Berri

I've also got a good one for you. Can't remember the name of the bloke who was sort of my companion flyer but maybe he reads this site and adds additional tweaks. We were attempting to travel across the Tasman with a load of horses. Arrived at Auckland airport at 5.00 am for the start to load. The Japanese Prime Minister's plane was in the bay next to where we were about to load. Plane was delayed, so there we were, no cappuccinos , or drive by food outlets, probably 8-12 trucks of horses waiting to get onto the plane and there was a delay of three hours. To make life interesting, I had a connecting cattle freighter flight from Sydney to Perth (went to Uni in Perth) about six hours after proposed landing time. Plane turns up 4 1/2 hours late with some breed of goat aboard that didn't have the right immigration papers so we have yet another 3 hour delay while Wellington pen pushers try and decide what to do (today they would have incinerated the dam thing). End up letting the thing in. So we start loading 7 hours behind time. The horses were on edge and many were tranquilised. About an hour through the exercise, we have a breaker (one that goes spastic and loses the plot so instead of killing it (good race mare) we decide to unravel the 4-5 pallets (4 horses in a pallet) to get the thing out in one piece. Risky practise but probably worth it. By the time we got going again, the tranquilisers were wearing off. Got most of the pallets in when one of the police guarding the Japanese PM's plane yells at us that a horse got free. We looked up and there on the edge of the planes hold, three stories up, was a yearling (third top price at the yearling sales) shaking free at the opening of the hold....decided to commit hari kiri and jump out of the plane. Two things saved it. The first was the rollers that you roll the pallets on into the hold facing the right way and the second was that the pallet hoist was up. Yearling decided to break for freedom, hind legs slipped on the rollers and instead of launching itself like a springbok, managed to get its hind legs caught between the ramp and the plane. Remember this is 10-15 m off the ground. I ran like stink across the tar mat and up the ladder while this poor beast was thrashing away trying to free itself. Jumped on its head to hold it down because as part of the thrashing, it was beating itself senseless. The other bloke (referred to previously but can't remember his name) was right up my jacky and jumped on the poor beast's shoulder and it stopped beating itself up. Took half an hour to work out how to sort the situation out. Finally got the beast tied down so its couldn't scratch itself and lowered the hoist. Amazingly it ended up just having bark marks. Didn't travel though. Ended up leaving at 11.00pm in the evening but no without a further hassle. One had to be put down during the flight as it threw a wobbly that couldn't be brought back from. Missed my flight to Perth but IRT paid for a seat because we all stepped up. An awfull lot to be said for the blokes who get no glory for travelling horses to all corner of the planet. It's sometimes a very tough job and never a lot of thanks.

Unfortunately Kevin is struggling with alzheimers. Couldn’t meet a nicer bloke.

Needs new thinking.....buy 1500-2000 ha...create a world class equestrian property with a real estate play. Much like a version of Newmarket/ Lambourne as P4P alluded to. We who have been there know what it could be. Be great if limestone based. There are two opportunities that come to mind. Just need to make partnership between racing and private to pull it off correctly

Go back and look at it properly. Things kept happening to him at the wrong time. Wouldn't have won but deserved to be closer than he was

Saw that there is now a Heads of Agreement entered into between the Waikato racing clubs to amalgamate their resources for a Greenfields development. I have maybe been talking about this for 25 years as we do not have any real championship courses that remove barrier draw bias, limit the potential number of horses that can race in any given race, and develops a training centre that does not limit the way in which we plan our exercise programs in preparation for races. We need something for the future generations, and an income generator should we fall on hard times. I watched the 2000 Guineas overnight and this brought it all back to me. Here is a straight mile track (Newmarket has actually got a 2000m chute) and it is a championship course. This is something that the new amalgamation should look at. But everything should be developed in conjunction with a training centre (Newmarket style) which includes housing and retail. But start with this It's also great that these guys have some media presence and can speak eloquently. Dubawi is some stallion. Space Blues should be secured to stand in NZ. Lusail was the unlucky runner and is probably top class. Have loved his sire Mehmas since I saw him win his first 2 yo race. Not a bad Derby trial from Luxemburg.

Won a novice at Sandown, UK. Worth following

Are you seriously in support of the Chinese government controlling pools betting around the World? All that data and info....owning all the data in respect of the individuals and their accounts? It's a long play to control the play. Don't get sucked in. There are other alternatives.

