Red Rum

Early doors " women's drawers " in rhyming slang, but early arrivals at pub in old country are Early Doors . 

Is what it is , group 1 racing in name only , it may not get any better  . 9 year old gelding having 91st start 2nd and last years Guineas placegetter Age of Fire cannot get near average UK and HK reject at Pakenham . It's poor quality racing here at moment but a winners a winner if you back it but if you want to watch good horses racing at good venues brutal fact is check out flight centre for air fares.

C'mon fellas....its not the dark ages, although it seems like it sometimes. Safely in the account.....

sold to Hong Kong after that race where he has had 6 trials but no starts to date

Now you've just got to remember where you biffed the ticket.

Next year that race will be worth 200k as I read stakes are doubling . Imho you will get little more runners if it was doubled. So iam going to be sitting there as a taxpayer , like most on here are paying in . But for me I might be thinking right my kids are messed around because the teachers are on strike , the country's economy is damaged through lost work as a result of this, I then read cancer drugs are not available on pharmac that are available in Aussie  and people busting their guts to raise money for them , resultant  treatment denied to parents who have young families and iam watching 6 horses owned by an even  smaller circle of connections running round for 200k. Iam gonna be pissed off if taxpayer dollars put towards the industry when I know of the excess waste paid out in wages to shiny arses.
 

Dont know much about Bryce Stanaway but noticed the other week at Cranbourne he had old Crafty Cruiser in with two other stablemates . All battlers really but thing about them all had excess 100 race starts so indicates he really knows how to look after a horse year in year out to keep them going , passing vets checks , so good on him picking up decent cheque.

Coast circuit one of highlights for me , if I cannot make it over its always a mysky for later after work. My favorite is Omoto but all those courses bloody good fun days racing . Be very sad to think this could be last year for most of them.Omoto was underwater a few years back and raced a few days later , must be something right about that track and I cannot recall them canning a meeting mid meeting for slipping .

Have to say enjoy pretty much all of your posts full of insight and information. Long may you stay a contributor.

Who Shot the Barman retired.  Hope he has a happy retirement, well deserved.

I didn't know that Red Rum re the WI connection. For sentimental reasons I always look for Shirley Heights in any of my equine matings and as for my "Shirl", she now lives in Victoria, Vancouver Island and has changed her name to Natalie, a beautiful name.
P.S--she wasn't one for a cuppa, more a flute of champagne and some action!

Got a few in training in Bangkok

Got a few in training in Bangkok

Got a few in training in Bangkok

Only 5th run so pretty impressive LZ , they talking Dubai Sheema Classic so might see her go international in April.They seem keen on ARC from reports , be very different October in Paris , soft going , slow early pace or stop start kind of race with ton of traffic . Although Japanese very very unlucky not to win an Arc yet , they know what they need. They seem to run them in one or two lead up races in France when they go. Will be another great year of international racing in 2019.
 

Some serious horsepower heading to Dubai RR....
http://www.dubairacingclub.com/sites/default/files/2019_dwccarnival_acceptances_pr_-_version_5_ma.pdf

I see demand from  the racing centres of excellence,  Thailand and Indonesia have dropped . The difference in  average price for the 42 going to HK and 42 heading to Singapore roughly mirrors the gulf in class between those two jurisdictions.
Frankel has one son at stud in Pakistan and one in Cyprus so maybe the agents are looking at the offerings at Karachi and Nicosia foal sales instead.

Great punting race , like the Lincoln, Workingham , Stewards , Portland, Cambridgeshire  etc  as season rolls through up there. Puzzles for sure, punters love them. Certain stables hit them hard.
I read Robert Sangsters life story few years back, good read especially the way their team attacked the US sales in Keeneland  seventies and  80s. I think Brent Thomson  was his stable jockey riding the ones Barry Hills trained for him at one point.Sure he rode Gildoran for Sangster.
My grandparents and father did Littlewoods Pools weekly so I can claim some family connection the ownership of The Minstrel among others, they paid for maybe one evening feed at Ballydoyle during their lifetime.

Why wouldn't they do that  Aaron , example Ayr Gold Cup big handicap sprint in Scotland always massively oversubscribed. Simple solution  top X amount run Gold Cup , next X amount run in Silver Cup for less money and next X amount in Bronze Cup , don't think they have you didn't make field well done for trying cup though.. So 80 odd horses get to run on big day and equals 3 x huge turnover punters paradise 1 2 3 4 places races plus if you shop around get 1 to 6 places with some big outfits  . Same with Stewards Cup at Goodwood amoung others. Handicaps the lifeblood of rank and file punters.

RR, I owned a daughter of an Ayr Gold Cup winner...her mother, Brief Star,  was Robert Sangster's first Group one winner...so this race holds a special place for me...but great example of how good programming can work for everyone...

