Surely the biggest question is why wasn't this attended to before any seeding as they knew the stones were there. The old story fix a problem then it doesn't come back to bite I

But it's not a sand-based track. It's a soil/silt-based track with sand in the profile.

Would be hard showing your face around people who know what happened . Am still in shock . We used to socialize together when we were both Juniors with other Drivers 

I see George Rooke has gone over to ride at Randwick on Saturday aboard the prmosing filly for James/Wellwod - She's  Dealer

It appears to me over the last few months he had lost his confidence, hie explanation to me at Te Rapa after a disapointing result was meaningless. He was given a fair go by Te Akau and then Marsh and received some valid criticism over recent rides. He has the skill without question but needs some mentoring and support. Lets hope he gets that at Wallers.

You are so right Scooby on one off my trips down to palmy I called in to see how progress was going on the Awapuni track , I could not believe how many  stones or rocks (call them what you want) were on the track I know that they had a working bee to pick up stones but there were so bloody many of them it would have been impossible to pick them all up.Farmers in the Marton area used to use a stone picker (a bit like a potato picker) Wether they tried to get one of those I don't know.There is a grass seed company in Palmerston North that specialises in grass seeds has been there for many years yet he was never approached for any advise.i agree if racing still had the likes of the Bill Freemans and the Jim Bulls these problems in racing would soon get sorted.

Do you know how long he will be over there for Ted?

🤣😂🤪

Oh fuck off , you with your smarts and common sense , these are not current requirements of our industry .

Hope he does well Ted, gifted rider and light weight hope he can break in over there.

Yes. Left yesterday.  Will be based in Sydney and riding for Chris Waller.    

Here is some really worrying points from this BS story in my opinion reading it. 1 Why has 8 months been wasted, the work agreed now was always the work needed to be done...so 8 months wasted. 2 Did they get input from the locals there, trainers, caretakers etc??? Surely they must have been consulted from day one...right??? 3 Awapuni now not to be rushed back huh you only think of this now...FFS why on earth it was not left until the spring god only knows.they had been without it for over a year already what difference would two or three months have made??? 4 So these so called "experts" are the same ones who now found rocks in Awapuni and cocked up Ellerslie for 12 months, who I bet are not cheap and dont fly down the back of the bus!!! How did the rocks just mysteriously appear??? And why are rocks so close to the surface they can be pulled up??? 5 This organic matter thats seems so necessary now, why in the hell was it not added in from the beginning, and why is it now NZ racetracks are sand based, are we having turf races or beach races after all.Do we not have a single turf expert in NZ who knows how to grow decent turf in NZ conditions, did they even ask the opinion of a single person with knowledge of this in NZ??. 6 So clubs spend a fortune on redoing the tracks then have to spend another fortune on expensive remedial machines that have to be used weekly to stop the flash new expensive sand tracks covered with some sort  of green grass to stop them compacting and becoming unsafe. I guess they must be employing the wrong type of experts. I am sure Bill Freeman and the great caretakers who were at Awapuni in the past are pulling their hair out wherever they maybe. This press release is just more corporate spin aimed at shutting down the criticism that is well warranted in my opinion, but all they do again with this release is word it to cover their own arses when it all turns to custard.    

It's cutthroat over there. I'm sure Waller will insert some more professionalism into him, and also improve his riding tactics.

Having won his last five starts in California, including two grade 1s, Formidable Man aims to solidify his place at the top of the West's turf mile division in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park May 26.View the full article

Mike Ryan's homebred Be Your Best takes her show on the road in search of firmer turf when she starts in the $300,000 Gamely Stakes (G1T) May 26 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Horse racing is staring down the prospects of one of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent history between Sovereignty and Journalism. View the full article

Hope if he does ride over there he smashes it out of the park.Go hard Wiremu!!!

All smoke and mirrors as always, no accountability.

Lockinge Day at Newbury and the first Group 1 of the season for the older horses took place on perfect summer racing ground (Good to Firm). It looked a very strong renewal with the top 3-y-o milers of 2024, ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH who, between them, had won the English 2000 Guineas, the Irish 2000 Guineas, the St James's Palace and the Sussex facing DANCING GEMINI who had won the Group 2 Sandown Mile as well as top fillies TAMFANA, the Sun Chariot winner and FALLEN ANGEL, the Irish 1000 Guineas winner. Having been quite a short price two days earlier, ROSALLION had drifted to 9/4 with DANCING GEMINI sent off 2/1 favourite. The morning money had been for the Gosden trained LEAD ARTIST who was backed from 16s to 17/2. Oisin Murphy was able to snatch the race from Ryan Moore forcing LEAD ARTIST to the front as DANCING GEMINI faltered in the final 50m. The trainer of the runner up, Roger Teal, thought the ground the fastest his horse had ever faced and he had just failed to see out the trip. Huge returns from both ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH, once again split by almost nothing, in third and fourth. I thought ROSALLION was keen enough with Sean Levey not able to get the cover Oisin Murphy enjoyed on the winner. William Buick reported NOTABLE SPEECH had run well after his long break. At one point immediately after the race, it was 9/2 co-favourites the first four home for the Queen Anne at Ascot next month but currently DANCING GEMINI is 3/1 favourite, ROSALLION 7/2, NOTABLE SPEECH 4s and LEAD ARTIST 6s. LEAD ARTIST loves really quick ground - the long term aim is the Breeders Cup Mile but a little ease wouldn't harm the prospects of DANCING GEMINI. However, both ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH will come on a lot for their first runs and I just wonder if NOTABLE SPEECH might be the one at Ascot.  We mustn't forget PORTA FORTUNA who is in the Lanwades on Sunday at The Curragh and is herself 8/1 for the Queen Anne. All in all, if they all turn up, it's going to be a mouthwatering start to the Royal meeting. The two disappointments were the fillies - FALLEN ANGEL set the early gallop but faded once headed and TAMFANA continued the moderate start to the season for David Menuisier. LEAD ARTIST ran 1 minute 35.09 seconds for the straight 1609m - 0.74 seconds BELOW standard. The supporting Group 3 was the Aston Park over 2400m and with one or two disappointing, EYDON put up his best performance since running fourth in the 2000 Guineas back in 2022. It's fair to say he's had his problems since with a near two year break due to injury and it may be we are now starting to see his true potential. A race like the Hardwicke at Ascot might be a logical next step. TABLETALK, who was tenth in last year's Derby, loves Newbury and ran well in second. The race favourite, AL AASY, wa switched off at the rear but got caught out by the pace of the race and ran home too late for fourth. SUNWAY didn't seem to have come on for his seasonal opening and finished fifth and I suspect the ground was fast enough for KING'S GAMBIT but he could well have needed the race after his gelding operation. SYMBOL OF HONOUR got an 8/1 quote for the July Cup after a convincing win in the 1200m Listed for the 3-y-o. 

Here is a pic of Billy's style. On EV of course