| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2005
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| Tuherbs is too strong for Pay Me Christian |
Tuherbs was bred by Roydon Lodge Stud, and the Live Or Die-Futurist gelding did all his early education under the guidance of part-owner/trainer Dave Anderson, but on Friday he made his debutin the colours of Tim Butt after being bought by McDonald and his good mate Eddie Griffin a little over a month ago. "We have people looking around for horses for us all the time, and it was actually Mark Jones that spotted Tuherbs at the trials one day," Butt said. "We trialled him once, at Dave's, and knew he had a six-figure price tag - but that is the going rate for a good, young horse these days."
In between times Butt had put the proposition to McDonald, who had raced the likes of Show Cruiser and Life Goes Bye from the stable in the past. "Tim mentioned that the asking price was fairly high, but I left it to his judgement to decide whether he was worth it or not," McDonald said. "He believed Tuherbs was, so then I rang Eddie and he nearly fainted, but he said he would get the money together somehow."
In business and as friends McDonald and Griffin go back a long way, 30 years in fact. Originally they were partners in the Acme Metal & Drum Company, McDonald managing the Christchurch branch and Griffin overseeing the Dunedin one. The picture changed about seven years ago when McDonald amalgamated with McIvor Metals to form Resource Recycling Ltd and Griffin went out on his own, but they have remained great mates and continued to race the odd horse together. One of those was In The Way, who ran second to Giovanetto in the 1991 Welcome Stakes, so Tuherbs did his bit to settle the score by going one better last Friday night.
He had to be good to do it too, because apart from a second-row draw over the 1950 metre sprint trip he had the red hot favourite Pay Me Christian standing in his way as well. Tuherbs and driver Anthony Butt tracked Pay Me Christian with every stride, settling behind him after the start and then following him three-wide and into the race over the last lap. Gaps appeared between the pair when Pay Me Christian took off at the 600 metre mark just as Tuherbs got humped four-wide, but once around the final bend he was soon idling in behind his main rival once again and waiting to pounce. Butt went to pass at the furlong, but then had to suddenly grab hold of Tuherbs and steer him wider when Pay Me Christian baulked for the second time and went sideways. Unfazed by the loss of momentum, Tuherbs straightened, gathered himself and zoomed on past the favourite, winning virtually untouched by one and a half lengths in a 1:58 mile rate.
"He is a lovely horse," Tim enthused afterwards. "He has got a great temperament, and settled in right from day one after we got him; Dave deserves a lot of credit for what the horse did tonight. "And the thing about Tuherbs is that he probably doesn't really know what he is doing yet. We will target a Sires' Stakes Heat with him in a fortnight, hopefully the Final after that, and then that will be it for the season."
For McDonald, winning the Welcome Stakes was one of his most enjoyable moments in the 40 years he has owned and raced horses. His involvement has never been more in-depth than it is right now either, because he is breeding from seven mares and the total head count across the board is well into the 30s. The latest to join the list is the dam of Tuherbs, Fitch II mare Futurist, who he bought for "a steal" when outlaying $6500 for her at the Roydon Lodge Sale earlier the same day. She is in foal to Julius Caesar, and after such an emphatic debut performance by Tuherbs she too looks like a punt that is going to pay off.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 13Apr05
YEAR: 2007
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| Anthony Butt after the 2007 Easter Cup |
It was also a superlative drive from his yellow-jersey wearing pilot Anthony Butt, because after settling three-deep early he made a split-second decision to ease Tuherbs off and into the one-one when the chance presented itself as the field wheeled into the straight for the second-to-last time. Movers were coming around thick and fast at that stage, but instead of getting caught Butt managed to hop onto the back of Sly Flyin as he shot forward 600 metres out and then tracked him all the way to the home bend. Once straightened, Tuherbs powered through the slush and pulled away from a blanket finish behind him involveing Likmesiah, Classic Line, Highview Badlands and Sly Flyin, who all finished within a half a length of each other.
