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YEAR: 1987

ROY PURDON

No trainer in the history of horse training in NZ can match Roy Purdon's 14 premierships, and only Gore galloping trainer Rex Cochrane (1265) wins can boast a better tally than Purdon's 1146 wins to date.

Only one other standardbred trainer (the late Cecil Donald) has topped the 1000 mark. In a career spanning 51 years, Donald topped the national trainer's list nine times, hit the 1000 mark in 1972 and geared up a total of 1025 NZ winners, plus a good few in Australia. Cochrane became the first galloping trainer to reach four figures - in 1980. The late Bill Sanders of Te Awamutu, the late Eric Temperton of Awapuni and Matamata's Dave O'Sullivan were the only other galloping trainers to have topped the thousand mark. Gore's Eric Winsloe is another galloping trainer knocking on the door of the "1000 club".

Roy Purdon, now 60, began training in 1953, and between 1959 and 1963 gave it away while developing a farm property. To have done what he has in the space of 34 years with a four season lay-off is remarkable, even comsidering the fact that there are many more races to be won now than in the old days. No other trainer harness racing or galloping has tallied 100 wins in a season, whereas Roy and Barry notched 102 victories in the season just ended. What is more remarkable is Roy's streak of 13 premiership wins in the last 13 years. He first topped the list in 1970-71, then four seasons later shared the title with Charlie Hunter, each with a record 67 wins. Since then, Roy has been unchallenged at the top, the last 10 years in partnership with his son Barry.

Roy's 1000th winner came on September 21, 1985, in the form of the Max Harvey-owned filly Kiwi River. It has been claimed that he reached the milestone 10 wins earlier, but that was in the misunderstanding that he had trained 10 winners in 1960/61, when in fact that was his winning-drive tally for that term. Roy would have been the last one to worry about breaking records or to have any bad feelings about not winning the Racing Writers' 1986/87 Personality of the Year award, which went to Matamata thoroughbred trainer, Jim Gibbs.

The irony of it is that he is one person who so richly deserves this honour, but it has eluded him in the past, and now again this year. And this despite capping his accomplishments with a national record 102 winners - 27 more than the previous record of 75, held by himself and Barry since 1982/83. For Roy is indeed a personality; and nobody could be more co-operative with the media - or anyone else for that matter. "One of nature's gentlemen" is a description bandied around somewhat, but, in the case of Roy Purdon, it couldn't be more accurate.

In the long years I have known him I have never caught him not wearing that friendly smile of his, and have never heard a mean word pass his lips. He is popular with everyone who has anything to do with him and, despite his long and continuing success, he is completely down to earth; just one of the boys, be it race-night, a black-tie dinner, or round his busy stables.

One of a famous NZ trotting family, Roy started out in the game as a 17-year-old just after World War II, when his father, the late Hugh Purdon, was given a few horses to train by the famous horseman of his day, the late F J ("Wizard") Smith. Hugh Purdon leased a property at New Lynn, and, with Roy as his right-hand man, their venture into the harness racing sport began. It was a hard struggle. As well as aiding his dad, Roy had a night-shift job, so was kept constantly busy. Father and son battled along, and gradually their team of horses increased, leading them to lease boxes at Mt Roskill from trotting enthusiast Alf Taylor.

With the Purdon team on the increase, a bigger set up was necessary, so Hugh then rented the Mangere property of Brian and Ash Ogilvie. Purdon-trained winners were by this time becoming more frequent, and, after two more years, the Purdons purchased a property at Pukekohe. Roy stayed with his father about four and a half more years before branching out on his own.

His first break came when Doug McAlpine offered Roy a property at Te Awamutu with a five-furlong track. Roy accepted and with a team of six horses began making his imprint upon the list of NZ's trotting trainers. Success came within three months, and he was on his way. Roy rates Te Koi and Ruth Again as his best early winners. Te Koi, a big gelding by Ubakim from the good mare Te Huarau, won six races for the young trainer before it joined the Templeton team of Wes Butt, for whom he went on to gain Cup-class status. Ruth Again, by Dillon Hall from Girl Black, was another who kept the Purdon flag flying high; and she became a good broodmare.

When he had been training a year, Roy married Margaret Hughes, sister of Pukekohe horseman Jack Hughes, and a nationally prominent golfer. With Margaret at his side, Roy continued to go from strength to strength in the profession that has been the livelihood of so many Purdon family members throughout NZ - including his brothers Sandy and Les, who have both enjoyed their share of success as northern professional trainers.

