Once again South Island trainer/owners missing out on all the extra money….when will it stop? When will the Sth island participants say enough is enough and make a stand.

Group 1-winning mare Benedetta (AUS) will head to the Queensland Winter Carnival with the 5-year-old's trainer Jason Warren looking forward to starting the 2024 Goodwood (G1) winner off in the May 17 Doomben Ten Thousand (G1).View the full article

I'm sure Southern trainers/owners will be thrilled about the stakes boost, for the steeplechase, but maybe Oamaru might have been a smarter benefactor of extra funding.

Not going to Turkey, sending one of hs puppets, seems hes hiding, if he shows his face needs to be nabbed, maybe he's fearful, what a wimp but history or time will catch up, always does.  

Marton on July 5 has no venue yet, not many options left so will it be Trentham or maybe Whanganui?

Riccarton Race 7 – 1200m Best Bet – HIVARI Caught the eye last week in a small field when steaming home late after giving the winner 4kg – a serious effort. Carries 60kg this time, but the engine’s there, and if the tempo suits, should be right in the thick of it. The one they all have to hold out. Main Danger – FLOWER MOON Drawn sweetly in gate 4 and a real fan of the Riccarton turf. Consistent stats and rarely far away – the type that sneaks under the radar. Keep very safe. Roughie – FOREVER BABE Loves this kind of going and knows how to win here. Same gate, same trip, and while it’s a step up, she’s shown enough at the grade below to warrant serious roughie respect. Not without a shake. Riccarton Race 8 – 1200m Best Bet – JUSTADANCE Last-start 6th better than it looks – ran on strongly and looks to be peaking second-up. Up in grade but trending the right way. One to follow this prep, and this could be the start of something. Back with confidence. Main Danger – BUOYANT Fresh off a strong win at the course and carries momentum. Sain Kirkland has them ticking over nicely – when this stable lines them up, they rarely miss. Genuine threat. Roughie – SPARTAN Gate’s awkward, but has the toe to offset that and should press on early. Light weight helps, and if he gets a soft sectional or two, he’ll dig in for the fight late. Not out of it. OTHERS TO WATCH R3 EL ULTIMO, unlucky on the grass 2 back, forget run in the wet last start.  R5 INTERLAGOS, ding best work late when 7th, watch R5 QEEN OF NAPLES, eye catching run when 4th, can win.  

I find it quite surprising the differing views from trainers at Awapuni on the synthetic track...some like it...some hate it and never use it...seems one size does not fit all. But from the ones using it they say since the maintenance was done on it recently it is riding extremely well...The key to the seems to be how and how often they are maintained. I personally find the racing on them quite boring.

As we now have no suitable mare (s) for Shocking and nothing in the future..... We are keen to sell our Shocking Stallion Share... As note Syndicate members do have pre-emptive rights prior to full confirmation of sale.... Link to Shocking below...... Keen to move on this ASAP so please message direct with all questions, interest and offers.....  https://www.richhillstud.co.nz/stallions/shocking

Tuesday 29th April  Punchestown Festival, Ireland The final big jump festival of the spring took place at Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare. The meeting saw the final test of the season form with the Cheltenham and Aintree form under the microscope. A strong British raiding party came to take on the might of the Mullins and Elliott battallions in their own back yard. The opening day saw the ground Yielding but improving under dry conditions. Supreme winner KOPEK DES BORDES went off 3/10 to follow up in the KPMG Novices Hurdle over 3250m ina  race where Willie Mullins trained four of the six runners. You know how it is, if your top horse flops, one of the others steps up and that's what happened as IRANCY took full advantage of an uncharacteristically lacklustre effort by KOPEK DES BORDES to lead home a 1-2-3-4 for the master of Clonsutton. The small matter of a form reversal of over 40 lengths from Cheltenham raised a few eyebrows but IRANCY had won at Fairyhouse after failing at Cheltenham and is clearly on a steep upward curve. Mullins has a stranglehold over the novice hurdlers and it will be interesting to see where the likes of SALVATOR MUNDI and KARBAU go next season - will they stay over hurdles or switch to fences? BALLYBURN had cost me serious money when failing in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham and went off 11/8 for the Champion Novice Chase over 5000m. He faced a strong opponent in IMPAIRE ET PASSE who he had beaten ten lengths at Leopardstown at Christmas. However, the latter had won the Manifesto over 4000m at Aintree last time and came into the race in fine form. Mullins had five of the eight runners. The race changed at the fifth when IMPAIRE ET PASSE was brought down by his falling stablemate LECKY WATSON. You might have thought this would give BALLYBURN a real chance to atone for his Cheltenham failure but once again his jumping failed to convince and he was decisively outpointed by another stable companion, CHAMP KIELY, who scored at 22s and secured a 28 length form reversal from Christmas running with BALLYBURN. The feature of the opening day was the Champion Chase over 3250m which saw the Champion Chase winner from Cheltenham MARINE NATIONALE, up against Ryanair winner FACT OR FILE and the 2023 Arkle winner EL FABIOLO. Supporters of IL ETAIT TEMPS may disagree and they'd have a valid argument but MARINE NATIONALE has been the top speed chaser of the 2024-25 season and followed up his Cheltenham win but his success was facilitated by EL FABIOLO's departure at the second last. EL FABIOLO has now fallen in three of his last four runs so there's a problem. This was a brutal race and the only one on the card run faster than standard. MARINE NATIONALE jumps and travels at that speed and there are few speed chasers who can do that and he was far too good for CAPTAIN GUINNESS and SOLNESS.

