WINX may be winning at the gallops, but former Harness Racing NSW registrar Denis Decaluzel has come up with some astounding records on the harness racing front.
“Lucky Creed’s 24 consecutive wins stood as the Australasian record for eight years until equalled by super trotter Maori’s Idol in 1978,” he said.
“Three years later, San Simeon stretched it to 29 wins in a row, and that record still stands today. Juvenile pacer, Courage Under Fire, also equalled the old record of 24 consecutive wins in 2000.”
In another first, Denis said harness racing was the first to licence females to compete against the men. Margaret Frost and Margaret Davies were the first two. That was about seven years before New Zealand jockey Linda Jones was allowed to ride against the Aussie jockeys.
I have to thank Denis for this information – he was a registrar within this industry for more than 50 years.
TAMWORTH trainer Danny Evans picked up a winner’s cheque with Somerosesomewhere when the seven-year-old mare won the opening event at Newcastle on Tuesday evening.
IT is good to see many standardbreds having another career after racing with Vinnie Blue Jeans, who contested his last race back in 2012 when trained and raced raced by Sarah Rushbrook, being one such horse. Vinnie has been enjoying retirement and last Sunday presented to his first pony club meet contesting the Blanch Trophy Day at Manilla.
I won the race so that is all that matters.
Earlier this year, Vinnie was also a competitor at the Standardbred Pleasure & Performance Horse Championships held in Tamworth.
Soho Eros showed everyone his presence when he competed with success at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show. He has also been part of wedding parties.
IT was an all-the-way win to Commanche at the last Tamworth meeting in taking out the Longyard Hotel Tamworth Pace and there was no concern from Tamworth trainer and reinsman Scotty Welsh as to the mile rate of 2.08.2 for 2360 metres.
“I won the race so that is all that matters,” Welsh said. “It was always the plan to get the lead and get away with a few cheap quarters and come home quick, although we were getting a bit worried in the end.”
Welsh had the perfect “stack em up and run home race” with no one placing any pressure on Commanche.
Scotty, a director on the Board of Tamworth HRC, races the five-year-old gelding in partnership with his mother Tanya.
HARNESS racing will feature at Newcastle on Friday night followed by Dubbo on Sunday and back to Tamworth on Thursday to round out the season.
