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Gold N Gold & Michael Marais

2003 REGENCY TAX & DUTY FREE INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS CONSOLATION

New South Wales horseman Michael Marais finally had something to smile about when he steered Gold N Gold to an emphatic victory in the $25,000 Regency Tax & Duty Free Inter-Dominion Trotters Consolation at Addington.

It had been a frustrating series for the South African-born Marais, who described Gold N Gold's win as "too much, too late" after the gelding's inability to get around in one piece during the heats cost him any chance of earning enough points to line up in the grand Final.

Campaigning a horse in Christchurch was a plan that started months ago; Marais was keen to come over, so he scouted around looking for a horse to buy and found out about Gold N Gold through Ray Jenkins. "We get horses all the time from New Zealand," Marais said. "And your trotters are better. Australia hasn't won an Inter-Dominion Trotter's Final for many, many years. I looked at a few, but didn't even trial Gold N Gold. I had watched videos of his races and once I saw him in the flesh that was it, I wanted him. What I liked about him was his size, and he was well gaited."

Purchased in February after he had had a brief stint with Peter Jones (three starts for two wins), Gold N Gold had also won races from the stables of Graeme Rich (three) and the Mike Berger/ Warren Rich partnership (one)earlier in his career.

Despite just the one victory from five appearances for Marais before being brought back across the Tasman, Gold N Gold was, and still is, highly-rated by his trainer. "It is bitterly dissappointing that Gold N Gold didn't make the Final, because he can definitely run," Marais said. "I still had a handful of horse left at the finish tonight. But I could tell as soon as he got out there and started warming up that he was going to go well, because he felt like a different horse. The track was different - it had less top on it and it was hard, which is what horses are more used to. That was one of the biggest factors relating to his form through the heats."

Marais sold up everything he had and moved to Sydney three years ago, after harness racing in his home town basically became non-existent. Having trained horses all his life and driven them from the age of six, he didn't want to do anything else. Today he has 15 horses in work, and he doesn't pull any punches when it comes to talking about his stable star. "He is the best trotter in Australia," Marais said. "He will race around Sydney, Victoria and South Australia for the next couple of months now, and I think he will keep improving. Next year's Inter-Dominions are in Melbourne, and we'll definitely be there."

Also enjoying Gold N Gold's powerhouse display were Doug and Val Hawkins, who sat and watched his Consolation win from their Takanini home. The couple bred Gold N Gold, and Doug remembers him well. "He was always a horse that had tremendous speed, right from the day I broke him in," he said "But he would be good one day, and then misbehave for a week. He would gallop for no reason at all. It was always going to be a time factor with him."

By Evander's Gold, Gold N Gold is out of the Mister Hillas mare Golden Wings, who Hawkins acquired after she showed a disliking for the pacing gait. "She was bought down south by the vet, Tony Parker, and I broke her in for him," he recalled. "But she couldn't pace a yard, so I tried her trotting and she loved it. Tony didn't want to race a trotter though, so we decided to have a go ourselves." Golden Wings won five races, and from limited opportunities at stud she also left the winners Gold Baron (by Whata Baron, 5 wins, sold to Australia) and Golden Flight (by New York Motoring, Australia).

Gold N Gold was an unqualified 4-year-old at the time Hawkins sold him to his next door neighbour Frank Weaver, the owner of Evander's Gold. "I had decided to get out of the game at that stage," Hawkins recalled. "I had done forty years, and it was time for a change of lifestyle. Gold N Gold was the only horse I had left at the time. Had it been years ago, I might have persevered." Selling their property, where Doug managed a mobile car-tuning business, the couple moved to Takanini and retired.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 16Apr03

2003 THUNDER DOWN UNDER INTER DOMINION PACERS GRAND FINAL

The story so far...Kim Prentice has arrived in Christchurch from Perth, where he had taken Baltic Eagle back to for some sea air and beach training after racing in Melbourne. The plan is to take the Inter-Dominion trophy back to where it started, in Perth, 67 years ago.