The inception of night trotting in Auckland (on New Year's Eve 1958) prompted Roy to move closer to the hub of the sport, and in 1959 he purchased 10 acres alongside the Pukekohe training track. With Arnie Gadsby as his foreman, Roy soon had a team of between 20 and 25 in work at Pukekohe, with the first star of his stable Governor Frost, winner of 14 races for Waiuku owner Charlie Hadley. "The Governor's" wins included a heat of the 1968 Inter-Dominion Championship series in Auckland, in the Grand Final of which, he finished fifth after pulling a flat tyre for the last mile and a quarter.

Roy first won the Great Northern Derby in 1958 with Charlie Blackwell's Call Boy, the won it again with Governor Frost in 1966 - driven by Peter Wolfenden, who became first driver for Roy's stable. The Purdon/Wolfenden combination dominated northern harness racing through the 1970s, but in more recent years, Roy's sons Barry, Owen and Mark and son-in-law Tony Herlihy have done the bulk of the Purdon stable driving, with Brent Mangos chipping in with some fine reinsmanship behind Luxury Liner among others. Wolfenden, his own sons Glen and Ross maturing into the game, has set up as a trainer in his own right and in recent years has been faring very well on a scale a bit smaller than that of Roy's.

Roy recalls his first winning drive was behind a horse called Whistler, trained by his father, and with whom he scored at Awapuni in April, 1949. His last driving win at a tote meeting was with Jack Sprat at Alexandra Park on November 14, 1970. A hip injury shortly after this forced an early retirement from race driving; but he soon became to recognise this as a bonus. It was allowing him to pay more attention to the training side and the detail of harnessing-up and other vital perparation on race-nights. Lonesome Valley, Charlie's Task, Swartze Pete and the good mare Scottish Charm were just some of the topliners trained by Roy at Pukekohe.

In 1972, he purchased his present-day establishment at Clevedon, with it's 900-metre track originally laid by Monty and Sonny Baker. Ably assisted by sons Owen (who started work with his dad when the family moved to Clevedon) and Barry (who joined the stable in 1973 after two years with Charlie Hunter at Cambridge), Roy continued in the limelight. Purdon stars in the 1970s - generally with Wolfenden at the helm - included 1977 NZ Cup and 1978 Auckland Cup winner Sole Command, and 1977 Rowe Cup winner Framalda. Melton Monarch won the 1981 Great Northern Derby and the NZ Messenger the following season with Barry the driver, while Wolfenden quided the Max Harvey-owned Billbob to his $100,000 2-year-old Sires' Stakes Final win in 1984, Tony Herlihy piloted the Harvey-owned Comedy Lad to his 1986 Auckland Cup win, and Brent Mangos did the honours at top level last season with Luxury Liner.

With Owen now branched out on his own (occupying the Pukekohe property that Roy trained from in the 1960s), the current set-up at Clevedon includes Roy, Barry and Mark Purdon and Tony Herlihy, with six other assistants. At the moment, 38 horses are being worked and major improvements and upgrading are being carried out on the 20-hectare property. Roy, who was assisted by Mark in training for a few years at Ruby Lodge, Ardmore, intends making the Clevedon property a similarly impressive showplace.

Having done most everything there is to do in the sport, Roy's main ambition is to train an Inter-Dominion Grand Champion. Sole Command, whom he part-owned, represented him in two Grand Finals, but had bad luck both times. Roy came closest to an Inter-Dominion title in 1975 in Auckland when he produced Hi Foyle and Irish Kiwi, second and fourth respectively behind Young Quinn.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 9Sep87

 

YEAR: 1987

Luxury Liner (outer) prevails in a blanket finish
1987 AIR NEW ZEALAND NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Some magnificent racing at Addington on Show Day was capped by the breathtaking finish in which New Zealand Cup runner-up Luxury Liner turned the tables on his victor Lightning Blue in the $100,000 Air New Zealand NZ Free-For-All.

This time honoured race has seldom failed to provide an exciting spectacle; Friday's had the crowd up on its toes and roaring as a dozen crack pacers bore down to the wire in a group that could in the end have been covered by a tarpaulin. The gutsy Lightning Blue had again worked early and sat parked, and this time he had to contend with the spriting abilities of Happy Sunrise, who zoomed around to replace Master Mood in front 1400 metres out. Jim O'Sullivan, Victorian trainer-driver of Lightning Blue, aware of Happy Sunrise's reputation, decided he couldn't let that rival his own way and that he had to apply pressure. When Happy Sunrise shook him off momentarily straightening, it appeared that the Methven wonder - whose sale to Queensland at a reputedly huge but undisclosed price was clinched on the eve of the race - was going to embellish his outstanding local record with another win. But somehow Lightning Blue, under hard driving from O'Sullivan, delivered up more. Nearing the finish it was Lightning Blue in charge again, with Happy Sunrise dying in the hole.

Then, from the centre of the pack, Luxury Liner, who had been three back on the rail most of the way and then all over the place in the run home as Tony Herlihy searched for a split for him, exploded to the wire to take a photo decision by a nose. O'Sullivan couldn't believe it. "You must have caught me in the very last stride," he said to Herlihy as they returned to greet the judge. "I didn't even see you; I thought I had won." Thrilled with the way Luxury Liner had performed, Herlihy said that it was well inside the last 100 yards that he had secured an opening to shoot for. It capped a great week for the Reids, of Waiuku, owners of Luxury Liner and of Fay Richwhite Sires' Stakes runner-up Top Vance.

Only half-head from Lightning Blue, Frangelico, who had been fairly handy throughout, fought strongly for third, with another half-head to Levendi, who finished boldly along the rail. Unused to the angle, Levendi's driver Glen Wolfenden thought he may even have won.

After the first mile of the race had been cut out in a remarkable 1:56 the pressure was kept on. The last 800m required 58.1 and the final 400m in 28.3, with the total time for the mobile 2000m 2:26.4 - a 1:57.8 rate.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1987

Jubilant part-owner Alan Hunter displays the Cup
1987 TOYOTA NZ TROTTING CUP

Melbourne businessman Alan Hunter, 52 year old co-owner of Inter-Dominion titleholder and yesterday's $300,000 Toyota NZ Trotting Cup winner Lightning Blue, has raced horses since he was 23.

"I bought my first horse, a Van Derby pacer named Great Effort, for a thousand pounds," he recalled. "I had to borrow money to do it, and I didn't know how to tell my father about it. He won a good few races for me, and I thought: 'This is easy.' I later found it wasn't so easy, but it hooked me on trotting. I have a few gallopers, including a jumper called Mister Mint, who could win our next Grand National Steeplechase; but I much prefer trotting and football to galloping."

Hunter estimates that he has won about 700 races with his horses. The bulk of this success has come since his profitable business involving cleaning chemicals and detergents has enabled him to spend up large since 1981. "I've had 78 winners at Moonee Valley since then," he said.

"My first NZ horse was Hubert Campbell, who won me 14 races and about $60,000. He was my favourite and a real top-liner. Since then, I've bought, through John Devlin, Paul Davies and other agents, at least a dozen Kiwi horses including My Surdon, One Happy Fella, Kilrush (who cost me $100,000, broke a pedal bone and didn't win me a race), Conga's Pride and That's Incredible. I tried to buy the NZ-bred Jay Bee's Fella, who has done so well in Western Australia, but the deal fell through; and he was beaten at the weekend so I might have been a bit lucky, as it was big bikkies involved. I pay a lot of money for good horses, but I would be ahead of it. It's a wonderful game, with wonderful people in it. Jim (O'Sullivan) is a super man with a horse, and a super man to know."

Hunter was obviously thrilled to be on hand to see Lghtning Blue's Cup win. "I went back to Melbourne at Inter-Dominion time, thinking I wasn't going to have a horse in the Final and opting to see a two-year-old race at Moonee Valley. As it turned out My Lightning Blue won the Final, my other horse here then, Quite Famous, won one of the consolations, and my youngster won at Mooney Valley all on the same night."

Yesterday, Hunter's partners in the horse, (Nes Conidi and Tony Prochilo) who had watched him win his Inter-Dominion Final, were both home in Melbourne.

Nothing made quite the smart start in the Cup as Skipper Dale. And this was rather unusual because Skipper Dale was off the second line and was fortunate to dash through a gap left by Sossy and Metal Mickey after only 70m. At the same time, Frangelico was being held up a place further out, Happy Sunrise broke briefly and Master Mood didn't make marvellous acceleration.

Tony Herlihy wisely sent Luxury Liner forward after 600 metres, and with two laps to run he was in front, ahead of Gaelic Skipper, Lightning Blue, Skipper Dale and Sossy. Four hundred metres later, Rum Brydon swept round, running hard, and he made the front near the 2000 metres. Jim O'Sullivan had Lightning Blue out of the trail at the same time, to sit in the 'death', outside Luxury Liner, and ahead of Gaelic Skipper.

The pace slackened near the mile and remained that way until near the 900 metres. Master Mood and Happy Sunrise were the last pair and facing an awfully difficult task, with the pace by now right on and Lightning Blue, Luxury Liner and Skipper Dale many lenghts in front of them.

