jess

Great! Enjoyed that too - as I'm sure many other `cafers will too - thanks for posting. I hope you are well Peter - nice to see you back here at the Cafe. Your posts are always worth checking out even in the absence of such impressive horseflesh! Kind wishes, J

Late call to abandon ........

Ahhh ... transferred to Whanganui??

Fairly wet over there? - thought they might have to can the races but maybe conditions and rainfall not as bad as some other places @lower North Island .... All the best for the day. Take your coats folks

I liked the story and there is some truth in what you say Trumpy - but if we did produce one, s/he would be whisked away to race in Oz or further afield - even if its owners didn't sell ... so the crowds would just be waving and yelling at their TVs ... (except for a few well-heeled ones who would fly across teh Tasman to watch live...)

Ah ok. Thanks Chris. It's hard to get really expert track riders I believe. There is something about some of these trainers who ride their own work ... likes of Anne Herbert back when she rode her own work .... just knew her horses so well - soundness, fitness - everything about them. Tit for Taat won 5 group ones for her. Well done Shelley.

What a well-mannered lot as well! That was a treat thanks Huey ....

Bloody hell! - that is frigging tiny! Most people would have written it off as a racing prospect at 13hh and just legged up their 10 year old daughter and sent them along to the local pony club ....

Ha ha Ben - granny geldings are supposed to teach the youngsters good habits!! Maybe he is trying to tell you he wants to have a more active retirement! (show hunter??) Nevertheless I'm sure he's well loved and looked after and if he passes on to the babies how to win races he'll be worth his weight in gold

I wondered how long till someone mentioned him Puha - knew he was small but didn't realise he was only a pony! I'd swap most big ones for him any day ... bloody good horse! What is lil Ben up to these days?

I'm not too bothered about their tips to be fair - although I do get sick of them blithering on ... I know they 've gotta talk but to save me reaching for the mute button i'd prefer they talk about some stuff I might not have known like the breeding/close relatives/ interesting facts re owners/etc - I guess it depends how you look at those guys. I know it's a betting sport - but I don't see them as my betting guides so I don't too much care about what they'd put their money on ... I suppose it's hard for them to please all of us ... Cheers, J PS: but if they are going to play the picking game why don't they round everything up at teh end of teh day and tell the punters how each of the tv ppl (eg Emily, Sweens etc) went as far as their picks? (this would be interesting and might alsoserve to stop them picking half the field .. )

Hi Chris - who rids work for Shelley? J

What a fab looking filly! Thanks for posting Louise. Looks like some good bone there. And always such a relief to have them on the ground and healthy after the long wait that is the equine gestation! All the best .... J

I didn't have the pleasure of seeing the tv coverage - too much on so was on the go with ear-plugs in. So are we talking the bit the horses gallop on - or Bevan's thatch here Midget?

No bias and no bets here - but I have to say I found the result pretty heart-warming too. Good on you guys. J

Ha! I see you didn't include a photo Chevy but speaking of a colt throwing to the sire ....

Hello Folks excited that September is here and there should be some new arrivals in the `cafers' families by now. Would love to see photos here of your foals - especially great if we could see some first-crop foals. If you want you can post the photo and we can play ... "who's ya daddy" ... Don't be shy - I know some people post here under pseudonyms so might not want to identify the dam but I'd love to see these foals from new sires .... All the best for foaling everyone. J

Ah ok. Thx Treat. J

Thanks folks for your observations - was Hallmark part of the parade - did Super Easy step out? Cheers, J

Fitzy - I have neither gonads (well not males ones anyway - to which I assume you refer in this context - although technically they can be ovarian or testicular) nor 10 million dollars so no - I will not be buying the likes of Ocean Park or Sacred Falls. Nevertheless - I am entitled to an opinion on a forum like this - even though I am merely a lowly, wage-earning, bill-paying, small time breeder/racehorse owner. If you review my post - you will see I did not denigrate the sires - I am no armchair expert - but simply provided an observation - my point of view - and in a more respectful, courteous way than you expressed yours. J.

Only had to receive the Waikato Stud brochure in the mail to finally understand why it might be that I am unable to afford most of their horses ... lovely piece of glossy production and a very fancy "envelope" - certainly looked the most extavagant advertising I've been sent this season ... can't have come cheap .... As I say - they are generally too pricey for me - and IMO almost always right up at - or above - what anyone could justify charging for the various sires ... Not complaining - we can all see what's on offer and at what price - and make our own decisions. It's merely an observation ... Cheers, J

Quite right Shad. There are so many B.S'ers it's actually refreshing to hear someone say they don't know it all but they're gonna have a go and they're willing to learn. Had some dealings recently with a fairly esteemed owner / breeder - has a bank balance that makes mine look like petty change from a 5 year old's lemonade stall - but declared he isn't any expert in type or the other finer points of things equine - but nevertheless is loving every minute and soaking it all up. So all the best to you nathanleslie. Hope you breed a lil champion - you just never know

Ha Ivan! Though to be fair if we're talking about reneging on deals and not paying bills, there's a fair amount of it this side of the Tasman from what I hear talking to various suppliers/contractors ... I feel slightly ill when I receive some of my accounts too but it's a costly game and none of us should be in it if we can't pay our way ...

Inclined to agree with Patiti on this ... the region has been hammered with rain over a long period .. the water table is well up ... forecast has been poor for this period for quite some time ... we all want to be optimistic but it's more important that we be realistic ... Have noticed that in recent times there seems to have been a bit more notice given and planning with the venue changes/race day abandonments so this one seems not quite so well done .. but maybe there are matters of which I'm not aware. Lower NI has had a pr#ck of a wet winter so everything racing and rural's a battle down there just now and I hope for them that the rain doesn't continue all the way through spring. J.

Watched first 30 seconds but I'm saving the rest of that lil treat up for later when I have time to enjoy ... nice one Huey - thanks for sharing