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Before the running of the Paul Renwick Kitchen and Joinery Free-For-All at Addington on Friday night there was one question on punters lips. Would Auckland Cup winner Mi Muchacho re-live his horror Addington debut in November? The second question was simply if he doesn't handle the home turn bend, who beats the favourite home?

Punters answered the riddle correctly when their second elect Imagine That fought bravely to take out the feature event on Friday night. But the race was not without drama.

Looking slightly awkward in his gait, Mi Muchacho loomed to sit parked outside of Imagine That in the running and when racing around the home bend the favourite appeared to be stopping. He retreated to be approximately three lengths from the leader on the turn before straightening up and charging again. Pacing strongly Imagine That maintained her advantage over the opposition, holding off the fast finishing favourite by a half-head at the finish. Waipawa Lad did well to rally into third just ahead of Bailey's Dream.

Mi Muchacho had to withstand an enquiry after it appeared he had cut off Bella's Boy in the run home. The JCA later dismissed the protest and the connections were issued with a warning to improve his racing manners.

The victory was a great way for Imagine That to lead into this Saturday's $100,000 Easter Cup. She paced the 2600m mobile in 3.13.6, recording a mile rate of 1.59.8 and the final 800m and 400m in 56.8 and 28.2 respectively.

Imagine That has now tallied 15 wins from 46 career starts. She has placed on 19 occasions and has earned just over $375,000 in stakes.

Credit: Harness Racing NZ

Tom (left) & Ossie Hickman with the Derby Trophy

If you live in Taimate and noticed that things are somewhat quiet around your neck of the woods last Friday night, there was a good reason for it. Because the way that a large crowd of people jumped to their feet and screamed Tozzie home in the NZ Trotting Derby at Addington, you would have thought that half the town was there.

Tozzie is raced by 77-year-old Tom Hickman and his nephew Ossie Hickman, hence the gelding's name. They both own large farms in Taimate, a township near Ward and about half an hour south of Blenheim which has been home to several branches of their family ever since their ancestors first settled there over a century ago.

'Large' would be a way to describe the support crew in attendance on Friday night too, because together with their wives Aileen and Mary, most of their 12 children and a host of other friends and relatives from both Taimate and Christchurch, there were 30-odd people in the birdcage to savour the victory. And boy had he done them all proud!

Tozzie started off the unruly in the 2600 metre mobile event and trainer/driver Pat O'Reilly took hold of him right from the start, so much so that the 3-year-old was still last and four lengths off the back of the bunch as they wheeled by the mile peg. Coming past the winning post with a lap to go Tozzie had begun his run three-wide, with cover, and then O'Reilly managed to nestle him in one place closer to the fence when George Castleton broke at the 700m mark; but it was only briefly, and with a handful of horse he sent him up three-wide again and challenging round the last turn. Tozzie surged to the front inside the last furlong, and even though Jazz Legend looked a threat late in the piece, at no stage did O'Reilly ask him for what was in the tank and they powered to the line strongly.

Just for good measure, and despite the cold and drizzly conditions, Tozzie had stopped the clock just three tenths of a second outside the national record. "This is just unbelievable," Tom said afterwards. "I have been racing horses with Pat for thirty years. We love to come to Addington, and we have always wanted to win here. And now to win a Group 1, well, it is just a bloody great thrill."

By Sundon, Tozzie is the first foal of Jacnnan, a Gee Whiz II mare that scored her only win from 14 attempts at the corresponding meeting at Addington seven years ago. That was Hickman's first winner at Addington, and Tozzie is his second. Jacnnan was out of Taimate Charm, who was by Noodlum out of Miss Charming, the resulting foal of Hickman's first Sales purchase - the Stormyway mare Stormy Star, who he bought in-foal to Prince Charming. Jacnnan was the only one of the aforementioned mares that ever qualified, but Tom has stayed loyal to the breed and all the horses he has ever raced belong to it. "It is a great buzz to have bred all the way through to get Tozzie," he said. "We always wanted a straight-out trotter. After putting Miss Charming to Noodlum to get Taimate Charm, we put her to Gee Whiz II to get Jacnnan and then Jacnnan to Sundon. We have got a 2-year-old full-sister to Tozzie at home, called Tozzie's Sister, and the next one out of Jacnnan is an Earl filly. And she is back in foal to Sundon again," he said.

