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RACING HISTORY

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MURRAY GRAY

Russell Morton described the late Murray Gray as direct and uncomplicated, black and white. "There was nothing gray about him," said Morton, who had helped at his stables for the past seven years and led the funeral service for Murray. He died at Ryal Bush on May 27 aged 63. "He had the strength and confidence to do the right thing with horses; he knew when to be patient, to get the right response or when tough love was required," Morton added.

When it came to greatest moments in harness racing, there is no doubt Giovanetto provided them for Gray. Bred in partnership and trained by him throughout his 59 start career, the entire son of Fitch II and Bella Ragazza won 18 times including the 1991 Welcome Stakes, and in 1992 the Southern Supremacy Stakes, 4yo Rising Stars, Hannon Memorial and Monsanto Free-For-All.

The paths of Giovanetto and Chokin crossed regularly and when Giovanetta finished second in the 1991 3yo Rising Stars and 3yo Sires Stakes, Chokin was the victor. The same was the case when Giovanetto ran third in the 1991 2yo Sires Stakes, the 2yo Championship an the 1993 New Zealand Cup. A year earlier he finished second in the Cup, denied then by Blossom Lady

At the time, Giovanetto was the best Gray had bred but that all changed when his half brother Holmes D G, by Holmes Hanover arrived. Gray developed Holmes D G, qualified him at Wyndham as a juvenile in 1997 and took him to Forbury Park for his debut with son Brett in the sulky. "We lost 80 of 90 metres at the start," recalled Brett. "He finished second (beaten three quarters of a length). That run created the real interest in him." Sold before he raced again, Holmes D G went on to win all-but $2 million.

One of six in a family, Gray's parents ran the Makarewa freezing works farm. He attended Makarewa Primary and Southland Tech High, excelling in athletics, cross country and rugby. After leaving school at age 15 and worked as a farm hand for a time, he went shearing. He married Jen at Milton in August, 1970 and after Brett they had two daughters, Joanna and Paula.

While still a shearer, Gray and family moved next door to the property of Ron Barron. That was when his interest in harness racing grew to participation. According to Brett, his father's involvement then was still as an amateur, gradually changing to a professional level about 30 years ago when he moved to Ryal Bush.

Gray was a successful breeder, seller, owner, trainer, driver and administrator, being a driving force and founding member of Southland Caduceus Club, head for a time of the Owners Trainer Breeders (OTB) organisation, prominent in the Standardbred Breeders Association and a Trustee for Kids Kartz. He trained the winners of about 150 races and also drove a few. When Giovanetto was a 3yo he was in the sulky six times for six wins.

Outside harness racing Gray was active in the Makarewa Country Club during its early years and president of the Ryal Bush Community Centre.

Credit: HRWeekly 13June2012

PEOPLE

JIM WAKEFIELD

Respected harness racing administrator Jim Wakefield has been recognised for his servises to the industry in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Wakefield has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).

Pat O'Brien, the chairman of Harness Racing New Zealand, said the award was thoroughly deserved. "It recognises Jim's outstanding contribution to the industry in a number of areas over an extended period. As HRNZ's chairman, Jim was a strong and passionate leader with great integrity. Not only has he provided a significant contribution as an administrator, he has been, and continues to be, heavily involved as a breeder and owner. Harness Racing is certainly richer for his involvement and it is great for him to be officially recognised through this award."

Wakefield represented the NZ Trotting Owners Association on HRNZ's Executive from 2000 to 2010, and was Chairman from 2000 to 2003. During this time he played a key role in promoting a number of changes, in particular the development of the Racing Act 2003 on which the current industry is structured.

From 2003-06, he was HRNZ's inaugural appointment to the New Zealand Racing Board, and in partnership with his wife, Dr Susan Wakefield, he has bred and raced a number of top performers, including Sparks A Flyin, London Legend, Bettor's Strike and Texican.

On the international stage, Wakefield was chairman on the organising committee of the 2007 World Trotting Conference in Christchurch, an event considered a great success.



Credit: HR Weekly 7June2012

PEOPLE

KEVIN RYDER

Kevin Ryder, who died in Christchurch recently aged 88, was a remarkably versatile horseman. He crossed many paths successfully, as a breeder, owner, trainer, driver and notably as a trader. He was never shy at voicing his opinion, an irregular contributor to the 'Weekly's' Letter columns, an author, and latterly an advisor of sorts to the Meadowlands video streaming.
He performed with distinction on the international stage, training and trading in the US when he was based at Yonkers in the 1970s.

Ryder was born in Blackball, one of five children raised on the family farm at Inchbonnie. In 1937, when he had just left school to work on the farm, he bought his first horse, a 2-year-old by Grattan Loyal. "I had no idea how to train a horse, but I pressed on regardless," he said. Six years later he put down a track, and 10 years after that he won his first race, at Westport in 1953 with Helen Patch, a mare he'd leased from Iris Litten. Not only did she win on the first day, but on the second day as well, by two lengths off 36 yards. Other winner for him during this time were First Dieman, Bay Prince, Private Lady (4 wins), Conquistador and Chiefly.

Ryder moved into thoroughbreds in the late 50s, standing at stud the stallions Red Jester and Prince Mahal, and they were joined by Allegiance, an unraced son of Light Brigade and Princess Medoro. In 1963, Ryder moved to Canterbury with his wife Bev and their six children - Patricia, Gavan, Francis, Melvin, Chris and Peter - living first at Clarkville then at Kaiapoi. He worked at this time for Jack Litten and Clarrie Rhodes, where Leicester Tatterson was Clarrie's private trainer. Ryder recalled: "It always amazed me how fast Leicester could harness and unharness a horse. He seemed to pick up a set of harness, hopples, bridle and boots, and in a flash the horse was all harnessed up."

He had three stints working for Litten, when he trained the speedy Peerswick, and he was with Litten when he bought Westland King as a weanling. By Goodland, Westland King set a mile trotting record from a standing start as a 2-year-old in 1966 of 2:12 2-5 which still stands today. He ran a mile record against time at the same age of 2:08 2-5, and won two at the Kaikoura meeting as a 3-year-old. "He was probably my favourite horse but sadly had bad legs." He raced just nine times in four seasons and won five races, later siring the grand trotter, Stormy Morn.

In 1967 he bought land and moved Westland King to Yaldhurst where he started a short career as a public trainer. Two of his best horses there were Apollo King - "the fastest beginner In ever saw" - and Tullamore Dew, another by Goodland - he said was "a heartbreak." Tullamore Dew could pace and trot, and in fact set records at both gaits. Ryder had thoughts he could be a Cup or Dominion Handicap horse. Philipino, yet another by Goodland, had ability at both gaits and was a good horse later for Denis Nyhan.

Another acquistion to the stable at this time was Robert Dunn, sent from Wellington by his parents because he was "horse mad." They told Ryder: "Work the hell out of him; see that he gets sick of it so he'll come back to Wellington and get on with his studies."

Soon after, in 1972, Ryder was off to America, as an attendant on air shipment of horses. He returned home and went back in 1974, taking Banksey Butler, a horse he had bought in Australia for $4000. "The business-like manner of racing in the United States always impressed me," he said later.

Horses he bought and sold while in the States included Highland Champ, Brown Brazil, Logan Lady, Urbinoro, Le True and Sogo, and those he sold while back later in NZ were Whispering Campaign, Hal Tempa, Timely Hostess, Via Vista, Tempo Cavalla, Tebaldi, Smooth Dave, Doctor Inglis, Countess Gina, Tac Warrior, Nautilus, Lumber Leon, Jester Boy, Lady's Rule, Matt Flinders, Bound To Be, Big Bucks and Matai Bret.

In 1977, and considering that he'd become a grandfather, Ryder decided to settle down and bought land at West Melton. He did what he was good at - buying and selling. He soon had three smart ones - By The Way, Ambleside and Tempest Tiger. By The Way was a smart trotting mare who won six races in one season. Tempest Tiger raced for only one season, becoming the first mare to win the Messenger Stakes when Jack Smolenski drove her and she shared the NZ mile record for a mare, at 1:58.5, with Westburn Vue.

Tempest Tiger left Franco Tiger, who won the Miracle Mile and was considered by Ryder as the best he had. "I started him three times at trials and he won them all. Then two starts at the races, one at Forbury and one at Addington, both of which he won quite easily. Keeping to my policy, I sold him to Australia where he earned over one million dollars. He did not pull an he was a flawless pacer. He had an impeccable nature and a 100% racing attitude, had a wonderful head and a nice homest-looking eye."

Ryder used his own theories for training. "I've always held the view that if a horse is really good, it doesn't matter much who trains it. The key is to get to know what suits the horse best. Some take a lot of work and others take very little, and it's just a matter of working this out. I have read various books on training horses but while you may pick up the odd handy hint from them, I don't hold much store with training by the book. I preferred to learn from experts like the legendary Jack Litten. Jack would take his horses out and trot two rounds of the track (2400m) and then gallop five (6000m). He galloped reasonably fast but not off the bit. He would not let any horse pace free-legged. He used no bandages or liniments and had no lame horses, except for his NZ Derby winner Doctor Barry, who was a bad horse to crossfire. However, one bit of advice I can give to young trainers is this: that young horse you are fairly much in love with is only half as good as you think it is."

His son Chris said his father wasn't shy of voicing a good an lengthy story, whether it was a West Coast happening, or a rather hair-raising touch and go horse trading experience. "He loved to watch my horses racing live on the computer and he took well to the internet, so much so that he would proudly tell me how he was emailing his racetrack management skills to the No. 1 track in the US.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 7Mar2012

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ROB GEDDES

Rod Geddes was 56 when he died suddenly at his Greenpark home recently. A dairy farmer, Geddes was a passionate and successful breeder, trainer and driver, most of his horses named with the 'Dryden' attachment.

His best horse was Dryden Amanda, trained by his father Jim for eight wins and one when they trained in partnership at the end of her career. That was when she won the Ashburton Cup from Ansett and Mytop Sweetie. Rob handled her in nearly all of her 62 starts and in all of her nine wins, including a memorable Show day performance at Addington when she came from last on the corner in a C6-8 free-for-all to beat Mighty Me and Win A Bottle. He trained the good Game Pride - Secret Sign mare Game Dryden to win seven races, and he won six with Honky Tonk Dryden. His last drive was at Addington with Coolit G T Dryden on March 30.

"He was into the horses from the day he was born," recalled his brother Jim. "From the time he was five, he was out there helping Dad, and he was driving work when he was ten. And when the kids were young it was non-stop pony club and watching them play rugby, and Rob went right through the grades playing for Waihora."

He is survived by his wife Barbara, sons Brent, who is licenced, and Ryan who was, and daughter, Nikki. Both Brent and Ryan are riders for the iconic Crusader horsemen before home Super 15 matches in Christchurch.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 25Apr2012

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FRANK BEBBINGTON

Frank Bebbington spent a lifetime involved in all aspects of harness racing - as a breeder, owner, trainer and driver with his latest administrative position being a recent appointment as an Ashburton Racecourse Trustee. He died recently, aged 80, before attending a meeting.

Bebbington began his work as a volunteer when he joined the Mid-Canterbury OTB. He became a member of the Ashburton Trotting Club and a steward in 1982 before joining the committee in 1985 and serving as president from 1998 until 2001. His involvement in club activities included the construction of the barn and Davidson stand, track improvements, the centennial fund, the introduction of the Hambletonian, and membership on the joint management committee. On his retirement he was made a life member of the club in 2004.

The first good horse Bebbington handled was Robert Medoro - "handy but underrated"- said recently retired club general manager Trevor Robinson, and trained by his father, Reg. He stood at stud Mercedes and Avalon Globe, and had great success with the trotters, Globe Tour and Royal Armour, who both won nine. Globe Tour was by Avalon Globe, by Lordship, and Royal Armour was by Protector and had enormous ability but raced intermittently over four seasons. He won seven races in his 4-year-old season and two from five starts as a 6-year-old, winning a double at the old National meeting, betting Break Through and Tony Bear on the first night and Johnny Gee and Break Through on the second.

