Baz (NZ)

(aus) funniest post ever...smc

Vale I’m Thunderstruck By Racing.com March 30, 2023 I'm Thunderstruck winning the 2021 Golden Eagle. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au OTI Racing and the Mick Price stable are mourning the loss of Group One star I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking). The two-time Group One winner passed away after an incident following a routine knee operation late on Thursday afternoon. OTI’s Terry Henderson confirmed the news to Racing.com, adding that he is devastated to lose a much-loved galloper who had taken himself, the other owners and the Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable on an incredible journey. “Reality is what it is. It’s something that can happen after an operation and unfortunately, it’s happened with this horse,” Henderson told Racing.com. “As you can imagine, the owners, the staff at Mick and Michael’s stable are devastated. We just have to face the reality that this is one of those terrible things that can happen when you are trying to look after the horse as best as we can. “It was a relatively simple procedure which has gone horribly wrong. “The procedure went perfectly fine. The horse got up to recover from the surgery and initially appeared OK. But then he was very, very lame on the off side knee and clearly something was wrong. “They took X-rays of it and there were multiple fractures in the knee. So obviously at some stage he has put weight on that knee in a manner which has caused that injury. “From a humane point of view, we had no choice.” I’m Thunderstuck amassed a staggering A$8 million in prizemoney in his 22 starts, winning the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) in the process. He also won the Golden Eagle (1500m) and contested the All-Star Mile (1600m) twice, finishing second in 2022. “It’s been an experience for all of us to be involved with,” Henderson said. “I can’t say exactly what the words are (to lose him), but you can imagine what they are.”

Sad news coming out of Australia...with the reported loss of I'm Thunderstruck (NZ)

When (NZ) bred horses keep winning their big races with only a small percentage of their total runners... I'm not surprised. Australia has some of the best racing in the world but when it comes to breeding thoroughbreds (NZ) has them well and truly covered.

Seems like quite a few committee members with a conflict of interest ? !!

Who would be NZ's best Deane Lester (AUS) or Ron Dufficy (AUS) equivalent... that is informative, experienced, entertaining and won't put you to sleep who could join TAB Trackside? Mark Claydon, Leo Molloy, Luke Radich any other suggestions who aren't shit scared of TAB hierarchy ?

This should get a few up in arms ! https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/130944656/racing-industry-charges-jockey-with-careless-riding-in-race-in-which-megan-taylor-was-killed Racing industry charges jockey with careless riding in race in which Megan Taylor was killed Monica Toretto/Supplied Apprentice jockey Megan Taylor, 26, died after a fall at Ashburton Raceway in December. The Racing Integrity Board (RIB) has charged an apprentice jockey with careless riding in the race in which another apprentice jockey, Megan Taylor, was killed at Ashburton last month. Taylor, 23, was riding Red Orchid in the second race at the Ashburton thoroughbred meeting on December 16, when the horse fell after appearing to get squeezed between other horses. Three other jockeys fell from their horses in a domino effect, with two of them, Samantha Wynne and Tina Comignaghi, suffering serious but not life-threatening injuries they are now recuperating from. Apprentice Diego Montes D'Oca (not the rider who has been charged) also fell from his horse in the incident that occurred 350 metres from the finish line. The board said on Tuesday it had charged an apprentice jockey with careless riding as a result of its investigation into the race. It did not identify the jockey. RIB chief executive Mike Clement told Stuff the decision not to name the apprentice jockey was due to sensitivity. “Given the fact that it’s a young rider and there was a death of another rider involved, I’m leaving the naming of the rider to the adjudicative panel that sits over top of the case. “They are almost certainly going to say that there’s no reason not to name the [charged] rider,” Clement said. KAI SCHWOERER/Stuff The December 15 incident at the Ashburton Raceway occurred 350 metres before the winning post. “But I think it’s best done in a controlled environment as opposed to an uncontrolled one, that’s my rationale,” he said. “The industry wants there to be transparency, it’s not a matter of hiding these things, it’s just a matter of being sensitive at the moment.” Clement said the adjudicative panel is in the process of being assigned but no exact timeframe for a hearing could yet be given. The charged jockey is not currently stood down or suspended but has not ridden since the incident. Careless riding is considered by racing authorities to be failing to act with the necessary prudence, or level of care, that could be reasonably expected. It may arise from inattention to take reasonable care, rather than being consciously deliberate. Kai Schwoerer/Stuff Police at the Ashburton Raceway on December 15. It has a lower grading than reckless riding, in which a jockey is said to be heedless or indifferent to the danger or peril of the consequence of their actions. Top jockey Sam Weatherley was suspended for nine weeks in September for reckless riding, which racing authorities ruled caused the incident that led to the death of fellow rider Taiki Yanagida. Yanagida, 28, died in Waikato Hospital on August 9, six days after he fell from his horse was involved in a fall during a race at Cambridge Racecourse. Weatherley did not intend there to be a fall or other consequences from what he did, the RIB committee dealing with his charge said. “But he displayed a cavalier attitude indifferent to the consequences that would occur.”