Last Friday's victory was Tozzie's third on end. all three performances are in total contrast to his first campaign, back in January, when he had three goes in standing start races and broke every time. "You wouldn't know it but he is perfect at home - I can't fault him," O'Reilly said. "On raceday he trots away with them, but then he just tries to go too quick. He is a bugger for throwing his head up when the grit hits him in the face too, because he doesn't like it. But he will come out of those things. A month ago I had never even thought of the Derby. And I only threw him in that race a week ago just to see how he would go behind the mobile, and put him on the unruly."

So what has made the difference between Tozzie now, and Tozzie we saw at the start of the year? "I just put him on the float every time it went out the gate," O'Reilly answered. "He wasn't starting, but if we were off to the trials or the races he was on the float too. And I mucked around a bit with him at the trials - even when he went away with them I would keep him back in the field just to get him used to the grit."

Despite being loathe to put a label on horses and predict how far they will go, O'Reilly can't help but admit that Tozzie has got all sorts of potential. "He had natural ability from day one," he said. "He was very good-gaited and had a bit of quick speed too. But I am not a great believer in starting 2-year-old trotters, I don't care how good they are. He is not fool-proof yet either though. Like, he could just as easily go out there next start and break. But the thing about him is that he felt just so strong the other night, despite the start he gave them and what time they went. So to answer your question about how good he is...I don't know."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 13Apr05

For a horse with 'bad' written all over him, Bad Leroy certainly went against his namesake by winning the $40,000 PGG Southern Graduate at Addington on Friday night.

Driven patiently by Todd Mitchell, Bad Leroy settled back early in the race allowing the favourite Analyst take over control easily from barrier two. In a race that saw many changes in face, the southern visitor Beaudine Terminator zipped around the field to take over in the hands of Tony Herlihy – only to hand up meters later to the determined challenge from The Reckoning and Robbie Holmes.

The pace proving too hot for some of the starters, there looked to be only four horses with a chance approaching the home turn. The Reckoning was running strong out in front, Bad Leroy was still there after sitting parked for the last lap and Analyst was poised and ready to pounce behind them. Easily hitting the front Bad Leroy looked to have the race sewn up with 200m left, however a gallant Racy Rocket weaved through the field from near the rear of the field to zip within a head of the winner at the line. Holding on strongly to run third was the Sapling Stakes runner up The Reckoning. The favourite Analyst ran fourth 1 ½ lengths from the winner.

Bad Leroy is a son of Badlands Hanover out of Royal Chanel and is trained by Steven Reid of Pukekohe. His lifetime record now stands at 7 starts for 2 wins, 3 placings for a bankroll of $35,741. His regular driver Todd Mitchell was pleased with the victory, and feels the horse is a strong enough chance to make his presence felt at this week's meeting.

Credit: Harness Racing NZ

One Over Kenny & her pleased owners

Phil Williamson made a bold career call a couple of years ago when he quit a nightshift job and a small team. With his son Nathen, now 16, keen to live the life, and a very able lieutenant in his wife Bev, Williamson decided to train full-time.

He has increased the stable to 13, which is a comfortable number, and one he knows he can manage with time to attend to the little things. With it has come more success than they gave thought to, including a heat of the Inter-Dominions with Allegro Agitato and success by One Over Kenny in the $30,000 NZ Trotters' Trust Trotting Oaks at Addington last Saturday night.
The win by One Over Kenny was pretty much in keeping with Williamson's professionalism and knowledge of what he needed to win the race. "Phil said a year ago that we would win the Oaks with this filly," said Bev.

A chestnut filly by Sundon from Frances Jay Bee, the winner of six, a half-sister to big winner One Under Kenny (11 wins), and half-sister to One Kenny (17), One Over Kenny showed off her class with a stayer's run that started at the 1200m when Williamson sent her round the field. She was as strong as an ox in the run in, beating Petite Sunset by a length. Now Williamson will step her up a notch by running her in the $50,000 NZ Trotting Derby on Friday week, and he expects her to be no less competitive in that company.

One Over Kenny is raced by Heather and Lex Williams, formerly of Waimate where they had a farm, and now in Oamaru where they operate a movie theatre. New clients of the stable, they bought her as a yearling for $23,000, and returned to this year's Premier Sale where Williamson bought them a brother to Lord's Invasion, the young winner of two of his three starts.

Williamson has been a shining light in the North Otago area since winning 16 races with the first horse he trained, Role Model. He then won seven with Cockie, by Chiola Hanover, who won on Cup Day at Addington. This season he has trained 23 winners, quite a margin ahead of his previous best which was 14.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 31Mar05

West Melton trainer Robert Dunn had mixed feelings on hearing he had won the $40,000 Wyatt & Wilson Print Superstars Championship with Mainland Banner at Addington last Friday night, 20 minutes after the race was run.

