| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 2006
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His best winner was the Keep Away mare, Peterson's Pride, who won four races - two at Addington and a double at Blenheim. In three of them she was driven by Russell Carter, who achieved greater awards later with Miss Pert, and in the other by Peter Mounce, Trevor's son. She paid $40.65 beating Scottish Chat and Armbro Pine, and gave Peter his first winning drive.
But his major triumph was preparing Mighty Chief to win two races when he was an old horse, unsound, and more or less retired from racing by his owner, Lester Clark. By My Chief, Mighty Chief had been a top trotter for Clark, winning the Dominion Handicap fron Acquit and Flying Maiden when he was just five. He won a further three as a 6-year-old, but had fewer than a dozen starts over the next three seasons.
After Clark had gone to Forbury to handle Flying Nominee for Mounce, he told him he would be better off trying one he had in the paddock at home - Mighty Chief. Mounce picked him up the next day, and with months of slow work round the country roads, a diet of swans eggs and the use of methylated spirits to harden his legs, brought him up to race fitness again.
As a 10-year-old, he resumed in grand style at Addington, winning for Bob Nyhan, beating Tony Bear and Merrin, and paying $84.75. He held his form, winning again two starts later at Greymouth with Clark driving, and was placed six times after that. He was raced lightly over the next two seasons, and gained a placing, which ended a remarkable comeback. "It was a labour of love, and they played the Addington race at his funeral," said his son John.
Mounce, who died last week a month short of his 88th birthday, has most of his family associated with harness racing to some extent.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 20Sep06