Why wouldn't they do that  Aaron , example Ayr Gold Cup big handicap sprint in Scotland always massively oversubscribed. Simple solution  top X amount run Gold Cup , next X amount run in Silver Cup for less money and next X amount in Bronze Cup , don't think they have you didn't make field well done for trying cup though.. So 80 odd horses get to run on big day and equals 3 x huge turnover punters paradise 1 2 3 4 places races plus if you shop around get 1 to 6 places with some big outfits  . Same with Stewards Cup at Goodwood amoung others. Handicaps the lifeblood of rank and file punters.

Must admit LZ ,  the last paragraph is something I as a punter but more importantly as a racing fan  have a pang of guilt watching Singapore racing , I don't bother watching that utter rubbish sand dune crap  from Korea. Fact is there is no retirement life for most up there, Japan same for most , if Ferdinand didn't get a decent home the horse finishing last at Kawasaki on Tuesday nights isn't much of a show.Beautiful animals but brutal business at times , life's harsh but good on you for putting some money considerations aside and looking after the lifetime care of  horses you sell. 
Likes of Colchester looked a handy horse in South Island , has ended up in Singapore via HK , I could have ran round Kranji quicker that him last week.
I don't know but with a good few of these horses not good enough for sale from NZ ,   are owners forced to discard them  too quickly and move on to next when if there was a decent programme for lower grade horses here they would find  their level and move up and down grades earning a bit to cover something towards costs with chance improving if they fnd  right trainer that suits them   but with how things are it's too expensive to bother keeping on with them. Bottom ranks HK and Singapore filled with these types. Some of those class 5 gallopers in Singapore as poor quality of racehorse you would struggle to find  but keep bumping round Kranji chipping away at owners billls keeping turnover going. These meetings here  midweek sometimes  7 maiden races  a turnoff  , I'd  rather a rating 65 with loads form to nut out.

Why wouldn't they do that  Aaron , example Ayr Gold Cup big handicap sprint in Scotland always massively oversubscribed. Simple solution  top X amount run Gold Cup , next X amount run in Silver Cup for less money and next X amount in Bronze Cup , don't think they have you didn't make field well done for trying cup though.. So 80 odd horses get to run on big day and equals 3 x huge turnover punters paradise 1 2 3 4 places races plus if you shop around get 1 to 6 places with some big outfits  . Same with Stewards Cup at Goodwood amoung others. Handicaps the lifeblood of rank and file punters.

Must admit LZ ,  the last paragraph is something I as a punter but more importantly as a racing fan  have a pang of guilt watching Singapore racing , I don't bother watching that utter rubbish sand dune crap  from Korea. Fact is there is no retirement life for most up there, Japan same for most , if Ferdinand didn't get a decent home the horse finishing last at Kawasaki on Tuesday nights isn't much of a show.Beautiful animals but brutal business at times , life's harsh but good on you for putting some money considerations aside and looking after the lifetime care of  horses you sell. 
Likes of Colchester looked a handy horse in South Island , has ended up in Singapore via HK , I could have ran round Kranji quicker that him last week.
I don't know but with a good few of these horses not good enough for sale from NZ ,   are owners forced to discard them  too quickly and move on to next when if there was a decent programme for lower grade horses here they would find  their level and move up and down grades earning a bit to cover something towards costs with chance improving if they fnd  right trainer that suits them   but with how things are it's too expensive to bother keeping on with them. Bottom ranks HK and Singapore filled with these types. Some of those class 5 gallopers in Singapore as poor quality of racehorse you would struggle to find  but keep bumping round Kranji chipping away at owners billls keeping turnover going. These meetings here  midweek sometimes  7 maiden races  a turnoff  , I'd  rather a rating 65 with loads form to nut out.

The racing world is awash with superlatives for Japan’s Almond Eye following her record-breaking Japan Cup win on Sunday and Racenet has looked at the sectional splits. 
Tackling older horses for the first time, Almond Eye raced in second place until the home straight and completed the 2400m on a track officially rated as firm in a record-breaking 2:20.60, 1.5 seconds faster than the previous record set by Alkaased in the 2005 Japan Cup.
From the barrier Almond Eye completed her 200m sectionals in 12.9 seconds and then 10.8, 12.2, 12.3, 11.7, 11.8, 11.7, 11.4, 11.4, 11.0, 11.4 and 12.0
The first 1000m was run in 59.90, the last 800m in 45.80, the last 600m in 34.40 and the last 400m in 23.40.
Perhaps the race is best summed up by Ryan Moore who rode the Aidan O’Brien-trained Capri into 11th place.
“The ground was quick and the pace too fast. The winner finishing at 2:20.6 was too good.” Moore told the JRA.