Jockey Out Of Intensive Care After Fall

Thursday, 23 July 2009 00:00

Jockey Ricky McIntosh remains in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital after he and another rider were injured in a fall in a jumps race at Paeroa on Wednesday.

McIntosh, 34, was briefly trapped under his horse when it fell at a fence.

The other rider, Cyril Leveque, 25, was unable to avoid the fallen horse and also came down.

Both were flown to Waikato Hospital where Leveque was treated and discharged.

McIntosh was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit.

He had since been moved to a general ward and was in a serious but stable condition on Thursday.

His mother, Roz Lumsden, said it was going to be up and down for her son, but he was "a fighter".

"He's determined. He's fit and we've got lots of people watching out for him," she said.

"I just want to say thank you to everyone - to St John (ambulancemen) at the course, the stipendiary stewards, the Westpac Waikato air ambulance, paramedics and Waikato Hospital."

McIntosh is an amateur jockey and has had only a handful of rides in New Zealand.

He spent around a decade working for stables in Japan as a trackwork rider.

He returned to New Zealand before Christmas with his fiancee, whom he planned to marry later this year, and is now based in Palmerston North.

He is the third generation of his family in the racing industry.

His grandfather, the late Barney Lumsden, was a trainer and his father, Joe McIntosh, was a top jockey for several years.

Track Man Breaks Legs In Freak Accident

Sunday, 28 June 2009 00:00

A New Zealand track worker has had both his legs broken while trying to help a stricken horse at Hastings.

Noel Stephens was holding the badly injured horse, Doc Holliday, while a vet was trying to euthanase it when the horse fell on top of him.

Stephens was admitted to Hastings hospital on Saturday with compound fractures of both legs, the Sunday Star Times reported.

Doc Holliday broke a foreleg in a fall at the first fence of a maiden hurdle.

NZ Horse Of The Year Finalists Announced

Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:00

Daffodil, Mufhasa, MacO'Reilly, Princess Coup and Tell A Tale are likely to fight out the New Zealand Horse of the Year title next month.

The five Group One winners are among the nominees for the Mercedes awards which will be held in Christchurch on August 7.

They include the people's choice award, in which the public decides the winner through voting on the www.nzracing.co.nz website.

The Horse of the Year title will be determined by a 55-person panel, choosing horses in the sprinters, middle-distance, stayers, two-year-old, three-year-old and jumpers' categories.

The finalists are:

Sprinter of the year: Fritzy Boy, Jacowils, Mufhasa, Ruud Van Slaats.

Middle distance horse: Culminate, MacO'Reilly, Mufhasa, Princess Coup, Sir Slick.

Stayer: Cape Cover, Mr Tipsy, Nom Du Jeu, Six O'Clock News, Spin Around.

Jumpers: Counter Punch, Hypnotize, Just A Swagger, Just Not Cricket.

Two-Year-Olds: Kaaptan, King's Ransom, Seven Schillings, The Heckler.

Three-Year-Olds: Court Ruler, Daffodil, Down The Road, Harris Tweed, Tell A Tale.

People's Choice: Borninthestates, Bulginbaah, Culminate, Daffodil, Hypnotize, MacO'Reilly, Mufhasa, Princess Coup, Sir Slick, Tell A Tale.

Jockey: Michael Coleman, James McDonald, Sam Spratt.

Jumps jockey: Tommy Hazlett, Isaac Lupton, Jo Rathbone, Jonathon Riddell.

Apprentice: James McDonald.

Trainer: Murray and Bjorn Baker, Kevin Gray, Mark Walker.

Broodmare: Escada (Vision And Power), Gussy Godiva (Roman Emperor), Label Basher (Dezigna and Izonit), Shynzi (Maldivian).

Breeder: TP Anderson, GP Chaplow, Michael Ormond Children's Trust and AE Ormond (Roman Emperor and Rios), Garry Chittick (Vision And Power, Daffodil and Metal Bender); Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan (Maldivian, Linky Dink and Fiumicino); Garry and Lyn Witters (Samantha Miss).

