VSB! Amazing.

That was so nice to see him win! (Not sure why Recite was scratched though...(?) ). The only replay I have watched so far, but...

Thrilled to hear he won!!!!! :tro: Will catch the replay later. Very very happy though and I can imagine how completely ecstatic you were!

Absolutely thrilling! Man my heart is still racing from watching VSB!!!

It was a wonderful performance. Mongolian Khan didn't seem to like the step back down in distance, but hopefully he'll run better in the Derby next time he races.

NZ is through to the World Cup semi-final, which is in Auckland on Tuesday! I've got my tickets. Excited, but nervous.

That is awesome! Hope they win. :)

Ed, Habibi runs today at SA...

Here's hoping.

... and, even with the increase, this remains the greatest bargain in racing!

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...15000-for-2015

Absolutely - I was predicting 20+.

Also, we won the semi-final! :D

Great news! Hope your team takes it all!!

Hey ed can I ask something stupid?

I was looking at the, at what I guess is the next race at Wanganui (R2) and four of the runners have black horse heads by their names... what does that mean?

Oh and any news on Giant Turtle would be greatly appreciated as I have not heard a thing since the Derby. Thought I should mention that incase you happen to hear...

Thanks. :)

That logo indicates horses that are eligible for the Pearl series, which is a bonus for fillies and mares that are enrolled in the series. :)

I haven't heard anything about Giant Turtle either! I'll try to see if I can find something.

Thank you on both accounts.

Sad to read about Rising Romance missing the BMW.

Some nice fields on Saturday but of course the one I'm looking the most forward to is the Awapuni Gold Cup. Wouldn't that be something if The Tidy Express won? Rooting for Nashwville, Iamishwara and Survived (and TTE) but I doubt any of the four win.

Not betting... will just wait patiently for results while I cap Dubai. :)

Iamishwara has really surprised me in his last two runs and could do it if he runs as well again in this. But I do think Farm Boy is the likeliest winner.

Everyone here in NZ is still buzzing about us winning that semi-final. I was so lucky to be there at the game! And I love that this very cool moment is being celebrated: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs...130630660.html

What a wonderful moment!

Marky Mark! Back to his best today.

Iamishwara!!! :tro:

Very nice (and I know how much you love his name :p).

Kidding!

Nice win by Vespa too.

Was going to comment 30,000 or so videos posted from the trials last week (which I just now found and oh wow - Fix looked great!) but just saw the bad news...

Glad you were there for the win at the semi-final though and hope your team turns the tables next year!

Thanks. It does hurt - finally making it to the final after losing six semi-finals, then losing the final this time. :(

It was especially painful with how the winning team behaved - http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/...30-1mb9q3.html

But they were the better team and deserved it. Hopefully it will be our turn in 2019. :)

Anyway, back to the racing!

I love stories like this - the owners of Exquisite Jewel bought her for $400 at auction!

On Saturday she won the G3 Manawatu Classic, and she has also finished third in the G3 Desert Gold Stakes and fourth in the G1 New Zealand Oaks. She's worth a lot more than that now!

Nice win and against some very nice types!

(I liked the arrangements of white flowers that were placed around the track). :o

Hard to believe how little they paid for her. :eek:

How on earth do you handicap a race with Fix, Spellbinder, Sports Illustrated, Ponderosa Miss, Arrow in the Sand, Celebrity Miss and how many others? Insanity!

Thrilled to read the Final Touch update in The Informant. Remember wondering a year ago..... (?).

Whew. Nice news. :)

Yeah, that was so good to hear. :)

Today I'm at Te Aroha for the first time. Beautiful track with the mountain right behind it! Can't wait for the big G1 race later this afternoon.

Diademe! She really deserved that.

What a fantastic result in the Australian Derby. Mongolian Khan wins, with Volkstok third!

It just shows how great this year's NZ Derby was. For those two to go over to Sydney and do that, with Volkstok winning the Rosehill Guineas as well...

I think I have decided on my HOTY vote.

I would imagine that double sealed the deal... :)

Yeah, exactly.

It's a shame VSB is going to be in all the same categories as Mongolian Khan. VSB has been fantastic too and deserves recognition, but I don't think he'll get any of the awards.

