Brodie

Yes some of them are pretty good, but there are very very few Junior drivers starting out. The South Island is going to be short of Junior Drivers as well in the coming years as fewer young ones make a career out of harness racing. The Kid Karts is fantastic but how many are actually going to work in stables and get their Junior licenses?

Dougie, also looked Pro Surfer but also didnt back it. Thought John Morrison would try for the front as not much speed inside, however it had been slow out from the gate before. There is daylight between our better Juniors and the other ones unfortunately. Sheree Tomlinson and John Morrison out of their Junior ranks shortly and our ranks are going to be very thin as no one coming thru!

Gee that is quite severe for a young driver. The horse should have been disqualified. HRNZ need to get off their arses and change the rule but they dont want to have enquiries as it is too hard for them! Easier to have horses causing interference and turning a blind eye to it!

Take After Me has paid his way, Shay Scott not so much!

Very interesting to see the now 11 year old Shay Scott due to line up for the first time in over 3 years! Being trained by Maria Perriton, who has a small team in Auckland at the moment, not sure whether she has moved up there permanently, but someone will know? You would wonder why you would bother bringing it back as an 11 year old, but it must be showing something in work! What I do know is that it was an absolute shocker for trotting all the way in its races for several seasons and I think took heaps of starts to win but did have speed but was really field shy and always gave the field big starts! Think Bevan Heron trained it for many years!

Always on the money, Newmarket lol Punters betting on horses with odds like that and due to the conditions are always going to end up as punters the NZ TAB love.

JAKH, nice to know you are still SAFE! We have been breeding from U.S. speed stallions for decades, if you had not realised. As for politics, I didnt realise that I made political speechs! I just state the facts!

Olivia Thornley clearly chopped Ben Hope’s horse before she was clear of it! She will get a suspension you would think or there is no integrity whatsoever, and you might as well disband the RIU!!!!! Yes the Hope horse was pulling bad and I think Ben in hindsight shouldve pressed on. Newmarket is correct, the AllStar horse should be disqualified but the blatantly stupid Harness Rule does not allow it! HRNZ change the rule as it is ridiculous!!!!!!

The second heat was an appalling display by the young drivers, if that is the best they can offer, we are in trouble in the Junior ranks! No one moved and was a terrible example on display for young drivers wanting to win the championship! What on earth were they scared of by just sitting at the back and giving their horses no chance???? The South Island drivers are light years ahead on ability than the North Island! come on Juniors that was Very poor and hopefully they drive far better on Sunday!!!!!!!

Eljay, with respect he isnt at the moment! With the poor fields up at Cambridge and Auckland you would think you would be able to win a race up there in 80 starts!!! You clearly know Bubbles, and your right to defend anyone you want, and I respect that! Hopefully he wins his first race shortly, merely pointing out that it seemed a bit of an anomaly that one of the Norths best has never won a race in 80 drives! Go Bubbles!!

Lol, FFS what Dickhead at the TAB would put the option under Premierships??????? Who would be looking under it there???? Surely it should be under the DRIVERS CHALLENGE?????? Surely, it is a SPECIAL, it is not a PREMIERSHIP!!!! Seriously stupid having it there where it can not be seen on the first screen!!! Defies logic!

Socrates is having its first start tonight at Addington in Race 5! First start, standing start and drawn 1! Bookies open at $2.30 and now shortened into $1.80 meaning there has been some money on at $2.30 and less! It can win no doubt and the money on says that it probably will, but drawing the inside from a stand and first up is a helluva risk at those prohibitive odds, I would think? It won its last trial very nicely leading up with the race winners off 20m over 2600 metres, but you wouldnt say that it was anything outstanding prior to that, to be so short! Wish those that took it at those odds all the best as you may need it, if missing away slightly!!

The thing with this Juniors Drivers champs is that an underdog has in Recent years won it! Gamma, what I would say is that the individual winner will come from the South Island! The stupid thing about some of the Drivers Challenges is that some of the fixed Odds options are just not worth betting into, and you would be a mug punter if you did! Seriously, what is the chance of any half sensible punter betting into a driver winning 4 plus races as Addington in a night???????? Why the Bookies offer this option defies logic there are far better options that would attract money than that! There are several things that could be introduced and offered to get turnover up and interest in their product! It is if they do not give a stuff but just going through the motions!

With the NZ Juniors champs starting tonight at Addington, you would think the TAB would be running a book on it wouldn’t you? Individuals and North vs.South! Let us on for what the punter wants for a change? How about starting them both at $1.85?

If mile racing is so great, why dont we have the NZ Cup and the Dominion run over one mile?? People that support mile racing in NZ are not thinking about what is best to attract new people or not serious People that are new to racing and go oncourse dont want to come out of the bar and then get a race that takes less than 2 minutes to run!! Mile racing should be spasmodic at best in NZ going forward as Black Print is so over rated nowadays as most horses are capable of getting it!

U on the money too quick. I got big fingers

Lol where does it say mike racing?

Unhinged, are you serious about mile racing?? As boring as being at a Labour Party pissup! There is buggerall new people being attracted to harness racing now and introduce more miles and you are going to lose more. We need variety in our racing not boring miles like they have in the U.S. Thank christ the mile at Addington is where it is or we would be in trouble. What happened to the 1390m they had at Rangiora, why arent they being continued? Why not, because it is just blatantly stupid and unappealing!

Ozzie harness racing is full of ex Kiwi horses in most states! Horses met their mark over here go to Oz and next minute they have won 5 or 6 in a row and are rated very good horses. NZ owners tend to have bred to far better stallions over the years than the Ozzies have, as Ozzies tend to have bred to substandard stallions.

You are correct! How do we get the industry out of the doldrums in the North? Not an easy one, there has to be a path for young ones to be enticed into a career in racing! There is not one so unsure how it can be turned around?

Taku, does show then just how dire the situation is in the North Island for harness racing unfortunately. There is very little future in the industry for many of participants once they are out of the junior ranks! You have to be very dedicated nowadays and prepared to battle financially if you want to stay in the business! How can the North be prosperous when there are next to no one coming into the training and junior driving ranks?

What was the criteria in the North to qualify for the N.I. Team? One of the drivers qualified for the N.I. has not won a race in 2 seasons of driving and over 80 drives! Not trying to be smart and I am sure the young fellah can drive a bit, but does seem odd doesnt it?

Doesnt make sense not to nominate when it would be a penalty free win! Maybe Canterbury trainers dont want to get a North Island junior on?

Totally agree that the media is in her pocket. She does need to have more ooomph when she does get in front of the camera though Chief! If they are editing what she is saying then she needs to express this in Parliament where people can see it without it being deleted! Anyone with half a brain can work out what the Lefties/Commies are trying to do but the others need to be enlightened!

Nah, after this past year you realise just how easily led people are! Seriously, people who still think she has a halo need to take a look at how poor this government is! I am still waiting for one of her comrades to actually state what good she has done for them and the country???? I know I will be waiting awhile as there is nothing! Absolute lightweights in life successes!