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Unheralded Harness Heartland


Happy Sunrise

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Bryers, Hill, Weaver, Fox, Rochford, Gill, Best, Morgan, G Anderson, Broadhurst, Pash, Stuart, Heaton, and Johnson.

Just looking at the fields for Sunday and made a list of the 14 (yes, 14) trainers from the upper south island. It makes one realize the importance of this region to harness racing. 

It's great to see harness back in Blenheim and I hope this region gets looked after in the future with continued 2-day meetings (unlike the lower north island) so they can continue to be a viable proposition to trainers and owners.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I think these smaller types of trainers (and meetings) are vital to the sustainability of harness and are just as important as the big guns on Cup day. 

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6 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Bryers, Hill, Weaver, Fox, Rochford, Gill, Best, Morgan, G Anderson, Broadhurst, Pash, Stuart, Heaton, and Johnson.

Just looking at the fields for Sunday and made a list of the 14 (yes, 14) trainers from the upper south island. It makes one realize the importance of this region to harness racing. 

It's great to see harness back in Blenheim and I hope this region gets looked after in the future with continued 2-day meetings (unlike the lower north island) so they can continue to be a viable proposition to trainers and owners.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I think these smaller types of trainers (and meetings) are vital to the sustainability of harness and are just as important as the big guns on Cup day. 

Agree, 

Honest toilers, don’t think I have seen any of these names on the naughty list at hrnz!

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1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Bryers, Hill, Weaver, Fox, Rochford, Gill, Best, Morgan, G Anderson, Broadhurst, Pash, Stuart, Heaton, and Johnson.

Just looking at the fields for Sunday and made a list of the 14 (yes, 14) trainers from the upper south island. It makes one realize the importance of this region to harness racing. 

It's great to see harness back in Blenheim and I hope this region gets looked after in the future with continued 2-day meetings (unlike the lower north island) so they can continue to be a viable proposition to trainers and owners.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I think these smaller types of trainers (and meetings) are vital to the sustainability of harness and are just as important as the big guns on Cup day. 

Amazing, 14 trainers ..I'm surprised, considering as well as the few meetings at Nelson and Blenheim, Wellington and greymouth trots would have been a happy hunting ground for them.....can anyone remember any top class horses to come from that region? 

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10 hours ago, Newmarket said:

Agree, 

Honest toilers, don’t think I have seen any of these names on the naughty list at hrnz!

You make a very good point. Those over the years on the naughty list, do seem to be repeat offenders? Maybe they have no vets up that way?

 

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10 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said:

can anyone remember any top class horses to come from that region? 

Good question.

Had a look through the fields of the Pelorus Classic which ceased in 2015 and couldn't identify any top horses from the region competing in that. That race always drew a small field so might have been at the wrong time of the year. 

Might take someone with a good and distant memory to remember a top horse from the region.

 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said:

Amazing, 14 trainers ..I'm surprised, considering as well as the few meetings at Nelson and Blenheim, Wellington and greymouth trots would have been a happy hunting ground for them.....can anyone remember any top class horses to come from that region? 

The Hill's have had some very useful horses.  Single Lord and McShane both open class horses.  The latter a trotter who won an Interdom trotters heat.  Raced against a classy list of trotters - Jenner, Sir Castleton, Stormy Morn, Scotch Tar, About Now and co.

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15 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The Hill's have had some very useful horses.  Single Lord and McShane both open class horses.  The latter a trotter who won an Interdom trotters heat.  Raced against a classy list of trotters - Jenner, Sir Castleton, Stormy Morn, Scotch Tar, About Now and co.

Yes chief, I remember mcshane he was a lovely trotter, I think it was the idoms at Auckland in 1983 that he won his heat?

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54 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Good question.

Had a look through the fields of the Pelorus Classic which ceased in 2015 and couldn't identify any top horses from the region competing in that. That race always drew a small field so might have been at the wrong time of the year. 

Might take someone with a good and distant memory to remember a top horse from the region.

 

 

 

They also used to have a few heats of the D.B fillies every year at waterlea, not sure if nelson ran a heat, but some to class fillies raced there in that time.

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15 minutes ago, Double R said:

Another coast trainer that comes to mind from yesteryear is Trevor Craddock. He had some useful horses.

A relative of mine!  Trevor's father - Bill Craddock was a stalwart of harness racing.  Mayor of Westport, served on the NZ Rugby Union and loved to have a big punt.

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15 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said:

Amazing, 14 trainers ..I'm surprised, considering as well as the few meetings at Nelson and Blenheim, Wellington and greymouth trots would have been a happy hunting ground for them.....can anyone remember any top class horses to come from that region? 

Wilber Win, Steven John, Village Kid was bred on the Coast and  Starship was trained on the Coast.and glen dell

 

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20 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Bryers, Hill, Weaver, Fox, Rochford, Gill, Best, Morgan, G Anderson, Broadhurst, Pash, Stuart, Heaton, and Johnson.

Just looking at the fields for Sunday and made a list of the 14 (yes, 14) trainers from the upper south island. It makes one realize the importance of this region to harness racing. 

It's great to see harness back in Blenheim and I hope this region gets looked after in the future with continued 2-day meetings (unlike the lower north island) so they can continue to be a viable proposition to trainers and owners.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I think these smaller types of trainers (and meetings) are vital to the sustainability of harness and are just as important as the big guns on Cup day. 

Ha-ha... best laugh I have had to today.

What do the Gills contribute to harness racing? How are the Gills vital to harness racing and its sustainability? Why are they just as important as the big guns on Cup day? The Gills represent slow, unfit horses that are usually beaten 1000m from home. Yes, the food suppliers for the Gill stable will be doing well, farriers, harness sellers and repairers... poorly trained horses like the Gills eat as much as an All Stars horse. But that is where it ends... I doubt any horse in the Gill stables pays its way therefore they are a liability and do nothing to enhance harness racing. None of the present team of Gill horses would get a start on a premier day like Cup Day so your point is in invalid. To the Gills harness racing is a hobby and that is Ok but don't try and tell me they contribute something to harness racing because they don't. If they disappeared tomorrow no one would notice and no one would care.

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