MOVING countries to chase your dream is one thing, but doing it and emerging from the shadows of a champion father is something else.

That’s what 2021 has been all about for Nathan Purdon.

When you carry the most famous surname in this part of the harness racing world, it has as many challenges as it does advantages. Expectations are high, but so is the pressure.

Occasionally, for marginal and sometimes miserly reasons, champion humans and champion horses are forced to forge harder than others for recognition and acknowledgement.

Ominous signs were signaled out of the Menangle trials on Wednesday for those targeting the Victoria Cup.

Sports broadcasting has never been more important.

Yeah, sure, it’s always been ‘cool’ (in a completely uncool way) to diss the media, but with the conditions we are almost all currently living in we’ve never relied upon the media more. And, across the next few weeks, we are blessed to still have elite level harness racing on offer.

I'm not sure how many times I've said this in recent weeks, but how good is the trotting ranks here in Victoria at the moment!?

For decades the Inter Dominion was the race everybody wanted to win.

Now it has become the series everybody wants to criticise.

That is the conundrum facing Harness Racing New South Wales as they prepare to hold the 2021 series (God willing), which was postponed last year because of COVID-19.

If you are reading this I am sure you know this year’s series is set to be opened at Menangle late November before heading to Bathurst and then Newcastle, with four-day gaps and return to headquarters for the final six days later.

Eleven breeders have co-authored the following to Harness Racing Australia, in regards to its April 16 announcement titled 'Proposed Stallion Levy to Fund $2m Additional Prizemoney'.

The letter's being published here in thetrots.com.au's new space, The Forum, which is designed to encourage conversation in the sport.