Tauhei Notts

I have been to HQ Viaduct and HQ Jackson St. I can assure you that the people at HQ Viaduct take a much bigger interest in our industry than do the drones in Petone.

I was at Goodwood several years ago. They had a 3 year old maiden race on the programme, in August. It was over two miles! A sort of National Hunt race without the jumps.

The mother of that horse won six races. She wasn't good enough to win a barrier trial. The track had to be eight or wetter for her to win. Surprising to see such a brilliant galloper come from a dead set mudder. That was a most impressive win. Some of the best Savabeels need a bit of time, and he could turn out to be one of the better ones.

Pin pricking, yes, I know. But did you notice that in the credits no acknowledgment was made to the Wanganui Jockey Club nor the Auckland Racing Club, but there was an acknowledgment to the caterers. A few years ago saw a Kath & Kim piece filmed at Moonee Valley. They acknowledged, and I am not joking, the Mooney Valley Racing Club!!! And they are Australians? I reckon the New Zealand on Air bean counters would have been astonished at the costs involved in filming this programme. To cut costs they used Ellerslie rather than Flemington. It is tough doing a film involving racehorses. It is because they are so very unpredictable that we like them so much. The actress who played Mrs Lupton was very good.

I see that Wonder Gadot, a three year old filly, won their top race, the Queen's Plate. I have often thought that racing administrators should seek sponsorship for a race from the L.G.B.T. sect. They could call it the Queens' Plate. And some educational outfit that teaches punctuation to children could sponsor the trophy for that race. Hey! LGBT does not stand for lettuce, gherkin, bacon and tomato!!!

If a horse which took five 2400 metre maiden races to get its first win can be favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Withold. He looks like a plodder to me. HIs sire has produced some good jumpers, though.

Black Kirrama, you say you had red wine and then you remembered. I find that red wine makes me very knowledgeable. My wife thinks it makes me a drunk.

By Began I think you mean bogan, but here's a story. A mate in Kelburn said; "Tauhei, you're no bogan. The closest you get to Upper Hutt is the north end of the public stand at Trentham."

P for P. This is off topic but do not rubbish league players like me. I played league for the University Club when studying accountancy, about 48 years ago.

P for P thank you for bringing that to our attention about McKelvie. His family have a rich history in racing. I think the open sprint at Rangitikei years ago was the McKelvie Handicap.

Soiman Bridges will have to jettison Nathan Guy and get a person with credibility to replace him, if he wants votes from people in the racing industry. I hope he does.

I see he is down to ride Stoute's Elector for Betty Windsor on Friday in the King Edward VII Stakes. For a New Zealander to win for her, in this week of the birth of the royal child in Auckland, would be incredible. Good luck James, and Clarke Gayford, while I am at it.

Khairpour won the Hardwicke and came second in the Ascot Gold Cup. I think he sired some pretty good jumpers.

I think I have worked it out. As there was only fixed odds win and place betting on Ascot races two to five, no totalisator betting; the TAB's computer staff, who know as much about racing as I know about quantum physics, put the races down as abandoned.

Would the Ascot Stakes be the world's champion Jumpers' Flat?