Prentice has found what he considers the perfect paradise for Baltic Eagle, a beach which runs for as long as the eye can see, a pool if he needs it, and the friendly Woodend companionship of David and Catherine Butt. The pair settle in.

Prentice, a forthright man and one of the few 'beardies' in the game, makes no bones about his assessment of the horse as they prepare for the Thunder Down Under Inter-Dominions. Not only can the big, dark boy stay, but he is well short of being in hard racing trim. It doesn't take much more than two minutes to see that Prentice is a man of his word. Baltic Eagle runs a cracker in the opening-night sprint heat, and hands out a hiding to Stars And Stripes in the second.

In the meantime, Prentice is back and forth to Perth, leaving his forman Matt Whitelaw in charge. He returns for the final week, with him his wife Debbie, and their boys Shannon and Justin. All is going swimmingly; even the barrier drops into his lap. "I just don't want to draw one or ten," he says prior. When Baltic Eagle comes up with the five alley, the talk of the others pretty much dries up. Short odds become shorter. Baltic Eagle has them on the run.

Could Prentice get the horse any better? "It is just a matter of keeping him at the level, because he has tended to put on a bit of weight since he had been here, so I have cut his tucker back a bit." If Prentice needs any reassuring about how well Baltic Eagle is, it comes the day after the barrier draw. "I took him out to the paddock and as I let him go, he gave me both barrels."

Age 42, Prentice was born into a harness racing family; so was his wife, whose brother Neil Lloyd trained Norms Daughter to win the Miracle Mile in the hands of Kellie Kersley, whose father Fred trains the great galloper, Northerly. Debbie started work in her mother's bakery. She was a cake decorator and took up driving later. Kim's first job was in a sports store. After three years, he left and joined a produce company, and for 13 years he lugged sacks of grain around the place. During that time, Kim and Debbie trained three or four horses. Nine years ago they decided "to have a proper crack at it."

However good they were going from then on, the operation took a turn for the better when the owners of Baltic Eagle came knocking last November. Until then, he was trained by Rod Chambers, who campaigned Mon Poppy Day in the Triple Crown Series at Addington eight years ago. After winning his first ten starts for Chambers, Baltic Eagle had lost form. He was sent to Murdoch University where he was diagnosed with a lung infection. This was due to an asthmatic condition that Prentice was able to control by minimising the dry atmosphere. Prentice has his place 130 miles south of Perth, at Bunbury, where he has the use of the local estuary.

Racing without an overcheck - "he doesn't like it, and I have got two or three like that" - Baltic Eagle fired up, winning the West Australian and $125,000 Fremantle Cups over Christmas. His mile rate for the latter, a 1740m mobile, was a rugged 1:56 8. "After that, Debbie did a budget to see what it would cost to travel to New Zealand for the Inter-Dominions, and then we sat down over a cup of tea with the owners and decided to do it," he said.

As the day of the Grand Final drew near, the owners - Mark Congerton, Ross North, a major sponsor at Gloucester Park, and Henry McManus - flew at various times from Perth. They came to see Prentice bring the big bird home. And this is how Prentice did it... "I knew how well he was when he started shying at silly things during his prelim. I thought I'd come out and stay in the open for a bit. Thorpedo and Where Eagles Dare were alongside me, and I thought they would have gone out of the gate harder than they did. I was a bit surprised they didn't. That would have given me some cover for a while if they had done that. I was happy to go back if they had gone a bit harder, but then he grabbed hold of the bit down the back. We actually got to the top sooner than I expected. As long as we did it evenly from there, I was happy."

"When the three-wide line came round, none of them pressed on to have a look at us, and we got away with an easy quarter down the back. That was magic for me. The sit and suck horses could have got me going any slower, but I also know my horse has got a quick quarter in him as well. He does like to loaf a bit in front, so its hard for him to run away from them. We started rolling from the 400. He felt magnificent. What made our confidence pick up was hearing that Facta Non Verba was out. He was the only one who would have been able to come up and give it to us. The others just were not that type of horse. What I discovered was the straight is very long, but very enjoyable. And you might see us again in November. We are keen on coming back," he said.

The Australian horses also ran second and fourth. Mont Denver Gold slunk along back on the inner, and produced his usual quick late burst. He was a place in front of Holmes D G, and two in front of Western Light, another stout finisher from the back. The winning time for the 2600m mobile was 3:12.6 - slower than it took Annie's Boy to win the Consulation.

The stable did not forget their old friends on the night. Prentice wore a black armband on each arm, one to remember Fraser Moody and one for Marlene Harris, both cancer victims. "Marlene was a stable supporter. She loved the horses and idolised Baltic Eagle. She would have a dollar each way on every horse of ours. And Fraser was a good friend of the owners," he said. North had promised Fraser he would bring the trophy back and show it to him when he returned. "It couldn't happen because Fraser died the day before we left," he said.

Prentice reckons the trip has cost about $40,000, and he says it would have been a huge expense "had things gone wrong. But outside of Young Rufus, there was nothing there to worry us greatly," he said. Congerton said the owners were massively impressed by the hospitality they received during their stay. "Everyone, the taxi drivers, hotel staff, club people, trainers and drivers have been great. We are not paid to say nice things, but we have felt like Kiwis since being here. We chased our goal and we are looking forward to meeting Young Rufus in Perth next year."

Baltic Eagle was bred in New Zealand by Richard and Julija Brosnan, by Totally Ruthless from the Tricky Dick mare, Baltic Flight. Julija, along with Edwin Flaherty and John Starr, offered an In The Pocket half-sister at the Australasian Classic Sale, which Starr bought for $40,000. Armbro Gold, the dam of Baltic Flight, is from the immediate family of big winners Arania, Local Gold, Best Dream, Golcourt, top trotter Best Bet and Local Light. Baltic Flight is also the dam of a weanling filly by Il Vicolo and was served this season by Lislea.




Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 16Apr03

2003 THUNDER DOWN UNDER INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS GRAND FINAL

Take A Moment's owners are starting to think that they need a different spot to watch his races from at Addington. Up until now the eight-member Long Drive Syndicate have always gathered on the first floor of the main stand, outside the Lindores level. But that location is past the winning post, and with Take A Moment's last two big events at the track being mighty close finishes, they have had an excruciating wait before knowing that they can make their way to the birdcage and start celebrating.

They were caught out in the Dominion Handicap last November, thinking their horse had won when in fact he had deadheated with Martina H. And last Friday night they occupied seats in the same place again, waiting anxiously like everyone for the running of the $200,000 Thunder Down Under Inter-Dominion Trotters Grand Final. Regardless of where any-body perched last Friday, no one was in their seat for long, because the event was one of the greatest trotting spectacles ever witnessed at Addington.

It had everything...predictable early moves from the handily-drawn speedsters who jostled for positions; an unchanged order until the last mile; a three-wide line that moved up soon after but then didn't go anywhere; the favourite sitting second last with arguably his biggest danger breathing down the back of Anthony Butt's neck; lightning displays of speed from the attackers as they swooped starting the last 700 metres; a field bunched in threes, fours and fives as the horses swung for home, and a magnificent finish that brought the crowd to their feet.

In the final analysis, Take A Moment had done what champions do, and won. "Unbelievable," said the syndicate's manager Bruce Greenhalgh, describing the occasion. "I honestly wasn't too worried when Take A Moment was still at the back with a lap to go, but I started to get a bit nervy when he wasn't getting dragged into it. We were on the edge of our seats."

