Davis

Look why start a horse like Spitfire at Winton? Winton is one of the fastest tracks in NZ. They go around 2:56 to 2:58 in most 2400m, mile rates 1:57/8 at this track. Spitfire is not good enough to go under three minutes and a sub two minute mile rate means he cannot keep up. Sack him.

The horse is a mug. Brodie is right why is it still racing? It is plain for anyone to see that horse doesn't want to be on the racetrack, 50odd starts and he is still intractable. Weak horse with even weaker mind. Sack him.

Congratulations in order to both A Butt and Ms Smith and top kiwi mare Princess Tiffany winning at Melton last night. Butt/Smith picked up a few wins. Two races won by least favoured stablemates, so someone would have made plenty, Hope it was the stablehand. Princess Tiffany continues to pay her way. What a great broodmare she will be for the Whitecocks when she retires from racing. Sadly, her having to racing in Aust is a reflection of how things are here. Does HRNZ care... no. There are no races for the likes of Princess Tiffany here while in OZ she can race every weekend winning most of the time and adding to her stakes record. $1million near??

Number of reasons. Costs, falling public interest, animal rights. I think the last one will hit hardest. I think it won't be long before racing animals will be frowned upon and banned. Rodeos first, greyhounds will be next (justifiably in my opinion)... horses next??

Another thing Brodie doesn't do is lie mate. When it comes to harness racing he is straight up, some don't like what he says but he tells it straight. He's usually on the money. I am the same. I don't tell "porkies" when it comes to harness racing. I love the sport. I don't think it has a future but I until it dies I will support it. Honestly!

The Brodster is one of the best punters in NZ, maybe the world. But he was too successful. He put thousands on his carefully chosen value runners. His bank account was overflowing with winnings from his bets. He never lost. He cleaned the TAB out regularly until the TAB said "no more" and banned The Brodster from placing any large bets. Today, he is bitter and angry about this unfair treatment but he still loves harness racing.

Today, many believe they are entitled and expect the government to provide for them. They expect the "rich pricks" and old white men to pay more tax to fund their taxpayer funded handouts. The present government has exacerbated this because they have bowed to vocal minorities on many occasions. St Jacinda is a communist; she and the likes of Robertson, Little and Woods believe that the state knows best.

I agree it was shocking but he will be treated leniently under this government.

Three wins for A. Black at Invercargill on Saturday from four starters. Vintage Cheddar fifth in Cup, a good effort because he is not really a handicap horse. This young trainer is the real deal!!

The rest of the field were second-rate!!

She's the best mare in the country so should win. But she has drawn wide with a few consistent ones inside her, Enchantee, Need you Now, Watch Me Now so it won't be easy. If she gets to the front easily she'll bolt in.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/124079022/former-harness-racing-chair-helps-disgraced-champ-on-comeback-trail Former harness racing chair helps disgraced champ on comeback trail Martin Van Beynen Matt Anderson is currently banned from racecourses due to his criminal offending. A former harness racing star who kicked and choked a woman, leaving her fearing for her life, wants to become a trainer and is receiving support from industry figures. Matt Anderson is a former New Zealand representative and national premiership-winning harness racing driver who is banned from racecourses until at least next year due to his criminal offending. Two racing industry figures – former trainer Peter Jones and former Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) chairman Ken Spicer – have recently met with new HRNZ chief executive Gary Woodham to discuss a “pathway” for Anderson to get back into the industry. Spicer is still on the board of HRNZ. Jones, whose stepdaughter is Anderson’s partner, has publicly stated he believes racing needs a better mechanism for getting people like Anderson back into the sport. He points to rugby as a template for rehabilitating errant players. Spicer, in a series of text messages, said Anderson had approached him as a friend to “help him understand what the process is around trying to get a pathway back into the industry” as a trainer. “If a young person asks for assistance I will assist them. It's only you journos looking for another negative story that worry about how it may look [for a person in his position to be seen to support Anderson],” Spicer, a horse breeder, told Stuff. “There is a process to follow, rules to be adhered to and a stringent licensing criteria to be met.” It was not “his call” to decide whether Anderson deserved to be allowed back into racing, he said. Anderson said it would be inappropriate for him to comment. Under harness racing rules, Anderson is banned from racecourses for at least two years. He can apply for an exemption but that is rarely granted within the ban period. At the expiry of the ban he will still need to apply for an exemption and will also need to meet character requirements to qualify for a training licence. Matt Anderson was discharged without conviction on drugs charges at the Christchurch District Court last year. In November, Anderson was sentenced to three months’ community detention and 12 months’ intense supervision after he was found guilty of charges of assault and strangulation in a judge-alone trial at the Christchurch District Court. The court heard how he grabbed his victim around the neck and choked her, then threw her out of his house and locked the door to prevent her from getting her car keys that were still inside. The victim managed to crawl through an open window, but was assaulted and kicked in the side of the face as she lay on the ground. The victim called 111 and told the emergency operator she thought Anderson was going to kill her. She was told to run towards the road. She jumped into a ditch and hid until she saw a police car arrive. Anderson’s racecourse ban came after a six-month stand-down imposed on August 1 after he was charged for acts deemed detrimental to the interests of harness racing. It related to a district court appearance where he was discharged without conviction after admitting possessing the party drug MDMA for supply, and two charges of supplying MDMA. Woodham, a former high-level member of the TAB's executive team, who recently took over as chief executive of HRNZ, did not respond to messages. However, Woodham told The Star the meeting with Jones and Spicer was an opportunity to discuss many aspects of Anderson’s case. “I must emphasise, however, that it was an informal meeting and not an official request for reinstatement,” he said. “The upshot of those discussions, and subsequent inquiries regarding eligibility, is that Matt Anderson is not able to be reinstated and that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.” Stuff

