Jape

I know what you mean by "Service", Blue, but the change from then to now is reflective of the general lack of interest today in those sports activities which meant so much to us. I am sure many readers will remember the queues on a Saturday evening to get the Saturday Sports paper which even had a Stop Press section to cover the ultra-latest results. Those editions have all gone because the interest waned to such an extent they were no longer viable. I well remember at National Bowls' tournaments the queues to get a bet on during the Saturday lunch-time session. Special TABs were arranged at the headquarters for the many punters some of whom played with a Best Bets hanging out of their back pocket. You could discuss the Daily Double with almost any other player. As the song goes: Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end ...

Nice win Trained by an ex-Kiwi in Nick Harnett who was a very accomplished hurdles jockey both here and in Oz. Nick went to Ashburton College back in the day as did his siblings. They were all pretty good athletes at school as I remember. and Sarah went on to be a top distance runner.

Once a year, at the Sacred Heart Convent primary school in Reefton, the head nun would allow us to listen to the live broadcast of the NZ Trotting Cup at Addington. I particularly remember the 1952 edition as it was won by Mobile Globe. And we all knew that Mobile Globe had once raced at Reefton. Incidentally, Reon Murtha also went to this school. He was a year ahead of me.

The RITA statement quoted above suggests that for the first time in 42 years punters will not be able to follow the horses on their radios since Radio Pacific started broadcasting in 1978. So what was I listening to in the days of Brookby Song and Arabian Nights? Or when David Clarkson told us what the ladies were wearing at Addington before getting into his "neck-and-neck, stride-for-stride finishes"? My father-in-law and I would spend hours on a Saturday out in his garden shed tuning in to his oldish but powerful valve radio and geeing on our fancies as they turned for home. These were the days of YAs, YCs, XHs, YZs with radio race broadcasts - and radio static - emanating from faraway places like Hamilton and New Plymouth. Way before 1978.

Thank you for such an interesting and extremely well-organised competition. A lot of fun - and cost-free! Congratulations to the winners. I am sure everyone that entered will have a hard-luck story. Mine was that I had backed Con Te Partiro the previous start but dropped it yesterday. However, to finish 7 th for me was outstanding. If memory serves me correctly, I was last in one of these comps a year or two back!

R1 -- 3/1/8 r2 -- 2/10/12 r3 -- 1/2/15 r4 -- 1/9/13 r5 -- 6/9/12 r6 -- 1/2/4 r7 -- 2/4/7 r8 -- 2/4/12 r9 -- 4/7/14 r10 - 3/4/6 Thank you

No, I don't think so re the judge's placings, although I certainly do remember Froth, Caliente and a number of others that Derek Copland had. In the very early days at QEII, it seemed to be a case of "Who's judging the next race? Better hurry up". It would be one of the Committee members I believe. I took my turn when I became a Committee member in 1995, having been an assistant steward before that. Initially, the racing at QEII was perhaps not far removed from the racing at the Marshland Domain but gradually, with an increasing number of totalisator race meeting dates, a more professional approach developed. So, when the CGRC went to Addington in 1997, the Club appointed the harness racing judge, Ernie Fuchs, as its greyhound judge. When Ernie died from cancer in 2003 I took over., having been his assistant for a few years, sharing that with Mike Cross Froth certainly was a very good bitch and I well remember her winning the 1993 edition of the Canterbury Futurity at QEII for Derek and part-owner Barry Moran, a well-known hotelier and greyhound enthusiast. By Worth Doing, Froth was whelped in July 1990 and she left Caliente, 8 wins, to Farloe Melody in 1995.

Ha ha. Nice one, GOM Best wishes, Ray.

Agua Caliente. Forever famous for being the last race that Phar Lap won. The Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana, Mexicd. Phar Lap died a few weeks later in mysterious circumstances.

No, it's not.

One of ours?

I am unsure what has happened here. I was trying to set up a New Topic on the greyhounds in Caliente, Mexico. Anyway it appears that all races are over 546 yards; there are 7 runners, two divvies, quinellas and trifectas. Just 14 minutes between races, I think, but that seems flexible! There were two meetings today. The first a matinee, that is morning. 10 races. Then a new code for the 2nd 10 later on. (Shades of Addington on Tuesdays back in the day, although they were 20 races straight from memory. Numbers 1 and 3 rugs correspond to ours but none of the rest. I have watched only 2 races but they did seem very competitive and the minor placings especially changed late after the 500 yards point. When you open up on the Racing section on the TAB website look to the far left. Click on Watch 3 under he Trackside heading. And there it is. Click on Full Screen if you prefer the big picture.

That was a superlative effort from Ozzie the other

When Winsome Ashley won 4 Group One races in one season she was denied the GOTY award by a sprinter which had more points as a points system had been introduced. Pizza Girl became the GOTY if my memory is correct. Most greyhound people felt this was a serious "miscarriage of justice" and a panel was chosen to select future GOTY. Apparently the points system is still in vogue in the three categories. This appeared to be the case when Michael Dore was talking to Peter Earley the other day. ??

