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EASTON LIGHT

Easton Light, one of NZ's outstanding trotters of all time, had to be put down last week after developing a ruptured intestine. He was rising 24.

Bruce Running who drove him to all but 3 of his 36 wins, said the tough old gelding had enjoyed good health and the run of the family's 11 hectare Ardmore property from the time he retired from the tracks as a 13-year-old until starting to deteriorate a fortnight back. "We got the vet to him as soon as he got crook, but he couldn't be saved," said Bruce. "He was a good, honest horse with so much ability. Mum and I are really going to miss him." Bruce added that Easton Light had come in handy while he was breaking in young horses of his own in recent times. "He used to give them a bit of a tune-up and show them how to get into it," he added.

Bruce and "Sparky" - as he nick-named him because of his high-spiritedness - teamed from the start of the now 6-year-old gelding's second campaign. That season (1970/71), from 14 starts, they gained four wins, three seconds and two thirds.

In 1971/72 at seven, Easton Light had his first Dominion Handicap tilt at Addington, and after being forced to race very wide was a gallant third to Precocious and Merrin. Injured in the 1971 Rowe Cup, he was patched up to run top trotter Johnny Gee to a whisker at Manawatu in March 1972, but soon after, on veterinary advice, had to be taken right out of racing.

The following season, Easton Light comfortably won the Dominion Handicap from Precocious, and with six wins in all was top trotter of that term. At nine, Easton Light raced brilliantly for eight wins to be again the nation's top trotter. Forced wide from 15m in the Dominion, he was third to Philemon and Bachelor Tom, then easily won the NZ Free-For-All from Bachelor Tom and Philemon. Other good wins were in the National Trotting Handicap in Auckland (in 4:16 for 3200m)and NZ Trotting Championship at Addington at Easter (4:17.9).

At 10 Easton Light for the third straight year was the nation's top trotting stake-earner, and the peak performance of his career came as the tough old gelding joined the short list of dual Dominion Handicap winners, scoring by 4 1/2 lengths from 30 metres in 4:13.1, easily a record. In the Rowe Cup, from 40m, he ran winner Robyn Evander to a neck. His six wins and 11 minor placings at this age made him, with $90,875, easily the richest trotting winner in Australasia.

Again at 11, Easton Light hogged the trotters' scene. From 40m in the Dominion Handicap, he had a shocking run and pulled a flat tyre the last mile to finish a gallant second, sandwiched between the winner Hal Good and third-placed Cee Ar in a head and half-head finish. Then, in finally winning the Rowe Cup (from 40m), he capped record unparalleled in the history of Australasia. After his epic Rowe Cup win on his own stamping ground at Alexandra Park, a crowd of 10,000 rose and cheered, clapped and whistled him to the echo. Easton Light's six wins and four placings from 14 starts at 11 pushed his earnings to $120,445.

Troubled by a recurring back ailment, Easton Light, after gaining only a few minor placings from 15 starts at 12, was "retired." But he reappeared at 13, winning the Benson & Hedges Challenge Stakes at Auckland in October so well that another Dominion Handicap tilt - his seventh - was 'on'. From 40m in his final Dominion bid , he got up for fourth, some five lengths from winner Nigel Craig, who clocked 4:15.6 from the front. Sadly, Easton Light was relegated from that gallant placing for breaking stride right on the line. He had raced his heart out that day, and was finally done. After three more fruitless starts, he was retired for good. His final race was his seventh Rowe Cup bid in May 1978 - won, incidentally, by his talented stablemate Rich Hill. Eric Running was struck by a truck and killed while droving sheep on the road in South Auckland in September 1979.

In 167 starts over 10 seasons, Easton Light gained 36 wins (13 at Alexandra Park, eight at Addington, five at Hutt Park) and 76 placings for $132,370.

Few better trotters have looked through a bridle.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 20Apr88

SIR HENRY KELLIHER

Though he maintained a very low profile in horse racing, Auckland brewery baron and philanthropist Sir Henry Kelliher, who died recently aged 95, was an enthusiastic and sporadically successful breeder of standardbreds and thoroughbreds.

Sir Henry will probably be remembered best in harness racing for giving Aucklander Mrs Audrey Dean's champion pacer Cardigan Bay a luxurious retirement at his island paradise, Puketutu, in the Manukau Harbour. From Match 1970 until Cardigan Bay died aged 31 in March 1988, Sir Henry doted over the internationally famous gelding, who attracted thousands of tourists from around the world to see in the flesh the first pacer to win a million dollars. "I think he must be the most photographed horse in the world," Sir Henry would often proudly say.

But Sir Henry's involvement in the standardbred sport went much deeper. His crowning achievement was to rank as the breeder of 1979 Inter-Dominion Grand Champion pacer Rondel, who was imported to NZ in embryo inside the Light Brigade mare Light Rendez. From the noted First Water family, Light Rendez had been bought in Australia on Sir Henry's behalf by Noel Simpson, and covered by the Simpson-imported American stallion Berra Hanover.

Mary Hall, a Dillon Hall mare bought from Canterbury as a breeding proposition by Sir Henry, produced a fine winner in Monsignor for Whenuapai trainer Ray Norton, while Magli, Mary Hall's 1953 foal by Loreto, left Terraton, a classic winning filly for Noel Taylor.

One of the best trotters produced in NZ, Easton Light, owes his place in immortality to Sir Henry's generosity. It was in the late 1950s when Dennis, son of Eric and Thelma Running, who were farming at East Tamaki, developed a nervous disorder that led to double pneumonia and other complications. Following hospitalisation and almost nine months in a recuperative home, Dennis returned home to mend further. To get him interested in moving around and out in the open air, Eric decided to get him a pony.

After Eric approached Puketutu stud master Jack Bainbridge, it was reasoned a pony might be too frisky. The upshot was that Sir Henry gave the Runnings an eight-year-old gelding with a deformed foot named Graham Logan, whom he had bred from a Black Globe mare, Indian Globe. Graham Logan had been tried on lease by Auckland trainer Horry Keogan and, after registering just one third placing in 14 attempts, returned to Puketutu Island with no future in sight.

When Dennis Running tired of his pet, his father, who had learned the rudiments of training horses when a freezing worker with the late Jack Brophy at Timaru in the 'forties', decided to have a go at training Graham Logan to win a race. Taking Graham Logan to the races as a 10-year-old in 1962/63, Running won three trotting races with him. It led to Eric carrying on in the game and eventually winning fame and fortune with Easton Light, NZ's biggest trotting winner to this time with 36 victories, including two Dominion Handicaps and a Rowe Cup, for $132,370.

As a thoroughbred breeder, Sir Henry earned distinction through Mister Pompous, the good Canterbury galloper of the early 1970s, while several Puketutu-based stud stallions to make an impression on New Zealand and Australia racing were headed by Ivory Hunter.

Long-term patron of the Auckland Trotting Owners, Trainers and Breeders' Association and the first patron and a grand supporter of the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame, and an occasional sponsor of juvenile pacing events in Auckland, Sir Henry refrained from racing horses in his own right.

For a non-owner, he possessed a remarkable command of bloodlines, while, probably from his early days as a third generation child of a Central Otago farming family, he had a love of horses that shone through whenever he escorted guests around the paddocks and stables of the lush Puketutu Island that was his home for half a century.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly

1974 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Easton Light toyed with the opposition in winning his second Dominion Handicap by four and a half lengths from Darky Forbes, Edis Nova and last year's winner Philemon.

Easton Light's time of 4:13.1 from the 30 metre mark was a New Zealand record for the distance, and the 10-year-old East Tamaki owned and trained gelding also became the greatest stake-winning trotter in this country. He took his earnings from 24 wins and 51 placings. The previous record was held by Johnny Gee with $67,580 from 28 wins and 53 placings.

Easton Light is trained by Mr E W Running who races him in partnership with his wife, and he was driven as usual by their son Bruce.

Easton Light is out of the 1973 Broodmare of the Year, Beverley Light, who traces to a Southland-bred mare Evening Sun, by Sungod out of a Kentucky mare, and bred at Wyndham by the late Mr George Hunter back in 1925. Beverley Light who won three races as a trotter, left besides Easton Light - a fine double-gaited mare in Miss Debra, who won her way to the verge of New Zealand Cup class as a pacer and took open class rating as a trotter. Both Miss Debra and Easton Light were by the Bill B horse Great Evander, who has proved a highly successful NZ bred sire of both trotters and pacers. He has left such pacers as Vanderford (2:00.4), Wee Don (1:59.8), and star trotters besides Easton Light and Miss Debra, such as Paula (14 wins), Paulette, and a double-gaited star in Milford Boy who took a record of 2:02 as a pacer and 2:03.8 as a trotter and won a total of $140,778.