We'd all like to get younger people into the game but that ain't going to happen unless you educate a pool of people with a prospect that something new and exciting awaits them. I loved doing the barriers. Uni student who got $80 a day with the excitement of meeting and greeting some fab horses. Couple that with having the odd bet because I got to know the trainers and jockeys and I put myself through Uni doing the barriers. Corver and I ended up buying an old HT Holden that we rally-drived out of our dealings. I could also tell you some stories. We got to be quite well known (also did horse air transport services) as getting free flights was the name of the game to and fro from Australia. One day Vern Brockman (very good trainer in his day) came up to us and said he had a horse racing later that week called Sturgeon (by Beau Sovereign) in the races at Beverley (I think) and that it would win by the length of the straight if it could get out of the barriers quickly enough. In its last 4 or 5 starts it had walked out of the gates and beat itself. Got everyone in our frat house to chip in for the bet of a life time. Didn't tell anyone what the horse was as we didn't want the oil to leak too much. We sorted it out with the other barrier staff that I would be in total control of the horse and they would load the rest. Without doing anything illegal (nothing electronic), by the time that horse loaded his brain was ready to walk any tight rope. Flew the barriers at the start and won by 5. Ten minutes after the race I was pulled into the stewards room and was asked to view the video of the start from behind. All you could see was this white sneeker continuously going up and down bumping the horse on the arse with the most humongous kick in perfect placement and timing just as the barriers opened. After playing dumb and simply saying that I got told the horse obviously had a problem getting out of the barriers, they let me out of the jail box. What I didn't say was that I had worked out the timing with the starter, who I gave the signal to when to open the gates....and the rest is history. Had a huge frat party to beat all frat parties. Not cricket, I know, but you've got to be young once and it was in Australia after all. But back to the real issue, we simply need to make it appealing to get involved. Go to the Uni students and get them up to speed. Lincoln (the guys who know animals) is just down the road and market it as a bit of excitement. Simply got to get a few real barrier experts to teach them how to do it...or work out who and how to educate the existing bunch...or a combo of both.

Yep....they should always be educated to a point where barriers shouldn't be a problem but on the odd occasion, a horse will let you down...it happens. What should happen then is that competent professionals should bridge that eventuation by understanding what to do and when. You blokes who aren't prepared to call it as it was....that being uneducated people hoping that 2 yo's will load themselves......obviously haven't had any experience in loading horses into barriers. This is meant to be a professionally well run process and not some la de da picnic parade. Stop being PC. I speak from experience. It was abysmal. I don't know of any race EVER that had 4 late scratchings because they wouldn't load into the barriers. Makes me begin to understand why we're having problems with 5-7 year olds not being able to read or write when they get to school. Call it as it is and get it right.

Oh come on....that was one of the most appalling displays of barrier handling that I've ever seen in my life. That group of people (can't use the word men) need educating by the establishment. I'd be really ripping into them for not understanding what to do but recently I did the same for a particular TV presenter and had the PC brigade admonish me for making my comments personal, despite being totally accurate. I did the barriers for two years while I was at Uni. Two days a week where I got paid $80 per day. Did them with a mate called Rob Corver. We didn't miss getting one horse in in two years. Trainers used to come to us to discuss problematic ones and you always used to brace yourselves with the two year olds from the bush. Confidence is everything. Where were the people linking hands either side of the horse, leaning into their bodies to give them support and steering them? If they then backed up, double down with another two blokes (I'm not PC...you need to be physical and strong) so that four of you are shoving the thing in. Works every time. The shoves simply need to be at the same time with the same energy and with no hesitancy. Come on you blokes in Wellington, and at Riccarton. This is what the laughing stock is fuelled on around the World.

Way before he retired we knew where he was going to go after the battle of racing. We turned him into a multi purpose horse as part of our program. Easier to teach it earlier than later

Winner of $2,000,000....ran in 4 Melbourne Cups....now one of Australia's best show horses...

Why can't we get a good government? Where are the good people making good policies for the benefit of New Zealanders? Why can't we somehow get good policies in front of people who can make change? We really should be creating a virtual government that ensures people's voices are heard. .

Just find this interesting. Saw this add in the paper today (bottom picture), Looked up the filly on NZB (top picture). Why photo shop the brand out? .

https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/bloodstock-latest/whatever-happened-to-new-zealand-bred-jumpers-in-britain-and-ireland/548414

Holy molly....there are few times when young stallions, such as Tavistock was when he died, have started to create a legacy as a broodmare sire so early on. Dam sire of the Doncaster and the group three, following on from the group winner last week. You don't see that often so soon.

Four things come to mind.... 1. Manual stop watch governing of the times. Judge or stipe always keen to get to the finish line 2. There was no watering of tracks as there is today. You used to hear the track rattle. Interestingly enough, less deaths per 1000 horses back then to now. Probably had something to do with genetics, bone density (could be genetics/ feed/ training processes) and straight out good horsemanship 3. Genetic plateau - 3 stallions and 40 broodmares to start with which has morphed into a greedy genetic rape of why the thoroughbred was created in the first place. Stallions covering 150+ mares have screwed the breed because we no longer have sustainable genetic bio-diversity in our herd. The breed used to be tough enduring horses but with the introduction of Northern Dancer we have bred a disposable/ short life span style of horse 4. Where were the starting gates positioned?

2.22 for 2200 is jumping pace in the mud. Horlicks ran 2.22.22 in the Japan Cup over 2400m

Sorry Pam...the wrong quote appeared it was meant to be the following by Kylcoin "Legal definition of an expert is "someone who has worked in their field of "expertise" for a minimum of 20 years. Cant remember Mr Oatham being a jockey or track work rider for 20 years so what does his claim to fame involve and can he actually ride a horse at "more than a light trot" see expert definition also popularly referred to as "a drip under pressure"

No no no....an ex is a has been and a spirts a drip under pressure....hence expert

slip of the finger

I don't think its snotty little boys behind the bike shed....I think it's a question being asked by girls as well....and even being vehemently confirmed by more females than males. I just asked the question because its so widespread.