Jump to content
NOTICE TO BOAY'ers: Major Update Coming ×
Bit Of A Yarn

Unheralded Harness Heartland


Happy Sunrise

Recommended Posts

28 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

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 

They were very good horses that he drove!

Eddie was a big man, and yes did win races by driving aggressively!

I am sure that he didn’t always drive Clarrie Rhodes horses every start Newmarket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Brodie said:

Not one of our top drivers!

Did win a lot of races when the Purdon horses dominated!

He then decided that he was too big and decided to let the lighter boys on!

Barry Purdons lifetime UDR is outstanding at ,2590.There is probably only Dexter,Mark and Natalie that is better

I thought he gave up driving fulltime after an accident that caused back issues,maybe I am wrong because Brodie is always on the money?

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Brodie said:

They were very good horses that he drove!

Eddie was a big man, and yes did win races by driving aggressively!

I am sure that he didn’t always drive Clarrie Rhodes horses every start Newmarket.

I never said he always drove  for Clarrie? 

I was responding to your remark, that his horses went better when somebody else drove them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Newmarket said:

I never said he always drove  for Clarrie? 

I was responding to your remark, that his horses went better when somebody else drove them. 

Not putting Eddie Cowie down, just making the point that a smaller driver makes a difference over a larger driver!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Richie said:

Barry Purdons lifetime UDR is outstanding at ,2590.There is probably only Dexter,Mark and Natalie that is better

I thought he gave up driving fulltime after an accident that caused back issues,maybe I am wrong because Brodie is always on the money?

Brodie is on the money.

Barry Purdon was a good driver and has an excellent UDR, but you have to remember he was driving when the Purdon horses were so dominant many years ago, and anyone could’ve won on them.

They are not so dominant nowadays are they?

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Brodie said:

Brodie is on the money.

Barry Purdon was a good driver and has an excellent UDR, but you have to remember he was driving when the Purdon horses were so dominant many years ago, and anyone could’ve won on them.

They are not so dominant nowadays are they?

Hi Brodie,

Barry Purdon in the last ten seasons has had 196 drives for 30 wins. Not too bad really.

These days Barry would have around 20 horses in work, by choice, and of course not so dominant with a small team.

Cheers.

Robert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Double R said:

Hi Brodie,

Barry Purdon in the last ten seasons has had 196 drives for 30 wins. Not too bad really.

These days Barry would have around 20 horses in work, by choice, and of course not so dominant with a small team.

Cheers.

Robert.

Barry Purdon is a great horseman and yes has always been a very good driver but he does drive his own trained horses that are all good.

ooint I was making is that light drivers that are good have an advantage over a heavy driver that is good .

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Barry Purdon is a great horseman and yes has always been a very good driver but he does drive his own trained horses that are all good.

ooint I was making is that light drivers that are good have an advantage over a heavy driver that is good .

 

HI Brodie,

"Back in the old days", an indepth investigation showed, the weight of the driver was not significant on an all weather track, but did make difference on a grass track.

Cheers.

Robert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Double R said:

HI Brodie,

"Back in the old days", an indepth investigation showed, the weight of the driver was not significant on an all weather track, but did make difference on a grass track.

Cheers.

Robert.

Robert, fair enough.

All I know is that I can push a wheelbarrow full of bark a damn sight easier than a wheel barrow full of concrete.

Surely the weight of a heavy driver has more drag than a lightweight driver?

What is that stops a galloper from winning?

Weight!!

The more weight a galloper carries the slower it will,run!!

Cant see how a harness horse can accelerate as quick carrying a hefty driver rather than a lightweight driver?

Would rather have Ricky May or Dexter in the cart rather than a heavy driver and the driver statistics every season would clearly show that there are no hefty drivers high up in the driver UDR’s or high winning drivers.

I do know that I don’t back Horses with heavy drivers in the cart.

Who was it that did the in-depth investigation into the difference the weight makes? 

Big people???

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/06/2018 at 3:25 PM, OLDWHITEMAN said:

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.

really so you just want to get rid of all hobby trainers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Brodie said:

Robert, fair enough.

All I know is that I can push a wheelbarrow full of bark a damn sight easier than a wheel barrow full of concrete.

Surely the weight of a heavy driver has more drag than a lightweight driver?

What is that stops a galloper from winning?

Weight!!

The more weight a galloper carries the slower it will,run!!

Cant see how a harness horse can accelerate as quick carrying a hefty driver rather than a lightweight driver?

