Dasher Douglas Retired from Harness Racing

agree - i benefited from his driving - hope all is well with him for the future

More time for the quad bikes and computer games

perhaps there is something blowing south from Mildura?

Or being dug up (formally buried)

By the sound of it he should consider himself to be very lucky to be retiring of his own accord

Top 5 drivers in Australia?!?!??!?!   hahahahaha Give me a spell

He will be back too.  These blokes are not smart enough to do anything else.  Like boxers.

Here is a lit of those who have him covered.  In no order and when they are trying.

G Sugars
G Lang
C Alford
N Jack
B Fitzpatrick
R Morris
G Hall jnr
R Warwick

There are probably more in WA and Qld but don't see enough of them.  SA possibly too ( D Harding) but not sure they even have harness racing these days

In order ---3 stand above all others in terms of true skill (note -all Victorians and yes when they are trying.),,,in this order

G. Lang

C. Alford

G. Sugars

Others appear good by virtue of mounts and opportunity....###

Put it this way....who would you want tying on your horse for a million bucks.....for me ...the above 3 in that order


IMO

Just to clear up any misunderstanding Chris Lewis is the best driver in Oz.

"Put it this way....who would you want tying on your horse for a million bucks..."

Henry the two blokes you have at the top would work out a way that they'd get the million and you'd get none. Sooner the authorities stamp them out the better !

Tyre k

Fair point...as an conspiracy theorist I concur....

In the day I would have had Kevin Thomas right up there with Alan Donahue...Thomas the master horseman and Donahue for sheer strength and vigour (in the same vein as a young G Lang)---

In the day Brian Gath on a front runner

It's always a lot easier to look like a good driver when you've got plenty of mates out there helping you. Lang Alford Sugars Bellman Petroff Jack all doing each other favours every day of the week and ruining the game. Have a look at Charlton today R5.

tyre kicker I agree with your post but for me there a bigger problem, ie the sons and daughters of trainer/drivers driving with absolutely no ability rather than packing shelves at Woolies where they should be. You cannot back them but you do not know how they will effect the horses you do back.

while I don't think tyrekicker is far wrong I do remember one of the drivers in list giving Group 1 the short back and sides a few weeks ago at Melton. Unfortunately there is a few more that could be added it def makes it hard to punt when these drivers are in a race hence making betfair moves a positive punting tool

Don't disagree but I'll accept doing my money when everything is above board. You have to factor in their ability when doing the form and then make an assessment on what is value. Half of the baggers on here do their form on the phone and are not true form students. Do their money and want to blame somebody eg The Ghost

check out the drive on algranco under fire on friday night at GP

G Hall Jnr number one in my books

D Douglas is a Great Driver
He doesnt get the Horses like the other Drivers.
If he was put on the Quality horses like the others he would of had many more winners.
He has got many more horses to wins than others would of.

I like D Douglas and wish him the best for the Future.
He was good with Kids and dont know many that would say a bad word about him.

Went through a Bad Stage in Mildura vs N Jack. Both had Brain Fades. But nothing to what was going on Recently.

Might be a great bloke but you were flat out wrong saying top 5 in the country.  End of story

G Hall Jnr is clearly WA's best driver and by a long way and its not just opportunity when he gets on outside horses he invariably drives them superbly, he  has become the complete rriver, Mark Reed is just starting to drive well again after a long absence and it will take probably about another 6-12 months to really get back to where he was and Chris is still a very good driver when it suits him other than that he can be a bit nonchalant. Morgan Woodley is a good driver as well.

Well i Rate him top 5
Stats dont lie either

splitting hairs when trying to rank them clear of one another imo. If u like the horses form and then check to see who's steering, see Douglas, do u bet?? Hell yes!

I remember thinking to myself the other night that Jnrs Algranco Under Fire drive (that Craig mentioned above) was simply as good as it gets. As great as he is, he is made to look good at times, what with the chumps around him. Similar scenario with Harding & Rhyhorec.....they've a lap on the rest. There was a good example in a lower grade race at Pirie on Fri night with them running 1-2 death seating + sitting wide with no cover.

Hey buddy,

Would you consider modifying your knickname on this forum so your contributions are not confused with mine ... that I have used for the last 12 years ???

TROTMAN ... not trotsman

Noted

how many big races has D Douglas won?  There is a damning stat.  Don't give me the rubbish line he was not on the best horses.  There is a reason the best drivers are on the best horses.