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Bit Of A Yarn

Wellington Cup memories at the Punters graveyard !


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Maybe not the crowds of the good ole days but still one of the biggest days on NZ's punting calendar !

And some here will remember some of the big upsets over the years ! Some here will have noticed the horse at bottom of field , a 9 start non-win maiden who to date has run 2 x thirds.

But Trentham has earned it's reputation as the Punters graveyard and the Cup has produced some real upsets.

In 1972 Simon De Montford stunned many when he won and paid $180. He was ridden by Brian Dobbs who started his apprenticeship in Christchurch [from Timaru family].It was quite a 'hot ' field particularly cos Silver Knight had recently won the Melbourne cup ridden by RB Marsh and was expected to win. KIWI is the only horse who has won the Melbourne /Wellington double.

Then in 1999 Miss Bailey upset and paid $143. A 7 year old mare who had virtually been retired the year before and offered for sale for $400 , had been trained by Bruce Marsh ,joined the Lowry stable [I think] at Hastings and had a new lease and won the Cup as a 2 x race winner [$15k stakes]. The next season she raced 5 x times for 4 x lasts and had 7 x foals from which one won but one progeny sold for  big money ] $180 k at Karaka. Miss Bailey ridden by Jim Walker ?? and I remember wondering why it had paid up to race !

In 1987 Rastes was rank outsider and paid $50 . It ridden by Lofty Taylor @ 49kg for trainer Danny Walker who now at Byerley Park but I think was CD back then.

So it doesn't pay to disregard any horses chances at Trentham. Ive been in a few who have tried to win the race....one year the track was like concrete and the other year the irrigation went haywire and half the track was concrete and the other half was soft and cutting out !

Another historic race is the NZ Oaks...In 1980 a filly called Supreme Glory won as a maiden ridden ,I think ,by Jim Waker .She finished her race career of 38 starts with just this one win and a couple of placings. She didnt click on any other day and she had various great riders ,Peake , Childs, Cooksley and O'Sullivan but generally like to follow the other horses around.

Will there be some big upsets there tomorrow ?

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Some horses have repeatedly tried to win the Cup ......Waisake is one who has won race and ditto Leaderboard who won on heavy track last year.

I think outsider Bluey's Chance has placed before.

A while back in the halcyon days the top Canterbury horse Magnet Bay was 3 x times placed in race .As was the McKee horse Ebony Honour 3 x times placed.

Close but no cigar !

Ahhhh the memories !

 

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49 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

 

Another historic race is the NZ Oaks...In 1980 a filly called Supreme Glory won as a maiden ridden ,I think ,by Jim Waker .She finished her race career of 38 starts with just this one win and a couple of placings. She didnt click on any other day and she had various great riders ,Peake , Childs, Cooksley and O'Sullivan but generally like to follow the other horses around.

Will there be some big upsets there tomorrow ?

And if I recall correctly Supreme Glory refused to go into the barriers and was on her very last chance when she finally relented. So with a less patient starter we may not have had the biggest Oaks upset ever. Certainly patient of the starter when you consider she was the rank outsider.

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Back in 1972 I was just starting HS but remember a relative ringing my dad with what he said was a hot tip for  Simon DeMountfort in Wellington Cup . My dad couldn't stop laughing and told him  a donkey like that wouldn't be getting a dollar of his,   as we know paid over $ 180 ?   , what would that be in today's money ?  When he rang to congratulate relative, he hadn't backed it either. 

Only Cup was ever  there for was 1979, ( down from Auckland )  had $ 10 a win on Cubacade which was a lot then for me, a  terrible ride from Jimmy Walker  who went straight to front on a back runner.  Next year comment in paper was along lines of Jimmy Walker wouldn't be repeating worst ride of his career this time.   Didn't back it second time and from memory, went back in field and bolted in. 

 

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2 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

Back in 1972 I was just starting HS but remember a relative ringing my dad with what he said was a hot tip for  Simon DeMountfort in Wellington Cup . My dad couldn't stop laughing and told him  a donkey like that wouldn't be getting a dollar of his,   as we know paid over $ 180 ?   , what would that be in today's money ?  When he rang to congratulate relative, he hadn't backed it either. 

Only Cup was ever  there for was 1979, ( down from Auckland )  had $ 10 a win on Cubacade which was a lot then for me, a  terrible ride from Jimmy Walker  who went straight to front on a back runner.  Next year comment in paper was along lines of Jimmy Walker wouldn't be repeating worst ride of his career this time.   Didn't back it second time and from memory, went back in field and bolted in. 

