She's lovely stridin girl (Suttle) hope you have much enjoyment watchin her progress 🤗   Cheers Iraklis

I understand and when I was in NZ I saw him win both the Herbie Dyke and the Otaki-Maori Classic so I know he's a very good horse and well worth his place in this field. From an overall global form perspective, it's a very positive development - I want to see how he goes against some very good Japanese and European horses and I suspect the gap will not be what some might imagine it to be. It's also good to see NZ connections not just running off to Australia but being prepared to go to other jurisdictions and taking a chance.  I'd love to see the two who beat him in the Zabeel Classic - LA CRIQUE and SNAZZYTAVI - run elsewhere, yes, even Ascot, why not? They would, I think, be competitive in a race like the Duke of Cambridge over a mile and then go on to the Falmouth at Newmarket.  

Yeah , and he still has arguments . What a life eh .

No, I won't. Saturday sees the official end of the jumps season up here with a meeting at Sandown Park (ground currently Good, Good to Firm in places). The card features the Grade 1 Celebration Chase over 3100m. 17 have been entered with Willie Mullins entering four and Dan Skelton six but Skelton's six look inferior to M|ullins' four. The latter has the likes of IMPAIRE ET PASSE, IL ETAIT TEMPS, ENERGUMENE and GAELIC WARRIOR - all Grade 1 winners. The favourite however is JONBON from the Henderson yard who is 4/7 and will likely be partnered by Harry Cobden as regular jockey Nico de Boinville took a heavy fall at Plumpton yesterday and may be sidelined for a fortnight. The Grade 2 Oaksey Chase over the 4450m trip has seven Mullins entries and five from the Skelton yard but again the quality edge sits strongly with Mullins. There are double declarations with the above Celebration Chase so we'll see how that works out later in the week. Mullins has four and Skelton three among the twelve for the Grade 2 Select Hurdle over 4250m. Mullins has entered LOSSIEMOUTH and if she turns up she could pick these up and carry them. There's a strong entry for the Vintage Crop at Navan including KYPRIOS and ILLINOIS and an interesting Group 3 Salsabil over 2000m. We have the first French Group 1 of the year on Sunday, the Ganay at Longchamp over 2000m. 14 entries including the likes of ILLINOIS and LOS ANGELES from Ballydoyle while Joseph O'Brien has entered AL RIFFA and Charlie Appleby has put in ANCIENT WISDOM. The local challenge looks pretty strong with IRESINE, MAP OF STARS and SOSIE all in the preliminary list. More on all of this later in the week.

Who cares Stodge...I wish my good friend well with his bloody damn good horse and I am sure he will enjoy the experience of being a part of something like this...a once in a lifetime chance for most....good on them and I am sure they will enjoy every second of the experience...this thread was to wish them well.One thing IS for sure the horse will try his guts out as thats all he knows how to do....win lose or draw.

100% agree.

He has nobody to talk to there, most of the members are himself masquerading as someone else.

