Virtual.Stipe

For those still interested in the NZ Cup Champ. Starts in a heat of the Australian Cup on Saturday night: 
The Meadows Race 11 from Box 8 (12:47am NZT) 
Recently ran a time of 29.83 in a ST at Albion Park (30 Jan 2019) 

Dear Racecafe Community,
I want to say thank you to everyone who is participating here in the forums and the competitions. We have had over 100 new members sign up in the past two months and some are already posting and contributing to the discussion in the forums, and enjoying the competitions.
I really want this to continue to be a place for everyone to enjoy.
I have been told that some of the moderation by me in the past has upset a few, and may have been a bit tough. I never meant to offend anyone.   I believe there has to be some moderation but to offend has never been my intent.   I want everyone to feel comfortable to contribute here and my motto has always been, and will always be, "If you cant prove it, then don't say it".
I hope everyone continues to enjoy all the features of the site and we will be adding more things in the coming months.
We will also be having another Fiji comp later in the year, with mrzim and his wife getting ready to pack their bags after their daughter won the first trip and donated it to them to enjoy.
It is our intention to try to run comps most weeks and a big competition is being planned, to be held over the Autumn carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.
Thanks so much for the good spirited and honest debates in all the forums on the site and please don't forget to check out all the features we have available to all our members.
All the best 
Leigh

I disagree. Long Leaf(Fastnet Rock) was bought by Coolmoore for $750k in 2017. In 2018, of the 13 Fastnet's sold last year, 8 went to Australia, including the $1mil Lot 156 to Lindsay Park.
The Inglis Online sale you refer is for "tried" horses which shold be compared to Gavel House. I'll let you know how many go for "peanuts" at Inglis Easter this year, when I'm there.

Is this the reason why so many of the Aussies did not bother to come over this year to Karaka same old tired old NZ families and lack of toppling stallions outside a couple of standouts. Some of the bigger studs have had a very ordinary sale with old families, unproven stallions with buyers looking elsewhere...NZ badly needs an injection of new blood JMO.
Good friend of mine who has bought many good horses from this sale said he nearly did not come as the catalogue lacked pizzaz.

Aussies breed the best sprinters and now the best stayers can be picked up from Europe/Japan.
Leaves NZ breeding out in the cold.Hope for Rich Hill.

Certainly only referring to Karaka and given the current state of the industry in NZ. I was there on Day #1 and heard Winston's address but just another version of what's already been said and as I have mentioned previously, any great move in stakes (which he didn't specifically mention this time) will invariably be countered by a similar rise in training fees so things will remain relatively the same IMHO. Someone earlier mentioned syndicate costs. Pretty hefty in my experience. Every blade of grass has a $$ figure attached. Right down to the surcharge on public holidays. You can pay dearly for the photo on the wall if you're not careful or seriously dedicated.

What a great result...makes all the hard work worthwhile....Congrats to everyone involved...
 
 

Most of it comes back to one thing, there is no domestic product. 
All the promises in the world to say we will be going ahead in August with stake increases etc.
They have borrowed money to prop up our current stake levels, please tell me where the next increase is coming from?
Funnily enough, every prediction that Leo has come out with is coming home to roost!
 

This is the 2nd of Tavistock's $65k crop to go through the sales ring and along with the 1st of the $65k cropp, are suposed to be his best 2 crops, based on the mares he got.
People I know with outside mares who went to Tavistock, have told me that their break even price is $120k. This factors in service fee, foaling and rearing expenses, vet bills, sales preparation, entry fees and NZB's commission.

This is the 2nd of Tavistock's $65k crop to go through the sales ring and along with the 1st of the $65k cropp, are suposed to be his best 2 crops, based on the mares he got.
People I know with outside mares who went to Tavistock, have told me that their break even price is $120k. This factors in service fee, foaling and rearing expenses, vet bills, sales preparation, entry fees and NZB's commission.

How can you compare Savabeel and Tavistock in the same sentence as proven in Australia?
Savabeel was a Group1 winner in Australia, rating 122 for his Cox Plate win. While Tavistock won the Group2 Blamey Statkes rating 115. The Blamey Stakes is at the back end of the Melbourne autumn, when all the good horse have gone to Sydney after the Australian Cup/Newmarket Day at Flemington.
Both Darci Brahma and Tavistock were "NZ Champion Sprinters" of their year but both bever won an Open Class Group 1 in Australia, to put it politely.
Savabeel has no peer in the NZ stallion ranks - his sales record year on year speaks for itself!

REALLY doubt that the All Stars and their team of owners will be stick around and just race for "The thrill of competition"
Without punters, the Harness sport ethusiasts will be racing for ribbons as they do in England and then we'll see how long the Harness "sport" survives in NZ

REALLY doubt that the All Stars and their team of owners will be stick around and just race for "The thrill of competition"
Without punters, the Harness sport ethusiasts will be racing for ribbons as they do in England and then we'll see how long the Harness "sport" survives in NZ

Some of the Over 50's are prepared to accept the above, because that's what they've always accepted.
Most of the Under 50's aren't prepared to accept the above, so they've taken their money and gone elsewhere.
And the Over 50's laden industry leadership group are left wondering what happened!

