That is great to hear Scooby. Neither of you sounded like natural antagonists. I see no problems with people floating between the two forums and commenting on various topics as and when it seems appropriate. The obvious wealth of knowledge on here should be focussed on constructive comment. With no effective racing media these days it is up to forums such as this to scrutinise and hold to account racing's leadership. No other body is doing it that I am aware of.

Yes no mucking around. They have incredible depth of callers over there.

Monday A few eyebrows were raised when Aidan O’Brien described Justify as potentially “the best ever” sire in an interview in Good Morning Bloodstock last year – not long after he had sent out Warm Heart, Galileo’s 99th top-level winner, to score in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational with the bravery that was a trademark of her father's output.   “Justify is definitely the most different stallion,” said the master of Ballydoyle about the new apple of his eye. “He’s different from any other thoroughbred you’ve seen. He’s a big, muscly, powerful horse. It beggars belief that he was able to stretch out and win a Belmont.   “His stock stood out the moment they arrived. They’re big, rangy horses with huge strides, all of them genuine and with good wind. We had to wait and see whether they had the class, but as soon as they started racing, it all came out.   “If there’s any sire in the world who demonstrated class, it was him in his last three months of racing. Nobody could have asked him to do more than what he did. One follows another like night follows day, and his progeny are the same. They go forward, they cruise and they quicken. It’s so exciting.   “It’s unbelievable. Justify is a big sprinter, like a quarter horse, who was able to win over a mile and a half. Where on earth does that come from? I think it’ll be unbelievable what his progeny are going to do. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like what’s going to happen yet.”   ‘Well he would say that, wouldn’t he?’ was probably some of my more cynical readers’ response to O’Brien’s paean of praise for the son of Scat Daddy. ‘After all, it's in the job description to talk up the Coolmore stallions.'   I must confess that I did think myself that O’Brien might have got a little carried away with the rhapsodising – not out of his own self-interest, but because of recency bias, with the sire having just supplied the European champion two-year-old colt and filly, City Of Troy and Opera Singer, both of whom were housed at Ballydoyle.   But, as time goes by, O’Brien is looking more and more justified – pardon the pun – in placing the Triple Crown laureate on such a high pedestal.   Whether Justify turns out to be “the best ever” stallion is debatable, but the trainer was right: there is something other-worldly about him (we learned in a piece with Coolmore’s staff on the ground in Good Morning Bloodstock in February that he weighs 700 kilos, a full 50 kilos more than any horse who has stood at the operation’s Irish base) and he has been passing on his exceptional gifts to his offspring with regularity.   City Of Troy went on to win the Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International to be named joint-world champion, and is serving his first book of mares at Coolmore in Ireland; Opera Singer overcame an interrupted spring to take the Nassau Stakes; and the Christopher Head-trained Ramatuelle atoned for her 1,000 Guineas near-miss by bolting up in the Prix de la Foret.   Now, thanks to Ruling Court’s game victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, Justify has his eighth Group/Grade 1 winner, the fifth trained in Europe, from four crops of racing age.    The colt, who made a record amount for a breeze-up horse in Europe when sold by Norman and Janet Williamson's Oak Tree Farm to Godolphin for €2.3 million in Deauville last May, was bred in Kentucky out of the Grade 3-placed High Chaparral mare Inchargeofme.    Ruling Court's pedigree was dealt with in this space after he won the UAE 2,000 Guineas in March: you might remember he is descended from Hascombe and Valiant Studs’ bonny little Falmouth Stakes heroine Inchmurrin.   Her maternal line has been in fine form of late, having also given us The Lion In Winter, who beat Ruling Court into third when successful in the Acomb Stakes last August, and Liberty Lane and Godwinson, winners of the Cambridgeshire and Lincoln handicaps in the past year.   Ruling Court is an important horse for the direction of breeding in Europe as, all being well, he will become a first stallion son of Justify for Godolphin’s breeding arm of Darley, presumably in Britain or Ireland.   It is, dare I say, no bad thing to see this particular branch of the Scat Daddy sire-line expand when it has shown itself to be more capable of delivering progressive and versatile horses than some others.   Success should breed success for Justify. His two-year-olds were conceived at a fee of $100,000 but in his fourth season at stud, before he had proven himself, and so while there are plenty of well bred members of that crop, it won't have quite the same strength in depth as other generations, in terms of pedigree.    But with City Of Troy and co driving demand for the sire’s stock on the track last year, those two-year-olds still sold for an average of $327,000 and median of $250,000 as yearlings last year, up from an average of $285,000 and median of $245,000 in 2023.   Seven of those Justify juveniles are set to be offered at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, the source of Ruling Court, on Saturday. Buyers are creatures of habit, so expect any of those lots who please in their breeze to make a small fortune.   