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Champagne Party clear of Mirity.

2002 PYNE GOULD GUINNESS PREMIER MARES PACE

Champagne Party caused an upset win in the Pyne Gould Guinness Premier Mares Pace at Addington, but it may have not been much of a surprise to those aware of her record with Mark Purdon.

Until the Premier, she had raced 25 times, and Purdon had driven her in three of them. The result: one win at Addington and two thirds. Now, it is two wins and two thirds, and possibly a chance to improve on that when they contest the Standardbred Breeders Stakes.

Purdon says the Soky's Atom mare has done well since her win, and he said the syndicate may well leave her with him until the Easter meeting at Addington.

She could well encounter stiffer opposition this week. Shania Patron, who finished third and in particular Kym's Girl who was fourth, are expected to offer spirited competition with that race behind them.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 30Jan02

2002 INTERNATIONAL CARGO EXPRESS RISING STARS 3YO CHAMPIONSHIP

It appears Jim and Susan Wakefield have another good 'London' horse. 'Legend' is the lastest, a worthy addition by the look of it to their earlier forebearers, London Pride and London Express, who under the guidance of Cran Dalgety won eight and seven races respectively.

Although London Legend has only won the one race, he has claims to be in their company, for his opening account came in the Group 2 International Cargo Express Rising Stars Championship.

On the face of it, London Legend was on a cheeky assignment. But Dalgety didn't see it quite that way. "If you had looked at the horse's stats, he had a case. He ran a half in 55.8 at Forbury when he finished second, then ran a two minute rate at his next start there which was quicker than what Russian Road went on the same night. As far as speed goes, he would be in the top bracket with some of the others I have had," he said.

It wasn't always like that, and it was fortunate that he found a mate in Dalgety. "He had no idea how to pace," he said. "But he had such a kind attitude, and he always wanted to help. For a start, he would just pace in spurts, fifty to a hundred metres, but he could pace it very quick. London Pride was very similar. It was also a period where you didn't want to encourage the owners out because his legs were chaffed and blown up. "We tried him over three campaigns, and the day he qualified at Ashburton he ran a quarter in 26.5. What we knew then was that he had speed, but we had no idea on what he was like for stamina," he said.

London Legend was one of the Studholme Park draft at the Yearling Sales, and was bought by the Wakefields for $22,000. Dalgety pushed hard to get him. "I had to twist Jim's arm on this one. He had the same grandam as Classy Filly" - a big winner for Dalgety - "and I have always liked his maternal family," he said.

In their pre-race plans, Dalgety and driver Mark Jones thought they would get a passing lane shot if Franco Eruption led as they thought he would from gate one. That didn't happen, and they were forced to come from the back brought into the finish on the back of Russian Road, who finished second.

"We will make the late payment now for the Sires' Stakes Series and run in the heat at Addington this week," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 09Oct02

Just Incredible beats Solar Active & Lord Clive

2002 ROYDON LODGE STUD NZ 2YO TROTTING STAKES

Winning a race at Addington isn't easy. It is even harder when you are an erratic baby trotter who is starting from the unruly mark against a form-packed field. Throw in the fact that you cause a false start when your bit breaks and you are lucky to be brought to a halt at all, then in the re-run you are never any closer to the fence than three-wide for the first 1000 metres. And the icing on the cake ...an hour-long enquiry to determine that you didn't interfere with one of your rivals. This is hardly a recipe for success, especially when you are trying to win a race like the NZ Trotting Stakes. To beat such odds, you have to be just incredible. And that is exactly what this trotter is.

Just Incredible overcame hurdles that seemed insurmountable when he won the Roydon Lodge-sponsored Group 2 event at Addington. Turning for home he was three lengths off the leaders and battling, and he would have been forgiven for feeling the pinch after such a tough trip. But Just Incredible would not be denied, and he picked himself up off the canvas and shot through a gap that was hardly big enough to score by half a length.

