Google Earth

I haven't figured out how to make a connection yet but if you have Google Earth the Latitude of the marina is 33°48'20.72"S and the longitude 151°14'41.77"E. Zoom right in and you will see that Hakuna Matata is out (joke!) You insist on evidence that I was actually there?

A super Sunday

Can you imagine cruising gently (and not so gently) around Sydney Harbour on a perfect summer's day at 28 degrees in your own boat? Thanks to Lyndal Trevena and partner Steve Ferris I don't have to imagine it any more. Lyndal is a colleague who is running one of the Annalisa-based projects in the School of Public Health and Steve buys, sell, repairs and restores planes, engine and all their other parts... but only up to 737s he confided.They collected me at Manly Wharf and picked up Hakuna Matata (Swahili for 'no worries') at the nearby marina and we motored up Middle Harbour (occasionally at 25 knots, just to check things out), anchoring for lunch in Bantry Bay... and for a spot of fishing as it is known... hmmm, I did eventually manage a couple of twenty meter casts and had 3 prawns taken but no fish. Ah well, hakuna matata. Then back down and across the Heads and up the Harbour (weaving through the sailing fleets and ferries), past the Opera House and under the Bridge... seeing where Russell Crowe lives... into Darling Harbour... and then back to base. All pretty magical and takes ones mind off almost everything... almost. Merci beaucoup Lyndal and Steve.

Saturday night fever

Invited to a Labour party on Election night at Reg(ina) Graycar's - a friend of Jane, a friend of Pat and Sandy... so it goes in oz - I was fascinated how long it took everyone to believe they were actually going to win (after 11 years out) and that the eminently depisable Howard was for the butcher (as MP as well as PM). The bookies (the only poll worth looking at) had the ALP 'home and hosed' and from the first returns it was obvious to all but the faint-hearted that it was going to be a landslide (or Ruddslide as it became known here)... and that (racing metaphors always come to mind on this blog) 'you could put away your glasses' (binoculars). Eventually much bubbly was consumed with unalloyed joy, with the consequence that I was asked to drive since my licence was perceived to be less valuable or maybe less at risk. Strange car, strange city, but I done well (or was that just the bubbly?). Home from the party in time (1 am here) to turn on the Slingbox and watch Prince Djo running at Lyon. Off 25m he never really got into the race, was forced wide round the final turn and finished 8th. But next day (not on TV) I see that the other Prince (des Baux) ran a nice third at Amiens.

Earth from Above

A mizzly Election Saturday led me back to the wonderful Earth from Above exhibition, a set of which is on display in the open air at Darling Harbour 200m from my apartment. It's available on line but the full size (2mX1.5m I guess) have much more impact. And of course there is, as always, a horse connection (the pic is of Maisons-Laffitte hippodrome.) Not a coincidence in this case because photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has done another series on Horses, illustrating all the various breeds of the world (though I couldn't find a standardbred!).The trotteur francais in the pic is Kahela de Luc, âgée de 5 ans, drivée par Sylvain Devulder. Pistes du centre d'entraînement de Grosbois, environs de Paris, France.

Disgusted...

Having diligently watched the trots, gallops and dogs from all over Australia on Trackside during my stay in NZ, I ventured into the health hazard that is the Haymarket TAB in George Street, Sydney confident that I would be able to see the Dominion Handicap live from Addington. (It's the top race of the year for trotters in NZ.) But no, to my utter disgust no sign of Addington on any screen.. plenty of pacing from all corners of OZ plus greyhounds. Where's the reciprocity? Whose negotiating the Trackside contracts? (I see there was a Southland galloping meeting imported late morning when they were short of fodder, but nothing later.) RaceTAB NSW website is interesting... versions in English, Spanish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.) So I came home and watched it on HRNZ website, awarded the best HR site in the world at the recent Conference. Mountbatten, a 5yo son of Earl won in a km rate of 1.17.4 (3200m standing start).

Sculpture by the Sea

A wonderful collection of 106 sculptures (art? rubbish?) strung out along the coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama. http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/html/bottom.php Drawn number 1 was Sasha Reid's 'making our own way'... His accompanying statement reads "Making our own way, stay put, or hope that around the corner the answer will reveal itself."... Which clarifies things a lot and makes $25,000 seem quite reasonable. (No red dot yet.). Probably not the solution to the equine flu problem. (Thanks to Paul Lancaster for the pic and company on the walk. The following slideshow contains all his 94 pics but I haven't got his permission yet and am just trying out the new facility to do this sort of thing. (He has now said he is happy to have them on here and will be learning about Picasa Web Albums sometime!)

Laura in Winners' Circle

Trotupastorm (12)redeemed himself today, turning in a big run after breaking and losing lots of ground on the first turn (grit in the face? needs a French mask?) but zooming round the field to lead for the rest of the trip. Held on by the narrowest of margins to give Laura her first taste of victory in New Zealand.Jack (7, seventh) ran well but wasn't suited by the way the race turned into a sprint home over the last 400.

Sydney sans

The equine flu has meant the indefinite end of harness racing (all pacing) at Harold Park Raceway, with unforeseen consequences. One being the return of the big crowds of old to watch... CAMEL RACING. http://www.haroldpark.com.au/paceway/camelresults.html Will I be tempted?... watch this space. Another consequence is that culture called in the form of the Sidney Nolan retrospective (accompanying Pat and Sandy Troy). Here I was moved to reinterpret (as one is allowed to do of course) a familiar painting as representing an early form of monte racing on a very dry and wide track. N Kelly is carrying a lot of overweight and his style is outdated but his horse is still showing the rest a clean pair of heels. Next: Sculpture by the Sea!

Querido.. from Sydney

Sadly he galloped soon after the start (Jos Verbeeck driving for first time because JMB opted for Quaro), but it was still magic to be able to watch the race live on my laptop in Sydney - courtesy of my Slingbox which is sitting in London connected to my TV and broadband router.I can even change channels from afar, though that will not be happening! Only limitation is that one can't record or save the streaming image, hence the pic taken by camera. http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingbox

Jack's super run

Peter and Jack combined to run a thrilling third, a neck from the winner in a four horse finish (second from bottom in official photo finish, second from top in second pic, as we saw the finish), after taking a bit of a knock on the home turn. So Jack goes through to the final on Show Day (Friday 16th). Peter said before the race that whatever he did tonight he would be better next time out so fingers are crossed for a decent draw. (Laura was able to meet up again with Wendy Williams of Gerolstein in the stables but Roman Eagle found it difficult tonight.)
To see the video of the race go to http://www.hrnz.co.nz/ click on Race Results>NZ Metropolitan T.C. 09/11/2007>race 10>broadband... quality will depend on where you are

Laura goes ambling

Laura gritted her teeth and worked a pacer (ambleur) for the first time today.... and came out of the experience unscathed. (Niburu, a 6yo bay mare had the honour.) She had in fact moved straight from Kurt's (merci beaucoup mon ami) to Peter and Vicky Cowan's at Doyleston. (Christine McD is paying the price for Northern Hemisphere frivolities I think!) She has clearly settled into the routines immediately and later in the morning Peter was amazed to find her replacing a shoe lost during work. He warned Vicky that she would be confined to kitchen duties at this rate. (A bit extreme I thought, though her muffins ARE exceptionally good.) Vicky worked Trotupastorm a treat and he is fancied to follow up on Cup Day. Jack Hinton is in the last tomorrow night, drawn 7, so will be lucky to get a good 'possy'. The first four in each of three heats qualify for the final a week later. Laura had her first race meeting at Addington on Tuesday night, where there were two (trotting) heats of the World Drivers Championship. Christophe Martens still leads the series from Kiwi Colin de Fillipi, but displayed a bit of 'race rage' when his trotter broke in the second. The pressure may be telling! Like 99% of the rest of the world who see it Laura can't believe that horses are expected to start from a complete stand after circling for several minutes in a 10 meter box (the handicaps are at 10 metre intervals here). Incroyable!

Queen of Gerolstein

Kurt's pride and joy is Elena de Gerolstein, a 3yo Falcon Seelster filly who is still growing and is going to be a very big lady!

Laura sets NZ on fire

On Guy Fawkes Day of course

A tree for Hilary

Hil would have been 66 today so Kurt, Laura and I planted a little elm in the middle of the rose bed at Gerolstein. See also kurt's blog

Day 1 Down Under for Mlle Hue

It's a long way to... Motukarara! But that is where Laura, John and Christine and myself were reunited on Saturday. Laura got off the plane after 27 hours flying and was told Fred's horse JACK HINTON was running in an Amateur Drivers heat at the trials at Motukarara, about 30 minutes from Christchurch, in 3 hours time... driven by leading amateur J McDermott. Galloping 60 meters behind the gate as it accelerated there were some uncomfortable moments for the waiting fans, but John got him back to a pace, caught them by the dispatch and worked his way up to sit outside the leader at the 1000, confidently pushed on and JACK held on resolutely in the straight to win. Congratulations all round and 600 NZ dollars of petrol vouchers to the winner (it's 1.70 a litre here and there are about 2 NZ dollars to the euro); split between the three owners (Fred, John and John's brother Maurice). In the picture (click to enlarge) trainer Peter Cowan and wife Vicky are tending to Jack's head under Laura's supervision, while Christine tends to John's. Fred looks on, wondering why he got into this business I suspect.. but also obviously enjoying it, with wife Pat, given what Jack is doing as their first horse. JACK should run at Addington next Friday night. We'll all be there.
Laura just missed the Cowan's good 4yo trotter Trotupastorm winning well at Addington on Fred's birthday (the 2nd)which we celebrated at where you can guess.
Late afternoon we moved up to Gerolstein with Kurt and have been chilling out (or at least one of us has) and been to the supermarket to replenenish depleted stocks.