Sarah O’reilly… WTF 😂

[Newmarket]

Her horse today in Race 2 at Motukarara…. i am puzzled. 
Bizza To’o, now i get drivers want to take it easy on first starters, especially trotters…. but she looked like she was in a workout. Looking at front legs and wheels, back legs , you name it. 

I would like to see stipes report, as i thought drivers had to give their horses the best chance of winning the race? Horse had no show, while driver was gawking at everything, one thing she should have been looking at was the gap in the field in front of her…. end result, horse finally tagged on around turn, ran on well for 4th, a more positive drive easily gets it 2nd. 
Not a good look….

[Newmarket]

Then next race…. Interview with Anj Mugford… said horse was going ok, but i dont really want it to win🤣🤣🤣🤣 FFS, how did the punters that backed it at $6 feel…. did gallop early, so no explaining to do.

[the galah]

5 hours ago, Newmarket said:

Her horse today in Race 2 at Motukarara…. i am puzzled. 
Bizza To’o, now i get drivers want to take it easy on first starters, especially trotters…. but she looked like she was in a workout. Looking at front legs and wheels, back legs , you name it. 

I would like to see stipes report, as i thought drivers had to give their horses the best chance of winning the race? Horse had no show, while driver was gawking at everything, one thing she should have been looking at was the gap in the field in front of her…. end result, horse finally tagged on around turn, ran on well for 4th, a more positive drive easily gets it 2nd. 
Not a good look….

it looked pretty inexperienced .Its gait wasn't the best early and it got a fair way back,but ran on ok.It looks like it would gallop next time if amongst horses early or get too far back again,so i wouldn't be backing it to win for a few starts until you've seen a bit more of it.She did have a few looks to see what was happening in front of her,but only she could answer why.But i think it just looked  like an  inexperienced horse not up to running in the money just yet.

[Newmarket]

2 hours ago, the galah said:

it looked pretty inexperienced .Its gait wasn't the best early and it got a fair way back,but ran on ok.It looks like it would gallop next time if amongst horses early or get too far back again,so i wouldn't be backing it to win for a few starts until you've seen a bit more of it.She did have a few looks to see what was happening in front of her,but only she could answer why.But i think it just looked  like an  inexperienced horse not up to running in the money just yet.

Yes, agree slightly. But surely didnt give the poor punter any chance of paying a div. Just to confirm, i did not have a bet in the race.

[the galah]

On 23/11/2025 at 1:10 PM, Newmarket said:

Then next race…. Interview with Anj Mugford… said horse was going ok, but i dont really want it to win🤣🤣🤣🤣 FFS, how did the punters that backed it at $6 feel…. did gallop early, so no explaining to do.

one of the other pre race interviews yesterday,with ben hope ,resulted in what i thought were odd comments.

he was commenting on his drive on muscle mountain in the dominion on cup day. He said he didn't give the horse the run it deserved and indicated he felt he had let the horse down.

Now i'm all for just saying what happened all the time,no sugar coating something when someone has made a bad tactical decision,especially if they aren't trying.

But if you watched the video,he really had no other options ,other than to cover more ground than he wanted in the first round. Its just the way it turned out.

Hopes won 39 races on that horse and well over a million $ ,but he was beating himself up because he strikes a race where hes dictated where he settled by his draw and how the other divers drove early.An unrealistic post race analysis by him, i thought.

oh well,i suppose it gives an insight into how theres pressure in race driving and that all drivers deal with it in their own way.

Edited 5 hours ago by the galah

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, the galah said:

one of the other pre race interviews yesterday,with ben hope ,resulted in what i thought were odd comments.

he was commenting on his drive on muscle mountain in the dominion on cup day. He said he didn't give the horse the run it deserved and indicated he felt he had let the horse down.

Now i'm all for just saying what happened all the time,no sugar coating something when someone has made a bad tactical decision,especially if they aren't trying.

But if you watched the video,he really had no other options ,other than to cover more ground than he wanted in the first round. Its just the way it turned out.

Hopes won 39 races on that horse and well over a million $ ,but he was beating himself up because he strikes a race where hes dictated where he settled by his draw and how the other divers drove early.An unrealistic post race analysis by him, i thought.

oh well,i suppose it gives an insight into how theres pressure in race driving and that all drivers deal with it in their own way.

I can show you posts on BOAY that slammed Ben when he was a Junior Driver.  He has grown and full credit he is better than most.

[Brodie]

19 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

I can show you posts on BOAY that slammed Ben when he was a Junior Driver.  He has grown and full credit he is better than most.

Ben has always been very good with the media from a young age.

He is a very nice, hardworking and realistic bloke that is doing a great job training with his parents!

Personally believe we need plenty more Ben Hope’s  coming through into harness racing, otherwise we are in big trouble.