Veteran east coast rider Kendrick Carmouche led all jockeys for the week in wins with nine riding between Parx Racing and Aqueduct, including a win in a stakes race. The panel of racing experts voted Carmouche Jockey of the Week for Dec. 30- Jan. 5.View the full article

They've outdone themselves in R1 at Ellerslie on Sunday. They reckon 2 of the 4 runners - yes, four (4) - are a "solid place bet" or "strong place bet" in a race with a win pool only. Freaking amazing!!!!  ORCHESTRAL (1) Only fair when 12th last run at Flemington. Overlooking the last run and facing a weaker grade. Should be swooping on the field late. Will relish the track conditions. Solid place bet prospects. POUR THE WINE (4) Outpaced some runners late when 5th last run at this venue but competing at a higher level of competition. Warren Kennedy has been successful in the saddle previously. Honest and strong place bet in this race.

He's certainly stepped up a level this time in. Has always been extremely honest, but he's doing that at a much faster pace now. I saw Oscar's race - the marvellous Entain site just mentioned his distant 3rd last start without mentioning he lost 50-70 metres at the start - but didn't see the pacer's race. Was obviously a good one. 

Great races tonight from Oscar B and DSD and both perfectly driven by Mark . He will always be one of the best drivers ever . Oscar was brilliant and DSD just beaten by a better horse . Wow RP has really gone forward 

Just a few notes on the midweek action this week: Ruakaka - Tuesday: Looked a lovely afternoon and some proper summer turf. CARISBROOKE CASTLE did everything wrong in the opener but still nicked the win. He was pulling down the back straight and I thought he’d run his race but he found for pressure and should have learnt plenty. Performance of the afternoon from PERFECT DIVIDENDS in the third who was very impressive. I’m not sure what he beat but he relished the decent ground and could be worth following if he can get the right conditions. KISZKAH couldn’t go the gallop on the quick ground but ran on well to be a never nearer third. Slower ground might help but he looks to need further. The mate LET IT BEGIN also seemed to relish the faster ground in the last and won in the style of an improving type. Reefton - Wednesday: I’ve never seen racing at Reefton. It looks a charming track and despite the Soft 6 going, it looks a track for front runners and those who enjoy the tight turns. I think it’s sharper than Omoto and probably sharper than any British track even Chester. Very good holiday crowd and presumably a great atmosphere. SPINAYARN made every inch in the first and looked to relish the extra trip after a decent second at Omoto. Not sure if he will go to Kumara on Saturday but has to be respected if turning up. SPEED DIAL was arguably unlucky in a messy fourth race getting hampered at the start. He had run well at Omoto and the move up to 1400m wasn’t the issue. Can he really break his maiden in some weak race somewhere - I think so. TOKO ONO has proven soft turf form and following a slightly unlucky run at Omoto followed up in style to win his second race. She’s no world beater but isn’t short of ability and hopefully they can find another race for her. An all the way winner in the feature Reefton Cup with LA BELLA NERA doing it very well. Only a small field but those on ISLAND HOP knew their fate on the home turn. There’s an old adage - you can give weight but you can’t give start. I’m not sure Lily Sutherland will want to remember the ride - ISLAND HOP was checked on the home turn and lost all momentum. He finished well for third but it was an archetypal example of a horse not liking or being suited to the track. I can see why the Omoto form often backs up to Reefton and I suspect it may back up to Kumara though at a circumference of 1500m rather than the 1150m of Reefton it’ll seem a real galloping track.

The boys be looking for a few revenge victories no doubt, or will they be outclassed again, all will be revealed, maybe I can find that elusive winner at odds I've been looking for the whole circuit, did take a horse called West Virginia at 90s that went a nice race at reefton. I'm due.

I'm totally lost here. What are you talking about? Black type hasn't got anything to do with times has it? I thought specific races were designated as black type races. ie Group races. Doesn't matter what time the winner goes as long as they win the race. I do know the trots have some totally stupid group races. Are you saying you get black type if you go a certain time? Surely not? How stupid can it get?

So knowing two of them are Goosman colours, and thinking they're mid-century and related to Avondale JC, is there a connection we can find? Did he own two Avondale Cup winners, or two runners in a Cup field?

Looking at the current catalouge  it's virtually all black type. Agree totally with Lamour. Time for a change in the way they present it 

Rev yes Stan Goosman was the leading NZ Owner 10 times. 8 consecutive seasons from 1945-46 to 1952-53 and then 1960-61 and 1961-62. The Unicorn was his biggest winner in the 1950-51 season.