On the corner, O'Sullivan had made his move passing Rum Brydon and receiving very generous response from Lightning Blue.

Herlihy, with more hope than confidence, sent Luxury Liner into the attack, Patrick O'Reilly joined in with Skipper Dale and Sossy came too. But Lightning Blue, showing the same extraordinary strength and courage of eight months ago, was quite supreme in the end, winning by a length and a quarter, with a short neck and three-quarters of a length between the others.

Rolls Hanover made progress strongly near the end which was commendable allowing for the fact he pulled a punctured tyre for the last 1400 metres.

The time of the race was 4:05.13. Lightning Blue ran his last 2400m in 3:00.7, and his last 1600m in 2:00. The first 800m of that 1600m took an easy 1:03.4, and the last 800m followed in 56.6, the last 400m in 28.5.

Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1988

Millionaire Luxury Liner & co-trainer Barry Purdon
1988 DB DRAUGHT NZ TROTTING CUP

The Year Book and the papers of the time will faithfully detail the 4:00.4 world record set by Luxury Liner in the 1988 DB Draught NZ Cup at Addington.

Unfortunately, they will not be able to reproduce the magnificent picture of Maestro emerging from the pack to put great pressure on Luxury Liner. Nor will they be able to describe the crescendo of noise and excitement once they realised that this was going to be Luxury Liner's day after all.

"Yes, you could say Addington owed one to Luxury," said driver Tony Herlihy after the race. This comment referred to the fact that Luxury Liner had finished second in two previous Cups and second in the Inter-Dominion Grand Final.

Herlihy, refreshingly modest in the glow of crushing victory, said he had "hoped to be there by the half. Everything was looking for a bit of a breather when we went. I didn't know what time we would go, though I knew he was capable of 4:02. I remember they were talking of going four minutes when Preux Chevalier came out for the Cup, but they only went 4:11. All I knew this time is that they'd gone hard." The scene till then had been one frantic whirl of attacks and counter attacks, no respites, no time to take hold and have a breather.

Skipper Dale showed out, but the lead then swapped; Gina Rosa taking them through the 2500 metres; Lord Lenny the 2200 metres; Elmer Gantry at the 1800 metres, and then the battleships came round - Luxury Liner and Master Mood. All the time Vin Knight sat with Maestro, watched, waiting like a black cat, ready to pounce. Speedy Cheval was up ahead, perfectly placed by young Peter Ryder, and Jack Smolenski had Gina Rosa in the third line.

Near the 600 metres, Knight flew out of his corner with Maestro, rushing with stinging speed at Luxury Liner and Master Mood. The momento of his sprint carried him quickly to Luxury Liner and past; so convincingly that one nearly weakened, put the glasses down and declared..."another Aussie win".

But Luxury Liner had no mind to surrender to the Australian-trained, New Zealand export; he became a stern peak in the way of the invader. As Maestro found the heat of the fight too strong, Luxury Liner made 'Rally' the cry to lift the Cup, salvage NZ pride, and join the millionaire club - with Bonecrusher, Empire Rose, Poetic Prince and Cardigan Bay.

Behind Maestro and Speedy Cheval came Gina Rosa and the dead-heaters Gaelic Skipper and Frangelico, who being last at the 1000 metres, really had no right to finish as close as she did. Asked if he was worried about second berth when Maestro came past, Herlihy said: "I hadn't gone for him. He's a tremendous stayer and you've got to wind him up."

Other comments:
Vinny Knight (Maestro): "He went a bit too quick when he went. He put a good length on Luxury Liner, then came back to me. My horse stopped. He had a couple of hard runs before he came over and then had a 14-hour trip. He didn't feel all that good in his prelim...he felt like an old cow."
Peter Ryder (Speedy Cheval): "He went to the best of his ability and had every chanc. He was flat round the corner but kept coming back at them."
Pat O'Reilly Jnr (Skipper Dale): "It was too much for him, the speed they were going."


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1988

Dillon Dale defeats Godfrey in the 1988 Derby
1988 JOHN BRANDON NZ DERBY

Much as predicted, Dillon Dean defeated Godfrey in the $150,000 John Brandon New Zealand Derby.

He confirmed his rating as New Zealand's best three-year-old with a win by more than two lengths in the classic and in a time that was a race record. Godfrey had his chance and tried hard, but didn't have a hope of trimming much off Dillon Dean's lead over the last 300 metres. "He went a bit rough on the corner. That cost him two lengths, but the other horse was too good. He usually goes better the Auckland way round. He doesn't wear a murphy like he had to here," said driver Tony Herlihy.

After being steadied during the early rush for positions, Dillon Dean was taken to the front by Maurice McKendry near the 2100 metres. McKendry had it the way he wanted from there, allowing Dillon Dean to run his last mile in 2:01.2, and his last 800m in 58.5. Gidfrey ran on gamely, followed wider out, by the two Taranaki colts, Joker Man and Reba Lord, neither of whom had it easy over the last lap.

This was Dillon Dean's 12th win from 20 starts, and the $97,500 first prize took his earnings to $318,650.

Credit: Harness Racing Weekly

 

YEAR: 1988

Tax Credit (outer) beats Luxury Liner to win the FFA
1988 AIR NEW ZEALAND NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Tax Credit, originally balloted out in the New Zealand Cup, then wiped out at the start after getting back into the field, silenced his knockers by brilliantly nosing out his illustrious stablemate Luxury Liner in the $100,000 Air New Zealand Free-For-All.

The son of the Scotland-line American stallion Sir Dalrae started at 56-to-1 - false odds considering there was an excuse for the only real lapse in his lead-up form. Sir Dalrae was also responsible for the 50-to-1 winner on Cup Day - the Waikouaiti trotter, Francis Dalrae. Coincidentally, Tax Credit is raced by Colin and Mrs Pat Harvey, of Dunedin, and Francis Dalrae was formerly trained and is regularly driven by another Dunedinite, Alec Hastie, from whom Harvey took over his current bread delivery contract.

First leasing and then purchasing Tax Credit from Otama breeder Colin Baynes, Harvey trained him for his first six wins and then entrusted him to the Purdons. Right through, the big gelding's form has been solid, and his win on Friday took his career record to 13 victories, four seconds and four thirds from 36 starts for $198,515.

The Cup Day disaster began when, just prior to the start, he had to have his sulky changed. It stirred him up, and when the tapes were released he swung sideways and ruined whatever chance he had, finishing last. Before and after that episode Tax Credit worked brilliantly, and after Mark Purdon speared him into the early lead he was able to enjoy a perfect trail from the point where Luxury Liner moved past him to take over ending the first 600m. Tony Herlihy dictated the play from there, turning a solid pace into a torrid 56.6 sprint from the 800m. It was too much for thr opposition - except Tax Credit, who came off his back to grab him on the line.

Speedy Cheval followed his Cup third with another fine effort for a similar berth, a short length back, after being awkwardly placed five back on the rails until working out 600m from home. Maestro, who from his bad draw passed the stands with a round to go with only one behind him, was forced to race very wide outside Speedy Cheval's wheel to make his ground. Although two and a quarter lengths from third he again showed his class. An agitated Vin Knight insisted that had Maestro been given a fair go he would have won.

Colin Baynes, who was quick to congratulate the Harveys after the Free-For-All, is breeding from Tax Credit's dam, a Dancer George mare Taxi Dancer, who was injured as a youngster. Baynes who makes no secret of the fact that he let Tax Credit go to the Harveys "because we had too many three-year-olds and he was the worst mannered and wanted some individual attention," has a two-year-old brother by Surmo Hanover to Tax Credit named Star Credit and a yearling by Del Cavallo from the mare, who is in foal again.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1988

GREAT RACES: LUXURY LINER WAS ALL HEART - LITERALLY

The 1988 NZ Cup could not boast the depth of quality which most others could, but as a 'two-horse war' it was second to none and it showcased and splendidly capped the illustrious career of the greatest stayer of modern times.

The season had started out promising much, but one by one the likes of open class pacers in Ben, Bionic Chance, Emcee, Freightman, Metal Mickey, Rolls Hanover, Rostreiver Hanover, Sir Alba and Sossy dropped out of the picture for one reason or another.

The brilliant Bionic Chance was the one that hurt the most, being very much a Cup winning prospect but a 'last minute' defection - she fractured a pastern during her last workout two days prior to the race. She had won the Hannon that year and would attempt comebacks, but not win another race. And when the dust had settled, 1986 Cup winner Master Mood or Skipper Dale, third in the previous two years, had not raced up to their best form either.

The Cup in 1988 was in fact a sign of things to come, that is the price that would be paid at the 'other end' for poring money into juvenile racing. Billbob, Trident, Bionic Chance, Tuapeka Knight, Hammer and Honkin Vision had been Sires' Stakes 2yo Final winners at that point, while Slugger, Nardinski, Alba's Reign, Race Ruler, Godfrey, Tight Connection and Honkin Vision were winners of the Juvenile Championship within the same timeframe.

