Shad

Buller high school right next to race course, remember gazing out the woodwork room right next to 1200m cute for the gallops, the pain of not being allowed a day off school to go, good racing there on both codes, horse called Julloch held track record may have died in a float fire, peligro held 1200m track record 1.12 I think from memory, trained by Kennedy's ikamatu, they had some good horses in their day.Derby street very familiar to me, you'd remember a few good gallopers trained there, taxtale, Gaelic bid, buller bay a chestnut plagued by unsoundness,

Certainly a local legend, trained many over the years, with his share of winners, few good horses over there around that time, Steven John won the 10k coast bonus, back in the early days a trotter call Charlie Lincoln used to pull the hearse in his down time for the hagedorn brothers, another owner said he had the best bread horse in the district, he pulled the bakers cart, oh the memories, but those ones before my time.

Wasn't run as the Westport cup, was called the westport handicap and was run over the 3200m, I might have seen ya there.

Bluegum surprise won 74 Westport cup, local trainer Kieth Powell won with lady Jesse,Maude Ann and Bonnie Charlie.

Certainly does, was saying a few good horses won there first race at Westport trots, armalight and our mana, both top horses of there era, been a long day hence not reading your post correctly re the winners, I'll have to hunt down an old race book to see who did win in 74, I know the club got a 1000 pounds back in the day for the worlds first triple deadheat,

Who won the Westport cup that year, had the gallops till 1996, nice course.

Dont imagine to much, talked a few horses.

I got close to him once, was about 1989 the Friday night before the Kumara races, think from memory was stood down after a couple of rides, the memories and the good old days, things quite different these days, what a top rider, always got the best out of a horse in a tight finish, his other national was on Kid Columbus, a very good jumper that we never seen the best of, was heading to Australia was the Last i ever heard of him, injured maybe, his trainer M Hamilton who also had harness horses from memory, must have retired, had a number of horses, remember my uncle backing Kid when he won a flat race paying over 100 to win.

Stats certainly don't lie, one wonders why he's had the snub for the hall of fame, but the facts are there for all to see, but regardless we've always known how good he was, it probably makes the hall of fame decision makers look a bit strange.

Yeah bloody shame as always a popular meeting, looking through the fields be a struggle to find a winner, Ultimate Counsel tad unlucky last start, no champ but handy draw will help, old boy evidently pick something up over the circuit, let year the Mitchell's bought horses to Westport I think for the first time, I got on to Sinai Sermon, 25s Westport 40s Reefton, done the double, although was the March meeting, always seem to have a win at Reefton, Sinai now been exported to China, was a half brother to Lazarus.

Thought he won the year previous, was unplaced in the race after 3rd in cup, was a good horse, Empire rose won Nz cup after placing in Melbourne cup, I think, was some time ago, she certainly was a good mare, big girl, did she leave any winners in the broodmare barn

Yes turnover very high, be interesting this year poor fields, and weather forecast not looking great, hopefully it changes.

Watched him win at the Mott, one day, huge performance given he was tailed off, top horse, trained by the Williams in Ashvega.

Another great milestone in his career, to which there's been many highlights.

He certainly had a good record with the cups, Sea Swift, Samasam,soundaration, think Mercator won as well, not to mention his record with jumpers ampac winning a grand national, decoy lad, Woodbine Blue Chip, be plenty more I cant remember not doubt