Greatest Ever

It’s the age old pub discussion, comparing champions across different eras. Is the current star better than the champion of 20, 30 or 50 years ago?
It is no different for race horses or trotters. People will always speak of the best horse they have ever seen, the best crop of horses to race together or the best performance in a race they have seen.
For me, I have been fortunate enough to see all of the brightest stars since the late 80’s and for me the best I have ever seen, for sheer brilliance alone, was Christian Cullen. But like footballers or golfers or tennis players, there is always one player that strikes a chord with the lounge room selector.
The Bathurst Harness Racing Club has come up with a unique promotion this weekend to honour the champion trotters to have competed at the Bathurst Showground Paceway. This Sunday marks the final race meeting to be held at the riverside half-mile circuit prior to the club taking residence at it’s brand new facility.
Members were asked to submit the top 5 horses they have witnessed compete at the Showground with a prize to a winning member. A select panel was also engaged to select the field that will take to “the track” to decide the Greatest Ever.
In an excellent promotional activity that has captivated the trotting fraternity, it has crossed print, web and social media platforms as debate raged over who should be in the field.
The selection panel picked their field and at the penultimate meeting held at the Showground on Wednesday night there was a barrier draw of the selected runners for the race to the title of Greatest Ever. A local bookmaker even priced the field that was posted as:
1. Our Sir Vancelot 7/4
2. First Kiss 16/1
3. Master Musician 3/1
4. Cocky Raider 12/1
5. Hondo Grattan 5/1
6. Grogan 12/1
7. King Frost 33/1
8. Rowleyalla 5/1
9. Smooth Satin 7/1
10.Karloo Mick 50/1

To add to the theatre, there will be a phantom call of the race on Sunday, covered by Kevin Thompson, Craig Easey and the now New Zealand based Mark McNamara. Easey will call the start and first lap, McNamara will chime into cover the middle stages, while the veteran of the three will put the 10 x 50’s down to call the finishing stages.
Growing up in Bathurst and spending plenty of time at the Showgrounds, I went through my memory to come up with my top 5 and some of those did not make the final field that the selection panel decided upon. Being a ’78 model myself, there is a few in the final field that I never saw race.
Interestingly, as young pup, I owned a rocking horse (that I still have) and I named him Cocky Raider. Considering he raced well before I was even born, it goes to show how much that horse must have still been talked about around the track, so it would seem a fair assessment that he is in the field.
Hondo Grattan, the Bathurst Bulldog was a dual Inter Dominion winner in 73 and 74. At over 20 years old he was still leading fields out and pacing a few laps on the big nights and I had him in my list and it is a very generous quote to have him at 5/1.
Our Sir Vancelot has been installed the favourite, largely for his barrier. Going out on a limb here, I think the 3 time Inter Dominion winner was lucky to make the field. I still believe he never won his first ID in 97 at Globe Derby when I’m adamant Rainbow Knight won the race (talking through my pocket perhaps)!
Rowleyalla will follow out Sandy, and to be fair, Rowley was a speed specialist. Although winning his share of middle distance events, his pure speed is remembered by many and he still holds some speed records today, a true testament of how fast he could run.
Smooth Satin certainly had an army of followers and he made Harold Park his own, winning an Inter Dominion, Chariots of Fire, Ben Hur, Miracle Mile and Sires Stakes Finals, all at the Glebe circuit. There will certainly be more of the younger generation cheering him on.
Karloo Mick managed to sneak into the field and a great Kevin Thompson call of one of his Harold Park runs always resonates with me when he said “ oh, Karloo Mick, he’s as tough as old boots”. Barry Lew and the tough horse from Dubbo would certainly be in for the fight.
First Kiss I know nothing of and can’t ever recall hearing his name in years gone by. King Frost was a noted stayer and as for Grogan, well any discussion I ever had about him involved the player for the Newcastle Knights. The equine version was well and truly before my time and I have never heard his triumphs regaled.
So the horses I selected that missed the final field?
One was Washakie. He only raced at Bathurst once and that resulted in a win. An old favourite of mine who was as honest as the day is long. Winning the Truer Memorial at Bankstown 5 years in a row, he has set a record that will almost certainly never be broken for a horse to win the same Group 1 event on so many occasions.
Courage Under Fire made my list and he too only navigated the Bathurst Showgrounds on one occasion for a win. Good horses get people to the track and he did exactly that. His tiny size and blistering speed ensured he was a crowd favourite wherever he ventured
The other was a real smokey, Red Sea. This horse had potential galore. However in the fickleness of racing, his injury plagued career never bore the fruits of big race success and held him back from competing at the highest level. He managed to finish his career with 21 wins and 2 placings from just 24 starts.
That leaves one question, the winner? For me it will be Master Musician.
Like so many discussions that armchair athletes engage in over a cleansing ale, my opinion may not be supported by anyone else. I don’t have to back them up with statistics, horses he beat, how many races he won. He will win, because he is the horse that has given me the fondest memory of all the race meetings I ever attended at the Bathurst Showground.
In 1990, at 12 years of age, Master Musician led me to where I am today. I was already a fan of the trots, but he was the can of petrol added to the fire and my love of the standardbred horse exploded.
Well done to the Bathurst club for such a brilliant promotion. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get back to see the last race meeting held at the Showground and to hear those spine tingling words, Master Musician takes out the Greatest Ever.
Alas, will everyone be happy with the result. Therein lies another discussion.

Nursery Pace Review

The 2014 Seymour Nursery Pace night promised to offer some of Australia’s best pacing talent and the night certainly didn’t disappoint. The bumper 10 race program was dominated by Luke McCarthy. Perhaps being spurred on by brother Todd driving 5 winners at Newcastle a fortnight earlier, Luke managed to snare his own quintet of winners on one of the pinnacle nights of racing in Queensland. This was the 5th time that Luke has driven 5 winners at a meeting and equals Grant Dixons record of achieving the feat on 5 occasions.

Included in Luke’s 5 wins were both 2YO Nursery Pace Finals with Smooth Showgirl and Waves Of Fire, the 3YO Colts & Geldings Final with Bling It On and the Q0 with Safedra. For the omen punters, they would have been happy with the $3.80 paid on the Tatts tote for the first of Luke’s five winners with Mac The Finn. Luke’s nephew is Finn McCarthy, the son of now US based Andy McCarthy.

In the 2YO fillies it was somewhat of a local win as Smooth Showgirl is raced by Paul Montgomery and a large contingent of the Gurney family who are all based in Queensland. Trained in New South Wales by Belinda McCarthy the Art Major filly was able to frank the strength of her heat win in taking out the Final. Smooth Showgirl wasn’t bustled early and was allowed to balance up by Luke McCarthy.

As they went down the back straight the first time, she ambled up to the early leader and stable mate Bamako Mali and continued to press forward until she found the top. From there was no pressure applied and the race turned into a sprint home, with Smooth Showgirl doing only what was required in recording a moderate 2.01.8 for the victory. The first QBred past the post was the second placed Feel The Faith who secured connections the $5,000 bonus.

Punters had decided that the 2YO Colts and Geldings would be a one act affair and sent the Anton Golino trained Artistic Flite to the starting gate a $1.60 favourite. However Waves Of Fire ensured it was the second consecutive feature that Artistic Flite would have to be content with the runners-up prize.

Trained by Susan Hunter at Melton, Waves OF Fire made an error in his heat approaching the 800m point. From there, it was a case of ensuring qualification for the Final and hope that he was not stood down for his indiscretion. On both scenarios the breaks went the way of Waves Of Fire and he was able to take his place in the final.

In the Final, Waves Of Fire had a brief look out of the gate, however with no lead available, McCarthy was content to allow the Courage Under Fire gelding to find a position. This saw Admiral Bronski make an early move to punch around the field with gusto and take the leading role off A Good Chance.

Artistic Flite came around with Admiral Bronski and then took up the position outside him and the two kept a solid tempo for the next 1000m. Admiral Bronski was the first to crack as they entered the home straight on the final occasion. Waves Of Fire had been sitting in the one by one smoking the briar and once he was angled into the open he found the line strongly to defeat Artistic Flite by 2.7m.
The early pacesetter, A Good Chance was looking for clear running and only found some swell once the Wave had passed. In finishing 3rd, the Donny Smith trained and driven colt also secured the QBred bonus as the first eligible horse past the post. The mile rate of the race was 1.58.4, the third-equal quickest in the race history, with only Bling It On and Biaggi having won in faster time.

In the 3YO fillies final, Charming Allie was simply too strong for her rivals. In recording the second Group 2 victory of her career, Charming Allie took her record to 11 wins and the win went some way to atoning for her run in the 2YO heats last year when she had to be retired with broken gear.

