Sugars in the hotseat

By Michael Court, 5th January 2012

STAR reinsman Greg Sugars will take the reins on Miracle Mile and Victoria Cup winner Smoken Up in Saturday week’s $100,000 South Australian Cup.

Syndicate spokesman Peter Gadsby confirmed the young reinsman, who has carried all before him since he began partnering Sushi Sushi in feature races, would definitely have the drive in Smoken Up’s next major assignment.

But it will only be a temporary ‘substitution’ while trainer-driver Lance Justice recovers from the painful leg injuries sustained in a race fall at Tabcorp Park Melton two weeks ago.

And while Justice has lamented how difficult it was to be out of action, he is confident of being back earlier than expected.

“It wasn’t exactly the Christmas present I wanted but at least I’m at home now,” Justice told National Trotguide and the Harness Racing Weekly.

“The hardest part about all this is being stuck in bed or needing a wheelchair to get around.

“Even then I cannot do too much as I have to keep my legs elevated because of swelling.

“I can’t believe the amount of well wishes and calls I’ve received – it has been pretty overwhelming.

“The only good thing about being in bed is I finally get to order my wife Diane around – but I know that won’t last.

“And thanks to movie buff Paul Courts I am starting to catch up on a few movies as well.”

Still Justice assured Gadsby he was a good chance of being ready to partner his stable star in the Inter Dominion in Perth in February.

“Although Lance still has some pain his right leg will be fine and he only needs to keep the pressure of it for it to be healed in plenty of time,” Gadsby said.

“His left leg is still causing some problems but as long as he doesn’t overdo it or try to rush things too much the doctors said there was no reason why it couldn’t be right in time for the Inters.

“Of course there are metal plates inserted in it but Lance just needs to take it easy now and get it right.”

Gadsby said harness racing needed a fit Lance Justice to give the support the publicity it so badly needed.

“Say what you like about Lance but he is so good for the sport because he always has an opinion and tells it like it is,” Gadsby said.

“He’s like the late Vinny Knight, he gets you so much publicity that he’s worth his weight in gold.

“Even with those metal plates in his leg.”

It has been rumoured that Justice had contemplated retirement following his horrific fall - but the lure of driving Smoken Up in the Perth Inter Dominion had him setting ambitious goals.

Certainly two plates and seven screws in one ankle, while a plate and two screws in the other have slowed him down somewhat.

“I did a good job of it,’’ Justice said.

“I tried to save one of my legs falling on my side but it shattered when it hit the ground.’’

Justice has driven Smoken Up in 102 of his 103 starts and is desperate to be back for the Perth feature.

“Yes I did think about retiring, briefly, but he is there and, if I do everything right, I should be able to drive in the first set of heats,’’ Justice said.

“I have always driven him. No one else gets on him, even in trackwork, and I would love to be back for the Inters.”

Chapple caps off comeback

By Michael Court, 5th January 2012

IT could be a weekend to remember for Guy Chapple.

The Hunter Valley reinsman is poised to complete one of the more remarkable comebacks in harness racing with success in this weekend’s $40,000 Inter City Pace final at Maitland on Saturday night.

Laid up in bed following major heart surgery a couple of months ago, it was feared that Chapple might never return to the sulky.

But his recovery has been amazing and this weekend he gets the chance to fulfil a life-long dream by winning the feature race at this home track.

The Inter City Pace is the major race this weekend in NSW and Chapple has the pick of three runners in the final for local trainer Shane Tritton.

He seems certain to partner polemarker Tokyo Drift in the 2422m final while young Matthew Harding, who has filled in so capably for Chapple during his absence, will pilot Heros And Villains while Wes Komorowski will drive the third stablemate Clear Polish.

Chapple only made a return to the sulky on December 23, capping off his amazing recovery from major heart surgery a few months ago.

Chapple had been the leading driver for Tritton up until his health problems.

It was a triumphant return as he booted home Clear Polish in the fourth heat of the Inter-City Pace at Newcastle on Friday night at Newcastle.