Ricky May Joins 2000 Club

Sunday, 28 June 2009 00:00

Ricky May became just the third harness racing driver to chalk up 2,000 wins in New Zealand when he drove Tara Royale to victory at Rangiora on Sunday.

There was no flourish with the whip, just a smile as May landed the outsider home in the second race.

May, 51, began driving in 1977 and has won 36 Group One races in the past 20 years.

In 1997 he became only the sixth driver to achieve 1,000 wins.

He now joins New Zealand harness driving champions Tony Herlihy (2,860) and Maurice McKendry (2,749) in the 2,000 plus club.

May, a crop farmer at Methven in Canterbury when he is not behind the sulky, is known as one of the most consistent drivers around.

There was extra significance behind the milestone win as Tara Royale is owned by Ray Anicich, who trained Vita Man, the winner of the Ashburton Flying Stakes in 1982 with May in the sulky.

"That was when I was just starting out," May told Trackside. "Ray's pretty thrilled about it."

May said he had no thoughts about retiring.

"I do still get a buzz. I'm out there to win and that is the way I treat it."

May has driven the winners of three New Zealand Cups - Inky Lord in 1989, Iraklis in 1997 and Mainland Banner in 2005.

He rates the Mainland Banner win as the highlight of his career as she had only started racing less than a year earlier.

He also drove Iraklis to win the Miracle Mile in Sydney in 1994.

Hillis Shocked At Oaks Failure

Monday, 06 July 2009 00:00

New Zealand trainer Wayne Hillis was in disbelief after his filly Puttanesca, ridden by three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss, finished a long last in the American Oaks at Hollywood Park.

Puttanesca was handy early in the 2000m event but when the pressure went on at the 600 metres she started to drift through the field.

She was second last turning into the home straight and Boss did not persevere with her over the final stages.

She finished some 40 lengths from the winner Gozzip Girl.

Hillis, who made the trip to California with his wife and training partner Vanessa, rang their son Kurt after the race.

"Dad said he could not believe it," Kurt Hillis said.

"Glen Boss said she was having breathing problems during the race."

Another factor may have been that she was given anti-bleeding drug Lasix before the race.

It was the first time it had been administered to her as the drug is banned in New Zealand.

The Oaks was Puttanesca's last start for the Hillis stable and they were hoping she would better Boulevardofdreams' effort to finish seventh in the Hollywood feature in 2004.

Puttanesca will join the stable of American trainer Julio Canani, with the filly's Hong Kong owner Y K Wong deciding to race her in the US.

She raced 11 times in New Zealand for two wins and five placings, highlighted by her victory in the Group Two Royal Stakes at Ellerslie in January.

Boom New York filly Gozzip Girl, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, justified her $3 favouritism to score by three lengths from Well Monied, with Irish filly Lexlenos the best of the overseas contingent in third.

Dozen Aussies Nominated For Kelt

Wednesday, 17 June 2009 00:00

Twelve Australian-trained horses have been nominated for New Zealand's richest weight-for-age race, the $NZ1.2 million ($A953,668) Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings on October 3.

Group One winners Gallica, Sarerra and Zarita as well as the imported English stayer Speed Gifted, now in the Lee Freedman stable, are among the Australian entries.

Others include Victoria Derby placegetter Pre Eminence, Miss Scarlatti, Arlington, Miss Maren and Rightfully Yours.

Gallica, Pre Eminence, Rightfully Yours and Miss Maren are all from Melbourne trainer Mick Price's stable.

New Zealand-trained Group One winners include AJC Australian Oaks winner Daffodil and 2008 AJC Australian Derby winner Nom Du Jeu.

Others are Boundless, Mufhasa, Sir Slick, Jungle Rocket, Tell A Tale, The Pooka, Prince Kaapstad and Pasta Post.

Harris Tweed, Red Ruler and Capecover are also among the 56 nominations for the Kelt whose first withdrawals are on July 29.

