We had a spare hour today - a brilliant moment of calm as 2 design projects were signed off and went to the printers and a merchandising order started production at the factory leaving us with about 4 dozen trade magazines to catch up on and some sales catalogues to flick through.

I therefore (some would say 'stupidly') accepted a dare from the 2IC at Athlone to match my creative efforts from about a month ago. She upped the ante for round 2 however. The new rules: strictly 30 minutes to pen a 'story' (for want of a better word) using every horse's name that appeared in the latest order of entry (29/12) for the $100,000 Malaysia Airlines Magic Millions Maiden Plate to be run at the Gold Coast on Saturday, January 14. Strictly no dictionary/thesaurus/Google search or lifelines allowed.

I failed to include 2 (actually make that 3) names and lost a few points for my use of DREWLICIOUS apparently so I regret to say that I didn't win the bet (as a result am now stuck with the drinks bill this evening ... luckily it's a small office).

Anyway - this is what I came up with:

++++++++++++++++

What was it about a Friday afternoon teaching law students - so far from the airbrushed TV images that LA Law would have you believe made every lawyer an eminently SEXY BEAST; a true PRIME JEWEL of human intellect. No doubt just some Hollywood LADY'S OPINION. Still, I had bills to pay.

But boy did the IQ's grate and oh, for the RECORD, how I longed to take a SMART SHOT at these 27 HONOUR BRIGHTs who believed they were the HIGH PEAK of grey matter.

Why not a return to youth then and a DREWLICIOUS spelling test?

I had a SECRET CACHE of difficult words up my sleeve, ok I will admit it - anything to reduce this LOUD horde, so FULL OF ZEST on this final day of term - to a more genteel level.

“A simple test,” I offered with a sly smile, tapping my desk for silence.

I opened my attack. “Spell TENFUHRCENT” I stated (conscious that this would either work or I would be the LAUGHING POINT of the entire university for the next month).

There was a brief pause as pens paused above notebooks. MARY'S HALO looked momentarily like slipping.

“TIRDLETTER .... REDOUBTABLEMPEROR.... MIMIDAE ... oh come now,” I said with the faintest hint of lofty scorn, “you look STARTLED HUNTER”.

The INNOCENT LAD looked, momentarily, as if a CLASH might ensue ...

“DR DUJON said you were a bright lot,” I lamented. “All right, let's make it easier, how about some trivial pursuit questions then?”

They looked relieved. Silent gratitude perhaps.

“Define FIDEISM,” I said craftily. “Next, write down who was the best singer in GIRLZONE, and whilst you are at it you had better know what historical era BELTINSKI belonged to. For an extra 10 points - jot down the name of the thoroughbred breeding expert and theorist, who was known for popularizing the dosage index - starts with R.”

“RASMUSSEN!” shouted RUMBIRD (so named because of her attraction to all things Carribean).

“RED MESHASH was the term for which French neighbourhood,” I continued, casting a frosty look in her direction. “Is FUSH a vegetable, mineral - or just retail - and who flew the FLYING DANSINO across what ocean in 1948?”

CREATIVE SOUNDS of ... what's this? Silence? I laughed to myself. Ride the BAY WAVES of mediocrity oh you of the same, I thought with glee; the smug satisfaction of victory.

Forgive me colleagues... I have bills to pay - sometimes we just have to do WHATEVER IT TAKES.

++++++++++++++

The year dawned in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters the world had ever experienced - the Asian tsunami. It wasn't the last of nature's fury either: Eight months later North America braced itself for the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, whilst Iran endured a crippling earthquake. And whilst it wasn't Mad Cow disease or SARS, the threat of Bird Flu at least gave local Councils a legitimate excuse to knock off their local pigeon populations.The long term impact of the disease/disasters (aside from giving certain pharmaceutical stocks a massive boost and the media a plentiful amount to write about) are yet to be seen but surprisingly perhaps, whilst the doomsday prophets finally had some decent content for their sermons, the disasters did little to dampen general economic conditions and certainly didn't quell the desire for high-priced bloodstock or the excitement surrounding the history making feats of various horses in different parts of the world.

So, to racing, and 2005 surely belongs to Makybe Diva - the mighty mare whose history (birth in Europe and racing life in Australia) so beautifully captures the growing internationalisation of the sport. In her historic 3rd successive triumph in Australia's Gr1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, Makybe Diva set an Australian stakes earnings record and with earnings of US$10,767,186 became the leading all-time female earner and overall second highest prize money earner (the Japanese star T.M. Opera O's leading that respective list with US$16,200,337). From a marketing perspective (a tactic that drew the ire of Equine Daily) you needed a pair of Dame Edna Style glasses to support Makybe Diva on the track … and is it just me or does this magazine picture bear an uncanny resemblance to her owner?!

A few Australian horses apart from Makybe Diva (ranked the world's leading female and stayer) took a bow in the World Rankings this year - Starcraft headed the Older Miler on Turf category, Fields Of Omagh made it into the Top 50, and the Australian bred Silent Witness topped the Sprinter category.

Meanwhile, whilst not a world champion, evergreen sprinter Bomber Bill proved that age does not necessarily weary them when the 10 year old gelding won the listed Hefferman Stakes in November and boosted his prize money to AUD$ 1,809,830.

You didn't need to be born of the purest blood or sold for a seven figure sum to make headlines in 2005. God’s Own, Railings and Pendragon could have been collectively purchased for less than $1,000,000, this in a year when bids at the premier sales appeared to go up by as much.

Whilst some of the million dollar sales graduates lived up to their hype (Darci Brahma one example), there were a few awkward moments when the regally-bred 2YO colt Hachiman (Fusaichi Pegasus-Danelagh, by Danehill) finished an inglorious last in a field of 6 juveniles at Flemington earlier this year. It would be fair to say that another million dollar baby - Overlord (Coolmore's $2.2 million Danehill-Prawn Cocktail colt purchased by Lee Freedman at the 2004 Australian Easter Yearling Sale) also looked anything but dominant in his 'just there' win at the Sunshine Coast on debut. He has since shown up in America - where he won his first start.

One can't mention the Sunshine Coast without mentioning the streaker who showed his wares during 2005; whilst in keeping with the "beach theme" (but at a different track) in a bizarre incident a flock of seagulls caused a 5 horse fall - and no end of debate - earlier in the year.

Makybe Diva is perhaps the best example of an "unwanted" yearling who went on to earn zillions, but there were copious examples of others with working class pedigrees and/or low price tags who achieved great things in 2005: Portland Singa (earnings to date $1,016,550) cost NZ$6,500 and won the G1 Brisbane Cup; Demerger (earnings to date of $768,000) cost $20,000 and won the G1 Adelaide Cup; Mahtoum (earnings to date $822,2310) was pinhooked for $19,000 as a weanling, re-sold for $80,000 as a yearling and won the G1 Sydney Cup; Lachlan River (earnings to date $619,000) cost NZ$40,000 and has gone on to win The G1 BMW Queensland Derby, ran 3rd in the G1 McKinnon Stakes and 5th in Melbourne Cup; Creil is said to have cost $500 (bought out of the paddock as a weanling) and won this year's G1 Avondale Cup; Patezza (earnings to date $1,676,860) didn't reach his $30,000 reserve as a yearling yet won the G1 Doncaster Handicap (ran 2nd in the Satellite Stakes (listed), 3rd in the G3 Frank Clissold Stakes, 3rd in the G3 Liverpool Cup, won the G3 Newmarket Handicap, and ran 2nd in the G1 George Ryder Stakes); and Spark of Life who ran 3rd in the G1 Australia Stakes, 2nd in the G1 Galaxy, won the G2 BTC Cup, ran 3rd in the G3 Missile Stakes, the G2 Premiere Stakes and the G3 Concorde Stakes, won the G1 Manikato Stakes, and who has current earnings of $1,366,650 cost $30,000.

The moral of this story? Whilst the egos continue to rub shoulders at the higher end of the market, many others have laughed right back at them in 2005 by paying not one tenth of those puchase prices for their Group 1 winners.

2005 was the year of the equine jetsetters with Elvstroem, Alinghi, Grand Armee, Starcraft, and Keep the Faith (amongst others) stamping their passports with the joyous abandon of students pursuing a gap year.

Given the number of travel arrangements being made it was perhaps ironic that the World Series Champion was the one horse this year who DIDN'T request an aisle or window seat - Vengeance of Rain yet to step foot from Hong Kong.

One of the big disappointments of the year was FastNet Rock not racing in Europe after contracting travel sickness (the poor lad may have been quietly wishing for a few blue pills - or indeed the peace and quiet of a stable routine - after the size of his first season book).

From Viagara to spare change - and was Paul Makin spotted on the side of an American road after Starcraft's $800k late entry fee to the Breeders Cup?


