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INTERNATIONAL HISTORY HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Joe Biden’s inauguration as US President on 20 January

Military coup in Myammar overthrows Aung San Suu Kyi’s

National League for Democracy (NLD) party

Cargo ship Ever Given gets stuck in Suez Canal

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, dies

B.1.617.2 variant gets the name Delta. Year end total deaths exceed 5 million worldwide. Various vaccines being administered

Delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in July/August
Troops withdrawn from Afghanistan after two decade war as Kabul falls to Taliban


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LOCAL HISTORY HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

COVID continues with lockdowns under alert levels and later traffic lights system nationwide. Some disruption to local racing due to COVID protocols. Vaccine of majority of population completed to approximately 90% double jabbed level by end of year – boosters commenced

Countdown terror attacks in Dunedin (April) and Lynmall, Auckland (September)

State of emergency announced in Ashburton, Selwyn and Timaru districts in May as torrential rain hit the Canterbury region, one in hundred year floods


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RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

TREVOR BEATON
Trevor Beaton is being remembered as a passionate supporter of harness racing who will be sorely missed.

He’s died in Christchurch aged 70 after a battle with cancer.

“For over 40 years he was involved in standardbreds,” says good friend Graeme Iggo, “what quickly comes to mind are his high ethical standards, his passion, his generosity, his sense of humour and his loyalty.”

He was a former president of the Canterbury branch of the NZ Standardbred Breeders Association, vice president of the national body of the NZSBA, president of the Hororata Trotting Club and for two years was a HRNZ Board member. He also worked part time for HRNZ educating and training cadets.

“He was such a positive and jovial guy who was totally immersed in the industry,” says former HRNZ Board member Allan Brown.

Education was a big part of Beaton’s life and he was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for services to education. He retired in 2011 after being the principal at Cobham Intermediate in Christchurch for 15 years.

As a horse breeder he produced over 80 foals and was a highly respected preparer of yearlings for the sales, having won Best Presented Yearling on several occasions.

“The first mare he bought and bred from was Samantha Scott in 1972 which he paid $2500 for,” says Iggo, “he often laughed about the fact that the horse was worth four times his only other asset at the time – his $600 car.”

Current HRNZ Board member Ken Spicer recalls a trip to the Kaikoura races just last November when Beaton’s health was not good.

“Four of us stayed on course and his horse Admirable won, it was his first win there and a good ending to the yearly pilgrimage,” said Spicer.

“Trevor was a very good mate and we will all miss him dearly”

“He had made many friends in harness racing throughout the country,” said Iggo, “and he will be a significant loss, not only to these friends but to the industry itself.”

Funeral details to be advised.



Credit: 5 March 2021 , Obituary HRNZ

RACING HISTORY HORSES

WATCH ME NOW
Watch Me Now delivered the ultimate goodbye and the greatest moment of Kirstin Barclay’s harness racing career by winning the NZ Standardbred Breeders’ Stakes at Addington on Friday night.



Watch Me dug deep along the Addington passing lane to reel in star mare Amazing Dream to seal maiden Group One wins for both Barclay and her training partner Tank Ellis in the 2600m feature.

In her more than 23 years in harness racing Barclay had only dreamed of winning a Group One race.
But thanks to the incredible talent of her lightly raced mare it was a dream no more.

“I never thought I’d get the chance to drive a Group One winner, it is just so special.”
“Especially doing it with her in her last start for us.”
Barclay will now say goodbye to Watch Me Now with the mare being sold in a big-money deal to North American interests by agent John Curtin.
“The owners are definitely delighted to get her,” Curtin said.

“We didn’t think she could beat Amazing Dream from the 8-hole, but she was just incredible.”
Barclay went into her last race with Watch Me Now wanting to give it everything they had.
And she did that by blasting off the gate in a move that was clearly the winning of the race.
“Tank and I spoke during the week and every time I looked at the field I thought our one chance was if we could cross out of the gate and get handy,” Barclay said.

“Otherwise we were either going to have to sit parked or pull back and try and get around them.”
“You can’t do that when they are running those times.”
“That was the plan and luckily it worked out.”
After crossing to the lead shortly after the start, Amazing Dream and Mark Purdon came back around Watch Me Now and Barclay to hand them a perfect trip in the trail.
Though it looked like the leader had enjoyed steady sectionals in the middle stages, the pace can’t have been too slow.
Watch Me Now broke the national mares’ record for 2600m The Orange Agent set in the same race in 2017 with her 3-07.2 time.



Barclay praised Ellis for his careful planning that had Watch Me Now ready to peak for her Group One tilt.
“He has been really patient and he is really good at mapping out a path for them.”
“And he really did that to perfection.”
“And we have really got to thank Benny Hill, who has looked after her for the last two weeks.”
“You couldn’t have a horse in a better place, no stone goes unturned.”

Watch Me Now delivered the ultimate going away present for her Southland owners Steve and Claire Sloan, who race the outstanding mare with son Brad and his wife Jess, and daughter Halie Gibb and her husband, Alan.
The daughter of Mach Three mare, Mach N Elle, will head to North America on the next available flight pending the outcome of a vet inspection.

It will not be the last Barclay has seen of her favourite mare, she vowed to visit Watch Me Now once COVID allows her to get there.

Credit : Harnesslink, 13 February 2021, Jonny Turner


Credit: Harnesslink

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Self Assured gave punters the smoothest of rides when confirming his status as New Zealand’s best pacer when speeding to victory in the Easter Cup at Addington on Saturday night.



In a repeat of this season’s New Zealand Cup finish the five-year-old filled the quinella with Spankem to set up a Hayden Cullen trained trifecta in the Group 1 3200m feature.

The comfortable watch for Self Assured’s backers came after he found the lead for driver Mark Purdon in the middle stages and then outsprinted his rivals with fast closing sectionals.

Incredibly, pulling off the second of two trifectas, completed by Amazing Dream’s third placing, may not have been Cullen’s biggest feat on Saturday.

Because having Self Assured primed to win his Group One staying test with just one 1980m race in the last eight weeks rates right up with them.

“It was probably the perfect race for him the way it panned out,” Cullen said.

“They didn’t go that hard which was probably ideal for him with the way he came into it.”

“When he made the front he was always going to be very hard to catch.”

The only problem Cullen is facing with the Jean Feiss owned Self Assured is what to do beyond next week.
Both the five-year-old and Amazing Dream are scheduled to return to Addington for the Group 2 Superstars Championship.

But beyond that the horse harness racing fans want to see the most may not be going anywhere.
“He will come back to Addington next week for the Superstars but after that there is not really a lot for him,” Cullen said.

“There is the Rangiora Classic later on but not much else, so I am not sure what we will do with him after that.”

“At this stage, Jean is keen to keep him in New Zealand, though that could change.”

“If there are not any more races programmed then the Maurice Holmes Vase (August-September) would just about be the next race we would be targeting.”

Spankem is in a similar position, but Amazing Dream has a clearly defined path with the Taylor Mile, New Zealand Messenger Championship and Harness Jewels on her schedule.

Credit : Harnesslink, 4 April 2021, Jonny Turner


Credit: Jonny Turner

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Newly-crowned Group One-winning trainer Craig Edmonds says he doesn’t like trotters any more than pacers.
“I just like fast horses,” he laughs.

But that comment gets harder to believe when Five Wise Men gave Edmonds and his daughter Aimee their first Group One winner in the $100,000 Livamol NZ Trotting Derby at Addington on Friday and you realise of their 51 career wins together 43 have been with trotters.

“I suppose we just tend to get more trotters but I think we have done pretty well with the pacers we have had too,” says Edmonds.

“But we have been involved with these owners for a long time and they have had such a great breed of trotters so the better horses we get are trotters.

“And I do like the shoeing and mucking around with that part of it all so maybe that helps with the trotters.” Edmonds is being overly modest about his success with the squaregaiters as he does plenty of trotting work for son-in-law John Dunn, who is married to his other daughter Jenna.

“We all work in well together and Aimee not only helps out with the horses but it great with the accounts and the owners,” says Edmonds.

“So it is a real team effort even though Aimee and I don’t have that many horses in our own name.” They have a very good one now though in Five Wise Men, who has left little doubt he is the best of this three-year-old crop, which he had to be on Friday night.

He was left out of the early burn by Dunn but got the breeze easily by the bell before giving punters a scare when chucking in a rough stride at the 850m when he started to race fiercely. But even learning on the job he was too good, holding out a luckless Time Up The Hill, a brave Son Of Patrick and Leaf Stride, who was another pushed back at a crucial stage.

As good as he has been, Five Wise Men will have to learn a new skill and quickly before he comes to Auckland for the Sires Stakes Final and Northern Trotting Derby as he has never even been worked right-handed.

“He does all his work on the beach so I haven’t tried him right-handed at all,” explains Edmonds.

“But I will start that next week and I am confident he will be fine because he is good gaited. He hangs out a bit this way so I think he will hang in up there so we might need to tinker with his gear a bit.”


Credit: HRNZ

RACING HISTORY HORSES

The day junior driver Ben Hope has been dreaming of since he was a child arrived on Friday when Muscle Mountain chased down his star rival Sundees Son to win the Group One New Zealand Trotting Championship.



Hope showed the poise of a driver well beyond his 21 years when expertly guiding the rising star of New Zealand trotting to victory in the 2600m Addington feature.

And in doing so, Hope joined a select group of New Zealand drivers to have tasted top-level success as a junior driver.

While his career has spanned just four seasons and is certainly in it’s early stages, Hope’s dreams of Group One glory can be tracked much further back.
“I have dreamed about this since even before primary school.”

“I can remember walking around with my whip and going to school pretending I was driving.”

“There has never been anything else I would rather do, it has always been harness racing.”

“To win races is really cool, but to get a Group One is phenomenal.”

Hope’s first Group One win was made sweeter by Muscle Mountain chasing down the star of New Zealand trotting in Sundees Son.

After an epic home-straight battle, Hope and his four-year-old drew clear of the Dominion winners and John Dunn to score.

Hope admitted the feeling when he crossed the line was like no other.

“It was unbelievable, firstly to beat a horse of Sundees Son’s calibre was phenomenal enough.”
“But to win a Group One with Muscle Mountain was unbelievable.”

Hope had Muscle Mountain in front early when the four-year-old showed a surprising amount of gate speed.
After being crossed early, Tony Herlihy and Bolt For Brilliance took the front before handing it to Dunn and Sundees Son.

That left Hope with a key decision to make – when to angle off the pegs to avoid being caught three back on the markers.

The junior driver timed his move to perfection, waiting as long as he could until moving out near the 800m.
“I knew I was following two good horses but at the same time I knew I didn’t want to be too far off Sundees Son.”

“I made the decision to pull out and to the horse’s credit he stuck on well.”

Hope’s breakout win also made more special as it came for his parents, trainers Greg and Nina Hope.

The junior driver paid credit to them and owner Ian Dobson for having the faith in him to be partnered with such a brilliant trotter.

“Mum and Dad have obviously been my biggest supporters.”
“They have put me on horses that not many young people get to drive.”

“I am very thankful to them and I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am.”

“And I have to give a lot of thanks to Ian Dobson as well, I am pretty lucky to be able to drive a horse like this.”

Sundees Son was game in defeat, fighting hard to finish three-quarters of a length from Muscle Mountain.
Bolt For Brilliance held third after looking under plenty of pressure on the home turn.

The trio are unlikely to clash again this season.
Muscle Mountain’s next big goal is the Harness Jewels.
The Hope camp have said a Rowe Cup campaign is unlikely for their stable star.


Credit: HRNZ

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Three year old filly Bettor Twist won her fifth Group One harness racing event tonight when taking out the $115,344 Gr1 Nevele R Fillies Series Final in the hands of driver Natalie Rasmussen.
Bettor Twist made light work of her second row draw, eventually working around to the lead with a lap to go and proving too strong in the run to the judge winning impressively in a 1-55.0 mile rate for the 1980m mobile event.
The Robert Dunn trained Off N Gone was a brave second 2 1/2 lengths away with a further 6 lengths back to Bettor Talk Art in third.
Credit : Harnesslink Media 14 May 2021


Credit: Harnesslink

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Akuta produced a Group One victory equally as powerful as his stablemate’s when running away from his fellow two-year-olds in the Garrard’s Sires Stakes Series Final.
Fresh off his brilliant win in last week’s Harness Million Final, the pacer produced an even more impressive victory when overcoming drawing on the outside of the second row.
“He was really good last week and he had to be really good again tonight,” Cullen said.
“Nat could have let him go at the 400m, but she held him up a bit and she said he pretty much jogged it.”
Cosmic Major chased hard behind Akuta to provide Cullen with a stable quinella in a repeat of the pair’s one-two finish in last week’s Harness Million.
Credit : NZ Harness News, 22 May 2021, Jonny Turner


Credit: NZ Harness News

RACING HISTORY HORSES

The queen had to earn her crown and Bettor Twist did it with style when taking out the Group One New Zealand Oaks at Addington on Friday night.
Doing midrace work and sitting parked in the second-fastest ever running on the 2600m classic were of little worry to the champion Hayden Cullen trained filly as she powered to the line to again confirm her star status.
The victory was aided by a pinpoint Natalie Rasmussen drive on a night she and Cullen dominated the Addington card with dual Group One victories.
Rasmussen’s fellow leading reinswoman Samantha Ottley set up an enthralling affair and made Bettor Twist work for her second Oaks crown with positive early tactics behind her archrival La Rosa.
Sent forward early, Ottley parked the favourite early and set a strong clip in front to give her charge her shot at taking down Bettor Twist.
And while La Rosa was brilliant in second her effort wasn’t enough to hold out her star rival who thrived in her second attempt over on Oaks distance.
“La Rosa really made a race of it and our filly had to be good tonight,” Cullen said.
“And she showed how good she is.”
“She has always gone well over the shorter distances but I thought 2600m would suit her right down to the ground.”
“She really stuck to her guns the whole way and we got the job done.”
Credit : NZ Harness News, 22 May 2021, Jonny Turner


Credit: NZ Harness News

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Krug’s superstar qualities turned pre-race concern into post-race jubilation as he left his rivals in his wake in a brilliant New Zealand Derby win at Addington on Friday night.



Driver Blair Orange seized the opportunity to control the Group One feature in front and in the process delivered the quickest of answers following a week of pontificating by fans and pundits over how the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained colt would handle his wide front row.

The result afterwards was both predictable and a delight to the three-year-old’s army of fans as Krug and Orange never gave their rivals even a slight look-in in the home straight.

In winning, the star colt joined a select group of winners of both the New Zealand and Northern derbies.
After taking his camp on a wild ride during his incredible Northern Derby win, Cran Dalgety admitted this time relief was one of his overriding emotions.
“It is actually a thrill just to win one, let alone two.”

“Coming into tonight expectations were high that he would perform – that he would win and do this and that.”
“But as a trainer you just can’t take that on board until the job is actually done.”
“It is a big thrill and a big relief as much as it is a big thrill.”

Krug came to be a dual derby winner during a hectic three-year-old season, packed with two-year-old features rescheduled because of COVID19.

The Dalgety stable have expertly guided their star colt through a busy schedule and under their management Krug just keeps getting better.

Cran was modest when he and his wife were credited for an outstanding training performance.
“We planned to do this, we planned to get him fit and planned to get him healthy.”

“But the last percentage is in the lap of the gods and we were lucky in that respect.”
“Blair was able to drive him hard and he was still good enough to fight the others off.”

The Harness Jewels are the next target for New Zealand’s star three-year-old.

Beyond that the Dalgety camp are spoilt for choice with plenty of age-group features to target across the Tasman.

Though nothing has been confirmed, the Dalgety stable is leaning towards venturing to Australia rather than aiming their derby winning star at the New Zealand Cup.
“What to do next is a very good question and a very hard one to answer," Cran said.

“To answer it half-pie, sure we would love to be in the New Zealand Cup.”

“But I don’t want to miss the age-group racing on the way through because we can’t back-pedal on that.”
“The New Zealand Cup will always be there every 365 days.”

“You are only three once and to tentatively put it forward, I would love to have a crack at another derby or two in Australia.”

The Dalgety camp have the Rising Sun (July 10), the Queensland Derby (July 24), Victoria Derby (October 9) and the Australasian Breeders Crown (November 21) as possible targets.

B D Joe chased hard from the trail to run second behind Krug, his second Group One second placing following his runner-up effort behind It’s All About Faith in the Sires Stakes Final.

The Falcon followed the quinella makers through from three-deep on the markers to run third.


Credit: Jonny Turner

RACING HISTORY HORSES

After his third in the IRT New Zealand Cup South Coast Arden has won this afternoon's Spring Back With Mediaworks Free For All at Addington in a new New Zealand record.

Driver Natalie Rasmussen hunted South Coast Arden out of the gate to go straight to the lead.



Laver, as he does, came up looking to add some mid-race pressure, before Self Assured made his move after being in the one-one.

