I don’t read newspapers often enough unless I’m killing time at McDonald’s, in which case it’s the Daily Telegraph which is about as informative as the table napkin, only better illustrated. So my news may have hit the press but excuse me if I didn’t see it.
Not that it’s anywhere near as important as where Sarah Palin’s panties and bras are purchased and how much they cost, and other world-shaping events like that, but in the tiny, insignificant world of horse racing and breeding it’s important enough.
The first repatriation of horses from Macau to Australia occurred just a few weeks ago.
Quarantine protocols and plain obstinate human unhelpfulness deemed in the past that once your horse hit Macau it had arrived at the ultimate equine black hole. However, necessity has once again proven the mother of invention.
A Victorian breeder was persuaded some years ago to allow her useful racemare to go to Macau for easier racing opportunities. Coming off fair Sydney form, the mare unfortunately proved legless in eight starts up there, not adjusting to the conditions. In the cause of animal compassion, attempts to bring the mare back to a good home in Australia proved fruitless for two years.
The cause became even more worthy when, all of a sudden, said mare became a half-sister to a sexy young G1 winner, now standing its first season at stud in Australia.
With some introductions to the right people etc etc etc ... get the picture? ... some shoulder was applied to the wheel during winter and, wouldn’t you know it, a way was found to accommodate the will. A pallet was put together to bring the mare and two others back home, at much expense let it be said. The mare is now visiting Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire).
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A breeder colleague became a proud ‘father’ a couple of days ago (a colt foal) and exercised his bragging rights by emailing me a 55 second video of the newlyborn, asking for my comments. The captioned and musically enhanced video is part of client service provided by Eliza Park and I think it’s an impressive touch, using today’s technology to good advantage.
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The results from the Inglis Breeze Up & Racehorse Sale in Melbourne look a bit chilling. But the real test will come at the Gold Coast this week. There are some big numbers trying to be recouped up there. Hold your breath.
5 comments:
steve,just a short note on nickolic's comment re; best horse didn't win cox plate.A. THE BEST RIDE WON.B. THE BEST TRAINING PERFORMANCE WON C.THIS HORSE MALDIVIAN NOT ONLY,HAD A TRAUMATIC TIME AT THE BARRIERS LAST YEAR,BUT FRACTURED A KNEE AS WELL LAST AUTUMN. NOT ONLY THE BEST HORSE THAT DAY, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN AN EVEN BETTER HORSE. JACK.
Well, one thing I know for sure and certain is that Savabeel was not a better horse than Grand Armee .. or Starcraft .. but the record book says Savabeel won! That's racing. I will never accept jockeys blaming others for a lack of pace. If that is an excuse all it means is that your horse has demonstrated its shortcomings. You never hear Gai's jockeys complaining (although, tragically, connections misunderstood the likely tempo in Grand Armee's year). The real Maldivian stepped out in the Cox Plate. He did the thing he does best. The others did theirs. Theirs weren't good enough or were the wrong choices on the day.
Apparently a decent crowd on the grounds for the MM breeze up sale.
However, one of the attractions of this sale - and one which MM push rather heavily - is that buyers don't have to leave the comfort of their lounge room (which may be interstate or more likely, somewhere in Asia) to view the videos of the candidates breezing up. They just do so by logging onto the MM website and checking out the video of whatever takes their fancy.
That's the theory anyway.
Of course, having the theory work in practice does rather depend upon Magic Millions actually having the videos available on their website.
The sale starts later today, and at the time I write this, MM have only got the first day's breeze ups available for viewing. Try having a look at any of yesterday's breeze ups, and you just get an error message.
So a few hours before the kick off of what might be a very difficult sale for vendors, MM have videos of only about half the sale entrants available for viewing by prospective purchasers.
When taken with their ridculous online catalogue, this sort of thing really does indicate that that MM are getting left behind their rival in the technology - and client service - stakes.
A year or two ago, who'd a-thunk it?
Readers, vote for which member of the Inglis staff wrote the above comment .... only joking (?? !!)
No Steve - just a very disgruntled vendor!
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