Continuing with all things global - Godolphin celebrated its 1000th winner, Fine Silver made history by becoming the 1st Britain-trained racehorse to compete in modern-day Russia; Karasi won the world's richest jumps race in Japan, whilst Hideyuki Mori became the 1st Japanese trainer to saddle a runner in Australia. Cross border racing between Singapore and Malaysia resumed, whilst in Hong Kong Silent Witness took the crown for the world record number of wins (18 - including 8 G1's) - before bowing to stable mate Bullish Luck who caught him in the final strides to win the HK$8 million (A$1.3m) Gr1 Champions Mile (1st leg of the Asia Mile Challenge) over 1600m at Sha Tin in May. Unfortunately for Silent Witness a virus ended his 2005 campaign and the jury is still out as to whether the World Champion Sprinter will make a comeback in 2006.

A few Australians were also looking to distant horizons in 2005. Examples include expatriate Paul Bittar who shifted from the UK to NZ, Paul Dingwall joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and David Hayes who returned to Australia.

Away from the race track, 2005 was characterised by a series of gentleman's debates and bar room brawls.

Whilst New York Racing stared down the barrel of bankruptcy and the FAIR TAX debate raged in NZ, in Australia the TVN v SKY Broadcasting dispute continued with lawyers, drama, high costs and (surprise, surprise) still no outcome.

The war against Betfair also persisted, the offshore 'gambling den' out in the cold until Tasmania opened the door to them sparking the (unsurprising but nevertheless amusing) response from Racing Victoria that promised to set up a similar on-line gambling operation. Speculation also continued that the Queensland-based Unitab was planning a similar system and one major corporate bookmaker may also apply for a betting exchange licence if Betfair is approved. At this rate, the various Race Clubs' vicious attacks on betting exchanges (as they frantically try and set up one of their own) will mirror Bush's recent admission that there WEREN'T weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

In other news, Beijing probably could have benefited from the services of a good PR agency after a reported "cull" of bloodstock had various animal rights groups in a lather; various insolvent partnerships came to pass and in all things legal a number of cases hit the courts including a man wanting a slave's name for his horse; and Gary Birzer (who was paralysed from the waist down in a fall at Mountaineer Park in 2004) filing a US$10 million lawsuit against the Jockeys' Guild & former Guild president Dr Wayne Gertmenian, who allowed the Guild's on-track insurance policy to lapse several months before the accident.

We said a sad farewell to a number of key Industry players this year including (amongst others): Michael Osborne, Sir Tristan Antico, Keith Nolan, Greg Kelly, Alan Abrahams, Tony Hewitt, John Cobcroft, Arthur Fitzgerald, Tom Ivers, and Kerry Packer. We also lost some equine legends - Best Mate, Mummify, Persian Punch, Crown Jester, and Rubiton.

In the breeding barn the Stud Book reported that at least a further 700 foals were due to be born in 2005 bringing anticipated foal numbers to 18,000.

The term 'super stud' took on a whole new meaning with Redoute's Choice setting an Australian service level (AUD$220k) and a slew of stallions serving massive books across two hemispheres: Fusaichi Pegasus 346, More Than Ready 297, Fantastic Light 285, Hussonet 227, Anabaa 188, Verglas 244, and Testa Rossa 170.

In the US, the trend of more stallions servicing at least 100 mares in a season continued with a record 126 stallions covering at least 100 mares. In terms of number of mares bred, Lion Heart led the way with a record 233 mares in his 1st season of service. Another newcomer - Chapel Royal -covered 222 mares. Both stallions stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky, which hosts the top 6 stallions by mares bred in 2005. Is this just AI stats at "live cover" prices?

Not to be outdone - Storm Cat's 2006 fee was set at US$500,000 and Giant's Causeway Fee rose 50% To US$300,000. Whilst record books and record service fees keep the headlines humming one still wonders what longer term measures will be taken to address issues of sub-quality mares being over bred, the impact of service fees and yearling prices vs. available prize money, and also what we plan to do with all these horses in years to come (retirement etc).

In news closer to home a Western Australian stud bought Dubai Millennium's Half-Brother … or did they? The public relations nightmare eventually concluded with the "right" horse showing up at a Ukraine stud (and who said Fine Cotton was "so 1980's"?!).

In the sales rings, catalogue sizes went in only one direction as "largest ever catalogues" were recorded at Fasig-Tipton, Tatts, Keeneland and Magic Millions and Inglis received a record number of 3,000 entries for its 3 major yearling sales for 2006: Easter (Sydney), Classic (Sydney) & Premier (Melbourne). Whilst prices followed suit, the question still lingers - when will the market redress itself?

Keeneland's response to that question will no doubt be "never", the famous auction company securing (amongst others) a world record price for a broodmare sold at public auction - ASHADO reaching a bid of US$9million at the November Breeding Sale. That new sales pavilion appears to have already paid for itself!

The last Danehill youngsters entered the sales rings in 2005 as the champion sire celebrated his 300th stakes winner (the number of media releases each claiming that x sales company was the LAST to offer progeny of Danehill starting to read like an Elvis reincarnation).

In the weanling market, Arrowfield went on a spending spree as Vinery went on a selling splurge, Inglis sold the top priced AUD$2.5m Redoute's Choice yearling colt at Easter, The Ready to Run Sales added 3 year old's, and Magic Millions turned innovation into an art form with various 2005 initiatives including improved webstreaming of sales, to updated auction averages (NZ also streaming its Breeze Up sales in 05).

There was stem cell success on tendons in the UK, Tokyo's racetrack installed the world's largest screen (to outdo even Hong Kong); race videos appeared on cell phones in HK and also the UK; Queensland Racing appointed a new Head of Integrity; an Australian tipster was fined for spam, polytrack surfaces came into vogue, 'bloggers' appeared on the radar screen as the first race club introduced podcasts; The Asia Mile Challenge was expanded as questions were raised over the future of the World Series; Valedictum's triumph in the Gr1 Emirates Stakes came in front of a Day-4 record crowd of 61,382 as the Victoria Racing Club's Spring Carnival concluded at Flemington in Melbourne and took the 4-day total to a new record of 383,784 attendees; record prize money was announced for Magic Millions race day (including the richest maiden in the world); and Dubai's main race day galloped forward an extra few million as well.

You could have bought any (or all) of Inverness Stud, Wakefield Stud, Boscobel Stud, or Vinery's pre-training centre in 2005; if you were a racetrack groom you inherited the unfortunate title of the "worst job in sports"; and hopefully you have now pencilled HK 2008 into the diary for the Olympic equestrian events after the recent announcement.

The great unanswered questions of the year: what is the future of Darley/Coolmore 'cooling off'? How will the end of the Irish tax exemptions affect the breeding giants in that part of the world? Will there be an Australia-wide administration for thoroughbred racing? Can Australian racing continue to sustain 55 races a day, 7 days a week? What will come of weight rises for jockeys? Which stallion will Makybe Diva be sent to? And was Fusaichi Pegasus the most overhyped horse in history?

And what of the future? Italian scientists cloned a champion endurance horse in April this year, and US scientists have offered to clone thoroughbreds. Meanwhile, if the Canberra Cententary Committee get their way we may just see a State of Origin horse race for Thoroughbred Park and a trans-Tasman racing challenge, pitting the best Australian thoroughbreds against New Zealand’s best in 2013. (God help us!)

Best of luck to owners, vendors, breeders, purchasers, race fans - and general enthusiasts - for 2006. As the famous line goes "May the force be with you" (or if you would prefer to quote it in a range of other languages: (French) Que la Force soit avec toi!, (Arabic) Faltakoon Alquua Ma'ak!, (Dutch) Moge de Kracht met u zijn!, (German) Möge die Macht mit dir sein!, (Japanese) Force no tomo ni aran kotowo!, or (Spanish) Que la Fuerza te acompañe!

So what are you asking Santa for this year? If Toys 'R Us (or the equine equivalent) has been your shopping mall of choice, I trust you have a few parcels under the Christmas tree to open and enjoy.

A few of the syndicate managers are flogging shares in racehorses if you are looking for a gift with ongoing financial commitments and can't wait a few weeks until the yearling sales start. Graeme Rogerson bloodstock have been advertising shares as has Moroney Bloodstock (Paul's offering is a good one actually - a women's only syndicate).

Meanwhile, I have a horse racing on Boxing Day so I'm actually hoping for some Christmas good cheer to overflow to the following day.

The entire Athlone team would like to take this opportunity to thank not just our clients but also our regular readers for their ongoing support. May you and your families enjoy a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous 2006.

This blog will be quiet for the next few days as we all spend some time with our respective families - but stay tuned for the "Year in Review" article which will be posted before New Year ... and some exciting news that will go public in the second week of January.

With best wishes
Katrina (on behalf of the entire Athlone team of designers, editors, writers, merchandising specialists and 'idea gurus')


Design by Frank Ferrao

Michael Osborne, a former senior steward of the Irish Turf Club and one of the leading figures in international racing in recent decades, has died after a short illness at the age of 71.

A former managing director of the Irish National Stud, he was the man chosen by Sheikh Mohammed first to build up the sheikh’s stud farm operations in Ireland and then to establish international racing in Dubai. It was Osborne who, as chief executive of the Emirates Racing Association, supervised the construction of the first Nad Al Sheba grandstand and managed the successful launch of the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup.

A native of Naas, Co Kildare, Osborne also played a pivotal role in many of the major developments in Irish racing over the past twenty years. A former director of the Irish Horseracing Authority and Horseracing Ireland as well as a past chairman of Punchestown Racecourse, at the time of his death he was chairman of the Curragh Racecourse and Training Grounds.

One of the most respected advocates of the value of international racing, he offered advice on the development of racing and equestrian industries in a host of countries, including Singapore, China, Korea, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Portugal and Sweden. Earlier this year, he took on the chairmanship of the World Racing Championships and had been working on proposals to revamp the World Racing Series.

A qualified vet who worked in private veterinary practice for 12 years before joining the National Stud in 1970, Osborne was a past president of the Irish Veterinary Association and was a great supporter of the Association’s Benevolent Fund.

He had the distinction of being the first Irishman to be made an honorary member of the Jockey Club. Earlier this year, he was conferred with an honorary science doctorate by the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, while he was also a Freeman of Naas.

Outside his many official roles, Osborne helped countless young people to build careers in the racing and bloodstock industries, offering advice and support to generations of new recruits. A keen rugby player in his youth and a great enthusiast for virtually all sports, he was one of a group of people who worked to revive the fortunes of the Kildare GAA team.

He was fiercely proud of his Kildare roots and was instrumental in arranging to have Kildare twinned with Lexington, Kentucky, where he had worked as the manager of North Ridge Farm after leaving the National Stud and before going to work for Sheikh Mohammed.

Paying tribute today, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Michael was a wonderful man. My thoughts and sympathy are with his family. We had some marvellous times together and I will always remember the great work that he did. He was a hugely influential figure in world racing. It was Michael who established the Dubai World Cup as a great international race.

“Michael always had enormous enthusiasm – for horses, for Ireland and for Dubai. Nearly twenty years ago, he was the one who bought Kildangan Stud for me. He really loved the farm and it is fitting that he is going to be laid to rest in the graveyard at Kildangan.”

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horseracing Ireland said: “Michael Osborne was Ireland's foremost international racing figure of recent times. Over four decades he occupied every significant role in the Irish racing and breeding industries and set new standards of excellence in every position he filled. His outstanding quality was his ability to relate to and work with people of all ages and backgrounds. His unique talents and enthusiasm saw him succeed wherever he operated and throughout the racing and breeding world his legacy will endure for a very long time.

“He carried out all of his roles and responsibilities with characteristic integrity, good humour and modesty. Michael brought great distinction to Irish racing. Literally hundreds of people at senior levels of the racing and breeding industries worldwide owe their positions to Michael Osborne and the start that he gave them.

“Whilst his career records a lifetime of achievement, his loss will be most keenly felt by his family who have been a tower of strength through his recent illness. To his wife Ann, sons John and Joe, daughters Meta, Liz and Jennifer and his extended family - deepest sympathies.”

John Williams, former general manager at Spendthrift Farm who became a close friend of Michael Osborne and his family during their time in the US, said: “Michael was a lovely man – he meant so much to me and to so many people in the US and elsewhere. He touched so many, many people. The things he did just spread exponentially.

“I called him once when I needed help and he sent some people across to me who were just fantastic. In doing that, not only did he help me but he helped all of those people too and they went on to be very, very successful in the horse business. That’s the sort of man he was. He did amazing things for people.”

The funeral service for Michael Osborne will take place this evening (Thursday) with the remains arriving at St Brigid’s Church in Kildare at 7.30pm to be followed by Requiem Mass at 11am tomorrow (Friday).

Source: Dubai Racing Club media release

Whilst owners have every right to do as they wish with their horses it is perhaps a shame that Vengeance Of Rain's owner has opted for the stay-at-home approach rather than campaign the horse abroad in 2006.

In winning the World Racing Championship, Vengeance Of Rain didn't step out of Hong Kong on one occasion - this in complete contrast to what this Series was meant to be all about - and in an attempt to defend his title, his owner was recently quoted in The South China Morning Post as saying that he will again remain in Hong Kong. Such news is a shame for international racing and, in particular Hong Kong racing.

Home ground advantage is paramount in racing however the mark of a true champion is going beyond the boundaries and competing against the best and on their home turf. Cape Of Good Hope and Silent Witness have done it and it is a shame Vengeance Of Rain won't follow in their footsteps. While he was named World Racing Champion the crown perhaps does not sit too easily simply because he didn't campaign on the international circuit. Some will defend him, pointing out his victory in the QE II Cup in April (having Phoenix Reach, Elvstroem and Grand Armee behind him) before his recent success in the Hong Kong Cup, a race that saw the World Racing Championship title transferred from Epalo to Vengeance of Rain. However, the last two winners of the Series don't, I would humbly suggest, exactly fit into the same mould as those before them.

In the Series' inaugural year Daylami took the title. He ran in five different countries during that year and his record in races aligned with the World Racing Championship (then the Emirates World Series) was three runs in three countries for wins in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Fantastic Light took the title in 2000 and 2001, his first year saw him run in five countries running in four World Series races, finishing second in the King George, fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, third in the Japan Cup before his win in the Hong Kong Cup. In 2001 he ran in four countries and three World Series races finishing second in the King George before wins in the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders Cup Turf.

In 2002 Grandera ran in six countries and five World Series races, finishing fifth in the QE II Cup, won the Singapore Airlines International Cup, fifth in the King George, won the Irish Champion Stakes, third in the W.S. Cox Plate before his seventh in the Hong Kong Cup.

High Chaparral broke the Godolphin dominance in 2003 running in three countries and three World Series races. He won the Irish Champion Stakes, finished third in the Arc before his dead-heat win in the Breeders¹ Cup Turf.

And then came Epalo and Vengeance Of Rain.

Epalo ran four times in 2004 in three countries, two of these in World Racing Championship events, winning in Singapore before his third in the Arlington Million.

The World Racing Championship was forward thinking, in theory, however the last two winners have shown there are faults and this year it proves you can have a world champion without that horse leaving his home town.

If the Series continues in 2006, it could well happen again.

The IFHA is the single representative body for the global racing industry with membership comprising the racing authorities in over 50 countries, including all the main racing nations. It was formally established in 1993 to harmonize the rules of member countries regarding breeding and racing in order to maintain the integrity of each and protect the welfare of industry participants both human and equine. It now also elaborates common principles on wagering.

The IFHA has begin publishing the results of the world’s most important races on its website.

Who won the Kentucky Derby in 2004? Who was runner up in the Hong Kong Cup this year? Which jockey scored best at the main jump races in the UK in 2005? These and many more data on all the main races in each country, classified as Group I, II or III races, can from now on be obtained from one single source.

“We are very proud of this new feature”, explained Louis Romanet, IFHA President, “and we are exited to promote racing this way. Racing is becoming more and more international, not only by cross-border participation of horses and jockeys, but also by the worldwide increase in simulcasting. As this trend is likely going to continue, we believe our database is a just response to a growing need for international racing information by media, racing officials and fans.”

Carl Hamilton of The Jockey Club Information Systems in Kentucky has been in charge of the technical development of this new service. “It is a considerable task to gather information from so many different countries”, explained Hamilton, “Different data elements are collected and stored by various countries, therefore we have limited our global data to the first three finishers of a race - horses and jockeys - and some basic descriptive data regarding the race... We intend to update results each week. In addition, we also provide all the fixtures for 2006.”

“The Results & Fixtures Database has to be seen in conjunction with our World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings”, added IFHA Executive Director Maurits Bruggink, “Seen together, they will allow our visitors to better assess the performance of horses throughout the year.” Bruggink also emphasized that “..Despite making this historic data public, racing maintains its existing claims on intellectual property rights on race data.”

It's about this time of the year when everyone gets calendars landing on their desk. I've always thought that it's useful to add some commitments to them so they don't look quite so unblemished. The attached file contains the global thoroughbred sales dates for 2006 and will, I hope, be of some use to those of you who enjoy reading catalogues and poring over pedigrees (be they Australian, NZ, the US, South African, European ... or elsewhere). Enjoy. Sales%20Dates.pdf

Those of us attending the sales each year go with one thing - hope. With the chances of actually securing a profit on your investment a rather low percentage, the majority (although not saying so publicly for fear of being institutionalised) maintain the elusive dream - of winning the lottery and actually buying a horse that will eventually supply a win at the highest level. But do we have as much chance as any other, despite the money outlaid for yearlings?

Consider those - like us - who attend sales in the Northern Hemisphere, the same dreams are there only they have to contend with the might of Coolmore, the Maktoums, Juddmonte et al and the massive amounts paid for yearlings.

Surely the dream of purchasing a Group 1 winner against such might is virtually zero.

Or is it?

Attached is a list of the Group 1 winners in England/Ireland and France this year. What is interesting is those that were purchased at public auction. Does the more you pay give you the better chance of securing a win at Group 1 level? On this year’s results, maybe not. The attached Excel spreadsheet contains the following information for the 2005 season (April - November):

1. Race name and date
2. Winner's name
3. Purchase price/sale name
4. Sire
5. Country
6. Racecourse
7. Distance
8. Age
9. Race prize-money

Copyright vests in Athlone & Associates Ltd (just contact us if you wish to print it).

European%20Gr%201%20winners.xls

Writer's block. A curse if the truth be known. I'm not one that usually suffers this affliction but I confess I have contemplated this blog each day for the past week and wondered what to write (then remembered what my Mum always told us "If you have nothing important to say ... say nothing"). I have therefore been reliant on a few other writers and also the good old 'headline news' summaries to stave off complete silence.

Anyway, I assume (hope?!) the problem has more to do with factors apart from a reluctance to write per se. It has been a fantastic (albeit hectic) few weeks in Hong Kong with all the international visitors and clients in town. Add to that the fact that Athlone is busier than ever (we will be announcing some major news in conjunction with a major race club in a few short weeks so stay tuned) which always makes juggling hours a bit tricky. Nevertheless I have found a couple of things (and a spare hour) to post this evening so here goes:

First of all - I was (pleasantly) surprised at the "luck factor" in securing a photograph of a 2yo carving his way through the records at the moment - PULSATOR - at this year's Magic Millions sale. With the complementary news that his sire is blitzing his rivals on the first season sire charts - his progeny earning almost 5-times his nearest competitor (last weekend alone he had 3 runners in stakes races and all earned black type: BIG JOKER (Show A Heart-It's A Giggle, by Rory's Jester) runner-up by a half-neck in the Listed Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Randwick; MEL (Show A Heart-Hour, by Personal Hope) second in the Listed Meynink Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm; and BELLA HEART (Show A Heart-Magic Of Mackay, by Distinctly North) third in the Listed McDougall Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm) then it was even more pleasing.

I don't have any photos of MEL, but in addition to the photo I took of PULSATOR some months back I also have a photo of BIG JOKER as a yearling at the same sale PULSATOR was offered at.

At this point some would say "oh yes, I am such a good judge of a horse I photographed accordingly...". My response to that would be "yeah right". Securing a photo that you can then pull out of your hat some months later as if you had it planned all along is a simple case of luck - not talent.

Here's the photo of BIG JOKER anyway (top priced SHOW A HEART yearling at the 2005 sale; vendor Glenlogan Park; purchaser Nick Moratis; purchase price $240,000).

Today's post is contributed by Helen McDonald.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We really do love being at Massie Lodge. We have had some good soaking rain that has brought on good summer pickings for the horses; there really isn’t much to complain about. We barely tolerate the fact that ADSL, TVN are really never going to happen here, however, in saying that man did make it to the moon, so perhaps there is hope that one day, one of these little technological break-throughs will come to Massie Lodge - hopefully in our lifetime! There is even hope that one day Sky Racing and TVN will sort out their problems and Saturday racing will be a full afternoon’s entertainment and The Globe Derby broadcast as a fill in will be a thing of the past. Hmm.

One thing that has raised its ugly head to us recently which I believe is the scourge of the thoroughbred industry is “Non Payers”.

Now please, don’t get me wrong if people are genuine and upfront with their problems, then you don’t mind trying to work through the issues. However, when people are lying, using stalling tactics and being evasive that’s when it really presents itself as a problem. You are just trying to earn an income, (you know, put food on the table, or in the horses feed bowls), whilst they are trying to take advantage of you for reasons best known to themselves.

And then there are the others who have difficulties prioritising what or who need to get paid first. When they decide that paying off their super hotted up, 2005 version car is more important than a 3-month-old debt (which happens to be your income!), you know that there is trouble ahead.

It really is an ongoing important issue and one that has raised its ugly head to us in very recent times.

How does a small concern combat such a large issue? You would hope that the people involved in this industry know what sort of responsibility it is to own a thoroughbred be it a weanling, yearling, mare, in-training or retired horse. While the majority of people that we have come across in our time here at Massie Lodge are responsible owners, there is that niggling minority who feel that it is their right to withhold your income from you for all sorts of reasons best known to themselves.

Owners need to know what their budget limits are. Buying a horse, while very exciting is the cheap part of the deal! There is nothing like buying a wonderful yearling from the January sales and then embarking on what you are hoping is a great and exciting adventure. It can be! However, on the turn of a coin it can also be a nightmare that turns into a large, money spending exercise.

Most horses are remote from their owners – perhaps a lot of owners feel that they are not a committed part of their horse’s life? Perhaps its up to the spelling and agistment establishments to make the owners feel part of their horses life by regular correspondence, photos, encouraged visits etc? Perhaps there should be more “Client Relationship Managers” at establishments to make sure that owners and horses stay connected (and not just by the wallet!).

Is that the answer to non-payers? I don’t know. Perhaps more involvement will keep them motivated enough to keep paying their accounts?

Maybe education is the answer?

Perhaps there should be more owner education workshops where owners can experience not only the upside but also the downside to owning a horse before they actually make the commitment. Perhaps would be owners should visit establishments before their purchase and find out what needs to be done to look after a thoroughbred spelling, rehabilitating etc?

Commitment. It all comes down to commitment - that’s what owning a thoroughbred is in a nutshell.

I know that our agisters here at Massie Lodge will be sending their owners their very own special Christmas E-card (yes with tinsel and all the trappings!). Now, wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall when we dress them up in their Christmas outfits and take their picture?

lol

Helen McDonald

www.massielodge.com

www.gallopers.com.au

I've uploaded 3 photo galleries on the Athlone site for people interested in the Hong Kong Internationals 2005:

1) A morning at Shatin visiting champion NZ trainer Paul O'Sullivan's stables, Thursday 8 December 2005 [23 photos]

2) The Hong Kong International Sale, Saturday 10 December 2005 - horses plus some familiar and famous faces [17 photos]

3) The Kong Kong International Races, Sunday 11 December 2005 [20 photos]

Please note that all images are (c) Athlone & Associates Ltd (2005) and cannot be reproduced without prior written permission.

The Hong Kong International Raceday run at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday and in particular the $HK 10 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (G1) 1000m produced another outstanding result for the Australian breeding industry, with the first four placegetters in the Sprint all bred in Australia.

Natural Blitz (Maroof – Miiharo), bred in Western Australia by Gray and Jan Williamson, won the Group 1 sprint with a fine display of pure speed. Amongst the leading horses from the start, Natural Blitz was too strong for fellow Australian bred horses Planet Ruler (Danehill-Sequenza) second, Able Prince (Hurricane Sky – Queen’s Choir) third and Country Music (Danzero – Paris Nights) fourth in 57.60s.

Amazingly, all seven winners of the HK Sprint to date have been bred in Australia with current World Champion turf sprinter Silent Witness triumphing in 2004 – 2003, All Thrills Too in 2002, Falvelon in 2001 – 2000, and Fairy King Prawn in 1999. Such consistent results in one of the top sprint races in the world highlight the class of turf sprinter that is produced by the Australian breeding industry.

”Australian bred horses are consistently amongst the best turf sprinters in the world. People in the Northern Hemisphere have begun to accept that Australia offers one of, if not the best, source of speed in the world. Our horses are precocious, tough and above all fast,” said John Messara, Chairman of Aushorse.

(Aushorse media release)

The question many are asking is whether the 2005 HK Internationals were race commentator David Raphael's last in Hong Kong.


David Raphael (centre) with fellow expatriate race callers Murray Johnson (Japan)[left] and Arthur Cooper (France) [right].


The view from the Shatin commentary box.

All photos (c) Athlone & Associates Ltd 2005

I must convey my disappointment at the opinions expressed by John Messara (and supported by Slade Bloodstock) regarding the administration to racing thoroughbreds of "normalising" medication. That the expression itself should be brought into the Australian racing vernacular is distasteful enough - for high-profile (though only subsidiary) affiliates of the racing industry to actually condone the practice, and in so doing attempt to influence the governors of Australian horseracing, is reprehensible. To also thus imply that the standards set by those given the responsibility of ensuring the ongoing (and ameliorated) integrity of the nation's horseracing - the Stipendiary Stewards - are in some way flawed, and therefore detrimental to the industry, is transparent self-aggrandizement.

