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Scroll.in
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Through a reader's eyes: Bloomsday celebrations in James Joyce's city, Dublin
I didn't grow up reading Ulysses, but what I did see growing up in Calcutta is the celebration of poets, writers, and the written word. The earliest memory of which would be to wake up early in the morning, wear a sari, put flowers in my hair, and head to school to celebrate Rabindranath Tagore on his birthday. Be it reciting one of his poems, singing Rabindrasangeet in a choir, or being a part of one of his operas, Rabindra Jayanti is a core memory in almost every Bengali's life. It is almost equal to, or sometimes even more important than Durga Puja; probably the only non-religious festival where a 'thakur' isn't sacrosanct. This Bloomsday, I experienced something very similar in Dublin. The day is celebrated every year on 16 June, the date on which the action – such as it is – in James Joyce's Ulysses unfolds. Joyce's is a I first heard uttered in reverent tones in classroom lectures at Presidency College during my time as a student. It's a name that I both admired and feared, for his oeuvre tends to have just that effect on young readers. But it also takes me back to an afternoon of solemn silence in the classroom when our professor finished reading 'The Dead' from Dubliners. In that moment, Joyce, to me, wasn't just a writer; he was a rite of passage. Fast forward to a few years, and it feels almost unreal to be walking the same streets as him or his characters in Dublin. Until now, I had only read about Bloomsday and how the city of Dublin comes together on 16 June 16 celebrate the author and his modernist epic Ulysses, but this year, I was lucky enough to have stepped into his world, not just as a reader, but as a witness to the carnivalesque occasion. A Joycean evening at Dalkey Castle The celebrations start much ahead of the actual day, with locals and tourists picking their favourite events to attend. For me, it began with an evening at the heritage town of Dalkey, a small town perched on the southern coast of Dublin, a seaside suburb with literary ghosts in its granite walls. Joyce drew upon his experience as a teacher in the Clifton School, the site and inspiration for the schoolroom scene of the Nestor episode from Ulysses, which still stands tall at Dalkey Avenue. His father, John Stanislaus Joyce, who lived here, is also fondly remembered by the locals. Inside the 14th-century stone castle, actors Martin Lindane and Declan Brennan acted out the Nestor episode as Stephen Daedalus and Mr Deasy, accompanied by the beautiful baritone of Simon Morgan, who performed The Croppy Boy and Rocky Road to Dublin, which were originally present in Joyce's works. This was followed by a dramatic re-enactment of the Christmas Dinner scene from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, originally set in Martello Terrace, which is just a few miles away. The highlight of the evening for me was the dramatisation of the scene between Gretta and Gabriel from 'The Dead', which was originally set in the Gresham Hotel in the heart of Dublin. As it poured outside the castle, Darina Gallagher sang The Lass of Aughri m, bringing Joyce's characters to life – not as abstract literary constructs, but as real people, with real desires, disappointments, and Dublin rain in their hair. 'The reason we celebrate the fact that James Joyce set the Nestor episode in Dalkey is that I delight in celebrating writers' work in the places that inspired them.', said Margaret Dunne, the manager at Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre. At home with Joyce On the morning of Bloomsday, I made my way to the James Joyce Centre in north Dublin. Housed in a Georgian townhouse with creaking staircases and fireplaces, the centre felt like Joyce's spiritual home, even though he never actually lived there. I was greeted by a huge crowd of people, dressed in Edwardian attire, women wearing long skirts, elaborately designed hats, and ruffled blouses, men dressed in Bloom's funeral attire (a black suit), or as Joyce himself – straw hat, rounded spectacles, britches and braces, and a cane. I was clearly not dressed for the occasion! Inside, there were exhibitions tracing the evolution of Ulysses, from its fraught writing process to its scandalous reception. Mamalujo: Finnegans Wake as a Work in Progress, an exhibition that displayed the various installments in honour of the 101th anniversary of the former, an exhibit by French artist Rémi Rousseau, presenting more than 100 illustrations providing a visual depiction of Ulysses, Modality of the Visible: Ulysses VR, an immersive VR project taking the visitors on a journey through the Dublin of 1904 in a visual, interactive way where the audience could mount the gunrest of the Martello Tower, walk along Eccles Street, hang around the gentlemen at Barney Kiernan's, and explore other settings of Ulysses. At the back of the ground floor of the building stood the original door from No. 7 Eccles Street, Leopold and Molly Bloom's address in Ulysses. The building buzzed with people as they queued to get a copy of their favourite book or merchandise from the store downstairs. At noon, as hunger pangs hit, I found my way to Davy Byrnes pub on Duke Street. All Ulysses enthusiasts know that Leopold Bloom stopped here for a glass of burgundy and a gorgonzola sandwich. The