Bloke

I recall another horse called Frisky Fred that ran about the same time. It was a front runner who occasionally held on to win. I recall backing it when it led all the way at very long odds, I think ridden by Rodney Heslop.

1971, Wellington Steeple Chase, Final Luca, winner Teak

Well when I was a teenager I had a girlfriend  (Oh yes in the days of the mini skirt) who lived in Belmont which is in the hills above Lower Hutt. At the time there were some semi rural properties and my girl friend's neighbour had a few horses on the property and I recall that one was later named Frederick.

Was it Frederick

Maybe a Celtic supporter panicking about the "Old Firm" game against Rangers this week

 The track is a huge issue. I went last Saturday and only stayed for the first two races as they were running wide. Both races were 1200 metres and I backed horses that had good draws and would be on the speed close to the rail.

Silly me!

46 minutes ago, mardigras said:

Hey Max - seen the field for the wellington cup yet?

The strange thing is that traditionally the Cup attracts very large betting.  I recall reading about 3 years ago that it attracted the largest betting of any thoroughbred race that season. 

15 minutes ago, Tonkatime said:

There are so many global opportunities for New Zealand rugby players, even at a club level so I think that’s a bit to do with it. The club I am involved in regularly has players going offshore even to places like Romania and Sri Lanka. 
 

I think Hesi is probably also partly right there are plenty concerned re head knocks and rugby has a huge churn after secondary school. 
 
I also think Barry makes a good point about the demographics of Greytown. 

I have mentioned this before. Karori is the largest suburb in the Wellington City boundary and they do not have one senior rugby team. If you look on the website of Waterside Karori Football club they state that they have nearly 1,000 players and 100 teams.

There are a number of colleges in Wellington who cannot field a Rugby Team. 

5 hours ago, barryb said:

People used to go to local club Rugby as well Hesi. 

Lifes changed, unfortunately many connected with racing are adverse to change & they whinge like you for a past thats gone.

Rugby Racing & Beer was what NZ used to be all about. I talked to an old Football mate who has recently retired to Greytown and he tells me that Greytown Football Club which was  only set up in recent years has 4 men's teams, a women's team and 150 odd kids playing. Meanwhile Greytown Rugby, one of NZ's oldest clubs struggles to field one Senior team.

I know that in Auckland and Wellington Football is about 3 times bigger than Rugby in participation but gee a country area such as the Wairarapa, I never expected that. 

I am pleased for BGP because betting is so vital to the success of racing. I find it ironic that BGP make a huge difference to this race meeting when 15 plus years ago Auckland had a CEO (how can we forget that fool) Weaver.

As well as stuffing up the racing calendar, he declared that punters with  best bets hanging out of their pockets could effectively piss off as he was looking for Posers and A Listers who could look good for  selfies whilst holding wine glasses. He thought they could make more money that way.

Well the punters did piss off, the beautiful people got tired  of selfies and   the Auckland Cup on a Wednesday was down to  the barmen and a few posers. Now with the exception of this meeting Auckland needs to "rent a crowd'

In addition NZTR should not be subsidising these Million dollar races to the tune of $500k plus. For all the hooplah of last evening, it would be the industry's most expensive day. 

NGH the most gifted Jockey I have ever witnessed in NZ

Its Opie's fourth breach of the whip rule in 9 weeks. It seems a very fair penalty given the circumstances.

Opie reminds me of the  Devo song from my younger days "Whip It, Whip It Good "

4 hours ago, von Smallhaussen said:

Have they found a new track manager yet to replace the poor guy who was made a scapegoat for the incompetant Race group management?

Talking about the Race group - there are rumours circulating about a muddy area 800m out at Awapuni last Saturday - on a dead 4 track 🙄

You would have noted that horses were running wide into and down the straight on Saturday at Awapuni and the ground was cutting out.  In the last week there has been a heat wave but some how the sun is not only melting ice creams it is also melting race tracks.

On 1/2/2022 at 7:01 AM, barryb said:

Noe Max pop along to Te Aroha tommorrow and enjoy a much better day out.

Today is the first time in 25 yrs I haven’t been to Tauherenikau, my interest in going to race meetings has waned thanks to Covid, even more tragic I am not watching a single race today.

Another great day and a massive crowd at Tauherenikau yesterday. Is there any track that can attract a bigger Crowd?

The night before the races I stayed in the camping ground which has been set up in recent years and it was packed. Wow what a fantastic setting. You will have to come down next year Barry and bring your camper van. You are not officially a baby boomer unless you own a camper van  😀

Was there not also  a competing meeting at Stratford a couple of days later in 2006?

If so this may be why the fields were smaller back then.

On 12/22/2021 at 7:52 AM, von Smallhaussen said:

Petone had a pretty good team back in those days with a couple of All Blacks in the backline. Wellington rugby was strong with good crowd support unlike today. I have some fond memories of the Petone Rec 🙂

Rugby in Wellington is dying at a fast rate. Football would be at least three times more popular. Karori which is Wellington City's biggest suburb does not have a senior Rugby Team. Waterside Karori if you look on their web site states that they have 1,000 members. Johnsonville has 5 Senior Rugby Teams, North Wellington football which plays out of Johnsonville has 21 . Tawa Rugby 4 teams, Tawa Football 12.

Petone once one of the top Rugby Clubs in the country is down to 4 senior teams.  If it were not for the Polynesian community Rugby would be as good as dead in Wellington.

Gee Craigos we have a large injury list and looks that many will be out for some time. Probably best we play the top teams now so that we get the weaker teams when hopefully we can get most of the injured back.

But hey we have been to hell and back many times, we are all used to this.

On 11/29/2021 at 12:22 PM, Maximus said:

as a complete aside, interesting isn't it that this 3 month suspension does not seem to be receiving any publicity in mainstrream media. Mr Saundry et al will be thrilled about that. cos the loony tunes on the left of the left would likely turn it into something that it's not.

If you look at all those weirdo National MPs, the  "Do you know who I am"  dick head, Jamie lee Ross, The guy who took a screen shot of penis and sent to young ladies, the sex pervert candidate, etc. etc. the list goes on.

Shit they are not the looney left. Just good middle class National Party choices to lead our Country 

4 minutes ago, Dancing Show said:

Syd Brown 🙂   and his beloved Daryl's Joy - what a horse 🙂 

Yes, he beat Vain over 7 furlongs at Moonee Valley when 40k turned out to watch the unbeaten Vain win. Won The Cox Plate and the VRC Derby. Went onto USA and won some huge races.

I have a copy of Bob Skelton's book where he describes his ride on Show Gate in The Trentham Stakes. He states that he felt her falter at the 1,000 metre mark. When in the straight, he asked her to lengthen stride but she lugged in and  began to struggle. Bob felt that she was beaten and pulled the stick out of desperation and that was when she gave everything and passed Varnamo to win by 2 lenghts.

Just as she crossed the line Show Gate faltered again ad Bob realised that she had broken down. Bob then pulled up quickly and dismounted.

She really was a special horse.

1 hour ago, Hesi said:

That's what I meant, the first European.  I qualified it by saying people were already here.

So if we are looking for the first indigenous, then it should be Moriori Land

 

 The Morori settled only on The Chatham Islands. There was settlement for the Moriori in recent times where the Government clarified that the Moriori only settled on The Chathams.

The reason for the settlement was that in the 1870s the Government of the day decreed that European and Maori owned greater than 90% of the Chathams. There currently is an excellent series being run on the Maori Channel about the history of The Chathams.

10 hours ago, Honest john said:

 

Domt bet me started on the freaks in the Labour Party, Helen clucks art, speeding against the law, it goes on and on. Dover samuels .

 

hj

[Sorry Bloke but I've pulled this post. We really don't need left v right slanging matches in here]

Pete

8 hours ago, Honest john said:

 

I can and do chose what I watch, I don’t watch the news now, everything is there. This country is fast becoming a joke, my friends in the uk are laughing at us, I mean look who’s our foreign affairs minister, someone married to her first cousin with a history of woman bashing. Great advert for our country, maybe you lookup to her, I don’t.

 

hj

 The UK has Boris, shit even they cannot stop laughing at the fool.

I am unsure about the Foreign Affairs Minister but I will look it up. National had some weirdo MP down South who pulled his Dick out, took photos and sent them off to young girls. There was the other weirdo National MP from the deep South who gave out confidential medical information which he obtained from a former President of The National Party. Then there was the sex fend  who stood for National in Upper North Shore who was assuming former girl friends' identities on face book and making disgusting posts. Plenty there for the your mates in The Uk to laugh at

8 hours ago, Honest john said:

 

Ever heard of full and final settlement, it’s never ending.

 

hj

I am not sure what you are talking about as Tongoriro National Park was gifted by the Maoris to the Crown. 

21 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Me too re studied a foreign language at high school & used it when living overseas. 

Great info there Bloke re land gifted re Primary & Secondary Schools etc. Did not know ALL that 👍 Very kind of them at that time of gifting. 

Maoris have gifted huge amounts of land to the crown. The Tongoriro National Park, being a significant one.