| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 1967
 |
| Great Adios & R P Norton |
The north's pacing champion Great Adios humbled is 15 opponents in Tuesday's NZ Trotting Cup. The best of the steeds from the south, Happy Ending among them, can at least be grateful that the three minor prizes will remain in the South Island. Great Adios indeed made them all look ordinary on Tuesday.
And this is no sudden turn of events, or swing of the pendulum, because Great Adios is the third North Island horse in the last five years to win the Dominion's premier light-harness event. In 1963 Cardigan Bay beat Robin Dundee, Master Alan and Oreti (all minor place-fillers were from South Island stables), and in 1965 Garry Dillon led home the three southerners Robin Dundee, Jacobite and Gay Robin. Before Cardigan Bay's turn, there had not been a North Island-trained winner for 21 years - that was Josedale Grattan in 1941.
So the inference to be drawn is that the balance of pacing power has shifted north with a vengeance. How else can we explain away the picking of our rich Canterbury plum by a ratio of three to two in the past five years? And the office boy has just put his head in the door to remind me that the North Island made a clean sweep at Riccarton last Saturday - all eight events on NZ Cup day were won by North Island stables.
Great Adios sailed serenely into the lead with a little more than three furlongs to go and thereafter nothing could offer him any sort of competition. He continued to draw away, and although he must have given his supporters a heart attack when he veered away from the rails on turning for home and made his run over the final furlong close to the outside fence, a measure of the decisiveness of his victory was that he still had five lengths to spare at the winning post.
Looking lighter in condition than possibly anything else in the field, Great Adios must still have been superbly fit; a light fleshed type with a ton of guts - he must be, to tramp the two miles in 4:10.4, his last mile in 2:03.4 and his last half mile in 60.4. It was the third fastest NZ Cup in history. Johnny Globe's world record of 4:07.6 in 1954, and False Step's 4:09 in 1960, are the only faster performances. The first half-mile on Tuesday took 64.2, six furlongs 1:36.8, mile 2:07, mile and a half 3:10 and mile and three quarters 3:40.2. So there was no dawdling; it was a terrific battle from flag-fall, and Lordship was asked to go 4:05.2 to win, which would have been 2.4 secs. inside the world record of his sire Johnny Globe. Little wonder Lordship was never a threat.
Great Adios is a light chestnut stallion by Captain Adios (imp), a top-class juvenile pacer in the United States, winner of the Fox Stake for two-year-olds, and who was imported to the Dominion by the late Sir John McKenzie for his Roydon Lodge at great expense. Captain Adios's stud career, unfortunately, was all too brief - he died as a result of an accident in March, 1960, after less than four years (only three years at stud) in the Dominion. His percentage of winners to foals dropped is exceptionally high. Great Adios is out of Gail Bingen, by Gaillard, a son of Rey de Oro (imp) and Bonny Logan, by Logan Pointer (imp) from Bonilene (imp), and Bonilene is ancestress of two previous NZ Cup winners, Adorian and Lookaway, on the distaff side. Gail Bingen's dam, Agnes Bingen was by Nelson Bingen (imp) sire of the dual NZ Cup winner Peter Bingen, among numerous other great horses of both gaits. Agnes Bingen's dam, Agnes Bell, was by a top-class pacer in Gold Bell, sire of the dual Auckland Cup winner Gold Jacket. Great Adios's half-brother, Great Reveller, was a good winner in New Zealand and later did well in America. Other winners from the latest Cup winner's dam include Village Lord, Milldoria and Chief Reveller.
The betting was even. The favourite both ways, Happy Ending, carried $6597 for a win and $9706 for a place. Great Adios carried $6200 and $7003, and Lordship $5939 and $8065. Great Adios, who is owned by Mrs P M Norton, an Albany hotel proprietor, and trained and driven by her son, R P Norton, is now eight years old and the winner of $45,820 in stakes and trophies. The Cup was his 18th win, and he has also gained 21 minor placings.
Except that Lordship put in a couple of skips and Chequer Board broke, the start was a good one. Happy Ending was a little slow, but soon recovered his ground. So keen were the drivers that the lead changed constantly - Bobbinette, first out, had not reigned for more than half a mile before Garry Dillon and Cuddle Doon were upon her. With nine furlongs to go these three were followed by Happy Ending, Doctor Barry, Rocky Star, Spry, Tobias, Allakasam, Great Adios, Viking Water, Co Pilot, Waitaki Hanover and Disband, while Lordship had run into a pocket. In full cry racing past the winning post with a round to go, Tobias reached the lead with five furlongs left, and was joined at the half-mile by Great Adios. Tobias soon wilted. In fact, they were all embarrassed for the want of speed once Great Adios's driver put his foot down; he was the only one who could hold top gear for the distance. Five lengths back, Happy Ending shaded Spry by half a neck. A length and a half further back came Allakasam, whose 4:12 is the second-fastest time for a mare the world over - the only better record is Thelma Globe's 4:11. Tobias was six lengths back fifth, followed in by Co Pilot, Cuddle Doon, Lordship, Garry Dillon, Rocky Star, Bobbinette, Waitaki Hanover, Chequer Board and Viking Water, with Doctor Barry last.
The on-course total on the Cup this year, $48,358, was down $4432 on last year's figures; the off-course total $70,292, was $5625 less than last year.
The day was gloriously fine, and the official attendance was approximately 18,500, compared with 18,250 last year. The on-course total for the day, $454,059, compares with $497,864 last year. Off-course betting reached $383,247 for the day, against $477,412 last year. The on-course figures were down $43,805 and the off-course total down $94,165. However, to this year's figures has to be added half of the total of $122,416 invested on the two NZ Cups double. This amount, $61,208 brings the grand total for NZ Cup day to $898,514, which is a decrease of $76,762, quite a good result considering the economic state of the Dominion. The sum harvest of all this is yet another feather in the cap of the Metropolitan's wide-awake president, Mr R W Saunders, who was the prime instigator of the legislation which lead to the "twelfth-hour" passage of doubles betting with the TAB on the two NZ Cups.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar