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The Happy Valley Synd & Todd Mitchell

2002 CANTERBURY DRAUGHT NZ TROTTING CUP

The history of the Canterbury Draught NZ Cup took a twist of its own with a double quinella at Addington.
Who would have suspected that Tuapeka Knight, once a brilliant juvenile, would sire not only the winner but the second horse too. And by a strange coincidence both horses are prepared by the same trainers.

The winner, with a devastating sprint, was Gracious Knight, driven by 'The Wizard', Todd Mitchell. He overpowered his stablemate Facta Non Verba, who appeared to have done enough to win the race when he slipped clear by more than two lenghts on the corner.
He had set the pace from the 2000m, battling into the teeth of a cold southerly. Meantime, Gracious Knight was hiding with cover at the back. Mitchell was gambling on one killer-blow at the end, hoping there would be little resistance when Gracious Knight produced his dynamic last furlong burst. There was clear evidence that Mitchell still had a handful of horse near the 500m, and he knew Facta Non Verba would have his work cut out after what he had done.

"It was a bit tight at the start when Young Rufus broke, but we got through alright," said Mitchell. "I was in two minds whether to come out when Anthony went up with Young Rufus, and I was a bit lucky later when Franco Heir was pushed out down the back. He still paced a bit funny in patches, and was even a bit hitchy round the last bend." he said.

Mitchell praised the dedication and ability of Warren Rich, a young man of only 29 who trains the horse in partnership with Mike Berger. "It's great for Warren," said Mitchell. "He set him for this. He never says anything much, but after he worked on Saturday he told me he was spot on. And the last four hundred metres of a race is always the best for him." he said.

Mitchell has a wonderful knack of being associated with great horses who win big races, notably the NZ Cup three years ago with Homin Hosed - who nearly won it again for him last year - more recently Superstars winner, Just An Excuse, and Easter Cups with Facta Non Verba and Gracious Knight.

Facta Non Verba, who won the Easter Cup as a five year old, failed to win a race in a light NZ campaign at six and returned to win all three races at Addington last season, gave a generous showing in front. His beginning was sharp enough to have him third behind Pocket Me and Stars And Stripes after 400m, and then he was taken up by Robbie Holmes to lead from the 2000m. Ken Barron took Stars And Stripes to sit parked at the 1600m. He got cover soon after from Yulestar, but general movement after that forced him into a situation of near hopelessness by the time they turned in. He ran fifth, two places behind Holmes D G, who made a big run forward with Young Rufus, and Shorty's Girl, who ran a cheeky race and finished with will over the last 250m.

While the result was a rare siring quinella in the race, it was not the first but maybe the second. In 1928, the brothers Peter Bingen and Great Bingen, by Nelson Bingen from Berthabell, ran first and second, with half a length between them. They were not trained by the same trainer.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

2002 GEORGE CALVERT CLEANING EASTER CUP

'The Wizard' alias Todd Mitchell, was at his spell binding best behind Gracious Knight at Addington last Saturday night. He mesmerised rival drivers with a heady brew of front-running tactics. There were signs a lap out when Gracious Knight had not been questioned for the lead that some would be caught out, and near the 600m Mitchell knew it. He didn't think there was a horse close enough who could give him a start and turn in a better final quarter. "I was just jogging turning for home," he said.

By this stage, the stayers who had been hoping for 4:00, or content with 4:02 for the 3200n were out of the hunt. Gracious Knight was getting it over in a tick under 4:07, and it was Mitchell's clever dictation of the pace that saw him win it without a fight. He was more than two lengths ahead of Pic Me Pockets who came out of the pack strongly, and Panky's Pacer did the same to run third.

It was Mitchell's third Easter Cup win in four years, following that of Facta Non Verba last year and Homin Hosed two years before that. Facta Non Verba, a stablemate of the winner's, ran a sterling race for fifth after missing the start by at least six lengths but probably much more. "We were standing just three or four seconds too long, waiting for Annie's Boy," said driver Robbie Holmes.

Gracious Knight is a son of Tuapeka Knight, and now the winner of 10 races from just 23 starts. His record is more compelling because his placings include seconds in the Messenger behind Tupelo Rose and third to Holmes D G in the Auckland Cup. It has not been plain sailing for Warren Rich, who trains in partnership with Mike Berger. Gracious Knight is one of 20 Rich has in work at Pukekohe, and Berger has as many at Morrinsville. Rich said Gracious Knight took a while to gait up, but this season he has had muscular problems that Syd Weatherly treated for a start and now Clare McGowan is handling it. "She comes once every two weeks on average," he said, "and he does swimming as well."

Rich who was born in Christchurch and worked for Mike Nicholas, Barry Purdon, Jeff Crouth and Brian Hughes before partnering Berger, said the Auckland Cup was not originally in the plan but the Easter Cup at Addington always was. "The Auckland Cup seemed to make all the difference to him. It gave him a lift round the stables and in his trackwork," he said. Rich said that 95% of his stable, including Gracious Knight, is owned by the Happy Valley Syndicate. There are three in Hong Kong, and two in New Zealand, one of them being Jacko Shiu, whose acceptance speech of the George Calvert trophy was more memorable than the race itself. It was a humble, gratifying response that brought favourable comment from every quarter. And he has more good prospects ahead. Rich says the syndicate has a 3-year-old half-sister by Road Machine to Graciuos Knight that "I like very much."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 04Apr02

Owner Margaret Harrall achieved every owners Cup dream by not only winning with Red Shadow, but also owning the second horse, Royal Silk. However, because they were trained by James Bryce and Leo Berkett respectively, it was not until 2002 Gracious Knight won and Facta Non Verba was second that the training quinella was achieved. The partnership of Mike Berger and Warren Rich trained both horses.

THE CUP CARNIVAL
The training partnership of Mike Berger and Warren Rich produced Gracious Knight and Facta Non Verba to run the first stable Quinella (1st & 2nd)in the history of the Cup.
In addition, both horses were sired by the former champion juvenile Tuapeka Knight.

In the NZ Free-For-All on Show Day Yulestar driven by Peter (PN) Jones registered a stunning performance to win from the previous year's winner Young Rufus and Stars And Stripes. Yulestar's time for the mobile 2000 metres of 2:22.9 (Mile Rate of 1:54.9) broke Armalight's world record of 2:23.9 which had stood for 21 years.

Earlier on Show Day Take A Moment won the Trotters Free-For-All

Credit: The Cup: Bernie Wood