"TROT TACTICS"..12/09/2009..

There's a new signpost at the highway end of Glamorganvale Road.It says New Jersey USA this way as Trent Dawson becomes the third harness horseman from the area in two months, to jet out to the land of "one horse,two wheeled miracles".Uncle John and cousin Peter McMullen,had a three week holiday stint recently,but Dawson is going on a six month work visa to the stables of leading ex-pat trainer,Noel Daley."T.D." expects to learn a great deal from hands-on experience of American methods in the large Daley operation,but,he will be closely involved with Luke McCarthy's team of pacers when Luke returns to Brisbane in the near future.Stars,Slip N Slide and Fleur De Lil will continue to campaign on the New Jersey circuits while Luke regroups for his next assault on the Yankee Dollar.Trent is a more than capable reinsman and is hoping to snag at least a few race drives.He is not looking for a miracle,but who knows.Being in the right sulky at the right time has propelled Andrew McCarthy to the point where he drove 51 winners in the last two weeks.No joke..First week 20,second week 31.It's life in the fast lane,and Trent Dawson is anxious to experience it.

You don't have to fall out of the cart to get a few bruises.Pallara based trainer Dave Russell stepped from behind his waste collection truck during last Monday night's storm and did considerable panel damage to a Brisbane Council bus.Dave is a bit sore and sorry,the bus is having surgery.Some are tougher than others..

Next Saturday's Marburg meeting will be the last until Boxing Day.The race-day stalls and other infastructure will appear during the recess,and it will be all systems GO from then on..

There is a bit of confidence in the Cold Mountain--Simon Burrows camp after Southpark Hanover trialled in a super slick 1-52 at Gold Coast on Thursday.The performance should set the entire up for a tilt at the "Flying Feat" time trial contest to be run soon at Parklands..Denis..

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"TROT TACTICS"..05/09/2009..

They went..They saw, and They had a hell of a good time.Such is the report on the Glamorganvale father and son team of John And Peter McMullen's journey to the Meadowlands Harness Racing complex in New Jersey USA.All up,the pilgrimage took 21 days to complete,and,according to a family source if it wasn't trot,it was pace,and vice versa.It was a rite of passage for young Pete,who celebrated his 18th birthday while away.
He witnessed the running of The Hambletonian Classic for 3 year-old trotters and was mightily impressed,and,most important,had three race drives at the famous track,resulting in a 3rd and two 5ths.Pete saw American trotting from the best perspective,in the sulky behind reasonably competitive horses.

Speed was the key,with the lad's placegetter going in 1-53.0 and another trip in a qualifying event ran 2nd and stopped the clock in 1-52.0.Commonplace at the Meadowlands where 2 year-olds ran 1-51.0,but a great asset to a young driver who has just posted 91 winners in his first full season here.You watch him move when the pace slows now.Meeting and competing against the driving superstars of American harness and attending race meetings with such high-profilers as Ron Pierce was the icing on the cake.Peter McMullen is the the third generation of his family to compete in America.Impressed as he might be with things U.S.,he is in no hurry to go back.He seems to think he is on a good thing here with his share of the drives from his father's large and busy team.Maybe another day..

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"TROT TACTICS"..11/07/2009..

This week,we look at two people who played different roles at Rocklea.One is still there every Saturday.Jack Waltisbuhl is no longer active as a trainer,due to breathing problems which see him tethered to an oxygen cylinder.But,if you can't train you can still own,and Jack was on hand to see his colors of blue with red sleeves carried to victory by the Ted Rolfe trained Bull Tossa.Lola Weidemann,who has travelled many miles round the tight 577 metre circuit had the drive.Jack will be there on the last day,to see it all end.He was high profile all his training and driving career,but never too proud to race at the Rock.

From its opening in the 50's to the mid 80's Rocklea was a successful club with perhaps the best Committee in Queensland.They were certainly visible on Raceday, mingling with the crowd all afternoon,making all welcome.In 1985,the South Australian veteran,John Houlson,started as Chief Executive.Houlson wasted no time in demonstrating his skills in organising,promotion and finding sponsors.I believe he may have been the first man in Queensland to sell signage on the white fence surrounding the track.In a matter of months,he had sponsors for every meeting,and a look at the annual report for 1990/91 showed that basic prizemoney was $2,200 per race.In the months when no feature race was programmed,the Rocklea Bonanza was run for $7,000.Feature races ranged from $3,750 through $40,000 for the Speed King Treasure Chest Final, with a mammoth $150,000 for the flagship event,The Rocklea Pot Of Gold Series ($50,000 Final).Life is a funny thing.Rocklea is going because it can't make money.John Houlson was removed because he made all other Clubs look very ordinary indeed. ..Denis..

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TROT TACTICS"..04/07/2009..

Any regular patron of Rocklea Trots in the last decade will have fond memories of Minden based Tim Gillespie out in front with a stocky pacer called Freckles.A son of Fake Left and Cindy Bye Bye,the chestnut was indeed an iron horse.Facing the starter a massive 223 times,he was in Victory Lane on 65 occasions,with a further 62 placings.Even with wins as far afield as Harold Park,it was at the Rock where Freckles reigned supreme.A win and a nose second in two Pot Of Gold Finals,a track record mile rate of 2-2.14 sitting outside prolific winner,Myrtleford Beau,and a mile against the clock in 2-00.1 were high points.His first success was in a 2yo handicap at the 577 metre circuit in February 1998 and his career ended there on September 2nd 2006.Fittingly,Freckles went out a winner at his final appearance.

Tim Gillespie maintained that the horse owed much of his success to the Rocklea style of racing."He was made there." he said.Freckles raced in an era when Rocklea was already in decline.Had he gone round in the golden age of John Houlson,he would have doubled his respectable earnings of $140,000.The Gillepies love their little champ.His paddock's outside the kitchen door and he's as fat as mud with a home for life.

Any form of horse racing has its sad side,none sadder than the death of moderate performer,Vitesse Operative,who suffered a massive haemorrhage in running at Redcliffe on Wednesday night.Horses can't talk,they can't tell you that it is more painful than usual lately when you ask for that last ounce of speed.Just spare a thought for a horse,who,when asked,gave more than he had to give,and paid a terrible price...Denis..

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Nicola Carkeet.

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