Would rather have Ricky May or Dexter in the cart rather than a heavy driver and the driver statistics every season would clearly show that there are no hefty drivers high up in the driver UDR’s or high winning drivers.

I do know that I don’t back Horses with heavy drivers in the cart.

Who was it that did the in-depth investigation into the difference the weight makes? 

Big people???

It was a Unversity study I understand. Bear in mind that sulkys are designed especially to allow for the correct weight distribution.

Who would be the current drivers that you would consider in the "solid brigade"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/06/2018 at 3:25 PM, OLDWHITEMAN said:

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.

whiteman i dont want to pick your post apart but you first part re contribution  they actually support farriers sellers etc is correct what would these suppliers of hobby people do without them go broke and if there quite happy doing it whats it got to with you really they are supporting the industry

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, Double R said:

HI Brodie,

"Back in the old days", an indepth investigation showed, the weight of the driver was not significant on an all weather track, but did make difference on a grass track.

Cheers.

Robert.

Thought I had read the same Double R. Pretty sure some brainy but bored professor came up with some sort of info. 

I always thought the lighter the better too, but maybe not the case

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Robert, fair enough.

All I know is that I can push a wheelbarrow full of bark a damn sight easier than a wheel barrow full of concrete.

Surely the weight of a heavy driver has more drag than a lightweight driver?

What is that stops a galloper from winning?

Weight!!

The more weight a galloper carries the slower it will,run!!

Cant see how a harness horse can accelerate as quick carrying a hefty driver rather than a lightweight driver?

Would rather have Ricky May or Dexter in the cart rather than a heavy driver and the driver statistics every season would clearly show that there are no hefty drivers high up in the driver UDR’s or high winning drivers.

I do know that I don’t back Horses with heavy drivers in the cart.

Who was it that did the in-depth investigation into the difference the weight makes? 

Big people???

should they have advertised driver weights

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎23‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 5:25 PM, OLDWHITEMAN said:

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.

so oldwhiteman witch one are you??? Scooby the tosser or fartoomuch better known as f wit too much ???

  • Champ Post 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Double R said:

It was a Unversity study I understand. Bear in mind that sulkys are designed especially to allow for the correct weight distribution.

Who would be the current drivers that you would consider in the "solid brigade"?

Murray Edmonds, bigger than when he first started.

Phil Anderson, amateur and possibly the heaviest.

The Thing is that most professional trainers nowadays know that they can’t afford to put heavy drivers on!

I would love to see that analysis that was done by the uni!

If it makes a difference on the grass due to drag it is going to have an effect on all weather tracks as well but maybe not as much.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A horse pulling extra weight from a standing start would be a disadvantage , but once going at speed, in some ways extra weight is an advantage on hard surface. 

Try stopping trailer when attaching to tow ball, loaded & unloaded. 

Totally different from a galloper that carries weight to pulling sulky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting topic this. Who would have been the last Group One winner to come from the top of the South Island? Would it be Blue Chip Rock, who won an Easter Cup - I can't think of any others in recent years, but could be wrong. Plenty bred from there, largely from Mark Smith's incredible breed of trotters. But last horse to actually get in the float and trek North or South to win a big one, I'm not sure? 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Brodie said:

Murray Edmonds, bigger than when he first started.

Phil Anderson, amateur and possibly the heaviest.

The Thing is that most professional trainers nowadays know that they can’t afford to put heavy drivers on!

I would love to see that analysis that was done by the uni!

If it makes a difference on the grass due to drag it is going to have an effect on all weather tracks as well but maybe not as much.

 

Hi Brodie,

I think most of us are a bit heavier than we were some years ago!!

On a different tack. How about putting a heavier driver on leading up to a big race to toughen your horse up, and then a slighter weighted driver on for the big race. Much like the thoroughbreds dropping in weight and the horse finding it easier.

Cheers.

Robert.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Counter Punch said:

Interesting topic this. Who would have been the last Group One winner to come from the top of the South Island? Would it be Blue Chip Rock, who won an Easter Cup - I can't think of any others in recent years, but could be wrong. Plenty bred from there, largely from Mark Smith's incredible breed of trotters. But last horse to actually get in the float and trek North or South to win a big one, I'm not sure? 

Il Campione won 9 and Kay n Kayes won 8 for O'Brien awhile back but no group one races obviously.

I presume they were training up that way at the time?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...