Davis

I think you will find that M. Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen were committed to driving for Mr Cullen at Cambridge. Mark Purdon also said that during the sabbatical he would continue to drive some of his former charges from time to time; Natalie was not so certain of that. I think Mark and possibly Natalie will still drive for Mr Cullen, and maybe others, in G1 races.

Mmm... Mr Cullen has the choice of T. Williams or O. Thornley... which driver would I choose?

http://ustrottingnews.com/dunn-is-driver-of-the-year-brittany-farms-top-breeder/?fbclid=IwAR2QDQZvxJ8nlQOHdzjJRd0xg-dG8UwDIMsyxggDsiLMhAHxd1DJqP9xHXs Dunn is Driver of the Year; Brittany Farms top breeder Harrisburg, PA — The U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has announced the winners of its Dan Patch Awards for excellence in equines and humans. The winners are normally honored at the annual banquet, but that event was cancelled due to the ongoing health crisis, so a special virtual awards show was broadcast on Saturday (Jan. 16) on Facebook Live. Dexter Dunn, a nine-time winner of the driving title in his native land of New Zealand before the age of 30, has now been in the U.S. and Canada for two years, and he has been voted Driver of the Year each year. This year was an especially rich one for him as he was the leading money-winning driver last year with almost $11.2 million and driving a number of divisional champions. In September, October, and November alone, Dunn drove the winners of 26 races worth more than $100,000. He was the regular pilot for Fire Start Hanover, Party Girl Hill, Bettor’s Wish, Kissin In The Sand, Manchego and Amigo Volo. Dunn also won four Breeders Crown races. Brittany Farms became only the third breeding operation to be the first home of the winners of $200,000,000 despite producing a good many fewer horses than their nearest competitors. They have tied Hanover Shoe Farms as the No. 1 breeders of Breeders Crown winners at 27. Among the farm’s divisional winners in 2020 were Manchego, Bettor’s Wish, and the undefeated 2-year-old colt pacer Perfect Sting. They were third among breeders in 2020, with their progeny earning more than $5.5 million. PINSKE STABLES OWNERS OF THE YEAR; KELLY SMITH LEADING CARETAKER The Pinske Stables which includes Marlys Pinske, her son Karl, and her grandson Carter, had a great year to win the closest vote in all of the Dan Patch categories, 55-48, over another family operation, the Chaffees’ Caviart Farms. The Pinskes familiar green and gold silks were in various tracks’ winners circles after several victories by the richest 2-year-olds of both sexes, the trotting colt Venerate ($767,914) and the pacing filly Fire Start Hanover ($592,562), along with the leading 3-year-old trotting colt, Amigo Volo, who won the Breeders Crown and the Kentucky Futurity. All three were voted divisional champions. The winner of the 2020 Caretaker of the Year Award, sponsored by Art Zubrod and Leah Cheverie’s Fair Island Farm, is Kelly Smith, a longtime employee of Hall of Fame trainer Chuck Sylvester. Smith was nominated by Sylvester himself, who called her, “my unsung hero.” Smith began working for Sylvester three decades ago, with one of her first champions being the 1993 Hambletonian Oaks winner Winky’s Goal. Another of Smith’s champion charges and one of her all-time favorite horses is 2013 Breeders Crown champion Spider Blue Chip. JK SHE’SALADY AND STEAMY WINDOWS PACING AND TROTTING BROODMARES OF THE YEAR Voted Horse of the Year after going undefeated in 12 freshman starts, the Art Major – Presidential Lady pacing mare JK She’salady, who was the 2014 Horse of the Year after going undefeated at 2, is also showing her quality as a broodmare and is now the 2020 Pacing Broodmare of the Year. Bred and owned by 3 Brothers Stables, JK She’salady (Art Major-Presidential Lady) has produced two outstanding fillies. The Western Ideal miss JK First Lady, a winner of more than $700,000 and a sub-1:50 performer at both 2 and 3, and the Always B Miki distaff JK Alwaysbalady, who won her Breeders Crown elimination prior to finishing second in the final are the mare’s first two foals. Both raced for 3 Brothers Stable. Steamy Windows, a daughter of Muscle Massive – Commando Queen who was bred and is owned by Order By Stable is the Trotting Broodmare of the Year. The mare produced the Trotter of the Year in the Chapter Seven stallion Gimpanzee. The then 4-year-old won his third Breeders Crown and raised his career bankroll to $2.7 million. Steamy Windows also produced Gimpanzee’s 2-year-old full sister, Iteration, won half of her 10 freshman starts and bankrolled over $300,000.

$1000ew bit low mate...

I know it costs around a $1000 for a camper van and that is one-way. A five or six berth horse float truck would cost more.

Happy New Year Rebecca... good to have you back!!

The ferry costs would be thousands unless the horses swam across the strait?

Good luck for his future races.

I remember this horse well. He raced when harness was popular and crowds turned up at Addington each meeting. Southland produced some excellent horses in those days. Bee Bee Cee lived to 31 years old, I wonder what that is in human years? Good to see a positive story about harness racing for a change. RIP BBC. Former harness racing star Bee Bee Cee put down at age 31 Jamie Searle 16:36, Jan 12 2021 One of the great horses to come out of Southland harness racing has died. The 1994 New Zealand Cup winner Bee Bee Cee was put down last week after developing a heart problem on the mid-Canterbury property of his owners Colin and Jeane Calvert, formerly of Ryal Bush. “We [always] promised him, ‘you are never going to suffer’,” Jeane said of the 31-year-old standardbred. “He’s had a good life and is buried here on the property [at Chertsey].” The Calvert’s son, Michael, who is an assistant furneral director, arranged for a plaque, with Bee Bee Cee's name engraved on it, to be attached to a cross at the grave. A memorial tree will also be planted there. “It was Colin’s dream to have a horse good enough to start in the [NZ] Cup and the rest is history,” Jeane said. Soon after the Cup win the Calverts and Bee Bee Cee were on their way to Sydney for the prestigious Miracle Mile, in which he was a fast-finishing second. The Calverts bought Bee Bee Cee out of a group of three or four yearlings on offer by Ryal Bush breeder Russell Morton. Colin remembers the day well. “Jeane picked him out and said, ‘that’s the one you can buy’,” he said. She liked his conformation and the way he looked. Colin, who trained Bee Bee Cee, knew he had ability when educating him. “He was the perfect racehorse, you would never know he was a colt [or an entire]. “I never over raced him, I picked my races.” Bee Bee Cee had 14 wins in his 50-start career. The Calverts moved from Ryal Bush to Chertsey in early 1994 to be closer to top grade racing in Christchurch as Bee Bee Cee had won his way out of the Southland classes.

CAMBRIDGE GOLD CUP NIGHT Race 1 - Love and Faith Race 2 - Brodie Lindenny (I knew someone would name a horse after him...)😊 Race 3 - Roma Rosa Race 4 - Classy Robin Race 5 - Safrakova Race 6 - Ruby Mach Race 7 - American Me Race 8 - Down The Hatch Race 9 - Monkey Selfie Race 10 - Captain Nemo Good luck punting everyone....

I am against the whip but I don't think SAFE will target harness racing because the sport has a low profile and following. It is more likely they will target gallops. Greyhounds for other reasons. But if whips are banned in gallops, harness would have to follow suit.

So it's alright for a certain starter to bellow RIGHT!!! loud enough to scare the wildlife in the area including me. But a driver is not allowed to urge his mount at the start. Interesting?

I don't think whips are needed either mate. One of the Scandinavian countries, Norway I think, banned whips and trotting there is thriving. I would like to see a trial and have three or four months without whips and see how things work out. Animal rights are to the fore these days, but harness racing probably will be the last targeted because these days it is little more than a cottage industry and flies under the radar of the likes of SAFE etc.

