CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

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

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Lyell Creek has the FFA in safe keeping

Lyell Creek is obviously not as old as people think he is. He made short work of younger bones in the Porter Group Hyundai Construction Equipment NZ Trotting Free-For-All at Addington last Friday, sending his 11-year-old legs humming over 2600m at record speed.

The 11 others, all of younger vintage, saw him disappear down the straight, followed by Sumthingaboutmaori, who chased him gamely. For most of them it was more of the same. This was his 55th win, a number which still takes some comprehening. He ran the trip in 3:14.3, which clipped 0.1 off the old mark shared by Last Sunset and Major Decision. This, too, takes thinking about. It might suggest that he is as good, or better, than he has been.

Trainer Tim Butt shakes his head at the thought of it. "He is not the horse he was. Today, the race panned out for him. Some of the others, like Allegro Agitato, were taken on and had hard runs. This was run to suit him," he said.

As good as it was, Butt is anxious to keep the performance in perspective. "If they go 4:05, he can win the Dominion, but not if they run 4:10. In the last three weeks his work has been great. He enjoys life around the stables, looks forward to his work, but we will still have to space his races. The Friday one was designed to top him off for the Dominion," he said.

Butt said it was fantastic hearing the Addington crowd give Lyell Creek such an ovation after his win. "They respect him, and I think they can see he has got that will to win, just like Sunline showed," he said

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17Nov04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

When Robin Swain bought Roman Gladiator at the Premier Yearling Sale 33 months ago, he had ever intention of breaking the colt in, getting him running along, and selling him. Well that was the plan anyway.

After all, the Christian Cullen son out of Assisi was a spur of the moment purchase; Swain had ventured up from his home in Knapdale specifically to buy a particular filly, and when that plan went out the window he found himself lifting a finger later in the day so that he could at least take something home.

Placed in the name of Swain's wife Amanda and their good friends Peter and Marie Neil, from Sydney, Roman Gladiator sailed through his early education without a hitch and was soon at the races, winning his 2-year-old debut impressively during March 2003. The Swains didn't need to hunt for buyers, they came knocking themselves. "I remember Robin telling me on the phone that we had had an offer for $50,000," recalled Peter. "Well I turned that down, but then he won his second start as well and we got another offer, this time for $300,000." Swain rang his co-owner again. "Robin said to me...'half of $300,000 is a house'. And I replied...'well, half of a million is two and a half houses'."

The Neils had been friends of the Swains for quite a few years, ever since they first bought a horse off the called Oneinamillion, and Peter's faith that Roman Gladiator would indeed develop into something special one day - and thus should be hung on to - was installed by Swain himself. "It was just the way I had heard Robin talk about the horse early on," he continued. "He believed that Roman Gladiator was the best horse he had ever sat behind, and that as far as speed goes he had never driven a horse as fast. So I thought, well this is what we all dream about. I said to Robin that if we sell him, all I'm going to do is go and look for another horse like him to buy. As far I could see, we already had the horse.

History shows that Neil was indeed justified in trying to talk his partner around. When Roman Gladiator captured the Sires' Stakes Final at Addington this time last year, it was his sixth win from 11 starts. And the ride didn't stop there...victories at Ascot Park, Forbury Park and Winton earlier this year followed, and then Roman Gladiator gave his Sydney connections their greatest thrill in racing when he captured a Prelude and the Final of the New South Wales Derby in May at their 'local' track, Harold Park.

Roman Gladiator went out for a spell after that, and after winning his resumption at Addington last month with a super effort after pulling fiercely in the trail for the entire event, he was back at Addington two days ago to take out the $30,000 Firestone Direct Free-For-All with a brilliant late surge. The Neils were there too, coming across the Tasman especially to see their pride and joy on his big day. "It certainly beats listening to his races over the phone, which we have had to do a few times," Peter said. "It is not ideal, but it beats not knowing how he has gone though. We knew it was going to be a test for him today, and thought that Lennon was going to be a big danger, so to beat him was a great thrill."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 11Nov04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

If there has been any criticism of Sundon's progeny at all, it has been their lack of success at Group 1 level as aged trotters, a fact that could perhaps be attributed to their preference for sprinting as opposed to staying.

