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The death of Des Grice earlier this month ended three generations where the Grice name was synonymous with breeding, owning and training.

He was born in 1924, served during the Second World War in Fiji, and returned to work on the family farm at Winslow. Together with his father Ben, he moved to Prebbleton in 1951, where they stood Brahman at stud, followed by Lopez Hanover, Bandit, World Skipper, Cardshark and Melvin's Strike.

He trained such good pacers as Smokey Lopez, Ceremonial, Petro Star, Courtier, Deference; Royal Lopez, Glamour and Jonboy Star, who all won the Sapling Stakes, and the NZ Oaks Winners Have Care (driven by Bob Young) and Ruling Lobell (Denis Nyhan).

"Des drove a bit, but when Rona (whom he married) saw him for the first time and he nearly fell out of the cart, she suggested he shouldn't drive again," recalled his daughter, Anne Phillips. "They always had a top young horse, and Des was very proud when Have Care won the Oaks as an outsider," she said.

Later he employed Jeff Whittaker and Geoff Small, and when he stopped training, he gained great pleasure following their training careers.

Twenty years ago, he changed direction after he felt harness racing was not able to sustain the business they had. He sub-divided their property and Anne said he was "challeged by skills" needed to do this.

He is survived by Rona, his sons Roger and David, and daughters Anne Phillips and Judy Ingram.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 24Nov04

The 'Blue Magic' inquiry took another sad and sickening twist on Monday morning when John Seaton was found dead at his country home. Aged 55, in recent years, Seaton had grown in stature as an owner and a buyer.

After kindling his interest with modest success on the provincial tracks of Canterbury, Seaton stepped up a cog with the purchase of Il Vicolo for $23,000 as a yearling at Karaka in 1992, and he had been buying in the top bracket ever since. His name was synonymous with big spending at the yearling sales, major wins at major meetings, and forging a formidable partnership with his No.1 trainer and driver, Mark Purdon. Together, they took sure aim at the classics and the cups with colts from the most distinguished pedigress.

A dealer in every sense, Seaton revelled in the cagey science of auction bidding. He was a hard man to head when he set his sights on a prospect in the ring. Purdon was his faithful ally and confidante, and he valued their relationship both as a friend and professionally. "He was one in a million," he said. "It was a partnership that was probably meant to be. He had a big impact on my career. And it probably developed more as it went on."

Purdon said Seaton loved his 2-year-olds, and he would organise their yearling sale tour before the sales to inspect up to 75% of the offering. He said this one would be "a tough trying week. But I have got other clients and other horses, and it will have to go on," he said.

Mike De Filippi was a trainer for Seaton in an era before the scale grew with Purdon, and he raced the good horse Delegation with Seaton's wife Ann. "He came here with a horse when my brother Colin went north. He was very supportive and loved his horses. We never had any trouble, and he liked to celebrate a win with a jug of beer afterwards."

Roy Purdon, who watched Seaton nurture the careers od Mark and his son-in-law Tony Herlihy, was devastated when told by his son of Seaton's death. "I was shocked. I spoke to John on Sunday. It is just so hard to believe. He was so much fun to be with. I know he was devastated when he learnt of the charges Harness Racing New Zealand were bringing against him and when they came. It took the glamour off Addington's big day, and it is very sad for trotting." Purdon said he definitely thought it would have some sort of affect on harness racing. "I think Mark has been very strong through this. I wish I could see a better outlook for it all, but it is just too gut-wretching," he said.

Il Vicolo was Seaton's ticket to fame and fortune. But there were plenty of others, and his tally of wins has passed 250. Il Vicolo won two NZ Cups, in 1995 and 1996. He won the Sires' Stakes Final at two and three, the Great Northern and NZ Derbies, the Rising Stars Championship, the NZ FFA, and he sired Jack Cade, who for Seaton also won the NZ Derby, a Sires'Stakes Final, and the NZ FFA.

Seaton enjoyed racing his horses with friends, notably Tim Vince, and they shared notable victories with Cool Hand Like (Noel Taylor Mile), a Sires' Stakes Final (Light And Sound), and the Cardigan Bay Stakes (Jack Cade and Lennon). He decided to race Advance Attack, the brother to Courage Under Fire, himself, and his wins included the Cardigan Bay Stakes, Sapling Stakes and Welcome Stakes

His other big winners included Beatem, Bella's Boy, Born Again Christian, Flashing Sword, Hindover, Horizon, Kotare Testament, Ohara, Perfect Seelster, Raptorial, So Cool, Tricky Vic, Ulrich and Willow Chip. His ownership included 41 horse aged 4 or younger, including 2-year-olds by In The Pocket, Soky's Atom, Il Vicolo, Presidential Ball, Rustler Hanover, Badlands Hanover and Artiscape.

The cause of Seaton's death will now rest with the coroner. He leaves his wife Ann, and daughter Ann-Marie. He also leaves a stable of horses - young ones with great potential he couldn't live to see - a state of the art training establishment, boots that are really beyond the size of anyone in harness racing to fill, an engaging smile that made you smile back, and a dreaded horror of being called to the microphone.

John Seaton will be sorely missed in harness racing. But sadly, John will miss it so much more.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17Nov04

LLOYD WIGZELL

At the time of his death, Lloyd Wigzell was 86.

Wigzell was a great fan of harness racing, holding both a trainer's and driver's license for many years. At times he had a large broodmare band, and broke in quite a few horses, and he was also one of the people behind getting the Motukarara workouts up and running when they first started.

Wigzell owned a lot of winners, and some of the best of them included Happy Ending who won the Ashburton Cup, Ashburton Flying Stakes and ran second in a NZ Cup; Gold Sovereign, who ran second in a NZ Derby and to this day remains sire Golde Fulla's only sub-1:55 credit, and Chief Eagle, who pushed the great Noodlum close on occasions during his record-setting 3-year-old career.

One of the best horses Wigzell bred and developed was Repentant Leisure, a Tuft mare that went on to become hugely successful in Australia.

After farming at Methven for few years, Wigzell spent the last three decades of his life in Prebbleton, from where his harness racing involvement took on greater importance.

Wigzell is survived by son John, and daughters Mary Hobbs and Anne Graham.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 19Nov03

DANNY CAMPBELL

Daniel Campbell had never been happier in his life than the last six months says his partner of the last four and a half years, Gael Murray. Campbell died instantly in a freak accident after being kicked in the chest while handling a couple of yearling fillies at their West Melton property late last Tuesday afternoon. He was 30.

While he was best perceived in the public eyes as the driver who expertly partnered Christian Cullen in his most memorable moments, in hindsight Campbell actually regretted only being recognised by people for that association, and took much more satisfaction from being accepted by his peers for his all-round ability as a horseman. One of those was Bob Cameron, who recently re-employed him to help out in the mornings.

After stints with Bill Denton while at school, Jeff Whittaker and Frank and then Mick Murfitt, briefly entertaining the idea of being a jockey, Campbell blossomed into the country's leading junior driver with the guidance and opportunities from Cameron in the 1995/96 season with a 23-11-9 record from 136 drives for a UDR of .2361. He won the same number of races in his next and last season as a junior, before teaming up with the Brian O'Meara stable and Christian Cullen on 16 occasions (beaten just once in the GN Derby) and 14 consecutive wins. These included the Round Up 1950 over open class pacers Anvil's Star and Brabham as a three-year-old at the 1997 NZ Cup meeting, the Yearling Sales 3yo Open, Superstars, Ashburton Flying Stakes, NZ Cup, NZ FFA, NSW Miracle Mile, Treuer Memorial, Auckland Cup, a still-standing NZ Record mile at Cambridge in 1:54.1 and a heat of the 1999 Inter-Dominions in Auckland before the In The Pocket entire again went amiss. It was a stunning unbeaten 4-year-old season where they won 12 races and $757,675, and every accolade imaginable.

Campbell, known to family and friends as Daniel, and merely dubbed Danny by the media, was later dismissed from the O'Meara stable over personal differences and had since seemingly been on the outer in the industry. But Murray says he did actually prefer being out of the limelight and keeping a low profile. And contrary to suggestions, he had no ambitions to return to the fore as a reinsman. "He would have liked to have driven one more winner for Bob, and just one drive in the US, but he was becoming increasingly interested in breeding and just loved being around the broodmares and working with the youngsters," said Murray.

