Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
Danny Russell and Sarah Danckert The Age. February 7, 2025 Trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon have denied owing more than half a million dollars to a collapsed company at the centre of their Melbourne Cup prizemoney dispute. The trainers say they are, in fact, owed $26,000 in outstanding fees by Esprit Racing, the company they worked […]
This is an article published on Practical Punting when Jason Maskiell was an apprentice. Some things never change hey? And we’re not talking about Robert Smerdon loading up owner Mike Symons horses. Racing Victoria stewards have accepted an explanation from leading apprentice Jason Maskiell over his ride on Zacroona after the Lee Freedman stable took […]
Why didn’t Sugars let Taylor Ford go and then retake the lead? They wouldn’t have run anywhere near as the fast first quarter, and he’d have been back in front by the half and still a chance. Did the stewards question Sugars drive? After all it takes two to tango at those sectionals. If Ford […]
In a previous life I was a union official successfully negotiating national collective agreements for TV and radio stations, major councils, sporting bodies and national government departments. The one common thread to all was unity: unity of people and unity of purpose. Unity of people as in all rowing the same boat in the same […]
Dear Editor When building the new dining room at Shepparton the building was moved 7 metres further to the south, and this put the judges broadcaster box on top of the building further (7 metres) past the actual finish line. The judges and the broadcaster (and those watching) are at a disadvantage. The box should […]
In February of last year Alysha Vass, the girlfriend of the now stood-down jockey Michael Poy, received a direction from Racing Victoria Stewards to make arrangements to attend an interview to be conducted by the Stewards the next week. The proposed interview that Vass was directed to attend formed part of RV’s investigation into the […]
Blake Shinn is not an executive member of the Victoria Jockeys Association, but as he showed by issuing the media release pictured at the top of this story, he is a leader of men. Everyone knows that the jockeys should be paid for riding in jump outs, it’s simple common sense, even if Ciaron Maher […]
Victorian trainers David Vozlic and Aaron Coad – the pair whose feud on social media we wrote about yesterday – just don’t know when to stop. Here they are at it again. If Harness Racing Victoria weren’t going to go after them already for breaching the Social Media Policy and/or the rules, they almost certainly […]
Yesterday the New Zealand Government announced that it will phase out greyhound racing over a 20-month period, with racing to be banned by the end of July 2026. While this decision will obviously be bitterly disappointing and distressing for the participants and their families in the greyhound racing industry in New Zealand, the NZ government’s […]
Punters who backed Nordic Belle in the first race at Caulfield yesterday have plenty of cause for complaint about Blake Shinn’s ride in my view. The Stewards couldn’t find much wrong with the steer, but I can. Have a look and see what you think. Here it is from side on, with Shinn in the […]
