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Manighar Wins BMW At Rosehill Races; Sydney's Golden Slipper Day; Celebrities Spotted

Manighar has led home a trifecta for imported stayers with victory in the $2.25 million BMW at Rosehill on Saturday.

Making it three Group One weight-for-age wins under the care of new trainer Peter Moody, Manighar defeated fellow northern hemisphere imports Americain and Drunken Sailor in the 2400m feature.

"He just loves it here," part-owner Simon O'Donnell said.

"He might have been born and bred in France but he's a fully-fledged Aussie as far as I'm concerned."

Popular jockey Luke Nolen had Manighar racing outside the leader Fiumicino.

Nolen took the six-year-old to front as the field straightened and the result was never in doubt.

Americain gave his all after being forced to race three-wide for the entire trip.

The 2010 Melbourne Cup winner was under pressure at the 400m but rallied strongly in the final stretch.

Drunken Sailor, raced in the same interests as Manighar, took the minor placing.

Manighar and Drunken Sailor were trained by English conditioner Luca Cumani before finding their way into the stables of Moody and Mike Moroney respectively.

"It's been quite a feat," Nolen said of Manighar's run of form which has also included Group One wins in the Australian Cup and Ranvet Stakes.

"Pete's a marvellous trainer but I think we've been given a true indication of his abilities with what he has been able to do with this horse."

Punters, here's to a great day or racing and stay tuned for more reports from the track.

The Late News...

Celebrities spotted include Jennifer Hawkins, Gai Waterhouse and Jessica Mauboy.

Rosehill Racing; Sydney, Australia: Samaready Favorite

The talk is that Golden Slipper favourite Samaready is tipped for likely victory today.

The unbeaten filly is to become quite the show stopper, if those in the know are correct.

Mick Price, the well-respected trainer from had a few words to share in regards to her winning the Riesling Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago.

"In the warmer weather up here she has really cleaned up," Price said. "She has a real summery coat on her now, a rich coat. I have an idea what I want to see when I see them, and I thought she had absolutely bloomed. I think I'll catch her on the way up."

That is paramount for Price and his jockey Craig Hewitt as they go for the win in the $3.5 million race that is one of Australia's most important races.

"That is the thing, isn't it?" Price said. "There will be 100 yards from first to last in the Golden Slipper, a lot of the two-year-olds will go there on empty. The trick is the winner is on the way up and that's what we have tried to do.

"I mean, in the back of my mind you are trying to beat the fact you've got to peak her twice."

It doesn't seem apparent that the world's richest race for two-year-olds wasn't on his agenda.

"The Blue Diamond was goal No. 1 and I wouldn't have said at any point the Slipper took priority over that," the trainer said.

Samaready got the nod and clearance at Price's stables later than usual. The filly bred by retail business tycoon Gerry Harvey was tipped to be sold at his Magic Millions sale but was withdrawn.

"I didn't know she was allocated to me in August, maybe September," Price said. "I've usually got all my two-year-olds programmed to a point by then."

The crew at Vinery Stud, which includes Harvey, paid $150,000 grand for the daughter of sire star More Than Ready at last year's William Inglis Easter sale.

"She came to us not long before the first preparation she raced in. It was the first time I'd seen her. I had a pretty good idea on her, I wanted to qualify her prizemoney-wise for the Blue Diamond, which is why we ran her at Flemington, even though physically she was on the way down.

"I was away for a week. Contacting the staff, they said, 'She's had enough, wanted to go to the paddock."

Price sent Samaready to the race on a downer, but he is a smart operator.

"That win was just a blessing because, with the prizemoney, we could formulate a really accurate program with her," he said.

"Nothing worse than having a horse ready for a race and you can't run due to a lack of prizemoney.

"After her first run we've been able to do everything we've wanted to. That part has been very good and she has done the rest."

Samaready has certainly achieve. She performed in the Blue Diamond prelude then thrashed rivals in the race the team wanted. She was cocky at Rosehill and now for the Golden Slipper.

"She is a tricky little thing," Price said. "She works good, doesn't blast away and win a gallop by five and six lengths. She does work good, matches up good in trackwork but she is a relaxed filly. She doesn't burn the track up, she only just does what she is asked to do."

The exercise routine that netted the Blue Diamond has been used to prime Samaready for today's date with the Golden Slipper.

"I didn't do a lot with her between the prelude and the Blue Diamond because I think if you are going to win a two-year-old race, you have to have your horse on the way up.

"After the Blue Diamond she was able to have nine days off, which did her a lot of good.

"She is the right horse, the right two-year-old to do this. Fetlocks, appetite, temperament - if any one of those goes wrong you are in a bit of trouble. With her, she passes all the tests and she has got gear No. 6; good horses have five, some have four, three.

