G.P and Wagin

sonny · November 2025

G.P r2n9...r3n1..r6n5... Wagin..r2n8...r5n5..

Chariotsonfire · November 2025

An $18 winner at GP on a tough night for tipsters Sonny.

Of the nine Media Guild Tipsters eight tipped only one winner in Minstrel.

Frog · November 2025

Could we lose our first meeting to the HEAT policy on the 1st December ???

sonny · November 2025

Thanks Chariots, Always trying for value.. Minstrel did looked the bet of the night..I hope more will post and create more intrest in this great game..

Arapaho · December 2025

Can't believe Penny Black still not in top 12 rankings after the release of 3rd set of rankings.

Has won 8 races 5 seconds 1 third $278,180 this season alone including winner of a group 2 and three group 3s , albeit in Mares grade plus a second in the group 1 Mares Classic and 2nd in FFA class from the breeze beating home no 1 ranked Mister Smartee.

Never Ending jumps 3 spots to 7th in rankings for a 5th in a group 1.record for season 6 starts for 1 second, $15,555 in stakes and hasn't won a race since July 24.

Not saying he shouldn't be there as a few others recent runs have been only fair (Lavro Joe etc) but definitely thought she has done enough.

Frog · December 2025

I'm not pushing for Penny Black, Golden Lode or Little Darling but are all low flying.

But you see the rankings. Out of form runners

1/ Better Eclipse 2/ Never Ending 3/ Lavra Joe

Plus Captain Ravishing (sold to the USA)

Brickie's Dream (gone amiss 12 months)

It makes all in markets look a joke.

Surely trainers need to inform imformation

about there runners in group races with fix

betting on horses not able to run ???

JayJay · December 2025

If Penny Black and Golden Lode are not in our top 12 horses racing at the moment, then who is?

Lavra Joe ran last Friday night (again) and jumped a spot....We haven't seen Brickies for over a month, Captain Ravishing who knows where he is at Better Eclipse has shown little....the rankings are a dogs breakfast at best.

"Baldrick, it is a cunning plan to garner media attention".

Arapaho · December 2025

Really think nominations for the Cup should be taken a month or so before race, they then can do the rankings on horses nominated, top to bottom instead of ranking horses that they think will start.

We need to revitalize our big races and make it interesting ,the way it is,as Jay jay said it just becomes a $450,000 FFA.

Heats would be the way to go,Still have your rankings 1 to 36 ,3 heats of 12, a fortnight before,1,2,3 ranked horses in different heats and the same with 4,5,6 and down the list.

First 3 in each heat ,straight into final.

The week before a repechage type race the 3 horses that finished 4th and the 3 horses that finished 5th in each heat gaining a run, along with the six highest ranked horse who were unplaced in the heats.

The first 3 in that race would then make up the final.

Surely something similar would make it very interesting and also give a high ranked horse a second chance if he had misfortune in the heats.

JayJay · December 2025

I know some don't like heats, they (usually the owner of a top horse and thus with a vested interest) offer the opinion that bad luck could mean that their horse doesn't make it through the heats. And that if you have first 3 in a heat going through, there is no incentive to win.

I have never subscribed to that. The best ever WA Pacing Cup Races with the most public interest were the three nights of mixed heats, points allocated and the top 12 point scorers into the final. Cut and dried, no discretionary opinion based ranking system, no potential ...and I emphasise potential, a statement, not an accusation....nepotism or favoured treatment. A proper series ala the Interdominion.

It is a good suggestion from Arapaho because at the moment, there is almost zero interest and the opinions based rankings quite frankly look absurd based on what has been stated above with some horses certain not to start or sold or in the paddock or whatever. The $450,000 Friday night FFA certainly needs revitalising, they have tried shifting the date (into what were supposedly identified as turnover "hotspots" which turned out to be smoke and mirrors...and then shifted again but they have as usual not addressed the problem, which is the product.

But based on current form, nothing will happen, maybe yet another discussion paper will be produced to NOT act on, casual indifference prevails......and the Industry continues it's inevitable slide into oblivion minus, according to the gallops trainers lobby allegedly lead by Michael Grant, at least 40 meetings from clubs that race on Sundays. Yeah, sure, that will fix everything propping up a couple of clubs and discriminating blatantly against a few others.

