The good ...
What a set of results for southern horses at Riccarton on Saturday.
The Southland-trained winners came thick and fast through the Sean Bellew pair of Sucre and Saperavious and the Bruce Tapper-trained Five Kings.
But from a Wingatui perspective, it was super to see Wild Bill continue his march through the grades followed up by Dalwhinnie's impressive first attempt at a distance further than 1600m.
... and bad from Saturday
My only regret is that I only had $2 over $3 on Dalwhinnie in my punting competition with my mates in Queenstown, when I have been told several times by Terry Kennedy how much they like the 4yr-old mare.
Perhaps if I had displayed some intestinal fortitude and plonked $10 each way on her, I might have finally won the competition instead of running second yet again.
Instead, it's now a long wait until the next edition of the Gamblor Cup at the top of the Coromandel Peninsula in mid-December.
Salute to Forbury
Top marks to the Forbury Park Trotting Club and all of those involved in organising the commemorative race meeting at Forbury Park last week.
Aside from a nervy pony or two who gave their riders an awkward journey down the Forbury Park straight, the march past was a success, and the raising of the flag, ode and Last Post were delivered in the appropriate manner with Terror To Love parading in the background.
Unfortunately, an unpleasant wind might have dissuaded some people from coming along, but the committee and board of management should be applauded for putting the night on.
Down the road
Never let it be said I have a grudge against Balclutha.
While I don't tend to stop there too often on the way to Invercargill (unless I'm really peckish), it seems like a perfectly pleasant little town with a big river - at least that's what my old university mate Greg Thomson always told me.
And now it's home to a member of the goHarness Forbury Fun syndicate after Alan Lane was the lucky person drawn out as the winner of a share in Jaccka Emberz.
Congratulations Alan.
Lazy Fiver
Princess Arts continued my run of placings for the Lazy Fiver, finishing third at Rangiora on Sunday, but wasn't quite good enough to win.
I've been taken with Fight For Glory ($3.40) in recent starts and I think she can upset odds-on favourite The Orange Agent in the Nevele R final (race 8) at Addington tomorrow.
