Shad

Have to be like the gynecologist and look into that one, nothing springs to mind, my old uncle would know one for sure, but he's dead at the moment

May have been Jack frost the jumper he was a grey

Had some in today miss onaki, leah jet the later was 4th or 5th.

Very good trio mention there, I remember I just about cried when I heard of powley fate on the trip home, very sad time.

Great days and the odd one lost their compass on the first bend from the 1400m start, track played well they ticking along, good to see the 24 start maiden win up there,did look at it, probably the fact it was trained by a harness man, but that's nothing new today, very enjoyable day looks like all got through unscathed, bar the heat and sun burn, certainly a climate of extremes up there.

Haven't heard anything on that score, and who is archie butterfly

There certainly been, plus many owner trainers as well, a lot that I've forgotten, have to drag out the old race books from many a year ago, bit late at this hour, duty calls tomorrow, 3,30 I'll be up preparing to head to work. 5km on the push bike to warm me up.

I was told harness turnover not as important these days, as clubs were bulk funded.

I do recall trials at reefton and greymouth jumpouts, back in the day,did struggle with rider numbers, some times track riders had to help out, wouldn't get away with it these days.

Our boyfriend won a nz cup years back, ridden by Mark Barnsley maybe

Yes I do believe the mighty powley is buried there,What a top mare she was, great decision to race harness meetings on the grass, what was the deciding factor in that decision.

Was a great interview with the both of them, and the plug Mr Patterson gave for the westcoast circuit will certainly get the others thinking about coming, that sort of advertising is gold to be fair, especially the struggles these small very successful meetings that are battling the higher authority to survive, grassroots racing at it's best, on to reefton, let's all hope they have a good day in the sun.

Tongue n cheek comment, not to be taken literally, in saying that kumara is in the middle of nowhere, blink and you'll miss the track driving through.

Reefton on Tuesday to come

That's all part of the draw card, the Alice springs of new Zealand racing.

Yes I do believe it was that year, first failure of the track upgrade, and been a few more since, the old kumara was always the same, wouldn't matter if they'd had a month of fine or rain, track always was safe and raced the same, nowadays very weather dependant,can remember the old days with the like of colfix, tarrion, think tarrion won a nuggets, dead heaters accelerate and frontline both trained by Jimmy lalor, both out of same mare, even the local mare eurythmics won a few races but not a nuggets, Mrs Topliss trained a couple battlers highly favored and trabis, I was lead to believe the track was locked up bar race day, and she had to take her team to omoto to gallop.The good old days, ya never left your gumboots at home.

The ole country racing v metropolitan, only ever one winner in this battle, the iconic nuggets on offer, stake not the highest in the country, but the passion and the crowd and turnover certainly let you know which racing they love, saddest part is they seem intent only removing the highly successful meetings.

Great to hear Robbie Patterson interview, talking of coming back next year with a few other prominent trainers, let hope they do.

Classic comedy from yesteryear, right up there with sid snot and only fool in horses.

The same as most years,all those bus loads trek in for the yearly sojourn, 20$ to get in fairly steep these says, may put a few off, last time I was there got in the gate to see first race, then they had the helicopter out trying to dry the track, I think that was the first ever abandoned meetings, been a few since, looks like a good day in the sun today, roll on reefton tuesday

Dont know about those misconceived strategies, but many of the picnic meetings I've been to it's a once or twice a year outing for many locals and visitors alike.

I agree with your comments, alot of the punters at that meeting probably are once a year betters, just wondered wether all the serious punters would be looking at a meeting where most races are maidens of lowly accesses horses.

Yes the good old day's a thing of the past, I thought Norton may have won an Easter cup, but was many a year ago, boy those big fields were great from a punting prospective, especially if you were looking for a big divy, methven also used to be a course for big divs, until they upgraded the track, quite liked the Nelson meeting haven't been for a few years, used to go to the odd June meeting, the smaller fields make me less likely to travel to attend, but fairly standard these days, even the Westport trots light in numbers last few years, just the way it is, always admired that big roomy unused thoroughbred track at Nelson,a real shame they closed up many a year ago, along with the Westport club and the all weather of greymouth, now just a fenced barron waste land, never been used for anything, the good ole days of them hosting an open class trot, with the likes of Nigel Craig and old Waipounamo racing there, the memories, we've certainly seen the best of racing over the years,Good luck with your upcoming meet, I'll probably follow a few failed roughies I took both days at Westport and at reefton, usually stick with them through to blenheim, I noticed the geddes trainer never had anything racing over the meetings this year, like to follow there horses.

Wont be 17 runners this year, more like 7, seems to be shortage of numbers in these grades, hopefully I'm proven wrong.

Bit of a tougher decision when you have one racing, especially if they win and you miss out in the photo opportunity, think I traveled twice to see our boy race, once was in the cup, but riccarton was never his go, but mostly saved myself a long drive and the comfort of my own chair, reefton next week action doesn't get much closer than that, noms look promising at this stage, fingers crossed they get a full day in and no repeat of last years debacle, felt sorry for the club who had done everything right and prepared for as well as one could, but unfortunately the decision was taken from out of their hands, good luck if you've got anything racing.