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RACING HISTORY

PEOPLE

DOUG MANGOS

Doug Mangos, who died in Christchurch recently aged 76 had the unusual distinction of being widely known harness horseman in Canterbury over a long period without ever operating a professional stable of his own.

He was an employee for 35 years of the famous Roydon Lodge establishment at Yaldhurst presided over by George Noble and, later, with his son, John, on behalf first of Sir John McKenzie, then his son Sir Roy, and finally Wayne Francis. Mangos did manage Roydon Lodge for a period in 1969 while George Noble was in the United States but his public profile was as a race driver.

"It was really the only job I ever had and I wouldn't have swapped one day of it," he recalled in retirement. "My wife Eileen and I had a family to bring up and it was too great a risk financially to set up our own stable."

Born in Lyell, he was christened in honour of his grandfather, Constantin, a gold assayer in the area where the Mangos family were prominent. He preferred his third given name, Douglas. The son of Lyell storekeepers who moved to Inangahua in the 1940s, he helped a local trainer "Plugger" Taylor after school, before shifting to Christchurch in 1950. He found a junior position at Roydon Lodge largely thanks to the brother of his future wife, Eileen. "We were paid three pounds a week and we had 15 horses in work but it wasn't what it seemed. The boss [Noble] used to work each horse twice and ungear and wash them down after each heat so it was like having a team of 30."

Mangos, a talented sportsman in his younger days, had his first winning drive behind Highland Air in Dunedin in the mid 1950s. "You had to wait your turn then. Young drivers didn't get much of a go. The driving fee was equal to a week's wages so it was a thrill to get one."

Roydon Lodge was the leading stable in the country in that era, noted for its brilliant younger horses. Noble, an Australian, took a shine to his young employee giving him greater driving opportunities than was normal for senior professionals at the time. "The boss was a qualified architect and applied his education to training like few others. He loved talking about horses and appreciated good listeners. I was a good listener and I never stopped learning." Mangos recalled.

He found out how thorough Noble was after he had beaten the champion Lordship in a Wellington Cup with Samantha in the early 1960s. Showered with congratulations at the time, the young driver was summoned to the Noble residence a few days later for a chat, which he gradually realised was actually a severe dressing down. "There were no videos then but the boss had seen a photo of the finish somewhere published a few days after the race, which showed me holding the reins in one hand ans weilding the whip in the other. He quietly said he couldn't be giving drives on good horses to people who did that. I never did it again."

Mangos had his first New Zealand Cup drive for the stable in 1957, aged just 22, behind the Roydon Lodge mare, La Mignon, which finished third, and he later won major races behind her two best foals - the ill-fated Roydon Roux, a filly Noble rated as the best he trained but which had to be destroyed after it fractured a pastern in Melbourne at the height of its career; and Garcon Roux, the first New Zealand three-year-old to beat the then hallowed mark of two minutes for a mile.

Jay Ar, a later Inter-Dominion champion, General Frost, Julie Hanover and Garcon Dór were just some of the headline horses Mangos drove for Roydon Lodge, while Holy Hal, Sapling, Rain Again, Master Alan, Danny's Pal and Garry Logan were top outside horses he was associated with. "I won a New Brighton Cup with Garry Logan when it was on the old grass track there. He was part of a four-horse bracket Felix Newfield had in the race. Felix was away and Maurice Holmes was on the best of them, Great Credit. Doug Watts, a terrific horseman, was driving another one, Guinness, and said to me at the start at least he had not been engaged for the worst one. Garry Logan shot straight to the front and was never headed." Mangos recalled.

Doug Mangos enjoyed a rewarding period as a freelance driver in Auckland in later years and then trained a few horses at a time in Canterbury on his own account, chiefly for sale overseas. Isa Rangi and his last winner, Talaspring, were among the best known.

Combined with his acknowledged skills with horses and his loyalty to family and employers it made Mangos a widely popular figure in the racing fraternity.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in the Press

PEOPLE

BRYCE BUCHANAN

Bryce Buchanan passed away last week after a short illness, aged 68.

A respected and forthright horseman, formerly from Southland before settling in Canterbury, Buchanan was the father of Glenys and father-in-law of Terry Chmiel. He was successful in all aspects of harness racing, as a breeder, trainer and driver and studmaster.

He gained his licence in 1960 with a recommendation from Charlie Dillon, moving to Templeton in 1964 to work for Jack Carmichael. In 1968 he gained a licence to train his own horses, and soon after settled briefly at Ohoka. He returned south, and in 1976 had established Cedar Lodge Stud, where he stood the stallions Knowing Bret, Gaines Minbar, Transport Chip and Mister Hillas.

It was a time when he had great success as a trainer, winning 20 races in the 1980-81 season, 16 in 81/82 and 19 in 82/83. Horses of this era included La Valaise, Really Sly, Lord Dalrae, Seafield Celeste (5 wins), Sly Chip, Kiwi Dillon, Chippies Girl and Kiwi River. It was also the time he bred Maestro by Gaines Minbar from Dreamy Melody. He was sold to Bob Knight as a 2-year-old, and (as Our Maestro) developed into a great pacer, winning a heat of the Inter-Dominions and a Miracle Mile.

In 1994, he moved to Winton, and then to Leeston in Canterbury where he trained in partnership with Glenys. Terry spoke of the influence he was to their family and career. "He was always there to give us help and advice, and provided the property from where we train. He gave us owners, and was always so good with our kids. He was straight up, and said what he thought. That was him. The salute I gave on winning on Saturday (the Sapling Stakes with Boom Gate) was really for Bryce," he said.

Buchanan's biggest winner was probably the grand trotter Cedar Fella, who won him seven races in the early 90s, before he won a further 10 for Warren Stapleton. Smart horses he trained with Glenys were the trotters Power In Motion(6) and Lord Rotarian(5), Superkev(6), Don't Tell Kate(4), and Buster Mee(3), and on his own account Rupeni, Pocket Boy, Diggers Rest, Truly Princess(3), Don't Tell Kate(3), All Care(3), Lover's Wish(3), One Night In Bangkok(3), Power In Motion, Lord Rotarian, Beelzebub(3), Just Ella(6), Caste Di(5), Megaman(4), Franco Revel(4) and Castle Van(4).

He trained two winners this season and 137 since 1985. Along with 74 trained in the five seasons before that, his winning total as a trainer was probably near 250. His best seasons as a driver were between 1981 and 1983 when he won 55 races, and he'd won at least 100 before adding a further 80 from 1985. In giving his family opportunities, he drove only 12 times in the past 11 seasons.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15Feb2012

PEOPLE

KEN ROBERTSON

Ken Robertson, who won numerous standardbred races over 54 years training on the beach at Ocean View (near Dunedin), has died at the age of 83. Robertson achieved most of his success with unsound horses or those considered past their prime. He was an exponent of beach training before it was generally popular.

There was a private funeral for Robertson as he requested. It was attended by his wife of 54 years, Carole, and only child, Carla, who is married to Leithfield Beach trainer, Robbie Holmes. Roberson had a winning experience as an owner a month before his death when his black and cerise colours were carried by Double El at Cromwell. Carla arranged for him to lease a share in the promising Holmes-trained pacer a fortnight earlier in view of his failing health. Double El has since been sidelined with a foot problem.

Robertson was born in Cromwell in November, 1928. He lived in Dunedin as a youth close to the Forbury Park racecourse and gained experience with trainer Alec Crawford. He was at Ocean View when he bought his first horse, Red Glare, for "next to nothing". Robertson trained and drove Red Glare to win at Kurow in 1954 at odds of 25 to one. Nicknamed "Brickie" he was then involved in the building trade and trained as a hobby.

He turned professional in the 1960s after many requests to try horses whose owners felt needed a change of environment or were unsound. He won the main race at Forbury Park in October, 1965 with Lauder Scott, the outsider in a 10-hosre field. Lauder Scott was then a 9-year-old and had not won for 12 months.

Adioway and Master Alan were the same age when they won good races for Robertson. He considered the win of Adioway in the Mobil Oil Flying Mile at Addington in 1968 as his best. Adioway came from last at the top of the straight to beat some of the best horses in commission. Adioway had won 8 of 19 starts when trained at Yaldhurst by George Noble. The gelding was unsound and had not raced for two and a half years when he was leased by Robertson and Jim Crack, of Invercargill.

Robertson rejuvenated Master Alan to win the Southland Invitation Stakes at Gore in 1967 when the gelding had been off the winning list for two years. Master Alan had earlier won 16 races including the Easter Cup at Addington. The trotter Morven Lad ended a losing streak of 84 starts over four years when he won for Robertson at Roxburgh in 1970.

He won with the trotter Neutron Bomb at Invercargill in 1997 at odds of 35 to one. Neutron Bomb, co-owned by Kerry Dance, was then a 10-year-old and had his previous win as a pacer three years earlier. Robertson and Dance won five races with Doone's Chip in the early 1990s.