Mainland Banner was promoted to first in the Stewards' room following the disqualification of Dudinka's Cullen for racing inside the markers for approximately 90 metres. He knocked down six of them on his way to running past Mainland Banner, Baileys Dream and Presido and winning the race by a length. This was his first start since trainer Tim Butt had bought him for leviathan Perth owner, Neven Botica.

Mainland Banner gave Dudinka's Cullen a 20m start, and had no favours in the early part of the race although she began well without being quickly away. She had a smother in the middle stages and after some pushing and shoving on the final bend, unleashing a strong finish from there.

This has left driver Ricky May in the interesting position of having two possible drives in the NZ Cup, with London Legend, who resumes in the Nobilo this week, as the other. "I'm really happy with her. I knew she would step okay from the start and she did, but got sqeezed a bit. We have got a meeting planned this week to see where we go from here," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 12Oct05

Harnetts Creek clear & cruising.

Harnetts Creek showed that he will be a serious open class force this year when he resumed at Addington last Thursday night.

Eased back early from his wide draw in the $20,000 Avon City Ford Cup, Harnetts Creek and pilot Anthony Butt got around the field at about the only time the speed backed off, surging to the front with about 1200 metres to run. The pace was back on again from then onwards though, and Butt said Harnetts Creek was 'fair travelling' turning for home before pulling clear to win by more that two lengths. The Soky's Atom gelding's time of 3:14.7 for the 2600 metre event was stunning considering the cool and drizzly conditions, and it had a real stamp of arrogance about it.

"I thought the draw might have beaten him tonight," trainer John Parsons said afterwards. "He's always been not too bad fresh, and even though he is eight years old now, I reckon he is better this time in than ever before."

Parsons says that Butt being in Harnetts Creek's sulky last week was a sign of things to come this season. Blair (Orange) was pretty much committed to Mark Purdon's team now that he is out, so that's why we asked Anthony. I think his driving style suits the horse, too."

Harnetts Creek has now won 11 of his 46 starts, and even though last season was his first real taste of the 'big time', Parsons is hopeful that the pace can acquit himself even better this term. "When he ran fifth in the Inter-Dominion Final it was like the worst of an unlucky season," he said. "Then we gave him one more start in the Easter Cup, but in hindsight we should have knocked off before that because he raced like a tired horse. So he had a month out, and I just jogged him up through the winter and gave him a long, slow build-up. He has had one trial and two work-outs prior to tonight, and Anthony said he felt sharper in the latest of those - he will sharpen up more after this run too."

On Harnetts Creek's programme leading up to the NZ Cup is the Hannon Memorial and Flying Stakes, with his trainer saying that he will "take in everything" because he both needs it and thrives on it.

Well known for his success in the galloping world too, Parsons enjoys the challenge of training horses in both codes. "Gallopers wouldn't take a quarter of the work that pacers do. But I do enjoy it, because you can just potter around with them and you are not as reliant on staff either," he said.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 21Sep05

Galleons Assassin beating Lady Segil

Surprisingly, Mark Purdon is only training one trotter. But it is a good one, and he proved that in no uncertain terms when winning last Friday night's $25,000 Group 2 NRM NZ Two-year-old Trotting Stakes at Addington.

Galleons Assassin was registering the first victory of his four start career last week, but a simple glance at his bloodlines hints that there is a lot more in store. He is an Earl gelding out of the Chiola Hanover mare Rob The Nest, who has taken her career to even greater heights than her six wins on the track by leaving one good horse after another.

All bred by either Neil Munro or Gary Allen singularly or in partnership, Rob The Nest's foals of racing age are: Sonofthedon, a Sundon gelding who recorded seven wins and four seconds from his 11 starts and looked a superstar in the making before injury brought about his demise; Thedonsson, a full-brother who has raced 28 times for six wins, seven placings and nearly $97,000 in earnings thus far; Charlotte Galleon, yet another Sundon, qualified and lightly-raced with only four starts to date; Whosinthenest, a 3-year-old Armbro Invasion filly who has been placed from the same amount of appearances; and now Galleons Assassin.

"I think everyone's forgotten about me with trotters," quipped Purdon, on his return to the stabling area last week. The Yalhurst trainer specifically went to last year's PGG Premier Yearling Sale with the intention of taking home a trotter, and top of the shopping list was Galleons Assassin. "Yes, he is the one I picked out; I liked him on type," Purdon said. "What the mare had already left spoke for itself - Earl was the only factor we didn't know anything about." Family friend Fred Tong was keen on the idea too, and when he asked Purdon what he thought they would have to pay the answer was "up to thirty-five"; he was spot on, for $35,000 was exactly what the yearling was knocked down to them at.

"Mark Smolenski broke him in for us and he was nothing special, just one of the pack. But every time he has gone off the place he has just improved that much. He is very solid, but I think his attitude would be his biggest asset. And he is a bit better-sized compared to Sonofthedon and The donsson, because they were both big horses."

Additional things that Purdon tried with Galleons Assassin include a course of Altitude Training and regular trips to the beach, both of which have aided the gelding's development. "He is one of the few that I take to the beach," he said. "Early on he was a bit inclined to touch or hitch in behind, that is why I knew the straight-line work would help him. He doesn't need to now though, because he is fool-proof."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 1Jun05

Armbro Innocence

Armbro Innocence owned by Mrs K L Butt & Enzed Farm won the 2005 running of the Pyne Gould Guiness Premier Mares Championship. She won by three quarters of a length from Alta Serena with a further neck back to Lady Toddy in third place. The winner was trained by Tim Butt and driven by Mark Jones.

Credit: Colin Steele NZMTC

Mainland Banner & Ricky May head for the judge

There was an incredible amount of hype leading into last Friday night's $100,000 Wayne Francis Memorial NZ Oaks, as it was the first showdown between the undefeated Mainland Banner and arch rival Foreal, herself winner of 13 from 16 starts.

When Foreal drew two and Mainland Banner landed 15, the odds seemed very much in the former's favour. But with the horse drawing inside Foreal being an emergency for the event, her automatic scratching moved Foreal into one and changed the whole complexion of the race. Driver Anthony Butt no longer had options, needing to secure the lead no matter what to avoid him and Foreal getting buried back on the fence. And he had three goes at it too...firstly at the start when Robyn Blue matched them for early speed, once again soon afterwards after that rival had crossed them, and a third time down the back straight when he pulled out of the trail behind Nick Off Holme. The latter had zipped around with purpose just before the bell and been allowed to go to the front, but the damage to Foreal had been done by then; a lead time of 1:13, Mainland Banner sitting back in the pack having not spent a penny, surely it was only a matter of time before she pounced.

Back where he and Mainland Banner were sitting, Ricky May knew that part of the plan was working - but some parts of it weren't, either. He'd thought two or three times about moving but nothing pulled out to give Mainland Banner cover on the way round, so in the end he hooked out starting the last lap and got stuck behind a runner that was sitting three-wide and going no-where. Playing the waiting game as long as he could, May finally decided it was time to go wider passing the 600m mark, and with a slap of the reins Mainland Banner inched forward. Rounding the turn she was fair travelling, and in the twinkling of an eye she simply changed down a gear and zoomed away. Molly Darling burst out of the pack to get within a length and a quarter, but nothing was going to deny Mainland Banner her moment and she stopped the clock in a breathtaking 1:58.8 mile rate.

She might float like a butterfly, but she certainly stings like a bee. Afterwards, May could do little more than shake his head. "She just did that herself," he said. "She had absolutely no favours out there tonight; I knew by the time we settled down we were going to be twenty lengths off them, and we were. But she's such a stunning filly - she's just so good that anyone could drive her." May then went on to say things that no-one thought they'd hear any driver admit... "She feels better than her father, and I know that's a big call. But she feels better-gaited than Christian Cullen, because he used to go a bit rough at times. She wears a sixty-three inch hopple, no shorteners and no knee boots... she's just the most nicely-gaited horse you could ever drive. And that run won't knock her either. If anything she'll come back better next week."

'Next week' is this Friday night's $100,000 Nevele R Fillies' Final, and after such a performance Mainland Banner will be all the rage to extend her unbeaten streak to eight.

There in the background, as he was throughout the night last week, will be former owner Ian Sowden. Sowden is the Ashburton horseman who purchased Mainland Banner off Dennis and Dianne Moore at the Premier Yearling Sale before on-selling her to Ian Dobson 21 months later. And even though he no longer owns the vehicle, he's never stopped enjoying the ride. "She's still a part of me," he said. "I've never missed being on-course when she races, and I spent all night down at the box with her tonight. I remember when she won at Invercargill, they had to come and find me to get her to pass urine. They'd been trying for over an hour, but after I got there she did it within a couple of minutes. No, I'm just getting a hell of a kick out of seeing her race."

