Tool no. 1

You may be right. I think The Fantasy won the most races of the three and also won NZ broodmare of the year in the early 90's so I had it in my head she was the best.

They won decent weight for age races for sure but still raced in handicap staying races. I remember The Twinkle finishing second in an Auckland Cup and The Dimple raced in at least three Southland Gold Cups without winning one. The Fantasy was the best of the three.

What are you talking about, I was loving the 21 percent interest I was getting on my Term Deposits.

That's a pretty naive comment if you know anything about running a viable business. NZ TAB are no different than any other book makers in terms of restricting successful punters. Only difference is the level of restriction. VIP clients for the TAB are those punters that consistently lose money. These are the guys the TAB wine and dine. They certainly don't host the likes of a Graham Beirne at a Warriors game and provide food and drink all night. Just as a bank doesn't take the customers that are costing them money out for lunch.

Someone mentioned Miles Better in a thread today, a horse I remember well. It got me thinking about staying handicappers back in the early '80's both the quality and quantity of them compared to now days. Man racing was great back then. Just off the top of my head. Kiwi Gun for Fun Cuss Chimbu Fountaincourt Maurita Bound to Honour Shivaree Von Cettes Avitt The Dimple The Twinkle Joyarty Sirtain Magistrate Macloud Sound Wave Ruanuku Stylish Dude Debs Mate Azawary Kev's Boy Caucus Peak Despa Tun Doon Speculation Firefly Shamrock Daisy Northfleet Alice Little Vic Tamboura Double You Em Torquay Payco Gold Bullion I know I've listed a few mudders that didn't go around in the summer but what a list and I'm sure quite a few more that raced against each other back in the good old days.

Powley was a fantastic mare. Saw her beat Hikotere by a nose in the Group 1 George Adams at Trentham on the third day of the cup carnival in '82. Died a few months later on that ill fated Cook Strait crossing. She was brilliantly bred and her value at stud would have been enormous. Miles Better was a grand old campaigner who beat The Dimple and Joyarty in the Invercargill Gold Cup and finished second behind Firefly in the Dunedin Gold Cup in that same 1982 season. Was not aware he was also on that crossiing.

typo 1977 should read 1997

In the 1982 Hunter Cup Gammalite was bolting turning for home and had the field well covered inside the final 150 metres and so far had been untouched by Clarke. Then the sadist decided to belt him 12 times in the last 100-120 metres including one or two after the winning post!

My favourite harness horse of all time. His regular driver Bruce Clarke was a sadistic prick who had the most extravagant whip action I have ever seen on a driver. He made the comment that Gammie always gave his very best in every race he was in, he never lay down, never stopped trying. A big reason for that was because Clarke was belting the shit out of him often well before the straight. One of his best races in my opinion was the Lord Module Alan Matson Free For All in 1981 where Gammie served it up to the leader Armalight over a lap from home eventually running clear of her and the rest of a high class field but then couldn't withstand the finishing burst of Lord Module who finally got his act together after been a naughty boy in his previous few starts. Lord Module deservedly got all the kudos from that race but what a run by Gammie for second. Clarke had hit him 6 times with a lap still to run and then at least 20 times in the final 200 metres.

Authentic Paddy is in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Ocean Emperor maybe in need of a spell. Has been up for a while.

Small fields on the whole. Three of the first four races just seven starters but $50,000 minimum stakes so should be very competitive racing all the same. Stratocaster in Race 1 won a rating 85 easy at Trentham last start and goes up 2kgs. Beat Turn me Loose in the Hawkes Bay Guines trial a few years back easily in a finish that had to be seen to be believed. Would love to see this horse go on with it and may be paying a decent enough price again in a small but select field. Beastmode in Race 2 narrowly beaten by the undefeated Sir Nate (Wellesley winner) and punters burnt badly in his debut at Wanganui after winning a trial by 10 lengths. Looks very talented and trainer knows how to get them ready for a great group of owners. The CD raider may topple the northern boys at reasonable odds. Dougie in Race 3 Dunstan Stayers not one of Trudy Thornton's best rides last start but if he settles in the trail and although not that well off at the weights for a Rtg 65 may be too good for them.

Nice spotting sir, sat behind them just off the pace and finished over the top. A nice each way price.

You have him going really well Tim. Another win is close. Is there a race for him on Cup day or does he go back to Cambridge?

Three back the fence just not his go. Has to up in the van and rolling. Get on next start but will need to be driven more aggressively.

A very good run in the Eulogy and looks like a nice Oaks filly to me.

The Singapore total is incorrect. It would be closer to 1,000. Ireland, Finland and the USA would all be higher per capita but New Zealand is right up there at around 600 NZD per person

I drove past the old Hutt Park Raceway the other day. Very sad the demise of that place. Would not have missed a meeting there for 20 years from the late 70s until they stopped racing there in late 90's.

Yes no great surprise here, Aussies love a gamble, always have, always will. Problem gamblers will access any means to gambling that they can. More pokie machines doesn't create the problem. The real issue here is the pathetic support given to those that do have gambling problems. At the end of the day there is only surface support given and it is because they have to and it's given by government agencies that are seriously underfunded.

Haven't seen earlier races but just watched the Cup and the Group 3 sprint and horses were coming from everywhere.

So you would be happy to win one third of the races yet they won two thirds.

Four wins on the Premier night. Timmy didn't miss a beat.

Actually there were a number of races tonight that the Cole's had just one starter and in one race they had none. I counted 32 starters tonight total and that included four races when they did have half the field so to win 8 races from 12 is still a phenomenal effort.

Top horse, could still beat Vincent even badly driven. I saw Idolmite win off 30 metres one night at the Park. Must have been early eighties when Fraser Kirk was training her. Possibly one of her last races.

Just about swallowed the mic when Pretorius got up to beat Mekong Princess in the first but apart from that did ok.