| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2008
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| Terry McDonald and his daughter Janine McCann |
Nigel McGrath had as much right to be in the foreground as he did in the background after the dashing win by Stunin Cullen in the $220,000 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Series 2-year-old Open last week.
It was McGrath who bought the Christian Cullen colt for $56,000 as a yearling for his mother Annette and Ann Seaton, and it was McGrath who put the value on him when Terry McDonald and Eddie Griffin came calling with their cheque last month. It was good business all round, sellers early winners and buyers not much later for Stunin Cullen collected $117,000 for his win over Tintin In America and Highview Tommy. Stunin Cullen is now with Phil Anderson and Tim Butt; Butt saying while it needed courage to buy, it also needed courage to sell. "He came with a perfect attitude," he said. "Nigel had done him well."
While the other fancied horses drew poorly in the race, Stunin Cullen did not. He was out smartly from gate two, led strongly, and had plenty in reserve. Tintin In America made a forward run on the back of Highview Tommy a lap from home, was second at the 1000m, got cover, then closed the gap without making an issue of it. From behind Tintin In America, Highview Tommy did the same. He won by a length and a half, and the margins back to fourth were greater.
McDonald, whose brother Ken raced big winner Master Musician and is now supporting galloping trainers on the Gold Coast, has an impressive ownership portfolio that includes Charles Bronson and Comebackmach, along with more than 30 others aged three or younger. He was also a partner in the ill-fated Tuherbs, who won the Easter Cup and Welcome Stakes. "Before Tuherbs, he used to dabble in some cheaper ones. I talked him up for this one," said Butt.
An added bonus for McDonald was sharing the occasion with the company of his daughter, Janine, aged 45, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, but was out for the day from Burwood Hospital after treatment. McDonald made various tributes after the race, but this was the one that counted most.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly14 May 08
YEAR: 2008
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| Some of Tintin's Team |
The country's top juvenile pacers have now got a little bit more than just money to race for at Cambridge in 10 days time. Because the 2-year-old Pacer of the Year title will go on the line there, too.
It's been a season void of a real standout amongst the babies, with major race honours being evenly shared between heroes like Sir Clive, Highview Tommy, Stunin Cullen and now Tintin In America - who brilliantly won last Friday night's $200,000 Nevele R/Garrard's Sires' Stakes Series Final.
Aided by a classic big-race drive from David Butcher, Tintin In America occupied four different positions in the Group 1 event before pouncing from the last of them - the one-one - and surging clear to win in NZ record time. Boasting a super mile rate of 1.55.9, Tintin In America's latest victory sent out a clear warning that his preparation for Cambridge has been timed to perfection by trainer Geoff Small. And it suggested that although his bid for the 2-Year-Old Pacer of the Year crown is a late one, it's a very good one nonetheless.
Raced by the newest of the seemingly unstoppable ATC Trot syndicates, this the 2008 version. Tintin In America is a McArdle colt out of Zenterfold that Small specifically went to the Sales to get, with the syndicate in mind. "we owned half the mother," Small said, outlining how he and his wife Aria go 'foal about' with Beryl Pears now that Zenterfold is retired. Butcher actually described the In The Pocket mare as "Spastic fast, with no brains", saying she could run flat out the whole way and be competitive over a mile, but nothing longer.
So having bred her and trained her, Small needed no encouragement to line up ringside as the first of Zenterfold's progeny went under the hammer. Although, the syndicate's 'budget' of $30,000 got left behind somewhat when he had to go to $42,500 to secure Tintin In America - something he took a bit of a 'ribbing' for to start with, but you won't find any of the members complaining about it now. "He's just a nice, strog colt," Small said of Tintin In America. "He's got to mature a bitto be a racehorse yet, and I'd like it if he camp up another half hand or so."
Slightly more enthusiastic about singing Tintin In America's praises was Jeff Whittaker, who's providing a home away from home for the striking McArdle colt over the last six weeks or so. "I've worked a few with a galloping pacemaker before, but I've never seen a horse with as much sharp speed as him," Whittaker said. "And I mean even more than Changeover...we brought Tintin here to Addington one day, and I don't want to say what he ran a furlong in but it was phenomenal. And the other thing about him is he's lovely with it...a great gaited horse, lovely around the farm - a real pleasure to look after."
Cambridge is now the next target for Tintin In America, but missing from the large group of supporters there will be Brad
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 21May08