They won the 3 biggest races on Auckland Cup night. Before this night they had already won more than the next 4 on the NZ Premiership Table (and of course this does not count the Inter either)
They have now won the first 3 legs of the APG Grand Circuit with 3 different horses - with the WA Pacing Cup being the next leg, it may be the only chance for another stable to win something
http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=31994
Not sure where to put this but this will do...good read
http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/01/14...-too-brightly/
what shits me about this article is its angle that the trainers made the horses, that the horses stood no chance of being champions without the trainers. A horse as good as Dream About Me or Lazarus or Blacks A Fake could have done just as well with my Dad, with Purdon/Rasmussen, as bloody Joe Blow. They make it seem like Purdon/Hall/ETC are some sort of horse whisperers. it's just not true, instead its a self fulfilling prophecy. Give a trainer a good horse and it'll win races. Give a trainer lots of good horses because he won with horse A and he'll win more races and will be given better horses. Gve a trainer the best horses because their great horses are winning and suddenly they can demand only the champions.
Give purdon or Hall or whoever a chance to pick yearlings in a sale with a $40k cap of their own money vs my dad or Joe Blow or whoever and let's see who is the better trainer.
goddammit it makes me angry. Wealthy owners a trainer does not make. Except it sadly does.
#QuarantineGate I trust
I am with you Katie - success breeds success, you do not have to look any further than how David Aiken was given Hector
As for them being the best trainers by a margin - I also think that there are dozens of trainers just as knowledgeable as them
As for the 2005 indiscretion - it will never be forgotten and I find laying the blame solely on the deceased to be very convenient and unsavoury
I thought the article was quite fair and summed up well by the author. Sounds like not much credit is being given to the all stars team. They are renowned as being top horse people especially Mark Purdon who apparently has the best eye for horseflesh in the land. I don't always agree that you give a top horse to any old trainer that the horse will continue to win big races that's just not true and it is dreaming if you think that. Yes, they have plenty of money behind them and that helps big time. Unfortunately for anyone who is not associated with this team or their horses in some way and I am one of them..........bad luck.
I dont think anybody is saying 'any old trainer' PatQuote:
Originally Posted by Fan of Jate
Kev...Those words weren't used but "bloody Joe blow" in that post IMO could be described also as "any old trainer" or words to that effect, basically implying that a anyone could do it. I am sure I did not misread that or miss the implication.
I see that now. Correction: I am not saying 'any old trainer'Quote:
Originally Posted by Fan of Jate
In Katie's defence - a lot of trainers could have looked good with horse's of the calibre of those three
Most definitely Kev, I do agree with that. Although the top trainers have to be given their due on the odd occasion. I don't see many articles or forum posts where it is described as a "Great training performance" by a trainer after winning a GP 1 or other (I could be corrected on that one) It is usually the driver who will get a mention. So I think those who write articles for the harness world are aware of the fact that the horse usually makeths the trainer and not the other way around. There are exceptions to this of course.
Personally I applaud MP for being dominant and winning "everything". Hopefully it inspires others to try harder. I bet ya $2 that the Bonds were looking at ways as to why the Halls were dominant, thought about it and then set a plan in place and now look where they are! Hopefully there a more than a few stables across Australia that have a "rich" client or two who are at this moment ARE actively plotting the downfall of Mark Purdon. I know if I had squillions I'd run amok PRIVATE TRAINER etc etc. Once I was so sure I was winning one powerball and I'm out of here jackpot that I daydreamed about buying the entire catalogue at the Perth yearling sale all 100 odd. However I did not win so cannot plot anyone's downfall BUT I CAN DREAM and if I do hee har