Shad

I thought I seen a familiar face.

Thanks was a great piece of coverage, yes unfortunately these day it seems all about quantity wether there's any interest or not, have got a video of Basil Dean winning one of the big trot races, can't remember which one, and don't have the old video recorder hooked these days, technology certainly moved on since those days, no response certainly show some high speed at the right end of his races, the one where he weaved his way through the field to win was most impressive.

Great bit of coverage, no rushing off to the dogs in timbuktu in those days, they always covered the afters, couple of my favourites were Basil Dean and No Response, couple of great old campaigners.Cheers for sharing the memories.

Helps to be on the best horses I guess, how did the other top aussie riders go.

These things shouldn't happen but do from time to time, but so does a hell of a lot of other things in life, no matter how prefect we'd like life to be, just doesn't happen like that, the horse was well behaved, obviously they don't want to injure intentionally.

Just read an article on a aussie horse bought from singleton stable for 6k back racing after long break, be interesting to see how it goes, bargins out there for sure, I think its a good thing for some to get a second chance, and a few do very well.

I actually like her as a driver, and as you say served her sentence, and shame she moved on, I think there's worse driving out there than her, guess others see it differently.

Also some of the part time drivers also get hit with healthy fines regards to whip usage, and the professionals get off quite lightly, another tough and unfair call, did I read that Miss Thornley is moving away to work in the equestrian game, or was it someone else.

All good was just pulling your leg on the president's room, just my sense of humor, good to see there looking after the owners and trainers, as they are the life blood of the game, certainly interesting looking at all the archives of years gone by,always planned to get up to the showroom of the riccarton grandstand, but alas that's gone now, but probably in the members now, had a share in a galloper a few years back, mainly raced in the south but traveled to riccarton a few times, never his go but he did start in an nz cup and finish midfield, won 7 including cup race in Southland by 10 lenghs, was certainly the highlight, all owners of horses in all races at riccarton,got a free drink and time in the owners room before the race, nice touch, but should be the least they do. So now the circuits over where will your focus be,any plans to head to the coast for the March meetings.racing is a disease for which there is no cure.😊

Yes true, slipped my me that one, I see Trevor handed a parting gift from the stewards, a 300$ whip overuse fine, they certainly like to throw the book at the battlers and partimers, surely some leniency could be shown, would put a damper on his first winner for a while.

You know you've made it to the top when your in the president's room, great pic and story, any other highlights on your visit, hope you got a couple of sandwiches, always found the old photos really interesting, time flies by and we can easily forget highlights of top race horses trainers and owners.

Yes you are right,The Son disappointing on both fronts, someone told me at the end of his racing career he was found to have a foreign object lodged in his body, some wire or something similar, not sure how true this story was, may have made a difference to his racing career but not his stud one, very disappointing on both counts, certainly one of the best ever bred horses,did sire oarsmen, not much else

Nice work, and reward for loyalty, wondered when the Geddes horse would appear on the circuit, haven't seen any new charges from their stable for a while, mind you I guess there hard to find, remember their Dixie commando handy mare, very good effort from Saratoga sunset and very good drive, from the man that drove gypsie winkle for her first two wins, always sad to see the end of the circuit, the coast has a couple of days in March, did you guys lose your winter meetings, if so long time between drinks, not the same when their not on your doorstep, for me I do prefer the thoroughbreds, but alway support the standardbred and do enjoy them.

Yes very true, I'd forgotten about that, very honest campaigner, just keeps on going.

I hope you stuck with sods law after tipping him out the first day, nice div for a 10 race winner, when rest of field mostly 1 to two wins. I back up on elbury street looked unlucky, Jimmy Arma finally got a win after plenty practice over the whole circuit, coast included

Oarsmen there's a memory royally bred on its sires side, can you remember what he was by, without looking it up, sire was poor on the track and off it despite his breeding, but there a story to it but not sure how true it was, but sounded plausible.

Just seems like one of those war horses that just stands up to everything thrown at him, week in week out, tough as teak, and honest to boot, great to see him and his stablemate flying the flag for the south, another very tough horse is emanon,never guilty of a bad race, backs up frequently, she will be a sort after broodmare as many don't realize she's a half to legarto.

A blast from the past, from memory the club was paid a thousand pounds apparently, wouldchave been a lot of money back then,been a few good horses win races on that track, our mana armalight couplevof nairn trained trotters red maybe,you myst have a great racing photo library at yours, been some nice pics that you've posted,

Yeah seems that way, true game lark a perennial roughie that ran a place quite often, that horse thatt beat him may have been butane, lark also won a 3200m at blenheim, must have won at least 6 or 7,can tell ya today I thought I was on a winner with Pacific thunder,took it at 60s an 8s fixed just beaten by a better one, took elbury street at 80s tidy run was traveling ok on turn not sure if it locked wheels or just broke, but still went tidy race an not far away, hope for love also good run, franco Tim just a race, but fell asleep on my chair would gave backed son of Patrick, but win only, bit short on tote for me, will back up the second day, certainly got some good runs for my money, thought Trevor may have lived longer, there wasn't much of Trevor a light weight in the cart.

Yes very true, I forgot gypsie won the nz oaks as well as the Southland oaks, I knew colin very well and the first two horses he trained and owned were beauties, interesting enough Trevor Walsh who raced and drove a couple today up your way, drove gypsie to win her first two ever starts at addington, I knew colin who was a hard working farmer and contractor for many farmers, was taken to young in his mid 50s from memory, to have the first two named as the first two you raced was certainly a great start, I do believe his son Jamie is now the mayor of Westport, my post on joyboy incorrectly stated he was off 90m but in fact it was 120m, decent start for the others, may have been beaten by royal knight which came up from the deep south, I remember Lopez well I'm sure he seen him go well on the coast, my favorite horse of trevor Thomas was a average trotter call game lark certainly no star but got a few divs off him over the years, he must have lived to a ripe age Trevor, , another fella that bought a few battlers around the smalls was j d burgess had a couple of silverdale named horses, seemed to be around for ever, they were great old stalwarts for the small clubs and not so small ones to.

My two uncles one backed Simon de montfort, the other backed pinotage which was the second leg of the double, huge double dividend missed I bet, can't remember what it was but they did tell me, trouble was they ever took one.

Grand horse he was, started in a Westport cup off a long handicap before heading to an Auckland cup, placed from memory, also left a few winners at stud, joy boy another started 90m behind in a Westport cup,placed 3rd or 2nd, Trevor Thomas a driver trainer I used to follow, another couple of good performers from the coast were star of utopia and gypsie winkle both stablemates, the later winning a Southland oaks, and the other competing in top 3yr old company as well as an inter dominion heats later in his career,

Thanks walt, nice photo, that sort of history is priceless, only problem is the next generation is not interested, hopefully you'll have someone interest to hand it on to one day, thanks ranga for adding a few top trotters to the open class trot, quite incredible to think these top trotters graced the all weather or greymouth, can remember many a year ago backing a horse called moorbank supreme at greymouth maybe trained by mr mc cormack,few friends joked that it had no show, lead all the way paying 60s to my delight,never won another race, also a horse called pendah bay, was rumored to only have one eye,crickey crazy things one remembers, good to to you fellas if your having a punt tomorrow, great day on the grass with very good fields.

I think I was at the last hurrah for the greymouth trotting club, was latterly a day meeting, can remember the night and twilight meetings, quite a novelty, and who would thought they hosted an open class trot, with the likes of Waipounamu and Nigel Craig pop into my head, also the night when a driver mistook the number of rounds to the finish, the land just a barron wasteland, obviously no good for any other use, the club always battled before the proposed new lease was to double, always wondered why they never went to the grass of omoto, having had a few supporting races to the gallops the odd time,the old trsck was a very similar to the hutt park all weather track, so many memories a couple of locals that claimed the 10k bonus for winning a races at Westport Reefton and greymouth, Steven John from Westport and maybe Wilbur win trained by Billy Cummings from Kumara or just up the road, even maybe our mana from canterbury,hopefully by memory serves me correct, someone out there will know, enough of a trip down memory lane, going to check the fixed odds for tomorrow, diedre franco a few honest races on the coast, nice draw and should go ok but wont pay a lot.

It's a bugger working for a living, but most of us do, makes it worse when there at your back door, hopefully the rain stays away, mind you a soft track might bring a few roughies into play,.