From all but the most mercenary of viewpoints, the practice of allowing horses to race when unfit (a rational assumption or presumably medication would not be required) must be regarded as objectionable, and would be considered entirely negligent within the Occupational Health And Safety guidelines of any other industry. It takes little imagination to foresee the bleak outcome for horseracing if any dire consequences of such a practice were to be placed in a legal framework (of course only licenced persons, the relevant authorities, and those responsible for introducing the medication would ultimately be vulnerable to litigation or prosecution - mere "opinion-makers" would remain, as always, immune). If the safety of those industry participants at greatest risk - the horses and riders - is to be given its rightful value, then the preparation and presentation of horses engaged to race must be free from the deceits of "patch-up" medication. Their welfare should not be compromised by the suppression of subclinical conditions, and the "masking" of known pathologies.

In a nation that prides itself on it's history of horsemanship, for industry "luminaries" to exploit the shortcomings of another country's racing enterprise (shortcomings their administrators are in the process of addressing), and to cloak their self-serving indignation beneath the mantle of altruism, is lamentable. It is equally unfortunate that these individuals should exhibit such disregard for the very raw material they purvey.

If the distinctions between right and wrong, legal and illegal, or improbity and morality need to be made, start by remembering the name "Savage Cabbage".

Malcolm L. Hayes.

E-Trakka is a new innovation in the science of training racehorses that inventor Andrew Stuart has spent more than a decade developing.

E-Trakka measures heart rate and velocity whilst the horse is in training in order to determine fitness. It utilises a GPS-based velocity meter coupled with a heart rate monitor embedded into a specially designed saddle blanket.

The ability to measure a horse's fitness during training is a valuable indicator of the horse's racing ability and a tool for the early detection of lameness, disease and poor physiological potential. Heart rate is a measurement that determines the capacity of an individual horse to perform in races and has been shown to have a high correlation with oxygen uptake. Oxygen uptake is the ultimate measure of aerobic energy supply, that shows the ability of the horse to use oxygen to support the demands of exercise.

The E-trakka comprises:

- A saddle blanket with a data processor which includes a heart-rate monitor, a GPS system, a processing unit and a radio modulator. The saddle blanket also contains the power source.
- Linked to the blanket are 2 electrodes which pick up the horse's heart-rate.
- A GPS antenna which fits into a pocket on the jockey's cap and links back to the blanket.
- A download modem and the software to interpret the information.
- Small 'on board' display panel which can alternately provide the jockey with a heart-rate reading or a velocity reading. This device can be mounted on the bridle between the horse's ears or worn on the jockey's arm or leg.

The saddle blanket contains a battery powered data processing unit. This processor consists of a heart-rate monitor, a GPS system, a small computer processing unit and a radio modulator.

Data is fed to the processor from the following sources:
- 2 electrodes which are placed on the horses body to measure heart-rate.
- An antenna in the jockey's cap with relays GPS information.

The GPS system in the blanket is used to calculate the velocity of the horse. It is also able to provide data on the position of the horse on the track.

The heart-rate and velocity readings are processed and relayed back to a trackside computer via the radio link. Specially designed software interprets the data to produce a fitness score through a specially devised equation:

Velocity/Heart-rate Max = Fitness Score

A low performing horse might have a fitness score around 45, and a high performing horse would be somewhere around 62 or 63.

This gives the trainer a simple scale for determining changes in the horse's level of fitness. At the end of the training session the computer compiles a second by second account of the horses performance. Changes in performance from one session to another can be easily tracked, alerting the trainer to early signs of illness.

TIMING: Because the GPS can provide information on the horse's location as well as its speed it is possible for the computer to give timings over certain parts of the course; the last 600m for example. This eliminates the need to try to clock the time with a stopwatch.

"SPEEDO": The saddle blanket also links to an 'on-board' readout for the jockey. This small device, mounted on the bridle or worn by the jockey can provide constantly updated readings for either velocity or heart-rate. The jockey can toggle between the two.

How does it prevent injury?

By first determining the average speed of a particular horse over a few training sessions you will come up with data and a fitness score that represents 'normal' performance for that horse.

Small variations in this performance can then be statistically analysed. If the horse's performance drops it could be an early indication that the horse has an illness or may be starting to go lame. For example a higher heart-rate at a certain speed would indicate the horse is having to work harder, so there may be something wrong. Physical signs of lameness, i.e. hobbling, would only develop a couple of weeks later, by which time the injury might be much more serious and difficult to treat.

E-Trakka is, I have to say, pretty amazing, and for those that think this has the potential to be just another 'fad' it's worth noting that the project has also involved input from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), The University of Sydney Veterinary School ( Associate Professor Dr David Evans) and Nature Vet through its High Performance Technology company (NVHPT).

The product will be officially launched at the Magic Million Sales on the Gold Coast in January 2006. The product has already been featured on ABC TV.

If you want to check out the catalogue (pedigrees and photos ... as an aside, given the amount of grass in evidence it is fair to say that these photographs were taken prior to the horses arriving in Hong Kong!) or even watch the action live tomorrow (from 8.30pm Sydney/Melb time; 6.30pm Qld time) then you can do so by browsing the sale page on the HKJC website at the following URL.

A must read article is Max Presnell's "Pass the sick bag, here comes the AJC's annual report" in today's Sydney Morning Herald:

"V'Landys spins well on a statistical pitch. Average field sizes are up, he says, but he doesn't mention the spate of fields in town with fewer than the vital eight starters. More horses are racing, he adds, but why the drought in town? Why Black Wednesday at Randwick with only six events?

Most would agree there is just too much racing. This week Wednesday at Randwick, Thursday Wyong, Friday Randwick, Saturday Rosehill, and Sunday Gosford. Why wasn't the Randwick midweek dropped?

Because racing, under an agreement with the TAB, must supply "product", a word which reduces a wonderful sport to a can of baked beans."

Full article at following URL.

The Unison (Ireland) carried yesterday's glaring headline "Tax Break Chopped".

It's an issue we've written about before (see following link) but I confess it is quite remarkable to see that it has finally been implemented; an indication of the EU's maturing approach to anti competitive conduct I suspect.

According to the Unison article, "breeders are being given a two-and-a-half year hiatus before the abolition of the controversial horse and greyhound stud fee tax exemption in July 2008."

Full article at the following URL (please note this is a registration based newspaper).

Iskander Racing have announced the registered purchaser of a yearling by Honours List at the 2006 Magic Millions Sale will receive a million dollar bonus from Iskander Racing if the yearling wins the 2007 Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic.

In a formal press release Sheriff Iskander, Managing Director of Iskander Racing stated that “The million dollar bonus is an incredible incentive to catch the notice of buyers who may not readily recognise the name Honours List."

Lucrative bonuses seem popular at the moment. Scone-based Kitchwin Hills introduced the concept when they recently announced a major incentive for all breeders sending mares to Dane Shadow (Danehill-Slight Chance, by Centaine) in his first season at stud. Every foal in Dane Shadow's 1st crop will be eligible to race for bonuses worth $700 000 to be shared equally between the owner, breeder & trainer. A $100,000 bonus will apply to each of the season-opening 2YO races in 2008 at Royal Randwick in Sydney: the Gimcrack Stakes for fillies & Breeders Plate for the males; in addition, if 1 of Dane Shadow's progeny wins the 2009 Golden Slipper, a $500,000 bonus will also apply.

Looking for a copy?

Click here.

Yes, it's Wednesday night and Happy Valley will be aglow beneath the myriad lights and the buzz of the crowd attending the International Jockey Championships. The phone has been running hot - the international media have arrived, the racing fans are here as well, and anyone who's interested in racing is at the track.

Right?

Well, sort of.

It's FREEZING out there tonight - Hong Kong doing a fantastic job of matching "damn cold" to the Christmas spirit in this Asian haven this week - temperatures not much above 10 degrees for the past few days.

Given the social events that mark the calendar for the next 6 days I have therefore chosen to spend tonight watching the races over the Internet and fielding the (increasingly) irate calls from those who are wondering where I am (given I live here I guess it is a fair enough question!)

I will be at Shatin at 7am tomorrow morning - and again on Saturday and all day Sunday ... so forgive me the need to sit by the heater and try and warm up tonight!


Image: Happy Valley race track (c) Athlone & Associates Ltd

I have never met - or indeed directly corresponded - with the blogger I am about to mention. Nevertheless, by far the best US racing blog would have to be the one penned by Jessica Chapel who runs the Railbird site. Railbird was actually the first thoroughbred-related blog I stumbled across some months after I established Athlone's. Many blogs have added themselves to that list since then but Jessica has managed to keep hers going for 18 months with barely a day's break. Athlone's blog is only 8 week's younger than Jessica's and I well appreciate the time and discipline involved with daily research and written updates over such an extended period of time (particularly when we do it for the love of it not the money). As I have been heard to remark to more than one person: "you think marriage is difficult? Try keeping a blog up to date and see where you are after 12 months!"

