OLDWHITEMAN

Hardly... I'm too old to be able to climb on a roof. Hard when you are in a wheelchair.?

It was our good friend Brodie who brought the All Stars into it: "Great to see the AllStars stables winning races in Australia, and leaving us alone!" Does Brodie live in Blenheim? I do, so if he does I will buy him a beer at the Marlborough Clubs.

Brodie, you make some reasonable points but there is a flaw in your argument. Yes, Tasman/Nelson trained horses taste some success at Manawatu, however the majority of races there are won by Michael House, a Canterbury trainer. Unless a horse wins at Manawatu it is likely to be a loss-making exercise going there as ferry costs are steep. Once costs are subtracted even Tasman/Nelson trainers who win at Manawatu would have little to show for it probably enough cash to cover a month or two of stable expenses? Then we have the problem of Canterbury and Nelson/Tasman trained horses winning most of the races at Manawatu and shutting out the local trainers from that region. The stake money is shared around but the vast majority of it goes to Canterbury trainers leaving little for local trainers and owners. I believe this is unsustainable in the long term. All Stars do not race at either Marlborough or Manawatu so your comment is invalid.

Again we have Canterbury stables dominating a two-day meeting and shutting the locals out. There were only two local winners during the Waterlea meeting. Tia Dalma won on the first day for trainer Alan Shutkowski, while Murray Pasha won today with Jazelle. M. Gill picked up a placing and appearance money which will pay the bills for a few weeks. How long can these small-time local trainers survive when Canterbury raiders take all the money? Southland is the only place that the local horses are competitive with Canterbury trained horses. Racing is doomed in these areas if this trend continues...

That horse is no good, been sacked from a few stables.

For once I agree with you Brodie. The horse is older than me and should not be racing. Talk about animal cruelty. The stablemate likewise. What the hell is this fellow thinking racing horses that old?

Yeah... you got to stir jam for hours... it's a job that would suit Brodie!!?

Geez... I thought you'd be happy with that win mate. No team driving, no passing lane... all down to the skill of the driver and not much whip either.

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BA190119 The Fixer won the Ballarat Cup last night with a brilliant sprint over the last 100m to get up and somehow win the race. What a great performance and good drive by Natalie Rasmussen to get the horse out of a tight spot turning for home. Former NZer Busty Brady also went a good race and would have finished closer if he had handled the home bend better.

Gin and tonic is what you need.

White needs to retrain. He should go away and listen to some tapes of one our finest commentators, Reg Clapp, and use him as a model. Reg was brilliant, White is not.

The Stewards report from Kiwiseed Trot. As I predicted the race was a shambles with 10 of the 14 horse field breaking either at the start or during the running or both. Our old friend Gotta Ticket received another warning about his barrier manners. This horse received a warning four starts back and had to trial once. It trialled at Richmond in two horse field in a mile rate slower than a pregnant lame Clydesdale could do and was cleared to race. Since then it has galloped at the start three times but still only receives another warning. With weak penalties like this there is no incentive for the trainer to try and improve the horses' barrier manners. Will the maiden trotters perform any better on Sunday? Race 1 KIWISEED TROT Video PHOEBE ONYX - held up for clear racing room in the early and middle stages of the run home. PASTRANA - broke near the 550 metres when racing over the crossing. CALL ME TROUBLE - broke at the start. STEEL LEGEND - broke at the start. Authorisation of 3rd placing was withheld until Stewards were satisfied the gelding had complied with the Breaking Horse Regulations in the early stages. MUCHACHA BONITA - broke near the 2150 metres when racing over the crossing. THIS WAY COMES - slow to begin. Shifted inwards in the early stages to avoid a breaking runner. Broke near the 2150 metres when racing over the crossing. CHAMPAGNE PRINCE - fractious prior to the start. Broke near the 550 metres when racing over the crossing. MAKE MY SUNDON - broke near the 300 metres. A final warning was placed on the racing record of the filly. PALISADE - broke shortly after the start after being crowded for racing room. Broke again near the 400 metres. HELGA'S MONARCH - trotted roughly near the 1200 metres and had to be steadied. BREAK FREE - fractious prior to the start. Slow in the early stages. Broke briefly near the 500 metres. GOTTA TICKET - broke shortly after the start. A warning was placed on the barrier record of the gelding. Broke near the 550 metres when racing over the crossing.

Geez you are losing the plot you loudmouthed know-all. How the hell can a horse complain about being hit by a whip? Get real. The television show Mr Ed about a talking horse was fiction. Horses cannot speak. If they could I am sure they would not be happy about being whiplashed countless times during their racing careers and would say so. If you think the force of the whip causes no harm back up your words with action. Head out to Woodend Beach and get one of your idols the Dunns to give you a larruping with the whip. Would you be able to take 16 lashes with the whip? I doubt it. Once you have done that, come back and tell is if it hurt or not.

Agree the fields are better than Nelson but that is probably because not as far to travel as Nelson and better stakes? Methven the only grass track for me. The rest are mediocre to poor. Perhaps the trainers could give the owners and punters "the best possible opportunity" by actually training the horse to trot all the way, step the mark and race kindly. P. Lamb is also a worry with so many unruly beasts to keep an eye on. He cannot get a field away as it is without seven unruly donkeys causing a fuss at start. How many false starts will there be? Helga's form seems to have tapered off... first two starts on coast not bad... downhill from there.

Even in my wheelchair I could still kick you arse you loud-mouth, obnoxious bully.

Thanks mate. My first four: Steel Legend, Muchacha Bonita, Tequila Sunset, Gotta Ticket. Be on...

Poor fields at Waterlea Racecourse on Friday. The worst field of all would have to be Race 1, Kiwi Seed Trot. This race has seven, I repeat SEVEN, horses on unruly. In a 14 horse field half of them are unruly. This is flaming ridiculous. I have been following harness for over four decades and I cannot recall ever seeing a race with that many unruly horses. This race is crying out to be a P. Lamb special. The commentators is going to need an extra-strong pair of binoculars for this race because the field will be stretched out over hundreds of metres. The stewards' report on that race will make excellent reading. Talk about an accident waiting to happen, tune into the Kiwi Seed Trot for the spectacle of the year.

You are right for a change Brodie. The rule should be changed. The new rule should be no whips allowed.

good to see DadnDave win. Dunn horses disappointing but I thought Tyrons Better Ella was a bit unlucky being caught behind tiring stablemate Kotare Cullen who stopped before the home bend. G O'Reilly will regret handing up to the boss now.

Agree. Excellent racing down south and Southland is about the only area that Canterbury horses don't dominate with the locals winning most races. But please don't bag B. McLellan he is an excellent horseman, perhaps his driving is not as good as it was, but we are all getting on.

The fields at Nelson are disappointing with many slow horses on show. The worst field of the day is Nelson Cup Prelude that has attracted only six horses. WTF? There are no All Stars horses present so can't blame them for a ridiculously small number of starters. How can this meeting survive if it can only get this many starters for the best race of the day? The race is not a good betting proposition with two dividends at best and none of the runners are top quality, Mogul the highest ranked of them. Nelson harness racing is doomed if this is the best horses that can be attracted to the meeting. How long will this meeting survive?

Shocking fields... slow horses galore. Unfortunately, I cannot see a future for harness racing in Nelson or Marlborough, with the exception of the Kaikōura Cup meeting. I think both Nelson and Marlborough are earmarked for closure by Winston's report. He is more interested in keeping his cronies in the thoroughbred industry happy, harness racing is off the radar.

Clive in R10 Cromwell Cup Sheree Tomlinson worth following as lightweight driver on grass has an advantage. It also helps that she is an excellent driver.

Poor fields and not much to get excited about. Slow horses on a hot day so might not be much of a crowd present. Perhaps quinella the L. Hanrahan runners in R3 both first starters Strong Enough (1) and Ultimate Rocker (3) both been OK at trials and good trainer so they will be fit. Enchantee R10 for roughie?

Unfortunately, the first leg of all up performed up to expectations: Gotta Ticket, pulled up.