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Just An Excuse on the way to victory

2004 LINDAUER NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

They said he couldn't do it. No way, not on his chequered preparation. And not with a rampant Elsu and race-hardened Mister D G staring him down as he stood sanwiched between them at the start. Nope. Almost unbelievably, Just An Excuse somehow slipped from favour from last week's Canterbury Draught NZ Trotting Cup...dropped by some of the very same people that basked in his glory just 12 short months ago.

They were wrong. Three days later it happened all over again. In spite of his emphatic Cup victory, Just An Excuse still had his doubters when he stepped onto Addington for the $100,000 Lindauer NZ Free-For-All. There were those that thought he couldn't possibly sit outside a pacemaker like Mister D G and beat him - which was how most pre-race calculations saw the event unfolding. But they were wrong again. Whatever excuses these particular people came up with for the two "biggies" over Cup week, in the end they were just that - excuses; Just An Excuse proved that you can never underestimate the ability of a good horse to lift when it matters most. Especially a great one.

Unlike most, Just An Excuse's driver Todd Mitchell didn't have a pre-race script for how he was going to attack the Free-For-All. "A 'Plan A'? No. If you head out onto the track with one of those, usually you end up looking for a 'Plan B'," Mitchell said. "Once Mister D G went to the lead I didn't want him to get too far in front; when I saw Mark and Young Rufus coming, it was time to go." Just An Excuse lobbed up alondside Mister D G as the field started the last lap, and when the positions were unchanged turning for home the pair set down to a titanic home straight struggle. "I was quite happy to sit out there, he's won most of his races sitting parked," Mitchell continued. "In fact, he's probably better sitting parked than anything. He is good coming from behind though, because at the trials he's run quarters in twenty-six and just cruised them. We still haven't seen him have to do that yet."

Just An Excuse is now back at home in Raglan and enjoying a couple of days off after losing a bit of weight and tucking up a bit more than normal from his trip. For trainer Robert Mitchell, this has given him the chance to reflect on what has been a truly magnificent Cup carnival. "Never in a hundred years did I think that we'd get to live that feeling all over again," he says, in reference to Just An Excuse's back-to-back Cup victories. "Last year it was pretty much plain sailing leading into the Cup, but this time we've had to work really hard. We just had so many little problems, what with him jarring up and then not eating, and you couldn't call Ashburton a run. It was just a case of working our way through it. So I suppose this year's Cup is more special to me. And then to top it off by winning the Free-For-All, well, that is just something else again. If you count the Cup Trial 'Lordie's' had three good runs in the space of nine days, which really says a lot for the horse because he showed his true grit after such a chequered preparation."

Mitchell says he and the horse's owners still have to decide where they'll head next with the star Live Or Die pacer, with the choices coming down to either the Victoria Cup in Melbourne on December 18, or the Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park on New Year's Eve.

Just An Excuse is the first horse for six years to capture the highly sought after NZ Cup/ NZ Free-For-All double, and the 27th horse to achieve the feat since it was first done in 1918 by Author Dillon. The others were Peter Bingen (1928), Harold Logan (31), Red Shadow (33), Indianapolis (35), Josedale Grattan (41), Highland Fling (48), Johnny Globe (54), Lookaway (57), False Step (60), Lordship (62), Cardigan Bay (63), Robalan (74), Lunar Chance (75), Trusty Scott (78), Lord Module (79), Hands Down (80), Armalight (81), Bonnie's Chance (82), Master Mood (86), Christopher Vance (91), Blossom Lady (92), Chokin (93), Bee Bee Cee (94), Il Vicolo (95) and Christian Cullen (98).

Credit: John Robinson writing in NZHR Weekly

Mark Purdon & some of the Syndicate members

2004 LION FOUNDATION NZ DERBY

Australia might have an Inter-Dominion 'King' in the form of Brian Hancock, but we've got one of our own too. His name is Mark Purdon, and the race he's become synonomous with is the New Zealand Derby. Purdon won the star-studded 3-year-old event for a staggering seventh time when he and Likmesiah flashed home to nab Winforu on the post last Friday night.

Purdon's Derby dominance began in 1993 when he partnered Mark Roy, and has been followed by Il Vicolo (1995), The Court Owl (1996), Bogan Fella (1997), Young Rufus (2001) and Jack Cade (2002),not to mention the 'furore' over Hunka Hickling when he was beaten a head by a wayward Stars And Stripes in the year 2000.

This year the task ahead looked almost insurmountable, firstly because Likmesiah with saddlecloth 15 had one of the worst draws compared to the guns he was up against. And the picture wasn't any rosier turning for home, because Winforu was about to slip down into the pasing lane having enjoyed a dream sit behind the leader, and Likmesiah was just getting balanced around faltering runners as he prepared to charge for the line.

But as he so often does, Purdon proved that at no time - especially in the big races - can you underestimate those blue silks with the silver stars. "I thought that his draw could turn out to be not too bad a one, because there was always going to be a lot of speed early," Purdon said. "It just depended on how the race panned out, and whether we were going to have to cover too much extra ground. Turning for home I was wondering how wide we were going to have to come, because Colin (De Filippi, driving Roman Gladiator) was going nowhere."

A furlong from home Likmesiah exploded out of the pack, and it quickly became clear that Winforu was going to have a fight on his hands. Purdon timed his pacer's run with the sort of precision that would make your heart sink if you were connected to Winforu, and after some anxious moments it was confirmed that Likmesiah had indeed got to the line first. "He just knows how to sprint like that, because that's the way we teach them at home," Purdon added.

The $100,000 Lion Foundation sponsored Group 1 event was yet another triumph for Likmesiah's sire Christian Cullen. He was responsible for four of the 14 entrants, all being from his first crop, and they included hot favourite Roman Gladiator (10th), V For (8th) and the desperately unlucky C C Mee (7th). Christian Cullen's principal owner Ian Dobson was one of he first to congratulate the Met Two Syndicate members. "I was thrilled for them," Dodson said. "Especially that syndicate though, because I've become fairly involved with some of the members with having a couple of my own horses out at Mark's. I didn't think Likmesiah could do it turning for home, but I think he even surprises Mark because he seems to grow another leg on racenight. The Cullens have got that will to win, all the trainers are saying that to me."

Fifty people will tell you there's no more fun than racing a horse as part of a syndicate. Better if the horse can win, and huge smiles when it's a race like the New Zealand Derby. Most syndicates are made up of people who can't quite afford to race a horse on their own. Or, even if they can, prefer the friendship and fellowship it provides. These are the sort of people who made a lump sum payment of $1,620 and put in $100 a month to join the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club organised, Met Two Syndicate two years ago. They bought three horses. One of them was Likmesiah, who won $60,800 with his trademark late burst to win the New Zealand Derby. His total earnings are $205,517 - a handsome profit from the $15,000 he cost on Mark Purdon's bid as a yearling.

Credit: John Robinson writing in NZHR Weekly

Connections of Copper Beach with the Oaks trophy

2004 WAYNE FRANCIS MEMORIAL NZ OAKS

When it comes to winning Group races with young horses in this era, few do as well and none do better than Geoff Small. He has a piercing accuracy to zero in on such events, and that's what he did with Copper Beach in the $100,000 Wayne Francis Memorial NZ Oaks.

Not among the hot fancies, not even among the warm ones, yet Copper Beach raced under her odds to win the classic by nearly two lengths from That's Life Lavra who came from the back with Imagine That. Neither got the sweet trip David Butcher gave Copper Beach.

He dreamed of a run behind Petousa just off the pace an got it. Princess Alberta made it a race for the stayers, and those around her gradually dropped off, with the exception of Copper Beach. She was full of chirp when she came off Petousa's back on the corner, and quickly turned it into a clear advantage.

"She was cruising it when I came into the corner," said Butcher. "She's always been a nice filly, and she's got a bit of bottom to her like some of the other Beach Towels in Geoff's team. And it's the first decent run she's had for a while."

