Ha! Yeah, it's something a bit unique in world racing I guess. It's nice to have the mix of city tracks and also the country ones all dotted with sheep!

Horrible weather at Ellerslie today and the track is a swamp. But some nice races so far anyway.

Unexpected result! But a very nice performance and she had been closing strongly late in her previous races.

Since I am 2 days late not sure who you mean! :D

Secret Spirit, who cleared maidens with her surprising win in the Foal Stakes. :)

Frustrating! I am having such a problem accessing the replays... will keep trying.

Happy that Nothing won, by the way. Terrible name!

Okay I just tried the Twilight Dragon race as well (yay, Flower Bomb... good girl) and that one stops in exactly the same place. Ugh.

Glad I at least got to read your piece on Sacred Spirit!

Finally got to watch it.. nice race. Liked Get the Jive as well.

Game effort from Flower Bomb. Oh well, good for Twilight Dragon.

Nice ride by Danielle (I am watching the replays backwards so a few nice rides!) on Ramarro. Wish Lucky Feather hadn't moved too soon... he could have won that one.

Now I very rarely look to anywhere else (aside form The Informant) for my news but saw this and had to post it...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/...owners-at-odds

How frustrating! Feel bad for Ms. Logan. Hope that whatever is best for the horse is what happens next. :)

* * *

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Haha, thanks! :)

Wow, I hadn't heard that story about VSB. Feel really sorry for Donna Logan, she's one of the nicest trainers I've dealt with and she's had a really tough year.

Stella Di Paco at 45 to one! Huge upset in the Castletown.

Home from a week away and thrilled to see The Filly won one! :)

Enjoyed your piece on Smokey, ed!

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...Crown-aspirant

Thanks! It was one I had to do pretty quickly, so I'm glad it turned out okay.

This week's NZ races kind of pale in comparison to what happened at Belmont Park today. What an amazing moment for racing. :)

My wrap of it: http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...-Triple-Crown-

There are others better, but hopefully mine does it justice too.

Golden Horn was incredible in the Derby too.

Outstanding work, ed! :tro:

Happy to hear Ambitious Dragon will be going home. :)

Nice noms for that first race especially on Saturday at Ruakaka! Looks like fun!

Yeah! I'm off on vacation tomorrow for just over a week, which I'm really excited about but I'm a bit disappointed to be missing out on some good racing action while I'm away.

I'll try to keep up with Royal Ascot!

A well deserved vacation, I'm sure. Have fun!

Happy to read the VSB stuff this morning.

The Informant ran a blurb from the NZ Racing desk on Durham Town and while I am nothing but happy reading such a nice, little piece on a horse I like so very much it doesn't really do him justice.

Some day, as I think he will be around for quite a while more, some day maybe a proper feature would be in order for a slow news day, you know? Just a thought and not meaning to be presumptuous but Durham Town > 200 words! :D

Absolutely! I'll make sure I do one when his next race is coming up. :)

You are awesome!

Romelo!

Read your article and just watched the replay... VERY nice!

Very touching going to the site and seeing the Bonecrusher tribute. He was sure something special. Grateful to you and I clearly remember the first time you told me about him a few years back.

How wonderful that he lived such a long time. Hope he did not suffer for too long at the end.

Always sad when they leave us but oh... legends always live on, don't they?

That was some win by Spin Doctor! What a game horse he is.

I couldn't tell who won, only that Flower Bomb was 4th.

Nice ride, Alyssa!

Looks like some fun racing at Tauranga on Saturday... :)

Maybe they should change the name of the Kiwifruit Cup to the Intransigent Kiwifruit Cup! :)

Well done.

Again!

Got home at 10pm last night and back to work at 7am today. Quite a bit to catch up on, both here and at Royal Ascot! Watching replays right now.

Hope you're enjoying catching up... I am now on day 2 of Royal Ascot... was away and then moved and am now sick so finding it impossible BUT I did just read your Pu$sy O’Reilly piece as I know what's important!

Glad you're back and am wondering, aside from the NZ awards, if you have thoughts on the HK HOY... what do they do with Able Friend and Aerovelocity? I mean I thought Able Friend had it sealed but now that he bombed at Royal Ascot...

You have to understand... with no one else to ask I am about to demand an answer from random people on the street so for the love of God give me your opinion, Ed!!! :p

No really... very curious as to your thoughts. :)

That's a hard one to pick! I would maybe lean towards Aerovelocity, but there is a little bit of bias involved there with him trained by the NZer Paul O'Sullivan. :)

It's a shame Able Friend didn't fire at Ascot. A top-three finish from him there would have sealed HOY for him for sure.

Oh yeah I like him so much... always makes me think of the 2006 season (I think - might have been 05) when he had Medic Power and Ever Bright and they were both winning 5... 6 in a row.

(He also had Vital King... huge fan of his).

I'll be happy for whoever gets it but I do kinda think AF is slightly more deserving.

Good luck to Kidnapped at Ruakaka on Saturday. I think Smedley wins but how amazing would that be seeing the old guy win one? :)

Hasselhoof! WOW.

11 lengths!

Wow!!!!!

Just watched the replay again and whoa... he really looks like he might be something special.

Any idea where he goes next?

I asked Donna Logan that yesterday and she said she hadn't really thought about it yet. She still seemed kind of stunned!

Here's that story: http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...kaka-headlines

That was awesome! :D :tro:

I'll miss him, but I wish him all the best in his new home. http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...d-to-Hong-Kong

Wow, very nice win by Zacada on debut today.

That was great. Liked the late running 4th place horse (I think he or she ended 4th) but forgot the name as I watched the replay yesterday morning. Duh!

Who do you like for the Gold Cup on Saturday? Not understanding how it is I have never heard of the old man, Little Alfie Brown, what with his 10,000 starts haha! Love Thorn Prince (whoa 59kgs?), Intransigent, Miss Mossman (cannot read the piece on the Informant! ), Kentucky Son (nice last FOUR races!) but I am ROOTING for my boy Storming the Tower :{>: - even if he probably won't even hit the board and, if I were betting (and I might) would/will go with Galaktika.
(I am clueless as to whether or not these conditions suit her but she is having a really good year!).

Thanks for the Seachange update! :) How is Daffodil these days? Any word?

I like Miss Mossman - the only G1 winner in the field and she gets in with the bottom weight!

She loves Te Rapa and prefers tracks that race that way around.

Daffodil has had four foals so far. Snowdrop has won two races, but Daisy Chain hasn't done much in her two starts.

A 2013 foal by Savabeel sadly died as a baby, but she has a 2014 filly by Savabeel and will have another Savabeel foal in this coming spring. :)

Thanks for the update and aww... sorry to hear it.

Happy that Thorn Prince won but that was too bad Miss Mossman had to scratch. Hope she is alright (and Natuzzi too! Just read about him and Postman's Daughter. Can we assume she is now retired or will they continue racing her a couple more times? Any ideas?).

Cannot wait to watch replays.. thrilled Storming the Tower, Spin Doctor and Flower Bomb all hit the board (especially Storming the Tower as I totally did not expect he would).

It's good to be wrong! :D

Whoa Thorn Prince... that was an amazing run!

VERY nice for Storming the Tower (Reese Jones really never gets much of a mention, does he?) and oh I do love Blathwayt what with his awesome face and tail :D but oh wow that was just on an whole other level watching Thorn Prince.

Here's hoping Habibi is (finally) back to her old self at Woodbine tomorrow. :)