A few weeks ago, I brought you a few facts about horses winning off big marks. I've had a couple of phone calls since from racing fans recalling other horses who have won off large - and in some cases, massive - marks.
Robert Wearing, who reckons he is ''almost'' an Invercargill local after living there for the past 35 years (he's 78), had a few to share from almost 50 years ago.
He recalled Jovial Scott winning off 120 yards as a 13yr-old at Cambridge in May 1965. The 1964-63 trotting register does not record his age other than to say he is an aged horse. But in the 1955-56 register, he is a 5yr-old, so he may even have been 14 when he won off that big handicap at Cambridge
. . . horses were horses
The other one he recalled was Gay Gordon winning twice off marks on the same day. Sure enough, Gay Gordon won both races at Greymouth on November 28 in 1964. The first race was a 15-length thrashing after he started off 24 yards. He was sent back another 36 yards to the 60-yard mark for the second race, but that didn't stop him winning the second race by 12 lengths.
Gay Gordon managed the same at Waikouaiti later that season, winning the Waikouaiti Cup off 36 yards and backing up three races later to win his second outing for the day by 1 lengths off a 72-yard handicap.
Good timing
Good to see some co-operation between the New Zealand Racing Board and Harness Racing New Zealand with the very early opening of the futures fixed-odds markets for the New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Dominion.
With the possibility of Themightyquinn, Terror To Love, Christen Me, Adore Me and a swathe of other stars turning up for the Cup, any early interest which may or may not involve a nibble on the fixed odds all adds to the publicity for Cup Week.
Speaking of fixed odds, the markets for the Breeders Crown semifinals at Ballarat tomorrow were opened last night with a heap of Kiwis to support.
Flying, not ruling
Before you get excited about a former Victoria Derby winner turning up at the Forbury Park trials on Monday, let me clarify that I wrote Courage To Rule instead of the intended Courage To Fly when compiling my report on the trials - although it was correct in the caption and the results.
I'm sure Andrew Faulks would love to have the former John Green and Brian Hughes-trained star in his paddock at home, but no, it was just a typo.
Lazy Fiver
Keep The Courage kept me in the familiar place of fifth last week. So it's off to Rangiora on Sunday we go, and race 7 where the impeccably-bred The Pacman can overcome his second-row draw to win.
