Gavin Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 (edited) My dad was a keen but very ordinary punter. Rather than sit outside the TAB for an hour , I decided to help him pick a few winners. My first bet was a half double that my dad put on for me when I was very young. Around 1976 sounds about right. It won and I was hooked. Master Dean and Palestine from memory. Reading the racing page from the Press while in class was a normal school day A few years later a horse came along that became my favourite horse and it still is now, 21 years after he died. His name, Lord Module. Where ever he went, I followed him. I was there on course at Addington in 1981 when he won the Allan Matson FFA. It sent chills up my spine that I still feel now 37 years later when I watch the replay. Part of what attracted me to him was his nature. He decided when he was going to show you something extraordinary at either end of the spectrum. I have a soft spot for trotters and three of the big bangers that rocked for me around the same time were Scotch Tar, Sir Castleton and Basil Dean. They get in your blood and never leave. Edited July 11, 2018 by Gavin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Yes Gavin, Lord module a brilliant horse on its day, also trotters mentioned where top class. Christian Cullen fantastic as well, great stallion too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Basil dean one of my favs, and for exciting wins, no response was awesome to watch, with his late withering bursts.Those were the days, were some very special horses from that era Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 such a deep field with last 3 cup winners the next cup winner and the mighty gammalite the first 5 over the line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 14 hours ago, Gavin said: My dad was a keen but very ordinary punter. Rather than sit outside the TAB for an hour , I decided to help him pick a few winners. My first bet was a half double that my dad put on for me when I was very young. Around 1976 sounds about right. It won and I was hooked. Master Dean and Palestine from memory. Reading the racing page from the Press while in class was a normal school day A few years later a horse came along that became my favourite horse and it still is now, 21 years after he died. His name, Lord Module. Where ever he went, I followed him. I was there on course at Addington in 1981 when he won the Allan Matson FFA. It sent chills up my spine that I still feel now 37 years later when I watch the replay. Part of what attracted me to him was his nature. He decided when he was going to show you something extraordinary at either end of the spectrum. I have a soft spot for trotters and three of the big bangers that rocked for me around the same time were Scotch Tar, Sir Castleton and Basil Dean. They get in your blood and never leave. Yes agree with Sir Castleton, brilliant speed. Trotters have always been in my blood, ever since watching trots at Hutt Park in the 60,s. Johnny Gee, Tony Bear, Tutira, Waipouanamu, Precocious, etc. Memorys are always precious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Great subject Gavin, For me, trotters scotch tar, stormy morn, and champion pacers delightful lady and hands down. Those were the days when sectional times weren't rammed down our throats, tracks weren't cambered and manicured for speed and no passing lane...fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 16 hours ago, Gavin said: That was still the most exciting race I have seen. I was there that night and remember the crowd rushing to the birdcage to watch him come back at the head of the field. It was the most spontaneous reception I have ever seen a horse receive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nowornever Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 It was about 1985-86 when I got 2 units of the trifecta in the Rowe Cup the year Mairo Sultan won and Landoras Pride was second. Trifecta paid about $2500 from memory. 5K was a lot of money for a 14year old back then. Picked it straight. Those were the days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 18 minutes ago, Nowornever said: It was about 1985-86 when I got 2 units of the trifecta in the Rowe Cup the year Mairo Sultan won and Landoras Pride was second. Trifecta paid about $2500 from memory. 5K was a lot of money for a 14year old back then. Picked it straight. Those were the days. Good coin for a young fella!! I remember putting my $1ew on course at Alex park by myself when I was 11/12 yrs old and at my local tab in Brown's Bay at the same age while my dad was still filling his out on a Saturday, I would take my slips up and hear that lovely sound of the long ticket being printed out. How times have changed, in this nanny state we live in nowadays I'm sure I would have been put into care by now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said: Good coin for a young fella!! I remember putting my $1ew on course at Alex park by myself when I was 11/12 yrs old and at my local tab in Brown's Bay at the same age while my dad was still filling his out on a Saturday, I would take my slips up and hear that lovely sound of the long ticket being printed out. How times have changed, in this nanny state we live in nowadays I'm sure I would have been put into care by now!! I couldn't afford $1 each way, but back then you could have 50 cent doubles, printed by hand on a yellow slip by the Tab operator. Got my share even if it was half . Good times. Funny thing was they didn't ask my age, must have looked old even then 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown fox Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Happy days indeed Globe.Was wonderful sitting on the top of the old stand at Ellerslie in the sun.My starkest memory was some young bloke who got really excited,screamed and pounded his fists on the tin roof.He was there every meeting and no race was ever boring for him.? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Not sure if this counts as an answer but this result gutted me...sure burst a few bubbles as I really liked some of these NZ horses. Thank God Bag Limit couldn't run in the final or it could have been top 4 for the Aussies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 44 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Not sure if this counts as an answer but this result gutted me...sure burst a few bubbles as I really liked some of these NZ horses. Thank God Bag Limit couldn't run in the final or it could have been top 4 for the Aussies. Now bag limit was a fantastic horse with speed to burn, pretty sure his career was cut short with injury, Aussies seem to be in a lul like us at the moment with no champion on the horizon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoka Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 How can a discussion such as this (excellent though it is) have gotten this far without somebody mentioning Robalan? Young people of today...memory spans of a knat... That is all. Ashoka 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, Ashoka said: How can a discussion such as this (excellent though it is) have gotten this far without somebody mentioning Robalan? Young people of today...memory spans of a knat... That is all. Ashoka A pleasure to read your input again Ashoka. I wondered where you went to some time ago. I recognized that you are not the sort of person who will enjoy being on a site where abuse and ridicule were the status quo. Robalan was a beauty. The 1974 Cup had some big names but it was his year. ROBALAN (1966g Lumber Dream/Elsinore, N28 Boudrie), leading exponent of free legged pacing in New Zealand harness racing history, a phenomenon as something of a rarity on NZ shores. Bred by Eugene McDermott (former NZMTC President, son of Eugene McDermott Snr who collapsed and fell from sulky and died when driving Colonel Grattan in 1939 NZ Cup), sold as foal at foot when dam in foal to Bachelor Hanover for 475 guineas at 1967 National Sales to Ernie (ES) Broad of Southland. Robalan was the son of a free legged pacer in Axworthy line stallion Lumber Dream (p3, 1:58 2/5US unhoppled). Edited July 13, 2018 by Gavin 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) I can't put up a NZ Cup link without my favourite Edited July 13, 2018 by Gavin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 Another that will long live in the memory. I didn't know a mare could even do that. Remarkable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 13 minutes ago, Gavin said: Another that will long live in the memory. I didn't know a mare could even do that. Remarkable. We have had some great mares over the years Gavin she was one of the greatest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 A psychology PhD thesis could probably be written on the things that attract us to particular horses for reasons beyond the punt. So who knows why, but first up for me was Noodlum. As probably the first of the 'super-juveniles', combined with the singular nature of the name, there's no doubt he had a following that went well beyond the racing world. Then there were a couple of trotters. First was the great Nigel Craig; the second the even-greater Scotch Tar. Having spent his first season or so as something of a rogue, Nigel Craig then adopted a very simple racing strategy: get to the front and stay there. Sometimes the sitters got him; more often they didn't. I was at Addington the night he became the first Australasian trotter to break 2 mins for the mile. Scotch Tar was the complete opposite to Nigel Craig, as he could win, and lose, a race from anywhere — the slightest thing would put him off. Plus he had a trainer/driver (Slim Dykman) who seemed almost as eccentric as the horse. But the combination of unpredictability and freakish performances had many of us looking to see if he was in the fields for the next meeting. Even now, 40-odd years later, I can remember half a dozen Scotch Tar efforts as though they were yesterday. I was overseas for most of the 80s, so nothing stands out from that time. But there were two who became great favourites in the 90s. One is obvious — Christian Cullen. He was like a new breed of horse, who just oozed charisma from every pore. Far more people knew of the rugby player he was named after, but great as the latter was I thought the horse was an even more unique athlete. The other from the 90s is largely forgotten now — New Age Man. I've never seen, before or since, a horse with a greater will to win (at least not until Lazarus came along). No matter how he got roughed up during a race, he always found a way to get to the line first (literally, since he won all 14 of his 14 starts). Then just as he was getting ready for open-class stardom, he suffered a career-ending injury — a kind of equine James Dean. Finally, I also had a soft spot for Eastburn Grant. Partly because of the circumstances in which I became aware of him — he was the winner of the very first race I ever saw on Trackside (Action TV as it then was). There I was, trying to tune this new-fangled channel in, when all of a sudden picture and sound appeared — a field of horses was going round the highway bend at Geraldine, and I heard the commentator (probably Reon) say "And Eastburn Grant is last". The next thing I knew, the very same Eastburn Grant went from last to first in the space of 150m, and then just kept on getting further in front. I remember thinking to myself at the time that you don't see speed like that in a maiden trot very often! Of course, despite having a rough gait and being plagued by unsoundness, he went on to become a superb trotter who won a Rowe Cup. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoka Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Gavin, Thank you for your postings in regard to Robalan. I really enjoyed watching his Cup win again, and hearing the names of horses I used to follow again, two of these being Fab and Lightsey. All the best. Ashoka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 On 13/07/2018 at 6:38 PM, Ashoka said: How can a discussion such as this (excellent though it is) have gotten this far without somebody mentioning Robalan? Young people of today...memory spans of a knat... That is all. Ashoka In regards to that, how can we not forget probably the 2nd best horse after the incomparable Cardigan Bay, that great horse Young Quinn, my all time favorite. There was a small magazine produced back then with potential winners based on breeding and trial form for both Gallops and Harness. He was given a large wrap in the mag and I backed him at his first start. He duly won , doing it tough, beating a touted youngster called Marc Bohan. The rest they say is history. Unbeatable on his day, and in 1975 won someting like 19 races including the Miracle Mile from the widest alley at Harold Park. He went on to compete succesfully against Americas best. And incredibly at 10 he competed in the Auckland Cup after only one lead up race after returning from the States and ran 4th. Have a look at the horses in that race and the mind boggles. He was something else. No one for mine has come close, including Lazarus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) A wee horse called Trevira got me hooked on gambling and Harness racing.Dad had been a long time harness and galloping follower and punter and when I was very young I used to love going to the races,We used to collect all the old tickets people used to chuck away then dad would go through them and give us half.He was going through them one day and found one for $10p on Trevira that paid quite a bit.I decided to keep my share and spend it on Trevira next time it started.Dad told me it was racing so I looked and seen it in 2nd leg of double so got Dad to take $2 of field in first leg,back then we had to go and exchange for the 2nd leg in doubles, well a roughy rolled in and Trevira won 2nd leg and collected a shit load.Was about 9 yo and just won more than Dad was earning in a month.Mum opened a bank account for me and put money in but put her foot down and said I not allowed to bet any more but dad would still bet for me occasionally but just a few dollars a week.I always backed Trevira after that and it was like a we money making machine for me with numerous placings. Trevira will always have a spot in my racing heart.As will a horse called Millions and Millions who I used to work when I worked in stables.One day at Oamaru I got a bucks worth of a $7800 treble with 2 horses of Dick Prendergasts I think Worthy Adios driven by Greg Tait(our former stable worker),Patchy Boy driven by Kerry Oreilly(our blacksmith) and of course our stable runner Millions and Millions.Once again I had to get dad to collect as I had only just turned 16.Great memories Edited July 14, 2018 by Richie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 15 minutes ago, Richie said: A wee horse called Trevira got me hooked on gambling and Harness racing.Dad had been a long time harness and galloping follower and punter and when I was very young I used to love going to the races,We used to collect all the old tickets people used to chuck away then dad would go through them and give us half.He was going through them one day and found one for $10p on Trevira that paid quite a bit.I decided to keep my share and spend it on Trevira next time it started.Dad told me it was racing so I looked and seen it in 2nd leg of double so got Dad to take $2 of field in first leg,back then we had to go and exchange for the 2nd leg in doubles, well a roughy rolled in and Trevira won 2nd leg and collected a shit load.Was about 9 yo and just won more than Dad was earning in a month.Mum opened a bank account for me and put money in but put her foot down and said I not allowed to bet any more but dad would still bet for me occasionally but just a few dollars a week.I always backed Trevira after that and it was like a we money making machine for me with numerous placings. Trevira will always have a spot in my racing heart.As will a horse called Millions and Millions who I used to work when I worked in stables.One day at Oamaru I got a bucks worth of a $7800 treble with 2 horses of Dick Prendergasts I think Worthy Adios driven by Greg Tait(our former stable worker),Patchy Boy driven by Kerry Oreilly(our blacksmith) and of course our stable runner Millions and Millions.Once again I had to get dad to collect as I had only just turned 16.Great memories Good money Richie, I remember millions and millions think her sister maida million was a pretty good sort. And trevira was a class act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 2 minutes ago, Flagship uberalles said: Good money Richie, I remember millions and millions think her sister maida million was a pretty good sort. And trevira was a class act. Maida million was a great horse, Was great money back then.When I got my treble I was only earning $90 a week.I bought a nice car but wrote it off after a week with no insurance Put it in a ditch early one morning when drunk as a skunk.Stupid f...n idiot was what the old man called me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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