The night belonged to the Live Or Die gelding though, and his 3200m victory was completed in a very quick 4:03.9; once again, another big-race plan came to fruition for master trainers Tim Butt and Phil Anderson. "This race has been a long term aim ever since about Cup time when he was getting through the grades," Anderson said afterwards. "He's a good stand-start horse, so it's always been in the pipeline. And he's kept stepping up, hasn't he."
Tuherbs has always been a pacer that's promised lots, being twice a winner and twice placed from four juvenile starts, but then his career went off the boil at three when he remained winless from five outings, the last two of them across the Tasman. The training partners at Premier Stables never panicked though, and remained unfazed after the fruitless Australian campaign. You can sense that Tuherb's form this season - seven wins from 13 starts - was more or less predicted, even expected. "He's always been more in the mould of a Cup horse than a young star," Anderson continued. "It's just because of the way his mind and body was - he was too big and gangly. And in the early days he was just running on ability, now he's getting there on ability combined with the right frame. The trips away play a big part in that. We like to give all our good horses one...they go away boys and come back men."
Coming up for Tuherbs in the next few weeks is the Noel J Taylor Mile/ NZ Messenger double in Auckland on April 27 and May 4 respectively, both of which will suit a versatile type like Tuherbs, and then it's full steam ahead for the $200,000 Harness Emerald at Ashburton on June 2. Anderson says that the time of year for the latter event doesn't suggest it'll produce produce a super fast mile, but he knows thathis and Butt's representative is capable of one just the same. "He's already gone a quick time there," Anderson said, remembering the three and three-quarter length romp in 1:54.7 that Tuherbs achieved last October. "H rolled along in front that day, which he likes to do. But he has always had that speed, and now he can stay a bit too," he added with a wry grin.
From the Fitch II mare Futurist and bred by Roydon Lodge Stud, Tuherbs was bought out of the Dave Anderson stable by Terry McDonald and his good mate Eddie Griffin before he had even raced. It was a punt that paid off for McDonald - who's not afraid of having one - because Tuherbs won his debut when he contested the NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington and beat home Pay Me Christian that night. The gelding has now won nine of his 22 starts, and netted over $210,000 in stakemoney.
McDonald is a long-time supporter of the industry, having raced many horses from the Graham Court stable and also sponsored events via his company Resource Recycling Ltd. Saturday night finished in style for him when Bad All Over led all the way and won the last eventon the programme in the hands of Court's son Paul. A 3 year old by Badlands Hanover out of the Live Or Die mare Love To Live, the gelding was bred and is raced by McDonald and has now put together four victories in 11 starts.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 12Apr07
YEAR: 2008
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Scrap metal dealer Terry McDonald once took a punt on Tuherbs, and he opened the wallet again earlier this year to buy Stunin Cullen. One of those horses won him nine races including an Easter Cup and over $200,000 before injury shortened his life; the other sailed right past that figure with a sensational victory in the NRM Sires' Stakes Final at Addington on Cup Day.
"I've bought a couple of good ones over the years - and a couple of bad ones," said a humble McDonald, who has never been afraid to take a chance on a horse with the right credentials. "We had to put Tuherbs down after he tore ligaments off a hock, and this horse was basically a replacement."
McDonald raced Tuherbs in partnership with his good friend Eddie Griffin, and it is the same story with Stunin Cullen too, although the latter wasn't able to be there on Tuesday to accept the trophy. "Eddie's got bad legs and can't travel much," McDonald revealed. "He is retired now, but he used to be a partner with me in business; we have probably raced horses together since the seventies."
Stunin Cullen is by Christian Cullen out of Vicario, a Soky's Atom half sister to duel NZ Cup winner Il Vicolo. Bred by Sandy and Jan Yarndley, the colt went through the ring at last year's Australasian Classic in Auckland where he was knocked down to Nigel McGrath for $65,000. He was unbeaten at the trials when he changed hands last April and joined the stable of Tim Butt and Phil Anderson, and now he has won five of his seven raceday appearances.
