rdytdy

Congrats for sure Puha. One to enjoy for sometime to come no doubt.

Probably using one race is drawing a long bow Sheriff although last year the first three home were males and males dominated (numbers) the 2yo race yesterday at Te Rapa. I fully understand what you are saying though re the loss of the male horses overseas. What started as a trickle has gradually increased in volume into what has become a torrent, much like a small hole in a dam increasing in size until the dam bursts. Looking at the 2011/12 Free Handicaps I note the dominance of males in the 2yo category and in the 3yo category 1200m - 1600m. 1601m+ the females dominate. The 2yos this season are going to be dominated by females ie Ruud Awakening, Recite and Bounding. Cauthen is the interesting one as he only had the one start at Te Rapa but may be something extra. The sale of our male horses to the overseas market is as a direct result of overall poor stakes being offered in NZ. As such, any realistic owner will grab any decent offer made for their horse as the return from racing it here is basically economic suicide. A large number of horses are now being broken in and prepared solely for export with no intention of them racing here. The reason is outlined below. The latest return to owners in NZ for each code per dollar spent is: Greyhounds 54.7 cents Harness 29.7 cents Thoroughbreds 19.4 cents I wrote those down a couple of weeks ago when Peter Early had the Greyhound CEO trumpeting the figures.

Excellent reply to Fasthorse there Ashoka. I note the one who espouses' the party mantra here has gone quiet on the wonderful Mon/Tues racing that he heralded to be quite a success.

I can remember Glenda from my junior athletic days in the late sixties/early seventies when there was an all weather running track at Evans Bay in Wellington. She competed for the Kiwi Club if I recall correctly. Glenda was Queen of the shot put in those days and was a bloody good sort and attended a lot of the parties afterwards on Saturday night. Went away on a few athletic trips with Glenda and was in the Wellington team competing against Canterbury for the Dorrie Leslie Shield. We caught the overnight 8pm ferry from Wellington (Maori was the name of the ferry from memory) down to Lyttelton and after the bars closed a few of us including Glenda ended up on the top deck having a few more and as someone had a guitar a sing along. (Ran my fastest 5000m of the season on the Saturday as well). As I said I always found Glenda a really good sort and have noted her progress in the business world where she has specialised in PR dealing with the media and is a regular motovational speaker. I can recall Glenda being called in to face the media a couple of times when things have got too hot in the kitchen for others to handle. I hope that is not the case here. But interesting selection as chairman Sheriff. I haven't caught up with Glenda for a number of years now but can't recall her having much racing knowledge at all. She must be getting on a bit now (sorry Glenda) but it would be great if she could clean out the place, removing a lot of the dead wood.

Complete disaster as anyone with half a brain realised it would be right at the start. Let's hope he doesn't have any other "Hunches" Great way to run a business.....not!!!

Actual Horse Names that were passed: Arrrrr Wear The Fox Hat Sofa Can Fast Hoof Hearted One Way Ticket to The Glue Factory Panty Raid Dontmentionthewar Brangelina Barely Legal Junkinthetrunk Bodacious Tatas Go Dick Go Buck Naked Oh No, It's My Mother-In-Law Gay Crusader OopsMyZippersDown Little Hitler No fat chicks Blazing Buddha Slippery Dick Fuchu Little Knickers Noble Locks Big Tits Finmental Who Gives A Donald Passing Wind Geespot Dirty Sanchez Foxy Fanny Muff Diver Peony’s Envy Far Call Horse Names that were declined: Ben Timover Neil Anblowme Chit Hot Sarah Jessica Parker Killfuck Soulshitter Oil Beef Hooked (an Irish horse) Anita Hanjaab Hoof Hearted (Willy Fisterbottom Arfur Foulkesssaycke Choke the Chicken Curl One Off Hugh G Dildeaux Norfolk Enchants Are Soles to You Willie Be Hardigan Pee Nesenvy Spank The Monkey Ivanna Threesome Jack Schitt Anita B Jaynow Hugh Janus Hugh G Rection Pee Nesenvy Betty Swallocks Far Cough

I'll try central Europe then.....Hungary

Bulgaria

Good choice for the cover Neil Excellent photo.

Cut it out Rumpole.....I was born at a very early age.

Korea

The same place as Octagonal's younger G1 winning brother Mouward? Hope he didn't end up on someone's plate as Mouward did.

