Chief Stipe

What horse wouldn't like this work environment?

No I actually agree that she could have been driven more aggressively. A Natalie drive perhaps but Robbie Close is not Nat is he? Why should it be your last comment? In this case you have definite evidence bordering on unequivocal rather than your usual supposition and innuendo. Why don't you do something like send a written complaint to the RIB and HRNZ.

In the words of the best - Roy Purdon .... “Dad was very kind with the horses, I never heard him even raise his voice with a horse,” says Barry. “That was such a special gift and then he had amazing attention to detail. “He believed that those little things, the extra little details, were the difference between winning and losing the biggest races.” Just 15 months ago champion trainer Mark Purdon received a reminder of the greatness of his father Roy, the harness racing icon who passed away on Thursday. Roy was 93 at the time but his eye for detail hadn’t deserted him and he rang Mark to tell him what he thought was bothering superstar pacer Self Assured, who was just days away from trying to win the New Zealand Cup but had been galloping away. “Dad rang and said he had watched a race the night before and then replayed it a few times the next morning and he thought Self Assured needed an undercheck on to help him step safely,” remembers Mark. “I looked at it and realised he was right. So we put the undercheck on, he stepped brilliantly and we won the Cup. “That was what Dad saw watching on television from 1000kms away which I hadn’t worked out sitting behind the horse. “And that was as a 93-year-old,” says Mark proudly.

Roy Purdon Obituary – by Michael Guerin 3 February 2022 in New Zealand 0 Just 15 months ago champion trainer Mark Purdon received a reminder of the greatness of his father Roy, the harness racing icon who passed away on Thursday. Roy was 93 at the time but his eye for detail hadn’t deserted him and he rang Mark to tell him what he thought was bothering superstar pacer Self Assured, who was just days away from trying to win the New Zealand Cup but had been galloping away. “Dad rang and said he had watched a race the night before and then replayed it a few times the next morning and he thought Self Assured needed an undercheck on to help him step safely,” remembers Mark. “I looked at it and realised he was right. So we put the undercheck on, he stepped brilliantly and we won the Cup. “That was what Dad saw watching on television from 1000kms away which I hadn’t worked out sitting behind the horse. “And that was as a 93-year-old,” says Mark proudly. Roy, training legend and patriarch of Australasian harness racing’s most successful family, passed away peacefully in Middlemore Hospital overnight, having only spent a few days there. That he lived in his own house until just before his death would have pleased Roy because he spent more time in hospital than any teenager should as a 14-year-old. “Dad injured himself playing rugby all those years ago and ended up having to spend six weeks in Auckland Hospital and then six months in a cast around his hips in the Wilson Home in Takapuna,” remembers his other Hall Of Fame trainer son Barry Purdon. “That left him with a limp for the rest of his life but it never held him back.” It also left Roy with the determination and kindness so often infused in those who know hardship at an early age, qualities that would define his life and his horse training philosophy. “Dad was very kind with the horses, I never heard him even raise his voice with a horse,” says Barry. “That was such a special gift and then he had amazing attention to detail. “He believed that those little things, the extra little details, were the difference between winning and losing the biggest races.” If New Zealand racing had a Mount Rushmore, Roy’s often smiling face would be carved into it alongside good friend Colin Jillings and his thoroughbred equivalent Dave O’Sullivan, all gentlemen of an era racing clings to but society has largely let go. Roy started out poor, first training with his Scottish immigrant father Hugh on a 400m track cut from bush in New Lynn and for decades battled to perfect horses who hadn’t been blessed with the same talent as their trainer. Roy won plenty of good races but Sole Command was one of his first great horses and it was in partnership with Barry, with Mark and son-in-law Tony Herlihy all part of the family business, that a two-decade domination ensued before he retired in 1995. Horses like Luxury Liner, Christopher Vance and the freakish Chokin headline the highlight reel but the list is long and magnificent. In all Roy trained 2019 winners in New Zealand, many of them in an era with only one meeting a week. 54 of them were group one, plenty more in Australia, where Roy was as revered as he was here. The numbers are huge but the real legacy of Roy and his beloved wife Margaret, who passed away seven years ago, are what he instilled in his sons Barry, Mark and Owen while he was a huge influence in the career of son-in-law Tony Herlihy, who married their daughter Suzanne. On Saturday night at Melton grandson Nathan Purdon has Amazing Dream a huge chance in the Hunter Cup as Roy’s legacy starts a new a chapter written in black type. Since Margaret’s passing Roy had enjoyed three great pleasures: his family and the never-ending success, showing people his always immaculate car and watching racing on Trackside, occasionally with a scotch in hand. He revelled in the success of others and would seek out phone numbers for those who did special things in racing so he could ring them to congratulate. Those lucky enough to get those phone calls would be better for them, as we all hope brushes with greatness will rub off on us. In a few, very rare, moments Roy would ring the boys and offer quiet advice like he did to Mark 15 months ago, because really, who else could give Barry, Mark or Tony those insights, see what maybe they missed? Which is how, 25 years after he retired, Roy Purdon helped prepare the 2020 New Zealand Cup winner Self Assured. A small, polite, humble man with a huge handshake has died. His name, his legacy, never will.

