January 24, 2025 • 8 mins
The biggest domestic racing event in New Zealand has returned.
The Karaka Millions kick off today in Auckland, the first of a six race schedule starts at 4:38 this afternoon.
TAB Bookie Thad Taylor joins Piney to offer his thoughts and best bets for the upcoming races.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Cutikamillion's Night at Ellislie one of the biggest meetings on
the New Zealand racing calender. The first of a six
race schedule jumps at four thirty eight this afternoon. The
two key races on the card are the cutaka Millions
two year old and three year old races four and five.
Let's bring in Sad Taylor from the Tab. Dad, you
must be like a kid on Christmas morning? How big
is this meeting for the tab?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, this is clearly the biggest domestic meeting we have now. Jason,
good afternoon to you there. Yeah, it's a fantastic meeting
and it's just grown and grown over the last sort
of five or so years into a bit of a
behemoth in terms of New Zealand racing. Obviously, those respected
days that we all sort of know and love, like
Derby Day, New Zealand Cup Day and the like is
still strong, but this brings a whole another flavor. Five
(00:57):
million dollars up for grabs over six races here at
h two to nine. I'm just sitting as we speak
Piney in the CEO's office at Autland Racing Club. Just
look looking out the window here, just watching the fever
start to build here on track at Ellerslie.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It was very good man the seeon and good of
him to offer up his prime position for this radio
channel like it. The two key races on the cut,
as I say, the two year old and three year
old character members. These are the two races for horses
that were sold or offered for sale at the New
Zealand Bloodstock Colorker sales.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Is that right, That's absolutely correct, And the sales are
on the back of the Karaka meeting. The sales begin
tomorrow out at Karaka and they go Sunday Monday, and
further the group the book one sales Sunday Monday. Horses
that have brought through the Karaka sales ring eligible for
the Karaka two year old and three year old racers.
So it's a great concept. It's not a new concept.
(01:48):
The Magic Millions are in the Gold Coast and the like,
they have done something like this, but this is our
Kadaka million and as I say, it's right up there
in terms of domestic New Zealand racing. So it's really
gone from strength to strength. As I say, so if
you go out there, I won't be opening the wallet unfortunately,
pinting out there at Karaka over the next couple of
days of just to come up a couple of hundred
(02:09):
thousand short. But it is a great atmosphere out there
as well. If you do get a chance to go
and sit in the sales ring for an hour or so,
that is a lot of fun in itself. There's the
action of plenty even after the racing's finished tonight, over
the next couple of days.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Now, this is the first of the two World Pool
meetings in New Zealand. The other one's champions Day on
the eighth of March. Can you just explain what that
means for us?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, So the World Pool is a totalizeta pool, or
a pool where everyone's money's lumped together, and we have
twenty five different countries or regions around the world that
will be betting into the same tote pool as we
call them, a totalizeta pool. And then this just means
we get a far larger Paul. We got a lot
more eyes on our product as well. So it's a
real coup for the tab. It's a real coup for
(02:54):
the Auckland Racing Club to have a world pool meeting,
So that will be very very interesting to watch. On
the last three races tonight, the pools will be huge,
the trifective pools will be big, the treble pools will
be big, the double pools beg all boosted by twenty
five different racing regions around the world betting into the
same pool. So it's exciting. It'll be fun to watch
(03:14):
from you know, from my standpoint of the sort of
a student of the game, just to watch how thepool
reacts over the next few hours. So that's going to
be exciting. But it's great for customers as well because
it gives them some sort of certainty around their dividends
and probably increased dividends and trifectors and trebles, and certainly
they'll be very very stable with the amount of liquidity
(03:35):
in that world pool. So it's a great thing for
New Zealand racing and above all things else, it means
is eyes right around the world are on this Karaka
meeting tonight at Ellislie and the last.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Race of the night seven forty three tonight, the kind
of Group one sprint race. These seven hundred thousand dollars railway.
Has that been moved to this day? Is what's happened
with that?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, it actually has been moved to this day. And
to have a World Pool meeting, or to qualify to
be a World Pool meeting, you need a group one
race on your card, So this has been moved to
create the ability to have the World bull among other things.
You know, obviously they're always working on the calendar and
trying to find the right sort of balance around that
as well, but that is certainly one of the main
reasons that the railway has been moved two tonight, and
(04:17):
that means we could have Whirlpool on those last three races,
So jee's a great addition of the railway. Piney, my
goodness me. You know, the Karaka two and three year
old are the feature races on the night, but you know,
if you could only watch one race on the night,
it probably would be the Ustemer Railway race number six
on the card. We we've got two gun three year
old Phillies are going up against each other, Alabama last
(04:40):
and captured by Love against the old season war Haws, sprinters,
the wait for Age sprinters, the likes of y tac Luba, Roon, Babylon,
Berlin Croshetti as well, So that is going to be
extremely exciting. Race. Are the last race on the card
the Railway Sprint. They'll be going for it race number
six there hours.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Well, let's go back to races four and five. As
you say the like a million's two year old and
three year old? Have you got any advice for around
those two?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah? Look TRKW the stable tr Cow have an extremely
good record manager David Alice, trained by Mark Walker and
Sam Burgess, and they have an incredible record in the race.
They've got four, sorry, three horses in the race. Now
they did have four. The first emergency was also their
runner but didn't quite make the field. So they have
three runners in the race. They have two of the
(05:28):
three favorites they have won. I think I'm not even
out sure how many Karaka two year old racers have one.
I think they had seven in a row they at
one point, and they hold the two favorites there and
it's Bravery Born and also Lar de Rada and they
get the gun Australian jockeys to come over and ride
them as well, and Craig Williams and Blake Shin and
the like, so they lose nothing there. Then we had
(05:49):
the barrier drawer on Wednesday and they drew barrier two
and barrier five. So if they needed any more favors Tik,
they got them through that barrier draw and I can
tell you that they don't. So look'd be pretty mad.
I say mad that you know you might do worse
than backing Tirk in the two year old race. Too
Sweet is the raider trained by Royd and Burgerson, father
of Sam Burgesson, who trades at Tiaco. It's a bit
(06:10):
of a connection there. She's a CD raider that brings
the right form one very well last time, but drew
barrier fifteen and will come into barrier fourteen with the
scratching of the emergency, but the outside barrier which will
make two sweets life a little bit difficult. So yeah,
potentially look at Tiakaw in that two year old. That's
(06:31):
race number four.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Pinty good stuff all right. Well, in terms of a
crowd at ellis Lee today, presumably it'll be large, good day.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Ah, there's no atmosphere like it, and boys get paid.
It'll be out here. It's a group of boys and
girls that's come out and they have a massive function
out here, and they'll have a hosted pot or basically
a punter's club run out here of the day, and
they'll have a few hundred thousand that they'll be trying
to attack me with during the day. They bring an
incredible atmosphere the chance there is no race meaning like
(07:02):
it in New Zealand. So if you haven't managed to
make it to a kark a million, I would suggest
you put that on your bucket list. Certainly in terms
of New Zealand domestic racing, it would be the event
to come to. I'm just looking around at all the tents,
the plenty of hospitality. I'm sure the sold out signs
will be up well and truly here. So yeah, there's
no atmosphere like Crack a Million and the stands will
(07:23):
be erupting. Has to come around sort of six o'clock,
seven o'clock tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Exciting stuff. Thanks indeed for your time, has always Dad.
You better give Paul Wilcox his office back and we'll
catch up again soon. Mate.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
He's starting to give with the evil wife Tiney, so
I better get out of here. Thanks for having me
and good luck. If anyone's having a go tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You're a good man. Thanks that Taylor there from the
tav you can just tell the excitement that's building for
the culak of millions at alice Ley. First race and
a six race schedule jumps at four thirty eight. Over
five million in in stakes up for grabs on the
day in the first of two World Pool meetings. Massive
boon for the industry and an indication the progress being
(08:02):
made in New Zealand racing in recent years.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks at b Weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Cutikamillion's Night at Ellislie one of the biggest meetings on
the New Zealand racing calender. The first of a six
race schedule jumps at four thirty eight this afternoon. The
two key races on the card are the cutaka Millions
two year old and three year old races four and five.
