New Zealand Racing, 2010-11

[my miss storm cat]

I am really happy about this!

Sick of Lai riding him. I mean I wouldn't want him riding me!

He might not be able to beat Lucky Nine home but at least he has a fair chance of finally hitting the board!


Hong Kong Jockey Club...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club advises that permission has been granted for Jockey Mark Du Plessis to ride Handsome Zulu, trained by Peter L Ho, in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Cup (HK Group 1) scheduled to be conducted at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 20 February 2011.

Permission has been granted for Jockey Du Plessis to ride Handsome Zulu in this race after receiving an undertaking from the owner of Handsome Zulu that he had engaged Jockey Du Plessis to ride that horse in the event that it is included in the field for the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby (HK Group 1, Sha Tin, 20 March 2011).

This is in accordance with the criteria previously approved by the Racing Committee in respect of the approval for overseas jockeys to ride in principal races in Hong Kong.

As a Visiting Jockey, Mark Du Plessis will be permitted to accept race riding engagements in all races run at the aforementioned race meeting.

[_ed_]

That's good news. MDP has ridden Handsome Zulu many times before here in NZ, so he knows him well.

Great fields for Saturday at Ellerslie...

Avondale Guineas (G2)

1 30122 Icepin 13 85 56.0 Danielle Johnson (a) Jason Bridgman, Matamata
2 31212 Jetset Lad 3 85 56.0 Jason Collett (a) John Wheeler, New Plymouth
3 61253 He's Remarkable 21 84 56.0 Matthew Cameron Roger James, Cambridge
4 15211 O'Reilly's Prize 19 79 56.0 Hayden Tinsley David Haworth & Matt Dixon, Foxton
5 12332 Yin Yang Master (AUS) 7 78 56.0 Mark Du Plessis John Sargent, Matamata
6 21123 Historian 9 77 56.0 Chad Ormsby Tony Pike & Mark Donoghue, Cambridge
7 14555 Encosta Diablo 16 75 56.0 Chris Johnson Jason Bridgman, Matamata
8 3116 Hidden Asset 1 75 56.0 Vinnie Colgan Shaune Ritchie, Cambridge
9 1144 Raffles Knight (AUS) 17 75 56.0 Leith Innes Stephen McKee, Ardmore
10 12164 On The Level 15 74 56.0 Craig Grylls Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge
11 5411 Sierra Nevada 2 74 56.0 Jim Byrne Richard & Chris Otto, Te Awamutu
12 0X401 Starcheeka (AUS) 12 74 56.0 Grant Cooksley Stephen McKee, Ardmore
13 33136 Yourein (AUS) 18 70 56.0 Michael Coleman John Sargent, Matamata
14 65211 Banchee 8 86 54.5 James McDonald (a) John Sargent, Matamata
15 64319 Smoulder 11 83 54.5 Noel Harris Graeme & Mark Sanders, Te Awamutu
16 51028 Rimsky 20 69 56.0 Scratching Bruce Wallace, Takanini
17 4491 Between The Beats 14 69 56.0 Jeff Lynds, Awapuni
18 1 C'est Magnifique 10 68 56.0 Roger James, Cambridge
19 20P48 Keenly 6 68 54.5 Robert Priscott & Clayton Chipperfield, Te Awamutu
20 24577 Mr Pedantic 4 68 56.0 Patsy Riley, Pukekohe
21 X4439 Beam Me Up 5 57 56.0 Bryce Revell, New Plymouth


Avondale Cup (G2)

1 00832 Sir Slick 15 106 59.0 Matthew Cameron Graeme Nicholson & Paul Allbon, Te Aroha
2 24138 Tinseltown 12 105 58.5 Michael Coleman Michael Moroney & Andrew Clarken, Matamata
3 X00X6 Doctor Fremantle (GB) 8 103 57.5 James McDonald (a) Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge
4 24742 Six O'Clock News 3 102 57.0 Leith Innes Trent Busuttin, Cambridge
5 X7499 Solid Billing (AUS) 9 100 56.0 Eddie Wilkinson Craig Ritchie, Pukekohe Park
6 31819 Showcause (AUS) 6 97 54.5 Darryl Bradley Frank Ritchie, Cambridge
7 10263 Loose Change 14 95 53.5 Jason Collett (a) David Haworth & Matt Dixon, Foxton
8 X6307 Castle Heights 5 94 53.0 Jim Byrne Donna, Dean Logan & Chris Gibbs, Ruakaka
9 18824 Can't Keeper Down 11 90 52.5 Noel Harris Lisa Latta, Awapuni
10 36680 Zabene 2 90 52.5 Paul Taylor Stephen McKee, Ardmore
11 23004 Tin Goose 13 88 52.0 Allan Peard Donna, Dean Logan & Chris Gibbs, Ruakaka
12 07262 Trilogy 4 88 52.0 Tasha Collett Lester Morris, Rangiora
13 11236 He's Under The Gun 1 86 52.0 Craig Grylls Michael Moroney & Andrew Clarken, Matamata
14 11157 Innocent Lady 7 85 52.0 Mark Du Plessis Graeme & Mark Sanders, Te Awamutu
15 00331 Payback 10 79 52.0 Danielle Johnson (a) Nick Duin, Pukekohe
16 86584 Maythehorsebemagic 16 72 52.0 Cory Parish Brad Peterson, Cambridge