Nope. But what's your point?

Not weighing their horses. That surprises me as most of the Top Thoroughbred trainers do it regularly. Confirms something else though - the volume of in competition medication administered would require knowledge of a horses weight.

So YOU know that and don't put any of your hard earned on. So you are not a mug punter perhaps they others that rely solely on arbitrage, algorithms based on statistical form analysis are. They're not really that knowledgeable about the sport are they? Do you think the Preferential Barrier Draw race condition adds to the problem? From that draw on that track it was always going to drop out to last.

Why not? If you are correct then it does not bode well for Harness Racing in general if the only Harness Racing Track directly accessible to 1.5m people is "justifiable or sustainable". Profit on Racing Activity last year and paid out more Stakes than funding received from HRNZ.

The incredible legal career of 96yo racehorse owner Former judge Adrian Roden, a part-owner of Sejardan, with the Golden Gift trophy. By Ray Thomas 06:46pm • 03 February 2022 0 Comments He has seen so many of the great champions of Australian racing from Ajax and Bernborough, to Kingston Town, Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Winx. During his university days he studied law with Bill Waterhouse and did some bookmaking on the side, calling the odds at the Dapto dogs. In the legal profession, he had an exemplary career that started when he was promoted to the NSW Bar in 1949. He was a lawyer in Tanzania for more than a decade, returned to private practice in Sydney, was made a Queen’s Counsel in 1974 before being appointed a NSW Supreme Court judge, presided over the infamous 1984 Milperra Massacre trial, and later worked on the Independent Commission Against Corruption. This is certainly a racing story with a twist. An interview with 96-year-old Adrian Roden, one of NSW’s most eminent legal minds, took me on a walk down racing’s memory lane while providing a snapshot of his extraordinary life. Roden also just happens to be a part-owner of unbeaten colt Sejardan, the favourite for the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday, so when I called him this week requesting an interview about his two-year-old, he replied: “Of course, racing is one of my favourite subjects.’’ It quickly became apparent Roden has a deep appreciation and understanding of the sport as he gave an analysis of the Gary Portelli-trained Sejardan’s two brilliant wins. “Sejardan would be the best horse I have raced – by a long margin,’’ he said. “Actually, he has produced two different types of finish in his two races. There was that sudden burst of speed as soon as he got clear in the Breeders Plate and then his long, sustained run to win the Golden Gift. “I think I’m right in saying nine of the 10 Golden Gift runners went through the sales. The other was the Godolphin filly (Ojai, third). “But of the nine that went through the sales the first two placegetters, Sejardan and Shalatin, were the cheapest.’’ Sejardan is the favourite in the Inglis Millennium. Picture: Getty Images Sejardan, a son of 2008 Golden Slipper winner Sebring who cost $160,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale last year, resumes in the Inglis Millennium and the barrier draw has the boom colt coming out of gate nine. In latest TAB fixed odds betting, Sejardan is the $3.70 favourite to preserve his undefeated record although there has been good support for Paris Dior, who has firmed from $6 to $4. Boldinho ($6), El Padrino ($9.50) and Zambezi River ($9.50) are the only other runners in the capacity 16-horse field under double figure odds. “There will be a lot of speed and we are probably nicely drawn,’’ Roden said. “From the extreme outside we could have ended up last, but drawn in too close we could have got caught in there. “If Jason (Collett, jockey) can find the right spot hopefully we can be finishing all over them again.’’ Roden has followed racing all his life but it has only been in the last decade when he took a serious interest in racehorse ownership. “On medical advice I was told to find an interest I could participate in while I was at home and when I saw a television advertisement selling shares in horses, I thought that was something that would interest me,’’ he said. “Then I became very keen on Sebring as a sire and I got into racing with Gary (Portelli) by accident. “There was a Sebring I liked being advertised by one of the syndicators and I asked for 10 per cent but was told it was already sold. “I looked for another Sebring and found Sebring’s Sun with Gary. He was a good horse and after he finished racing, we sold him as a sire. We then brought a broodmare and have three foals by Sebring’s Sun, now. “Sejardan is also by Sebring so I didn’t hesitate when the chance came to buy into the colt.’’ Roden must have been expecting my next question about when his passion for racing began as his answer was immediate. “It (interest in racing) has always been there,’’ he said. “When I was at school I used to make a tipping sheet for my French teacher. “Then at university I met Bill Waterhouse and I would do the pre-post markets for Bill and George Cooper when they were bookmakers. “I also worked on the Sydney and Melbourne races at Dapto when the dogs were on Saturday afternoon and the other local bookmakers would wait until I put the prices up. “But when the dogs were on at night or when there was no races in Sydney or Melbourne and I had to work on the dogs I knew absolutely nothing about them so I had to wait for the locals (bookmakers) to put their odds up.’’ Bernborough was one of many champions Roden has seen race. Roden then began talking about the great champions he has seen like Ajax, winner of 36 of his 46 starts and famous for his 18-race winning streak just prior to the start of World War II, Kiwi greats like Beau Vite and Beaulivre who raced during the War years, and then the mighty Bernborough, winner of 15 races in succession in 1946. “Bernborough’s storming finishes with big weights in sprint races made him special, he was a great horse,’’ Roden said. “I didn’t get to see Tulloch and Todman as I was working in Tanzania when they were racing. I have been fortunate to watch Kingston Town and all the champions since through to Winx. “But I don’t think you can compare horses from different eras. How do you compare Phar Lap to Winx? There is no definitive answer.’’ Roden speaks in a measured, steady, precise tone. It’s almost like he is back in a courtroom where every word is delivered with clarity and impact. His celebrated career as a lawyer and later judge has numerous highlights, most notably as the judge of the Milperra Massacre court case, the longest joint criminal trial in NSW history taking more than two years to deliver verdicts. A feud between bikie gangs, the Comancheros and Bandidos, erupted into a violent, tragic gunbattle in the car park of a Milperra hotel on Father’s Day, 1984, leaving seven dead including an innocent 14-year-old girl. Roden eventually found nine gang members guilty of murder and another 21 of manslaughter. His memories of that trial remain vivid and revealing to this day. “Everyone was expecting they (bikie gangs) would disrupt the trial but it actually went quite well,’’ Roden recalled. “I remember being pleased with the way they behaved. “Certainly, there had never been a trial like that before. We did a lot of innovating during the trial with computer work that was quite novel in those days.’’ Adrian Roden studied law with Bill Waterhouse. Roden has experienced the best and worst of human behaviour during his legal career, and armed with his keen intellect and obvious experience, he has an interesting take on the future. “I almost think our civilisation is on the way out,’’ Roden declared. “It is a long, slow process, it won’t end tomorrow but all civilisations have tended to end when they have lost what holds them together. “I feel it is natural for people to live according to standards, it doesn’t much matter what the standards are as long as people follow them and are punished if they don’t. “But we seem to be doing away with standards these days and that worries me. “Rules make for an orderly society and when you don’t have rules we are heading to anarchy. I’m glad I won’t be seeing where it goes.’’ Roden then reflected on his professional career, conceding he has led an “interesting life”. “When I look back on my life, it feels as though I have had a number of different lives,’’ he said. “The person who was working in Tanzania, the person at Sydney University, the person sitting on the bench in criminal trials – they all seem to be different people.’’ And there is the person who loves racing. Roden got the conversation back on racing by revealing he won’t be trackside for Sejardan’s bid to win the rich Inglis Millennium on Saturday. “I would very much like to be there but I am 96 and a diabetic,’’ he said. “If the thing (Covid) gets hold of me I think he would like me very much. “I’ve kept myself active and I was doing “Park Runs” before Covid. I actually hold the record in three areas for the 90-94 age group – because I’m the only one to have done it. “Due to Covid, I’m not doing those runs at the moment but I’m staying fit by walking around the block where I live.’’ Roden has certainly enjoyed a life well-lived – and he’s not finished yet. “I need one more boundary to get my century,’’ Roden said. “But I do have my eye on the age record for an Australian male. It is 111 years and 100-odd days. “Only recently, I said to someone I would like to break that record and she looked at me and said ‘good heavens I wouldn’t want to live to 111’. I said if you are 110 you would!’’

