John Tapp Racing

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HARNESS RACING ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE - EVEN THE OCCASIONAL POLICEMAN

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HARNESS RACING ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE - EVEN THE OCCASIONAL POLICEMAN

Joe Conolly isn’t the first policeman to have trained harness horses. The question was raised by trot fans after the Conolly trained ten year old All About Art, won the opening race at Penrith last week.

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LISA KEPT HER FEET ON THE GROUND

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LISA KEPT HER FEET ON THE GROUND

Had Lisa Miles not had an inherent love of the standardbred horse, she may have pursued a career with the RAAF. For the last seven years of her time at Melton’s Mowbray College, young Lisa Lewis was a member of the Air Training Corps.

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BROOKE WILKINS IS INSPIRED BY THE DEEDS OF HER DAD, AND A GRANDFATHER SHE NEVER KNEW

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BROOKE WILKINS IS INSPIRED BY THE DEEDS OF HER DAD, AND A GRANDFATHER SHE NEVER KNEW

The hereditary factor in the families of harness horsemen and horsewomen, has been prevalent since the sport began in Australia.

Twenty one year old Menangle trainer Brooke Wilkins, is a third generation trotting devotee.

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THE DAY NORM STOLE THE NEW ZEALAND CUP FROM UNDER THEIR NOSES.

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THE DAY NORM STOLE THE NEW ZEALAND CUP FROM UNDER THEIR NOSES.

Tiger Tara didn’t deserve to lose last week’s New Zealand Cup. The Aussie trained eight year old did enough work for three horses, before going under by a lousy head to The Fixer in the second fastest New Zealand Cup in history.

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REBECCA AND SAN CARLO- VICTORIAN HARNESS RACING’S DYNAMIC DUO

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REBECCA AND SAN CARLO- VICTORIAN HARNESS RACING’S DYNAMIC DUO

The last few months of 2008 passed very slowly for a certain Shepparton schoolgirl, who couldn’t wait to follow her dream.

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HARRY’S IN FOR THE LONG HAUL

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HARRY’S IN FOR THE LONG HAUL

Harry Martin seems to have been around Sydney harness racing tracks forever, and was well ensconced when I trained and drove my very first horse, a two year old filly called Red Mittens. Harry had a filly called Miss Viscount at the same time, and I clearly recall going around with him in early trials, and in a race or two.

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MACCA'S ALWAYS THERE TO LEND A HAND - The Glenn McElhinney Story

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MACCA'S ALWAYS THERE TO LEND A HAND - The Glenn McElhinney Story

There’s nothing Glenn McElhinney enjoys more than driving a winner for one of the smaller stables. The veteran freelancer, always identifiable with his bright yellow helmet, has been a familiar face on Sydney tracks for more than four decades.

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NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

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NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

The Australian driving ranks produced some high achievers in the 2017/18 season. Drivers like Todd McCarthy (NSW), Danielle Hill (SA), Nathan Dawson (QLD), and Shannon Suvaljko (WA) all had stellar seasons, while Chris Alford (VIC) changed the course of trotting history.

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FROM BATHURST TO BOLINDA WITH A FEW STOPS IN BETWEEN

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FROM BATHURST TO BOLINDA WITH A FEW STOPS IN BETWEEN

“You can’t afford to be distracted by the power of a major stable”, says Victorian harness trainer Kari Males. “If you happen to be in a race where a major stable has three or four runners, you have to try even harder to have your horse at one hundred and ten per cent”.

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YOUTH COMES BUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME

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YOUTH COMES BUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Life has been a roller coaster for young Chris Geary these past few years. He graduated quickly from the mini trots, to the maxi trots to the real deal, in record time, and within a week of launching his driving career, he visited the now familiar winner’s circle for the first time.

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THE BEST HORSE NEVER TO WIN AN INTER DOMINION

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THE BEST HORSE NEVER TO WIN AN INTER DOMINION

When it comes to horses I’m a hopeless sentimentalist.

I had the pleasure of calling all of the wins of the great Halwes at Harold Park in the late 1960’s, and he left an indelible impression on me. He was a horse with high speed, great reserves of stamina and a terrific will to win.