Great research Jim about S Stanley Goosman.He was leading owner for many years and had a fabulous farm at Maramarua. He was great friends with my father.He narrowly missed owning another Auckland Cup winner  named REV by a stallion called Revelation. The 1952 Auckland Cup winner REV was apparently offered at a dispersal sale at the Paeroa sale yards as a weanling, Goosman was on non parliamentary duties and attended the sale with his stock agent,Roger Loveridge from Matamata. Agent, Loveridge, liked the look of the scrawny colt,described above.But Sir Stan said I don't need a randy colt running around with my yearling heifers. Roger Loveridge bought him any way,For another client. LOVERIDGE was head  of Dalgety Bloodstock for many years. Huge physical presence ,jovial:  an Auctioneer in the mold of Steve Davis. There was a massive 1952 New Years Day celebration in Matamata post Rev' s Auckland Cup victory. I was two years of age. Rev            

By Trenton Akers 06:17pm • 09 January 2025 One of the most respected stewards in the world says the repair job at the controversial Gold Coast track worked so well, they could have raced the Magic Millions on Thursday if it was required. After almost a week of mixed messaging and uncertainty, it took less than half an hour for Kim Kelly to give $14.5m meeting the green light on Thursday morning after senior jockeys Vlad Duric, Chad Schofield, Jimmy Orman, Michael Cahill, Andrew Mallyon and Martin Harley tested the new turf. "We looked at it yesterday (Wednesday) and I was confident that if, at a pinch, the races were on today (Thursday), we could have done it," Kelly, the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission's deputy commissioner said. "The time between Wednesday and Saturday is just a bonus." While officials have managed to dodge a bullet with the track, they are facing a new potential issue, with up to 30mm of rain forecast to fall at the Gold Coast on Saturday's race day. The meeting was famously washed out in 2023 with just 14mm of rain overnight, however the new sand-based Gold Coast track is much more resilient to downpours, should they arrive. With grass guru's Evergreen Turf replacing the entire affected patch of killed off grass earlier in the week, racing officials are confident the new slab will race consistently with the rest of the course proper. "The contractors, Racing Queensland and the club have done a great job in getting the affected area back to where it is now," Kelly said. "It was all very positive. "The rain on Wednesday night could have only helped it, natural irrigation is better than any other irrigation. "I am very confident, the feedback from the riders was positive, as I expected it would be after looking at the track. "We are very happy with the outcome so far, there are no issues with the meeting on Saturday at this stage at all." The six jockeys who rode on the track on Thursday were not permitted to make public comments about their gallops earlier in the day. Additional track staff will be on hand to inspect the area at the 500m mark on Saturday after each race

Dowding again ! Why is that no surprise ? Who was it that landed them in the current financial mire….?? 🤔  A gift that keeps on giving apparently….

Yes, that is correct, another comment from the challenge to the original case; " In her evidence, Ms Dowding indicated that it would have been inconceivable for ATC to pay Mr Payne at the 4% rate, given that he was already earning more than she was as Chief Executive at the 2.5% rate." Was not inconceivable to the Judge!  

I would say so Jane . I think different these days , where many jockeys wear the trainers colors ,

Yes they have to start somewhere, those races certainly were busy affairs up front, and you can come from the back, if you've got the motor, and luck of course, on to kumara we go, I won't be there, do find it a little over rated, but the crowds still do flock there, and that's always a good sight, fingers crossed they get through the day unscathed, to complete what been a very good summer circuit. 

Sir Stanley Goosman won many races at Ellerslie including 2 Auckland Cups- 1945 Expanse and 1947 Balgowan. 4 GN Guineas- 1942 Representative 1948 Tauloch 1952 Gendarme 1960 Chatsmore. 1961 Queen Elizabeth Marwon. 3 GN Foal Stakes- 1950 Rural Gold 1951 Upright 1960 Chatsmore. 3 Royal Stakes- 1943 Expanse 1948 Tauloch 1952 Upright. 1943 GN Hurdles Town Survey. 1950 GN Steeplechase Jon Rosa. 4 GN Derbies- 1944 Expanse 1945 Coronaire 1949 Tauloch 1953 Programme. 7 GN St Legers. 1944 Expanse 1946 Balgowan 1949 Tauloch 1952 Foxshar 1953 Gendarme 1960 Marwon 1962 Don Filou.

It started in R4 and finished rear of field in R5 🤣