Let's bring in Sad Taylor from the Tab. Dad, you
must be like a kid on Christmas morning? How big
is this meeting for the tab?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah, this is clearly the biggest domestic meeting we have now. Jason,
good afternoon to you there. Yeah, it's a fantastic meeting
and it's just grown and grown over the last sort
of five or so years into a bit of a
behemoth in terms of New Zealand racing. Obviously, those respected
days that we all sort of know and love, like
Derby Day, New Zealand Cup Day and the like is
still strong, but this brings a whole another flavor. Five
(00:57):
million dollars up for grabs over six races here at
h two to nine. I'm just sitting as we speak
Piney in the CEO's office at Autland Racing Club. Just
look looking out the window here, just watching the fever
start to build here on track at Ellerslie.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It was very good man the seeon and good of
him to offer up his prime position for this radio
channel like it. The two key races on the cut,
as I say, the two year old and three year
old character members. These are the two races for horses
that were sold or offered for sale at the New
Zealand Bloodstock Colorker sales.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Is that right, That's absolutely correct, And the sales are
on the back of the Karaka meeting. The sales begin
tomorrow out at Karaka and they go Sunday Monday, and
further the group the book one sales Sunday Monday. Horses
that have brought through the Karaka sales ring eligible for
the Karaka two year old and three year old racers.
So it's a great concept. It's not a new concept.
(01:48):
The Magic Millions are in the Gold Coast and the like,
they have done something like this, but this is our
Kadaka million and as I say, it's right up there
in terms of domestic New Zealand racing. So it's really
gone from strength to strength. As I say, so if
you go out there, I won't be opening the wallet unfortunately,
pinting out there at Karaka over the next couple of
days of just to come up a couple of hundred
(02:09):
thousand short. But it is a great atmosphere out there
as well. If you do get a chance to go
and sit in the sales ring for an hour or so,
that is a lot of fun in itself. There's the
action of plenty even after the racing's finished tonight, over
the next couple of days.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Now, this is the first of the two World Pool
meetings in New Zealand. The other one's champions Day on
the eighth of March. Can you just explain what that
means for us?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, So the World Pool is a totalizeta pool, or
a pool where everyone's money's lumped together, and we have
twenty five different countries or regions around the world that
will be betting into the same tote pool as we
call them, a totalizeta pool. And then this just means
we get a far larger Paul. We got a lot
more eyes on our product as well. So it's a
real coup for the tab. It's a real coup for
(02:54):
the Auckland Racing Club to have a world pool meeting,
So that will be very very interesting to watch. On
the last three races tonight, the pools will be huge,
the trifective pools will be big, the treble pools will
be big, the double pools beg all boosted by twenty
five different racing regions around the world betting into the
same pool. So it's exciting. It'll be fun to watch
(03:14):
from you know, from my standpoint of the sort of
a student of the game, just to watch how thepool
reacts over the next few hours. So that's going to
be exciting. But it's great for customers as well because
it gives them some sort of certainty around their dividends
and probably increased dividends and trifectors and trebles, and certainly
they'll be very very stable with the amount of liquidity
(03:35):
in that world pool. So it's a great thing for
New Zealand racing and above all things else, it means
is eyes right around the world are on this Karaka
meeting tonight at Ellislie and the last.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Race of the night seven forty three tonight, the kind
of Group one sprint race. These seven hundred thousand dollars railway.
Has that been moved to this day? Is what's happened
with that?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, it actually has been moved to this day. And
to have a World Pool meeting, or to qualify to
be a World Pool meeting, you need a group one
race on your card, So this has been moved to
create the ability to have the World bull among other things.
