The venerable gelding Gold Phoenix, one of Southern California's top turf route performers over the last couple of years, begins his 2025 campaign in the $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Lea Farms' 5-year-old multiple graded-stakes winner Super Chow put in his final breeze March 19 at Gulfstream Park ahead of a scheduled start in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) April 5 at Meydan Racecourse. View the full article

I’ve commented on VAUBAN in the other thread. There aren’t many who can improve one from the Willie Mullins yard. On to Saturday and the fine spring weather continues up here - the ground at Newbury is Good, Good to Soft in places and a full field of 16 go in the Grade 2 Mares Novices Hurdle over 4050m and the fact the bookies go 5s the field tells you all you need to know. JASMINE BLISS is one of the joint favourites and she carries top weight due to facile wins in mares events at Ludlow and Southwell. There’s just a question for me if the ground dries much more as she has done most of her running on a soft surface and the ground by Saturday may be quick enough. The other joint favourite is SIOG GEAL from the Fergal O’Brien yard who was a useful bumper performer but they’ve until now run her over 3200m over hurdles and I think she will relish the extra distance and in receipt of 9 lbs from JASMINE BLISS looks a serious threat. Paul Nicholls runs the 4-y-o CLOTILDA who was okay in France and won at Huntingdon on her British debut but her last two runs have been moderate and the change in ground would have to work the oracle. My each way fancy is CRAZIERTHANDAISY from the Henderson yard. I remember this mare winning a Plumpton Bumper on quick ground last April and she now has her ground for the first time over hurdles and I’ve tried to recoup my Cheltenham losses with a punt at 12s.

But what about the other six nights of the week?  They might as well switch Trackside off at 6 pm.

@Ohokamanmentioned this on my other thread - VAUBAN won a Group 3 over 2000m last weekend. To be fair he won over 2100m when starting out in France in 2021 and has always had some tactical speed but this was an impressive piece of training by Messrs Waterhouse and Bott. LINDERMANN, who was third in that Rosehill race, is in Saturday’s Ranvet at Rosehill so we should get a marker as to the strength of the form. As for the Ranvet itself,  a lot depends on whether you take the Verry Elleggant form at face value. The aforementioned LINDERMANN was a close third that day and after her romp in the Cox Plate in the spring, VIA SISTINA hasn’t yet come back to that level of form in the autumn campaign. She might on Saturday. There are two fascinating contenders in the Ranvet field - AL MUBHIR from the William Haggas yard first and to be honest he shouldn’t be good enough. He’s rated 109 in the UK but his form is in Listed company and he’s been found out on more than one occasion at Group 3 level. VIA SISTINA’s stable mate FULL COUNT FELICIA is a more interesting type. She won the E P Taylor, Canada’s foremost race for fillies and mares, at Woodbine and took the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf (run over 2100m) to the 200m peg before fading. Canadian racing is like American - they go hard from the front, quite unlike Australian racing and any stamina issues with the other runners will be exposed if they let FULL COUNT FELICIA do what she normally does. Firm turf will be no concern either. One or two ex-European gallopers in the George Ryder. FANGIRL is an admirably consistent and will be there or thereabouts I’d imagine. Just to note I hope JOLIESTAR makes it to Ascot in June and it sounds like we might have one or two other Aussie contenders for owners who want to wear full morning dress and run for peanuts in the hope of meeting a Royal.

When both Alexandra Park and Addington are racing on a typical Friday night, that's a race every 15 minutes (less the length of the actual race). With build up and post race interviews, there is no "dead air" even without an extra meeting. I read more complaints on here re the lack of interest in wall-to-wall racing than squeezing in more. Just a different point of view. 

March 2022 -   " The Chairman of HRNZ, John Coulam and his Board of Directors were happy to see the Breeding numbers had stabilized this season, the Board is encouraged by the glimmer of hope reflected in these Breeding figures..........."  referring to the 1.6% rise in Breeding numbers ( 32 ) March 2025-  " We can stabilize and eventually rebuild "  on the drop of 12% for the 2024/25 Breeding season. 24/25         1552        individual mares bred,  a drop of 200 Pacing Mares  1151 compared to 1351 last season.( These figures are from the 7 March HRNZ & the figures don't actually add up) 23/24         1758  22/23         1966 21/22         2037 20/21         2005 From  2026 to 2028 there is going to be a hugely significant drop off in racing numbers!

Trump has no time for environmental extremists Trump said “environmental extremists” allowed China to gain an economic advantage over the U.S. by allowing the country to open up hundreds of coal-fired power plants. President Donald Trump says his administration will open new coal-fired power plants in the U.S.  to help the U.S. compete economically with other countries. “After years of being held captive by Environmental Extremists, Lunatics, Radicals, and Thugs, allowing other Countries, in particular China, to gain tremendous Economic advantage over us by opening up hundreds of all Coal Fire Power Plants, I am authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday.

TAB NZ   "BETCHA is a direct response to the increasing threat to NZ sports and racing caused by offshore betting operators. In the three months to the end of June 2024, NZer's spending with offshore betting operators grew 30%, continuing a trend over the last three or more years. Offshore spending, as of June 2024, was estimated at $180m per annum, led by growth in the 18-29-year old age band in the previous five years."

A year after Dornoch, retired MLB All-Star and World Series champion Jayson Werth could have another chance at the Kentucky Derby (G1) experience with Flying Mohawk set to run in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park March 22.View the full article

Fresh off the heels of a stirring late-running victory in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T), Spirit of St Louis is back for more in the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) March 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course.View the full article

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2104905696616365 Exposing the COVID shots

What did you think of VAUBANS performance last week Stodge ? Hell of a training masterclass from Waterhouse/Bott to get a previous Melbourne Cup /hurdler to win a race that short. Splits were interesting - 600-400 11.09, 400-200 11.01, last 200 11.20, LAST 600 33.3 ! Doubt even Willie Mullins could believe that ! Next start clash with Dubai Honour or Desert Hero ( maybe Tancred or QE ) will be very interesting.