
Forbury
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Everything posted by Forbury
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I really don't understand why they just don't stream live on YouTube like many racing areas do. problem solved maybe because there heads are so far up there ...
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Champion every NZ trot race is now shown live on tab sky racing active app.the Nelson cup was shown there live.
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One stable was Graham Reeks. “I was just mucking out there and he got me in the cart a few times at the end.” He left school when he was sixteen. “My parents weren’t keen on me going into a stable and I had to do an apprenticeship, so I did car upholstery and canvasing for a year. But the urge was too strong so I packed my bag and went down to Normandy just out of Hawera and worked for Doug Grantham.” At that time Grantham trained Marie Gibbins (Emory Hanover) which won eleven races including a New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Stakes, Thames Pacing Cup and Northern Oaks. He worked for Grantham for twelve months. “I then looked after thoroughbreds on the boat which went from Auckland to Sydney which took three and a half days. They gave me an air ticket to get home which was valid for twelve months. I loved it over there and only came back because I had to use the ticket.” Berger moved around stables when he had his junior driver’s licence and said he didn’t drive a lot. His first winner was Dan Que (Out To Win) for Roy and Barry Purdon at the Franklin meeting in April 1978. Mike Berger (Trish Dunnell Photo) After a stint at Kumeu, Berger worked for Mike Stormont before heading off to Canada where he worked in various stables for fourteen months. On returning home he had a short stint in the wine and spirits industry before harness racing came calling again and he took up a job at the Purdon stable. “I went to work of Roy and while I was there Barry came into partnership. They were so great to work for. Just a great atmosphere.” Mike gained his training licence in 1980 and trained privately for Graeme Mackie. “One of my first training winners was for him – Trade Direct. I liked the driving but I thought do I want to get the experience of driving or the ten percent as a trainer. The decision was pretty easy.” Trade Direct won five races for Berger. After sharing stable space with a number of other trainers Berger was offered a stable block at the Morrinsville track where he took out his open licence. “I did a lot of breaking in and pre-training. I was pretty lucky starting off, Roy Purdon and Peter Wolfenden sent me horses.” In 1988 he and Simon Pavlovich formed a training partnership. “He was working for me. We had a young team, he was working really hard, and I thought we would have a reasonable season so I asked him if he wanted to go into partnership.” Between 1988 and 1990 the partnership trained thirty five winners. “Simon’s father passed away and his mother wanted him to return home and help with the family holiday camp in Queenstown. That was the finish of the partnership but we stayed pretty good mates until he passed away.” Berger then went into partnership with Warren Rich and the pair ran two stables between 2000 and 2003. “We had a few Asian clients who had come out from Hong Kong when things were changing. They bought a property at Pukekohe. I didn’t want to have all my eggs in one basket so Warren looked after the Pukekohe base and I stayed at Morrinsville.” In that time they trained 109 winners including a New Zealand Cup with Gracious Knight in 2002, Easter Cups with Facta Non Verba (2000) and Gracious Knight (2002) and a City of Auckland FFA in 2002 with Facta Non Verba. Facta Non Verba Facta Non Verba turned out to be Berger’s best horse, winning twenty seven races. He remembers the day he bought the gelding’s mother Saieda Girl (Surmo Hanover). Saieda Girl went on to win seven races for Berger and was successful at stud – leaving Fact Non Verba, Barries Chev (1), Westshore Lad (2) and Saieda Bint (7). Berger has no hesitation in labelling Facta Non Verba as his favourite. “He was very highly strung and he lacked high speed but he was tough.” By his career end he’d achieved twenty seven wins, sixteen seconds, fourteen thirds and had won $532,035 in stakes. He won a Group One Easter Cup, Group One City Of Auckland FFA and Group Two Franklin Cup. The horse also campaigned in Australia where he won six races. “When he was finished you couldn’t really rehome him because he didn’t have the right nature to be a riding horse. A guy tried him as a cart horse for weddings but that didn’t work out. A good friend of ours Scott Eagleton at Seaton Park near Matamata took him, and they used him to run with the weanlings. He looked fantastic, got feed and rugged in the winter and lived to a good age. That was pretty cool.” Berger’s favourite moment with Facta Non Verba was his winning of the City Of Auckland FFA. “He sat parked for the last bit and just dished it up to them. He was so tough.” His other open class horse Gracious Knight, (Tuapeka Knight) was owned by The Happy Valley Syndicate which was made up of a group of businessmen from Hong Kong. They bought his dam, Kind Hearted (Rashad – Big Softie). “She had a Tuapeka Knight foal at foot and was in foal to Soky’s Atom. I think they paid two and a half thousand for the package. It turned out the mare wasn’t in foal, so they got a free return to Soky’s Atom. The foal at foot turned out to be Gracious Knight.” Gracious Knight Gracious Knight won twelve of his forty nine starts and was placed twelve times, winning $383,155. His wins included the 2002 New Zealand Trotting Cup in which he beat Facta Non Verba by a neck and the 2002 Group One Easter Cup. “He had lameness issues and Warren and his partner did a lot of work on him.” The 2002 New Zealand Cup was the pinnacle of Berger’s career. Berger’s training success continued with the likes of Hot Shoe Shuffle, Coburg and V For. Of V For he said “He had a bit of speed and he was one of the first crop of Christian Cullen. He ran a few placings against some real good horses. He got a lovely trip behind the Aussie horse (Romeo’s Legend) in the Taylor Mile. He was a nice horse because I had a half share in him (laughter).” V For’s other owner was Selwyn Taylor who Berger still trains for. “The first horse I trained for him was Blue Twirl. He’s bred from her all the way through. There haven’t been any super stars, but it’s been a consistent winning family.” Blue Twirl was a Vance Hanover mare which won five races. She left Sahara Storm which won six and at stud left V For. One of Sahara Storm’s daughters Sahara Starlight left ten win mare Saharazona which is the dam of Barbarossa which won four races for Taylor and Berger. Over the forty three years other good winners in Mike’s colours have been Bettor Spirits (14), Supreme Ruler (10), Max Factor (9), Lusty Mac (9), Stand Sure (9), Kevs Choice (8), Spirit Of Anzac (8), Skipper’s Reign (8), Lucky John (8) and Suidelike Meisie (8). Philip Butcher has had a great association with the stable, driving 148 winners. “His driving complimented my training. I rate him as good an all-round horseman as anyone I know. He was a very patient driver and he drove a horse to its ability. He probably got wins out of horses that wouldn’t have won for other drivers.” Todd Mitchell (94) also reined plenty of winners for Berger. “We had a run with The Wizard but then he became too popular. He’s a terrific horseman.” Other successful reinsmen for the stable have been Tony Herlihy (62), David Butcher (41), Maurice McKendry (35) and Aaron Vallender (25). Mike is proud that he’s been able to mentor young people in the sport who have gone on to carve out their own careers – the likes of Kyle Marshall, Philippa Wakelin, Stevie Noble and Scott Iremonger. Berger’s last training partnership was with Matthew White, over two seasons and eleven wins. Mike says retirement isn’t too far away now. Instead of carting horses south to the Manawatu he says he’ll be heading south to see his grandchildren at Marton. He’s excited about that. by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink Facta Non Verba was a top horse.it raced at Mooney valley won easy from death but the next week Mr John caldow was happy not to put in the race again like the start before drive it so it would not win and made sure it ran second.it was all john caldow race fixing nothing to do with trainer I'm suggesting.its in my memory because of that!😝😍
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No faith in the new superstar father mother son combo.they could go better than when dd was there until carter goes to USA.i hope the get more horses of average or overrated trainers.telfers barn is ripe for the pickings just ask Grimson
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woodend. full of thugs and women bashers. time to tidy your act up.
Forbury replied to Honestjohn's topic in The Vent
That's quite upsetting to hear and only makes ones opinion on NZ trots worse.there must be the most severe punishments to the guilty party's.like Grimson trainer got then got off.they should get years! -
The leading picnic trainer in Victoria won some very big races in NZ trots as a trainer driver.i would not know his name but saw a story on him on racing.com
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Sky Racing active app it's always there now!so when it's not on sky 1&2 it's on that.i hope that helps you champion 😝😍
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It's the Dalgety show day.it shows how much it matters star trainer future superstar driver.i give carter less than three years left in NZ.he will definitely join his idol role model mentor in the USA.its a no brainer.have to mention bob butt to as what a great trainer driver he has become.
