CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

2003 ROYDON LODGE NZ TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING STAKES

Diedre Don met his match when Citra Jati swooped on the hot favourite inside the final 100 metres to score a runaway win in the $25,000 Roydon Lodge NZ Two-year-old Trotting Stakes. Diedre Don was the form horse, having won three of his five starts.

While Citra Jati looked speedy in his opener, he was not as sharp as he could have been in two subsequent starts at Addington. According to Frank Bebbington, whose three daughters - Lynn Neal, Julie Bebbington and her twin sister Maree Harris - race the horse, Citra Jati had been off colour with a blood disorder and "wasn't right in himself." He made steady progress during his stay with Weedons trainer Nigel McGrath, and trainers Lynn and Andrew Neal were not surprised at the dramatic change in his form.

Citra Jati is one of the first crop of 11 sired by Special Branch, a son of Gee Whiz II who won the Trotting Stakes in 1998. He is now at stud in Australia. His dam is Highland Tour, a mare by Roydon Boy who died suddenly the day before the race. Citra Jati is from a family of fast trotters, including Royal Armour, Trafalgar, Globetour (9 wins) and Kiwi Tour (7).


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 28May03

2003 NEVELE R FILLIES' SERIES FINAL

When Alta Serena was first broken in, it was thought that she would never even grace a racetrack. The filly had a real cantankerous nature, and co-trainer Brian Hughes says that is putting it mildly. "She was a real bitch, actually," he said. Alta Serena put on quite an act the first time she went to the races too, in March last year, pig rooting and playing up behind the mobile before running home late for fifth; oddly enough, that is the worst placing of the filly's career.

Nearly 14 months and 21 starts later, Alta Serena has now won 10 times, netted nearly $185,000 in stakemoney, and last Friday night she scored her biggest victory when taking out the Nevele R Fillies' Series Final brilliantly. The win was some recompense for her enormous effort in the NZ Oaks a week earlier, in which Alta Serena was relegated from third after her driver Frank Cooney was found guilty of causing interference on the home turn and copped a suspension.

David Butt was chosen as a replacement. Alta Serena's luck with the draw stayed bad when she drew 12, but of all the second-line draws she had the best of them because she was following out hot favourite Champagne Princess who was expected to punch out and lead from three over the 1950 metre trip. "Davey and I talked about that, but there was a chance she could have been caught wide early and get shuffled back so we decided to stay out of that," Hughes said.

Butt did his bit, getting Alta Serena into the three-wide line with cover, and when he asked the filly to stretch out at the top of the home straight she pounced like a tiger to win by half a length, shaving nearly a second and a half off the national fillies' record in the process. "She has got real explosive speed," said her co-trainer afterwards. "But she can sprint and stay, her run in the Oaks proved that. Alta Serena has been plagued by bad draws throughout her career, and she has done a lot of work in a lot of races where they have gone great times. She is very, very good, and very under-rated," Hughes added.

By Fake Left out of the Smooth Fella mare Heard A Whisper, Alta Serena was bred by Tony Dickinson's Alta Breeding Company Ltd and sold cheaply through the sale ring for $4000. Moira Green bought the filly on impulse, and races the 3-year-old in partnership with her son John and his wife Trish, John being Hughes' training partner as well. Moira was on-course at Addington for the Oaks, but last week she offered to look after her grandchildren back in Auckland while John tended to other members of the racing team at Alexandra Park, and Alta Serena provided her with the perfect birthday present.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 21May03

2003 FERRYMEAD RESTAURANT & BARS NZ WELCOME STAKES

Roman Gladiator had something to crow about after winning the Ferrymead Restaurant & Bars NZ Welcome stakes.

This was the race he should not have won. Because not only did he give hot favourite Lennon a start and a beating, he did it with a flat tyre wrapped round the rim. After starting from the second line, behind Bull Run, he improved three-wide down the back, hauling the damaged wheel that had been affected from as far out as the 1400m peg. Lennon lost ground on the corner, while he was trailing his stablmate Classy Cullen, and then sorted himself out to rally strongly in the straight. And just when it appeared he had done enough to win, Roman Gladiator came with a woosh down the outside to take it by a neck.