"He was a lot happier dealing with horses than some people anyway. He loved being around horses, but he accepted that they were also just a job at the end of the day and not your entire life, and he had a passion and dedication for everthing around him," she added. Murray will remember Campell mostly for his spontaneity and generosity, someone who never did things in halves. Whenever he bought someone a present, it was always a really big one. And he always had to do things himself and quickly, even when he didn't really know what he was doing." Murray accepts that Campbell was a shy and private sort of person, and that some probably found him quite hard to get to know at first, but says he had a wonderful sense of humour when at ease.

Christchurch breeder Les Donald, who had got to know Campbell well in recent years and had three youngsters in work with him, agreed that he was often misunderstood. "I was led to believe initially that Danny might be difficult to get to know, but right from the start I found his help, advice and communication to be second to none," said Donald. "What I actually admired most about him though was his honesty and integrity. He would always try and do the best thing by people," he added.

David Whittle knew Campbell from school in the Addington and Hoon Hay suburbs from when they were only seven, and recalls how along with Nigel McGrath the trio progressed into careers with horses. "I think we were about ten when one day we caught this kid throwing stones at horses in Hoon Hay, and we went to sort him out," said Whittle. "We made him go and pick up all the stones - that was Nigel, and we then became mates," he said.

Campbell lost his mother Carmel to cancer in November, 1996, and his father John in September last year. He had trained a winner at Addington in August, 2000 in Nuclear Sight, who was raced by a family syndicate along with friends. Campbell is survived by an older brother Keith and sisters in Karen and Nicola.



Credit: NZ HRWeekly 7May03

TREVOR THOMAS

Trevor Thomas, a special guest at the Methven Trotting Club's centenary celebrations in October, died suddenly in Christchurch earlier this week, in his 77th year.

His father, Lou, was a respected Canterbury horseman associated with several useful horse including Purser, Huon Voyage, Battle Colours and Excelsa.

After three years at Christchurch Boys High, Thomas left school at 15 to work for his father. "I helped him for the best part of 10 years, and after I thought I knew enough, I decided to go out on my own. Then, after I was married I got a job working for the railways to pay the house off, and then went back to the horses."

Thomas still vividly recalls his first winner, Waroonga, at Addington in 1947. "It was just after my 21st birthday, and one of my father's owners gave me £5. My mother suggested I should put it on Waroonga, saying I must be a poor driver if I couldn't back my own horse. I ended up putting £2 each-way on him and he won paying £175 to win, and £27 for a place. It was a record at Addington for some time."

Thomas trained 88 winners and drove 108 during his career. Some of the more notable performers included Jaunty Hanover, Canis Minor, Lopez MacFaber, Genesis and Alec Peterson. "Canis Minor was the best I had. He wasn't blessed with natural speed or brilliance, but he would just grind the opposition into the ground. He won the Pan Am Mile Consolation in 1980. He went 1:57 earlier in the night, and then Lord Module came out and won the final later on in perfect conditions. I reckon we would have run him close if we had started in the final. He also won an Inter-Dominion heat at Harold Park in Sydney, breaking the track record in his first start there."

Genesis was another top-liner for Thomas. After winning the Sapling Stakes as a juvenile, Genesis went on to win another 9 races, before being sold to North American interests. "I always maintained he was a horse we never saw the best of," Thomas said. "I also drove a few good ones. Joy Boy was a great old campaigner who used to win races off huge handicaps. I was behind him when he won the Manawatu Cup off 85m, and the Hawera Cup from 90m. He was a great grass-tracker and loved the mud, but had bad legs. I drove Lord Louie to win a New Brighton Cup, and I won a lot of 'Country Cups'in the 70s."

Thomas was also associated with the brilliant squaregaiter Stormy Morn, winner of 32 races including the 1981 Dominion Handicap and the 1982 Rowe Cup. "His owner Peter Moore brought him to me after he had been turned away by several others. I qualified him within a month, and then raced him. In his first season he started 21 times and got 21 cheques. Then he was given to Tony Perucich up North, going on to be a terrific trotter."

