Pure Steel

Be good to have the great man back in town Charlie. He should have bought him last year and won the QLD Derby. (old stable-mate 'Major Hot' won it instead) anyway he isn't going to get a look in with 'Leap To Fame' on his home track, and the supporting acts of 'Swayzee' and 'Don Hugo' are in town from NSW. he'll just be racing for 4th Placing and monies lol. Did catch up with Marky when he was in town with old warhorse ( and future NZ Cup winner) SELF ASSURED way back 2019. He won all 4 starts including the QLD Derby in about 1.54 each run. Leap To Fame running the same times in those same races as a 3 year old in 2022. (the Derby being one of Very few races we run over 2680m ) maybe he''ll bring Rubira to try and win it after beating Marketplace at his last start there. Must be Great Northern Derby time soon first ?

what a win tonight . Hayden and Amanda must be thrilled the way this bloke went in the Group 1 Taylor Mile tonight in 1.51 and a bit. As good as Republican Party ? Thought Mo would win that, but sat one -one and did nothing ?? 'We Walk By Faith' seems a bit better than him. We'll have to send him back to Westport racing or something Charlie ? lol

well Don Hugo only 4th Idol-mate , so your best kiwi's did well to knock him off. Chase a Dream and Merlin doing a great job. I thought the 'DON' would jog it in from the draw and on latest form. But the Queenslander served it up to him a Looong way out. None of this sit and sprint stuff these days . just up em' for the rent whenever you feel like it lol . Hey don't worry about the Convict nation either mite-mate . Aus traditionally used/uses all the islands off the coast to house the undesirables/convicts in stone cottages. Island places like Tasmania, Norfolk Island , and New Zealand to try to help them rehabilitate . keeps the mainland primed with the top shelf stock . just like the horses ?

This is the only triple dead Heat I can ever recall , as my dad had the picture on the wall , along with some Tassie trotters of his and a photo him with PM 'Piggy' Muldoon. I had to grow up looking at that lot every day lol .

Think Hayden and Amanda are going great guns to date. Already are star Group 1 class trainers. The last Blue Riband New Zealand Derby winner (We Walk By Faith) was there's (also got 3rd placegetter ) and proved what are force they can be. Mark trained the 2nd horse Vessem in the Derby , but his star colt Chase A dream was down the track in a nice field of colts last December. Cullens certainly got tips from the Master Mark there. (footnote : Mark has driven an Incredible 12 NZ Derby winners. the legend lives on !!) This season the 2 Cullen Filly's are pushing Stella Rouge very close and are sure to give her a run for the money in the 2 x Oaks this year. (Arafura and Wine light still improving) and hope they get Don't Stop Dreaming loving care and attention through the Winter, and primed 100% for NZ Cup in Nov. He could definitely Win it for them , as went oh so close last year for Allstars behind Swayzee ( even headed him off for a moment for a few metres in the run home) This year he Can Doosit !!

Good to see you have been celebrating the Big BEtcha Win by the mighty Queenslander Larry there Rakman , and maybe the Trifecta in the TAB trot too with Arcee Phoenix, the queen and the train. Hope you feeling better soon , and not to upset with OscarB doing the rodeo act instead of a trotting one. 'Chase A Dream' looked good and helped Marky Boy make up for the Bad Oscar with a brave 2nd anyway.

The changing times see's MarkP and TonyH (2 masters of the craft ) not even on the List of Spikecity above. 4 great junior drivers in the TOP 7 instead. How good is that though ? NZ future still looking strong for drivers, with that happening. Possibly the flop looks like Craig Ferguson (low UDR) if anyone, way down the list there, after getting quite good drives. He has time to Redeem himself this season with Marketplace possibly?, and also WAG STAR that he trains , which is a very good horse, if he places it well. could win a few.

Don Hugo (current Miracle Mile and Interdominion Champion ) followed by Chase A Dream - DSD - LTF - Pub Party - R.Rocket - Merlin- Megxit- Pinseeker- OOOhConnor. 2 best drivers mainly should Quinella it imo , as shouldn't get caught wide .

