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Bit Of A Yarn

Questions on an old Taumarunui Cup?


Gavin

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Around 1978, 79, I took two doubles on the aforementioned race. My memory is fading and have no reference material to confirm exact details.  Hoping someone can confirm dates and prices etc. 

I took a horse called "Prefer" in the first leg, the cup. I think Dave O'Sullivan trained it?  No idea who rode it,what it paid and who the placegetters were. 

The second leg was an open sprint over 1100 metres..I think. There was a grey horse named "Stevo" who would often lead. The interesting runner was the grand old stayer "Battle Heights". I think he was aged 10? I read somewhere that old stayers can often run a very bold first up race in a sprint. As a result, I put Stevo and Battle Heights in as my second leg runners.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=2859

Prefer won the cup. Stevo led until late when Battle Heights finished very strongly to win the sprint. I think Stevo ran second or third. The double was around $200 - $250 but could be wrong. I just know as a relatively young and inexperienced punter, it was a handsome win.

Any help filling in the blanks would be appreciated?

Cheers..

 

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Prefer won the cup76/77 season ridden by local jockey John Grylls.

2nd was March Legend ridden by A.J.Tweedie and 3rd was Shaitan with R.J.Skelton up.

Prefer was trained by J.Gibbs.

Not a bad field Cattle King,Bunvaro,Prepak,Rosies Girl,Shifnal Chief,Mer'cler,Toms Mate,Bruree,Wanbin,Bold Ben,Golan and Sugar Fox

Roger Lang was on Battle Heights.

 

Edited by mumbles
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Can't really help with any details but can say Battle Heights was one of the best, bravest horses I've seen. Routinely lumped big weights. I think his trainer Tim Douglas also trained a Great Northern Steeples winner Classic Heights

Edited by pete
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47 minutes ago, mumbles said:

Prefer won the cup76/77 season ridden by local jockey John Grylls.

2nd was March Legend ridden by A.J.Tweedie and 3rd was Shaitan with R.J.Skelton up.

Prefer was trained by J.Gibbs.

Not a bad field Cattle King,Bunvaro,Prepak,Rosies Girl,Shifnal Chief,Mer'cler,Toms Mate,Bruree,Wanbin,Bold Ben,Golan and Sugar Fox

Roger Lang was on Battle Heights.

 

Some big names in there for sure and some old favourites. 

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1 hour ago, pete said:

Can't really help with any details but can say Battle Heights was one of the best, bravest horses I've seen. Routinely lumped big weights. I think his trainer Tim Douglas also trained a Great Northern Steeples winner Classic Heights

From memory, Tim also trained and owned Battle Heights siblings, including: 

Arctic Heights (by Arctic Explorer) - won a McGregor Grant Steeplechase

Monty (Sovereign Edition?? or Gold Sovereign) -an Opn Hcpper who ran 2nd in a Great Northern 'Chase and I think placed in an Akld or Wgtn Cup

 

 

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4 hours ago, mumbles said:

Prefer won the cup76/77 season ridden by local jockey John Grylls.

2nd was March Legend ridden by A.J.Tweedie and 3rd was Shaitan with R.J.Skelton up.

Prefer was trained by J.Gibbs.

Not a bad field Cattle King,Bunvaro,Prepak,Rosies Girl,Shifnal Chief,Mer'cler,Toms Mate,Bruree,Wanbin,Bold Ben,Golan and Sugar Fox

Roger Lang was on Battle Heights.

 

You said local jockey Johnny Grylls. I assumed the Taumarunui Cup was always run at Te Rapa but Grylls was based @ Te Awamutu. Was the edition Prefer won, run at Te Awamutu? I'm assuming that was a Saturday meeting?

I recall going to watch the Te Awamutu Cup in the late 80's for the wrong reasons. Our car got stuck in the mud and ripped off our exhaust system. Nice. The cup was won by a horse named Admiral Blair or something similar. In my minds eye it came around the outside on the bend and won handsomely. 

 

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59 minutes ago, Gavin said:

You said local jockey Johnny Grylls. I assumed the Taumarunui Cup was always run at Te Rapa but Grylls was based @ Te Awamutu. Was the edition Prefer won, run at Te Awamutu? I'm assuming that was a Saturday meeting?

I recall going to watch the Te Awamutu Cup in the late 80's for the wrong reasons. Our car got stuck in the mud and ripped off our exhaust system. Nice. The cup was won by a horse named Admiral Blair or something similar. In my minds eye it came around the outside on the bend and won handsomely. 

