Newmarket Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Can anyone confirm that he is retiring from driving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Hi Newmarket, They have sold their property in Auckland, and will be moving to Australia to be close to children shortly. Taking a small number of young horses with them, so not totally getting out of training. Wishing them the very best in the next part of their life. Cheers. Robert. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 26, 2018 Author Share Posted April 26, 2018 6 hours ago, Double R said: Hi Newmarket, They have sold their property in Auckland, and will be moving to Australia to be close to children shortly. Taking a small number of young horses with them, so not totally getting out of training. Wishing them the very best in the next part of their life. Cheers. Robert. Wish him the best. He had a great run in the 80s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 1 hour ago, Newmarket said: Wish him the best. He had a great run in the 80s. He sure did have a great run while based at Kerrytown, near Timaru. He liked to stick to rails, and of course no passing lane in those days, and many times the run did not come. Cheers. Robert. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 26, 2018 Author Share Posted April 26, 2018 24 minutes ago, Double R said: He sure did have a great run while based at Kerrytown, near Timaru. He liked to stick to rails, and of course no passing lane in those days, and many times the run did not come. Cheers. Robert. I remember the-Birdshit Brosnan quip ?. Mind you, team was going so well, don’t think too many times he was unlucky, no more than others. Bonnies Chance, Derby, Trojan, Liquid Lightning, Maureen’s Dream. Didnt he have 3 or 4 starters in a cup one year? In fact, has any other stable, apart from purdons, had that many starters in cup? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 When I worked for Jim Ferguson,Richard used to do a lot of our driving before he moved north. Is a very skilled horseman and a great guy with it.Was very good at getting poor horses to become average ones. He always said why go 3 wide when the rails is the shortest way home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakama Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 15 minutes ago, Richie said: When I worked for Jim Ferguson,Richard used to do a lot of our driving before he moved north. Is a very skilled horseman and a great guy with it.Was very good at getting poor horses to become average ones. He always said why go 3 wide when the rails is the shortest way home. Richie, Jim had a few good horses around that time didn't he? Good with the trotters from memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakama Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 By the way....picture beside Kakama is head shot of Bonnie's Chance. One of my favs, Richard always had her looking tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 15 minutes ago, Kakama said: Richie, Jim had a few good horses around that time didn't he? Good with the trotters from memory. I read recently, that Jim's wife Noeline had passed away . Yes Kakama, I remember a good trotter called Bachelor Tom that Jim trained. Cheers. Robert. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 Brosnan had a long and at many stages a distinguished training and driving career. If he is off to Australia then it is a loss of an iconic person in NZ harness racing in my mind. My age showing again ? Always enjoyed Frangelico and Lord Kara racing who were slightly more unknown than his very best. (hope this site and you boys can restore my faith in harness racing. The other one made me lose all interest it was that bad. I'm keen to offer up some tips but it will take me time to get back in the swing of things....Forbury claiming series can't be far away lol. Thanks for the PM, FU, as I would have never known) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 8 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Brosnan had a long and at many stages a distinguished training and driving career. If he is off to Australia then it is a loss of an iconic person in NZ harness racing in my mind. My age showing again ? Always enjoyed Frangelico and Lord Kara racing who were slightly more unknown than his very best. (hope this site and you boys can restore my faith in harness racing. The other one made me lose all interest it was that bad. I'm keen to offer up some tips but it will take me time to get back in the swing of things....Forbury claiming series can't be far away lol. Thanks for the PM, FU, as I would have never known) Nice one happy, hoping you would find your way over here....we did have some good Thursday night forbury tips going for a while....much better vibe on this site. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterthepunter Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 5 hours ago, Richie said: When I worked for Jim Ferguson,Richard used to do a lot of our driving before he moved north. Is a very skilled horseman and a great guy with it.Was very good at getting poor horses to become average ones. He always said why go 3 wide when the rails is the shortest way home. jim ferguson had good horse called Jacobs town was going to be top horse but broke down I think 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 26, 2018 Author Share Posted April 26, 2018 47 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Brosnan had a long and at many stages a distinguished training and driving career. If he is off to Australia then it is a loss of an iconic person in NZ harness racing in my mind. My age showing again ? Always enjoyed Frangelico and Lord Kara racing who were slightly more unknown than his very best. (hope this site and you boys can restore my faith in harness racing. The other one made me lose all interest it was that bad. I'm keen to offer up some tips but it will take me time to get back in the swing of things....Forbury claiming series can't be far away lol. Thanks for the PM, FU, as I would have never known) Welcome