Looking back to the Easter weekend just gone (well, some ot it anyway). The jumps scene over here has been enlivened by the ongoing struggle for the Trainers' Championship between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins. Skelton had a good Saturday with a coup,e of winners and some places but Mullins hit back at Plumpton on Sunday when ABSURDE won the Sussex Champion Hurdle.  Yes, it's the same ABSURDE who was fifth in the Melbourne Cup last year and is probably the best dual purpose horse up here currently. He's in both the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown and the Yorkshire Cup (at York, not surprisingly) next month and he's 8s for them both.  Skelton's advantage, which had increased from just £1,500 after Aintree to over £70k by the start of Easter was reduced to £28k by the close of Sunday's racing. Fairyhouse lost their Saturday meeting after 30mm of rain hit the track but a dry day allowed Sunday's card to go ahead albeit on ground described as Soft to Heavy. The Fairyhouse Easter Festival isn't quite the meeting it was thirty years ago but it still has a couple of Grade 1 Championship races. First, the WillowWarm Gold Cup over 4000m. Willie Mullins had three of th six contenders and while all were fancied, you could argue it was the "third string" SPINDLEBERRY who got the job done. ILE ATLANTIQUE departed early and CHAMP KIELY jumped too often to the left leaving himself vulnerale to SPINDLEBERRY and FIREFOX in the straight. The former did it very well and is a fast improving filly with surprisingly few miles on the clock - that was just her seventh race. FIREFOX ran well on ground which might not have been ideal. Second, the Honeysuckle Mares Hurdle over 4000     Another for Mullins and Paul Townend though the winner was, as with SPINDLEBERRY, probably only the third beat of the Mullins entries but with jockey retainers in place, Townend was on the right one and AURORA VEGA atoned for a disappointing run in the Mares Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham racing prominently from the start, taking over at halfway and just having enough in reverse to hold the late challenge of THATLLDOMOSS, the English raider, who outran her 50/1 odds. A poor race for the Henry de Bromhead yard with AIR OF ENTITLEMENT failing to follow up her Cheltenham win and beaten a long way and Albert Bartlett runner up THE BIG WESTERNER stopping very quickly from three out and pulling up. Both were tested post race and found to be normal - perhaps the stress of the Prestbury races coupled with the markedly different ground, had an impact. The winner is bred in the jumping purple being out of the brilliant Quevega and a full sister to FACILE VEGA. The concluding Bumper went for as much as the Grade 1 races - it was for unraced 4-y-o so all manner of future talent on display. The winner was I'M SLIPPY, a gelded son of Maxios and a half to a winner over hurdles. Any number of the runners in this could go on to much better things over hurdles next winter. I'll pick up the Easter Monday highlights in my next.

Some more than others .

Following his third breeze on the Churchill Downs surface April 22—a half-mile in :47 4/5—trainer Lonnie Briley and assistant trainer Bethany Taylor discuss how Coal Battle is training with just 11 days until the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Despite not posting a flashy time, Admire Daytona's half-mile work in :53 1/5 at Churchill Downs April 22 went according to plan as the UAE Derby (G2) winner prepares for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Following La Cara's bullet half-mile workout in :46 April 22, trainer Mark Casse gives her an A+ ahead of the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1). The Hall of Famer also discusses Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Sandman ahead of his April 23 breeze.View the full article

The Coach, D. Wayne Lukas, discusses the development of Virginia Derby winner American Promise ahead of his start in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott discusses his relationship with Godolphin, which dates back to winning the inaugural Dubai World Cup (G1) with Allen Paulson homebred Cigar in 1996. Mott trains Godolphin homebred Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm.View the full article

New Zealand's best racehorse is ready for a huge money test.View the full article

Despite not posting a flashy time, Admire Daytona's half-mile work in :53 1/5 at Churchill Downs April 22 went according to plan as the UAE Derby (G2) winner prepares for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Fairmount Park kicks off its 100th anniversary season April 22 with a brand new casino that seemed to take 100 years to get going, but now holds the promise of prosperity for horsemen.View the full article

Just had a look at the likely field - no DUBAI HONOUR and the field headed by last year's King George winner GOLIATH. That day, GOLIATH beat the future Arc winner BLUESTOCKING at the Ascot showpiece midsummer event over 2400m. From there, GOLIATH won the Conseil de Paris on heavy ground before a decent sixth in the Japan Cup. I can't see how this sharp 2000m works for GOLIATH given his form is over 2400m on galloping tracks but I could be wrong. The Japanese challengers PROGNOSIS and LIBERTY ISLAND are to be respected but PROGNOSIS was left trailing by VIA SISTINA in the Cox Plate - she'd have been a fascinating runner in this by the way while LIBERTY ISLAND should do better back at this trip and this way round but was moderate in Meydan to be honest. I can't see EL VENCEADOR beating an in-form LIBERTY ISLAND to be blunt but you have to excuse the latter's last effort and you could probably argue TASTIERA will beat them both.

TRUMP.    Wears Diapers Talks Shit