It was ironic therefore that when the dust had settled on Cup Day, Belle Galleon had won the two-mile intermediate trot and another Sundon mare in Some Direction had out-stayed the open class trotters in the Christchurch Casino Handicap.

Sent off as the rank outsider at odds of 75-to-one, despite a strong win in lesser company at Ashburton two starts prior, Some Direction overcame sitting parked for the last 2000 metres and proved too strong for the pacemaking Whatsundermykilt and Sundon's Luck, who had sat on her back. With Sumthingaboutmaori and Castleton's Mission having traffic problems back in the field, and the last mile going by in 2:00.6 (58.9, 29.1), the race sat up perfectly for Some Direction.

It was a "career high-light" for reinsman Justin Smith, who co-owns and co-trains the 7-year-old with his mother Lynn near Rakaia. Some Direction has been a great money spinner for them. this was her 77th start since she began racing as a 3-year-old a little under four years ago, and her 13th win along with 21 seconds and thirds took her stakes to the verge of $100,000. "We are not doing anything different - she needs the right sort of run and she hasn't had a lot of luck in her racing," said Justin. "She was racing well at this time last year up until the Cup Meeting, and then went off, probably because of the breeding season. So we only gave her a brief break at the end of last season with a view to having her back racing early this season," he added

The Smith's will now go into next week's Dominion with a little more confidence than they would have otherwise. It is a race which is starting to look like the winner is going to be a stayer off the front anyway. "I think she can go 4:08, so we'll just have to see if anyone can go quicker."

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 11Nov04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Tim Butt, Joan & Peter Cocks savour the moment

A horse that Peter Cocks bought simply because he wanted his Sundon yearling to have a paddock mate ended up giving him and his wife Joan their greatest thrill in harness racing at Addington on Cup Day.

Now 66, Cocks has been racing horses for 35 years. He had hardly ever raced a 2-year-old during that time, nor had he ever had a runner in a Sires' Stakes Final, but Tribute has surpassed both of these hurdles and on Tuesday he iced the cake with a super victory in the $150,000 NRM-sponsored Group 1 event.

"I won't tell you what I paid for him, because I never do that, but he wasn't cheap considering he was only supposed to be a paddock mate," Cocks joked, remembering back to the reason why he bought Tribute in the first place. "We were going to put him through the sale ring after that, and he was all set to be entered and sent away to start being prepared when we decided to keep him. "I think Joan fell in love with him," he said. Probably in the back of his mind also was the fact that of the seven or eight horses he has bought from the sales, Cocks is yet to enjoy a win from any of them. "I think the best I have had was a qualifier. But you never know, it's just bad luck I suppose."

Placed in Tim Butt's stable, Tribute made his debut as a juvenile earlier this year when running a close second at Addington, and then he went down south to Wyndham nine days later and made everyone sit up and take notice of him when he became the first 2-year-old pacer to break 1:55 in NZ. "That was a shock - Tim wasn't expecting much more than a top five finish that day," Cocks said. "Even today we were thinking that fourth would be our lot, because there were a few nice horses in there and some of them have been beating him in the lead-up races; anything better than that was going to be a bonus."

And a 'bonus' is certainly what Tribute's connections got on Tuesday, because after being tucked away sweetly behind Marika, who set a red-hot pace, Tribute dived through at the business end and took out the 1950 metre event in a sizzling 1:56 mile rate. Cocks and his wife are "always" on-course when one of their horses is racing, and in the past they have been on-hand to enjoy such moments as a Trotting Stakes victory by Whizzing By and nine wins apiece by the likes of Eastnor Lad and Greenidge. The latter also started in the New Zealand Cup one year for them as well, finishing 10th behind Bee Bee Cee in 1994.

