Best stick to telling lies in your cesspit with your mates Curious and SLB...they fawn over you...sorry we dont here.

I cant actually believe what Trav has developed into. The Connors are pros at developing a good stayer though. Look at the likes of Bodie and Blood Brotha.

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna emerged in good order from her victory in the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 8 and is scheduled to return to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots early this week.View the full article

They'll struggle in the new Ellerslie unless something radical is done.

Ok I just thought someone might have had him as the oil for the Wellington Guineas.

Maybe Chip can give us more info.

They have broken 1.08.7 12 times since the year 2000

Great days racing Stodge, nice to see some atmosphere on a course for a change. Best for me were Trav, Damask Rose, Willydoit and Provence, backing them helped of course…..how the latter paid $30 was a mystery. Legarto was found to have suffered cardiac arrythmia after the race so her effort was very courageous given the circumstances.

Janitor mate, nah you come on, I might well ask you the same thing, how many had you had? 😆 Tact was far from shot on the turn; mate I didn't have that many tonics not to know when a horse is runnin and ready to take the gap, which, was there for a mo, Ants went for it but it closed pretty quick (as was shown by the head-on shot after race was over), you nor I will never know now, if he could've passed DonH takin the passin lane, he had a full head of steam up and I reckon he could've. But, those statements you come out with bout this or that horse bein not as good as this or that horse, and not bein in the same class as this or that horse, you mind yuh manners.....his owners and connections right about now are feelin pretty bloody proud of him, and rightly so....just sayin 🤨   Cheers Iraklis  

The final declarations are through for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. The track is being selectively watered to hold the ground at Good to Soft. Four championship races on the opening day. Supreme Novices Hurdle - 3250m Just twelve go to post - historically a small field for the meeting opener. Willie Mullins runs six and there are only two British runners. His stable jockey, Paul Townend, has, not surprisingly chosen KOPEK DES BORDES but he was eased to 10/11. He's got a first time hood which has probably alarmed a few players but Mullins doesn't put on headgear without a reason. The thing is, we don't know if it will help or hinder the favourite. ROMEO COOLIO won the Future Champions Novices Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas so he's clearly no mug and while WORKAHEAD beat WILLIAM MUNNY the following day over the same track, that was in a maiden hurdle, not a Grade 1. TRIPOLI FLYER is the better of the locals having won the Dovecote at Kempton but this looks a big ask.  For all KOPEK DES BORDES has good form, he's not an attractive price and I much prefer ROMEO COOLIO at 6s. Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices Chase - 3190m Again, we have another long odds on favourite from the Mullins yard in the form of last year's Triumph Hurdle winner, MAJBOROUGH and he may be that good but L'EAU DU SUD has jumped well at both Sandown and Warwick and horses that do well at those tracks usually perform at Cheltenham. I think at 5s he's a good price to turn over the Mullins hotpot. Mares Hurdle - 4000m To the annoyance of some punters, LOSSIEMOUTH has been kept in this rather than the Champion Hurdle and is the third likely Mullins hot pot of the opening day. I think she wins - she'll love the 4000m and on her form with the likes of CONSTITUTION HILL and TEAHUPOO, should win this without too much trouble. JOYEUSE, JULY FLOWER and JADE DE GRUGY all have to be respected in opposition but their form just doesn't stack up. Champion Hurdle - 3250m For many, the feature of the whole week let alone the opening day.  Seven go to post but only three matter - CONSTITUTION HILL was imperious in 2023 but missed the 2024 renewal due to serious illness. He's been beautifully trained and returned by Nicky Henderson but he isn't quite the superstar he was. That's not to say he can't win and won't win. BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD was brilliant at Christmas in Leopardstown but can she bring that form to this level? Not sure - STATE MAN had a rare off day that day but came back to win the Irish Champion last time and of course won this in 2024.  It's interesting Mullins has put cheekpieces on STATE MAN and 10/1 is a huge each way price. In 2023, STATE MAN was no match for CONSTITUTION HILL and while I think it will be closer on Tuesday, I think CONSTITUTION HILL will win his second champion. Just to note while the fields for the four championship races are a little disappointing numerically, the three supporting handicaps all look very trappy. Selections (Day 1): Supreme Novices Hurdle: ROMEO COOLIO Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase: L'EAU DU SUD Mares Hurdle: LOSSIEMOUTH Champion Hurdle: CONSTITUTION HILL (WIN), STATE MAN (EACH WAY)        

Willydoit won the $1.25m NZ Derby at Ellerslie with a decisive performance.View the full article

Ted, on average I was about half a second out.  I was working from memory, not the record book.   

Golden Century was even slower out of the gates than Grey Area, and finished third. Different horses run differently with different runs obviously, but the overhead shows Grey Area five-wide at one point going from the front straight to the back straight, four-wide was the closest he got around that bend. That, in my eyes, is NOT giving your horse every possible chance. 

On average based on the above times Alabama Lass ran about a second slower, what does that equate to, about  5 lengths ?

I'm not a jockey either but if you are in a field with a lot of no-hopers (seven of the field were over $50 in the betting) you have to be aware they may stop very quickly and cause problems. Ideally, they stay out the back and don't get in anyone's way but if you are riding a fancied one which needs to come from the rear you have to be aware of where the no hopers are. Blake Shinn's ride on DAMASK ROSE was the best of the day - as I said in my review, he must have watched Ryan Moore because that was a Ryan Moore ride. I'm not sure what the "plan" was but Shinn probably knew the Aussie runners would be up front and making the pace so he was probably happy to sit off. Whether he knew or hoped the gap would come on the inside I don't know but when he saw it he must have thought Christmas had come early. Perhaps he had seen how the runners were swinging off the home turn into the straight in previous races and reasoned the same might happen in the Kiwi. It did and that for me is the difference between a good jockey and a great jockey (with a fair slab of luck thrown in).