@Unhinged do the Dunn's regularly weigh their horses?

Same thing is now happening to Harness as the Thoroughbreds. Count how many competitive NZ Harness horses are racing in OZ over the next two days.

I just don't know why you bother to watch since you say you know what is going to happen.

So things haven't really improved with the Stipes afterall?

Exactly my point.

Are you taking the piss? If our largest City can't sustain one Trotting Club and Track then Harness should save itself the torture and put the Closed sign up now. Auckland goes, Cambridge next and then there is no Harness in the North Island at all.

So you think no harness racing in Auckland would be a good thing?

Why not keep Alex Park and team up with Avondale Jockey Club. Create a dual code training facility at Avondale and have AWT Gallops at Alex.

Never said they needed to be given preferential treatment. But it will be a big loss if they fold. NZ Harness Racing needs them to succeed.

New Zealand trainers Emma-lee and David Browne say they’re thrilled the majority of their owners have thrown their support behind the stable’s imminent move to Australia. The Brownes have acquired 40 boxes at Cranbourne and the first of their horses are set to arrive across the Tasman in the next few months including stable stars Elephant and Rhinoceros who are already comfortable with Victorian racing having racked up the winners last spring. “We’ve been really fortunate that 95% of our owners have been so keen to race in Australia,” said Emma-lee. “They talk about it all the time, they wanted to be part of the Spring campaign we had so we’ve got an amazing client base that have been so supportive in what we’re wanting to do. “A lot of the horses are coming over, not all in one go, I’m going to stay through to April here in New Zealand and send them over as they’re ready here or come out of spelling and things like that with a full move in April. “I’m really looking forward to moving over and being part of Victorian racing, it will be tough but we’re really looking forward to the challenge.” Many in the stable are already accustomed to the Cranbourne training facility with the Brownes having previously stayed with good friends co-trainers Natalie Young and Trent Busutin when travelling horses to compete in Victoria since the latter made a similar move themselves five years ago. “We’d always had a thought about it and it had been something that we’d discussed for quite a few years, she said. “It’s been really good having someone that’s done the move before and giving us things to think about and helpful tips and obviously with them having the children as well it’s been good to talk to them about the family side of stuff too.” Browne is hoping the stable can strike this Autumn with Elephant leading the charge aimed up at the $5million All-Star Mile. The interestingly-named son of Shocking is already popular with Australian punters having won two of his five starts in Victoria last spring including the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m). The popular Kiwi has been well supported in early voting for the All-Star Mile, currently placed eighth overall on 2251 votes with the Brownes campaigning strongly to get him a start in the world’s richest mile race. “We’re trying pretty hard. It’s pretty ambitious but we were pretty ambitious when we came in the spring as well so we tend to do that we try to aim high and if that doesn’t work we’ve got a few options up our sleeve. “We’ve tried really hard, we’ve had great support from New Zealand, a lot of our friends and our family.” The five-year-old returned to New Zealand after finishing third in October’s Group 2 Crystal Mile and Browne assures he’s strengthened up over the summer break. “I think he’s grown up a lot, we brought him over a baby pretty much he was pretty lightly-raced, he’d never travelled off the farm. “This time around he’s a much more mature racehorse, he’s stronger, he’s probably also mentally stronger.” Don’t miss your chance to vote for Elephant or another of your favourite runners in the 2022 Seppelt Wines All-Star Mile – VOTE NOW