Beverley Light was also the dam of Double Duty, dam of a useful winner in Jack Robinson. Beverley Light was a half sister to Starshell (by Sandydale), dam of two 2:00 pacers - Hal Brunt (1:58.2, the fastest aged pacing gelding on a half mile track in America this season)and Hal Scott (1:59.4), both by Nephew Hal. The blood of Kentucky appears in the back removes of several successful Southland families.

Credit: NZ Trotguide

1972 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Aucklander Easton Light proved the star trotter at the NZ Cup carnival, his Dominion Handicap success confirming his staying worth and it justified the confidence and judgement of his owners Messrs E W & T R Running who had had opportunities to sell him overseas before this. However, now on a tight mark his opportunities will be restricted.

Easton Light is by Great Evander (a son of Bill B from the U Scott mare Ayrshire Scott, a member of the Muricata family), who has a wonderful siring record, particularly in the field of trotters with others including Paula (2:03.4), Paulette, Light Evander and Salvander to his credit. Great Evander, a top pacer at two and three years, sired one of the best pacers of his time in Vanderford (2:00.4), Wee Don (1:59.8) and so on.

Easton Light is out of the Light Brigade mare Beverley Light, dam also of Miss Debra (2:05.6), who has won seven races including a Franklin Cup. Beverley Light was a half sister to Hew Shell, the dam of Hal Scott (1:59.4) and Hal Brunt (2:01.2). Hew Shell and Beverley Light were out of the Sandydale mare Starshell who was exported to Australia in 1960.

Credit: 'Stopwatch' writing in NZ Trotting

1975 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Upstanding eight-year-old gelding Hal Good completed a brilliant double for his breeder-owner Arthur Chesmar and trainer-driver Denis Nyhan when he powered home to snatch a narrow victory over Easton Light in the 1975 Dominion Trotting Handicap the Nation's premier event for squaregaiters at Addington on Show Day. Back in early January he produced a similar paralysing burst to take the other annual trotting feature on the course the 1975 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup and again it was the northern champion Easton Light who filled second placing.

By the now deceased import Goodland (USA) sire of other squaregait standouts in Markalan, Good Admiral, Tunza Time and the brilliant juvenile and now successful Endeavour Lodge-based sire Westland King, Hal Good is from the untried mare Halswell's Pride by Kingcobra (Aust) from a star racemare of the forties for Arthur's late father George in Shadow Maid, who as well as winning the 1943 Auckland Cup ran third behind two champions Gold Bar and Interity in the NZ Cup of 1945. By brilliant chestnut pacer of the early thirties and winner of the 1933 NZ Cup Red Shadow (NZ), Shadow Maid was from Homelass. This line has been in the Chesmar family for half a century or so, the late George breeding Homelass back in 1927.

Although Hal Good presented him with his first Dominion Handicap victory, winning prestige events is no new experience for Denis Nyhan who trains his team at Templeton. Son of the Johnny Globe man Don Nyhan, Denis has, in a couple of decades of driving standardbreds been associated with more top horses of both codes than most reinsmen hope to sit behind in a lifetime.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide

1973 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Backmarker Philemon gave driver Jack Smolenski a notable double for the meeting when he carried off the Dominion Handicap in decisive fashion. On the first day of the meeting Smolenski won the NZ Cup with Arapaho and his win behind the brilliant Oamaru-trained trotter gave him victory in two of the feature events.

Smolenski sent Philemon up from the back when the pace slackened after 600 metres and he was in front with 2400 metres to go. Though tackled in the middle stages by Able Adios and Aronmot (three wide), Philemon remained in front and passing the 800 metres was travelling well.

Easton Light was the first to lodge a serious challenge in the straight from his trailing position on the outer but last year's winner could not catch Philemon and it was left to the unlucky Bachelor Tom to get up for second, a length and a quarter back. Bachelor Tom was travelling well as he improved on the home turn but then jumped some manure lying on the track and was lucky not to lose more groud than he did. He was closing fast at the finished and edged Easton Light out by a nose.

Bambi, who trailed Philemon all the way, was a length and a half back fourth but could have been closer had he taken the gaps which opened for him. Tunza Time fought on for fifth ahead of Able Adios, Mighty Dollar and Le Char.


Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide

No Response

1979 INTERDOMION TROTTERS GRAND FINAL & NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP

For the standardbred purist there is no more aesthetically pleasing sight than a great trotter in full flight, and no doubt one could come up with 10 great trotting races just as easily as the pacers.

Time and space do not permit us to do the latter exercise this time round, but picking one seems to spring to mind for most everbody old enough to have seen it - No Response's exhilarating 'back from the dead' win in the 1979 Inter-Dominion at Addington.

In fact, that Championship is best remembered for the trotters and No Response in particular, even if the Pacers Series had been severely depleted by the defections of Australian champion Maori's Idol along with Pure Steel, Rip Van Winkle, Koala King and Royal Force. The defending pacing champion Markovina was there, but the loss of Maori's Idol hurt.

The previous year in Melbourne, Maori's Idol had equalled Lucky Creed's 1970 record of 24 consecutive wins in the heats, only to be inexplicably beaten into third in the Final. The 5-year-old entire then won two heats of the Sir Clive Uhr (Queensland) Championship in Brisbane, beating top pacers which included Koala King, Paleface Adios, Master Findlay, Roma Hanover and Sporting Son in the process, and give Rip Van Winkle a real race in the Final. Maori's Idol returned the next season to win four of five starts, including the Dullard Cup at Moonee Valley from 40 metres, but then went amiss and while nominated for Addington, he never made it to the end of the comeback trail.

Outside of the unbeaten run through the heats by the fine stayer Wee Win and a few sideshows from Lord Module, the Pacing Championship was actually all rather anti-climatic in the end, but there was enough class and depth to the trotters to make for some compelling racing. Even if in this pre-Internet and Trackside day, hardly anyone had ever heard of the Australian visitors Alby Logan, Hec's Hope, Hilton Adios, Mighty Miller and Silken, the latter a fine type of 11-year-old mare for Victorian horseman Kevin Murray. Only Hec's Hope and Mighty Miller would not make worthwhile contributions at some point during the Series, with Alby Logan and Silken making the Final and Hilton Adios winning the Consolation on the third night.

Even Speed and Spartan Prince were rising 5-year-old open class stars on the scene in 1979, and others of the same age who would prove more than capable on their day included First Prize, Miss Castleton and Pointer Hanover. About Now and Hano Direct were classy 4-year-old mares at the time, while Ilsa Voss and Our One were older mares who were also top class at times. Waipounamu was a 10-year-old and far from finished - in fact he was just getting warm - while Diogenes, Relinquish and Yankee Talent wer others commanding respect into the Championship.

But this was the time of a 7-year-old No Response and Scotch Tar, Slim Dykman's 5-year-old pacing-bred freak who trotted faster than the great majority of pacers. One just had to catch him in the right frame of mind, which was not always often. After winning five of eight races the previous season, Scotch Tar had gone through to open class in his 12th start with a double in Auckland in the spring, and then in his first race against the best around, had split No Response and favourite Framalda - the 1977 Rowe Cup winner who was unbeaten in four races at Alexandra Park that season for Roy & Barry Purdon - in the Challenge Stakes.

Come the Worthy Queen Handicap on NZ Cup Day, and No Response was a late scratching after becoming distressed after doing his preliminary, and Scotch Tar was a costly failure after doing a stretch. Winning that race was favourite Spartan Prince, the Doody Townley-trained and driven Tuft gelding who had been the top youngster of his year, and he would now go into the Dominion unbeaten in three races that season. Spartan Prince had been unbeaten in three starts at the Cup Meeting the previous year, but that season his career would be derailed by unsoundness and strangely enough, an ownership dispute.

The Dominion had merely served to underline the awesome potential of Scotch Tar however. In what was considered "one of the greatest exhibitions of trotting ever seen," not to mention a fine display of horsemanship by Bob Cameron to hold him together near the end as Spartan Prince made his challenge, Scotch Tar triumphed in race, track and New Zealand record time of 4:11.6, which bettered Easton Light's "great" record of 4:13.1 from the 1974 Dominion, and which would have won that week's NZ Cup by six or seven lengths. Scotch Tar had applied the blowtorch to Alias Armbro, Brian Gliddon's Banks Peninsula Cup winner that year who would win the Dominion the next season, from as far as two laps out and gone past him on straightening, and Spartan Prince could make no impression despite enjoying the run of the race.