 

Held in Te Awamutu for many years before Te Rapa and now Rotorua. .Pretty sure Battle Heights won at Te Awamutu over 1100/1150 so that would suggest the cup was also run at Te Awamutu.

Attended the same wet Te Awamutu meeting as you and had to be towed by caretakers tractor driven by a member of the track staff.His  name was Donald Love.

Edited by mumbles
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Good friend of mine saddled up Just Regal as the trainer Jack Hayes was in Aussie.Paid plenty and knocked out heaps.

18 minutes ago, hesi said:

Went to that big jackpot meeting at Te Awamutu many years ago, never forget, the course was packed.  We put in as a studentssyndicate, but never got anything

 

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I'm pretty sure Battle Heights won over 1150 at Te Awamutu quite late in his career (?) and carrying an enormous weight.

Interestingly, another descendant from that family won in Singapore last Friday night - Bringer of War, (bred by the Ellises) -

by Burgundy from the Keeper mare Eclectic Heights (who is a great-great-granddaughter of Wuthering Heights ..something like that anyway!)

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On 29/07/2018 at 5:28 PM, Weasel said:

I'm pretty sure Battle Heights won over 1150 at Te Awamutu quite late in his career (?) and carrying an enormous weight.

Interestingly, another descendant from that family won in Singapore last Friday night - Bringer of War, (bred by the Ellises) -

by Burgundy from the Keeper mare Eclectic Heights (who is a great-great-granddaughter of Wuthering Heights ..something like that anyway!)

I'm almost certain that the race you refer to was on the day Prefer won the Cup in 76/77. Would like to know if the grey Stevo was in that same race. Anyone have any details of the sprint race won by Battle Heights and double price with Prefer? Cheers

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Stevo was in the race along with Lord Novello who shared the lead into the straight.

Quote from Racing annual'''''He surged past the two speedsters to a tumultous reception from the at first unbelieving and then ecstatic crowd'''.

I know no more.

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On 29/07/2018 at 5:28 PM, Weasel said:

I'm pretty sure Battle Heights won over 1150 at Te Awamutu quite late in his career (?) and carrying an enormous weight.

Interestingly, another descendant from that family won in Singapore last Friday night - Bringer of War, (bred by the Ellises) -

by Burgundy from the Keeper mare Eclectic Heights (who is a great-great-granddaughter of Wuthering Heights ..something like that anyway!)

Yes he did. I was there...it was a hell of a run. Battle Heights was a gun horse. Any track, big weights, he'd always be trying. I'd love one like him now!

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"While these were all outstanding victories at the highest level, one of my more vivid memories of Battle Heights was an unbelievable fresh-up performance when resuming from a spell over 1100m at Te Awamutu on the 30 July 1977 carrying 61.5kg with Roger Lang in the saddle. Settling well back early, the nine-year-old stormed home from the rear to run straight past his somewhat younger opposition and prove what an outstanding performer he truly was."

westburystud.com/news.cfm?content_id=39419

 

Edited by FeelTheFear
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1 hour ago, FeelTheFear said:

"While these were all outstanding victories at the highest level, one of my more vivid memories of Battle Heights was an unbelievable fresh-up performance when resuming from a spell over 1100m at Te Awamutu on the 30 July 1977 carrying 61.5kg with Roger Lang in the saddle. Settling well back early, the nine-year-old stormed home from the rear to run straight past his somewhat younger opposition and prove what an outstanding performer he truly was."

westburystud.com/news.cfm?content_id=39419

 

Thank you very much for that. It fills in the blanks that have crossed my mind many times over the last 41 years.

I recall Lord Novello also. Was a regular placegetter in the open sprints at the time. Would often look the winner only to be run over late. Also had a soft spot for the grey Stevo and many other wonderful grey horses over the years. Topping that list in the same time frame as Battle Heights was the awesome Grey Way. Tudor Light was a beauty also.

Has there ever been a better field assembled in NZ than the 1977 Easter Handicap? 

 

Edited by Gavin
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In a top era of champion horses, Grey Way, Tudor Light, Showgate and Copper Belt were my favourites. That is leaving out some awesome horses. Geez, it was great to watch that race again and I got goosebumps. This was the time that I started betting and what a time it was

Edited by FeelTheFear
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