| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2002
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| The post race presentation |
Two perfect preparations. Two super racenight performances. In the end, two fairytale endings emerged from last Friday night's $100,000 Wilson's TAB & Sports Bar Dominion Handicap.
For the second time in the Group 1 events 91-year history, two great trotters crossed the finish line locked together, inseparable. Hot favourite Take A Moment and up-and-coming star Martina H shared this year's honours, mirroring the result of 1944's Dominion when Lady Scot and Will Cary deadheated.
Both Take A Moment and Martina H charged into the race with purpose rounding the final bend; the former sat back after starting off a 10 metre handicap and made one run at them, the latter followed him around the last corner having been handier earlier in the race before getting shuffled back. Martina H's co-trainer/ driver Derek Balle didn't have much hope of anything better than second at this stage. "But then she really started to flatten out half-way down the straight," he said, proud as punch with what his Sundon mare had achieved. "This time next year we might run past him."
Events like the Dominion and next March's Inter-Dominions had been more or less earmarked for Martina H for quite some time, all she had to do was prove she was ready. Balle says the mare's ability to pass her first open class assignment with flying colours was due mainly to the time she spent "learning the ropes" amongst the middle-graders in Auckland. Now five, Martina H proved she was ready alright. And the most exciting part is that Balle and training partner Steve Clarke both believe the best is yet to come from her. "She's still six months away from that," Clarke said.
Training the winner of a Dominion Handicap at Addington is a far cry from being Store Manager at a McDonalds restaurant in Auckland, but that is exactly where Clarke has come from. And you could not drag him back there now. "McDonalds was good, but it was getting monotonous; I'd been there since before I left school," he recalled. Clarke got to know Balle when he had a horse in his stable six years ago. Stylish Soky was "a rabbit" that never turned out any good, but nevertheless the pacer sparked Clarke's interest enough that he soon left his McDonalds outlet to start working for Balle. A couple of years later Clarke went to America for four seasons, getting jobs with the likes of New Jersey trainers Ross Croghan and Mark Harder for a couple of years apiece. He says it was invaluable experience, and taught him a lot. "Sure, they only have mile racing, but over there they are really big on keeping their horses on the fresh side. Derek never worked his horses too hard anyway, but I know we do not work them as hard as we used to." Clarke liked America so much that not so long ago he was even thinking about moving back there for another stint. He's pretty glad he didn't. "Yep, you can't beat that," the 25-year-old said, referring to winning such a big event in his first year as a trainer.
Gracious in sharing Dominion Handicap glory was Take A Moment's trainer Tim Butt, who had nothing but praise for both horses after the event. "That was a great run from the mare," he said. Deadheating is just the same as winning - it doesn't take any gloss off it, put it that way. I actually had a look at the photo finish print. The judge, Ernie Fuchs, says that on a bright sunny day they can get it down to one/two-thousandth of a second; tonight they got it down to one/thirteen-hundredth - and the horses were still even at that."
Overlooked in the drama that surrounded the deadheat was the fact that Butt has now trained the winners of the last four Dominion Handicaps - Lyell Creek twice and Take A Moment twice - which is a sensational feat.
Because of his lead-up form, Take A Moment was sent out the shortest-priced favourite in the event's history. Butt never expected his trotter to dominate like he had earlier in the carnival though. "It's always a bit harder when you start off a ten-metre handicap, or fifteen metres like he did in last year's Rowe Cup, because once you settle you are forty metres from the leader. And he was working the whole race, so it was a pretty good effort under the circumstances. Take A Moment's win on Show Day was undoubtedly the best run of his career. But that is his pet distance, and the mobile suits him because they go harder early. In the Dominion, the leaders ran their first mile in 2:09, and when they only do that it brings the whole field into it."
Take A Moment is now in Auckland, awaiting a flight across the Tasman to contest the Bill Collins Mile, Grand Prix (formerly called the Dullard Cup) and National Trot.
Martina H's connections are still tossing up between the Auckland carnival and Melbourne, but if not before the two great trotters will meet again in next year's Inter-Dominions in Christchurch.
Credit: John Robinson writing in the NZHR Weekly
YEAR: 2002
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| Jack Cade & Mark Purdon |
Mark Purdon says Jack Cade could not have won the Smokefree New Zealand Derby had it not been for the regular amount of swimming he's done in the last six weeks. Not only that, he doubts whether he would have even started in Addington's Group 1 feature.
