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IT’S INTERESTING to hear in the Australian racing media in the last days that a National TAB Pool maybe getting closer.

If it becomes a reality the introduction of a National Pool with be a “God send” for Australian Harness Racing.

Many a harness racing punter wouldn’t consider having a bet on their own state TAB due to the very small pools, in particular on the exotics.

A National Pool can’t come quick enough !!

BOTH YEARLING SALES conducted in Australia last weekend could only be called a disaster.

The Adelaide APG sale on Sunday had we believe only four – Yes four (4) change hands.

Then the Redcliffe sale conducted by Ebert Auctioneers, also on Sunday, puts out in the media that their gross turnover on the sale was $367,500.

Going through the results you would have to think only six horses were actually sold.

How can they put misleading reports on their sale out like that – Do they think we are all plain stupid !!

On the two sales you immediately think how much did APG lose financially last Sunday conducting that Adelaide sale, and where does all the money come from for the Redcliffe sale to finance the future races associated with it??

It’s all quite embarrassing how they can do that.

DOES ENTAIN in New Zealand know what its right hand is doing compared to its left.

Invercargill based commentator Craig Rail was sacked from his position within the company not many weeks back and returned to Australia.

Getting himself back to New Zealand we now find him back doing what he does best – Commentating.

Entain seem to have no care how they muck around with people’s lives !!

SPEAKING OF the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, again yesterday is another example when requesting a State handicapper to give the National rating for a kiwi horse coming in.

One state had the horse as a NR52 pacer and out of another State the prospective buyer got that Chief Handicapper to have a look, and he came back on the same horse with a totally different assessment.

That handicapper had it as a NR54 entrant.

This is a common situation – The Chief Handicappers in different States can give different answers on the same horse.

Even they can’t work out accurately the complicated HRA handicapping rulings.

To make it worse it was a horse that hadn’t many NZ starts. - It’s really all quite laughable.

CAN’T REMEMBER this one happening before but in race six (6) at Alexandra Park provided a unique driving trifecta.

The winner was the Crystal Hackett driven M’Lady Mackendon.

In second place was Flossy Pops driven by Bernie Hackett and then in third place with Michelle Wallis driving was Aldebaran What.

So, it was daughter / father and mother in that finishing order.

GEE YOU have to be pretty desperate to have a bet in the maiden and owner class straight-out trotting races in New Zealand.

Have a look at race five (5) at Wyndham on Sunday.

Can’t tell us over the last seventy-five metres that the driver of the second placed horse was over keen claiming the major prize.

You see it week in / week out in New Zealand harness racing.

SPEAKING OF New Zealand how can they afford to be running three horse $8,000 races as they have at Cambridge tomorrow night – Race two (2).

ON THE horse movement side sees the Brendon Hill trained eight-win pacer Patiro (1.58.7), Cranbourne bound after being purchased by Victorian interests and the Des Baynes trained two-win pacing mare Snap Shot (1.55.1), is also heading to Australia next week but to New south Wales and the Goulburn stables of Brad Hewitt.

Talking of the Brad Hewitt stable, watch out for one of its major players to have a change of scenery in the very near future.

MUST FLY – All the very best to everyone for Easter – Please have a great Easter with family etc. and keep safe if you are on the roads !!

Stuart and Marg Valentine.