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Harness & Greyhounds

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  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts

    1. G Hall Jnr
    2. C Lewis
    3. A De Campo
    4. D Egerton-Green
    5. C Voak
    6. R Warwick
    7. M Grantham
    8. S Suvaljko
    9. J Young
    10. K Harper/M Woodley

    This is a rough top 10, just off the cuff but happy to debate

    Shannon Suvaljko at number 8 - you have to be kidding

    Thats like putting Martin  Dangerfield or Fyffe at number 8 - a blooody joke

    Offthebit likes this post.

  • ToepuntitToepuntit    241 posts
    Gee you blokes love him in here, just another driver, how many big ones has he won? Freo cup , pacing cup, slipper, nugget, inters(hearts &final)?

    Cant_Refuse likes this post.

  • ciscocisco    805 posts
    Hello Boys,

    Hope you are all well.

    The attribute I admire about Shannon Suvaljko (as well as a lot of other drivers in Australia and NZ) is his ability to give lesser ranked horses in races every chance of the best possible placing. 

    Blair Orange is very similar in NZ draws say 5 on the second line and somehow continually gets his drives onto the fence or one out.

    I admire and respect all drivers not only for their professionalism on the track but also their hard work off it.

    Cheers cisco
  • Kane_26Kane_26    88 posts
    Toepuntit said:

    Gee you blokes love him in here, just another driver, how many big ones has he won? Freo cup , pacing cup, slipper, nugget, inters(hearts &final)?




    He should of won a derby on Jumbo Operator but drove it off it’s feet. The trainer was very loyal giving him another opportunity on Gee Jay Kay but after a while even they’ve realised there’s no comparison between Shannon and Chris Lewis when it comes to Group racing.

    Shannon is a very good driver but he lacks the finesse of the top class drivers. You only have to look at the amount of times he plows into wheels.

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  • OffthebitOffthebit    597 posts
    edited October 2019
    Toepuntit said:

    Gee you blokes love him in here, just another driver, how many big ones has he won? Freo cup , pacing cup, slipper, nugget, inters(hearts &final)?

    Trained and drove an old crock called vanlo yorker to win the pacing cup in 2008.
    Magnificent training effort and an even better drive.........

    Also won the state drivers premiership in the 17/18 season without the support of any of the big stables, that speaks volumes of his driving ability for mine. 
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    Just reviewing favourite WA 12 have seen, and excluding present day drivers.

    1. Fred Kersley
    2. Phil Coulson
    3. Mike Reed
    4. Trevor Warwick
    5. Alan Woodworth
    6. Les Marriott
    7. Justin Warwick
    8. Les Poyser
    9. Peter Schrader
    10. Alan Woodworth
    11. Jim Schrader
    12. Bob Pollock & Bill Kersley.

    Eastern States fave's not driving today - Nathan Postlewaite ( Qld. ) Greg Bennett ( NSW )
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    Fave 6 WA Pacers have seen.
    1. Satinover
    2. Pure Steel
    3. I'm The Mighty Quinn
    4. Village Kid
    5. Preux Chevalier
    6. The Falcon Strike

    Eastern staters - Gammalite, Koala King, Popular Alm, Wondais Mate.
    Trotter - Knight Pistol.
  • PackedMetalPandaPackedMetalPanda    166 posts
    It’s all open to opinion...only guarantees for mine in that is the fact AC Lewis and G Hall Jnr are 1/2 easily...order varies person to person.

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  • OffthebitOffthebit    597 posts

    It’s all open to opinion...only guarantees for mine in that is the fact AC Lewis and G Hall Jnr are 1/2 easily...order varies person to person.


    Spot on....these sort of lists are just opinions. Nobody is right or wrong, its just an opinion.

    1. AC Lewis
    2. Jnr
    3. Suvaljko
    4. K Harper
    5. Voak

    Ridersonthestorm33 likes this post.

  • BetonmeBetonme    209 posts
    All comes down to people's perception. Personally id have to have Voak above De Campo on any list atm. 
    In terms of Shannon he is smart driver, however hes also been a well known dodgy (more in his younger years) and with multiple disqualifications. 
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    That's right offthebit and that's also why prefer to call it favourite 5 or 10, rather than best 10, just a little difference, on a parallel line but with a slight twist and that covers the opinion factor.

