| HORSES |
YEAR: 2007
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After winning the Rowe in 1985 and Dominion in 1986, Tussle's crowning glory came in 1987 when she swept unbeaten through the Inter-Dominions at Addington. That was as a 10-year-old and Tussle would win three races in her last season of racing as a 12-year-old, the penultimate one being a 15 to one upset of Tyron Scottie and a top field in a FFA on NZ Cup day in 1988 where she set a 2000m standing start national record of 2:33.8. She would finish second to Landora's Pride in the Dominion and then win her last race at Alexandra Park the following month in the Rhodes Memorial Flying Mile when odds on.
A year later she would produce her first foal in the Game Pride colt Wrestle, who qualified but went unraced. After starting stallion life as the teaser at Nevele R Stud, the diminutive Wrestle has been lightly patronised at stud over the years and sired seven winners (from 30-odd foals of racing age) including the good sorts Down For The Count, Monaro Miss and Jack The Capricorn. Minor winners in Throttle and Topple followed before Tussle produced Bristle, a Britewell colt who won eight races in NZ and another in Australia.
Tussle's sixth and last foal and her only filly was Scuffle in 1998, a daughter of Sundon who was unraced and whose first foal is De Gaulle, a Continentalman colt sold at the Premier Sale of $20,000. Bill Bishop has Scuffle's next foal in a colt by Armbro Invasion, while Tussle's 'lifetime caretaker' Sally Marks has just broken in a yearling filly by Continentalman called Mamselle for Irvine.
By Tuft, Tussle was one of 12 foals and six winners Irvine bred from the unraced Kimmer, whose sire Light Mood was a good pacer for Irvine winning nine races in the late 50s.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HR Weekly 15Nov07
YEAR: 1986
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| Tussle and her constant companion Sally Marks |
The theory of wind resistance played an important part in Tussle's courageous Dominion Handicap win. Moments before "Shorty" moved away from the shelter of the birdcage and into the uncompromising 14 knot easterly on the track, her owner-trainer Dr Cliff Irvine untied the dust sheet on the sulky and tucked it under his arm.
Irvine successfully tried the tactic at Addington 25 years ago when Light Mood took third in the President's Hadicap at long odds. "It was blowing a gale that day, and Doug Watts said to me in the birdcage 'why don't you pull the mud sheet off?'," Irvine recalled.
the 65-year-old Lincoln College veterinary professor "hasn't had occasion" to use the ploy in the last quarter of a century, but after consulting Tussle's driver Peter Jones, and his old cobber Derek Jones, he had no hesitation. "Derek told me he had done it when Soangetaha won one of his Auckland Cups, and Peter said he didn't mind getting gravel in his face, so we took it off as quickly as we could in the birdcage. On a very windy day it acts like a sail and it would have a retarding effect - it is tough enough for her with Peter in the cart, being a little horse, let alone having a spinnaker out there."
And Irvine's snap decision was vindicated when Tussle, after her familiar beginning to land in fourth place, was left straining into the wind with still 1800 of the 3200m heartbreaker left. By then comeback hero and 1984 Dominion winner Basil Dean had his rivals struggling to stay in touch with his eager front-running, which reminded some of his awesome 2600m world record two years ago. "When he was attacked by Admiral Soanai down the back he got fired up and on the bit, so I thought it best to let him bowl along," driver Kerry O'Reilly said. "I could see Basil Dean was serious," Jones said, "and she's just as good parked as anywhere else in the field...but she was struggling to keep up with him."
Sally Marks, Tussle's faithful companion and strapper, watched dejectedly as the pack bounced down the stretch with a lap to travel. "She's hanging badly - I think she's had enough," Marks said, pulling in another lungful of Pall Mall and walking aimlessly towards the outside rail. Tussle did look beaten as the 800m peg came and went, her trotting action unusually scratchy and her head bobbing from side to side.
With a fierce tail wind down the back straight for the final time, Basil Dean punched three lengths clear and the murmurings of the crowd sensed an emotional upset. "But he wasn't quite up to it," O'Reilly said. "I knew half-way down the back he was struggling. He's still got the speed, and he's sound, but he didn't quite have the race fitness." Basil Dean's ground-devouring stride began to shorten on the last bend, and tiny Tussle quickly gathered him in and scooted two lengths ahead. And as first the sturdy warrior Jenner, who had followed Tussle throughout, and handsome favourite Melvander (who had tracked Jenner) balanced themselves before attacking, she lowered her head, flattened her ears and cut through the wind to the post. With 100m left, both Jenner and Melvander seemed poised to gun down 'Shorty', but with her new found strength this season she determinedly held the pair outto score by a long neck.