pub was brimming with pilgrims like me – readers, scholars, and curious tourists, all dressed for the occasion, eager for a taste of Joyce. I shared a table with a group of elderly people from Cork who claimed to have been attending Bloomsday 'since before it was fashionable.' We raised our glasses in a toast to Bloom and enjoyed the street theatre in front of the pub. From there, I headed to Hodges Figgis, the iconic Dublin bookshop and also the oldest in Ireland. It is the very same bookstore that Joyce has Leopold Bloom stroll past it on Dawson Street, immortalising it in Ulysses when Stephen Dedalus recalls seeing 'a virgin at Hodges Figgis' window' glancing at the books in the window. A literary haunt even to this day, I found myself engrossed in the book reading session at the store, striking interesting conversations with fellow Joyce enthusiasts such as Robert Nicholson, the former curator of Martello Tower, that houses the James Joyce Museum. 'Hodges Figgis holds such significance not only for the people of Dublin, but everyone who loves literature. Every year we have several tourists making a stop here on Bloomsday and during the walking tours in the city. We look forward to these readings on Bloomsday throughout the year,' said Tony Hayes, manager of the bookstore. Later, I wandered into MoLI – the Museum of Literature Ireland – at the Newman House of University College Dublin, where Joyce once studied. Visiting MoLI and seeing the first copy of the novel which is the reason behind all the celebration, felt surreal. As I peeped through the glass at the blue cover of the first copy of Ulysses, it felt like life had come a full circle, it felt as if I were on the last stop of a pilgrimage. The museum lets you 'walk through' Ulysses and trace the events of the book through the map of Dublin in an illustrious exhibit. Just a short walk from there led me to my last stop for the day, Sweny's Pharmacy, a cultural hotspot in town. Preserved almost exactly as it was in Joyce's day, it is where Leopold Bloom goes into Sweny's dispensary to buy some skin lotion for Molly, and ends up buying a bar of lemon soap. Though Sweny's is not a pharmacy anymore, it is a mandatory stop for all Joyce lovers – to get a bar of soap for themselves or participate in a reading session. I sat in a group along with PJ Murphy, who now runs the place, dressed as a chemist, as people dressed in hats and gowns took pictures outside the store. The lemon soap, wrapped in wax paper, smelled like nostalgia, of both mine and someone else's. I bought one to take home to Kolkata, a sensory souvenir of this remarkable day. The city as text As I headed home, stepping on few of the bronze plaques which anyone who has visited Dublin would have spotted, a part of the Joyce Trail by artist Robin Buick set into the streets of Dublin, at locations relevant to scenes from Ulysses, I couldn't help but wonder how Joyce had taken a single day, June 16, 1904, and turned it into an epic. An ordinary 'Day in the Life' as we now know it in the age of social media influencing, turned into something that has stood the test of time, something that reminds us that no quotidian act is actually ordinary: every moment holds the possibility of becoming an epic. As someone who grew up far from Dublin – in a similar city of trams, books, and literary geniuses, I never imagined I'd end up walking these cobblestone lanes in the footsteps of Bloom. And yet here I was, on Bloomsday, celebrating the past in the present, being reminded of home, and how literature holds the power to transcend time, emotion, and geopolitical borders, acting as a unifying force, bringing people together for a cause that is pure and unconditional. Anisha Pal is a postgraduate student of Marketing at Trinity College, Dublin.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EdChoice families hit first when public schools lack transportation funding
GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) — South Western City Schools parent Aaron Nestor said his family felt 'targeted' when they received word the district would no longer provide busing for their kids to attend their Catholic school. 'I have the right to EdChoice in the state of Ohio, I have the right to send my child to wherever I want,' Nestor said. 'It feels like I'm being targeted for my address and my religious beliefs of having my children go to a religious school.' Ohio school funding: What to know about possible changes in 2025 Nestor said his elementary schoolers are two of 30 students who live in the South Western district boundaries and attend St. Christopher's Catholic School in Grandview Heights, formerly Trinity Catholic. Although other school choice families not far from his students' route are still being bused in the fall, Nestor received word that the district would no longer bus to St. Christopher's. He said his family is now scrambling, and he said it's an issue school choice families are having around the state. Districts are responsible for busing charter and private school students who live within their boundaries. However, they can declare students' transportation impractical when the time, distance, cost or too few students makes transportation impractical. If a district declares a student ineligible, the student's family can either accept a payment as determined by the state or request mediation to find a solution. School Choice Ohio spokesperson Beth Lawson said the nonprofit has seen a 'significant increase' in students being declared transportation impractical in recent years. This has coupled with a significant increase in school choice students; Ohio's Education Choice scholarship participation has skyrocketed since 2022. 