Turn Me Loose! Superstar.

Oh gee I just watched that a couple of times... that was some performance!

Beautiful run by Rockfast as well.

Looked like Stratocaster bumped into (I think it was Platinum Witness?) trying to get clear.

Oh well.. nice run from him as well and I do like him so much but wow... that was a nice win!

Also watched Ms. Danielles beautiful win (one of many on the day!) on Tomorrowland who is quickly becoming a favorite (!).

Happy to see Locket hit the board but have't seen Fritzy Boy's name anywhere so will assume he didn't and catch more replays throughout the day. As long as he made it home it's all good. He can be last... that's fine.

Lastly, thank you Opie for changing your mind and sticking around (!).

* * *

Edit - I have to include the link to your piece in The Informant!

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...les-in-Guineas

Some nice fields on Wednesday and good luck to Natuzzi, Antonio, Nashville et al BUT especially to Pinzaara! :)

(... and to Touche, Eight Shillings and Miss Mossman on the 11th).

Hey ed will the two fillies that were in the 2000 Guineas be running next week? Can't wait.

Excited for the New Zealand Cup as well. Can't wait to see the final field (come on, Postman's Daughter)!

Second Time Lucky is definitely not running next weekend. Not sure about Platinum Witness yet, but I don't see why they shouldn't try if she came through Saturday's race well enough. It was a very nice run from her.

But it's hard to see any of them beating O'Marilyn!

Fingers crossed for Pinzaara! It's a tough field. But she's only got two or three races left before she goes and has a baby, so we're just giving her a shot in some graded stakes races, just in case.

I just interviewed the owner/trainer of She's Insatiable - one of the nicest people I've talked to in this job, so I'm really glad she got that big win on Saturday and I hope the mare runs well in the Cup this weekend too.

Back at the office today writing previews for the weekend races. It's a fun part of the job, and I LOVE the field for the 1000 Guineas, but... I kinda wish I was at Riccarton today cheering on Pinzaara.

Hope she can hear me from 1000km away!

Oh Pinzy, I'm so proud! She found one a bit better today but ran so great.

Wow, tough performance from Addictive Habit. Really happy for him and for Lee Somervell.

And that was some win by Soubrettes in the Stewards.

Archie's been retired. :( A tendon tear on a leg he had previously injured, so Jason decided it's not fair on the horse to keep pushing him as a racing proposition. But he's promised there will be a good home for him.

With Pinzaara having a well-earned retirement at the end of next month, I'm not going to have many left! Just Cantina and the soon-to-debut Auriol.

How wonderful, ed! What a game girl she is!

Sorry about Archie. I look forward to seeing the other kids (that's why Cantina was a familiar name. Duh! Sorry for forgetting a month or so ago).

As I have the entire week to catch up on I think I'll wait and read about Platinum Witnesses win in The Informant first. Was surprised to see where O'Marilyn finished but I'd imagine I'm not alone there.

Fay Fay! What a nice surprise. Bet he's glad to be out of HK.

Stupidly forgot to see where Blizzard ended up in the Cup but I hope he did well.

Will overdose on replays tomorrow.

Please let me know how great it must have been being there!

edit - Happy to see that Locket won one. :)

Blizzard ran a great race. He just got a bit tired at the very end and missed out on third by a small margin.

I don't know what to say about O'Marilyn. That was way too bad to be true. But that was a great performance by Platinum Witness.

Yes it's embarrassing how many times I've watched the race with Blizzard! :o :p

Had now been aware of Mungo Jerry's story... very nice that he won.

Yeah, happy for all the connections.

A little apprehensive about this Saturday. Avondale, just a short walk from my house, has its first major raceday since December 2009!

It's had a lot of financial troubles, and its facilities are not great (to say the least). The Avondale Cup and Guineas have been across town at Ellerslie for the last few years.

Avondale faces a pretty big test this weekend, filling in for Pukekohe which was meant to be the venue but is having problems of its own. If Saturday is a success it might get its Cup and Guineas back in future.

I have mixed feelings - it's nice having a track so close, and I wish them well, but Ellerslie is just so far ahead of it in every way.

The noms look really good. Some huge names!

Hope it all goes smoothly and that the facilities are safe and all.

Time After Time is an interesting entrant in the Bowl. He was good enough to finish second in a G1 in Hong Kong last year, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes on his NZ debut. There's a bit of quality in that race.