Justify’s yearlings of 2024 were also conceived at a fee of $100,000 after he showed significant promise with his first two-year-olds without setting the world alight (no harm in that, as the current ‘best ever’ sire Galileo showed).    Only 13 came up for auction as foals last year, and they sold for an average of around $286,000 and median of $249,000: a decent mark-up on the cost of production, but European interest in the sire redoubled by Ruling Court might see many vendors of his yearlings this year make even bigger profits.   Justify’s book really went blockbuster last year, after a bumper set of results in his sophomore season in 2023.    Woody Stephens Stakes hero Arabian Lion, Belmont Oaks winner Aspen Grove and Bluegrass Stakes and H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes runner-up Verifying emerged from his first crop, while four Group/Grade 1-winning two-year-olds came out of his second generation: City Of Troy and Opera Singer in Europe, and Hard To Justify and Just FYI at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in the US.   Equineline reports that Justify covered 263 mares to northern-hemisphere time at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky last year.   They included no fewer than 57 daughters of Galileo, to replicate the cross that produced City Of Troy. Among them were Coolmore’s own top-flight winners Alice Springs, Clemmie, Empress Josephine, Forever Together, Found, Happily, Hydrangea, Love, Magical, Magic Wand, Minding, Rhododendron, Shale, Tuesday, Warm Heart, Was and Winter. This cohort also includes Together Forever, the dam of City Of Troy, unsurprisingly.   Best In The World, the dam of ill-fated triple Oaks heroine Snowfall, and Toy, the impeccably well bred Irish Oaks runner-up, are just two of the other high-profile Galileo mares sent by the operation to the stallion last year. Other notable names owned by Coolmore partners, outright or in part, covered by Justify in 2024 included Abel Tasman (by Quality Road), Alpine Star (Sea The Moon), Bellafina (Quality Road), Bracelet (Montjeu), Campanelle (Kodiac), Cayenne Pepper (Australia), Even Song (Mastercraftsman), Fairyland (Kodiac), Fancy Blue (Deep Impact), Fleeting (Zoffany), Gagnoa (Sadler’s Wells), Gamine (Into Mischief), I Can Fly (Fastnet Rock), Immortal Verse (Pivotal), Kimari (Munnings), Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer), Mother Earth (Zoffany), Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega), Roly Poly (War Front), Rosdhu Queen (Invincible Spirit), Rushing Fall (More Than Ready), Samaready (More Than Ready), September (Deep Impact) and Sparrow (Oasis Dream).   Safe to say that the Coolmore top brass play by the rules of ‘go big or go home’.   Lots of other breeders with European connections also made sure to get in on the action with Justify at his private fee last year, though.   Ruling Court’s owner Godolphin supported the stallion with US Grade 1 victress Dickinson (Medaglia D'Oro), Balanchine winner Summer Romance (Kingman), dual Group 3 scorer Tranquil Lady (Australia), 104-rated Victory Wave (Distorted Humor) and high-class With The Moonlight (Frankel).   Juddmonte got behind him with a number of mares including British-breds Jubiloso (Shamardal), who ran third in the Coronation Stakes, and Juncture (Dark Angel), a dual Listed winner. Both are related to Frankel, the former being out of the unbeaten world champion’s half-sister Joyeuse and the latter being out of his daughter Occurrence.   The Aga Khan Studs sent four-time Group 1 heroine Tahiyra (Siyouni), Group 2 winner Darkaniya (Frankel) and Group 3 scorer Tariyana (Sea The Stars).   Lady Bamford’s well-credentialled mares Rosscarbery (Sea The Stars) and Queen Of My Heart (Dubawi) also went to him for their first dates.    Fittocks Stud and Arrow Farm & Stud sent Program Trading’s dam Dreamlike and Fethard Bloodstock sent Sioux Nation’s dam Dream The Blues, both mares being by Oasis Dream.   Among the other proven mares with European interest sent to Justify last year were Star Terms’ dual Group 2-winning dam Best Terms (Exceed And Excel), owned by the Barnett family, and Trillium’s similarly classy dam Marsh Hawk (Invincible Spirit), owned by Rockcliffe Stud.   There was also Camille Pissarro and Golden Horde’s dam Entreat (Pivotal), owned by CN Farm; Mishriff’s dam Contradict (Raven’s Pass), owned by Prince Faisal’s Nawara Stud; and Tilsit’s dam Multilingual (Dansili), owned by Ben Sangster.   Furthermore, Merry Fox Stud sent Round Tower Stakes winner Treasure Trove (Siyouni); Moyglare Stud sent Group 3 winner and Group 1 runner-up Malavath (Mehmas); and Watership Down Stud sent Too Darn Hot’s winning full-sister Darlectable You (Dubawi).   Justify is far from an outpost of European breeding activity, though, and among the more permanently North American-based Grade 1 winners he was mated with last year were Bleecker Street (Quality Road), Byrama (Byron), Cambier Parc (Medaglia D’Oro), Chasing Yesterday (Tapit), Dunbar Road (Quality Road), Eda (Munnings), Malathaat (Curlin), Marketing Mix (Medaglia D’Oro), Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock), Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), Sharing (Speightstown), Spendarella (Karakontie), Uni (More Than Ready) and War Flag (War Front).   All of that is only really scratching the surface of Justify’s 2024 book, which was deep on quality and will be so again this year, at a fee of $250,000 that made him America's joint-most expensive sire.   There is time, and every opportunity, for the stallion to prove O’Brien right by becoming “the best ever” or at least one of the best, then. We might not have “seen anything like what's going to happen yet” after all.  

