Davis

Thanks mate.

I watched the replays earlier. Yes, most races predictable but I think boring a bit strong mate. There were some impressive performances. Sundee's Son was magnificent. The Dunns have made a great job with this horse, he seems to improve which each campaign and more to come. Alladin I think was a T Williams special. I think he hasn't learnt from Natalie how to get the best out of a horse close to the line. He asked the horse for an effort at exactly the right time something Natalie Rasmussen has done countless times. Bolt For Brilliance was impressive I thought. He wasn't going to beat Sundee Sun but he still ran on and was still coming at the line. He'll be a better horse next season, probably #1 then? Bettor Twist, what a tough horse she is, she reminds me of the dour staying mares of old, Blossom Lady etc, she just keeps giving. Williams drove her well but he was beaten by a horse with a very soft run.

Not sure. He seems the logical choice but they already have a huge workload. Can they maintain that or even increase it in the next two to three seasons? I think someone like T. Williams, M Purvis, Regan Todd could dominate?

Agreed but they didn't have the dominating stock like they usually do. None of the three years old, except Bettor Twist, were as good as past AS crops.

Thanks Karrots Happy New Year. I didn't expect much as don't follow North Island form. I also didn't see the races except from a distance because I was with GF at Rock, Rolleston. She loves dancing so we were on the dance floor from 9pm to 12pm! It's a small thing I can do as happy gf, happy life. I saw the Alladin race during a break, it looked to be a T. Williams special drive? Good price too!

And let's not forget the horse training and driving knowledge of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen that will be lost. Cullen has not got that, never will. There are few trainers around now with that sort of knowledge, R & B Purdon, A Herlihy, Dunns. Another thing the stable did was blood new drivers. The likes of B Orange and T Williams learned their craft with the AS. Personally, I think the loss of the AS is a shame but I know why they've done it. Who can blame them. The industry will carry on regardless and some one will take over the top spot and dominate in a two or three seasons time. Who will that be... Tim Williams? Blair Orange might go out on his own? Regan Todd, Kirsten Barclay, Amanda Hoffman, Alister Black, Brett Gray, K & T Barron, Townley will get better stock from ex-AS owners and they are good enough to get the horse to its potential. A more important question: Will Brodie be unbanned in 2021?

Look, I'm looking for some advise about the Omakau harness track. I don't know much about it so need to know if the track suits a horse that sits at the rear and comes with a last to first burst in the straight, ie Vintage Cheddar? I made plenty off this pony during Cup Week and tempted to go again... but a few doubts. I'm sure Brodie will know. Is the track better suited to front runners or can horses make ground in the straight? Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.

Yes, I can see a few owners trying their horses with Tim Williams. I think the AS horses will be share around more now. No disrespect to Mr Cullen who I don't know much about. But he still has to prove himself. He's got the best trainer setup in Australasia so he has that advantage. Can he maintain the AS strike rate?

I support them. They have had a great run, it will probably be never bettered, but now it is the turn of someone else to step up and take over as NZ premier trainer. Who will it be?

I think it was Gordon Middleton mate? His son was Carl who specialised more on trotters and didn't race 2yo as much as the old man did.

Graham Brown won five races in NZ, one as a 2yo and 4 as 3yo. The horse was exported to US.

Great fields at Auckland. Could be the final time that the All Stars race at Alexandra Park? R1 - Mountain Mass R2 - Raven Bromac R3 - Beyond Words R4 - Kelvinz Luck R5 - Bettor Twist R6 - Kango R7 - Alladin R8 - Bolt For Brilliance R9 - Ashley Locaz R10 - New Tricks Happy New Year...

Have you contacted the rAcing Minister mate? I think it is that halfwit Robertson so probably waste of time but send him an email anyway.

Thank you Forbury. happy new year to you mate. Great fields at Auckland but I won't be able to watch them. Taipo Spankem, Amazing Dream & Ashley Locaz (Cup trifecta) Bolt for Brilliance will bolt in... Better Twist Alladin (('m looking for a Tim Williams special)

What the fuck is Lamb doing today? This must be one of his worst ever starting performances. R11 a shambles. Resign Lamb.

