MOONBI MARVEL DEAN CHAPPLE IS COMING UP 750 WINS AND STILL COUNTING

MOONBI MARVEL DEAN CHAPPLE IS COMING UP 750 WINS AND STILL COUNTING

There was one heart stopping incident in the mid seventies which could have halted Dean Chapple’s love affair with harness racing before it got off the ground.

D.J. “JOHNNY” HEATH - A TRUE HARNESS RACING AFICIONADO

D.J. “JOHNNY” HEATH - A TRUE HARNESS RACING AFICIONADO

There’s nothing I’ve enjoyed more over the years than the many conversations I’ve had with veteran horsemen - especially harness horsemen who were around in the days when the sport was drawing big crowds all around Australia.

THIS VIDEO MAY TEMPT YOU TO BUY A TROTTER

THIS VIDEO MAY TEMPT YOU TO BUY A TROTTER

You’ll be hard pressed to find a horseman who isn’t enamoured of the sight of a talented trotter in full flight. Power Productions have kindly allowed me access to a video production highlighting the poetry of the trotting horse and the devotion of those who train them.

HONDO GRATTAN SPARKED WAYNE DIMECH’S SLIDING DOORS MOMENT

HONDO GRATTAN SPARKED WAYNE DIMECH’S SLIDING DOORS MOMENT

Wayne Dimech was in his mid-teens when Hondo Grattan was dominating the harness racing headlines in the early 1970’s. He had obviously inherited the harness racing genes from his Maltese forebears.

BRAD ELDER’S SIZZLING SEVEN IN TWO DAYS

BRAD ELDER’S SIZZLING SEVEN IN TWO DAYS

Australian harness racing currently boasts a plethora of talented drivers in the 20-25 age bracket. Those who appear regularly on metropolitan tracks enjoy the bulk of available media attention.

BRAD HEWITT MAKES A STATEMENT ON THE MIRACLE MILE UNDERCARD, AND BAGS ANOTHER THREE ON TUESDAY

BRAD HEWITT MAKES A STATEMENT ON THE MIRACLE MILE UNDERCARD, AND BAGS ANOTHER THREE ON TUESDAY

Trainers lucky enough to have a runner at a major trots meeting are conscious of the atmosphere only big time racing can generate. Miracle Mile night is something else again.

PENRITH EXCURSION PAYS OFF FOR DARREN HANCOCK

PENRITH EXCURSION PAYS OFF FOR DARREN HANCOCK

There’s no better pointer for punters than a Darren Hancock trained horse turning up at Penrith. The leading horseman has been an unabashed fan of the 1400m Menangle circuit since its inception in 2008

THE MCGILLS KEEP IT ALL IN THE FAMILY AT PENRITH’S END OF YEAR MEETING

THE MCGILLS KEEP IT ALL IN THE FAMILY AT PENRITH’S END OF YEAR MEETING

The 2022 Penrith racing year concluded on December 29th with what looked to be a run of the mill programme on paper. It took a rare training double by father and daughter duo David and Katie McGill, to inject a little “buzz” into the night.

SEAN GRAYLING MAKES A STATEMENT AT MENANGLE

SEAN GRAYLING MAKES A STATEMENT AT MENANGLE

Sean Grayling is emerging as a pretty serious race driver, and he appears to have a good handle on the art of training a harness horse.

HARRY PEARCE- A FRIEND TO HARNESS RACING FOR SIX DECADES

HARRY PEARCE- A FRIEND TO HARNESS RACING FOR SIX DECADES

A certain ninetieth birthday passed by quietly a few months ago without the bells and whistles it warranted. Harry Pearce, the elder statesman of Australian trots journalism much preferred a quiet gathering with his wife Barbara and the three generations for which they’re responsible…

THESE TURNBULL GIRLS CAN DRIVE A HARNESS HORSE

THESE TURNBULL GIRLS CAN DRIVE A HARNESS HORSE

Abbey Turnbull’s winning drive behind Dalvey Robyn at the Riverina Paceway on Melbourne Cup night was about as good as it gets.

HARNESS RACING WAS ALWAYS AMY DAY’S CHOSEN PATH

HARNESS RACING WAS ALWAYS AMY DAY’S CHOSEN PATH

In the days when I was getting to the trots on a regular basis, Amy Day was one of my favourite people. The petite blonde daughter of Neil and Vicki Day was at the mercy of genetic forces from the time of her birth thirty two years ago.

HARNESS RACING NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE LAURENCE DAWSON

HARNESS RACING NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE LAURENCE DAWSON

Laurence Dawson is one of many young horsemen who’ve worked hard to carve themselves a niche in harness racing rather than turn their backs on a sport they’ve grown to love.

IT WAS QUITE A WEEK FOR THE ADAMS FAMILY!

IT WAS QUITE A WEEK FOR THE ADAMS FAMILY!

Scott Adams was quietly chuffed when Humming Top’s number flashed onto the semaphore after the fifth race at Young on August 2nd.

NSW HARNESS HIGHLIGHTS 2022

NSW HARNESS HIGHLIGHTS 2022

We’d like to share with you a snappy HRNSW promotional video featuring the highlights of the sport in the first half of the current season. This video was produced by Power Productions.

DAVID BROWN AND FAMILY ARE ALL HOOKED ON HARNESS RACING

DAVID BROWN AND FAMILY ARE ALL HOOKED ON HARNESS RACING

David Brown is one of several trainers alarmed by recent rumblings about the future of the Penrith Paceway. The regular Thursday night meetings are the lifeblood of those trainers who work day jobs.

STEPHEN CONROY KNOWS EVERY INCH OF THE ROAD OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

STEPHEN CONROY KNOWS EVERY INCH OF THE ROAD OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Stephen Conroy has never forgotten the moment he realised just how much harness racing meant to him. It was a regular Friday night meeting at Harold Park in the mid 1980’s and he’d just won a trophy race with his consistent gelding Saint Albans.

A TRIBUTE TO A TRUE GENTLEMAN OF HARNESS RACING. BILL HANSELL 1932-2022.

A TRIBUTE TO A TRUE GENTLEMAN OF HARNESS RACING. BILL HANSELL 1932-2022.

Bill Hansell’s career in harness racing had just begun when the dual Academy Award winning movie “The Quiet Man” was released in 1952. The title of the famous John Wayne classic best describes the persona of Bill Hansell.