Robertson raced horses on all bar two of the South Island tracks and ventured to Hawera where he won with Johnny Shiloh in 1973. Robertson won six races as an owner with the trotter Perfect Trust in 1990s, training the gelding for his last three wins.

Robertson knew the distance his horses worked on the beach but he never timed them and rarely took a horse to a racetrack to trial. "I work them solidly, no jogging with two or three sharp sprints, I know by the feel if they are fit," he said in an interview three years ago. His skill had not dimmed in the twilight of his career with four of his last five winners having their first starts from his stable. The last was the trotter Harvey Krumpet at Forbury Park in June, 2008, the outsider in a 14-horse field, paying $73.30 to win.

Credit: HRWeekly 29Feb2012

PEOPLE

LES HOPE

Omn Friday, February 17, 2012 when the family and friends of Les Hope were gathering after his funeral, his filly, Gayless Delight was running at Motukarara. Ricky May wore a black armband and the Trackside team spoke about Les's passing. Gaylees Delight ran courageously for a second.

Hope who was 72, was a Marlborough man, the youngest boy of 11 children. As a youngster, he represented Marlborough at rugby and cricket. At 15 years, he left school and became a butcher's boy. He then went shearing with his brother 'Bluey' and followed the seasons from Marlborough through to Southland.

He would winter over working in the meatworks in Gore. It was there he met his wife Gaynor. He took her back to Marlborough and into their own very successful butchery and other businesses. Hope was a publican, a property developer, a farmer and latterly he and Maurice McQuillan operated a Super Liquor outlet. Regrettably, Gaynor died some 24 years ago.

In his early life, Hope's father was a teamster with horses and dray carting gravel and goods throughout Marlborough. This love of horses took the family into racing with 'Bluey' racing the talented free-legged pacer Robalan during the 1970's. Les had many horses including some good ones, and his interest flourished particularly in later years when he had them trained by his nephew Greg Hope.

Hope was one of the many on whose support harness racing relies. They hope one day to make some money but they do not expect to, they love the horses and the convivial company and they dream that one day they will have a champion.

Credit: HRWeekly 29Feb2012

PEOPLE

GEORGE SHAND

George Shand, who died in Invercargill on his 83rd birthday, was a successful horseman and administrator in harness racing.

Shand was a former president of the NZ Trotting Owners, Trainers and Breeders' Association and president of the Waitaki Trotting Club when living at Waskdyke, where he operated a successful stable and farrier business.

Shand drove his first winner Lochella at Wanganui in 1951. He rode in jumping races for amateur riders about the same time. Lochella was trained by his father-in-law, Peter Gallagher. Shand was raised in Waikouaiti and shifted to Washdyke to complete an apprenticeship as a farrier with Bill Gallagher, brother of Peter. He married Peter's daughter, Aileen.

Shand won 373 races as a reinsman. Shand rated the 1976 Ashburton Flying Stakes with Mighty Gay as his major training and driving success. He bought Mighty Gay for $250. "I always had a soft spot for Mighty Gay," Shand said. Mighty Gay won the 1973 Waikouaiti Cup as a 3-year-old, the only horse to win that race at such an age. Gay Gordon, the sire of Mighty Gay, won the TAB double including the Waikouaiti Cup at the Waikouaiti meeting in 1965.

Another big thrill for Shand was winning a race at Mildura with Eastwood Jaunty, whom he raced with his daughter Pauline Hillis, of Invercargill. Eastwood Jaunty won 13 races including the Methven Cup in 2001 and 2003 and the inaugural Green Mile at Methven in 2000. Eastwood Jaunty won the 2001 Timaru Cup from a 45m handicap. Shand had his last race drive at Methven on Eastwood Jaunty when close to his 76th birthday.

Shand trained and drove Satyr to win the McCloy Memorial Handicap, the main race at Methven in 1960. He also won a race with Satyr at Forbury Park despite mistaking the number of rounds and easing up with five furlongs (1000m) to run.

He drove Dreamy Morn to win the 1973 Hannon Memorial at Oamaru. He trained and drove Borana to win the Forbury and Oamaru Juvenile Stakes and NZ Champion Stakes in the early 1980s. Borana won the 1985 NZ Cup when trained and Driven by Peter Jones at odds of 75 to one.

