Gammalite

mainly AFL, huge lunge at Brownlow each year (although lost last year as thought the Bont was an absolute certainty. EPL, Bundesliga, NRL at times (although Broncos are going like shit these days) Vic Wednesday racing and Sydney Saturday racing. Have 100 ew on best 50 ew 2nd best of day, 20 ew on best 2 'odds' runners, etc. profit 3 out of every 4 weeks (and usually not far away on the 4th either.) each month. 500 spend max per week. Alas, in 'THE RACE' put 20 on Alta Orlando and 20 on Majestic Cruiser to support the Aussies at 12-1 each. Good to see them having a crack in NZ again. Pretty stupid to take on Marky Boy and the brilliant 'Self Assured' and so got what I deserved lol... zip,nil lol.... lost 100 on Self Assured by him not winning NZ Cup in Nov after thought he was a special to go back to back. Maybe this year he'll get his second Cup I would think ?

Aiguille galloping and coming back on all those trailing runners was a huge contributing factor to the accident. Galloping horses , as we all observe often , cause all sorts of problems to those following behind. Even in the feature Trot R6, after 100m BAXTER was off-stride and very hard to control by Ricky May , and was Very very close to wiping out his stable-mate the Winner of the race Midnight Dash. Inches from disaster they were.

Yes it is sad to read here on the death of a horse , due to interference. and risk to other drivers well-being. Philippa Wakelin must be quite traumatised from the sad event last night. Condolences to her and connections..... Sydney racing is 'crazy with tight racing' these days. Bowman and Berry in the past 2 years, have served long suspensions for killing rival horses and seriously injuring their fellow jockeys (Adkins and Avdulla ) who were both nearly killed as well. And yet here is Nash Rawiller ,another leading Sydney hoop , forcing a passage yesterday to win with Kementari. I was horrified as only needed to clip heels and he dies, a horse or 2 dies , he kills someone else, all for a mediocre first prize of $83k for yesterdays race. Just putting it here to show you guys the Stupidity !! In the blue Nash taking a fence run inside a very valuable horse named BIG PARADE, which he could of badly injured . craziness. insanity IMO.

Mafusa Metro , an ex-pat NZer trotted in by 8 lengths at Melton last night, to head towards Open Class ranks in great style for John Justice. could be a candidate to replace the recently retired Tornado Valley at that rate?. Mark Pitt proving to be a mini Mark Purdon WINNING 9 races for an Australasian Driving record last night !! All 9 horses trained by Emma Stewart . He did drive in the 10th race but the Tasmanian 'mugs' put him on a 50-1 shot ??? so it ran no-where. Stopped him sweeping the card , but amazing driving all the same !!!! No huge collect from it , the 9 win multi taken returned just 22-1 . But well done Mark Pitt !!

Mark Pitt drives LONGFELLOW to win the $100,000 Easter Cup with Like a Wildfire 'riding shotgun' parked in the death from his 20m backmark outside him for last mile. 6 down 3 to go for Mark (and Emma) Meanwhile MACH SHARD regains form after 6 unplaced runs at McCarthys this year for his 3 kiwi owners , including Barry Purdons missus Katrina. went out to Wagga to win the Cup there tonight in a 1.49. 6 mile rate no less. !!! Another runner Katrina part owns with a few kiwi folk ran 4th in Wagga Cup ... it was Bad To The Bone (no wins from 8 this year) who seems to be just battling these days.

So far ....so good !! .Half the nights Launceston races are run and 5 winners driven by Mark Pitt. Odds have been 2 x $1.10 , 2 x $1.20 and the 5th race $2.20 , by a combined around 70m margin. impressive. Now for the second half of the program. He may have the wrong drive in the Easter Cup. I think the stablemate from the Emma Stewart barn LIKE A WILDFIRE will win it.

NZ trots not even on the air in Aus tonight , but at least Tasmania is still having it's Time honoured Easter Cup , un-like Addington. Leading Victorian Trainer Emma Stewart has sent down 10 runners to sweep the Tasmanian program. Two of them should quinella the Easter Cup so they generously left ONE race for the locals to win !! lol.... Mark Pitt could drive the Australasian record tonight of 9 winners !!!!! Update : 2 races down so far, for 2 wins for Emma and Mark . 7 to go . wonder if he can do it ??