It is a shame and yeah... was thinking about that earlier. Phenomenal couple of horses and BOTH names deserve their place in racing history.

Completely behind on what's going on this weekend... I guess I will just wait for results at this point and approach it all backwards and after the fact!

There's not much happening in NZ today. A couple of minor stakes races at Riccarton.

But Savaria's in the Oaks in Sydney and Diademe and Sports Illustrated are in the Queen of the Turf. :)

Can't wait for next Saturday. Back at Ellerslie for the Easter Handicap (the last G1 race of the NZ season :( ) and a couple of other nice stakes races.

That's impossible! Already? :confused:

Any idea who is pointed to it?

Definitely Vespa, Addictive Habit, Mighty Solomon and Chintz. Possibly Allez Eagle. Noms tomorrow so we'll have a better idea then.

Thanks. I am hoping Abidewithme is in as well. It would be nice to see her get a really good win again one of these days! :)

The noms are sensational! Cannot wait for the final field.

Oh and also for your thoughts on Miss Wilson tomorrow after her win. :D

That's just such a stunning field. I've gone with Vespa for the front page story in this week's paper, but there are so many great horses in there. I can't remember a better Easter Handicap field than this one.

Ooh, Miss Wilson just went down. But I think the horse that beat her is pretty good too - Stradivarius, a full brother to Fleur De Lune. :)

We have two very nice ones to look forward to, don't we?! He was the better but she's a fighter. :)

Okay I just saw that the final fields are up and am just laughing the Easter H. looks so good. Phenomenal! Cannot wait and oh do I wish I were going.

NO idea how you can cover such things... I would stand there, frozen, in awe and smiling... rooting for every horse. :D

I suppose, in my heart of hearts, I would be the most happy if Iamishwara wins it - just because he has come so incredibly far this season - BUT will be desperately happy for whoever does cause man... they will have beaten a GREAT field with so many of the BEST horses currently in training. :)

Have dabbled just a little this year playing NZ but I will not go near this. This is pure and utter joy, a race so good. Maybe I am a freak of nature but I kinda don't want to contaminate something so lovely by trying to figure out how to cash in. (I wouldn't be able to cap it anyway haha). A laughable thing to say on a horsie board but I don't care.. it's the truth.

Lucky you! Wish I were going. Don't blow kisses for me as your face would be distorted and permanently puckered up there are so many I love.

Here are the odds. Some of them are just unbelievable.

Iamishwara 31
Julinsky Prince 26
Natuzzi 21
Addictive Habit 10
Nashville 26
Kawi 6.5
Mighty Solomon 9
Fast Dragon 31
King Krovanh 26
Abidewithme 21
Allez Eagle 8.5
Silverdale 31
P O'Reilly 41
Candle In The Wind 31
Chintz 14
Pondarosa Miss 14
Spellbinder 12
Vespa 4.8
Danza Lad 51
It Has To Be You 26
To Be Sure 51
Kaleidoscope 26
Miss Foxwood 16

Wow, Xtravagant! A 2yo brother to He's Remarkable, and he won his debut down at Hastings by 8 lengths.

Wow, what a wonderful result in the Easter. She did it!

"It looks like a humdred thousand of them as they come to the corner... :D

What an awesome call and a fantastic race and whoa... nice to see her looking like her self again!!! Well done, Pondarosa Miss!

Will save replays for tomorrow but oh.. excited to see Carlotta and Chop Chop both win!

Still no replay for that one! Disappointing but I know they will get to it eventually so it's all good.

Can't wait.

Oh, Carlotta! Last to first and so easy at the end there. Nice to see.

Exciting finish in the Chop Chop race but wow... Galaktika was impressive being right there at the end after blowing the start! Hoping that the two who pulled up quickly after the race are alright.

(Gisela, who I never remember seeing before, looks so tiny!).

Very much enjoyed your piece on Pondarosa Miss!

I know I'm going all over the place here but just caught some of the barrier trials... nice to watch Tavy and Barbaric in particular.

Good luck to Dillinger on Wednesday. :)

I know that was the final G1 of the season but surely there is still something to look forward to, no?

Read about the old man, King Montrose... nice win at Riccarton. :)

Too bad Habibi didn't win this time around...

Thoughts?