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Bit Of A Yarn

Unheralded Harness Heartland


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6 hours ago, Basil said:

I'm going to stick up for Oldwhiteman and say he has a point. A pedantic point, and a crudely-expressed one, but a point nevertheless (if one discards all the hyperbole). I'm sure even the Gills themselves would not claim they're as important to racing as "the big guns on cup day".

When I say just as important I mean they contribute to the whole product of harness racing. If those 14 trainers disappeared, and the others on the coast, then maybe the trots in Nelson and Marlborough and the lower North Island would disappear. Then the small pond would get even smaller. Obviously, the 'big guns' do contribute more. I just like to see the littler players be recognized for what they contribute.

As for the abuse of the 'Gill' contribution that is plain rude.

I also can't take anything in Oldwhiteman's post seriously when it refers to the big guns as being the 'All-Stars' A troll is a troll is a troll.

 

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A couple of decades back Mid Canterbury was a thriving racing community,now there are only a handful of  professional trainers and nowhere near the amount of winners coming from the area.

 Pat Oreilly snr,,Brian Saunders,Max Miller,Colin McLauchlan,,Dick Prendergast,Jim Ferguson,Kevin Townley

,Denise Swain,Ted Lowe,John Lischner,Bob Cameron ,John Scott to name just a few that have passed away,retired  or left the area since the early 90s.

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1 minute ago, Richie said:

A couple of decades back Mid Canterbury was a thriving racing community,now there are only a handful of  professional trainers and nowhere near the amount of winners coming from the area.

 Pat Oreilly snr,,Brian Saunders,Max Miller,Colin McLauchlan,,Dick Prendergast,Jim Ferguson,Kevin Townley

,Denise Swain,Ted Lowe,John Lischner,Bob Cameron ,John Scott to name just a few that have passed away,retired  or left the area since the early 90s.

Kerslake too. 

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2 minutes ago, hunterthepunter said:

he got bowel cancer flagship past away about 15years ago

Oh no, that's sad, thanks hunter, I sort have have missed 20 years of racing in nz having moved to the UK in 1993 and only returning to nz 4years ago. So my memories of shit loads of trainers, plenty with good horses was vaporized on my return...all the big stables in the south  the de'fillipis, smolenskies, Carmichael's, robert cameron had all but disappeared and one stable domination reigned supreme!!

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Eddie Cowie was a good fellah, but he was too big and heavy in the cart!

His horses would go better when he let someone else drive as they were always a lot lighter!

He drove the horses that Clarrie Rhodes owned!

Doubt anyone can name a single driver who was heavy and good????????

Having a light driver with intelligence makes all the difference, just the same as weight can stop a galloper

Edited by Brodie
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Just now, Brodie said:

Eddie Cowie was a good fellah, but he was too big and heavy in the cart!

His horses would go better when he let someone else drive as they were always a lot lighter!

Doubt anyone can name a single driver who was heavy and good????????

Having a light driver with intelligence makes all the difference, just the same as weight can stop a galloper

This has been mentioned before. I thought that on a grit track, little difference between heavy and light drivers. 

Thought Eddie had good record driving, in fact can’t remember others driving the horses you mentioned , apart from junior drivers etc 

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20 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

This has been mentioned before. I thought that on a grit track, little difference between heavy and light drivers. 

Thought Eddie had good record driving, in fact can’t remember others driving the horses you mentioned , apart from junior drivers etc 

I would rather have a lightweight driver on than Eddie Cowie or Eric Ryan both big men!

If weight doesn’t matter then what has Dexter Dunn, Blair Orange, Mark Purdon, Natalie Rasmussen,  Ricky May, John Dunn, Tony Herlihy got in common?

They are pretty light weight!

I am sure it is a damn site easier pulling a lightweight than a heavyweight on any surface.

It is far easier to push a wheelbarrow full of bark than pushing a wheelbarrow full of concrete I can tell you, so no difference to a horse pulling a bigun!

The ones that will tell you no difference are probably a tad overweight and trying to justify letting them drive rather than Dexter or Ricky!

Name a good driver that is heavy and drives a lot of winners

Dont recall Eddie having that good  driving record, although he did drive pretty aggressively most times!

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37 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Eddie Cowie was a good fellah, but he was too big and heavy in the cart!

His horses would go better when he let someone else drive as they were always a lot lighter!

He drove the horses that Clarrie Rhodes owned!

Doubt anyone can name a single driver who was heavy and good????????

Having a light driver with intelligence makes all the difference, just the same as weight can stop a galloper

eric ryan was big heavy guy and murray Edmonds is big bugger to brodie

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1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Eddie Cowie was a good fellah, but he was too big and heavy in the cart!

His horses would go better when he let someone else drive as they were always a lot lighter!

He drove the horses that Clarrie Rhodes owned!

Doubt anyone can name a single driver who was heavy and good????????

Having a light driver with intelligence makes all the difference, just the same as weight can stop a galloper

Brodie, 

Frees Best, Hondos Away, Best dream , never won a race with any other driver than Cowie, so Brodie might not be on the money on that one ?

Also trained Kahuna Pele later on, he drive that in all his wins when he trained it 

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