Derby Day isn't far away now!

[my miss storm cat]

Nice fields!

When exactly is Derby day???

[_ed_]

March 5.

15 days to go!

[_ed_]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02cKpN-DRgY
Wow, I was not expecting that! But I'm so happy for him.

And the Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBoUOnAvz5c
He's having a great year - his third G2 win.

[my miss storm cat]

Those were fantastic and yeah very happy for both winners.

Everyone ran well enough so no feeling bad for anyone this time... it just wasn't to be.

Especially happy that Icepin got such a nice win. That was an awfully tough field!

Good stuff!

I love this race called and yes I shall now say this every time.

[_ed_]

Banchee and He's Remarkable both had some trouble finding gaps down the stretch, but I don't know if they would have got to Icepin anyway. He ran so well.

Jimmy's still the $2.80 Derby favourite. He's Remarkable is at $8. Icepin has come in to $9. Banchee's $14.

[_ed_]

KING'S ROSE TO RUN IN THE DERBY?

Her odds dropped from 17-1 to 4-1 second favourite today, so they must have given some indication that they're strongly considering it.

It's hard to talk about how awesome this race could be without swearing!

King's Rose, who has won 5 stakes races in a row, versus the incredible, invincible Jimmy Choux.

[my miss storm cat]

Speechless!

That would be amazing!!!!!

[my miss storm cat]

Are you okay, ed?

[_ed_]

Yeah I'm fine. But it's really sad. I go down there for a week every November, so I know the place really well.

[my miss storm cat]

I'm just really really sorry and I hope everyone you know is okay.

A lot of earthquakes here in LA so I know how devastating they can be and the emotional toll... the aftershocks...not knowing where people you know are....

All of you in NZ are in our thoughts.

[_ed_]

Appreciate that.

It's a hard day here in NZ today. We're only a country of 4 million, so 65 is a horrific loss. We're really feeling it today.

Probably like the most countries look at their biggest cities, the rest of NZ has a bit of a negative attitude towards Auckland and thinks we don't really care about the rest of the country. But from what I saw on the streets today, we really do. All our flags are at half-mast. You usually hear loud conversations and laughter in all directions, but there's a weird silence today. A lot of people have their heads down.

And we're at the other end of the country. It must be so much worse in Christchurch itself.

I've seen so many great races there - Tell A Tale, Katie Lee's two G1s in a week, and also Jimmy and King's Rose just last November. It's like a second home. And all the people there have always been so nice. Luckily all my friends there are unhurt.

What really makes it seem real is this sad sight.

This is/was one of NZ's most famous and beautiful buildings.



Here it is now.


I hope the great people of the wonderful city of Christchurch pull through this. We're all thinking of them, around NZ and the world.

Sorry that was so long. Just needed to get that off my chest.

I was going to start a big preview of the Derby this week with contender profiles, but I might leave that until the weekend.

[my miss storm cat]

Seeing that picture and reading your post made my heart sink.

You've created this fantastic connection... always so enlightening with NZ racing and stuff. So far away and this sounds really cliche but it's like you've brought it closer and it just makes us hurt a little more for you. And yeah us cause even though it's quiet I know that a few people faithfully read this thread even if they're quiet.

I am just so sorry.

65 is a high number.

I'm so sorry.

[_ed_]

Although all of our thoughts are still with Christchurch and the families and friends of the 113 people now confirmed lost, there are some great races tomorrow that can temporarily ease the pain.