I think that Amber Hoffman is a reasonable trainer mate. She has a fair-sized team racing and wins from time to time. I think she would improve a horse like Spitfire. I would like to see her with better stock because I think she could make her mark as a trainer. I guess that will come if she keeps on producing the winners?

Yes, thank you Galah. I meant over the holiday period but senior moment meant I left that out. Thanks again.

Yes, you are right. To change the subject a little. Many road deaths were blamed on foreign tourists, especially Asians. Last year, there were few foreign tourists yet the road toll increased. Another failure for this government who promised to sort out the roads and bring the toll down. What happened?

Get a life mate. Talk about an over reaction. The story was on the Stuff website.

I know Press journos who are real piss heads, some have lost their driving licenses due to excessive blood alcohol. Does Von Beynon write about them? Of course he is entitled to report this but he's always overly negative concerning harness racing. Why did he need to mention McGrath and M. Kerr in this story? Those two blokes got nothing to do with this case. Von Beynon puts the boot into harness racing any chance he gets...

Harness racing's greatest knocker Press writer Van Beyond has another kick in the guts for harness racing. This time about the Blair Orange breath test failure. To further stick the knife in, he also brings up McGrath and M. Kerr. More bad news for harness racing. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/124044652/top-harness-driver-pinged-for-excess-alcohol-before-race-meeting Top harness driver pinged for excess alcohol before race meeting Martin Van Beynen One of New Zealand’s top harness racing drivers is one of two facing charges after failing pre-race alcohol tests at a Canterbury race meeting. Blair Orange and Bob Butt were breathalysed and found to be over the permitted limit at a meeting of the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club at Motukarara Raceway, near Christchurch, on January 24. Drivers must test under 100 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath to comply with harness racing rules. In New Zealand, the alcohol limit for motor vehicle drivers aged 20 years and over is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and the blood alcohol limit is 50 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood. Orange was scheduled to drive in seven races and Butt, who is also a trainer, in two. They were stood down and other drivers took their places for the races. The Racing Integrity Unit has filed charges against the drivers with the Judicial Control Authority (JCA) and is expected to hear the charges in about a week. Orange hung up when he was approached for comment. Butt did not respond to messages. Orange is one of the country’s foremost harness racing drivers and in a 25-year career has driven more than 2100 winners, with the wins collecting more than $25 million in prize money. Butt has driven 49 winners and garnered about $500,000 in prize money. The alleged breaches are a bad start to the harness racing year after a 2020 plagued with a series of scandals. Canterbury trainer Mitchell Kerr handed in his training licence in November last year over allegations of fraudulent behaviour regarding horses he trained. He is facing charges laid by the Racing Integrity Unit with a hearing expected next month. Nigel McGrath, another promising driver and trainer, was banned from harness racing for eight years last year after an incident in which he was allegedly caught doping a horse.

I wouldn't be too harsh on any driver making an error at the MOT. The track is rough and it has probably the worst crossing in the world to negotiate. Grass tracks are of various quality... No. 1 Methven, smooth track I think mainly because the gallopers do not race on it. The rest are a few steps down from Methven with the MOT the worst track surface in my opinion. 😁

Two wins for A. Black at Winton and a win the week before ... more to come!!

Yes, in those days there was a lot of team driving far worse than what the All Stars are accused of but little said. Small and Premier Stables the main culprits.

Race 4, Brodie Lindenny, named after our favourite BOAF harness fan, probably won't pay much.

I think Southland trainer Alister Black is a future star if he can keep getting quality stock. He had five horses at Winton yesterday. Two first starters in the maiden mobile trot... he quinellaed the race with Wai Kee Wee winning by over eight lengths. Race 5, a Bettor's Delight gelding having first start and won by two and a half lengths. Consistent trotter Get Lucky was fifth in the big trot a good effort from 35m. Vintage Cheddar not suited by wet track. I like it that you can back his horses with confidence because they are ready to go when start at the races. He also did a great job setting Vintage Cheddar for the Cup meeting winning twice. I think he has a big future in the game.

Beyond Words should win but there are some consistent performers in the field including Spelllbound, Need You Now and Enchantee to keep her honest. Perhaps there will be an upset and one of the southerners trained by Steve Baucke will take it out?

https://www.cullenracingstables.co.nz