For months, Jack Cade has been in the pool, firstly at the Riccarton galloping track, then at Cran Dalgety's. While Jack Cade was on the road here and there, Purdon was installing his own $60,000 pool and, six weeks ago, Jack Cade was in it.
Since then, the young star has done more of his training off the track than on it. Had these facilities not been available to the same extent, the cracks in Jack Cade's physical armour would have appeared earlier and with dire consequences. To explain this, we are back in the Spring and stable foreman Grant Payne is back off the track at Yaldhurst, and telling Purdon that the horse hasn't felt right warming up. "He was just at the trials stage, and he was a little sore before racing in September. Bill Bishop x-rayed him in the fetlock joints. Nothing showed, but he gave him an injection that would last for three months. I knew as we went along that he was not getting any better, but it was not getting any worse," he said.
By the time he got to Auckland for the Great Northern Derby, Jack Cade was showing the same signs again, and this time an x-ray was more forthcoming. There was a bone chip in a fetlock joint annoying him. Since then, his programme has been carefully monitored to get to the Derby, and perhaps a race or two on either side of it. This has happened, and there's a 3-year-old race at Auckland this month to conclude a campain that has been hugely successful and wonderfully managed. The operation will mean Jack Cade must be boxed for three months, and with the March-April Inter-Dominions being his primary target next season, there is nothing to rush for an little will be seen of him in the Spring.
In line with his Nobilo win the week before in similar company, Jack Cade did not have much more than a good workout to win it. Predictably he led, and just as predictibly, he got it pretty easy once he was there. "He could have gone three twelve, even better, if he had to," said Purdon. When Paul Kerr's horse dropped off at the quarter, he pricked his ears. I knew there was more petrol in the tank if I needed it. He's a bit better than good. He's a great horse. I don't think Vic (Il Vicolo) would be any better. There is a lot of bottom to this horse. Once we get his joints tidied up and he has a good spell, I think he will be a very good 4-year-old," he said.
A gallant second was Hot Shoe Shuffle, the only filly in the race, and a stablemate of Gracious Knight who was to win the Easter Cup just an hour or so later.
The son of the 1995 Derby winner Il Vicolo, who is owned by Purdon in partnership with John Seaton, has won 9 of his 19 starts, been second or third in eight others, and has stakes of $446,179. As well as winning the Derby, Purdon won two other Group races, the Welcome Stakes with Light And Sound and the Trotting Championship with Waihemo Hanger, another who has been the beneficiary of the Purdon pool. To win three Group races in a night is a remarkable achievement by a superb horseman, and while it is very rare it is not unique. In 1992, Roy and Barry Purdon achieved the same result at the Met's Easter meeting, winning tjhe Welcome Stakes with Hitchcock from stablemates Mark Roy and Mister Wolf Blass; the Easter Cup with Insutcha from stablemates Christopher Vance and Two Under, and the Derby with Kiwi Scooter.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly
YEAR: 2002
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| Elect To Live the winner of the 2002 NZ Oaks |
Running a New Zealand fillies' record to win the Wayne Francis Memorial New Zealand Oaks was just another day at the office for Elect To Live.
Once she reached the front, just 600m after the start of the race, few got even close enough to pick up the scent. She was always a clear leader, out by four lengths, sometimes five. At the finish, Goodnight Aveross had narrowed it down to a length and a quarter, and at the end Elect To Live had set a new mark of 3:13 for a 2600m mobile for 3-year-old fillies. The time is one that is achieved by only remarkable athletes, horses like Kate's First who had the record before Elect To Live. Trainer/driver Neil Brady said: "There wasn't much left, but she could have kept on going."
Mark Jones, the driver of Goodnight Aveross, said he wasn't surprised Brady would drive with supreme aggression. "He told me at Motukarara the week before,'you will have to be good to keep up.'"His lead was a wee bit exaggerated by me staying back, but I also knew my filly would stay," said Jones, who led the chasing bunch.
This was Elect To Live's 19th win from 27 starts in New Zealand, and her stake earnings have passed $500,000. To pass it off as a remarkable achievment is a gross understatement. Brady has been a genius and Elect To Live is proof of it.
Here is a sample of some respected opinions...
