Grant Dixon 6 months

Just read leading trainer up here has got 6 months high TCO2 Reading at Redcliffe he has dominated up here like Luke did in Sydney.

Source www.harness.org.au stewards wrap

Hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong but Grant has only had control of the training side of the operation this 11/12 racing season, taking over from his Dad, Bill who really has left Grant a hell of a legacy. Grant was absolutely smashing the trainers premiership by nearly twice as many winners as his nearest rival Vicki Rasmussen, and will still be crowned leading trainer/driver for the season. http://www.justracing.com.au/

It really is a very similar situation for Dixon as it was for McCarthy in that both fathers have been able to step up in the interim and hold the operations together whilst the appeals processes go through the motions. There are very few details to go on at this early stage, but we do know that with the blessing of RQL stewards, Bill has been given an interim licence to train the stables horses so other stable clients are not unduly penalised for the TCO2 detection that occurred at Redcliffe on the 8/6/12. Some of you may lambast me, but I think the matter has been well handled and decisive by RQL to this point. I would hope that in the near future more information is made available to the general public in the near future in regard to the ongoing training arrangements. We are talking about the largest and most successful stable north of the border and amongst its number is that fantastic 2yr old Majestic Mach.

Of course the stable loses nothing in having Bill in charge of operations being a champion trainer for years and years in the Qld. A quietly spoken, calm fellow who has taken success in his stride (although he was certainly outspoken against Bob Bentleys grand plan for Deagon), I had the pleasure as a lad to watch those now familiar black and white checks go around every Saturday night at the Townsville Paceway within the Townsville Showgrounds during the 1970's. Even way back then Bill was a master horseman recognised nationally by winning Australian premierships with much less availabiltiy of races to compete in up in far North Queensland. Before the industry shrunk to the size of a pea in QLD, they used to race intermittently and regularly at places like Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton etc. On a Saturday afternoon horses would regularly race twice in an afternoon at Charters Towers in Beginners etc, or race once and then be brought back to Townsville and compete that night.

They used to get a lot of punters who had money left after the Cluden races who would back up that night. Me and my brothers used to sneak through a hole in the back fence of the showgrounds (money was tight back then) and slip past the stabling area hoping no-one would notice us. I remember listening to the inter-state races over the loud speakers and conjuring up images of those champions of yesteryear as the gallant warhorses they were because there was no Sky Channel in those days. Can still remember the night Maoris got beat and I cried. Big sook that I am I still tear up at stuff like that.

As usual I have digressed but getting back to it. Bill Dixon was the King. He used to have an on-going war on the track with a bloke called Jack Rix. I always remembered him as an old street fighter who showed no mercy to the poor animal he was steering. The caller used to say "and the whips are cracking" and that was no understatement. There was another bloke up there as well by the name of Victor Rasmussen who was sort of on the third tier of drivers but history would show he and his family would have a huge impact to harness racing further down the track in Qld. There were a few more names that migrated south to Brisbane that also share in some measure of success, none moreso than Bill himself...who I am sure will keep the ship steady in the interim.

It is hard to believe that so many centres have closed to harness in the last couple of decades and has pretty well contracted to Brisbane and outlying areas. I hope the new regime can instil some life into an industry that has been lost to such a large area.:)

must have appealed as has horses in this week.Also noticed one of his staff who has a licensce has got 10 months for same offence