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STEVEN BORG lands HARRY CHATTER a narrow winner for high strike rate trainer ROD REGNER at Headquarters.Steven was busy posting his first Albion Park Saturday winner while Cindy was busy making sure that the magic moment was not lost....Harnesspix@aol.com or Phone 3861 9019..
THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND NOW LAYS CLAIM TO A ROYAL FAMILY.....THE LINEAGE IS McCARTHY,WITH "GOOD KING JOHN FIRMLY ON THE THRONE...TALK ABOUT "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE"..."BE GOOD JOHNNY" DOES IT AGAIN....OF COURSE,IF WE WERE A REPUBLIC,EMPEROR JOHN COULD EMULATE CALIGULA AND ELEVATE "BE GOOD JOHNNY" TO THE SENATE...ANY WHICH WAY,WE WOULD ALL BE HAPPY.CONGRATULATIONS FROM AUSTROT..
It's a whacky one this.Hilarious at first glance,but with a shocking message as our one man dance troupe performs for an audience of ghosts.CINDY HURLEY has a gift for identifying multiple dimensions through a flat image.This is a classic.....Harnesspix@aol.com or phone 3861 9019..
BLACKS A FAKE caught just as he pulled away from MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN in Saturday's FFA."BLACKIE" is on his way to the MIRACLE MILE next Friday at Harold Park.Not the best barrier (8) but he will give it about 115 percent..
If someone had said 10 years ago,that 2 QUEENSLAND horses would be invited into a "MIRACLE MILE",and,that they would run the quinella,there would have been moves to have the speaker certified as being "of diminshed responsibility"Well,BE GOOD JOHNNY and SLIPNSLIDE achieved exactly that to our great joy and satisfaction.(They had already done enough at "SUPERSTAR" level to remove any element of surprise).
A year down the track,and,guess what.The looking glass is there again,and,this time no less than 4 from the SUNSHINE STATE have jumped through.It's WONDERLAND alright,but the reality is that maybe Queensland's 4 are the best 4 and could just about fight out the finish.
John McCarthy,with a second triumph firmly in his sights,can be boosted by the words of Champion jockey GEORGE MOORE,who said,"Good barriers begin at 1 and get progressively worse.".The field in barrier order is.
(1) BE GOOD JOHNNY.(2) SLY FLYIN.(3) TOE TAPER.(4) FLASHING RED.(5) LUCKY ELSIE..em2.(6) SMOOTH CRUZA.(7) SLIPNSLIDE.(8) BLACKS A FAKE.(9) FOREAL..em1.(10) PAY ME CHRISTIAN...
Really,if we take residency of owners into account,SLY FLYIN stands up for Queensland as well,with GREG BRODIE a committed GOLD COASTER.Whether it's 4---4.5---or 5 runners,isn't it good..
FLASHING RED failed narrowly this evening to capture the NEW ZEALAND CUP----NEW ZEALAND FREE FOR ALL double.The mighty son of the JOHN GEIGER import "ECHELON" went down in slushy conditions to the highly talented,but injury plagued SLY FLYIN,now trained and driven by TONY HERLIHY.In an interesting twist,SLY FLYIN is owned by GOLD COAST property developer,GREG BRODIE,so the bulk of of the bikkies went to the SUNSHINE STATE anyway.It is literally,"the stuff of dreams".
The evidence.FLASHING RED at the post with only COBBITY CLASSIC'S head in the photo..Image courtesy of the world's best harness website...HRNZ..We may pinch the NZ CUP,but we have along way to go to beat the kiwi information service..
What more can they do.The forecast is for unsettled conditions in the South Island following an earthquake in Christchurch today.FLASHING RED (Anthony Butt) and COBBITY CLASSIC (Andrew McCarthy) have run 1 and 2 in the NEW ZEALAND CUP by a big space at the finish.$nz 365,720 are headed in the reverse direction for a change and Queensland trot fans are AGOG.Maybe its a good thing for our kiwi mates that only two of Queensland's star studded line up made the trip.A clean sweep would have been too much altogether.
This looks pretty much like a shot of three trotting blokes sitting happily on a bench in the Albion Park stable area.Look a bit harder from the left."Hollywood" John McMullen--A genuine star in the first 25 years of Brisbane night trots,and a pioneer of USA campaigns.Second up,John junior, a serious contender for the "hardest worker in the game" title, controls a big team,turns wayward "bush bunnies" into tractable race horses,and, can be on his own at a meeting with eight runners in successive races and still manage to hold a conversation with anyone who comes along.(genius in time management.)On the right,young Pete,third generation and set to kick off with an incredible bank of knowledge and practical experience at his fingertips.He could just be the Jamie Packer of Queensland harness racing.Due to the current downturn in prizemoney,his inheritance is perhaps at risk-however,he has the rest and will go for it.
The roving, high-tech phone of PATRICE MADDEN supplied the above..We are truly grateful.
Either use comment facility ,or e-mail.... austrot@hotmail.com..Go for it.
In a move which has dreadful portents for the future of light harness,Sydney based sulky designer / manufacturer,James Walsh,(REGAL SULKIES),has sent us to the dogs.
More seriously,the fact that this rig achieved 35 kph on a dirt road demonstrates the efficient and innovative technology which Walsh builds into the various styles of REGAL SULKIES.The Walsh sulky is a performance enhancer lmited only by the horse to which it is hitched..
NATTY NITRO (Nathan Postlethwaite) gets there in the last bound over PIPER FINDLAY and CURLEW BAY..Cindy,like any good housewife saw the value in this trifecta,and added it to the shopping basket...Harnesspix@aol.com or Phone 3861 9019..
POLO PRINCE and Richard Hooper in overdrive on his way to a last stride victory in Heat 2 of the Members Cup at Headquarters Saturday.While Richard lined up REBEL TAJ,Cindy Hurley bagged them both.....Harnesspix@aol.com or hone 3861 9019.
The happy connections of SWEET FAME after the U.S.A. import blew a hole in what looked like another history making event.Victory denied a Queensland clean sweep of the Spring Carnival..Cindy Hurley snapped this mantle piece gem in "Victory Lane" after the race....Harnesspix@aol.com or Phone 3861 9019..