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What a terrific day at Wingatui for this young trainer Sunday, 8 starters for 2 wins, 2 seconds and 3 thirds. So glad he returned home to train again. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and that’s one hell of a tree

Starting Saturday 14 September - no rest for the Pairs finalists
This will be an individual comp that will run over 8 weeks, finishing on Derby day.  No need to register - just post your picks on the weekly entry threads as they appear.   
Over the first 7 weeks we will run a comp using 7 different formats (eg. the format we used in the Pairs comp, a daily LGL format, a three pick format, a points based format, .......).
You will earn points each week based on the number of entrants that you finish ahead of that week. eg. if you finish first in a field of 40 you will earn 39 points.  If you finish tied with one other for 20th in a field of 40 you will earn 19 points, if you finish last you will earn no points that week ....
At the end of the 7 rounds, the 12 entrants with the most points accumulated over the 7 rounds will progress to the Grand Final on Derby day.  The entrant who finished first (the minor premier) will get to choose the format for the Grand Final.  It will be one of the 7 formats used in the qualifying rounds.
Any ties in points accumulated at the end of 7 rounds will be split by dropping your worst score, and if that doesn't split it, then drop your second to worse score, etc......
You can miss a week or more and still have a chance to qualify for the final.
Scooby has kindly offered to put up $250 worth of bets (usual rules) as a prize for this comp.Idolmite has now chipped in another $250 so the prizes will now be as follows.  
$100 to the minor premier $240 to the Grand final winner $100 to the Grand final runner-up $60 to the Grand final 3rd place-getter
 

You can

Attached is the sectional breakdown for Hastings. It can be handy for knowing what tempos of races were run at etc
0708HAST last 600 raw.xlsx

Aaah mate . The Ponderosa BONANZA man never in doubt following in your footsteps to Victory. 
(well some doubt for a moment, O'man and Kilcoyne were giving it a great shot and even took the lead late in the day  , before 'Bonanza man' bought us home safely) 
thank you for the match Ohokaman and Kilcoyne !! 🏆🏆 2 Cup class runners.
A lucky man I am in life , as always , with now 2 of the All-time official greats of NZ Pairs racing on the mantle piece . Memphis and Ponderosa photo's , joining photos of my 2 lovely children with their 2 degrees each . Everything sitting in beautiful Pairs.Now  time for some bubbley 2 celebrate. 
Congratulations PONDEROSA  !!!!  Champion bloke.  and love ya work John , thank you mate with all your scoring and efforts. many thanks Scooby Too. 
 

It does make you wonder whether they just do as they please. It's not hard to have a quiet word with Leith. I was watching Sweeney and Innes doing a preview on the track yesterday, and seriously Sweeney would ask Leith a question and when Leith was responding Sweeney's head was turning between looking at Leith for 2 seconds and spinning towards the camera for 2 seconds about 10 times every 20 or 30 seconds. I've never ever seen anything like that from any presentation. It looked so ridiculous, and he had that goofy look on his face as well. Again they must have Directors or bosses that see this ?? .. if it was me I would have said to Sweeney WTF was that about ?
 

Look, I've backed a couple of early winners. I'm not used to the feeling of looking early, yet alone collecting early. So look, you need to go easy on me. I'm looking to stop looking. 

some BIG events to enjoy today with the mighty Brisbane Lions taking care of Business and sending the Carlton Blues out of town and out of the AFL Finals tonight. (all going well 😋) 
We have the TAB Eureka here tonight. the richest harness run race in the world at $2,000,000. with 3 Strong Queensland chances . ( A very good Queenslander is about to win the NZ Cup over there soon named Leap To Fame with my good mate Grant Dixon) 
And another 'Say No More' Pairs Championship Final this afternoon to enjoy a nice relaxing afternoon of exciting horse racing . this thread getting the completion rocking lol. I was wondering what the bossman was on about with not liking Big Noters 🤔 . so after figuring out I had said to Pondy at the beginning of the comp that " we would be favourites to win the thing" , the penny dropped.  just a bit of joking around that meant Nothing.  had drama the last Pairs Comp too for some reason. 
It is a competition though , and having drove in 100 's of races at one stage,  you always do your best to perform well and try and win , whether they're you're mates or not lol 😁) mate a term used in many contexts and very common  You don't exactly Hit the Track 'wishing your rivals good luck either'  . it's just a personal choice . so I do apologize for trying to fish that out of Scooby. not a very bright move and got the expected result I spose. .  trying to spice up the final Comp thread lol 😂 but at least he wished Pondy well.  as do I . good to have a 'good' chap as partner for the notorious Big Bad Steelo.  💪  
A fun trivia to brighten up the Final then 🍻. One of the finalists today raced the same horse in NZ  (think got 4th in the Nz Derby in his year) as I raced years later in Australia. a nice co-incidence !  I loved that horse. 
Best of Britiissh   to O'man and Kilcoyne. today . a smashing season and worthy Champions elect. 
see ya soon with some picks John. only 6am on another glorious 26 degree Brissy morning so will check scratchings over breakfast shortly.  just gunna feed my Kookaburra mates and Maggie mates now. 😉
thanks for running a comp John my friend (just avoiding the word Mate there 😂)  poor old Nomates just posted. bad name to have. (just a bit of humour , please don't take seriously) 
 

Good luck to all the finalists tomorrow, it will be exciting following the results. 

https://www.tabnz.org/news/tab-new-zealand-to-acquire-raceform

Just want to let everyone know that thanks to the generosity of Idolmite the comp will now have its prize money doubled as he is kindly donating $250 to allow this to happen. I want to thank him for this and wish him well in all he does in the coming months he is a fighter.🤗
 

Just heard O'man and Kil'man were out doing some track inspections ready for Saturday 😉😂
hope you find the 'fast lane ' boys.🏇🏆 to kick home a winner or 2.
Is there are first and second Prize up for grabs in this event Grand Final John?
 

11 entries in the Racecafers league so far.
It closes at 5.30am NZT tomorrow morning so get in quick if you're interested..
You can still enter later but I think you'll be disadvantaged.
 

Thanks for the mention its SNM and all the people like you and the many others who commented above that turn up to play that make the comps what they are...everyones participation is really appreciated.

Thanks to Sayer and Howie for a good battle today. And to partner Pete for another top effort….
Best of luck to all who remain for next week.
And many thanks to Scooby and John for a great competition.

Good luck to the finalists!
For those of you eliminated, rest up next week because the following Saturday (14 September) we'll be launching into the Spring Superstar (multi-format) comp.
It will be an individual comp running over 8 weeks (finishing on Derby day).
7 weeks, each with a different format, where you will earn points depending on how many people you finish ahead of, with the 12 entrants with the most points accumulated after 7 weeks, playing off in the Grand Final on Derby day.   The person who earns the most points in those 7 weeks will get to choose the format to be used in the Grand Final.
No need to register - just post your picks each week.  Even if you miss a week or two you could still earn enough points to reach the Grand Final.

Peter RS the only one with that big $47 winner of FOX FIGHTER.    Would of thought Basil Brush would of had that one for sure?😁.
thanks to partner tipslinger Ponderosa today seeing us safely through to the Grand  Final . 
put the 'Imperatriz burners' on to give Pete and Korio the  slip today to get a final place. thanks for the match guys.👍 
now one gunfight to go 😎 OsassinationMan and Killercoyne.  bring em on ' for a Bonanza Finale next week . 🍻🏆
 

Well done today Ohokaman & Kilcoyne.
You were much too good, and best of luck to you in the Grand Final. You're gonna be very hard to head off.
Thanks to my team-mate Sayer who did a great job this campaign. We went deep into the comp, and had a whole lot of fun and excitement.
Thank you John & Scooby for that fun and excitement  . . . it's been an excellent competition and so very well-run. Top class ! 

