Joe Kidd

I got better than 2.30 but wasn't me at 5.50. I've got both elsewhere so fingers crossed it will be an especially happy sunrise in the morning

Would it be Jack Morris in 1990? Was a decent enough horse the new owners shelled out 30k for. Went on to be a champion. Often wondered how the original connections felt and what the new trainer did so much better. Smoken Up was also an ok horse with the Butchers but he went on to greatness with a cult following. Won a fortune also. In more recent times we had the trotter Tornado Valley. Seemed to be a level below the best and then exported. Has been unbeatable and just won the Interdominion final. I do wonder how the previous connections feel about what appears to be the missed opportunity of a lifetime and what training methods are being used now that weren't previously. The Mighty Quinn was a huge winner for the Halls but he was already a very decent horse when they bought him.

Two deadset winners today. Small fish are sweet. Race 5, horse 9 Takemybreathaway @ 2.30. Wins for fun. Same trainer / driver combination won easily at Rangiora on Thursday with Take After Me. Glen Scott does not have a big team but you can confidently build your wagers around this filly. Race 7, horse 8 Dark Rage @ 2.50. Far too good at Addington last start and will have that field covered.

I have no interest in being a race caller. I'm a punter, an owner and a lover of the light harness sport. When I listen to the American race callers I feel we are fortunate to have the callers we do. Most of the yanks I've heard are very average. The Japanese are even worse. Around corner two and around corner three and down the stretch they come. Makes me laugh as he tries to make it sound exciting. I feel a little old to concede that I grew up listening to Jack O'Donnell who in my opinion was cut from the same cloth as Reg Clapp. I went into the callers box with Jack as a young fella and was fascinated by it all. Overall we are very fortunate to have the callers we do. Mark Mac is easily the best in my opinion. Most of them are colourful guys who do a great job. I was also a fan of John Tapp's style of calling in NSW. No contrived excitement and always accurate and a pleasure to listen to. As for memorizing horses for a race. I can pick out Rick May for example in any race. Usually don't need to see the drivers colours. Same applies with many drivers. I'm confident most experienced race viewers are the same. David Butcher is also not difficult to pick out either. If you do you're job as a caller, it should be straightforward enough to remember all the horses and drivers names. Not sure how it could ever help the caller by incessantly referring to David Butcher as the chief or Todd Mitchell as the wizard.

In all sincerity, I have to ask what Aaron's motivation is to not only use his pet names during a race but to do so incessantly? Does he feel it enhances his race call? If so, he's very sadly mistaken. It detracts from it considerably to the point it becomes fingernails down a blackboard for many. Surely, he has someone in his world that can pull him aside and tell him about the word FAIL. Is he trying to start a trend where everyone in the game calls David Butcher "the chief" ? If so, this is another enormous fail. I have never heard anyone else in the game describe David as "the chief" despite Aaron blurting that out numerous times in every race he calls where David is driving. Is he trying to curry favour with these horseman so they become his personal friends? If so, please do so without involving those that are only interested in the race they are watching or listening to. We were invited to Auckland Cup night on New Years eve. We had to decline. The incessant boot licking / brown nosing is such a turn off, it impacts on our interest and enjoyment of a sport we love. He can be a very good caller if he did just that. Unfortunately, his other motivations have become a dominant and unwelcome feature. As for his signature "all dressed up and nowhere to go". The first time I heard it, I thought it was all good. Many callers have a signature description in their call. There is a NSW caller who's hopeless but describes the parked out horse as being a "king brown" away. Nothing wrong with that and even appropriate. Another NSW guy calls races like they are yachting races. Bla bla has the spinnaker up and is circumnavigating the field. Hard case really but not a turn off. It's the overdoing of a signature description that becomes sunburn on sunburn. Use it less or even god forbid, come up with other descriptions that don't include words like the iceman, the chief, the magic man, the postman and worst of all, "The Wizard". That's the one most used and abused.

David Butcher is not the Chief. Todd Mitchell is not the Wizard. Tony Herlihy is not the Iceman. Maurice McKendry is not the Magic Man. They are horseman. Very good horseman but horseman all the same. Can you just leave it at that ffs. I've heard him say "The Wizard" eight times in one race. It's a complete turnoff. Unsure if Arron is on a quest to suck up to these drivers, or start a trend or is on some sort of commission to use his nicknames / petnames as many times as possible per race. I find it cringe worthy and generally won't bet on any races he's calling any more. I was a regular attendee at Alex Park but his incessant pet name calling during races eventually became like sunburn on sunburn and we haven't been back to the park for 18 months. My wife and I never missed an Auckland Cup meeting until the over the top name calling just turned us off the entire race . When he's not screaming in a finish, repeatedly using petnames and is not all dressed up and nowhere to go, he's actually a very good caller.