HOW EASY IS THIS? TWO IN A ROW

HIFALUTIN looks to be in total control as she cruises to the line an easy winner at Belmont last start. The filly was having her second run in six days with the second win being even more impressive than the first. Providing the races are on this weekend I expect her to do the same thing again.(Photo courtesy Hollands Photographics)

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH!

The current situation within the horse industry in relation to EQUINE INFLUENZA is without doubt the biggest single hurdle to face the racing industry in my lifetime. The very thought of a race horse trainer sitting still and waiting for results of tests or waiting for an official to tell us when we can or can't move or train a horse is foreign to us all. Unfortunately, that is the situation that we all find ourselves in at the moment and for an indefinite period.

At the moment we are in a lock down situation until 4.15pm on Tuesday afternoon. This could be extended at any stage and if we are allowed to take our horses to the track for trackwork on Wednesday morning, it will be a very good result. If we can gain permission to work our horses any earlier than that it would be a huge bonus. The reality is that the ban could be extended indefinitely.

What is a concern is the advice given to a float driver who had a full load of horses on his truck from the Eastern States on Saturday morning. When he called the Department of Agriculture to seek advice on what he should do with the horses or where he should take them he was informed to drop them off at their intended destinations! Surely this was very poor advice under the circumstances and showed a total lack of understanding of the situation. Where the horses could have been confined to one property they are now spread all over the South West corner of the state increasing the risk of any spreading of the disease should any be present.

How the disease was allowed into the country in the first place and then how horses were allowed to leave the quarantine station whilst being a carrier, is even more remarkable. Hopefully in the fullness of time the reasons for these lapses will be found so that nothing similar can ever happen again.

From a personal point of view and this may be a bit naive as I am not a full bottle on the disease, I believe that a few things could be done a bit differently. Firstly the location of all horses that have entered the state over the past seven days is known and these places should be put on immediate lock down as well as a lock down zone within a certain kilometer radius of these points. These horses should be thoroughly tested and not released into the general horse community until they are found to be disease free.

If no horses have come into the Ascot area over the past week or more depending on the incubation period of the disease which I am told is five days, then let us get back to work imediately. Other training centers should be able to have similar conditions aplied to them. No horse should be allowed to enter or leave the Ascot precinct for any reason until all the results have been cleared.

This would allow us to keep our horses fit and ready to race once we are given the total all clear. This is only my opinion. I am confident that people involved in the racing industry have the industry at heart and do not want to overstep any boundaries.

FOUR FOR THIS WEEKEND

After having one starter for one winner at Belmont last Wednesday, we head out to the track with four starters tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't rain as I would hate for the jockeys glasses to fog up again forcing the stewards to abandon the meeting again! Only kididng!!!!


We start off our day in race three where GLAMOURZON fronts up to a fairly even sort of field. Once again she has drawn the outside barrier however in a small field it should not cause to many problems for her. On her best form she would be hard to beat in this race and she is not far off getting back to her best. Our next runner, TRICTRAC, needs to improve on her first up performance and on her S.A. form she would have to rate as a chance in this race.

My last two runners are ROYALE HARVEST and PRICELESS SYMBOL in races eight and nine. Both horses were a bit stiff last start and both should be suited by the conditions of tomorrows races. ROYALE HARVEST is being set specifically for the Hannans Handicap in mid September and that is when she will be at her absolute best. If she repeats her first up performance she should be hard to hold out in an even field tomorrow.

TRULY AMAZING IT REALLY IS.

Some things never cease to amaze me! Things like THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, why aeroplanes stay up in the air and how we are able to get a space ship to the moon and back. I am "pleased" to say that I can now add another amazing phenomenon to the list. Why on earth the last race at Belmont wasn't run yesterday?

The race was set down to start at 4.55pm. From my observations and recollection,the rain started at about 4.00pm and got heavier by about 4.10pm, just when the jockeys were mounted up for the second last race. The rain continued to get heavier whilst the horses were being loaded and was very heavy during the running of the race. The rain then began to ease and continued to ease over the next 40 minutes when it finally stopped altogether at 5.05pm

Evidently some riders made mention that visibility was a concern during the running of the race. I can accept that, although many races have been run in worse conditions. The next step is what was really AMAZING!

Just before taking our horses into the mounting yard for the last race, trainers were informed by a steward that there may be a delay as there were some visibility concerns by some jockeys and that the last race was in doubt as the stewards were having a meeting with the jockeys. At this stage there were light showers happening. As the weather continued to clear the horses entered the mounting yard only for the announcement to come over the P.A.system that the last race had been postponed until Saturday.

What transpired in the stewards room between stewards and jockeys is a mystery as there are various and conflicting stories depending upon which jockey you speak to. Even to this moment I am none the wiser in knowing why the last race was postponed, as to my knowledge, no trainer with a runner in the last race was spoken to by the stewards to be given an official reason for the decision. I have heard words like visibility, duty of care, safety, another front approaching etc etc.

I even heard the story that the riders couldn't see because their goggles were fogging up. Unreal! This must be the only place in the world where when it rains, goggles fog up. Welcome to the year 2007 guys. There are now goggles available which are less inclined to fog up under these conditions and even sprays available to apply to goggles to prevent fogging. AMAZING!

Whilst driving my horse home along Great Eastern Hwy at 5.05pm I was forced to put my sunglasses back on as the sun was shining on the wet road and the light was so bright and clear. Clear enough for me to see all the way back to Ascot but not clear enough to run the last race! It certainly ranks as one of the strangest decisions I have ever encountered out at the track.

TRULY AMAZING!!!!

GLEN ERIN LASS ALL THE WAY.

Flying grey filly GLEN ERIN LASS shows her winning style with "THE FISH" on board. (Photo courtessy of Hollands Potographics)

Lightly raced filly GLEN ERIN LASS proved too good for her rivals in a lack lustre first race at Belmont yesterday. Starting odds on in a race which saw only three runners go to the barrier, GLENERIN LASS justified her short quote by leading all the way in a slowly run race.

Jason Whiting new what he had under him when he set a very moderate pace to the corner, before sprinting up the final 500m in what proved to be little more than a track gallop. Her two rivals were given every chance to get over the top of her however were no match when "Fishy" asked the filly for an effort.

Although setting a slow pace and beating only two other runners, the filly still came home with a cheque for $13,000 which is not bad for what was little more than a conditioning trial. The filly will be improved greatly by the run and will more than pay her way this preparation. She will develop into a very handy three year old later in the season.

THE ONE PAGE I NEVER MISS

No disrespect to any of the newspapers available in this town but fair dinkum, if it wasn't for the COMICS and BRAINTEASERS page in the morning paper I doubt that I would purchase the morning paper.I am an avid reader of the comics strip as well as the reigning champion SUDOKU player at 4 Aurum Street Ascot. (I live alone.) I personally think the whole of Ascot but I hate to brag!!!

This leads me to a very "cute" line that I read yesterday which appeared as a footnote in the GINGER MEGS cartoon. I have used a bit of "journalistic licence" to change a few words and I am sure you will not take long to work out which ones they are.

The line read..... "When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her!" As I said; Cute.

Now must get back to today's SUDOKU. Its a four star degree of difficulty but that wont worry this master.

FIRST AND LAST RACE FOR BELMONT TOMMOROW.

It looks like being a long day out at the races tomorrow with one runner in the first race and one in the last race. I had originally accepted for two horses in race one however I have been forced to scratch SNOOKIE THE BOOKIE.

We are still left with smart filly GLEN ERIN LASS to represent the stable and on exposed form she should be hard to beat. The last start winner PILLOW TIME will be hard to beat but I am very happy with my filly at the moment.

In the last race we saddle up former Adelaide mare TRICTRAC. This mare was a bit disappointing first up when failing to run on in the straight over 1000m at Belmont. I am hoping that the extra distance and the slightly easier company may help her cause tomorrow.

I can think of worse things than opening and closing the meeting with a winner!!!

HIFALUTIN....AGAIN

Flashy filly HIFALUTIN showed by her win at Belmont on Wednesday that there is more to her than meets the eye. After enjoying the run of the race throughout, this first foal of Perth M.M. winner GAMBEI, showed a brilliant turn of foot when popped the question in the straight by jockey Jason Whiting.The filly quickly established a winning break and I am confident that there are more wins in store for her.

I can recall inspecting the filly with her owners when she was only a few months old at COOLMORE STUD and she looked anything but a future winner at that stage. Her spindly little legs and very slight build was indicative of a first foal however we all agreed that she was not really going to bring much in the sale ring and that we would bring her home and give her every chance to develop.

The way she has matured, with further development expected over the next few months, suggests that we could have a very handy OAKS filly come the Autumn. She will probably have one more run before she has a break during the spring.

THREE RUNNERS.....THREE CHANCES.

We head out to Belmont this afternoon with three runners on the eight event card and on face value I would have to say that all three have good chances of finishing in the money.

BLESCAY starts off the day for us in race two in what looks a tricky little race. There is plenty of word around for the unraced ELUSIVE PRIDE and the top weight, GENERALAZ, won in impressive style first up in similar company.

We have last start winner, HIFALUTIN starting in race three and the way she won at Northam last week suggests that she has more wins in store. The main danger appears to be SPY STORY.

Hopefully I will have a couple of happy owners by that stage of the day who can take me down for some lunch to help fill in the rest of the afternoon while we wait for LEITMOTIF in the last race. This mare is stepping up to 1400m for the first time after having three runs over 1000m. If she handles the step up in distance and can settle in running she should run a very nice race.

As they say in the classics, "all we need is a bit of luck!" Happy punting.

A CUTE ONE FROM MY DARLING DAUGHTER!

