Opportunity missed?
ONE: A significant opportunity missed?
The Lions are in town, but more importantly so are tens of thousands of their supporters. With Royal Ascot, one of the most significant racing carnivals in the world, being on back in the motherland and many of the Lions supporters being the ideal candidates for that tired old cliche of rugby, racing and beer, this is a marketing dream for New Zealand racing and more importantly the TAB right? Especially when you consider Lions coach Warren Gatland owns a horse that raced against one owned by All Blacks legend Sir Colin Meads at Pukekohe last week. With the Lions playing in Rotorua the night before, could we not have stretched the budget to a free $3 betting voucher and a free pint for any Lions supporters who turned up to Pukekohe in their supporters gear the following day? Or a suggested three leg multi-bet on the first test, a Royal Ascot runner and something at Tauranga? The opportunities to promote New Zealand Racing around this tour are endless but has there been a starting point? At least we have 12 years to dream something up before the next Lions tour...
TWO: New Zealand racing needs to fast forward
Promises have been made to New Zealand’s disillusioned racing participants, and some have been kept, but the wheels are moving slowly. When experienced, long-term trainers, owners and breeders suggest the industry’s slide needs to be arrested forthwith or direct action against the New Zealand Racing Board’s governance could result, then things are not looking good. Standing still in a changing world won’t cut it if the industry is to prosper or at very least survive. Grumblings among participants are bubbling and concerns are being voiced similar to earlier in the year prior to a meeting at Ellerslie which temporarily quelled rising rumblings. But disquiet is re-emerging as things move too slowly for those doing the hard yards. The prime example is the race fields legislation - who knows when and if that will get through parliament.
THREE: Kiwi horses to produce the magic in Melbourne
As the Queensland Winter Carnival winds down attentions will quickly turn to spring racing in Melbourne and for Kiwi racing fans it cannot come soon enough. Winx will be the star of the show but the potential success of New Zealand-trained horses could become one of the biggest stories of the carnival. They will not all be there and others will come on the scene but horses such as Kawi, Gingernuts, Jon Snow, Volpe Veloce, Melody Belle, Summer Passage, Eleonora, Bonneval, La Diosa and Chocante could potentially taste success. There is plenty of water to go under the bridge yet but 2017 could be a record year for the Kiwis in Melbourne.
FOUR: The obsession to be better
Shaun Fannin often refers to himself as the apprentice learning the tricks of the trade from the man he calls the master. Take nothing away from Kevin Myers or Jo Rathbone for that matter, but it takes someone as dedicated as Fannin to maximise the opportunity. Fannin is fortunate to be getting the tutelage and opportunities that come from being attached to the Myers stable but it is his own obsession to constantly improve and learn from even the slightest mistakes that will eventually make Fannin one of the great jumps jockeys. He trails Aaron Kuru by two wins on the jumps jockeys premiership but expect Fannin to overhaul that deficit and defend his title. His steeplechase win aboard Nells Belle at Te Aroha yesterday was yet another example of the class Fannin possess.
FIVE: Tenth premiership on trot a Dunn deal By his own high standards Dexter Dunn has had a quiet weekend but what does that really matter when you are just weeks away from winning your tenth consecutive drivers’ premiership. Last weekend Dunn, who has 1988 career wins, brought up the sixth double century of his career when he drove his 200th winner for the season. His domi- nation of the drivers’ premiership is unmatched and shows no sign of slowing down. The only point of interest is whether he can break his own record of 220 victories in a season, which he set in 2011. That now looks likely but the reigning world champion will miss the last week of the season as he heads to Canada for the defence of his World Drivers’ Championships.
To put Dunn’s achievement in perspective, Blair Orange is having by far his best season, having already chalked up 178 winners but is still 31 behind Dunn. Even with four wins during the transferred Marlborough meeting held at Addington yesterday, Orange will not be able to catch Dunn.