Interesting  
Aussie Presenters also review previous races run when it comes back, we just don't see it because it crosses to the next race about to start, so if we are doing like for like, it is same same.
I don't mind a round up of the race just run because often I am in and out of the barn or doing whatever with family or guests and sometimes don't catch finishes so it's all good with me.
But many on here will already know..  the NZ coverage I avoid, it is auto cue, or over pronunciation and so polite!, or I'll answer the question I'm asking you before you can answer, or just reading off what we can see ourselves on the recent form etc.     Jayne, I love, she gives her own reasoning and talks like someone next to you watching the racing at the TAB, and we need that.    Just like what she gave on prelims in Aussie and if they stop her doing it here then shame on them.    As for today, I watched from about 5.30 on and I didn't mind it.   I thought he was good and moved easily between all the scheduling.   Didn't so much like the Lindsay Park review where they never mentioned Gentleman Roy, what's wrong with them.    Very disappointed, he has been a constant highlight for them and he deserves more.
 

While the weather at York had been reasonable if windy, 9mm of overnight rain had turned the ground Soft at Goodwood though times suggested it was borderline Heavy.
The Group 2 Celebration Mile saw overnight favourite LEAD ARTIST withdrawn and with just four runners it was a sub standard race for the grade. With neither SONNY LISTON nor ROYAL DRESS handling the soft turf, it seemed POKER FACE had a real opportunity but trainer Karl Burke had sent his main jockey Clifford Lee from York to Goodwood to ride ICE MAX and that was the clue as the latter came home by a length to upset the favourite.
It seems the wetter the better for ICE MAX who I recall winning early in the spring at Bath on really and rarely heavy ground at that venue. 
The Group 3 Prestige for the juvenile fillies over 1400m was also carved up by the weather. I was at Sandown when ANSHODA finished second in a Listed race at 66/1 but that was clearly no fluke as she did it well here seeing off DUTY FIRST and the Ballydoyle runner MERRILY. I'd love to see the winner in one of the big end of season races on soft or heavy ground.
No joy for Ballydoyle at Goodwood or York but Ryan Moore was at The Curragh where he booted home four winners for Aidan O'Brien. OFFICER is a beautifully bred colt - by Dubawi out of Hydrangea. He has a full - WINGSPAN - who won a Listed at Gowran recently on his rather belated seasonal debut. OFFICER won the 1400m juvenile colts maiden nicely and earned a 25/1 quote for the Dewhurst at Newmarket in October.
More impressive was FIGHTER who won the 2000m maiden by four and a half lengths in first time blinkers - he's one to keep an eye on.
In the two Group 2 juvenile events, HENRI MATISSE retained his unbeaten record smoothly enough in the Futurity. I suspect he's one of those who only does what's necessary but this was another good win beating the Tyros winner HOTAZHELL. BEDTIME STORY went off 1/16 to win the Debutante but if you'd taken the cramped odds you'd have needed a stiff drink or five as the filly was made to work hard by stable companion EXACTLY who had been three and a half lengths behind in the Silver Flash but was only a length down this time. BEDTIME STORY looks to be needing 1600m and I suspect the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket will be her likely English target.
Ryan Moore might have gone to The Curragh but for William Buick it was another trip to Saratoga to ride MEASURED TIME in the Sword Dancer but it wasn't a successful trip as both MEASURED TIME and SILVER KNOTT from the Charlie Appleby yard were outpointed by the local FAR BRIDGE who had finished behind MEASURED TIME in the Manhattan but got his revenge over the additional 400m. I suspect there will be another rematch in the Breeders Cup Turf.
It was very soft ground at Deauville for the concluding Sunday fixture of their August meeting. The feature Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville saw ARREST sent off at 1/2 in the UK but not for the first time he flattered to deceive and was well beaten by the German filly QUANTAMANERA who earned a 33/1 quote for the Fillies and Mares on Champions Day when relishing the wet turf to score by four lengths.

