https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news-and-even...2-lazarus-sold
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Bloody shame in my humble opinion, pretty sure he was the sort of horse to help rejuvenate the profile of harness racing in Anzac world, now he is just a commercial asset.
Agree with you Dan a great loss to the FFA ranks
A massive blow to the local industry, The game certainly needs a superstar and imho opinion, Lazarus was all that but I’m sure we will see him back here in the future as a shuttle stallion
The biggest issue facing Lazarus, if her were to remain and stand in NZ, is the saturation of Bettors Delight blood. Or worse, Bettors Delight over Christian Cullen or In The Pocket mares. The horse population just isn't big enough for him whereas he can introduce new blood into the North American breed through Christian Cullen and his female family.
It would seem NZ breeders will be encouraged to breed to Vincent in order to introduce some fresh blood into all those Bettors Delight females.
That aside, I will really miss Laz, he was the most courageous race horse we've seen in a long, long time. No doubt Mark Purdon will spend a few nights staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping. To have had the likes of Lazarus and Vincent winning everything and then, a few months later, they're both gone magnifies the the ups and downs of harness racing.
Very well stated, Trevor. He presents the best opportunity for Southern Hemisphere sires there has ever been in North America.
His other “problem” as I see it, is performing well enough over one mile races in the US. His brilliance has been mostly over the longer journeys. He was soundly beaten in both MM’s he appeared in and his best and most convincing wins have been over 2400m plus. The yanks will go flat tack for the whole mile and he’ll have to pace around 1:47 to be a chance of beating the locals, which may also include a couple of ex-NZ or Aussie top liners.
I have to agree with Grinder, he will need to win some very good races and break some track or world records for the Yanks to be interested in breeding to him. Unless one of the major studs in the US has purchased him I can't see the US breeders being interested in him.
Agree wholeheartedly about his mile form, and he won't be the first pacer from the southern hemisphere who were top notch here over a distance, but failed in the US over the mile. I sincerely hope he blows them away up there and gets all the stud opportunities he has earned and deserves, but there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever his dominance is displayed over 1 1/2 to 2 miles. I really hope he does not come up short over there, but he has here over the sprint trips.
Gee, I thought Lazarus was a great horse - I must be wrong!
There is a gulf of difference in racing in two Miracle Miles and their lead-ups and going around Menangle week after week over a mile. If he were a run-of-the-mill free for all horse, he would probably have bettered his 1:49.0 record many times over. I reckon 1:49.0 from only 4 Aus starts over the mile was a pretty good endorsement for a stallion. He went 54.9 winning over the trip at Cambridge (jogging) at his only other start over the trip.
If "speed" is everything, you could mount an argument for most Meadowlands-based claimers. Put "Laz" outside them; they'd collapse! Don't go off on a tangent by dreaming up a knock on him, he was (and I say that only because he is spelling) the best pacer in the world.
Sucks for the sport in Australasia.
Has lacked the zip and the type of fitness required at the mile however he goes from being trained for NZ Cups and IDs to specifically for mile races so he may find that speed and type of fitness. Hope he does.