Day: 10 January 2020

Riodini seeking Group One redemption

Editor BOAY

Exciting three-year-old Riodini. Photo: Trish Dunell Riodini may have been beaten for the first time in his career in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s day, but he lost no admiration from trainer Nigel Tiley. The South Auckland horseman was pleased with his runner-up effort behind Dragon Leap and said he was a victim of how the race was run. “I was really happy with it. I thought he got beaten by a very smart horse. He just had to do the donkey work for the…

Lady Banff in Millions mix for Matt Dunn

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Trainer Matt Dunn has an affinity with the family of Lady Banff who runs in the MM 2YO Classic. Trainer Matt Dunn’s past association with the family of Lady Banff could be the impetus for his biggest pay day in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Dunn is convinced Lady Banff should be unbeaten going into the $2 million 1200m-race at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Lady Banff won her first two starts at Doomben in brilliant fashion before finishing a close second to Millions rival Gotta Kiss in a two-year-old…

Benbatl makes winning return at Meydan

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2018 Caulfiield Stakes winner Benbatl (r) has made a winning return in a G2 race at Meydan. Multiple Group One winner Benbatl has outclassed his rivals on his return to action at Meydan in the Singspiel Stakes. Saeed bin Suroor’s stable star won the Dubai Turf, the Grosser Dallmayr Preis in Germany and Caulfield Stakes in Australia in a stellar 2018 which he rounded off with a second to Winx in the Cox Plate. Last season was not so straightforward for Benbatl, as he did not reappear until September –…

We all lose unless the legislation is drastically changed or thrown out

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by Brian de Lore Published 10th January 2020 Whatever degree of decline you thought racing was in before December 5th, the entire future landscape of the racing industry changed for the worse on that date upon the release of the proposed legislation after its rubber-stamping by both Cabinet and Racing Minister Winston Peters. What this 100-page document is essentially saying is that racing is not capable of running itself, so here’s a Marxist left-wing decree that dismisses the majority of the recommendations of the Messara Review and negates the serious…

Racing under siege with this proposed legislation

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by Brian de Lore Published 27 December 2019 Someone phoned Newstalk ZB talkback radio earlier this month and said, “Don’t be fooled into believing the elected government is running this country; it’s the bureaucrats, the bosses of the 45,000-odd public servants in about 35 government departments – they are the people really in control.” Numerous lunatics call talkback, but that remark resonated and is probably truer today than it’s ever been. Think about the control exerted by Treasury, the State Services Commission and Internal Affairs (DIA), and especially the DIA…

Winston drops the ball with try-line open

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Winston Peters playing rugby for the Parliamentary team in 1988 aged 43 by Brian de Lore Published 20 December 2019 From all accounts, our Racing Minister Winston Peters was a pretty good rugby player in his day. He played alongside All Black number ten Mac Herewini when the captain of Auckland Maori and regularly turned out for the University Club in the early 1970s before he graduated as a lawyer later that same decade. In those days, he could obviously catch the ball and one could imagine he had a…

Q&A with top racehorse veterinarian Douglas Black

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by Brian de LorePublished 13 December 2019 Douglas Black is widely acknowledged as one of the best racehorse veterinarians in New Zealand. He is a specialist in performance issues in young racehorses and has done exceptional work for a number of leading stables, and has been for many years has been the ‘go-to‘ vet for Te Akau Stables at Matamata. This week I asked Doug a few questions, and this is what he had to say: You graduated from Glasgow University Veterinary School in 1983 What is the background story…

Stipendiary Stewards and JCA get it horribly wrong at Ellerslie

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by Brian de Lore Published 6th December 2019 Saturday at Ellerslie saw one of the worst decisions seen on a New Zealand racecourse for some years when stipendiary stewards reversed the first and second placings in race two, the Executive Travel Maiden Two-year-Old over 1100 metres. To add insult to injury, the Judicial Control Authority (JCA) ratified the mistake by rubber-stamping the decision – bringing into question both the competence of the JCA officials on the day and the entire Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) structure which has in the past…

Breeders, Owners and Trainers merge for stronger stakeholder representation?

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In the UK the Owners and Breeders have pooled resources to produce this high-quality monthly magazine. Why couldn’t it happen here in NZ? by Brian de Lore Published 29 November 2019 The headline isn’t true, but such a merger which in principle is supported by NZTR, could give stakeholders much more grunt and a stronger voice in the future running of the thoroughbred industry. In an industry that has contracted significantly over a long time, why would these sub-stakeholder groups not want to cut their cloth accordingly by standardising and…

John Messara: Dynamic leadership is the key

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by Brian de Lore Published 22 November 2019 The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will today, Friday November 22nd, host former Chair of both Racing NSW and Racing Australia John Messara AM at a luncheon in Cambridge where he will be the guest speaker. NZTBA invited its members to hear Messara speak publicly for the first time in New Zealand since he completed his ‘Review of the New Zealand Racing Industry’ and presented the 82-page document to Minister Peters on 31 July 2018. Ninety to 100 guests are expected to…