I'm not an expert on the bloodspinning so don't know how often it is used. I don't think it is illegal but no doubt expensive treatment so would only be worth giving to G1 horses? I know that other stables have used the technology. Carabella, a top open class mare trained by B. Hill, used it, that stable doesn't win too many nowadays.

Can any of them train horses. Just because they are top drivers does not mean they will be top trainers.

She's a slow learner?

the latest prison fiasco with the most useless and incompetent minister Kelvin davis missing in action as usual. Labour, or at least St Jacinda, will not be associated with this. The media will give both her and Labour a free-ride on this issue. Probably time for a Mistress Neve photo taken while on holiday to divert the masses attention.

I agree, it doesn't make much sense. Perhaps Cranwell Dalgety had a health problem?

I usually agree with your posts mate but I am not getting your point here??? All trainers charge a base rate and then extras on top. All Stars is $100/day, maybe someone like M. Larter $20/day? Then, whether your horse is trained by AS or ML, you still pay extras... shoeing, vets (the biggie), transport, accomodation, covers etc etc etc. Regardless if your horse is trained by a good trainer or a mug you still pay for the extra on top of daily rate. Another thing that would favour a AS owner is if the horse was not much good you would be told that early. The horse probably sacked from AS after one or two preps. On the other hand, if your horse is trained by a mug it could be years before the nag is sacked costing the owners tens of thousands. Just my thoughts mate...?

You are right the same owners will still win the majority of G1 races despite the AS breakup. Many of those owners are also significant breeders, the Whitecocks and Trevor Casey, have well-performed and well-bred fillies who are breeding on. I think this is because the AS do not over race fillies and mares, most are retired to stud as 4yos. There's bound to be new money come into the sport as younger trainers attract new owners too. It's going to be interesting. Perhaps, Mr Cullen will surprise and been an even better trainer than Purdon/Rasmussen?

None one the Scandinavian trotters imported by Mr T. Butt to race here were much good and haven't done much better in breeding paddock.

Brodie cleaned out the TAB, richest man in New Zealand, then he was banned...

Good horses have been ruined by poor trainers. There's an art to preparing younger horses to get them to G1 level and many trainers do not have it.

This is bad luck for the Central Otago Trotting Assn, a lot of work down the drain. Oh well at least I don't have to worry about whether Vntage Cheddar will suit the track now. Omakau trots cancelled By Jonny Turner Heavy rain and surface flooding have forced the cancellation of today’s Omakau trots in Central Otago. Officials were forced to call off the meeting, which they hoped would attract as many as 8000 people, when the racetrack and surrounding areas became waterlogged. Central Otago Trotting Club president Graham Sinnamon had to make the tough call to cancel today’s popular race day after monitoring the track through the night. “Head versus heart - it was a horrible decision to have to make,” he said. As early as 3am this morning, Sinnamon was monitoring weather websites and keeping an eye on the condition of the track. “It became apparent through the night the rain was going to be a lot more than what we were anticipating.” Sinnamon inspected the track early this morning with Racing Integrity Unit official Nigel McIntyre and it was then the call was made to call off the races. “There is water up through the stable block, all through where the vendors would be and behind the administration block. “It is so ironic we are in a total fire ban.” It appears unlikely today’s race meeting will be re-run in the immediate future. The Central Otago Trotting Club will explore the option, but its focus now is on horsepeople who had travelled to Omakau ahead of the races and were staying at the race track. “That is a decision for later on at the moment,” Sinnamon said. “Later today the committee will sit down and discuss what our options could be. “But of course that will have to done with Harness Racing New Zealand.” “Our main focus at the moment is keeping the people that we have here dry and looked after.” The club is also busy spreading the message of today’s cancellation to a crowd that they hoped would get as big as 8000 people. Sinnamon said the club had worked with a number of tourism operators in the hope of getting a crowd of “8000 to 9000”.

Thanks Dougie. I don't think sitting parked is VC go. Drive him like he was at Addington with the last run so probably just a place chance. Mmm.... small field only two divs probably give it a miss. Good luck if you are having a punt.