Thank You, New Zealand

My first job in racing was when I became a racing statistician for 'Best Bets' in Auckland in 1968 at the tender age of 19. In those days, each horse had a file card handwritten onto which were details of each performance. When we had to publish the book, twice weekly back then, that card would be sent out to the linotype operator who would key in the information and produce a 'slug' of type from his pot of molten lead. These 'slugs' were then arranged on metal trays known as 'galleys', ink was rolled over the top of them, paper pressed against them and, voila! you had a page proof. Not much different from Gutenberg in the 15th century and a far cry from today's unimaginable digital age.

An old man like me is allowed these nostalgic rambles. I had another when I was skimming through some literature and again came across the name of Bill Oppenheim, for decades one of the most respected breeding and racing analysts and commentators in the USA and sire, amongst other things, of the useful APEX ratings.

It's a little-known fact that the young Bill used to work in New Zealand, at the same time and in the same organisation as I did. One of us went on to greater deeds.

Bill was a stickler for facts. I'm reminded of him as I compile this blog because I've no doubt that some people will be irritated by some of the things I write, especially where vested interest is involved. Unfortunately we are so badly served by the lack of racing journalism these days, as distinct from racing and breeding 'publicity', that some stakeholders feel threatened if there's any objective critique floating around the marketplace.

As I recall, it was about 1970 when Bill really got up the nose of a stallion owner who at the time was importing a bunch of ponies from California to stand at his rather opulent stud farm south of Auckland. In those pre-internet days information wasn't so easy to come by and hard research was often needed to present a more rounded picture of a stallion prospect than the stallion promoter was sometimes willing to provide.

The late Eric Hayden was not at all pleased when Bill wrote some home truths about Eric's boat-load of young Cal-bred stallion prospects. The heat generated by his ire plus the pulling of advertising from the publications, must have led to Bill thinking there had to be a life beyond thin-skinned New Zealand. Soon after, he packed his pens and pocket calculator and took himself back to the USA whence he came, there crafting out the guru status he has enjoyed for many years. Hayden had a close association with Americans Hastings Harcourt and the now-famous Monty Roberts who fell out so spectacularly over Flag Is Up Farm.

Bill Oppenheim, yet another famous New Zealand export - like Robbie Deans.