Robertson said he would br missed for his smile, humour and levelheadedness.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 25Apr2012

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GORDON MIDDLETON

Gordon Middleton, who died last week at the age of 95, was a renowned and successful trainer of juveniles. Most of them raced with the 'Fancy' prefix, most were from mares by Truant Hanover, and the list of major wins in that category included the Welcome Stakes, Leonard Memorial, Kindergarten Stakes, Golden Slipper Stakes, Timaru Nursery Stakes and the Rotorua Futurity Stakes.

"Basically, he was before his time," said his son Carl, a high achiever as a trainer of trotters. "He would wean, gait and put them in the cart while they were still weanlings, and after that they were forever in and out of the paddock and in the cart. You'd know when they started racing at two, they'd never miss away...first out and hard to catch."

Middleton was born in Methven, one of 10 children, and left school when he was 12 to dig potatoes by hand and bag them. He became a shearer, and with his brother Clarence, set a Mid-Canterbury record of shearing 372 sheep. "Clarence was quicker, but on this day they equalled each other," recalled Carl. In the off season he worked as a bulldozer driver and drag line operator before four years in the army, serving in Egypt and Italy. On returning home, he bought a farm alongside Clarrie May and then one at Highbank where he stayed until his retirement.

His first horse was Marawiti, a filly by Lucky Jack he bought off Jack Kennedy for £100. Much to the distress of his brother-in-law Jim Nordqvist, who wanted the colours himself, he was able to register the colours of Sweden, blue with gold crossed sashes. Marawiti was notable for winning two trots on the Waimate card in 1957 and did better when sold for £1600, which was a small fortune then. Gordon later bought her back for 100 guineas when she was offered at a mixed sale in Christchurch and to Light Brigade left the open class trotter, Laplander.

Laplander won eight races including the West Coast Trotting Stakes from Briganelli and Beau Winter. He also provided Carl with his first driving win, at a Cheviot meeting held at Rangiora, and just before he left to work in the US.

He is also survived by Carl's brother Ross and sister Clare Ede, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 8Aug2012

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WRACKLER & HARRY NICOLL: CHAMPIONS BOTH

What a combination it was. On our left was Wrackler rated "on all evidence available the world's best double gaited horse" and still the only one to win both the New Zealand Cup pacing and the Dominion Handicap trotting. On the right was his owner Harry Nicoll, arguably the greatest administrator in the history of the harness sport. An autocrat, he was the president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference (HRNZ) for over 25 years and of his Ashburton club for a staggering 48 years. Without Harry Nicholl the Inter-Dominion Championships would never have got off the ground.

An oarsman of international standard in his youth, it was said that Harry had never been to a trotting meeting until 1906 when the Ashburton club invited him to its meeting. It was not quite true. But the club was almost broke and Nicoll, a local business who successfully raced gallopers as "Mr J Case" and ran the local Racing Club was seen as a possible saviour.

Within two years Nicoll had embraced trotting and won the New Zealand Cup with Durbar, a 12-year-old he had bought here from an Australian and who raced on until he was 18. Nicoll was soon the leading owner and leading the code into class racing and handicapping by yards instead of clocks. After being thwarted by politics from heading the NZ Trotting Association he upset the famed Aucklander James Rowe for the chairmanship of the Conference in 1922 and won every election held from then until retiring in 1947.

By 1931 he was an honorary life member of every trotting club in New Zealand, joint president of the NZ Metropolitan club and later Predident of the Australasian Trotting Association. It was his offer to bankroll New Zealand horses going to Perth for the first Inter-Dominion which made the concept feasible. His Ashburton club was offering £3000 for three classic races in the 1920's making it the most successful in Australasia regardless of size.

Nicoll's Durbar Lodge near Ashburton was the leading stable with the renowned Andy Pringle as his private trainer. Nicoll bought from the United States the free-legged pacer, Wrack, by the world's leading sire Peter The Great, and the first genuine Grand Circuit horse to come to this country. He had paced 2.02.4 in Ohio shortly before his arrival - faster than later pacing supersire Hal Dale. Nicoll charged 40 guineas a service, a fee not matched for over 25 years and one Wrack could not sustain. History records he was a great success but for a time he was rejected by breeders until trainers like Bill Tomkinson, Don Warren and Roy Berry realised they did not handle high speed work and the tide was turned.

