Hunterville

Have a look at the Thorndon- the one time G3 winner O'Cartier is topweight has to give at least two kilos to G1 winners Culminate, Tavistock, Tell A Tale and other horses with G1 placings and G2 wins.... If Sir Slick was in it the 6 time G1 winner and O'Cartier would have the top same weight!

Zarzuela looks pretty good. The fillies are having a brilliant season so far.

Yeah surprising such a major overhaul has caused little discussion on here. It seems those leading it haven't tried very hard to push the case in the month leading up to the vote. It didn't help I guess that they were preaching all this need for cost saving when we know the exorbitant salaries they are on. But apart from the $ savings they haven't for me really highlighted the benefits for the change. We know $11 million doesn't go very far, what will it bring us long term? People in life are generally weary of change, there doesn't seem anything convincing for us to support this overhaul.

http://www.tab.co.nz click racing form, has in depth form for all NZ and Aus racing try it next time it has more than any local paper ever will you can even print it out

"It was just going to be too hard to get there," Vasil said of the New Zealand mission, which required a flight to Auckland and a 10-hour float trip to Wellington. From memory this was one of the main reasons Takeover Target didn't come. I know people get angry about making it easy for the aussies and them taking all our money back but if this race wanted to get a bit of credibility Australasian wide we need to get more of them and the transport issue is the main factor. Next year is the final time it will be $1,000,000 so I suppose it doesn't matter anyway.

Renee think your getting Honor Bound and Honor Babe (Sydney Cup winner) mixed up. They both raced around the same time, the former won the G1 Easter Handicap 1600m and was 2nd behind Sunline in the G1 Waikato Draught Sprint 1200m.

After conferring with owners Jerry and Ann Moss, a decision has been made to run the champion mare Zenyatta in 2010 rather than breed her, trainer John Shirreffs said Jan. 16. The undefeated Zenyatta, a finalist for Horse of the Year in 2010, had been working weekly at her Hollywood Park base since becoming the first female to win the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) in electrifying style Nov. 7. She has posted three half-mile workouts at Hollywood recently. "She's just been training so well since the Breeders' Cup. You know Mr. Moss is such a great sportsmen and he really wanted to see her run again," an overjoyed Shirreffs said while confirming Zenyatta's un-retirement, first reported by Daily Racing Form. Of a possible meeting with this year's other Horse of the Year finalist, Rachel Alexandra, Shirreffs responded, "Obviously, that's something everyone would like to see." He said a plan for the 6-year-old Zenyatta, who has won all 14 of her lifetime starts and was the Eclipse Award-winning champion older mare of 2009, "has not been discussed." He said the schedule would likely be quite different than the one the strapping mare experienced during the prior two years, when she mostly stayed in California. "Like last year, we would want to take it one race a time," Shirreffs said. "But she's a lot farther along right now than she was at this time last year. A lot of options are open to us." The Mosses said Zenyatta was only keeping busy at Hollywood while they waited for the weather in Kentucky to improve before transferring her to be bred. But the temptation to bring her back to the track was apparently too much. Jerry Moss told HRTV, "That's just it. Annie and I just watched her jog on the track this morning. She's so radiant. She seems to still be growing, if that's possible. "She's a real star. We love to watch her run. So we said, What are we doing? Listen, let's run her." Moss said Shirreffs was fully supportive of the decision. The Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), worth $10 million, will be run on a synthetic track for the first time on March 27. But Moss said he was unsure if that would be Zenyatta's next major goal. "We're open to all sorts of races," he said. "She needs to get into a little bit better shape and John will let us know when she's ready to run." http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/54852/zenyatta-to-run-in-2010

2003 filly Galizzz- 'Bound To Impress', passed in @ Karaka Premier $140,000 reserve $150,000... 35 starts, 1 win, 6 seconds, 5 thirds 2004 filly Montjeu- 'Honorjeu', passed in @ Karaka Premier $75,000 reserve $80,000... passed in @ Karaka Mixed Sale $65,000 Reserve $80,000... 6 starts, no placings 2005 filly Zabeel- 'Z' Honor'... 3 trials, one placing 2006 colt Volksraad- 'Secrets Abound'... Ready to Run sold $82,500 to David Ellis... also 3 trials, one placing 2007 filly Zabeel... Karaka Premier sold $180,000 to Keiran Bloodstock NSW 2008 missed 2009 foal by Zabeel

There are some great races on Youtube of La Mer, Show Gate, Grey Way etc. here is a segment off The Racing Show with Bob Skelton... watching it got me thinking, is the industry really so cash strapped that we cannot afford even one decent racing show that is not solely there to generate turnover? I'm sure there are many more stories to be reflected on and told, and with the new channel they have more than enough free air time... even replaying past episodes of this program would be better than nothing. Come on Trackside!