Thomas is no stranger to race accidents. He has broken a leg, an ankle, an arm, an elbow, has had several bouts of concussion and even cracked his spine in one skirmish. "Half my problem was staying in the cart," he quipped. His last driving success was at Reefton in 1990 behind Megavite. "I wouldn't mind another drive just to get the feel of it again. But when you get to my age, if you haven't done any good then it is either your own fault or you're no good. Besides, the style of driving has changed so much. It is all get up and go these days, and it becomes fairly low key to us older ones."

"In fact so much has changed. People used to get dressed up and go out to the races frequently. It was a big social occasion, but now if you have got a horse in with half an hour between races it is too rushed. But now they are bringing in Sunday racing, and it may help pick up the up the atmosphere again. It would have been no go in my day, but now I guess you have to keep up with the times. I think it may be a good thing though."

Thomas has no doubts as to who the best horse he has seen is. "It would definitely have to be Highland Fling. He was amazing. Although it is hard to make comparisons, if he was racing under today's conditions, he would be even better."

"And when I look back, I would not have missed it for the world. I've had a lot of fun and enjoyment."



Credit: NZ HRWeekly 4Jun92

Photo courtesy Iron Horse Photo

MARK JONES WINS WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Mark Jones is literally 'On Top of the World' after becoming the youngest reinsman to win the World Driving Championship during the final round at Woodbine in Ontario, Canada, last Saturday night.

Jones, 24, went into the last round three points adrift of Sweden's Erik Adielsson, who had scored heavily in the third and fourth legs at the Hippodrome in Montreal, Quebec, and Flamboro Downs in Ontario. But Jones had pretty much wrapped up the title going into the last race, and in the end finished 10 points clear of Canada's Jody Jamieson who took second on a countback after tying with Adielsson on points. Jamieson was the defending champion and previously the youngest driver to win the title, being a little under a year older than Jones.

Jones won the first race in the series and led after the first round at Charlottetown Driving Park on Prince Edward Island, but won only one more race, winning the Championship with general consistency, skill and patience. Thus the world title sees him complete a three-peat of sorts, having become the first junior driver to win 100 races in a season in 2000, and the following year the first to win the national title in his first season as an open driver. Jones joins the late Kevin Holmes, Robert Cameron, Maurice McKendry and Tony Herlihy as New Zealand winners of the title.

"The money (US$22,000) is nice, but it has been the whole experience and making so many new friends which has been really great - the series has been really well organised and we had been treated like royalty. I have a lot of people and their horses to thank for supporting me along the way, like Cran and Chrissy Dalgety and Dean and Lesley Taylor and in the beginning Maurice Bailey and Andrew Eyre, but most of all I'd like to thank my biggest supporter - mum (Lois)," he added.

Jones made good friendships during the series, but none more-so than Jamieson, who was unlucky in the penultimate round on the half-mile Flamboro track where he had led Jones by two but drew three second-lines and the outside of the front in the other and only scored 14 points. Jamieson won the last race of the series to take second, while France's Pierre Vercruysse won the first three races at Woodbine to finish fourth-equal with Finland's Antti Teivainen.

Jones had some "self doubts" about his style in the wide, speed sulkies used in North America, but was put at ease by Jamieson. "I was the only one it seemed that didn't lean back in the cart, but Jody said it didn't make any difference and just to stick with what I felt comfortable doing. They drive with their hands back, but I like to have more control."

Jones will now get to defend his title in Italy in 2005, and hopes to again represent New Zealand when the championship returns Down Under in four years time.


Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 30Jul03

Natt Hall, Barry Anderson & Commissioner after the Timaru Nursery Stks

NAT HALL

Nat Hall, who died suddenly last week at the age of 71, was a loyal and long-serving committeeman of the Rangiora Harness Racing Club. "When Nat had a job to do, you could always depend on him to do it well," said past-president, Erin Crawford.

Hall stood the stallion Farm Timer, but his flagship was the grand pacer Commissioner whom he trained himself. By Play Bill from the Scotland's Pride mare Preferable, Commissioner won three races at two, and beat Noodlum in the Champion Stakes at Ashburton in 1974.