Self Assured (Mark Purdon) actually led South Coast Arden a hundred metres from home but Rasmussen got him going again to win the Group One feature, cutting out the 1980m in 2:17.

That beat the old record of 2:18.5 set by Cruz Bromac in 2018.

It's South Coast Arden's 11th win in 26 starts. It continued an amazing run that both Rasmussen and Purdon have had during Cup week.


Credit: HRNZ News

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Covid stopped him being there but it couldn’t stop Ray Green from delivering the training performance of a lifetime as Copy That staved off his rivals to win the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday.
Green watched on from his living room as the horse he selected to buy before he was even a year old powered to a front-running victory in New Zealand’s greatest race four years on.

With Green stuck in Auckland and owners, Meg and Merv Butterworth forced to watch on from Australia all New Zealand Cup responsibility was left to driver Blair Orange.

When Orange took Copy That to the lead his 76-year-old trainer knew from his lifelong involvement in harness racing that his horse was nearly unbeatable from that point.

But it didn’t mean he wasn’t in for one of the most stressful four minute periods of his life.
“He was never going to get beat once he strolled two easy halves (800m), I thought they were never going to beat him.”

“Self Assured is a very good horse but we have beaten him in the past in the same scenario and I think our horse is a lot stronger this year.”

“So, you see him in front and you think they can’t beat him, but then you think maybe they can.”
“It was stressful, you don’t realise how stressed out you were until it's over.”

“It was very emotional once he crossed the line.”



Orange delivered a front-running performance fitting of his status as New Zealand’s premier reinsman by expertly controlling the New Zealand Cup tempo.

After his brilliant effort to guide Copy That to his commanding win, the reinsman was typically humble, suggesting he was lucky to land the drive on such a brilliant horse.

“It is a very special moment, it is the pinnacle of our racing year and it is hard enough to get a drive in it let alone a leading chance,” Orange said.

Copy That’s victory offered redemption for his camp after the pacer was a victim of a controversial start to last year’s event which severely affected his winning chances.
The pacer’s win also completed an epic journey which started when Green and wife Debbie bought the horse home from a weanling sale for $7500, which has looked like a bargain price for some time.

Green admitted he and his wife have had their ups and downs with the pacer since, but it was all made worthwhile when Copy That wrote himself into the greatest chapter of New Zealand harness racing’s history.

“It wasn’t all beer and skittles, it took a while for him to materialise.”

“But I always knew he had a bit of speed, so you persevere and this is the end result.”

“I have had a lot of the drivers be very good with him in his progress, they’ve looked after him when he was doing things wrong and I appreciate all of them.”

The Greens sold Copy That to the Butterworths as a three-year-old, which allowed the Australian owners to live a second New Zealand Cup dream following their victory with Arden Rooney in 2015.

“Debbie never wanted to sell him, but you have got to be realistic, we are not rich people and when you are offered a lot of money you have to sell,” Green said.
“We have still got him to train, so it has been a win-win, the owners that bought him have been great.”
“They are very loyal owners.”

“I am just extremely grateful for this horse, there are a lot of people involved.”

“From the vets to the staff, to (Lincoln Farms owner) John street, there are so many people.”

Though robbed of the chance to see his career and life defining win in the flesh, there was one advantage from Green being able to watch the New Zealand Cup from home alongside his wife and his staff.

Celebrations started before Orange and his team on the ground got the hopples off Copy That.

“There is a party going on here, there is champagne sprayed everywhere,

“It is almost like one of those formula one podium jobs.”
Copy That scored in a 3.58.8 winning time by a two and a half lengths over defending champion Self Assured, with South Coast Arden third.


Credit: Johnny Turner

RACING HISTORY HORSES

A stunning display of speed and stamina from Franco Indie delivered the perfect result for Spreydon Lodge in the Group 1 Sires Stakes Final on New Zealand Cup Day.

The Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained pacer shrugged off sitting parked throughout the first age-restricted Group One of the harness racing season as he and his stablemate Franco Mac left their rivals chasing their dust.

The victory not only continued an incredible day out for the Purdon-Cullen stable, it produced a perfect result for breeders Spreydon Lodge and its own stablemate, Nevele R Stud.



Franco Indie and Franco Mac have never been far from each other throughout their lives having been bred and raised at Spreydon Lodge, before both being sold as yearlings and going to at the All Stars stable.
Their journey to a one-two finish in a Group One feature on New Zealand Cup Day was something Spreydon Lodge and Nevele R Stud general manager Ged Moar almost couldn’t believe.

“It is a huge thrill, I can’t believe it, it doesn’t happen very often that they were both in the same yearling sale, we bred them and the mares and it is just a great thrill to get a Group One quinella on a very special day.”

Franco Indie’s journey towards Group One glory under the incredible guidance of the All Stars stable started with Mooar asking Mark Purdon to find him some stock of Nevele
Stud’s exciting stallion Always B Miki to race, with a view to giving the sire’s career a kickalong.
The result could not have been better for Nevele R Stud and Alabar, who stand Always B Miki and race Franco Indie together.

Franco Indie is the stallion’s first Group One winner in New Zealand and third in Australasia.

“We asked Mark and Natalie to go to the sales and buy a couple of colts by Always B Miki.”

“This fellow just happened to be in Spreydon Lodge’s draft.”

“That was great, so Nevele R retained a share in him, Alabar took a share in him and the rest is shared among a lot of people, including a lot of people from the Chase Auckland syndicate.”

“It is great to share this victory with a lot of people.”
Purdon carried the same Alabar silks to victory in his win in the Sires Stakes Final with Chase Auckland in 2017.

Franco’s Indie’s win continued an incredible domination of the Group One feature by Mark Purdon.

Purdon has trained the last eight winners of the race in Have Faith In Me, Lazarus, Ultimate Machete, Chase Auckland, Ultimate Sniper, One Change, It’s All About Faith and now Franco Indie.