"This is certainly the biggest win we have ever had, and it is a great thrill," said Cocks, who started up his own hot water cylinder manufacturing company 40 years ago and is still suppling a strong niche market today. "We have got a factory in Bromley and employ ten staff - I must be due to retire soon though," he smiled.

Afterwards, the In The Pocket-Going Royce's trainer spoke very philosophically about the one victory that he and brother Anthony managed to grab on an action-packed Cup Day. "Tribute is a very nice little horse, who is seasoned, and he got the trip and did the business today," Butt said. "Luck probably went our way a bit out there, because there were a couple of very nice horses in that race. But he is a good horse to work with, and he has got a great constitution - he is the perfect racehorse, really. Where he goes from here is up to him now; he will either go on and mature or he will level out, it remains to be seen."



Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 11Nov04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Mister D G justified his favouritism in the $25,000 Nobilo, winning from Light And Sound and Scorching.

Coming on top of his Hannon Memorial win, and with more room for improvement still likely, Mister D G is emerging as the horse to beat in the Canterbury Draught New Zealand Cup.

Lady Toddy was a game and close fourth, less than two lengths from the winner, and the Australian Mont Denver Gold finished strongly, about a length further back.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 20Oct04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Amanda Tomlinson & Ken Ford share the spoils

Ken Ford is taking a softly-softly approach with Aramid this season. He knows it is a tall order to expect the 5-year-old trotter to attend every big event, and he has already declared he won't be there. "He won't be going to Ashburton; no mobiles. I don't want to bustle him. Kaikoura might be next," he said.

Ford is aware that Aramid has been busy for one so young, and intends to give him a quieter season. "He rushed along very quickly when he started. It was perhaps a bit much for him. Now, he is looking a bit stronger on the front end."

Already he has started off his new campaign with a bang, a solid start for seventh at Motukarara followed by a tremendously good run to beat Zirinovsky in the Giannis Pita Bread Canterbury Park Trotting Cup at Addington last Friday night. He did some ground at the start, tracked up Castleton's Mission over the last lap, sat three-wide from the 800m, then ran clear when Jimmy Curtin told him there was some business to do in the straight.

It was Aramid at his best, and at his best he is very much in the top handful of trotters in New Zealand. "I was a wee bit confident before the race," said Ford. "He has never worked better; he's never been better round the place," he said. Ford said he was pleased with the way Aramid came through the race. He ate up everything and jogged up the next day. It was something I used to do as a rugby player, when I played sixteen years of senior rugby in Kaikoura. I had always have a quiet run the next day to get any soreness out of the body," he said.

Ford and his daughter Amanda Tomlinson, who part-owns Aramid, know what it takes to keep the level up. Tomlinson was a New Zealand 200 metre sprint champion on the track, and played for the New Zealand women's rugby team. Aramid couldn't be in better hands.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Oct04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Cran Dalgety, Scorching & Mark Jones

Scorching never released his grip on the Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup at Addington last week. He won so well that his surprisingly short odds were in fact no surprise at all. He won like "a good thing", and from as far out as the 500 metres he appeared no less than that.

His margin was decisive - by a length and a half from Young Rufus, who is on the verge of becoming a major player at the top level again. The drive was a corker by Mark Jones, who slipped him clear before the corner. "From the draw, we thought we could dominate the top end," said trainer Cran Dalgety, "and he was pretty forward. I said to Mark that I would rather them be chasing us rather than us chasing them."

During the week, Dalgety used the training track of his father Jim to work Scorching and London Legend, and said London Legend was a bit strong for his stablemate. "They trained as good as each other. London Legend has a bit more speed than Scorching, so it was a good yardstick," he said.

Dalgety has no doubts that Scorching will be a match for "the big boys, but he might not quite win the deposit on the next yacht. But he is a horse who can always go five lengths better than what I think he will go," he said. That being the case, Scorching won't be out of place in the Hannon Memorial, where he goes next, or in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton after that.

Dalgety said the bonus from winning the New Brighton Cup was the automatic invitation to start in the Canterbury Draught New Zealand in November, and he has now set himself on the Cup trail. "I would love to be there, with him in his Sunday-best. He ran 4:06 or 4:07 when he won at Blenheim as a 3-year-old, so I think he would get the trip alright," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Sep04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Graeme Nairn receives the trophy from Michelle Baird, Stud Manager, Roydon Lodge

The $25,000 Roydon Lodge NZ Two-Year-Old Trotting Stakes was won impressively by Hoops, one of only two fillies in the 13-horse field. Away quickly and soon in front for driver David Butt, Hoops went to the line strongly, beating Damian Carlos (by Sundon) by three lengths, followed in by On My Way (by Armbro Invasion) and Love Hate Revenge (by Holdonmyheart).

Hoops comes from an impeccable trotting nursery, that of Paul Nairn. His father Graeme is one of her owners, along with himself, Peter Willman and Tony Smith. She is by Above The Stars, who won 23 of his 52 starts, from Wintersport, a Game Pride mare from the family of Tussle, who had one win from 33 starts. Hoops is her second foal, and her third will be one to Call Me Now in the spring.

Above The Stars has sired 81 live foals, 26 of them the year Hoops was born. Since then he has served books of 22,21 and 16. Hoops is one of fourindividual winners by Above The Stars, preceded by Strassman (2 wins), Nicol Star and Alpha Centauri (2).

Nairn has a remarkable UDR record. Only three times in the past 20 years has it been below .2000, and on eight occasions he has had it above .3000.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 26May04

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Turkana winning the Nevele R Fillies Final from Imagine That

Trainers Bruce Negus and Craig Parsons had their thinking caps on after Turkana ran sixth under difficulties in the NZ Oaks 10 days ago. They had a week to chew the fat over her inability to relax in the running, and what their options were for the $100,000 Nevele R Fillies' Final. Between the pair, they agreed on changing her bit and arranging for Cavalier Products to make a removeable hood that blocked out not 80% of the noise, but 100%.

The result was a sweet-moving Turkana sitting behind the pacemaker Imagine That, and making use of the passing lane to win the Group 1 mobile by two lengths. Negus said Turkana was helped by the fact Imagine That had been 'roughed up' in front by Xmas Joy, Shamrock Girl and Pascale Bromac in the middle stages, that left the favourite vulnerable near the end.

Negus said he "made an error" when he chose to use a pulling bit on the filly the week before. "I panicked a bit when I saw the draw she had in the Oaks. After that, I went back to the snaffle bit she had been in beforehand. And it was Craig's idea to put this type of hood on her. He is a quiet achiever and his input into this filly has been terrific. They have also worked well together because she was a handful at the start," he said. Negus had a moment's worry during the week when he thought her work was sluggish. "I didn't know whether she was off colour or it was just the way she was working in the hood. She felt lethargic, so in some ways I was mildly surprised with what she has done."

Turkana was bred by Graeme Iggo, and was broken in by Maree Price who is in the process of breaking in and gaitingthe 40 yearlings on the Negus' books. At the time she was educating Turkana, she also had Imagine That on the go. "She said to us, these will both be Group 1 winning fillies. We dismissed that, but she put it in writing and stuck to her guns. That is when Greg Brodie bought her, and we gave her a couple of months out just to make sure she got rid of any aches and pains," he said. "At one stage she had three starts in eight days and won then all. I have never done that to a filly before, but I knew we had to win at least three to have a chance to start in these races," he said.

A filly of good size by Christian Cullen - who also sired third placegetter Christiansheritage - Turkana is from Kisumu, who held the NZ record for a 2-year-old over 2000m when she won the Sires' Stakes Championship for fillies in 1992.

Negus has had many great horses, notably Courage Under Fire, Ginger Man, Franco Hat Trick and One Way Traffic, but Turkana is already the best filly. "Caps Off won the Oaks and she was a tradesman, but this filly will make Cup class. "I can see she has got a fifty-five half in her," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 19May04