I spoke of podcasting the other week and I note that Jessica has also mentioned it in a post on the subject. She goes on to mention an interesting marketing initiative attached to the sale of Ashado (a perfect example of highly targeted customer segmentation) and she also mentions an excellent thoroughbred site that speaks to the heart of what makes blogging so successful as well - the personal insights.

If you have an interest in US racing - Railbird is a site well worth bookmarking.

The following feedback was submitted by a high profile owner/breeder in Australia. They have asked for their name not to be disclosed:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I wished to make a few comments about Messara's response to your piece re Lasix/bleeders.

Messara criticises the rules of racing for not providing a clear policy statement about drugs. I should have thought that the rules is the last place one should find a policy statement. They are simply the rules, not a mission statement or the reasons or policies behind the rules. Policy is more the province of the ARB or Racing NSW or Victoria or some body like that. A small point, but he makes the criticism and it is an unwarranted one.

He talks of "normalising" drugs. However, he doesn't define what he considers a normalising drug to be. If a horse has an injury or a naturally occurring condition which would cause it to run slower than normal, or not be able to compete at all, then Messara's "normalising" drug which enables it to compete is in fact a "go fast" drug, because the horse wouldn't be able to go that fast without the drug.

Racing, like the Olympics, is about who is the fastest horse on a level playing field i.e. without the assistance of drugs. One of Sunline's great attributes was her soundness which enabled her to race Autumn and Spring for many seasons. Conversely, Kingston Town's "achilles heel" as it were, was his unsoundness.

If a horse is predisposed to bleeding which affects its athletic performance, then that horse either should not compete or, if he does compete, should have to deal with the naturally occurring affliction from which he suffers. Sunline didn't bleed, didn't go sore, could stand the rigors of tough G1 racing year in, year out. That's why she was a champion, and other less robust horses were/are not

A thing which you might like to investigate is the potential masking capabilities of procaine, his so called "normalising" drug. Masking drugs are a scourge of all sports.

Messara doesn't explain why he considers it illogical to for the detection level to automatically become the reporting level. That's the criterion for the Olympics. Why shouldn't it be the criterion for horses ?

In describing the effects of Lasix, he puts his foot in it. If 70% of horses bleed, then bleeding is normal. A horse who copes well with the condition normally runs faster than a horse who doesn't. Administering Lasix creates an entirely abnormal situation.

It's analogous to that fact that lots of human athletes suffer from lactic acid build up on exertion. Coping with lactic acid build up is part of the sporting endeavour. Giving every human a "milkshake" to delay the onset of and reduce the incidence of lactic acid build up would be to abnormalise the situation.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

More feedback (another person wishing to remain anonymous) as follows:

I wonder if Messara's views re Lasix have been coloured by the fact that he paid $3M for Alinghi who is a bleeder ?

Lasix has done nothing to improve field sizes in America - they are smaller now than they were prior to its introduction.

If we follow the States, we just end up with all our horses running on Lasix and Bute. Why not have 'em all running without it instead ? That's gotta be better for the horses, hasn't it ?

Bute is a painkiller. All it does is allow a horse to perform to its optimum - it doesn't make him go any faster. What's the difference between permitting a horse with a puncture wound to be treated with something which allows him to run when he would otherwise be scratched and permitting a horse with chronic knee problems to be treated with Bute and run in the same race ?

Neither is having his performance enhanced.

Next thing you know, you've got trainers running 2yos on Bute to cover up shin soreness and all manner of things.

Allowing that doesn't assist in maintaining horse and jockey safety.

A horse who sick or injured to the point where he cannot race without some chemical assistance shouldn't race at all. By all means give him the chemical assistance he needs to get over whatever it is that ails him, but don't make him run while he is getting over it. If the injured horse could talk and you asked him if he wanted to run when he sick or sore, I have a fair idea what his answer would be. Then again, I guess most horses would give the same answer all the time, sick or not.

My view is we are best served by ensuring no cracks in our anti drug bulwark.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Let's have a brief look at some of the headlines in recent days:

A savvy reflection on the role that fate plays in this billion dollar industry of ours was covered by Tony Arrold's piece in The Australian titled "Group I winner cost just $500":

"Bloodstock markets may well be boiling along in major trading centres around the globe but the Group I Avondale Jockey Club's Avondale Gold Cup in New Zealand last week provided a healthy reminder that the market is fair to all.

Creil proved that conclusively when she won the honours for owners who paid just $500 for her in a private paddock deal."

Meanwhile, the trainer that a journalist recently termed 'colourful' (see previous post) has had a "sizzling campaign" according to The Canberra Times.

"Out of the 17 horses that I raced over the weekend 13 have brought home cheques," [Barbara] Joseph said.

The Sydney Morning Herald had a few good tales. There was the story penned by Max Presnell on the 41-year old apprentice jockey:

"Life begins at 40, but not usually for apprentice jockeys. One in particular, with a limited degree of separation from Phar Lap, is breaking new turf.

Mother-of-two Sheree Drake, 42, began race riding last year at an older age than Darren Beadman is now.

Now, you may figure Drake is some near-granny who wants to shed the shackles of housework, but her record shows she is an emerging talent. Since last August she has kicked home 95 winners, albeit mainly on country tracks and Toowoomba in Queensland."

There was also the article by James Chessell on "Singo and his birds and pigs" which looks (perhaps not surprisingly given the story's title) at how "a couple of miniature pigs came to be running around the $8 million home [of the famous Adman] a couple of months ago" and how "birds [the feathered kind] have been a lifelong fascination". Speaking of Singleton, he's been replaced by Adam Sangster as the keynote speaker at the Breeder of the Year function, which will be held on the Monday following the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races on December 11 in Hong Kong. Whether this is because Singleton isn't now available or because the Sangster family's Swettenham Stud is now a sponsor for the function is unclear. Whilst on the subject of the Hong Kong Breeders Group, they were recently away signing more cheques - 13 well-bred mares from Goffs to be precise. Most mares will reportedly be served by "the club's dual-hemisphere Danehill stallion, Danroad, at Hedgeholme Stud in County Durham, Ireland".

In Australia, the ongoing TV broadcast saga continues to make life difficult for punters. Roy Masters covered that in a story in The Age:

""When this is all over, I'm going to write a book called Bastards I Have Met," says NSW Australian Hotels Association boss John Thorpe, referring to the bitter saga of televising thoroughbred racing in Australia. The conflict between long-term racing broadcaster Sky Channel and the industry-owned newcomer ThoroughVision (TVN) is draining the financial reserves of race clubs, eroding the profits of pubs and clubs and infuriating punters".

Whilst punters gnash teeth, Racing Victoria CEO Robert Nason gave his views on a number of current issues in the Industry on Sky Racing's Racing Retro Program. Topics included TVN (which he still supports), Betfair (Nason broadly explained how the new Race Fields legislation in Victoria should work for the industry) as well jockey safety and compulsory barrier trials for unraced two years old in Victoria. All that in just 90 seconds!!

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "Afleet Alex, who provided one of the memorable moments in thoroughbred horse-racing history when he overcame a near spill to capture the Preakness Stakes, then went on to win the final leg of the Triple Crown, has been retired from racing ... Afleet Alex made his mark not just on the track. His owners aligned with Alex's Lemonade Stand, and suddenly a charity started by a little girl with cancer received nationwide exposure a year after her death." The million dollar question: where will Afleet Alex stand at stud, has yet to be answered. Managing partner Chuck Zacney told the New York Times: "We pretty much turned everybody down because we planned to race him next year. Now we have to start from ground zero."

The Sunday Telegraph (UK) reported that "P&O agreed to enter the stable of Dubai Ports World, backed by the horse-loving Sheikh Mohammed, for pounds 3.3bn - a premium of 46 per cent to the share price when the offer was made just over a month ago."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Craig Young told the story of the "Journeyman [who] finds his way 'home'" - a name many thought had left the training ranks - only to return in fine style over the weekend:

"There was a time when Kerry Walker was a major player in the Sydney training ranks.

Back in the 1980s and early 90s Walker trained a team of 40-odd horses at Rosehill and bookmakers shook when this guy had a bet.

A down-to-earth, knockabout bloke, Walker went walkabout, off the beaten track . . . but the man is back. Back training winners, like Piculet which lobbed in time to score yesterday."

In the US the New York Daily News covered the results of The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association listing of U.S. graded stakes for 2006:

"The Committee reviewed 734 unrestricted U.S. stakes races with a purse of at least $75,000, and assigned graded status to 475 of them, eight more than were graded in 2005. Eleven races were upgraded, making for four new Grade I races and seven new Grade IIs; 12 new Grade III races were identified. One race that carried Grade III status in 2005 is no longer eligible for grading."