This year’s win came in partnership with Hayden Cullen with the prior seven in partnership with Natalie Rasmussen.

Spreydon Lodge has a proud history of its own in the Sires Stakes Final.

Franco Indie joins fellow Francos, Franco Enforce (1996), Franco Heir (2000) and Franco Nelson as winners of the feature.


Credit: Johnny Turner

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Mark Purdon had a New Zealand Cup day to remember at Addington Raceway on Tuesday with six wins, but the one that stood out above the rest was Oscar Bonavena’s victory in the Group 1 Livamol NZ Trotting Free-For-All (1980m).

The Canterbury horseman, who trains the entire in partnership with Hayden Cullen, reined home the five-year-old to win his maiden Group One victory for Purdon’s father, legendary trainer Roy Purdon, and American-based expat Kiwi trainer Chris Ryder.

“It will be very special for him (Roy),” Mark Purdon said. “He is 94 now, but he still looks forward to the races and it will give him a great thrill to watch it.”
Drawn the outside of the front row, Purdon eased his charge to sit off a hot pace set by Majestic Man, who burnt early for the lead.

Purdon navigated his charge into the one-one behind Midnight Dash before driver Jim Curtin extricated Bolt For Brilliance off the fence to sit parked outside Majestic Man.

Turning for home Purdon guided Oscar Bonavena four-wide where he was able to show a blistering turn of foot to run down the leaders to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Bolt For Brilliance, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Majestic Man in third.

A talented youngster, Oscar Bonavena was purchased out of Phil Williamson’s barn after his runner-up effort in the Group 2 Sires’ Stakes 2YO Trot (1950m) but has faced a number of setbacks, which made Tuesday’s win even sweeter for Purdon.

“He has had a lot of issues along the way and it is hard to get them back to this level too,” Purdon said.
“I am very proud of him today. They went hard early which helped and he finished over the top of them.”
Co-trainer Hayden Cullen was also jubilant after the win given Oscar Bonavena’s past issues.

“He really deserved it, he has had a few niggles along the way,” Cullen said.

“He had a bone chip taken out and he had a cyst in a knee, just a few niggles there that held up his career a wee bit. He seems good at the moment so hopefully he will carry on.”

It was Oscar Bonavena’s third run this preparation and Cullen said he needed those first two hit-outs to have him hard-fit for Tuesday’s assignment.

“He has had a couple of runs under his belt this time in and he showed his true form today,” Cullen said.
“Mark and I have been very pleased with him. At that grade you need a few runs under your belt to be hardened to those better horses. He was third-up today and he went very well.”

Tuesday will be Cullen’s last Cup Day as official training partner with Purdon before he reverts back to his former stable foreman role, and he said it was great to notch his first Group One victory on Cup Day.
“It is a great thrill,” he said. “It is the day you want to win races on.”


Credit: Joshua Smith

RACING HISTORY HORSES

Just like harness racing fans across Australasia, the team behind Sundees Son were left utterly speechless when the star trotter produced one of the greatest trotting performances in New Zealand’s history to win the Group One Dominion at Addington on Show Day.

The Robert and Jenna Dunn trained six-year-old didn’t just break his own national and race record set in his brilliant win in the 3200m feature last year, he absolutely smashed it, setting a new mark few thought was possible.

Perfectly handled by driver John Dunn, Sundees Son crossed the line in the jaw-dropping time of 3.56.6 – a massive 4.9sec faster than his 4.00.5 win in the race last year.

And even more incredibly, his time was 2.2sec faster than what Copy That’s clocked when winning the New Zealand Cup over the same trip on Tuesday.



Emotions flowed from owner-breeders Colin and Nancy Hair, as well as from the training team behind the star squaregaiter including Robert and Jenna Dunn and her father Craig Edmonds.

Understandably, it was a combination of jubilation from witnessing a stunning victory and a sense of disbelief after their trotting star had produced one of the most remarkable performances in 110 editions of the Dominion.
“It was unbelievable,” Jenna Dunn said.

“Sunny is a special horse and with him anything is possible, but it is still unbelievable that he won like that.”

As unique as his stunning victory was, so is the way the team behind Sundees Son come together to make him a success.

The Hairs have pulled off a breeding miracle with their Sundon mare Stardon, while Jenna and her father Craig Edmonds and John Dunn and his father Robert all contribute to the fine-tuning of a superstar trotter and his career.

“I am just so lucky to be a part of it, Dad does a lot of work with the horse and Johnny does too, it is a real team effort.”

Colin and Nancy Hair were understandably speechless after watching their trotting star rewrite history.
It could take several days for the gravity of what they witnessed on Friday to sink in.
“I still don’t believe what just happened,” Colin Hair said.

“It is just incredible, I think it will take some time to sink in.”

Sundees Son’s performance and winning time surely rates him in the top tier of trotters around the world.
With little to prove in New Zealand, taking on those global superstars seems an inevitable option.

“With Covid we have never really considered going anywhere, the Interdominions were never an option,” Hair said.

“I have always said that unless Craig can go with him and John can drive him and he can race in Robert’s colours he won’t be going anywhere.”

“But now he has won a lot of the big races here twice, we will have to consider going somewhere.”

The Dunn team produced another brilliant training performance in the Dominion with Mataderos just a length behind his stablemate in second.

The trotter also smashed the 3200m national record as he continued his rise from battling Aussie bush trotter to Group One star in just his 13th start in New Zealand.
The Dunn stable also produced Chief Of Staff for the race of his lifetime, finishing fourth behind third placegetter, Bolt For Brilliance.


Credit: Johnny Turner

RACING HISTORY RACING PUBLICATIONS

This year’s NZ Trotting FFA to be run at Addington Raceway on New Zealand Cup Day (9 November 2021) will be the 75th occasion that the now Group One NZ Trotting FFA has been run at the New Zealand Metropolitan’s TC’s headquarters.

The NZ Trotting FFA is the first of three Group One open class (OC) trotters events raced at Addington annually, others being the Dominion Hcp on Show Day (currently second day of NZ Cup carnival) and NZ Trotting Championship run as part of Easter meetings. The FFA is one of six Group One’s nationally for OC trotters – the others raced at Alexandra Park are the Rowe and Anzac Cups and National Trot.

The NZ Trotting FFA was first accorded Group One status in 2000, 1979 having been raced at Group Two level from 1979 and originally raced as the New Zealand Champion Trotting FFA from 1946 to 1950.

Inaugural NZ Trotting FFA

NZ CHAMPION TROTTING FFA, OC trotters, £2,000 (£1,300, £400, £200, £100); 1½m standing start, 16 November 1946.

Winner : 4/4 STEEL KING (1935), 11yo grey gelding Wrack by Peter The Great – Oriental, owner WL Parkinson, tr Ces Donald (Belfast), dr Ron Donald

Second : 1/1 Sea Max, dr Bill Doyle

Third : 9/8 Mae Wynne, dr Wes Butt

Fourth : 2/2 Forewarned, dr Freeman Holmes

Balance of field consisted of (not in finishing order) : Casabianca, Fantom, Hidden Note, Medical Student, Range Finder (bracketed with Steel King), Royal Worthy, Will Cary)

T3:18 2/5; 3½l, ½l, ½ neck; £7/16/6, £1/19/0; £1/6/0; £4/11/6. Total betting of £19,155½ (win £8,284½; place £10,871)

The old grey 11yo Steel King was in the form of his life during the 1946 NZ Cup carnival winning both the NZ Champion Trotting FFA and Sockburn Hcp. Racing rivals Sea Max, Mae Wynne and Forewarned to a standstill under the FFA conditions, he took his stake earnings to £5,460 (his final tally). Steel King was owned from June 1944 by Mr WL Parkinson and trained by Ces Donald.

Steel King was by Wrack from Oriental, by Logan Pointer-Eastern Lady by Prince imperial from a thoroughbred mare by Benzoin. Oriental produced Cheetah, the dam of 1946 NZ Cup winner Integrity (also NZ Pacing Championship FFA) making for superb performances during the 1946 NZ Cup carnival from two members of the one family at differing gaits.

Apart from not being run in 1952, the NZ Trotting FFA has been a feature of Addington’s NZ Cup carnival. The race has had a number of distance changes being run at 1½m standing start in 1946, 1 mile and five furlongs standing start from 1947 – 1972 (exception 1962 – 12½ furlongs mobile), changing to 2600m standing start with the introduction of metric distances in the 1973/4 season. Converted to a mobile start from the 1974 edition remaining at a distance of 2600m until 2012 when the distance was reduced to 2000m (2012, 2013) changing to 1950m (2014 – 2017) before changing to its current distance of 1980m in 2018.

The running of the NZ Trotting FFA at the NZ Cup carnival has taken place across all days the carnival has been held over the past seventy five years. Whilst currently raced on NZ Cup Day (Tuesday since 2009), in the past the race has been on Show Day (Friday, 1980 - 2008; Day three (week two when four meetings held as opposed to current two) Tuesday evening 1966 – 1973 or Wednesday evening 1963 – 1965 and Saturday day in 1950; Day four (week two) final day/night Saturday 1946 – 1949, 1951, 1953 – 1962 and 1974 – 1979.

Sponsorship of the race commenced in 1986 with Hurricane Wire Products sponsoring the Trotting FFA. Air New Zealand commenced a lengthy sponsorship in 1987 until 2001. A number of sponsors supported the event for many years – First Sovereign Trust (2005 – 2008), Seelite Windows and Doors (2009 – 2013), Granite Benchtop Company (2014 – 2018) while one year sponsorships have been provided by Bone Marrow Transplant Trust (2002), Nuggets Bar and Casino (2003), Porter Group Hyundai Construction Equipment (2004), Commodore Airport Hotel (2019) and Livamol (2020). The sponsor for the 2021 running of the NZ Trotting FFA will be the Gramite Benchtop Company.

The stake for the NZ Trotting FFA has increased from an initial £2,000 ($4,000) to today’s $100,000 with several ups and downs over the years. Prizemoney remained at £2,000 until reducing to £1,200 in 1953 and went as low as £900 in 1958. Growing slowly reaching £1,500 in 1964 and increased after the introduction of decimal currency in 1967 to $3,500 in 1969. Inflation in the 1970’s with the stake reaching $7,500 in 1980, $20,000 by 1985, $40,000 in 1989, decreasing to $35,000 (1990 – 1995) before again making the $40,000 mark for years 1996 – 1999. The turn of the century and stakes were at $50,000 until 2006 – 2007 to $75,000 while $100,000 was attained in 2008 and 2009. A reduction to $80,000 occurred 2010 – 2016 before the stake was reinstated in 2017 at its current $100,000 level.

Mares have a respectable record in the NZ Trotting FFA having led the field home on sixteen occasions of seventy four to date and a two time winner Queens Cord among several other leading female trotting winners.

Leading winning drivers : with six winning drives Bob Young (Aerial Scott twice, Single Task, Supervise, Mighty Hanover, Queens Cord) and Anthony Butt (Take A Moment twice, Lyell Creek, Vulcan, Peak, Tough Monarch) share the lead. Ricky May with five, Maurice Holmes with four together with a number of drivers having three wins – Bill Doyle, John Langdon, David Butt and Tony Herlihy MNZM.