After doing some work to find the lead, trainer/driver Grant Dixon was able to ease off to a comfortable 62.3 sec first half. Heading down the back the final occasion Morethanmeetstheye loomed up swiftly and the speed went on with a 27.7 third quarter. As they turned for home Charming Allie showed plenty of intestinal fortitude to hold off all comers and record a 2.7m win from Freedom Is with Storm Delle running into third.

The win of Charming Allie provided some respite for the locals, being the only Queensland trained juvenile to win one of the four Nursery Finals on the night. Being QBred, the $5,000 bonus was also added to the winner’s purse.

The most impressive and most commanding of the four Final victories belonged to Bling It On. His win also made it a Nursery Pace double, adding to his win in last year’s 2YO edition, joining Majestic Mach as dual winners of Queensland’s most nationally prominent juvenile futurity series.

With his heat win taking him past the $500,000 stakes barrier, the son of American Ideal toyed with his rivals once he assumed control of the race at around the 1400m point of the Final. After a slow lead time and a moderate first half of 63sec, “Yank” put the power on to run home untouched in 55 seconds for the final half and a last quarter in a breathtaking 26.5 seconds. He was devastating in victory and looks to have a stranglehold on the upcoming Winter features.

Raring To Go was the recipient of the first QBred home bonus for his 3rd placing. In achieving the bonus it ensured Solid Earth claimed 3 out of the 4 bonus payments for the first QBreds home.

In a night that was dominated by two of the most experienced in the sport in Luke McCarthy and Grant Dixon winning 7 of the 10 races, the other 3 races on the night were taken out by the “Young Achievers” of the Queensland ranks.

Adam Sanderson opened the night with a shrewd drive aboard Ima Gucci Girl. Trent Moffat landed the biggest win of his career when steering Vegas Bound to victory in the Flashing Red Handicap. While Narissa McMullen wrapped up a great night of action in securing her first Saturday night training success with Whatajetstar and it paid the generous odds of $90 for the win!

With the Winter features now only just around the corner, Nursery Pace night has certainly whet the appetite or what will be on offer!

That Winning Feeling

THAT WINNING FEELING

Some call it intuition, some call it a sixth sense, others a gut feeling. For Russell Cook, he just knew it would happen and he had to be there.

The incident in question was the Saturday night race meeting that Redcliffe were hosting on March 29, where a racebook promotion was being held that gave the lucky winner $2,000 towards the purchase of a yearling at the Redcliffe Yearling Sales.

With a passion for the trots that ignited in the early 70’s and saw Russell race a few tried horses with limited success, he became an avid follower and would regularly attend Saturday night meetings. “I used to love going to the trots and I raced a couple, mainly around Rocklea and I used to head into Albion Park every Saturday night”.
Family commitments then saw Russell’s visits to the Saturday night trots became less frequent as he and wife Leanne began raising their two daughters. “Once the girls came along, it was a case of not living the bachelor style life as much and the focus was on raising them”. All the while however the interest and the passion was still there.

Time and life went on and as the Cook’s daughters reached adulthood, it was time to start heading to the track a bit more regularly. Having heard about the promotion the Redcliffe club were holding as part of their big night of metropolitan racing, Russell and Leanne decided to head up to the Peninsula for the evening.

“I hadn’t been to the trots at Redcliffe for about 35 years” Russell recalls. “I had heard about the prize and felt like I was going to win it so told Leanne we need to go to Redcliffe”

Arriving on course that evening, Russell managed to back a few winners prior to the draw being conducted. Like the 17th Century English poet John Milton suggested “that luck is the residue of design” when the winning ticket was drawn, Russell and Leanne’s name was called out. So how was the feeling on winning the $2,000 cheque towards a yearling?

As Russell says, matter of factly “It might sound strange but I was not surprised, because I knew we were going to win”.

Armed with their $2,000 winnings, the Cook’s headed to the Redcliffe yearling sales to see what they could buy. “We looked at a few, but with our budget we were trying to find one where we then didn’t have to put more money in”. With nothing jumping out to them, a meeting with Kerry Ebert led to an introduction to trainer and breeder Phil Mitchell.

“Kerry introduced us to Phil and I was pleased with his manner and he showed us some of the horses he was trying to sell at the sale and that he would be happy to sell shares in one”. The result of this introduction has seen Russell and Leanne buy into a Major In Art filly out of With Diamonds, bred by Mitchell’s On Pace group.