'In many of these cases, families feel caught in a system that lacks consistency and transparency — and they're not wrong,' Lawson said. 'When transportation is withheld, it can functionally block access to a school that is otherwise available to them through programs like EdChoice.' SWCS said it is providing busing to nine fewer charter, religious and nonpublic schools this upcoming school year. The district is actively seeking more bus drivers, holding an open recruitment event on Tuesday to staff routes to 34 district schools and 25 nondistrict charter or private schools this fall. Bill would punish hospitals that interfere with ICE agents 'While it is always our hope to transport every student that lives within our district boundaries, each year in an annual review of new routes, staffing, new enrollments and shifting addresses for the near 16,000 students we transport across 119 square miles, we regrettably must start the impractical to transport process with a small percentage of students each year,' SWCS spokesperson Evan Debo said. SWCS is one of many districts changing its bus routes. In September 2024, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued Columbus City Schools after the district gave limited warning that it would no longer bus many charter school students. Nearly 2,000 students were affected. 'Some (districts) are following the law and transporting students as they have received the funding to do,' Lawson said. 'Unfortunately, others have found creative ways to avoid providing this transportation, which essentially denies school choice for families who rely on it to access the best education fit for their children.' But SWCS said it is far more expensive for the district to bus nonpublic students. The district said between travel, maintenance and personnel costs, it costs $5,678 per non-public student but just $950 per SWCS student to bus them for a year. The district receives transportation funding from the state; however, SWCS said it had to spend nearly double that during the 2024-2025 school year, shouldering $10,704,816 more in transportation costs. Nestor said his children's school cannot afford to bus the students either. Cost is a concern for Nestor, too. He said having just two weeks to decide whether to accept the $590 payment per child was too short, saying it felt like a 'shakedown' to make such a crucial choice so soon. Teacher negotiations continue at South Western City Schools Nestor said the choice is especially difficult because the family just joined the Catholic school last year. When switching schools, Nestor said the family asked the district if transportation would be an issue and were assured they would have it. Nestor said he plans to request mediation instead of the payment, and SWCS said it will bus students until a resolution is reached. 'Busing is critical to the reason why we chose this school,' Nestor said. 'My wife and I both work … we would either have to either quit our jobs and find new work to make time to take them to school ourselves, or we're going to have to find new schooling. I don't think they understand how traumatic this is to our family and to the future of our children's education.' Lawson said if families are declared transportation impractical, they should request a detailed explanation from their district and reach out to the Ohio Department of Education if they don't feel it is justified. She said families can also reach out to School Choice Ohio to be connected with resources. 'Ohio needs to ensure that districts are accurately following the law and are appropriately penalized for failure to meet this important obligation,' Lawson said. 'There are many school districts, large and small, that do a fabulous job providing safe and timely transportation to students. Safe transportation to schools should not be a barrier to opportunity.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Edinburgh Reporter
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Oldest rockhopper in town
Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo recently celebrated their oldest penguin when Northern rockhopper Nestor turned 32 years old. The 20 inch tall penguin has been dubbed 'oldest rocker in town' — and he even has a mate exactly half his age. The oldest penguin of any kind at Edinburgh Zoo, he is also believed to be currently the third longest-lived rockhopper penguin in the world. Nestor celebrated his birthday chilling out in the shade in the attraction's Penguins Rock, with his long term mate, 16 year old Issy. Edinburgh Zoo animal keeper Katherine Burnet, said: 'Nestor is a really nice boy and our oldest penguin. 'At the ripe old age of 32 now, he can be a little slower than some of the other penguins in the colony, but he's lovely to work with. 