Vic Satffer during an earthquke at Hollywood Park: "We're in an earthquake in South California.....by the way folks, I want you to know I,ve loved you all and racing was my first love.....these two go to the wire in a shaker. And Hilton Donaldson calling Black Caviar: "She looks at the 30,000 strong crowd and says, "Geez I'm good, no I'm not, I'm the best in the world you've ever seen."

Tom, interestingly, the dam of Altitude was High Trick who was out of the top mare High Glee and the sire of High Trick was Trictrac....who was of course the sire of Balmerino.

Can't take the credit for remembering all of these. Aidan Rodley had an article in the Waikato Times yesterday listing a whole lot of comentator's lines. The one's I posted were just a few of them. Couldn't locate a link to cut and post them all. Some great and also humourous lines.

There have been some great lines used by commentators over the years such as: Tony Lee: "And the dream bursts into reality." Bill Collins: "Bonecrusher races into equine immortality." Reon Murtha: "In a galaxy of stars, he's the brightest of all." David Raphael: "The horse of Hong Kong comes after the mare of the world." Keith Haub: "And McGinty looked up at me and winked and said, where's Beaufort Lass Haubie." Bill Collins: "Kingston Town can't win." Darryn Tyquin: "He's the biggest boilover since Polly put the kettle on." etc etc But a couple of classics: Stewart Machin describing jockey Tony McCoy checking his big lead: "Tony has a quick look between his legs and likes what he sees" Bill Cherry calling a close finish between two horse, one owned by Bert Crooks and the other he raced in partnership with his wife.: "And Bert Crooks has done his wife right on the line."

Nothing at all wrong with the Mike's voice Mooseman.....it's his eyes that are the problem.

Indeed March Legend's dam Gretel was by Golovine Leggy. Balmerino, what a horse. I made mention of their clash in the Wellington Guineas and going into the race NGH was confident that March Legend could beat Balmerino that day and should have. March Legend shied at something on the track (paper or something like that) and Balmerino got up on the outside to win by a nose. Probably the best horse to come out of Te Awamutu was, and it was before I was born so I never saw him, Mainbrace. Won 23 from 25 starts

I'm going to kill those bastards who handcuffed my hands behind my back!!!!

Bill Sanders had some top horses, what about these...... March Legend, Barellan, Rochdale, Fairview Lad, Quick Answer, Lu Filou, Choucuanna, Amie, Mayo Mellay, Bound To Honour, Loughanure and Shaitan along with jumpers Execute and Spray Doone. March Legend was unlucky enough to be in the same 3yo crop as Balmerino. I saw the pair clash in the 1975Wellington Guineas where Balmerino in the hands of Maurice Campbell beat March Legend and NGH by a nose. March Legend won the Harcourt Stakes the same year and Mayo Mellay won the same race the following year.

Te Awamutu races today and a lot of top horses and have been trained there over the years. Who can you recall?

Yes Morty, I have been lucky enough to meet a great number of good people through racing including Ray. I would say 99.9% of people involved in racing are in that category and have made numerous friends and acquaintances throughout my involvement. When I lived in the Hutt a number of riders have stayed at home with us such as Bruce Marsh, Johnny Harris, Noel Harris, Mark Burridge, Ray Cleaver, Brian York, Greg Childs, Chris McNab, Peter Johnson, Rodney Heaslip, Maurice Campbell, Nigel Landers and there will be others that I can't recall right now off the top of my head, Garry Phillips stayed with us virtually every Trentham meeting from when he was in Foxton with Bruce Robinson right through until he retired. He always said that he would retire as soon as he turned forty and true to his word he did just that, even though he was riding fantastically well at the time. And of course have been fortunate to see some champion horses that have graced the turf and great racing.. It is good to recall them now and then and this thread of course has brought a number of them to the fore.

Know Ray well. Catch up with him when he comes over to the yearling sales.

Cuss won 10 races. Mark Barnsley rode Cuss 8 times for 1 win Phillip Mercer rode him 55 times for 6 wins.

Porky I remember Cuss. A plain looking bay that raced as you said with his head straight in front of him. He was a stayer and Phillip Mercer rode him most of the time. Trained by Grant Searle if my memory is correct. Veandercross was a champion alright Torch. The Wanganui Wonder, originally owner/trained by Chris Turner before John Wheeler took him over in Australia. Wom fifteen races both here and Australia which included 8 Group One races. Still remember the day when Shayne Dye rode him in the Caulfield Cup and was just beaten by Mannerism after covering the world.