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LORD MODULE - Enigma

Maybe, if you are of a certain age, you can skip this one. You know the story as well as anyone. How Lord Module could bring the Addington public to the highest levels of excitement since the days of Johnny Globe then stun them into silence with a show of temperament not equalled in the years since. Had he been anyone else than Lord Module his career would have been abbreviated by the stewards long before it reached its amazing unforgettable climax.

To cut to the chase Lord Module went from Horse of the Year in 1979-80 acclaimed for many things including brilliantly winning the Cup(of course there was an inquiry this was Lord Module after all) after giving away starts of 60m. 12 months later he had already twice been barred from racing and his fan club suffered a big drop in membership.

After he refused to start at Forbury Park Jack Smolenski was called back by his old boss Cecil Devine to do the business but Jack was soon after suspended at Kaikoura and out for a month. Lord Module turned on a circus act at the Cup trials and then took no part in the NZ Cup itself and was barred from standing starts for a month. He then refused to keep up behind the gate in the Pan Am Mile and was barred from all racing until he trialled twice. He failed the first one, was lucky to pass the second and did well in the third. He won a mile at Timaru but was again giving away big starts from the stand.

Things were only fair in the spring too until the amazing night of the Matson Free-For-All which resulted in the greatest demonstration of public affection seen since the days of Johnny Globe. Most people who were there still get a tingle in the spine recalling it. Of course Lord Module was going to have the last word. A special promotion at Addington a few years later featured past champions at stud. When the parade went to the birdcage Lord Module was a no show. He had decided to take a lie down in the parade ring and nobody was going to change his mind. A champion with a difference.

Recently when discussing Lord Module's career one contribution was "Lord Module? He could be a real mongrel. But I loved him." Sums it all up really.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016

Tactile at stud

TACTILE

The brilliant NZ pacer who won an unprecedented five derbies in NZ and Australia, then raced with distinction in America, where he pushed his earnings to $189,415 before launching a successful stud career there, has arrived back to his Ryal Bush (near Invercargill) owner Jim Dynes.

Dynes, who is already standing the Nandina stallion Scrappy Wave at his stud, has had so much enquiry for Tactile that he may have to place him the coming season on the property of his cousin and former partner in the horse, Derek Dynes who has a larger property. This keen enquiry is not surprising for from his first two crops in America of 32 foals Tactile is already represented there by 14 individual winners. These are headed by a smart youngster Jinks Minbar, who after starring in his 2-year-old campaign last year when he took a mark of 2:03.2 has continued as a good three-year-old winner this term, his victories including several at Yonkers Raceway, the track on which his sire flew the NZ flag high several years back. The Dynes cousins bought Tactile in a private deal with Tactic's breeder Andy Wilson, as a Hal Tryax foal in embryo and they raced him in partnership with outstanding success before Jim bought Derek's share when Tactile was ending his racing career in America.

His dam Tactics was a Cup class pacer herself (11 wins, including a New Brighton Cup), Tactics was of course the dam also of Deft (10 wins and 29 placings for Mr Wilson's wife Ann), in turn the dam of Mrs Wilson's champion 2-year-old of the current season Noodlum. Tactile's sire Hal Tryax also sired the mighty Cardigan Bay and grand mare Robin Dundee not to mention numerous other winners that saw him top the leading sires list in 1965-6 and 1966-7, and Tactile capped his NZ and Great Northern Derby wins with victories the same season (1962-3) in the South Australian, Victorian and New South Wales Derbies. Winning his way to the best class here, he ran Cardigan Bay to half-a-length in the 1963 Auckland Cup in which epic encounter the mighty Cardy, after giving away starts of up to 78 yards, prevailed but had to pull out all the stops to survive Tactile's late bid.