The man who has spent his career whispering to horses - all 60,000 of them apparently - has his latest book on the shelves in time for Christmas. Reviewer Paul Delean of The Gazette says that the interest in the book is not the horses - "there are too many of them ... The author's own life and character are much more compelling. Roberts, now 70, won the first of countless horsemanship trophies at the age of 4..." (did you know that Monty Roberts also used to choose Frank Sinatra's thorougbreds?)

Still in the US and Associated Press Wires had the news that the longtime head of two state agencies set up to help the thoroughbred racing industry - William Levin, 83 - has pleaded guilty to stealing tens of thousands of dollars for himself and another former executive from the New York State Thoroughbred Capital Investment Fund.

Various journalists at the South China Morning Post upped the ante this week with the number of stories they were putting to press. As a lead in to the Jockey Championships this Wednesday evening we were privy to stories of the French jockey Olivier Doleuze "who has a smile that can light up a room, and a personality that can soften the most stony heart. But once he's legged up onto a thoroughbred, Olivier Doleuze is an uncompromisingly professional" and the Master himself, Felix Coetzee who "will be known forever as the partner of Hong Kong's greatest horse ever, the world champion Silent Witness." We also had some pre-sale PR to tempt the public out to Shatin this Saturday to see the 30-or so horses sold in the country's only thoroughbred auction. You do have to love the tinge of communist PR however: "When the sale was opened to the public for the first time last year, the atmosphere was electric. The crowd cheered like football fans as the thoroughbreds went under the hammer, particularly for those horses that topped $6 million."

The PR didn't stop there - we were reminded that International week in HK is a "week-long fiesta of fun and glamour" and "Hong Kong people are learning how to party seriously". Well, one thing is true - you may want to consider packing your thermals - it's certainly cold up here at the moment. If you are here for a few days ensure you grab dinner on Kowloon side (harbour front) to watch the laser show over the skyline at 8pm. But be clear about one thing, despite the SCMP journalist's attempt at hype - we don't actually need it - Hong Kong has always known how to party (and hard).

A long way South - in New Zealand - The Press in Christchurch reported that: "New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's (NZTR) chief racecourse inspector John McKenzie is compiling a report on swabbing at trials. This will include policy recommendations on future swabbing at trials. The NZTR Racing Integrity sub-committee and Dr Murray Blue are to meet with the Racing Board to discuss the recommendations."

Back in Australia and Les Young from The Sportsman was as puzzled as the next person over the breeding of Double Portion who won the QTC Queensland Cup.

"The identity of his sire Tokyo Gold was a mystery to most but a little investigation revealed a horse with a quality pedigree if not the performance to go with it... Double Portion comes from a tiny five-foal second crop by his sire who to 2004 had covered just 47 mares over six seasons and has only 21 living foals."

Across to the US again and the New York Daily News reported that "The scheduled auction this weekend of 19 vintage race track paintings owned by the cash-strapped New York Racing Association has been nixed following pressure from watchdogs." No doubt there will be a few CFO's doing the Maths again. They were hoping for US$1.3 million apparently ...

Speaking of money, did you know that "Makybe Diva's accolade as the world's best mare and highest-rated stayer over 2700 metres is unlikely to raise her stud value in Australia?" So says the connections - faithfully reported by The Advertiser last week.

"It's nice to be recognised but whether or not it makes a lot of difference I'm not sure," Santic's racing manager Kevin Williams said. "Any foals out of Makybe Diva will be sold locally so they'll be sold on her reputation.

"It (the rating) might help overseas but not in Australia, I don't think."

Williams said connections were in no hurry to select the prime blood lines to put to Makybe Diva. Independent blood stock assessors have tipped Australia's greatest racehorse since Phar Lap would be worth $50 million at stud".

Did someone say AUD$50 million???

Good grief.

Comments on John Messara's letter (see post below) as follows:

"We support John Messara on his stance" Slade Bloodstock

My post about medicating horses has raised a fair bit of feedback (The original post can be accessed at the following URL).

One of the letters I received was from John Messara, Arrowfield Stud Principal and Chairman of AUSHORSE. John has kindly allowed me to print his correspondence in full (see below).

If you wish to add your thoughts to the debate please feel free to do so by sending an email to info@AthloneAssociates.com. I am happy to post your comments on an anonymous basis - although if John Messara is willing to stand behind what he says in a public forum - then others should as well.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Katrina

A piece in your latest publication has prompted me to drop you a note about medication and racehorses.

As I see it, the medication rules in Australia should be framed to serve the stakeholders. So, we should look for them to give us:

(1) a high standard of welfare for the horse and of safety for the jockey,

(2) a level playing field for race participants with the consequential benefits for betting and therefore industry revenues, and

(3) the ability for racehorse owners to optimise returns on their substantial investment and running costs while protecting the integrity of racing.

I believe that while objectives (1) and (2) above are possibly being pursued in Australia, objective (3) has been well nigh neglected by racing administrators due to the current environment, where the very use of the word “medication” conjures the perception of criminal behaviour. I believe this is simply because racing administrators lack leadership on the matter and seem to have passed on all responsibilities for policy making in this area to stipendiary stewards and analysts.

In fact, the Rules of Racing do not provide a clear policy statement outlining the aims and objectives of drug-testing. The Rules simply define prohibited substances and indicate how a breach of the Rules will be handled.

Why, for example, should we not be able to administer a “normalising” drug to a racehorse at any time? Why would not such a policy be good for racing and good for ownership. Currently, for example, a puncture wound in a racehorse within 2 or 3 weeks of racing cannot be treated with the cheapest and most effective medication - procaine penicillin and gentamycin; Why - because of the ability of analysts to detect the procaine within 21 days of administration, often forcing owners to scratch their horse from a race for which he has been prepared, perhaps for months? Yet procaine (a local anaesthetic) would have zero impact on the horse’s performance.

If the labs can learn ways to detect procaine within 60 days of administration, will this mean that the horses will not be able to race for such a period? Can someone please explain the logic behind these rules. Are they just driven by developments in chemical analysis! Who cares how long it takes to detect, if procaine has no impact on the horse’s performance. Surely, it is illogical for the “detection level” to automatically become the “reporting level” except in the case of illicit substances. We must have reasonable tolerances for all drugs, to avoid punishing connections for inconsequential readings.

I am not speaking here of allowing trainers to administer go-fasts or go-slows; I am speaking of living in the real world where mishaps occur with horses all the time which need treatment, at no cost to the integrity of racing but such that minimum interruption occurs to a horse’s racing program. After all, therapeutic, or normalising, drugs do not affect the way a horse performs but merely ensure that he performs at his optimum in a race. For god’s sake, let’s take a commonsense approach and give owners a chance. We are worried about field sizes, and yet we do everything to disqualify horses from racing.

I am all for level playing fields and clean racing, but it seems to me that in the medication issue we have forgotten the owner’s and horse’s interests – yet they are the ones who actually put on the show!

I note your argument about US racing and bleeders perpetuating a weakness in the breed. The fact is that it has now been proven that approximately 70% of horses bleed within their respiratory tracts during/after strenuous exercise (“Equine Sports Medicine”, 2004). What Lasix can do is assist this syndrome not to characterise itself in sub-standard athletic performance - again, I ask what’s wrong with this from an owner’s perspective if, like America, it is fully transparent and declared at acceptance time.

So there – I now have all this off my chest.

Keep up the good work.

John Messara

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

John sent a follow up email to my response (see below) "Thanks for your note, but I do think that we are somewhat at cross purposes. My point is that we have to reduce the attrition rate or risk our industry becoming the domain of only the very rich. I maintain that we can do this by allowing only therapeutics or "normalizing" drugs. Let us have the courage to be positive and allow our administrators to use their discretion. It need not be a slippery slope or a US model - all I am seeking is a common sense approach."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear John

Debating drug use in sport is a bit like debating religion or politics I suspect, but for the record here are my views on the subject:

I hold true to the belief that it should be 'all in' or 'all out'. As soon as we start defining distinctions between what is - or what is not - acceptable then the door is open to potential abuse; the 'Slippery Slope' argument if you will. A case in point (similar to your procaine eg. - but at the other end of the scale) are anabolic steroids. Contrary to popular belief steroids don't make an athlete run faster - what they do is allow he/she to train much harder. But should the fact that they don't actually enhance race day performance mean an athlete should be able to use them? Of course not. The 'stakeholders' in professional sport have ably demonstrated over the years how easily the health of an athlete can be subsumed to the requirements of sponsors, the countries fielding the athletes, and indeed the coach. I therefore think the Olympics model has a lot to be said for it.

I fail to see how American racing is the pinnacle to which we should aspire. Where is the evidence that Lasix has improved the size of race fields or the overall quality of the horse in the US?

