Mosheeen shows her extraordinary class with a brilliant first-up win in the Shadwell Stud Australasia Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
Source: Herald Sun

DANNY Nikolic’s ray of hope, and probably the most gifted horse Robert Smerdon has trained.

These were the superlatives after VRC Oaks winner Mosheen resumed with a romp victory at Caulfield yesterday, putting her on target for an Australian Guineas clash with Helmet at Flemington next month.

Mosheen’s hard-held win in the Shadwell Manfred Stakes also proved a tonic for part-owner Phil Sly, a businessman battling cancer who had sold half of Mosheen to Japan’s richest owner, Katsumi Yoshida.

Starting a well-backed favourite at $3.20, Mosheen coasted up to the leaders at the 300m before clearing out to beat fast-closing That’s The One ($6.50) by 1 3/4 lengths. Highly Recommended ($11) battled on into third.

“It’s good to see things pan out as they have – to sell half the horse to the Japanese … the big boss (Yoshida) was on the phone just then and he’s ecstatic,” Sly said.

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Mosheen will race in Japan, but Smerdon is eyeing two big goals, starting with the March 3 Guineas at Flemington.

“I think at this stage the Vanity and then the Australian Guineas and then Sydney for the Coolmore Classic,” Smerdon said.

Nikolic is so impressed with Mosheen, he vowed to follow her to Japan.

“I’ve been booked for the ride over there,” he said.

“She’s my little ray of hope, the only decent horse I’m really riding.

“Whatever she goes around in, she’s going to be hard to beat because she’s got class all over her and can win from six furlongs (1200m) to a mile and a half (2400m). It’s thumbs up everywhere.”

Smerdon said Mosheen was rated extremely high, but not as high as recuperating Atlantic Jewel, who twice thrashed Mosheen in the spring.

“Mosheen ran second in the Golden Slipper behind a star in Sepoy and then wins an Oaks,” he said.

“She has to be right up there with the best I’ve trained. But how good does it make Atlantic Jewel?”

Article source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/superracing/mosheen-shows-class-with-first-up-win/story-fn67siys-1226262622219

If the man in your life is suddenly on his best behaviour, have a look around. Men apparently become nicer, kinder and more…

Article source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10782981&ref=rss

Top Seeds Survive Early Scare On Day Two Of The Oakley Pro Junior – North Stradbroke Island

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Current U/18 Boys Australian Champion Eli Steele (Caloundra, Qld) and ASP Australasia Junior Men’s ratings leader Cooper Chapman (Narrabeen, NSW) both survived tough opening heats today, as the action continued on day-two of the 2012 5-Star, AUD$30,000 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Oakley Pro Junior.

Once again, powerful 1.5m beach-break conditions rolled in at Point Lookout’s Main Beach, with Steele advancing into the Round of 64 and Chapman advancing into the Round of 32 respectively.

In shifting conditions, Steele posted a combined two wave heat total of 6.75 (out of a possible 20), finishing in second place behind Jackson Carey (Terrey Hills, NSW – 7.65), only just edging out fellow Sunshine Coast surfer Jake Vincent (6.15) and Hayden Forrest (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria – 4.95) who finished third and fourth respectively.

It was a similar story for ratings leader Chapman, who was seeded into the highest round (64-surfers), with the highly touted North Narrabeen surfer posting a combined two wave heat total of 9.60 (out of a possible 20), finishing in second place behind Portugal’s Vasco Ribeiro (12.50), only just edging out Frenchman William Aliotti (8.35) and Australia’s Tom Hatcher (5.30) who finished third and fourth respectively.

Updated Event Heat Draw – http://www.pro-surfing.com/alhunt/files/2012evt82.pdf

Meanwhile, outside of competition, Oakley in conjunction with North Stradbroke Island Surf School held a learn-to-surf day for a handful of Indigenous children who travelled all the way from Mt Isa in Queensland’s north-west.

Oakley identities including the likes of former ASP World Tour surfers Tom Whitaker and Beau Emerton joined Kai Hing, Keahla Naihe and North Stradbroke’s own top international surfer Lincoln Taylor to share the thrill of surfing with the super-stoked kids, many of whom had never seen the ocean before.

Running from February 1-5 and held in the varying breaks surrounding the island paradise, the Oakley Pro Junior is the third stop on the prestigious ASP Australasia Pro Junior Men’s tour.

Up for grabs is the JS Tractor Big Boost, which will see 12 hand-picked competitors (four locals, four Australians and four international competitors) compete for three  brand new custom  JS surfboards with the best placed local surfer also winning one brand new JS surfboard.

The Oakley Pro Junior is proudly supported by Oakley, JS Surfboards, ASP Australasia, Surfing Queensland and Redland City Council.  

ASP Australasia Pro Junior Men’s Ratings (after two events)
1.    Cooper Chapman (Narrabeen, NSW) – 2316 points
2.    Haril Anwar (Indonesia) – 1678 points
3.    Wade Carmichael (Avoca, NSW) – 1594

Visit www.oakleyprojunior.com for news, photos and updates relating to the 2012 Oakley Pro Junior.

