Latest news with #PrinceofPenzance
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rosehill rejection: Why did ATC members look a gift horse in the mouth?
Not since 100-to-1 outsider Prince of Penzance defied the odds to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup has a result so deeply confounded established racing logic. The rejection by members of the Australian Turf Club of a $5 billion proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens Racecourse to the NSW government comes close. The prospect of 25,000 new homes on a site situated in the heart of Australia's fastest-growing region were stakes Premier Chris Minns had no option to mount. Under the National Housing Accord he has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes across NSW by 2029. Weigh up the racecourse's adjacency to a newly-constructed light rail network, a coming metro line and a surging jobs hub in Parramatta, and the odds looked impossible to ignore. The NSW government has made no secret of the centrality of housing supply to its agenda. From its establishment last year of the Housing Delivery Authority, through to its pursuit of its Transport Oriented Development initiative, its colours were clear and unambiguous. Recent measures by the premier to upscale the state's production of modular homes – and the contingent manufacturing jobs boost – only upped the stakes. As did the commitment from Peter V'landys, chief executive and board member of Racing NSW, to 'ensure the revenue derived from the [Rosehill] proposal is reinvested to benefit the racing industry as a whole'. Even these assurances couldn't get the proposal over the line. Nor did the prospect of around $2 billion in upgrades to other racetracks, or the sweetener of food, beverage and membership fee concessions. If I know punters' logic, the reason might lie in sentiment, rather than logic. Let me tell you why. Loading My grandpop, Harry, was a veteran of the 1945 New Guinea campaign. He would forlornly recall he was 'too tall' to be a jockey. Still, he remained a lifelong horseracing devotee. He lived in a fibro housing commission house in Granville, due to the state's last great housing shortage post-World War II. It was only five minutes from Rosehill racetrack, where he would periodically venture to, 'see a man about a dog'. Normally unassuming, Harry would harshly shush all of us grandkids when the races came on his 'transistor'. Either that, or he'd send us to the corner shop to buy him a packet of Rothmans Extra Mild cigarettes. 'Get some lollies' with the change he would add. When I was older, I asked Harry in gambling parlance what the 'tells' were in backing a horse trackside. 'Form be damned', he would rail. 'If you see a horse in the mounting yard sweating too much on a chilly day, give it a miss', he advised. 'Ears up, ears up!' That was his favoured sign. An alert, edgy horse was a sure bet, pop assured me.
The Age
5 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Rosehill rejection: Why did ATC members look a gift horse in the mouth?
Not since 100-to-1 outsider Prince of Penzance defied the odds to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup has a result so deeply confounded established racing logic. The rejection by members of the Australian Turf Club of a $5 billion proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens Racecourse to the NSW government comes close. The prospect of 25,000 new homes on a site situated in the heart of Australia's fastest-growing region were stakes Premier Chris Minns had no option to mount. Under the National Housing Accord he has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes across NSW by 2029. Weigh up the racecourse's adjacency to a newly-constructed light rail network, a coming metro line and a surging jobs hub in Parramatta, and the odds looked impossible to ignore. The NSW government has made no secret of the centrality of housing supply to its agenda. From its establishment last year of the Housing Delivery Authority, through to its pursuit of its Transport Oriented Development initiative, its colours were clear and unambiguous. Recent measures by the premier to upscale the state's production of modular homes – and the contingent manufacturing jobs boost – only upped the stakes. As did the commitment from Peter V'landys, chief executive and board member of Racing NSW, to 'ensure the revenue derived from the [Rosehill] proposal is reinvested to benefit the racing industry as a whole'. Even these assurances couldn't get the proposal over the line. Nor did the prospect of around $2 billion in upgrades to other racetracks, or the sweetener of food, beverage and membership fee concessions. If I know punters' logic, the reason might lie in sentiment, rather than logic. Let me tell you why. Loading My grandpop, Harry, was a veteran of the 1945 New Guinea campaign. He would forlornly recall he was 'too tall' to be a jockey. Still, he remained a lifelong horseracing devotee. He lived in a fibro housing commission house in Granville, due to the state's last great housing shortage post-World War II. It was only five minutes from Rosehill racetrack, where he would periodically venture to, 'see a man about a dog'. Normally unassuming, Harry would harshly shush all of us grandkids when the races came on his 'transistor'. Either that, or he'd send us to the corner shop to buy him a packet of Rothmans Extra Mild cigarettes. 'Get some lollies' with the change he would add. When I was older, I asked Harry in gambling parlance what the 'tells' were in backing a horse trackside. 'Form be damned', he would rail. 'If you see a horse in the mounting yard sweating too much on a chilly day, give it a miss', he advised. 'Ears up, ears up!' That was his favoured sign. An alert, edgy horse was a sure bet, pop assured me.
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
World's fastest man Noah Lyles linked with Gout Gout showdown at next year's Stawell Gift
After the success of this year's Stawell Gift despite neither Gout Gout nor Lachlan Kennedy making the final, key figures are reportedly set to present a mega-money offer to the world's fastest man, Noah Lyles, in an attempt to get him to race on the iconic grass track in 2025. Despite Stawell Gift organisers left to rue harsh handicaps given to headline talent Gout and Kennedy at this year's Stawell Gift, the event was an overwhelming success. Bumper crowds made their way to Central Park for all three days and it has led the Victorian Athletic League (VAL) - which organises Australia's oldest footrace - to consider tabling a bumper offer to the reigning 100m Olympic gold medallist in an attempt to get him to race Gout on Australian soil in what would certainly attract record crowds. 'There are a couple of people angling in that space … There are a few influential people that have some backing that suggested they're going to try to see what they can do. There's plenty of people around with money to support that,' VAL president McDonough told Wide World of Sports. 'Someone might say, 'Look, we can spend half a million to get Noah Lyles', and he might not come for that. 'Who knows? By the time we get to next year, Gout could be just as big as Noah Lyles. ' … (But) we'd be interested (in bringing Noah Lyles to Australia), the VAL, and I'm sure Stawell would. We would be super excited to have any of the international superstars come along, like one of those big-name Americans, to take on Gout.' This year, local businessman Sandy McGregor – the majority owner of Prince of Penzance, the horse who won the hearts of Australia when it took out the 2015 Melbourne Cup with Michelle Payne aboard – paid $50,000 for Gout to tear down the 110m grass straight. But his generosity hasn't stopped there as he will also continue to support Gout as he heads overseas with to race in Europe and Asia this year. McGregor has reportedly committed $150,000 to the Aussie phenom so he can contest several races abroad. Gout will next compete in the 200 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on June 25 (AEST). He will then set his sights on gold at the world championships in Tokyo in September.
