Also, for some reason they refuse to hold 2yo and 3yo races on the AWTs so SI trainers never get these options whereas virtually every NI feature meeting has a 2yo or 3yo race, usually both.

Another question that came up in discussion last night was , because they have failed to produce the report whether trainers and owners are going to be reluctant to trust that the tracks are going to be safe and reliable .  The lack of entries for the trials surprised me as you would think there would be many wanting to expose their horses to the new surface before racing on it . With very good noms for Trentham and Hawera in particular this weekend , is there going to be a dearth of horses for the first AWT meeting next week ?

Amazing how much has been raised for these great services so far...at times like these the industry always shines out in my opinion....hopefully help for others can come from this terrible tragedy.  

And why is it down south they race for much bigger stakes than at Awapuni...is this to encourage them to have to accept no grass racing...seems strange the big differences.

America's Best Racing compiles as schedule of racing on radio and television.View the full article

It was a relatively quiet May 13 morning at a soggy Pimlico Race Course as two of nine starters in the May 17 $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) jogged around the wet, sealed racetrack. View the full article

That observation about 'trust' i think encapsulates the major issue. How can stakeholders 'trust ' an administration that continually obfuscates,  hides facts, produces tracks newly renovated that aren't fit for purpose...and just keeps rolling on with impunity? Those who can read will be well aware that synthetic tracks of various designs have been in use for 30 years or more, all over the world.  They aren't new and have been, given initial teething issues,  well received.  A godsend as alluded above. They suit some, not others.  Same as any surface.  Its up to NZTR to produce the report they are sitting on and encourage discussion with folk who actually know a bit about the things.  I could mention a few names but won't. 

Central Christchurch is absolutely full of these and the building continues at a hectic pace. Soon these types of dwellings will outstrip single houses close to the main centre.

America's Best Racing provides quick looks at this year's Preakness runners.View the full article

Oil versus Gas, Electricity versus Solar, the world is going to run out so they turned to synthetics in USA back in the 1950's, didn't they? There's some worthwhile reading in those news media Archives. Take a browse using related keywords to Synthetic tracks and it all pops up. Who of you have lived in places with that cheap tacky artificial green grass in your houses and backyard? They introduced that as a feel good factor so you didn't have to move your lawns so you had more time to play golf! Bunch of goons, and here we wonder how the program was called The Going Show in the era it was created.   Some have totally screwed up nature with their alternative thinking about Saving Lives and use of "synthetics".   New Zealand has soil not sand and is a narrow isthmus unlike America and Australia and touch wood isn't yet like Hong Kong where high rise towers and concrete jungles have messed with the soil structures and what nature lay beneath. Suggest you also browse through "In the year 2000," in those PPNZ archives because there's lots that's relevant and applicable to the mighty mess the world has become and shows up who is responsible for the demise of what we grew up as Status Quo that worked in New Zealand. Get rid of the synthetic nonsense and go back to traditional tried and true sheep, horses and cattle grazing and ploughing of the land with a Harrow and plough where need be. 

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a "strategic economic partnership" alongside Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The partnership included a series of deals on energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion, and "could" help create up to 2 million U.S. jobs, Trump said on Tuesday.  Roughly a dozen memorandums of understanding and letters of intent were agreed to under the new partnership.  The Art of the Deal, Genius  Hokey Mitey Blokey and Heap will agree with Donald J Trump now.

Then there's legalities if what was expressly set aside Perpetuity as a Domain / Racecourse Reserve and playground for the people is legally able to have permanent housing or Buildings on them unless they are directly associated with the purpose of a Domain/ Public Reserve. This was an issue in Cambridge/ Leamington and discussed in November 1948 and explains the reasoning behind a Domain belt between towns and Industrial/  farming regions. Without a separation between them there are problems. Without Farming lands and agriculture to grow food sources there's serious problems arise in a country that had a decent amount of space per person.   The problems we face all go back to David Ritchwhite's philosophy of New Zealand people are to lazy to work and do the jobs so bring in 50,000 Asians to do the jobs. Note that Sam Stubbs worked for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong in the era of Insider Trading and as Hong Kong reverted to China from British Governance. He also worked for Richwhite. It is Steve Tindall who introduced Shane Brearley and Stubbs to each other. It is a known fact Tindall has created the demise of Quality of goods in New Zealand through The Warehouse which some claim is parallel imports however when one looks into Judicial decisions in the World legal database relating to Counterfeit goods it's clear some along the line have told blatant lies. He has also played a significant role in screwing over jobs in manufacturing in New Zealand and much of what's sold in The Warehouse over the years is Disposable synthetics and effectively Counterfeit goods so must be held to account. They also are pollutants that are not of good quality to recycle into good Quality items. Who signed off all the land deals and consents and funded Shane Brearly's Buildings since his business started in the era of 2004 - this is Super City era and Labour Government era?   Did any of these people donate to any political party? Or receive Superannuation funds to build housing? If so how much and what processes, including  government Tender processes were followed to ensure transparency? Brearly & Stubbs concept of mass housing is based on pockets of European countries that have far more people per size of land/ property than has been the case in New Zealand  so there needs to be questions asked and answered.   Why are they Building so many 1-2 bedroom apartments and houses built over 3 levels, without factoring into account the needs of those who may have disabilities and can't climb stairs? They have been building vast numbers of housing to accommodate an unfettered number of migrants without doing proper fact checking and analysis in eras when Immigration numbers were still very much restricted. Jobs are supposed to be advertised in local newspapers, through local schools and offered to locals prior to advertising internationally. These are all "consequences" we are dealing with because of the aforementioned who have acted outside of our laws taking over public lands that are required by law to be kept in perpetuity as Public Domains for balance of life and the betterment of Public Health. There's absolutely no need for housing to be built on any Racecourse Reserve or Public Domain, nor should they ever have been sold off.   There's many a person who must be held to account for such abhorrent practices that have destroyed our quality of life in New Zealand and the economy.

Mitey, I plead with you to get treatment immediately for the TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME it is becoming fully blown now.

The amount of agricultural and car imports into USA from The Uk has been stuff all. The only British car you are likely to see in USA in the odd Rolls Royce. You are right Bloke the Jaguar Land Rover Mini Bentleys Aston Martins and McLarens are now manufactured in Aotearoa . Trump has stuffed the stock market the Dow now the lowest of all time bring Joe Biden back. I was surprised Super Don knew which way to walk off the stage in Saudi Arabia after getting a 600 billion dollar deal off the Crown Prince. How many times did Joe Biden walk straight off the stage without the aid of the easter Bunnie?

The Jockey Club Information Systems in association with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities have published the 2025 International Cataloguing Standards Book, also known as The Blue Book. View the full article

Meet the jockeys riding in the Preakness Stakes (G1), the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.View the full article

As race spacing is considered today, some historical perspective on Preakness date.View the full article

Dollars & Sense with Frank AngstView the full article

We have Thursday's final declarations for the second day of the York Dante meeting. Two Group 2 races - both over 2050m. The Middleton is for the older fillies and mares. Eight go to post but four seem to dominate according to the betting and the ratings. Joint top rated are SEA OF FIRE and BEAUTIFUL LOVE. The former ran okay when fifth in the Gordon Richards at Sandown three weeks ago - she needed the run and should be a lot fitter though I think she's a 2400m type. BEAUTIFUL LOVE runs for Godolphin and turns out quickly after running third in the Dahlia at Newmarket. Her stable companion CINDERELLA'S DREAM looked very good winning that race but the quick turnround worries me. Ralph Beckett runs DOHA who seems completely indifferent to the ground. She won a decent handicap on quick turf at the Royal meeting but won in Listed company in France on very soft ground. She was fifth in the Nassau but well held on Champions Day when the 2100m on very soft ground might have been too much. I can't have her first time up for all I think she's a decent filly. NAKHEEL won the Park Hill at Doncaster over 2850m so this is a big drop in trip for her first run so I'll let her go as well. Of the others, ROYAL DRESS and SIOUX LIFE are two others whose form is all on much slower turf. It's a race, like a bad wine, to lay down and avoid, but if you force me to take $20 from @scooby3051's hand, I'd put it on SEA OF FIRE. The Dante is the credential Derby trial - the record of winners has been very strong though the record of placed horses not so good. Eleven go to post and the field is headed by the current English Derby favourite THE LION IN WINTER who is 4/5. He only ran twice as a juvenile but his second run was a win in the Acomb over 1400m of the Knavesmire. Course and ground look fine - whether he's an Epsom type is a question for three weeks time and were it not for the strength of the Ballydoyle runners in the recent trials, I'd consider 4/5 a big lay. He faces the horse he beat in the Acomb, WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE, who has mixed it at the top table both as a juvenile and this campaign. He won the Royal Lodge at Newmarket before running third in the Futurity at Doncaster. This season, he was second to FIELD OF GOLD in the Craven and then fifth in the 2000 Guineas where he suffered interference at the start but ran home well. The step up to 2050m will help - whether he can overturn the Acomb form with THE LION IN WINTER is another question. Godolphin run the unbeaten ALPINE HILLS who has looked decent in wins at Yarmouth and in Listed company at Newmarket last time - this is another step forward in class. TUSCAN HILLS run for the north (DANTE was the last northern trained Derby winner just after WW2) and while he looked good on soft ground at Pontefract last autumn, this is entirely different.  Ralph Beckett runs PRIDE OF ARRAS who won his maiden impressively at Sandown last summer and could be anything while the Gosdens set us a poser by running three. I like DAMYSUS who was a decent third at Sandown last month - he's my each way pick at 14s. Races like this make or break reputations - IF THE LION IN WINTER wins well, he'll be a strong favourite for Epsom but I like WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE against him, I respect ALPINE HILLS and PRIDE OF ARRAS who are both unexposed but the each way play is DAMYSUS.

Well said  Heap, the funny thing about this is this week he has a spot in the PGA Championship starting at 250-1 and has beaten Mcilroy twice in Big Tournaments....the 6,75 top 20 looks a must in multis given his pedigree....cashing out for 677 when he missed the fairway in the playoff pissed me off slightly but stoked he won, now to back it up again  against the cream of the Crop