Apart from a host of other top trotting victories, Take A Moment has now captured two Inter-Dominion Grand Finals, re-claiming the crown that he won brilliantly in Brisbane this time two years ago. But Greenhalgh says the feelings surrounding the two Finals were completely different. "When we won in Brisbane we had only owned him for six months, and it was almost unexpected. This year there was very much more expectation, with him being such a hot favourite, and that put a real edge on it. It was the first time the whole syndicate has been there for a big race too. Obviously the two Dominion Handicaps that Take A Moment has won at Addington were fantastic, but to win an Inter-Dominion Final to home...well, it is really special."

Greenhalgh considers himself very lucky to have his name amongst the ownership at all. "I was one of the last on the scene," he recalled. "Merv Rodgers and I were on a golfing trip in Queensland three years ago, and we were sitting down having a beer after our round one day when Merv mentioned that there was a share in this trotter available. "They had already sold seventy percent of him at that stage. I knew of the horse, and had seen him win some of his earlier races, so I thought...bugger it, why not?" Greenhalgh ran the idea past his wife Allison on returning home, and it wasn't long before he had the 'okay' and was on the phone to Rodger to confirm his interest.

Take A Moment had won four of his six starts for original trainer Paul Corkran at that stage, and since Tim Butt scouted him for $120,000 the record stands at 45 starts for 26 wins, nine seconds and a third, an stakes of $823,837. "Early on, Take A Moment lived very much in the shadow of Lyell Creek," Greenhalgh noted. "To think that he is only coming to the end of his third season but he has already won thirty races, it's really quite amazing. It is like he has snuck up on everybody. I think he has now justified his place amongst the best trotters that this country has produced though."

Take A Moment proved with last week's victory that he is indeed the best around, and he can win his races from anywhere. He stands head and shoulders above a crop of elite trotters which, in all fairness and apart from one or two exceptions, is probably on the way out more than on the way up. And perhaps one of the few horses who looks capable of lowering his colours in the next season or two is Sonofthedon, who comes from the very same stable. "I know Tim's got a huge opinion of him, and you only had to watch the way he won in Auckland the last time he was up there to see why. He could be the best trotter we have ever seen.

Despite being named the Long Drive Syndicate, Greenhalgh and Rodgers are the only two golfers amongst the eight members, and O'Donnell's choice of the name has nothing to do with the sport. Greenhalgh is an ex-Aucklander who moved to Christchurch a decade ago and manages the Smith's Spots Shoe store; Rodgers is the "semi-retired" owner of the Edgeware Civic Video outlet in Christchurch, and occupies his time with "golf, bowls and races"; Jack O'Donnell also classes himself as semi-retired, owning a block of land in Rolleston where he runs a few horses; Take A Moment is the first horse ever owned by Peter Barber, originally from Invercargill and now living in Queenstown where 18 months ago he bought the first franchise offered by the Country Road clothing store chain; Neven Botica is well-known and respected for his business acumen in Perth, not to mention his investment in this country's harness racing industry; Julie King-Turner runs a fishing business together with her husband Des in Te Anau; Tom Malcolm has painter/ decorating businesses in Invercargill and Wanaka, and moved to the latter area just last week; and Trevor Woolley oversees the installation and administration of gaming machines in and around Christchurch.

"We all met for the first time at that first Cup Meeting when Take A Moment won on Cup Day, Show Day and the last night," Greenhalgh recalled. "They are a fantastic bunch of people. Don't know how I ended up with the job of manager though; maybe it was because I was the new boy on the block. It's a real pain in the arse," he quipped, "but at least with a horse like Take A Moment you don't have any trouble getting money when the bills come in."

Greenhalgh says it is "much easier" to buy horses now. He also had a a share in Franco Solo, who won five races here in the mid 1990s before being sold overseas; he owns part of Tendulkar (three wins), who is on the market and possibly heading in the same direction; and he is involved in another syndicate that races Happy Asset's half-sister Smooth Asset, who has gone to stud after remaining winless and is in foal to Christian Cullen. Minus Rodgers and Botica, the Long Drive Syndicate members' latest excursion is a Sundon colt out of Take A Moment's dam Nakura, who is a big, strong looking colt" that is being weaned and handled by Murray Butt. His career is obviously a good few seasons away yet.