"We were actually at a Caduceus Club function when we first found out about him," Butt said. "So we rang Nige straight away. He had always liked the horse, it was just too early to tell how far he would go. We trialled him and bought him within a couple of days. And it was a big risk, but you have just got to go to work and away you go."
Stunin Cullen started his career with great gusto, winning a Sires' Stakes Heat on debut and making it two-for-two in the Yearling Sales Series 2YO Open, then inexperience shone through a week later in the Sires' Stakes Final. "He just bolted out of the gate that night, running his first half in something like fifty-five," Butt recalled. "He has always had that speed, and now he has moulded into a very nice horse. Sometimes when you work him at home, you wonder how any of the other 3-year-olds could be as good as him. We certainly haven't trained any youngsters of his calibre before." So he is really special? "I think so. Of course we are not talking anything like Auckland Reactor though. I mean, he went around and sat parked in this race last year and blew them away...today, our guy's had a cushy run and just won."
It was yet another clever big-race drive from Butt's brother Anthony, who must have been itching to use Stunin Cullen's ample gate speed but instead elected to mooch out and then managed to secure a cosy one-one spot. From there, with a record pace being set up front by Highview Tommy, Stunin Cullen was always going to have the last say. "This is one of the few times Ants and I have actually talked tactics before a race," Butt continued. "But he asked me what I thought, and I said it's a long season ahead."
This was reiterated by Anthony in his post-race interview, when he said that he "agonised all week" over what to do - knowing the colt had terrific gate speed, but not wanting to use him at both ends. In the end it could not have turned out better, and Stunin Cullen walked away with the NRM Sires' Stakes trophy and a national record next to his name.
His time of 2:18.3 for the 1950m mobile event is the fastest by any horse of any age, in this country's history. Wiping a full two seconds off Changeover's previous mark set in the same event two years ago, it was also nearly two seconds better than Awesome Armbro's all-age record over the distance. Plus it represented a staggering mile rate of 1:54.1, crediting sire Christian Cullen with his 20th sub-1:55 performer. "Phenomenal," said McDonald as the time was announced. "That'll be good for his stud career later on - if I'm still around to see it."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 13Nov08
YEAR: 2008
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| Terry McDonald and his daughter Janine McCann |
Nigel McGrath had as much right to be in the foreground as he did in the background after the dashing win by Stunin Cullen in the $220,000 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Series 2-year-old Open last week.
It was McGrath who bought the Christian Cullen colt for $56,000 as a yearling for his mother Annette and Ann Seaton, and it was McGrath who put the value on him when Terry McDonald and Eddie Griffin came calling with their cheque last month. It was good business all round, sellers early winners and buyers not much later for Stunin Cullen collected $117,000 for his win over Tintin In America and Highview Tommy. Stunin Cullen is now with Phil Anderson and Tim Butt; Butt saying while it needed courage to buy, it also needed courage to sell. "He came with a perfect attitude," he said. "Nigel had done him well."
While the other fancied horses drew poorly in the race, Stunin Cullen did not. He was out smartly from gate two, led strongly, and had plenty in reserve. Tintin In America made a forward run on the back of Highview Tommy a lap from home, was second at the 1000m, got cover, then closed the gap without making an issue of it. From behind Tintin In America, Highview Tommy did the same. He won by a length and a half, and the margins back to fourth were greater.
McDonald, whose brother Ken raced big winner Master Musician and is now supporting galloping trainers on the Gold Coast, has an impressive ownership portfolio that includes Charles Bronson and Comebackmach, along with more than 30 others aged three or younger. He was also a partner in the ill-fated Tuherbs, who won the Easter Cup and Welcome Stakes. "Before Tuherbs, he used to dabble in some cheaper ones. I talked him up for this one," said Butt.
An added bonus for McDonald was sharing the occasion with the company of his daughter, Janine, aged 45, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, but was out for the day from Burwood Hospital after treatment. McDonald made various tributes after the race, but this was the one that counted most.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly14 May 08
YEAR: 2011
2011 NEW ZEALAND SIRES' STAKES 3YO FINAL
Cup Day was like a day of redemptions in some respects. Last year, Terry McDonald had the favourite for the Cup in Stunin Cullen, but the former Sires' Stakes 3yo Final winner disappointed and is now on the sidelines with a fractured knee. This year, McDonald won with Terror To Love. Last year, Jim and Dr Susan Wakefield had the favourite for the Sires' Stakes in Empyrean. That Christian Cullen colt had won seven straight and was getting a good trip home from the back of Gold Ace when he galloped at the 400m. This year, the Wakefields won with Texican.
For trainer Cran Dalgety, who won a Sires' Stakes 2yo Final a few years ago with Smiling Shard, this was also his first win in the 3yo Final. "Jim really deserved this after spending a lot of money at the yearling sales over the years," said Dalgety. "We bought this fellow at a time when we were just looking for Bettor's Delight colts from In The Pocket mares. He was a bit over budget, but we got him and I figured we would deal with the consequences later," he added. Dalgety had a budget of $40,000, but he paid $70,000 for the first foal from the good mare Bury My Heart at Karaka.
Dalgety wasn't getting too excited about Texican until he gave him a shot at the last Sires' Stakes 2yo heat at Alexandra Park on Inter-Dominion Final night in April. Fifth on debut a week earlier at Rangiora, Texican downed Chancellor Cullen that night and Dalgety began to think "he might be okay". Second in last season's Sales race soon after to Western Cullen, Texican was out of luck in the Sires' Stakes 2yo Final, but his form ha been exemplary this time in.
He was a big second to Smiling Star in the Sires Stakes heat at Forbury Park when resuming, and won the penultimate heat at Addington. One of five heat winners to draw the last five barrier positions for the final, while Chancellor Cullen drew worse on the outside of the front row, Texican was soon in the three wide train and went to the death passing the 1000m, before Dexter Dunn handed up to Mark Dennis. A quarter down the back in 27.7 had left the pacemaker Chancellor Cullen vulnerable in the run home after an early burn, and Dunn angled Texican into the clear late to have the last say over the hard charging Ideal Scott, with Smling Star a game third in a battling finish. Besotted, like Ideal Scott a son of American Ideal, finished strongly for fourth as Mark Dennis and Lets Elope also beat home the fading Chancellor Cullen. The last quarter in 30.1 had been about the slowest in a 1:56 mile rate as Dunn also won his first Sires' Stakes Final on Cup Day.
If the day was supposed to be some sort of celebration after all the hardship experienced by Christchurch folk over the last year or so, few would have deserved to party more than the 78-year-old Jim Wakefield. "I had five properties in Christchurch and four of them have been written off," said Wakefield. "Luckily we had one left to live in at Rangiora. We had London Pride and London Express as Sires' Stakes horsesback in the late 90s, but nothing until Empyrean," he added.
Empyrean, who has been through a "colty stage", has been showing signs of getting back to his best this season, although he was disappointing two races after Texican's success, as was Bettor's Strike in the Cup for the Wakefields. But nothing mattered much after the Sires' Stakes. This was the Wakefields first Group One success since Dalgety produced Sparks A Flyin to win the Fillies Final at Addington 10 years ago.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11
YEAR: 2011
2011 CHRISTCHURCH CASINO NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP
Greatness has come early for Terror To Love - and for Paul Court as well. As the partner with his father Graham, Court has prepared the winner of the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup in just his fourth season as a trainer. And Terror To Love has won the jewel in the harness racing crown at just his 26th start.
In the euphoria of the occasion, Paul still the feet of his long legs on the ground. "Dad has had a lifetime in the game and has done the hard yards. He's had a lot of nice horses, but you're fortunate to get one like this, with so much speed and the stamina to go with it. I'm a bit of a passenger, but I really appreciate the hard work that goes into it," said the 32-year-old, who plans to return and set up a stable in Canada next year. Paul did the hard yards of his own, usheredup by his father to follow the Prime Minister John Key, address th huge crowd and accept the trophy that went to the winning trainers.
Terror To Love, a Western Terror 4-year-old bred by Terry McDonald from the Live Or Die mare Love To Live, was recognised as a young talent as an early 2-year-old and confirmed it by winning the Sapling Stakes in that season. He could have been the best of his age at three, and possibly was, but he had dreadful luck in some of thne classics especially the Northern Derby. When the curtain came down on his 3-year-old campaign, Graham considered his immediate future and aimed high. "He always had this high speed, and he could stay as well. It seemed to me that there were really no standouts as far as the Cup was concerned, and some of them had been in that class for a while. I'd had some nice horses, bu nothing like this, and nine out of ten of the good ones I'd had, had been sold."
Court told owner McDonald of his plan. McDonald was pleased to hear it, but he'd heard them before. Only a year ago, he was sitting pretty with one of the race favourites, Stunin Cullen, only to be disappointed. He'd been in the game long enough to know more failures than success. McDonald had met Court through a cousin while he was in Dunedin, and he's lost count of the horses he's had in the stable. He says dozens and dozens, but that could be on the very light side.
In any event, Terror To Love is the special horse that has taken them from endless hope to a pinnacle few make. Court gave McDonald words of confidence the day before the race, pleasing McDonald with the odds he'd got when the market opened. They were probably on the same page when they saw the horse track Smiling Shard up in the middle stage, only to see him slide back as others made hopeful runs. "It was lovely for a while, but I thought we might be in a bit of a bother when he started getting back," said Court.
On the track, Curtin was thinking much the same. "I'd had a good run, and then we were back to where we came from, and I could see going down the back they were a wee way ahead of me. It's not too often I come that wide on the corner, but he was up to it."
Smoken Up was a fading second, again finding 3200m a journey too far after leading Rangataua Ray for two laps, and only held second by a nose from Highview Tommy who was equal last with Smiling Shard at the 600m.
McDonald, who also bred Michael's Magic, the grandam of Terror To Love by Michael Jonathan, has younger half-sisters to Terror To Love by Artsplace, Christian Cullen and Mach Three and the mare is due to foal to Somebeachsomewhere.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11
YEAR: 2011
Young harness racing star Terror To Love stepped onto the track at Addington Raceway tonight considered by many as a boy in a man's world. But for those who ever doubted the talented four year old was deserved of his place at the elite level just yet, they were given a true heads-up with a stunning performance to win tonight's Group 3 Glenferrie Farm Canterbury Classic.
Left three wide without cover for the last 600m, the son of Western Terror collared a parked Smiling Shard at the top of the straight before holding all at bay to book himself a place in November's Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup. Trained at West Melton by the father and son partnership of Graham and Paul Court and driven by Jimmy Curtin, Terror To Love looks every-bit deserved of his place in the big league, co-trainer Paul Court glowing in his praise for his stable star.
"He's just getting better and better all the time, he's improved so much from last season and seems to back-up so well from his races. It's real exciting times for all the connections and just so satisfying for us all. When you have one of your horses perform like that at the highest level it's very rewarding, and in particular for all the staff who put the hard yards in everyday," Court enthused.
The win came as little surprise to those who knew the horse best, but as Paul Court explains, they're under no illusions as to the task ahead. "At that level you really need a little bit of luck, and he got none last week. I timed him to run his last 800 in 55.1 and 400 in 26.6, and he got no money. He's got the most speed of any horse I've sat behind, it's instant, and he's tough as well. Yes we're definitely going for the NZ Cup, it's just a matter of how we get there," Court says.
The win was just reward for long time stable client Terry McDonald who has invested so much in harness racing over the years. There would be no one that would deserve the win more than Terry in our most famous race on that second Tuesday in November.
There were few excuses for the beaten brigade, although Smiling Shard was a brave second, just a length in arrears of the winner after being parked from the mile. He continues to improve with every run. Highview Tommy was an improvers third while Power Of Tara stuck gamely for fourth after trying to lead over the final lap. The winner’s time was 3.12.7, home in 56.5 and 26.6. Terror To Love has now won 11 races from just 24 starts and over $214,000 in stake earnings.
Credit: Ged Mooar 17 Oct 2011