New Zealand Racing, 2012-13

[_ed_]

In fact, early entries for the Mile are there now. It's maybe a little bit disappointing, although G1 winner Choice Bro adds interest.

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Current long-range Derby odds (too many for me to type out!):
https://www.tab.co.nz/racing/#994

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by _ed_

Current long-range Derby odds (too many for me to type out!):
https://www.tab.co.nz/racing/#994

I know about a seven of those names.

(Awww Wattle Bay? Cute name. I loved his dad. Maybe he'll win one in time. ).

Have not yet looked at entries for Saturday..... will save that for latah!

[my miss storm cat]

Well that's a shame...

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=269524

Picks for the Wellington Cup or the Thorndon Mile?

I wondered what had hapened to Guillotine (SO pretty ) so nice to see one of his kids out there (Grey Hero).

No pick for the Million or the Mile but it will be nice to see Ruud Awakening and Touche face off again!

Picks, ed?

Good luck to Ripping, Huffer and Annie (and every horse in the Thorndon Mile) @Trentham.

You are SO lucky to be going to Ellersile this weekend!!!

[_ed_]

I like the horses a bit lower down in the weights in both of those races. Annie and Chaparrone look nicely placed in the Cup, and I think Full Of Spirit, Miss Pelear and maybe Joey Massino in the Thorndon.

Excited about Ellerslie Saturday! The two big races have great fields, and I'm interested in sneaky Derby contender Solar Eclipse in the first race too.

[my miss storm cat]

Mufhasa changes stables

AIDAN RODLEY
Last updated 15:44 25/01/2013

Reigning horse of the year Mufhasa has had a shock change of stables.

A winner of 10 Gr I races under the guidance of Auckland trainer Stephen McKee, Mufhasa was this week transferred to fellow Auckland trainer Bruce Wallace at the request of part-owner David Archer.

In a statement issued today at McKee's request because of immense media interest in the move, Archer said he and his fellow owners still held McKee in the "highest regard both as a person and as a master trainer" but the decision was made in order to have Mufhasa in the care of his strapper Amy Doran, who parted ways with the McKee stable earlier this month.

“Our decision to change training stables centred around our belief that the continued care of Mufhasa by his lifelong caregiver and companion, strapper Amy Doran, was vital to Mufhasa’s wellbeing, particularly at this late stage in his career, after seven uninterrupted years of the pair being together, something Stephen was not prepared to allow to continue," Archer said.

“We know that most will disagree with our decision, and we are extremely sad to lose our connection with one of New Zealand racing’s finest in Stephen McKee, but in the twilight of his career, we have chosen to place Mufhasa’s wellbeing above all else."

Wallace has also accepted fellow Archer-owned gallopers Eight Schillings and Rafhiki into his stable.

"David's a client of ours. We've always trained horses for him and he approached us about this last week," Wallace said today.

"He said there was a situation at McKees that he would possibly lead to his horses being moved. The horses have arrived in incredibly good order, tremendous order. They are a real credit to Stephen."

Wallace said Mufhasa was likely to follow a campaign that McKee mapped out, with a likely starting point in the Gr I $200,000 Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 9 or the Gr I A$400,000 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield the same day before a tilt at the Gr I A$500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 23.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times...hanges-stables

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Really big surprise, and sad news.

Good luck to Bruce! Best horse he's ever had anything to do with, that's for sure.

[_ed_]

HISTORIAN! So thrilled for him.

Awesome 3yo, second to Jimmy Choux in the 2011 Derby. Then he went to Hong Kong, but he suffered a serious, career-threatening injury, so never raced there. He came back to NZ, was given to a new trainer to nurse him back to health, then today he wins a G1 - the trainer's first one ever.

[my miss storm cat]

Well I wasn't expecting that result at ALL!

Congrats to the connections, a very nice win, and nice to see Castledale have a nice boy (even if thie other son has a better name).

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

(Awww Wattle Bay? Cute name. I loved his dad. Maybe he'll win one in time. ).

Castlzeberg!

(Zinko looked pretty good too)!

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So proud of Pinzaara. She's gone up in grade since that last win, so she should be finding it harder to compete with these better horses. But she just never lies down. She's amazing.

Castlzeberg... wow. I wasn't expecting that! I was sure they'd catch him. But he just kept going! I guess he could do that in the Derby too!

He took four races to win his maiden - he finished second in the first three. But then he won a maiden race by six lengths and went straight into the Guineas... and won that too! It's possible he's just improving scarily quickly right now.

[my miss storm cat]

I'm sure you've already seen this but incase you haven't check out the name of one of his new stablemates... (!!!).

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...-in-Expressway

[_ed_]

Haha, that's crazy!

Latest NZ Derby order of entry:
http://www.nzracing.co.nz/OnHorseFil...r%204-2-13.pdf

Field is limited to 18.