International Racing

Thanks a million for this clip, Cyc. Ourasi, what a champion trotter he was. He could win any way you like, from the back, from the front, often racing 4 or 5 wide all the way, any way you like, all the same to him and his driver, Jean-Réne Gougeon. It is sad that this great standardbred was such a flop at stud. Something was wrong which could not be corrected, and he produced just 38 foals in total, not one of which was a patch on him. Ourasi died in January, 2013; a sad day for European harness racing. Here's a clip of his first Prix d'Amerique win in 1986:

............and here's a nice little clip entitled "Ourasi - The Last Emperor Of France"...........doesn't matter about the language, the pictures speak for themselves.

 

We had a cracking race in the Inter Dominion Pacing Final in Western Australia last night. Hectorjayjay and Smolda, the best Kiwi to come out of that country in a number of years, came to town to rock n roll. Others were there to party as well. It was a tough old affair alright.

Scroll down to Gloucester Park race 8.

http://www.harness.org.au/video-replays.cfm

 

Wow, great race Cyc, many thanks!

 

Oh yes, I noticed on the list of harness racing venues, Swan Hill (Victoria), now that would be a nice track to visit...

 

I could only find last year's Swan Hill Cup Swanny. It was a real charge of the Light Brigade down the straight. The winner was Minnie Downs, in the pink cap and hood. She settled last and came down the outside fence. Just fast forward to the race.

 

Today in Hong Kong we saw the running of the 23 million HK dollar (2,350,000 pound) G1 Hong Kong Mile. There only appeared three live chances in the race, last year's winner Able Friend at about 9-4, Helene Paragon 4.9-1 and Beauty Only at 5-1.

http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=replay-full&date=20161211&no=07&lang=eng

 

Also over night Frankel scored his first G1 winner in Japan with SOUL STIRRING:

 

That was a really nice win Princess, he was bolting coming to the corner.

 

Again at Hong Kong today we saw the G1 Hong Kong Cup over the 2000. Five time G1 winner and Japan hero, Maurice went into the race with Ryan Moore in the plate. He started in the red. The only two others below 10-1 were Designs On Rome and the bold front running A Shin Hikari. Both Maurice and Designs On Rome missed the start and settled well back.

http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=replay-full&date=20161211&no=08&lang=eng

 

The big staying race of the day at Hong Kong was the G1 Hong Kong Vase over the 2400m trip. The twos on shot for the event was the O'Brien, Moore ridden Highland Reel. He pretty much stifled the betting, with nothing else below 10-1. A fitting finish to the race with the best two riders in the world Moore & Moreira, showing their class. Highland Reel in the usual Purple & White, Japan's Satono Crown (No4) is in the Green & Yellow, midfield on the fence.

http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=replay-full&date=20161211&no=04&lang=eng

 

The G2 Villiers Stakes over 1600m in Sydney today. The track was heavy which played into the hands of the more dour types. The winner Sense Of Occasion lobbed along at the tail of the field, but powered between runners to prove too strong. He started at 30-1.

http://racing.racingnsw.com.au/Free...ategory=Professional&VideoFileType=FullReplay

 

To the good folk of the UK, I suppose anything anywhere else is International, even outback Queensland. So this is a good a place to post the following. One Ben Currie, a local trainer from Toowoomba, a little West Of Brisbane, has been ordered to face the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission after one of his charges had tested positive to Ice. The 5 year old mare, the aptly named Party Till Dawn returned a positive test to Methamphetamine in a race last June. Mr Curry will also stated that he'd appeal a $6,000 fine administered after another of his horses tested positive to a synthetic steroid last April.

 

There's some serious money in Hong Kong racing. Today's G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy was valued at EU367,000. The winner Amazing Kids was ridden by the brilliant Joao Moreira. He's in the pink and blue cap and pink sleeves. He stopped the clock in an amazing 55:90 for the 1000m


http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=replay-full&date=20170108&no=03&lang=eng

 

UK racing is not International for you guys, but as it us for the rest of us, I though I'd stick in one of my favourite UK wins. He's in the white with black sleeves. Early in the race, he only has a few a few behind him. He doesn't get a mention until he strolls up behind the leaders. Amazing stuff.

 

In winning the world's richest race last March, the Dubai World Cup, California Chrome pretty much assured himself a second visit to the USA Horse Of the Year feed bag. After winning the award in 2014, he again took top honours for 2016. The chestnut's mighty win in the World Cup is below. He's drawn one from the outside and is in grey. He's hunted out and trapped deep the whole trip. Brilliant effort by a worthy champion.

 

A bit late with this, but last Sunday the G1 Hong Kong Classic run over the metric mile saw a cracking filed of four olds do their thing. The two big guns were Pakistan Star and the best rated horse in the race Rapper Dragon. They traveled together in midfield. Pakistan Star is in the green with white stars, Rapper Dragon has the dark blue, light blue sleeves and red v.

 

The much awaited G1 Pegasus World Cup gets it's first airing at Gulfstream Park today. The brain child of Frank Stronach, owner of the track, the Pegasus run over 9 furlongs, will carry the most amount of prize money in the history of horse racing. With US$12,000,000 up for grabs, it will surpass the Dubai World Cup as the premier cash grab in international racing. It's an amazing concept. Where did the prize money for the race come from? Each runner had to pay up US$1,000,000 to get a place in the field. Each of those buys can be either sold or leased. Of the 12 buys, 10 have been traded on the open market. I presume the two not offered to the public belong to the two stars California Chrome and Arrogate. These two look to have a big claim on the first two places when the horses cross the line. As this is where the big payouts are, it makes sense to keep them. Others have gone down a safer path and sold shares in their packages. All 12 lots will receive prize money. The winner gets US$7,000,000, second US$1,750,000, third US$1,000,000 (money back) and the other nine will receive US$250,000.

California Chrome takes to the track for the final time before a stud career. He has his work cut out for him, he's drawn the outside alley. Since the Gulfstream track was reconfigured in 06, horses drawn the 12 gate have only won once in 18 attempts. The reason being that there is only a furlong run to the first corner. And in this, the world richest race, nobody but nobody, is going to give Chromie a break. You can bet your granny's undies that any number of runners will hunt up under him in an effort to force him via the cape as they hit that first corner. Espinoza will have to pull out the mother of all rides on the champ if he's to prevail.

The other major chance belongs to the brilliant Arrogate, the winner of the Breeders' Cup. He's manages to nail the inside gate. He has some speed, but if they elect to settle him just off the pace as thy did in the Breeders, he runs the risk of being poleaxed on the first bend. They'll probably have to take their cues in that first few seconds of the race and adjust accordingly. Neither Arrogate or California Chrome have raced at Gulfstream, so that's another unknown factor. And if these two stars blot their copybooks, Keen Ice and Neolithic could bring them all undone.

Betting has California Chrome at 6-5 and Arrogate at 7-5. Keen Ice is a 12-1 chance.

 

The Pegasus replay. California has had an x-ray. They suspect a chip in his knee.

 

One of Australia's legends of the saddle, Edgar Britt has passed away this weekend, aged 103. Edgar Britt had a wonderful career travelling the globe in an age when the status of good horsemen was better valued than today. Britt rode with success in the USA before spending a decade in India where he won 8 titles. He then spent the remainder of his career in the UK where he won 7 Classics, and spent a good period riding as the stable jockey for King George VI. He was inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame.

Vale. Edgar Clive Britt. 30 October 1913 - 28 January 2017.

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A great jockey of his era but as some people of a certain age will know his name found its way into the lexicon of rhyming slang.

RIP