I accept your argument that race rules in a number of jurisdictions have science rather that the voice of the stakeholder overseeing the rule books. Ultimately we rely on science, accepting that that too can change as greater knowledge is acquired. So yes, in that situation we are always at the mercy (for want of a better word) of scientific developments. What happens when drug labs can test substances 60 days out? Using your influence you will perhaps have to champion a debate on the subject with the various racing bodies and see what rules evolve as I agree with you - if we run the 'all out' argument to its logical conclusion then a lab could potentially allow no horses onto a track because the horse had a course of antibiotics when it was a foal! One assumes logic will have some role at that point as regards number of days pre-race that a horse needs to have no drugs in its system.

Australia does appear to have a history of following the US lead - albeit some years later - we have seen this in business and also in legal developments. I seriously hope we don't pursue their racing model in terms of medication however. I don't want to see the day where horses are on bute to disguise shin soreness or other issues, or are racing within a week of having penicillin, or Lasix is the 'standard'. For what good? For the jockeys, the horses - and ultimately for the owners and trainers John - this is hardly something I see as raising the bar in the sport. There are enough 'grey areas' already - as you would expect when there is as much money floating around as there is.

I am the first to say that standards - like laws - should be regularly revisited, debated - and changed if there is a compelling case to do so. That's the nature of democracy. I just fail to see how in this case there is any evidence to support the fact that the Australian racing industry should be waving the US flag.

With best wishes
Katrina

Show a Heart continues to achieve at the top of the first season sire list. Yesterday the Glenlogan Park stallion had the distinction of siring the quinella in the 2yo handicap at Eagle Farm - the winner MEL (unbeaten in 2 starts) and BELLA HEART running second (in just her first start).

Meanwhile another Show A Heart 2yo - PULSATOR - who was purchased by Gai Waterhouse for $200,000 at this year's Magic Millions Premier sale won his 2nd barrier trial on Friday by 7 lengths in the fastest time of the day. His first barrier trial win was also the fastest 2yo trial of the day. All going well, Gai plans on running him first up in the listed $100,000 Strawberry Hill Slipper next week, before heading to the MM with him. The full brother to PULSATOR (ex Goodness) will be offered at the 2006 January sale.


PULSATOR (Show a Heart ex Goodness) at 2005 Magic Millions Premier Yearling Sale (image (c) Athlone & Associates Ltd)

Everyone knows Homer Simpson, yes? Good, then you'll probably also be familiar with his well known expression DOH!

The Darley Group could surely be excused for saying DOH! (or the Arabic equivalent) after they bought BACK Alkaased (last weekend's record breaking G1 Japan Cup winner) for a reported sum of £10m.

And why the exclamation of frustration? Well, there's the small matter of the price differential ...

A story in The Yorkshire Times explains it beautifully:

"Meet the £10m super-stallion. This is Alkaased, who is believed to have brought his Yorkshire owner the phenomenal sum of £10m with his sale to one of the world's top studs.

And for Mike Charlton, the Hull-born businessman behind the deal, the sale is particularly sweet – because he's just sold Alkaased back to the family he bought him from originally for just £42,000.

Mr Charlton, now based in Monte Carlo, struck gold when he bought Alkaased in 2003. He purchased the horse for £42,000 from Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, a member of the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates, and yesterday completed the sale of Alkaased back to the Maktoum family's Darley Stud for an undisclosed sum but one which could approach £10m.

Alkaased, bought by the Sheikh as yearling for $325,000, won for the first time at Ripon in August 2003, when he started at odds of 1-8, but then finished only second in a handicap at Leicester and it was decided he was not up to the required standard. Mr Charlton stepped in to buy him and last Saturday, with jockey Frankie Dettori wearing the red-and-black colours of Mr Charlton's house at Hull Grammar School, he earned £1.4m by winning the Japan Cup – a race which carries over £4m in total prize-money – in record time.

Earlier this year he won over £200,000 for victory in the Grand Prix de St Cloud in Paris. The Darley operation is the breeding arm of the massive world-wide racing empire owned by the Maktoum family and Alkaased will stand at stud in Japan".

Full story at the following URL.

A company called Alternate Racing Queensland has told ABCOnline that it has been given conditional approval by the State Government to use country race tracks for barrier trials and races. The fourth code allows breeds other than thoroughbreds to race distances as short as 300 metres.

Full story at the following URL.

On a scale of 1-10 for improbability (with 10 being "no chance") what odds would you take of the Group 1 winning sire Snowland ever coming up against one of his offspring on the race track in future years?

The 1st draft of Snowland yearlings will be sold at 2006 sales (13 are catalogued for the January Magic Millions sale and 5 for the Inglis Classic Sale). Meanwhile the million dollar earner (now 6yo) is back in training following fertility problems.

We're probably looking at an 8 or 9 for the chances of it ever happening, but even so ...

At the 50th Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism, Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend writer Amanda Hooton won the award for best coverage of sport for her story "Takeover target".

According to the Walkleys site:

"Amanda Hooton told the rags-to-riches story of Takeover Target, a temperamental horse with bung knees bought for only $1400 but on his way to becoming a racing legend.

Following Hooton's story, Takeover Target won the Salinger Stakes - 'the Melbourne Cup of sprint races'.

The Good Weekend story was a wonderful piece about the passion that drives racing and the relationship between a battling trainer and his horse.

Hooton's first job in journalism was for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh.

She has been a staff writer at Good Weekend since 1999. This is her first Walkley win.

Judges' comments

A compelling read and delightfully engaging from the opening paragraph. Hooton perfectly captured the relationship between Takeover Target and trainer Joe Janiak. In lesser hands the story might have lapsed into sentimentality, but she kept it light and real."

Best Mate, winner of the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 2002, 2003 and 2004, will be honoured with a life size bronze at Cheltenham race course (the bronze will be a replica of the one which has been completed for the Village Green at Lockinge). Renowned equine sculptor Philip Blacker has been approached to complete the project.

In addition to the bronze the champion hurdler will also have his ashes buried behind the winning post at the course. Best Mate died after collapsing at Exeter - the same day Makybe Diva won her third Melbourne Cup.

Speaking with European Bloodstock News Jim Lewis, the owner of Best Mate, said “Best Mate became the ‘people’s champion.’ They loved him and he loved them. He will be at rest, at the scene of his greatest triumphs.”

Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse added: “One cannot overstate the contribution Best Mate has made to the wellbeing of our sport and, as the highest achieving champion since Arkle, he will continue to witness the race he made his own.”

Who knows if the following are truth or fiction but for those that feel like reading about some strange horse-related laws - the following website may be of interest.

"[It was a] scarcely believable day's trading in which the European record for turnover at a single session was left looking like loose change - the new mark is 21,060,500gns, a remarkable total, up 47% on the same day 12 months ago (albeit an extra 44 horses were offered). One Tattersalls' auctioneer summed up events when he said, "I've never known a sale like it", and, while yesterday's session offered the best horses in the catalogue, an average of just under 100,000gns tells its own story." European Bloodstock News

'Buoyancy' and 'money' have to be two words synonomous with any description of the current bloodstock markets - sort of makes me wish I had an economics background so I could do some side analysis of world political trends and money markets so I could wave a wand and suggest how the thoroughbred industry will continue to fare in the next few years. Alas economics and I never got on particularly well at school so I will need to leave that crystal ball gazing to one of the experts.

However you look at it though, the Tattersalls results off the back of the Keeneland breeding sale results suggest only one thing - the mood is good. The Tattersalls press release says it all:

"The Tattersalls December Sales concluded with 227 fillies and mares selling for 1,728,000 guineas at an average of 7,612 guineas and a median of 5,500 guineas which pushed turnover for the four day December Mare Sale to an astonishing 46,525,800 guineas, 46% up on last year's total for the 901 lots sold, and 20% higher than the previous record sale in 2003. The average rose 21% to 51,638 guineas whilst the median rose 16% to 22,000 guineas. The turnover for the two week long December Sale, encompassing yearlings, foals and breeding stock realised a record 74,156,000 guineas, up 40% on last year's sale and 17% on the record 2003 sale.

Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented: "Coming into the December Sale we had already enjoyed an exceptional year, but nothing prepared us for the frenzied demand for the breeding stock which has rounded off 2005 in such spectacular fashion. We were confident that we had a good solid catalogue, although perhaps a little short of being a truly vintage one, but the level of trade this week has been truly astounding.

"The strong yearling and foal sales clearly engendered huge confidence in the buyers, but the key to the pre-eminence of the Tattersalls December Sale is its ability to attract a global buyer base like no other sale. The sheer number of people at Park Paddocks this week has been phenomenal and the demand, both domestic and international, has been unrelenting."

Australian and NZ buyers included Kieran Moore, John Foote, Paul Moroney, Damon Gabbedy, Bruce Perry and Ric Wylie.