My rule of thumb for whether a horse is famous or not is simple. If the Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle has heard of a horse, chances are it's not your average racehorse (to butcher a quote from Yogi Bear). So when he and rugby writer Steve Hepburn are asking about the whereabouts of Black Caviar, it's only fair to indulge them.
. . . in black
The wonder mare appeared in public at Caulfield on Saturday for an exhibition gallop, where she apparently ran under 11sec over 200m not once but twice during her 600m gallop. The Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 16 is her next target, and win No 23 almost seems inevitable. Surely not even I can stop this horse.
Average return
Looks like it was a nervy few days for some breeders at the New Zealand Bloodstock festival sale earlier this week. When you're putting $8000-$10,000 of time and money into service fees, foaling and general maintenance to get a yearling to a sale, it must be very disheartening to see yours walk out the door, sold for $200, which happened three times at the sale. I'll let you do the maths on that, but it is not pretty reading.
Singing praises
My little rant about the national anthem last week did not seem to annoy too many people, which I assume is a victory for common sense. I will save the flag debate for another day - largely as it's not terribly related to racing. What I will do, though, is give big props to the Wingatui people for last Saturday's racing. To more than double their on-course turnover was a job well done, and will hopefully keep the wolves at bay in terms of White Robe Lodge day retaining its premier status, especially with winners coming from both islands. I don't mind the cheese rolls, either.
Lazy Fiver
Close but no cigar for Armadale VC at Geraldine last week, running fourth. I am partial to the $9 on offer for Zurella in the Waikato Sprint at Te Rapa tomorrow. She is back after an Australian campaign and her distance and fresh-up records stack up nicely. This is a good field, but because of that, there is plenty of each-way value.