The final day of the York Ebor Festival saw a continuation of the conditions of the previous three days. A little overnight rain had made no difference to the ground which had returned to Good to Firm, Good in places. The wind remained strong and was again blowing across and slightly behind the runners in the straight. The far side continued to be the place to be.
The feature was the Group 2 City of York over 1400m. KINROSS was taken out in the morning due to the quick ground and AUDIENCE was backed in to 4/7 to follow up his Lockinge and Lennox victories. However, there was drama in the stalls before the race as LAKE FOREST reared and got stuck in the superstructure. Fortunately, he was extricated from the gates by the skills of the stalls handlers who once again showed why they are some of the real unsung heroes of our sport.
With LAKE FOREST withdrawn, it seemed as though AUDIENCE had a simple task but it wasn't to be. The horse didn't jump well but was soon tracking ART POWER as he had at Goodwood but when Rab havlin went for home 600m out there was no real response and AUDIENCE was quickly headed by the 33/1 outsider BREEGE who scored a shock win defeating 22/1 shot VAFORTINO with SHOULDHAVEBEENARING held in third in front of AUDIENCE.
BREEGE had run seventh in both the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot and the Oak Tree at Goodwood. She's a daughter of Starspangledbanner and her rating is now 108. She's in races at Doncaster and Leopardstown in the middle of September but this was a right boilover. The second also put in a career best while SHOULDHAVEBEENARING was also a shade disappointing for all he's got placed form in the Foret over this distance.
Trainer John Gosden confirmed AUDIENCE had been involved in the pre-race stalls drama getting upset and striking the stalls twice. This was clearly not his running.
The Ebor is a handicap over 2800m and is Europe's richest carrying a first prize of £300,000 making it more valuable than many Group races. 3-y-o were excluded from 2019 and the race gained further prestige with the "win and you're in" link to the Melbourne Cup. After Willie Mullins won with ABSURDE last year, it was the turn of Henry de Bromhead whose MAGICAL ZOE justified a punt from 8s to 11/2. The mare mixes flat and jumps racing and was only four lengths behind ABSURDE in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. Whether she's a Melbourne Cup horse I'm not sure but connections seem eager to want to give it a go.
The Melrose is the equivalent for the 3-y-o and was won by TABLETALK who was tenth in the Derby and becomes yet another from Epsom to follow up.
SEA THE FLAME, who had run fourth in the Eclipse and second in the Nassau, was an easy winner of the Group 3 Strensall over 1800m - she's out of 2015 Juddmonte winner Arabian Queen so there's a huge link to the Knavesmire and this one will no doubt be a popular broodmare once she goes to the paddocks.