 

 

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My memory of 1963 is vivid. My father not on any high paid job got a free service to the stallion Copenhagen simply because Mr Alexander of Wynthorpe stud was so taken by the appearance of the mare. We spent that summer preparing the yearling for the sales and arrived at Trentham with horse mid afternoon driving past the main gates. Then over the fence to watch the next race which so happened to be the Wellington Cup. Couldn't find any vantage point but I remember the grey Blue Blade which was from  our neighbourhood 10L clear before turning for home. Ran 3rd paying 66 for a place. Seeing it was the first time ever at Trentham I thought the giant reception for Great Sensation occurred for every winner.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19630121.2.19

 

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3 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Then in 1999 Miss Bailey upset and paid $143. A 7 year old mare who had virtually been retired the year before and offered for sale for $400 , had been trained by Bruce Marsh ,joined the Lowry stable [I think] at Hastings and had a new lease and won the Cup as a 2 x race winner [$15k stakes]. The next season she raced 5 x times for 4 x lasts and had 7 x foals from which one won but one progeny sold for  big money ] $180 k at Karaka. Miss Bailey ridden by Jim Walker ?? and I remember wondering why it had paid up to race !

Grant Cullen trained Miss Bailey to win the Wellington Cup.  I doubt Jimmy Walker ever rode her race day.  Leanne Isherwood was the Cup winning hoop.

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2 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

Back in 1972 I was just starting HS but remember a relative ringing my dad with what he said was a hot tip for  Simon DeMountfort in Wellington Cup . My dad couldn't stop laughing and told him  a donkey like that wouldn't be getting a dollar of his,   as we know paid over $ 180 ?   , what would that be in today's money ?  When he rang to congratulate relative, he hadn't backed it either. 

Only Cup was ever  there for was 1979, ( down from Auckland )  had $ 10 a win on Cubacade which was a lot then for me, a  terrible ride from Jimmy Walker  who went straight to front on a back runner.  Next year comment in paper was along lines of Jimmy Walker wouldn't be repeating worst ride of his career this time.   Didn't back it second time and from memory, went back in field and bolted in. 

 

H'mm you bring back bad memories. Had Suttle relatively for me a huge bet then all the way up the straight "knew" Suttle would get past Simon De Montfort. If you listen to the Peter Kelly replays you would note SDM ran a great 4th the year before. So in hindsight the $180 unexplainable.

 

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My two uncles one backed Simon de montfort, the other backed  pinotage which was the second leg of the double, huge double dividend missed  I bet, can't remember what it was but they did tell me, trouble was they ever took one.

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5 hours ago, Huey said:

Secured Deposit one of my favourite Wellington Cup win,.

Want a laugh? -have a look at the presentation photos-shortly before the race his trainer asked me for a decent sized loan -he had forgotten to bring his wallet and decent clothes so the ill fitting suit coat was on loan too

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It's been well documented for years....Trentham track has been very inconsistent in a bad way ,usually too hard but sometimes faulty irrigated affected by wind has been a factor.

Plenty of excuses given , but that of little consolation.

One year half the horses who contested an iconic stakes race ,never raced again !

Plus Racing now is very much a TV sport/business.

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4 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

It's been well documented for years....Trentham track has been very inconsistent in a bad way ,usually too hard but sometimes faulty irrigated affected by wind has been a factor.

Plenty of excuses given , but that of little consolation.

One year half the horses who contested an iconic stakes race ,never raced again !

Plus Racing now is very much a TV sport/business.

Right so stuff the horses?

You analysed the Cambridgs Jockey Club accounts can you do the same with the WRC and tell is where the dosh went?

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2 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Right so stuff the horses?

You analysed the Cambridgs Jockey Club accounts can you do the same with the WRC and tell is where the dosh went?

Please stick to the topic Chief.
The finances of WRC are of little interest to me ...not my concern !

Why are you so besotted by them ?

I notice houses on either side of the shute ....and one of their Board was bit of a fiddler I seem to recall and I'm sure the Club has been the usual mixture of politics ,personal bias , bad feelings and bad decisions. 

A shame for such an iconic Club with great memories for my village ,my family and me !

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17 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

Please stick to the topic Chief.
The finances of WRC are of little interest to me ...not my concern !

The topic is discussing the Punters Graveyard.  I postulated a reason for why it is so - the state of the track.  How did one of the richest clubs let it get to that state?

18 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

I notice houses on either side of the shute ....and one of their Board was bit of a fiddler I seem to recall and I'm sure the Club has been the usual mixture of politics ,personal bias , bad feelings and bad decisions. 

A shame for such an iconic Club with great memories for my village ,my family and me !

Right so now you are suggesting the dosh was wasted somewhere?

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On 19/01/2024 at 5:57 PM, Shad said:

My two uncles one backed Simon de montfort, the other backed  pinotage which was the second leg of the double, huge double dividend missed  I bet, can't remember what it was but they did tell me, trouble was they ever took one.

I backed Simon De Montfort $2 each way and had a $2 double ticket on it. I exchanged it for four, fifty cent tickets on the second leg but missed the double which I think was won by Count Kereru and the double was $2k plus.

The reason I backed Simon was that he ran a very good fourth the preceding year, in fact he was clear well into the straight before being run down. 

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