Bob Negus, who won the Oaks with Glint in 1955: "I wouldn't have thought he'd get away with it, going out and driving like that. He gets them to start. I haven't seen a filly as good as that, especially with the speed she has. She's a fantastic filly, to do all the travelling she's done, and Brady's a magic fellow to manage it. I was proud of what Glint did. She got me out of poverty lane. She set a record on the grass at New Brighton, and was beaten a nose by False Step in the Derby. There have been some very good fillies, especially that Grice breed, horses like Glamour and Riviera who a beautiful looking mare, and I think Elect To Live is from the same family."
John Butcher, trainer of 1991 Oaks winner, Smooth Performer: "She's the best horse I've seen win the Oaks. Hilarious Guest won the Oaks and beat the colts in the Derby, but this horse is incredible and I don't see much else in her class. You've got to hand it to Brady, he's done a wonderful job with her."
Maurice McKendry, who drove Iman to win the Oaks in 1995: "What she's done is unbelievable, and Brady has taken training to a new level. I don't think Iman could have stood it, done what she's done. Was I surprised that Brady would take her out like that? No, not really. That's where he likes to be, and his horses are trained for it. He knows they have to close on him, and it's hard for them when you've got the best stayer. The 2600 metres finds them out. It will be interesting over the shorter distance this week, because one of two have said they were unlucky. We'll see..."
Paul Davies, Canterbury Standardbred agent: "She's number one, without a doubt. The best filly ever, in my mind. Under Cover Lover was very good, so was Tupelo Rose, and Hilarious Guest beat the colts, and Jack Smolenski and the Purdons have had many good ones, but I haven't seen one as good as this. She's left the one-one, and cleared out. We were told Oaxaca Lass was special. She was off her game, but even at her best she wouldn't have beaten this filly. She's travelled to Sydney and Tasmania, and won in both places. At this time of year, other trainers are bringing their horses to their peak, but she's gone up another notch."
Lindsay Turner, trainer of Tigerish who won the Oaks 11 years ago: She's a true racehorse. To win it so easily after a hard campaign - and she's got eight starts or so still to come - shows how tough she is. And she did it all on her own. She deserves to win the Triple Crown and I hope she does. Some of the others appeared to be a bit disappointing, but you take it away from what she has done."
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly
YEAR: 2002
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| The Happy Valley Synd & Todd Mitchell |
The history of the Canterbury Draught NZ Cup took a twist of its own with a double quinella at Addington.
Who would have suspected that Tuapeka Knight, once a brilliant juvenile, would sire not only the winner but the second horse too. And by a strange coincidence both horses are prepared by the same trainers.
The winner, with a devastating sprint, was Gracious Knight, driven by 'The Wizard', Todd Mitchell. He overpowered his stablemate Facta Non Verba, who appeared to have done enough to win the race when he slipped clear by more than two lenghts on the corner.
He had set the pace from the 2000m, battling into the teeth of a cold southerly. Meantime, Gracious Knight was hiding with cover at the back. Mitchell was gambling on one killer-blow at the end, hoping there would be little resistance when Gracious Knight produced his dynamic last furlong burst. There was clear evidence that Mitchell still had a handful of horse near the 500m, and he knew Facta Non Verba would have his work cut out after what he had done.
"It was a bit tight at the start when Young Rufus broke, but we got through alright," said Mitchell. "I was in two minds whether to come out when Anthony went up with Young Rufus, and I was a bit lucky later when Franco Heir was pushed out down the back. He still paced a bit funny in patches, and was even a bit hitchy round the last bend." he said.
Mitchell praised the dedication and ability of Warren Rich, a young man of only 29 who trains the horse in partnership with Mike Berger. "It's great for Warren," said Mitchell. "He set him for this. He never says anything much, but after he worked on Saturday he told me he was spot on. And the last four hundred metres of a race is always the best for him." he said.
Mitchell has a wonderful knack of being associated with great horses who win big races, notably the NZ Cup three years ago with Homin Hosed - who nearly won it again for him last year - more recently Superstars winner, Just An Excuse, and Easter Cups with Facta Non Verba and Gracious Knight.
Facta Non Verba, who won the Easter Cup as a five year old, failed to win a race in a light NZ campaign at six and returned to win all three races at Addington last season, gave a generous showing in front. His beginning was sharp enough to have him third behind Pocket Me and Stars And Stripes after 400m, and then he was taken up by Robbie Holmes to lead from the 2000m. Ken Barron took Stars And Stripes to sit parked at the 1600m. He got cover soon after from Yulestar, but general movement after that forced him into a situation of near hopelessness by the time they turned in. He ran fifth, two places behind Holmes D G, who made a big run forward with Young Rufus, and Shorty's Girl, who ran a cheeky race and finished with will over the last 250m.