It was a bold front-running exhibition although he has drawn the outside of the second line in the final and will have to do it a lot tougher to make it back-to-back wins.

Tritton, the reigning Newcastle premiership trainer isn’t the only trainer to qualify multiple runners for the $40,000 final.

While he has Tokyo Drift, Heroes And Villains and Clear Polish in the big feature, Ian Wilson has qualified Ian Wilson has qualified two runners, Stephanie Major and Dripping Class while Luke McCarthy has qualified Lettucerocku.

Queensland visitor Final Champion, to be driven by Gary Whitaker also made it through to the final.

And just to top it off, another local, Jason Proctor has Kid Tycoon and Livin It Lovin It in the big one.

And that alone gives Newcastle Harness Racing Club members incentive to head for Maitland as they have been having the time of their lives supporting the club members’ horse Livin It Lovin It.

A large contingent are expected to head to Maitland on Saturday night to cheer the horse on in the $40,000 final after Proctor steered the five-year-old to an impressive victory in the second heat at Newcastle last Friday night.

Livin It Lovin It covered the 2550 metre journey in an overall time of 3.09.5 with a mile rate of 1.59.6.

He came from last at the bell and scooted home in 58.2 for his last half.

Livin it Lovin It was purchased through Darrel Kidd of Global Bloodstock.

This is the second club members’ horse that the Newcastle club has purchased to race on behalf of the members.

With memberships declining a few years ago the club decided a member’s horse was a good way to entice new people to harness racing and it has worked a treat.

All people had to do was join the club for $22 and they become part owner of the club horse with no further costs to them.

Elvis hits Parkes

5th January 2012

NO, you haven’t gone mad - Elvis will be at the Parkes Showground Paceway next Wednesday (January 11).

That’s the venue for the Parkes Harness Racing Club’s Carnival of Cups meeting, which just happens to coincide with the Parkes Elvis Festival.

It’s an event that sees “crowds from a past era” attend, with patrons encouraged to dress up as Elvis or Priscilla and have some fun.

Competitions will be held to select the best dressed Elvis and Priscilla as well as the junior Elvis and Priscilla and entertainment will by Elvis ‘tribute artist’ Damian Mullins.

Damian performed at last year’s Carnival of Cups meeting and had patrons dancing the night away.

We expect nothing less this year.

The kids are not forgotten with a jumping castle and face painting to keep them entertained.

With more than $100,000 prizemoney on offer, nominations for the meeting are expected to be good with horses coming from state-wide to compete.

The feature race is the Parkes Gold Cup, which is being sponsored for the first time by Parkes Leagues Club and should see a talented field of four-year-old and five-year-old pacers line up, each hoping to share in the $20,000 prizemoney.

The Parkes Gold Cup field will be led onto the track by the people’s favourite horse, Karloo Mick, who has been specially invited to receive the accolades of patrons.

The Langlands Hanlon Sprint for $15,000 prizemoney will be the main support race and run over 1660m.

A Drivers Invitational, where all drivers are dressed in specially designed “Elvis” colours, including big collars and cuffs, will be run for the C0 horses - it should be a sight to see.

Also on the support card is a tribute to the Life Members of the Parkes Harness Racing Club with the running of the Life Members Pace for C3 to C4 Pacers and the Final of the Bathurst to Parkes Series for C1 to C2 who qualified at Bathurst last night.

The Carnival of Cups Meeting or the “Elvis” Meeting as it is known, is a fun night for all - you never know just who will turn up (just ask Greg Hayes) and it would be a pity to miss it, so mark the date on your calendar.

A new beginning - where are we heading in 2012?

5th January 2012

With the start of the New Year, National Trotguide felt it was time to offer you, our readers, something ‘new’ as well.

At the start of each month we will sit down with those that matter at the principal club, the New South Wales Harness Racing Club, who also publish the National Trotguide, and ask them the questions that matter. We’ll try and get you the inside oil, so to speak.

