| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2002
 |
Popular Melbourne racecaller Dan Mielicki had made seven trips to New Zealand to see Waihemo Hanger race 13 times prior to this week and only once watched him win, in last year's Ordeal Cup. It was becoming something of an ordeal and Mielicki said on Tuesday that he had discussed with Mark Purdon whether he should stay away this week and not jinx his talented trotter. "He has usually had a gallop when I have been here," said Mielicki. "But Mark said it might be an idea to be here, although we did chat about whether to enter him at Addington or Riccarton," he added. Purdon was just kidding though and had every reason to feel the 7-year-old would be on his best behaviour.
After a sound third in his season's debut in the Ordeal Cup to Dependable and Take A Moment and an unlucky fourth when in tight quarters for much of the run home in the Flying Mile at Ashburton on Labour Day, Waihemo Hanger was a dominant figure in the $20,000 Rydges Christchurch Trot despite having just a head to spare from longshot Ado's Invasion with Gold, Dependable and Special Force next home having had their chances. It was the Straphanger gelding's 11th win from 38 starts and took his earnings into six figures.
Waihemo Hanger has been handled with aplomb this season by Purdon employee Blair Orange and will form a powerful two pronged attack on the remaining Group One features at the meeting with Mark handling mountain Gold. Mielicki and co-owner Terry Henderson are certain to be there again tomorrow for the $50,000 NZ Trotting FFA, where Take A Moment will also join the fray in what will be a dress rehearsal for next week's $100,000 Dominion. They will then head home, but hope to be back for a successful hit and run trip on the final night.
Mielicki, who began race calling at the age of eight as a gimmick and was employed full-time as a sports jounalist at the age of 16 by Channel 10, has been the voice of Mooney Valley for many years and prior to this year - the broadcast went to a rival TV channel - had called the 14 previous Melbourne Cups. It was Mark Purdon and Buster Hanover's win in an Australasian trotting Championship at Mooney Valley which inspired Mielicki to approach Purdon about finding him a nice trotter. "It took 12 months before I heard from Mark again, but I had no problem following his advice, even when he had found a no-name and he was a cheapy at $15,000. Don't ask me what he liked about him, but you have to like Mark's eye for picking them don't you. He never gave us any false hopes, but did always maintain he would be right when he matured mentally and to just be patient. Some people probably think that because Terry (co-owner of Chokin among others) and I have a high profile in the public eye, that we had paid a lot for him as a going horse, but we are just like everyone else looking for a good horse."
It took another year for Purdon to round Waihemo Hanger into shape and produce him on raceday, but that was a winning debut and he won four of his nine starts that season and was into open class the next year as a 5-year-old. It hasn't been plain sailing, but since the departure of Lyell Creek, Waihemo Hanger has often proved he is as good as any around when doing things right.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly
YEAR: 2002
2002 TYCO ELECTRONICS/ RALPH THOMPSON SHAW & THOMPSON NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP
Light And Sound's victory on Saturday night was the beginning of a Group Race rampage for his trainer/ driver, as Purdon also went on to win the NZ Trotting Championship with Waihemo Hanger and the NZ Derby with Jack Cade.
A fortnight ago, Waihemo Hanger looked back to his old tricks when he broke in the home straight when travelling easily enough behind the winner Jay Bee Ar. But after a sparkling trial win mid-week and the addition of a boring pole on his near-side, Waihemo Hanger trotted sweetly around the Addington bends while up forcing the issue and held too many guns for Dependable and the fast-finishing Hutzpah.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 04Apr02
YEAR: 2001
 |
Last Sunset was devastating in winning the $50,000 Air New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All by a head from Waihemo Hanger in 3:14.4, nipping nearly a second off Basil Deans's 3:15.3 he ran in the NZ Trotting Championship at Addington in 1984, and from all accounts he is not quite trotting to the satisfaction of trainer Tony Herlihy.
In light of this information and considering the enormous effort of Waihemo Hanger, the others will need to be on full alert to head him off.
Tim Butt won't know for sure until Friday night if he has Take A Moment as fit and well as he would like. What he does know is that he will need to be 100% fit if he is to beat Last Sunset in the Clark Boyce Lawyers $100,000 Dominion Handicap at Addington. In neither of his Cup Carnival runs has Take A Moment been right on his game. It wasn't obvious on Cup Day when he won off a 20m handicap, but it was on Show Day as he laboured home in the free-for-all.
Is there a problem with Take A Moment? Yes, there is. Not major, nothing in fact that might not be repaired and warrant-of-fitnessed in good time for the race. Take A Moment had a corn removed from his near-side foot last Wednesday, the day after his win over Special Force and Major decision.
Credit: mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 21Nov01
YEAR: 2002
2002 GIANNIS PITA BREAD CANTERBURY PARK TROTTING CUP
Dependable was fresh when he accounted for Take A Moment in the Giannis Pita Bread Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.
Trainer Allan Georgeson said he had been "ready sometimes" to make a speech after a race by Dependable, "but I didn't think I would be making one tonight, not when he was first-up over two miles."
And it never entered his mind when Dependable went close to elimination after Play On broke at the top of the straight. Sent after Take A Moment, Dependable made it in good time, with Waihemo Hanger running on late for third.
"He can sprint as well as a pacer," said Georgeson.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 09Oct02