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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

The presentation to the connections of Sundon

1990 TV3 NETWORK DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Seldom has so much joy and merriment been punctured so suddenly than in the seconds of satisfaction following the Dominion Handicap. A large crowd, comforted by a warm pleasant night, had relished the return to form of Sundon in the Met's big trot. This was the very moment they had been waiting for ... the young champ back on his pedestal. Cheers laid dormant for months echoed around the course as the big bay put the cap on quality with a dashing front-running exhibition to beat southerner Game Paul and northerner William Dee. The clapping and calling started half-way down th straight when it was apparent this was Sundon's day. There was a great bubble of gaiety at the result until the siren blew it for six.

Cheers turned to out-cry of boos and confusion as word came out that the inquiry was into the winner. Clutching his notes, Metropolitan President Peter Andrews stood uncertainly in the birdcage wings as the drama unfolded. Driver Peter Jones headed for the stipes' room with the comment: "Do you know what this is about?" An emergency huddle of club officials made fresh plans for the presentation and sent Sundon off to the stalls. In the meantime, trainer Fred Fletcher stood in the shadows, bemused by the whole affair. Fay, his wife, wearing her lucky pearls, was more forthright in her opinion of the inquiry. Said Fletcher: "It's my luck lately ... and it's their right."

The inquiry was held into an incident about 350 metres from the start when Marcol's Pride and Gee Du Jour broke. The stipes went to consider whether Jones had crossed with Sundon too close and interfered with them. Tommy Knowles, the driver of Marcol's Pride, and Simon Adlam, who handled Gee Du Jour, gave evidence, the inquiry was dismissed, and Jones came out to say: "It was totally uncalled for. You usually know if you've done something. I was totally bewildered by this."

Jones paid Fletcher a tribute for the manner in which he had prepared the horse. "Fred's done a marvellous job with him. My main worry was getting him away from the second line, though Fred said it would suit him. He felt really strong all the way. I was pretty confident three from home when he pricked his ears," he said.

News of the dismissal met with instant approval and a revival of the cheers that the siren had snuffed out. Sundon was called back, decorated, and the crowd appeased, filed back to their seats. Fletcher has gone through some traumatic times with Sundon in recent months, the latest an accusation that he did not drive the horse on it's merits less than a fortnight back. Fletcher has since appealed against the suspension this charge brought, but he elected to sit the Dominion out. He engaged Jones, who has been driving members of his team with good success already this season. Fletcher had, in fact, suggested to Jones earlier this season that the Sundon drive was available if he wanted it, but a firm decision this was was not made until his recent bad news. "He's not the easiest horse to handle, but he drew what he wanted. He's got no problems and I see a lot of improvement in him yet. I don't think he's actually five until next year some time," said Fletcher.

Fletcher did not attach any extra significance to the Domininion, as he may have done for a stake of such an important race. "I said to Fay on the way in, it would be nice to win, but it is just another race." Sundon, who will now have a week off, is an easy horse to train. "He is the most placid horse I've ever had. He sleeps most of the time," said Fletcher.

Sundon won the race in 4:12.8, which was more than four seconds slower than it took Tobago - one of Saturday night's faders - to win the race last year. An excellent front runner, Sundon was in good hands. Jones took him through the first mile in 2:09.5, sharpened up near the end of that section when Tobago hurried forward to put himself in the call. It was a lonely trip and he sat parked and tired. Jones was able to back off from the mile to the half, which took 64 seconds. He was then in the choice position of being able to sprint at will from there which Sundon did with ease.

To the tune of cheers, siren, boos and cheers, the sun went down on another Dominion Handicap; one that started with drama and ended the same way.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Tight Connection easily wins the Air NZ FFA from Rebe Lord

1990 AIR NEW ZEALAND NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Having proved his real class once again by trouncing high-class opposition in the $85,000 Air New Zealand NZ Free-For-All, Tight Connection is poised to write many more exciting chapters to his already memorable saga. Now foremost in the sights of the crack Auckland pacer are the $A300,000 Sydney Miracle Mile on November 30, the $300,000 Ansett New Zealand Auckland Cup on December 29 and the $500,000 Inter-Dominion Grand Final in Auckland next March.