While the result was a rare siring quinella in the race, it was not the first but maybe the second. In 1928, the brothers Peter Bingen and Great Bingen, by Nelson Bingen from Berthabell, ran first and second, with half a length between them. They were not trained by the same trainer.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 2002
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Popular Melbourne racecaller Dan Mielicki had made seven trips to New Zealand to see Waihemo Hanger race 13 times prior to this week and only once watched him win, in last year's Ordeal Cup. It was becoming something of an ordeal and Mielicki said on Tuesday that he had discussed with Mark Purdon whether he should stay away this week and not jinx his talented trotter. "He has usually had a gallop when I have been here," said Mielicki. "But Mark said it might be an idea to be here, although we did chat about whether to enter him at Addington or Riccarton," he added. Purdon was just kidding though and had every reason to feel the 7-year-old would be on his best behaviour.
After a sound third in his season's debut in the Ordeal Cup to Dependable and Take A Moment and an unlucky fourth when in tight quarters for much of the run home in the Flying Mile at Ashburton on Labour Day, Waihemo Hanger was a dominant figure in the $20,000 Rydges Christchurch Trot despite having just a head to spare from longshot Ado's Invasion with Gold, Dependable and Special Force next home having had their chances. It was the Straphanger gelding's 11th win from 38 starts and took his earnings into six figures.
Waihemo Hanger has been handled with aplomb this season by Purdon employee Blair Orange and will form a powerful two pronged attack on the remaining Group One features at the meeting with Mark handling mountain Gold. Mielicki and co-owner Terry Henderson are certain to be there again tomorrow for the $50,000 NZ Trotting FFA, where Take A Moment will also join the fray in what will be a dress rehearsal for next week's $100,000 Dominion. They will then head home, but hope to be back for a successful hit and run trip on the final night.
Mielicki, who began race calling at the age of eight as a gimmick and was employed full-time as a sports jounalist at the age of 16 by Channel 10, has been the voice of Mooney Valley for many years and prior to this year - the broadcast went to a rival TV channel - had called the 14 previous Melbourne Cups. It was Mark Purdon and Buster Hanover's win in an Australasian trotting Championship at Mooney Valley which inspired Mielicki to approach Purdon about finding him a nice trotter. "It took 12 months before I heard from Mark again, but I had no problem following his advice, even when he had found a no-name and he was a cheapy at $15,000. Don't ask me what he liked about him, but you have to like Mark's eye for picking them don't you. He never gave us any false hopes, but did always maintain he would be right when he matured mentally and to just be patient. Some people probably think that because Terry (co-owner of Chokin among others) and I have a high profile in the public eye, that we had paid a lot for him as a going horse, but we are just like everyone else looking for a good horse."
It took another year for Purdon to round Waihemo Hanger into shape and produce him on raceday, but that was a winning debut and he won four of his nine starts that season and was into open class the next year as a 5-year-old. It hasn't been plain sailing, but since the departure of Lyell Creek, Waihemo Hanger has often proved he is as good as any around when doing things right.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly
YEAR: 2002
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Ken Barron wasn't sure if he had won two Group races in a night before. He gave himself a fair chance of winning two of the four, not so much with Stars And Stripes but Roland John, who fell to places short of doing so in the Superstars, and with Dependable. Not for the first time, he was caught out by Stars And Stripes.
He was wrong thinking the horse would be a run short in the Nobilo, though his thinking may have been coloured by the disadvantage of being on the back of one of the lesser-performed horses. As it happened, a poor draw on paper turned into a winning lottery ticket, as many on the front line eased back and within 400 metres Barron had Stars And Stripes away from the inside line and on the back of the favourite Cool Hand Luke. It was a sweet trip home from there. In a powerful burst inside the last 200m, Stars And Stripes answered the one-short suspicion as quickly as it was asked, levelling quickly with Cool Hand Luke and drawing clear to win well.
Two trial runs had brought Stars And Stripes to this level, finishing with a 56.1 half in one and in the 58s in the other. "We had a good platform to work on this time," said Barron, "unlike what he had in Sydney for the Inter-Dominions when he was the victim of a poor preparation." Stars And Stripes started like a bomb in that series, but a skinny foundation and poor draws eventually found him out.