The G1 Otaki Classic:

171X2 Wall Street 2 114 59.0 Michael Coleman Jeff Lynds, Awapuni
8125X Harris Tweed 3 110 59.0 Jonathan Riddell Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge
00870 Vosne Romanee 9 106 59.0 Buddy Lammas Jeff Lynds, Awapuni
39851 Hold It Harvey 4 105 59.0 Jamie Bullard Terri Rae, Riccarton Park
62251 Spiro 6 101 59.0 Kane Smith Sylvia Kay, Levin
333X3 Keep The Peace 10 104 57.0 James McDonald (a) Shaune Ritchie, Cambridge
518X3 Barinka 8 101 57.0 Darryl Bradley Karen Zimmerman, Otaki
02124 Dasoudi 1 95 57.0 Lisa Allpress Jon Miller, Pukekohe Park

A small field, but so good! I think Wall Street should win it, but Keep The Peace is such a good horse as well. And her owners will donate whatever money they win to Christchurch, so a lot of people will be behind her tomorrow.

And two good 2yo races at Matamata...

Matamata Breeders' Stakes (fillies)

231 Anabandana (AUS) 1 74 56.0 Opie Bosson Don Sellwood, Cambridge
17168 Miss Upstart (AUS) 11 72 56.0 Andrew Calder Graham Richardson, Matamata
12 Beejay Belle 3 70 56.0 Leith Innes Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge
157 Cracker 10 68 56.0 Hayden Tinsley Andrew Scott, Matamata
31046 Queen Boudicca 8 68 56.0 Vinnie Colgan Jason Price, Matamata
451 Rose Of Falkirk 2 68 56.0 Reese Jones Mark Brosnan, Matamata
1 White Lies 6 68 56.0 Craig Grylls Stephen Marsh, Cambridge
3332 Dowager Queen 4 59 56.0 Mark Sweeney Graeme & Debbie Rogerson, Tuhikaramea
523 Orutan 7 58 56.0 Mark Du Plessis John Sargent, Matamata
3 Shopaholic 5 57 56.0 Michelle Wenn Mark Brooks, Matamata
2 Vittoria 9 57 56.0 Mark Hills Robyn & Russell Rogers, Cambridge

Anabandana is probably the best 2yo in the country on her performances so far, so it'll be interesting to see how she goes here.


Waikato Slipper (colts & geldings)

11535 Savabill 9 74 56.0 Hayden Tinsley John Sargent, Matamata
121X Bespoke 4 72 56.0 Opie Bosson Jason Bridgman, Matamata
527 Heza Rebel 8 57 56.0 Cameron Lammas Lance Noble, Matamata
63 Quintero (AUS) 7 56 56.0 Vinnie Colgan Peter McKay, Matamata
4 St Darci 1 56 56.0 Chad Ormsby Chris McNab, Cambridge
5 Boomstix 3 52 56.0 Michelle Wenn Danica Guy, Matamata
9 Karrdo 6 50 56.0 Leith Innes Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge

Savabill's the one that finished so strongly in the Million last month. That was an amazing performance, and he's the favourite here.

Oh, and 8 days til the Derby.

[_ed_]

And good luck to MUFHASA in the G1 Futurity in Melbourne! You can do it.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by _ed_

And good luck to MUFHASA in the G1 Futurity in Melbourne! You can do it.

Don't you mean "King" Mufhasa? (facepalm here).

That's why he won't win there... he doesn't know who he is!

Honestly!

I'm gonna say Wall Street wins but if it's Keep the Peace (or Harris Tweed which it won't be or Vosne Romanee) does well it's all good.

Okay serious things now... I didn't realize the death toll had gone up and so dramatically.

Sad, sad, sad.

[_ed_]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Don't you mean "King" Mufhasa? (facepalm here).

That's why he won't win there... he doesn't know who he is!

Honestly!

Haha, probably true. He did okay. I don't think he saw those other horses until it was too late. 4th isn't bad, and I'm sure he can do better next time.

Replays of the big NZ races:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6LHDl7Ims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnAbOVALE44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLe3udhwjp0

[_ed_]

Right, time for Derby contender profiles. These might be a bit long. Sorry!

Before we start, it's been announced that King's Rose will not run in the Derby. I got all excited for nothing!

Anyway, it's still a great field. I'll probably try to do two of these a day. Here we go. No prizes for guessing who we'll start with...