Of those fine young performers, only Bionic Chance and Tight Connection made any impression at all on the open class ranks, and even then they were sporadic and fleeting glimpses, and not a lot has changed either. People are drawn to racing and the track by horses they grow to admire, or 'champions.' The promise of a fast buck might entice a bit of investment in the breeding sector, but it does not pull people through the turnstiles, or generate turnover, which is horse racing's lifeblood. People will talk for days about Bonecrusher, Grey Way or Show Gate, or Lord Module and Lyell Creek, but how many could name a Magic Millions winner.

Anyway, Luxury Liner was one of those horses we grew to admire and November 8, 1988, would be his day. He had been runner-up the previous two years, running into one on the day that was just a bit faster (Master Mood) or tougher (Lightning Blue), but one thing would be for sure this time - he would not be a run short.

Luxury Liner had won the previous season's NZ Free-For-All, Auckland Cup (by five lengths), Easter Cup and Inter-Island Challenge Stakes along with an Inter-Dominion heat in Sydney. The four Group 1s and $585,234 in stakes that season saw him voted Horse of the Year, and his form in the spring of his 7-year-old season had also been exemplary, with a Cambridge track record for 2600m mobile of 3:13.5 (MR 1:59.7) indicating he was as good if not better than ever.

Standing in his way was a 10m handicap - the previous Cup winner from any mark had been Humphrey from six yards two decades earlier - and another Vin Knight special in (Our) Maestro, who had won that year's Inter-Dominion at Harold Park as a 4-year-old, but got in off the front as mobiles didn't count for handicaps at that point. Maestro had won 27 of 35 races and was coming off a win in the Maryborough Cup, where he started from 30 metres in downing Quite Famous, Jim O'Sullivan's 'second string' 8-year-old Cup contender when a 6-year-old (My) Lightning Blue was in a bit of a form slump.

Gina Rosa was a 6-year-old and the best mare around at the time, and she was favoured to place at least after a stout third behind Master Mood in the Ashburton Flying Stakes, while a 5-year-old Speedy Cheval was also at the top of his game, having beaten Skipper Dale and Master Mood at Forbury Park and been second at Kaikoura for new trainer Peter Ryder and owner Ron Annear. Outside the aforementioned, the only other starter given a chance was Lord Lenny, who was in good form that season for Owen Purdon with two wins at Alexandra Park over Luxury Liner.

Despite flight delays which saw the Vitorian pair arrive on the Monday morning prior to Tuesday's Cup, Knight and O'Sullivan were both "brimming with confidence." Knight had worked Maestro prior to the Kilmore Cup at that track over two miles in a 2:00 mile rate, last mile in 1:57 and half in 56, and the 5-year-old son of Gaines Minbar, bought as an unraced 2-year-old from Bryce Buchanan in Southland, had already been handed a Miracle Mile invitation. Quite Famous had also won over $500,000 and his 40 wins had included a Consolation of the 1987 Inter-Dominions at Addington after not being right in the heats. He had gone on a winning spree in the interim and O'Sullivan was sure he was "better than ever." Quite Famous was a good horse, but he was not up to being driven on a big track like Lightning Blue, a distinction he was far from alone in of course.

THE RACE
Several lead changes through the first mile meant that this Cup was not going to be one for the faint-hearted. Skipper Dale showed out first before Gina Rosa, Lord Lenny and Elmer Gantry took over in quick succession, and then the 'battleships' Luxury Liner and Master Mood arrived to ensure there would be no breathers during the remaining mile either. All the while Knight sat in midfield on the outer like a black cat - about to pounce. No sooner had Luxury Liner found the front with Master Mood in close attendance a lap out, than Quite Famous attacked three-wide.

Lord Lenny was the first to feel this relentless pressure in the backstraight, allowing a by now struggling Master Mood to drop onto the fence. At precisely the same point at the 600m, Knight unleashed Maestro and he whistled by Quite Famous four-wide and at such speed that his momentum carried him to a length lead over Luxury Liner turning for home. But Knight had gone for the doctor 200 metres too soon and just as Maestro started to battle at the furlong, an unflustered Tony Herlihy went for Luxury Liner. "When Maestro went past me I was still confident," said Herlihy later. "I had not hit him and didn't think it would be hard to win - just tougher. He is a tremendous stayer and you have got to wind him up."