For regular updates and happenings, become a fan of our Facebook page here.

Follow Surfing Australia on Twitter

Article source: http://www.surfingaustralia.com/news-details.php?id=2385

International Junior Surfers Set For The 2012 Oakley Pro Junior – North Stradbroke Island!

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Tuesday 31st January, 2012: THE world’s best professional junior surfers are set to invade the high-performance surfing hideaway of North Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia) for the 2012 5-Star, AUD$30,000 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Oakley Pro Junior.

Running from February 1-5 and held in the varying breaks surrounding the island paradise, the Oakley Pro Junior is the third stop on the prestigious ASP Australasia Pro Junior Men’s tour.

Oakley South Pacific Sports Marketing’s Beau Emerton said “At this stage, the swell and wind forecast looks like the event will be able to utilise the full array of breaks surrounding the Island,” said Emerton.

“Oakley is stoked to be able to offer a 5-Star Pro Junior event, in a high-performance surfing location and with the calibre of local and international athletes in this year’s competition, it will certainly be great to watch,” he said.

This week’s event will be spearheaded by reigning ASP Australasia Junior Men’s Champion Thomas Woods (Burleigh Heads, Qld), who will be joined by a host of local and international stars including last year’s event runner-up Peterson Crisanto (Brazil), Billabong World Junior Championship finalists Wade Carmichael (Avoca, NSW) and Nathan Carvalho (Hawaii), Conner Coffin (USA) and event wildcard Kai Hing (Wurtulla, Qld) just to name a few.

Top rated Australasia junior Tim MacDonald (North Stradbroke Island/Burleigh Heads, Qld) will carry the hopes of the local crowd and he’ll be joined by five other North Stradbroke Island surfers ready to take on the world’s best in their own backyard.

Also up for grabs is the JS Tractor Big Boost, which will see 12 hand picked competitors (four locals, four Australians and four international competitors) compete for three  brand new custom  JS surfboards with the best placed local surfer also winning one brand new JS surfboard.

Prior to competition on the first morning of the event, competitors will be welcomed to North Stradbroke Island by elders of the local Indigenous community who will perform a traditional “Welcome to Country” ceremony.

The Oakley Pro Junior is proudly supported by Oakley, JS Surfboards, ASP Australasia, Surfing Queensland and Redland City Council.  
 
ASP Australasia Pro Junior Men’s Ratings (after two events)
 
1.    Cooper Chapman (Narrabeen, NSW) – 2316 points
2.    Haril Anwar (Indonesia) – 1678 points
3.    Wade Carmichael (Avoca, NSW) – 1594
 
Visit www.oakleyprojunior.com for news, photos and updates relating to the 2012 Oakley Pro Junior.

For regular updates and happenings, become a fan of our Facebook page here.

Follow Surfing Australia on Twitter

Article source: http://www.surfingaustralia.com/news-details.php?id=2379

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Morningstar Australasia Moves to New
Global Analyst Rating Scale for Australian and New Zealand
Funds

SYDNEY/AUCKLAND, 31 January 2012 – Morningstar
Australasia Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.
(NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment
research, today announced the migration of its existing
Morningstar Recommendation qualitative rating scale for
Australian and New Zealand managed funds to the new global
Morningstar Analyst RatingTM. The new Analyst Ratings are
now available in Morningstar’s Australian and New Zealand
products and services.

The five-tiered Analyst Rating
scale has three positive levels – Gold, Silver, and Bronze
– in addition to Neutral and Negative ratings. Analysts
arrive at a rating through an evaluation of five key pillars
they believe are crucial to predicting the future success of
a fund: People, Process, Parent, Performance, and
Price.

Morningstar analysts score these five pillars as
Positive, Neutral, or Negative, which are then combined for
the overall rating. Morningstar reserves the top three
tiers, expressed as medals, for funds its analyst team
thinks have sustainable advantages that position them well
relative to peers and/or a relevant benchmark on a
risk-adjusted basis over a full market cycle of at least
five years.

“Morningstar has been providing analyst
research on funds since the late 1980s, but our new rating
system represents the first time that we’ve offered a global
qualitative rating for funds,” said Morningstar Australasia
Chief Executive Officer Anthony Serhan. “Investors and
advisers in Australia and New Zealand will benefit from the
extensive work we’ve undertaken globally to identify and
codify the strengths of our various fund evaluation
methods.

“We now also have three positive designations –
Gold, Silver, and Bronze – rather than two positive
ratings, as well as a Neutral and Negative rating, providing
an additional level of distinction and enabling us to give
more granular insights into our views on funds.”

The new
Morningstar Analyst Rating scale is as follows:

•
Positive Ratings:

Gold: a best-of-breed fund that
distinguishes itself across the five pillars and has
garnered the analysts’ highest level of
conviction;

Silver: a fund with notable advantages across
several, but perhaps not all, of the five pillars –
strengths that give the analysts a high level of
conviction;

Bronze: a fund with advantages that outweigh
any disadvantages across the five pillars, and sufficient
level of analyst conviction to warrant a positive
rating;

• Neutral: a fund that isn’t likely to deliver
standout returns, but also isn’t likely to significantly
underperform; And

• Negative: a fund that has at least
one flaw likely to significantly hamper future performance,
and is considered an inferior offering to its
peers.

