| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 2011
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There was standing room only om Monday at the funeral service for harness racing identity Henry Skinner who died in Invercargill on June 20, aged 78. He was described in the many tributes as a no fuss horseman with great judgement and practical skills. This was backed by his results.
In a driving career spanning 45 years, from his first drive in the 1956-57 season to his last in the 2000-01 term, Skinner reined the winners of 717 races. Among his major successes were the 1979 Auckland Cup with Sapling, the New Zealand Messenger Stakes in 1976 and 1978 with Forto Prontezza and Sapling, the 1989 New Zealand 2-Year-Old Championship with Honkin Vision and the 1989 Dominion Handicap with Tobago.
He also suffered some near misses suc as when Hi Foyle came up against Young Quinn in the 1975 Inter-Dominion Final, or when Sapling was nutted in both the 1978 New Zealand Cup and the Inter-Dominion Final, or when No Return got clear too late in the 1993 New Zealand Derby. In addition to those second placings in major races, he came close in another New Zealand Cup when Forto Prontezza, a pacer he also trained, came third.
Prior to his entry into harness racing, Skinner had been an apprentice jockey and won his first race at Tapanui in 1948 as a 15-year-old. Among his key wins were the 1949 Invercargill Gold Cup on Gunther, carrying seven stone seven pounds (47.75 kgs) and consecutive Great Western Steeplchases aboard The Denbigh in 1951 and 1952, the latest carrying 11 stone one pound (70.5 kgs). Not long after that, increasing weight led to him swapping saddles for sulkies.
Although it took him 12 seasons to reach his first 100 winners, those were in days when harness racing dates in the south were limited, as were the number of races each day. He topped 30 in a season for the first time with 38 wins in the 1973-74 term and another eight times later. His best tally, of 39, came in 1986-87.
Skinner's solo training career began in 1960 but he netted just the on win in his first term. By the time it ended in 2007, his tally was 327 wins. In addition, a successful five-term partnership with Allan Devery - from 1987 - yielded another 76 wins. Honkin Vision, who won both the 1989 2-year-old Sires' Stakes Final and the 3-year-old version six months later, was their biggest winner.
Skinner was carried into the service to the 1965 Herman's Hermits hit 'I'm Henery the Eigth, I Am' and his daughter Tracey Laker recalled the times he would ring and sing the song down the phone line to her to report on a successful day at the races. She also remembered going to races with him in the days when parking attendants were required, and spoke of the lack of success the white coated brigade had when trying to change her father's parking habits.
Peter Davis, who worked for him for about six years, spoke of the ongoing Skinner influence. Some of the routines he followed, such as when mouthing, Davis said, have stuck with him to this day.
Skinner's casket was draped with the red and white colours he wore so prominently for many years. He is survived by two daughters, Tracey, and Vicky Popham, and five grand-children Morgan, Nic, Georgia, Meg and Flynn.
Credit: Mac Henry writing in HRWeekly 29Jun11
YEAR: 2002
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The Nevele R Fillies Final last Friday night was open to all-comers when the favourite Elect To Live ran out of steam at the top of the straight.
This unexpected development was a surprise invitation to the others, and it was not one of the favourites but Whanau who emerged with the commitment to get home first. It was not by much, half a head to be official, and 10 metres out it appeared as though Angela Jane had edged past. And she had; driver Mark Purdon was sure of it. But over the next 10 metres, Whanau won it back, and caused a huge upset.
The same filly had run well below her best in the New Zealand Oaks the previous week. Trainer Henry Skinner put it down to the fact she pulled hard, but in case he had missed something he got Robert Cameron to handle her when she fast-worked on the Wednesday before the race. Skinner really wasn't in the best shape because he had the flu, but Cameron reported that she worked as well as he would have liked. "I thought she was okay for the Oaks," said Skinner, "but she didn't get the best of runs. But I was dissappointed about where she finished. I had her blood done after that, and everything was right there," he said. On reflection, he thought she had had some bad luck in some of her previous races. In one, she made a break at the start, and when she was due for another she had to miss it because of a cold. It meant she had to do some catching up on what she had missed at the trials.
As good as she went on the night, Whanau also had the benefit of a splendid drive by Peter Jones who was also as good as anyone on the night. He put Lento's daughter into a nice place, midfield on the outer, then caught the back of Hot Blooded Woman who was making some headway forward at the 700 metre mark. It took her far enough for her to strike out on her own near the 500 metres, and Whanau moved into it at a quicker rate than Elect To Live who was moving back. She was not alone because Goodnight Aveross was again showing a lot of cheek and Angela Jane had made her own ground from the back and was chasing hard. Whanau stuck to her guns to give sire Sands A Flyin his second successive winner of the race, following that of Sparks A Flyin last year.
Skinner, who trains a small team at Branxholme and made his name with some wonderful horses such as Sapling, Sure Mart, Forto Prontezza and No Return, races the filly with his wife Karen and the horse's co-breeder, Alex McDonald. McDonald trained and part-owned Lento, (MR 1:56.4, 2000m), with Lorraine Coutts. She was sold last September, in foal to Dream Away, to Robert Famularo's Cavalla Breeding. Lento is also the dam of a 2-year-old by Sir Vancelot, owned by Keith and Lorraine Coutts, who bred Whanau in partnership with McDonald.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15May02
YEAR: 1976
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| Wayne Francis, Stanley Rio, John & George Noble |
George Noble, for many years one of New Zealand's leading trainers, experienced his greatest moment in trotting when Stanley Rio won the 1976 New Zealand Cup at Addington
Seventy-six-year-old Noble, born in Australia, has prepared many of New Zealand's top pacers in his long career, but no victory gave him more pleasure than to receive the Cup from NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club president, Eugene McDermott. George Noble races Stanley Rio in partnership with Christchurch farmer and businessman Wayne Francis, and his son John Noble, who drove Stanley Rio to his convincing two and three quarters lengths victory over Captain Harcourt and Fronto Prontezza.
For young Tasmanian Kay Rainbird, it was a nostalgic moment as she sat in the stand to watch the horse she bred with her father, win New Zealand's premier standardbred event. Kay bred Stanley Rio in Launceston in partnership with her father, but on his death, the colt had to be sold to help pay death duties. The Nevele Golfer - Rio Fleur youngster was purchased by Bob and John McArdle of the International Thoroughbred Agency, Melbourne, and they in turn sold Stanley Rio to Wayne Francis and John Noble. Wayne and John then offered a third share in the colt to Gearge Noble.
Stanley Rio did his early two-year-old racing in Australia, where he was successful once at Ballarat, before he was brought to New Zealand where he entered George's stable at Roydon Lodge. As a three-year-old last season, he maintained solid improvement throughout the year and was rated good enough by the partnership to send back to Australia to contest big events there. He won the Southern Cross Stakes, a heat of the New South Wales Derby before receiving a shocking run in the final, a minor race, and then went to Brisbane in June for the Queensland Derby, won the previous year by Noodlum. After winning a heat of this classic, he did not get the best of runs in the final and failed to make it two in a row for New Zealand.
He came through a solid preparation for this year's Cup, already qualified for the event, and showed he was at peak form with a win and an unlucky fourth at Auckland last month. The odds against a New Zealand Cup are always high, for not many even reach Cup class, but Stanley Rio was following in the footsteps of such great four-year-olds as Lookaway and Lordship, the only others of his age group to win the Cup.
The race was robbed of a lot of interest when the top North Island hope Final Curtain backed away just as the tapes were released. He, Master Dean and Lunar Chance, who drifted at the start when trying to avoid the breakers in front of him were out of contention virtually from the start. Stanley Rio bounced out best from Palestine, Fronto Prontezza, Eclipse, Speedy Guest, Captain Harcourt and Mighty Gay, then there was a gap back to Wee Win, who led the straggling remainder. Palestine, Forto Prontezza, Speedy Guest, Mighty Gay, Captain Harcourt all had turns at the front until Eclipse dashed to the lead at the 1200 metres. Stanley Rio, who had been pushed back on the inner, had worked off the rails in the meantime and was well placed in the fourth line on the outer starting the last 800 metres.
He moved three wide to avoid Mighty Gay, who was making no further forward progress, at the 600 metres and though sixth at the top of the straight, he was handy to lodge his challenge. Once asked to go, Stanley Rio soon put the issue beyond doubt and only had to be reminded of his obligations to go to the line nearly three lengths clear of Captain Harcourt. Captain Harcourt looked to be held up for a stride or two behind Eclipse at the top of the straight, but he never looked like bridging the gap to Stanley Rio. Fort Prontezza, who was shuffled back as the lead changed, made a strong bid from the top of the straight where he was seventh, to take third, only half a head fron Captain Harcourt.
Speedy Guest, who had the task of getting a run inside both Eclipse and Captain Harcourt, was nearly two lengths back fourth. He looked as though he could have played a more important part in the finish had he got clear earlier, though he too would have been hard pressed to catch the winner. Final Curtain staged a remarkable run for fifth two lengths back just ahead of Eclipse, Mighty Gay, the well beaten Lunar Chance and Palestine.
Stanley Rio's time for the 3200 metres was not a fast one, 4:11.5, but there is no doubting the Cup went to a very worthy winner.
Credit: Tony Williams writing in the NZ Trotguide