New Minister for Racing in New Zealand
- Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00
This was announced by the Prime Minister Helen Clark when she today announced the allocation of portfolios to ministers and the appointment of ministers and under-secretaries outside Cabinet.
Gosche, the MP for Maungakiekie, replaces previous Racing Minister Annette King.
On his parliamentary biography horse racing is listed as one of Gosche's interests.
Gosche is also the Minister For Corrections. He was previously Transport Minister.
The Associate Minister For Racing announced today is Damien O'Connor.
Media Release - TNZ
Oliver Fined for Lack of Vigour
- Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00
Premiership winning rider Damien Oliver was today
fined by Melbourne stewards who ruled that he failed to ride out one of his mounts at
today's Sandown meeting.Stewards fined Oliver $300 for failing to ride Just Like Kelly out to the line in the Galway Handicap. That galloper finished fifth in the race.
The Galway Handicap was won by the Russell Cameron trained Umatilla gelding Prospector's Dream.
The six-year-old scored a fighting half length win over the John Hawkes trained Periscope.
Cameron made it a double later in the afternoon when Brett Prebble guided Bella Moxie to a strong win in the last race of the day, the Leopardstown Handicap.
Meanwhile, experienced hoop Brian Werner rode his first city winner of 2002 when the Blakey trained Sergio proved much too strong in the Sport 927 Handicap.
PIC - Quentin Lang.
Charity Night a Success at Christchurch
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
Recently crowned, Australian Racing Personality of the Year, Sheila Laxon, was guest speaker to a sell out crowd who enjoyed her insights into a range of topics. A feature being the delightful question and answer session to conclude her presentation.
A charity auction conducted in conjunction with the dinner raised a very healthy $11,400 from seven items.
Top price was the $3,400 given for a framed montage of photos and horse shoes from Ethereal (NZ) and Sunline (NZ).
The evening added considerably to the Christine Lawn Trust which will now reach its target of raising $100,000 towards the rehabilitation of Christine, who was injured in a race fall during February and is now confined to a wheel chair.
Not present on the night, her father, Brian, spoke on her behalf, while Christine had enjoyed an afternoon with Sheila preceding the event.
Media Release - NZTM
Murray Bridge Cup Shake Up
- Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00
The listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup, which will be run on Saturday September 28, is now worth $60,000, of which the winner will received over $40,000 plus a trophy.
This year's race will be run over 1600 metres, shortened some 800 metres from last year's distance of 2400 metres.
Last year's running of the race was won by the Victorian visitor Fraar Magic, who got up to beat the local outsider Accelerating in the shadows of the post.
James Team Shapes Up for the Spring
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
Matamata and Flemington trainer Roger James
reports that members of his spring racing team have come through their trials at
Mornington last Friday August 9th, 2002, very well.
The Kaapstad duo of The Pumper and Piper Star shared a 1200m heat coming in first and second respectively.
James reported that champion Victorian jockey Damien Oliver was able to sit quietly on The Pumper as he cruised to the line with Piper Star 1/2L in second. Sky Heights was third
James is planning to present the pair at the Melbourne Racing Clubs Caulfield meeting on August 24th, 2002 for the A$201,000, Group II, Liston Stakes over 1400m where they will meet the Sky Heights again.
The Group I winning Centaine mare Sixty Seconds did not trial and James plans to gallop the strong mare between races at Moonee Valley on August 17th, 2002.
Piper Star will accompany her. James, who says the mare has, filled out and strengthened since last year, plans to race Sixty Seconds at Caulfield in the A$201,000, Group II, Memsie Stakes over 1400m without a trial.
PIC - Quentin Lang.
Media Release - TNZ
Seamer and Marshall Both City Winners
- Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00
Top jockeys Scott Seamer and Simon Marshall both
rode comeback city winners at different east coast meetings this afternoon.Seamer teamed up with top Gold Coast based trainer Gerald Ryan to win at Eagle Farm today with Sky Royal in the Phar Lap Handicap (1800m).
It was the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup and Golden Slipper winning jockey's first city winner since returning to the saddle from injury.
Seamer had only just begun a riding stint in Hong Kong last season when he suffered crushed vertebrae.
He made his comeback to race riding but missed a place on Calaway Gal in the San Domenico Stakes in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Simon Marshall has continued his
fairytale comeback to the saddle with a winner at his first meeting in Sydney.
Just over a week ago Marshall rode a double at his first meeting back, at the Gold Coast in Queensland - the first for Gerald Ryan, the trainer Marshall had based himself with in preparation for the return.