When the lights go in at Pinjarra, they might well go out at Gloucester Park.

Arapaho · December 2025

The unfortunate thing about the original concept of Interdominion heats and points (which I prefer to just having a Cup race, is normally by last set of heats some horses have already qualified for final and no incentive to win last heat especially after having two hard runs earlier in that week.

Then you have the ones that can't Qualify after earlier heats ,that scr and go home particularly horses from interstate like a trainer did a few years back with 3 or 4 of her horses..

My proposal would be the fairest for all concern, create the most interest, give all connections that originally nominate for the race a hope of getting in the final 36 and heats, and those connections of the final 36 a chance and hope of getting into the final.

By having only the first 3 getting into the final and maybe with only one chance, don't think too many would be going to the line hard held.

The rankings would then come into play after the 3 heats affording higher ranked horses a second chance and you would think if the rankings were right most of the top ones would make it through, especially after that second chance, plus the staggering of rankings in the heats.

.

And again if the rankings are right, the highest ranked horses haven't clashed which would make it easier for them to qualify,which of course would then create a lot more interest when they did clash in the final.

Markovina · December 2025

I thought the Pacing Cup - once upon a time was winners only of the heats got in , or 1st and 2nd perhaps

And i will put my house on a couple of facts that one of those Pacing Cups F R Kersley won 5 Pacing Cup heats on the one Friday night, thus he had to get several drivers to drive his stablemates in the final . And Kevin Batt drove one of them ,simply because he was a relation of the SA owners of that particular horse

And around the same time the great TB Warwick won a heat of the Pacing Cup with old Keval at about 16-1 , and i will put my Superannuation and every Net Tangible Asset i own on that fact .Trevor might have also qualified Lincoln Storm as well , not certain of that , but i had the feeling he had 2 in the final that year

JayJay · December 2025

There were a number of different incarnations of the Pacing Cup qualifying procedure from the "3 rounds of Heats/Points" set up in 1972 which evolved into Heat winners automatically getting through with a "Celebrity Mile for the first night heat winners".....and then into auto first second with maybe the fastest 3rd getting a start...something like that. I can check tomorrow.

But sadly Marko, the house maybe at risk, a close run thing, and from what I can recall, again without checking, I think the super and every net tangible asset look safe at this stage.

The year Village Kid won for Coulson, Fred had 4 in the final, not 5, all of whom won heats.....I know the four were Rite, Alladins Lamp, Treat Me Rite and Gap Road but I am pretty sure they were on different nights. That year, Keval who was an old horse with Tricky (Fred had him until he was 7 or 8, Trevor only got him very late in his career) ran 3rd in the Final behind Village Kid and Preux Chevalier and I am pretty sure he won a heat to get there.

I have got the race books for that series somewhere in the office but too late tonight to go digging them out.

JayJay · December 2025

1985 WA Cup. Winners only to the Final.

Night 1 Dec 21st 1984

Heat 1 Treat Me Right (FRK) beat Rite and Anover Ayr (Lincoln Storm 4th)

Heat 2 Alladins Lamp (FRK) beat Ddainty Devil and Acron Blue

Heat 3 Preux Chevalier beat Gogo San Marko and Riawara Chief

Heat 4 Village Kid beat Gap Road and Keval

Night 2 Dec 27th 1984

Heat 5 Gap Raod (FRK) beat Gosh and Wondais Mate

Heat 6 Keval (Tricky) beat Elteei and Ritual

heat 7 Rite (FRK) beat Lincoln Storm and Dallas Brigade

Night 3 Dec 31st 1984

Heat 8 Gosh beat The El Vista and Snakes And Ladders

Heat 9 Gogo San Marco beat Lincoln Storm and Dainty's Devil

Heat 10 Elteei beat Wondais mate and Dallas Brigade.

Celebrity Mile (for heat winners Night 1)

Preux Chevalier beat Village Kid and Aladins Lamp

Final January 4th 1985

Village Kid (PC) beat Preux Chevalier and Keval: Others in order Gosh, Aladdin's Lamp, Rite, Gogo San Marco, Gap Road, Treat Me Right, Elteei

Consolation:

Snakes and Ladders beat Wondais Mate and Anover Ayr...then Acron Blue, Ritual, Dallas Brigade, Lincoln Storm, Dainty's Devil and The El Vista.

savethegame · December 2025

Notice the passing of Joey Thompson who trained Imprimartar winner of 1994 Fremantle Cup, also won the NSW Derby. with him, was his best horse won 24 races 15 places 286,000 stakes, he was excellent braker and the lifeblood of the Charlton Harness Club.

Markovina · December 2025

Both Keval and Snakes and Ladders were both underated pacers in my opinion , Snakes and Ladders had a likeable youngish driver who wore deep blue colours

Keval when it was a young horse it had a smooth pacing action , but i dont know if had a paddock accident or whatever , but as an older horse , it had a real rough pacing action , maybe even a half skip , and maybe held its head in a strange position . But i really liked the horse , it was as game and tough and talented , and it didnt know the words give up

As for my house ,well it is a small house hah , but it is a big block of land , and since our great mate Albo in Oct brought in that scheme where buyers only need a 5% deposit , people are doing crazy/stupid things , like paying 115k more than its listed for , like one example having 70 people through the house and 8 offers and sold within a week . And ive had 2 agents say i can sell your house in a day mate

Thus early in the new year almost a certainty , i will sell up , the ridiculous money on offer is to good to knock back ,thus move to regional NSW , and downsize where it is alot cooler and cheaper- and i wont have to read that West Aust newspaper with its Harvey Norman wrapper and all that crime and violence which it is full of

warrenrobinson · December 2025

Ric Smith was the youngish driver.

JayJay · December 2025

Same box was the 1988 race books for the B&H Cup. Not a very memorable series for me (but I can't remember what I did yesterday) other than Village Kid won it again.

Perhaps someone will recall how they determined the finalists because I can't find it anywhere.

Night 1 December 26th 1987 (2 Heats or Qualifying Divisions)

Heat 1 Sunshine Forever beat Palimar and Arden Meadow (Morgan James 4th)

Heat 2 Village Kid beat Bow And Arrow and Abenteur (Maxwell Hook 4th)

Night 2 December 31st (3 heats or Qualifying Divisions)

Heat 3 Morgan James beat Elteei and Arch Rival (Keystone Express 4th)

Heat 4 Village Kid beat Here Comes duke and Frosty Briar (Maxmoore 4th)

Heat 5 Palimar beat Bow And Arrrow and Sunshine Forever (vero Prince 4th)

Night 3 January 4th 1988 (1 heat or Qualifying Division, no "Celebrity Mile" for heat winners)

Heat 6 Maxwell Hook beat Fiery Black and Here Comes duke (Vero Prince 4th)

Night 4 January 8th 1988

Final Village Kid beat Elteei and Morgan James, then Palimar, Bow And Arrow, Here Comes duke, Sunshine Forever, Vero Prince Maxwell Hook and Frosty Briar.

So Frosty Briar got in with a 3rd in a heat, Vero Prince got in without running a place? Anyone got any idea on what system (if any) was used?

Consolation was one by Maxmore from Keystone Express and Just Silvertime.

Markovina · December 2025

See this is the thing when you basically had to win a heat , to qualify for a start in the WA Pacing Cup and it was a prestigious race it put real pressure on every horse and their connections to win a heat , no matter how highly they were rated

So to win a heat was looked upon as a real achievement , and after a heat was run the winner on the track would be presented with a rug , or something around its neck and the winning driver still in the cart would be interviewed on course , and as ive mentioned previously on Pacing Cup night , when you walked through those beautful main gates , you were presented with a coupon you filled it in put it in the Barrel , and 10 lucky spectactors were presented with a key , and the one who could unlock the door walked away with a brand new car on track , that added to the excitement

Whats M Radley had a decade as CEO of GP - thats long enough , id replace him with a West Australian citizen in the age bracket of 65-75 , very well qualified , got plenty of enthusiam and get up and go , and that person in that age bracket would know how good WA Trotting once was and how well promoted it was , like i use to get a couple of times a year in the letterbox free tickets to GP , with a nice colour brochure , with all the activities and facilities available

Some might laugh at getting someone in that age bracket , but Kerry Stokes is 85 , Warren Buffet the same , and they still are firing on all cylinders . And someone in that 65-75 age bracket would know how great WA Trotting was , and how brilliantly it was run