Copper Beach is raced by the Les Girls No.2 Syndicate, which includes Edith Margison, from Manurewa, Annette Hudson (Pukekohe), Sharn Riley (Papakura), Joyce Walters (Waiuku), Geoff's wife Aria, and Helen Hobson from Christchurch. They bred Elsu as well as Copper Beach, who is from a Payson's Brother half-sister to the dam of Elsu. The mare Les Payzen Star has also left a 2-year-old filly by Holmes Hanover and a yearling colt by Dream Away, and was served this season by Falcon Seelster.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly

2004 WYATT & WILSON PRINT SUPERSTARS 4YO CHAMPIONSHIP

The Wyatt & Wilson Print Superstars 4yo Championship again lived up to its billing as one of the most exhilarating races on the Addington calendar. The 2004 edition was no exception with another uppercut for the favourites, dashing moves that backfired, a tight finish, and a race that again tripped the backmarkers.

It all made for great theatre, and marvellous action, and the hero in the end was the unsung, quiet achiever, Chris Riley. In his favour was a quick start from a front line draw and busy midrace activity by Likmesiah, Born Again Christian, Lennon and Waipawa Lad that eventually brought them to heel.

Colin De Filippi had Chris Riley second early, behind Jimmy Kelly, but lost his place as Born Again Christian went forward. There was more push and bustle from the 1200 metres, then Mark Jones suddenly shot off at great speed with Waipawa Lad that took him to a clear lead near the 600 metres. The winning post was still a small monument in the distance when Waipawa Lad started to buckle and battle 200m out. The boys in blue had arrived back on the scene by then, but Lennon, Born Again Christian and their tiring stablemate had a new enforcer with them, De Filippi hunting up with Chris Riley. He came with a rattling good run that took him past Lennon by a neck, with a neck back to Born Again Christian. "Waipawa Lad opened them up for me. That really made it for us," said De Filippi. Mark Purdon said the sprint by Waipawa Lad "took the punch out of" Born Again Christian.

Chris Riley is raced by the Southern Men Syndicate - Murray Stuart, Warren Hamilton, Robin Jenkins, Noel Costello, Clark McLean, John Davis, Richard Hall, Robert Davis, Rod Moffat and Chris Widdon who had asked De Filippi to find them a suitable horse. De Filippi cautioned them to be patient. "I kept in touch with them until I drove Chris Riley at Blenheim and liked him. I drove him again at Greymouth, and thought then that he was the horse for them," he said. De Filippi, who trains the son of Christian Cullen in partnership with his wife Julie and is also a member of the syndicate, knew he was putting the horse in at the deep end. "I didn't really expect him to beat them tonight," he said.

Previous surprise winners of the race include Anvilanunoit ($27), Glen Lustre ($77), Lucky Boy ($19), Pathfinder ($41), Defoe ($22) and The Orator ($18).

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Oct04

Advance Attack outfinishes Tribute

2004 INTERNATIONAL CARGO EXPRESS RISING STARS 3YO CHAMPIONSHIP

Advance Attack, the little brother to Courage Under Fire who is trained and driven by Mark Purdon for John Seaton, gamely closed on Tribute to win the $30,000 International Cargo Express Rising Stars Championship.

He had finished a close second the week before to Presido in a Sires' Stakes heat, but improved sufficiently to take the higher ground in the pecking order for the time being.

Presido was parked mostly, and dropped off Tribute by two and a half lengths at the end.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Oct04

Sundon's Luck's connections with the Ordeal Cup

2004 ANTHONY SHEARER LTD/ PINK BATTS ORDEAL TROTTING CUP

Anyone thinking about life in the city only needs to talk to Kevin Townley. He is likely to champion the merits of a town and country lifestyle. Now confortably settled in suburban Christchurch, Townley travels each day to Ohoka - a 30 minute trip - where he has a team of eight. He formerly trained at Weedons, but is using the training property of Wayne Ross, who is also working the same number.

Townley has a racing team of one - Sundon's Luck - but six of the others are young trotters, and three of them will soon be tested to see if they have classic potential. It's a track Townley has been down many times before, and Sundon's Luck has been and done it. Now six, Sundon's Luck has been out of sorts since a stella season at three, when he won six races including two Group 1s and a Group 2, and his win in the Anthony Shearer/ Pink Batts Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington last week indicated the change might be suiting him, too.

