‘Didn’t realise how special the horse was’
NATALIE Rasmussen admits only now is she starting to fully appreciate the absolute greatness of Blacks A Fake.
Together the pair were almost an unstoppable force in harness in the 2000s across a career which stretched a staggering eight years, netted 72 wins from 105 starts, banked almost $4.6m and snared a record-breaking four Inter Dominion titles.
Blacks A Fake isn’t just the greatest pacer Queensland has produced, he may well be the greatest horse full stop.
Saturday night’s $250,000 feature race at Albion Park named in his honour is testament to that.
“The longer he’s been retired and more time I get to reflect and look at other horses, the more you realise how great he was,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen, who now lives in Christchurch, has been visiting “home” with partner Mark Purdon and couldn’t wait to check-in on the now 21-year-old and his loyal sidekick and travelling companion “Simon” at Delaney’s Creek, near Caboolture.
“I hadn’t been back to see him for 18 months because of Covid, but it’s so good to see him looking as well as he is and still alongside his great mate, Simon,” Rasmussen said.
Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor on harness racing for News Corp