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Were the good old days BETTER? Impossible to say T. Man. because judgement parameters cannot easily be set. All I know is that 50 years ago attendees( mostly men) were predominantly on course for the RACING (and the beer, atmosphere and crowd "rush")--a bit like the 50K at Eden Park for 660--they could all listen to 660 on their headphones anywhere, anytime but the big gig was the pull. Nowadays, IMO, any semblance of a crowd is on course for the PARTY and SELFIES. No criticism or blame as any attendance is better than none, but for the majority of younger people the actual horse racing is of little consequence. At least a fine day at Ellerslie is still a beautiful outing. Unfortunately not so at the desolate, deserted Alexandra Park these days when I compare it to the night of Young Quinn winning the Interdoms and John Langdon doing the double in the Trot final. What a buzz that night. Appreciate your details on the earlier times--an age of simplicity and innocence, until Jorgensen and Speight pulled out the machine-gun!

Fine memories indeed from the good old days..........Proud Chief an interesting inclusion though he thrashed the mighty Ben Lomond on a wet track ,and loved some moisture. But were the good old days indeed better ....horses back then seemed to dominate and win them on end ,maybe not sold so quickly or racing in Aussie so frequently.Only some trainers had steroids ! Stipe control loose ! Numbers were good but were there as many fast breeds and good trainers ? But no denying the crowds ......what else was there to do ? No shopping malls , not so many houses in the Coromandel and fast toys to play with. Few worked on weekends and public holidays ! Needs were few , over 50's mostly had false teeth ! Auckland /NZ was 90% Kiwi-bred .....Racing the only form of gambling bar the Golden Kiwi and Cricket Club Housie ! No female jockeys until 1970's......at recent meetings between 25% - 50% Female jockeys.....9 out of 12 in one race. Plus a good % of imported jockeys. Only way to see ,or in some cases hear the races was to be on-course.....radio broadcast of races generally just on one local station. The NZBC racing service on radio with Murray King and Wayne Andrews only did 'feature' races. Yes times have changed...........were the good old days BETTER ?

He was at Avondale races yesterday and looking well.

On to Wednesday and a busy racing day in England and Ireland. At Ascot, we have the Group 3 Sagaro over 3200m for the stayers and it's their first step on the journey through the Gold Cup and the cups at Goodwood and Doncaster later on. STRADIVARIUS makes his re-appearance and he's 8/11 but that reflects perhaps the horse he was. Yes, he won the Gold Cup impressively but was less impressive beating NAYEF ROAD by just a length at Goodwood. From there, he ran a decent second over 2400m in the Niel but was beaten a long way in both the Arc and the Stayers on Champions Day though on both occasions the ground was very heavy. This quicker ground and track will suit and on the figures he has a big chance. Trainer Mark Johnston saddled DEE EX BEE who once went up against STRADIVARIUS. NAYEF ROAD chased home the latter in the Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup but as arguably slightly disappointing when third in the Lonsdale. PRINCE OF ARRAN was fourth in the Caulfield Cup and third in the Melbourne Cup and owes no one anything and I'm sure he'll run his usual good race but I'm more interested in the 4-y-o STAG HORN who improved rapidly through handicaps last season. This is a big step forward but he could be up to it. In Ireland, it's Day 2 at Punchestown and again the championship races mix with the wonderfully eccentric offerings that co-exist in this Festival which still retains very close links to its Kildare roots. The 4800m Novice Hurdle championship race features three Cheltenham winners - you'd think Albert Bartlett winner VANILLIER would be favourite but GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, who won the handicap for the conditional jockeys, is narrowly favoured in the pre-race market. I suppose the argument is an additional 800m on quicker ground will help but VANILLIER demolished a field of well-bred and well-considered novices and it's hard to ignore that. However, we also have Mares Novice Hurdle winner TELLMESOMETHINGGIRL who goes up a full 1600m in trip and could well be the surprise package in what looks a trappy and fascinating heat. The Punchestown Gold Cup is arguably the feature of the week and while the late scratching of Gold Cup winner MINELLA INDO due to a bruised foot has taken some of the lustre from the race, it's still a serious race. AL BOUM PHOTO lost his Gold Cup title but he was carried out on his shield and ran a huge race in third and with the two in front of him absent he has an obvious chance. After getting worked over at Cheltenham, the English are back with champion trainer Paul Nicholls running CLAN DES OBEAUX who looked back to his best at Aintree. He bounces off decent ground and is sure to go well as will KEMBOY who is useless at Cheltenham but a serious contender elsewhere. FAKIR D'OUDARIES was no match for ALLAHO at Cheltenham but won the Marsh at Aintree in style - the trip is a question mark in this grade. It's a very tough race to call - I think KEMBOY could well bounce back to top form away from Prestbury Park but it's a race to savour for all it's missing the Gold Cup winner. The 3200m NH Flat Race sees a re-match between the two Mullins horses who finished first and second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. SIR GERHARD beat KILCRUIT that day but not by much and at 11/10 and 5/4 respectively, the bookies are finding it hard to split them here. There's a danger in the shape of the 4-y-o LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE who gets the weight allowance and ran an extraordinary race on debut at Leopardstown. He was 25/1 and took such a keen hold the saddle slipped after 800m but he was 15 lengths ahead and cruising when taking the wrong course and running out on the home turn. Would ha have stopped? The pundits say not but he'll have to be very good to run down the two Mullins stars.

