Racing matters: Houdini act for Harry?

Otago Daily Times racing/sports reporter Matt Smith cast his eye over the important - and the not so important - matters in the racing industry. 

If I remember correctly - and sometimes I do - I have mentioned Noel Harris (60) in this column in the past.

The voice, the casual swagger, the relaxed riding style - all factors to cherish about the one and only NGH.

So wouldn't it be awesome if he was able to set a world record in the Thorndon Mile tomorrow and become the oldest jockey to win a group 1.

''Harry'' would only be half the story in this instance, however.

Pondarosa Miss has recovered from her horrific fall at Hastings in the spring which left her with a large hole on the left side of her head, and is a $6.50 chance in the 1600m race after being a late entry earlier this week.

Neroship no longer
Harness fans from 25 years ago will fondly recall the name Neroship, who held the Auckland and New Zealand Cups at the same time in 1990.

Michael Guerin has reported that the 29yr-old, who also stood at stud, died in Canterbury last week.

He won 17 races and more than $800,000 in stakes - no doubt he would have been a millionaire these days - and he also held the national mile record for some time.

Action out west
I hopped on to Twitter on Saturday morning for a casual browse through the events of the past 24 hours.

Within a matter of a few tweets, it was clear the WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park last Friday night had to be watched.

It didn't disappoint either, with regular lead changes, tactical driving and massive runs from the likes of David Hercules - all on an 800m track with no passing lanes.

If you have a spare few minutes, search for 2015 WA Pacing Cup on Youtube and enjoy a cracking call from commentator Richard Bell.

All in at Forbury
Feeling strong/creative/useful? Pop along to Forbury Park tomorrow morning for a working bee.

Forbury Park president Gerald Cayford is keen to have a tidy-up around the place and is calling on club members or even just racing fans to chip in.

They have found people with particular skills, so all they need now are some extra hands on deck.

The working bee kicks into gear at 8am and a BBQ lunch is provided. I'm unavailable as I'll be busy moving house. Sorry, Gerald.

Lazy Fiver
Third for Huka Eagle on Saturday.

But in this new era of the Lazy Fiver, third isn't good enough.

I think the 20m gap between the c1 and c2 trotters in race 11 at Ascot Park tomorrow gives Queen Kenny a good chance to hold out some talented rivals over 2700m.

matt.smith@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment