New Zealand Racing, 2009-10

[my miss storm cat]

Great seeing the replays ed!

Thanks!

[my miss storm cat]

Can you tell me something about Grey Way?

I was looking at the Hall of Fame inductees...

51 wins of 164 starts?

I've never heard this name before and was wondering if he's like a national treasure, what time period this was, etc.

(Oh yeah and how is our good Sir, ed? Any news?)

Thanks!

[_ed_]

Sir Slick is running in another G1 on Saturday. He's at 30-1 against this tough field...

1 52111 Red Ruler 5 110 59.0 Mark Du Plessis John Sargent, Matamata
2 00424 MacO'Reilly 7 109 59.0 Hayden Tinsley David Haworth & Matt Dixon, Foxton
3 01014 Vosne Romanee 8 108 59.0 Opie Bosson Jeff Lynds, Awapuni
4 37112 Hold It Harvey (AUS) 4 106 59.0 Jamie Bullard Terri Rae, Riccarton Park
5 07048 Sir Slick 2 105 59.0 Michael Walker Graeme Nicholson & Paul Allbon, Te Aroha
6 83424 Tell A Tale (AUS) 3 102 59.0 James McDonald (a) Mark Walker, Matamata
7 005X2 Harris Tweed 9 101 59.0 Troy Harris Murray & Bjorn Baker, Cambridge
8 61121 Boundless 1 106 57.0 Leith Innes Stephen McKee, Ardmore
9 61119 Veloce Bella 10 103 57.0 Michael Coleman Mark Brosnan, Matamata
10 4X541 Prix Du Sang (AUS) 6 80 57.0 Craig Grylls Mike & Paul Moroney, Matamata
11 21102 No Fear 11 75 54.5 Gavin McKeon Bruce Wallace, Takanini

Grey Way was an amazing horse. He raced from 1972 to 1980, so a little bit before my time! I don't know that much about him, except that the Easter Handicap field he beat in 1977 (carrying a record weight, I think) is considered one of the best mile fields ever in NZ.

This might tell you a bit more about him - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Way

[my miss storm cat]

Thanks ed.

The only name I knew when I was looking around (Hall of Fame) was Bonecrusher and, being an idiot, hadn't heard of him till I mentioned the other, (slower ) Bonecrusher who was racing in Dubai a couple of years ago.

Ummmm okay that field is completely and insanely good!

Good luck to Sir Slick , Esquire.

Hope he wins but will be very happy of Tell a Tale or Red Ruler win (or Bounldless, or...)

[_ed_]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Good luck to Sir Slick , Esquire.

The old boy went another mighty race - 5th.

Tell A Tale went even better, and Mark Walker says his best year might be next year.

But the winner, and probable Horse of the Year...

Vosne Romanee!

It's an amazing story - the owners had never won a single race before they got VR, and they were pretty happy with his 6 wins in lower class races until this season. Now he's won three G1s and $1.2 million! Must be like a dream for them.

And he's hard not to like...


Replays...

G1 NZ Stakes (VR and great performance by Sir and TAT) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjJJEbHdWpw

G1 Diamond Stakes (Banchee is stepping out of her champion big sister's shadow!) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4xtuWpco_o

And that's the end of a great Derby week.

[my miss storm cat]

Didn't you once tell me something about Vosne Romanee and how he didn't sell as a young one?

Anyway lovely for him and for his connections and oh Sir and Banchee!

[_ed_]

Yeah, that's right. People said he was too narrow in his front half to be a racehorse. Um, yeah, about that...

Another good NZ horse, Tavistock (or Lord Tavistock as he's known in Australia), won a G2 at Flemington yesterday.