Jape 344 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 17 hours ago, kilcoyne said: In my day it was Riverton Sat, Mon and Tues. Monday was apprentice day cos the top riders were at Riccarton for their meetings on the Monday, wednesday and sat after easter. Jockeys moving from Riverton Easter Saturday,Riccarton Monday, Riverton Tuesday Riccarton Wednesday and then Riccarton again the following Saturday. Oh the Glory Days sadly now gone. Help me out with this one. Loch Nagar. I seem to remember he won on each day of the three-day Riverton meeting in 1968 or 69, probably the latter. I know he won on the last day (Tuesday) as my father-in-law and I were there and we collected a surprisingly handsome dividend from Loch Nagar when he won the last race on the card. I can still hear Bill Cherry's commentary "... and Loch Nagar will win" as we raced to the back of the tote. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slam dunk 1,317 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 1 hour ago, Jape said: I remember the division races at Feilding very well. In my teens I sometimes spent the Easter break from boarding school at my aunt's in Palmerston North. One of her sons was a trainer, another an assistant starter. My aunt seemed to know everyone on the course and could not resist having another ten-bob each way on an acquaintance's horse - or tip! With the brackets of those times she once had 12 horses going for her in one race!! My job was to hold the tickets and count up the divs. My reward? Hotdogs and ice-creams all day. Yes that was big day on racing calendar. One race I remember was Tolka a chestnut mare possibly by Messmate winning the Feilding Cup with I think Bruce Marsh as a fifteen year old. Looped the field at the 800. Came from Hawera and I think McCarvill family or Moseley's involved. Would you believe there wasn't even standing room available. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoKnows 791 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 Why is no racing allowed here on Easter Sunday but Australia has meetings galore? sharrymac 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilcoyne 196 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 3 hours ago, Jape said: Help me out with this one. Loch Nagar. I seem to remember he won on each day of the three-day Riverton meeting in 1968 or 69, probably the latter. I know he won on the last day (Tuesday) as my father-in-law and I were there and we collected a surprisingly handsome dividend from Loch Nagar when he won the last race on the card. I can still hear Bill Cherry's commentary "... and Loch Nagar will win" as we raced to the back of the tote. Cant remember the exact year but most likely it was 69. Some great SI horses around for the Riverton Easter Carnivals. Remember the Great Western Chase was always held then. Bill Hazlett normally provided most of the field and they were bracketed, Loch Linnhe, Koral, Eiffel Tower were some of my favs. Best collect I remember getting was an a grey called Haste Ye Back in a sprint race. Great riders too. Midge Didham, Johnny Dowling, Jimmy Pankhurst. Remember Chris Ramage having his first race day ride on a Easter Monday needed help to carry his saddle in to weigh in he was so small. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,343 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 Chris Ramage, the pilot who absolutely slaughtered Show Gate in the 1977 Wellington Cup when they finished second. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,867 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 7 minutes ago, rdytdy said: Chris Ramage, the pilot who absolutely slaughtered Show Gate in the 1977 Wellington Cup when they finished second. We should probably let that one go after all these years. The poor chap has never been allowed to forget it. We all make mistakes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy 4,090 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 54 minutes ago, rdytdy said: Chris Ramage, the pilot who absolutely slaughtered Show Gate in the 1977 Wellington Cup when they finished second. You're a tough marker Ted, 30 years ago, and it cost me a grand when he dropped the stick and she didn't seem to see the Good horse down on the rail. The payback was very sweet and very sad. Went to the line with her ears pricked. Never mind the fractured sesamoid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,343 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 48 minutes ago, We're Doomed said: We should probably let that one go after all these years. The poor chap has never been allowed to forget it. We all make mistakes. That ride will never be forgotten, it is written into the annals of racing history. Whenever Show Gate is remembered that ride will always come up. Any literature pertaining to that race lambastes Ramage's ride that day. From "A Century Of Champions" by Mark Taylor. "The Cup was Show Gate's only attempt at the ultimate distance and she was asked to carry 57kgs. Rider Chris Ramage, later severely criticised for his tactics, had his mount dead last for most of the journey, covered a large slice of extra ground and lost his whip at a vital stage. Yet Show Gate was beaten by less than a length by the fine stayer Good Lord, the 1978 AJC Sydney Cup winner who carried 4.5kgs less. The performance moved racing journalist and author John Costello to call the mare "perhaps the greatest certainty beaten I have ever seen in many years of attending race meetings." Tony Hilton in his book expresses the same detail and opinion and describes many critics that day stating Show gate was a certainty beaten. I was there and can confirm that was so. I have a picture of the finish with Good Lord beating Show Gate by three quarters of a length with the near side rein hanging down loose and Ramage with no whip. She is the second best mare that I have seen race in this country. Insider 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy 4,090 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 12 minutes ago, rdytdy said: Any literature pertaining to that race lambastes Ramage's ride that day. Wrongly I feel, even though it cost me the biggest bet of my life. 2 month's wages at the time. My only criticism of it was that he lost his stick. Even for Bob on the last day, he had to pull the persuader for her to give her best which is why I posted that race. I note that the sesamoid may have played a part, but only a subtle reminder - it's time to go girl - was needed. The sesamoid may have played a part on Wellington Cup Day too don't you think? She always needed that. Stick in hand she would have won that Wellington Cup and Chris's ride would have been rated with the best. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,343 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 You would be the only person not to blame Ramage that day Leggy. If you recall he had her back last and pulling for most of the race, standing up the leaders thirty lengths and declined to track up Royal Cadenza when he went forward and then covered the world when he finally did move turning in. Dropping the stick after that made it a nightmare of a ride. You will note he wasn't given the ride in the Trentham Stakes. There was plenty of talk on course following the race with none of it kind words for Ramage. In the Trentham Stakes she fractured her sesamoid (for the second time) with 1000m to go and ran a NZ record for the 2400m. Ashoka 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 10 hours ago, rdytdy said: That ride will never be forgotten, it is written into the annals of racing history. Whenever Show Gate is remembered that ride will always come up. Any literature pertaining to that race lambastes Ramage's ride that day. From "A Century Of Champions" by Mark Taylor. "The Cup was Show Gate's only attempt at the ultimate distance and she was asked to carry 57kgs. Rider Chris Ramage, later severely criticised for his tactics, had his mount dead last for most of the journey, covered a large slice of extra ground and lost his whip at a vital stage. Yet Show Gate was beaten by less than a length by the fine stayer Good Lord, the 1978 AJC Sydney Cup winner who carried 4.5kgs less. The performance moved racing journalist and author John Costello to call the mare "perhaps the greatest certainty beaten I have ever seen in many years of attending race meetings." Tony Hilton in his book expresses the same detail and opinion and describes many critics that day stating Show gate was a certainty beaten. I was there and can confirm that was so. I have a picture of the finish with Good Lord beating Show Gate by three quarters of a length with the near side rein hanging down loose and Ramage with no whip. She is the second best mare that I have seen race in this country. Ted,interesting that you rate her the 2nd best mare you have seen,I would like to know ,who was the best and be ready for a debate over your top pick,as without doubt she still is the best racehorse i have seen..SNR von Smallhaussen and Ashoka 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharrymac 7 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 The committee that run Auckland Racing Club, should be sacked. No racing Easter Monday and the EASTER HANDICAP is being run on APRIL 23,!! this has been happening for some years now, that doesn't make it any better. To stop making a laughing stock of themselves, the race should be renamed. Is this the directive from the Thoroughbred Racing Board or the TAB? if so they should be sacked. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,867 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 I seem to recall Trentham took over an Easter meeting after Fielding gave it up. These days no major club wants to race at Easter. It seems to work ok in Sydney. Moving the Auckland Cup meeting and associated races has caused a lot of these problems. It means the traditional pattern needs to be revised more than it has been to accomodate this. Insider 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,343 Report post Posted March 26, 2016 8 hours ago, Midget said: Ted,interesting that you rate her the 2nd best mare you have seen,I would like to know ,who was the best and be ready for a debate over your top pick,as without doubt she still is the best racehorse i have seen..SNR As I stated here previously I rate her second, behind Sunline, so you should have already been aware of that as I am aware of your esteem for Show Gate . You are free to differ but I won't be changing my mind on my order. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby3051 10,938 Report post Posted March 26, 2016 I think La Mer was right up there too... She was a super race mare...maybe did not reach the heights of Sunlike as she never really won a big G1 race In Australia... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,343 Report post Posted March 26, 2016 Indeed she was Lee. Loved good tracks and two of her best wins were the Great Northern Oaks which she won by ten lengths and the Air NZ Stakes flashing home along the fence from last. She probably should have been called "Dessie's Dream." She won 24 races and Des Harris was aboard her for all those wins. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meomy 971 Report post Posted March 29, 2016 Not much competition in Auckland for entertainment on this day, with the exception of the Easter Show which has free entry and fireworks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefferson 207 Report post Posted March 29, 2016 On 26/03/2016 at 3:44 PM, rdytdy said: Indeed she was Lee. Loved good tracks and two of her best wins were the Great Northern Oaks which she won by ten lengths and the Air NZ Stakes flashing home along the fence from last. She probably should have been called "Dessie's Dream." She won 24 races and Des Harris was aboard her for all those wins. She really was good, I remember one commentator saying "La Mer won in spite of Des"!! Noel and Des were poles apart. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefferson 207 Report post Posted March 29, 2016 Really, are we that desparate for racing!! Can't all participants have a day or two off to relax, go away, spend time with the family, do whatever they want at Easter. Are your family lives so boring that you are at a loss if there is no racing? We moan about field sizes, just look at North Island Saturday, so having a day or two off may help before the tracks get into the usual Winter Heavy and avoiding watching NZ racing is a better option than watching. Always rely on Australia for my racing viewing. mckenzie 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...