Already, from only 26 starts - punctuated by a series of severe setbacks which he has shrugged off one by one - Tight Connection has bankrolled a remarkable $1,409,015 in stakemoney and bonuses. Thrilled with the Miracle Mile invitation, issued by New South Wales Harness Racing Club committeeman Tony McGrath after the Free-For-All win, trainers Roy and Barry Purdon have accepted and only misadventure will thwart the trip. The connections of Neroship informed McGrath before the Free-For-All that, win, lose or draw, they had decided not to accept a Miracle Mile invitation. Stablemate Reba Lord, Tight Connection's runner-up in the FFA after wrecking his Cup chances after an inordinately (even for him) bad start, remains in Christchurch for the Monsanto FFA (mobile 2600m).

Not in the clear until the New Zealand Cup was out of his grasp, Tight Connection showed what might have been with his end-to-end Free-For-All win in 2:26 for the mobile 2000m (a 1:57.5 mile rate), capped off with a sizzling 55.5 final 800m. "And he did it on his ear," said the chestnut's elated pilot Tony Herlihy. Reba Lord, cleverly handled by co-trainer Barry Purdon, had enough in the tank to get up for second two and a quarter lengths from Tight Connection, shading Bold Sharvid (who trailed the winner throughout) and Lord Magic (who battled gamely after being parked out for most of the last lap).

Tight Connection never left an oat after the win. "He's a nice horse, with such a lot of potential," enthused Roy Purdon. "He seems to be getting better and better. He's done no racing yet, really - not the miles of some of those other Cup horses. "He's had a lot of setbacks, and he's come through them all with flying colours. The wind operation he had seems to have been a hundred percent successful, which is great since they wouldn't guarantee it and gave him something like a 60-40 chance."

Raced these days by Ric Ellis and Ross Weavers (two of his original owners) with the Horseplayers Corporation Syndicate and the Club Connection Syndicate, Tight Connection, a five-year-old Soky's Atom entire, must also have excellent stud potential.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

The Cleine family pose with Gypsy Winkle after the Oaks

1990 NEVELE R STUD NZ OAKS

Before a small crowd on a cold Saturday night, Gypsy Winkle lowered the colours of hot favourite Jiffy's Girl in the $50,000 Nevele R Stud New Zealand Oaks.

Going for win number 13, Jiffy's Girl ran too keenly for her own good, especially passing the 800 metres and again when slipping clear near the corner. In spite of that, the tiny rich bay daughter of Jiffy Boy looked quite strong beginning the run in and still a winning prospect 100 metres out. The complexion of the race then began to change with alarming suddeness and major worries for the followers of the favourite came seconds later as Gypsy Winkle emerged on a finish she had started with determination some way out.

She was handled with 'big-race' skill by Colin De Filippi, who displayed equal determination in getting the better of Jiffy's Girl. For no other reason than poor luck in the running, Gypsy Winkle had failed in her three previous starts, and because of that was at rather long odds. But a workout in the mud four carts out on the Westport track in 4:24 convinced trainer Colin Cleine she was as good as he could get her. "It's pretty difficult knowing just how well they are when you have got little to work them with. That is why she has to race, and we get a line on her that way," he said.

Gypsy Winkle is the second successive Oaks winner sired by the stud's ill-fated sire Nero's B B - Adina Bebe was last year's winner - and it provided breeders, the Alexandra Breeding Partnership, with a $100,000 breeder's bonus.

Cleine, a Westport dairy farmer, bought the filly from the Australian bred mare Gay Van Winkle (Gay Reveler-Thelma Lass, by Pacing Gift) at the National Yearling Sales for $4,000. She won her first two races last July, and the Southland Oaks, but couldn't make Friday night's DB Draught Fillies Final after attempting to do so in three heats. Colin, and his wife Yvonne, bought a Nero's B B-Nile Queen filly at PGG's Premier Sale earlier this year. They have three other young horses, including a Bo Scots Blue Chip half brother to Gypsy Winkle who is making encouraging progress.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

The connections of Winning Blue Chip

1990 JOHN BRANDON 30 NZ DERBY

After sitting alone at the back, unfancied Winning Blue Chip came through to win the $175,000 John Brandon 30 New Zealand Derby.

