Very sad story on how these actions can have catastrophic effects on peoples lifes, he certainly had a long lay off, let's hope Mr Dell keeps riding plenty more winners.

Yeah,  hard to see Domain Ace winning the kiwi based on it's last run🐎

Craig Baker comes across as a two faced prick. as for running out of food…you would have to ask how because they run a bloody catering business ffs. 

must be. The horse did come over this time last year . and was driven By Gavin Fitzpatrick for the 4 race assignments.  2024 = 4th in the Hondo Grattan to DSD, then 2nd to Don Hugo ( subsequent Interdominion winner) , then 2nd in the Chariots of fire to Grimson/Hart , then finally 2nd in the Big race itself, the Miracle Mile to Leap To Fame. Picked up $200,000 for the 4 placings over the month , so not too shabby. so the Guy must of driven him ok I guess, as was going close in Big races. Can't see him beating Leap To Fame this time round though either. He is too Powerful.   

My less analytical observation over the last 40 years is that close-breeding success swings in and away over time. Northern Dancer's prepotency for good close-breeding witnessed some fine results in the 80s and 90s. He has no real contender today so I can see why the stats aren't stacking up lately.  Still, only a few Group 1 winners in NZ over the last few years had no cross in their first five lines, whereas the percentage of non-cross-breeds in the population is higher based on what I see in the Karaka catalogues.  I would argue that we are in a phase where close-breeding perhaps isn't successful, but that in-breeding within five lines still has an edge. 

What - and hope for a miracle? Years ago I bought into three cheap fillies. Useless, Useless and one that refused to gallop. Kind of like flat beers. No fizz and no taste.

I guess Barry and Scott put him on because of Sooner the Better before . Are they staying with the Fitzpatricks PS ? I reckon they should put Ants on BNU he would really suit that horse . I hope if it goes no good on Saturday then I hope he draws well on his next start because he will give them a shake and has been unlucky since his win , goes better fresh too

The mares group 1 was won in 3:12. Probably the race tactics would not have suited,  Katherine went grand again down South that weekend.

The numbers don’t lie, those in charge at the ATC do but the numbers don’t. I’m not really surprised because there is plenty of brown noses out there but am amazed at the number of people that believe raising issues and those like CMN who produce the facts are somehow bringing harness racing into disrepute or being negative. As someone who attends Alexandra park every meeting and have done for years you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to see how far those in charge at both a local and national level have failed at everything they have done. 

as ah say, keep a wary eye on noms for the Grand National..and the Jericho would be a useful build-up. Stop it Max ...

I don't bet I just heard him confidently tipping it and it won easy Credit where credit is due

personally i'd be looking well awau from the bluebloods since very few of them ever turn out to be super-duper. I'd be looking for something by a no-note sire (say, Bullbars) out of a no-note mare (say Lilahjay) and look on the bright side.

CJC should be asking why they did a deal with Rogie LOLOL (given the stable's atrocious strike rate)  

George Simon tipping the last winner also deserves kudos Is that because he scored 1/10  on the day to improve his overall average or because you backed his tip at the right time?  

Sad news for fans of Super Sarah O'Reilly, the best junior driver since Dexter Dunn. She faces a few more months off the scene before she is fit enough to drive again.  Scan means further delays for Sarah O'Reilly 12 February 2025 , News By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  One of the country's top drivers Sarah O'Reilly has been dealt some more bad news. Out of action since a trackwork accident at Ashburton Raceway last July, the Mid Canterbury-based driver has been told this week that she requires an operation on her arm and will be months away from resuming race day driving. "I got the result from the CT scan and it has not healed properly and they are going to put a plate into the arm," O'Reilly says. It had been hoped that the arm will ultimately mend itself and that she'd be back driving by the end of last year.  "There is still a gap in the fracture," says O'Reilly, "the movement in the arm is ok it's just when I will try and put weight on it."  Now she's awaiting a date for surgery at Christchurch Hospital. "They say that it will take three months after that before it's back to normal." It's just the latest "pretty annoying" blow for the 24-year-old. "I'm bored," she admits. In July 2024 O'Reilly broke the arm and suffered a broken cheekbone and jaw after a horse "jumped" into her cart. At the time she had recorded 32 wins in her first year as an open driver after being a star in the junior ranks. She won the junior drivers' premiership in 2022 and 2023 and was the Junior Drivers Championship winner four times in five years between 2019 and 2023. For someone used to chasing the drives, especially all around the South Island, it's clearly been a frustrating time. "I try to keep busy but really there's not a lot to do."    

Very true mjs, Tauranga is a course horse track originally & half pie still is.  The track bias is so for the front runners now in the firm/trailing the leader. I wish you well mjs!! 😊

Stewards were not happy with CJ winning with the whip tucked under the arm. They wore the tape out trying to find him hitting the horse but to no avail. 🤣

On the other side of the coin at the great metropolis of Te Aroha, the local racing club put on a free bbq for all the stable staff. Grassroots club looking after the kids who put on the show behind the scenes. Boys get paid may have been there in the executive suite,still to be determined,but the stable staff were well catered for which is a credit to the club. George Simon tipping the last winner also deserves kudos

Geez Colin, after slagging Trentham these last few weeks at every opportunity, Facebook in particular, I am amazed that you are even considering running your very good filly in the Wellington Guineas.  However welcome and I wish you every success being a South Island horse.  Chances are you will go away and totally change your stance once you tap into all of the information available, rather than the mistruths and slanted views of so many keyboard warriors hell-bent on attacking the club.     

Speaking of the North ,i did a nostalgia run there over the weekend as i had previously owned land in the Patumahoe district where quite a few trainers were located. Crouth,McGowan,Small and Reid to name a few. The pub used to be full of Harness trainers on a Friday night but come 7 the publican would shut the TAB down, and another trainer would play bookie I \Any ideas who that would be as his name escapes me?