The leggy Sundon gelding is trained by Michael House, who also had the co-favourite Lord Clive in the event, which he drove himself. Colin De Filippi was called in to handle Just Incredible on this occasion, and House was regretting even asking him after what transpired on the night. "Just Incredible wears a straight rubber bit. It is the same one that Mighty Khan wore, and it has just been hanging up on the wall ever since," House said. "In his lead-up races he had been bleeding from the mouth, so we changed from a steel bit to the rubber one and got Bill Beck to do a lot of surgery on him a few days out from the Trotting Stakes. Bill pulled a dozen caps, some baby teeth and one bad wolf tooth, so it was quite an extensive operation. For some reason Just Incredible's bit broke in the run-up, and I saw him come through the middle of us. You have just got no control over the horse when this happens, and I really felt for Colin; it's a terrible feeling - you are left with a split second decision whether to hang on, or bail out. Somehow Colin managed to get him behind the mobile barrier, and that brought him to a halt."

Fitted with a replacement bit and bridle, Just Incredible and his rivals wheeled up behind the mobile for a second time. Despite the scare, House was still confident that his other runner could win. "I have always thought that Just Incredible is the best horse in this bunch of 2-year-olds," House continued. "All he needed to do was trot and he would prove it. I told Colin earlier in the week not to drive him pretty, and don't feel sorry for him. Even if he felt silly, I said to him that he could sit in the middle of the track and still win. He is such a great stayer. He has got speed - not just greased lightning speed - but there is not a horse in his grade that I would be scared to sit outside," House said.

Just Incredible is raced by the Mike Gourdie managed Trotting New Zealand Syndicate. Six of the members chipped in to buy the son of Sundon and Last Lord mare Princess Della (two wins) at the Yearling Sales, securing her for $10,000, and leased him back to the syndicate. Following on from their success with Castleton's Mission, Just Incredible is a part of the same plan that House and the syndicate members have... targeting good stakemoney for minimal out-lay. "We just can't compete with the likes of Mark Purdon, who takes home ten great pacing colts from the sales at an average of $40,000 apiece," House said. "But with trotters it is different. For less than half as much you can get yourself a good one, and you can make a big ripple in a little pool. And with trotters, the more you try, the more you get out of them. Trotting in this country is still in it's infancy, but there is so much action for a good horse. I mean, Just Incredible's owners turned down a $50,000 offer for him after his very first trial, and there has been other offers since."

Last Friday's was a bitter-sweet moment for House, despite the fact that he also ran third with Lord Clive in the event. From the promising first crop of the Valley Victory stallion Holdonmyheart, one of three stallions which House stands on behalf of principal owners Clive and Rona McKay, to win the Trotting Stakes with Lord Clive would have been the fairy-tale result. "Lord Clive probably should have won with the trip he had, and fifty metres out I thought he was going to," House said. "But I blame myself for that, because he has been up for too long. The aches and pains in his hocks just took its toll near the finish. I probably wrecked his chances by trying to prove a point at the trials earlier on, and all I can do now is look back and reflect on what might have been."




Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 22May02

2002 NEVELE R FILLIES FINAL

The Nevele R Fillies Final last Friday night was open to all-comers when the favourite Elect To Live ran out of steam at the top of the straight.

This unexpected development was a surprise invitation to the others, and it was not one of the favourites but Whanau who emerged with the commitment to get home first. It was not by much, half a head to be official, and 10 metres out it appeared as though Angela Jane had edged past. And she had; driver Mark Purdon was sure of it. But over the next 10 metres, Whanau won it back, and caused a huge upset.

The same filly had run well below her best in the New Zealand Oaks the previous week. Trainer Henry Skinner put it down to the fact she pulled hard, but in case he had missed something he got Robert Cameron to handle her when she fast-worked on the Wednesday before the race. Skinner really wasn't in the best shape because he had the flu, but Cameron reported that she worked as well as he would have liked. "I thought she was okay for the Oaks," said Skinner, "but she didn't get the best of runs. But I was dissappointed about where she finished. I had her blood done after that, and everything was right there," he said. On reflection, he thought she had had some bad luck in some of her previous races. In one, she made a break at the start, and when she was due for another she had to miss it because of a cold. It meant she had to do some catching up on what she had missed at the trials.