Well after copping the 2 week suspension and $40,000 fine for heaps of Whip use in The Queen Elizabeth Stakes last week Nash has stepped it up a notch. Quite incredibly in a small field , he has risked life and limb (His own and Kementari's especially ) by bull -dozing up the fence to get the win. I credited Nash Rawiller with one of the Best Inspired rides ever, on a non-mudder last week with the daring Think It Over ride on the outside fence. Today, I credit him with one of the worst non-thinking rides ever , that was dangerous , down on the other rail . Literally bounced off it just after this image below. Nash in the Blue silks, About to take that 'gap' ????? inside the hot fav BIG PARADE Randwick race 6. Com'on Nash , that was unacceptable from an experienced rider.

Possibly ,,,,,,,,, either you have it or you don't. (was nice Blair got himself a NZ Cup when had the chance not long ago, good on him) Blair not a trainer though. Scott Phelan in the same boat as Payne.... wannabe Group 1 trainer/ driver Barry Purdon used to win stacks of races as well. Has had competitive horses and some of the best racing at times like Christopher Vance , Chokin , Holmes DG so why isn't he still winning. Lot's of Miracle Miles. You guys don't mention him much as are based South Island , but why isn't he winning ??? (after basing Marks horses at Clevedon on northern trips, is sure to have lots of advice ????? ) My thought is because Phelan (Has he ever won a group 1? ) is NOT in the same league as Mark , Nat and/or Tony Herlihy . So Barry Purdon's stable has gone quiet accordingly. Zac's driving fair but not exceptional. You have the 2 near BEST in the world (with results to prove it) Mark from NZ and Nat from Oz . LAP IT UP mate ... no good grizzling about it and crying foul. achieves nothing. just makes you more grumpy lol.......

Question needs to be asked along those lines then ?? How did Sundees Son break the NZ record by 4 around seconds , bringing it's Diamond Dunn stablemate along with it for 2nd placing ( in the Dominion gobsmacking handicap last Nov) same arguement ????? Because both Mobs are SEASONED , PROFESSIONAL, Been doing it for Decades , Learnt from the Families great heritage's, (Nat's dad was a fine horseman too) , great support staff, wealthy owners , etc etc etc ... Do you need some more reasons ? That's about 1/2 dozen so far ......lol... Hope that helps answers your question.

I think what I was trying to say is Any horse would do better at Allstars. I could give them ColtThirty One (a 60 win queensland champion who failed to win a race in 2021) and expect it would win first up. Doesn't mean Grant Dixon is a bad trainer by any means if that happened I think Mango has won a NZ Cup. There are far far far far far worse trainers around. He has done a sterling job with South Coast Arden (at times lol). you guys are extremely harsh . guess i'm not as cynical as most this thread. ****Imagine if ALLstars had the 'HOPE' harness team to prepare?? . with their methods and driving ability's All those horses would be winning much more regularly. Doesn't mean that HOPE"S are mug trainers though ... Just like Mango does , they do ok. poor bloke = he Beat SELF ASSURED last month and everyone still hates him. lol...... all those other northerners must be Real Big Mugs then ?? lol..... (tongue in cheek) I think they would Do Better with Henry Hubert than it does now too ? and Pembrook Playboy would win them in a Row IMO. Any Owners who want THE BEST should send their horse to ALLstars .... goes without saying. Not just SCA owners lol......

I think it is admirable that you and some like Ludwig for example support the looser class horses and the lesser known racing centres. Often involving some harness tradition too. like the Kindergarten Stakes the other day. Also won by Allstars (for 5th year running I think.) Olivia T getting the job done. I'm glad you appreciate ALLstars too. I can see you love their work with Southcoast Arden. I do too. but wasn't gunna throw old mate Mango under the bus like you. Afterall He did do a fair bit with that horse at times lol..... not enough to please the Brodster though... hehehe. You missed the bus on being a horse trainer mate lol... could of been on the money lol. I see Auckland is not high on the'popular' list with many. and yes , some of the decisions like that developement disaster , have wrecked things a bit. AUCKLAND Needs someone like we got here in Brissy , (millionaires Garrard and Seymour) to take action by breeding incentives and breeding horses (sponsored age group racing) bringing in their mates from other fields to have a crack, etc to prop the game up , or it will be dead for all. Lots of folk live in Auckland but the entertainment factor is spread amongst other pastimes , and dollars are tight in a lot of cases. I have even given up betting NZ trots (and am a Dour Supporter) and make a living punting on football actually. Only 2 starters per and odds way better than horses considering . and find them matches easy to pick. So guess harness racing is in trouble when supporters like myself are giving it away lol........

People STILL support and indulge in sport for FUN mate. including harness racing. If you watched your 'wallet as closely as the many on this thread harness racing would collapse tomorrow. Many owners might spend a million a year , like Seymour and Garrard in Brisbane for example , but they are wealthy men and have FUN and enjoy the racing , and generally KEEP IT AFLOAT. Most slot holders have got a quid already so it's NOT ALWAYS about the money .(unless you are Brodie ?? )

Any horse apart from Sundees Son (who already trots sensationally) is almost certain to do well racing out or / near / driven by people at the Allstars operation, than with ANY other trainer. I dare say Brent Mangos prepared Southcoast Arden for the sensational , smashing 1.51 4yold Jewels win last Winter? and a smacking of NZ's best horse Self Assured last month ?? not too shabby Well done Brent Mangos !! a LEADING NZ trainer . I remember him driving Luxury Liner against me once. Alas Mark and Nat are way better drivers these days than old Mango, so he gave them a gooooo... very smart move. And what great results he got !! inc NZ FFA Group 1 once again defeating Self Assured in that time honoured race!!!!! excellent stuff. Great horse is SOUTHCOAST ARDEN . would love to own him.

Only horse to beat Self Assured in recent times. (this year) So not backwards too much ??????????????? Driven hard tonight to lead Spankem mid-race , Mango left him with No Gas left at the end unfortunately. Pretty solid 4th behind 3 Very smart horses including a 1.47 Miracle Mile winner ...Needed Nat driving him ?? Good drive by the young Aussie bloke Brodie for 2nd from the second row ?? did it go un-noticed ?? lol

Don't think people have to bet to take an interest Brodster. A lot of people are happy to see good racing from quality horses. like example. It's hard to get a bet on Sundees Son or Akuta , but still great to see them race. Forbury upset that the greatest horseman of all (the fab Mark Purdon) won (as always does) apart from surprise defeat last NZ Cup. Great to see the Aussies turn up after years away from taking on the kiwis. Not a winner like Gammalite hitting the NZ shores but a good second for the CRUISER. So I miss out having a gloat unfortunately !!!! lol...... Feel free to have a 'gloat' about that very nice horse , taking yet another BIG win mate. I can take it lol.......

Bugger it , I'm gunna go for this bloke to win THE RACE tonight at Cambridge. Very game horse and drawn well, And he is BACK in his HOMELAND , like many Planeloads of kiwi people this week as well for Easter as the borders just opened finally !!!! thank goodness. Hope some folk make it to Cambridge to see 'The Race'. !!!!!!! and best Luck to John and Robert Dunn with ALTA ORLANDO to land the big prize tonight (as co-Owners) They have decades of great service to NZ harness racing and deserve a BIG win . Go Orlando !!!!!!!!

Nah.... that is not McKendry lol..... another clue please.

Wish the club had thought about involving the average battler. People involved in 'Buying and/or Owning' a slot can race a great horse once a year in partnership with it's real owners. a very good concept to get some new people involved in the industry (or just have a fun day out each Easter) For the Battler the club should of had a promotions person draw 'Ambassadors' for each runner from the general public , like a lottery , and have prizes scaling down from 1st to last provided by sponsors. EVERYONE could get involved then . and 10 or 9 is it this year lucky people could also be involved in a runner for THE RACE. (someone at BOAY could of had a runner would be cool lol..)

An excellent guess Ranga but incorrect. Amazing the headgear of Skipper Dale is quite similar to his regular rival who ran 2nd to Camelot in the NZ Cup. (That you haven't named yet) Here's a photo of your boy Skipper Dale, in 1987 winning an Addington Interdominion Heat with his rival (The Easter Cup winner you have to name) in similar head-gear running a place yet again , always the bridesmaid ) picture I can't get clear off UTube unfortunately. Skipper Dale winning on the right . On the far left is My Lightning Blue in this heat. Running last . Definitely Not a sign of things to come !!! lol. Skipper Dale 4th in the Grand Final was first kiwi home. !!!

Victory for Gammalite !!! At last i have stumped the great Rangatira. !! thought that would never happen. The brilliant SKIPPER DALE did win the Easter Cups for 2 years just after our horse in the Camelot photo . Gammalite was in that race too behind Camelot NZ Cup , but not good enough on that day. A few of them hit the deck rather heavily too. Squeezed in-between the three Hands Down Easter Cup wins and Skipper Dales 2 Cup wins, the horse in question stopped Hands Down from winning a 4th Easter Cup. Here he comes now in a great Easter Cup finish. This will help you Ranga !!!! He kept up with the 'Jonses' and then beat both of them lol. Anthony Butt I think, and the late great Derek Jones in 2nd and 3rd.

Used to be a great race? that showcased many a NZ Cup chance . Tuned up in the Autumn for a Spring NZ Cup carnival assault. What has happened to it ? Not on the card this Saturday ? A country championship final is the highlight ? seems NZ Metropolitan club gone quiet like Auckland TC then. Well here's a Nice Horse that nearly won the NZ Cup after winning a fantastic Easter Cup . quiz to see if anyone remembers him. Seen here running 2nd to Robin Butt's horse in this photo. (Ranga will eat this up for sure, in recognising that headgear lol) Trainer still going around too these days. Who is it ? (horse and trainer/driver)

Whata a classic !! nothing like stopping for a pick of grass while out for a jog hehehe

Personally I think the quality of the trainer is Directly relevant to the racing ability of the horse. Both NZ and Aus breeding is directly influenced by the American bloodlines. The training (and race placement) is the key to winning races , as you have pointed out with Daggy Lamb. You choose to 'shoot' the opposition , rather than credit the New trainer. A political point of view by you. Perhaps you should sign up with the Opposition parties to Jacinda and make a quid with that tactic.? lol..... Gammalite being trained by a 'mug' oz trainer O'Connor (but still winning a $1,000,000 and Village Kid (also trained by a 'mug' trainer , a butcher actually) and winning $2,000,000 , Blacks a Fake (trained by a young QLD lass) I rate as the 3 best horses seen in my lifetime. (followed closely by Maori's Idol and Popular Alm ) so that's 4 Aussies and One expat NZer (the Kid) so like you, this has forced me into bias !!! lol...... How good are even the 'mug' Aussie trainers to get Gammalite and Village Kid smashing out Interdominions, Auckland Cups, and Miracle Miles etc. ? something for Daggy Nz Lamb to aspire too. ??? The last Interdominion saw the 'KING' de-throned by an old claimer horse. What an exceptional trainer that Grimson is ?? will he win The RACE too ? maybe.....

No I didn't say that at all. I haven't bagged any trainers personally. Woodend Beach seems to cop a lot of 'flak' by a lot of kiwi observers over there it seems . BUT Not from me. The leading NZ stable and trainers of Sundees Son (near greatest trotter of all time the way he is going ) deserve my FULL respect. You are showing disrespect for something you know little about. Have you ever trained in Aus ?? or even been to an Australian training operation. They are amazing. I'm in total awe of these fantastic trainers that race 5 days per week all around the nation, and get EXCELLENT results. AND don't deserve your 'OFF THE Money' misinformed Assessment lol...starting with Vinny Knight as soon as I arrived. The up-standard in Melbourne from what I participated in in NZ was extreme in my experienced opinion. I can name 10 stables straight up , that have around 50 horses in work each (including my locals Dixon (who has 80, McMullen Barnes, Rasmussen ) and they have about 20 horses each running 1.55 and better week to week. I could take you on a state to state assessment of results but you're FAR to biased. What for? I don't know. Been some very impressive training feats IMO. yesyes yes Allstars are good too. and could beat the Aussies no doubt. (One of them is an Aussie lol.) but who cares ?lol... Go Big or Go home lol. Go THE RACE !!!! what a great concept. great to see some Oz reps ? lol......