R.I.P Sir Patrick. One of the most significant men of the NZ Industry this past century. ICON & LEGEND ! Thank you Sir Patrick.

Lucky Son possibly another.

"He's got a big break... he could almost lay down and have a rest"

Funny you say that nomates...my trainer joked about nominating him at Gore !

We nominated at Trentham in case we didn't make the field in our own grade at Otaki. Unforgettably... bad luck followed me and we got wiped out at Otaki with a runner going a miss in front of us and the Trentham event became a non race. We should have nominated at Te Rapa !

You would think racing on a Premier Saturday for $50,000 would attract a better field than a $14,000 midweek race?

R.I.P Megan Taylor. May you and cubes fly high again...as you both did with Bad Flamingo. 267378221_Race1BEMYGUESTDESIGNMDN2030MatOTAGORCon27NOV2022_LOVERACING.NZMozillaFirefox2022-12-1519-02-32.mp4

Maybe we can earn a couple tomorrow nomates to help our cause ! If we don't... we'll just have to blame the horse again for being too slow !

We've been forced to do the opposite in recent starts by racing out of our grade ! Racing in R79 & R75 with R58 horse because we've struggled to make the field in his own rating band... even after multiple placings in the higher grades. It seems the class of opposition is not considered by the handicapper when points are allocated. I.E Placing in a $14,000 midweek R65 race will earn you the same points as placing in a Premier $50,000 R65 event on a Saturday. Maybe runners at a higher stakes Saturday meeting could get slightly more points for their efforts than a lower stake midweeker? Just a thought?

Surely they can move yesterday's abandoned R75 2200m & Open 2100m Dunstan Feeds Stayers qualifying races to Trentham next Saturday Dec 17th? Otherwise all the CD nominated horses miss out and have no chance to qualify! Might be more owners asking for their pre-nomination fee refunded if they don't !

NZTR & RACE are the same sinking ship! We paid our early Nomination for the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Final to be run on New Years day and planned our horse's program accordingly. We raced at Trentham last Saturday Dec 3 with the plan to race at Otaki on Dec16 for the R65 2100m Dunstan Feed Staying Qualifier. NZTR in their wisdom decided to move this race forward to Awapuni today Dec 10. We rang and complained about moving the goal posts when trying set a horse's program. Get this!...they didn't even realise this was a Dunstan Stayers Qualifying race they had moved forward one week early to Awapuni today!!! Stuffed our chance to even qualify for the Dunstan feed stayers final so we'll be asking for our nomination fee to be refunded on Monday morning ! Now we have the dilemma of Otaki Friday 16 Dec and Awapuni 17 Dec having no Dunstan Feed qualifying races with Awapuni now a big risk of not having a meeting run at all. NZTR RETURN THE DUNSTAN QUALIFIER RACE BACK TO OTAKI 16th AND/OR MOVE AWAPUNI 17th TO TRENTHAM !!!!

Unbelievable ! Well Done Cubes you've obviously gained some divine power since leaving us this week! Obviously you still like having the last laugh as well by promptly pulling out the plug on Trackside TV's broadcast upon crossing the line for victory.

Sorry I meant to say reserve

Highest Bid was $307,500 but passed in for $350,000

Let's hope RACE (Wellington Racing Club) put this money to good use (infrastructure) before spending it just on stake increases which can come later. 1. STRATHAYR TRACK = https://strathayrsolutions.com/turf-solutions/ 2. HORSE STABLING 3. PUBLIC FACILITIES 4. ACCOMMODATION https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130535070/trentham-racecourse-on-track-for-850-new-homes

R.I.P Cubes. Loved your cryptic posts and sense of humour. You'll be sadly missed.

Yes we did Kingshill for Friday's Awapuni abandonment. NZTR could have explained what it was for on our statement better than just miscellaneous. As you say appreciated and a step in the right direction.

Was there ever a race here called the Winter Oats ? Or was it a childhood dream I had also?