Thanks! I couldn't tell what on earth had happened!

Glad everyone is alright.

Some nice stories coming out of the race.

Survived's owner-breeder, Don Gordon, has been racing horses for 60 years and had never had a G1 winner until Saturday. And he's lived in Hawke's Bay all his life, so it was on his home track.

And then there's the sire, Zed. He was a talented racehorse, but injury forced him to retire before he won anything of note. So he went to stud for an initial fee of $500! And no one really showed much interest. So he ended up going to a farm way down south and breeding with clydesdales! But now he has a G1-winning thoroughbred, and two other stakes winners, and so he's back on a major stud farm in the North Island for a fee 10 times higher than his initial one.

I remember you telling me about Zed :) ... great story... and wow Surviveds owners first G1? Nice!!!!!

I went and met Archie today! He is so lovely and friendly - I spent ages just rubbing his nose.




I also got to meet one of his neighbours, the impressive debut winner All Decked Out. And he was friendly too!

He Is Beautiful!!!!!

Thrilled For You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

:)
It was a great day.

Good news about Mufhasa:
http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...flying-colours

WHOA! Jumps racing isn't usually my thing really, but the Great Northern Steeplechase was unbelievable today. So great to watch. And it was amazing how the crowd all got behind him and wanted to see him hold on, regardless of who they'd bet on. Awesome. :)

Spectacular field for Ruakaka's 3-year-old stakes race this weekend.

:eek:

Great to hear about Mufhasa, that was a fantastic race (I did watch if on your link in the paddock) and wow ed I am really embarrassed cause I only know 2 of those names. :confused:

Good luck to Antonio in his race and to Belfast Lad and Blood Brotha @Awapuni this weekend.

(... and Joesphine and Palm Island). :D

That's understandable - they were a group of 3-year-olds who hadn't really been seen at stakes level yet. They had all been HUGELY impressive in maiden races etc. Sorry I didn't see this before the race - would have posted links to replays of those wins.

So it was exciting to see a group of horses who had all been so amazing against weak fields come up against each other for the first time. And the winner was... El Roca! Two for two now, and so impressive.

But how about the finish by All Decked Out? Huge. He's the one to follow out of this race into things like the Hawke's Bay Guineas.

Wow you're right quite a finish by All Decked Out! (I know his name and Donnies but didn't know the rest!). Nice run by the winner. :)

Just read that Rogan lost the mount for the George Main (I guess the owners made the call to go with Christian)...

I'd imagine it was a really tough call and know that Veyron will get a fine ride and all but still... heartbroken for him. :(

Yeah, really feel sorry for Rogan.

Veyron did have a terrible trip in that last race, but I don't think that was Rogan's fault. Still, Christian Reith did give Veyron a lovely ride in the race before, so I don't blame them for going back to the combination that worked there. But poor Rogan. :(

Good Lord I just saw the noms for Saturday and I think I need high blood pressure medication! :D

WHEN DO WE GET THE FIELDS, ED?

I cannot wait!!!!!

Fields are there now! Amazing. Mufhasa, Nashville, Survived, Final Touch, Xanadu, Full Of Spirit... Jeez.

And how about the Gold Trail? Orbity (5 wins in a row), the super-impressive Bounding and also Costa Viva, who won so well in her only race so far.

Unbelievable fields!

Good luck to Mufhasa et al tonight and wow I just noticed some of the big girls running at Counties R.C. @ Pukekohe Park (!!!).

Interesting!

(Any idea why Zinko scratched?).

Just checked results and have not yet seen Boundings win (Orbity off the board?) or Ginner Harts (bummed for Fritzy but always nice to see this one do well) but I did finally watch the 4th at Arawa yesterday cause I had to see the old man, Arose (4th!).

Not sure about Zinko - maybe just the track conditions.

Such a beautiful win by Bounding. She's superb. Costa Viva looked really good too to get second in just her second start.

XANADU! Huge finish. Mufhasa went such a great race, and I thought he was going to win, but she just finished too strongly. Nashville and Final Touch ran nice races too, and Zennista.

Some good other performances on the undercard too, like King Kamada (6th in the Derby last season). Wow! :eek:

Gorgeous photo of Xanadu and Michael Coleman after the race.

Beautiful photo and yes! I just watched all the replays and what a run from Bounding and yes very nice for Costa Viva who I hadn't heard of.

Mufhasa! That was great and awww so happy for Xanadu!

I have absolutely nothing intelligent to add haha but can only echo your words.

Oh lest I forget I was very surprised to see the results of the race w/ Postman's Daughter and Miss Pelear and for some reason am having a problem with the replay stopping halfway through.

Surprised though since those two towered over that field!

I am still catching up and just watched the replay of It's a Dundeel (wow) and a few others and I have no idea how I forgot about this one (!)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLcFMk9U940

He ran his heart out.

Very happy he help on for 3rd. God I love this horse.

Yeah, he did so well! Proud of him.

I'm still scratching my head over Postman's Daughter and Miss Pelear too. The track was really wet there, and results were kind of crazy all day.

Good luck to Villifye on Saturday. :)

I was looking at the noms for the Spring Classic next weekend and was surprised (not that I know so much, I don't and besides anything I DO know I owe to you :) ) at the names I hadn't heard of (mixed in with the superstars)...

Storming the Tower and Ormond Road? Am I crazy for not knowing these names?

Oh I was surprised to see Deanne Martin and looked to see if he had run lately and was surprised to see his (I always think he's a she) nice win.

Tiny field and all but nice all the same and I did so love the way Lauren Tate seemed like she wanted to look over at him. :D

I think Storming The Tower and Ormond Road are way out of their depth in the Spring Classic. Nice handicap horses (Ormond Road has 7 wins from 40 starts, and Storming The Tower 4 from 15), but neither has taken on a G1 race before. They'll struggle to be competitive against these horses.

