Shad

Was always a good meeting up there, but sadly joins a long list of scratchings of successful small meetings, started at Nelson they had a nice galloping surface, and and wide track, Westport also a tidy course, and now are joined by many more recently, I enjoy the smaller racing circuits, nice to be close to the action.

Very good article written some time ago, he was called a horse with a thousand owners, but only had the three, good article but definitely a few inconsistencies in it, but certainty was a golden era of trotting.

All good, I get things wrong quite often, E Walsh traveled with him on the plane to America as a young man, he even recalled the story to me on the day he was gelded, they had got him of Mrs Marie Craddock, after the first horse being called envy, who qualified but injured and never raced, that's when she said there's one left on the island and take him as a replacement, the rest is history sorrys to all as I've bleated on and detracted for the original thread heading.

The 93 year old is a very close relative, and I can tell you he owned the horse along with Bert Woodcock and Moyna Handsby, his great uncle claude didn't train the horse but possibly had input along the way being related in all , yes was driven by Bill Walsh most of the time, but had a change of driver when traveled to Auckland, great story after winning the two dominions and being handicapped out of nz racing, boated to Australia boarded a flight with other gallopers, one being very good horse called up n coming, also two kangaroos, was the first nz horse to win in USA at his very first start, hardly any preliminaries there at the time hardly time to warm up, he recorded 47 win to add to his 14 nz wins 68 placing, continued to preform at trotting exhibitions at the ripe age of 21, was finally put down in 1981 at 29 years of age great chapter on him in book unhoppled heroes, and you are correct Don is related to the Walshs on the coast, and a very good trainer in both codes. Great story on a champ, was often quoted as the horse with a thousand owners, that's how popular he was in his home town.

He got a 6 holiday for that drive was a very poor one to be, that's probably an understatement

Was good racing with some tight finishes, track played fairly I thought, usually follow my first day picks, but a buggar when two in same race, eg superfast gorsy and turakenga, both average runs first day, would have been an easy trifecta for me, but find it hard picking one let alone three, ended up taking superfast, the 9s a place, odds better on the other horse.Great to see the Durban Chief trot, with his 93yr old owner on course at the presentation. A legend of a trotter he was.

I see this was 380k purchase price, just wondering how much it was syndicated per share.

See he racing over the coast on boxing day, certainly likes the coast too,, small fields again but there is 12 races, there's a race on the second day, called the Durban cheif trot, shame it's taken so many years to recognize the ex champ, who won two dominions and 30 plus wins in America.

Like the old days of kumara, when they'd disappear for a short time over the back straight.

Apparently always light on the westcoast, hopefully they take your advice, will need plenty of horses, harness saturation points present, last week Geraldine and another on the Sunday, oamaru this week addington tomorrow rangiora Sunday and ashburton coming up, be a few tired horses or a few light fields, and punters as well ,hopefully I'm wrong.

You'll be chanting keep up the good work

That's exactly it, alot of these top horses and others in general are only a day to day proposition, usually the less genuine ones turn out to be the soundest, I doubt the game would survive if this is what here proposing.

Wont be many making it to the gates if this is the way forward.

Fairly tidy old performer, I used to take him over the coast, and he liked racing there to, the system do seem unfair, maybe needs a few tweaks to make it more fair.

When you look back at media puzzle running 3.16 and some back in the day,not sure what the record is, I guess the firm track didn't help some of the northern hemisphere horses, the favourite was given every show, and just not good enough on the day, I did see three pulled up lame, but a least they got around in one piece, one was the top weight

5.18 for 3200, now there's a slow go.

Yep think I remember a few days on the coast many a year back, Go Duke a horse that springs to mind, but was many a year ago.

Looks like still owned in the south island, passed in for 10k in the earlier years, and his dam a cheap purchase to.

Never comdem a horse to it's dead the old adage, I can remember a thread about superstar legend some time back, and has raced great ever since.

Been plenty of good trainers over the years who've had some very good apprentices, maybe an ex trainer be a better option.

Yep comical and did see highlights of it on trackside some year ago on one of there time fillers, along with a hare running in front of horses on a harness track up north, someone must know where to find it, funny thing the horse never won a race though its career, must been set for that one race

I asked the same question sometime ago,it was a very long time ago. December 1991, was certainly a special race, and funny commentary.

Certainly was a very top performer in his day, stormy morn, and remember Trevor Thomas association with open class pacer joy boy, started in a Westport cup off 120m behind, may have finished 3rd, there was some very good horses back in those days.

Certainly will go down as one of the best, never can watch it enough.

There's nothing like a winner to raise the spirits and ease the pain, during tough times, for a minute there I thought you you said you'd emptied the catcher, but after re reading was more serious than that, good luck with the rest of the days punting, and for a speedy recovery. Shad.