Avondale Jockey Club Suspends Racing
- Monday, 24 May 2010 08:59
New Zealand's Avondale Jockey Club has suspended racing for the forthcoming season because of financial problems.
The last race day at the Auckland track this season will be July 3, following which the club will only operate its training facility along with non-race related activities based there.
The club will negotiate to race its Group events, including the Avondale Cup, Concord Handicap and Avondale Guineas, at other northern region racetracks in the 2010/2011 season.
The economic downturn along with the changing dynamics of the gambling industry have had a widespread impact, club president Ron Murphy said.
Additional pressure on the club's finances has come from the recent cost of debt servicing combined with the reduction in racing income and associated overheads.
Murphy said while the recently released New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) funding model impacted favourably on his club, it did not provide enough relief for it to work its way back into a positive financial position.
"There has been a steady deterioration in our finances over the years caused by a number of factors and the responsible thing to do at this point is to pause while we are still financially viable," Murphy said in a statement.
"The club is in negotiations for the sale of some of its land and when the sale is completed the club's long term debt will be repaid allowing the club to look at resuming racing at Avondale.
"While the decision may come as a surprise to the general public and our membership, I don't think the industry will be surprised by it. The club understands discussions have taken place in industry circles from early 2010 to consider reallocation of our 2010/2011 dates to Counties, Whangarei or Auckland racing clubs."
Murphy said the club would talk to its members and discuss its vision for the future.
"The committee is confident that the membership will back this decision that is designed to help make the club financially stronger so that racing at Avondale can be put on a sustainable footing," he said.
Michael Walker To Settle In Queensland
- Monday, 17 May 2010 02:15
Leading New Zealand jockey Michael Walker has decided to settle in Brisbane from next season.
Walker, who defied serious head injuries suffered in a pig hunting accident to return to the saddle late in 2008, is riding in Queensland during the Brisbane winter carnival and has had discussions with leading trainers there about a permanent move.
"I have not made this decision lightly but all the arrows have been pointing in this direction in the past few months," Walker said on his website.
He said his manager, Hugh Crawford, supported his decision and had spoken with trainers in Queensland to gauge their reactions.
"It has been nothing but extremely positive and from my own discussions with people like leading trainers Rob Heathcote, Barry Baldwin and Brian Smith, I am sure it is the right move."
Walker said Mark Van Triet, who manages Damien Oliver, had agreed to be his manager in Australia.
Walker, 26, won the New Zealand jockeys' premiership twice while an apprentice, chalking up 653 wins before he became a fully fledged jockey.
He had a rocky stint in Australia in the mid-2000s, but returned to win the NZ premiership in 2007-08 with a runaway 173 wins, with the pig hunting accident denying him the chance to reach 200.
He chalked up his 1000th winner in New Zealand in January last year.
Picture: Quentin Lang
Win Seals Ekstreme Return To Australia
- Sunday, 02 May 2010 04:15
Two unplaced runs in Sydney this autumn have not deterred trainer Bryce Revell from heading back across the Tasman with his class mare Ekstreme.
The four-year-old regained winning form on a slow track when she took out Saturday's Group Two weight-for-age Travis Stakes (2000m) for fillies and mares at Te Rapa In New Zealand.
Her two previous races had been at the Sydney autumn carnival where she failed to figure but Revell was not disappointed.
"They were both Group One races and Sydney has the toughest racing in Australia," Revell told NZPA.
Ekstreme had also been unplaced in three earlier races in New Zealand but they too were all Group One events and the key to Saturday's win was the slow track, Revell said.
"We had been more than happy with her - we just needed a wet track to be competitive at Group One level," he said.
"We got a wet track and we were super confident."
Ekstreme is now headed to the Brisbane winter carnival with her first assignment the Group One weight-for-age Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.
Beyond that race, Revell said he would play it by ear.
"We'll probably hang around for a while and see what we can do with her," he said.
Revell is confident Ekstreme will cope with more racing despite Saturday's race being the 10th of her current campaign which dates back to last October. He said Ekstreme had size on her side.
"I think she's still coming up. She's a big, strong mare," he said. I looked at her in the birdcage and she was probably the biggest mare there."
After her win in the Captain Cook, had talked about sending Ekstreme for the Cox Plate in the spring but has revised those thoughts.
"You can't really do Brisbane in the winter and then Melbourne in the spring," he said.
Revell, 40, has been training for about 10 years. He is a former jumps jockey whose wins included the Great Eastern Steeplechase in South Australia on the John Wheeler-trained Touch Judge.