That was a nice resuming win by Deane Martin! I was expecting the distance to be way too short for him, so I was impressed. I think he could be in for a really good year.

Spellbinder! Wow. Speechless.

I finally watched the replay and wow... speechless is right. :tro:

By six and a half lengths, and also 2 seconds faster than the boys in the Bonecrusher on the same day. Just a really special performance. She's now equal favourite for the 1000 Guineas, along with Bounding. :)

Really good fields for Spring Classic day - especially the Guineas. Maybe All Decked Out... just.

And good luck to Postman's Daughter as she tries again for that elusive G1 win in the Classic, and Fritzy Boy defending his Spring Sprint title.

Fantastic fields!

I would root for Lucky Feather but since he (finally!!!) just won last weekend (finally!!!) that was good enough. :)

(Finally!!!) :D

If I were betting I might take Donnie but lucky for me I can just enjoy these races.

Good luck to Zinko in his race.

As far as the rest waaay too many I love but yes would be thrilled for Postman's Daughter as well.

The field for the Sprint is amazing!

Poor Opie. :(

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...-Bosson-mounts

* * *

Ed I just searched for your girl...did Pinzaara just run like a few minutes ago or have I lost my mind and am somehow looking at the wrong date?

So confused.

IF she did just run naughty you for not letting us know ahead of time!

She did! But Stephen McKee told us not to expect much from her in her first race. She wasn't really ready, but he wanted her to have a run. She'll improve from here, hopefully.

Great day at Hastings today. Ransomed? Really? But he ran a great race, and I'm so happy for Gary Vile and Jonathan Parkes - first G1 win for both. :) Parkes in particular has been unlucky, being replaced by bigger-name jockeys.

Historian! Love that horse. He's so, so good when he's healthy.

And Sir Andrew in the Guineas - bit of a surprise, but he did score a monster maiden win back in August. Son of Sir Percy. Nice run by All Decked Out again.

So confused... the first G1 for both? Really?

Nice nice race and the top three finishers were all soooo good. :)

Great to see your girl back!

Nice race by All Decked Out... did he stumble right around 1:20? Looked like it (... and if he hadn't I don't think Sir Andrew (who was really good, don't get me wrong) would have passed him).

The only other replay I've watched so far was Historian and yes that was lovely to see! :)

Oh wait I just watched the one where Bellazeel refused to run..... (Go Joeli won I think?)... I really do like Lauren Tate. She's fun to watch and that was a good finish... if only she'd focus!

Lest I forget thre was a 2 year old filly at the end of last year...pretty grey girl, something with Fantastic in her name but I cannot remember. Do you know who I mean and if so any word on her?

Thanks ed and yes I do expect for you to be a mindreader! :D

Haha! My mistake. I'll try to give more updates on Pinzaara and Archie (he was treated for a cold last week, but doing better now and having a trial later this month).

Yeah, their first G1 win! It is really hard to believe. And there were great scenes after the race - other trainers and jockeys going over and shaking their hands and hugging them. They're obviously popular guys. So that was such a nice result.

Wow, I think you're right about ADO. I hadn't noticed that before. Yeah, he may have held out Sir Andrew if that hadn't happened. I still really like ADO in the 2000 Guineas.

This guy is actually the 2000 Guineas favourite now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcMbkJ26pcs

And this one looks promising too, even though he's running out of time to sneak into the Guineas field.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPHVWYIkxY8


You're probably thinking of Fantastic Honour! Lovely filly - placed in the Eclipse Stakes and Karaka Million last season.

She started this spring with a nice second to Orbity in a stakes race at Wanganui: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgVMOHN85F4

Then finished off the board after getting stuck in a speed duel in Bounding's fantastic Gold Trail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOGVms2IaAs

But she's still on track for the 1000 Guineas - equal 3rd favourite for that at 7-1 (with Costa Viva). Bounding's the 3-1 favourite, with Spellbinder (still amazed by her Soliloquy win) at 4-1.

Glad Archie is feeling better. :) Can't wait for the next Pinzaara update as well as hearing about Archie's trial!

Thanks for the Allez Eagle and Sakhees Soldier replays. I hadn't seen either. Very nice!

YES that is the filly I was trying to remember and I do remember the races with both Orbity and Bounding so no idea why I didn't remember she was there!

Duh!

Veyron goes home... :)

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...tell-on-Veyron

I'd be tired too.

What's coming up this weekend?

It's a bit of a quiet patch now! Horses are having a rest after Hawke's Bay and building up towards Christchurch in November. There's only one really great race between now and then (Sarten Memorial, Oct 28).

But we have the G3 Taranaki Breeders' Stakes this Saturday, featuring Postman's Daughter, Viadana, O'Fille and Villifye.

And the Matamata Cup too, which has Full Of Spirit, Annie Higgins, Innovation, King Zeus, Faraway Eyes and Our Famous Eve. Villifye's entered for that too, so not sure which one they'll go for with her.

Sounds great!

Hey I just watched a couple of todays replays... Miss Foxwood looked good!

Yeah, that was a spectacular win. She lived up to her pedigree - a daughter of Fastnet Rock and dual G1 winner Foxwood.

She was 60-1 for the 1000 Guineas before that, and now she's 12-1. :)

Archie update!

Jason Bridgman says he's training well and will trial on October 29 at Te Aroha. :)

Great new!!!!!

He looks beautiful, ed... cannot wait to see him run!

Postman's Daughter! Innovation! Haven't seen the replays yet, but those are great results.

Postman's Daughter!!!!! Nice nice win... thrilled for her and her connections and hey it was good seeing Sam I Am in a stakes race!

Will get to Innovations race in a bit. :)