Like most of our top horses, Tactile eventually found his way to America, and so impressed was Yonkers Raceway chief Martin Tananbaum with the form he showed in around New York, where he took a mark of 1:59.6, then he persuaded Jim Dynes to let the stallion stand at his White Devon Stud in upstate New York. Tananbaum died in 1970, but Tactile carried on in service at White Devon under the farm's manager Harry Moss. With such fierce competition in breeding in the States, it was a struggle to get Tactile mares of any reasonable quality or quantity. So it is a credit to him that from his first two crops of 32 foals he already has 14 individual winners.

With the decision to disperse the White Devon stallion string, Tactile was earlier this season shipped to England on the first leg of his return home to Southland. After his compulsory six-month quarantine there, he was flown to NZ and recently completed the mandatory fortnight's quarantine here. He travelled by float and boat from the quarantine base at Alton Lodge, near Te Kauwhata, to Ryal Bush to meet up again with Jim Dynes. Says Alton Lodge proprietor Eric Haydon "he arrived in fron England in great nick and will reach Southland in wonderful order."

Now rising 15, Tatile appears assured of a fine future at stud in NZ.

Credit: Ron Bisman writing in NZ Trotguide 18Jul74

FALLACY

A sensational colt pacer of his time, and one who made an even greater impact as a sire, the Light Brigade horse Fallacy died last week. Fallacy was raced by J D Litten who trained him throughout his career and apart from an odd stint at the stud away from Canterbury he spent almost the whole of his lifetime at Litten's Preston Farm at West Melton. He was foaled in 1948.

Fallacy hit the headlines in his first season of racing - as a 3-year-old, at which age he won seven of his 10 starts and also finished second twice. He was the top juvenile of his year winning the 1952 NZ Derby in a race record of 3:12 1-5, which stood for eight years until Stormont cut it back to 3:11 4-5. He also won the NZ Champion Stakes and the NZ Futurity Stakes that season. Fallacy was only lightly raced for the remainder of his career, being twice placed in four starts at four, he was unplaced in his three 5-year-old appearances and placed once in five starts at six.

As a sire, however, he matched his juvenile brilliance. He finished fourth on the NZ sires' list in the 1962/3 season and was leading NZ-bred sire for the year. And it was from this point on that he really made an impact on the NZ sires' list, being in the top five on no fewer than eight occasions. He was faced with strong opposition in holding his place in the leading bracket as Light Brigade, U Scott, Hal Tryax, Garrison Hanover and Johnny Globe were at their peak in a mighty siring age.

In the 17 seasons that Fallacy's stock raced in NZ he sired more than 160 winners of 528 races and $709,814 in stakes to the end of last season. Taking the winnings of his stock in Australia and America into account Fallacy's stock must have won around the $1 million mark. With several crops to represent him in future he could well join the only other NZ bred sire, Johnny Globe, to have sired winners of $1 million in stakes in his own country.

Fallacy sired a triple NZ Cup winner in False Step and also last year's NZ Cup winner, True Averil. Both hold 2:00 records - True Averil the winner of $52,830 in stakes with figures of 1:58 4-5 and False Step, who also won a heat of the 1961 International series at Yonkers in 2:00. Fallacy sired many grand stayers over the years, among them Falsehood(2:06 2-5), who won 18 races, Allakasam(2:00 2-5), one of the finest staying mares bred in this country and the winner of 18 races; a brilliant 3-year-old in Dignus who won the NZ Derby, Junior Royal, who won 12; a NZ Derby winner in Doctor Barry, who won 10, a NZ Cup place-getter in Happy Ending(4:11 2-5), a NZ Cup-class pacer in Rain Again(2:05 3-5), who has won 12 races. In both NZ and Australia the list of winners sired by Fallacy is a select and lengthy one.

In the past few seasons Fallacy has distinguished himself as a broodmare sire, and until his death he was NZ's leading living sire of broodmares. In the seven or eight seasons he has figured as a broodmare sire Fallacy mares have left the winners of more than $200,000 in stakes in NZ. They will continue to exert an influence far beyond this figure. One of NZ's star pacers at the moment in Royal Ascot: Geffin winner of the 1961 trotter's Inter-Dominion Grand Final: Tutira, who won the Dominion Handicap and NZ Trotters Free-For-All: Royal Trump(2:01 3-5): a star juvenile trotter in the ill-fated Black Miller are among those from mares by Fallacy.

Not only did Fallacy sire 2:00 performers in False Step and True Averil, but two of his sons in False Step and Dignus became 2:00 sires. False Step sired Miss Step(1:59 3-5), who left NZ as a novice and took her record in America and Dignus, a leading juvenile himself and winner of the New South Wales Derby, is the sire of Peerswick(2:00). Some of Fallacy's best performed sons were kept entire and as his male line has already taken 2:00 status (through his own siring efforts and those of his sons False Step and Dignus) it is certain to exert itself further. Other sons, particularly True Averil, Junior Royal and Happy Ending could further add to the male line of Light Brigade, through Fallacy.

Fallacy has an interesting breeding background. His sire Light Brigade was not only one of NZ's top sires over a long period, but his sons, grandsons and great grandsons have come to the top as sires. His fillies have put him at the head of the NZ broomare sires for the last three seasons. Fallacy's dam, Diversion also belongs to what is probably the most distinguished sire family outside America. Diversion was by Rey de Oro(imp) from Escapade, by Nelson Bingen fron NZ Cup winner Country Belle, whose grandam was an Arab mare. It is to this Arab mare that Logan Derby (sire of NZ's champion sire of the last three seasons in Johnny Globe) and one of NZ's greatest broodmares in Rustic Maid, trace. Rustic Maid has established a family of sires all of her own. Chamfer and Scottish Brigade, both leading sires in Australia, Gentry, who was top sire of NZ's 2-year-olds last season.

Fallacy will break an association of some 25 years with the Preston Farm household of the Litten family. Jack Litten always did the Light Brigade horse proud and only last month when I saw Fallacy at West Melton he certainly did not look his 25 years and was being given the same immaculate care that had been given him throughout his life.

Credit: 'Stopwatch' writing in NZ Trotting 9Sep72

Mount Eden time trialling at Addington

MOUNT EDEN

After watching Mount Eden's time trial in 1:56 3/5 at Addington on Saturday afternoon, I have no hesitation in naming him the fastest pacer the world has seen.
Given perfect conditions and rated well on Lexington's Big Red Mile in Kentucky, Mount Eden, providing he holds his form, will surely topple Bret Hanover's world record of 1:53 3/5.

And, under mobile start conditions at Yonkers Raceway, with Peter Wolfenden driving him (he has accepted this assignment, offered to him by Mount Eden's trainer Jack Miles), it is hard to imagine his rivals in this year's $170,000 International series living with him.

The six-furlong Addington track throughout Saturday morning received a thorough drenching by driving rain. Mount Eden's trial, scheduled for noon, had to be postponed for more than five hours until after the last race. Throughout the day the racing was affected by the 'off' track, and the final event, run about 20 minutes before Mount Eden's mile attempt, was won by Radiant Globe in the fastest time of the day, 3:27 for the 13 furlongs - a 2:07 mile rate.

The track was then scraped, but still remained quite damp - especially on the turn out of the front straight which occupied most of the second quarter-mile section of the mile. Miles, who drove Mount Eden, later likened this part of the track to porridge. Miles said: "I had to nurse him all the way around that bend, as I didn't want the horse to slip or knuckle over at speed and leave me with no horse, and I reckon that cost me a full second.

"Down the back the galloper was no use to me. I kept yelling to Jim (Jim Dalgety, driver of the galloping prompter, thoroughbred Maxwelton) to keep him up, but he shouted back he couldn't." Before the time trial, experienced horsemen agreed that Mount Eden would be lucky to break 2:00. To accomplish a time only 2/5 sec outside Cardigan Bay's NZ and Australian record in such conditions was phenomenal. There seems not much doubt that in the Miracle Mile in Sydney on Friday week, when Mount Eden will meet Stella Frost and Manaroa among others over mobile start mile conditions, given good conditions the remarkable 4-year-old will have little difficulty in breaking Halwes' 1:57 3/5 Australian record, accomplished in the same race in 1968.

Miles and his co-owner Bernie Ogden have also agreed to produce Mount Eden in Melbourne before he leaves for the United States and his Yonkers International bid. On the three-furlong Melbourne Showgrounds track, Mount Eden, for a $5000 incentive will attack the track record of 2:00 3/5, which seems at his mercy.

On Saturday at Addington my sectional times for Mount Eden were: first quarter 30 2/5 sec; second quarter 29 sec; third quarter 28 4/5; fourth quarter 28 2/5. It was the fifth time in 18 days, since he astonished trackwatchers with a casual 1:58 1/5 mile in his first serious workout in NZ, that Mount Eden had penetrated well inside the two-minute barrier; and each time his clocking was faster. His mightiest race here, though he finished only sixth, was in the third round of heats, when, over 13 furlongs, he lost three-quarters of a furlong at the start and was reliably timed to come his last mile and a half in an unheard of 2:56 4/5, his final mile in 1:56 4/5.

Mount Eden's $2000 for breaking 2:00 in the time trial (virtually appearance money) pushed his earning to only $21,160. His racing record is 13 wins and two placings from 20 starts. In the next few weeks in Australia he should double his bankroll, while when he reaches America his earning rate should really rocket. Mr Ogden said on Saturday night that several attractive offers have been made for Mount Eden, and that some are still being considered, but no deals have been made at this stage. Mr Ogden does not expect to go to America with Miles and Mount Eden, but said he might fly from Perth to New York to see him contest the $100,000 International Pace on June 4.

Mount Eden may be a freak but he is no fluke of breeding. He is by the imported Adios horse Morris Eden (p, 2:01 1/5 and $88,000), a three-quarter brother to the crack American 3-year-old of last year, Columbia George (p,3, 1:56). Owned by Noel Simpson, Morris Eden, after a successful stint in NZ, is now standing in Victoria, Australia, under Ron Hutchins. His place at Jack Hughes' Glencoe Stud at Pukekohe, has been taken by Good Time Eden, a half-brother by Good Time to Morris Eden.

Blankets, the dam of Mount Eden, was unraced. She was by the Light Brigade (by Volomite) horse Aksarben, who won eight races and had a big reputation but was restricted in his race career by recurring leg trouble. Blue Revue, the dam of Aksarben, was a fine producer. She also left Blue (2:09 1/5, world's record for a yearling; eight wins including the NZ Sapling Stakes, NZ Derby and NSW Derby) and several other less important winners.

Shepherd's Brook, the dam of Blankets, was by the good racehorse and sire, Nelson Derby. She won three races and apart from Blankets left Midday (6 wins), Midnight (four), Wallacetown (four) and Forenoon (four, and dam of Selena, 7 wins). Shepherd's Brook's dam, the unraced Queen's Treasure, produced Hardy Oak (12 wins), Jack's Treasure (four), Buccaneer (three), Single Star (six), Mareeta (five) and Manoa (four). And Single Star became the dam of a champion NZ filly of her day, Riviera, as well as Petro Star (six wins and dam of six winners including the latest NZ Futurity winner, True Temper).

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Ron Jenkins: Great Trotters

One of the most sensational pacers to race in Australia was the NZ-bred, WA-owned pacer Mount Eden who first gained attention as a 3-year-old in winning the WA Sires' Produce Stakes. In recording a mile rate of 2:04 in the mile and a half race from a standing start Mount Eden created a world record for a 3-year-old. In the following season he entered the world spotlight in harness racing. In little more than two months he recorded nine runs in less than two minutes for a timed flying mile.

Mount Eden contested the 1971 Inter-Dominion series at Addington, after recording 1:58 4/5 in a time trial before the series began. He failed to qualify for the final as he performed poorly at the start in each of his heats but was timed to run a flying mile in under two minutes in all three heats. Mount Eden's connections were later invited to run their pacer in a time trial on the day of the final and despite the damp conditions, he ran 1:56 3/5, just two-fifths of a second outside Cardigan Bay's Australasian record.

On his return to Australia, Mount Eden won the Craven Filter Miracle Mile by 15 yards in 1:58 4/5 after losing some six lengths at the start when he mixed his gait. He paced 1:56.7 in a time trial attempt at Harold Park, replacing Halwes' Australian record of 1:57.3. This was followed by runs of 1:59.8 in Melbourne and 1:57.8 at the Gloucester Park, WA, track in other time trials.

Mount Eden was sold to an American owner in April, 1971, for $268,000, making him the most expensive horse, galloper or trotter, to ever be sold in Australia. He left for America having won 14 races from 20 starts and $43,000 in prizemoney. After a time in which he was plagued with injury, Mount Eden was retired to the stud without contesting a race in America.

Credit: 'R B' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 3Mar71

Precocious & Jack Carmichael

PRECOCIOUS

The Precocious story can be taken up at a point where prominent Auckland owner Andy Carmichael and Hawera trainer Doug Grantham in 1963 purchased from veteran Akaroa breeder Jack Ferguson a yearling filly by Johnny Globe from the successful Light Brigade trotting mare Dauphine. The filly was a full sister of Au Fait, who had won the 1961 Dominion Handicap for her Wellington breeder Jack McKay and was subsequently sold to America at a high price.

Mr Carmichael, successful in business through Broadway pies, and over the years a good winning owner with horses like Prince Polka and Chequer Board, decided that Grantham should train their acquistion. Grantham was only too pleased to oblige in this role, but when, as he built up the work schedule for the young filly, she kept putting on condition instead of shedding it, he was at a loss to understand her. A vet solved the problem. The then 2-year-old filly was in foal.

A hasty conference was called, and on checking back the filly's state was traced to a night when an Aksarben colt, appropriately named All Gallant, had got over a fence and in amongst several yearlings on Mr Ferguson's property. Mr Ferguson most apologetically offered to replace the in-foal filly with another, but Andy and Doug decided that whatever will be will be. They gave the filly time off to have her foal - most aptly named the young mother Precocious and the foal Over Fence; put Precocious back into work and produced her for her first racing a a 5-year-old in the 1967-8 season.

That she was as forward at coming forward on the racetrack as she was for Mother Nature, Precocious showed by winning four races and gaining two seconds, a third and three fourths in her first campaign - during which Mr Carmichael bought out Grantham's share (after three wins) and placed her with Bob Mitchell at Cambridge.

At six, Precocious had 10 starts for one win, two thirds and a fourth, and at seven two wins and seven minor placings from 18 attempts in NZ and one win in Melbourne on a brief Australian sojourn at Inter-Dominion time. A costly persistence to tangle early in her races led her connections to think either she was feeling the tracks of she was averse to racing right-handed as they do in many northern tracks.

Meantime, Mr Carmichael, who had paid $20,000 to secure the up-and-coming Chequer Board from Northland owner Dave Jessop, had placed him with successful results with Templeton trainer Jack Carmichael (no relation). The southern horseman, after driving Precocious to the second of her wins as a 7-year-old at Cambridge in January 1970, was invited to take her south to his stable to produce as an 8-year-old. By this time on the fringe of good class, Precocious still persisted with that costly tangle early in her races and her first 22 appearances as an 8-year-old resulted in four seconds, a third and two fourths.

Ironically, it was when Jack Carmichael brought her back to Auckland in May 1971, that Precocious broke through for her first win for his stable - bolting away with an impressive double in the St Andrews and Remuera Handicaps at the Auckland winter meeting. They were her last two starts for the 1970-71 season, and she carried on the good work in the season under review, winning three of her first seven starts before placing fourth in the Worthy Queen Handicap at Addington on NZ Cup day.

Then it was the big one, the $10,200 Dominion Trotting Handicap on Show Day at Addington, November 12 1971. Precocious, on the strength of her lastest good form, was sent out 1-2 in the order of betting. And she didn't let the army of fans she had now established down in any way. Jack Carmichael, bounced the 9-year-old mother out from the limit mark in good style, and with no sign of that earlier chink in her armour she settled in to trot solidly handy on the outer with a good cover. She was going so well that her trainer-driver let her forge through to the front crossing the top with two and a half furlongs to travel.

She was never in danger of defeat, coming in with two lengths and a half to spare from Merrin. Northerner Easton Light was a good third after covering much ground and Marius close up next, best of the others. The winning time of 4:18 2/5 was the seventh-fastest in the 70-year-old history of the race, the record for which is held at 4:15 4/5 by none other than Precocious' sister, Au Fait. But Precocious could obviously have gone a lot faster.

The win brought her earnings to near $25,000 and while she appeared to train off a shade after that she was back in the winners' circle in February, taking the Hagley Trotting Free-for-all at the Canterbury Park meeting at Addington. It was a good season for her, and, as it was only her fourth, there appeared to be no reason why, before she had another look at the matron's paddock, she should not add a lot more lustre to her race record.

Meanwhile Over Fence, who, though speedy and a fairly quick qualifier, proved erratic and was not persevered with as a racing proposition. Shortly after Precocious gained her most important win in the Dominion Handicap, Over Fence made her a grandmother by producing a foal to the imported Tartan Hanover.



Credit: Ron Bisman: DB Trotting Annual 1972

MANAROA

Dubbed the 'Ugly Duckling' because of his roach back and rat tail, Manaroa proved that appearances alone do not make a champion racehorse.

A winner of many top-class races, Manaroa would have had a more impressive record but for being unruly at the barrier in many of his races. In NZ Manaroa held a record of a 2:04 rating over 13 furlongs. He also won over two miles in 4:10 1/5 and was joint record holder with Caduceus for 1½ miles standing start in 3:04 2/5. His best NZ time for a mile was 1:59 2/5.

Manaroa won two heats of the 1971 Inter-Dominion at Addington, and finished a neck and a nose behind Junior's Image and Stella Frost in the final, subsequently being promoted to second placing upon the disqualification of Junior's Image. He brilliantly won his three heats of the 1972 Inter-Dominion in Brisbane and was backmarker off 24 yards in the final, but found the handicap, and being forced to race wide for a good portion of the event, too severe and finished fifth.

Manaroa was third behind Bay Foyle and Reichman in the Miracle Mile of 1972, and ran a similar placing in the same race in 1973 behind Reichman and Royal Ascot. From 24 yards in the 1973 Inter-Dominion in Sydney he was successful in one heat and second in another, but failed to qualify for the final because of a poor start in the other heat in which he finished last.

Manaroa was successful in other principal events in Australia. In winning the 1971 NSW Lord Mayor's Cup from 24 yards he defeated Welcome Advise and Lachamfer and rated 2:06 4/5. He ran 2:00 3/5 in winning the NSW Lightning Mile in September, 1972, by 25 yards and lowered the race record previously held by Macaree and Halwes at 2:01.

Against time in October, 1972, Manaroa paced 1:59 3/5 at Harold Park.



Credit: Ron Jenkins: Great Trotters

HAPPY GIFT - Mystery Mare

This mare from Timaru won a couple of races in several years of trying and was the only winner by her sire the uncommercial Johnny Kawa. Her dam was by Record Time, another 'household name' and the next sire in the pedigree was Colossal, probably best known for one of his daughter's foals who was able to be registered as Colossal Dick without any objection from officialdom!

Happy Gift maintained the family tradition of going to locally bred stallions when sent to Steven Stock, a top racehorse and underrated sire overwhelmed by the rush of imports in the 1980s. The result was a horse called Happy Sunrise who set the racing world on it's ear in the mid 1980s.

Happy Sunrise went to NZ Cup class in less than 12 months winning 10 of his first 14 starts. This was a record under modern handicapping until broken by Derby soon afterward. One of those wins was in the Ashburton Flying Stakes, beating the subsequent NZ Cup winner Master Mood less than 12 months after starting racing for trainer Brian Saunders and driver Ricky May.

The horse made a mess of the NZ Cup; was fifth in a blanket Free For All finish from the outside second row draw breaking 2:27; and was then off to Australia where he was an anti-climax from the word go never winning a stake over $4000. Part of the problem was temperament. Sometimes Happy Sunrise when getting back to the stables after a win had as much action for spectators than the race itself. But it was electric racing while it lasted.

The family soon returned to obscurity until Kevin Fairbairn obtained a mare from it, sent her to top trotting stallions and got Whatsundermykilt and Glenbogle.



Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed June 2016

SUE ADIOS - Classic Winner Producing Mare

SUE ADIOS (1970 Jerry Adios-Cuidado), NZ family of The Brat; 2:02.0, $21,919, 17 wins. 10 foals, 8 to race for 8 winners. Breeder: Mrs F J Scott, Christchurch. Foals bred by Delvan G Rickerby, NSW and formerly a trainer at East Eyreton(Even Trick, Adios Trick, Senator Sue); Solid Earth Pty Ltd, QLD(Sweet Valentine, Sir Galahad, Sweet Sue, Woy Woy Lad); Standardbred International Pty Ltd, QLD(Sweet Liberty, Sweet Clementine, Vanston Adios).

Her Adios line sire Jerry Adios left over 100 winners and was damsire of a similar number in Australasia(UK/USA credits also). His winners included Eastwood Jerry(UK National Pacing/Lakeland Derbies), Rippers Delight(NZ Derby, Ladyship Stakes, GN/NZ Oaks); dam sire of Adios Trick(GN Oaks), Countess Gina(WA Oaks), Sweet Clementine(QLD Oaks).

The dam of Sue Adios was the Van Dieman mare Cuidado from The Brat family. She left four winners including Curragh Dan, winner of the Lightning Hcp at Addington. The Brat was the family of champion pacer Young Quinn(AK Cup, ID Pacers Grand Final, CAN Provincial Cup twice), Sole Command(AK & NZ Cups), Tapuwae(Rowe Cup), Godfrey(NZ 2yo Championship, GN Derby), Cool Hand Luke(Taylor Mile).

Sue Adios, born in NZ, was purchased at 1972 National Yearling Sales by Delvan Rickerby and exported to Australia in November 1973 where she raced for the next six seasons. She was to win a total of 17 races for Little River publican Delvan Rickerby who retained a share in her. She commenced with 5 wins at three including the inaugural Ladyship Mile(Ladyship Championship, 2350m), at Harold Park in 1974. Sue Adios only raced on four occasions at four for two placings. She managed 8 wins at 5(5 'old' Menangle track, 1 Harold Park), a further one from three 6yo starts, 3 wins at seven(Harold Park, Mooney Valley, Gold Coast FFA) and was placed in her only start at eight.

Her first three foals were by ill-fated sire Overtrick(champion American pacer and arch rival of Cardigan Bay) who stood in NSW and then to Land Grant, Gatwick and Vanston Hanover. The only progeny of Sue Adios to race in NZ was her second foal, born in Australia, the well-performed filly Adios Trick.

Sue Adios male progeny included:

Vanston Adios, 13 wins(6 Harold Park, 3 Albion Park), NSW Christmas Gift and Sir Galahad, 15 wins(8 at Harold Park, 1 at Albion Park).

Sue Adios fillies included:

Adios Trick, her 23 starts yielded 9 wins in NZ for the Win A Trick Syndicate(Manager Delvan Rickerby). At two, she was the top southern juvenile filly winning 4 of her 5 starts(Stan Andrews, Rangiora Raceway, R M Cameron & Forbury Park Stakes), placing fourth in the Sapling Stakes. First up at three, Adios Trick won the TS Harrison Stakes(Methven), as well as at Addington, Timaru, Alexandra Park twice including the GN Oaks. She was unplaced in four 4yo starts, unraced at five and unplaced in her only start at six. Adios Trick produced nine foals for five winners/ two qualifiers including Hanover Trick(5 wins, 1:54.3US), Smooth Ghia(7 wins, Harold Park twice, Sue Dreamer(6wins, NI Breeders Stakes).

Credit: Peter Craig writing in Harnessed Oct 2015

MASTER DEAN - Enigma

Had mobile racing been as firmly established in the mid 1970's as it is today Master Dean would probably be toasted as one of the biggest stars of his era. But it wasn't and he wasn't. Pity.

Trained by Alec Purdon for Noel Borlase, Master Dean's barrier manners eventually exasperated his first driver Robert Cameron and Mike De Filippi used the opportunity to put his name in the headlines with some of his brilliant horse's most notable performances. But only from mobiles.

Typical of his career was his 6yo efforts when he was already established in open class. He broke early at his only start previous to the New Zealand Cup where, typically, he broke badly early and was never in the race. Three days later he was a brilliant winner of the NZ Free-For-All and was not beaten again that season in New Zealand.

He beat all the topliners again in the Allan Matson FFA close to the national record and added the Stars Travel Miracle Mile over Stanley Rio, thanks to a brilliant drive from young De Filippi who had to work off a tricky position on the rail to win in the days when drivers could master mile racing on the track. On a cold night on a wet track he only went 2:00 but won well. In Auckland he destroyed them in the Benson and Hedges Flying Mile and then ran 1:57.5 to win the Clarendon FFA over a mile at Addington, a tick outside Young Quinn's national record.

Master Dean, in spite of his great speed, had not won a race after his first 16 starts, sometimes just pulled up. He won two in a row at Hutt Park in his first mobile starts at three and things changed. In fact all 16 of Master Dean's wins were mobiles. He had over 40 races from standing starts and could never finish better than second. And remember that not many horses Alec Purdon's training skills.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016

MIGHTY GAY - Enigma

George Shand's pride and joy of the mid 1970's was an unlikely star on breeding who put up some phenomenal performances.

Trouble was, they invariably came after a gallop at the start and so his full potential was never found. George was a "don't die wondering" sort of driver who did not accept 100m behind the field was a lost cause. On Show Day at Addington in 1973 when the horse was a 3yo, he was lined up in the 3200m Author Dillon Handicap against horses of all ages, something rarely attempted in such a tough race at that time and certainly not now. He did 100m at the start, looped the field to lead at the top of the straight and went on to win.

As a 2yo he was pulled up in two of his first four starts, won a couple at the Nelson winter meeting, floated to Auckland to win first up at Alexandra Park and then lost 150m in the Juvenile Championship.

It was often all or nothing. From 98 starts in NZ he was placed in only 15, nine of them wins. It is probably a record without equal among top line performers. Mighty Gay inherited superior speed from his fast, tough but erratic sire, Gay Gordon, who left about a dozen winners. Some took fast times in the US.

Mighty Gay's form fell right away as an older horse. Then as a 6yo, having won one race in three years, he won the rich Ashburton Flying Stakes at 35/1. That was your Mighty Gay. We may never know how good he really was. He seemed to prefer it that way.



Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016