Sir Slick Set To Back Up At Doomben
- Sunday, 09 May 2010 08:15
Kiwi warhorse Sir Slick could back up at Doomben on Saturday after failing to handle a wet Gold Coast track when fifth in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes.
Trainer Graeme Nicholson said the eight-year-old veteran of 120 starts was not suited by the slow conditions on Saturday.
"It was too testing for him," Nicholson said.
"(Jockey) Sam (Collett) said he just pinned his ears out and didn't want to do it. That's Slick for you."
The first three placegetters in the Hollindale - Metal Bender, Road To Rock and Gold Water - were well clear of the remainder of the field with Sir Slick finishing almost five lengths from the winner.
Nicholson said Sir Slick would probably run in the Group Three Chairman's Handicap (2020m) at Doomben this Saturday provided he did not get too much weight.
"If he got 60kg I wouldn't start him," Nicholson said.
Nicholson said Chris Munce would probably ride Sir Slick in the Chairman's, with Collett to be reunited with him in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.
Munce has also been engaged to ride stablemate Time Keeper in the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2020m) on Saturday, replacing regular rider Mark Sweeney who injured a vertebrae last week.
"I am absolutely gutted for Mark," Nicholson said.
Time Keeper, who finished fifth in the New Zealand Derby in March, will be making his Australian debut and has won four of his past five starts.
He has been nominated for the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm next month.
Picture: Ross Stevenson
McKee Set To Target Brisbane
- Monday, 26 April 2010 08:15
Trainer Stephen McKee is aiming up to three horses, including impressive Hawke's Bay Cup winner Boundless, at the Queensland winter carnival.
McKee said Mufhasa - who races as King Mufhasa in Australia - along with Culminate and possibly Boundless would cross the Tasman and be aimed at some of the Group One features in Brisbane in the coming weeks.
King Mufhasa will open the stable's attack in the BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 15 as a leadup to the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) a fortnight later.
After a slow start to the season, King Mufhasa won the Group One Fully Fledged Classic (1600m) at Otaki before an excellent third to Danleigh on an unsuitable wet track in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in Sydney.
"He (Mufhasa) is going really well and has freshened up again," McKee told the Dominion Post.
"He can run for $A400,000 in the BTC Cup rather than have a 1200m trial.
"He will also be nominated for the Stradbroke (Handicap) and that is an option, but we will see what weight he gets first."
Culminate and Boundless are both scheduled to clash in the Group two Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.
McKee said Boundless came through her win in the Hawke's Bay Cup at Hastings on Saturday without any ill-effects and her main Brisbane target would the Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.
Culminate will be freshened after the Travis and prepared for the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.
"A fast run 1400m is ideal for her when she's fresh," McKee said.
"But weight might be a factor. She's too small to carry big weights against the colts and geldings."
The weight-for-age Winter Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm on June 26 is another option for Culminate.
Indikator Earns Australian Trip
- Sunday, 09 May 2010 06:15
The plan was always to head to Australia but now it is a case of deciding between Sydney and Brisbane after the win by Indikator in the Rotorua Cup.
Indikator confirmed he had come back better than ever when he won the Group Three 2200m feature on Saturday, taking his record to two wins and a second from three starts this campaign.
At the same time, it reaffirmed earlier thoughts the Rotorua Cup would be the launching pad to Australia.
"This race was always going to be his last before Australia," Indikator's trainer Keith Opie said.
"As long as he pulls up good and we are happy with him in the next three or four days, he'll go back to Australia."
Opie had been thinking of campaigning Indikator in Sydney over the winter but is now considering whether to raise his sights to the Queensland winter carnival.
At the top of the agenda would be the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.
"Up until today I was looking to go to Sydney - he could race there every week for $A70,000 if we wanted," Opie said.
"But the owner said to me today `should we look at the Brisbane Cup now'. That's something we need to work out."
Indikator raced in the Sydney region last year when he had four starts and notched third and fourth placings in two Group Three events
The six-year-old was slow to mature but Opie said the trip to Sydney was just what the gelding needed.
"I have no doubt that it was the making of him. He finally grew up. He went from being a boy in short pants to start becoming a man."
Indikator was spelled upon his return from Sydney and Opie said the difference in the horse was obvious.
"As soon as he came home you knew the difference in him," he said.
"He had never been one to really rest when spelling but this time he really enjoyed his spell. He actually rested instead of walking up and down the fence line."
