The ATC plans to build a statue of Winx at Rosehill as she nears the end of her career. Punters should get to see her a few more times in Sydney before she retires next autumn. The statue is obviously well deserved and will be a great attraction for Rosehill to go with the Todman monument. “It will be pretty good giving it a pat when walking past it in the morning,” her trainer Chris Waller said.

Chris Waller said the reduction of prizemoney for feature races in Adelaide doesn’t bode well for the long term future of the industry in South Australia. Group 1 races The Goodwood and Robert Sangster Stakes will be reduced from $1m to $750,000 and $600,000 respectively. “Those that want to encourage growth will quickly be rewarded and those that can’t keep up will be quickly left behind so it’s sad for the participants and the punters because people are proud of their area,” he said. “Brisbane and Perth hold their own and South Australia is the one that needs to step things up a bit. “If the money comes off those races then the smaller races won’t be going up where everywhere else in Australia is.”

Racing in South Australia will become a non-event sooner rather than later if this keeps up.

EMPLOYEES TO KEEP JOBS AFTER TWITTER DRAMA
A couple of Racing.com employees will keep their jobs following a drunken Christmas party earlier in the week which featured a video posted on twitter abusing Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys. The fact V’landys declined to make an official complaint probably saved them.

HYERONIMUS IN A RUSH
Adam Hyeronimus was caught weighing out in Brock Ryan’s vest before riding Maddison Avenue at 54kg. “I’ll put it to you that you weighed out in that vest because it was 200 grams lighter,” chief steward Marc Van Gestel told Hyeronimus who said he was just in a rush when asked to weight out. “A more suspicious mind might have thought you were doing something different,” Van Gestel replied. Ryan was warned not to lie to stewards again when he, at first, tried to cover for Hyeronimus. “We don’t take to kindly to lying.

Next time tell the truth straight away,” Van Gestel told him. Hyeronimus weighed in at the correct weight with his vest on. “I’ve been riding light all day anyway,” he said. Stewards said there would be a penalty next time it occurred.

RYAN COPS SUPENSION
Greg Ryan was suspended from January 1 to 8 and fined $500 for excessive whip use on winner Moobi in the Highway race at Warwick Farm on Saturday.

It was Ryan’s seventh offence in the past year and Moobi’s racing style didn’t help. “I’ve had to give him a couple with the whip before the corner before. You throw the reins at him and he goes nowhere,” Ryan said.

The stewards sure are thorough with their questioning of jockeys and their tactics. They called in Jess Taylor to explain her ride on Girls Are ready even though it won.

SUPER SIX FOR DUNN
Dylan Dunn had six rides at Colac on Saturday and won on all of them. Don’t see that too often.

The punter who had $50,000 on Heart Conquered at $2 was counting his Christmas money a long way out from home. That’s a big bet on a horse that isn’t named Winx.

Horses to follow: Ghostly (knocking on the door), Green Sweet (he’ll win one at odds soon), Spectroscope (in fine form)

Ones to sack: Pecans (out of form), Keep Up (not on a Saturday)

Ride of the day: James McDonald on Naval Warfare (made the winning move at the 500m)

Quote of the day: “That was like taking candy from a baby,” said Michael Hawkes after Heart Conquered’s win.