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no yuo r right about that. that looks a top track to view races from as well. i did once stable a horse overnight at victoria park, after it was shut down,but quite a few years ago now.. i remember pulling into the car park and saying to the wife,we had better be careful and park in a spot that we can get out of,because itlooked like it had rained.. Well the only other horse floats we spotted were about 4 others,next to each other and backed up beside them. But ,blow me down,it turned out that area was too wet to get out of. So,being unsure what to do,we decided maybe the cheapest thing to do was to call a taxi and ask him to tow us out if they had an appropriate vehicle.Taxi turned up,towed us out and i gave him a $20 tip on top of what i said i would pay him. But he then gave the $20 tip back and said,no worries you don't need to do that and left.Mayber he thought we needed the money more than he did. actually i have a cousin whos an accountant whose lived in greymouth for decades.He told me a few years ago how the land where the track was,had become overrun with weeds and the whole area was a bit of an eyesore..Weren't the maoris given the lease by the crown (as some sort of more recent treaty settlement),then when everyones lease in the area came up for the 100 year renewal of the lease, the maoris rasied the amounts all the people with houses in that area and the trotting club,to levels that people and the trotting club couldn't afford. In effect the maoris kicked everyone off  and then just did nothing with it and it just became overgrown. Many locals were very upset about how they were treated. but that was the end of night trots. thats my memory of what happened to greymouth night trots,but hey,thatw as a conversation i had about 10 years ago so may  be wrong about some details, so you being from there may be able to clarify some aspects if i got bits wrong.

Claudelands pretty cosy too.

You obviously have never been to a meeting at the mighty Victoria Park Raceway in Greymouth.

By Jonny Turner  Yet again it has been proven that a horse with ability and Phil Williamson’s masterful hand are a potent combination. In the depths of winter while most star three-year-old trotters are off the scene, Tarragindi is taking huge strides towards his big spring targets. The trotter cleared out for an emphatic win for driver Nathan Williamson, on a big Friday night at Addington for his father Phil, who later produced Becky’s Girl for an effortless debut victory for driver Brad Williamson. Tarragindi showed all sorts of ability as a two-year-old, with only his manners holding him back. A late gallop when looking a serious threat in Meant To Be’s Group 1 Ace Of Diamonds typified that.  While surely frustrating, owner Bev Williamson has one of the most powerful weapons in her corner – being married to New Zealand’s greatest-ever trotting trainer. And he has a cunning plan to have Tarragindi ready to show his best when he tackles more Group 1 features at Addington later this year. “I think anyone who knows the game and saw the horse as a two-year-old would have thought he was going to make a nice horse,” Phil said. “He was green and had a lot to learn, and I was reluctant to put too much gear on him. I didn’t want him getting too fired up.” “He’s had a good break and he’s racing now to get that ringcraft, because when we race the better ones later on, we have to be fit, ready, and doing everything right.” “Because he is lower in the ratings, we can afford to give him a few starts at this time of year and get that experience.” Tarragindi takes his name from a suburb of Brisbane with a population of around 11,000. It caught Phil Williamson’s attention when he heard it on TV and he subsequently used it to name his progressive trotter.  Phil and Bev enjoyed a breeding, owning, and training double between them with Becky’s Girl, a daughter of their smart former racemare Alderbeck scoring later in the Addington card.  The two-year-old showed excellent manners as she cruised to an easy win on debut. Though they may not share too many similarities on type, like Tarragindi, Becky’s Girl has plenty to learn early in her two-year-old career. “She is still green —when she was left in front, she didn’t know exactly what to do,” Phil said.  “She got a little bit pacey in her gait, and it wasn’t until the other horses got up to her that she really got into gear.” “All three of those horses in that race will go to the paddock now — they’ve all got a future.” “Becky’s Girl has really nice speed, which will be her biggest asset going forward.” The Williamson wins at Addington on Friday night didn’t stop with Becky’s Girl and Tarragindi.  Son Nathan produced She’s Crunchy for a strong front-running victory in her debut. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Top junior driver Crystal Hackett is nursing a few bumps and bruises but is otherwise ok after an eventful and scary time at Alexandra Park last night. She had just won Race 8 with debutant Buddy Guy at the park and was returning to the stabling area when the two-year-old got spooked.  Hackett was tipped from the sulky and got dragged along the infield.      “It was a good distance and it was at a good clip,” Hackett says, “it certainly felt we were going quick.” “I was just lucky I had a good grip on the inside rein and I could slow him down.” Buddy Guy was clearly agitated by the whole experience and there were a few anxious moments all round before the situation was brought under control.  It was gutsy and courageous stuff by Hackett. “I’ve got a few bruises this morning mainly to my wrist and hip and lower back.” “I’ve watched the video a few times and it just gets better the more times you watch it,” she laughs.  To see the video click here  Remarkably Hackett fronted up in the very next race at Alexandra Park, winning with Maro Mackendon for her parents Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett. It’s not the first time Hackett has been involved in such an incident. It also happened at Hawera in January. “It was in a race and I was kicked out and it was the same thing – I just held on for dear life!” Then at Cambridge in March a bit holding the reins on her runner Herb snapped leaving her with no control. “I was just a passenger,” she said at the time. On that occasion the Clerk of the Course came to her rescue without incident. “It’s been an eventful year that’s for sure,” says Hackett, “but these things can happen and you just press on.” And that’s what Hackett is doing. She was back at work this morning though feeling a little bit worse for wear.   View the full article