Happy, The site is starting to get some good harness posters, that is great. I remember Frangelico, seemed to think it went to another trainer after Brosnan, maybe Saunders? I clearly remember it winning at Addington after having tough run with Ricky May driving. Think it won in wet at mot too. Mind you, I did drink a bit around that time, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 On 26/04/2018 at 10:11 PM, hunterthepunter said: jim ferguson had good horse called Jacobs town was going to be top horse but broke down I think Correct,it had so much potential but was plagued by unsoundness basically from birth. Was one of those horses that if there was trouble to be found he would find it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Hello Richie, What would you have rated some of the better horses that Jim had over the years? Cheers. Robert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Double R said: Hello Richie, What would you have rated some of the better horses that Jim had over the years? Cheers. Robert. Double R, I do remember Chance Fortune winning a few for Jim. Pretty good those middle class handicap races in those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 Think I heard Richard Brosnan will front on a harness segment soon. He deserves it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 (edited) 22 hours ago, Double R said: Hello Richie, What would you have rated some of the better horses that Jim had over the years? Cheers. Robert. Maida Million was at one stage highest earning mare bred in NZ. Bachelor Tom was an outstanding trotter.But both of them were before i worked there. While i worked there we had a few cup class horses. Commander Gratten won Ashburton cup after being dead last on inside turning for home. Paid over$50.I went out feed up horses that night and Jim called me in to bedroom and bed was completely covered in cash. Had Basil Dean for a while but he wasnt suiteable for large stable. At same time we had some very nice trotters in Most likely Fella,Nooky Bear and Game Fortune,who had untapped potential. Game Fortune was first horse i broke in and was probably best horse i drove trackwork.Won first 2 races easily but Unfortunately was injured in race smash and although won more races was never same. At one stage we had real nice class horses who were competitive in age group races. Riever,Noodlums Fella,Netherton Abbe and a few more all at same time.We were consistently getting winners. I think one year we had nearly 30wins which was good going. Stakes comparison back then were much better than now actually,pretty sure if you won a race it would pay for training fees for the year. They were good old days .I worked 7 days a week but played as hard as i worked.Unfortunately once a family came along the wages were no longer enough to survive. Richard Brosnan drove quite a few of those horses i have mentioned and i know both Jim and Noeline Ferguson thought very highley of him as a horseman but more so as a person.He wad certainly missed in Mid and South Canterbury when he moved up north Edited April 28, 2018 by Richie 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 21 hours ago, Newmarket said: Double R, I do remember Chance Fortune winning a few for Jim. Pretty good those middle class handicap races in those days. Chance Fortune was nice type.Yep think training fees averaged about $40/50 a week and a win would cover training fees for a year.And it was easier to set horse up for a punt.No videos back then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 (edited) Richard was an extremely successful driver and trainer when at Kerrytownnand Racing has always been stronger in Canterbury than Auckland. You would think he would have cleaned up in Auckland going by his Canterbury record! For some strange reason he never did that well?.... Edited April 28, 2018 by Brodie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 On 26/04/2018 at 5:33 PM, Double R said: I read recently, that Jim's wife Noeline had passed away . Yes Kakama, I remember a good trotter called Bachelor Tom that Jim trained. Cheers. Robert. Yes Noeline passed away just before easter . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 20 minutes ago, Brodie said: Richard was an extremely successful driver and trainer when at Kerrytownnand Racing has always been stronger in Canterbury than Auckland. You would think he would have cleaned up in Auckland going by his Canterbury recordFor some strange reason he never did that well?.... I think when he moved he may have lost some of his ownership base,that had good breeding familys.I wonder if the fact that racing and living as a whole isn't as easy going in the north as the South had a part to play.Saying that he did have some very good seasons up north and I would imagine a lot of youngsters would have sought his advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portfolio Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 If you look at the senior trainers over the years, wolfie, d Jones, Grant etc, they were still at the top of their game when they retired. Now, it seems many younger trainers dominate, and the older types get left behind a bit, purdons exception of course. Could be many things, lack of quality horses, food, supplements, training methods etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterthepunter Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 On 26/04/2018 at 4:57 PM, Richie said: When I worked for Jim Ferguson,Richard used to do a lot of our driving before he moved north. Is a very skilled horseman and a great guy with it.Was very good at getting poor horses to become average ones. He always said why go 3 wide when the rails is the shortest way home. Richie did you work with chad McGee at jim fergusons?? he was good bugger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 On 29/04/2018 at 7:44 AM, Richie said: Nooky Bear I was racking my brain to remember the unruly but very good trotter he had. Thanks, Richie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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