Quite a few lawyers have had their profit margins ably assisted in 2005 by the various arguments requiring legal intervention. ThoroughVision and Sky Channel have been making life hell for country punters, there's the Betfair debacle that has had more ink expended on it than how much water the Flemington track received the morning of the Melbourne Cup (and more twists of the spin selling cycle than we're likely to see again - at least until the studs start promoting next year's crop of first season sires), a high profile syndicater had the liquidators called in to sort out his financial woes, and the latest name-calling session is scheduled for the Supreme Court this week. What is it this time? The Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association no less whose boardroom brawl now requires courtroom intervention. Nothing like grown men being able to sort out their differences of opinion in a gentlemanly fashion ...

Meanwhile, Adelaide has announced its social 'A-list' for 2005. Makybe Diva's owners - Tony and Christine Santic - came in at no. 82 on the list.

In the West it seems as if Perth Racing will have a larger slush fund in future years after it revealed plans for a AUD$2 billion residential real estate development centred on a 73ha land holding on the Swan River. The Western Australian thoroughbred racing body owns the freehold around the Belmont race track.

Back to NSW, and Camden police are looking for a stolen horse float valued at AUD$50,000 that one imagines is a tad difficult to disguise. The Daily Telegraph described the float as "the thoroughbred of horse floats, with mag wheels, an internal shower, air conditioning, BBQ and even a kitchen sink."

Spare a thought for Paul Bittar, the new head of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. According to an article published in The Dominion Post just after his arrival "[Bittar] plans to do more listening than talking as he eases into his role". Well, he didn't have much time to find his feet before being thrust into the decision making process when news filtered through that the Counties Racing Club meeting was abandoned following the opening event due to track safety concerns. The $100,000 Counties Cup was run as an addition to the Cambridge Jockey Club meeting at Te Rapa. The G2 NRM/Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes was also rescheduled to the following week's Ellerslie meeting. The listed two-year-old Captain Rio Stakes is likely to be run on Avondale Cup Day, while the listed Ekraar Trophy has reportedly been scrapped. Speaking with The New Zealand Press Association, Bittar said "it was crucial, from an industry perspective, that the Counties Cup be run". One imagines, however, that discussions between the various stakeholders to determine when the races were re-scheduled (given that one ended up as race 11 the following day - and it was a G2 race) were a tad 'tense'. An interesting first few days at the office one suspects. I say 'good on him' for making the tough calls.

We started with a legal reference so let's end with one. The quote of the week has nothing to do with Australia but it concerns a subject anathema to the studs - AI (artifical insemination for the uninitiated). An article by Frances Johnson in the Salt Lake Tribune states "They call it white gold. More lucrative than jewellery, this stuff is a bargain at $100,000 and unlike pricey baubles, it multiplies. Its more common name is, well . . . horse semen." Don't fret, AI isn't legal in our Sport of Kings. The Jockey Club/Stud Book strictly state that the breeding of thoroughbreds must be by "live cover" and the foal must be carried for the full 11-month gestation period. So test tubes, cloning, and AI remain the stuff of articles and late-night scientific brainstorming sessions. Meanwhile, some breeders are racking up covering stats of 200+ for their stallions which makes you wonder if we are achieving the same results of AI in terms of numbers of horses bred - just without the official practices, technology or title?

One to ponder perhaps.