'It's amazing to think he's the third oldest rockhopper in the world. He's already lived over twice the lifespan of a rockhopper in the wild.' Rockhoppers are among the smallest penguins, easily recognised by their bright yellow head plumage and red eyes. The species has declined by 90 per cent in the wild since the 1950s and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Nestor hatched in France in 1993 and also spent time in Belgium before coming to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) attraction in 2006. He can be identified among the other rockhoppers in his colony by the unique blue and pink coloured band on his right wing. Nestor can be found spending most of his time around the pool with long term partner Issy. They can be seen waddling around their enclosure or preening one another on their nesting ring in a shaded area to the rear of the colony. Katherine said: 'Nestor and Issy have been pair bonded for a few years now and he takes really good care of her. There may be a 16 year age gap but they make a really sweet couple. 'They tend to go around the enclosure together and wherever you see one you often find the other. They have certain spots they frequent. 'Nestor is quite a chilled out boy. He tends to avoid any drama going on in the colony, although he can be quite protective of Issy and he will tell the youngsters off if they come too close to his nest. 'He's also pretty smart so when it's sunny or hot you'll find him in the shade keeping cool.' Edinburgh Zoo is home to over 100 Gentoo, Northern rockhopper and King penguins. The attraction is famed for its Penguin Parade, which first took place in 1951 when a keeper accidentally left the gate open and a few curious penguins left the enclosure. The parade became a much-loved daily ritual until March 2020, when it was stopped to avoid people gathering in large crowds during Covid. The Zoo now hosts the 'Wee Waddle', a reimagined version, which is completely voluntary. Penguins are not coerced into taking part or leaving their enclosure. There is also a small, 'penguin-sized' fence separating the birds from visitors along the short route. Edinburgh was previously home to the world's oldest rockhopper penguin. Mrs Wolowitz was killed by a fox that broke into the enclosure in 2022, just months after she celebrated her 35th birthday. The world's oldest rockhopper is now thought to be 34-year-old JT in Moody Gardens, Texas, a year older than 33-year-old female Janet who lives at Montreal Biodome in Canada, and two years older than Edinburgh's Nestor. Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Keeper Katherine Burnet PHOTO Alan Simpson The penguin enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo Picture Alan Simpson Like this: Like Related
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Agriland
Farmer says life turned ‘upside down' by farm ban while on bail
By Gordon Deegan A south Co. Galway farmer has told a judge that his life has been turned upside down over his bail ban from Gort and his farm near there. At Gort District Court, Gerard Nestor (60) told Judge Alec Gabbett that he is completely innocent of the charges before the court. Judge Gabbett told Nestor that he is facing an awful lot of charge sheets, including one where Nestor is effectively accused of using a JCB as a weapon in a dispute over a wall with another landowner. In two of the charges before the court, Nestor, of Dun Na Mara Drive, Renmore, Galway and College Road, Galway, is charged with the criminal damage of a block wall belonging to John O'Donoghue on dates between November 20 and November 21, and on November 6 last, at Bunasrah, Ennis Road, Gort. Judge Gabbett said previously that the level of damage to the wall is quite serious and said that it is alleged that it was knocked down twice. Sgt. Claire Henaghan previously told the court that the value of the wall could be around €20,000. Judge Gabbett said that Gardaí have received partial directions from the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) with full directions awaited. In court, Nestor told Judge Gabbett: 'In these circumstances where I am innocent until proven guilty, I should be allowed to go to my hometown of Gort where most of my family still live, where my parents and brother are buried, and I have a farm with animals, and I have not been able to set foot on for six months.' He said: 'The Gardaí have time and time again delayed, delayed and delayed, and here is another example of it to try to keep me out of Gort and out of my farm.' Judge Gabbett said that there are 'particularly serious allegations here as far as I am concerned including one where he is effectively accused of using a JCB as a weapon'. Judge Gabbett said: 'Mr. Nestor has been very good on his bail and there has been no application to revoke the bail conditions. I appreciate it is very onerous and I am not inclined to relax the conditions until we have DPP directions.' Nestor said: 'I have been accused of some very serious criminal damage and this is completely false and I have no doubt that I will be proven innocent in time. But in the meantime, my life has been turned completely upside down.' Judge Gabbett said: 'This is ultimately about a wall and does the wall belong to Mr. O'Donoghue or belong to you?' Nestor said: 'The wall was put there by Mr. O'Donoghue on my land and there is no question that it is my land.' 'There are two sheds on the boundary and Mr. O'Donoghue decided to knock a wall and put a new doorway from his shed into my field.' Judge Gabbett said that he is adjourning the case to June 26 on a peremptory basis, which means that if DPP directions are not before the court, Judge Gabbett may strike out the charges. Nestor told Judge Gabbett that he has been very fair. He told him: 'I am depending on you for justice.'
