the galah

Looks like they have the best betting fields they have had all year. Like most places,draws are important as its such a front runners track.No point backing anything drawn wider if they go back at the start.Those drawn the second line chances hinge on whether the horse they follow out on the front line goes forward or not. If not they may as well go home. The worst thing about the racing down there is all the mobiles are always 2200 or 1700m races.They don't seem to run 2700m mobiles anymore and that is why luck with the draws is more of a factor. Tact macleod, a 2 win, 5 start horse by sweet lou seems a strange entry to run over 3200m against beach ball and self assured. Doesn't matter how well he may well run,there seems as much chance of downside to upside in running. Also with some of the summer country cups races coming up down there,it seems others who have put in late entries run the risk of over extending their horses before they get to compete in races that would suit better. Still all that will make for interesting viewing on friday afternoon/evening. Weather wise they seem to be forecasting warm days there,except on raceday where they currently forecast only 16..Lets hope the forecast is wrong and they get a fine/warm day as we know the weather is always the biggest factor in crowd size.

I was getting jeremy young mixed up with brad mowbray, brad mowbray was stable foreman for geoff small. Jeremy young,i asssume is the same jeremy young who worked for the all stars and was auckland reactors constant companion wherever he went. Young travelled to the USA with auckland reactor,spending time in new jersey where auckland reactor was initially based.

A very enjoyable nights viewing. Watching leap to fame win. Then damien oliver win his last ever race ride. He went back from a wide draw in a big field but was able to creep up the fence then angle off and take a very tight gap and burst through the last bit and win. Brilliant last ride. Then the win of Just Believe in the trotters final. Just way too good. Its great to see exciting racing like that. I watched the dog races and while i do enjoy watching them,i personally just don't think you can compare them to the level of excitement and emotions that go with human combined with horse,that horse racing in both codes provides. They had a big dog race and the winner took home $1 million.Half the dogs copped bad interference on the first bend with one falling when handy and the leader and outsider was left clear. The nz owned dog ran 2nd.What the dogs do have is any joe bloggs can have a go at training one and tonights winner was trained by a pizza shop owner.They had another big dog race where groups of 2 dogs did time trials,but that was as exciting as watching yatching. So if you didn't see the racing,you missed a great nights viewing. Also i think the albion park commentator is the best in the world. Brittany graham always good and my wife likes her fashion.

Great horse. Great race. Swayzee very gallant in defeat. That race truly fitting of the excitement of an interdominion final. The coverage was tops. The drone seemed closer to the action than we see in nz and that part was easily viewed. Grant dixon and his owners have a chanp there. Hope hes available for breeding here one day.By bettors delight out of an art major mare. Gammalite you told us mr dixon had told you leap to fame was very special when he was a young 3yo. Well we all can see that now.

I just watched this horse have its first start in australia at menagle. What a crazy race it was. Nicholas cage simply didn't want to score up the first time. Another horse didn't either. Then this other horse chased the mobile and ran full tilt into the mobile about 100m before the start. I think its driver anticipated the mobile increasing in speed,but then,going by how many horses hit he mobile just as he was reaching it,the mobile driver seems to have pumped the brakes and caused real issues. Why he did that i'm not sure,but maybe his grandmother was driving and put her foot on the wrong thing. Anyway ,as a result of the mobile slowing so quickly,the number 1 horse baulked and hit the number 2 horse who ran into the number 3 horse who then got banged by the number 4 horse(who had been charging after the mobile) as the number 4 horse crashed into the mobile and went sideways. Meanwhile the horses out wide all seemed to slow up quickly and a couple seemed to make contact with the mobile and got really agitated as a result. Then they had a restart. Well the race only got covered from the 1000m. Nicholas cage went terrible and i guess the reason the horse never scored up the first time was because it knew it wasn't feeling well. So he finished at a jog,but still actually beat 3 home. The horse who had charged into the mobile that had slowed so quickly the first start,well it lead then stopped to a complete walk.Others who had contacted the mobile finsihed at a crawl as well. It was like watching a non win trot where they all break and finish in big intervals.All a bit crazy.

I agree with your comments about all weather tracks inside the galloping track beng too far away from the public.Theres a much better atmosphere and easier viewing when the horses and drivers are closer. I think the idea of having an all weather track and a grass track on either side of a grandstand would have to be a a new development. Just simply shape the grandstand like a v where you can walk through the ground level and come out at the bottom of either side. They could have the stabling in the middle as well so access tyo each track wasn't far,with parts where the public can just look over a small rail fence and see the horses being geared up and washed down and the public can observe the coming and goings of the drivers and trainers. If they are to attract people to the races,there best selling point is the horses and the trainers being accessable and easily observed by the public. Just look at greyhound racing in christchurch.No one goes because the dogs are too far away. And when i say no one,i mean no one. I went one day last year to fill in time. I only stayed one race because i couldn't see them properly,but i was there long enough to realise there was not another person watching. The photographer came out with his zimmer frame every race and took a picture and that was it.2 people in the bar,but neither interested in the dog racing.

I like your thinking outside the square,thats what we need,but perhaps avondale wouldn't be ideal. it was just a couple of months ago they cancelled any future races or trials there due to the track and they had said at one stage the facilities were run down as well.Sounded like avondale has no future as a racetrack. Wasn't the thorougbred side wanting to sell avondale and get their hands on the cash and the avondale club was fighting that saying they would rather give it away to the community.The avondale club even at one point said next to no one goes to their meetings anyway.Also avondale had been selling off parts of the land just to keep going. And i remember reading the NZTR(thoroughbred) had said its only realistic future was to be sold as real estate as it was quite valuable. I think the key would be setting up somewhere where the price of land wasn't so expensive. Although given the way things are these days,that may be be hard to find,but perhaps you can think of somewhere where the population is smaller.

Just imagine if auckland were running for the $30,000 minimum stakes like they should be,had they not had the massive loss on the housing project. Reality is, It was the decision makers back then who ruined harness at alexandra park. Instead of south island horses looking to come to auckland to earn some decent money,they are better off to stay at home or go to wingatui..Breeders,owners,trainers all have to factor in the $. Auckland should have been the go to place given the set up they had pre housing development. Current management have done well to get there where they are today and in a lot of ways they have bought themselves more time,but personally i think they should be using some of that time planning for a move somewhere else so that they can survive for a few more decades.They still would have a lot of money if they sold u wouldn't they? its got to be somewhere where harness racing can become a hub and where current participants can see a realistic future where they can afford to set up and then make a living from..Somewhere where they may have a grass track on one side and an all weather on the other side of their main grandstand.Maybe thats all wishful thinking.Surely they should be at least looking.

I think he trained a group 1 winner about 5 years ago.Best western i think it was.If my memories correct he was geoff smalls foreman.

Yes i watched that race and was thinking exactly the same thing. David butcher just out drove him tactically,but then again david butcher is very, very clever.. W house driving on the first nigh showed that he has the talent. You don't get the results he did without that. But at this stage theres not the consistency to his tactical nous .Hes getting there,but I had thought after the first night it had just been a confidence thing,but he didn't perform to the same level last night.i read somewhere that hes only about 19. so for someone so young he is doing well. racing at palmerston north can be tricky.Theres only a few drivers that go there. D butcher and b butcher would be the best .

Well if you read the stipes report you would think that his drive was totally fine. the videos on the hrnz website. Its race 7. Unbelievably they didn't even bother to ask him why he never pulled out when driving the hot favorite. He may have had a reasonable explanation,but punters will never know because the stipes didn't think it worth asking.i know hes a young fella,but everyone should be treated the same. Anyone with a memory knows that drives not as bad have resulted in suspensions for drivers. tim williams was suspended for a drive where he failed to pull out. Wasn't that at motukarara or addington or both.Maurice mckendry. the fella ford who drives the trotters.I'm sure theres been others. To be honest its a bit of the same oldd same old.. What happens at palmerston north is not subject to the same scrutiny as other places. I guess its a north island thing.

Well he had a great night 2 nights ago,but not sure punters who backed superstar legend tonight will be too happy. Not sure what he was thinking when he let the outside horse box him in with 250m to go.Only had to pull out to win,but he waited far too long and the gap had closed.

Thats the thing isn't it. Theres no longer any relatable examples for the regular every day people to look to for inspiration. All the big races are won by the big/high profile stables with mostly similar owners. You look at the auckland cup that walt has shown and it was a full field with not one stablemate. Many of the runners coming from small time trainers and drivers.Because there were no stablemates,all the drivers were out for themselves,with no team driving like you now see regularly on the big days. That was a major part of why the sport was so great back then. Those still around who experienced all that now realise they were privileged to have done so.Thats why so many who follow the sport nowdays are older. They developed a love for the sport and that never really goes even if things are different these days. The interviewer of gammalites trainer was phillip leishman,one of new zealands highest profile media personalities for years. He died at just 61 after a brain tumor. He loved his racing and covered it a lot and also loved many other sports like golf. Racings des coppins i think was his best man at his wedding. By the way gammalite,was that you in the white singlet at the start of that clip?

Wilson house almost had the perfect day today. 5 wins and 1 second from 6 drives. Only beaten a nose in the race he ran second. The michael house runners banking over $33,000. Thats an outstanding days results for the house team. They seem to be able to travel and all the horses arrive on the track happy and healthy. Tactically w house made all the right moves on each horse,which was impressive. Hes not perfect,but he came close to it today. Perhaps w house will be our leading junior driver next year?

Gemma thornley gets suspended for 6 days. Sheree tomlinson gets suspended for 2 days. Same adjudicator. One on saturday and one on sunday. Well if you read the decisions,you are left to ask,why does gemma thornleys suspension of 6 days include upcoming meetings held in southland,where she hardly ever drives. And why does sheree tomlinsons suspension not include upcoming southland meetings,when she does drive regularly there. In the past i've pointed out some seem to get a raw deal when it comes to what days are included,especially the amatuers. here we have a very obvious inconsistency which makes no sense. Its not the drivers concerned fault. Its seems the adjudicator moved the goalposts..

Can't agree with you on this occasion. She just admitted to the obvious...pulling her own horse to give the stablemate a better chance. Just think about that.Personally i don't know her from a bar of soap,but perhaps you mean this was an out of character action. look,i know no one is perfect,but like it or not,it doesn't reflect well on that stable. I can just see the peter profit headline tomorrow.That publication has a large following. For reasons unknown to me,peter profit has a thing about the mark jones stable. Well today the Mark jones stable scored an own goal.

She plead guilty and got a 6 day suspension. Seems fair enough and at least she had the sense to recognise her mistake.

I think most thought it was a surprising move to sit 3 back the fence and once he chose to do that he was never likely to get out in time to win. Whether he would have won sitting parked is hard to tell,but we will never know. I think its because he has such good skills and tactical nous ,that is why you were frustrated he wasn't as good today.But i think your reference to southland is not relevant. In my opinion it takes greater skill to be able to drive at consistently high levels when driving horses of all classes and abilities.He does that in southland.

The winner very impressive,but it was in the perfect position to capitalise on the tactics of the leader.Zac butcher bounced back to win that one. Mantra blue i think lost the race today by how z butcher drove it the week before.It couldn't replicate the same run this week. I just couldn't understand what he was thinking last week.It had galloped in excess of 150m ,yet he still chased the field then drove it out hard to the finish and gave it a very hard run,only to be disqualified. This week was its big race,not last week. I know its easy just watching them,but i do think sometimes even the really good drivers make some strange decisions. Thats why blair orange and mark purdon are our best 2 drivers,they just don't seem to make mistakes.

Well the all stars came unstuck in the fillies race. mark purdon on his game,but sam ottley's drive madrid, seemed to be a sacrificial lamb.Thats the way it goes sometimes i suppose. In the colts race you had 2 drivers who executed a bit of team driving that benefited both,which makes sense,in that race just run that wasn't the case.

Yes sunny's sister's manners have come right when it counts. The aussie went huge. I think the race changed when tony herlihy overdrove his horse when leading. That i thought was unexpected and it meant the gaps would be more likely to come for those back in the field. It was an exciting race though with sunny's sister a worthy winner.

What a clever drive by mark purdon. He knew he if he could cross the favorite that he could hand up to his stablemate, who would keep the lead and take him to the passing lane. He knew nathan williamson would either probably have to come and race parked or stay 3 back on the inside. Either way it was to his advantage.When nathan williamson stayed 3 back the inside he knew blair orange is so cunning that he would go as slow as possible so to help oranges chances by not letting williamson out. and so it played out just as he planned.$65,000 for him and blair orange a $19,000 stake for 2nd. thanks for coming he would have been thinking. I didn't back him myself,just admire those fellas driving skills.

I guess brodie is talking about place bets. Do you bet on your tab account or at a tab brodie?

What did everyone think of the drive of the number 1 horse. Maybe to the casual observer they may not realise that the two jones runners had different colours,but anyone who follows the sport knows they were stablemates.Very ,very obvious team driving in my opinion. I personally can't understand why anyone would do that given the likely consequences and the perception it creates for that stable.

P.s.. I'm not saying you don't care about animal welfare gammalite. I'm sure from what you have written many times, you consider it the top priority. I think the difference between you and me is you also place high priority on peoples feelings,whether they be doing things legal or not. Personally i think people who give horses illegal things to improve performance,knowing there's even a small possiblity of serious major adverse effects ,don't deserve to be treated with the same level of respect.