Racing: Call it anything but slow

What's in a name?

Or should that be wot's in a name, or wotzinaname?

Naming racehorses has always been an interesting pastime for some racehorse owners.

Some don't care. Some are happy to slap anything down, embracing the theory that there was never a good horse with a bad name, or in other words outstanding ability legitimises a name.

When you think of Yahabeebe and Bonecrusher, perhaps they're right. Who would have thought What A Nuisance, Tivalve and The Quack had noble enough names to be on the honours board of the Melbourne Cup.

Racecaller Keith Haub can present the other side of the story. His trainer Colin Jillings warned about never giving a horse a bad name when Haub chucked the handle of Macho De Cabrio on a colt he bought back in the 1970s. It was Spanish for Billy Goat.

Jillings was perhaps right that bad luck follows a bad name. Haub pledged to buy the younger full brother if Macho De Cabrio put his foot in the till, but injury prevented that and he retired a maiden. The brother was Uncle Remus.

Emerging first season stallion Howbaddouwantit, sire of the brilliant Mi Jubilee, is presenting owners with plenty of options.

Howmuchyacharging, owned in part by Auckland Racing Club board member Alister Sutherland, made its debut at Matamata yesterday and showed itself to be an extremely promising filly.

She worked hard from an outside draw to lead and yielded to another impressive sort in Lolly Scramble only in the final 75m.

Lolly Scramble is also aptly named. She is by Generous out of Bali Sugar.

"I'm a great believer you've got to add fun to these things," said Sutherland.

He has another unraced Howbaddouwantit 2-year-old named I'm Insatiable.

Recent registrations of Howbaddouwantit juveniles with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing include "Notthatbad", "Soon", "All Night Long", "What About Now", "Imthinkingaboutit" and one bred from the mare Doodle "Up For It".

Howbaddouwantit won nine races and US$434,812 in the United States for his owner, lead singer for the rock band The Eagles, Don Henley.

"He's got a song called Howbaddouwantit," said Gerald Fell, who stands the stallion at Fairdale Stud. "It's the worst bloody song I've ever heard."

Alister Sutherland has a thing about catchy names, like when he registered group one winning filly Iflooxcouldkill. He has a youngster by Almutawakel he's named Cantsaymydadsname and one by Sandtrap, Lebanese Lawn.

"It's fine provided you don't go too far."

Some have. A registered filly La Bia Majora recently had its name changed by NZTR before it raced when it became clear the owners had included in the name part of the female anatomy.

The filly, part owned by netball star Irene Van Dyke, was renamed Puccini's Opera, is now a two-race winner and she competed in Race 7 at Matamata today.

The race was won by Jack Hobbs and Puccini's Opera was fifth.