Awful day yesterday, surprised I’m still in the comp ! Fall for Cindy was unlucky, ready to win now. Great run from stablemate Dubai Gold, Lucy just too tough. Puketiro was hanging all race and might be retired to the broodmares paddock now. Ryan Hurdle must be wondering why he bothered coming over as Express Yourself never fired a shot.

Classy sprinter Rogue Lightning is set for a first United States assignment in the wake of his overseas success in the Wathnan Racing colors in Qatar last month.View the full article

Yes Idol mate, that I'm Ready Jet is clearly ready, bugga it all 😆 the Queen tried her hardest just not sure she's quite back to her brilliant best...dare say alot of these will be havin to declare soon though....   Cheers Iraklis

Thanks Alf you are a great supporter.

I dont think he tried to ride him there I think it just ended up that way after he jumped away and no pace on...just the way I saw it.

With the turf flat season in Britain starting next week, Aidan O'Brien has held his annual press day and revealed plans for some of his stars. More details here: Aidan O'Brien Stable Tour | At The Races Acomb winner THE LION IN WINTER came in for a particularly positive report and was backed in to 5/1 joint favourite for the 2000 Guineas (with stablemate and Dewhurst runner up EXPANDED) and 7/2 (from 5s) favourite for the Derby at Epsom which is just 11 weeks away !! Looking at the older horses, DIEGO VELAZQUEZ heads for the Queen Anne while Leger runner up and Royal Oak winner ILLINOIS is likely to stay at 2400m so perhaps the Coronation Cup which I find surprising as I thought he got better with distance. As for the Leger winner, JAN BREUGHEL, I don't know if Australia will be back on the agenda next autumn and plans for now seem a little unclear. The staying champion KYPRIOS will seek to reprise his success of last season heading initially for the Gold Cup at Ascot. LOS ANGELES ran a fine third in the Arc and the plan is a return visit to Longchamp in the autumn - a first outing could be the Mooresbridge in early May. Aidan has inherited STORM BOY from the Gai Whitehouse yard. STORM BOY's last two runs were in the Golden Rose and the Everest, where he was just a neck behind JOLIESTAR who is apparently Ascot bound. Needless to say, STORM BOY will be aimed at races like the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee and the July Cup. The plan for TOWER OF LONDON will be to contest the astaying races which KYPRIOS doesn't. The Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp has been upgraded to a Group 1 and that is likely to be TOWER OF LONDON's first target but the caveat is he needs fast ground. Among the 3-y-o, LAKE VICTORIA will head for the English 1000 Guineas but there are clearly some stamina concerns given the speed she showed at 1200m as a juvenile. The colt that interested me most last season, TWAIN, looks a real Derby and Leger type and I hope they swerve the 2000 Guineas in favour of races like the Ballysax or the Dante.  WHISTLEJACKET looks the more likely co'lt sprinter and he heads for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot. Worth noting among the juveniles a number of the first crop of St Mark's Basilica - his first actual runner in France did nothing at Lyon last Sunday but clearly Coolmore are more than hopeful this will be a new stallion star.  

Steady on, don't think he'd be rheemed for riding a stayer in the manor or pattern that has been his racing so far, was never a chance being ridden handy, lost count of times I've seen stayers ridden handy, when totally against there racing pattern, usually same result, not that I had a bet.

Pure mate, you a funny, funny fulla 🤣 but never you mind, we'll marshall the troops thin on the ground tho, they maybe, you have yuh fun we'll be there on racenight, it is a race and funny things can happen in a race 🤔 Idol mate, I was gutted after seein how well Tact ran in oz, and listenin to Ants talkin about how well suited for the Betcha race he would be, was rubbin me hands with glee 😆 alas twas not to be....   Cheers Iraklis

Multiple graded stakes-winning trainer Michael De Paulo saddled his 1,000th winner when Pop Rox won a $12,500 maiden claiming race in Gulfstream Park's sixth race March 21.View the full article

Yes pretty sure it was Wet Again - must have made a mistake with who owned it - I am sure Jim use to drive it. Anyway when Gammalite won the Auckland cup a punter came over with Leo O'Connor and had $8,000 to win on him and got paid in cash - Leo wanted to buy Wet Again and I remember going around to Jim's place with a briefcase full of cash from the punt the night before thinking that the sight of the "ready's would win them over, but to no avail. What happened to Wet Again after his 2 year old year? I remember him having a shit load of ability but being very erratic in the manners department

Thanks to John and Scooby for providing the opportunity to front up and have a go 🙏 I'll be stepping away for a while but wish everyone well in the upcoming rounds... Thanks, Phil

Swayzee is still on the list too, but may be just waiting to see if LTF is coming for sure this time. He's pulled that stunt quite successfully once before 🤣 Don Hugo is booked to do NZ then The Nullarbor, so I'm sure if he can, so can Swayzee. He's had an extremely easy last few months 🤣 

Catch A wave going to Perth to defend his title in the 1.2 mill slot race there called 'The Nullibor,'  and the Fremantle Cup that he won both of last year. He will have to take on Swayzee this time round. But still easier task than the NZ Betcha Mile at Cambridge. Betcha Mile could have DON HUGO, (likely winner) , Merlin (defending champ) , Leap To Fame ( QLD plodder 😉  ) and New kids on the block in NZ best 2 horses of DSD and Republican Party.  Pinseeker might have to seek another day to seek another win . his Pins will be too well tested in this company 😎. 

And so many runs similar; trapped 3 or 4 deep on the rails, gets out early in straight, puts them away. Good rider, great horse.  

Got to take my hat off to Gary Grylls the way he has handled this horse since she started , just a brilliant ride every time 

I see Tact Mcleod and Catch A Wave are both out. 

That list brings back a lot of memories PS thanks for showing that  . Derna as mentioned before , he was an exceptional trotter but he had all sorts of problems with his feet otherwise he could have been anything  Estrada I remember Mike Close , Robbies dad winning on him at Cambridge at 50-1 . Kenyon he was a smart horse , used to be hard to catch in front . Jim had some handy horses over the years and it was really sad when he passed , he was so good to me 

And Leap To Fame sat parked and ran a new track record of 1.48.6 at Albion Park without leaving second gear. He has not been announced in a slot but they said as he crossed the line that he's on his way to New Zealand, so hopefully that's accurate. 

Write the cheque now Rakman. Put DON HUGO  $500,000 collect now  on it kiwiman.  The Miracle Mile winner just went around in 1.49 cruising at Menangle tonight. I've rarely seen a horse win that easy going that fast before. Quarters were hard out in 26, home in 25 something on the clock . I think he is a machine rather than a horse sometimes.  It's no fluke he is the Interdominion Champion as well.  (and Eureka Slot champ too) so why not add the Betcha Mile to the List ? all over rover.  

Dave had a big chestnut Colt he loved so I had to scratch around for my NZ stable lists got all these old pages wrote down over years, (and you would of worked some of these Charlie)  from NZ days to find it lol. 'Rainbow Song' . that was Daves favourite.  but it never got going strong at all. was a striking looking Colt though. Bill  Smith had a bit to do with Al Pacino . might of taken him to Aus to race even. By far and away Jim Smith's best Colt ever, was in the late 80's was Captain Lee . Brent Mangos drove it for 2nd in Both Derbies. He came up against future NZ Cup winner INKY LORD and at Addington the Grand circuit Oz Superstar WESTBURN GRANT won. 35 years ago this week that was. feels like yesterday. 😆 fancy coming up against those 2 in your Derby year .🙄. bit of rotten timing.