| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 1994
 |
| Jeanne & Colin Calvert with Bee Bee Cee |
Colin Calvert flicked through the racebook on his way from Chertsey to Addington on Tuesday, and couldn't help but remark to his wife Jeanne how strong the No.7 horses looked. There were six running - Perfect Trust, The Suileman, Lento, Diamond Field, Star Motoring, and the one they were towing in the float - Bee Bee Cee. "I said to Jeanne that seven is a lucky Chinese number, and there were all these good seven horses. I said she had to follow seven all day," he said.
By the time the DB Draught NZ Cup was run, The Suileman had run second, and Lento and Diamond Field had won. No.7 was going for three in a row when Jimmy Curtin, who picked up the drive this season after the Calverts shifted from Southland, went to the start. "The night before the Cup was the best night's sleep he'd had for two weeks," said his wife Sandy. "He wasn't confident, just so relaxed," she quivered. The drive was vintage Jimmy Curtin, though vintage could hardly describe Bee Bee Cee, whose win in the DB Draught NZ Cup at Addington was only his 27th start.
After a superb beginning that gave him the lead for a lap, Curtin found a hole for him three deep on the fence and put him to bed. He was wide awake and moving near the 600 metres, but Curtin set off after Master Musician with only slim hopes of winning and more for the minors. "We'll run second; that's the best I thought we would do," said Curtin. And that's how it appeared 200 metres, even 150 metres out, where Robert Dunn was suddenly showing signs of desperation in the cart. The race was taking a new turn. Bee Bee Cee had come out of the pack and continued bearing down on 'the Master' and relieved him of the lead inside the last 50 metres, winning in 4:01, which was a remarkable run in a wicked wind.
The Calverts were overcome at their good fortune, and although Jeanne said "it was an absolute dream," and "I can't really believe it," it was apparent that both had confidence in their young son of ill-fated Nero's B B. "We gave him four race day starts and six trials, which is what we planned. We wanted to win the Hannon, which we did, and the placing in the Flying Stakes was a bonus. I didn't mind what he ran in his trial last Thursday; all I'm interested in is what he has run his last quarter. He's a lazy horse and only does what he has to," he said. "You haven't seen the best of him yet," said Colin.
The success for the Calverts is remarkable, and makes a good story. Six years ago Colin was put off from his job at the Ocean Beach freezing works where he was a carpenter. Keen to train horses, Colin was given the chance when Jeanne kindly said she would continue her career in education and give Colin the opportunity he wanted. They had a lucky break early on by selling two maideners Full of Dreams and Temporary Profit, and the money they received from that allowed them to consider stepping up in quality. They went to the Ryal Bush breeder Russell Morton and bought the Nero's B B yearling from Classic Countess that was Bee Bee Cee.
It didn't take Colin and Jeanne long to realise that Bee Bee Cee was something special, and this in turn created a problem once he started running out of Southland classes. With the welfare of the horse in mind, they left Southland last year and settled in Canterbury. In between the sale and the shift, the Calvert's bought Classic Countess, in foal to Corsica Almahurst, after the mare was advertised for sale in the "Weekly." Classic Countess has since given them a colt foal this season by OK Bye, and has been served by New York Motoring.
Bee Bee Cee has never missed a beat from the time he started. Respected Southland driver Allan Beck won his first 10, and Curtin has been with him in his two this season.
In some ways this was a fairy-tale ending to an epic contest, given spice by the unexpected failure of the Purdon trio Chokin, Christopher Vance and Montana Vance, the huge performance by third placed upsetter Matthew Lee, and the disappointing showing by Desperate Comment.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 1994
 |
| Bee Bee Cee outfinishes Master Musician in the NZFFA |
The dream continued for Colin and Jeane Calvert when their handsome pacer Bee Bee Cee took the $80,000 Air New Zealand Free-For-All. It has been a magical week for the Calverts who race NZ Cup winner Bee Bee Cee purely for enjoyment. For this reason the Calverts were faced with a difficult decision in whether or not to accept an invitation to contest the $A320,000 Sydney Miracle Mile.
The former Southlanders gained great satisfaction from Bee Bee Cee winning the Invercargill Cup last season and would have loved to return home for a second attempt. Colin Calvert said Bee Bee Cee could not race in both and the change in conditions of the race swayed him towards the Miracle Mile. "If we raced in the Invercargill Cup (Dec 17) we would have to start from at least 30m as the race has changed from a mobile to a two mile stand - in the end I wasn't keen in starting him from that far behind when we can run in mobiles. The other reason for going was winning a race like the Miracle Mile could help him as a stallion," said Calvert.
It may seem an easy decision when looking at a $25,000 race compared to one worth $A320,000 plus speed bonuses. But the Calverts look after Bee Bee Cee first before looking at financial reasons and want him cherry ripe for the Inter-Dominions at Addington next year. A start for him in the Auckland Cup is still undecided. "Money has never been an issue and the welfare of the horse has always been put first," says Calvert.