    For instance if your favourite colour is blue - then nobody can argue against that. But if ya say blue is the best colour then there's hell to pay!
  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    My  take   alot good drivers in w.a. couldn't put them in order as they seem to operate under-different circumstances. 

    Big races- Gary Hall jnr. seems to make the right moves, never get's flustered.
                     Chris Lewis has stood the test of time, as he is in slight decline,overrides that issue as                  he has got no financial pressures to weigh up  in decision making , which does affect                    some in the big ones
                     Mark Reed. never frightened to roll the dice,has come up trumps as a result many                        times in big races.

    20/1 winners and runners that you need to sneak into novelities. none better then suvajlko,lewis macdonald but with saying that hall jnr, Warwick have,far less opportunities because they drive short priced kiwis.

    Two girls are showing ability beyond there years, j.young.e.suvaljko. be interesting were there  at in another couple years.

    Riders return the Saturday night saviour n. posthlewaite


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  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts

    Just reviewing favourite WA 12 have seen, and excluding present day drivers.

    1. Fred Kersley
    2. Phil Coulson
    3. Mike Reed
    4. Trevor Warwick
    5. Alan Woodworth
    6. Les Marriott
    7. Justin Warwick
    8. Les Poyser
    9. Peter Schrader
    10. Alan Woodworth
    11. Jim Schrader
    12. Bob Pollock & Bill Kersley.

    Eastern States fave's not driving today - Nathan Postlewaite ( Qld. ) Greg Bennett ( NSW )

    Woody will be stoked he made the list twice. "There you go you blokes, none of youse got two guernseys did youse, cream rises to the top"   hahaha as he chortles off firing up another durrie. Makes me smile just thinking about him.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    Yes for sure stg, not many would know too much about former Queensland reinsman Nathan Postlewaite. Terrific driver, had an uncanny knack with outsiders.

    As said before sent him a message on FB and he appreciated us remembering him, and said with all the troubles over there he might make a comeback.

    Mentioned to him how well he drove for trainer S. Dickson and he replied.."well I had to...he's my father in law!".

    savethegame likes this post.

  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Jay Jay  only one that could fly on that list as well...remember him telling me when he drove in syd.briefly think staying with k.newman, won a race at h.p. a coffin was delivered with his name on it,said he was in the air before the plane, getting back to w.a.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    STG, he was a character alright, sharp as a wiltshire knife but boy, could he steer when he was on the job....few better in my opinion.......and I reckon right at the end (after a few "twists and turns" in the middle stages of his career) when he was driving for Annear, like a good wine, got better with age.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Coffin probably courtesy of  one G. Freeman or Melbourne Mick.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    Blimey that's why was couldn't work out how had Bill Kersley and Bob Pollock both at = 12th, because thought have written down 12 names and how the heck have I got 13! Bloody hopeless.

    Also on other list left out Kyle Harper whoops...very good driver, sums things up very fast. He's going to get better and better would imagine.
  • ToepuntitToepuntit    241 posts
    cisco said:

    Hello Boys,


    Hope you are all well.

    The attribute I admire about Shannon Suvaljko (as well as a lot of other drivers in Australia and NZ) is his ability to give lesser ranked horses in races every chance of the best possible placing. 

    Blair Orange is very similar in NZ draws say 5 on the second line and somehow continually gets his drives onto the fence or one out.

    I admire and respect all drivers not only for their professionalism on the track but also their hard work off it.

    Cheers cisco


    Orange does drive for some big stables in NZ,
    Why doesn’t SS get a look in with the big ones here? Serious question not taking the piss
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    Lou Austin he was good too. Another no frills driver. Lyle Lindau, as well. Their the two emergencies in the retro list.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    One big race SS drove well in was on 80/1 chance Macczaffair in the Golden Nugget behind that top $1.10 Kiwi horse, ran second and got close near the line.

    Fired the Reed horse out from gate 6 or 7 and handed up to the fave who'd come off the pegs from gate one, a 10/1 place chance became even money.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    L.J.Robinson, Ron Porter, Ray Sweetman, Frank Kersley, Max Johnson, Fred Hough, Bernie Cushing, the Bunbury Mafia Retzlaff, Buswell, Big Bill Prentice, Kim Prentice, Justin Prentice.....it is an endless list Riders. You'll go mad and change you're mind 20 times in the process ....I know....I tried this exercise before. How far do you go back, what about the blokes with small teams who could really drive and had to in order to put food on the table......but it's a good discussion point.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    For sure JJ, all those names well and truly deserving.

    Ultimate Machete was name of that Kiwi horse SS ran second to.
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    Think all up over the years the drivers have stood up pretty well, and for sure opportunity and luck goes along way.

    Would the young blokes of today, say De Campo, Harper, Peterson measure up against a youthful Peter Schrader, Hayden Fisher, and Justin Warwick ? Imo undoubtedly yes, and those later three were exceptionally good.

    It all evolves. Nathan Turvey one I left out of fave's, driving quite well too. They all make mistakes though! But us punters - noooo never haha.
  • freodockersfreodockers    2,667 posts
    Riders you beat me to it.
    When "junior drivers" were first introduced it was $15 a drive in the country and 25 in the city however you had to have driven 11 winners in the bush before you could drive at GP on a Monday meeting.
    Back then (early nineties) we were competing with Lewis,Schrader,Harper lb, keys, Warwick, kersley etc etc for drives in the country. We had no hope, and if you didn't take your only drive from barrier 10 on a hundred to 1 pop on a Wednesday night in the middle of winter at Wagin you would never see that drive again.
    I remember the junior drivers races on a Friday night at one stage were like a demolition derby. I can remember certain drivers plotting to knock over a young female driver (not kk) who was driving for a big stable to stop her winning the series. Luckily the person who had the job fell out at the start and trust me knowing the guy he would have done it with pleasure.
    At the time young drivers of that group included j & a Warwick, k & gj kersley, tommy sheehy, Jason keys, Shannon and joe suvaljko,Natalie poyser, Colin lavin so it's not hard to understand the demolition derby concept.
    Unfortunately the perception back then was junior drivers were only any good whilst they had a concession. So in other words the better you were the faster you disappeared. (15 wins in country and 5 in city and you lost your concession).
    Added to that the competitiveness with the older drivers was something to behold. I can name three of the drivers mentioned in previous discussion who were more than happy to use underhanded tactics to pinch your drive.
    Most cranky aggressive senior driver back then TB Warwick.
    Would young drivers match the likes of H M Fisher and GP Marriott, maybe in skill but definitely not in hardness.
    It was completely different back then.


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  • freodockersfreodockers    2,667 posts
    PS HM Fisher was best driver I have ever seen and a good bloke to go with it.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited October 2019
    For sure Freo and with hardness, albeit a different type of hardness - terrific paragraph in the book "Papillon"...when the penal warden is asked..."who's going to look after these hard cases ?" his reply.."even harder cases". Classic.
  • curmudgeoncurmudgeon    2,417 posts
    Junior ? Novice ? Concession ?.....those luxuries weren't around when I received licence # 445 :))  Out you went on equal footing from the jump.

    Additionally that eras lack of assistance to outsiders and non entrenched families makes me doff the hat to G Hall Snr ......achieving what he has coming from a non harness racing background and family is a stupendous effort. 
  • freodockersfreodockers    2,667 posts
    Agree Curmudgeon concession was adopted to give young drivers a leg up.
    Before the it was nothing and unless you had a big stable behind you it was simply a hobby for drivers.
    Another one who started with nothing CD Brown although he did inherit some pretty handy horses when I think Lou Austin split with Porters stable.
    He surely deserves a mention amongst top ten drivers over past 25 yrs.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Fish had a great mentor in his grandad old Bert Fisher up at Orange Grove....I well remember many a chilly morning up there with Hayden driving fast work for us (and lots of others) ... from a very young age. Can't put a year on it but late 70's .....Val Pereira, Wally Thomas, Don Harper Snr, Jack Jones etc.......she was a busy joint on fast work mornings. Old Bert was the track curator and a great old fella. Ex steward Graham Bennier had the property next door to the track......haven't been up that road for decades, no idea what is there nowadays.

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