Mercury
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Mercury
Parkes preview, tips: Nestor gambles on Lockdown in Cup
Jockey Kody Nestor was successful on the Parkes Cup from a wide barrier two years ago and he hopes history can repeat when he partners Lockdown Gamble in this year's edition. In 2023, Nestor partnered the Mack Griffith-trained up and comer Osman to a three length win from barrier 10 – the outside gate. Nestor and Lockdown Gamble have the outside gate in this year's Parkes Cup (1600m) - barrier 14 of 14 – but will jump from barrier 12 under his big weight of 63kg. 'I haven't ridden him in a race before but I have seen plenty of him,' said Nestor. 'Obviously, he has to lump it again and he has drawn wide but he is the proven galloper in the field. 'He's won a Wellington Cup which is a Big Dance Qualifier. The Parkes Cup which is more of a second tier country cup. The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He looks the one to beat on paper, no doubt.' The David Smith-trained gelding heads into the race in terrific form. He resumed this campaign with third to Osman in the Mudgee Cup on February 23 and his next run at Mudgee last Sunday when he won the Benchmark 82 over 1400m with 63kg. 'It was a good, tough win the other day with a big weight,' Nestor said. 'He's got a couple of things against him – his big weight and wide barrier- but he has the class to overcome them. 'His greatest attributes are his last 100m to a furlong along with his toughness and consistency.' Nestor was pleased with the first-up run of Kora Magic at Dubbo two weeks ago and partners the mare again when she contests the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m). The Mark Jones-trained mare led from barrier 11 and was only caught in the last 20m to finish third behind Cumnock and Twilight Rock. 'She was just beaten the other day first-up without a barrier trial. I thought she was really game,' he said. 'She had a good blow coming back in so she is going to improve off that run. 'We have drawn wide again but she has the early pace to offset the gate. I expect her to lead easily and with the circumference of Parkes, it will be a lot easier on her than Dubbo. 'Dubbo is a very open track and you are exposed a long way from home whereas at Parkes, you can skip off the corner and it's not the longest run home. 'She will be thereabouts in the finish again.' Nestor and Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive have enjoyed a couple of winners together in recent months including Just Go Bang in the Gilgandra Cup and combine with two good chances this weekend. Sooboogeliscious has been just behind the placegetters in two runs back from a spell and looks ready to peak in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m). 'It's a nice competitive race and he is one of the chances,' Nestor said. 'It was a nice run last start and he looks ready to peak third-up. 'He should get a lovely run without doing any work from the inside gate. We just have to pick and choose our runs at the right time.' Midnight Affair will appreciate a drop in grade when she returns to country racing in the Class 2 Handicap (1600m). 'She has been competitive in Highways and better class races than what she is going around in this weekend,' he said. 'We just need an ounce of luck from the barrier. 'Egyptologist is the one to beat but he first-up over the mile. 'I'm just hoping the fitness edge we have can make the difference.' ADAM SHERRY'S TOP SELECTIONS BEST BET Race 5 No. 10: COUGARS Will take improvement his first-up fifth. Soft track suits. NEXT BEST Race 6 No. 1: LOVE SHUCK Was good late in the Wagga Town Plate. This is easier. VALUE BET Race 8 No. 4: SOOBOOGELISCIOUS Just behind the placegetters in both runs back and ready to peak. QUADDIE Race 5: 4, 9, 10 Race 6: 1, 8, 10 Race 7: 1, 5, 7, 9 Race 8: 1, 4, 13 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Kody Nestor has a nice book of rides and looks a good chance in the TAB Jockey Challenge. Kody Nestor looks set for a good day at Parkes. Picture: Bradley Photos INSIDE MAIL – PARKES RACE 1: Telescope Tyres Group Inglis Xtra Bonus Country Boosted Mdn Hcp 1000m SPRING PROSPECT (8) lost the rider pre-race then raced keenly when fifth on debut at Mudgee in December. Has been very good in both trials this time back. Was kept under a hold to beat Egyptologist in his May 4 Dubbo heat. AMORUSO (6) is a debutant by Santos. Led by a big