The New Zealand Amateurs Drivers championships looks set for a big finish at Addington tomorrow (Sunday). The Raceway will host the final two heats of the four-race series, with Bruce Hadley, Cheree Wigg and Frank Phelan all tied on seven points, one ahead of Alan Edge, and Michael House and John Kriechbaumer on five. Wigg won last night’s heat at Addington thanks to a determined finish by the Matt Purvis-trained Almighty Clever in the IRT.Your Horse. Our Passion Mobile Pace. Almighty Clever will back up at the Raceway tomorrow as a $2.45 favourite in Heat 3 (1.24pm), though he will be driven then by northern reinsman Craig Sharpe. Sharpe will also drive the favourite in the final heat of the series when he combines with Stephs Boy. He’s at $2.60 currently, just ahead of Auntie Deb ($3), to be driven by Wigg. Craig’s brother  Andrew, the defending champion, is currently seventh on four points. Bruce Hadley won the opening heat at Cambridge on Thursday night with the Jeremy Young-trained Billy The Kid.  Leaderboard (with two races left) : Bruce Hadley 7 Cheree Wigg 7 Frank Phelan 7 Alan Edge 6  John Kriechbaumer 5 Michael House 5 Andrew Sharpe 4 Neil Munro 2 Colleen Negus 1 Craig Sharpe 0    View the full article

Of what?

The Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) looms as a possible spring target for New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines), who continued his rapid rise with another outstanding win in the A$400,000 Gr.2 XXXX Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Within the space of nine weeks, the Ghibellines gelding has strung together four increasingly impressive victories. He kicked off with wins in the Orange Cup (2100m) and a Benchmark 78 handicap on Randwick’s Kensington track, prompting trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to take him to Brisbane and raise the bar to black-type level. Campaldino passed his first major test with a dominant performance in last month’s Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2400m) on a rapidly deteriorating heavy track. Saturday’s Brisbane Cup marked a step up in class and distance, along with a switch to Good3 ground, but there was no difference to the result. Jockey Tim Clark gave Campaldino a comfortable run, initially sitting outside the front-running True Marvel (Masked Marvel) before easing back into fourth with a lap to go. He was travelling smoothly every step of the way. Clark allowed him to creep forward from the 700m mark, moving up alongside True Marvel just before the home turn. Campaldino took command coming into the straight, powering into a clear lead with 300m to run. Etna Rosso (Decorated Knight) tried his hardest to eat into the margin, but Campaldino kept going strongly all the way to the finish line and won by a length and a quarter. “Since the blinkers have been removed, he has been much better,” Clark said. “That has helped him be so strong at the end of his races. “He’s a pleasure to ride and another good find out of New Zealand. He has come here and really found his mojo now. “He’s shooting through the grades nicely. He’s thrived with the sun on his back and he can run a strong two miles. When he had clean air, he really dragged me forward. He had energy stored in the run and he picked up when I let him go.” Waterhouse and Bott are now keen to push on to Melbourne in the spring. “I think we’ll have to go for the Melbourne Cup,” Bott said. “He’s an amazing, progressive horse. He’s come a long way and that tops off the campaign nicely. “He can’t have too long off, but he’s had some nice conditioning this preparation and we’ll try and work backwards from the Melbourne Cup. “He’s still learning what it is all about. Even when he hit the front today, I was worried about him getting there too early. There is still progression to come. He had a bit of a wander around when he got to the rail, but when he was challenged, I thought he responded nicely in the end. “He’s lightly raced for a stayer and it will be exciting to see what he can do in a few campaigns ahead.” From 14 starts, Campaldino has now recorded six wins and four placings. He has banked more than A$500,000 for a Darby Racing syndicate. Campaldino was bred by the Ricky & Anna Rhodes Partnership and is by White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines out of the Shocking mare Zuzana (NZ). Campaldino began his career in the Matamata stable of Cody Cole, for whom he had four starts last year. He finished seventh and eighth in his first two appearances, then put together back-to-back wins in a 1750m highweight at Taupo and a 2200m Rating 65 at Pukekohe. His performances caught the eye of Rob Waterhouse, and he was purchased privately. From 10 starts in Australia, Campaldino has now recorded four wins, three seconds, a third, and two fifths. View the full article

A runaway victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm was a proud moment for Pier’s (NZ) (Proisir) connections, but they could also be forgiven for wondering what might have been in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). Pier ventured across the Tasman as the winner of four races in New Zealand, headed by the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in 2022. The son of Proisir has found a promising vein of form in his latest preparation, producing powerful finishes for placings in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham and the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben. But he had earned insufficient prizemoney for a place in the Stradbroke Handicap field, sitting on the ballot as the fourth emergency and getting only two of the four scratchings he needed to make the field. The Wayne Wilson on Saturday’s Stradbroke handicap was the consolation prize, and Pier grabbed it in emphatic style. Ridden by Ethan Brown, the five-year-old settled in third place before cruising up alongside the front-running Attractable (I Am Invincible) just before the home turn. Pier dashed past that rival at the top of the straight and burst clear, going on to win by three lengths from Sibaaq (NZ) (Dark Angel). “He’s a horse with great stamina,” Brown said. “Third-up here today, he broke well, so I was happy to use his action and his fitness. “He’s proven at the mile and was always going to run it out strongly today. I used that to my advantage and he was strong all the way through the line. He’s a very nice horse. “I’m sure he can measure up here in Australia and he has proven himself today. I think he’s up to it. “He drew a lot more favourably today. Last start he ran a blinder – got too much out of his ground from a wide gate, but ran home well.” Pier has now had 13 starts for five wins, four placings and A$579,870 in stakes. He is trained at Matamata by Darryn Weatherley and his daughter, Briar. Darryn Weatherley and his wife Lou, also co-bred and part-own the gelding, who is a half-brother to their multiple stakes-winning sprinter Maria Farina (NZ) (Contributer). “This is super,” Darryn Weatherley said. “We have been here a month now. We bred this horse. I’ll give a special mention to my wife at home, who’s had a bit of a health scare. “This horse has achieved what I expected he would. I truly believe he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Straddie, but maybe next year. “He drew 16 from 16 at Doomben and he was second-to-last on the turn. His sectionals were huge. Ethan rode him beautifully the other day and he’s backed it up again today.” Weatherley is now keen to chase Group One spoils on home soil in the early stages of the new season. “I would like to spell him here for a month, then have a crack at the first Group One in New Zealand, and then hopefully head to Melbourne later in the spring.” View the full article