Trainers : Tim Butt with five successes with Lyell Creek, Take A Moment twice, Vulcan, Peak heads the trainers list at present followed by two trainers with three successes – Jim Young and Bill Doyle while a number have had two successes – John Doherty, Bruce Running (one co trainer with father Eric), Slim Dykman, Mawson MacPherson, Patrick O’Reilly Jnr, Barry Purdon (one with co trainer father Roy), Paul Nairn, Mark Purdon, Phil Williamson, Greg and Nina Hope.

Owners: there have been two three time winning owners, Bill Doyle with Gold Horizon twice, When and John Dickie with Thriller Dee, Last Sunset, Romper Stomper. A number of dual winning owners, being John Spiers, Joe Rooney, Heber Hewson, Eric and Thelma Running, Slim Dykman, Mawson MacPherson, Paul and Graeme Nairn/Helen Pope/Gwynn Thomson, Long Drive Syndicate, Greg and Nina Hope/Morrie Molloy.

Winning owner/trainer/drivers : several feature in the seventy five year history of the NZ Trotting FFA, being three time owner/trainer/driver Bill Doyle, Gold Horizon 1953, 1954 – part owner with Gordon Gillard, When 1962 and single winners in Slim Dykman, Scotch Tar 1979; Leicester Clark, Mighty Hanover 1967; Jack Shaw, Vodka 1955; James Wilson, Dictation 1951 and part owner/trainer/driver Justin Smith, Speculate 2009.

Times run in the NZ Trotting FFA can be spilt into imperial and metric distances. Imperial 1946 – 1972 : 1½ milesSS : only run in 1946 when Steel King won in T3:18.2; 12½ furlongs mobile, T3:18.4 When 1962 only time run at this unique distance; one mile five furlongsSS T3:27.4 Le Chant 1966 when NZR was Moon Boy’s world record T3:23 4/5 set on 27 August 1960. The slowest time recorded over 1m5furs was Aerial Scott’s second victory in 1948 of T3:44.0. Metric since 1973 : the only running over 2600mSS resulted in Easton Light’s T3:25.0 being the race and NZ record for distance (he recorded T3:22.0 from the mobile when winning again in 1974). The fastest 2600mM was Romper Stomper’s T3:14.2/2:00.1 in 2007 while Best Bet’s T3:26.1 was the slowest mobile (1977). When reduced to 2000mM, I Can Doosit’s T2:25.0 in 2012 was the quickest; 1950mM record shared by Monbet (2016) and Great Things Happen (2017) at T2:21.7 while Heavyweight Hero’s T2:23.9 last year (2020) is the quickest recorded over the current 1980mM distance.

A number of NZ record times have been recorded since the move to metric distances in 1973 (none when FFA run over imperial distances). Over 2600mM, Petite Evander established a mare’s record of T3:22.5 in 1976; Stormy Morn set an all comer’s record of T3:21.3 in 1981. At 2000mM in 2012 I Can Doosit recorded a NZR of T2:25.0; as outlined above the 1950mM record is shared by Monbet in 2016 and Great Things Happen in 2017 at T2:21.7 while Heavyweight Hero’s T2:23.9 in 2020 is the record over the 1980mM distance.

Winning margins : the maximum winning margins include Take A Moment’s 2003, second consecutive win record five length victory; Ima Gold Digger by 4½l in 2010; Recruit by four lengths in 1956; Scotch Tar in 1979 and I Can Doosit in 2012 victories by 3½l while three length winners have been Steel King, 1946; Durban Chief, 1958 and Great Things Happen, 2017. The narrowest margin of a nose has two record holders, Inferno in 1970 and Best Bet in 1977.

Youngest winner : four year old – Monbet’s first of two wins in 2015 was the first and only time a four year old has won the Trotting FFA. A number of five year olds have recorded wins in the FFA – Scotch Tar, 1978; Idle Scott, 1988; Ima Gold Digger, (2010; Vulcan, 2011; Stent, 2014 and Monbet in his second consecutive win in 2016. Oldest winner is Gold Horizon’s second victory in 1954, aged twelve. Eleven year olds to win the FFA are Steel King, 1946; Gold Horizon, first win in 1953; Jimmy Dillon, 1949; Inferno, 1970 and Lyell Creek, 2004. A number of ten year olds are the next most successful old timers to win the NZ Trotting FFA – Tony Bear, 1971; Precocious, 1972; Easton Light’s second win in 1974 and Sure Mart, 1980.

Multiple winners : there has never been a three time winner of the NZ Trotting FFA but there are a number of dual winners : Aerial Scott, Call Me Now, Easton Light, Gold Horizon, Monbet, Queens Cord, Recruit, Scotch Tar, Sir Castleton and Take A Moment. Tough Monarch in 2020 is the only Australian trained and owned winner of the NZ Trotting FFA, driven by Kiwi Anthony Butt although he is now based in Australia. Earlier Tony Bear (1971) was Australian owned but trained and driven in NZ by Wes Butt. Several winners come from Australian families – Cee Ar, Mighty Hanover, Heavyweight Hero (A1 Verity), Supervise (A2 Lady Ajax), Romper Stomper (A34 Dolly by Stockwell), Admiral Sonani (A94 Restless) and Tony Bear (A133 De Luxe).

In the breeding barn, leading sire with six NZ Trotting FFA winners is Sundon (Sunny Action, Last Sunset, Allegro Agitato, Jasmyns Gift, Speculate, Ima Gold Digger), with victories covering the decade from 2000 - 2010, three instances of consecutive year winners. Game Pride with five credits follows before four credit sires in Armbro Invasion, Great Evander and Court Martial while those with three credits are Light Brigade, Love You and Quite Sure. These eight stallions alone account for thirty two of the seventy four NZ Trotting FFA winners to date. Leading broodmare sire of NZ Trotting FFA winners with six is Light Brigade, they being Queens Cord twice, Precocious, Easton Light twice, Petite Evander followed by Sundon with five, Chiola Hanover with four, U Scott and Tuft both with three.

