Where there is smoke there is usually fire, but the flames are yet to appear.

A lot of speculation of a split between Godolphin and John O’Shea, the principal players are saying nothing, they are playing their cards close to their chest and until such time as one or the other shows their hand it is still speculation.

Until now that is how it should be treated, possibly more will come out of this rumour, or scoop, however, the flames are yet to appear.

On the assumption there is truth in the split between both parties that still remains speculation until a positive announcement is made from either party.

If it all comes to fruition, and John O’Shea is ultimately replaced, the one that is chosen for the position will have to step into king sized boots.

Bookmakers have already framed a market with James Cummings $1.80 favourite, he has only been training for such a short time it is hard to see him filling the position, he has the name but does it fit the profile at this stage, there are no guarantees, it is all based on performance.

Darren Beadman would no doubt be a likely candidate for some consideration, he was been working under O’Shea for the last few years, whether he is ready to fill the driver’s seat is another question, there are two stables to consider, with 60 horses stabled at Flemington under David Charles, with his assistant Alan Johns, and twice as many horses at Anges Banks Hawkesbury, it is the biggest training operation ever seen in the southern hemisphere.

There is a big decision to be made if there is to be a replacement and it cannot be taken lightly.

During the 2016-17 season John O’Shea has trained 166 winners, including four Group 1s, and prizemoney of $15.4 million.

Hawkesbury Stand’s Alone

Hawkesbury did stand alone, and did it very well, a record meeting good fields, 9 races, prize money of $1,185,000, and with only one race less than $100,000.

Melbourne Racing Club’s race program also had nine races, well below Hawkesbury with $840,000.

Victoria is falling behind with the Saturday stand alone race fixtures, the prize money is well below what it should be, with owners having to foot the bill for additional floating for horses etc. but racing for less prizemoney, something is out of kilter somewhere.

Snitzel heads sires list

Snitzel is heading the sire’s list by just the barest margin; however, he is still expected to finish on top of the premiership table.

Currently Snitzel is on $12,629,996, with Street Cry, who died two years ago, on $12,620,470, the margin being just $9,526.

Snitzel would be expected to win as he has more runners on hand and Street Cry’s major contributor, Winx, is off the racing scene until the spring.

The nearest threat to the top two, if any, would be Fastnet Rock, however, that is most unlikely as he is still two and a half million behind.

Written Tycoon is the only Victorian based sire in the top 12, he is holding 10th position, he is being hotly pressed by Redoute’s Choice, and Encosta de Lago is not far away.

New South Wales sires have dominated the breeding industry since Century won the title in 1978-79, his oldest progeny being three year olds at that time, whilst his sire, Better Boy, won the title four times, and was runner up three times, and third once.

While former New Zealand – trained galloper Werther is the punters elect to win Sunday’s HKS20 million Group 1 Audermars Piquet Queen Elizabeth 11 Cup over 2000 metres, it is the Japanese raider, Neorealism, that is turning heads during track work at Sha Tin.

The last start winner of the Group 2 Nakayama has looked well in cantering work, attracting more than the usual attention as track rider, Shinjiro Kaneko’s, goggles were adorned with what appeared to be a camera like device.

In fact it was more than just a camera, but also a monitor, manufactured by Horsecall Japan, it is sold as an aid to training, it displays heart rate and speed, Adam Harrigan, consultant and interpreter for trainer Noriyuki Hori explained.

The monitor which the rider can see, displays the horse’s heart rate and track work times for each 200 metres split, it’s new Japanese technology and Hori is not the only trainer to use it, he has certainly been among the first, said Harrigan.

Its valuable obviously for the rider to know exactly how fast the horse is travelling, and to have an indicator of how much the horse is exerting himself, and of course Hori is able to download and evaluate the data at home in Japan.

The heart rate data is recorded via pads inserted in the girth strap, while the camera attachment is fitted with GPS and the data is displayed in a small monitor attached to the rider’s eyewear.

“I can see the data as I am riding the horse, this equipment is now used with all the horses in the Hori stable, “said Kaneko.

Similar technology was used with the champion Japanese horse, Orfevre, who was runner up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2012 and 2013.

Harrigan said, “the device is becoming an important training tool, in a sense it’s an extension of measuring lactates and heart rates via horses working on treadmills, which has been commonplace for some time, this is just more sophisticated and allows the trainer to tailor work specifically to individual horses, based on the heart rate data,” he added.

Former lightweight jockey, Joe Gilmore, passed away early last week, aged 95 years.

Joe was a good rider and a great character, he was born in Newport, at 14 he commenced his apprenticeship with Bass King at Flemington.

He was a man riding at a boy’s weight 46.5ks (7 stone 5lbs), he never had to waste, he was getting plenty of rides. However there were no big slings about, money was pretty short.

After winning the Toorak Handicap twice on Saxony, and riding her into third place behind Rimfire and Dark Marne, in the Melbourne Cup.

He got talking to Harold Jones who was taking a break from a riding stint in India, telling Joe to give it some thought, it was worth a try.

Jones was a handy rider here yet was still battling to survive, in India he was on clover; Joe decided to give it a try.

It was an embarrassment to take the money and the various gifts jockeys received, such as new motor cars, these were common for riding the winner of a major race, jockeys were living on the fat of the land provided they retained their riding weight, they had never seen it so good.

Joe went to India with the express purpose to ride winners, firstly and secondly, and if he proved a success it could be very lucrative.

The Indian Princes enjoyed their racing, money was only a secondary consideration, they enjoyed competing against each other.

The principal courses were in Bombay and Delhi, the facilities at both were beyond description, competition between the Indian Princes was huge, with the major racecourses in Bombay and Delhi very popular.

During racings off season in England, between November and March, a number of English jockeys including, Charlie Smirke, Doug Smith, our own Edgar Britt, and Jim Munro, rode extensively in India.

Joe didn’t ride much after he came back from India; he had a very nice home on Langs Road Ascot Vale, and built a number of flats within walking distance of his home.

He enjoyed the fights, he became a regular at Festival Hall on Friday nights, sitting ringside at a time when boxing was very popular in Melbourne town.

When he retired he never stepped on a racecourse again, even though Flemington was only 200 metres at best down the road.

He lived quietly with his wife Doreen; he received a lot of pleasure from his immaculate garden, where a weed was never to be found.

Scobie playing photographer alongside of Len Lott, Jack Purtell, Bill Williamson and Joe Gilmour, peeking around the corner, Garnie Bougoure. 

The St Leger is the oldest classic, first run in the earliest days of the seventeenth century at Doncaster in Yorkshire.

Racing had previously taken place on the Town Moor, it was not until 1776 the Doncaster Corporation built a grandstand for the aristocratic spectators, including the Marquis of Rockingham and Lieutenant –General Anthony St Leger, both of whom were patrons of the Doncaster Racecourse.

The St Leger, the Derby and the Oaks, are known as the classics, exclusive races confined to three year olds, basically following the traditions from the United Kingdom, a filly could become a triple classic winner but a colt could only become a dual classic winner, as the Oaks is confined to fillies only.

When Australia adopted the three classics system, I’m sure it was never intended that the six states would run the three classics on a regular basis each.

Some of the states have since discontinued the St Leger; it was becoming a nuisance value and nothing more than a match race in some instances.

St Leger was introduced by Victoria Racing Club, the ruling body of racing, during the four days of its autumn carnival.

At that time it was a forgone conclusion that the Derby winner of the spring would contest the St Leger.

However, that has all gone hocus pocus now since the Australian Jockey Club decided to run their Derby in the autumn, there was no option but to run the St Leger on Anzac Day, it is now a better betting medium but not necessarily for what was originally intended.  

There is no cohesion between Melbourne and Sydney, which is a great shame that we cannot see eye to eye between the two states; it is only an hour’s flight on a plane.

At least we can run two successful carnivals, spring and autumn, while Sydney can only muster one carnival. .

Henry Field is wasting no time introducing four of the best credentialed young horses to take up stud duties at Newgate, Aberdeen, in the coming season, which commences in September.

He has skimmed the cream of the crop for Newgate in Capitalist, Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and Winning Rupert; there is nothing left on the sideboard.

Service fees have already been announced for Capitalist, the champion two year old of last season, after winning the Golden Slipper Stakes he is fully booked and will cover 180 mares in the coming season, his service fee is set at $50,000 plus GST.

All are three year olds rising four, with the exception of Winning Rupert, who will be three when he takes up stud duties, a nice book of mares awaits him, that will give him every chance at present, he has 155 bookings at a fee of $20,000 plus GST

Stud fees have also been announced for both Extreme Choice and Flying Artie, the best two year olds of last season out of the Mick Price yard, each will stand for $35,000 plus GST.

Capitalist and Winning Rupert are both by Written Tycoon, they may well establish the cracking good looking chestnut as a sire of sires.

Capitalist winning the Golden Slipper Stakes  

Henry is right on the ball, he has the dollars and he has secured potentially the four best young horses in the world, there are exciting times ahead for Newgate, the stud that is becoming a major player in the thoroughbred breeding industry.

All were prominent two year olds, all million dollar horses plus, Australia breeds the best sprinters in the world, while stake money continues to rise and the Everest is over 1200 metres.

Speed has taken over as the essential ingredient in the modern day racehorse, and while race clubs continue to cater for horses with the majority of races over 1000 to 1200 metres, there is no point in trying to breed stayers, it is a lost cause.

Breeding and racing has changed, there are those that invest in the industry that are looking for a quick return, and you are more likely to get it in a sprinting pedigree.

Pace is becoming a dominant factor in the breeding of the thoroughbred horse, while that could be scoffed at by the purists; however, it is a reality.

Henry Field is a good operator, he cannot afford to let the grass grow under his feet, this is big business as was shown in Sydney last week when 14 yearlings were sold for $1 million or more, unheard in this country previously.

Extreme Choice winning the Blue Diamond Stakes

Bloodstock breeding has gone to a all time level, syndication is very strong, there is confidence in the industry and when there is confidence it stimulates interest, and in this case at the highest level.

It is an exciting industry that stimulates interest, not only for those already involved, but for those that are coming into the industry.

The risks are no greater than any other investment, if you are smart enough, you can trade out of your investment, with a profit, before sire’s progeny have even raced.

Capitalist is in great demand, as Golden Slipper Stakes winners always are, there is magic in that race like no other, possibly in the world, we owe so much to the late George Ryder, a man of great vision.

The breeding industry has changed, come September some stallions can be covering four mares a day, at six hour intervals.

Times have changed, the thoroughbred breeding industry is huge, the capitol investment is riding on an all-time high, there is quite a number of investors that don’t even own a mare, investing in stallion shares is becoming a challenge, and a rival to the stock exchange.

One such sire, a Golden Slipper success, had sired three crops of foals before he had a runner, grossed $29 million in stud fees, that is not to be sneezed at.

Flying Artie winning the Danehill