This week we kick the year off with an in-depth Question and Answer session with chief executive John Dumesny.

Prizemoney levels, policies, alleged corruption issues, racefields legislation, all the things that directly affect us all in 2012 are up for discussions.

Our plan is to make this a far more regular occurrence, so if you have any serious questions that the No 1 club would be in a position to answer then e-mail us at National Trotguide, and we’ll do our best to get you a serious answer as well.

NATIONAL TROTGUIDE: : 2012 promises to be a new beginning for harness racing in NSW off the back of the sale of Harold Park. You now have the cash how do you see it?

JOHN DUMESNY: Yes, it will be a refreshing start with money in the bank so to speak and finally being able to increase metropolitan prizemoney levels but there will still be plenty of challenges - both old and new -to encounter.

NT: What are those challenges?

JD: Well, the biggest challenge will be to promote the sport in the best possible way to the general public following on from the damage caused and which will continue to be caused by the alleged corruption by some stewards and a number of participants. The industry image has been tarnished whatever the result of the investigations and court actions this can not be denied. Innocent or guilty the whole matter will leave a stain on the harness racing brand.

NT: You said challenges, plural, what are the other hurdles?

JD: Sustaining reasonable levels of prizemoney, attracting adequate field sizes and draw general public patronage to race meetings are our other major challenges.

NT: Where are we heading with prizemoney?

JD: Well, it is fantastic that there will be around a 50 per cent increase in metropolitan prizemoney, but without success in the Racefields litigation it will be difficult to sustain all levels of prizemoney, including the metropolitan ones, as the TAB distribution hasn’t kept pace with the cost of living for several years now.

NT: And field sizes?

JD: Over-commitment for a number of years has put a real strain on the horses in the racing pool. Horses are not being kept as long due to in my opinion being raced too often. There are just too many race meetings and that goes for both equine codes. The truth is it is impossible to compete with the greyhounds when as many as three litters of pups are whelped each year. I firmly believe we should actually be looking at quality not quantity.

NT: Attendance levels at race meetings must be a concern?

JD: Not only at harness racing meetings but at all sporting events. There have been half-empty stadiums during the summer of cricket and the rugby league last year played to some very average attendances. This is primarily due to the comfort afforded the public in their own homes and the attractiveness of new technology through the television coverage accessed at home. The marquee racing events will continue to attract crowds but we must be vigilant and ensure we are competitive on track in drawing and increasing those crowds. We must offer attractions and incentives to the public that they can’t get at home - that is the challenge.

NT: You sound a little like its all doom and gloom. It can’t be all that difficult?

JD: I didn’t intend coming across that way as we are also on the cusp of better times off the back of the police and HRNSW investigations and a positive Racefields decision.

NT: What ‘good times’ have the corruption investigations delivered?

JD: If nothing else the investigation into corrupt practices has awoken a real desire to stamp out all illegal practices in the sport and HRNSW should be congratulated for its efforts so far.
The clubs need to support HRNSW and even more so the participants need to support the controlling body on matters of integrity. HRNSW introduce policies for a purpose, not as a whim, and yes there may be some inconvenience but I keep hearing the call for a level playing field isn’t that what participants want?

NT: That is a very ‘fatherhood’ statement, but what has been achieved?

JD: They’re delivering results . . . not that drug testing wasn’t at the top of the HRNSW agenda before but better methods and more screenings are delivering results.
The mythical excuses from those who infringe are now not acceptable while the penalties applied as a deterrent to others are now much tougher.
The testing on the Miracle Mile was meticulous and did deliver a result, albeit not conclusive but the message is out there – HRNSW are searching and searching deep into the swab samples. Participants should also come forward with information without the fear of repercussion and club officials shouldn’t whinge about inconvenience and cost when it comes to integrity.
Already an observant participant, who was willing to come forward, unearthed a breach of the rules which has led to a tightening of the HRNSW Identification Policy an appropriate penalty has been given to the culprits and the club officials now need to be even more vigilant.
Please don’t complain just get on with it and do what is in the end the best for harness racing and achieving that level playing field. I personally have lost no enthusiasm for the introduction of a permanent detention barn but some participants have cried that would be too inconvenient. So for them a level playing field may not be as important.

NT: What about the Racefields case?

JD: This has been in the courts now for more than three years and morally we MUST win.
We all know it would not be ‘fair’ if others were permitted to continue to prosper off our sport without paying a fee.
The evidence is clear the corporates and others are becoming millionaires selling their businesses to off-shore conglomerates while our traditional form of income from the TAB is floundering.
The TAB income is the substantial basis of our prizemoney levels and without it, well, we could be racing for ribbons. It must be remembered that the Harold Park investments returns are only a top-up.
It is however a worry that the decision has not been handed down by the High Court, which would indicate their decision may well be complex.

NT: Then what is going to be new this year?

JD: There will be a new controlling board for the sport?

NT: Is that good?

JD: Well, being in a biased position I don’t think at this stage it was the correct decision by the Government to not have the principal club directly represented. However it would by hypocritical of me not to support the ‘independent’ board in its endeavours. The new HRNSW Board undoubtedly have the greatest challenges of all.
A specialist panel selected from the best applicants the new board, but they (the new Board members) will be scrutinised like no other as there has been a change in procedure. We don’t need long memories to recall the original HRNSW or the GHRRA.

NT: Anything else new?

JD: HRNSW will be embarking on the most ambitious infrastructure development the state has encountered fortunately off the back of the money returned to the Racecourse Development Fund from the sale of Harold Park. These include the Menangle Park Training Centre which combined with our club’s developments at Tabcorp Park Menangle will make the complex state-of-the-art and of a true world class standard.
Continued page 66.

NT: What are those infrastructure developments?

JD: I can’t speak to those planned by HRNSW as there is only a certain amount of money available taking into consideration the agreed commitment to the Menangle Park Training Centre. However, from the club’s works, we envisage for the participants to have the new race stalls finished for the Miracle Mile.
There will be some inconvenience with the staging of all the works but the goal is to have 75 per cent of the public facilities open for use by the Inter Dominion in 2013.
These will include modifications to the current Open Stand and increased capacity for the first level of the Conroy Stand, as well as a new Food Court under the Macarthur Pavilion.
NT: Your Club and HRNSW has successfully bid for the Inter Dominion. Given all the current problems, was this a smart move?

JD: That is a tricky one. Was it smart when there was no other identity prepared to enter a three-year term bid?
Well, the answer is yes.
The new Inter Dominion concept is exceptional and will deliver the greatest day of harness racing ever witnessed in Australasia.
That alone should enliven the sport in NSW.

NT: Will the Inter Dominion detract from the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile?

JD: No. Both complement each other.
The two carnivals are evenly balanced three months apart and both the Miracle Mile and Inter Final carry $750,000 in prizemoney. They are different and compatible. One is the test of speed the other a test of stamina.
As a challenge to Harness Racing Australia all Grand Circuit events should offer a minimum half million dollars in prizemoney to give a true level of status to the Grand Circuit.

NT: Are there other goals?

JD: Many but probably the immediate goal should be to develop the racing program to an equitable level so that all participants can have an opportunity to share in the spoils and the excitement of victory especially at Tabcorp Park Menangle. We are introducing innovative conditions for NSW licenced trainers and country stabled horses but these types of races need to be supported to be sustained.
Yes, we must have the champions whom need to be rewarded financially and promoted.
If not what would the dreams be from breeders right through to trainers, drivers and owners if it wasn’t to breed, be or own a champion?
But there must be some real rewards for all involved otherwise the champions will have no one else to compete against.
It is tough as – on the other hand - you don’t want to promote mediocrity.

NATIONAL TROTGUIDE: In February our Q&A will be with NSWHRC Chairman Rex Horne so don’t forget those questions pertinent to Tabcorp Park Menangle. Questions should be emailed to trotguide@nswhrc.com.au.