Roman Gladiator is raced by Amanda Swain and Marie Neil, of Sydney. They bought the Christian Cullen-Assisi yearling colt for $19,000, when they really shouldn't have done so at all. "Marie wanted us to buy a filly, so her husband Peter could race and then breed from it," said Robin Swain, Amanda's husband and Knapdale co-trainer of the 3-year-old with Colin Baynes. "I don't exactly know why we finished up buying a colt, except that I thought he had a head just like his father's. He had a wee curb at the back, but I knew that wouldn't worry him. I suppose I just liked the look of him," he said. For his education, Swain put Roman Gladiator in the cart most days and has seen him improve each time he's been in.

He was driven in the Welcome by Colin De Filippi, who will continue to care for him now that the owners have decided to make the late payment for the Sires' Stakes Series. He has a heat for that at Forbury Park on Thursday, and another week or so later at Addington. "It is not often we race 2-year-olds," said Swain, "and if we do it's usually in our home area. Country Ways was one we could have, but he hurt a stifle at that age," he said. Swain and Baynes have 10 in work, including By The Left, a 3-year-old by Fake Left that Swain maintains will go right through the grades. "I was hoping there would have been a race for him on the last night of the meeting up here, and I think he would have won it," he said.

De Filippi has already given the horse a stamp of quality. In a quick reflection immediately after the race, he said: "He could be the second-best 2-year-old I have driven, after Courage Under Fire."

Roman Gladiator is the eigth foal fron Assisi, the winner of 11 races including the Leonard Memorial at two. Her first foal was the good performer, Chiavari. Roman Gladiator was bred by Stephen Shanks and Maurice Scown.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 16Apr03

2003 CHRISTCHURCH CASINO NZ TROTTING DERBY

For Tim Butt, winning the major trotting races isn't as simple as just turning up. It might look that way from the outside, because if you have just started to tune in to harness racing over the last couple of weeks you would have heard Butt's name mentioned a lot. Take A Moment is sweeping all before him at the Inter-Doms, proving beyond doubt that he has filled the massive hole left by Lyell Creek. And last week Butt stamped his name on another trophy when Thedonsson scored an emphatic victory in the $50,000 Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Derby at Addington.

Taken to the front in the 2600 metre mobile event, Thedonsson pinged along in near record pace and was being eased down a long way from the winning post when Belle Galleon closed the margin to under three lengths. The win itself was easy, but getting Thedonsson to produce his best on racenight was quite the opposite. "That is the hardest Group race I will ever win," Butt said afterwards, summing up what has been a trying time for him and his staff at Premier Stables. "Everything was progressing along nicely when he won the Hambletonian at Ashburton last month, but then for no particular reason he started trotting roughly. He lost his gait, and his confidence. It was frustrating, because at his peak we know he is one of the best 3-year-olds around," Butt said.

The West Melton trainer put his trotter's problems down to muscle soreness and growing pains, which hit home when Thedonsson broke during the running at each of his next two starts. So Butt set about trying to rectify the situation, placing the gelding on the 'extra care and attention' list. Thedonsson had a couple of visits to renowned chiropractor Fred Fletcher, and his back was also massaged by stable employee Sam Smolenski twice a day - firstly after being worked and then again at night when brought in for a brush. "It was a case of getting the soreness out of each part of his body," Butt said. "Then he got a couple of corns in front, and had to be bathed twice a day for that as well. This win has been a great team effort."

Thedonsson has now won three from eight and $50,951, and will head to Auckland on Sunday week to prepare for the NRM Sires' Stakes Trotters Championship (April 24) and PGG Great Northern Trotting Derby (May 2). "He is not going to Australia at this stage," Butt said. "With a horse like him, the costs and stakemoney don't really add up. It is a $15,000 round trip, so he would have to win either the Derby or the Holmfield to break even. To do a trip like that you have to have a horse that is complete, and at this stage he is not. He is slightly immature, and travelling generally causes those little niggly problems to resurface.


Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 02Apr03

2003 NZ TROTTING OAKS

There were some wry smiles after astute Mid-Canterbury trainer Patrick O'Reilly won the inaugural running of the NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington.