NZ Swabs Retested After Changeover Case

Wednesday, 01 July 2009 00:00

Harness Racing NZ (HRNZ) has ordered that samples taken from horses who competed at the recent Jewels meeting be retested for the drug found in New Zealand Cup winner Changeover's system after a win in Sydney.

Changeover became the first southern hemisphere horse to test positive to tranexamic acid following his win in the Len Smith Mile at Menangle on April 26.

His positive test was announced at the weekend and a hearing is pending.

HRNZ had requested the NZ Racing Laboratory to retest the 24 urine samples taken from the Harness Racing Jewels meeting on May 30, its general manager Edward Rennell said on Wednesday.

The move was ordered "to ensure no aspersions can be made as to the integrity of New Zealand feature races", Rennell said.

"A decision as to whether any further retrospective testing will be undertaken will be made following the results of that testing," he said.

Stakes for the meeting had not yet been paid, pending clearance on all swabs. It was expected that the further testing would delay this a fortnight, Rennell said.

"Checking these swabs reaffirms HRNZ's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and ensuring all participants can have confidence in competing on a level playing field," Rennell said.

Changeover's trainer Geoff Small was informed of the test result late on Friday by Michael Beattie, chairman of stewards for the NSW Greyhound and Harness Regulatory Authority, and told to prepare to front an inquiry in Sydney.

A hearing date was expected to be set this week.

Tranexamic acid is used to prevent bleeding by increasing clot formation and is prohibited under the rules of racing.

The drug has been the subject of a high-profile inquiry in England involving a horse trained by Nicky Henderson for the Queen.

He has been found guilty of its use, but British racing authorities are yet to adjudicate on penalty.

Sir Slick Finally Gets A Holiday

Thursday, 11 June 2009 00:00

Warhorse Sir Slick is finally getting a break, of sorts, before a possible tilt at the Cox Plate.

The New Zealand galloper raced six times in six weeks at the Queensland winter carnival, but will return home to Te Aroha on Sunday.

"He'll be on the water walking machine every day because he has to be doing something and I will give him six weeks doing that before putting a saddle on him," trainer Graeme Nicholson said.

Nicholson has been criticised for continually racing Sir Slick, who had his 100th start when a gallant fifth in the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

But he is unrepentant, saying the horse thrived on racing.

Sir Slick put in every time in Queensland, running thirds in the Hollindale Cup (1800m), Chairman's Handicap and Doomben Cup, both over 2020m, before an eighth on a heavy track in the Doomben 10,000 (1350m), sixth in the O'Shea Stakes (2200m) and then fifth in the Cup.

"He did us proud over there. He really thrived. I had to keep the work up to him, because he would have put on three kilograms a day if he wasn't working," Nicholson said.

The original plan was for Sir Slick to contest the Singapore Cup but Nicholson was angered when Sydney racing officials left the horse out of a qualifying race for Singapore, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April.

"He was made first emergency and yet he's won six Group One races and more than $NZ1.7 million in prizemoney while some of the others in the race had only won $100,000," Nicholson said.

He opted for the Queensland carnival instead and had to pay quite a few late entry fees, but the horse won around $A100,000.

"I thought his run in the Brisbane Cup was terrific. I was a bit worried about it, with the 2400 metres on a heavy track, but his run was huge. (Jockey) Glen Colless said they wouldn't have seen the arse-end of him if the track was dry," Nicholson said.

Sir Slick will be aimed at the weight-for-age spring races, the Stoney Bridge Stakes (1600m) and Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) with the WS Cox Plate (2040m) an appealing target in late October.

"That's going to be an option for him, it's a race that should suit him," Nicholson said.

Black Mamba A Chance For Melbourne Cup

Monday, 29 June 2009 00:00

New Zealand-bred mare Black Mamba has the Melbourne Cup on her agenda after winning the $US150,000 ($A185,977) Beverly Hills Handicap for the second consecutive year at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

Under jockey Garrett Gomez, Black Mamba covered the 2000 metres in a slick 1:59.72, snapping a five-race winless streak dating to last summer.

