Davis

The Maurice Holmes Vase on Friday night at Addington is an interesting race. Jenna and Robert Dunn stable have four starters in the Maurice Holmes Vase on Friday night. Coincidentally, three of them have drawn 1, 2, 3... coincidence. What horse will the Dunn team want most want a free Cup start? Geoff Dunn has two starters, Laver and The Falcon, both resuming. Laver will need the run but The Falcon looks sharp at trials. He can win. It's an even field and any horse is capable of winning the race.

Seriously, mate, you need to chill out. It's not worth getting so heated up about a teeny topic like this. I know the government is useless and the country is heading for disaster mate. We all know that. But there's nothing you can do... tick tock,,, what will be, will be.. . It will all be over one day... Until then chill out, relax mate.

Irrelevant.

Look my old mate, you know that I usually support you and I know that you are generally on the mark. Good on you for that mate. But seriously mate I think you are wide of the mark here. Have you been smoking hooch?? LOL Mile racing is great. Yes, the starting point is not brilliant but than can be negated if the field was reduced to six to eight starters. OK I know you will say they are not great betting propositions. That's a fair call mate, but again I disagree. If we had a proper futures market money can be made. You can see a nice filly ticking along nicely, this race suits her. Early betting you might get $5 or $6 a place. Money in the bank if you pick the right horse and I know you are capable of that mate. We need more mile racing, not less...

I'm not sure HP, probably like the All Blacks if they continue with the present management crew and outdated ideas four or five years. I think it could be saved but it would need some innovative and forward thinking planning... not sure if that is around up there now?

Something definitely needs to be done mate or it will be gone by the end of the decade. Could be too late to save already?

Stanley Rio an underrated horse that doesn't get the recognition he should because his record is outstanding. Unfortunately, for him there were a lot of very good horses in his era to overshadow him.

I think you make some good points, mate. I seldom bet at Auckland or watch races from them so I cannot speak with authority on Alexandra Park. I have been there quite a few times but that was last century. I haven't got an issue with right-handed way of going because I think most sensible well trained horses can handle racing either way. But it seems to me racing has become boring at Alexandra Park as it seems to have a front-runners bias these days. Seldom do you see horses roaring home out wide these days. Back in the day that used to happen at Auckland. The only horse I can remember making ground wide is Majestic Cruiser in the Messenger but he is an exceptional horse. I don't know if they have changed the track but nowadays there's a problem with the final bend and the entrance to the home straight it seems to me. It's hard to make ground wide out on the bend and a lot of horses shy at being angled into the passing lane for some reason. This doesn't happen at Addington, so I don't know what is different about Auckland passing lane? But it causes a problem because the horse instead of taking passing lane goes wide so runners behind have to be angled around it, by then the leading horse has a two length advantage and that's enough to hold to the line.

All true but I think Bolt For Brilliance has gone to another level. I am ambivalent about handicapping G1 races. It worked back in the day because then were six or seven good horses in the field that could win. Today, that's not the case with in NZ at least C5-6 slow coaches getting a start in the NZ Trotting Cup. WTF? Back in the day when handicapping existed you had to win ten races to get to Cup class to even get a start in the race. Frankly, I don't think a 10m handicap would make much difference to Sundee's Son or Bolt For Brilliance. Pacers could be different with Copy That and Self Assured on 10m and Majestic Cruiser off the front. That would be interesting as Majestic Cruiser is as good as that pair.

Global Flight is from the Jenkins breed that has left good horses. I am not surprised the horse has improved in Australia. Jenkins is a fine trainer of trotters but his driving is not good costing his charges plenty of wins and his horses are often poor beginners. His daughter Amber is a better driver than her father. So if you buy a Jenkins horse you know that it probably can be improved often considerably,.

My old mate Brodie is being a bit harsh mate. There wouldn't be many better than Blacks A Fake, a pure Australian product Fake Left from a Vanston Hanover mare. He won four Interdoms and just beaten in a fifth. Trained in Australia of course by Natalie Rasmussen who now trains in partnership with Mark Purdon in NZ. I think NZ is the winner for her coming here. Majestic Cruiser must be No. 1 or No. 2 best pacer in Australasia at the moment? He'll be very dangerous in the Interdoms later this year.

I'm coming over next year... look out

Thanks mate. It's been a great carnival. Young Cameron Hart has a big future in the game. Majestic Cruiser I like that horse, I like his style of racing, not many horses with a sprint like that these days mate! He keeps coming... I'd love to see him at Addington for NZ Cup, he'd be a royal show. Yes, you are right about Australian trainers giving young drivers ago. Matthew Craven uses the juniors and he doesn't need to because he is a good driver himself. As you last night Taleah and before her he had the lovely Sofia Arviddsen driving Group race winners. It's been a great carnival. I came out ahead because of good collects off Captain Crusader and Majestic Cruiser so I am happy. Hope you got plenty mate.