And i reckon the 1st thing that new CEO would do is have a working bee ( like alot of organisations do ) say on the 1st Monday of each month , youd get plenty of keen volunteers , a coat of paint here and there , some new trees/shrubs/flowers , tidy up the birdcage area and grandstands etc , and take some pride in having GP allways IN 1ST class condition , rather than its current run down dump status

But sadly as Peter Morris ( and he was no mug , won an Interm Dom on Young Mister Charles , and of course the father of Robbie ) once famously said , most Trotting administrators , they are very effecient at clocking on and off and picking up their pay packets and that is about it.

warrenrobinson · December 2025

I know just the man :)

JayJay · December 2025

Michael Radley has been there a lot longer than 10 years, marketing man first and then CEO not long after that. Around 2010??

savethegame · December 2025

Sure he went to the inters in New Zealand with John Burt 2011 Under G.P Banner. Prior can you remember for quiet a number of years----about six weeks before heats for perth cup

Peter O'Neill would say as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean don't forget Greyhound Guru the one only Micheal Radley will be in perth for the final of Perth Cup, if he didn't say that at least twenty times in the last 6 weeks what i personal heard i will go he for hedi, He was a dog man, on sky for at least 7 years.

tony · December 2025

He was always a trotting man stg but "changed" to dogs when Sky had a vacancy for the greyhound "host" I think after Mark Duclas left Sky

savethegame · December 2025

All good. He started January 2011 as marketing manager under the tutelage of Hanks,Caputo,Hughes,----Then became Chief Executive in July 2012.Prior to that Mr Radley was a presenter senior producer at sky racing for over ten years

Frog · December 2025

Peter would eat Michael for breakfast.

Some one who does something is better.

To some one who has done nothing to fix

or improve because they think they can take

the easy way out with apartments with no

plan B/C/D to self interest not the club,

there was just one fix to the area and that

was parking no need for more people with

the new school and WCCA refit.

However 2 Tuesday ago to my eye we may

a different leader ( other than Peter or Michael)

I felt ashamed and let down at the service GP gave

the hundred's of people who attended the meeting.

The staff under major stress not a thanks not a

carton of beer or a gift card.

Ill say thanks for your efforts and for you staying

happy and smiling and the kichen staff looked

cooked at the end of the night (one chief down)

Frog · December 2025

To make it worse the BARMY ARMY

rang the office to say they were

coming after tours of Optus.

JayJay · December 2025

He gets really peeved about any criticism and reverts to malicious name calling of anyone who dares to question anything but by any measure, even allowing for the hopeless handicapping and programming that were attached to HWOE, the venue has fallen apart, it is a crumbling ghost town that is a shadow of its past.

That is the reality, it has not been a great venue for a long time. Poorly maintained and just smoke and mirrors PR spin doctoring from management.

Markovina · December 2025

Can someone please tell me , who appoints the CEO at GP , and in the case of M Radley who keeps reappointing him

Chariots told us that the GP members club - it had 363 members or someting , so do they have a committee or board , where Mr Jeavons is Vice president or president of - thus do they appoint the CEO , like M Radley and keep extending his contract , is it them ??????????

JayJay · December 2025

Gloucester Park Harness Racing Club came about after the WATA ceased to be (on paper) the controlling and licensing authority after RWWA was formed in 2002/03.

It is the result of the merger of the old Fremantle Trotting Club with the WATA. So, the club is now the WATA "trading as" Gloucester Park Harness Racing Club.

The club (not RWWA) own the site, track and facilities. It has around (don't quote me) 315 members who elect a committee to run the show. The Committee would I imagine handle all staffing appointments including the CEO, track Curator, Hospitality Manager, Finance Manager etc. and without knowing, they would be responsible for extending the CEO's contract from time to time. Kevin Jeavons is no longer the Vice President.

The committee is President John Burt, Vice Presidents Bill Delaney (Senior), Rob Gartrell (Junior) and committee persons Ross Fitzgerald, Lisa Hando, John Jones, Joe Schaper, Garry Scott and Jemma Hayman.

Any sale of Gloucester Park would see the funds retained by the club for dispersal as it see fits, including amongst the membership. There would be no requirement for those funds to be spent on another track or whatever else they wanted to do with it. RWWA would have no control over any such funds. There are clauses in the constitution dealing with sale, revolving around member voting percentages, absolute majorities etc.