Black Mamba caught Charming Legacy just before the winning post in the Group Two race.

Trained by John Sadler, Black Mamba won $US90,000 to boost her earnings to $US808,851. ($A1 million).

Her next goal is the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park on August 6 and Sadler said she had been nominated for the Melbourne Cup in November.

While that race is months off and no plans have been finalised, Black Mamba has undergone the vaccination necessary to ship a horse to Australia, he said.

Black Mamba, a six-year-old mare by Black Minnaloushe, has won five of 26 starts, including the Group One John C Mabee Handicap over 1800 metres last August.

Bred by Hawke's Bay businessman Sam Kelt's Keltern Stud, Black Mamba, by Black Minnaloushe out of Sneetch, was sold as a yearling by Trelawney Stud at the Karaka premier sale for $NZ120,000 to Cambridge trainer Murray Baker.

She ran fifth in the New Zealand Oaks won by Princess Coup at Trentham in 2007.

Black Mamba is a half-sister to Gussy Godiva, dam of this year's AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor and New Zealand stakeswinner Rios.

Cropp Disqualified On Drugs Charge

Friday, 05 June 2009 00:00

Champion jockey Lisa Cropp has been disqualified for nine months and ordered to pay $NZ99,500 ($A78,848) in fines and costs after being found guilty on a drug charge.

The penalty was handed down on Friday by a tribunal of racing's Judicial Control Authority (JCA) which in March found the drug charge relating to her positive test to methamphetamine at a race meeting in Te Rapa, Hamilton, in June 2005 to be proved.

The disqualification will begin on June 25 so she can make arrangements for horses being trained on her property.

Disqualification means Cropp cannot attend a racecourse, trial tracks or a property where racehorses are trained.

The monetary penalty is made up of a $NZ7,500 ($A5,942) fine and $NZ92,000 ($A72,914) in costs. The costs figure is 50 per cent of the tribunal's estimate of costs incurred.

The decision came after a lengthy defence effort in which the champion jockey fought the case through the courts on various grounds before it was sent back to the JCA tribunal, which found her guilty on one charge.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), which brought the prosecution, had sought a disqualification close to the maximum of 12 months, a fine close to the maximum of $NZ10,000 ($A7,928) and 80 per cent of costs.

NZTR lawyer Simon Moore argued methamphetamine was both a safety risk and a performance enhancer for a jockey and that a serious deterrence and denunciation was needed.

He also said that while Cropp had the right to make her legal challenges, "in this tribunal the assertion of those rights carry with them potential for a costly caveat, and that caveat is that if you lose, then you can expect to pay".

Cropp's lawyer Antony Shaw said his client was entitled to take all the defences she took, and was a first offender.

In its ruling on penalty, the tribunal said Cropp had an extremely high reading but there was no adverse effects noticed on her riding that day and she tested clear five days later.

It adopted a starting point of 10-1/2 months and reduced it to nine due to her not breaching the drug rule previously and her otherwise good character.

The tribunal said a fine was appropriate as a deterrent, especially due to the amount of methamphetamine in her system.

In ruling on costs, the tribunal noted that total costs for the JCA were $NZ66,979 ($A53,102) and the legal fees and disbursements for NZTR were $NZ117,680 ($A93,274), making a total of $NZ184,660.03 ($A146,363).

Though NZTR had asked for an order of 80 per cent of costs, the tribunal said "there is nothing in the defendant's conduct or personal circumstances which justifies our adopting a figure in excess of 50 per cent".

It said the committee's patience was tested by Cropp's inaccurate assessment of how long it would take to make her submissions, but that most of the delay was due to her court actions which she was fully entitled to take.

"While we accept some issues raised by the defendant were `collateral issues', to adopt the expression used by the informant, they were not matters that we would regard as being frivolous," it said.

"Had we been of this view, we would have given serious consideration to an award approaching the level requested by the informant."

The costs will be divided on a proportional basis between NZTR's legal costs and disbursements and the JCA costs.