Red Rum

Done it at range of trips, in tough handicaps as well and beat one of HK best ever horses Fairy King Prawn on his home turf , must be close to number 1 . That Dubai 3rd too a huge run behind Jim N Tonic a top line world traveller , she finished in front of Slicky that day , he never lost another race winning 4 on bounce including Prix Moulin and two other group 1s . In forth that day in Dubai was Golden Silca trained by Mick Channon . Ex England footballer and very good trainer . Week or so ago he ran filly he owns for 3rd time, horse has zero ability , probably the worst horse in his yard I'd guess , sadly she has been named Sunline !!! , should really be a protected name IMHO.

Quickfire double today inside 15 mins for Juddmonte breds at Eagle Farm and Caulfield , Spirit Ridge and Biometric .

The last Northern Dancer offspring to run in Europe was a filly called Wajd ,out of Dahlia so the best to the best . Bred by Nelson Bunker Hunt and owned by Sheik Mohammed . She was trained by Andre Fabre. She was very good and ridden during her career by Asmussen, Cauthen and the Choir Boy Walter Swinburn before Jarnet rode her in a Japan Cup . She ended up producing a few good ones , Nedawi who won a St Leger and placed in some top line races the year after Leger win. Nedawi ended up a successful stallion in Brazil and I see he still has runners there. Another she produced was Wall Street the first horse to win for Dettori in his magnificent 7 at Ascot in 96 . She also produced a horse that ended up jumping round Down Royal needing binoculars to see the leaders .

Tasmania according to racing com, was a bit of a write up about purchase on there .

Running 1.10 and 1.11 ( Pop Star Princess ) on a good 3 in Jan , haven't seen race but that 2 year old must have flown through the heavy 10 , that or its in wrong place !!!

A year before Francis of Assisi was smashing that Flemington field he was winning a three runner novice hurdle at Fakenham !! , trained in same yard as Polarisation who also went from hurdles back to Charlie Appleby then to Australia for a big win . I cannot think of a horse that could push Zaaki on that bar maybe Armoury if he comes down again , he won the other week at Chester so is back well after his trip . Zaaki's run in Doncaster off a break was amazing and a triple star black booker .

Nothing like a bit of springboard promotion off the new King of OZ Zaaki , good on the stud owner , Zaaki though is not the same horse as in UK, he's taken advantage of weaker opposition and also improved massively , did he say that Zaaki gave him a kilo in one of the races at least , or that I Could Do Better that battler Waller has finally found a few races to win with after dispatch to Qld beat him at Redcar once . King Of Comedy also beat home Benbatl , Imaging and Magna Grecia once , when the four of them needed a telescope to see the first four . Still a very good horse though King Of Comedy .

I see what your getting at Breeder , I kind of thought lower than higher as not a stellar pedigree ,and champion race mares produce a share of duds . I was well off with 800k though . I suppose it's only a few years and we wil get idea how well spent 2. 6 mil was . Good on the owners .

800k I will go with.

Sad to read of the death of Barney Curley Stodge . There are characters then there was Barney , never ever will there be another like him . To see him in full on mode " Barney Curley in full rant" on you tube is well worth a look from the old Folkestone racecourse , unscripted from the heart full on feelings , poor old Luke Harvey and John Macririck copping it big style plus , they reacted well to the barrage . The guy was a genius, his training of a fragile horse no better , Urbi Et Orbi sticks in my mind , 82 to 87 off the grid somewhere, who knows where only Barney would know , turns up after 1800 plus days off to skate in as favorite in 20 plus runner race , and Silvertown I remember one day at Lingfield , I had decent bet at evens , a young Spencer got him home by a head without moving in saddle , they were a perfect pair those two . A sad day for the sport . He did a ton for charity too .

The horse that beat Fabilis in that handicap is in the Derby too , transferred out of Balding stable into an Italian yard . I see Fabilis brother Monarchs Glen still racing in the States out of the Maker barn .

Melody Belle has been an outstanding , talented and tough racehorse however on her veey best day with everything going for her , even in those circumstances I cannot see that she would have got anywhere near Zaaki yesterday , excuses for SD coughing and Mugatoo lame I have read , maybe Avilius too far back again , not enough give , excuses excuses but Zaaki double brained them , shut the gate , donkey kicked them yesterday .