Nicoll was no sentimentalist. He sold up a lot of his horses during the Depression including Wrackler, and filly freak Arethusa, both retained by his son, Arthur. He sold his boom youngster, Indianapolis, Wrack's greatest son, knowing what he might become. In 1938 after the stallion had served 72 mares Nicoll sold Wrack to Tasmania. He died in Sydney in virtual exile the following year. It was a finale which did not sit well with many sportsmen here.

Nicoll was also controversial when Maurice Holmes, having knocked down half the field in the New Zealand Derby driving Nicoll's Arethusa, was given a suspension which ended the day before he was to drive her in the Northern Derby. "The judicial decision" raged the Truth newspaper, "could not have been more ridiculous had it decreed that in future Holmes was allowed to carry a sawn off shotgun to assist him bringing down what he desired."

Wrackler was all American-bred and his dam Trix Pointer the only Cup winning mare to leave a Cup winner. He was the champion 3-year-old and at four won the New Zealand Trotting Gold Cup in Wellington, a unique achievement for one that age. Wrackler was prepared by Don Warren to win the 1930 NZ Cup easily. It was a vintage pacing era so the Cup was run in divisions and Wrack horses thrived on hard racing. The day produced an amazing double because the Derby was the same day and won by Wrackler's sister, Arethusa, also driven by Maurice Holmes. Both horses wre typical Wracks - plain as pikestaffs, lean as whippets but with great stamina.

Warren was an expert and popular horseman with heart and personal problems. In August 1931 he was demoted by Nicoll as the Durbar Lodge trainer in favour of his assistant Jackie Behrns. A few weeks later Warren made a cup of tea for his wife and Behrns, chatted for a while and then went behind the barn and blew his head off with a shotgun. His health and demotion had devastared him. He was only 43.

At a War Relief meeting at Addington in July 1932 Behrns, having persuaded Arthur Nicoll who now owned him to try Wrackler as a trotter, won a feature at Addington at 8/8 in the betting which qualified him for the Dominion Handicap which he won four months later. At Addington about the same time he finished second in the big trot and in the very next race took on the "cream of the Dominion's pacers" in a high class race. His mixing of gaits could confuse him. In the 1934 Dominion he slid into a pace and lost his chance.

Wrackler was retired in 1935 but later returned to racing under Lester Maidens and won top trotting races at Addington as a 10-year-old. He lived a long and contented retirement carrying children to school on his back daily for many years before dying at the age of 27 in 1951.

It is virtually impossible his feat can be repeated in the modern era. Nor will any of Nicoll's successors be permitted to hold office for a quarter of a century. Wrackler and Harry Nicoll certainly like setting records.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 8Aug2012

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NOREEN STIVEN

Special significance surrounded the debut win of Arden Rooney at Addington last week. He raced in the ownership of the estate of the late Noreen Stiven, who sadly passed earlier in the month, aged 70.

About 40 years ago Noreen and her late husband Doug established the Arden brand and through the deeds of Kindergarten Stakes winner Arden Bay, West Australian Derby winner Arden Meadow, Great Northern Derby winner All Hart, Sales Series Final winner Arden's Darlin, Sires' Stakes Fillies Championship winner Arden Banner, Victoria Cup winner Bettor's Strike and many others, Arden has seldom been far from the headlines.

A West Otago resident practically all her life, Noreen was born in Gore in July 1942, went to Kelso Primary School and Gore High School. A keen sportswoman, she partook in rifle shooting, athletics and tennis and got down to a 22 handicap in golf. She married Doug in December, 1961 and had son John, and daughters, Leanne and Nadine.

John, who continued to work alongside his mother after the death of Doug in 2001, said neither of his parents came from a harness background but Noreen's father Henry Kirk had trained thoroughbreds. He said joining up with friend Blake Eskdale, who had standardbreds in the district, had helped his parents into the game. At the time they operated a milk run and the section across the road from their house in Tapanui had been their horse base. Treesnable was the first horse trained there.

