Having not met physically for some considerable time, it was always going to be a marathon when the Trainers & Drivers National Council held a meeting recently – more than 6 hours long in fact. Along with guests, Catherine McDonald (HRNZ) and Nigel McIntyre (RIB), the topics on the agenda were wide and varied, some involving some intense discussion.
Agenda Items for A Meeting of the Trainers & Drivers National Council in the HRNZ Boardroom on Monday 19 September at 12.30pm
After a far too lengthy hiatus, due to difficulties mainly caused by the pandemic, the National Council of the Trainers & Drivers Assn. is scheduled to meet face to face in a few days.
It’s common to hear harness racing participants talk about how they enjoy interaction with the ‘people’ involved in the game. Obviously as in all walks of life there are the good and the not so good, although in my experience the former far outweigh the latter and very often, the not so good ones don’t stick around long.
Anyone who has had experience talking to the media will attest that it can be a bit of a minefield at times. A recent example in our game was when the trainer of a high-profile trotter was asked about the horses return.
For those of you who haven’t heard of the above gentleman, legend has it that he considered himself to be so all-powerful that he plonked himself in a chair (probably a throne), on a beach, and defied the tide to come in. Unfortunately for him, the only thing he achieved was to get wet feet!
These are two words that are part of every day life for a Kiwi harness racing trainer. Initially they ‘nominate’ a horse for a race that it is eligible for, then, when the list of nominations are posted on the website, they consider whether to ‘accept’ or withdraw the horse for that race, for whatever reason.
I’m one those old ‘fuddy duddys’ who doesn’t live on social media. The idea of telling the World what I had for dinner, or signing up for ‘influencers’, and being advised what to wear or how I should behave, doesn’t really appeal.
The word ‘stalwart’ is probably overused (probably by me) when talking about people in harness racing who have passed on, as sadly so many have recently, but you would have to say that Keith Grice (who sadly left us this week), and his brother Bevan have earned the title.
If you’ve got a pacer rated between R35 and 55 that’s looking for a penalty free win, there are some rare chances to score one for a $10,000 stake this coming weekend.