Luxury Liner came clear to win by almost two lengths in the end, and as if the spectacle had not been enough, an applauding crowd was stunned into silence when the time was posted. Luxury Liner had recorded 4:00.4 when the previous race record had been Lightning Blue's 4:05.1 and the National record 4:04.8, set by Luxury Liner in winning the Thames Cup from 30 metres two years earlier. Four minutes for two miles from a stand was just not heard of, it had not even been contemplated as possible, even on a fine, still Christchurch day with $375,000 at stake ($400,000 for the first time from 1989).

Luxury Liner was a top horse at any time for several seasons, but over the extreme distance he 'grew another leg' and became a great horse, and pretty much unbeatable on his day. When he won a second Auckland Cup seven weeks later, from 15 metres in 4:03.8, it took his 3200m record to 10 starts for seven wins and three seconds - those defeats coming in two NZ Cups and a Franklin Cup from 30m.

The NZ Cup had made Luxury Liner the first millionaire racing in NZ alone, joining Cardigan Bay along with Bonecrusher, Empire Rose and Poetic Prince as millionaire racehorses bred in New Zealand. When retired after one start as a spring 9-year-old, Luxury Liner had won 37 of 86 races and $1,721,984, when Master Mood was the next highest stake-winning NZ-bred standardbred in Australasia with $806,925.

In the aftermath, Knight blamed the journey over for his horse being beaten, rather than conceding his drive and a better horse may have had more to do with it. "He went a bit too quick when he went. He put a good length on Luxury Liner, then came back to me. My horse stopped. He had a couple of hard runs before he came over and then had a fourteen-hour trip. He didn't feel all that good in his prelim...he felt like an old cow." Skipper Dale's driver Pat O'Reilly jnr summed up the thoughts of the remaining drivers when he said..."It was too much for him - the speed they were going."

For 30-year-old Herlihy, previously unplaced twice with Comedy Lad and second the year before - Brent Mangos was Luxury Liner's regular pilot until the start of his 6-year-old season - Luxury Liner was the first of three NZ Cups within six years. He would also score with the Purdon-trained millionaires in Christopher Vance(91) and Chokin(93), while his seven Auckland Cups to date is one more than Peter Wolfenden.

Luxury Liner was by Mercedes, one of the first sons of Meadow Skipper imported Down Under, and from the Meadow Al (Adios) mare Miranda Belle, whose fourth dam was the 1911 NZ Cup winner Lady Clare. Mercedes was not a commercial success, but his good progeny were renowned for their toughness. Gaelic Skipper, who finished in a dead-heat for fifth with Frangelico behind Luxury Liner in the '88 Cup after both were at the rear inside the last lap, was the next best pacer sired by Mercedes and also a grand stayer, as was his trotter Idle Scott. The latter won races from age four until 13, 45 and $573,081 in all, including a Rowe Cup and the NZ Trotting FFA in race record time a few days after Luxury Liner's Cup success.

That Luxury Liner had a great heart was never in doubt, but when tested he set another record of sorts. Dr Cliff Irvine pioneered heart scores in the 50s, and when he tested Light Brigade aged 23 in 1960, his score of 146 remained the standard until Luxury Liner came along with his 148.


Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 26Jul06

 

YEAR: 1990

Tight Connection easily wins the Air NZ FFA from Rebe Lord
1990 AIR NEW ZEALAND NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Having proved his real class once again by trouncing high-class opposition in the $85,000 Air New Zealand NZ Free-For-All, Tight Connection is poised to write many more exciting chapters to his already memorable saga. Now foremost in the sights of the crack Auckland pacer are the $A300,000 Sydney Miracle Mile on November 30, the $300,000 Ansett New Zealand Auckland Cup on December 29 and the $500,000 Inter-Dominion Grand Final in Auckland next March.

Already, from only 26 starts - punctuated by a series of severe setbacks which he has shrugged off one by one - Tight Connection has bankrolled a remarkable $1,409,015 in stakemoney and bonuses. Thrilled with the Miracle Mile invitation, issued by New South Wales Harness Racing Club committeeman Tony McGrath after the Free-For-All win, trainers Roy and Barry Purdon have accepted and only misadventure will thwart the trip. The connections of Neroship informed McGrath before the Free-For-All that, win, lose or draw, they had decided not to accept a Miracle Mile invitation. Stablemate Reba Lord, Tight Connection's runner-up in the FFA after wrecking his Cup chances after an inordinately (even for him) bad start, remains in Christchurch for the Monsanto FFA (mobile 2600m).