Commentator Dave McDonald first met Noreen at the 1976 Tapanui races. It was his first day calling gallops and Noreen "mothered me the entire day and told me how well I was doing". They were good friends from then on and before her death, Noreen requested Dave be asked to speak at her service. Dave was able to shed light on Noreen and Doug's entry into harness racing courtesy of her brother Bill who recalls taking them to the races one day. Doug, who had never had a bet, apparently put £2 on a horse he liked the look of, even though it had no form. Experts tried to dissuade him but he invested regardless. The horse won, the collect was £42 and the pair's equine-interest was up and running. When their horse operation eventually moved from the section in Tapanui, their new establishment was named Arden Lodge, but conjecture as to how and why remains. Light Pointer was a foundation mare, followed by Bayswater, dam of Arden Bay.

Noreen was diagnosed with cancer more than 16 years ago and not everyone knew. Dave did, but it didn't surprise him many didn't because that was how Noreen was. Every time you met her you felt better, she put a smile on your face and lifted your day, he said. In 2008, during a period she was quite sick, Noreen was able to make a hectic trip to Auckland and experienced one of her proudest moments in harness racing. Arden Banner won the Sires' Stakes Fillies Final from Arden's Darlin, and she had bred them both. Arden Banner was out of Arden's Dream, named Southland Broodmare of the Year in 2008. Five years earlier Arden Regal took out the same title while just over a month before Noreen's death, Winter Rose made it three for her.

Known also for her ability as a musician, her baking, her rose growing and her hospitality, Noreen Stiven will be sadly missed. As Dave put it, a most remarkable and beautiful lady, a legend.

Credit: Mac Henry writing in HRWeekly 19 Sep 2012

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INTERVIEW WITH BOB McARDLE

It was nearly 40 years ago when you and Wayne Francis started Nevele R. Where do you see the stud in, say, 10 years time?
It won't be there.

Are the days of big stud farms fading in favour of stallion station type operations?
Advances in genetic techniques and the shuttle stallions have changed it. But the full stud operation still has a lot to offer if it stays at the top of its game especially in the fertility area. When you have sharebrokers, bankers and lawyers handling off-site semen in their back yard you are going to have lower fertility.

What would your late patner Wayne Francis have thought of the present stud scene?
He would be ecstatic. Many of the best stallions in the world available to breeders here was his dream. He died in 1998 and I remember telling him not long before the end we might be able to get (AI) straws for Life Sign and Abercrombie. He just said, "Wouldn't that be something" - and look at it now.

But those advances have come at a cost to breeders and the industry?
A lot of money is going out of the country and American studs now dominate our industry. Some years ago when I was at Nevele R I worked hard to combine four of the leading breeding establishments in Australasia into a syndicate. My idea was to buy the leading US 3-year-old every second year so we could be the masters of our own destiny. We could each have had 50 services and 50 more for Australia, shuttled to America and the profits would be retained here.

What happened?
One horse I had in mind was Badlands Hanover and I went to America to do a deal. While I was there I found two of the four proposed syndicate members had made individual approaches to the owners to buy the horse themselves. So I thought "stuff that" and bought the rights for Nevele R there and then. I thought we missed a great opportunity not doing something like that. Now Blue Chip Farms in the States is sponsoring the Breeders Crown in Australia.

How did you set stallion fees in Nevele R's heyday and what do you think of fees now generally?
Breeders are hving a really tough time. If you are in the $5-10,000 range of fees to get commercial stock you need a $30,000 sale to break even. That is around the average. The delay in paying fees which has come in now is some help but you still have to pay. Breeders are dreamers and always have been. By the time you take a horse to the sales from a first season mare you are probably up for three service fees and without knowing how any of them might sell plus the risks involved. Wayne and I used to set fees by asking each other what we would be prepared to pay for a horse of the quality in question and go from there.

Through Bromac Lodge you are also in the dreamer category?
To some extent yes. But I am breeding 25 mares this year - I own 60 but have leased 35 out - and every one will be bred so that I have a sale market even if selling a filly. Actually we have probably done best with fillies recently but naturally we keep one filly from our top mares.

Your split from Nevele R was not amicable?
No. It ended in court. I said to the Trustees "there are no winners here just two losers." It could have been sorted and a lot of my dreams ended when I left there. I love going around selling semen. It was a great challenge mentally, you had to know everything that is going on and you had to think quickly on your feet when doing deals. I might travel 100,000km a year and I put my heart and soul into it. It gives me no pleasure to watch Nevele R not being the industry leader it was. It saddens me actually.

But you still sell semen?
I got Falcon Seelster as part of my settlement with the stud. He only lived another year but we still have 1300 straws of semen left. If you work on an eight straw per foal average that could be around 100 services and he still has strong appeal. There are two people in Australia who are just geniuses when it comes to frozen semen. They have been getting some mares in foal with one or two straws and so the numbers fluctuate. Mike Hill of Nevele R in also outstanding with frozen semen - the best in New Zealand I believe.

I seen to remember a few stories about Falcon Seelster. Was he a savage horse?
No, territorial, like most stallions. There was an incident with him, he was no boy's horse but the only knowledge you can trust about stallions is that you can never trust a stallion. Boyden Hanover was a laid back horse who suddenly hospitalised a handler one day. We had a policy at Nevele R that even if a stallion did not have a paid service that day we gave him a service because they know when they are not in the team and it makes them mean. Even Wayne, od all people, walked into a paddock at an American stud one day to look at Soky's Atom without thinking and got bowled over and ended up in hospital. Soky's Atom was a pussy cat most of the time but ook out if he was not first into the breeding barn. Not trusting any stallion is lesson number one in the stud business.

Falcon Seelster is now your only stallion property?
Yes. "A geriatric semen seller flogging a dead horse" is the best quote I have heard about that. But I believe in him. He is an amazing horse in that he was foaled in 1982 and he is still high up in the sires list and with a leading New Zealand Cup chance this spring (Franco Ledger). Because he is such an outcross from all the Meadow Skipper blood in our mares now he is a last chance saloon for many breeders.

What changes to the sales pitch do you have to make?
I don't go after the commercial breeders looking for sales toppers. His foals are never going to do that. I concentrate on the smaller breeder with a few mares looking for a cross from a horse like Falcon while it is still available. I get multiple bookings from breeders in that area. They desperately want a filly but his colts are tops too. I'm sure the commercial breeders will be knocking on the door when the semen stocks get low. I would have done 15,000km on the road on my last trip to Australia. You need to reinforce to some people that frozen semen from Falcon is no different to frozen semen from any living stallion - which is fact anyway.

How did you come to get him? He was already a successful stallion in the US.
One of those freaks of chance. He was doing a great job up there but his owner died and we happened to get on to the case from something I heard very early. We got the deal done quickly with the estate which was keen to sell. There were some very disappointed people around when they found out. We shuttled him for two years then he got EVA up there and had to stay there for four years. He sired McArdle there. He was the first shuttle stallion, in reality, and owned in New Zealand. That showed what could have been done.

That race at Delaware when he ran world best 1.51 on a half mile track (1985) before a crowd of 55,000 and held that record for nearly 20 years is still great iewing on You Tube - goose bumps stuff. What made him special as a racehorse and stallion?
His breeding cross(Warm Breeze over an Overtrick mare) is an outcross, but a proven cross and as I said mares with Meadow Skipper blood gave him a lot of options. There were thousands of them. Gait and soundness were two of his biggest attributes. His horses have a lot of stretch in their stride so that even if they were smaller than average it didn't affect their gait stretch. Courage Under Fire has a similar attribute. The other thing about Falcon Seelster horses is soundness. He ran in 51 races himself and his stock proved durable on the racetrack.

The drop in the number of mares available must make your job more difficult?
There used to be 9000 mares being bred from when Nevele R started and Australia had 19,000. There were 2800 here now two; 2200 yearlings and there will be 2000 foals this year. The same thing has happened in Australia. It has gone from 14,000 foals then to just over 5000 now. It does make things harder now but it is really bad news for racing people of the future.

The Australians prefer to come and buy made horses here?
Some of their leading figures tell me they are going to give up breeding and buy. But as the number of horses for sale drop so the prices will go up and it won't be so good for them then.