We have the final declarations for Friday's card at York and just five go in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup over 2800m. Two stand out on the figures - REBEL'S ROMANCE is rated 123 and is a serious global racehorse. On his last run in Britain, he was third in the King George at Ascot last July behind GOLIATH. He won the Breeders Cup Turf, the Amir Trophy in Bahrain and last time was fourth in the Sheema Classic on World Cup night at Meydan. He has won over £10.5 million in win and place money which I don't imagine Godolphin or Sheikh Mohammed need but like to have. Here he is in a Group 2 over a new trip of 2800m - I think it may be they don't think he can quite cut it at 2400m with the very best but as there are only five and it's likely to be a steady gallop it may not matter. SWEET WILLIAM is from the other side of the fence - a confirmed stayer who was third in last year's Ascot Gold Cup, second in the Goodwood Cup and won the Doncaster Cup. The further basically the better for this one and I can't see him having the tactical speed to cope with REBEL'S ROMANCE at this trip. CONTINUOUS represents the hugely in-form Ballydoyle stable of Aidan O'Brien and this one won the 2023 Leger but hasn't really lived at the top table since. The trip is probably his optimum and they have put blinkers on for the first time which could spark improvement but they'll have to. We'll get the final runners for the Group 1 Lockinge tomorrow but it looks like a field of nine or ten with ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH hugely interesting on their seasonal debuts as 4-y-o.

The $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) lures quick horses to Pimlico Race Course to race six furlongs. Two of the race favorites—Booth and Concrete Glory—are speedsters, highly effective when racing three-quarters of a mile.View the full article

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he's not worried about the two-week turnaround for Preakness Stakes (G1) contender Sandman, but the uncertainty of track condition could be a concern.View the full article

Starting the wash up from the racing which took place while Mrs Stodge and I were cruising the Med. Saturday April 26th - Sandown - British Jumps Finale The end of the long winter season and the crowning of champions with JP McManus the top Owner and Sean Bowen the top Jockey but the top Trainer title went down to this final meeting. The day started with Dan Skelton holding a £58k lead over Willie Mullins but with the latter sending 21 runners to the Esher track it seemed improbable Skelton could hold on. And so it proved. The final nail in the Skelton coffin came in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase over 3150m where Mullins ran ENERGUMENE and IL ETAIT TEMPS but Skelton must have still hoped the near £100k winning prize would elude the Master of Clonsutton as Nicky Henderson had the race favourite in JONBON, a past winner of the race and unbeaten in five round Sandown.  The changing of the speed chaser division which began with MARINE NATIONALE's decisive defeat of JONBON at Cheltenham continued here as IL ETAIT TEMPS returned from nearly a year off to decisively defeat the Henderson favourite who had made most and jumped well albeit a tad to the left but in the end IL ETAIT TEMPS under Danny Mullins was just too good. I suspect we'll see JONBON run over further next season - could he be a King George contender? As for IL ETAIT TEMPS he had run third to GAELIC WARRIOR (of whom more in a moment) in the 2024 Arkle but had reversed places in the Barberstown at Punchestown but a knee problem had kept him off the track. To me, he's a horse who prefers better ground while MARINE NATIONALE looks like the one who would prefer it soft or heavy. I suspect IL ETAIT TEMPS will be back at Sandown for the Tingle Creek while MARINE NATIONALE heads to Leopardstown at Christmas via the Hilly Way.  ENERGUMENE and EDWARDSTONE have been championship level in the past but both are eleven and are probably past their peak. The win of IL ETAIT TEMPS secured the trainer's championship for Willie Mullins who won it for a second year. Skelton went down with all guns blazing but in the end he was about 10-15 quality horses short. Mullins had the first and second in the supporting Grade 2 Oaksey Chase over 4450m with GAELIC WARRIOR following up his fine Aintree success seeing off APPRECIATE IT who ran his best race for a while. The winner could be Gold Cup standard but will be see out the full 5200m at Prestbury Park? I have my doubts. The Grade 2 Select Hurdle over 4250m saw Paul Nicholls remind us he is still a force to be reckoned with and the 2023-24 champion Harry Cobden illustrate what a fine rider he is with an all the way success on BLUEKING D'OROUX who improved on his fourth in this race in 2024. The winner has been tried at 4800m over hurdles and found wanting and this is his optimum trip though opportunities at this distance are few and far between.    

An attorney for track operator Churchill Downs Inc. told the Louisiana Racing Commission May 13 that Fair Grounds Race Course would not proceed with its 2025-26 meet without legislative relief, according to published reports.View the full article

Due to unsafe track conditions caused by the inclement weather, Delaware Park has cancelled the opening day race card scheduled for May 14.View the full article

Journalism may be in the record books as the seventh straight beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but that doesn't mean trainer Michael McCarthy has lost any faith in his grade 1-winning 3-year-old colt. View the full article

Trikari, a grade 1-winning millionaire by Oscar Performance, tries to end a three-race slide and return to the winner's circle in the $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G3T) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.View the full article

A homebred for the family of the late Harvey Clarke, Gosger returns his family's bloodline to the Triple Crown when he races May 17 in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.View the full article

When the horses break from the starting gate for the May 17 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course there won't be more than nine runners. That's becoming a trend that hasn't been matched for the race in more than 30 years.View the full article

Following an allowance win over a sloppy track at Keeneland, trainer Brendan Walsh is confident that Godolphin's Paris Lily is reaching her best form ahead of the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course May 16.View the full article