I just noticed he's out of the fixed odds market. Shame he would have added a lot of interest. Wealth Princess into $5.50 favourite ahead of Mufhasa at $6's.

The TAB bookie that was interviewed on Trackside today said Lucky Secret was DEFINITELY coming, and as soon as he landed in the country punters would unload.

I just thought they might have had a clause wherby the most exciting horse in NZ for several years would be allowed to start in one of the most anticipated races of the season. But that would be too straightforward and simple for NZTR now wouldn't it!

I am skeptical on Coup Align also. This time last year he was meant to be the next sprinting star but has yet to really stamp himself. Wealth Princess is 20th in the order, surely they will use discretion and put her in should no others drop out?

Trackside moved to a widescreen format at the end of 2008 and perhaps these countries are yet too

I remember this bloke going through the ring in '07 and the Freedmans snapping him up and syndicating for $425,000 which I thought was a good buy when his full brother went for $3,600,000 and became a g1 winner... I see on nztr he had one start at Sale and was 8-8. Says he was trained by John Wheeler and has Sir Patrick as one of the four owners so not sure whats going on.

Terrible for all concerned. Synthetic tracks being rolled out around the world as the great saviour to racing will mean these sort of injuries become more and more common as the breed weakens and can handle less stress, we are already seeing the results in America.

They interviewed Trent on Trackside the other day and Aidan asked him a few times what was going on but he didn't give anything away.

Would love to see Van Nistelrooy come back also. Looking through Karaka catalogues there is not much depth in terms of proven genuine stallions.

Tan was good yesterday but still needs to be a little more casual if he wants to come across better. Davis will always be #1 which is why I would imagine he got interviewed on Australian Racing Retro this morning.

Bart Cummings referring to Saintly: 'It was all looking very good until we galloped him in track work on the artificial track at Flemington after the Orr Stakes. If I knew then what I know now about artificial surfaces, I would never have let Saintly near it. The Americans use them, and if we copy them in this we'll have the same results as if we copy Wall Street. Artificial surfaces are a disaster for racehorses.'

Ouija Board was a great mare but wasn't around long enough, Sunline won three times as many races, nearly twice as many group 1's, three times the prizemoney and carried weight to beat the boys time and time again. Her timeform rating was 129 compared to Ouija Board's 125.

Darci Brahma Perfectly Ready Fast 'n' Famous Lucky Unicorn Gallant Guru Royal Gem Zed Remind Danger Looms Sirocco

I never said he was a true stayer, but if you look at the first 2 home last year in the Wellington Cup... Megapins and Borninthestates they would both struggle to get close in a Doomben, Singapore or Brisbane Cup like he did. He is a classy animal and they can generally show that over most distances. If it's a strong Thordon and he gets a big weight it may be like last weeks Rich Hill Mile all over again. Speaking of which his recent racing has been well spaced and he has been struggling. So I do agree with your last comment, more than two weeks off and he seems to not run as well.

TONY Vasil is eyeing the Telegraph Handicap in New Zealand with his star sprinter Lucky Secret. Vasil said he was keen on taking Lucky Secret for the $810,000 Group 1 race at Wellington on January 23 after watching Gold Trail win Friday's Railway Stakes at Ellerslie, Auckland. He said Lucky Secret, who would carry 59kg in the 1200m race, met Gold Trail on 4kg better terms for beating him in the 1100m Starlight Stakes at Rosehill in September. Vasil said Lucky Secret had recovered from the respiratory problem that forced him to miss the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot last month. "He's been down to the farm, he looks good and worked well on Saturday morning," the Caulfield trainer said. "All I've got to do is work out the logistics. It's not as simple as getting on a plane. There's a long float trip and I want to be able to work him on the Tuesday morning. It's all part of the jigsaw that I have to work out."

Apparently Sir Slick doesn't run 2000m? He's won multiple G1's over that distance and was 3rd in a G1 in Aus over that distance. As for 2400m, he was close up in the Brisbane Cup and the rider said on a dry track he would have won. As horses get older they can generally extend over a bit further and the Wellington Cup is not as strong as the Thorndon... I see many reasons why SS can be competitive if not win the Cup.