You know, obviously they're always working on the calendar and
trying to find the right sort of balance around that
as well, but that is certainly one of the main
reasons that the railway has been moved two tonight, and
(04:17):
that means we could have Whirlpool on those last three races,
So jee's a great addition of the railway. Piney, my
goodness me. You know, the Karaka two and three year
old are the feature races on the night, but you know,
if you could only watch one race on the night,
it probably would be the Ustemer Railway race number six
on the card. We we've got two gun three year
old Phillies are going up against each other, Alabama last
(04:40):
and captured by Love against the old season war Haws, sprinters,
the wait for Age sprinters, the likes of y tac Luba, Roon, Babylon,
Berlin Croshetti as well, So that is going to be
extremely exciting. Race. Are the last race on the card
the Railway Sprint. They'll be going for it race number
six there hours.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Well, let's go back to races four and five. As
you say the like a million's two year old and
three year old? Have you got any advice for around
those two?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah? Look TRKW the stable tr Cow have an extremely
good record manager David Alice, trained by Mark Walker and
Sam Burgess, and they have an incredible record in the race.
They've got four, sorry, three horses in the race. Now
they did have four. The first emergency was also their
runner but didn't quite make the field. So they have
three runners in the race. They have two of the
(05:28):
three favorites they have won. I think I'm not even
out sure how many Karaka two year old racers have one.
I think they had seven in a row they at
one point, and they hold the two favorites there and
it's Bravery Born and also Lar de Rada and they
get the gun Australian jockeys to come over and ride
them as well, and Craig Williams and Blake Shin and
the like, so they lose nothing there. Then we had
(05:49):
the barrier drawer on Wednesday and they drew barrier two
and barrier five. So if they needed any more favors Tik,
they got them through that barrier draw and I can
tell you that they don't. So look'd be pretty mad.
I say mad that you know you might do worse
than backing Tirk in the two year old race. Too
Sweet is the raider trained by Royd and Burgerson, father
of Sam Burgesson, who trades at Tiaco. It's a bit
(06:10):
of a connection there. She's a CD raider that brings
the right form one very well last time, but drew
barrier fifteen and will come into barrier fourteen with the
scratching of the emergency, but the outside barrier which will
make two sweets life a little bit difficult. So yeah,
potentially look at Tiakaw in that two year old. That's
(06:31):
race number four.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Pinty good stuff all right. Well, in terms of a
crowd at ellis Lee today, presumably it'll be large, good day.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Ah, there's no atmosphere like it, and boys get paid.
It'll be out here. It's a group of boys and
girls that's come out and they have a massive function
out here, and they'll have a hosted pot or basically
a punter's club run out here of the day, and
they'll have a few hundred thousand that they'll be trying
to attack me with during the day. They bring an
incredible atmosphere the chance there is no race meaning like
(07:02):
it in New Zealand. So if you haven't managed to
make it to a kark a million, I would suggest
you put that on your bucket list. Certainly in terms
of New Zealand domestic racing, it would be the event
to come to. I'm just looking around at all the tents,
the plenty of hospitality. I'm sure the sold out signs
will be up well and truly here. So yeah, there's
no atmosphere like Crack a Million and the stands will
(07:23):
be erupting. Has to come around sort of six o'clock,
seven o'clock tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Exciting stuff. Thanks indeed for your time, has always Dad.
You better give Paul Wilcox his office back and we'll
catch up again soon. Mate.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
He's starting to give with the evil wife Tiney, so
I better get out of here. Thanks for having me
and good luck. If anyone's having a go tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You're a good man. Thanks that Taylor there from the
tav you can just tell the excitement that's building for
the culak of millions at alice Ley. First race and
a six race schedule jumps at four thirty eight. Over
five million in in stakes up for grabs on the
day in the first of two World Pool meetings. Massive
boon for the industry and an indication the progress being
(08:02):
made in New Zealand racing in recent years.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks at b Weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Super Bowl LIX Podcasts
Don't miss out on the NFL Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts' exclusive week of episodes recorded in New Orleans!
24/7 News: The Latest
Today’s Latest News In 4 Minutes. Updated Hourly.