Opie, 60, is a former jockey who has been training for about 30 years and for the last decade he has been manager of Waikato thoroughbred nursery Millfield Stud in Matamata.
Millfield Stud is owned by Peter Setchell, the breeder and owner of Indikator.
Setchell used to stand Indikator's sire Sandtrap at Millfield but has since relocated the horse to Grangewilliam Stud while still remaining the stallion's owner.
Indikator was sent out second favourite on Saturday and settled midfield for jockey Reese Jones before finishing strongly to get the better of Tinseltown by a neck.
Jones had ridden the winner of the Rotorua Cup 21 years earlier when successful on the Jim Gibbs-trained Mickey's Town in 1989.
New Zealand Jumping Season Commences On Wednesday
- Monday, 19 April 2010 07:18
This Wednesday, 21 April sees the start of the 2010 jumping racing season in New Zealand.
The season will run for five months concluding on National Jumps Day, with six jumps races, on Sunday, 26 September at Trentham.
A total of 117 races will be run at 14 venues throughout the country all the way from Auckland down to Riverton.
Eighteen Prestige Jump Races (PJRs) are programmed through the season starting at the Great Western Meeting at Riverton on 9 May.
These races are programmed to run every fortnight, the key events being as follows:
9 May Great Western Steeplechase & Hurdle Riverton
22 May Waikato Steeplechase & Hurdle Waikato
7 June McGregor Grant Steeplechase & KS Browne Hurdle Ellerslie
19 June Manawatu Steeplechase and Awapuni Hurdle Awapuni
3 July Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase & Hurdle Hastings
17 July Wellington Steeplechase & Hurdle Trentham
11 August Grand National Hurdle Riccarton
14 August Grand National Steeplechase Riccarton
21 August Pakuranga Hunt Day Ellerslie
4 September Great Northern Day Ellerslie
One of the primary objectives of NZ Jumps Inc., the national body overseeing the wellbeing of the sport, is to increase national interest in jumping racing.
Statistics from last year’s jumping season show a strong upswing.
Last year the average number of starters per race increased from 9.5 to 10.5 in the 16 PJR events.
In all grades of jumping races there was an overall increase in starter numbers on a monthly basis with the exception of September.
Last season’s average off-course wagering turnover leaped from $117,000 to $142,000 compared to the previous year. This was in contrast to the industry wide trend.
These results show a marked contrast to the position of jumping racing just a few years’s ago, when it was experiencing a season-on-season decline in all areas of activity.
Since jumping racing underwent a restructure two years ago it has demonstrated its value to the industry and is now delivering results that improve the industry’s financial sustainability.
Small To Face Charges Later This Month
- Monday, 03 May 2010 05:46
Controversial New Zealand harness racing trainer Geoff Small is to face drugs charges in Victoria later this month.
Harness Racing Victoria Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board chairman Brian Collis has directed the charges be heard on May 24 and 25.
Stewards have said Small's pacer Zenad had the prohibited substance aminocaproic acid in his system when he won at Moonee Valley on February 7 last year.
The substance was detected in a urine sample after the race.
The charges involve the administering of the drug and presenting the horse to race while the drug was in its system.
Small was disqualified for two years by NSW stewards in 2009 after his star pacer Changeover tested positive to anti-bleeding drug tranexamic acid.
But he appealed successfully and the ban was quashed with Changeover retaining the race, after the appeal judge ruled the drug was not prohibited under Australian harness racing rules.
Small was also successful in having a six-month ban in New Zealand lifted earlier this year over his late withdrawal of All Tiger from a race at Addington last October and subsequent abuse of veterinarian Corin Murfitt.
The suspension was replaced with a $10,000 fine on appeal after it was found the vet was not a club official under the rules of racing.
Easter Handicap To Time Keeper
- Sunday, 18 April 2010 01:23
Co-trainer Graeme Nicholson sounded a warning to Australians after his prize three-year-old colt Time Keeper (3 B. C. Stravinsky – Organdy, by Our Emblem) took on and beat older horses in the $200,000 Group One Land Pride Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Nicholson, who trains in partnership with Paul Allbon at Te Aroha and owns Time Keeper with Francis Crimmins, said, “I know he’s a damn good horse, but how good is he?”
He became the first three-year-old to win the event since Status in 1990, with Eastern Joy, Silver Nymph, Silver Wraith and Tudor Light the only others of the same age to manage the feat.
“It’s going to take something hellishly good to beat him in Australia, I’ll tell you that. I’m blown away”, said a jubilant Nicholson.
It seems the training partnership that rose to prominence through the deeds of six-time group one winner Sir Slick, who finished third in the race under top weight of 59 kilograms compared to 51 kilos carried by his stable-mate, have unearthed another star.
Nicholson plans to travel both horses to Brisbane on May 1, with the main aim for Time Keeper being the A$500,000 Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.
He said he feared Time Keeper would not be able to take part in the race, let alone win it, when it was discovered he had pricked the hoof on his off foreleg a day before the race and was lame.
“He was bloody lame yesterday (Friday) afternoon, and when we put him on the truck today, Floyd (who straps the horse) said, ‘Mr Nick, he won’t be racing’, I said, ‘Floyd, there’s another four hours to go. We had to get the vet here to check him out first.”
After Time Keeper had won the group three Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni by six lengths, when leading by a similar margin through the mid stages, at his previous start, Nicholson admitted thinking, “Holy hell, how good is this horse?”
And it was those tactics again, with Mark Sweeney aboard for the first time, that saw Time Keeper work hard for the front, steady affairs while still travelling comfortably at high speed, then kick away to an unassailable lead.
It took another three-year-old, November Rain, to get closest to him, as the recent runner-up in the NZ Oaks narrowed the margin to one and a half lengths at the line.
While the performance by Sir Slick, winner of the Group Two Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) last start, typified his courage and carried the winner of 22 races ever closer to $2 million in earnings.
Culminate and Run Like Al finished close up in fourth and fifth respectively.
McKee In Hospital After Health Scare
- Sunday, 02 May 2010 09:15
Trainer Stephen McKee will remain in Waikato Hospital for several days for further tests after a health scare at the Te Rapa races.
McKee, fourth on the New Zealand trainers premiership with 49 wins this season, spent Saturday night in Waikato Hospital after feeling unwell and complaining of pain between his shoulders and down one arm.
There was widespread concern for McKee at the track as he was placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to hospital before the day's feature, the Travis Stakes.
His father and former training partner, Trevor, saddled the favourite Culminate who finished sixth in the Travis.
New Zealand Trainers Association executive officer Dennis Ryan said he'd spoken to McKee's wife Fiona who was upbeat about her husband's condition.
McKee would remain in hospital for at least one or two more days, Ryan said.
"He's still being monitored until they get to the bottom of what the problem is," Ryan said.
"He has improved...and he seems a lot brighter."
McKee has saddled 10 black type winners this season and last week outlined plans to take his Group One-winning sprinter Mufhasa to Brisbane for the upcoming winter carnival.
Hawke's Bay Cup winner Boundless was to accompany Mufhasa to Brisbane but had now been turned out for a spell after she was scratched from the Travis Stakes due to filling in a tendon.
McDonald To Abandon Premiership Bid
- Thursday, 15 April 2010 03:07
Top New Zealand rider James McDonald is turning his back on this season's premiership race for a trip that will take him to the leading stables in England and Ireland.
McDonald, 18, leads the New Zealand jockeys' premiership by 10 wins over Mark du Plessis but is sure to be overtaken after he departs on May 8 as he won't return until the start of the new season in August.
His trip is being sponsored by the Vela brothers, Peter and Phillip, owners of New Zealand Bloodstock.
"They have offered me a chance to travel and gain some invaluable world-class experience," McDonald told Truth Weekender.
McDonald has been stable rider for the Vela brothers this season on his way to accumulating 132 winners to date.
His world trip will take him to five countries and he will rub shoulders with racing's elite in Europe, including trainers John Oxx and Sir Michael Stoute.
McDonald, in the third year of a five-year apprenticeship, will ride at the Singapore Gold Cup meeting on May 14 and 16 before taking a holiday in Portugal and France.
He will then head to Ireland for six weeks and stay with top Irish rider Fran Berry, stable rider for champion Irish trainer Oxx.
"Fran Berry will be riding in all the Classics while I'm there and I'll be travelling with him to the races," McDonald said.
"His agent will also try to get me some race rides."
McDonald will then head to Newmarket in England and work for two weeks for 10-time champion trainer Stoute.
"I just think I will come back to New Zealand a better rider," McDonald said.
"I'm hoping I might pick up a ride on some pacemakers over there and they will teach me to be a better judge of pace when I'm in front."
McDonald will finish out the season riding for Singapore's leading trainer, New Zealander Laurie Laxon.
"I'll be back for the start of the season in New Zealand, hopefully better at my job," he said.