I presume we are discussing pronunciation. Be very careful before throwing stones.

Pinny Mack - Buddy Boom Good luck to all.

I heard earlier today on Trackside that an appeal has been lodged and a JCA hearing to take place on Thursday - I think.

You say ... it is a chance to bet again with your winnings ... No, it is a chance to bet again with your loss. That is your original stake which went on a loser. But the Tab has said if your team loses by 8 or less, you can bet that losing stake (up to $50) again. It is a Bonus bet. That stake amount is then taken out of your second bet when the calculation is done. Why not just back the Crusaders or the Hurricanes or ...

In 2008 I was asked to do a Top Ten Greyhounds Of My Time for the 60-Year History of the Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club (1948-2008). I came up with Misty Anna, Magic Command, Shorty Bijou, Cecilia Bale, Red Hot Zinger, Mega Maxi, Denzil Bale, Awesome Paul, Marn Groot, Another Gale, and Winsome Ashley. I listed many more very capable greyhounds but such selections are quite subjective and those named were my Chosen Ones. Each of them was a favourite of mine for a variety of reasons and for a certain length of time but if I had to put one at the very top, it would have to be Winsome Ashley. Ashley had a stellar season in 2007-2008, winning 4 Group 1 races and setting 3 track records, one of which still stands - 527m at Manukau in 29.77sec.. I cannot recall another greyhound with such third-phase acceleration and what so often appeared to be a contest with perhaps 100m still to go became a procession as she put on the turbo booster.and won by many lengths. Winsome Ashley was whelped in February 2006 and was trained by Jean and Dave Fahey for the Pave The Way syndicate. In more recent times Swimming Goat with its 22 consecutive wins would certainly have found a very high place in the best of the sprinters' ranks at Addington Raceway.

There were never more than 8 races when I was a little fella marking the results in the Turf Digest aka the "Pink Book" if I remember correctly. 1949 was the 50th Jubilee Year for the Reefton Trotting Club so they gave a start to every horse nominated. They ended up with 6 races divided in two and two races divided into 3. The 8-race card became 18 in all. It was a big day!!

Remarkable. Brings back memories of Douglas Clifford Watts and his 7 in a row (of 8 races) at Reefton back in the day,

Thank you for the update, Pam. We could not see the horse for the movement around Brett but it had been a spectacular fall and sadly an unfortunate ending to a fine day's racing.

To say it was hot at Mot was probably the understatement of the year. Nevertheless the group of 22 that i was involved with exited the bus and got the gazebo up, parked themselves in the shade and set about enjoying the day's racing. What had been programmed as 9 races had become 11 and not one 2-divvie race either. Yes, sorting winners wasn't too easy but followers of Asano, Fawcett, Allpress, Weatherly certainly did ok. The track was in magnificent order and horses "coming home" in 34 and change suggests good racing, which it was with a number of close finishes and judge Mark Gallagher had plenty to do throughout the programme. The support from the owners, trainers, jockeys and racegoers made this "another excellent outing to a pleasant day's racing" as I was told more than once. Now if that meeting disappears, as is strongly rumoured, what will replace it? PS It was a sad ending for young Brett Murray who came to grief in the very last race, in the very last 175m. It happened not far from our group and I can assure you, every one of us felt very strong emotion for the injured rider. I understand Brett may have broken a collar bone and those who witnessed the incident were so pleased it was no worse. Get well soon, young man.

They could ... but then again ... Those heats (7 x Cup) and (12 x Galaxy) are/were as cut-throat as you will ever see. But so exciting. Well done, Udy and Cottam winning 4 today and the Faheys 4 yesterday. Tremendous achievements for both training partnerships. Next week is a whole new ball game. Bolty at 4? Don't know. It is his second-phase acceleration that is so phenomenal but, of course, you have to have some clear air to generate it. I hear both Robson and Dyna Dave have got the coveted one. Robson loves Addington and Dyna Dave is still looking for that elusive Group 1. Can't wait. Family first, lad27 Good on you. Nice to see you have two nippers now. Cheers

True enough, lad27, if you are only betting each way which is pretty pointless with these "certs". Look elsewhere, however, and you find the quinella paid $16.70, the tri was $55.20, the 1st 4 $108.30. The best bet of all, though, I thought, was the double with Awesome Quality which paid $25.70. Another good one was at the trots at Ashburton where Oscar Bonavena looked a sitter (These certs/sitters do not always win, of course). Take out OB and this was not a strong field and Take After Me was as good as any, despite his odds. A very nice $44 quinella and a remarkable tri of $684.20 with Overzealous. The 1st 4 was nearly $6500. How's that for a great return when the winner was labelled all day as the bet of the day! Good to see you in print, lad27, and I trust all is well with you and the family.