Gai and the team in New Zealand

Nash arrived at the track still dusting off the turf from Hobart where he partnered Kinnersley to a magnificent 2nd in the Tasmanian Derby and was full of praise for the rising star - Crystal Empire - Stature of Liberty/My Little Girl who is on target to trial next week and is definitely one for the black book.

Tindal is two stone lighter than when he raced in Melbourne and his attitude has changed since Lloyd Williams and Tony Santic sent me this colt. "You know how to train sprinters Gai so see if you can make a horse of this boy?" said Lloyd. Six weeks later I said to Lloyd, "I will but not while he is a colt." We gelded him and put him in a pony paddock at the back of Bounding Away where he fights for his tucker and boy has he changed. He will trial in the next week or so. Originally he was so timid and shy and looked at everything. Now he's a gelding all he wants to do is get on with the job of being a racehorse.

Texan - Stratum/Jewelmer colt, certainly caught Neil's eye and has gone ahead in leaps and bounds.

Kathy was happy with the winner of two from three Once Were Wild that is owned by Singo and his team. This talented Johannesburg filly will be seen in town next when she contests the benchmark 70 for fillies and mares at Canterbury on Friday February 12th.

Heistmaster races on Friday at Canberra. He was originally programmed to run at Newcastle but has now been set for the 1300m maiden with Mark Newnham in the saddle. 

The team and I have had our running shoes on of late with Denise, Greg Nash and I recently in Perth to purchase a most lyrical colt by Fastnet Rock.

I flew in from Perth on Friday night then flew out to New Zealand on Saturday morning. On the way to the airport we were just about to turn on to the highway when Robbie called and asked, "Do you have your passport darling?" Of course not," I replied. He immediately jumped in the car and met me on the road to pass on. What a sweetheart. I'm like a puppydog that once left off the leash quickly gets lost. Luckily I was still able to make the plane. Qantas are gems the way they look after us.

I love the difference in the two countries that go far deeper than the cold and their accent. I don't think there is anywhere in the world quite like this glorious land - the many volcanic eruptions that have occurred over millions of years, the greeness that reminds you of Ireland and the sunlight on a Saturday morning beaming through our window.

Everyone is at Karaka. Once the sale circuit starts you feel like you're a gypsie. Owners, breeders, trainers and agents all pile into the same complex to find their jewel in the Crown. Interesting my husbands racing formula when backing horses in staying races is to just look for the NZ suffix. In anything over a mile plus these true initials dominate. My Australian team and I have one brief only and that is to find a Derby, Oaks and Melbourne Cup horse. Any Australian bred yearlings are not on our radar. Supreme master of Karaka Peter Vella was slightly surprised I didn't want to see his colts but instead only his NZ bred.

Joe Manning of Littledale Lodge who has been a family friend all my life jetted in to come and buy a stayer in partnership with his great mate Peter Falk. Joe has not been to the NZ sales for just over 30 years. Lea and Bruce Stracey joined Amanda, Kate, Greg, Rob and I. The Henderson boys David, Luke and father John were also inattendance.

We are once again staying at glorious Mollies. I wouldn't do the place any justice calling it a B&B. The rooms are beautifully appointed and the view is breathless. Run by Francis Wilson and Stephen Fitzgerald, Mollies has a great parade of magnificent opera singers every night. Last night we were joined by David and Angela Paykel, great family friends of mine that have the champion filly over here called Zarzuela, who is being set for the AJC oaks.

NZ sales hype is always high and no different today. I tend to get a little highly strung to say the least whilst Kate and Amanda and co all cope well with the pressure of trying to get the best. Gerry Harvey is ever finding new markets and he's invested in Westbury stud and wants to make it a stallion station.