You do meet some great people over the years in harness racing. JD was definitely one of them and a great eye for a horse too. and a lucky streak too. I always feel gained something good for life from his confidence and good will. One trip in the 80's, we took his nice Colt to Adelaide but got beaten by top Vic man Vinnie Knight . which was pretty normal and not unusual at all, but afterwards we tottered off to the brand new Casino that had opened in the old Adelaide Central train station, and people were queued right down the block at near midnight to get in . ( Many losing their holiday/Christmas pay in one sitting that went in , as had no idea what they were doing with it being all new to them. so JohnD says "F ..this . follow me young fella" , and we went right up front of queue and JD flashes his badge from the Auckland Star paper.' '' Journo !!" he declares at the door, and they let us straight in lol. Then JD sits with his mates drinking and gossiping for a couple of hours , constantly giving me casino chips to take to the tables for him (being a young bloke first time in something like that as well) while he relaxes. so he never went near A gambling table. but Kept giving me a chip's to put on for him on this and that. roulette mainly . and he won a few bob and kept slinging me chips so I was well in front too . we often bounced good luck off each over the years. nothing better than harness racing as a sport. and been great to meet blokes like JD (and Jim Smith) along the way.

hahaha oh dear. Mo'unga did get hemmed in after all. What is wrong with them actually having a go with that horse ? 4 back the fence after drawing outside gate. just can't quite work out Why they doing that with a good horse every start. ( 3 in a row now anyway) hard too win driving them like that. and old mate Jonny Cox wouldn't go for the lead with Pinseeker either? would of won it if he did. Mark would of been left parked , after giving the Little Spike a nice check into a gallop early on, to get his spot behind Pinseeker in the running line. I'd suspend Mark for that if officiating lol . Driving carelessly the old Master .

Geez Charlie, reckon the Ohoka horse should be 100-1. hasn't won for over a year. they're hard to get back (winning after long lay-offs) in this company . Thought you would be all over BIG Mo' with Bob Butt now driving. You were touting him near best NZ horse? won't get blocked in drawn out there either . If Jonny Cox reckons Pinseeker a chance next week in the Betcha Mile against the Aussies , he'd want to jog this Mile in drawn 3 tomorrow night. Pinseeker should just speed to the front and leave em' to it. Is showing 12 over 3's too. "have a go Jonny . don't be shy" . ( is what they should tell him )

Doug Grantham was breeding Mark Lobells all over the place. They were mad as hatters and jumped things . Alas Jim had about 10 of them it seems. so not good Markovina had won the 1978 Interdominion for Brian Gath in a miracle training effort so had made them semi-popular. but even Markovina had to race in big wrap round shadow roll . I worked with the great man John Devlin for a few years, and he sent many horses to Oz including Lightning Blue for a 40k sale. Hano Direct the Interdom trot winner of 1980 went to the states. Can not think of what happened to Wetagain (at a guess probably just went Mark Lobell' loco lol ) but we did secure the 3rd horse in this race photo, Supreme Ruler that Wet Again won in photo. The Grand Master himself Wolfie driving this time to get the job done. (The Supreme Ruler was an exceptionally grumpy little Tudor Hanover , and apart from want to bite everyone only a moderate performer. He did 'Bite The Dust' in that Huge race crash in Camelot's NZ Cup , so that would make anyone grumpy I spose ) his NZ trainer driver Graeme Harris still alive and well , owning and training some in QLD to this day .

Catch A wave going to Perth to defend his title in the 1.2 mill slot race there called 'The Nullibor,' and the Fremantle Cup that he won both of last year. He will have to take on Swayzee this time round. But still easier task than the NZ Betcha Mile at Cambridge. Betcha Mile could have DON HUGO, (likely winner) , Merlin (defending champ) , Leap To Fame ( QLD plodder ) and New kids on the block in NZ best 2 horses of DSD and Republican Party. Pinseeker might have to seek another day to seek another win . his Pins will be too well tested in this company .

Write the cheque now Rakman. Put DON HUGO $500,000 collect now on it kiwiman. The Miracle Mile winner just went around in 1.49 cruising at Menangle tonight. I've rarely seen a horse win that easy going that fast before. Quarters were hard out in 26, home in 25 something on the clock . I think he is a machine rather than a horse sometimes. It's no fluke he is the Interdominion Champion as well. (and Eureka Slot champ too) so why not add the Betcha Mile to the List ? all over rover.

Dave had a big chestnut Colt he loved so I had to scratch around for my NZ stable lists got all these old pages wrote down over years, (and you would of worked some of these Charlie) from NZ days to find it lol. 'Rainbow Song' . that was Daves favourite. but it never got going strong at all. was a striking looking Colt though. Bill Smith had a bit to do with Al Pacino . might of taken him to Aus to race even. By far and away Jim Smith's best Colt ever, was in the late 80's was Captain Lee . Brent Mangos drove it for 2nd in Both Derbies. He came up against future NZ Cup winner INKY LORD and at Addington the Grand circuit Oz Superstar WESTBURN GRANT won. 35 years ago this week that was. feels like yesterday. fancy coming up against those 2 in your Derby year .. bit of rotten timing.