In the meantime, the syndicate will continue to ride the crest of the wave with their champion, Take A Moment. "I can't say enough about the respect, admiration and thanks we owe Tim and Anthony, and the rest of the team at their stable. It has been a real joyride, and everybody is just absolutely loving it. You dream about being involved with horses like this."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 16Apr03

SYDNEY- SMOOTH SATIN
Kiwis stayed away in their droves from the Sydney Inter-Doms but it didn’t stop the top horses putting on a regal show. The cream quickly rose to the top during the heats with Shakamaker, Courage Under Fire, Stars And Stripes and Smooth Satin winning all 10 heats between them. The final was billed as a Courage Under Fire-Shakamaker match race but as is so often the case, these don’t eventuate. Smooth Satin stole the show and the ‘Bathurst Bullet’ won for his trainer/driver Steve Turnbull. The win rekindled memories of another Bathurst great Hondo Grattan who won back-to-back Inter-Doms for Turnbull’s father Tony in the early 70s.

BRISBANE - YULESTAR
It had been decades since we had cracked it on Aussie soil but Yulestar did it. He turned around fair form in the heats to smash the Inter-Dominion Grand Final field and the Aussie hearts. After three minor placings in the heats Yulestar was clearly behind the Championship stars of Atitagain, Shakamaker and Courage Under Fire in the betting but Yulestar produced a world record shattering run to break the hoodoo.

MELBOURNE - SHAKAMAKER
The year 2000 saw Harness Racing Victoria turn the Inter-Dominions on their head. The new format was a drastic change away from the equine battle that was always the case and turned in to something completely different. The end result though was spectacular with great racing over the month of the series. Shakamaker took all the short cuts through the series and with the aid of a cool drive by John Justice took out the final over a star-studded field.

AUCKLAND - OUR SIR VANCEALOT
Defending again Our Sir Vancelot proved what a champion he was when he emerged through three average runs in the heats to take his game to the next level in the final and make it an unprecedented three Inter-Dominions in a row. The pre-post favourite for the series Christian Cullen was sensationally scratched the day after winning his first-round heat win. Only hours after this the new favourite Agua Caliente suffered the same fate. Our Sir Vancelot gradually improved through the series and a tactically perfect drive from Brian Hancock saw Our Sir Vancelot home once again.

HOBART - OUR SIR VANCEALOT
Hot off the back of a strong win in the previous Inter-Dominion series Our Sir Vancelot pulled out the necessary when it really counted to win consecutive Inter-Dominions. There was much controversy surrounding the venue for this Inter-Dom but Brian Hancock didn’t mind.

OUR SIR VANCEALOT
The title of Inter Dominion Champion for 1997 went to Our Sir Vancelot but the star of the show was his trainer Brian Hancock. Having previously trained two winners, namely Thorate and Weona Warrior, Brain was looking to become the first trainer in Inter Dominion history to achieve the treble. In what could only be described as daring tactics Brian rushed Our Sir Vancelot to the lead and then shot clear before the home turn. Although he tired near the finish and had to await the result of a very close photo finish with Rainbow Knight, he claimed the victory, and clearly established the Inter Dominion series as one that belonged to master trainer Brain Hancock.

PERTH - YOUNG MISTER CHARLES
Driver Peter Morris, trainer Garry Hancock and Young Mister Charles' proud owners all had their day in the sun when they took out the 1996 Inter Dominion Grand Final after having been disqualified from a placing in the final the previous year as a result of a positive swab. Young Mister Charles held out Sunshine Band and the gallant New Zealander Master Musician and grabbed the winner’s purse of $250,000.