Bee Bee Cee, Colin Calvert, Master Musician and Bruce Wylie will travel north by truck on Thursday morning. Bee Bee Cee will stay at Dale Cameron's in Waiuku before flying out of Auckland to Sydney on Monday night.
Tactics became an important part of the Free-For-All. Bee Bee Cee took the lead early before driver Jimmy Curtin allowed Blossom Lady to take up the running. Curtin knew all too well that Blossom Lady has a tendancy to run outwards in the straight. Bee Bee Cee, who became the 24th horse to win the NZ Cup-FFA double, did well after the Cup. "He came through the race brilliantly and if anything it sharpened him up for today's race," said Calvert. Bee Bee Cee recorded 2:26.6 for the mobile 2000m with the leaders running their last 800m in 56.7.
The favourite Master Musician was gallant in defeat after facing the breeze over the last 800m and Lento ran on well for third. Blossom Lady faded to fourth just ahead of October Atom. "She received a good run through on the rails," said Lento's driver Clark Barron. "She ran on strongly without threatening the first two."
Credit: Philip O'Connor writing in HRNZ Weekly
YEAR: 1993
 |
| Roy Purdon and Mark Roy |
A 'rough one' put in by Southland star No return cost him dearly in the John Brandon 30 NZ Derby, but in the end the success of Mark Roy was thoroughly deserved.
"He has thrown a shoe at some stage...probably at the start when he went a bit rough," trainer-driver Henry Skinner lamented later. Beaten out of the gate from the pole, No Return, the dominating favourite going for the Triple Crown, settled three back on the fence and never had an opportunity to get out until after they swung for home. While he flew once into the clear, Mark Roy had a winning break and held him out by a short neck. "I would have been quite happy to keep the front, but it didn't work out that way," said Skinner.
It was shade of deja vu for Skinner, who in 1990 won the first two legs with Honkin Vision. Honkin Vision also went into the Derby a hot favourite, but after attempting to lead all the way, the constant attentions of the Purdon-trained runners in The Unicorn, Mark Hanover and Christopher Vance, saw him fade to fifth. Ironically, that event was the only previous occasion Mark Purdon, the successful driver on Saturday, had driven in the race. He drove Mark Roy's half-brother Mark Hanover, the horse he would win the Auckland Inter-Dominion with the following year, into fourth on that occasion.
The Purdons had three runners engaged also this year, with 28-year-old Mark renewing his association with Mark Roy the previous Saturday after seven weeks on the sideline with a broken arm, a legacy of the sales series smash in mid-February. Elder brother Barry again took the reins on Hitchcock, while Tony Herlihy guided Mister Wolf Blass.
Back early from the outside of the second line, Mark Roy was on the move in the middle stages, following Mark Craig around when the tempo increased noticeably passing the mile. Trapped without cover three wide from the 1400m, Mark Roy was still able to dash clear in the run home and had enough in reserve to fend off the late claim of No Return. He paced the mobile 2600m in 3:16.2, last 800m in 58.4 and 400m in 28. "It might have looked like a tough run, but he relaxed nicely out there. It is better to have them that way than fighting you," said Mark.
Mark had been in charge of Diamond Field and Mister Wolf Blass at Jim Dalgety's West Melton property during their stay, with Barry looking after the bulk of the team at Jeff Whittakers. Mark Roy has in recent weeks been troubled by quarter cracks, but the use of bar shoes and constant treatment has enabled him to keep racing. The Derby was his seventh win from 23 starts, and along with 11 placings, took Mark Roy's stakes talley on to $163,000. Like Mark Hanover, Mark Roy is raced by co-trainer Roy Purdon, Robert and Mrs Janet Reid and the Lorna Reid Syndicate. "Robert was down for the first two nights but did not come back for the Derby. He had no luck at all on the earlier nights," Mark said.
For Roy and Barry it was their second Derby in a row, having won the race last year with Kiwi Scooter. Roy watched the race from the public grandstand and would have done so alone had an old friend in Derek Jones not spotted him. "Roy came over and stood beside me when we won the NZ Cup with Hands Down," recalled Jones. "He wasn't going to bother coming down to the birdcage, but I set the pace for him," he added.
Miss Clevedon, whose first three foals are Mark Hanover (US1:53.4, winner of over $700,000 in NZ), Roy's Advice (2:00.3, 2 NZ wins) and Mark Roy, unfortunately died in 1991 after foaling a colt by New York Motoring. In between those foals, the Noodlum mare left a Vance Hanover filly, now three, which has not shown the same ability as her relatives to this stage. She is however the only filly left by the former open class mare. "Mark Hanover was brilliant right from the start, while this fellow has steadily improved all along," said Mark.
Bee Bee Cee, the second of three Southland-trained runners, enjoyed the trail behind Hitchcock and stuck on well for third in a gap of four lengths. He shaded Mark Craig and Franco's Chef, who both battled well after improving in the middle stages.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 15Apr93