Grafmo Webber captures the moment at Motukara..New Zealand..A great shot..

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"TROT TACTICS...21/01/2012..

Here we are with 2012 just 19 days old (Thursday) and already some local drivers and trainers are putting up impressive performances on the TAB tracks.Again,the Glamorganvale influence is there with Kelly Dawson posting 7 winners,and the newest "star in the making"Narissa McMullen right behind KD with a running total of 6 winners.The sphere of influence shifts to the Gatton and Lockyer Waters area with Shane Sanderson producing 6 "trained to the minute" pacers,and Gary Whitaker landing 7 victories in the sulky so far.If we could claim ex-Rosewood girls,Vicki and Kylie Rasmussen back,we could produce some serious stats.With the month of January having 12 days to run,Vicki has trained 11 winners and Kylie has saluted the judge on 14 occasions.Compare these figures with Queensland's leading trainer/driver,Grant Dixon, who has racked up No1 in the gig on just 16 of many outings.The message here seems to be"get big or get out",and,while there may be some wisdom in that philosophy,I don't think that the remaining little guys should pull up stumps just yet.Just keep on trying!

Tonight (Saturday) sees the last round of heats in the "World Amateur Driving Championships" hosted in New Zealand by the Federation of European Gentleman Amateur Trot Drivers.Sadly,Australia,which provided the last World Champion in Bob Mellsop from WA,is not represented.This shameful omission is due to the decision by Harness Racing Australia in 2010 to ban amateur competition in this country.This in spite of documentary evidence from HRNZ to the effect that the amateur side of the sport was at that time putting $NZ 250,000 per year directly into the NZ harness economy.We could have done with a few amateurs here in order to keep the spirit of the game alive.Amateur racing is a side of the sport in this country that "professionals" and so-called professional administrators for the most part,appear to not have the capacity to understand.The resulting decisions and attitudes have done us great harm..

The third rankings for the V75 2012 Inter-Dominion Pacing Championships have been issued and Queensland owned or trained pacers fill three of the first eight slots at this point,Mr Feelgood is No 3,Washakie No 4,and the Lord Mayor of Fernvale,Darrel Graham,has Lanercost firmly in contention at No 8..Let's hope they all make it to the Grand Final!!

Racing Queensland's Supremo,Bob Bentley,has turned to the Greyhound participants in what appears to be an attempt to gain some last minute support for the Government in the countdown to election day.Greyhounds Queensland Magazine Editor,David Brasch has cast serious doubt on the new proposal from Bob Bentley which calls for an urgent meeting (this coming Monday) "to immediately start discussion with greyhound stakeholders to seek their views on racing and training infrastructure in South-East Queensland".Brasch and his many supporters are of the opinion that the proposal is little more than an election stunt,claiming that Bentley,with the backing of the State Government,could have already produced the essential one-code complex at Logan.The dog's share of the $80 million which was promised for infrastructure more than two years ago,would have seen Logan as a happy reality today.Had Bob Bentley done that,he would have had total support from the greyhound fraternity.Monday's meeting with 30 dog people will be crunch time.If Bob Bentley can produce a document from that meeting,guaranteeing the immediate construction of Logan and bearing his signature and that of the Minister For Racing,he will have re-invented himself.Anything less will be a waste of time and an insult for the greyhound folk in attendance.

This weeks decision by RQL to to reconsider all options for new greyhound and harness facilities was hailed by Brisbane Lord Mayor,Graham Quirk,as an opportunity for the State Government to take the reins of its controversial Racing Body and steer it in the right direction.More next week..

Resultsville..Gold Coast 13/01..Gallymont Cohort (Trent for Geoff Dawson)...Albion Park 14/01..nil...Redcliffe 14/01..Absolutely Adam (Mathew Clayton)...Albion Park 17/01..Yellfireinthehole (Narissa for John McMullen)..Star Of Jordaine (Lola Weidemann for Graham Harriott)..I Love To Win (Narissa for John McMullen)..Judd (Chris Petroff for Lynn Beaton)...Redcliffe 18/01..Greenmans Valley (Gary Whitaker for Shane Sanderson)..Lerrad Maharg (Adam Richardson for Darrel Graham)...Albion Park 19/01..Melton Macmax (Narissa for John McMullen)..The Twin Rivers (Chantal for Tony Turpin)..Lila Von Beltz (Adam Richardson for Darrel Graham)..Overcam (Gary Whitaker for Bill Crosby)...

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Another James Lewin super shot.

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"TROT TACTICS"..14/01/2012..

Coming off the back of her third successive "Club Driver Of The Year" title at the mini-trots,and representing Queensland at the 2011 Inter-Dominion Carnival in Auckland,Lauren Jones is in transition mode,on her way to what she hopes will be a successful association with the standardbreds of now and the future.Based at Lockyer Waters,LJ posted scores of 19 and 24 wins in two season and,for the most part,was hauled to victory by "Pony Of The Year",Twebby Twotter.Given that the minis get about two races per week,the strike rate is pretty impressive.However,once a mini driver takes out a trials licence,that is the end of the pony days.Jones Junior has had four trials drives,the first on December 29th.Father Peter is supplying the motive power from his revamped team of pacers,and Lauren who sported the purple with pink star when teamed with Twebby Twotter,will appear in purple with pink sleeves and white stars in full size mode.Happily,she has that all important family support to help her up the ladder of success.Next week we should have a look at a joint initiative between HRNSW and their mini group which is designed to stem the loss of the kids whose families cannot help them bridge the gap between small and large in the harness horse world.

When one takes one or a number of extracts from a document to illustrate a line of thought,or support an opinion of that document,there is always a risk that those extracts will be labelled as "out of context"in any action by the authors to defend the document.These two extracts are taken from a letter by Bob Bentley (RQL) in reply to Bob Lutherborrow (Queensland standardbred Breeders Association) who requested that RQL take into consideration the viability of a number of high profile sporting enterprises which actually make no money at all from their core business.Bob Lutherborrow argues that harness racing's poor financial situation should be addressed from "outside the square"..

Bob Bentley replied (in part),"with wagering revenues under significant pressure,and in decline,it would be a reckless control body that did not take into account pressure on its revenues when determining future budgets..Harness racing itself has been heavily subsidised over the past decade by the thoroughbred and greyhound codes.It has largely ridden on the coat tails of these codes,and it is far from folly to argue that the development of the greyhound code has primarily borne the cost of this cross code subsidy.Each code must remain relevant,and,in doing so,each code must have market appeal."

"Many are of the view that harness racing has had its time,and,had it not been for cross code subsidy in the last decade,it would have failed before now.RQL is not about to allow harness racing to fail,however,it has a keen interest in future allocations to each of the codes in Queensland in accordance with the performance of each of these codes,One code should not necessarily bear the brunt of another code's poor performance."

"Out of context".I don't think so.Harness in Queensland is about one minute from midnight on the Doomsday Clock.

Resultsville..Gold Coast 06/01..nil...Albion Park 07/01..nil...Marburg 07/01..Bullimore (Lola Weidemann for Steve Benham)..Lucky Bunny (Lola Weidemann for Ricky Gordon)..Biancas Luck (Ray Cross)...Albion Park 10/01..Cold Ideal (R.Gorman for John McMullen)..Cold Shoulder (R.Gorman for John McMullen)..El Charro (Brad Cowen for Shane Sanderson)...Redcliffe 11/01..Greenmans Valley (Gary Whitaker for Shane sanderson)..Lady Lager (Brad Cowen for Shane Sanderson)..The Twin Rivers (Chantal for Tony Turpin)..Party In Paris (Narissa McMullen for Ron Sallis)...Gold Coast 12/01..Lila Von Beltz (Adam Richardson for Darrel Graham)..Pemberton (Chris Petroff for Lynn Braeton)..Longwoods (Natasha Day for Mark Rees)...

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Top shot by James Lewin.

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Greg Hand

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Many thanks to someone!!

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