| HORSES |
YEAR: 1970
MIGHTY GAY - Enigma
George Shand's pride and joy of the mid 1970's was an unlikely star on breeding who put up some phenomenal performances.
Trouble was, they invariably came after a gallop at the start and so his full potential was never found. George was a "don't die wondering" sort of driver who did not accept 100m behind the field was a lost cause. On Show Day at Addington in 1973 when the horse was a 3yo, he was lined up in the 3200m Author Dillon Handicap against horses of all ages, something rarely attempted in such a tough race at that time and certainly not now. He did 100m at the start, looped the field to lead at the top of the straight and went on to win.
As a 2yo he was pulled up in two of his first four starts, won a couple at the Nelson winter meeting, floated to Auckland to win first up at Alexandra Park and then lost 150m in the Juvenile Championship.
It was often all or nothing. From 98 starts in NZ he was placed in only 15, nine of them wins. It is probably a record without equal among top line performers. Mighty Gay inherited superior speed from his fast, tough but erratic sire, Gay Gordon, who left about a dozen winners. Some took fast times in the US.
Mighty Gay's form fell right away as an older horse. Then as a 6yo, having won one race in three years, he won the rich Ashburton Flying Stakes at 35/1. That was your Mighty Gay. We may never know how good he really was. He seemed to prefer it that way.
Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016
YEAR: 2012
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
YEAR: 2005
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George Shand had his last drive on the unplaced Eastwood Jaunty in the Green Mile at Methven on Sunday. "I just haven't been too good health-wise and decided to stand down," Shand said.
He trained and drove Eastwood Jaunty to win the inaugural Green Mile in 2000. The gelding has contested the six Green Miles. He finished second to Bruzem in 2001 and third to Oaxaca Lass and Niobium in 2002. Eastwood Jaunty has won 13 races including the 2003 Methven Cup.
Shand, who turns 76 on Friday, drove 373 winners including Satyr who won the main race, the McCloy Memorial Handicap, at Methven in 1960. He drove his first winner, Lochella, at Wanganui in October, 1951. Lochella was trained by his father-in-law, Peter Gallagher.
"One of the highlights was winning the Ashburton Flying Stakes with Mighty Gay. I always had a soft spot for the horse," Shand said. "Another was winning a race in Australia (at Mildura) with Eastwood Jaunty."
Mighty Gay won the Flying Stakes in 1976. Shand trained and drove Borana to win the Forbury and Oamaru Juvenile Stakes in the early 1980s.
Credit: Tayler Strong writing in HRWeekly 14Dec05
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
YEAR: 1973
1973 NZ DERBY STAKES
Koarakau will go down in the record books as the 1973 New Zealand Derby winner, but for those at Addington it will be remembered as the race Eclipse lost.
The 1973 field was one of the most talent packed to contest a Derby and the sensations predicted by many were forthcoming. But it was a tragic race for Eclipse's owner Mr E C Ockwell and trainer-driver Doug Donaldson. The classy Johnny Globe colt worked hard to head off Golden Moose after 1000 metres and from then on always seemed to be pacing comfortably. Donaldson still had him under a good hold passing the 800 then had the rest struggling as he gave him more rein at the 500 metres. Nicely clear at the 400, Eclipse looked to have the race in safe keeping but then came the sensation. For the first time in his career, Eclipse raced erratically and ran off on the home turn. Donaldson got him straightened up for a renewed bid as Al's Holiday dived through to the lead but Eclipse attempted to run off again and it was a disappointed Donaldson who brought him home in sixth place.
While all this was going on, Al's Holiday looked set to give Maurice Holmes his thirteenth winning drive in the Derby as he took a handy lead inside the 200 metres. But then the surprisingly warm favourite Koarakau appeared on the scene and he stormed home to beat Al's Holiday by threequarters of a length. Al's Holiday must have made Koarakau's task harder but for his inexperience. He was having only his third start, having finished second at Kaikoura and winning the First Riccarton Stakes on Cup day. When he hit the front early in the run home, Al's Holiday seemed to loaf a bit and could not match the fast finishing Koarakau.
While Eclipse must be regarded as the unlucky runner in the Derby, this does not detract from the very notable performance by Koarakau who added to a great record trainer Don Nyhan has in the Derby. Koarakau, owned by Mr C Wood, of Papatoetoe, is a son of 1961 Derby winner Lordship, who in turn was sired by the 1950 Derby winner Johnny Globe. Lordship, who stands at stud at Nyhan's Templeton property, was raced by his wife, Mrs Doris Nyhan, while he himself owned, trained and drove Johnny Globe. Don Nyhan also drove Lordship to win the 1961 Derby and but for an accident prior to the Cup meeting would have driven Koarakau. However, a broodmare savaged Nyhan's hand and Koarakau was handled in his three starts at the meeting by his son Barry. The Derby win was the fifth from six starts for Koarakau and he is unlucky not to be unbeaten. The previous Tuesday night, he met trouble at the straight entrance and broke, this incident looking to cost him a winning chance.
Koarakau's time for the 2600 metres was 3:23, a time which compares favourably with Willie Win's record of 3:25 for 13 furlongs set last year. The New Zealand record for 13 furlongs for a three-year-old from a standing start was also set last season by Why Bill at 3:23.8 at Easter.
Though six lengths further back, there was much merit in Kawarau Gold's third placing. He broke twice in the first two hundred metres and finally settled five places back on the fence behind Al's Holiday. He did not get the best of runs from then on but put in a great finishing run for his third placing and looks to have a big future in major staying events.
Golden Moose was a length and a half back fourth after having his chance. Driver Robin Butt said after the race he did not want to give the lead away to Eclipse but was being pressed all the way and had little choice. Gliding Light ran on from the middle for fifth, a nose back, ahead of Eclipse and Bonheur. Bonheur who raced third on the rails behind Golden Moose, shot through on the inside of the runner at the 600 but started to weaken soon after. Mighty Gay, one of the favoured runners, broke and lost a lot of ground at the start. He had made up the leeway coming through the straight with a round to go but could not improve from there and finished ninth.
Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide