He's a marvel!
51 more starts to break Cane Smokes record of 400.
I'm guessing Shepparton 27th JUNE 2015
I'm sure he will break the 400 if he don't die before hand. Just hope the owners give him an expensive funeral lol
hahahahaha!
Seriously... That horse gets vetted before every start just about when backing up after couple days. Don't think ever been scratched by vets. Always looks great when at races when I have seen him there. I know for sure the trainer loves his horses.
This one in particular I believe is very clever these days. Am pretty sure read something trainer said about him one day. Said he takes him to Melton when races there and just lets him off float by himself and he always wanders off to the Tabaret! Said he just goes to collect him from there when time to gear him up.
When he races these days he keeps up for as long as he can and then he decides whether worth chasing them or not. Often outclassed these days but never once seen him pushed along if he's not in the race. A lot of the times the races wouldn't go ahead due to lack of numbers if he wasn't in the race. Especially in the winter months. If the horse is happy to compete who cares how old he is.
Same goes for the trainers other horses. A lot of them would have ended up at the knackery had he not taken them in and given them a try and a lot of trot races wouldn't go ahead without his horses. Recently he single handedly got trot races back to Mt Gambier. Remember the race where he trained the whole field there? Now they are run regularly even if his horses aren't there to compete.
I can't comment on his training methods. Don't know enough about that. But his horses always look well cared for and every now and then they pop up as winners.
Lots of things wrong with harness racing at the moment. But don't think this is one of them. He's a passionate harness racing person and the game could do with a lot more passionate people.
Great post Paul
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
Just noted the rule change from Harness Racing Victoria:
Frequency of Race Starts
In accordance with Harness Racing Victoria’s commitment to horse welfare, the following policy will be introduced.
‘A horse with two unfulfilled engagements (as a starter, not as an emergency) at acceptance time for any race will be deemed ineligible to compete in such race’.