The chunky bay gelding picked off seven tiring rivals to cause the biggest Derby upset since Naval Officer won the classic in 1984 when only five finished. That was the second surprise. The first was the sinking of Honkin Vision, the raging favourite who was beaten, and badly beaten, with less than 200 metres to run. And the third surprise was the remarkable achievement of Winning Blue Chip to demolish Inky Lord's New Zealand age group record of 3:15.1 by pounding out 3:12.2 for a mobile 2600m.

It was a muted audience who saw the scene unfold, because Winning Blue Chip rated in none of the pre-race forecasts and in the Brandon preludes had done nothing to suggest he was in the same league as the favourites. Driver Anthony Butt said: "I always thought he was a bit below the best of them. The only show I had was if they went hard all the way. I knew I had to take all the short cuts. He was not good enough to go around them."

Henry Skinner took Honkin Vision to the front, as the draw said he would. Sweating freely in the warmer conditions, Honkin Vision made play at better than a 2:00 clip, making the pace hard on the others and harder on himself. Said Skinner: "I was starting to get pretty busy at the quarter." No wonder. The horse had cut out his 2400 metres in 2:57.9 and was starting to hang his head. The Unicorn took him easily. He soon came to the end of it, allowing Winning Blue Chip to pick him off 50 metres out and race clear to win by three-quarters of a length.

The winner is trained by Barrie Lilley, who is not a household name in New Zealand harness racing circles. Formerly a freezing worker, Lilley, aged 46, took out a professional trainer's licence two years ago on the death of his father. One of those he started training was a colt by second season sire Bo Scots Blue Chip from Winning Maid, a winning Willie Win mare formerly trained by Murray Rennie.

Bred by Doody Townley and FA and Mrs JM Stakes of Ashburton, Winning Maid was from Locksley Maid, by Young Charles from Jonell, by Garrison Hanover from Mighty Imp, by Dillon Hall. Winning Maid was raced by Bill Parlane and twin brothers Graeme and Gary Chandler, who bred her to Noodlum after winning one race. She produced Mighty Adios to this mating, returned to win another race, then went to Nevele R Stud to produce her classic winner. She is also the dam of a Nero's B B filly and this season was served by Paulsboro.

On times, Winning Blue Chip was no faint hope. He had recorded a best time of 3:17.5 for the distance, and only Seafield Inca had gone quicker. "But although we didn't expect anything like this, his blood has been out for the last couple of weeks and credit must go to the Halswell Clinic vets for the work they have done getting him right," said Parlane. "He just did not fire on the first two nights like I knew he could."


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

GEORGE CAMERON

The death occurred last Friday of former successful trainer George Cameron of Christchurch. He was 85.

Born in Scotland, Cameron came to NZ on his own when he was 17, hoping his family would follow. Cameron worked whereever he could on farms in the North Island, then had his first association with horses when he started with the late Lionel Denton, owner of the hotel in Kirwee, west of Christchurch, in 1925.

Shifting later to New Brighton, Cameron had major success in the harness racing game, training Margin to win the 1942 Dominion Handicap, and winning the 1966 and 1967 NZ Oaks with Stylos and Swift Princess respectively.

Mr Cameron is survived by his wife Norma, and his 10 sons and daughters.

Credit: HRWeekly 19Apr89

SECRETARIES & EXECUTIVE STAFF

MIKE GODBER

Mr Mike Godber has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Addington Raceway. He replaces Mr Trevor Davis, who retires from the position of Secretary-Manager in November.