What would l do? I don't pretend to be a jockey so l have no idea. What l do know is that Blake Shinn never intended to be tailed off last in the NZB Kiwi either, but had a plan B and a plan C and still won the richest race of the day. Maybe Grey Area can only be ridden one way, l don't know, but i bet ridden differently it would have finished closer to the winner than what it did, even if unhappy. The standard side-on shot didn't show any interference as it dropped back, but the overhead shot certainly did. Those further back copped more than those running more handy. As you say, he dropped like a stone. Very few would have been expecting that just as they were all trying to make their forward moves. 

They don't break 1:09:00 at Ellerslie that often    Year Winner Jockey Trainer(s) Time Second Third 2025[4] Crocetti 56.5 Warren Kennedy[5] Danny Walker & Arron Tata 1:10.22 (soft) Alabama Lass 52 Luberon 55 2024[6] Waitak 55 Warren Kennedy Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott 1:09.76 (Pukekohe) Bonny Lass 54 Mercurial 55 2023[7] Imperatriz 56 Opie Bosson Mark Walker 1:08.90 (Te Rapa) Babylon Berlin 54 Levante 57 2022[8] Entriviere 55 Opie Bosson Jamie Richards, Matamata 1:09.36 Levante 55 Babylon Berlin 53.5 2021[9] Avantage 57 Opie Bosson Jamie Richards, Matamata 1:08.91 Julius 58 Levante 53.5 2020[10] Julius[11] 56 Jason Waddell[12] John Bell, Cambridge 1:09.70 Winter Bride Evalina 2019[13] Santa Monica 53 [14] Trudy Thornton Stephen Ralph, Te Awamutu 1:09.47 Princess Kereru Melody Belle 2018[15][16] Volpe Veloce 54 [17] Jake Bayliss Graham Richardson, Matamata 1:10.65 Packing Eagle Volks Lightning 2017[18][19] Start Wondering 55.5 Johnathan Parkes J J & Evan Rayner, Whanganui 1:08.84 Perfect Fit Reilly Lincoln 2016[20] Ryan Mark 56 [21] Opie Bosson John Morell, Te Rapa 1:11.04 Allez Eagle Natuzzi 2015[22] In Style 54 Leith Innes Danica Guy, Matamata 1:10.34 Whosyourmaster Durham Town 2014[23] Bounding [24] 52 Mark Du Plessis Ken & Bev Kelso, Matamata 1:10.25 Waterford Little Wonder 2013[25] Fleur de Lune 54 Jason Jago Lee Somerville, Cambridge 1:09.21 Jetset Lad Durham Town 2012[26] Atomic Force 58 Nash Rawiller Gai Waterhouse, Randwick (AUS) 1:11.57 The Hombre Twilight Savings 2011[27] Miss Raggedy Ann 53 Natasha Collett Andrew Scott, Matamata 1:09.87 Atapi Tip The Wink 2010[28] A Gold Trail 57 Michael Rodd Gary Portelli, Warwick Farm Racecourse (AUS) 1:09.34 Atapi Richard Beymer 2009[29] Jacowils 55.5 Mark Hills Kristin Stead, Te Rapa 1:09.60 Dashing Donna Pinsoir 2008[30][31] Imananabaa 54 Andrew Calder Don Sellwood, Cambridge 1:09.04 Needuask Brianna 2007[32] Donna Rosita 51 Lisa Cropp Piri Ranui, Tauranga 1:09.74 Gee I Jane Imananabaa 2006[33] Baldessarini 53.5 Lisa Cropp Anne Herbert 1:08.85 Gee I Jane 55 Pin Up Boy 52.5 2005[34] Recurring 56 Hayden Tinsley Gerald Ryan, Rosehill (AUS) 1:10.12 Gee I Jane 51.5 Sedecrem 56 2004[35] Vinaka Opie Bosson Paul O'Sullivan, Matamata 1:08.66 Pay My Bail Tully Dane 2003 Egyptian Raine 52 Lance O'Sullivan Kenny Rae, Ruakaka 1:08.66 Gwen’s Rules 52 Marcurous 52 2002 Sound The Alarm Gary Grylls Richard Otto, Te Aroha 1:09.97 Super Impressive Vinaka 2001 Fritz 58 Noel Harris Neil Coulbeck, Leithfield 1:10.45 O’Malleys Boy 58 Travellin’ Man 56 2000[36] Cannsea 53.5 Michael Coleman Michael Moroney & Andrew Scott, Matamata 1:09.63 Cullen 51.5 Star Of Gold 53.5  

Completely missed the start and was stone bonking last after 300m. If your instructions are to get to the front (and the commentator said many thought that's what GREY AREA would do) what do you do if you blow the start that badly? The horse couldn't go the gallop on the bridle so had to be ridden up round the outside to get to the front after 600m - how much energy did that use? Needless to say, he fall back through the field like a stone in water and mercifully, as far as I could see, didn't hamper anyone trying to improve from the rear. Had Kennedy stayed at the rear, he'd probably still have finished towards the end as the horse didn't like being headed and quickly lost interest - the blinkers made matters worse because the horse missed the start.

"Remedial Work" on a new track?  The only way they can get it raceable at the moment is to verti-drain, tyne and core it during race week.

I dont train him, so I dont mouth off but he is a decent horse in the making...that is as plain as day...but of course you would just argue for the sake of it