margin and kept on the bridle to win her Apr 1 Tamworth trial by nearly four lengths. CERONS (1) was just behind the placegetters in two recent Queensland runs. Was second in the Maribyrnong Trial on debut. Bet: Spring Prospect to win RACE 2: Mcpherson's Parts & Service / Aeh Group Super Mdn Showcase Hcp 1400m BILLABONG ROSE (8) resumes without a trial. Was momentarily held up on straightening when second to Bondi Prophet at Muswellbrook first-up last campaign. TURNING CIRCLE (13) was a handy third to Oakfield Saturn first-up then raced wide when down the order at Kembla. She didn't handle the Heavy 10 when fourth as favourite at Wyong last start. SWEET KICK (12) was a two length fourth at Sale on debut on Sept 11. Changed stables and well beaten first-up before an improved run when fourth at Dubbo on May 4. Bet: Billabong Rose to win RACE 3: D'aquino's Grand Hotel / Standen Building Showcase Hcp (C2) 1600m MIDNIGHT AFFAIR (2) drops back in grade after running in TAB Highways at her past two starts, the latest a fourth to Canadian Ruler at Hawkesbury's stand-alone meeting. Had a win and two close seconds at her previous three runs in the country. EGYPTOLOGIST (1) was good last preparation when a first-up second at Dubbo before back-to-back wins at Mudgee and Dubbo. Given a shake up when second to Spring Prospect in his May 4 Dubbo trial. NAVAL OFFICER (4) made ground when fourth to Zoomorphic at Dubbo before winning at Wellington. Bet: Midnight Affair each-way RACE 4: Mca Engineering / Tanswell Transport Showcase (Bm58) 1000m KORA MAGIC (8) led from a wide gate and just run down late when third to Cumnock when resuming at Dubbo. Went in without a trial and will be better for the run. SHERIDAN STREET (6) led all-the-way for a debut win at Gundagai on Apr 6. Began awkwardly and over-raced when always well back at Wagga last start. Can bounce back. THE MOOCH (11) was a close second to All Astern at Queanbeyan last start. Gets a nice run from the draw. Bet: Kora Magic each-way RACE 5: McMahon Building / Zac Kelly Golf Showcase Plate (C2) 1200m COUGARS (10) sat outside the leaders before racing away to a big maiden win at the Sapphire Coast to end last campaign. Copped a decent bumped at the start before working forward to be outside the leader and just faded late when resuming with a fifth to Miss Emma at Wagga on May 2. MICRO MIKKI (4) made his NSW debut with a nose win at Narromine before a good win from Joy Of The World at Wellington both over 1100m. LADY ISHIKAWA (9) resumes for a new stable. Scored back-to-back wins at Newcastle last campaign. Bet: Cougars to win RACE 6: Coachman Hotel Punters Club Satellite Hcp 1200m LOVE SHUCK (1) hasn't had a lot of luck this campaign. Held up on the bend when second to Fangela at Canberra first-up. Again held up until passing the 200 when third to I Am Lethal in the Town Plate Prelude at Wagga and knuckled on jumping when sixth to Compelling Truth in the Wagga Town Plate. KEIKOKU (10) was help up until near the 70m when seventh to So You Pence at Wagga last start. Should have finished much closer. STARROS (8) tackled a Randwick Highway last start. Nice Hawkesbury win and made ground at Canterbury when seventh to Yiska. Bet: Love Shuck to win RACE 7: Parkes Services Club Parkes Cup 1600m LOCKDOWN GAMBLE (1) is backing up from a solid first-up win under 63kg over Stratified at Mudgee last weekend. Has the same big weight again but is the class runner of the field. Did win the Wellington Cup last year. LOOSE LOVE (7) won over 1400m here to start his current campaign. Ran on nicely to finish a nose third behind Dark Vador at Wagga last start. ROUGE MOULIN (9) raced in the Highway at Scone yesterday. SIZZLE MINIZZLE (5) is back from a Queensland campaign. Just behind the placegetters at Eagle Farm his last two. Bet: Lockdown Gamble to win RACE 8: Parkes Courier Service / Parkes Farm Centre Country Boosted (Bm58) 1300m SOOBOOGELISCIOUS (4) sat outside the leader and battled away for fifth at Queanbeyan when resuming before a half-length fourth to Capital Heart at the Sapphire Coast. Ready to peak third-up and gets an ideal run from the inside gate. RAYMOND'S REWARD (1) is shooting for a hat-trick after a handy win at Armidale followed by an al-the-way win at Gunnedah. MISS CAPRICORN (13) was badly crowded on jumping and settled a long way back when seventh to Zoomorphic at Dubbo last start. Nice win there the start before. Bet: Sooboogeliscious each-way