JIMMY CHOUX
3 c Thorn Park - Cierzo
Breeder: Chouxmaani Investments Ltd.
Owner: Chouxmaani Investments Ltd.
Trainer: John Bary
Jockey: Jonathan Riddell

Starts: 15
Wins: 8
Seconds: 3
Thirds: 2
Earnings: $921,550

Major wins:
New Zealand 2000 Guineas (G1)
Great Northern Guineas (G2)
Hawke's Bay Guineas (G2)
Wakefield Stakes (G2)
Wellington Stakes (G3)
Waikato Guineas (G3)

Last start: Waikato Guineas (1st)
Best performance of the season: Waikato Guineas (1st)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ5tofvX9pc

Season so far:
2nd Wanganui Guineas behind Fiddler - beaten by a nose on a very wet track
1st Hawke's Bay Guineas, beating Icepin, Maradona, Cellarmaster, We Can Say It Now, He's Remarkable
1st New Zealand 2000 Guineas, beating He's Remarkable, Twilight Savings, Rememba Howe, Icepin
15th Levin Classic - eased (cardiac arrhythmia)
1st Great Northern Guineas, beating Icepin, Yin Yang Master
1st Wellington Stakes, beating Jetset Lad, He's Remarkable
1st Waikato Guineas, beating Historian, Yin Yang Master

Pedigree:
Um, not very good. Sire Thorn Park was no more than a sprinter - the longest race he ever won was just 1400m. Neither his own performance nor that of his offspring so far suggest he'll ever sire a Derby winner. Cierzo never finished in the money in a race. Her first two foals both failed to do so as well. From a pedigree point of view, Jimmy Choux should be struggling in a sprint maiden race at some rural racetrack. It just shows that sometimes a horse can completely defy what their pedigree suggests they should do. They don't know their breeding is terrible!

Positives:
- Best 3yo in NZ
- He's beaten pretty much all of these horses, and his wins against them have all been incredibly easy
- Getting better with each race
- He's just awesome
- Trainer and jockey doing very well this season

Negatives:
- Although I think he's already proven that his pedigree is irrelevant, there will be a bit of doubt over the distance until he does it. This will be the only time he runs a mile and a half in his life.
- He's been racing since September, so it's been a long campaign. But his races have been well spread out.

Current odds:
9-5 (favourite)

So can he win?
Of course he can! The only negative is the question marks over the distance, because his pedigree so strongly suggests that he should be a sprinter. But his pedigree also suggests he should be a terrible racehorse. He's ignored the ability limitations of his pedigree; why should the distance limitations be any different?

Predicted finish:
1st

[_ed_]

HE'S REMARKABLE
3 c Pentire - Axiom
Breeder: Rich Hill Stud
Owner: G G Syndicate, J B Struthers & R S Balcoumb
Trainer: Roger James
Jockey: Matthew Cameron

Starts: 7
Wins: 2
Seconds: 1
Thirds: 1
Earnings: $193,500

Last start: Avondale Guineas (10th)
Best performance of the season: Rating 70 (1st)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PetkprE1UZ0

Season so far:
1st Maiden
6th Hawke's Bay Guineas behind Jimmy Choux, Icepin, Maradona, Cellarmaster, We Can Say It Now
1st Rating 70
2nd New Zealand 2000 Guineas behind Jimmy Choux
5th Rating 90 behind Fazzle
3rd Wellington Stakes behind Jimmy Choux, Jetset Lad
10th Avondale Guineas behind Icepin - had some trouble getting a clear run

Pedigree:
Excellent (excuse the pun). He's by Pentire, who of course sired 2004 Derby winner Xcellent, and is known for stamina - his other good runners include Tinseltown, Pentane, Pentastic, Pentathon, Tin Goose and Zarita. And his dam, Axiom, is a daughter of champion sire Zabeel - one of the most successful stallions in NZ history, and the sire of three NZ Derby winners and also three Melbourne Cup winners. Stamina will not be an issue for He's Remarkable.

Positives:
- He's probably the second best 3yo we've got this season
- Proven in G1 company, with his amazing performance for 2nd in the 2000 Guineas
- Trainer Roger James has won the Derby three times
- James considers him the best horse he's trained since Zonda, the champion of the late '90s who won the Derby in 1997. I still consider him the second best I've seen after Sunline.

Negatives:
- Jimmy keeps beating him. Maybe he was just born in the wrong year
- Hasn't won a race since October

Current odds:
7-1 (second favourite)

So can he win?
Yes, although his form at the moment worries me. He hasn't really shown his true ability since the 2000 Guineas in November. But while some others have some doubts about the distance, he'll love the step up to 2400m. He should be making a strong run in the last furlong or so of this great race. He should finish in the money.

Predicted finish:
3rd
(Ooh, who will I pick for 2nd? The suspense! )