O'Reilly is no chum of the stock of Sundon, so it was ironic that a daughter of the great sire gave him such a memorable win in slick time for the 1950m mobile. More have left the stable than stayed, but Without Fear is one who has passed the test. O'Reilly is happy to take it on the chin. "I just can't get on with them. I have tried at least fourteen and they have all been hard work. Raymauwarrhen Sun was a handful and I don't think he will be back. This is one that's had the most brains. You earn your money with them, put it that way," he said.

And this is what Without Fear did for her Ashburton owner Michelle Baird - $9030 for first and a harness plus bonus worth $4000. Baird has a pedigree as good as her horse; her father Jack McDonald who died 19 years ago was a forthright champion of the trotter and raced the tiny Frivolous, the grandam of Without Fear. Frivolous was by Rodney Day who McDonald stood at stud, and Fickle, the daughter of Frivolous and dam of Without Fear, was by Wide Acclaim, who McDonald also stood at stud. Rodney Day did not leave anything of great note, and Frivolous was no exception, but 46 of his 88 foals were winners. His broodmare credits were better, the best of them being Count Me In(6wins), Double Stitch(9), Game Command(14), Gravel Lawn(6), Ironman(8), Karina Lee(6), Roman Guy(7) and Tokyo Bay(6). Wide Acclaim also had modest success as a sire, but Kahuna Pele, the winner of 13, was exceptional.

Fickle was one who might have improved his average. She won a number of workouts until Michelle left her in the care of her husband Allan during a pregnancy. Allan is gently reminded that this was the time when Fickle suffered an injury that prevented her from racing, so her ability has always been open to speculation. Fickle is also the dam of Fear Not and Roy McCloy, two of Wide Acclaim's four broodmare sire credits. Fickle is getting on, now aged 20, and O'Reilly can prepare himself for her next foal, a yearling colt by Sundon. "There was a lot of family history in this win," said Michelle," and I think Dad would have had something to say about it. I'm sure it is Rodney Day who has given this filly the brains," she said.

Without Fear was broken in by Ashburton trainer Dale Forbes, and the Bairds are complimentary of the work he did with her. "Allan did the roadwork with her, and when he got crook we asked Patrick to take her. Back she came with a list of instructions this long," she said.

The Oaks concept was a tribute to the foresight and perseverance by the New Zealand Trotters' Club, headed by Gary Allen and Mike Gourdie. They were pioneers in the establishment of a club by a group of trotting enthusiasts five years ago, and one of their goals was an event that would promote and foster the trotting breed in this country.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly

2003 NZ STANDARBRED BREEDERS STAKES

After being a gallant pacemaker, Oaxaca Lass fell half a length short of winning the $75,000 NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes at Addington. She put up a spirited fight, and had it been any other mare than Shortys Girl on he tail, she might well have fought the challenge off.

There had been a moment of brief hope for her supporters at the 250m mark when Shortys Girl almost looked on hold, before setting herself for something extra. And sure enough, 50 metres later Oaxaca Lass was in for it. Shortys Girl powered forward, and such was the purpose of her finish that it was quickly clear which way the cake would be cut. In the end it was decisive, and trainer/driver Allan Beck confirmed how decisive it was by saying the mare could have gone another furlong at the same clip.

On the face of it, Oaxaca Lass deserved to be favourite because she was race fit. Shortys Girl wasn't; she was fresh. Her last start was at the NZ Cup Meeting in late November, where she raced three times in ten days. In the two starts following her third in the Cup behind Gracious Knight and Facta Non Verba, she raced like a horse with the edge off her. Beck was not surprised. "She is bred on the same immediate cross as Stars And Stripes, and both of them seem to race best when they are fresh or first-up. We saw that when Stars And Stripes won the Nobilos in the spring. I worked it with her last year, she won the Wairio Cup in a jog. Then we backed up a week later at Gore and Shania Patron sat parked and beat me. The same thing happened to her at Forbury Park this time last year, in the 4-Year-Old Championship. Admittedly, I didn't drive her that good, but we were beaten by Camero and that was again after racing a week before, at Addington."

