International Racing

Winx had a race day barrier trial this afternoon. Film and comments by trainer and rider are in the article.

https://www.racenet.com.au/news/all-goes-according-to-plan-in-winx-trial-20180217

 

Deleted a copy of the above.

 

Champion stayer Lazarus went to New South Wales for the G1 Canadian Club Sprint over the flying mile, but was brought undone by a brilliant drive by McCarthy aboard Tiger Tara. He flew the sprinter out the gates and crossed the leader to take an easy lead. Then he put the brakes on mid race, before sizzling home the final two sectional. Anything behind him had no hope. Tiger Tara is a lovely looking horse.

 

There was another G1 race run on the same program over the same distance. The winner Anything For Love is one of the fastest gate horses in the country. They went several seconds faster than the other race. Most of the horses from these two races will compete in the most prestigious sprint race in Australia next Friday, The Miracle Mile. As an out and out stayer, Lazarus will have his work cut out against this lot over the sprint course. He will be out to become the first horse to win the Grand Slam, the New Zealand Cup, Victoria Cup, Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup and the Miracle Mile.

 

Had the privilege of seeing the great French trotter Ideal du Gazeau winning a Grand Circuit race at Daglfing, Munich, in the '80s. He was the Porsche of Trotting, he really was. Sadly, Daglfing is no longer remotely as it was, tiny fields, it is amazing that it keeps going. Trotting was huge there for at least 40-years after WW2. No longer.

Here is Ideal du Gazeau winning the Roosevelt Raceway International in 1982 for the second time running. He was the only harness racer to win this race three times, 1981, 82, & 83. American commentator did not even bother to learn how to pronounce the horse's name correctly!

 

Holy ****, he was some sort of horse Swanny. That sprint when he was let loose in the straight was breath taking.

 

From time to time I've come across articles and film of the wonderful champion Ourasi. He's the only four time winner of the Prix d'Amerique, and is often said to be the Trotter of the Twentieth Century. He retired as the world leader in stakes earned. Here he is sitting four and five deep for most of the race before sitting outside the leader. He runs the sword threw them in the straight. He's in the dark checks with yellow sleeves and cap. He has the white strapping across his chest.

 

Ourasi was some kind of iron horse. He often worked into the death seat outside the leader, then beat them down when the pressure was on. In the Grand Prix de France he had to work 3 deep to grind them down. Yellow sleeves and cap, dark checks.

 

Not a bad horse.

 

Another Ideal du Gazeau win Swanny.

 

Fantastic look at the life and times of the early 1930s. Here is some Movietone film of the 1933 Epsom Derby won my the brilliant Hyperion. At about 3:28 into the film you'll see Hyperion in dark colours and white cap. The rider in front has dark with white sash. At 3:48 he's let loose by attendant. He's No 5. 4:07 he's 4 lengths off the leader. 4:22 he's still in the same position. 4:28 he's second on the fence behind the leader. He gets up along the fence and then bolts away.

http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/T...&productType=IncludedProducts&page=1&b=84365e

 

Also lucky enough to see Jorky at Daglfing once in a Grand Circuit race in the '80s. Jorky was a damn fine trotter, and in the 1981 race which you have put up, very nearly caught Ideal du Gazeau, who went a bit 'sooner' than one would have expected, but I guess his driver knew exactly what he was doing.

Seems unfair, but I can find almost damn-all on Jorky who was a brilliant harness racehorse of that time. The way those two showed their stuff at little old Daglfing (a year or two apart) was a delight. Just to give the 'peasants' some entertainment they both just messed around until the final backstretch run and then, whoosh, in the blink of an eye they were in front, coming from way back. Both trotters ran the same sort of race.

Great harness racing days!

 

Great clip, Cyc, my dad used to tell me how Derby days were between the wars. A really huge day out, especially for Londoners. That George V and his Frau, Mary, were stuck-up, arrogant, sods. Their son Bertie, who became George VI, was completely different, a finer human being by far, in fact a very brave one who battled that dreadful stammer, and did not do a bunk during WW2. I am no Royalist, but, for me he was a real hero. I get very angry when I see comments from a particular person on here, who surely cannot be British, calling them by some German family name. They were quite entitled to change their name to Windsor, they'd been in the UK long enough, surely? George VI hated Hitler and the Nazis just as much as any of us, even if some of us were descendants of Boadicea?

 

The premier mile pace in Australasia, the G1 Miracle mile was contested in New South Wales tonight. They absolutely scorched the ground.

 

Same program. G1 Bohemia Crystal Free For All. 2400m.

 

G1 NSW Derby. 2400m.

 

Caulfield. G1 Oakleigh Plate. 1100m. Russian Revolution. Red, red and yellow sleeves, red cap.

 

Victoria's premier 2yo race, the $2,000,000 G1 Blue Diamond. 1200m. The winner, Written By in black, white arm band and red cap, flew out from a wide gate.

 

G1 Futurity Stakes. 1400m. The Darren Weir trained Brave Smash beats stablemate Tosen Stardom. Brave Smash, blue, whire cap, black and white checked sleeves.

 

Japan's G1 February Stakes. The winner Nonkono Yume comes with a powerful to roll the defending champion Gold Dream. He's No 12 in red 7 blue stripes, white sleeves with blue band and green cap. He comes from the rear of the field. (Have to feel a bit sorry for the commentator though.)

http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/news_media/news/2018.html