Since 1983, Mr Godber has been Secretary and Chief Executive Officer for the NZ Racing Authority. Aged 36 Mr Godber is an honours graduate from Massey College - where his thesis was on the classification of racecourses. He then joined the Authority as Research Officer, became acting Secretary in 1982 and Secretary a year later.

Mr Godber will have the responsibility of maximising the economic position of Addington Raceway on ac national and regional basis. This policy started started in 1983 when the Raceway was restructured on a more commercial basis. "I know the main theme at Addington is racing, but there are other areas supplementary to it, such as a conference centre," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17May89

PEOPLE

RONA LAING

The death occured last week of Rona Laing, aged 72. Born in Christchurch, Rona spent a lifetime in farming and harness racing communities.

Her Wairiri Lodge, at Ashburton, was the home of many imported stallions, starting years ago with the straight-out trotter Pilot Peter, by Peterwah. He was followed by Paraider, Smokey Hanover, Hi Lo's Forbes (sire of NZ Cup winner, James), Jerry Adios, Hodgen's Surprise (sir of No Response), King Creed (sire of Rauka Lad), and Keystone Provider (sire of Samson and Keystone Surprise).

She raced a number of good horses, perhaps the best of them being the Court Martial trotter Macamba, who won seven races, four of them in his 5-year-old season. Others included Melissa, Alvean, Alonzo (1:58), the smart Smokey Hanover trotter Martian, Manchu, Montford, and, more recently, Streak.

She is survived by a daughter Anita, and son, Graham.

Credit: HRWeekly 31May89

PEOPLE

Mac Miller and the good trotter Westham

S M (Mac) MILLER

S M (Mac) Miller has driven one winner this season; Princess Armbro in a trot at Nelson in January. It was significant for two reasons. Miller now approaches the time of the permanent ballot. He has turned 65 and Princess Armbro might well have been his last winning drive before he retires. He does so on July 31 with the satisfaction of the second reason - driving 200 winners - starting in 1960 when he drove Irish Wit to beat Medium Blue (Bob Nyhan) and Our Comrade (Keith Powell).

Training from Methven and more recently in Blenheim, Miller was rarely without a good horse. He prepared a small team, and took them all to their best mark. His first top horse was Bonnieburn, who won eight races in the 1960s including the 1964 Ashburton Cup, but Wonthaggi was smart and won five in this era before she broke down. Third Chief won four, including the Nelson and Marlborough Cups, and other good winners in the 60s were Soldato, Nonevero, Terrace Dale and Jacquinot Bay, whose 10 wins included the Wellington Cup.

In three seasons, from 1973-4 to 1975-6, Miller drove 39 winners, most notable being seven with the fine trotter Jillinda, six behind Armbro Brent, five with Armbro Song and four with Martial Salute. Another fine horse he won 10 races with was Trevor Hodgen, who was a wonderful stayer on grass tracks. Other good winners were Truant Direct, Armbro Rhythm and trotters Melvander and Westham. Hobart Star, a son of Timely Knight and the Lordship mare Hobart Lady, won eight races and was rated by Miller as the best he's had. "He was a potential cup winner if ever there was one," he said. Hobart Star was sold to America.

"It is a strange feeling, having to give up. I've travelled and met some great people; people who were prepared to help. I remember Maurice Holmes would jog round and start talking and there would always be a moral to what he'd say. It was good to have people like that to work with," he said.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 14Jun89

PEOPLE

JACK CROFTS

Retiring from driving on 31 July, 1989, one of the best moments Jack Crofts remembers during his career was winning the last saddle trot at Addington on Gentles. The best horse he bred was Moonfire, four wins.

He says the best horse he ever sat behind was the brilliant Highland Kilt. Crofts worked for the late George Noble for 13 years. He won twice on Highland Kilt, at Rangiora in February 1950 and at Wellington in May 1952.

Usually only training a small team, Croft says he now has more horses than he can handle, a list comprising seven yearlings and two 2-year-olds.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 14Jun89

PEOPLE

COLIN McLACHLAN

Six months after his age forced Colin McLachlan to retire from driving, the Templeton horseman has decided to sell his farm and business, move into town and almost make a clean break from harness racing.