Shand had worthwhile success training for Timaru breeder Sam Woods snd racing the horses in partnership. He trained 10 winners out of the broodmare Worthy Scott, owned by Woods. They included open class trotters Pointer Hanover, About Time and Conclusion and Glentohi (1973 Kurow Cup). Pointer Hanover won the 1979 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup when driven by Peter Shand, a son of George. Another son, Gary has also had success as a reinsman.

George trained the galloper Waitohi when she won three races over two days at Westport in October, 1964. Co-owned by Woods, Waitohi won twice on the second day of that Westport meeting.

Credit: Taylor Strong writing in HRWeekly 19 Dec 2012

PEOPLE

JOHN BURGESS

The death occurred recently of Leeston trainer John Burgess. He was 85, and when he drove a winner in the 2009/10 season he was the oldest driver to win a race in NZ.

Since 1985, he trained 36 winners, including four with Ready Money, by Nevele Gourmet, who he leased off his breeder, Bill Doyle. He also won four with Silverdale Pride, by Holdonmyheart, two with Katie May and John's Buddy, and one with La Finale.

His small stable was invariably trotters, and for nine successive seasons this century he never missed driving a winner.

Credit: HR Weekly 19 Dec 2012

PEOPLE

DEXTER DUNN

Dexter has his 1000 wins.

It doesn't really seem that long ago that he was a "skinny kid" just getting his driving career underway. And here he is, seven years and 5664 drives later, and the number has raced past 1000.

This fast train of success started in New Zealand when Dexter was 17, winning at Addington with Crusader Franco, trained by his father, Robert. It peaked in the first race on the same track last Friday night when his 1000th winning salute came with the maiden trotter, No Potato.

The hard facts in between this show of remarkable youthful talent are these:

* his first winner was The Ultimate One at Geelong in September, 2006 - one of 24 drives when he was working for Andy Gath.

* three times he's driven six winners at a meeting, and it's been five on 10 occasions.

* 285 winners have been at Addington, 168 at Forbury Park and 101 at Ascot Park.

* HRNZ's marketing department reports that 366 winners have been trained by Cran Dalgety and 66 for Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman.

* He's just over 23. Mark Jones, who was the previous fastest to 1000, was 29 and took 12 years.

* He has won five premierships, and is on the way to winning a 6th.

* His UDR of .2817 has only been bettered by Mark Purdon (.2976) amongst those who have won 1000 races.

* his main horse helpers have been Donegal Delight(13), Texican(12), Smiling Shard(11) and Bettor's Strike(11).

While winning 1000 races is a huge feather in the cap of achievments, it joins others of equal significance, notably says Dexter: "Winning the Victoria Cup with Bettor's Strike was special. Representing New Zealand in the World Drivers' Championship was another. Getting on the front page of 'The Press' during Cup Week was good for everyone, and winning the Sportsman of the Year award here and beating Richie McCaw was up there, and he is my hero."

Dexter said it has been "a great journey. A far as my horses go, Smiling Shard has been pretty special, and of course the help I've had from Cran, that's really been everything to my career. I've had great support from so many people, but I also go to meetings and have my share of bad drives, too," he said.

The guiding hand and influence of Dalgety cannot be understated. "He's been with me the best part of five years and considering the high success he's had, it's in no way altered his personality. When he came here and was making nistakes in those first six or 12 months, my owners were saying 'who is this skinny kid you're putting up'. It was an issue, so I was doing a bit of patch-up work behind the scene." said Dalgety.

It didn't last long. Dexter went from four wins one seson to 146 the next, and in demand. "that also brought some jealousy, people wanting to give him bottom rib jabs. It happens everywhere when there's success. He was trying so hard and doing his best, but you still get the rock thowers . That hurt him. But we worked on that and he got hard and rode it through."
Dalgety said it came with being the 'Dan Carter' of the business. "And it's been good for my side of it. It has attracted new owners who see the chance of having Dexter on their horse, and it's had a snowball effect."

Another plus Dalgety has noticed is the development of Dexter's brother John. "They are very close, and if John was an adequate driver before, he has gone past that now, and it's apparent they now complement each other in the background."

Also on the cheerful side of Dexter's maturity is his ability to handle the banter when it can be sensitive. "We can get a big crew in for morning tea and there's a lot of chat that's usually healthy. He can get a bit of flak and he takes it."

In seven years, it's been a slick and focused performance. For the complete package of professionalism, Dexter has set the bar at a level that few, if any, will reach.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 5Dec12

HORSES

MONKEY KING RETIRES

Monkey King, the winner of 39 races and a record $3.48 million in stakes has been retired. The harness racing 9yr-old, raced by Robert Famularo, had his racing curtailed by soreness over the past 12 months. He had his last race and 95th start when fourth to Sir Lincoln at Addington on February 4.