As good as she went on the night, Whanau also had the benefit of a splendid drive by Peter Jones who was also as good as anyone on the night. He put Lento's daughter into a nice place, midfield on the outer, then caught the back of Hot Blooded Woman who was making some headway forward at the 700 metre mark. It took her far enough for her to strike out on her own near the 500 metres, and Whanau moved into it at a quicker rate than Elect To Live who was moving back. She was not alone because Goodnight Aveross was again showing a lot of cheek and Angela Jane had made her own ground from the back and was chasing hard. Whanau stuck to her guns to give sire Sands A Flyin his second successive winner of the race, following that of Sparks A Flyin last year.

Skinner, who trains a small team at Branxholme and made his name with some wonderful horses such as Sapling, Sure Mart, Forto Prontezza and No Return, races the filly with his wife Karen and the horse's co-breeder, Alex McDonald. McDonald trained and part-owned Lento, (MR 1:56.4, 2000m), with Lorraine Coutts. She was sold last September, in foal to Dream Away, to Robert Famularo's Cavalla Breeding. Lento is also the dam of a 2-year-old by Sir Vancelot, owned by Keith and Lorraine Coutts, who bred Whanau in partnership with McDonald.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15May02

2002 GEORGE CALVERT CLEANING EASTER CUP

'The Wizard' alias Todd Mitchell, was at his spell binding best behind Gracious Knight at Addington last Saturday night. He mesmerised rival drivers with a heady brew of front-running tactics. There were signs a lap out when Gracious Knight had not been questioned for the lead that some would be caught out, and near the 600m Mitchell knew it. He didn't think there was a horse close enough who could give him a start and turn in a better final quarter. "I was just jogging turning for home," he said.

By this stage, the stayers who had been hoping for 4:00, or content with 4:02 for the 3200n were out of the hunt. Gracious Knight was getting it over in a tick under 4:07, and it was Mitchell's clever dictation of the pace that saw him win it without a fight. He was more than two lengths ahead of Pic Me Pockets who came out of the pack strongly, and Panky's Pacer did the same to run third.

It was Mitchell's third Easter Cup win in four years, following that of Facta Non Verba last year and Homin Hosed two years before that. Facta Non Verba, a stablemate of the winner's, ran a sterling race for fifth after missing the start by at least six lengths but probably much more. "We were standing just three or four seconds too long, waiting for Annie's Boy," said driver Robbie Holmes.

Gracious Knight is a son of Tuapeka Knight, and now the winner of 10 races from just 23 starts. His record is more compelling because his placings include seconds in the Messenger behind Tupelo Rose and third to Holmes D G in the Auckland Cup. It has not been plain sailing for Warren Rich, who trains in partnership with Mike Berger. Gracious Knight is one of 20 Rich has in work at Pukekohe, and Berger has as many at Morrinsville. Rich said Gracious Knight took a while to gait up, but this season he has had muscular problems that Syd Weatherly treated for a start and now Clare McGowan is handling it. "She comes once every two weeks on average," he said, "and he does swimming as well."

Rich who was born in Christchurch and worked for Mike Nicholas, Barry Purdon, Jeff Crouth and Brian Hughes before partnering Berger, said the Auckland Cup was not originally in the plan but the Easter Cup at Addington always was. "The Auckland Cup seemed to make all the difference to him. It gave him a lift round the stables and in his trackwork," he said. Rich said that 95% of his stable, including Gracious Knight, is owned by the Happy Valley Syndicate. There are three in Hong Kong, and two in New Zealand, one of them being Jacko Shiu, whose acceptance speech of the George Calvert trophy was more memorable than the race itself. It was a humble, gratifying response that brought favourable comment from every quarter. And he has more good prospects ahead. Rich says the syndicate has a 3-year-old half-sister by Road Machine to Graciuos Knight that "I like very much."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 04Apr02

Light And Sound & Mark Purdon

2002 FERRYMEAD RESTAURANT & BARS NZ WELCOME STAKES

Mark Purdon has chased around a few brilliant In The Pockets in his time. Like a lot of trainers and drivers, he was on the receiving end of the good old fashioned hidings that Under Cover Lover, Christian Cullen and Courage Under Fire dished out, and it took a while before he could join the party with one of his own.

"I probably had about six or eight In The Pockets when I trained up north, and they were pretty much all flops," he said. "Ouch was a good horse, but he had been already 'made' by Geoff Small when we got him. Apart from him there wasn't much to speak of. That was just bad luck though; you only had to look at what horses like Christian Cullen and Courage Under Fire could do to know that In The Pocket left stock of extreme quality."

Purdon has finally got himself one now. The tide turned when John and Ann Seaton, Tim Vince and his partner Janine Browne parted with $55,000 to buy Light And Sound at the Yearling Sales this time last season. After being narrowly beaten on debut in December, the In The Pocket half-brother to Stars And Stripes has strung together five sensational victories, the latest of them in the Ferrymead Restaurant & Bars NZ Welecome Stakes.

Using his speed to work to the front early, Light And Sound never looked out of second gear, and he only needed a sharp sprint home in 57.9 and 27.9 to hold nearest challenger Russian Road at bay. There was nothing awe-inspiring about Light And Sound's overall time for the 1950 metre event, but it was hard not to be impressed with the way he went about his business.

Harness racing fans have grown accustomed to the superlatives that follow Light And Sound around now, so probably the freshest news on Saturday night was the mention of plans to geld the 2-year-old. "It is a hard call to make," Purdon said. "If he was in America, there would have probably been a contract out on him by now, by someone trying to secure his siring future. I am surprised no-one has contacted his owners about that. In my heart I would love to keep him a colt, but I am a racehorse trainer and I have got to advise what is in the best interests of the horse."

The subject of gelding Light And Sound surfaced after his trip north to Alexandra Park for his debut. "He is just too colty, and he behaved very immaturely when we went to Auckland in December. He got his leg over a fence while he was being stabled in Pukekohe, and although he is paddocked on his own he did the same thing back here at home prior to the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton. He is actually a lovely colt, but he gets very dominant around other horses. It happens though, when you get horses at their peak and they are feeling good, that is when they get dynamic. That is why we have not travelled again with him. If he is on a float or a plane around other horses he is the sort that would kick out; you could end up having a puffy joint and then it would take a couple of days before you could work him again. But I have no concerns at all that he wouldn't come back after being gelded, because he is such an athlete," Purdon said.

Plans to geld Light And Sound will be shelved for the meantime though, as focus now switches to his two remaining missions this season...the PGG Yearling Sales Series Open on May 3, and the Garrard's Sires' Stakes Final a week later. "He has got a lot of brilliance, this horse. If they took him on in a race he could pace his last mile in 1:56. He is special."


Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 04Apr02

2002 TYCO ELECTRONICS/ RALPH THOMPSON SHAW & THOMPSON NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Light And Sound's victory on Saturday night was the beginning of a Group Race rampage for his trainer/ driver, as Purdon also went on to win the NZ Trotting Championship with Waihemo Hanger and the NZ Derby with Jack Cade.

A fortnight ago, Waihemo Hanger looked back to his old tricks when he broke in the home straight when travelling easily enough behind the winner Jay Bee Ar. But after a sparkling trial win mid-week and the addition of a boring pole on his near-side, Waihemo Hanger trotted sweetly around the Addington bends while up forcing the issue and held too many guns for Dependable and the fast-finishing Hutzpah.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 04Apr02

2002 GARRARD'S SIRES' STAKES 2YO FINAL

John Seaton loves the thrill of buying and selling. We are not just talking horses here either. In fact, they are one of the last commodities he lets go these days. John deals mainly in sheep and cattle; throw in some property and the various blocks of land that he has bought and then sub-divided over the years, and you will have almost every reason why John is one of the wealthiest men in the harness racing industry.

It all started quite humbly in the little town of Darfield, north of Christchurch, where John was born and raised on his family's 80 acre farm. John loved running and rugby as a youngster, but neither interest was greater than his dislike for school so he turned his back on education at the age of 15. He worked around home, picking potatoes and doing stock work for 12 months, and it was about this time when he had his first taste of dealing. "I bought and sold ponies," he recalled. "And I loved it. I was probably turning over about thirty to forty ponies a year, and making between fifteen and twenty pounds on each one." At 16 John landed a job driving trucks and trailers for Wilson's Motors in Halkett, carting stock, hay and grain to and from various properties around Canterbury. "We had brand new trucks to drive and I really enjoyed those days," he said. "I used to deliver grain to John Noble's where I also met Doug Mangos and Malcolm Shinn who I had been to school with, and at times I would stop and watch the horses working around the track."

Having caught the harness racing bug, John was just 18 when he first took himself along to the Yearling Sales at the Showgrounds, determined to go home with a horse. "I had mamaged to save a bit of money at that stage, so I bought a little Armbro Del colt called Delbrae for five hundred pounds. I was only earning about twenty pounds a week in those days, so it was a lot of money to spend. "I was still there when a guy called Charlie Winter came up to me later in the day and asked to buy Delbrae off me, but I told him he wasn't for sale. Charlie had missed the Sales and was really keen on the colt, he offered me twice as much as I had paid for him. I couldn't turn that down."

John quickly cottoned-on that there was money to be made here. The following year he went back to the Sales and bought himself two more, both of which he on-sold within a month and made nearly a four-figure profit on each, and then 12 months later he was back to put his finger up again, this time to secure Command Castle who later gave him his first win as an owner when successful at Oamaru. Command Castle was later sold overseas for a five-figure sum.

John married Ann at the age of 26, bought the family farm off his parents the same year and left the transport business to grow crops. Not long after he sold that to buy a 900 acre on in Aylesbury, and he went into raising sheep and cattle on a large scale. "It just got bigger and bigger," John said. "We were turning over anything up to 400,000 sheep a year; those were the good days back then - and they still are. These days I will be at the sales two or three days a week, and it's great because I have made a lot of friends. The good thing about this sort of stock is that you can buy them one day, and sell them the next. I have been doing it for thirty years and I love the thrill of it; I love dealing," he reiterated.

As far as the racehorses were concerned, John kept trying to find one that would win him an event worth over $10,000. When Il Vicolo came along, he never looked back. "The return is a lot different with horses," he said. "I mean, you could buy twelve at the Sales and never hear of six of them. I have really enjoyed racing horses with the likes of Colin and Mike (De Filippi), Tony (Herlihy) and Mark (Purdon). They are what has made my racing days really terrific for me."

John's name has become synonymous with the rich Yearling Sales Series Finals in recent years, having won 2-year-old editions with Il Vicolo, Jack Cade and Light And Sound, and 3-year-old editions with Il Vicolo, Falcon's Blue Jean, Perfect Seelster and Jack Cade. And that is not to mention his growing list of successes in the Sires' Stakes Series and other major age group races. The run continued at Addington when the brilliant Light And Sound ended his season with his eighth consecutive victory, taking out the Garrard's Sires' Stakes 2-Year-old Final in devastating fashion.

All these successes don't come without a price though. "We will start looking at colts six weeks before the Sales. And if there is two hundred and fifty in, we would see more than two hundred of them ourselves. It's quite tiring, but you have to do your homework. I am really lucky having Mark because not only does he put the work in, he is also such a good judge. It's so good to have a trainer that can make 2-year-olds."

People might think that John Seaston can go to the Sales and buy himself anything he wants, but that is not the case. Even he is a realist. "Some of them are too dear, even for me. In the days when you paid $25,000 for a horse, that was a good investment.these days, if you pay $70,000 to $100,000 for one, you might not get out of it. I have probably bought about ten at each of the last two sales, and that is too many. I would like to buy more, but you can't keep them all."


Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 15May02

OK Ulisee and Andrew Suddaby

2002 FIRESTONE DIRECT JUNIOR FREE-FOR-ALL

Brent Lilley's year just keeps getting better. Just eight months ago he landed the biggest achievement of his training career when Game Bid took out the Inter-Dominion Trotters' Grand Final at Sydney.

Earlier this week Lilley was back to chase big-race glory again, this time with OK Ulisee in the $25,000 Firestone Direct Junior Free-For-All at Addington. Even more less-fancied against his opposition than Game Bid was back in March, OK Ulisee mirrored the effort of his former stablemate and beat them fair and square.

Masterfully driven by Lilley's new right-hand-man Andrew Suddaby, OK Ulisee was held back out of the gate instead of being asked to use the explosive speed he possesses, the plan having been chosen by Lilley and Suddaby in pre-race discussions leading up to Cup Day. "Andrew and I sat down and talked about how the race would unfold, and we thought that Ants (Anthony Butt) was more than likely going to try and hold the lead inside us on Lavros Harrier. There was no use trying to take him on early," Lilley reflected. "So we were better settling on the outside." The plan worked a treat, and after getting an economical trip OK Ulisee had plenty of gas to punch away from his opposition when it counted.

The occasion marked the launch of Lilley's new colours, those being the black and yellow silks of Tranz Rail, who are the 26-year-old's new sponsor. "Having a sponsor is something a bit different, because not a lot of people have got that sort of thing yet," Lilley continued. "It came about from a mate of mine, Scott Sutton, who used to work for Dad as a stablehand about ten years ago. Soon after that he got a job with Tranz Rail, based in Christchurch, and has worked his way up to Account Manager now. It's really great that we could win the first time the colours were worn." OK Ulisee is one of the first horses raced by 66-year-old Bill Smith, a taxi driver for the Christchurch company First Direct and former next door neighbour of Lilley's before he re-established himself in Leithfield six months ago.

Freshened since a fast-closing second to Mister D G a month ago, OK Ulisee had an outing at last week's Cup Trials and finished last in a field of four behind Niobium; Lilley was rapt in the run. "It always takes one to bring him right," he said of the 6-year-old OK Bye gelding. "I put him in the trail knowing he would need it, and hoped he would go about 3:20. They went 3:14, so he just blew out. But I knew he would be firing on all cylinders today."

OK Ulisee put himself amongst some pretty elite company with his victory in the Junior Free-For-All, with past winners including the likes of Young Rufus, Iraklis and Yulestar to name a few. While conceding that he is probably not one of them, Lilley isn't afraid to set his sights a little higher still. "Next year's Inter-Dominions have been the big plan with him all along; I know his owner has turned down some pretty good money for him," he said. "A series like that should really suit him, because they race a week apart and he can back up. He raced three times in ten days at the Cup Meeting last year, recording a win and two seconds. He has got gate speed too, which is very important in a series like that.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 14Nov02

2002 GIANNIS PITA BREAD CANTERBURY PARK TROTTING CUP

Dependable was fresh when he accounted for Take A Moment in the Giannis Pita Bread Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.

Trainer Allan Georgeson said he had been "ready sometimes" to make a speech after a race by Dependable, "but I didn't think I would be making one tonight, not when he was first-up over two miles."

And it never entered his mind when Dependable went close to elimination after Play On broke at the top of the straight. Sent after Take A Moment, Dependable made it in good time, with Waihemo Hanger running on late for third.

"He can sprint as well as a pacer," said Georgeson.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 09Oct02