Correct and obviously cheaper but horse also of course is not as well trained or as fit as it should be. Feed, vets, fuel etc all the same regardless of quality of horse. Yes, his daughters help out and Kendra has a junior licence but she has few drives now. She hasn't made the grade as a driver and not likely to get outside drives. I am not sure why Miss Gill hasn't been successful as a driver because she is a very accomplished equestrian rider. Strange? As I have said before mate, the present handicapping system suits some trotters. The full proof and consistent earners like The Bloss, Bright Glow, Sod's Law etc have won over $100,000 in stakes. That is good going for their class of horse. Horse like this would not have earned as much back in the day because they would have got to C3-4 and that would be it. I see what you are saying about Lock. Yes, they line up regularly, not sure why but they do. The fuel bill must be quite high from Oamaru to Christchurch, but I guess a couple of appearance fees would pay that. His other runners earn him $500 or so, good money I guess. You never know this new fellow Craig Smith might improve Gotta Ticket. Brodie seems to think he is a good horseman, so I'll take his work on that. I think the horse is better on hard tracks so Addington will suit him

It would often cost more to train the slow horse mate. If they are any good the trainer is often happy to take a share in the horse. If it's really good the trainer will have a share but the training will be included in share deal, other owners of a horse like this pay less than an owner of a slow horse like Gotta Ticket. Lunacy mate!

We've discussed this, mate. Alchin is a great trainer, one of the best in Australasia, but his driving is not of the same standard. Yes, young Rixon will handle him well. That's another thing I like about Australian harness trainers there give these young drivers a go. You've got young Rixon and the likes of young gun Hart. That's why I like Majestic Cruiser to win for the young guy. Over there top drivers get a chance despite their age, here the likes of Sarah O'Reilly, the best female driver since Natalie Rasmussen, gets few drives and even fewer group race drives. Crazy~

Yes, I get your point mate, and it's a fair point. I have owned horses and I know that some owners overrate the horse or fall in love with them, big time. That's OK, everyone is different. But even so I still cannot understand why you would persevere with a poorly bred 10 year old gelding like Gotta Ticket. WTF? In fact it is time for some straight talking! I do not understand Mr Mark Gill? He's one of the richest men in Marlborough and that's saying something cos there's some big money up there, yet he races and trains cheap poorly bred stock. He could afford to buy the highest lot at the yearling sales and train that. Why doesn't he? Lunacy!

I can not believe owners spend so much money on these type of horses. Lunacy! Speaking of nutty decisions. I see our favourite trotter Gotta Ticket has a new trainer. WTF!!! Why would you? OK old Davis will probably get egg on the moosh now as the horse will come and win but really I still cannot understand it mate. Craig Smith is the trainer, never heard of him?? And he's got a worse record than the millionaire Mark Gill, and that's saying something. It's a head scratcher mate...

Yes, he will win from that draw. I don't think he is going as well as he was last season but should still win this easily. He's a lovely looking horse, athletic and strong. One things certain mate, he won't be paying $81 & $18 this week. I won't back him if he is too short. It's going to be a great night of harness mate, enjoy.

Great field. At first glance I'd pick Majestic Cruiser from that draw?

Sundee's Son and Muscle Mountain top horses, particularly Sundee's Son, one of the best I've seen. But, I think patient trainer Tony H. has handled Bolt For Brilliance well not over racing him and I think the horse has now gone to another level. He was dominant in the Rowe Cup and a couple of earlier races and I can see him dominating next season.

I think the trotting fields had more depth back then to Gamma. Sure, there were the stand outs and champions including Basil Dean, Sir Castleton, Scotch Notch, Even Speed, Stormy Morn. But there were also a lot of consist horses that never went a bad race, the likes of Waipounamu, About Now, many more. Then there were the wayward characters, Diogenes, Southern Comfort, who on their day could beat any horse. You were a lucky punter if you picked their night as they always paid big money... In latter years one horse has tended to dominated the likes of Icandoosit and Sundee's Son stringing together multiple wins in a row. G1 wins galore. Great memories mate. Thank you.

1. Sundee's Son 2.Sundon 3.Scotch Tar 4. ? Mind blank 5. 6. Sir Castleton 7. 8. Scotch Notch 9. 10. Silken I have seen most of these trotters... brilliant...

Yes, she was impressive. Good draw helps Gamma on that track. Geez it was a rough go in behind her mate. Horses hanging, breaking, pushing out, being shoved wide. They all seemed to be attacking each other while leaving the leader alone in front. My old mate Captain Crusader never got into race, hard from that draw. Hope you got plenty mate

Thanks mate, look forward to it. So many good trotters I've seen. Sir Castleton unforgettable speed that horse, won so many races. Don't forget Sundon mate... probably the best of them all, racehorse and sire of top quality. Geez master trainer Fred Fletcher has had great horses. His best trotter these days Royal Pride bolted in last night at Addington. One to follow next season mate. Fred hasn't got him sorted yet, when he does.... wham!!