The Sands A Flyin-Tuapeka Vale gelding was trained for his first 20 wins by Steven Reid and his next two by Reid in partnership with Graeme Rogerson. He was prepared for his remaining 17 wins by Brendon Hill.
Ricky May, the Methven reinsman, drove Monkey King in 25 of his wins.

He won the New Zealand Derby and was successful in the New Zealand Messenger and the Harness Jewels. He won the New Zealand Cup and New Zealand Free-For-All double in 2009 and 2010 and the Auckland Cup in 2010. He paced 1.50.8 winning the 2009 Miracle Mile. He won both his heats at the 2010 Sydney Interdominions before a game second to another champion, Blacks A Fake, in the Grand Final. He returned to Auckland just five days later for his Auckland Cup success.

He developed from a talented young horse to a world-class stayer and fans loved him because of his small stature and his tenacious will to win. Most of those fans did not know what trainer Hill did. "He is actually a bit of a handful," Hill said. "He is a grumpy old bloke and would have a bite or a kick at you if you gave him the chance." "But that is just him. His attitude. He knows how good he is - which was very, very good."



Credit: Harnesslink

HORSES

ROSTRIEVER HANOVER

The 1988 New Zealand Messenger Championship winner, Rostriever Hanover passed away on Ian Munro's 700-acre block in Otematata earlier this month. He was 29.

The son of Plat Du Jour and Rostriever Lady also won a New Zealand Junior Free-For-All, an Ashburton Cup, a DB Superstars Final, and a New Brighton Cup. All Up Rostriever Hanover won 17 of his 46 starts and placed six times for $342,895. He experienced his most successful year as a 4-year-old winning eight of his 15 starts and placing four times for $237,495.

He was owned by North Otago (Otematata) horseman and sheep farmer, Ian Munro. His late mother Lexie, who bred the talented bay gelding, also had a share in him.

Munro said Rostriever Hanover was the best race-horse that he had raced. He did the breaking in and training early on before handing over the reins to Patrick O'Reilly Junior in November 1986, when the horse was three. "Yes he's the best I've had and I'll never forget him. He was a tough old bugger but never had much luck with injuries. We did breed Waitaki Hanover as well. He was a pretty nice sort of a horse but we sold him as a 2-year-old to Fred Smith for 6,000 pounds."

Munro said after Rostriever Hanover won the New Brighton Cup he injured a knee but recovered to win the New Zealand Junior Free-For-All exactly a year later.
"He was a very nice horse but he could have been better had he not copped so many injuries throughout his career. Bad luck followed him around a bit. A week before the messenger he beat Luxury Liner, also at Alexandra Park," Munro said.

He said he tried to retrieve his pride and joy from his retirement paddock just a few days before his death but there was no way the old boy was going to let Munro catch him. "I couldn't get near him no matter how hard I tried. He loved his retirement roaming our paddocks. he was very happy in his retirement years. It's quite sad to think he'll no longer be around. "We buried him close to our house Munro said.



Credit: Duane Ranger writing in HarnessLnk

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

2012 VERO FLYING STAKES

There's seldom a premiere meeting go by when Rolleston harness racing trainers Mark Purdon and Grant Payne aren't picking up Group 1, 2, or 3 spoils. And that trend continued tonight (Friday March 23) at Addington Raceway when Purdon steered Smolda and Escapee to easy Group 2 and 3 victories respectively.

Smolda trailed his stablemate Fly Like An Eagle (Tony Herlihy) most of the way to win the Group Two $40,000 Vero Flying Stakes for 3yo pacers.

Smolda, a Courage Under Fire gelding, went into the race the winner of seven of his last eight starts including the Group Two Elsu Classic at Alexandra Park on December 16.

In the lane he out-muscled his stablemate (Fly Like An Eagle) to win by three quarters of a length in 2:23.2 (1950m mobile). The winning mile rate was 1:58.1, with final 800m and 400m sprints of 54.6 and 27.3 seconds.

He is now sure to start one of the favourites in next Friday's Group One $150,000 New Zealand Derby.

Smolda is owned by Mrs Glenys and Phil Kennard, Neil Pilcher, M. A. R. Kirkwood - and was bred by P.B. Blackshaw.



Credit: Duane Ranger writing in HarnessLink 23 Mar 2012