I always scroll to bottom first after your post about the stallions that go on there , interesting who turns up on there .

Heavy suited Wild Beauty today , no price but good win . Had an each way go Rebel Territory at Goodwood last night , got 9s , was counting my winners when he burst clear until got done by late finishing Spencer special. Mild profit on bet though.

Zoutori , Newmarket winner this year, couldn't win a Pakenham maiden on Synthetic , he's no slug .

Tempering and Suluk on the Fibresand at Southwell , Rapporteur on the old equitrack surface at Lingfield , like free money back in the day Stodge.

Also, after yesterday's budget in NZ I am giving up hauling arse at all hours in mid winter working shifts , I am heading onto the dole and going to make it my full time job looking through Pakenham , Ballarat , Geelong , Canberra results to unearth a Grp 1 winner out of there to disprove once and for all the slugfest theory.

Only weeds are in some of the turf tracks here nothing grows through that tarmac base on the poly . All chemicals, minerals and oil those tracks . I like AW , my old man hates it , calls it dog racing with jockeys on so we have the same discussions. It was a real improvement back in day when UK racing was off for long periods and they beamed in over the tannoy pre TV in bookies days French Trots in replacement , try punting on horses you cannot see , all with same letter at start of names and working out what the Fxxk is going on when a horse is DQd mid race when having a lunchtime punt , I am sure that's why some bookies installed security screens in their shops to keep them safe after that crap .

If you did your research on All weather tracks better you would not talk of slugs . This year the iconic Australian race The Hotham was shifted to the poly at Ballarat, without that switch the feast of speed would have been lost to the racing world for the year , those Hotham runners no slugs !!!

No you suggested second class races with second class horses, I merely pointed out a lot of group 1 winners come out all weather races . . Some of the big players might get a run into a late two year old with promise so not all duffers , they wouldnt guts out a good one on a heavy 10 in May though . See how many the big guns race inexperienced slow to hand horses up North on the AW tracks making use of a good surface in Oct Nov Dec when in old days they would have missed out on the experience and been put away for winter then have to chase the 8 ball early in new season .It is the class of race not the surface . I've been backing horses on all weather tracks for 30 plus years since Lingfield racecourse first meeting on a surface called equitrack , I am experienced in doing my cash in equal proportions whatever the surface , a slow horse is a slow horse whatever the track .

But who would seriously venture any money on some tracks here Mid winter , they are awful . It's not the saviour of racing in NZ but it went pretty good yesterday and racing was fine . All weather in UK has saved a few jumps trainers as they run the odd bumper race days cards there if weather causes extended cancellations so the jumps horses get a run out pre festivals .Why did they close Geelong and then rebuild one in Ballarat as replacement if they non starter in OZ . Ireland putting in another to go with Dundalk , Chantilly most iconic track in France has one , Deauville as well . These are big tracks . Look at the form of some of those imports that clean up in OZ , a lot have all weather form in their career , Cross Counter started at Wolverhampton ., Godolphin truck their classic hopes to Chelmsford to an in house hit out each year .

Surface Polytrack Stodge , I thought it was pretty good . To be honest I thought it looked better than watching plodders come round bend and field going wide as they slog home week after week in winter . I watched two races and liked the look of it., plenty chances off bend . Well done Cambridge JC

I am sure he was off to OZ before lock down, he needs some help and clearly will receive and deserve a penalty but I suppose if you have issues then plans go up in smoke beyond control it's not going to help him .Let's hope he gets help he needs to try to get on track with life or it is going to be a tough time for him .

Old Whiskey Neat keeps hitting the post , beaten a neck last night at Sha Tin . 13 starts this season , 6 seconds , 5 times within a length of winner . Seems to be in a battle with handicapper , keeps getting almost low enough to get a win then hits post and goes up again and so on .

I may have missed it but the gavelhouse fire sale was Rider Horse not China Horse Club . China Horse Club has millions of bucks worth of high quality bloodstock across the globe .