Counter Punch

Can I suggest that the subject line of this thread is altered. What it implies is that a presenter has been arrested, which is very far from the truth. To anyone who is a casual observer of this site, it could lead to the wrong assumption being made, especially considering the person implied is now on (pre-booked) annual leave and won't be on the screens until next week.

It can take a bit of figuring out which horses, because there are often a few that stick out. But I can honestly say that I've had some of my best luck through workouts and trials held by Mt Hutt at Methven. If you're within distance of the place, it can be well worth a drive out on a Saturday or Sunday morning when they're on. You'll be sure to spot a few winners for the coming weeks. Here's last week's trial results: https://infohorse.hrnz.co.nz/datahr/trials/090870tr.htm Gold Chain and Wainui Creek two of the most impressive last weekend.

Wrong - and one of the big issues with all this saga, so much incorrect information floating around that could potentially be damaging to innocent individuals.

Why would you not bet this week? This week is probably the safest week in the history of harness racing to have a bet knowing that the chances of something untoward happening are almost non-existent.

First grass track workouts for the season were held on the weekend at Methven - we are getting close!

Cruzy Dude looks a bit of a special tonight - that's a massive drop in class for him and even from the outside of the second row he should be able to run them down.

Kajura and Savarma were both horses bred by Bruce and trained and driven by Leo. They unfortunately fell out over the two horses at some point. Leo is a very under-rated horseman, and always has been in my opinion and has trained some very nice horses over the years.

Probably a more pertinent question in this thread is would the horse have won yesterday with Chris Thornley driving? I say yes. Clive has forever been a very in and out horse, he often trials like Tarzan, but very much races like Jane. Leo O'Reilly drove him early in his career and he had a very high opinion, but unfortunately a number of circumstances have led to him not living up to his full potential. In the exact same circumstances yesterday, with Chris in the bike, the horse would have still won. To make a reference to UDR when one driver has had three drives and the other has had around 1500 is a little bit far-reaching - even for you! I'll make a wager with you, Brodie - Grant Ross will not drive more winners than Chris Thornley in his career.

While gate speed might seem to be a wonderful thing, in all reality - the ability to merely hold one's own out of the gate in America is just as important. Indian file racing is the key to life over there - and thus, as long as he can settle handy enough to the speed, he's not going to have to many problems sliding up into the death and outstaying his rivals, I wouldn't have thought. And, coming out of the gate in 25 over there, is probably the equivalent of coming out in better than 27 here - which he is more than capable of. As Globe said, 1:48.6 in a qualifier is a pretty impressive effort. Watch the magic unfold from here.

Chris Thornley has driven 50 winners - he's no mug in the sulky, doesn't drive a lot, but a pretty decent horseman. Big statement to make, Brodie - but the thing in your favour is that time is on your side and it will be a very long time before it will be proven to be fact, if proven at all.

What annoys me the most about this whole situation with the story that appeared is that Martin vb, who is a very good journalist when he wants to be, has again gone off half-cocked with a story based purely on sensationalism. This is the same guy who only a year or so ago was telling us that police were about to make arrests on our two best drivers for race-fixing, he was certain that he had broken this huge scandal in harness racing and yet we were never to see any proof of it - other than the rubbish that came from the tip of his fingers and onto his keyboard. Bronson is no saint. He'll be the first to admit that to anyone who has asked. But he is a good kid. I had a bit to do with the rugby incident a few years back and there was a lot of questions raised around that entire case. Bronson was, in short, used as a scapegoat by the Canterbury Rugby Union to deter any future racial abusers. The entire hearing was a joke, with no one being able to actually 100 per cent confirm that anything was actually said, only the word of the player involved who had a similar incident thrown out at another rugby union when it was found to be untrue. Yet unfortunately for him, and I'll stick to my opinion that based on the proof I've seen of that particular incident and the conversations I had with people involved in that match, the no such racial slur was actually said, Bronson was thrown under the bus and dragged through the media mud for it as well. The mad has stuck too - and this most recent incident has of course given it a new shine. He'll learn from it, comments and abuse, in their many forms, happen at every race meeting in some sense from both males and females - my only hope is that the same journalist actually broadens his horizons and decides to tell the other side of the story as well.

Nominated to find out what sort of rating he would receive - comes back as a rating 110. On the comeback from injury with the times they run these days, a 30m handicap would have been a tough ask for a horse who gives 100% every time he comes to the races. Interesting that of all the programmes currently upload on the hrnz website for the next month or so - there are only two races available for him in the South Island and both are unsuitable. Trials this afternoon at Rangiora.

You back Sans Le Sou, you know what you are getting yourself into. The horse can do no work. Has about 200 metres worth of sprint on it. That's it. Anymore and it usually blows out. When saved up for that one run, she can be lethal - but she needs everything to fall into place for that to happen. I had no issue with the drive on her because that is how she is driven every time she goes to the races, whether it is Ricky driving her, or whether it is Katie Cox. What made her run look even better was the fact that the field of horse in question was pretty much full of battlers and bludgers. She ran past some pretty poor horses after doing no work at all. about what I'd expect and if she hadn't drawn nine she probably would have won that race because she would have settled handier to the speed.

The reference made in the story initially was incorrect. Yes, Tim has a daughter - she is currently undertaking an apprenticeship with renowned harness racing photographer, Ashlea Brennan in Australia where Tim's family is all now based. When first published the story mentioned Kim as being Tim's daughter. It has since been revised to state that it is Tim's niece, Kim who works in the stables - daughter of Anthony and partner of Jonny Cox.

Interesting topic this. Who would have been the last Group One winner to come from the top of the South Island? Would it be Blue Chip Rock, who won an Easter Cup - I can't think of any others in recent years, but could be wrong. Plenty bred from there, largely from Mark Smith's incredible breed of trotters. But last horse to actually get in the float and trek North or South to win a big one, I'm not sure?