I was trying to think of an appropriate comparison as I watched the All Stars Stables collect five of the nine Harness Jewels on offer on Saturday, and round out the season winning all the top 2 & 3yr-old races in the country.
Finally, as I glanced at a tattered copy of John Kirwan's Rugby World on my bookshelf on Sunday, I figured it out.
This domination reminds me of the Auckland rugby side of the late 1980s.
From 1987 to the early-mid-1990s, they were nigh on unstoppable, bar the odd slip-up in the South Pacific Championship or losing players to the 1991 Rugby World Cup campaign.
Zinzan Brooke, Michael Jones or Alan Whetton was unavailable?
No worries, let's call up Mark Brooke-Cowden or Eric Rush (when he was a loose forward).
Likewise, the outside backs were stars or future stars such as Kirwan, Terry Wright, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Craig Innes and Matthew Ridge.
. . . produces parallels
Take a look at the 3yr-old male pacing stocks in the All Stars Stables: Lazarus beat all before him this year, Waikiki Beach is rolling along towards a record number of consecutive wins, and neither of those were at the Jewels.
Instead, we had Heaven Rocks - still as green as grass - winning his category practically untouched.
What's the difference between the best and the rest? Well, perhaps like the Auckland team of the late 1980s, the All Stars have the right personnel in place. Auckland grabbed the fitness guru, Jim Blair, off Canterbury and never looked back.
In Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, the All Stars already have two outstanding equine conditioners and the addition of Duane Marfisi seems to ensure the quality never drops when Purdon and/or Rasmussen are away from their Rolleston base.
Did it make last Saturday a little boring?
Yes - and I know I'm not the only one who felt like that.
But what are the All Stars supposed to do?
Turn down good horses to train?
Pink in the black . . .
Another tremendous effort by those involved in the Positively Pink race day at Wingatui on Sunday.
About $4500 was raised on a cracking June day, and the racing proved just as competitive on a fair track.
Long may this fixture continue.
. . . and staying in the black
While the track at Wingatui was as good as you can ask for after rain then chilly weather, finding good apprentice jockeys to follow becomes pretty important as we get into the deep dark depths of winter.
Here are three 3kg claimers to follow: Amber Sims (two wins at Avondale on Tuesday), Zy Nor Azman and Darren Chin.
You could do worse than scan the fields for these three through until August.
Lazy Fiver
One outta three wasn't good enough at the Jewels last weekend. Azkadellia has the draw (barrier 5), the jockey (Damien Oliver) and the class to win the Stradbroke (race 9) at Eagle Farm tomorrow.
