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Dear Moderator,

I have started a new Yahoo Racing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalracing

This is about looking at racing globally and learning from each other
about our domestic and international racing interests. I too, am a
racehorse owner in Australia and have traveled to many countries,
seeing racing in over 13 countries.

I would be grateful if you could post the info to your group and I
have pasted the first post from the site to this email.

Regards
Gary Knight
Moderator
globalracing

WHAT IS IT WITH THE SOUTH AFRICANS?



In the past 10 years or so South Africa is starting to produce
jockeys that irrespective of where they go on the world stage they
are proving themselves to be wonderful jockeys.



Basil Marcus probably started the ball rolling when he went to Hong
Kong and soon became the leading jockey in the centre. The pocket
sized dynamo did not ride in Australia much but we did see him win a
race for the Hayes stable at Flemington one Melbourne Cup carnival.



Then the succession of super jockeys accelerated. Anton Marcus, Wai
Chun Marwing (who is one of the best jockeys I have seen), Robbie
Fradd, Douglas Whyte, Felix Coetzee and Glyn Schofield have all made
their mark internationally.



I have never been racing in South Africa – but I am certain from what
I have seen their diaspora around the world it must be super-
competitive.





"JOE" HOME AS THE ASIAN PRESENCE CONTINUES:



Talented Japanese apprentice Kenachiro "Joe" Fuji landed his second
metropolitan winner when he scored on board the Albert Stapleford
trained Bennets Green at Randwick on Saturday.



He is an impressive young rider and will be much sought after in
Sydney while he can claim his three-kilogram allowance. With the
Caucasian population seeming to become bigger by the year I predict
that we will see an ever-increasing presence from young Asian jockeys
in Australia in the forthcoming years.



Nozi Tomizawa was the boy who really started the ball rolling in
Australia when he launched a very successful apprenticeship in
Queensland. He was followed in the Sunshine state by Kenji Yoshida
and Yoshi Yamazaki – who have both been highly successful. Filipino
Marlon Dolendo was the start off point in Sydney when he was
successful as an apprentice to the late great T.J. Smith. Marlon
incidentally is still going strong and landed a double at the country
meeting at Bowraville over the weekend.



In NSW at the moment – young Cliff Lai (who is with Graeme Spackman
at Bong Bong) rides very well and is ready to burst onto the scene if
the opportunities come his way.



Over the weekend throughout NSW Shuji Amano, K. Chui (a double),
Nabutaka Sekine and Terese Nikora all rode winners on the country
circuit.



This is without the likes of "Jack" Tsui, Shonrei Sugarawa and Shohei
Kaya are also currently riding well and young Sugarawa in particular,
rides very well.





AUSSIE PICNIC DAY AT SHATIN:



In a day of doubles Aussies were to the fore at Saturday's Shatin
meeting in Hong Kong.



Victorian Brett Prebble landed a winning double – High Price for
fellow Aussie David Hall and Best Luck for trainer S. Woods.



French jockey Christophe Soumillon and Aussie trainer John Moore
combined together to land a winning double with Super Prince and Best
Gift. Soumillon, who is now the stable rider in France for the Aga
Khan, must be spending some of the northern winter in Hong Kong where
he has had great success in the past. He also had a hugely successful
stint in Macau previously to returning home and he is a very good
jockey.



Australian trainer John Size landed a winning double with Oscar Star
(Anthony Delpech) and High Intelligent with Kiwi Shane Dye aboard.



The double had no effect for Size in his quest to win a fourth
straight Hong Kong title as Tony Cruz, the current leader by nine
wins, also had a winning double when he and South African jockey
Felix Coetzee continued their outstanding association.





JAMES ON A ROLL IN MALAYSIA:



Young Victorian jockey James Winks continued his recent good form in
Malaysia with a winner on Saturday, the first of the two-day meeting
at Perak last weekend.



James won on Maca for trainer J. McGill.



The two-day meeting was dominated by Sam Subian – who landed three
winers over the two days.





ROYAL ASCOT AT YORK IS LOOKING SUPER-INTERNATIONAL:



Having had the privilege of attending Royal Ascot last year and
seeing many fine performances including Doyen, Attraction and others,
I am disappointed I won't be going this year to see the meeting at
York – especially with Aussies such as Starcraft and Fastnet Rock
looking certain to compete and Tony Cruz almost certain almost
certain to head there with Hong Kong superstar Silent Witness.



I am sure Silent Witness will be the horse to beat in anything he
contests over there but I am equally sure that Starcraft and Fastnet
Rock will be super-competitive.



Paul Perry, who pulled off the impossible when he won the King's
Stand and Golden Jubilee a couple of years back with Choisir, dubbed
by former genius jockey-turned commentator Willie Carson as the
"Concorde from down under" will be attemptintg to prove that
lightning can strike twice the John Magnier-owned Fastnet Rock.



Cruz and his jockey Felix Coetzee will again campaign Silent Witness,
but unfortunately for us Aussies owner Paul Makin has decided to
transfer Starcraft from the care of Garry Newham and give him to
international trainer Luca Cumani for his English campaign.





GAUCI MAY HAVE MISSED HIS VOCATION:



There is little doubt that Victorian Darren Gauci is a super jockey
and he has proved this over a number of years – but he would have
been invincible as a trotting driver as he is one the all time greats
when he is allowed to dictate in front in staying races.



He again proved this at Flemington over the weekend when he stacked
them up and then gave them no hope in a brilliant front running ride
on Evasion.



I have seen "the Gauch" do this so often I almost immediately tear my
ticket up if I am on a rival and he has been allowed to dictate for
the first 1200 metres of any race over a mile.



There should be a law preventing him from leading in races!





THE LAST OF THE DANEHILLS MAKES NEWS IN UK:



Even www.racingpost.co.uk has a feature story on it this week about
the last batch of Danehills worldwide going through the Magic
Millions sale starting at the Gold Coast tomorrow.



I am super-interested in the sales from another angle, the first
Australian Mull Of Kintyres will be sold at the sale and I have a
lovely foal by Mull Of Kintyre out of an Octagonal mare – so my
interest will be what the Aussies think of this son of Danzig's
progeny.





KIWI HEADED FOR SINGAPORE:



Monday's G1 winner from Ellerslie St Reims is off to do his future
racing in Singapore.



Syndicate manager Rob McAnulty has made the decision that the former
New Zealand Derby winner would be ideally placed racing around
Kranji. He is a very good horse St Reims and his win on Monday was
super tough as Society Beau certainly served it up to him, with
Society Beau's stablemate Distinctly Secret being presented with the
perfect "drop" on the two leaders in the fast run 2000 metres race.



But St Reims kept pulling out plenty under Leith Innes' hard riding
and was too good at the finish. A word of warning though for those in
Singapore – this horse can be a duffer in the wet and if any tropical
storms hit Kranji on the nights he is going around I would be looking
elsewhere.



I will actually be beating St Reims to Kranji as I will be in
Singapore on business next week and will get to the two-day meeting
at Kranji on Jan 15 and 16.





DAVID HAYSE WINS IN DUBAI:



Queenslander David Hayse landed a winner at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai on
Saturday when he scored on Dubai Guest for trainer R. Boursley.



David was apprenticed on the Gold Coast to trainer Kaye Tinsley and
had a mildly successful career here, particularly at the Gold Coast
Saturday meetings.



Gavin Birrer, the veteran Queenslander is still riding in Dubai and
he competed on the card there on the weekend.



Gavin, the son of former champion Queensland jockey Neil Birrer, was
a very successful apprentice in Queensland and a very talented jockey
– but the higher weight scale tempted Gav and his wife Lesley to pack
up and head for Dubai where they have been for some years.







IRISH STILL RACKING UP THE WINNERS IN INDIA:



Niall McCullagh and Paul Eddery continued the luck of the Irish when
both landed winners in India over the weekend.



McCullagh in particular, is a very good jockey and spent a couple of
off seasons here about 15 years ago riding for Peter Miers and Bart
Cummings at Randwick.





Regards to all

Gary