Sowden says despite the fact that he sold Mainland Banner last November, he "could write a book" about the filly. The opening chapter would undoubtedly be about how he'd never intended to buy her in the first place, showing up at the Sales with his eye on something else. "That was a Spirit of Zeus colt, but I didn't like it when I saw it. I'd brought the horse float with me, so I thought I may as well take something home in it. And then this Christian Cullen filly came into the ring. She was nice and wide in front and had big ears, and they'd been hammering away at $5,000 for ages before I put my finger up and got her for $7,000.

Sowden showed remarkable patience with Mainland Banner early on, taking her back to the workouts again and again for more and more practise. "Right from the first day I put her in the cart she was clever, and relaxed. It was quite incredible," he said. "She's one of those horses that just kept improving every day - you never had to go back and do anything all over again."

It's all been quite a ride since trainer Robert Dunn took over as well...an unofficial record at the trials; seven starts without even looking like getting beaten; $111,824 in the bank so far. "She's very exciting," he said. Dunn says that last week's clash between Mainland Banner and Foreal obviously caught the public's imagination very early on. "I don't think I've ever trained a horse leading up to a race where there's been so much hype from such a long way out. I mean, during Master Musician's era there were like eight millionaires. And the only other time I've experienced that one-on-one hype was when he took on (and beat) Jack Morris in the Victoria Cup."

Dunn says he wasn't "cock-a-hoop" confident leading into last Friday's event, having immense respect for Foreal among others, but despite where she drew he also knew what his filly was capable of. "All those times when you see horses run fifty-five halves, they're only at top speed for about fifty metres of that; this filly can carry that speed for a lot, lot longer. I think she could be a freak," he said.

Credit: John Robinson writing in the NZHR Weekly

Robert Dunn & Ian Dobson celebrate

No-one told Mainland Banner the magnitude of the mission. If they did, she didn't hear. No-one told her she was a girl in a male domain. Not being sexist, she didn't care. No-one told her she was running further than she had before. Knowing she could just keep on keeping on, she knew it wouldn't matter. And, with the magnificent Christchurch Casino sign beckoning in the distance and just 20 seconds away, Mainland Banner hoisted full sail and let rip.

She quickly collared the uncomfortable Mi Muchacho who was holding on by heart alone, and put a goodbye break on the bunch. Wider out, Just An Excuse worked home strongly after settling handy at the 1600m, beaten for second by Alta Serena, who dashed home after being held up to a minor extent on the turn. Then came Bobs Blue Boy.

How did Mainland Banner become the youngest mare to win the $400,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup? No-one better to give us a match report than driver, Ricky May. "I was a wee bit nervous before the race, because of all the hype she was getting. All New Zealand must have been talking about it. But the good thing was that Robert (Dunn) left the race completely to me. She was a wee bit keen in the preliminary, and didn't make that good a beginning. It must have cost her two or three lengths, and she felt like she didn't quite know what to do. She just wasn't concentrating."

May, who had won the race with Inky Lord in 1989, and Iraklis in 1997, settled her five places back on the outer, with the early line ahead being Likmesiah, Jackson Browne, Bobs Blue Boy and Howard Bromac. He sat until the day-trippers had gone round, and left on his own just before the mile. He didn't hurry and none came after them.

"I had to chase her up to get round them." Before the post a lap out, he was second and happy. "I knew she could win sitting parked from there. On the corner I still had a good hold on her, and when she heard the other horse start coming on the outside, I could feel her surge again," he said. The curtain fell with Mainland Banner home by a length and a quarter in 4:04. She wrecked the hopes of the sprinters by running her last quarter in 26.9.

May was in head shaking form after getting the job done. "It was a great training feat...she's phenomenal...she's an incredible horse...there are no words to describe it, and she still doesn't know how to race." And to his credit, he openly wondered about the target when he first heard about it. "I wasn't that keen on it when I first knew that it was on. I'd seen Happy Sunrise go through the same thing when he'd just a few more starts, and he didn't handle it. I knew she could do it, but I thought it was just a year too soon," he said.

With the game plan underway, May put his weight behind it. If he needed comfort, it came last week when down-the-road trainer Cran Dalgety told him Mainland Banner worked "sensationally" on his track. No-one told her Ricky May knew then that she could complete the mission.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly