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PEOPLE

 

YEAR: 1976

PETER GALLAGHER

The Washdyke trainer, P P Gallagher, has been one of the most versatile light harness trainers and reinsmen in NZ.

Gallagher, a regular patron of Southland meetings for many years, became one of trotting's 'characters', and a successful one at that, a long time ago. He was one of the best saddle horsemen of his day, and a competent reinsman to boot. Even during his last season he was seen out in the odd saddle race.

A regular patron of the smaller Otago, Southland and Canterbury meetings, he also had much to do with the success at the 'Town Hall' of such fine performers as Smile Again, Cabin Boy, Mighty Song, Kid Wolf, Air Flow, Taxpayer, Millisle, Southern Smile, Special Force, Rowi and Helen's Bay, the great grandam of Cardigan Bay. And there were some good lesser lights he held the reins over, among them Chechahco, Lady Dawn, Miss Dean, Kildonnin, Spring Walk, Imperial Grattan, Ben Ledi, Compo Jack, Foreign Lady, Magnificent, Copper Trail, Sunranes, Silver Jack, Love Parade, Deste, Anthum, Bonny Vue, Chiming Billy, Electric Chimes, Stalwart, Trywin, Mighty Imp, Hazel, Russell, Ahuaraka, Andy Watson, Lord Zetland and a lot of others - he also trained most of these himself.

Gallagher was nothing if not versatile, as he proved at a non-totalisator meeting at Ranfurly many years ago when he won two races in saddle trots with Margo and then rode the galloper, Golliwog, to take another 'double' on the same programme.

Gallagher was for some time reinsman for the Roydon Lodge team, and a grand trotter he was associated with while there was Airflow.

NZ Trotting Calendar 14Jul65

-o0o-

One of Canterbury's most distiguished horsemen, Mr Peter Paulrang Gallagher died at Washdyke last week aged 76.

Mr Gallagher had a long and successful career as a trotting trainer ans was among the foremost drivers of his time. He drove close to 400 winners before his retirement in 1965 and was twice second on the national drivers premiership, the first time to Max Stewart in 1939-40 and again to Fred Smith in 1942-43.

However he got his greatest pleasure from competing in saddle races and driving trotters as opposed to pacers. He topped the national list of winning drives with trotters on two occasions - in 1939-40 and 1945-6 - and was recognised as a master of the saddle trot.

As a trainer his two best horses were Cabin Boy and Special Force. Cabin Boy was purchased by Mr Gallagher for $100 but in spite of being troubled by unsoundness throughout his career went on to win nine races and $9000. A sizable sum in the days of much lower stakes. Cabin Boy's first 16 starts resulted in eight wins, two seconds and a third while he was the county's fifth leading stake earner in the 1944-5 season. Mr Gallagher considered Cabin Boy to have been the best he ever trained but maintained the best was never seen of him because of unsoundness.

Special Force was an outstanding juvenile pacer, winning the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes and the NZ Sapling Stakes in four starts as a 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old he won the Wellington Stakes, NZ Championship and NZ Champion Stakes before losing confidence after a race fall.

Smile Again was a top saddle horse for Mr Gallagher and in January 1946 set a world saddle race record when winning over a mile in 2:05 2-5. However a month later Smile Again reduced the time still further to 2:04 when finishing third on the same course from 36 yards. Other fine horses Mr Gallagher was associated with included Mighty Song, Kid Wolf, Positive, Logan Hanlon, Millisle, Spring Walk and Imperial Grattan.


Credit: NZ Trotguide 5Aug76



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