Colin and his wife Sylvia have owned four shoe stores in and around Christchurch for nearly 40 years, with Colin also succeeding as an owner/trainer of standardbreds. But now the McLachlans have sold their stores, as well as their 16 hectare training establishment in Templeton. "Since my health hasn't been the best I've decided to sell up. I used to enjoy driving at the trials but I can't even do that now - that takes some of the interest away," Colin says regretfully.

Born in Dunsandel in 1923, Colin's first equine experience was working with Draught horses on the family's farm. He first handled standardbreds when his neighbour, the late O E ("Ossie") Hooper, took a small team with Ben Grice on the then popular Hawera circuit. Colin looked after the remainder of Hooper's team while he was away.

After Colin left school he spent six years in the Air Force before trying his hand at various jobs, including engineering. Colin stumbled across the shoe business when his wife Sylvia was employed at Eastmonds Shoe Store. One night when Colin went to pick her up, Sylvia's employer asked him how he spent his Friday nights. "I told him I never did anything in particular so he asked me if I wanted to work part-time on that night," Colin recalled. The occasional work soon turned into full-time employment and seven years later he was managing his own store in Armagh Street, directly across the road from the present-day store.

Colin and Sylvia's only son, Wayne managed the business in its latter years, but was tragically killed in a car accident three years ago. An avid rugby fan and long-time supporter of the Christchurch Club, Colin designed a light-weight football boot and wholesaled them throughout the country in the late 1960's. The 1967 All Blacks to Britain and the 1970 All Blacks that toured South Africa, wore the McLachlan-designed boots.

The first horse Colin owned was Status, who he raced in partnership with his friend Syd Rassie. The pair bought Status off Ben Grice. The Morano entire was trained by Peter Yeatman but he was still a maiden when he was sold to America. Colin and Syd then leased and later bought the Thurber Frost mare Miss Frost who won four races on the West Coast circuit, including the 1968 Greymouth Cup. "We were out celebrating after Miss Frost's Greymouth Cup win and a guy called Gordon Elley came up to me and said he had a horse at home that would lap my mare," he said. Caught in all the excitement and soaking up the famous West Coast hospitality, Colin shouted: "I'll buy him." The horse was General Demand, who went on to win seven races including the Winter Cup before also being sold to the States.

Before training his first horse, Lachlan Bay, Colin owned Flying Home, who won the Gore and Winton Cups as well as four other races. In his first training season, Colin won 20 races, and thought the game was easy, but he was brought back to earth the following term when successful only once. Other winners from the McLachlan team include: San Sebastian, Mighty Tuft, Scottish Chief, Flying Tempest, Way Lynne, Whata Cutie, Jack Shine, Golden Casanova, Tickle My Fancy, Lord Charles, Formal Fella, Big Brute and dual Derby winner Mighty Me.

Flying Tempest provided Colin with his first driving success at Addington, when the horseman was 47 years old. Jack Shine still holds the New Zealand record for a 3-year-old over a mile (stand). His 2:03.8 was set in June, 1982, on a wet Waterlea surface.

Formal Fella and Mighty Me were purchases from the 1981 National Yearling Sales at Addington, but if Colin had had anything to do with it, Formal Fella would've been the only yearling he took home from the sale. "While I was paying for Formal Fella, Sylvia bid for and bought Mighty Me," he said.

Colin says he owes a lot of his success to Christchurch reinsman Bob Cameron, who he ranks as world class.

Colin says he intends to auction his large band of broodmares, foals and racehorses in the near future. And although selling up and getting (almost) right out of the game, Colin just happened to have his finger up at the right time at the NZ Premier Yearling Sale last month. Knocked down to him for $9000 was a Talk About Class colt out of NZ Oaks winner Swift Princess. "I couldn't let the son of an Oaks winner go that cheap," Colin said. So even at a solemn stage of his career, Colin is still keen to play a minor part in harness racing.

Credit: Steve Wilson writing in HRWeekly 1Feb89