All-round nice guy to be honoured

ONE of harness racing’s, and indeed the world, nicest guys – Greg Norman – will be honoured at Globe Derby tonight.

A true “scholar and gentleman”, Norman lost his determined battle with cancer on January 20 at the age of 61.

Constantly sporting his trademark smile, Norman followed his family tradition into harness racing before forging a highly-successful career as a Group One winning horseman.

Beginning his journey in South Australia, Norman made his debut as a reinsman in April 1984 partnering Otatara for trainer Ray Fewings.

Registering his maiden training-driving victory in Gawler with Abenteuer on August 20, 1985, Norman’s final winner was as a trainer when Direct Command scored in Cobram on January 6, 2025.

In between, Norman won 577 races as a trainer and 318 as a reinsman.

Crossing the Victorian border to capture a Group One Breeders’ Crown Final with Tsonga in 2011, Norman eventually moved interstate in 2019, settling in Charlton.

Although he enjoyed his share of success as a ‘local’, Norman loved nothing more than returning home to win a feature at Globe Derby.

Blue Coman provided Normal with his last home state major when he secured the South Australia Trotters’ Cup in 2023.

Norman returned to South Australia after his diagnosis in January 2025.

Fittingly, the opening event at Globe Derby is the Vale Greg Norman Pace, with the 1800-metre feature attracting a strong line-up of in-form pacers, including Nanna Helen.

Prepared by astute trainer Ray Holberton, Nanna Helen has a win and three placings from her last four starts.

To be driven by Michael Smith, the daughter of Bettors Delight has drawn to register another victory from the pole.

Like Norman, Holberton and Smith are part of multi-generational families of South Australian horsemen.

Between them, the Holberton and Smith clans have more than a century of harness racing involvement.

They have been associated with a string of top performers, including arguably the best standardbred trained in South Australia – Minor Derby.