So as I read it, GPHRC is a private club just like Northam or Pinjarra or Bunbury and all the rest, except in instances where the local club leases the grounds of the Shire (as is the case with Busselton, Collie, Bridgetown, Wagin etc, shared facilities along the lines of the "Greater Sportsground" concept applicable to many country towns.)

RWWA not owning the primary metro facility is a situation that many fail to realise. GPHRC gets an allocation of dates, events and prizemoney to run events on behalf of RWWA, like all clubs. But many suspect that GPHRC doesn't see it that way and believe it is entitled to carry on as if it were the controlling body with the profound influence it once had, and which many perceive, still has.

It is bewildering to many as to why RWWA would commit (at the time) $25 million dollars into a "redevelopment" of a private facility (based on a set of artists impressions and unreleased valuations) involving the selling off of a significant parcel of the freehold land whilst retaining an 800m track, with a new clubhouse for the members on the other side of the track on a floodplain, along with upgraded lighting and desperately need new stalls. It is not unreasonable to assume that this will now clearly involve Government Treasury tipping in a substantial amount of tax payer funded top up if it is to ever proceed. A $25 million quote from 3 or 4 years ago would have blown out very considerably.

Just as the Mount Eden Mile has been allocated recently to Pinjarra, there would theoretically be nothing to prevent the allocation of the Pacing Cup to Pinjarra or Northam or Bunbury or Bridgetown,along with the allocated stakemoney. If lights went up at Pinjarra, as promised in the last state election infrastructure grants, I would imagine Dale Putland, Secretary of the Pinjarra Club, would be working feverishly to have some big dates transferred to Pinjarra. Now, that would throw the cat into the canary cage, wouldn't it?

Markovina said:
Can someone please tell me , who appoints the CEO at GP , and in the case of M Radley who keeps reappointing him

Chariots told us that the GP members club - it had 363 members or someting , so do they have a committee or board , where Mr Jeavons is Vice president or president of - thus do they appoint the CEO , like M Radley and keep extending his contract , is it them ??????????

Markovina · December 2025

Thanks for that detailed explanation Jay Jay

But i must say where are the WA Trots Media

Wheres Panda and Hayden King and Ernie Manning and Ken Casellas and all the rest of them , when the vital important questions need to be asked re WA Trotting , present and future plans

Where in the hell are they ?????????????

JayJay · December 2025

From what I can gather......and please, correct where applicable, no offence implied or intended, they can all speak for themselves....this is just what I think I am seeing.

But I think Matt Young just has on course calling, some twitter feed stuff from Pinjarra and maybe, maybe some form guide work for RWWA but that's is just hearsay. He may also freelance on SEN or whatever but I don't listen to that tripe in the morning. Hayden King is now the primary feature Racing Writer for The West and also appears on RWWA for sort of personal interest type articles. He recently started a Gloucester Park preview blog with Ollie Cownie but I gave up after about 10 minutes, vaudeville drivel attatched to a thesaurus is not my cup of tea.

Ernie is employed by the West, he submits copious harness copy in addition to his racing stuff, tips, stewards and trackside columns on a Saturday from Ascot and eastern States features but the sports editorial policy down at The West is clearly focused on one code and it isn't harness or greyhounds. He gets allocated some space for harness in Saturdays Metro edition and a side column in the Sunday Times but that's about it.

Ken Casellas does preview/review of GP meetings, presumably on behalf of GP or maybe RWWA or both, don't know? Always on the concourse, binoculars, pad and pen in hand at GP ...perhaps he does the form guides as well, always to busy to interrupt other than a quick hello.

None of my business to ask who "signs their cheques" but the impression I gain is that none of them would be in a position to be politically active in questioning policy or decision making. In effect, good news only or don't come Monday would be my guess. Butler is "Corporate Affairs Manager" at RWWA, whatever that means, but again, I think good news only and certainly no questioning of city hall whatsoever.

Others will surely know more than that, this is purely speculative.

warrenrobinson · December 2025

The problem in today's world of Harness Racing is that we have some media presenters that are just mouth pieces for others and have as much knowledge as a fence post. Ernie certainly delivers the facts based on the homework he does before print and continues to be a great supporter for racing. Matt Young is certainly under used and should be the number one caller for Harness.

G'day Punter!

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