Jess

Yep it's another grand national question!!! But with a difference, who here actually is for racing and even steeple chase racing? Now just for my little rant cause I can't be bothered to go through and answer all the questions I'll give people my opinion here!

I actually work in the thoroughbred industry, I prepare yearlings for sale mainly but also work with mares and foals. I have had a staff member in a coma with a broken jaw and she had to learn to read and write again. A week after that myself and another girl were sent to hospital with concussions and another girl with a broken jaw! That's just one tiny example of people getting hurt and badly and we don't ride the horses!!

Anyone who wants the sport gone completely is insane!! It's the second largest employer in Australia, and the money generated by our fantastic racing carnivals and sales even the tourism!!

So basically is there anyone here who is directly involved in the industry that thinks racing should be banned?? Cause I highly doubt it!!

So I love horses of course but I have NO confidence when it comes to riding and rarely do ride. But I do work with horses, every day atleast 8 hours a day. And even though I have no confidance when riding a horse if Im dealing with it on the ground well bring it on and let him try anything!

So there are so many questions on here for people that ride.

So just cause i dont really have anything better to do right now -

Who here rarely actually rides horses but still works with them or wants to?

What are your non-riding related goals?

If you couldnt ride for whatever reason what would you do?

Favourite breed and why? (yep still relates to us to!)

Biggest non riding fear?

Favourite non riding moment?

Also what do you do for a living whether you ride or not? There are always so many questions around what to do to support your riding!!

Samaready, All Too Hard or something outside the favourites?

Before we get through this weekends lead up races who do you think will win? Does anyone know of something going around under the radar that may pop up after this weekend? And of course is All Too Hard even going to make it to the big race? He's missed this weekends lead up races so many people are now believing he will miss the Slipper and go straight to the Sires?

Long time no see!

Anywho just some questions of late -

What are peoples thought on the recent Magic Millions sales?

Top lot $1 150 000, half to More Joyous and Tuesday Joy, will he do any good etc?

Black Caviar and So You Think both named World horse of the year in there distances, how awesome!

So You Think won a 2nd Cox Plate and was bought by Coolmore, thoughts?

Did anyone pick the Melbourne Cup winner?

So for those that were on back in the days that I used to be here its nice to be back!

Also feel free to add any comments questions or whatever, this is like a catch up question!

So today RVL announced that they have given jumps racing in Victoria yet another lifeline. The Jumps racing community have been given a set of conditions that they must reach by the end of the 2010 season. If they do reach these stats then jumps racing will continue in 2011, but of course will be under constant review, if not then bye bye.

The conditions are -

A reduction of the fatality rate by approximately 50% on last season (from 1.27% of starters in 2009 to 0.65% at 2010 season end)

A reduction in the fall rate from over 5% to 3% of starters at 2010 season end

A commitment to co-operate with RVL to increase the number of starters per jumps race. The target is for no more than 20% of jumps races to have less than eight starters. (last season - 44%)

Of course to help reach these there will be many changes that include yet more modifications to the jumps and no more jumps racing at Moonee Valley.

Full article can be found here - http://www.racingvictoria.net.au/news/RVL/n_Jumps_...

So the question is can Jumps racing actually reach these goals and get the stats down to those levels, also do you think the RVL are making it as hard as possible for it to continue? These stats are very different to what we have now and we still have some of the lowest fall and fatality stats in the world! Can Jumps racing really keep going, they're making it awfully difficult.

So basically is this fair, I think its great they have been given another chance but is it worth it?

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/54...

What fantastic news, now Im from Australia but I still think that this is some of the most amasing news and so good for racing as a whole. There is nothing better than watching a fantastic race horse continue its career past its prime instead of being shipped off to stud. So do you think this will change the outcome of the Horse Of The Year result (admit it there would be some bias in the choice :) ) Also although i am unsure of the full situation (aussie) do you think that we may one day see Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra clash? Whether or not it happens the thought is fantastic.

So share your thoughts upon hearing this wonderful news!

So I was just wondering how the people on here became interested in horse racing, and also how you participate? Are you a punter, owner etc?

Also what are some of your most amasing unforgettable moments?

Any dreams or aspiriations, anything you would like to do or see?

What makes you participate on Y!A?

I was just wondering as I was recently at the Magic Millions sales on the Gold Coast which was an amasing experience, and im off to work at a stud doing yearling prep soon. I've been on here for a bit over a year now and so I was just wondering about everyone else on here.

So alot of talk is going on at the moment about new years resolutions, so I would like to know what your new years resolution is regarding horse racing. It can be anything or everything its just a fun question to see what some of your aims for 2010 are.

Well for me one of my biggest things is to refine my eye, so pick out more winners by looks and also to start being able to pick out some good yearlings. And then move onto being able to pick out a good foal.

Also improve on my knowledge of bloodlines.

And of course meet new people and learn as much as I can!

So what about you, what are your aims, goals and resolutions for 2010 regarding Horse Racing?

So there was a question not long back about white quarter horses and that got me thinking about a few things. Here in Australia we have a very popular white filly who has just started her career in racing. Her name is The Opera House, very aptly named of course and she is a 3/4 sister in blood to a champion racehorse called Might and Power. Now with this filly comes alot of talk about white throroughbreds, and yes I know that they are called max white or max sabino's, she is yet to show any of the dark pathces though.

So there are atleast 2 distinct known Thoroughbred lines that carry this gene, and infact there is one Thoroughbred stud who has 5 generations of unbroken white horses. They just never get much talk as they are seen rarely and are not the best race horses. So my first question is do you know of any other lines, and is this the same for other breeds?