The industry does not need so called enthusiasts like Iraklis who don't bet or contribute financially. It needs punters like Jack Sprat and I agree with him. Trainers must not be allowed to use races, particularly feature races which attract more betting, to be used as trials to improve a horses fitness for a forthcomiung event. That preparation should be done at home or at trials and workouts. When horses go to the races they should be ready to win and driven accordingly. Isn't that what operation Inca is all about?

Well done to Gerry Harvey and all the team at Magic Millions. They have set another high bar to start the sales season. 
Lots: 888      Sold: 718     Passed In: 88     Withdrawn: 82     Clearance: 89.08%
Top Price: $1,700,000 and another 10 Lots sold for $1m+!
Gross: $170,697,500     Average: $237,740     Median: $170,000
Of the NZ based sires with progeny at the sale, Savabeel continues to fly the flag and sell well!
Savabeel: 5 lots sold at $303,000 average and a Top Price of $825,000
 
 

I'm of the belief that ratings are in two parts. The first is the official rating (Timeform or Racing Post will do). Then I look to see the best single performance because that is the rating that is their best performance unless the rater has got it wrong. The ratings I have provided are the latter. 
The problem that I have is that even though a champion in New Zealand, many of our horses are inferior to those in other markets. Super Easy and Darci Brahma are two examples of those stallions. Due to franking their form, their official ratings are average in relation to what stallion material should be. The interesting thing is that their progeny are following the same path. Although stakes winners are plentiful of the breed in NZ, when they compete in a competitive market like Australia they get rolled. The "breed shaper" Darci Brahma's progeny couldn't get to the top over there. Neither could Volksraad, where he is a multiple champion stallion but in Aussie just OK.
We're lucky to have Savabeel and Tavistock. They were proven in those racing markets and had good ratings. Gone are the days where a half brother to a champion make it as a stallion. The competition has moved on. That is why the likes of Almanzor need to be embraced. They rarely come here. When they do (Montjeu, High Chapparal etc) we do well. Note they are both stayers.
Our breeders have lost their way but our administrators are at fault. We do not have a staying program. We have lost our edge because of it. If the NZRB and the NZTR don't get together and develop this program, they all need sacking.

Far too many race meetings for very average racehorses. What is it this year?... 1031 race meetings? Halve it to around 500 meetings a year.... instant stakes increase with bigger better fields.
Send the mid-week donkeys back to the trials to stay there until they win one which will qualify them for a race-day start midweek.

1031 races like this below....is no good for punters...no good for the majority of owners and no good for generating revenue for the industry. Fix the handicapping....Fix the calendar programming and reduce race meetings to draw bigger fields. I wanna see 18 horse fields worth $80,000 instead of a 5 horse field worth $40,000. One Midweek meeting One weekend meeting per region only.
 

It’s a bit like comparing Phar Lap with Winx. What’s the point? Steve Davis is the best of his time - period. The best of them today, no comparison. 

Steve Davis hands down. 
 

"Mr Jensen said he was looking forward to leading the HRNZ team and working with the board to deliver meaningful change"
Well then top of his list, he should replace that incompetent Stand starter P Lamb!

"Mr Jensen said he was looking forward to leading the HRNZ team and working with the board to deliver meaningful change"
Well then top of his list, he should replace that incompetent Stand starter P Lamb!

Are you guys serious? The Williamsons (all of them) are some of the most competitive people on a racecourse and you're looking to create a scandal where there isn't one!
Smokin By was over-racing so Nathan took the opportunity to get him into the clear well before the passing lane, but because he was over-racing he took a little while to get balanced up and hit full speed. By sheer co-incidence while that was happening the horse outside of him laid in and tightened him, and Matty's horse shot through a lucky gap.
One horse was being a handfful to drive and getting no luck, and the other was travelling well and got all the luck. End of story.
I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere to satisfy your need for a scandal and a reputation to sully!

Guys they were never gunna beat Tornado, he is an absolute beauty watchin him comin off the turn his head up, chest, shoulders workin ears pricked and trottin, corr what a sight me Spur looked tired, but he still fought on so did Monty......
Tiger T well whatayuh say, he deserved it he's hard workin horse, to get off the gate from out there and cross em all, great to see him turn it around, that week in between clearly helped him, Spankem and Cruz tried hard, maybe next year the go for them.....annnnd, next year we get to do it in Aucks! see yuh there Tornado and Tiger  we got a spot of fine tunin to do on Team Kiwi but we'll be back......
 
Cheers Iraklis