The GF and I are heading to Motkuamara tomorrow. It is not my favourite course but she wants to go... so yes darling!! Would appreciate some guidance on winners, roughies, drivers and trainers who do well at the Mot. Thanks al lot everyone. If you're having a punt at the MOT... fare well. Davis

Didn't see the first but watched most others. Despite the false starts both standing and mobile starts were of a higher standard than what we get in Canterbury with Lamb. Why is Lamb so useless compared to these guys that don't start as often as him? Sack Lamb today!

She'll improve the horse...

What the hell was that? What a shambles of a start for the Westport Cup. P. Lamb please retire.

Congratulations... a good win. Here's to more G1 wins to come...

Brodie? 🤣

Mozarella Alana Onedin Punter Easy Does It Storms Acoming Need A Margarita Safrakova Port Delight Bolt For Brilliance Mr Fantastic The Banker MeetMeInSorrento

I don't know. Probably an industry source that squeals to von Baynon at any opportunity. Why don't you call von Beynon and ask him?

I think Bolt For Brilliance will live up to the hype. You will probably beat him at Cambridge, good luck with your horse, but Alex Park will be different. I have seen a lot of good trotters in my time and Bolt For Brilliance looks the most promising trotter around at the moment to my eye. That is only my opinion of course.

This is a sad case. Horse owner stands by troubled young trainer with 'terrible addiction' Martin Van Beynen 05:00, Dec 24 2020 Harness racehorse trainer Mitchell Kerr handed in his training licence earlier this month. Prominent harness racehorse owner Keith Ovens is sticking with troubled young trainer Mitchell Kerr, who he says has a “terrible addiction disease”. Kerr, one of the country’s most promising young trainers, handed in his licence earlier this month, as the Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) began an investigation into his conduct. The raft of allegations suggest Kerr, 28, over-syndicated horses and charged for non-existent insurance policies. Ovens, who is prominent in New Zealand's merino industry and has been aligned with the Kerr family for many years, confirmed he was the owner most affected “in all this”. “And helping his amazing parents who are sticking by him even though their lives have been destroyed by their son’s disease as well. Trainer Paul Kerr celebrates with his son, Mitchell, after Pay Me Christian won the NRM Sire's Stakes Series final at Addington in 2005. “I have raced horses with Paul (Mitchell's father) for 35 years, and he is a dedicated, talented, respectful person, trainer and father.” Ovens suggested the media coverage so far contained a number of mistakes but did not say what they were. “Let’s see what the RIU and Police do with the actual facts.” Paul Kerr, who has taken over several of the horses his son was training, also responded to a story published earlier this week. He said the claim about his son having a large gambling debt in Australia was false. “There is no way you can bet on tick,” he said. He did not respond to a request for the “full truth”. Stuff has since clarified that Mitchell Kerr has a large debt, believed to be hundreds of thousands of dollars, as a result of his gambling. The concerns under investigation by the RIU relate partly to Kerr over-selling shares in horses he bought to train and race. The process of a trainer putting together a syndicate to own a horse and pay its expenses is not unusual. But Kerr, according to allegations made to the RIU, sometimes sold shares in horses, in some cases equal to almost twice their value. This is called over-syndicating. Syndicate owners have therefore found that instead of owning 20 per cent of a horse they actually own only 10 per cent. The RIU is also investigating owners being charged insurance premiums for non-existent insurance policies over horses, and a situation where Kerr allegedly sold a non-existent horse to an Australian buyer and charged for its training expenses. Kerr – who already has 87 wins to his credit and has won nearly $900,000 in stake money in his three-year training career – handed in his training licence to Harness Racing New Zealand earlier this month. His father Paul, a veteran licensed trainer based in Ohoka, North Canterbury, who is now employing Mitchell. He has previously said the allegations against his son were only rumours and hung up when called on Monday.