In This Months EditionChampions of the TurfBy Scott Gooley, AAP RacingIt's come and gone for yet another year. Melbourne's Spring Carnival has delivered yet again. All the drama, colour and emotion we have come to expect from one of Australia's premier sporting events. In recent years we've witnessed some amazing moments on a racecourse and in Australian sport, come this time of year. Makybe Diva cemented her place in history by winning three successive Cups. Might and Power, leading all the way in the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. The domination of Sunline and the fighting qualities of Western Australian champion, Northerly. This year was no different. We saw the emergence of potential superstars Kibbutz and Weekend Hussler. Efficient emulated the immortal Phar Lap by winning the Derby at three and returning to win the Melbourne Cup the following year. Sprinting sensations Miss Andretti and Gold Edition's magnificent duel up the Flemington Straight. We've witnessed moments that will be referred to and talked about for many years to come. Moments that will never be repeated and moments that have created history. This month, Inform speaks with Matthew Moore of Champions of the Turf. Champions of the Turf capture and present some of these amazing moments in such a way, that the emotions and story of these events can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Champions of the Turf has been established for seven years now and during this time, Matthew and his team have become one of Australia's leading providers of racing memorabilia. "We specialize in the design and production of custom made and all official limited edition racing tributes, servicing the racing industry and sports enthusiasts alike." Sports memorabilia has become an ever-increasing market in recent years. People are now looking at purchasing pieces as investments as well as for their personal enjoyment. At Champions of the Turf, they are more than catering for the demand. As well as the establishment of new, state-of-the-art gallery on the Gold Coast, Champions of the Turf have also introduced "My Sporting Icons" which Matthew details further. "This sector carries Australia's most comprehensive range of officially licensed and authenticated sporting memorabilia and merchandise. We're also offering the general public a custom framing service for all their personal items and collectables. You name it, we can frame it. The new art gallery on the Gold Coast is our next exciting step in the growth of our business."  Champions of the Turf and MSI's
new Gallery at Southport, QLD
A stroll through the gallery is a must for any sports enthusiast or visitor to the Gold Coast area, but be sure to allow yourself ample time for your visit. Each piece holds its own story, its own slice of history and easily transports the viewer to the specific time and event represented by the memorabilia on display. It's an enjoyable walk down memory lane and as with all authentic works of art tend to do, each piece evokes plenty of emotion and communicates strongly with the viewer. As Matthew points out, the key word is "authentic". Before any sports memorabilia is purchased, there are a few steps that the consumer can undertake to ensure the quality and originality of their prospective purchase. "We strongly advise that our clients only purchase officially licensed and authenticated memorabilia of any nature. By purchasing officially licensed memorabilia you will not only increase your investment's potential but you also know that what you're hanging on your wall is 100% authentic and not just be told or think it is. The way to know if the piece you're purchasing is officially licensed is that the actual piece being purchased will have the governing body's logo or trademark imprinted into the piece, normally located in the bottom corners. Also, each piece should be numbered and be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) that matches this number direct from the governing body or, the licensed agent."  Limited edition pieces, such as this magnificent caricature of
Makybe Diva and connections. "You will pay a little more for officially licensed memorabilia however the quality of images, framing and general presentation will be far more superior. Memorabilia is a similar market to that of the real estate industry; it's a 'buyer beware market'." However, there's no need to investigate the authenticity of the pieces on display or available at Champions of the Turf's galleries. There's an extensive team behind the scenes that ensure all moments captured and products offered are endorsed by those directly involved. There hasn't been a big moment on the track that Matthew and his team haven't captured. "We are licensed by the VRC and had the great honour of producing some of the official Makybe Diva memorabilia and merchandise. I would have to say, that this would be one of the great events that we have covered. We've also been involved with a lot of charity functions which we have providing pieces for auction. It's always a pleasure to help out people who need it. We have a team of professional racing photographers that work exclusively for us at Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and South Australia. And we cover all the metropolitan feature race days and other major events and have a massive library of photographs to choose from, dating back to approximately 1980." Close to thirty years of racing on record allows plenty to choose from and covers many of Australia's racing Superstars and Legends such as undisputed champion, Kingston Town. The mighty New Zealand mare Sunline, Emancipation, Beau Zam, Super Impose and Might and Power. Golden Slipper winners, Melbourne and Caulfield Cups heroes and if there's a race or horse you're specifically after, then there's a good chance that can be produced as well. "This is what Champions of the Turf specialize in - custom made Australian horse racing memorabilia and photography." It's not only photographs that can be presented within the pieces produced. As Matthew points out, the inclusion of some other objects can definitely give the piece not only extra value, but an 'extra something'. "A client can request anything, from a simple unframed photograph to a more elaborate custom piece with jockey silks, whips, saddle cloths, racing plates, presentation sash or rugs, trophies or anything else that the client would like to include to create the perfect individual piece of horse racing memorabilia. We can also have your photos signed by most jockeys throughout Australia. They always appreciate the public's support and following". Champions of the Turf provide a truly a unique service with merchandise and memorabilia to cover all budgets and requests and a visit to their store can not be recommended highly enough.  All sports covered incl. NRL, V8, Rugby, AFL
 Super Mare "Gold Edition" personally signed
Jockey - Stathi Katsidis. Champions of the Turf not only claim but certainly deliver on their motto - "Where Racing's greatest days live on forever!" To find out more details about Champions of the Turf, visit www.championsoftheturf.com.au
Locations:   EI Update - Racing Returnsby Peter Klein, AAP RacingIt's been a long three months since racing in Sydney and Brisbane was bought to an immediate halt, as the devastating effects of EI crisis quickly took effect. However, the worst of the EI crisis seems to be over and there's finally some light at the end of the tunnel. The first metropolitan meetings since the outbreak occurred, will be held on the 1st of December at Randwick and Doomben racecourses.  Caulfield Racecourse EI exclusion zone - hopefully a thing
of the past Image: AAP Image Barrier trails conducted on the 16th and 28th of November at Randwick, and the 20th November for Rosehill, will be used by trainers to ready their horses for a return. Promising and well performed horses, like the David Payne representatives Guillotine (Half brother to Efficient), stakes winning mares Vecchia Roma and Gallant Tess, along with Hurried Choice have all been entered to contest trials. As David Payne told AAP Racing "They will all trial and, all going well, have one or two runs and then a two or three week spell and come back for the autumn. They will have soft trials, they won't be punished but they're all well and really blossoming now. A horse like Guillotine has only had three runs. He's a baby and he needs the experience. We also need to sort him out in the barriers and if we put him straight out then brought him back for the carnival it could cost him."  Vets battle to contain the EI outbreak
Image: AAP Image A total of 63 horses were entered for the trials, 59 of which come from either Payne's stable or Gai Waterhouse's Tulloch Lodge. Racing's return will be a tentative step but finally, a step in the right direction never-the-less. However, just because the racing is returning, by no means have we heard the last of Equine Influenza. An official inquiry into the first case of EI in Australia that was detected at the Eastern Creek quarantine facility on the 23rd August got under way on the 14th November. Initial investigations revealed protocols were not always followed at the Eastern Creek facility, controlled by AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service), a Federal department. The inquiry, chaired by former High Court Judge, Ian Cullinan, is expected to take months with Commissioner Cullinan expected to hand down his findings by April 25 next year - only weeks before the proposed World Youth Day, an event that would again see the closure of Randwick for a lengthy period of time. "It's (World Youth Day) really been put on the backburner which is a bit disappointing," leading Randwick trainer, Joseph Pride told AAP Racing recently.
Future Racing Meetings for Sydney and Brisbane; What to back when racing resumes after EI? Punters haven't been down this path before. No city meetings for weeks on end in Sydney and Brisbane. A whole new batch of horses set to resume. It's going to be a minefield until we get a couple of meetings under our belts and see how the form pans out. But if the recent Randwick trials on 16/11/07 are any guide, then there's one thing to follow. Gai Waterhouse has a big team primed and ready to go. She won a stack of trials on the day and filled the first three placings in many others. Her horses always perform well fresh, so if you are looking to find a winner, stick with the strength and focus on her horses in the first few meetings when racing resumes in Sydney in December. Remember to blackbook all your upcoming horses at www.aapracing.com.au/blackbook so that you never forget a likely runner. November Book Review Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia Author: Ken Callander RRP - $32.95 Available - All good bookshops There's only been a handful of jockeys who have won three Melbourne Cups or more, but no one had won three in a row until Glen Boss did on Makybe Diva. That's some feat and some horse. Boss's book naturally enough devotes a good deal of its time to the great mare and Glen's association with her. But it hasn't always been Group One races and life at the top for The Boss. As an apprentice, Boss perfected his trade by riding quarter horses around the rough and ready sand and soil track of Gympie before moving onto thoroughbreds. In his first year as an apprentice, he had sown up both the apprentice and senior rider titles for that year in Gympie. Soon, he'd outgrown the bush and moved on to the Gold Coast and Brisbane as the winners kept piling up. Boss's clashes with officialdom were also starting to pile up too. By his own admission he was something of a hot head in the steward's room, especially where chief steward Ray Murrihy was involved and tended to take any penalty personally. Eventually that led to Boss seeking greener pastures in Sydney. Boss quickly realised that unless he graduated to the ranks of Group One riders, he was only ever going to be another face in Sydney. He had to work hard for it, but eventually Telesto gave him that honour in the 1994 Chipping Norton Stakes. He had to wait till the following autumn to win his next G1, but it was worth it. Flying Spur gave him the coveted Golden Slipper of that year and it proved to be the turning point in his career resulting in a steady stream of good mounts and associations formed with leading trainers. All jockeys suffer falls, but few would have incurred the horrific one he did in Macau in 2002. His injuries included breaking his neck in two places and having to wear a special halo brace with four screws inserted into his skull. Most would have given the game away after that. Not so Boss. Back in Australia and planning his comeback while recuperating, Boss was determined to get back into the big time and pick up rides on the class horses. Soon after his comeback, he nailed rides on Shot of Thunder, Republic Lass and Private Steer to give him five G1 races in his comeback season. Monthly Quiz
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