Shad

How true is that, some of them are not physically or mentally mature to race as 2yr olds, get tried and then tossed aside as the don't preform, shame really, when time and patience can make the difference, but time is money and classic races are the rage.

Guess on the day anything is possible, only needs two bidders desperately wanting her, been a grand mare, and would like to think she maybe seen on the track before heading to stud, if she's still sound of course.

Yes those were the days, every man and his dog, as we witnessed,certainly was a pile up, they say he tried to jump the shadow from the post, think I've got the race on VHS, and of Basil Dean, may have been the trotting championship, apparently he went overseas, but I never heard much about him after that, must be hard to let a champ like him go, never to return, bit like ole Durban chief, but did see a photo of him day before he was put down, and a letter to his owners, great book is unhoppled heroes.

Yes the derby incident was on of the worst one could remember, liquid lightning the culprit.

Nice stakes on offer at riverton, thought the fup light on numbers and quality

Certainly been a lot that have come and gone over the years, a few I used to follow j Moffat, ray bruce,viki askew, Garry Blair, just to name a few,very tough game when you see the turnover of riders over the years, many I've forgotten about, the memory gets a reminder when I pick up an old race book.

A mate thought he had contracted swine flu, so rung the 0800 swine flu hotline, all he got was crackling.

Maybe the class of top weights these day, is not a patch on the past, most open class races you would have to describe as a glorified hack races, these days, the class is no longer. Looking at our cups races and see how many shouldn't get a start, but that's all that's available to fill the field.

Maybe I was abit harsh, but be interesting given the opinions on how he's been driven and how good he is, but obviously they are keen to stick to the grass, and with the same driver.

Mounga in the waimate cup in the weekend, see how he goes this time, must be due a win, or he'll be running out of excuses.

Agree maybe a factor, obviously gets on well with her current driver, mind you the ratings keep them in the game long term, but he seems to have comeback very strong this campaign, just like his old stablemates mogul, great bread n butter horse.

You'd have to add sods law to the list, another great ole preformer who keeps on giving, those types are hard to find.

You've probably ridden mr aye bee and miles better by any chance, I can't list to many achievements, but can see your point of view.

Interesting 300 + humans die on the roads each year, what next, ban cars

Well extra dollar bill, I went to the riverton cup meeting some years ago, very popular meeting and a good day out, we didn't return home with the cup though, was the year lil miss swiss played a big divy, enjoy my time there, took timeout to visit Gore Wyndham Winton and ascot park tracks while in the area, I think wyndam and winton meetings had been transferred at that time, still trots there of course.

It's no big teal, oh I mean deal, but yes made it a little tricky when trying to follow your runner, I always take my binoculars, like to see where my money's going, actually surprising how many don't, even trainers, very enjoyable days racing at Westport, the club put on a good event, betting figures were probably as good as you'll get at any meeting this time of year.

Crickey did the actually get enough people on course for starters, should have all been all clubs combined and let the people decide who the winners,

Great ole horse just keeps on giving

Fair enough, you'll be all primed, and good to go fresh up, and certainly the cash hard to come by given the rising cost of rates insurance amongst other things, trots on the coast gone till xmas now, I'll be fairly quiet to, do prefer the thoroughbreds to be honest, but always keep an eye on the harness, always hunting that roughie, if you want to have a look at 3 interesting races, checkout 2014 Westport cup followed by the main race same meeting on the 28th followed by the 30th of December reefton cup, have always found these three races interesting, but read the stipes report as well, be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Great ole bit off stuff, must have been in his eighties, and was still in the saddle, may have even done the greymouth trots, those were the days, the ole night meetings on the all weather, with the open class trot.

Be a tad rough to leave the course and never go back, why would you penalize the club, I be watching mounga form from now on, not that I'd ever back a short priced favourite, I remember a good horse winning a Westport cup some years ago, broke at the start, must have lost 40m and still won, was a very classy horse though, franco emirate I think was his name, may have won a messenger.

The ole famous band from those parts, used to remember the old iconic clark of the course, fred tibbles, he was around for many years,probably not a paid gig those days

Sea swift, samasan, ed, and sounderation, a few 2 miles to win a cups race from the south, sea swift maybe the only one to win an Auckland Cup, not many true two milers in nz anymore, the races are just a glorified hack race, when you look at the fields, most of the field struggled to run the 3200m race, the time very slow 3.24, the appeal of the stayers not the same these days, most want to get to the races as soon as they can, and target the classic races, lots of time and effort goes into a stayer, I don't think most have the patience, sea swift went around 3.15 or so, when in the last ten years has anyone gone close to that time, or are our tracks slower.

Old homebush lad won a couple races up there from the back, and a few that that I cant remember winning off a mark there, joyboy started in the Westport cup one year off 120m didn't win but close up third, the tough nut, pankys pacer a few tidy performers won there over the years, in my mind draws are crucial, horses must learn to adapt to all scenarios, example a mate has a share in a galloper, first start in big 2yr old field, big track, hardly even had a trial, slow out the gates, runs home very strong for a tidy 3rd, the trainer the jockeys spent the next 7 starts chasing her out of the gates, to race handy on various tracks, some big some turning, and she races very average, I said to him, what the hell they doing with her, ride her back if she will settle, the penny drops, last two starts ridden back and made up a lot of ground for 4th and 3rd , very nice races, and no gutbusters either, so you've got a horse left for next time, I'll be very interesting to see how mounga, goes, and he may or may not be over rated, but has come through the grades quickly which in itself can be a challenge, some get away with a few, but when you run into those tough campaigners up in grade, there quite abit to better than some think.

Maybe he's a bit over rated, no easy races to win on both those courses, they went hard up front which made it tougher, a few worked around the field in other races, but to there peril, certainly be some sore punters, none more than me, sods law again showed he loves reefton, very good price to, but had let him go a while back, and stuck to my Westport bets, no joy for me across the board today.