Veteran Christchurch horseman Jack Carmichael could not quite cap his successful Cup carnival, settling for second and $20,000 with Jenner. "I thought half-way down the straight he might get to her, but she was just too good," he said. Melvander finished a further long neck behind after almost exploding into a gallop 50m off the line. "I was smiling around the corner, but then he started to trot roughly and I had to take hold of him," driver Jack Smolenski said. South Auckland mare Landora's Pride rattled into fourth ahead of Simon Katz, while the others struggled home victims of a punishing last 2400m of around 3.04. "She simply outstayed them all," Jones said of Tussle later. "She can really fight them off now, and had them covered all the way down the straight."
When asked if he considered removing Tussle's dust sheet made the vital difference between winning and losing, he replied: "It was blowing quite hard and I suppose it's got to make a difference. She was battling into the wind from the 1800m, she had the worst run of all the horses that figured in the finish, but she kept going right to the line."
Irvine described Tussle's Dominion Handicap win as one of her two greatest performances, the other being her dazzling 2:31.9 national record for a flying 2000m which she set fresh-up in September. "She always surprises me how well she goes and how she keeps on improving, even this year as a ten-year-old," he said.
There are few mountains now left for the champion daughter of Tuft to climb. She has captured the two most prized trotting crowns in New Zealand: the Dominion Handicap and the Rowe Cup (1985). Her 3200m time, despite the ravaging gale, was 4:13.81, which lowered Indette's national record for a trotting mare. And the $65,000 winner's cheque bumped Tussle's earnings to $268,055 in New Zealand, making her the greatest stakewinning trotter in history.
Credit: Matt Conway writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 1987
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| Anthony Butt, Simon Katz & Dick Prendergast |
Dick Prendergast, the popular Chertsey trainer joined the list of harness racing 'notables' by winning the $125,000 DB Dominion Handicap with Simon Katz.
It was a rare achievement. With his future son-in-law Anthony Butt handling the big, bay 8-year-old, Simon Katz won the Worthy Queen Handicap on the first day of the meeting, the New Zealand Free-For-All on the second day of the meeting and the jewel in the crown came when he led for the last 2600 metres in the Dominion. Simon Katz was in commanding form throughout the meeting and Butt took full advantage of his form and fitness.
"Dick said to me before the race not to be afraid to go to the front; he sticks on good," said Butt. Once Simon Katz had mastered Jamie Higgins - after 800 metres - Butt decided to follow the advice Prendergast had passed on. There were some brief sorties from the middle and back, from Troppo early, Tussle and Game Ebony later, but Simon Katz never really had much to worry about.
Having his 102nd start, Simon Katz took his earnings past $200,000 and his number of wins to 15. He has finished in the first three 49 times. Simon Katz is an 8-year-old by Noble Lord from the Eagle Armbro mare, Carly Tryax.
Tyron Scottie, a 5-year-old and something of an apprentice in the role, made a strong, late run from the pack, followed by Landora's Pride and Tussle. Landora's Pride was five back on the rail, level last on the turn, and put in telling strides too late for her third. "She's not racing as well as last season," said driver John Langdon, "she's actually going better."
Credit: Harness Racing Weekly
YEAR: 1985
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Jim McGill is not one to hog the limelight, not even when he's entitled to. When Admiral Soanai won the $70,000 Taubmans Dominion Handicap he was on-course but nowhere to be seen during the presentation ceremony. "He will be hiding somewhere down at the stables," Jim's son John said after Admiral Soanai's win, his second from three starts at the Cup meeting.
Admiral Soanai is owned and trained at Ohaupo by Jim, who brought the gelding south by road to Addington. The trip took three days and John said Admiral Soanai had lost 80lb in condition on the way. The gelding was stabled at Addington during his stay in Christchurch and once he had settled in had thrived. "The change in the climate really agreed with him," Jim said.
Admiral Soanai scored an all-the-way win in the NZ Trotting Free-For-All on Show Day after finishing seventh behind Melvander, Tussle, Simon Katz and company in the Quinns Fahions Handicap Trot on Cup Day. He was driven on Cup Day by Tony Herlihy but his regular driver, Brian Gleeson, travelled south from Hamilton to drive Admiral Soanai on Show Day and also drove the eight-year-old Game Pride-Cultured gelding in Saturday night's feature.
Brian, a professional trainer-driver, is also a drainlayer and was unable to get to Addington on Cup Day to drive Admiral Soanai because of business commitments. Brian is also a blacksmith and he shoes Admiral Soanai but not many other horses as he does not like the work much. Admiral Soanai was in the news earlier this year when he appeared on the racetrack wearing an unusual piece of equipment best described as a 'modified mesh visor'. The homemade apparatus was constructed by Jim using one of the wire mesh visors drivers use instead of goggles in wet weather. The visor fits over the gelding's eyes and is worn in conjunction with a more conventional fringe nose flap to help prevent flying grit off the track from worrying him. The apparatus was apparently just what was required, because Admiral Soanai won four races towards the end of last season after he began wearing it and he has continued on his winning way this season with three wins to date from only eight starts.
He was given a lovely run by Brian, who settled him in behind the pacemaker Loyal Step. There he stayed until near the 1300 metres when, with the first three runners racing in indian file, Brian was able to move Admiral Soanai out into the open to sit on the leader's wheel but clear to challenge when asked. He went up alongside Loyal Step near the 800 metres and drew clear soon after.
The favourite Jenner, who broke briefly at the start, adding to his ten metre handicap, settled back on the outer in behind Hard Cash, was sent on a big run forward three wide going down the back the last time. He was pushed four wide turning for home but ran on solidly to lead the chase after Admiral Soanai. He was a clear second but never looked like heading the winner.
Last season's Rowe Cup winner Tussle, who began brilliantly from the ten metre mark and raced in fourth place along the rail, was late getting clear but ran on well for third without threatening the first two. Simon Katz was three lengths behind her in fourth place with Loyal Step fifth.
Credit: Shelly Caldwell writing in the Trotting Calendar
YEAR: 1984
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Six hundred metres after the start of the $60,000 Taubmans Dominion Trotting Handicap the race was as good as over. It was at that point that Basil Dean took control and the point at which the remaining 11 drivers appeared to settle for fighting out the minor placings.
At the finish of the 3200 metres Basil Dean was two and three-quarter lengths clear. His time for the distance, 4:12.9, was the second fastest recorded in the race - only Alias Armbro's 4:12.3 being faster but that being set on a fine sunny day. Cal Brydon, after being very late clearing a pocket, charged home to snatch second from a gallant Jenner in the shadows of the post, with Tussle close up fourth.
Basil Dean is owned by trainer Bob Jamison of Ashburton and Tim Newton. He has now won 22 of 54 starts and over $154,000 in stakes. Basil Dean opened up a warm favourite, eventually returning $1.60 for a win and even money for a place. After taking control, Kerry O'Reilly took hold of Basil Dean and set only a steady pace for the remainder of the first mile. After that O'Reilly quickened the tempo, sprinting sharply from the 1000 metres and giving those at the back little chance to make headway. The Great Evander gelding turned for home with a handy lead and O'Reilly didn't even have to flick the whip at the eight-year-old as he coasted over his last 800 metres in 59.4 and final 400 in 30.
The race was certainly not an exciting spectacle. The only real race was that for the minor placings. Cal Brydon, back four places on the inside for much of the way, managed to clear a pocket inside the 200 metres and Peter Wolfenden sent him out after the leaders. He came quickly, taking second from Jenner, but had no chance of overhauling Basil Dean. Jenner's run was eye catching. Driver Jack Carmichael was left parked on the outside when Basil Bean assumed control. He eased Jenner back to sit on the outside of the third line for the first 2200 metres of the race. He gradually moved Jenner up going down the back for the last time and the horse fought on exceptionally well for third. "A good run," said Carmichael after. "He was doing his best without the whip. It was a good run after being left in the open."
Second favourite Sir Castleton was sixth. He bounded away from the start and added 30 metres to his ten metre handicap before Doody Townley could settle him into a trot. After catching the field with half the race completed, Townley got on to the back of Adiantum going down the back, but this proved more of a hinderence than a help. Brought wide turning for home, it was clear that he had no chance of returning a dividend, but the Game Pride eight-year-old finished on resolutely to deadheat with a tiring Game Command for sixth place.
The only real disappointment in the race was Noble Advice. A proven stayer, the gelding was backed into fifth favouritism but only battled into eigth place after enjoying a trouble free run.
Credit: Brian Carson writing in NZ Trotting Calendar