New Zealand Racing

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Just Cruising = the best broodmare in NZ at the moment.

Dam of:

Seachange - Winner of 5 G1s
Korau Road - G3 winner, twice placed in G1s
Keepa Cruisin - Only a maiden winner but placed in 2 G2s and a G1...until today's huge win over the boys in the G1 Levin Classic.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_PmX1DsY8

What a tough filly she is, in her 10 starts she has been in the first 3 eight times and was 4th the other 2.

This was also Keeper's 2nd G1 win as a sire...and 2nd this month after Insouciant won the NZ 1000 Guineas.

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Spin Around has done the Counties Cup-Avondale Gold Cup double! He was 25-1 in the Counties Cup and 12-1 in the Avondale, but he was way too good both times, moving from average handicap horse to G2 & G1 winner in under a month. Amazing.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHsl-b-w2LE

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Oh, and I just found out he raced in Hong Kong with the name Better Boy.

http://www.hkjc.com/english/racing/R...p?HorseNo=D134

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by _ed_

Oh, and I just found out he raced in Hong Kong with the name Better Boy.

http://www.hkjc.com/english/racing/R...p?HorseNo=D134

I'm so glad they changed it earlier this year and we can now access the retired kids.

If you ever hear of a horse named Bulldozer, let me know!

Love him to death, he was hurt and retired although he could be somewhere else now.

Thanks for posting the video. Nice!

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Alamosa was a VERY nice winner of the Avondale Guineas today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF5ZA_un_To

He's now won 6 out of 13 and only been out of the money once. His next target is the G1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day against the older horses (including Xcellent, Wahid & Dorabella). That should be a hell of a race. Tough task for a 3yo but Alamosa is class.

The big summer racing at Ellerslie is getting really close now! 10 stakes races on 2 days (Boxing Day and New Year's Day).

Christmas? Nah. Boxing Day is what I'm really excited about.

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One of those days at Te Rapa yesterday. All the best horses kept getting rolled by big longshots.

The day can be summed up with the Johnstone Handicap, where the brilliant Charliehorse finished out of the money for only the 3rd time in his career and 38-1 Belthazar won it.

Was a different story down at Awapuni though, 1000 Guineas winner Insouciant was even money favourite in the G3 Eulogy Stakes and killed them. Won easing up by 4 lengths. One of the best performances of the year I think, although the field was weak for a G3.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93DdPIiQUuo

And just a few hours ago Best Gift (now known as Carlisle Bay, the name he had before he went to HK), had his first run back in NZ over a mile at Ellerslie (couldn't go to day because I'm at work ). He didn't run very well, was out of the money and about 5-6 lengths behind the winner Sir Slick.

Think he'll improve with more distance though.

[my miss storm cat]

Oh crap, I posted the replay somewhere else.

Great to see him back though, even if he was last.

Wonder why he's having problems going in the gate. Hmmm.....

* * *

An update.....

Jokers Wild Bouncing Back From Infection (Whew!)



Former champion New Zealand juvenile Jokers Wild is still hanging in after being hit by a life-threatening blood infection following an operation to remove bone chips from his fetlock three months ago.
The Mike Moroney-trained entire had the operation after he ran last to Bon Hoffa in the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 22.

However the horse suffered severe lameness after the operation due to the staphylococcus infection and had to have surgery twice within 24 hours at the Ballarat Veterinary Hospital.

While he will not race again, it is hoped he can be saved so that he can stand at stud.

"He had a staph infection and was in a box with his leg in a cast, but it was removed on the weekend," Moroney's stable manager Anthony Feroce said.

"It all depends how he is going to be without the cast in the next week or so.

"At this stage he's alright, but he needs to be able to walk and put pressure on the leg.

"If he can do that then he should be out of the woods," Feroce added.

Jokers Wild, now a four-year-old, won two Group One races in New Zealand as a two-year-old and last season won two Group Two races and was runner-up in three Group One races there before finishing a gallant and very close third behind Miss Finland and Casino Prince in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in March.

By Black Minnaloushe, Jokers Wild raced 20 times for seven wins, five placings and $531,733 in prizemoney.

Meanwhile Feroce said Redondo Beach had pulled up well following his win in the Western Health Cup (2500m) at Flemington last Saturday.

"It was a good win and we are looking forward to the Bagot and taking on Gallopin. It should be a good race," he said.

Redondo Beach will clash with the Danny O'Brien-trained Gallopin, who won over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday, in the Listed $150,000 Bagot Hcp (2500m) at Flemington on New Year's Day.