct and it was the only time we were all in a race together. A very engaging person, Errol Bryan Skelton. May you rest in peace.

I was one to post on it but I'm only doing a couple of horses now so not a lot to report from me unfortunately nately.

Hi Maria, happy to go into any of the vacant spots remaining. Cheers

That's a bit more sensible. $1000 is just ridiculous. It only looks and sounds like a lot to the trolls and narks that work in banks and the DIA.

From Left : Max, Errol, Bob, Mother, Father, Bill and Frank.

Randwick race 1 #3 Mandela This boy is riddled with talent and is clearly still learning his craft but he is a potential superstar. Love his breeding, by Sebring out of a Lonhro mare, he should’ve won his debut after veering out late. He’s since won a trial in impressive style, savaging the line through the pack and no doubt Peter Snowden has ironed out his kinks going into his second run. Opened up $1.95 Fixed and has already been backed. Exciting horse. Enjoy

His dead heat in the Golden Slipper

Three years off and not pushing his comeback taking just the single drive Greg