Firstly, Canada rejected a Trump would be political party and now The Aussies have done the same. Good also to see that Triple's racist mate, Pauline Hansen also dipped out   We have Winston who has gone Full Trump as he knows that if you add up the anti vaxers and the Trump goons he can just get to the 5% required to make it into Parliament.

Sounds like all of this was effective immediately. Both Fowler and Edwards were calling at Eagle Farm and Morphettville respectively on Saturday. 

Just to let everyone know Leggy and I have corresponded today and worked out our differences and have decided to bury the hatchet and move on...thanks for everyones support and lets all keep up the robust debate and hold the ones in charge of NZ racing to account.

Didnt mind Golden Lining in the first, but 3yoF over 2100m against the older horses without much weight advantage doesnt normally tick my boxes so grain of salt stuff

Hong Kong's super sprinter Ka Ying Rising will earn more than $10 million prizemoney in just over two minutes if he cleans up The Everest-Russell Balding Stakes double in Sydney this spring. With Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes revealing plans to set Ka Ying Rising for the two Sydney sprints, it is understood Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is emerging as a potential buyer for a vacant slot in the $20 million The TAB Everest, which has World Pool status. There are three The Everest slots that could change hands later this year – definitely The Star's slot, and possibly TAB and Australian Turf Club. If HKJC does buy an Everest slot, it would be a logical fit for them to select their own champion, Ka Ying Rising, the world's number one ranked sprinter. Hayes confirmed Ka Ying Rising will stay in Sydney for a two-race spring campaign that includes the world's richest turf race, the $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18, boasting first prizemoney of $7,500,000. Then two weeks later is the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens which offers $1.725 million to the winner. In addition, there is a $1 million bonus for any horse that can win The Everest-Russell Balding double. Bella Nipotina became the first to win both races last spring. She ran 1m 8.76s on a soft 5 track in The Everest then raced away with the Russell Balding stakes in 1m 14.96s – taking less than 2m 24s to claim the mega-rich sprint double. Ka Ying Rising, which has won 12 races in succession, is already $1.90 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds for The Everest and is set to start the shortest favourite in the race's history. Nature Strip was $1.90 when he ran fourth to Giga Kick in the 2022 The Everest.  

Bonjour from near Toulon in southern France where I have finally got some Internet. Wonderful weekend for Godolphin in both Britain and America. I saw RULING COURT on debut at Sandown last summer and he looked a real prospect. The second ran a huge Derby trial. DESERT FLOWER was dominant in the 1000 Guineas. Ollie Sangster will be thrilled with second and third and I look forward to seeing LAKE VICTORIA over further.

Hawera 2. Charm Zafarm 4. Happy To     Kawakawa 7. Jus Wing It  8. Idyllic  9. Pepeha

I was going to ask who the most prolific talkers are, so cheers for that lols

Normally the Syndicator get 10% as well  dont they?

Will be very interesting to see the ROI for the investors in Wolverine when purchased by DCE. 

It depends on whether his millions or billions are being used/reduced to calculate tax payments due, or whether he's looking to raise a loan based on his manufactured net worth. The numbers/valuations go down or up accordingly.  

Or put on his own diapers……💩   Doubt Melania gives him a hand……😆

Yea you are probably right it's said he's not smart enough to actually add up his billions

Really unlucky both should have won , but for Aaron putting the old voodoo comment on lol 

Same story, repeated 5 months later!

Always a very strong sale.

Plenty going to the MM Gold Coast sale it seems. SA Derby winner Femminile going there too.   Campionessa won't be the only former Te Akau Racing representative on offer on the Gold Coast, with the trans-Tasman powerhouse also offering G1 performer Wolverine, Stakes winner Family Ties, Stakes performers Sans Doute and Millefiori, two-win filly The Victress and The Sky Above, a half-sister to G1 performer Landlock.