optimist

Interesting from Mark Jones - guess he should know! Although Jones is in favour of Ashburton, he does personally believe that Nelson would be the best place for the Harness Jewels. "It is the best mile track in New Zealand, and the whole town would get in behind it," stated Jones. "Every horse would have to travel, and that evens up the playing field. The North Island horses could stay at Blenheim and the South Island horses at Nelson. It is also a great holiday destination, but Ashburton does work," Jones concluded

Could you tell me what Jewels winners at Cambridge or Ashburton haven't come from lead,parked,1/1 or 3 back. This is mile racing, superman isn't going to come from the back in 55 last halves on any track. The drivers I spoke to yesterday said the track was brilliant and the best it's ever been after the best part of $50k went to restoring it after the recent flooding. Have a look at the time of the maidens and says it's not a fast track. 2.01mr maiden race, 1.56:5 c2-c4 mares, none of them Jewels horses. Remember Starship, he went 1.54:5 at Nelson in 1992. Measure that against your Jewels runners 20 years later. Don' think it's the track, the facilities are the issue as the Club doesn't own them, they are the local A & P association I believe so that is more an issue. On the Jewels though I can't seen Ashburton in June being positive for the Jewels if weather has a negative impact on times. Maybe they hold them earlier or come to Sunny Nelson inbetween floods! cheers

Lucky 2003 for the Dunn's and Wilber Win from 1985 for Bill Cummings from memory?

that the product specified in the JCA report that was found in his stables is a bi-carb offshoot possibly (?) but advertised in the USA as ' will not test positive'. I'd be more concerned that this new testing is over the top as we know it or possibly more that it's actually fianlly consistent?

Is that not unusual in the grasshoppers? Never heard of it?

to gain the extra point! Not that they need teaching.

Kieran Crowley John Plumtree

these Northern sides don't really know how to get up - do they expect to win or get close enough and hope to win? Methinks it's the latter, wasn't a lot of panic in the AB Camp, only experience and building on success brings that out. The Wallabies or any Ozzie side will never give it away until the final whistle Both bloody good games for mine. Ref's have 1000 things they can ping in tight finishes, damned if they do or dont! One thing I observed is the Northern sides are a lot more disciplined at the moment.

Manu's still looking for him, Fish costs them with his defensive lines in fullback getting found out but that's inexperience. They go from complete control to making Benji look like a messiah on a play a 'b' grade winger would've negated. Off the bench carting it up for mine.

Was a matter of time before they turned swabs possibly even multiple. One of them rocks back from America and they win all and sundry. Send Kelly Evander over, she'll win 6 on the trot for them!

Didn't his dogs (Boxers?) have yearly return tickets to the UK as part of his contract?

out of the bargain basement would be up there of late.

Remember he was a brickies labourer around Fielding. His claim to fame - He could carry 2 x 40kg bags of cement on each shoulder and walk up a plank. Everytime I pick up a bag I think of that.... some feat methinks!

have a few 2nd hand ,new as well, http://www.harness.co.nz

.... then commentator said Manu is 116kg so Myles at a mere 105kg should run him down? Great effort by Myles regardless. We're all wingers at heart!!!