As a 3-year-old, he won the NZ Metropolitan Championship from Don Lopez and In Or Out, and one of his two wins at four came at he expense of Trevino in the NZ Premier Stakes. Driven mostly by Barry Anderson, Commissioner won the New Brighton Cup at five from Lunar Chance and Sole Command for Bob Nyhan, who also drove him in his last win, over Cyclone Lad and Stanley Rio, in the Lion Brown Invitation Stakes.

-o0o-

David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 4Dec75

Most readers are aware that no matter how much scientific research is put into bloodlines, nearly every top class horse has at least one factor of luck or chance in his breeding history.

Just how far chance can go toward getting the desired result is evident in the history of Commissioner who won the third leg of the Triple Crown series at Addington recently. In winning the $7,000 NZ Premier Stakes for 4-year-olds and having taken the 3-year-old equivalent last season, the Play Bill horse nearly took the $10,000 bonus which the NZ Metropolitan Club is offering to the first horse to win all three legs. Noodlum was Commissioner's stumbling block for he won the 2-year-old leg, the Welcome Stakes in 1974 after Commissioner had broken at the start. Noodlum was out of action when the 3-year-old leg was decided and of course sidelined by a similar injury this time. Nevertheless he would have been working to top his old rival for Commissioner sped over the 2600m in 3:21.4 and the Rangiora pacer is obviously one with a very bright future.

Yet it is only by a series of coincidences that we are seeing Commissioner at all. His dam Preferable had as her grandam the brilliant Sonoma Harvester mare Garner whom E C McDermott bought for the great sum of $35 in the early 1930s and proved one of the finest trotters of her era. At stud, among others, she produced Lady Josephine to the Rey De Oro stallion Gaillard. Owned by Bill Allen at Addington, Lady Josephine had a reputation for being able to get in foal at any time to any stallion and she was sent down the road to the Addington stables of Alf Bourne in 1947 to be mated with Scotland's Pride who had just been retired for the track after a successful but frustrating career.

Scotland's Pride won races alright but he had a major problem in that while his right foot turned inwards his left turned outwards and Bourne claims he is the only pacer to have raced with "two left feet". There was no stud fee for him apparently as long as you were prepared to deliver your mare and take it home after servicing. Preferable was the result of this informal arrangement and she got her name when the Allens found that they were one name short on the application form but told officials the first name they wanted was preferable to the second. Preferable became the third name and this was the one ultimately given.

Preferable showed some promise as a trotter as a young horse and ultimately won at that gait though she never set the world on fire and had periodic bouts of unsoundness. As a six-year-old she was retired to stud. Though two of her first three foals were winners Preferable looked set for a breeding career to match her racing until she was allowed to run in the paddock with the Hal Tryax horse Lucky Tryax. Her second foal from this arrangement was leased by 'Snow' Whitford with the right of purchase and this was of course the outstanding juvenile pacer Sam Tryax. Before this colt showed his worth, however, Preferable was sold to Nat Hall for $25 with another $25 thrown in if the now ageing mare had another foal.

She was over 20 years old by this time and showing it. But she retained the breeding qualities of her own dam and produced Infallible to Fallacy before dropping Commissioner to Play Bill - not a bad return on $50. Now 27 years old Preferable is still being bred from and Nat Hall has a Regal Yankee colt Chancllor bred in 1973. While he is showing promise his owner will be surprised if he is another Commissioner.

A Rangiora farmer Nat Hall has been actively engaged in training for about six years though prior to that a number of horses he bred had been leased out, among them the good trotters Indira and Smokey Bear. Not a pretentious man and one who has something of a reputation for avoiding the limelight which he thinks he hasn't fully earned. Though he dislikes taking Commissioner to the parade ring and prefers to watch the 4-year-old from the top of the straight near the stables entrance, Nat is direct when asked the reason for deciding on Play Bill as a breeding mate for Preferable: 'The old mare had no teeth and Freeman Holmes had a lot of grass at his stud' says Nat. Such refreshing candour in a day when some breeders might be disposed to give you a long lecture on the 'nicking' of bloodlines surely deserves a horse like Commissioner.