On then to my review of the third day of the York Ebor meeting.
@Ohokamanhas kindly provided all the race replays so I don't need to.
6mm of overnight rain had changed the ground to Good, Good to Firm in places but with a continuing strong wind (across and slightly behind), the ground continued to dry through the afternoon but while York overall had received its usual plaudits for the racegoer experience, the state of the course had drawn some criticism with a clear draw bias in the straight toward the low numbers and the far side of the track though it seemed some jockeys were still struggling with the fact of the obvious bias and were not riding to take advantage.
An example of this came in the afternoon's Group 1 feature, the Nunthorpe Stakes, over 1000m. Sadly, the 2023 winner, LIVE IN THE DREAM, was a late withdrawal owing to a bruised foot while REGIONAL was another late scratching. The money came for the Australian sprinter ASFOORA who had won the King Charles III at Ascot (formerly known as the King's Stand) but had just failed to catch BIG EVS on the much sharper Goodwood sprint track. She as backed in to 6/4 favourite.
ASFOORA was drawn in the middle of the field but the money came strongly for BRADSELL who had won the 2022 Coventry and the 2023 King's Stand. Third in this race last year and off for 11 months having suffered a cannon bone fracture in February, he had returned with a stylish win at Deauville last month but was punted down from early 9/2 to 3s. BRADSELL was drawn three alongside the likely pace angle PONNTOS.
Goodwood winner BIG EVS, who had failed in this last year but had won well over this course and distance in the spring, had a higher draw and drifted like the proverbial barge out to 7s. BELIEVING, who had run well in defeat at both Ascot and Goodwood, was drawn in stall 13.
Having seen the race, it wasn't Oisin Murphy's finest hour by any stretch. Having broken well, he had the choice of switching left to track PONNTOS and BRADSELL or right to track BIG EVS and even though the track bias clearly suggested he should have gone left, he went right and that was her race done.
BRADSELL and the third, STARLUST, raced to the far side while BELIEVING, on whom Ryan Moore, from the outside stall had no option to track centre to stands side, ran a mighty race in second. She looks to be crying out for 1200m on a sharp track and perhaps they'll consider the Haydock Park Sprint Trophy rather than the Flying Five. She comes out to this observer as the best horse in the race.
Nonetheless, BRADSELL came back to win his second Group 1 and a first for Hollie Doyle since TRUESHAN's win in the Cadran last autumn. He looked wonderful in the paddock and it's a huge testament to trainer Archie Watson and his team the horse has come back if not as good as before perhaps better.  BRADSELL is 10s for the Haydock Park Sprint Trophy but I suspect he will be kept to 1000m and go to The Curragh.
STARLUST ran a huge race in third for a 3-y-o and you'd think next year he might be the one to follow in this division. As for ASFOORA, trainer Henry Dwyer reported Murphy had said the filly had struggled to get traction on a track which he said had been "chewed up" after three days racing. I'm not sure York CEO William Darby would have been happy with that but there you go. The other disappointment was BIG EVS who was stuck out wide and never got involved.
The Group 2 Lonsdale for the stayers over 3200m saw the money come for the Aidan O'Brien trained POINT LONSDALE but it was our old friend VAUBAN who came back to form with a vengeance scoring under William Buick who almost got blindsided by outsider AL NAYYIR who had finished runner up in the Dubai Gold Cup in March but had hated the slow ground in the Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp last time. VAUBAN will make a return trip to Flemington where it all went wrong last year. Ruby Walsh, doing analysis duty for ITV Racing, commented the horse hadn't adapted well to the heat and the view from Francesca Cumani the stellar piece of trackwork he had done before the race (which led to the market plunge which made him favourite) had bottomed him (my words, not Francesca's - she wouldn't use a word like "bottom" on British afternoon television, it's just not done).
The plan will be for VAUBAN to go later to Melbourne but of course it might be a lot cooler this year (who knows?). AL NAYYIR may go for the stayers on British Champions Day before another winter campaign in Saudi and Dubai. GREGORY looked a bit one paced again in third - he looks too slow to win 3200m races in the top grade. I suspect the aim will be the Gold Cup next year but he lacks the tactical speed needed even at that trip. POINT LONSDALE was very disappointing - Ryan Moore was nudging along 1200m out and while my first thought was he didn't stay he was beaten too far out for that to be the case. 
The other Group 2 was the Gimcrack over 1200m for the juvenile colts. The winning owner has to make a speech at the annual Gimcrack Dinner in December and it will likely be John Wallinger, owner of COOL HOOF LUKE, a very cheap purchase by modern standards (£50,000 I believe) and named after darts champion Luke Humphries, who prevailed to set up the speechmaking detail. COOL HOOF LUKE was a close fourth in the Coventry (the winner, RASHAGAR, ran well in the Morny last weekend) but was held in third in the Vintage at Goodwood over 1400m so dropping back in distance was the clue here. He's 7s for the Middle Park at Newmarket at the end of September.
Whether this was a strong renewal of the Gimcrack I'm not sure but one or two reputations took a knock. SHADOW OF LIGHT ran second for Godolphin whose juveniles don't seem yet to have the strength of the last couple of seasons but I'm sure Charlie Appleby has plenty of cards left to play. Ayr maiden winner SYMBOL OF STRENGTH outran his 80/1 odds in third. Molecomb winner BIG MOJO didn't seem to get home over the extra 1200m while another recent winner, CABURN, looked as though if anything he needed further.
Favourite CAMILLE PISARRO threw in another lacklustre effort while second favourite THE STRIKIN VIKING pulled away his chance in the first 300m. My old mate BILLBOARD STAR was just starting to get into the argument when getting squeezed out 300m from home and was eased as all chance had gone.

