Lloyd Vivian

I remember Tolerance [ridden by Frankie Reys of Dual Choice fame I think] - what a great colt he was! John's Hope, the grey, dam-sire of another winner in Bounding Away I seem to recall. Out of Danger [by Without Fear??] trained by the Late Great C S Hayes, ridden by John Stocker??? Manikato the Freak. Rancher what a sensational 2yo he was! And what a sensation his old trainer was as he so often clashed with the connections of Grosvenor who chased him round on several occasions as a 2yo...!! Our own homebred Courtza. Alinghi the champ. ah, memories... Yep..always takes a real good one and often a GREAT to win this one. I look forward to it!

Big statement zzz!!

Peter - what's Fairy King's record like down here? How well has he been 'tried'?

A nice bit of 'poetic licence' or word association perhaps, there by Sleeman However, seeing as KT had run 100m last at his first start it was not hard to understand the decision at the time! I'm sure he would have continued to run in such fashion too - without the aforementioned 'ball-tampering!'

Favourites seldom win this one Chris - but I do have him at the top of my list.

Agree wholeheartedly with those two and would add the new boy Nom du Jeu.

That's certainly a great feat anywhere! Well done. I think it was Mark Purdon trained 7 at Alexandra Park [just the other day as it happens] but 6 is still a terrific feat - wouldn't be too many have done it.

Cheers Bruce - I really enjoy this comp!!

Bruce - I have obviously missed the start of this comp: can I join at this point? If so, I'd like Nicconi Sniper's Bullet Light Fantastic If not - please ignore.

Agreed! Makes an 'ass' of the ratings system in my book..Must REALLY grate the owners of O'Cartier that the only time they get any respect for their horse is by the handicapper! And Muphasa only needs a good track to bounce back big-time on Saturday..will he get it???

Thanks Freda - yet we still get talk of 'concrete' tracks???

Pogo, Pogo...here's what I said rather flippantly in a post which was actually about Denman.... "Shocking went,,well....shocking! Nah, couldn't expect too much from him over that trip, but I would have rather seen him finish off a bit better than he appeared to.." Now you might have seen something derogatory in that statement - I dunno. Certainly none intended. It was just a simple observation that he didn't show much and to my eye was a bit disappointing. Of course I would have been surprised to see him run a place - but even so, I would have liked to see him finishing a bit stronger than he appeared to. He seemed to run quite a distance last, whereas Sirmione ran like a top stayer who has come back real well and produced a phenomenal sprint against those other two. It was more comparing the two that I was alluding to. How in hell is Shocking to finish any better in a walk and sprint ?? - Pogo quote. In answer to your question above: He didn't appear to raise a sprint at all. That would have helped! Whatever spin you put on it, I don't think Kavanagh would have been doing handstands leaving the course after THAT run mate. It was pretty average and I'm not trying to be unkind. He'll just be hoping everything's OK with him and pressing on for a more conclusive result next time, I'd say. Hey, I'd love to see Shocking come back huge - don't get me wrong; I'm not slagging the horse off. Just my opinion of his first up run being a bit disappointing. And yes Pogo - Ozzie 2yo's are fast! But watch out for a Kiwi 3yo named Zarzuela - she's no slug either...

How were you referring to Shocking Pogo? You told me not to be swayed by Chris' comments on Denman. I said I wasn't; I can spot a good one by myself. What's my passing comment Shocking not finishing off as well as I would have liked got to do with THAT? ! I said one couldn't expect too much from him over that trip after all. Are you just being Pogo??? !!!!

While I sympathise with you EW - certainly in regard to the idiotic irrigation of Trentham pre-Telegraph! - I doubt VERY much that Wingatui was 'like concrete' - 1:12.5 for 1200m is hardly indicative of a real hard & fast track. Even Coup Align didn't break 1:10. Dave Macarthy indicated that ' due to the condition of the track' he thought would Coup Align would run a tick over 1:10 - which is exactly what he did. Sorry about your horse mate;that's tough. But why don't you race it in the other 10 months of the year when tracks are softer? Genuine 'hard & fast' horses only get a couple of months in the year when it really suits them!

Hey - I was only being silly too! But you're right - it's not too often that a riderless one gets to the post first without taking a short cut back to the stables at some point!!! Stuck to its task real well.

8 from 10 Pogo - he's clearly better than most! I think I can spot a good'un with just my own two eyes after all this time!!!!

Saw the replay and the horse went down on it's nose with it's first stride out of the gates. Rosie went over it's head - had no chance. I thought the horse that ran 2nd did even better - with it's 55kg dis-advantage in the weights!!!!

Denman was hugely impressive [and reminded me so much of his Dad in his action.] What a GOOD horse he is! I have to say, I expected Typhoon T to win more imprssively than she did. I thought the run of her race was by SIRMIONE! He went huge...bodes well for his return over a more suitable trip.. Shocking went,,well....shocking! Nah, couldn't expect too much from him over that trip, but I would have rather seen him finish off a bit better than he appeared to..

You're right there Fordman!!! How impressive was THAT aye?!! Wouldn't want to be on anything else in the Blue Daimond...

It seems to be one of those areas where there is really no clear answer. It certainly seems at times that sires leave stock with a preference for certain footing. The horses physical make-up and in particular, their galloping action seems to affect the surfaces they can perform on. There are familes with a noted prefernce for producing mudders - and those who produce top class horses who need hard and fast to produce their best. Personally, I'd buy the best looking, best bred horse I could afford and go from there!

Interested to hear you say that Zimmo - Personally, I would have thought Wall Street would be his best chance at the Cox Plate [and the AUD $3 mill!!!! ] - wait and see I guess!

I agree whole-leartedly with the sentiments of your posts Caramello. Unfortunately, good character [ and a lack of this is what all the problems you mention stem from ] starts in the home - and that is where our society [not just the racing industry] is falling apart. These issues are rampant throughout our Western society. When good families are almost the minority and kids have had to grow up the best way they know how - after coping with divorce/separation/ abuse of various kinds and aspiring to the values of Hollywood and various hoodlum hip-hop artists et al along the way....then the results will become self-evident. We are raising a generation of largely self-serving, unethical, hedonistic young people who hate hard work and for whom 'doing the right thing' is a laughable, old-fashioned idea. Just look after No1, live purely for the moment or the next party, get away with anything you can and 'stuff' everyone else Jack is their modus operandi. A return to old-fashioned, Christian virtues upon which our society was built, would go a long way towards turning the tide in society at large - but it takes another generation. And I have to say, I can't see that happening at present. There's certainly no EASY answer!

I'd go further than that Kelvin - I'd say he'd have to be just about the best horse in commission [in NZ]at the moment and the sky's the limit for this bloke, bred the way he is. Unlimited potential over any distance - just sheer class! Can't wait to see his career unfold...scopey, staying bred horses with the "whoosh" factor are just excitement machines. I remember a trio of very classy horses by Sea Anchor years ago who demonstrated the same sort of abilities as this bloke early on in their careers; Red Anchor, Weston Lea & Beechcraft. Only bad luck and illness kept the latter two from fulfilling their full potential as Red Anchor did - but all three in the right condition were a threat over any distance. Go the new Champ - and here's hoping he's able to take his place in the Cox Plate in October.