As well as being eligible for the Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series 7, the Major In Art – With Diamonds rising 2YO filly is a QBred and will be eligible for the Breeders Classic and Triad features once staked.

With Diamonds foaled in 2006, faced the starter on 34 occasions for the impressive return of ten wins and ten placing’s, with her record of 1.56.6 being taken as a 3YO in 2009. That season also saw the daughter of Village Jasper finish 2nd in the Gold Coast Oaks. Retired at the end of her 4YO season, With Diamonds went to the court of Shadow Play, producing a filly which is a current 2YO. Her second foal is the Major In Art filly and her third foal is also a filly by Rock N Roll Heaven.

Major In Art is a son of Art Major who was also foaled in 2006 and took the impressive time of 1.50.8 when winning as a 2YO. He currently sits in the Top 10 of 3YO sires, which is his first Australian bred crop. Included in that crop are the Wagga Derby winner Lagoon Stride, who also finished 2nd in the Group 3 Bathurst Gold Chalice Final. While an NZ bred son of Major In Art is the Darrel Graham trained Major Sam who has performed with great distinction since arriving in Queensland, which includes a win in 1.54.7 and seven consecutive victories.

Having been broken in and now returning for it’s second preparation, it is so far so good, with Mitchell pleased with how the filly is progressing. The Cooks’ have even made the trek out to the Churchable training establishment that Phil Mitchell operates from to watch their new “daughter” in action.

The new association they have formed has seen them follow closely the deeds of Mitchell’s other pupils, including Cullens Jewel who was the favourite for the Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series 6 Final, prior to her injury enforced scratching.

So with a new found interest and enthusiasm, the whole family are now beginning to follow the trots more closely. “Leanne is reading up on them and is really getting into it” Russell points out. The Cook’s will now be keenly awaiting the new 2YO season to roll around.

37 years in the making, everyone involved can only hope that on the eve of next year’s Redcliffe Sales Final, that Russell announces “I just feel like I’m going to win”!

Blueblood Double

The ‘bookending’ of a race meeting has been performed by many trainers in the history of the sport. What may be a more unique achievement was the feat when achieved by trainer Chantal Turpin and her fiancé driver Pete McMullen at Albion Park on July 26.
For the double that was recorded that evening, was perhaps one of the best bred doubles to bookend a program, with both of a different gait to make it a more distinguished feat. The first race went to the pacer Intrepid Traveller, while race 9, the last on the card went to the square gaiter Justanothermaori.
Intrepid Traveller is by the all conquering Bettors Delight out of the former champion juvenile filly Oaxaca Lass. Bettors Delight has sired 4 individual millionaires in Australasia alone, headlined by the Interdominion and Miracle Mile winner Beautide. With another 5 $500,000 plus earners Bettors Delight’s potency cannot be questioned.
As well as these top stakemoney earners, the speed he has injected into his progeny is scintillating. His Australasian siring credits include 2 inside 1.50, being the former Albion Park track record holder Suave StueyLombo and Emjayem Grand and another 2 inside 1.51, Beautide and Texican. Locally, Bettors Delight secured both 2YO fillies QBred features this season through his daughters Bettorthanspecial and Bettor Promise.
The current career best time for Intrepid Traveller stands at 1.54.8, taken when winning a Q0 pace at Albion Park on June 28. The gelding’s dam is the 19 win Holmes Hanover mare Oaxaca Lass. Other horses of note bred on this same cross include the Vicbred 3YO winner Im Smouldering, Percy The Punter and Poacher. Queensland winners bred on this cross include Place Your Bet, Dickies Bromac and another two from the Turpin barn, Highview Ember and My Ajaye.
Oaxaca Lass had a brilliant race career that saw her win 19 times from 48 appearances in race livery. Her bankroll reached just over $425,000 and she took a best time of 1.55.8 when successful in the 2001 Group 2 Sires Stakes Fillies 3YO Championship in Auckland.The other major success that she experienced in her native New Zealand was a win in the Group 2 Premier Mares Championship.
In Australia, Oaxaca Lass finished 2nd in the 2002 Queensland Oaks behind Sparkling Melody. One of the great achievements of her career came when successful in the Queensland Derby, becoming the only filly to have tasted success in the blue riband event. Two weeks after that Derby triumph, she finished 3rd in the Victoria Oaks. A further two weeks later she then returned to the winners circle as the Australian Oaks champion.Returning for her 4YO term, the mare was successful in taking out the Chariots Of Fire at Harold Park, narrowly defeating Dinki Di and Blue Gum Forest.
Whilst still racing, an embryo transfer was performed that resulted in the 2003 filly foal by Badlands Hanover Weka Lass. A six time winner of over $70,000 in stakes, she has now had 4 foals that are all unraced, the oldest being a rising 4YO.
In total, Oaxaca Lass has produced 10 live foals, 7 to race for 7 winners. The best of those being Intrepid Traveller who has now won 16 races and his full brother Condrieu who has taken a PB at Gloucester Park of 1.53.9 and has earned over $100,000.
The square gaiter Justanothermaori is an 8YO gelding by Muscles Yankee out of the Pine Chip mare Sumthingaboutmaori. Owned by Josh Moore and Karen Turpin, the gelding has been victorious on 10 occasions from 45 starts, with 4 wins coming this season.
Muscles Yankee is the sire of two $3million earners in North America, Muscle Hill and Deweycheatumnhowe. In Australasia, the 15 time winner has produced 14 winners from just 20 foals. They might be small numbers, however the quality is amazing.
Horses sired by Muscles Yankee in Australia and New Zealand include the millionaire Interdominion winner I Can Doosit, the Breeders Crown winner Skyvalley, the Australasian Championship winner Let Me Thru, Redwood winner Lord Of The Gym, Breeders Crown winners Magic Interest and Miami H and NSW Derby victor Our Twentyten.
The dam of Justanothermaori is the 31 time winner Sumthingaboutmaori. In a glittering racetrack career that realised over $460,000 in earnings, there was a time when she was being heralded as the best trotting mare to emerge since the mighty Scotch Notch.
After a 2nd on debut as a 2YO, she then strung together 4 wins in succession as she moved towards the 2001 edition of the famed Redwood Classic as a warm favourite. Luck deserted her on her first visit to the feature race arena when she fell during the run. Returning in her 3YO and 4YO terms, Sumthingaboutmaori managed to win races, however feature race success eluded the mare.
During the transition from 4YO to 5YO, the mare began to hit full flight. Putting together 7 wins on end during this period, she was then aimed at the 2003 Trotters Grand Prix at Moonee Valley. Victory in that event was followed with a win in the South Australian Trotters Cup and a narrow second in the Dullard Trotters Cup. Connections were aiming the mare at the Moonee Valley Interdominion with the mare in top form and they were not disappointed.
After a 4th in the first round heats, Sumthingaboutmaori returned to take out both the next heat and the rich final. In total, the talented mare competed in 23 Group races in her career recording two Group 1, one Group 2 and four Group 3 wins along with four Group race placings.
After a glittering on-track career, at stud, she has been somewhat of a disappointment. From 9 live foals born, just 2 have made the races, with only Justanothermaori tasting victory. However it is further back in the pedigree where the stars really shine. Maori Princess is the dam of Sumthingaboutmaori and produced 12 live foals, 7 to race for 6 winners.
The dam of Maori Princess and the great granddam of Justanothermaori, is the broodmare gem Maori Trump. The amazing mare produced 19 live foals, 15 to race for 11 winners. Those winners include the 34 time winner Noopy Kiosk and the 17 time winner Tennotrump, both of which are now successful sires.
Maori Trump is a half sister to the champion Maoris Idol who managed to break the magical 2 minute mark for the square gaiters, which was unheard of at the time. The deeds of Maoris Idol continue, having produced 186 individual winners during his time at stud. The maternal family also continues to leave its mark on the Australian trotting stud book and racetrack with so many winners coming from the amazing lineage that the Healy family of Victoria can take so much credit for.
It would be fair to say that the wins recorded of Intrepid Traveller and Justanothemaori could be billed a best seller, as both can lay claim to coming from very strong pages in both the stud book and history book of the sport.

SISTERS STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER IN TRIUMPH

Tennis has Serena and Venus. Swimming has Bronte and Cate. Netball has Laura and Natalie. Cycling has Anna and Kerrie. Trotting has Kylie, Nat and Vicki.
The Rasmussen sisters have forged their way into the history books through a mixture of hard work, patience, skill and a pinch of good luck along the way. A record that may never be beaten, or even matched will be entered into the history books.
2013/14 will see eldest sister Kylie Rasmussen take out the Queensland Metropolitan drivers title, Nat Rasmussen the New Zealand Trainers title (as co-trainer with partner Mark Purdon) and youngest of the trio Vicki Rasmussen awarded Queensland’s leading Metropolitan trainer. Three sisters, three titles, three fiercely determined females who have each conquered their own battle fields.
Vicki Rasmussen ensured that with the completion of the 2013/14 Season came a new benchmark for a female trainer in Australia. Vicki put the polish on 204 winners for the term, eclipsing the previous mark of 174. Ironically, the old mark was set by another Queenslander and also a trailblazing member of a Sister Act, Julie Weidemann.
Vicki Rasmussen started the 2013/14 season having recorded seasons of 149 and 150 winners in the previous two terms. Not setting any targets at the start of the season, Vicki was content to just keep turning the horses out the best she could come raceday.
“We didn’t have any goals at the start of the season. With Shane (Vicki’s fiancé Shane Graham) out injured and then Kylie getting hurt, it really looked like being a brutal season”.
However as the season progressed, the winners continued to tally up for the Logan Village based mentor. Suddenly, the end of season was approaching and 200 wins was in sight. “It was getting close but I didn’t think we could get there”.
Get there she did and the term was closed out with 204 wins. In such a stellar season, when asked about a highlight for the term apart from the obvious of reaching the double century, Vicki is matter of fact in her appraisal. “I don’t think you could say there was a real highlight. We didn’t win any feature races and were really lucky to have a heap of horses that are really consistent, a solid effort all round”
“You can’t achieve these results without good staff and I am lucky to have a team that are excellent and do an absolutely awesome job. We are very, very lucky to have the people working with us that we do”.
One of those who helped out immensely on raceday in the shape of taking on the leading driver’s role is older sister Kylie. With Shane on the sidelines due to a race fall and a broken wrist, Kylie was drafted in to fulfill the role as the leading driver for the stable.
As a result of the increased driving opportunities, Kylie Rasmussen managed to set some personal milestones of her own. The season saw Kylie achieve 100 wins in a season for the first time and also pass 500 lifetime wins to add to her maiden Metropolitan driver’s title.
The true magnitude of this achievement is placed in perspective when you consider that Kylie spent just on 4 months on the sideline herself courtesy of a race fall. That fall left the eldest Rasmussen daughter with fractured vertebrae in her back and an uncertain future.
While many would contemplate retirement after such an injury, that thought was never entertained. “Not really, I was always going to return to race driving, I have to do something” Kylie laughs.
Kylie is also quick to point out the reason for her successes last season. “If it wasn’t for Shane getting injured there is no way I would have driven as much as I did.
I would really like to thank Vicki and Shane for the opportunities they provided, it’s only because of the opportunities I managed to achieve those milestones”.
Like little sister Vicki, Kylie didn’t set out to achieve any major goals for the season. “To set goals to achieve big numbers you need to have a big team and be going to every race meeting, I don’t really want to be doing that”.
Growing up where there was always some friendly competition amongst the three sisters, as adults the trio have mutual admiration for what each has achieved.
“We are all happy to see each other do well” Vicki says. “I am really happy for Kylie to do well and to see her win the title I was very excited for that to happen for her”.
So, with this sister act taking out the trainer and driver titles, who decides on how the horses are driven?
“That’s not my department” Vicki quips.
Kylie confirms this and says “Vick might just tell me if she thinks it’s tough, or needs to be driven sit and sprint or if it has worked well during the week, but I tend to work it out once I get out there”.
Having combined for numerous wins at ‘headquarters’ both sisters share the same opinion of one horse, Goulburn Guy. “Other than Forever Gold of course, I love driving Goulburn Guy. He is a little gem, such a great little guy” Kylie states, with Vicki quick to add “horses like Goulburn, Drunken Desire I really love to have around. If they are in the right spot in a race you know they will always do something and be thereabouts”.
After a season that produced such great numbers for both the youngest and eldest Rasmussen sisters, what does this season hold in store?
Again for Vicki, there are no goals and she is more than happy to let things roll along, although keeping her stable numbers at 30 would be desireable. “We were up to 45 there for a while, I don’t miss that, it was too much”
Kylie, perhaps with a hint of relief in her voice, “I will be happy to be a little bit quieter this season” points out.
When the Rasmussen Sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, it’s a hard act to follow.