Beck was not to be fooled again. To prove it, he had her fresh for the NZ Cup Meeting, where she ran third in the Cup at long odds. And he never gave a thought to racing in the PGG Mares' Prelude, the race Oaxaca Lass won the week before. "I gave her a good trial with Makatai Galahad at home, and they had a good race up the straight and there was only a nose between them. That is all she needed, and I knew she was ready," he said.

Once she settled into the trail behind Oaxaca Lass, where Whanau might have been had she been on her game, Shortys Girl had the best trip of all. Beck could see Oaxaca Lass get softened up a little, by Hot Shoe Shuffle then Swift Mirage, but he was still cautiousas he approached the corner. "From day one, she has always run out. I was waiting for it, and could sense she thought about it. But I was ready. I just waited for her to balance up before sending her," he said.

Shortys Girl won the Breeders' Stakes last year, so joins Blossom Lady as a double winner of the race.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 05Feb03

2002 SBS BANKING LIKE IT SHOULD BE/ HELLER SMALLGOODS FREE-FOR-ALL

Has David Butcher ever driven better? Regardless of whether he has or not, he can claim to be in superb form.

After driving 33-to-one shot Purr Along to victory at Alexandra Park on Thursday night, he was a Addington the next night, to settle a score with Disprove. The son of Camelon had raced without luck on either of the first two days at the Cup Meeting.

Again Butcher found him in fine fettle. He was quite relaxed about sitting in the open over the last lap of the SBS Banking Like It Should Be/ Heller Smallgoods Free-For-All, and he responded generously in the straight to win by two lengths from Mister D G, with a tiring Stars And Stripes all-out to hold third from Eastwood Jaunty.

Possibly in the best form of his career just now, and with an obvious liking for he big Addington track, Disprove went a super time for the 2600m mobile, taking 3:10.7. His programme now includes the Auckland Cup meeting, which trainer Nicky Chilcott is doing with some reluctance. "He is so much better going this way round, but what can you do? We can't really be sitting at home with a horse like him when that is going on," she said.

Chilcott again said how touch and go it was to have Disprove at the meeting. "I panicked early on. I was really worried about him. To be honest, I really wasn't that keen on coming south," she said. She chanced her arm on the environment at David and Catherine Butt's where she thought the beach work would be the tonic he needed. "Back home, he walks in the water, and that is about it," she said.

While the Auckland carnival is on the agenda, and that is about all, Melbourne is a firm one. "The Hunter Cup and the Victoria Cup are definitely on for us," said the pacer's part-owner, Wellington real estate agent Louis Newman, who races the horse with taxi driver Tony Jack and Lyn Jacobsen.

"They have had a lot of trouble with him, and twice he nearly died," said Newman. "Nicky has been superb with him, and David has given a lot of advice as well," he said. Newman was generous in his praise for Peter Jones, who gave the horse one race "then advised us to have him trained up north."

"It was just luck that I stumbled on him," said Chilcott.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 27Nov02

2002 BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT TRUST NZ TROTTING FREE-FOR-ALL

After a so-so innings on Cup Day, Butt Brothers Inc. were back in business at Addington on Show Day.

Take A Moment surprised no-one with a typical tradesman like effort to win the Bone Marrow Transplant Trust NZ Trotting Free-For-All from Frugal Echo.

The Butts have always thought Take A Moment would have a season when he dominates, and there is every sign that he is about to do this. "He's at the peak of his career, and it was really effortless, what he did today," Tim said.

He has a busy time ahead, with Friday's Dominion followed by a trip to Moonee Valley for the Bill Collins Mile on December 7, the $100,000 Grand Prix a week later, back for the Auckland carnival and possibly a mile at Cambridge in early January. Then, a week or so to freshen and then prepare for the Inter-Dominions at Addington.

Credit: Mike Grainger writin in HRWeekly 20Nov02

2002 NRM SIRES' STAKES SERIES FINAL

A lap from home in the NRM Sires'Stakes Final, Jamie MacKinnon's heart skipped a beat. He had just watched his horse Maheer Lord work around to the front at the 1300 metre mark, but all of a sudden his mind flashed back to a very similar occasion on Cup Day two years ago. Back then, Kliklite did exactly the same thing... pressing forward to lead the NZ Cup field coming into the straight for the second-to-last time; seconds later disaster struck though, and Kliklite broke down in the very same spot, never to be seen on a racetrack again.