By the Thorpe Hanover horse Tarport Coulter and from a mare by Scottish Command, who had sired the two previous NZ Cup winners in Trusty Scot and Sole Command, Scotch Tar had won that battle in No Response's absence. No Response, troubled on and off throughout his career by arthritis and various other ailments after making his debut as a 6-year-old, was back on song for three feature race wins in Auckland over Christmas as Scotch Tar went off the rails on that trip, and headed into the Inter-Dominions with six straight wins and eight wins from 10 starts for the term. Scotch Tar got back on track by winning a class two trot at Washdyke from 90 metres in late February, and the stage was set at Addington.

On the first night, Scotch Tar lost no friends apart from the punters who made him odds-on when he recovered for a close fifth after losing 100 metres at the start and racing three and four-wide from the 1000m in Hano Direct's heat win over Diogenes, Waipounamu and Silken, but No Response confirmed his Inter-Dom favouritism with a classy win over Even Speed, Our One and Hilton Adios in the second heat. He was even more impressive in putting away Silken and Alby Logan by four lengths from 15 metres over 3200m on the second, and Scotch Tar was at his brilliant best as well later in the night. Peter Wolfenden had been engaged for Scotch Tar for the Series, and after missing away from 15 metres, they looped the field to sit outside Hilton Adios and won easily by a couple of lengths over Hano Direct and Waipounamu.

THE RACES
With over 13,000 in attendance despite the hefty gate charges and many more watching live on television, the Inter-Dominion Final was like one sensation after another. Scotch Tar blew the start again and lost too much ground to make up, and as the race unfolded No Response seemed to become less and less of a chance back in the running. Alby Logan, a 9-year-old and the only "city class" trotter in NSW, had led them along at a merry clip from the start for Grahame Kirkwood, whose wife and owner/trainer Noleen was out to become the first woman to officially prepare an Inter-Dominion champion - 22 years before Lorraine Nolan succeeded.

Turning for home and No Response showing $1.60 to win, was in the immortal words of an Aussie reporter in the Press Box - "a hundred-to-one chance to win." And yet No Response unwound so quickly, dramatically and powerfully, while changing ground for the gaps three times in that scintillating run home, that in the end he won easily going away by over two lengths from Alby Logan, with Silken, Pointer Hanover and rank outsider Josephus almost in line for third another length and a half away. "If I went around them on the bend, I was going to hit the tree at the top of the straight, so I just had to wait and hope the gaps came," said his unflappable trainer/driver Richard Brosnan later.

If that had been a superlative individual performance and left any observer stunned, No Response and Scotch Tar would provide the match race that everyone had gone to see a week earlier, in the NZ Trotting Championship on the day of the Inter-Dominion Pacing Grand Final. In an all too rare race from a mobile for Scotch Tar, and in a 2600m event which underlined just how much better they were than any other top trotters around at the time, Scotch Tar and Wolfenden were around the field to take over a lap out, stalked all the way by No Response. When they drew clear passing the 400m, Brosnan was able to drop onto Scotch Tar's back momentarily, before coming out again in the straight and drawing level at the 100m. Neither flinched or gave an inch, but No Response gradually got a neck advantage close to the line, and the time of 3:21.9 broke another of Easton Light's long-standing NZ records. Miss Castleton was the best of the rest, 10 lengths away.

For No Response it was his 10th win on end and 12th for the season, and while he had bowed out for the season before Even Speed's Rowe Cup after also missing the Dominion, he was pretty much a unanimous choice for Horse of the Year and the first trotter to achieve that honour. He was a popular choice as well.

No Response was the first real step into the big time for his then 30-year-old unassuming and 'nerves of steel' trainer/driver Brosnan, while he was raced by 69-year-old Fred Black, a retired farmer at Pleasant Point who had bred him after being gifted his non-descipt grandam First Axworth at the age of 18. Black had been given the choice of two mares a quarter of a century earlier by small time Palmerston North trainer Dave Hansen, in return for Black's help around the stables over many years during his time as a meat inspector at Feilding.


Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 9Aug06

'Slim' Dykman, Scotch Tar & Robert Cameron

1978 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Scotch Tar, a rank failure in the Worthy Queen Handicap, earned forgiveness for all his previous sins when he turned in one of the greatest exhibitions of trotting ever seen in a Dominion Handicap.

The five-year-old Tarport Coulter-Scotch Penny gelding claimed three records in beating warm favourite Spartan Prince - the New Zealand 3200 metre record, the Addington track record, and the Dominion Handicap race record. Scotch Tar won in the brilliant time of 4:11.6 - time which would have seen him score a clear cut over the pacers in the NZ Cup.