"He hasn't trotted like that since he was three," said Townley. "He could be getting back to that form; I'm hoping so," he said, after the gelding stole up inside hot favourite Sonofthedon and worried the win out of him. Lyell Creek carried his 11 years lightly, and was a gallant third, hinting at rich improvement to come.

Townley has not exactly had it easy training Sundon's Luck, after "he packed up racing at Auckland". When he returned to training at four, the horse was all at sea, and raced only five times before being set aside again. "The spell actually did nothing for him, when he came back in at five. He came back in like he went out," he said.

Townley wasn't working on "little niggles" alone. Bill Bishop, an authoritative Christchurch equine vet and part-owner of the horse with his wife Helen and Ben and Karen Calder, was also on the job. Sundon's Luck was well enough to race last season at five, and win three races, but Townley said he did it "under sufferance". "In the end we think it was a fetlock problem, and it looks to be cured," he said.

Townley, who says he has "no complaints" about his left hand that was badly crushed in an accident last season, will not be surprised if Sundon's Luck remains competitive at the highest level. "I'm not saying he's any better than any of the others, but he is a great little racehorse."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Sep04

2004 MACH THREE NZ STANDARDBRED BREEDERS STAKES

This time last year, Coburg had only just cleared maiden ranks. The Falcon Seelster mare got 'on the board' with a win at Alexandra Park on January 30, beating Pacing Grace by a nose to end a string of minor placings. Sure, there had been cheques arriving in the mail after all bar one of her first nine starts, but finally the Coburg Syndicate that raced her received one that had a bit of weight about it. And her trainer Mike Berger breathed a sigh of relief.

"When she was racing as a two and 3-year-old I remember telling the syndicate not to lose any sleep," Berger said. "Coburg always felt like she had the goods. And even though she had taken so long to win a race, I thought she was going to be something special one day." Twelve months later, that day is here.

Coburg is now the hottest mare in the country, and last Friday she completed the second leg of the 'double' when she won the $100,000 Mach Three NZ Standardbred Breeders' Stakes at Addington in devasting fashion. It was an even more dominant display than the week before when she had taken out the PGG Premier Mares' Championship, and it stamped her as a lady of real class.

A one and three-quarter length victory that could have been more, a 1:56.8 mile rate for the 1950 metre trip and near record time, and a chegue for almost $62,000... what a difference a year can make. Driver Peter Ferguson said he was 80 per cent confident when he steered Coburg onto the track for her warm-up, and by the time the race was underway and they had passed the 1000 metre mark he was "a hundred and ten percent". "She felt enormous," he said. "After we got a good run through to settle three-back, all I had to do was wait; if they came around, I was going. It wouldn't have mattered where she was in the running."

Ferguson has sat behind his fair share of good mares before, none better than Kate's First. "Coburg and Kate are actually similar types of horses," he said. "I don't like to compare different horses from different eras, and Coburg has got a long way to go to match Kate's deeds because she won an Auckland Cup, but it is their adaptability - they can race anywhere in the field. Coburg gives you a lot of confidence as a driver. If you get caught out wide or have to do a bit of workto get a possie, most horses will tire on you, but with Coburg you know that she will pull you through at the other end."

Ferguson has been in Coburg's sulky for the last six appearances following a suggestion by syndicate member Barry Gordon that he would suit the mare. The move has been well worth it, with four wins, a second and an unlucky eighth the tally for the new partnership so far. Both driver and trainer agree that there is no easy path ahead for Coburg from here, and just what her career entails for the remainder of the season is yet to be decided. "It could be hard work chasing the big 4-year-old races now, but I suppose you have really got to because there is nothing much else for her," Ferguson said. "Yeah, she's going to start running out of opportunities," Berger said. "We might even look at Australia, and see what races there are for her over there. She has probably done enough to secure her broodmare career though."



Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 4Feb04

2004 SIRES' STAKES 2YO FINAL

Having gone within a lip of being the fastest 2-year-old in New Zealand's history, and doing everything but lower the colours of Advance Attack at his latest outing, no one could say the Marika did not deserve to win a big one this season. And at last Friday night the Presidential Ball colt got his due reward when he and regular pilot Ricky May took out the $150,000 Garrard's Sires' Stakes Final.