MacKinnon fought off the deja vu feelings, and Maheer Lord stayed in front to fight off the stern challenges of Allstar Blue Jean and Champagne Princess, taking out the Sires' Stakes Final in brilliant fashion. Now unbeaten in six starts, Maheer Lord's performance to win the 1950m mobile event in such quick time considering the conditions was one of the highlights of Cup Day 2002.

By Holmes Hanover, the 3-year-old gelding is out of the New York Motoring mare Fern Glen, who won ten races. Maheer Lord was bred by charismatic enthusiast Monty Baker, who races him in partnership with MacKinnon. "Everybody knows Monty," the latter said smiling. "We have raced horses together for years. The first was Blazing Spirit, after I became a member of the Top Of The Line Syndicate which Monty manages. She won five, and another one we had was Ideal Franco. After we had to retire Kliklite I told Monty I would always be interested in racing another 'nice' horse with him," MacKinnon said.

Aged 46, MacKinnon travels quite a bit with his main occupation, which is buying movie copyrights for companies such as Civic Video. Earlier this year he was in the United States on business when the phone rang, and it was Baker on the line. "I think I have got one that is alright," Baker told his friend. "Monty asked if I wanted to ring Tony (Herlihy) and ask him about Maheer Lord, but I told him that wasn't necessary because his judgement was good enough."

Back home in time to see Maheer Lord qualify around Pukekohe at the end of June, MacKinnon joined Baker in the ownership of the gelding soon afterwards. Having won his qualifier and every other trial since, Maheer Lord is yet to be beaten on the track, and his perfect six-for-six record on raceday has taken his earnings to $102,725. "I like racing horses with Monty," MacKinnon continued. "We get along really well, and we have had a bit of luck which always helps."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 14Nov02

Yulestar defeating Young Rufus in the 2002 NZFFA

2002 LINDAUER NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Lorraine Nolan didn't know what she was going to do if Yulestar went another shocker in Friday's Lindauer NZ Free-For-All at Addington. She even dreaded having to think about it. Going back a month or two, the pacer she co-owns and trains with her husband Ron had looked right on target for Cup Week when he resumed with a victory at Alexandra Park. But things went downhill from there.

Yulestar hadn't raced up to expectations when seventh in the North Shore Stakes on October 11; he was again slightly disappointing when fourth after sitting parked in the Kaikoura Cup because "he should've kicked on a bit better", and then the 8-year-old produced one of his worst performances of his star-studded career when seventh in last Tuesday's New Zealand Cup after having every chance to win it.

At a time when Yulestar should've been peaking, he was going the other way. "It was so frustrating," Nolan said. "He was just too well to be performing like that. Everything appeared to be a-okay, and leading into the Cup he'd looked and trained the best he had all season. Ron and I were really apprehensive about the Free-For-All, because if Yulestar didn't race any better we were thinking...'what are we going to do?'" The Nolans didn't change much between Cup Day and Show Day; they couldn't, because time wasn't on their side. They "kicked a few things around", opting to put half-winkers on their pride and joy in the hope it might wake him up a bit, and off came the figure eight. So when the couple sat down to watch Yulestar score up behind the mobile in the Lindauer, they didn't have any cards left to play.

As it turned out, Yulestar must've decided he had already put his connections through enough heartache. It was time to show them that he still had what it takes. Slotted beautifully into the one-one, Yulestar sped along with the field as the event unfolded at record pace. Down the back straight the Nolans noticed him flicking his ears around, a sign that on any other day would mean Yulestar was happy and ready to pounce, But he'd done exactly the same thing in the Cup three days earlier so they couldn't afford to read too much into it. Rolling out of his cosy spot as he turned for home, Yulestar responded to the stern 'reminders' from his driver Peter Jones and levelled up alongside pacemaker Young Rufus, pulling clear at the finish to win by a length in the sensational time of 2:22.9

Caught up in the melee that goes with winning such a big event, Lorraine made her way down to the birdcage and was surrounded by family, friends, officials and the media. Ron knew he wouldn't see her for a while, but that's okay; that was her 'job'. Preferring to stay in the background, like he always does, Ron slipped quietly out of the limelight and took Yulestar back to the stables for a well-earned wash. "Even though he paid nearly twenty dollars, I can't believe how the crowd responded to him when he came back,"Ron said. "It was amazing. It's something I'll remember forever," he added, choking back a tear. Judging by this rare show of emotion, it was obvious that Yulestar's Free-For-All victory meant just as much to the Nolans as his Cup win two years ago. "No, this is more special than the Cup itself," Ron pointed out. "What with the bad press he'd been getting and the fact that a lot of people had written him off, this really means a lot. We've had the utmost faith in our horse throughout, and at no stage did we ever think of retiring him."

Peter Jones didn't look like he had just won the Lindauer NZ Free-For-All when Yulestar towed him back to the stables. In fact, he didn't seem happy at all. That's because he was in pain, and it showed. Stepping gingerly out of the sulky as Ron Nolan tied Yulestar up, Jones could only say one thing..."He got me a beauty." The reason for Jones's lack of a smile became quite clear once he rolled down his sock, for there on the inside of his right ankle was a glistening welt the size of a tennis ball. From the expression on his face, you could tell that it hurt. Like he is prone to do Yulestar had lashed out with one of his back legs; this time, he had caught Jones napping. He felt the thud of pain just as he was steering Yulestar into th birdcage following his victory in the Free-For-All. This was after Yulestar narrowly missed with his swipe at course interviewer Greg O'Connor when returning to scale, and ironically it happened just as Jones was warning everyone one else to watch out too. If there's anything Yulestar's connections don't like about their pacer, this would be it. The towering 8-year-old gelding starts throwing punches the minute you slip off his rug and begin to gear him up, and his little act is 10 times worse once he's been out there and had a run around. The Nolans are used to it by now, and know to stay alert round their pride and joy at these particular times, but an unsuspecting cameraman learnt the hard way two years ago when getting too close to Yulestar after he won the New Zealand Cup. Knocked off his feet with one swift blow, he ended up spending two days in hospital.

Jones can't say he has been lucky anymore. Doing well to grin and bear it through the myriad of congratulatory handshakes, kisses and photographs that he was met with in the birdcage, Jones was really feeling the throbbing after the long ride back to the stables down Queens Drive. "He was probably getting me back for hitting him so much," he muttered, finally managing a smile.

Jones was entitled to ask for every last ounce of effort out of Yulestar in the Lindauer though. He too has had to wear the pressure of the Hawera Hurricane's indifferent form, moreso than people probably realise. So having put the pacer in a positionto win the Free-For-All, he was determined to finish the job. Right from the word go it was a truly masterful drive by the 47-year-old reinsman, who would've well aware of the speedthat was all around Yulestar as the lined up in gate two.

Pic Me Pockets, Young Rufus and Disprove all left the mobile humming in the $100,000 Group 1 feature. Jones did not panic during the early rush, sitting quietly behid the trio and staying on the outside of Holmes D G to keep off the fence, then into the first bend he hunted up inside Disprove to force him and David Butcher to cross to the parked position. Pic Me Pockets had gone to the top and then handed over to race favourite Young Rufus, Yulestar slipped beautifully into the one-one sit. The pace was a cracker, and Jones had no need to change anything as Young Rufus led the field along at a breathtaking rate. Nearing the home turn Jones knew they had gone some time; he also knew that Yulestar felt better than he had three days earlier too. He eased the pacer into the clear once they rolled around the last bend, and after sensing that he was balanced Jones hit the turbo button and thet set sail for the line. Passing the 150 metre mark Yulestar was reaching top speed; 100 metres out the levelled with the gallant pace-maker who just would not lie down, and 50 metres from the finish the pair hit the front and started to draw away.

"He was the Yulestar of old today," Jones said. "You had to be disappointed with his run in the Cup. Everything worked out perfect for him, but when I pulled him out he just melted. Idon't really know if the half-winkers helped or not, but he was a hundred percent today."

Credit: John Robinson writing in NZHR Weekly