Writing up this week's happenings in my blog-diary, I was reminded of the fiasco over the crooked Oaks field 'selection' in 2022, which evicted EMILY from the field.
https://kurtofgerolstein.blogspot.com/2022/11/kurt-of-gerolstein-horse.html
So, I had the idea of looking to see just what had become of those fillies who were deemed worthy of a start in what is, allegedly, the fillies' classic of the year.
Well, only one of them -- easily the best one -- is still around, racing in the top class. I expect to see HIDDEN TALENT, now of course, aged six, in the Dominion Handicap (NZ's trotting championship) later this year.
After her, the most performing of those still in action would be MIXED FAITH, which has won eight races, and has placed in her last three starts. I can't forbear to remark, on each occasion, behind EMILY.
The others? Well, a few are still around, racing with rather less success than more.
CON GRAZIA LOVE has won seven, but nothing else anywhere near the value of the Oaks. (PS good second last night)
TI AMO BELLE has been disappointing. She looked, at one stage, like a top filly. Especially when she won at Rangiora and just nicked a vast outsider, who was having her first start. EMILY.
The nice WESTAR MILLY, exiled to Auckland, finished 4th in a minor race tonight ..
Parenthesis. Why do we breed, buy, train racehorses, at vaster and vaster expense? Me, I want to see them run. Get a cheque, or even win. Give us a thrill. And keep doing it for as long as they are competitive. Any horse which I have owned, which the records show had only a dozen starts or two, either was a no-hoper (and there have been a few of those!) or got injured. So, I truthfully don't understand why these -- which HRNZ reckoned the best fillies in New Zealand, at the time -- hav'n't gone on to the sort of career that HIDDEN TALENT, MIXED FAITH or ... EMILY have.
Two of them never raced again, after this day. Others, little.
PARAMOUNT EMPRESS is the prime example. She was a wonderful juvenile. I remember the day she qualified. Rangiora. Cruised in by 7 lengths. 7 1/4 actually. I remember distinctly, because in 2nd place was ... EMILY! I can only assume that she got injured, or had some other problem. Or not. At six, already, she is a mother and a mother-to-be ... Is there more money to be made by selling her progeny than by racing her. Undoubtedly. But ... where's the thrill?
Is it the old story of Racing the sport versus Racing the industry or business. Me, I'm "sport". Silly old me!
Ah, well. All that was a very long time ago ... But I'm still here, Wendy is still here, and little Emily is still up and at 'em, and running the best races of her life!
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