TAB For Ever

Well Brodie I actually shocked you have switched off your 'go-to' post of my TAB not letting you get enough on...hopefully you took my advice and spoke to Dean Shannon personally. Early in thread you Questioned why AC was even selling horses ,adding folk should be wary this fact. Again too long inside padded cell bemoaning fact that sizable FO place bets not welcomed. As I pointed out ,selling horses is what AC does ,his bread and butter. Gets them up and running earlier than most and they all for sale ...even TFG was when at his peak ! You were well off the money and adding some fuel to Galahs fire !

Give it a rest Brodie......start knocking someone else . If ,If If.....if your Auntie had balls she would be your Uncle. AC...living the dream I reckon....it was mentioned earlier he didn't have a track ...WRONG ...he built his own house and his own track.Just down the road from another sporting legend Jeff Wilson !

Galah , I'll assist you with your query re LONGEVITY ! As I attended most Jewels I can remember at least 7 trotters in the green & white there. Pinup boy The Fiery Ginga came 2nd and went on to win 28 races from 134 starts ,including Aussie trips.Cocktail Waiter ran 5th and went on to race 53 x times . Twice AC had 2 x horses in the Jewels race .Dark Ops 2/48 returned later year with a different trainer and I saw one of her progeny race last night at the Park ! Often AC's horses beat home those from our top stables[Purdon &Dunn] and even beat home Sundees Son who raced 12 x times as a 2 yr old ! Other Jewels horses of AC's......Imperial Whiz 24 x wins from 243 starts ...WOW. He was sold after setting a record at 2....28 x starts ! Others...Solana 4 wins/ 63 starts , Castletonian 12 / 94 , Rhythmic Sun 12 /70 , . Earlier horses.......Armed Guard 20 wins /199 starts. , Armed Raider 8 / 91 , Prince Harry 14 / 112, Regal Assassin 16 / 111 Night Watch [out of Dark Ops ] 6 /49 , Constar 7 / 29 , Mr Majestic 7 / 93 ,Sunnys Dream 1/48 , Heather Castleton 8 /52 Wait there's more .......The Jinja Ninja 4 / 41 plus dam of Superstar Ninja 10 / 95 Sunscoming 4 / 35 , Christmas Babe 11 / 128 ,Latheronwheel 5 / 25 ok ,ok also Zoogin 0/29 , Crown Range 0/32 , Eye To Eye 1 /25 ,Speedy Success 1 / 53 So the LONGEVITY question answered above !

Not at all Galah , you quite prepared to join in a thread that ,as has happened in the past many times ,was only going to get more negative with derogatory comments about a good honest couple of grass roots battlers. I think you are like the rooster who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow. I wasn't getting at you ...in NZ there are other posters not just you. But you did question the LONGEVITY of horses he raised and developed and suggested there were 'failures'. You were leaning toward negativity. What trainer doesn't have poor performers ,especially those who breed from average stock or buy from bargain basement ?

The Northern raiders will be down South soon. Entain Boss owned the trifecta in the main race plus took out two other wins. Merlin looks the goods , i guess he'll need to be v the Aussies while YourtheonethatIwant like greased lightning ! And Cold Chisellooks very tidy too !

Other slot holders are Dreams are Free synd who should be a contender. That horse's major Owner is Mr Fahy a genial Southland farmer and passionate Harness owner and breeder. His fellow owners in this horse are a bunch of young Southlanders , some in their first horse. The Dunfords are a Father and Son combo who buy just one decent horse a year at sales and have have some amazing success from Mark Purdon barn. Their current contender would be 'We Walk By Faith ' .They partown the very talented 'Don't Stop Dreaming' and a few years back won the Auckland Cup etc with 'Have Faith In Me'. Studhome Bloodstock has been one of NZ's top breeders in recent years. Summit Bloodstock is a huge Australian breeder/owner !