"She seems to have gear number six at the end of 1200 metres."

Price is backing Newitt all the way.

"He is the man for the job," he said. "He'll be pumped on the day, he doesn't make many mistakes, a good aggressive rider. We won a group 1 in Sydney together, Pompeii Ruler won a Queen Elizabeth.

"He is not flustered, he is a little sportsman. I think he just likes it, no issue there."

"If this is pressure, I wish I had it every day," Price said.

"I wish I had a 6-4, red-hot, raging favourite all the time. I enjoy where I am at the moment.
"It sort of energises you, I guess. It is always good when you are away training horses, you've got more time to spend on them.

"You've got to be confident in what you are doing. You can only be guided by what they do on a racecourse and so far it has been good.

"I hope she is a red-hot favourite on Saturday and she wins."

Here's to a great day or racing and stay tuned for more reports from the track.

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Bookies Down Under Thrilled With Americain Win at Melbourne Cup, by Greg Tingle

The bookies were hoping that So You Think would not win Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup. He was the heavily backed favorite who ultimately ended up finishing third. Instead it was Americain who came in first place. The barely mentioned European-trained horse paid 12/1 odds coming into the race.

So You Think had become a bona fide star in Australian coming into this race, becoming the shortest-priced favorite in a Melbourne Cup since Veandercross in 1992. By the AM hours he was set at $3.20.

Sportingbet Australia communications manager Bill Richmond told Wide World of Sports: "There have been a string of big bets for it over the past 24 hours, including two bets of $40,000 and two bets of $20,000.

"We put up $3.70 after the barrier draw on Saturday night, and the money for this horse has just kept rolling in."

Man down under Greg Tingle of Media Man said this on the biggest horse race of the year, The Melbourne Cup:

"Australia's Melbourne Cup is as much about corporate sponsorship, fashion and celebs these days, as it is about the actually horse race itself. Despite Melbourne raining cats and dogs most of today about 100,000 people showed up to witness the race live, and the majority of Australia took most of the day off to watch it on television or the web.

“Many workplaces run sweepstakes and its the talk between businesses, clients and associates. Real work basically goes on hold for the day. Oh, I have a perfect system that works every year without fail to make sure I don't loose on the hardness race in the year to pick. I don't bet on it, rather, we cover the race and let people know some of the best places to place bets on it. Good system hey. “Insiders call the Melbourne Cup a race for mug punters, but I wouldn't be so harsh. It's a very hard race to pick winners and even places. Enjoy the fun, fashion, drinks and women, and you can't go wrong".

The finishing order in the 2010 Melbourne Cup:

1. Americain

2. Maluckyday

3. So You Think

4. Zipping

5. Harris Tweed

6. Holberg

7. Manighar

8. Precedence

9. Illustrious Blue

10. Mr Medici

11. Once Were Wild

12. Tokai Trick

13. Shoot Out

14. Monaco Consul

15. Master O'Reilly

16. Campanologist

17. Profound Beauty

18. Shocking

19. Red Ruler

20. Buccellati

21. Linton

22. Zavite

Descarado failed to finish.

Australia Gambling News: Melbourne Cup Day A Bookie’s Dream … Usually, by Greg Tingle

Happy Melbourne Cup Day. Here's the tip. Punters, media and and insiders have backed So You Think to do today what no horse has done in the 150-year history of the Melbourne Cup. Trainer Bart Cummings' latest champion will start the warmest Cup favourite in 39 years and is entitled to start odds-on according to two of Australia's most respected form experts. The Melbourne Cup is regarded as the main event on the Australian racing calender, and is also thought to be the hardest to pick a winner! It's a bookies dream (usually).

James Packer, Warnie, Celebs Play And Party At Crown Casino...

Well, Derby Day might have been a wash out, but Crown Casino is on fire. Today's is Australia's 150th Melbourne Cup, but Crown seems to be getting more than their fair share of headlines thanks to the Packer / s - Warnie and friends collaboration and celeb poker tourney. The Crown Poker Room (home of the Aussie Millions Poker Championship), played host to the annual ''Joe Hachem and Shane Warne Charity Poker Tournament''. Promo talk has it as as the most prestigious fund-raising poker event on the social calendar, which is about on the money.