On the maternal side Pride Of Lincoln (N1 : Dictation, Take A Moment twice, Stig) and Violet M (N26 : When, Call Me Now twice, Speculate) lead with four winners from Verity (A1), Harolds Rest (N6), Hoods Polly (N8) and Kate by Highland Chief (U301) with three next in line.
Winners of Christchurch premier trotting events in the same calendar year – Easton Light, 1974; I Can Doosit, 2012 and Monbet (2016) won all three Group Ones in the same calendar year - NZ Trotting FFA, Trotting Championship and Dominion Hcp.

Winners of Dominion Hcp and NZ Trotting FFA – Tutira, 1969; Scotch Tar, 1978; Stormy Morn, 1981; Simon Katz. 1987; Tobago, 1989; Call Me Now, 1995; Chiola Cola, 1996; Take A Moment, 2002, 2003; Lyell Creek, 2004; Stig, 2008 and Vulcan, 2011.

Winners of NZ Trotting FFA and Trotting Championship - Sir Castleton, 1983 and Speeding Spur, 2018.

Winners of Dominion Hcp and NZ Trotting Championship - Nigel Craig, 1977; Scotch Tar, 1980; Basil Dean, 1984; Tussle, 1986; David Moss, 1993, 1994; Cedar Fella, 1998; Take A Moment, 2001 and Stylish Monarch, 2010.

Christchurch Interdominion Trotters Grand Final winners who also won Group One trots at Addington in the same calendar year included : No Response, 1979 – NZ Trotting Championship; Call Me Now, 1995 and Take A Moment, 2003 also won Dominion Hcp and NZ Trotting FFA in their ID year. Tussle won the Dominion Hcp and ID Final in the same season, 1986/7 at Addington.

NZ Trotting FFA winners to be named Trotter Of Year in same season commencing 1973/4 season include Easton Light, 1973/4, 1974/5; Stormy Morn, 1981/2; Simon Katz, 1987/8; William Dee, 1991/2; Call Me Now, 1994/5, 1995/6; Take A Moment, 2002/3, 2003/4; Stig, 2008/9; Stent, 2014/5 and Monbet, 2015/6, 2016/7.

Of those just three trotters also collected the Harness Horse of Year Award in the same season –Take A Moment, 2002/3; I Can Doosit, 2011/12 and Monbet, 2015/16.

Points of interest concerning NZ Trotting FFAs :

• Bob Young drove six winners in first two decades of Trotting FFA’s running, 1946 -1965 matched by Anthony Butt’s six spread over years 2002 – 2019


• 1948 winner Aerial Scott, also 1947 earlier in 1948 won the inaugural ID Trotters Grand Final at Alexandra Park
• Dictation’s 1951 victory was his only win, nine placings from fifteen starts in the 1951/2 season. Shortly after FFA win, he set a NZ grass track record of T2:07 2/5TT at New Brighton on 1 December 1951
• Gold Horizon’s second consecutive win in 1954 was his final race victory
• Vodka first of numerous winners to make their way and mark in North America – Durban Chief; Le Chant, grand dam of world champion Grades Singing; Petite Evander; Lyell Creek and Speeding Spur
• 1961 Ordeal passed the post first only to be disqualified – ultimate winner was Reprimand
• Mighty Hanover’s win on Wednesday 20 November 1963 came at Addington’s inaugural night trotting meeting. This was the same night Cardigan Bay won Allan Matson Hcp by 3½l in 3:18.2 for mile and five furlongs lowering False Step's world record by nearly 3secs. His net time (4.5secs deducted for his handicap of 54 yards) was a mile rating of 2:01.9 from a standing start. It was the first time in world harness history that two-minute speed has been sustained by any horse beyond a mile and a quarter. Cardigan Bay had run his last mile in 2:00 flat. He is one of only four horses to have won on all four days of a NZ Cup carnival – all four open class pacing events in 1963 - NZ Cup, NZFFA, Matson and Ollivier Hcps
• Colin De Filippi’s first Trotting FFA winner in 1975 was Cee Ar owned with V Ford/trained by his father Rod De Filippi. Four decades later Colin training in partnership with wife Julie drove 2014 winner Stent for owner Trevor Casey
• Stormy Morn’s 1981 winning tr/dr Tony Perucich was a former jockey, eleven wins, apprenticed to Te Awamutu trainer Jack MacDonald
• 1981 Stormy Morn won all five major trotting events in 1981/2 season (Inter-Island Challenge Stakes, Dominion Hcp, NZ Trotting FFA, National Trot and Rowe Cup)
• 1982 winner Thriller Dee provided twenty two year old John Dickie with his first success at Addington. Part owned by his mother Gwen, her late husband Ivan (died 1974) had trained/driven Inferno to success in the 1970 Trotting FFA
• Tussle recorded an eight race winning sequence including the Trotting FFA that ran from 1986 Dominion Hcp through to Trotters ID Grand Final at Addington in March 1987
• Simon Katz at 1987 NZ Cup carnival became the first trotter since 1946 introduction of Trotting FFA to win all three open class trots at a NZ Cup carnival – Quinns Fashion, formerly Worthy Queen Hcp; Trotting FFA and Dominion Hcp
• Long shot “iron horse” Idle Scott’s ninth win in 1988 FFA of forty six victories in total (one in Australia) from a total of 219 starts, paid $61.20 to win
• William Dee won all three open class trots at the 1991 NZ Cup carnival, later in the same season winning 1992 ID Trotters Grand Final in Melbourne
• Anthony Butt drove three consecutive winners of the Trotting FFA between 2002 – 2004 : Take A Moment, 002, 2003 and Lyell Creek, 2004
• Lyell Creek in 2004 was having just his second FFA start (third in 2000) when a winner following his return from a successful European and North American campaign