We yearn for more grass roots [ horses and people ] in Harness racing and we like to see them do well and get a fair go. Yet when A.Clark's name is mentioned we love rolling up our sleeves and knocking him every which way. He's certainly stuck around for a while and as an old friend said recently you would nt have picked from his school days that Harness racing would become his passion. He's certainly put a lot into it and had some great moments. I believe he was a school teacher ! As to him selling his horse for good money [comparatively] he has traditionally had all his horses 'for sale'....even The Fiery Ginga when it was racing in the the elite grade. His attitude he was not just offering those without any apparent ability. He taught himself how to do everything , including shoeing the horses and even making much of the leather gear .The Fiery Ginga certainly developed into a special horse...was it 25 or 28 wins . Even Dexter Dunn drove it a few times ,but mainly Alan drove it . Early on Alan didn't qualify to drive on the Premier days eg his early Jewels entries , but he kept at it and qualified to drive in Group races. His races against that Champion Mark Purdon[ Heza doosie] were memorable. He also won a heat of Interdoms at Ballarat and a group of us travelled from Melbourne to watch it .And Highview Tommy paid $100 to win the Ballarat Cup that night ,as an aside ! Another feature of Alan's horses was the fact that he either bred them with strict budget or bought from the Bargain Basement bin.At sales he was picking up horses for peanuts.[ $1k to $2 ] His theory was to exercise them early ,no sitting around getting extra fat on grass .He believed the risk of injury was far greater when horses overweight. Consequently he had little need for Vets ! And contrary to what is always spewed out on here his horses ...these cheap as chips equines with average parents......had a lot of resilience and tended to race on for much longer than the average trotter. I'd say he's had some great experiences and thrills as a self -taught horseman , so good on em I say ! Lay off him !

Some big performances at Addington...a couple of Southland Stars looking very good. Mattie White seems a good preparer of horses..... his Always Be horse had little luck and one to follow. A couple of fast times at Park over the mile !.......in particular the Maiden race was very competitive and threw out some to follow !

Good luck to the Chief....I hope he went out on the track when issue after first race ,got a handful of turf and grass and taught them some basics. And offered some helpful advice how to improve for future !

Cheer up Huey....credit where credit due ! All Kiwis looking for something to be positive with NZ racing , so when it happens and there is hope for the future ,why not give a bit of credit ! We always in awe of what Aussie can turn on in racing and the apparent following and standing it still has in the community and day to day life....like the good old days. I'm sure Aussie has spent a bit of money maintaining Racing's mana. Doing nothing and just hoping for the best just doesn't cut it any more. Attitudes are contagious...is yours worth catching ?

Yep , it was a group 1 night at Harness , compared to a soft opening to new season at Headquarters . Many of NZ's top horses at the Harness......can't do everything in one day but just like the old days when a decent gallops meeting in North on a Saturday[Auckland or Waikato] it was possible to get back to Alex Park for the night trots at night.

I came on to read and find out what the galloping gurus thought about the season opener at Ellerslie. Judging by comments made last season when they rushed getting on to the new surface and suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous critics , then again took heaps of venomous comment and insults leading into their new season resumption I thought the TOPIC of AFTERMATH would be huge...but Zilch ! Did anyone go ? Did the track play well with all horses given a chance and winning from all over the landscape. How did the place look ,the gardens , the horses, the jockeys , the overall presentation from the racebook to the commentator? Feedback I have received ,including some from trainers , was that the restart was EXTRA good. By a stroke of good fortune I got to see the place myself...must say very nice place ,good people and fine racing on a near perfect track with the toes going in the perfect depth ! Asked the Taxi driver to take me to the races ,looking forward to some good class Harness along with some exciting Rugby....he drops me at Ellerslie gates ,I ask if hes got the right place and he said ....this place is the BEST ! And drove off ...and I saw some buses in that car park too .

Over 40 years since Grey Way retired from racing so great to see the Club give hem a mention and make an effort to attract a bit of interest tho there has been a lounge on course with his name attached. Great for the retirees of Geraldine ,Oamaru and Dunedin to remember from their rocking chairs !He was a tourist attraction in Geraldine ! But a while back I had a quick look at the Clubs activities and looked at possible reasonswhy such a versatile track had seemingly fallen out of favour compared with neighbour Ashburton . To me it seemed as Timaru had almost given up , lost their enthusiasm as jumping collapsed and general interest died. Some years the AGM was attended by fewer than the committee and raceday stewards ,barely reaching the quorum. And contrary to Doomed regular reminders the track/weather has helped them much in recent times with wet summer days and wet and/or frosty winter racedays. Not the Washdyke I enjoyed when younger with Corboys , MJones, BTJones , Cowans , Daly ,Hampton et with well known Orari families as well. Grey Way certainly had a great career from a 2 year old ,racing 12 x at 2 , including several occasions when he backed up witin a couple of days

