 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1996
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Iraklis home free in the 1996 NZ FFA |
In Greek mythology, Hercules was a hero of superhuman strength. Son of the god Zeus, and of Alcamene, a mortal woman, Hercules was set 12 impossible tasks to to gain his freedom. Miraculously, he did so.
On Show Day at Addington, racegoers had the devine pleasure of witnessing the Hercules of modern day harness racing, his name - Iraklis. Pronounced I-rark-lees, the name is Greek for Hercules, and part owner Kypros Kotzikas could not have given this amazing animal a more appropriate title. Son of Vance Hanover, himself a "god" amongst pacing stallions prior to his demise, Iraklis stunned the harness racing public during the running of the $100,000 Air New Zealand Free-For-All. The event on Show Day had everything.
From the moment Iraklis slaughtered a high-class field in New Zealand Record time on Cup Day, the build up began. Trainer Bob Cameron stated his intention to take on the "best" pacers in New Zealand via Friday's Free-For-All. But then the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club's field selection committee seemingly tried to stop, placing Iraklis second on the ballot. The pendulum swung back towards the Iraklis camp though, with the scratching of Vic's Vance, another defection would enable Iraklis to take his place in the field. Cameron and Kotzikas decided to scratch Anvil's Star from the Free-For-All, a predicament made easier only because of the fact Anvil's Star had "lightened up" since his run for second in the Cup.
So it was all on, Iraklis would get the chance to prove himself after all. The buzz amongst the crowd prior to Show Day's event was electric. Even in the Press Room there were some noted harness racing scribes who thought Iraklis couldn't do it; some did though. Just minutes before the race during an interview with Trackside's Sheldon Murtha, Cameron, not known for revealing everything on his mind, was asked how he felt about Iraklis taking on the Cup winner, Il Vicolo. His reply: "We'll give him one helluva fright today". How right he was.
Anvil Vance took the early lead until Bee Bee Cee went round him. Iraklis, guided through beautifully by Ricky May, settling three back on the outer. Surprise Package kept the tempo sizzling, forging to the front after 700m, and as the challenges came around, Iraklis was shuffled back. Rounding the showgrounds bend, the 4-year-old was surrounded by a wall of horses and towards the tail of the 14-horse field, albeit off the rail. May followed Desperate Comment all the way down the back straight. Rounding the home turn, he pulled Iraklis out to challenge, but they were still a good two lengths from Surprise Package, with Il Vicolo eyeballing the leader. Once straightened though, May asked Iraklis to go and that he did, zooming to the front with ease. The race was over in seconds, Iraklis coasting to the line to win by nearly two lengths from Brabham, Whale Of A Tale and Hoppy's Jet, who were the only ones to make any impression down the straight.
Those who do not already think that Iraklis is a champion, will have to one day change their way of thinking. Sure he hasn't won any major Cups, or even two consequtive New Zealand Cups which in itself is an amazing achievement, but he hasn't had the chance to either. Who could have believed that a horse, just a 4-year-old with a mere 21 starts under his belt, would dish out such a comprehensive beating to the country's best pacers - and do it with simplistic ease. And as ominous as it sounds, Cameron remains adamant that we won't see the best of Iraklis until he is five or six.
Bypassing the Monsanto Mile, on the 1996/7 list for Iraklis is the $400,000 Sydney Miracle Mile on December 6; the $250,000 Victoria Cup in Melbourne on February 1; the $450,000 A G Hunter Cup, also at Moonee Valley, on February 15; and the Adelaide Inter-Dominions in March.
Many of the 12 tasks given to the mythological Hercules involved the capture or killing of certain animals. Rest assured though, the only capturing the 1990s Hercules will do will relate to Cups, titles and record times. And there will be no bloodshed as Iraklis continues to slaughter his rivals on the race-track.
Credit: John Robinson writing in NZHR Weekly