Legendary trainer Murray Baker to retire Murray Baker will retire from training at the end of April. Picture: AAP By Ray Thomas 04:37pm • 03 February 2022 0 Comments New Zealand racing legend Murray Baker has revealed he will retire from training at the end of April. Baker told The Daily Telegraph he has “one more Sydney autumn carnival in me” before retiring from sport. “I’m getting a bit long in the tooth, I’m 75, so I want to enjoy life while I can before I get into the ‘wooden overcoat’,’’ Baker said. “I’ve had a great career, I’ve enjoyed it, but I feel the time is right. April 30 will be my last day but I hope to bring a couple of horses over for the Sydney carnival.’’ Baker trained many outstanding gallopers over the years from The Phantom, runner-up in the 1989 Melbourne Cup, and 1990 Sydney Cup winner My Eagle Eye, and had tremendous success in Australia in his own right and then in a training partnership with Andrew Forsman including five ATC Australian Derby wins with Quick Thinker (2000), Jon Snow (2017), Mongolian Khan (2015), DundeeI (2013) and Nom De Jeu (2008). Mongolian Khan also won the 2015 Caulfield Cup. But the training genius declared outstanding stayer and now leading Arrowfield Stud stallion It’s A Dundeel as the best horse he trained, and Bonneval as the best filly/mare. Murray Baker holds the Caulfield Cup with jockey Opie Bosson after Mongolian Khan’s win in 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch It’s A Dundeel won the 10 races including six at Group 1 level, earning more than $5m prizemoney highlighted by his 2013 Sydney three-year-old triple crown wins in the Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and ATC Australian Derby, and 2014 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The champion is now a leading sire at Arrowfield Stud. “He was a bit freakish on his day,’’ Baker said of It’s A Dundeel. Baker advised his owners by letter on Thursday of his retirement plans. “It has been a long and enjoyable road since I started with Harry Greene at the old Greenmeadows Napier Track in 1958,’’ he wrote. “During this time, I have been fortunate to have had some very good horses along the way, met a lot of marvellous people and had a lot of fun times. “Andrew Forsman will take over training in his own right on the 1st May 2022 with a wealth of experience behind him having worked for and with me over the past 18 years. “I am sure you will support him as you have supported me over the years. Best wishes in racing for the future and I hope the winners keep coming.’’

Is that really going to benefit NZ Harness Racing? A saying in Rugby - a strong Auckland NPC team means a strong All Black team. Hopefully they get a chance to turn it around. Not the only Club to be mismanaged.

That's a nonsense meaningless statement without consideration of other factors. Cascadian won the Doncaster in 1:36.36 last year. Does that mean La Crique is better? No.

No I'm looking at relative form. Same track one hour apart La Crique runs faster than The Chosen One. The latter arguably the run of the race in the 2021 Feehan at Moonee Valley. Amarelinha didn't race up to her NZ 3yr old form and she hasn't got back to that even in NZ. If she does come back then she will be competitive over there.