Morningstar’s fund research in Australia and New
Zealand is co-led by Chris Douglas and Tim
Murphy.

Morningstar does not charge fund managers for the
production of ratings or research, and the decision to rate
and report on a specific fund is determined by the fund
analyst team on the basis of client demand, asset size, and
assessment of investment merit.

The new Morningstar
Analyst Ratings are available in Australia and New Zealand
in Morningstar® Adviser Research CentreTM, a web-based
solution developed specifically for dealer groups and
financial advisers; Morningstar® Adviser WorkstationTM, a
global practice and portfolio management solution for
advisers; and Morningstar DirectTM, the company’s web-based
global investment analysis platform for institutional
investors. Analyst Ratings are also available to Australian
investors with Premium Membership of the Morningstar.com.au
website.

About Morningstar Australasia and Morningstar,
Inc.

Morningstar Australasia Pty Limited is an Australian
subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of
independent investment research in North America, Europe,
Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of
products and services for individuals, financial advisers,
and institutions. Morningstar provides data on approximately
330,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual
funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global
market data on more than five million equities, indexes,
futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in
addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets.
Morningstar also offers investment management services
through its registered investment adviser subsidiaries and
had more than US$167.0 billion in assets under advisement
and management at 30 September 2011. The company has
operations in 26
countries.

ENDS

Article source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1201/S00632/new-global-analyst-rating-scale.htm

Ideas that might help you with your taxes … and maybe even save you some money.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/limited-upside-expected-efa-fund-165000490.html

Wellington is the capital city and second most populous urban area of New Zealand. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 393,400 residents.

The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region – which in addition to the urban area covers the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. The urban area includes four cities: Wellington, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington’s population; Porirua on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Māori and Pacific Island communities; Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt are largely suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Valley. Wellington also holds the distinction of being the worlds most southerly capital city.

In 2008, Wellington was classified as a Gamma World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University. The 2010 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Wellington 12th in the world. In 2011 Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 named Wellington as fourth in its Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2011, referring to the New Zealand capital as the “coolest little capital in the world”.

Other Information

• Country : New Zealand
• Region : Wellington
• Area :
  • Urban : 444 km²(171.4 sq mi)
  • Metro : 1,390 km² (536.7 sq mi)
• Lowest elevation : 0 m (0 ft)
• Population (June 2011 estimate)^:
  • Urban : 393,400
  • Urban density : 886/km² (2,294.8/sq mi)
• Time zone : NZST (UTC+12)
• Summer (DST) : NZDT (UTC+13)
• Postcode : 6000 group, and 5000 and 5300 series
• Area code : 04
• Local iwi : Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Āti Awa

Link

• http://www.wellingtonnz.com/

The Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with 1,377,200 residents, 31 percent of the country’s population. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world. In Māori Auckland’s names are Tāmaki Makaurau, and the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.

The 2011 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 3rd equal place in the world on its list, while The Economist’sWorld’s Most Livable Cities index of 2011 ranked Auckland in 9th place. In 2010, Auckland was classified as a Beta World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University.

Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water.

Other Information

• Country : New Zealand
• Island : North Island
• Region : Auckland
• Territorial authority : Auckland
• Settled by Māori : c. 1350
• Settled by Europeans : 1840
• Area  :
  • Urban : 1,086 km²(419.3 sq mi)
  • Metro ^: 560 km² (216.2 sq mi)
• Highest elevation : 196 m (643 ft)
• Lowest elevation : 0 m (0 ft)
• Population (June 2011 estimate) ^:
  • Urban : 1,377,200
  • Urban density : 1,268.1/km²(3,284.5/sq mi)
  • Metro : 1,486,000
  • Metro density : 2,653.6/km² (6,872.7/sq mi)
• Demonym : Aucklander, Jafa (often derogatory)
• Time zone : NZST (UTC+12)
• Summer (DST) : NZDT (UTC+13)
• Postcode : 0500-2999
• Area code : 09
• Local iwi : Ngāti Whātua, Tainui

Link

• www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane’s metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3 million. The Brisbane central business district stands on the original European settlement and is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River approximately 23 kilometres from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the floodplain of the Brisbane River valley between the bay and the Great Dividing Range. While the metropolitan area is governed by several municipalities, a large proportion of central Brisbane is governed by the Brisbane City Council which is Australia’s largest Local Government Area by population. The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanian, but is known to be Brisbanite.

Brisbane is named after the river on which it sits which, in turn, was named after Scotsman Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of the Brisbane central business district, in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859.

The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. Brisbane has hosted many large cultural and sporting events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo ’88 and the final Goodwill Games in 2001. Brisbane is the largest economy between Sydney and Singapore and in 2008 it was classified as a Beta− world city in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University. It was also rated the 16th most livable city in the world in 2009 by The Economist.

Other Information

• Established: 1824
• Area: 5904.8 km² (2,279.9 sq mi)
• Time zone: AEST (UTC+10)
• County: Stanley
• State District: various (38)