How do you get the message across?
I talk to trainers about it a lot. I tell them they should be working on their owners getting them to breed horses because otherwise in five years they won't have a business to operate. There can't be a better time in history to invest in the breeding industry. People who do are going to be rewarded.

The worry is that numbers have continued to drop since 1987 even through good economic times. Is your industry irrelevant to more people?
I don't believe so. As I said breeders have been hurting and they probably can't see any way out. Costs are high. Prices are good but not all that much higher compared to the rise of returns in other industries. Now is the time to return.

You spent many years dealing in horses for export. You and your brother John were pioneers sending top Austalians to Yonkers back in the 1960's (Apmat, winner of an International Series). How active are you now?
I have virtually given up that side of it. If I act as a go between now it is usually over breeding arrangements rather than selling. I used to love it but you can only do so many things when you get a little older.

Of course you raced and sold thoroughbreds too and was it a Hobart Cup which was one of your more memorable wins?
I came from Tasmania and did some amateur riding there. I bought Sir Trutone especially to win the Hobart Cup which he did(1973). A big thrill and a big day. I sold Butternut from Canterbury and she won a Moonee Valley Cup and many others. One of the first deals John and I did was sell a horse called Northern Demon from Ireland to a Whitney family stud in the States. That was big time then.

You have won nearly every award and honour going in harness racing and apart from having a sales toppers at the PGG Wrightson Sales you seem to have done it all. What now?
Topping the sales would be nice but I am changing my focus. My son and daughter now both live in Europe and I am aiming to organise the business so I can spend three months a year up there. I have been blessed to still have the health and energy to carry on and the enthusiasm is still there. But you have to remember the time comes to smell the roses along the way. That is my focus now.



Credit: David McCarthy writing in HR Weekly 19 Sep 12

PEOPLE

DOUG MANGOS

Doug Mangos, who drove major winners in the 1960s and 70s, died in Christchurch on Friday (6 Jan)at the age of 76.

Constantine Ronald Douglas Mangos (licenced as D R Mangos) was employed at Roydon Lodge, Yaldhurst for some 35 years. The establishment was operated by Sir John and later Sir Roy McKenzie with George Noble the trainer during the time Mangos was there.

Mangos was licenced to drive at trials in 1954 and he was granted a probationary drivers licence two years later. He was an open horseman from the 1957-58 season when he drove Highland Air to win the Winter Handicap at Forbury Park. He drove La Mignon to win the main race, the C F Mark Memorial Handicap and the Farewell Handicap on the second night of the Auckland winter meeting in 1958.

La Mignon became the dam of Roydon Roux, whom Mangos drove in her seven wins, including the NZ Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate, Princess Stakes in Auckland and the NZ Futurity Stakes at Rotorua, at two. She won the 1971 Great Northern Derby and the Wraith Memorial in Sydney the following season. She had to be destroyed after she shattered a pastern in Melbourne in March of her 3-year-old season.

Mangos drove Scottish Laddie to win the 1963 Great Northern Derby. Scottish Laddie was trained at Trentham by Jack Hunter for Roy McKenzie. Mangos drove General Frost to win the inaugural NZ Juvenile Championship in Auckland in 1968. The Noble-trained General Frost also won the Golden Slipper Stakes and the NZ Futurity Stakes at Rotorua with Mangos in the sulky. Mangos drove Vista Abbey to win a heat of the Inter-Dominion in Auckland in 1968.

Mangos was granted a professional training licence in 1969 to prepare the Roydon Lodge horses in the absence of Noble. He drove Jay Ar in three wins in top company, the season after the gelding had dead-heated for first with Robin Dundee in the Inter-Dominion Final at Forbury Park in 1965 with Noble in the sulky.

Brent Mangos, a son of Doug, is the Pukekohe trainer of Bettor Cover Lover, who made a notable retun to racing to win the Group 1 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park on December 16 after a life-threatening injury to a foot eight months earlier.

Doug Mangos had his last driving win with Initial Thought at Addington in July, 2004. He trained Talaspring to win at a Franklin meeting in March, 2010.

Credit: HRWeekly 11Jan2012