Barron should not have been as surprised as he was that Stars And Stripes should win fresh-up. His record before this was four wins from seven starts, clearly an indication of his capability in this condition. The big question now for Barron and his training partner John Lischner as they begin the final push towards a start in the Canterbury Draught New Zealand Cup is what to do with Stars And Stripes from here. They are aware of the danger of doing too much, and the fine line of leaving him a bit soft. And with Stars And Stripes, getting it right is crucial. "It was a month between his win in the NZ Derby and the New South Wales Derby, and we did that by design," said Barron.
Stars And Stripes is three years older now, and quite possibly may only race once more - at Ashburton - before the Cup, as the connections are not keen on Kaikoura. City Rogue moved into the Cup picture with an improver's third, Kym's Girl also found the line well, but Makati Galahad showed no sign of the form that made him a big player last spring.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 09Oct02
YEAR: 2002
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Just An Excuse kept his unbeaten winning record when he set up a race record to win the Wyatt and Wilson Print Superstars 4yo Championship. He thumped 12 others, giving all but Muscle Machine a start, and recorded 3:15.1 for the 2600 stand. The previous best for the race was Defoe's 3:15.8, followed by Christopher Vance and Hoppy's Jet who both went 3:16.6.
Just An Excuse is raced by his breeders Ollie and Irene Haines; Ollie, a former HRNZ Executive member whose last trip to race a horse at Addington was 11 years earlier with the classy filly, Smooth Performer. He has culled his stock considerably since then, and Just An Excuse made his arrival when only a few were left.
A 4-year-old by Live Or Die, Just An Excuse is trained by Robert Mitchell who said the horse "has been a bit of a revelation. He has never ceased to amaze us, and he's come along when I was looking to cut back a bit. I haven't had a horse who has done what this guy has done," he said. Mitchell has been behind enough good ones to know where Just An Excuse stands, including the open class Court Martial pacer Hoover, Rain Girl and Royal Consent.
The only concern Mitchell had was the gap of three weeks between races, and what effect the trip away from home would have on him. "He was quiet for a couple of days, then started kicking his bucket in the yard, so he handled it okay," he said.
Just An Excuse is the sixth foal from My Excuse, a Smooth Fella mare, who has since left a Make A Deal filly, now two, and a yearling filly, also by Live Or Die.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing HRWeekly 09Oct02
YEAR: 2002
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Light And Sound's rivals had their best chance to put an end to the brilliant colt's winning streak at Addington last Friday night, but they probably didn't even know it.
Light And Sound was justifiably a red hot favourite for the biggest race of his career, the $194,000 PGG Yearling Sales Series Final, and he duly obliged by breaking his own national record. But afterwards, trainer/driver Mark Purdon revealed that he wasn't as happy as he could have been leading into the event. "Because it was such a big race, I decided to get him blood-tested at the start of the week," Purdon said.
"The results came back showing he was lacking in iron, and that his white cell count was at the top end of normal. Then on the Wednesday he didn't work that good. A southerly came up while he was out on the track, which we thought might have been part of the reason, but he didn't feel like his old self. And later in the day he developed a slight cough. "Purdon kept close tabs on his champion 2-year-old over the next couple of days, and history now shows that they didn't have much to worry about.
As always with the consummate professional though, the welfare of his horse came first and he says he would not have hesitated to scratch Light And Sound if he had thought it necessary. Having compiled a record of eight starts for a first-up second and seven straight victories, Light And Sound has netted his owners $222,885. He should add the biggest slice of this Friday night's $150,000 Sires' Stakes Final to that, and then it is the spelling paddock for the In The Pocket colt. Purdon is still deliberating over the decision to geld Light And Sounds between seasons. "I am still in two minds about it. He has matured a lot in that respect recently."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 08May02
YEAR: 2002
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Auckland pie man Roger Bond has an appetite for winning big races at Addington. His first big one was the Pyne Gould Guinness NZ Yearling Sales 3-year-old Trot last Friday night with Tony H, and he hopes there will be a repeat of it in the $50,000 Trotting Derby this week.
There is no certainty of that because Sundon's Luck is the fresh face in the ranks and a shiney one at that. He gave Tony H a serious test, and only failed by a neck.
Tony H had not raced since Ashburton earlier last month, and indeed, had not been off the place for a trials of workout tightener. So trainer Tremain Thorby pretty much expected something as close as this. He will certainly be a lot sharper for Sundon's Luck this week, and Bond and his partner Shirley will again make the trip from Auckland to watch him perform.
Bond settled in New Zealand from Sheffield 32 years ago, when he was 13. After being in Timaru for a start he moved to Christchurch where he became the manager of a rental car firm. His early visits to the races were mainly social, and enjoying the pleasure of watching two greats, Noodlum at Addington, and the galloper Grey Way at Riccarton.
On shifting to Auckland, he was introduced to Colin Kennedy, whose wife Karen is Shirley's cousin. This is when the horse thing started to get serious. The Kennedys suggested that Bond share the ownership in a couple of horses they had starting up, Lord Graceland and Shardon's Star. "It has been great. We have had a huge amount of fun," he said. Bond also had a share in the club syndicate that raced Matai Mackenzie, Parisian Falcon and Moschino.
Two years ago, they stepped up a cog. Deciding that there were opportunities going begging in the Sales Series for trotters - "there was a lot of money available and the prices for trotters were less than half what you had to pay for a pacer," said Bond - they combined with Kennedy and radio host Peter Earley to impliment the plan. "We had wanted to get five," he said, "but finished up with three."
They bought William Edward, Crystal Bella, who has since been sold, and a Sundon colt from a Chiola Hanover mare - the same cross as Sundon's Luck - for $6500. This was Tony H, who is unbeaten in his last four starts, and has won over $60,000. "He has been a natural," said Bond. "He has matured a lot and become a lot more settled and Tremain is a good trainer and very thorough.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 27Mar02
YEAR: 2002
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| Shortys Girl & Allan Beck burst clear |
Graham and Moira Bell have experienced both sides of the coin when it comes to harness racing. And, oddly enough, both their greatest and saddest moments relate to the same four-legged individual.
About a decade ago the Bells bought the Kentucky mare Spygirl off Curtin's Farms, who was in foal to Soky's Atom at the time. The resulting foal was Soky's Girl, and from 25 visits to the track she managed to win them one race and $4525. "She had a tonne of zip," Graham recalled. "But she got a virus early on in her career and never really got over it," he lamented.
Retired to stud, Soky's Girl's first foal was the New York Motoring filly Shorty's Girl, and while they waited for her to grow old enough to race they continued to send Soky's Girl to different stallions. "We have had nothing but bad luck breeding from her," Bell continued. "She lost a few foals, came home not in foal a couple of times, but then one year she took to In The Pocket and gave birth to a beautiful colt. Last season we were just getting ready to wean him when he died of colitis; that would be the biggest dissappointment we have had to experience."
Last Friday night at Addington, luck tossed the Roslyn Bush couple a moment they will remember for all the right reasons when Shortys Girl blitzed a quality field of mares in the $75,000 Caduceus Club of Canterbury NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes. Beautifully positioned on the outside with cover by trainer/driver Allan Beck, Shortys Girl made a mockery of her suggested inexperience when she shot away from the opposition in the straight.
From just the 13 starts, Shortys Girl has now won seven and is yet to come home without a cheque, banking $88,000. "I thought this race might have been a year too soon for her," Beck said afterwards. "She was held up when she finished fourth in the Oaks here last season, but she went 3:16 that night so I thought then that she would have a future. She has got a good engine, and a bit of speed," he said.
Back home in Invercargill over the weekend, the Bells were still buzzing from what was just their second visit to Addington Raceway. "The whole trip has been an amazing experience," Graham said. "We can't thank Allan and his partner Jo Geering enough for their dedication to the horses." The Bells, who are "in their sixties" haven't started thinking about retirement just yet. The have farmed sheep and beef on a 550-acre property in Roslyn Bush for most of their lives, but have been cutting the size of the farm down in recent years as they prepare to move to a smaller and more manageable property in Lochiel, south of Winton.
There will always be plenty of room for the horses though, and there are a few ...broodmares Spygirl, Soky's Girl, Kanegold and Browngate Happy, some 4-year-olds, a couple of 2-year-olds and two yearlings. "We like to have a bit to do with getting the horses up and running before passing them onto the likes of Allan or Tony (Barron)," Graham said. "Our neighbour Angus Mawdsley is great help, and we work them up over Winter time. We are great believers in handling the horses at a young age, and start leading them as soon as they come back from the stud on their mothers. It can make all the difference, they really respond to you," he said.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 06Feb02
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