A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa , taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company........


One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that he's lost.. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old poodle thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap the old poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?"

Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees. "Whew!", says the leopard, "That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard.

The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!

Now, the old poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?", but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old poodle says.

"Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!

Moral of this story....


Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! Bullsh*t and brilliance only come with age and experience.

I am in no way insinuating that any of you are old, some are just more youthfully challenged.

You did notice the size of the print

xxx
I think the girl is trying to tell me something!

HIFALUTIN IN EASY STYLE

JASON WHITING eases HIFALUTIN down on the line on the way to a very easy win at Northam. Nice way to break her maiden status.

HIFALUTIN IMPRESSIVE AT NORTHAM

Lightly raced three year old filly HIFALUTIN showed by her win at Northan on Thursday that the win would not be her last one. The filly did not take long to gather in the leaders once the field straightened and went on to win in very impressive style. Although running around a bit in the straight, the filly proved to good for her rivals, with stablemate, BANGADANG JACK holding on for third.

I must admit that the win of HIFALUTIN did make me sit back and reflect on my time in racing as a trainer. It is when a horse like this wins a race that the reality of my years as a trainer become a talking point amongst a few of my smart arse mates all suggesting that I should consider retirement!!

The fact is that not only do I train HIFALUTIN, I trained her mother GAMBEI, I trained her grandmother MAROONED LADY and I trained her great grandmother WILDWOOD LADY. Now that is starting to make even me feel old. Apart from the ones I have mentioned, I have also trained a few other handy ones in the family such as KING KANUTE, REDWOLDT AND LEITMOTIF.

Maybe I am ready for retirement!!!!

ANOTHER LEAD IN FOR SHIRLEY

A very happy part-owner Shirley Piper leads her smart filly La Coureuse back to scale after her impressive all the way win. Shirley is quickly becoming a deft hand at this lead in capper!

LA COUREUSE SHOWS HER WINNING STYLE

La Coureuse is eased down on the line by Jockey Paul Harvey after leading all the way over 1400m on Saturday. There looks like being many more wins in store for this smart filly.

MORE NEW SITE VISITORS.

I have mentioned on this site before that it never ceases to amaze me as to who actually checks out the site. During the past few weeks I have had feedback past on from even more people from near and far making comments on various postings on the site. (most of them favourable!) Yesterday I had a fellow trainer mention to me that he and his wife had become frustrated trying to master the foot and hand quiz I posted back on June 6th. Good luck with it guys. When you solve that one try the one on July 25th.

I love to hear back from anyone with comments on the site. I don't expect it all to be favourable and nothing here is meant to be taken to seriously. Have a fun day. I know I will. I'm off to watch the Eagles flog the Dockers!

GREAT START TO THE DAY WITH LA COUREUSE.

Even though it was more relief than expectation, I must admit to getting a special kick out of the win of LA COUREUSE at Belmont yesterday. After having sold part of the filly to long time stable clients and even longer time friends, LEX and SHIRLEY PIPER along with my good mate BRIAN BRADLEY, the filly did not appear to be racing anywhere near the form that I had expected.

There is nothing like a horse not racing up to expectations to get a horse trainer frustrated and this filly was no exception. During the week I decided to take off her blinkers, work the filly harder and step up her race distances. A chance meeting with her breeder GRAY WILLIAMSON at the races last Saturday, resulted in him suggesting that although the filly was bred for speed and looked like a speed filly, her family actually performed better when stepped up in distance.

When we sat and analysed her recent runs and why she may not have been performing, it was decided to make a few changes. To my relief, the changes appeared to make the difference and the filly never looked in danger of being beaten yesterday. It was especially interesting to hear PAUL HARVEY comment after the race that he thought the filly would be even better at 1600m. Who am I to argue?

BUSY DAY AT BELMONT TOMORROW

This weekend sees us have one of our busiest days of recent times when we could have five runners at the meeting. There may be a few late changes depending on how their races look on Wednesday, however at this stage they all look like going around.

We start the day off with LA COUREUSE who I must admit has been quite disappointing of late. The filly steps up to 1400m for the first time and has had her blinkers removed. If she races how she has been working, the filly will be hard to beat in a fairly even field.

We have a first up starter in race two called STORM SHOW. The filly is a daughter of Stormy's Son and has shown speed in her gallops. The reports on the top weight UNIVERSAL RULER are so strong that we may wait until Wednesday to make our debut. Then again, I have never walked away from a contest yet!I will never die wondering!

We have two acceptors in race three and at this stage, neither are definite starters. I will know more when I see the fields for Wednesday. At this stage LIETMOTIF is likely to run however first starter, TRICTRAC may wait till Wednesday.

We end the day with honest little performer, PRICELESS SYMBOL in the second last race. He ran a mighty race last week end and has pulled up as if he hasn't been around. If he can handle the step up to 1200m he should be hard to beat in a fairly even field.

Happy punting.