Do max sabino's have any problem in regard to the sun and UV light and getting burnt, as everytime I have seen her she appears to be extremly pink around the eyes and mouth, or is this just a natural occurence?

If you have a max sabino or know of someone who does, do they have any problem working them in the daylight? There are stories of these rare max sabino's being banned from track work in normal daylight hours as their colour caused the other horses to spook.

Also talking strictly Thoroughbred's registered to race are there any other rare colours that you have seen?

And of course any other interesting information regarding this topic is welcome.

How come the New York Racing Association has introduced this lovely new fantastic anti-slaughter pollicy.

Basically to summarize any owner or trainer that uses their facilities are found to directly or indirectly have sold horses to slaughter houses will have their stalls permantely revoked. They are also supporting rescue and adoption efforts and are encourging people to find humane ways of dealing with horses that are unable to continue racing.

Now I know there are still parts of the industry that are not perfect but this is a step in the right direction.

Oh and here is the website -

http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/Dec102009.sht...

So who do you think will win what?

Here is the barrier draw for the four main races of the day -

http://www.hkjc.com/english/news/news_200912102377...

So I was watching TVN's Moonee Valley night meeting coverage which was very entertaining, and for some reason they showed the footage of this race. The call is really funny, can't stop laughing, for the aussies though it might be a bit slow, but thats the american's for ya.

Anywho keep an ear out for a horse called Arrrrr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI2ZZXv_5Kc

Anyone else have any funny race calls?

So there are always questions about whats the funniest thing your non-horsey parents have said, and well I don't have any examples of that. But I do have an example of the most embarrassing thing that my parents have said, at the wrong time around the wrong people.

So whats something that your horsey or non horsey parents have said, that you wish they had never said?

Mine was when we were at Coolmore stud, kindly being shown around by one of the Sales and Marketing guys. So I was off patting Choisir while my mum had become attached to Fastnet Rock, and we were all talking about how amasing these stallions are and that, when my mum said I disagree with shuttling stallions I think it wears them out. At this moment I could have killed her, considering that Coolmore shuttles nearly every single one of their stallions!

It was very embarrassing for me and I don't plan on showing my face there for a while.

So what are your stories?

Today the RVL annouced that jumps racing will no longer occur in Victoria after the end of the 2010 season. They will have some high weight races on during the 2011 season to help Jockey's, Trainers and Horses with the transition. The RVL board says that they do not want the industry to suffer from a knee-jerk ban in the furture and they are better off beginning with a transition now. The decision comes after the 2009 season was marred by many deaths.

Well we were hoping that this would never happen, but in a way I am not surprised. The sad thing is that flat racing in the U.S has more deaths than jumps racing in Australia!

I'm going to try and not get started on a rant right now, but this really is a sad day for Australia, RVL have made so many mistakes and this is how it has ended.

So what are your thoughts?

How bout some credit to her sire Street Cry.

He has done something pretty amasing this week, being the sire of the winners of two of the biggest races in the world. Of course there is Zenyatta's fantastic win in the Breeder's Cup Classic and then there is Shocking's win in the Melbourne Cup during the week. Both races are worth $5 million.

And he himself won the richest race in the world The Dubai World Cup.

I think his stud fee will be rising a bit next season as with so many amasing horses he is value at the $110 000 he stands for here in Austrlia and the $150 000 he stands for in America.

So if we are going to talk so much about how amasing Zenyatta is why don't we mention her amasing sire.

Also I would just like to mention her prizemoney which is the highest ever for any mare in American history, she doesn't come near Sunline or Makybe Diva even with conversions. So if she wants to be the "best horse ever" she may want to keep racing a little longer.

I would like to know what you think is going to win the Melbourne Cup, as for once I'm having trouble deciding what to back. I'm leaning towards Roman Emperor. Also I have been getting quite confused by people thinking Newport and Changingoftheguard and the like are a good chance of winning, as I personally rated the two as no-hopers.

So I would like to know who you think is going to win the Melbourne Cup and why. See if you can try and change my mind on a few of these horses (although highly unlikely).

So after Viewed's fantastic Caulfield Cup win a descision needs to be made on what penalty if any he should get into the Melbourne Cup. As the weights stand at the moment Efficient is top weight with 58kgs and now that Maldivian is out for the spring Viewed is second top weight with 57kgs.

So should he get a penalty and if so how much extra weight should he get?

And a few other questions.

So first, we have three 3 year olds with question marks over who should get into the race. Onemorenomore, So You Think or Carrara?

Next, is Whobegotyou the deserved favourite, can he really run out a hard 2040m?

And of course who do you think will win?

Will post my thoughts later.

And why do I read these articles, I know its just going to annoy me but still, and yes we are vocal but a minority oh I think we are quite the contray. Oh well so this is the article that I read on racenet. Is this lady an idiot or what seriously what planet does she live on and what racing does she watch?

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/530/53078.asp

Try not to get to annoyed.

So as everyone knows Deer Valley won on Saturday 22nd because his jockey Daniel Ganderton broke the new whip rules and hit the horse 9 times within the last 150m in groups of four then five (more info in below articles). He beat heavily backed favourite Melito and now that we have a Group One race coming up this weekend and the winner Denman could possibly be beaten by these rules and if so I will be soooo annoyed that words could not explain. I was wondering what your thoughts on the matter are, and what should be done.

I want them gone, yes we can keep the padded whip but I've had enough of these restrictions we have lost so much that made Australian racing what it was.

Here are a few articles to give you an idea of whats going on (starting from the saturday in question) -

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/NewsArchive.asp?id=...

And to add to the reading list a blog with some interesting comments (some info is from articles listed above) -

http://www.racenet.com.au/news/blogs/BlogDisplay.a...