Some good points Gamma re the high standard of horseflesh and horse people. Overall we have just become a cynical and bitter bunch when it comes to NZ racing. Interesting there were some Australian groups out following the Interdoms when they were held in Auckland a few years back and they were in awe of the setup at Alex Park and of the racing in general .I went to a social outing with a large group of Victorian enthusiasts including some trainers and it was interesting hearing their comments. Re the best night for Harness in NZ it has been proven beyond ALL doubt in recent years that the existing programming is best for the Harness TAB wagering in NZ. Friday nights is the big night for Harness , Sunday day racing is the second decent bite at the cherry. The other days /nights are a long way behind and most have been tinkered with in some form or other. Saturday is the BIG day for overall punting ......but it focussed on Gallops ,particularly the big Australian meeting s in all the main states . Harness is a poor second to Gallops EXCEPT a couple of iconic days particularly the Tuesday of NZ Trot Cup day which until this year was clearly NZ's biggest race meeting. This clear dominance was smashed by the Saturday gallops meet of Karaka Day [6 x races only] which had previously been held on a Sunday. Other interesting facts....Kiwis bet over 50% on gallops [of the 3 main codes] domestically. 55% when I last looked 27 % Harness ,18% Dogs. Harness been in decline for years. Overseas betting it is about 70% on gallops and quite close between Harness and dogs. Kiwis bet more on Overseas races than they do on NZ races. Yes there are more races ! Pushing more NZ Harness on to Saturdays will not help Harness betting ,too much competition.

HTRJ showed his versatility by running a close 2nd at Flemington on Saturday in a A$300k race. He moved across the ditch in May after having 1 x hurdle trial in NZ. He has had 6 x Aussie starts , 3 x flat races for $160k in stakes and 3 x maiden hurdles for 1 x win and 2 x placings for $35 k In his long NZ career he had won 7 from 48 starts ,travelling extensively. He began racing at Wairoa and raced in the Bay,Taranaki , Ruakaka ,Waikato, Auckland Trentham and Riccarton. He raced several times at Riccarton includ ing both the Winter Cup and NZ cup which his 5th was his best Riccarton result.Also raced in Avondale and Auckland Cups. He took 16 starts to win his maiden ,winning twice in a row on Cambridge Synthetic then won at the Bay and then two Open 2200m at Ruakaka in small fields on both good and soft ground. He later won in the wet at Avondale and Taranaki. He was by dour stayer Jakkalberry out of group performer Ististar [ by Istidaad trained by S McKee and won 10 including Cuddle Stakes ] His full sister Enchanted Elle has won 6 and ran 3rd in Hurdle debut on Sunday at Te Rapa. Also in Aussie for 18 months was Lincoln King mixing flat and jumps racing.He won Wellington Cup.He has won $30k on flat and $70k in Hurdles running in some of their premier jumps racing. Another Wellington Cup winner Leaderboard left for Aussie early in 2024 ,having had one unplaced hurdle in NZ last winter. He has had 7 x jumps races in Aussie with a win in over both hurdles and steeples.He ran 2nd in Grand national Steeples ,3rd in GN Hurdles and has won $200k. Good coin for the ageing stayers and top trainer Mark Walker recently quipped that it was easier to get from Waikato to Melbourne than it was to travel Waikato to Trentham......more costly too !

Jim, to read the Stewards Report go into the NZTR Racing website .....go to RESULTS , Waikato and in small print ,top right you will see heading ...Stewards Report. Today there were a lot of horses who got a mention by bungling fences. Obviously a lot struggled with the extra distances. There's a little comedy there.....a serious lack of jockey numbers is a huge negative. It was all hands on deck today and trainers were sweating that Jockeys never got injured in prior races which would have forced them to scratch. Seems a couple came off but like the rugby/league players in past splashed a bit of water on injuries and 'got back on the horse' That not funny but the stewards fined one trainer $50 for late notifying jockey....he couldn't find one , was hoping on a scratching.And a jockey transgressed so they hammered him with a decent fine then made sure he wouldn't be riding on the remaining jumps day to end the season ,which most likely will mean at least 4 horses will not be able to run on that day ! Some great competitive races today but will probably add fuel to those trying to end jumps racing in NZ.

Yeas Gamma , Mantra Blue 's rating was a tad higher so needed to have a concession[ Junior ] driver in order to start. As for the 2 year old trotters I think it reasonable to expect a few breakers ,even though horses these day seem more sensible and well schoole.d That talented Mean't To Be seems a very nervy/spooky type that looks all round and was a little slow to even go out on the track last night.Plus it had done things wrong in its previous 3 x races but had the talent to feature in the finish. Higher Power seems a lot more settled so it's break surprised most. IMO these young trotters must find the night racing under lights a lot different to their training.Even if they trial at the Park it is before the first race when still light. So its all new and the mobile on race night probably has more speed as well. And the young trotters are running at a fair clip...a 2 min Mile Rate featured in the May races and most beat 59 for a half ,first time off their trainers property in workouts or trials. Just watched the two yr old Group 1 at Melton ,after one false start , 2 x horses blew the start in the rerun and tailed off and the first 3 x horses went clear from the remainder at the 300m mark.

