Timon

Fellow Cafe members, please join me in passing on our heartfelt condolences to Cubes, following the sudden and tragic passing on his, and our, much loved Mrs Cubes. Cubes we're all thinking of you, Tetrahedron and Dodecahedron at this terribly sad time. As Mrs Cubes now looks down on us from that great Kingswood in the sky, we will forever marvel at her unwavering support of you and your equine investments, her infectious presence on any raceday, a love of a generously poured G and T and her generous support of the tipping comp when we were all holed up feeling miserable about life in lockdown. And who could forget her on Cup Day when Our Premonition nosed through right on the line to win the Mohua Classic As someone privileged to have raced a couple with you and your Mrs C, thank you for those memories and know that we're all thinking of you. Some things really suck, and this is one of them.

Rosehill R4: 1, 6 R5: 2,15 R6: 3,5 R7: 3 ,15 R8: 2,11 Flemington R4: 1, 6 R5: 2,6 R6: 2,4 R7: 1,7 R8: 3,11

Thanks Gubellini. My school years were in Wanganui which explains it - probably a favourite of the Wanganui Chronicle reporter cheers Timon

Cubes now that your good missus is back I assume she's switched to cocktails by the fireside

Winner of Race 10 at HB today - I could swear there was a horse of that name running around when I first got interested in racing back in the 70's. Nothing shows up on a search through NZ Racing website - anyone able to recall another of that name?

I think Johnsonville's one is still going. i remember taking the kids there when they were nippers. Arrived home and they proceeded to tell my wife they'd been to the "horsey shop"!

Felaar Donizetti Scott Base Heroic Valour Contessa Vanessa Quote Quote this

Notice the on track sponsors - Ansett, Benson & Hedges and Lion Brown - no one misses their passing

I think you're missing the point Sharrock is making. If you look at his stomping ground around the Rangitikei, Taranaki, Horowhenua, Manawatu area you've got (or had) race courses at Otaki, Levin, Foxton, Bulls, Marton, Wanganui, Woodville, Awapuni, Hawera, Waverley, New Plymouth and probably several other places I have missed. It's total nonsense. Put it this way if you didn't have any race courses in any of those towns would you now go a build one in each of those places, knowing it requires capital outlay for a large stand, stables, course, and other facilities? Of course not. You have to give up hankering for how ii was and create a vision for the future.

The trainer is the skilled horseman and if they're playing the long game then sudden changes of tack based on circumstance can stuff up that longer term plan. Having said that, a strong 1600m at Ellerslie against your own age group v. a 1800m at Riccarton don't seem so different in the context of your filly's current preparation. Having once had a starter (and runner up) in the Derby I know the buzz of expectation and excitement at having a runner in a big one (especially at the home of racing) - hoping you get that chance sometime soon at another venue. best of luck, Cubes

you summed it up brilliantly. I was there that day standing on the lawn and nothing was going to stop him. Rod and Rachel were just the icing on the cake. I can't remember who rode him - was it Noel H?

Mettre en Jeu , who has been standing at Letham Stud passed away suddenly today. Beautifully bred he threw a few good ones at stud but, as with his race career, there was always the sense we never saw the best of him. A striking individual he probably should have won the Derby in 2007. RIP "Monty"

Yeah, well done Cubes. When she stops gawking at the others she'll take some beating

Ok, so it starts by saying that risk taking is part and parcel with wealth creation so its no surprise that many entrepreneurs are also involve din horse racing. But then to "evidence" this startling fact it then states that at least 14 of the world's 1,800 billionaires participate in horse racing. Like wtf? Truly those numbers are correct. Now, my brother is more of a mathematician than I am , but I can work out that 14/1,300 = 1.07% so I'm a little lost what point is being made. However, it gives a nice segue into items on good old Gerry Harvey, Sir Owen Glenn, Kevin Hickman, Dame Wendy Pye, Brendan Lindsay, Mark Wyborn< Eric Watson and other Rich Listers who have invested in the racing or breeding industry. Then a quote from NZTM CEO Andrew Birch that "we'd be in big trouble if it wasn't for these Rich Listers". No sense of gratitude to those like this poster who have put more in than he has taken out but hey, I don't have 7 zeroes after my bank balance