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Competition is over get in the queue I've got this!the early crow I'm sure to get nailed at the finish 😄😜😂
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Nelson Trots Two Day Annual Meeting Friday 12th & Sunday 14th January.
Forbury replied to Walt's topic in Trotting Chat
Totally agree again👍💪🤞 -
Nelson Trots Two Day Annual Meeting Friday 12th & Sunday 14th January.
Forbury replied to Walt's topic in Trotting Chat
Hi it was a very bad dead drive on Scarlett's legacy first up not suggesting anything undue.its run ended last 100 so should improve off a soft run!so you could be on the money early.its always good to start like that💥😍 -
There was a first 4 pool today at Winton in mile race won by Tim Williams that went to 157k.he won fav and it paid more than $800 in a field with only 7 legitimate chances of placing.that will inflate the days turnover!
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You deserved what you got.these days old man language abuse like that will end you up charged by the police and in court that's a fact and now you have taken it further with violent threats over someone opinion and observations that this might be race fixing due to a recent pattern of drives which ended up in a brain fart and Sam suspended so if you want to continue to embarrass yourself before you die angry old man be our guest it will be worth a laugh 😂
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Nelson Trots Two Day Annual Meeting Friday 12th & Sunday 14th January.
Forbury replied to Walt's topic in Trotting Chat
Sunny's Sister has just got better and better and has ten metres on his biggest danger, Almighty Fear. Should win.nelson is a flat track isn't?she might not get around.i stuck solid with her and john Dunn delivered one of his best drives to win big race at odds with her.shes not foolproof by far yet. -
Nelson Trots Two Day Annual Meeting Friday 12th & Sunday 14th January.
Forbury replied to Walt's topic in Trotting Chat
Thank you for your thoughts opinions love this meeting love to go sometime in the future -
Hi champion I will take team h please just for the fun of it!came on to complain about Cambridge fields what a disgrace.the north is big big trouble.its sad as I wish it was thriving.
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Absolutely champion well explained
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The perfect combo would be that James goes works drives for the telfers.ever since the horses dropped dead there horses have gone very poorly mostly.what do I have to do Brodie to get a big price winner home.gazza beat 41/1 second.henrick in the trot today 60/1 second and john Morrison at 60/1 second.😡🤯
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It's now official James stormont is the most toxic trainer and driver in NZ.since he has worked for Fred Fletcher all there horses have performed worse than when Sam Thornley was there and driven worse.now K Newman gets special effects from James and wins first time
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Surprise surprise mark Purdon didn't fix another boat race no he didn't he would never do that lol.what a PREDICTABLE RESULT
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Mark Purdon says he's made good connections in victoria.he says don't stop dreaming is going for hunter cup.i believe it won't make the field and should not make the field as there will be better proven horses selected.therefore I'm predicting that this race tonight will be another boat race and don't stop dreaming will win
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ATC have more than a problem with fields and integrity.i will never ever place a bet north again in my life as a result of a lot of boat races.race 2&3 were completely boat races pre organised!
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You took the words out of my mouth regarding the sisters.sam I've always liked and I hope he learns from this and returns a better driver.we can always have a brain fart and Sam had one today on flow motion.luke Whitaker is back from Australia and has a few good drives tomorrow.love leap to fame winning the inter for grant.i was on Gazza beet today 40/1.what a great days of racing from Westport🤑all the best champion 🏆😍
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I've always liked Sam and rated him as one of the leading jnrs.it just stuck right out that he was really affecting the outcome of races by driving poorly like flow motion and it looked like he may be doing badly as he never drove like that before
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That was what I was trying to point out all along that there were many drives like this on flow motion that really affected the outcome of the race.And no I'm not a fortune teller I just know!!!and love the bookies are still getting it wrong constantly!