Austrotforum

I think this is a Fredy Moder pic from several years ago..

Posted by dlsmith at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"TROT TACTICS"..26/11/2011...

What if tomorrow is a nice day and the question of"what to do" surfaces.The answer is put the family or friends in the car and head up the range to Clifford Park where the pacers will make their first appearance since 2003.The Downs folk,with Warwick based racecaller,Anthony Collins in the lead,have put a lot of time and effort into this revival.There are six races on the program,and,from the look of the nominations at 9.30am on Thursday morning,it could have been twelve.Bookmakers and all the usual Clifford Park amenities will be available.The first will jump at 12.40pm and it's all go from thereon.

Time,the ruthless master of us all,struck again in Sydney recently with the passing of George Aiken in his 80th year.George and his father Sid were Principals of the well known auction company,Parramatta Livestock,which traded for many years at Homebush saleyards.While the Aikens sold most things on four legs,their passion as both sellers and owners was the standardbred.From the top of the tree at yearling sales to the bottom of the bucket,(the mixed horse sale of a Friday,which always featured secondhand pacers and trotters)Aikens would be chasing a good price for the vendors.George and Sid were major patrons and often partners with topflite trainer/driver Jimmy Caffyn in the "Golden Age" of trotting at Harold Park in the 60's.Name of horses which spring to mind were Great Cheer,which won at HP from Sapling Stakes through to Open Class,Liza,and the Cup winning trotter,Hammerhead.I could go on,but suffice to say that,if I had a $10 note for every harness horse that passed through George Aiken's hands,I would have a very large sum of money.George Aiken's involvement is carried on by his son David,currently training at Avenel in Victoria,where among others he prepares a small but succesful team for Cold Mountain Stud.The Grandfather and the Father are gone,but the entry."S.and G.Aiken and J.C.Caffyn" in the Harold Park racebook lives on in memory.

The old adage,"Try before you buy" gets a run in the reality stakes tomorrow week at Menangle Park.The 1400 metre circuit will be the testing ground for 34 two year old pacers entered in a "ready to run" sale.Speed trials will start at 8.30am and the auction at 1.30pm.The juveniles will work over 800m with the final 400m at best speed.Triallers will be videoed from two angles and the replays will run up until the auction begins.Swabs will be taken and analysed.Local interest centres on the fact that 26 of the youngsters on offer come from the greater Ipswich footprint.Brisbane Pastoral company (Steve Clements,Harrisville) has a draft of 16 and Clive Palmer's Cold Mountain Stud (Lowood and Moore) are presenting 10.This sale is not about breeding theory,it is about breeding results.Consequently there is likely to be a higher percentage of swans rather than ducks on display.If you go,take the cheque book.It's a day of rare opportunity..

It's closing in on Christmas,and the rumour mill has it that a small number of high profile trot folk have been consulted by the LNP as to their availability to sit on the next,government appointed,harness control body.Wouldn't it be nice if those hypothetical folk,while dining on pheasant,considered the plight of most owners who dine on negatives every day while they battle along in the sport they love.Wouldn't it be nice if they promised those owners a $40 rebate on every starter at TAB meetings.Expectations of such a windfall might even induce them to start the horses which currently stay at home meeting after meeting because these owners will only nominate where they think they have some chance.

Resultsville...Gold Coast 18/11..Highstead (Pete McMullen for Lynn Beaton)..Lebron (Dean Belford for Brin McCall)..So You Think (Chris Petroff for Lynn Beaton)...Albion Park 19/11.. Beetee Bromac (Gary Whitaker for Shane Sanderson)...Redcliffe 19/11..Spiderman two (Lola Weidemann for Ricky Gordon)..Miss Abbey (Mathew Neilson for Denis Smith)...Albion Park 22/11..Mighty Memories (Pete fro John McMullen)...Redcliffe 23/11..Alert Baron (Chantal for Tony Turpin)..Starcity Dancer (Lola Weidemann for Ricky Gordon)...Gold Coast 24/11..Melton Claus (Pete for John McMullen)...

Posted by dlsmith at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Download file
FIND A STAR IN THIS TEAM..

Posted by dlsmith at 01:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Download file
FIND A STAR IN THIS TEAM.

Posted by dlsmith at 01:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photographer unknown..More's the pity..

Posted by dlsmith at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"TROT TACTICS"..19/11/2011..

"Go south young man." It wasn't the advice of famed US newspaper editor,Horace Greeley,but the directive of his employer,Clive Palmer,that sent Murray Sullivan to Menangle Park NSW with a truckload of pacers.That was about a month ago and,so far the young Lowood based trainer/driver has made it a profitable venture.Native Mountain,Incredible Ross,Bustinout Hanover and Cold Native have all saluted the judge and Eden Burst has been responsible for several impressive placed efforts.Bustinout Hanover has been the "find" of the trip.Generally considered an easybeat in Brisbane,"Buster " is going like a house on fire in the south showing both speed and stamina,two factors conspicuous by their absence from the gelding's Gold Coast and Albion Park efforts.Horses for courses they say and it's unlikely that M K Sullivan will be sighted up here while the enterprise is running in the black.

I know she doesn't live here anymore,but she grew up at Rosewood so we can claim Vicki Rasmussen as one of ours.Our reason for jumping on the bandwagon is simple.There is no harness trainer in Brisbane who is producing the results like Vicki and her partner and stable driver,Shane Graham.Owners are queing up to place horses of both gaits in VR's stable as Rasmussen continues to take tired and out of form horses and serve them up a week or two later in the best form of their careers.Vicki and Shane have combined to land five TAB track winners this past week including a race to race treble of Hey Ima Beach Girl,Weasel and Our Laughalot at Albion Park last Saturday.Making up the five were Camdon Flash and the most impressive of all,the 9yo trotter Millburn Michael,who,at his first appearance in VR's colours chewed 1.9 seconds off his previous best mile rate with a blistering 1:58.8 effort in a mile mobile at Albion Park last Tuesday.Some horse...some trainer!!

It looks like another round of the dreaded "lack of nominations" syndrome is upon us.Noms were extended for at least two meetings this week and the upshot was that Gold Coast went with a six race program last night.In the simplest terms,TAB turnover was lost,and$12,000 was lost to owners.As owners spend considerably more than they can reasonably expect to win (Harness Racing,like "The Sport Of Kings" being a chancy business),everyone on the harness food chain suffered a part of that loss.Oddly,it was a big week for trials so a lack of race nominations may not necessarily indicate a horse shortage.Maybe Racing Queensland should consider programming an event called the "divided stakes" where owners and trainers nominate the bulk of their entries into a single event and the handicappers frame races to make the best use of the available entries.This format obviously will not suit all trainers,but,at this time and in this situation,it might prove to be the least of any number of evils..

Resultsville...Gold Coast 11/11..nil...Albion Park 12/11..Well Caught Marsh (Gary Whitaker for Tommy Sanderson)...Redcliffe 12/11..Roslei Hilda (Glenn Dawson)...Albion Park 15/11Swift Stride (Ron Sallis)...Redcliffe 16/11..On The Ledge (Kelli Dawson for Mellissa Gillies)..Le Brique (Gary Whitaker for Bill Crosby)..Princess Colraine (Dan Russell for Joey Dileva)..No It Wasnt Mee (Ray Law for Al Barnes)..Gold Coast 17/11.. Iwi Trouble (Barty Cockburn for Francis Weston)..Bully Beef (Lola Weidemann for Ricky Gordon)...

Posted by dlsmith at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"If I was Natalie Rasmussen, I'd be getting one shipped across from the US immediately. I'd go as far as saying he (Rasmussen's Blacks A Fake) can't win the final unless he's racing in one."
Opinion in the on-going race-sulky debate,presented by Jim Walsh..Regal Sulkies Australia.Also opinion pro the "Harmer" sulky by Brett Pelling,top US trainer.(Now retired).iT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE YANKS REMOVED THE MINIMUM WEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR DRIVERS OF 150 POUNDS IN THE 70'S.NOW THEY ARE ESPOUSING THE ADDITION OF SOME 18 KILOS IN THE CASE OF THE "HARMER" CART.APPARENTLY WEIGHT ONLY STOPS TRAINS NOT PACERS AND TROTTER SO BVIOUSLY IT IS TIME TO RETURN TO THE "HIGH WHEEL" SULKIES OF PRE-1894.(austrotforum.com)

Posted by dlsmith at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo by courtesy of Jim Walsh.designer and manufacturer..

Posted by dlsmith at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

foto courtesy of Fredy Moder>

Posted by dlsmith at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"TROT TACTICS"..12/11/2011..

"The tapes fly back,and Noely Spelleken takes Gavil Man to the front".This was a common phrase in the patter of racecaller Rod Hill.. Noel is up first today,just as he was so many times at Ipswich Showgrounds pursuing his love of the light harness sport.The man who wore the "black with white braces" was lost to us last Sunday,levelled as we all must be,by time and failing health.Noel had a number of handy performers,starting with his first pacer,Rawson Robert,after he had learnt the ropes on an extended trip to the south with veteran trainer,Aub Kennoway.Valley Reveller was the next star,becoming the first horse to win on four successive Saturday nights on the original right handed Albion Park.The very reliable Cedar Park followed,and,a few years later the brilliant Gavil Man,a pacer possessed of a short burst of speed more in keeping with the better class horses of today than the early 80's.Apart from the fact that Noely was a kind and extremely friendly man,he had two very valuable attributes as a trot driver.He had a phenomenal ability to get horses to step quickly and cleanly from a stand start,and,if he found the front,boy,could he rate them well.There are still plenty of us left who remember the closing years of trotting at the Showgrounds and we remember Noely Spelleken.He is sadly missed.

Last week I promised further comment on the findings of the Australian Standardbred Breeding Panel Supplementary Report..September 2011.Specifically targeted is an initiative titled the "National Broodmare Credits Scheme".Under this scheme,at its lowest value,should you as an owner or trainer,qualify a less than promising 2yo filly to race,that filly would bank $100 in "credits" against a future service fee.Should the said filly start 10 times in restricted company in this first season without winning,she would accrue credits at $50 per start,thus banking a further $500 for a total of $600.Should this sequence of events be repeated in the 3 and 4yo seasons,(10 starts per season-no wins) a further $1,000 is added and the now proven quantity carries $1600 to cover or go towards a service fee.The value of credits rises according to the class of races contested,and,if the owner's skin was thick enough,"miss less than promising" might contest "C" and "M" class events over the three year period and would have $3100 in credit dollars in the bank.There are several other configurations but basically,that is the picture.The rationale is that the credits add value to a mare should the owner wish to sell it.Further the incentive to race fillies and mares will be enhanced by the opportunity to earn credits.

The problem with the above is that it has been devised by a group of highly successful breeders (broodmare owners) and stallion owners or agents.The stallion owners can see the benefits as the credits,hopefully, will be spent with them.The successful broodmare owners would not touch one of these mares mentioned above with a forty foot pole,but will be very pleased to see their progeny at sales.Sales are based on opinions and comparisons and the progeny of a mare that had thirty starts in three years and could not win will not be favoured over the progeny of a minor classic winner.The incentive to race fillies and mares of any level of ability can be covered by ink in the program and the attitude that fillies and mares deserve the same treatment as Free For All pacers.Run the races with low numbers for a few months and the mares will appear as if by magic..

The Glamorganvale factor appeared again on Tuesday at Albion Park.Drivers,Kelli Dawson a treble and Pete McMullen a double took five races on an eight race card..It must be in the water..

Resultsville..Gold Coast 04/11..Helava Big Dog (Glenn Dawson for Trent Knack)..Supper Waltz Wilson (Graeme Harris for Francis Weston)..Promise Its Liz (Ricky Gordon)...Albion Park 05/11..Badge Of Honour (Gary Whitaker for Shane Sandeson)...Marburg 05/11..Whata Major Tease (Narissa for John McMullen)..Lord Of Abbey (Peter Jones)..Scenic Rim (Pete McMullen for Jenny Halliday)..Shorty Noonan (David Litzow for Shane Parrish)...Albion Park 08/11..Iwi Trouble (Barty Cockburn for Francis Weston)..Veni Vidi Vici (Kelli for Geoff Dawson)..Melton Sotera (Pete for John McMullen)..Melton Big Gunna (Pete for John McMullen)...Redcliffe 09/11..nil...Gold Coast 10/11.. Dawntildusk (Pete for John McMullen).. Runemdown (Gary Whitaker for Bill Crosby)..Whata Major Tease (Narissa for John McMullen)...

Posted by dlsmith at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOCAL (GLAMORGANVALE) TRAINER GLENN DAWSON SAYS HE IS WELL PLEASED WITH "ENRIQUE OF MALLACCA"...PLENTY OF SPEED AND HAS STRENGTH TO GO WITH IT...05/11/2011..

Posted by dlsmith at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

#### SEMEN AVAILABLE ALL STATES ####

DUE TO MANY BREEDERS STILL UNDECIDED ABOUT BREEDING THIS SEASON BRAYCREST PARK IS DOING THEIR BIT BY OFFERING "PAY ON LIVE CONDITIONS" TO THEIR PROMISING SIRE - ENRIQUE NZ - REFER ATTACHED FLYER.

THE INDUSTRY NEEDS AS MANY MARES SERVED AS POSSIBLE THIS SEASON SO ALL BOOKINGS TO ENRIQUE NZ - FROM TODAY TO THE END OF NOVEMBER - YOU DONT PAY THE SERVICE FEE TO YOUR FOAL IS 7 DAYS OLD !!

PLEASE NOTE - HIS OLDEST AUST SIRED PROGENY ARE THIS SEASONS 2 YEAR OLDS - FROM 29 MARES SERVED

HIS FIRST NZ STARTER (RONNOCO) WAS A WINNER AT HIS SECOND START AND A SUBSTANTIAL OFFER KNOCKED BACK BY OWNER AFTER NEXT RUN - HE IS DUE BACK TO THE RACES OVER XMAS.

TWO OTHER NZ QUALIFIERS (ENRIQUE OF MALACCA & JINKY JOHNSON) WERE BOTH SOLD STRAIGHT AFTER QUALIFYING FOR 5 FIGURE SUMS - LOOK OUT FOR THEM !!!

HE HAS OTHER PROMISING NZ STOCK FROM JUST 14 FOALS PLUS GREAT PRAISE FROM BREAKERS OF HIS FIRST SEASON AUSTRALIAN PROGENY

## DONT LEAVE THAT MARE EMPTY ##

PHONE STUDMASTER COLIN KNOX ON 07 5464 1345 OR EMAIL cknox@bigpond.net.au FOR FULL DETAILS

#### AUST BREEDERS CROWN PAID UP ####,

Posted by dlsmith at 05:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another great Fredy Moder pic..

Posted by dlsmith at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ray Chaplin www.equineexcellence.biz

Posted by dlsmith at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

He was just getting too frisky in the paddock.

Posted by dlsmith at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"TROT TACTICS"...05/11/2011..

MY GOD,They've done it!!There is much rejoicing in the Marburg trot community with the recent announcement that long time partners and "best mates",Bev Palmer and Peter Steele have announced their engagement.The happy couple's home base adjoins the Showgrounds and the Marburg Pacing Association offers sincerest congratulations to a pair of committed fans of the traditional trotter.May their life together be long and full of good times.

With Marburg firmly focussed on "happy" what better place to head for today.You can rock up to the Showgrounds about 10.30am to catch the official trials,with the first of five non-Tab races and some mini-trots to commence at 1.00pm.What you do in that timeslot is have a bet..Bookmakers Rob Duncan and Terry Piccone will be fielding on major gallops fixtures and the local trots.Hence the early kick-off to fit into daylight saving in the south.Even better,you can get involved in the Marburg lunch menu.It's not extensive,and certainly not expensive but it's very good home cooking.A range of beers,pre-mixed sprits wine and cruisers plus soft drinks,tea and coffee, will deal with the thirst factor. The new Committee needs YOU the punter to make our meetings a success and is offering a value for money day at the races to get you there,and even more important,to make you want to come back.What is planned is an on-going refurbishment of the facility,and, on the track,a gradual return to a standing start format,the same as Rocklea.As a trial venture,look for a standing start series over a three month period,commencing in January.We cannot guarantee winners,but the rest of the package will stand up anywhere in the picnic racing arena.Just rock on up and let Marburg look after you!!

It has often been said that a good trainer can exploit any racing format in current use.Never truer than the example set by "Team McMullen" who recently added trotters to their racing stock.The red and white colours have been sported in recent weeks by ex-Sydney square-gaiters,Montrose Kid,I'mTinaTurner and Dawntildusk.John has trained and Pete has driven and they all have won.The proof of the pudding,is,as usual,in the eating..

The Australian Standardbred Breeding Panel Report group,which has re-jigged its initial findings and conclusions after considering further responses from rank and file interests,have delivered a final document.The panel's original findings allowed,among other strategies, for a tarrif of $5,000 for the permanent import of a colt,horse or gelding from another country.The rationale behind this figure was to make importation of anything which did not have broodmare potential less than attractive and to force owners and breeders back to the barn,rather than attempting to address any anticipated or actual shortfall in projected racing pool numbers by purchasing going stock in NZ. The upshot is that the $5k has become $2k.This figure is now irrelevent to the big money men,and has nuisance value for the buyer in the$10-40k range which comprises the bulk of imports from the shaky isles.Make of it what you will.Next week we explore the Broodmare Credits Scheme..

Resultsvile..Gold Coast 28/10..Da Svidanya Adam Richardson for Darrel Graham)..Glegarry Sunrise for Trent Dawson)...Albion Park 29/10..Lebron (Dean Belford for Brian McCall)..Mighty Memories (Pete for John McMullen)...Redcliffe 01/11..Seven Peppers (Lola Weidemann for Ricky Gordon)...Redcliffe 02/11..Pemberton (Pete for Lynn Beaton)...Gold Coast 03/11..Dawntildusk (Pete for John McMullen)..Heez An Ace (Barty Cockburn for Doug Lyon)..Rusty Sailor (Pete for John McMullen)...

Posted by dlsmith at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Foto by UFO images..

Posted by dlsmith at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eleven year old Swedish trotter,"HOT TUB" winning $23,000 USD in a rate of 1:58 and change.No boots and alternates between saddle and sulky.Note riders standing in the irons!Foto courtesy of Helene Gregory..

Posted by dlsmith at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)