5-day entries are through for the Guineas Festival at Newmarket where the ground is Good to Firm as the dry spell up here continues. 18 have been entered for the 2000 Guineas - the main surprise is the supplementing of maiden winner MUTASAABEQ. At first look, 10 have a chance and 8 are making up the numbers but with WEMBLEY 4/1 favourite, this is the most open Guineas for many years. It's also worth noting William Buick has chosen MASTER OF THE SEAS over ONE RULER - the former did it well in the Craven but Charlie Appleby has always thought a lot of the latter. It's an interesting move which saw ONE RULER ease to 6s. The main supporting race is the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes over 2400m which was won by Ghaiyyath last year. Just six have been entered - favourite is PYLEDRIVER who won the King Edward VII and the Voltigeur last year. The Derby was a disaster but he ran a decent third in the Leger so you'd think a searching 2400m would be ideal. He's well ahead on the figures and should be too good for all weather handicapper AL ZARAQAAN. More later in the week. Just a reminder, on Sunday, apart from the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket we also have the Ganay at Longchamp. Aidan O'Brien has entered his usual truckload including LOVE but I can't see her running - SKALLETI is an interesting contender. I'm going to leave the Kentucky Derby to Harry who seems very well informed and I'll concentrate on European matters going forward.

Thursday is Day 3 at Punchestown and we have the La Touche which is a 6800m cross country chase - primarily banks and perhaps not the variety of obstacles seen at Cheltenham but it's still a wonderful race to watch. At the business end, 15 go in the Champion Stayers Hurdle over 4800m. FLOORING PORTER was a convincing winner of the World Hurdle at Cheltenham and it's hard to see why the likes of BEACON EDGE and FURY ROAD should reverse places. HEAVEN HELP US was a 33/1 shock winner of the Coral Cup, a handicap hurdle over 4200m at Cheltenham. He's got a lot to do to bother the favourite but he looks a big each way bet at 16s. The 3200m novice chase sees the return of ENERGUMENE who is unbeaten after his win at the Dublin Festival after which all the talk was of a clash with SHISHKIN at Cheltenham. That didn't happen and I just wonder if this is as short as this one wants but he should have too much class for these.

Massive drop in viewership of 'WOKE OSCARS''. Now thats what i like to see,people waking up to the overpaid,overloved so called celibrities thinking that what they say actually matters. It doesn't.

'Don't Lie To Me' was only in a 7 Horse field, so the $4.10 was actually great odds for a the second Favourite. A computer program sets the market for races , using about 20 different criteria. (matching against the opposition current form, being the main one) The race 'Don't Lie To Me' won was started (starting Point) 1/2 way round the Bend !!!! never seen anything like it in decades of harness racing. !! craziness. One of the funniest things I've seen for years. The early leaders both galloped (probably from confusion lol) Easy to see why the market got confused then too...... maybe instead of 'Wake up TAB' was better just to pull the computer plug out for that race? lol.

Nice long action.