Agreed , Point to Points run by the numerous Hunt Clubs ,many of whom had their own race days were a big part of the Jumps scene. Many still exist......Jumps rider of Year Portia Matthews got her intro to a racing stable at a Point to Point when she approached Mark Oughlahan for a job in his stable. He took her on. In my experience Point to Points were often run thru local farms ...many of the riders were Amateur and the Amateur races up to about mid -70's were actually Steeplechases and then they reverted to flat.

The ATC usually has its AGM in October but recently announced they would wait till early December this year till the 'deal' was settled so an accurate picture of the situation of Club could be announced to members. PS.....seems like they trying something novel ...transparency and honesty to the members ! Keep in mind that the ATC still has an option to retain use/lease of the current Training facility for 2 x years after the sale completed ! The ATC refers to the buyer as Mt Hope but I believe the registered name of buyer is Golding Meadows Development Ltd ,a company registered in 2017. The main contact of the buyer has been mentioned as Wei Li , bit I suspect it is Shaoyun Li who has a business partner Laurence Deng . They have done previous developments in NZ . How good I don't know , worked this out thru quick NZ Companies search. GMD first registered as Coy in 2017 in NZ.

Plus numbers wise , in recent years ONE stable has dominated in numbers of horses......KMyers If he had a spell from the jumpers the numbers would shrink , even allowing for fact that some of his horses would go to other trainers if they prepared to carry on ! Unsure why ,but former powerhouse JWheeler has had a quiet couple of years with jumpers .PLus a few others !

The final Jumps racing day of year......should be 4 jumps races ,plus an amateurs race and possibly highweights as well.

Is this race worth any more Oxygen...a lowly stake , small field ,slushy track....one win battlers ,most of whom who have found racing at Alex Park a bit beyond them as 3 yr old s ! And short trip ! 3 back obviously not been a perfect spot in recent meets but the rail certainly over the years been a great help there and assists horses finishing closer than they normally would if they try and go wide. Great for place money ! From 7 this horse really had no option but to be restrained to rear.....dead last after 400m. A surge up front saw the last 3 x horses struggling to even stay in tact at 1000m with a turn approaching.....now a long last with little or no show unless she Lazarus. At 400 the commentator said she had 7 lengths to make up...add 6 lengths for the 5 x wide option on that last sharp turn. The driver weighed up her chances 5 wide....very slim.....so immediately saved the 6 lengths on fence and settled for a 'place chance' if a gap came. It didn't . The 4 x wide horse ran the race of life for second so 4th would have been possible had she gone 5 x wide. My mates horse got the perfect sit , had to come 3 x wide and tho lazy ,got the win. The preference was to get out well and get the rail[ lead or trail] ., but other drivers like Poutama, Mitchell and two Butchers know the drill ,especially over 1700m.

Gamma, IMO these slot races being used to increase promotion/marketing in Harness, and hopefully attract some NEW monied people to the industry. It fast becoming totally evolving around the Christchurch area ,even big Northern owners sending their young horses South to race much earlier than previous. And NZ harness relying on the same few people to breed the horses, race the horses and buy the slots etc and sponsor races ! Currently few new entrants , other than the biggie Entain of course. Meanwhile the middle intermediate/high potential horses continue to be sold .

Well Chief , good on Ruakaka for their promotion ....with help from TAB......in running their Punting comp and focusing on tradies. They have good size fields and no doubt the odd bus to offer Whangarei folk a lift.And 4 x group -class horses engaged. But as much as I salute Ruakaka , Tarzino Day is the start of a good Carnival which brings out many of NZ's top horses and most of our top jockeys. A good Carnival to attend , then a comfortable drive down to Woodville on Sunday to see one one of seasons last jumps days ! Must get out the Starcraft , Xcellent tapes ...and possibly the Oopik/Furys Order battle from back in the day !

Well Gamma , a big Aussie race coming up with many names I haven't heard of...you'd Better Believe that ,or rather Just Believe ! At this time of year all eyes turn to spring racing in NZ and the lead up to the NZ Trotting Cup. It was NZ's biggest wagering day until 2024 Karaka day attracted James McDonald and Blake Shinn etc involved in $million races. Of course Melbourne Cup day easily the biggest day on NZ TAB. So no offence but this Eureka race hasn't reached the Kiwi mindset yet ! No Archimedes moments here !