Another good night’s racing Stodge. 
Vauban winning was a surprise, Asfoora not quite there today, Angelo Buonarotte impressive type.
I had to wait for Treasure Time but the finish of the day for mine…
 
 

Time to review the second day of the York Ebor meeting.
The weather continued mostly dry but very windy - the course applied 2 mm of water overnight to keep the grounf Good to Firm. There had been clear signs of a bias towards the middle and far side up the straight in the sprint races on the first day.
The feature of the second day was, however, over the round course and was the 2400m Yorkshire Oaks for the fillies and mares. With BLUESTOCKING opting for the Juddmonte International, the older fillies and mares were represented by EMILY UPJOHN who had been a star in her 3-y-o career but whose fortunes had waned this year. Disappointing runs in the Coronation and Nassau had overshadowed a decent effort behind BLUESTOCKING in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
QUEEN OF THE PRIDE, her stable companion, was seemingly at the other end of her career building on wins in Group 3 and Group 2 company at Haydock.
The classic generation were represented by the first two from the Irish Oaks - YOU GOT TO ME had just beaten CONTENT that afternoon in a close finish.
Yet another knavesmire masterclass from Ryan Moore who kept CONTENT to the far side (on almost the same path he had used with both CITY OF TROY and LOS ANGELES the previous afternoon) while EMILY UPJOHN and YOU GOT TO ME challenged more up the middle of the track on what had looked slightly slower ground.
CONTENT reversed Irish Oaks form with YOU GOT TO ME but both are clearly very good fillies. All I'll say is we can only regret the early enforced retirement of EZELIYA who slammed YOU GOT TO ME by eigrht lengths at Epsom and on that evidence would have won this easily. EMILY UPJOHN ran a much better race for all she wilted in the final 50m to lose second. She was giving the younger fillies 9 lbs and that weight concession explains why the Yorkshire Oaks is usually won by a 3-y-o filly - it's a big concession at this time of year and something perhaps to be reviewed.
The winnrer relished the fast ground and is 5/1 for the Fillies & Mares on Champions Day in October where it's much less likely she'll get quick turf. EMILY UPJOHN is 12s and 50s for the Arc. It wouldn't be the biggest susprise if CONTENT went to the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf as the fast American turf would be ideal.
The front three were nicely clear of the others - QUEEN OF THE PRIDE threw in a shocker trailing home a long last. 
The Group 2 Lowther over 1200m for the juvenile fillies saw Queen Mary winner LEOVANNI take on the useful Aidan O'Brien filly HEAVENS GATE but in the end both were outpointed by CELANDINE from the Ed Walker yard who had run third in the Papin and fourth in the Molecomb. Given she didn't debut until May 25th she's raced six times in 12 weeks and has improved on each occasion. She's 10s for the Cheveley Park but breeding suggests she'll get a mile but not much further. With Aidan O'Brien having seemingly a very strong set of juvenile fillies this year it will be interesting how the English fillies develop in response through the autumn.
A word for the runner up, TIME FOR SANDALS, who ran a blinder on only her third outing. I suspect 1200m on quick ground will be her optimim and I wonder if we'll see her in the Commonwealth Cup next summer.
LEOVANNI did little wrong in third - whether the 3lb penalty for the Queen Mary made a difference I'm not sure but she's certainly worth another try at this distance while HEAVENS GATE ran okay in fourth - I suspect a step up to 1400m will be the next move but it may just be she's not quite at the top table yet.
On what was Ladies' Day, the Listed Galtres over 2400m was also for the fillies and mares and saw Ed Walker complete a double with SCENIC who put up an impressive performance to win by nearly four lengths. She's run over further and was four lengths behind QUEEN OF THE PRIDE in the Lancashire Oaks but it may just be she is coming to herself and there could be some real improvement coming. 
The times on day two were still very reasonable but with the wind less of a tailwind up the straight and more slightly across the runners the record breaking times of the opening day weren't repeated. Just as a comparison, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Galtres wetre both run over 2400m - the Yorkshire Oaks winning time was 2 minutes 28.75 seconds while SCENIC posted 2 minutes 28.27 seconds forty minutes later.

Thanks Alf ….things just didn’t go quite right on Saturday for us eh but Ohokaman  and Kilcoyne deserved their win. Good luck in Semis and Final guys.
 
and thanks John and Scooby