Tomorrow sees the start of the five day Punchestown racing Festival which effectively ends jump racing up here for the year. Plenty of championship races picking up from the Dublin Festival, Cheltenham, Fairyhouse, and Aintree. The ground has been well watered and is just on the slow side of Good. The opening day has three Grade 1 races - the first is the 3200m for the novice hurdlers. Only five go and on paper this looks a match. Favourite is ECHOES IN RAIN who was impressive in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse ever Easter. He's clearly improving but will need to with BLUE LORD in opposition. In his last two completed runners he's run behind APPRECIATE IT and BOB OLINGER who were both wide margin winners at Cheltenham and at Prestbury Park he was on track to chase home APPRECIATE IT again, albeit at a respectable distance, when falling at the last. That's better form then the favourite and BLUE LORD looks the choice. The 3200m Champion Chase is arguably going to be one of the week's highlights. The Champion Chase second and third, NUBE NEGRA and CHACUN POUR SOI, take on the runaway winner ALLAHO who has to come back 1000m in trip. Punchestown is a more galloping track than a Kempton or Aintree and in some respects isn't too different from Cheltenham. That said, I can't see ALLAHO having the in-race speed to mix it with the likes of NUBE NEGRA and CHACUN POUR SOI if the latter are on form. Choosing between the Champion Chase placed horses isn't easy - NUBE NEGRA ran a blinder at Cheltenham and this is only his third run of the campaign so I've backed him at 5s. The Champion Novice Chase over 4800m is another mouth-watering clash - this time between the championship winner MONKFISH who has carried all before him in the top novice chases and ENVOI ALLEN, who was hot favourite for the Marsh at Cheltenham but fell early on. There are just four runners so you'd think ENVOI ALLEN's jumping wouldn't be tested as it was at Cheltenham while MONKFISH might not have the stamina that suited him so well at Leopardstown and Cheltenham. Again, very hard to choose and I've not had a bet but ENVOI ALLEN may have too speed for MONKFISH over the last couple of fences.

spot on Huey. Deflecting blame...A CEO should accept that the buck stops with him. A good journo would be onnn this case asking interesting questions about the 'process' ...what training was given or required .

Ellerslie are like some stables they can do no wrong! I'd suggest Trentham had little control over the lunatic that entered the track , unlike Ellerslie who should have had all control over workers. Process is another ambiguous way of saying I had no idea they even worked here and of course a redirection of blame.

A group of us were there on Saturday , what a magic day , well done to the ARC

OUCH! It will take a while to recover from that flour bomb to the head,very disappointing run to not to even place.

On Wednesday, Bullys Delight was removed as the winner of the $75,000 Group 2 event after an inquiry into race night stewards decisions to dismiss protests by the two placegetters against the winner. Rhys Nicholson’s drive sparked outrage in harness racing circles for his excessive and improper whip use as well as him dropping his right foot from the sulky rest to make contact with Bullys Delight’s right hind leg (hock) – an action in harness racing called “hocking”. Former Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy led the review process and overturned the result. Bullys Delight winning the 2021 Tasmania Cup before the result was overturned. Picture: Courtney Pearce “In my view, had it not been for the whip, had it not been for the hocking, Bullys Delight wouldn’t have finished in front of the (subsequently) first and second placed horses,” Murrihy said of his decision. “We cannot accept a victory at any cost approach. You wouldn’t take that risk in a $5000 maiden, but there is more incentive in bigger races and it’s those bigger races which are watched by larger and broader audiences. “In this case, you have to consider not just the seriousness of the infractions, but the welfare considerations and social licence we have to conduct racing. I looked at the totality and gravity of what occurred.” Murrihy told Racenet that harness racing whip rules are different to those applied in Thoroughbred racing in that stewards don’t need to be “comfortably satisfied that had the events not occurred that the horses protesting would have finished in front”.

I’ll go for Randwick R4 #1 Zaaki $200 Win.Thank you very much

People in this industry are naive. Having worked outside of the industry, most people think the industry is already closed and many find greyhound racing a repulsive sport, to the point where I don't discuss any of my dealings within the industry with people. I sure hope they don't enquire into where all these dogs being bred that aren't put through gap or make it to the track go because this will be the undoing of racing. I've Said it in here plenty of times but no one even wants to acknowledge that there's a problem that needs to be rectified. Everyone defends the people that do this.

In the best Maori way, Charlie Faulkner had the greatest quote I have ever heard from one of his race. This was about the time that Kiwi Golfer and others were going so well. "Success is relative. The more success I have, the more relatives I have got."