The Jim Lee trained Prude (20/1) was Marshall's second and last ride at Canterbury today and the four-year-old mare did the right thing to win by a length and a half.
Marshall, who was famous for teaming up with such champion gallopers as Durbridge and Hareeba, is basing himself in Sydney over the coming spring, restricting himself to rides of atleast 56 kilograms.
PICS - Quentin Lang.
Brown Back to Win Hometown Taree Cup
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
Sydney's newly crowned champion jockey Corey Brown
has another long-standing ambition in his sights at Taree on Friday.Brown hails from Taree and began his riding career on the mid-north coast before he transferred to Sydney to complete his apprenticeship with Neil Campton at Rosehill.
He is returning to his home town on Friday for the Tallwoods Taree Gold Cup meeting with his sights set on achieving his long held desire to win the feature race.
Incredibly Brown has ridden in only one Taree Cup, finishing unplaced on Elpitha in 1995.
He has since been denied the chance to ride in the Taree Cup by a frustrating sequence of suspensions or injuries.
Those setbacks included the disappointment of missing out on riding the 1998 winner Stop Flirting, trained by his master Neil Campton.
Brown lost the mount on Stop Flirting when he was injured 24 hours before the race with Port Macquarie jockey Peter Graham his last minute replacement.
Brown will ride the Neville McBurney-trained Go Bint in Friday's $25,000 Tallwoods Taree Gold Cup, a significant booking in regard to the Wyong trainer's outstanding record in the 2000m event.
McBurney has won the Taree Cup three times since 1986 with Allez Triomphe, Royal Marine and Planet Hollywood to share the training record for the race with leading local mentor Ross Stitt.
Stitt won his third Taree Cup last year with Shoemaker after his previous victories with Critic's Pride and Fun Road.
Shoemaker will again line-up in this year's Taree Gold Cup in an attempt to become the first dual winner since 1974.
He will be ridden again by Robert Thompson, who recorded his third Taree Cup win last year after his previous wins on Black Benson (1989) and Royal Marine (1990).
Brown's riding commitments will prevent him from attending the gala Taree Cup calcutta dinner at the Bushland Drive racecourse function centre on Thursday night.
However others special guests at the dinner will include racing and entertainment personalities Ken Callander and Ian Turpie.
PIC - Quentin Lang.
Media Release - NSW CRC
York Suspended - Another Rider Needed for Flying Florida
- Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00
York had been booked to ride the youngster after Melbourne based Patrick Payne told connections he was unable to partner Star of Florida in the Up and Coming.
Payne will stick by a prior agreement to ride the Colin Alderson trained stayer Sky Heights when that gelding resumes in Melbourne on the same day.
Star of Florida's trainer Pat Duff said today he had not decided on another replacement rider for the three-year-old son of Telesto.
York was outed by Sydney stewards today for careless riding and he indicated he would not appeal the ban, which will see him out of the saddle until August 29.
York to Replace Payne on Star of Florida
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
With trainer Patt Duff and the horse's Florida based owner electing to run the gelding in the Group Two Up and Coming Stakes in Sydney on August 24, they were forced to find a new rider.
Payne was stuck by a prior arrangement to ride the Colin Alderson trained stayer Sky Heights when he resumes in Melbourne on the same day.
On Saturday Star of Florida and Payne teamed up for a strong win in the San Domenico Stakes in Sydney.
Payne said on Sunday the gelding, who's already suffered a bleeding attack, is a very promising galloper.
"He's a promising horse, there's little doubt about that," Payne said. "He has such a high cruising speed."
Two Month Ban for Top Canberra Hoop
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
Stewards ruled that Scorse, who often links successfully with Barbara Joseph, did not give one of his mounts every possible chance of finishing in the best finishing place.
It was Scorse's handling of Something Hot at Canberra on August 2, that prompted stewards to conduct an inquiry, which was completed today.
The suspension was to have started immediately and was set to expire on October 12 pending the appeal which looks certain.
Irish Nearly Home in Jumps Series
- Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00
Sandown will host the second last of the races tomorrow and the Australians would need to grab all three placings if they plan on scoring an unlikely win in the series.
Ireland's team of Danny Howard, Jimmy Mansell, Mark Madden and Sean McDermott dominated much of the early series, which kicked off in Adelaide on Saturday.
They won the Hurdle and Steeple at the Morphettville meeting as well as filling three of the four minor placings in the same events.
Australia pegged back some ground at Flemington on Sunday when Craig Durden and Brett Scott led in an Aussie one-two.
Ireland currently leads by 34 points. The series ends with the running of the Waterford Crystal Hurdle at Moonee Valley on Saturday.