May was in stellar form all evening, driving five winners in total. On the few occasions he didn't come back at the head of the field May was watching and taking notes, and in the end that helped him snare the night's biggest prize. "Not many leaders had won tonight," he said, remembering his thoughts as he hopped into Marika's sulky for the Group 1 event. "We had to use our handy draw and go to the front, but I knew once there, we were going to be taken on because Advance Attack and Bailey's Dream were always going to come around."

May was still in two minds whether to try and lead all the way as the field gathered speed behind the mobile, and in the end the decision he was leaving right up to the last minute was made for him - by Anthony Butt. May took Marika to the front easily, and then Butt pushed on from his wide draw with purpose and May took a trail. It was the winning of the race. Butt's drive Tribute pinged along in front, and as predicted the moves soon came from the back, with Advance Attack and then Baileys Dream making their way around the field.

May sat patiently, waiting for his chance and knowing that his main rivals were using up vital reserves of energy; Tribute dragged him and Marika all the way to the passing lane and he rallied his colt for the charge to the line, eventually winning the home straight battle by half a neck after the last quarter flew by in 27.7. "It was our turn tonight," May said afterwards. "Marika's a pretty versatile horse, and he has got great manners for a 2-year-old. You can do anything with him."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 19May04

Thanksgiving holds out Jazz Legend

2004 SIRES' STAKES 2YO TROTTERS CHAMPIONSHIP

When Tommy Behrns heard the bang of the hammer after he had put in a bid for $31,000 on Lot 71 yearling at the Inter-Dominion Sale last year, he said to himself "I'm crazy". A seller of horses, one who had never raced a 2-year-old trotter before, and with not an owner for the colt in sight, Behrns knew he was playing a dangerous game. "But I truly liked the horse. I had picked him on conformation, and just got carried away at the time," he said.

His sire was the fast Speedy Crown horse King Conch and his mother was the superbly-bred but elderly Diedre Hanover, who died last week, and was offered by trotting enthusiasts Gary Allen and Trevor Casey. Diedre Hanover had also left good winners Sunny Florida, Diedre's Girl, Arnover and Roysimon, and to come was this season's Great Northern Trotting Derby winner, Hurricane Flyer.

With the damage done, Behrns went to the Dellaca brothers, Richard and John, Brendon Richards and Paul Young, and sold them each a fifth. "It wasn't easy putting it all together - I'd be telling a lie if I said otherwise," he said. But Thanksgiving soon took the weight off his sholders. "He just trotted from from day one. He didn't take any making," he said.

Still big and overgrown, Thanksgiving won his first two starts, then made an early break and ran last behind Damian Carlos at Addington last month. Driven by Jim Curtin, Thanksgiving swept up out wide near the 600m in the $35,000 NRM Sires' Stakes Championship and soon had Hoops covered. Jazz Legend, by Holdonmyheart, made a spirited run in the straight, and failed by only a head to reverse the result.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly

2004 EASTER CUP

Mid Canterbury driver Ricky May, unlucky not to win the Welcome Stakes with Marika, and less than a length from winning the NZ Derby with Spring Alot, had the misfortune out of the way by the time the last of Addington's Easter Meeting features came up for decision.

He drove a 'purla' in the George Calvert Cleaning Easter Cup behind Blue Chip Rock, a new recruit to the tough grade. Having only his 22nd start, Blue Chip Rock led and forced Maheer Lord to work hard to head him a lap out. The Tony Herlihy drive was no pushover and fought with great heart as May took the passing lane with Blue Chip Rock. With the drop on Maheer Lord, Blue Chip Rock steadily hauled him in, and won in the end by half a head.

He is owned by George Hill, aged 54, and trained for him by his father Joe, at Waimea West, near Nelson. While Joe was there, and made a fine speech which included thanks to the Broadfield trainer Michael De Filippi where Blue Chip Rock was stabled, he did not see the race himself. That came later when he was able to sit within a metre or so of a large television set which satisfied his failing sight.

Blue Chip Rock is a 5-year-old by Caprock from Bonny Blue Chip, an unraced mare by Bo Scots Blue Chip from Gay Hunting, by Lordship.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15Apr04