Not in the clear until the New Zealand Cup was out of his grasp, Tight Connection showed what might have been with his end-to-end Free-For-All win in 2:26 for the mobile 2000m (a 1:57.5 mile rate), capped off with a sizzling 55.5 final 800m. "And he did it on his ear," said the chestnut's elated pilot Tony Herlihy. Reba Lord, cleverly handled by co-trainer Barry Purdon, had enough in the tank to get up for second two and a quarter lengths from Tight Connection, shading Bold Sharvid (who trailed the winner throughout) and Lord Magic (who battled gamely after being parked out for most of the last lap).

Tight Connection never left an oat after the win. "He's a nice horse, with such a lot of potential," enthused Roy Purdon. "He seems to be getting better and better. He's done no racing yet, really - not the miles of some of those other Cup horses. "He's had a lot of setbacks, and he's come through them all with flying colours. The wind operation he had seems to have been a hundred percent successful, which is great since they wouldn't guarantee it and gave him something like a 60-40 chance."

Raced these days by Ric Ellis and Ross Weavers (two of his original owners) with the Horseplayers Corporation Syndicate and the Club Connection Syndicate, Tight Connection, a five-year-old Soky's Atom entire, must also have excellent stud potential.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1991

Katrina Purdon, Chrisopher Vance & Tony Herlihy
1991 DB DRAUGHT NZ TROTTING CUP

Christopher Vance won the 1991 DB Draught NZ Cup with a surprisingly good race that simply reflected the big-race temperament and experience of Tony Herlihy.

While Starship made a flyer from wide out, and Master Musician didn't waste any time, Herlihy had some lucky breaks getting Christopher Vance through from the second line and was soon seventh and improving. There were some who made a mess of the start, notably Defoe which was no surprise on his recent behaviour and Blossom Lady, who went away safely but then lost stride.

By the time they caught up, which wasn't long because the pace was so tediously slow, Herlihy had worked Christopher Vance into the trailing spot behind outsider Surmo Way. Robert Dunn had Master Musician buried on the rails behind Clancy and in front of Lord Magic, while Mark Purdon had no complaints with the lie of the land as he tracked up Christopher Vance. The Bru Czar was back on the outer, and with him were Two Under, Stratum and Insctcha.

Once the lines were set, there was no change. The Bru Czar or Two Under may have been expected to make a move on the first lap, even at the mile, but they stayed where they were. It was obvious with a lap to run, with a sprint home certain to develop, that the front bunch had it made. Any hope of a spectacle was right out the window.

Gary Hillier stepped on the gas with The Bru Czar passing the 800 metres, and Mark Hanover came out to force him three wide only to gallop and lose all chance at the 600 metres. In the meantime, Dunn had Master Musician moving sweetly inside The Bru Czar and right behind Christopher Vance, who was now three wide at the 400 metres and closing hard. What apparently happened then, according to stewards, was interference caused by The Bru Czar which forced Master Musician onto Clancy's wheel and into a break.

This had gone on behind Surmo Way, who has bravely passed Starhip and taken, briefly, a narrow lead. But the favourite quickly had his say, and ran ahead to beat Clancy, The Bru Czar (later relegated to 13th), the game Surmo Way and the stablemates Insutcha and Mark Hanover.

The race was a pressing bore.

Many who thought it was a tame affair when Neroship won the Cup in 1990 now consider that event quite exciting. Said one regular enthusiast:"At least in that there were five lead changes. In this one the horse that led out, led into the straight, and they all sat back on a 2:05 first mile.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

 

YEAR: 1991

Christopher Vance parades after the win
1991 AIR NEW ZEALAND NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Christopher Vance and Chokin gave Tony Herlihy further armchair drives as they followed up their NZ Cup and Sires' Stakes Final victories of three days earlier by accounting for the Air New Zealand Free-For-All and Coupland Bakeries Three-Year-Old Stakes with similar consummate ease.

Christopher Vance trailed The Bru Czar in the Free-For-All, Herlihy taking a calculated risk that the good Kumeu pacer would move out in the straight as he had noticed him doing in his races. It paid off. When The Bru Czar veered away from the hub rail in answering the game of the parked-out Surmo Way, Christopher Vance was quickly through on the inner and on to victory by a length in 2:26.8 for the mobile 2000m.

A 1:58.2 rate, this was nevertheless well outside Armalight's race and New Zealand mark of 2:23.5, established a decade ago. But, as with Chokin, Chrisopher Vance won with much in hand. It took his record to 41 starts, 20 wins, 10 seconds and 4 thirds for $843,720.

The Bru Czar held second by a nose from Surmo Way, with Clancy a strong finisher from the rear into fourth, a length and a quarter back.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HR Weekly

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