The happening nets in Australia's most successful players (Hachem, Emad Tahtouh), high-profile sports stars (Warne, Gary Ablett, Kevin Muscat, Aaron Hamill), influential business leaders (James Packer, Andrew Bassett, Michael Kroger, Andrew Fox, Jeffrey Browne), and celebs from down under's Aussiewood (Jason Dundas, Kris Smith, Michael Gudinski, James Matheson, Fifi Box). They are looking to raise more than half a million bucks for sick and needy kids in Australia via The Shane Warne Foundation. Media Man understands that more than 350 punters paid $1000 each to take a seat at this event. The Packer family and the super A-list spent Saturday night at their traditional karaoke party, which is nestled away in one of the finest, most exclusive parts of the casino.

As you might imagine the Victoria Racing Club is praying for much better weather today for The Cup after Saturday's raining cats and dogs which turned Flemington's Birdcage and many of its guests into quite the country barn yard, with jokes among patrons and staff of mud wrestling, Noah's Ark, Mission: Impossible, Water World being a bit of light relief. We'll be getting back to our vast and loyal readership with more from Crown Casino and the tourney very soon, so stay tuned. Well done Crown Casino, Packer, Warnie and all you 'Aussie Gumleaf Mafia' out there. It's a been a huge week in the world of casino and poker news, and we're pleased to finish on this high note.

Mildura Casino Proposal Still Alive; Not Dead Yet!...

The ALP says a proposal for a casino in Mildura is not dead, despite the Coalition and Greens refusing to support it. The Government has always indicated the casino would require bipartisan to go ahead but the Opposition parties now say the social costs are too high. However, the ALP's Member for Northern Victoria, Candy Broad, says an interdepartmental inquiry looking at the $400 million project will run its course. "We believe the Nationals and Liberals are letting down Victorians in the Mildura region by refusing to even support an investigation into the social and economic impacts of the proposal," she said. "The fact is that no-one can be certain what the social and economic impacts of this proposal are until they have been assessed. "It remains our view that this proposal could potentially create jobs and investment in the area, that is why we set up an interdepartmental (inquiry) committed to look at the proposal and evaluate its impact on the Mildura region - we intend to continue with that investigation."

Racing Sector Compensated For Online Betting!...

South Australia's racing industries have reached a settlement they say will ensure them adequate compensation as punters increasingly turn to the internet to bet. Bookmaker Sportsbet has dropped legal action that was blocking payments being made to horse and greyhound racing in SA. Thoroughbred Racing SA estimates the breakthrough will mean an annual return from all online bookmakers of approximately $5.5 million annually for its operations. Chief executive Jim Watters believes the success of the negotiations was critical for prize money and the future of racing generally. "Without the introduction of that (payment) very seriously it was going to undermine the racing industry in South Australia," he said.

John Singleton And Mark Carnegie Buy Bellevue Hotel; Pokie VS Entertainment Debate...

Aussie advertising and horse racing king John Singleton and investment banker friend Mark Carnegie are set to add to their pub empire with the purchase of Paddington landmark (in Sydney) The Bellevue Hotel. The famous watering hole in Hargrave Street is owned by well-known chef Damien Pignolet. His co-owner, psychologist Ron White, passed away in May while on a walking holiday in Britain. The pair bought The Bellevue from publican Susie Carleton and political lobbyist Eric Walsh for $5.5 million in 2004. Under Carleton and Walsh's 25-year stewardship,

The Bellevue was a renowned Labor party haunt, the scene of wild celebrations for former Aussie PM Paul Keating's ''True Believers'' victory and an even wilder one to celebrate the life of Labor stalwart Mick Young. The purchase price for The Bellevue has not been disclosed as yet. Singleton and Carnegie have bought a string of hotels this year including Kinselas in Darlinghurst for $12 million and the Manly hotel The Steyne for about $28 million. They also bought the Peakhurst Hotel earlier this year from bankrupt publican Richard Wynne for about half the $20 million that Mr Wynne paid for it only a year earlier. The pub investments are being done through Carnegie and Singleton's bankrolling of the Riversdale group, run by Paddy Coughlan and Rod Kelly.

The hotel industry has slumped over the past 18 months. Many hotels have been selling for greatly reduced prices. According to Coughlan, many publicans have relied too heavily on profits from poker machines and have not paid enough attention to hospitality. The consortium's plans for Kinselas include refurbishment of the upstairs bar and the opening of an entertainment venue on the third floor. It is likely that Singleton and Carnegie will add more pubs to their impressive portfolio. Coughlan said the group had between $50 and $100 million to buy distressed hotels. ''Once we reach our initial target of $100 million we plan to take the distressed pub fund public with the backing of our consortium and investors,'' Coughlan has said previously. Singo is understood to have an interest in getting into the online gambling sector and raping up the horse racing sector on the internet, and Media Man will be putting forward a proposal on this in the coming months. Watch this space.

Australian Gambling Wars: Tatts Group Eyes Tabcorp!...

Tatts Group chief Dick McIlwain has confirmed his company's interest in acquiring Tabcorp's wagering and gaming business. He revealed that he would be closely monitoring his rival's planned demerger over the coming months. Speaking outside the Tatts AGM a couple of days ago, McIlwain said the two companies had held numerous discussions about potential transactions over recent years but had failed to agree on price.

"Obviously, part of (Tabcorp's) business -- the gambling business -- is of some interest to us. It's the same kind of business as us," he told News Limited "It's got to happen first. We've got to see the consequences of (the demerger) and what it does for the share price of the ongoing part of the business. We're not in any hurry."

Shares in Tabcorp have risen strongly since the company last week announced its plan to split its casinos business from the main gaming and wagering group. Several analysts say the move will position the company for a takeover. Mr McIlwain agreed that the demerger had merit, pointing out that the business of running casinos and hotels, which typically required significant ongoing investment for facility upgrades, was different to running a gambling business where cashflows and earnings were more reliable.

"What it does do is it makes it easier for investors to choose. It makes it easier for shareholders and makes it easier for acquirers as well," he said.

While Tatts only recently completed its acquisition of NSW Lotteries, which it expects to contribute a further $120 million in operating earnings by 2014, Mr McIlwain said a sound balance sheet ensured the company remained "opportunistic" and "acquisition-enabled".

Tatts recently reported a $119m profit for the year to June 30, down from $277.4m the previous year on the back of a writedown to its loss-making British gaming venture Talarius. Following a tough period for most companies exposed to discretionary spending, signs of renewed confidence in the economy were starting to emerge.

Mr McIlwain said. "Consumers, punters, players . . . have started to put their hands deeper into their pockets now," he said.

He told the meeting that revenue and profits across the group had improved since July 1. And while he noted that the analysts' consensus was for underlying operating earnings to increase from $560m to $650m in 2011. It appears there's a strong chance that Tatt's will grab Tabcorp's wagering business, but this may take months or even over a year to happen. First the demerger, than things should fall into place.

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report today? Who's looking good for the Melbourne Cup? Any favorite games we should know about? Tell us in the forum.

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.

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Aussie Racing Club Buys Pokies Clubs, by Greg Tingle - 30th May 2010

The Australian gaming, igaming, racing and overall business sector continues to evolve, as the old adage of only the strong will survive continues to hold true. Media Man and Gambling911 crack the whip at the Aussie racing and pokies sector with this special report...

The illustrious Melbourne Racing Club has further ramped up its business interests , solidifying its future, with a $50 million fab deal to buy what is understood luck seven pubs. In the purchase the MRC will pocket ownership of up to 380 pokies aka "one arm bandits". Something tells us the 'Virtual Racing' and 'Gone To The Races' slots are going to be the most popular, but old favorites 'Cleopatra Queen Of The Nile', 'Penguin Pays', and 'Black Rhino' are going to be hard to beat. Aussie punter's are also calling for a 'Monopoly Slot' upgrade.

Key Players And Deal Makers Inc

Vendor - was receiver and manager PPB on behalf of former owner Rick Munday.

NAB (National Australia Bank) is the primary lender (appointed PPB after loans were not paid).

The well known and cashed up racing finally bit the bullet and got knee deep in the pokies sector. They will own the leasehold on the popular hotels strategically scattered around Melbourne.

The Munday family had to sell up after what you could call overcapitalising, a time when the world's financial sector started bleeding.

The PPB was appointed to sell the portfolio in April, when it was discovered Mr Munday could not participate in the Victorian government's well publicized auction of 27,500 or so gaming licences...breaking up the Tabcorp and the Tatts Group duopoly and virtual strangle hold on the sector.

Upgrades including to accommodate for smoking laws are partly responsible for the blow out in financials.

The agent, Mr Musca lists the following in the portfolio: Golden Nugget Hotel in The Players, Court Jester, Golden Fleece, The Sugar Gum, The Cove, and The Grand.

As in a global financial crisis, there's big winners and losers, and the Australian racing industry is doing what it needs to do to shore up its future. If it means them getting into bed with pokies and the like, that's what they will do. Media and racing identity Alan Jones has called for unity in the sector.

Meanwhile, further aboard in France PartyGaming has shored up its deal with PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain). Party is incorporating its online poker product - solution into the deal.

We think the France - Party deal may have lit a fire in the belly of Australian racing and tipped them it was time for some off track action, if they are to survive in the long haul. Credit where credit is due.

Media Man is preparing a proposal for "the powers that be" in and around the current Asia Pacific racing sector to further shore up their financial future.

Gambling911 and Media Man remind readers to bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming inc sports betting and racing, is just one of a dozen business sectors covered.

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