Harness Racing: Seriously skilful and enormously exciting

Events / Paul Moon / 25 September 2008 / 2

" class="free_bet_btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">

Since his youth in Australia Paul Moon has long been a fan of trotting, so Friday night's £12,000 extravaganza at Wolverhampton has got him excited like a teenager again.

I am absolutely thrilled and delighted with the positive response to harness racing at Wolverhampton. The sport stages what is probably its richest ever event on these isles at the Midlands track tomorrow night (September 26) and I'm tremendously excited by it. I have always loved this sport and have watched it all over the world. It is truly an exciting spectacle to watch as horses with chariots thunder pass you at speeds of 35mph.

Traditionally known as 'trotting', harness racing is for standardbred horses that race in a non-galloping gait. Instead of being ridden by jockeys they are driven on lightweight carts called sulkies. The sport in the UK is governed by the British Harness Racing Club https://www.bhrc.org.uk/) with over 200 fixtures a year and more than 2,000 license holders taking part.

My love for this sport started in 1968 in Australia. At 16-years of age I had run away from home in England to Australia with the Big Brother Movement as a Ten-Pound Pom. Once there I got hooked by the local trotting scene. I lived a short bus ride away from Harold Park, Sydney, the spiritual home of harness racing. I would never miss a meeting clocking up hundreds of visits.

I remember excitedly watching the irrepressible Kevin Newman winning on Halwes in the 1968 Miracle Mile, blitzing the field in the process in a record time of 1min 59secs. To have $4 on the nose made it even better! Since the inaugural Miracle Mile more than three decades ago, no single harness race in Australia or New Zealand, has attracted as much media attention or importance (18 favourites successful - 23 unsuccessful).

I thought it could not get any better but it did. In the 1970 Miracle Mile I had my biggest bet to date ($146) on Lucky Creed driven by Vic Frost. This Queensland champion pacer was famous for winning 24 races straight at one part of his career. He became my second favourite racehorse ever to Crisp (National Hunt horse).

Carrying my spending money for a holiday to Surfers Paradise, he did not appear to be closing on the Victorian star Bold David on the far side but then made his challenge on the home bend, just getting up to win by 1/2length. I remember crying with joy as I went wild! I still get goose bumps when watching the race again. Please visit the following link for a replay:
https://www.haroldpark.com.au/miraclemile/results/results.html

I have since watched harness racing all over the world and my holidays accidentally tend to coincide to places near a racetrack. It is pure spectacle and great for family viewing. I recommend that you watch your first race down at trackside. To see these marvellous animals close up in all their regalia is awesome! I love the relaxed atmosphere of the build-up before the mobile gate swings into action and the snorts of the horses. This is the time you pray that your horse get a position before the first bend.

Harness racing continues to grow in popularity and the sport has made giant strides to achieve the confidence of race-goers and punters alike with a professional outlook and increased levels of integrity.

With betting exchanges like Betfair we can now be certain when a horse is ready to do his best by monitoring the flow of money. However, you still have to build in the gate draw, traffic and driver acumen into your calculations.

I am now completely immersed in the Welsh Trotting scene. My local track is Tairgwaith where I get to watch the in-form and beautiful Kikikolt run. He is my confident selection for the final £12,000 William Hill Championship Race at Wolverhampton on Friday 26 September 2008. He is currently 11/4 with Hills so wait for Betfair prices before getting on.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

(2)

R. Clement | 26 September 2008

>>>>Paul you wrote the following in your article,

Harness racing continues to grow in popularity and the sport has made giant strides to achieve the confidence of race-goers and punters alike with a professional outlook and increased levels of integrity.

With betting exchanges like Betfair we can now be certain when a horse is ready to do his best by monitoring the flow of money

>>>>> I think you have been gone from Australia too long.
Paul | 26 September 2008

Not quite sure what R. Clement means in the above when he says that I have been gone from Australia too long.

On his first point I was referring to those times when Harness Racing was a bit shady with drivers only trying when the money was down.
I have first hand information of these instances as well as a life times experience. I would be quite happy to expand on this...

On the second point I would add that I always log the flow of money before making an investment. I regard this more important than bare form! Betfair enables us to do that hence any horse that I support will have the support of its connections. I think that this applies particularly to Harness Racing because so many of the horses are owner/driver connections.

Hope I have made myself a little clearer but thanks for your comment. Hope you are watching the race tonight - Kikikolt to win (with luck in running)!