Latest news with #GreatNorthern
NZ Herald
12-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser West Coast returns
'It is his first steeplechase this time in and while he is ready for it, it will also bring him on,' says Oulaghan. 'I wouldn't be that disappointed if he was beaten because he will improve and hopefully this will get him fitter for Riccarton.' West Coast's campaign started in a low when he was pulled up in the Manawatu Hurdle last month and while it was a race he was never going to win, it was a worrying sign. 'He actually wasn't working that well heading into that race,' admits Oulaghan. 'He also had an off day but he has improved in his training since and while he ran second-last in his flat race last start, I was a lot happier with him. 'So he is heading in the right direction but he could be vulnerable this weekend.' The problem for those not wanting to take the risk on the giant jumper is finding one to beat him in the steeplechase, which lacks top-end depth. That isn't the case in the hurdle, where Berry The Cash has to lump 73kg against a host of major-race winners. He has raced at the huge Warrnambool carnival this campaign, so carried residual fitness to Ōtaki on Tuesday, where he finished third on the flat. 'He is just a really good horse and is probably more ready for Sunday than West Coast but he faces a better field.' Berry The Cash has had an exceptional last two years but has rarely met a field as deep as today's and that, coupled with his 73kg – which will sit heavier on him than West Coast as he is a smaller horse – make it hard to back him with confidence. Unlike the steeplechase, there are plenty of viable options for punters willing to bet against Berry The Cash, from reigning Great Northern winner Lord Spencer to Happy Star, Taika and the in-form Squire. Today's meeting is a winter wonderland for jumps fans, with three hurdle races to start the card, two steeplechases in the middle and the four flat races all being highweights, including one for amateurs, meaning the flat jockeys get to have a day off. * The Egmont meeting at Hāwera, which was abandoned on Saturday because of heavy rain, will now be held on Tuesday. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Light at end of the tunnel for embattled jumps racing
The early signs are good. There have been some new names, equine and human, at jumps education and trials days with the promise of overseas jumps jockeys willing to winter in New Zealand – they are now getting a very attractive $400 per ride. The Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton has been boosted to $200,000 with the potential West Coast could head there aiming for a record fourth straight win in the iconic race. And the Nelson/McDougal comeback star The Cossack could possibly follow him south to set up something truly special, a rivalry to make jumps racing the highlight of race meetings rather than a novel sideshow. So jumps racing enthusiasts have reasons to smile as they prepare for some class horses racing on an unseasonably good track at Te Rapa today. 'There is a good feel about things and I think we will get the jockey numbers we need with a few riders returning and some new ones coming from overseas,' Nelson says. 'There have been some new faces around the jumps days from stables we haven't seen jumping horses before and there are some good people involved and pushing it hard. 'We have 17 horses in work here and 14 are either jumpers now to are heading that way, so we are right behind it.' The fact Te Rapa has been able to attract three races today is a promising sign as early season races run on Soft 6 tracks, as it was rated yesterday, have sometimes struggled for numbers in recent years. There is plenty of form there too, with the open hurdle highlighted by last season's Great Northern winner Lord Spencer, his runner-up Mont Ventoux, the always exciting freegoer English Gambler and the Nelson/McDougal-trained pair of Taika and Dictation. 'It is a lot better than a normal open hurdle and should be a really good race,' Nelson says. 'If I try to tip you one of mine, the other one would probably win. We all now how good Taika is [Pakuranga Hunt Hurdle winner] but Dictation is a pretty talented horse.' While they are both still finding their ceiling over hurdles, their stablemate Nedwin has already been to the top of our hurdling ranks and tries his hand at steeplechasing today in the restricted open chase over 3900m. Nelson says his steeplechase debut today doesn't mean a permanent change for Nedwin. 'He might change between the two but he is pretty well and ready for this week. 'But, and I will say this about all four of ours, a bit of rain and a slightly softer track would suit them better.' While it is encouraging to see three jumps racing today as most of the flat stars are spelling there is still some talent in today's open handicaps even after favourite Twain pulled out of the sprint because of a slightly off blood report. That leaves the sprint quite even but if the track remains in the soft range it would seem to provide Velocious with a chance to return to the winner's circle providing she jumps away better than she has in recent starts. Harlech will need every bit of his 4kg claim in the open 1600m as it still only brings his weight down to 58kg while most of his rivals carry just 54kgs or less. The juvenile Race 3 is stacked with promising trial form and there is enough depth across to card to give punters a proper autumn feeling, one to be replicated when Ellerslie holds a rare Sunday meeting tomorrow. English jockey George Rooke has enjoyed a breakthrough season in New Zealand, and he has been rewarded for his consistency with a trip to Sydney today. The 24-year-old hoop will cross the Tasman to partner the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained She's A Dealer in the Chalouhi Handicap at Randwick with a view to heading towards the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm next month. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald
Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times
The end of railway signal failures? A digital plan points a way
Usually if a man turns up with an angle grinder and starts cutting down signals by a train track, it means disaster: cancelled trains and commuter misery. Not on Saturday night. Men in steel toe-capped boots arrived and cut down the signals — the traffic lights that control our railway — on a crucial section of line under London. On Monday the Northern City Line, which is operated by the brand Great Northern, becomes the UK's first railway to operate without signals at the side of the track, preparing for the end of signal failure. The trains use ETCS, the European train control system, digital signalling that is shown on the dashboard of the cab and allows drivers to 'see around corners'. Unlike a rogue
BBC News
17-05-2025
- BBC News
Trains to Peterborough disrupted due to engineering works
Train passengers have been warned of disruption due to engineering work this users travelling through Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk have been advised to check before they trains are expected to run on the East Coast Main Line between Peterborough and London King's Cross. Great Northern and Thameslink said replacement bus services will be put in place for affected Rail said engineering work is taking place between Ipswich, Norwich, Ely and Cambridge North, closing all lines, with replacement buses in place. Passengers journeying across the region have been advised to check their routes before and Great Northern Trains said "journeys will take longer" as buses replace trains on some train services are expected to run between Royston and Cambridge, Ely, and Kings rail said trains will continue to run between Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, and a statement on their website, Thameslink said: "Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey." Replacement buses Replacement buses are expected to be in place for those affected by the disruption, and Bedford via St NeotsPeterborough and HitchinRoyston and HitchinStevenage and Hertford NorthHertford North and Alexandra PalaceStevenage and St Albans City via Welwyn Garden CityStevenage and Luton Airport Parkway via HitchinAlexandra Palace and Welwyn Garden CityCockfosters and Potters Bar via Hadley WoodIpswich and Bury St Edmunds Cambridge North and Ely Ipswich and Norwich Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, or BBC Norfolk.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It's rough out there.' Local brewery closes downtown Bellingham taproom and lounge
Downtown Bellingham has lost a popular bottle shop, taproom and lounge connected to a local brewery. Garden Path Fermentation, a beer, wine, cider, and mead brewery in Skagit County, has permanently closed The Great Northern Bottle Shop & Lounge in Bellingham, its only Whatcom County location. The closure was announced April 3 in a social media post. 'We opened The Great Northern almost two years ago with the goal of bringing Bellingham a unique curated selection of beer, natural wine, and cider from small independent producers around the world, most of which you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. We're proud of what we've accomplished, including hosting Cantillon's Zwanze Day last year, but, y'all, it's rough out there right now,' the post states. The Great Northern Bottle Shop closed Saturday, May 3. It was located at 1319 Commercial St., next door to Brandywine Kitchen. 'Last year was the first in decades that saw more brewery closures than openings, and with constant market changes, including new uncertainties with beer and wine imports and exports, we've decided we need to focus all our attention on Garden Path to make sure we can ride out whatever waves are coming,' the post states. Although Garden Path Fermentation closed its Bellingham location, its Burlington tasting room has extended hours and is expected to remain open. The brewery's products are also available for purchase online. The brewery's website also teased possible pop-up events in Bellingham and other cities: 'May 3, 2025 was, sadly, our last day of regular operation at The Great Northern. Please come see us at at our Skagit Valley Tasting Room & Bottle Shop and keep an eye out for future pop-up events in Bellingham, Seattle, and beyond!' Garden Path Fermentation's tasting room and bottle shop is open from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 1 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at 11653 Higgins Airport Way in Burlington, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Bellingham. The Bellingham Herald reached out to Garden Path Fermentation but did not receive a response as of May 9.