Commissioner's immediate future includes a crack at the Miracle Mile on Staturday in which he has drawn well and might well attempt to lead from start to finish. Certainly anything that takes him on over the first 400m is going to know they have been sprinting. It is possible he will go to Auckland for the Cup carnival though as Commissioner is having quite a busy season at stud (having served 20 mares so far) Nat might be inclined to settle for the Canterbury Park meetings at New Year.

Whatever happens, Commissioner seems destined for a grand career - and all because Nat Hall bought an old toothless mare for $25. It all shows yet again that unfashionably bred horses still can make fools of the most expert student of breeding.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 19Nov03

BILL FARRELL

Bill Farrell, the South Canterbury farmer who bred the brilliant pacer Happy Sunrise, died last week aged 82.

He was a versatile and knowledgeable horseman who trained, drove and bred standardbreds for more than 20 years, many in partnership with Graham Trist.

It was Trist who got him started, and together they bred the winners Winning Choice, Meesha(2.06), top youngster Winning Glimpse(2.03), Haughty Choice and Hunter Hanover(2.06) from the Bachelor Hanover mare Bachelor's Choice, and two winners from the Johnny Globe mare, Apollo Globe. All told they bred 14 horses, and nine of them were winners.

Later, he stood Steven Stock at the stud, and among the mares he had assembled for the horse to serve was Happy Gift, by Johnny Kawa.

In due course, he found himself with too many horses, and he told Trist on Sunday afternoon that he was sending some to a dispersal sale at Ashburton. Trist told him he wouldn't get much for them, and he was right - the Steven Stock-Happy Gift 2-year-old was sold to Brian Saunders for $350. Happy Sunrise went on to win more than $100,000 and take a mork of 1:57.8.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 6Jun02

JACK HARTLEY

Jack Hartley rarely missed a meeting at Addington Raceway. Neither did his wife Nola, and invariably they would arrive well in time for the first race, and sit in the same area, directly opposite the winning post.

Jack's last appointment at the track was on Tuesday, where he was farewelled by a large crowd after his sudden death last week.

Few would have served the administration for as long. He became a steward of the New Brighton Harness Racing Club in 1956, served on the committee between 1964 and 1998, was President from 1970-73, Treasurer from 1976 to 1998, and was a Life Member of the Club. For many years, he was a director of Addington Raceway.

Nola recalled that he took her to Addington long before they were married. For 16 years, Jack was involved in Yonkers Breeding, and was manager of the syndicate that raced the grand pacer, Defoe. At the time of his death, he was breeding from the broodmare Stage Talent, and he had an Armbro Operative yearling colt named Why Dream It.

Remembered as a straight-talker with firm opinions, Jack was 76.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Oct02

TED GRAHAM

For as long as Arthur Pash can recall, Ted Graham was a regular with himself, Alan McKinnel and Pat Cross at the same table on racenight at Addington. There was little doubt that Ted was the oldest on track, because he was 87 when they checked in to meet as usual the Friday before last. The night came and went, with three at the table instead of four, and the next day they learnt of his death.

Graham's first horse was Coronet Lass, a mare by Van Logan who had won races previously from the stables of Hughie Donaldson and Hec Henderson. She was first trained for him by Lance Heron, and Dave McGregor drove her to win a race at Addington, but she was with Jack Carmichael when she finished third to Au Fait and Dianthus Girl in the Dominion Handicap. Carmichael recalls that Graham was his first owner when he started out as a public trainer. At the time he was in two minds whether to go training, and says he told Graham to "wait a few days" while he thought about it.

By far his best horse was Micron, a son of Lordship he raced in partnership with Doug Goslin, who reached open class and ran unplaced in the NZ Cup the year Lunar Chance won. Micron also won a heat of the Inter-Dominions in 1975. He won four races at four, four at five, and three at six, one being the Kaikoura Cup after he lost 60 metres at the start. He later stood at stud. Others Graham raced were Cardigan Lass, Hindu Star, Coronet Peak and Monopat.

Graham was a prominent Canterbury administrator. He served on the committee of the Canterbury Owners' Association for many years, was president for more than a decade, and later became patron.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15May02