Tom Wood wasn't just seeing double at Waikouaiti yesterday - he was seeing quintuple. The Otago commentator was given the awkward challenge of calling the open sprint at Waikouaiti, which was a field entirely comprising Michael Pitman-trained runners.

Flowering trees and plants make Hawkes Bay a bad place at this time of year for hay fever.

Co-trainer Ken Kelso thanked his attention to detail for Fix's victory in yesterday's $100,000 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic.

Linda Laing was very circumspect making her acceptance speech after Veyron scored an astonishing win in the $200,000 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie.

The rain flowed as freely as the champagne at the Boxing Day races at Ellerslie Racecourse, but the crowds weren't deterred by the thought of a soggy fascinator.

Champion trainer Mark Purdon has labelled I Can Doosit's shock defeat on Monday one of his greatest ever surprises in racing.

Riccarton horseman Michael Pitman is hoping a change to his annual Christmas plan will work a treat for the listed Berkley Stud Stakes at Wingatui today.

Some of the thousands of punters who head to the Boxing Day races at Ellerslie today might be surprised to find the infield transformed into a beach.

Jockeys Opie Bosson and Danielle Johnson are partners at home - but not at work, where they regularly compete for victory.

When sales rep Gareth Findon, 32, recalls family Christmases, Boxing Day also stands out as a special time. Gareth's family home in Palmerston North borders the Awapuni Racecourse so Boxing Day meant joining extended family and friends for a day there.