It was obvious right from the start that Brian Gliddon, driver of Alias Armbro, was not going to stand for any loitering on the journey. Alias Armbro cut out the first 800 metres in 1:04.8, then when Scotch Tar moved up outside him, the pace stepped up again and the half way mark was reached in 2:06.8. The 2000 metres was reached in 2:39.8, then the fireworks really began. Bob Cameron sent Scotch Tar forward to try and wrest the lead from Alias Armbro, and they cut out the next quarter to the 2400 metres in 29.7. Alias Armbro fought off the first challenge by Scotch Tar, but they still reached the 2800 metres in 3:39.5, with that quarter taking 30.4.

Scotch Tar edged past Alias Armbro soon after turning for home, but looked as though he would be under pressure to hold out Spartan Prince, who had enjoyed the run of the race all the way, and had not been involved in the classic battle between Alias Armbro and Scotch Tar. But not even a trotter of Spartan Prince's calibre could do anything but nibble at Scotch Tar's lead in the run home, and the brilliant five-year-old was holding Spartan Prince by three quarters of a length at the finish.

Backmarker Framalda, who was feeling the pinch at the 300 metres and broke briefly, recovered to battle into third but she was four and a half lengths back and two lengths clear of the weakening pacemaker Alias Armbro. Waitaki Gamble led in a well and truly beaten remainder three lengths back, with eight lengths to Isla Voss who started to feel the pressure when the leaders fired in the 29.7 to the 2400 metres.

Scotch Tar's time of 4:11.6 was a full 1.5 seconds inside Easton Light's great record of 4:13.1, set in winning the 1974 Dominion Handicap.

Scotch Tar, owned and trained by Slim Dykman at Chertsey, gave last season's leading sire, the now defunct Scottish Command, a notable double. Scottsh Command is the sire of the NZ Cup-NZ FFA double winner Trust Scot, and also the sire of Scotch Penny, dam of Scotch Tar.

Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

1976 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Twelve months ago, the father and son partnership of Syd and Ron Webster had high hopes of winning the 1975 Dominion Handicap with their good mare Armbro Lady. But the Webster's hopes took a tumble along with the driver Bob Cameron, when Armbro Lady was involved in a skirmish 400 metres from home when starting to look a likely challenger. But at Addington this year, the memories of that incident faded very quickly when the six-year-old mare trounced the hot favourite Nigel Craig in the $15,000 event.

Syd Webster was not at Addington, but son Ron geared up Armbro Lady for the big trot an event in which she was not favoured to beat Nigel Craig. Her form leading up to the Dominion had been solid, without being spectacular, and few on-course, who sent her out at 25 to 1, gave her a chance of beating the hot favourite, a brilliant winner of the Worthy Queen Handicap on Cup Day in New Zealand record time.

Those who sent Nigel Craig out such a dominating favourite looked to be right on the mark when the seven-year-old, one of the most improved trotters in the country this season, hit the front at the end of only 800 metres. But it was this front-running, successful on so many other occasions, that proved to be Nigel Craig's downfall. He set a strong pace out in front, one that had all but Armbro Lady struggling a good way from home. But into the straight, it was obvious that Nigel Craig would have very little left if any challenges came, and when Armbro Lady with young driver Kevin Townley pulled out 100 metres out, she had won the race. Nigel Craig tried to hold her off, but went under by a length.

Armbro Lady recorded 4:17.3 for the 3200 metres, a good time considering the track was dead after heavy rain during the previous night. It was a time 4.2 seconds outside Easton Light's race and track record for 3200 metres, but still the second best time since metrics were introduced in 1973.

For Kevin Townley, it was his biggest success as a driver and followed up a win earlier in the day behind Chance Affair, winner of the four-year-old event, the Preview Stakes. Kevin, a son of the Ashburton Trainer-driver Doody Townley, was twice top probationary driver earlier in his career but like many young reinsmen, has found it hard to get top drives once he gained his open horsemen's licence. Kevin's father won the Dominion Handicap driving Lester Clark's top trotter, Mighty Chief. Syd Webster one of the part owners of Armbro Lady, had enjoyed previous success in the Dominion Handicap back in 1946 when Casabianca won.

Third place went to Dupreez who is trotting a lot more solidly this season. If any horse was unlucky in this event, it may have been Dupreez as he had to work off the rails about the 700 metres and was then held up when trying to make progress through the field. He was conceding Nigel Craig and Armbro Lady a good start at the top of the straight but fought on gamely to get within three quarters of a length and a length and a half of the first two.

Petite Evander and Best Bet, two North Island challengers, did best of the others but were six lengths and two and a half lengths further back respectively. Petite Evander made a good beginning this time and put in a big run from the back along with Best Bet. Cee Ar was a further six lengths back sixth ahead of Castleton's Pride, Waipounamu and Frontier. Mighty Lee and Easton Light were the disappointments of the event, Mighty Lee wilting to 11th after working hard to get handy early and Easton Light dropping out from the 700 metres after having to work very hard in the early stages to make up his 45-metre handicap. He tried to improve three and four wide from the 1200 metres but was gone 500 metres further on and beat only three home. It was the first time in six attempts that Easton Light has failed to return to scale in a Dominion Handicap, a race he won in 1972 and 1974 and was narrowly beaten by Hal Good last year.

Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotguide

ADDINGTON'S GREATEST DAY

In what must be considered the greatest day's racing ever seen at Addington, Robalan, Noodlum, Easton Light and Game lad starred on the second day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's Cup Meeting last Friday.

In a day marked by many outstanding performances, Robalan's world record time in the 2000-metre New Zealand Free-For-All must rank as the greatest most racegoers have been privileged to see. As if to set the seal on his brilliant New Zealand Cup win of three days previously, Robalan shattered any previous best time over 2000 metres, or it's old equivilent of one and a quarter miles.

The world mile and a quarter record stands to the credit of Irvin Paul who went 2:29 3-5 in 1962, but Robalan's time of 2:26 3-5 for 2000 metres is well inside this. Irin Paul rated just a shade under 2:00 in setting his record, but Robalan's rating for the journey was about 1:58.1, which shows just how brilliant that performance was.

In winning the New Zealand Free-For-All for the third successive year, Robalan took his stake earnings to $145,290, the result of 33 wins and 31 placings. The most eagerly awaited event now as for as trotting enthusiasts are concerned is the New Brighton Trotting Club's $26,500 Star's Travel Miracle Mile at Addington on December 7. In view of Denis Nyhan's statement after Robalan's win last Friday that his free-legged star could have gone even faster, his next race over a mile must surely be a landmark given the right conditions.

Though well beaten by Robalan, the performance of Hi Foyle (second) and Young Quinn (third) should not be allowed to pass without notice. Hi Foyle turned in a remarkable effort to take second three and a half lengths back being forced to race without a trail from the 1500 metres while Young Quinn, who dropped to the rear at the start, put in a very good run to get third though more than eight lengths from the winner.

Noodlum, as expected, made the Second Riccarton Stakes a procession once he hit the front with 1000 metres to run, winning on his ear by 14 lengths in the New Zealand record time for 2600 metres for a three-year-old of 3:21. Noodlum was never at top in turning in another world-class time for one of his age, taking his record of 19 wins (14 of these in succession), one second, one fourth and one fall from 22 starts. His stake earnings stand at $30,632.50 a record he should substantially improve in the Derby on Saturday night.

On any other day, the performances of Easton Light in winning the Dominion Handicap and Game Lad in taking the Smithson would have grabbed the headlines, yet on Friday, they were somewhat over-shadowed by Robalan and Noodlum.

Easton Light toyed with the opposition in winning his second Dominion Handicap by four and a half lengths from Darky Forbes, Edis Nova and last year's winner Philemon. Easton Light's time of 4:13.1 from the 30-metre mark was a New Zealand record for the distance, and the 10-year-old East Tamaki owned and trained gelding also became the greatest stake-winning trotter in ths county.

He took his earnings to $72,605 from 24 wins and 51 placings. The previous record was held by Johnny Gee with $67,580 from 28 wins and 53 placings. Easton Light is trained by Mr E W Running who races him in partnership with his wife, and he was driven as usual by their son Bruce.

In adding the Smithson to his first day Canterbury Free-For-All win, Game Lad went within one tenth of Robalan's track record for 2600 metres. Game Lad, from the 20-metre mark, was left in the open from the 1400 metres but still held on after taking the lead at the 400 metres. He won by nearly two lengths in 3:20.5 and showed his great staying qualities in doing so.

Credit: NZ Trotguide 21 Nov 1974