Top of the trots

By Michael Guerin

If you are going to host an Inter Dominion trotting series you hope the best trainers in the business will turn up.

 This week they have.

 Training trotters is not for everybody, it is a game of patience, trial and error and plenty of heartbreak.

But after bizarrely being canned back in 2012 the trotting series was re-born last year and they have provided some of the truly magical moments in Inter Dominion history.

The series which starts at Alexandra Park tomorrow not only sees the current undisputed king of Australian trotting in Andy Gath, who trained last season’s Interdom winner Tornado Valley return to Auckland with McLovin but has at least one rep from the most successful trotting trainers in New Zealand’s recent history.

Here are the domestic numbers, including wins recorded in partnerships, of the still active kings and queen of New Zealand trotting.-

599: Phil Williamson

351: Mark Purdon

344: Paul Nairn

307: Michelle Wallis

287: John Dickie

261: Tim Butt (now training in NSW)

250: Barry Purdon

132: Tony Herlihy