Oh yeah I remember him! Hope he does well, Rooting for Durham Town but that would be awesome if he pulled a Fay Fay!

Looked at the noms for January 1 (oh well I do look for Veyron at times :D and besides... I watched the replay of Bounding's win in the Railway yesterday just because) ) and noticed Pinzaara's name! Might she go out on that kinda high? That would be amazing. :)

Yep, that's going to be her last ever start... and it's a G1! I think it's a bit of a longshot, but it's nice to dream and she has at least earned a chance.

Derby noms are out now as well, all 145 of them! I've heard of about half of them. I have some research to do!

With your new position not sure if you'll have the time to do the annual Derby contenders spotlight this next February but I hope you will! Always look forward to that.

Special good luck wishes this weekend to Postman's Daughter. I just watched the replay of her last win last October... that was such a nice field she beat what with I Do and Ididit and all.

No rider listed as of yet... does that mean Derek Nolan doesn't have the mount?

Wow this will be her 67th start? Wonder when they'll be retiring her.

It would be the best to see her win. :)

She sure has!

I'll try! :)

It is the iron mare's 67th start, and Derek Nolan has been confirmed as the rider again now. I love her but I really hope she does retire soon. She's the only horse ever to run in a G1 sprint and a G1 two-mile race in the same year...

Hope so too!

Sorry to see Graphic is scratched.

Have a great time!

The media room isn't too bad! And the turf looks fantastic. Hoping for a good day.

Awesome to hear that... come home safe, everyone.

Cannot wait to read about it. :)

You go, Postman's Daughter!

Shuka and Vavasour just galloped VERY nicely between races. Full story with quotes from the trainer coming soon. :)

The first four races so far have all been so good! It makes it a busy day for me, but so much fun.

Kelly! I did not expect that but she was so, so good.

And now I'm exhausted! But those were some great races.

Ha! Wow she WAS! Way to fight back there!

Great run from Noble Warrior (!) and In Style as well (although I was hoping Ruud Awakening would catch her. Nice finish by Whosyourmaster who I don't remember hearing of).

What a great day of racing!

Volkstok'n'barrell is the early Derby favourite in odds released today. He's at 6-1. I think he deserves it.

Caduceus, Rockfast, Elvis are the next three. Rockfast I agree with, but I think the other two have a point to prove.

Prince Mambo and Stratocaster are both at 25-1, which is a bit higher than I thought!

We get to see a few of these horses in some nice 3yo races this Fri/Sat - the G3 Wellington Stakes at Otaki on Friday and the Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Lucia Valentina won the Wellington Stakes last year, while the last three Trevor Eagle winners are Ocean Park, Habibi and Rising Romance!

Stratocaster at 25/1? That's nuts, you're right!

Oh my God Ed will you be at Ellerslie on Saturday?

Welcome back and good luck to Veyron!!!

Yep, at Ellerslie now! Exciting couple of races to start the day.

Aaaaahhhh have fun!

Ah, Veyron. A great try but he just ran into a rising star today.

I just watched the replay a couple of times... thrilled seeing Veyron back and oh that was a nice run. Very happy for the winner and for his connections. What an exciting horse Sakhee's Soldier is! The stuff of dreams and to beat a 5 time G1 winner like Veyron... great stuff.

Veyron still has it though and I hope, when you hear what's next for him, you'll post it. :)

Graphic... is he okay?

Forgot to say almost had a heart attack watching Tomorrowland's win... video so choppy no matter what I do (this never happens!) but oh...Querer. Wow that was scary.

Looked at the Steward's Report... good for them for cancelling racing the rest of the day.

I think Graphic is fine - haven't heard anything to say otherwise. I guess it just wasn't his day. It was a bit unusual to see him in the leading group like that, and maybe that didn't suit.

Okay thanks for that.

I realize the Informant is a business and they need to generate revenue but I hate that every Veyron story is locked! :D

Teensy (but VERY nice) list of noms for the Cook Stakes... wonder why!

Sorry about that! Those are the stories that are in the weekly newspaper.

Exciting news about Tavy today. :)

It was and very well written (as usual)! :) She's an exciting horse!

Also did enjoy the Miss Pelear piece (even if it was just from the NZ racing desk).