And so it begins

[Walt]

I've just gone through the results from that day and thought I'd share some titbits. 

 

John Vincent who won the Nelson Cup with Spangled Lord also had two other winners on the day. 

Pallea won the first race for Terry and Rick May, the Globe Tavern Handicap. A fav watering hole of mine that has since be bowled and replaced with The Warehouse. Most interesting aspect of that win was Pallea being by their Cup Class pacer Palestine an old fav of mine. 

One of John Vincent's wins was with Andronicas. I backed him. Paid sod all but he was by Honkin Andy who also sired the awesome Honkin Vision who won half a million.  

Mike De Filippi drove Scenic Light to win at long odds. Scienic Light was by Leading Light who won the Auckland Cup in 1969 for DG, Jack and Rod....also at long odds. 

 

 

[Gammalite]

1 hour ago, Walt said:

John Vincent who won the Nelson Cup with Spangled Lord also had two other winners on the day. 

Pallea won the first race for Terry and Rick May, the Globe Tavern Handicap. A fav watering hole of mine that has since be bowled and replaced with The Warehouse. Most interesting aspect of that win was Pallea being by their Cup Class pacer Palestine an old fav of mine. 

One of John Vincent's wins was with Andronicas

• used to burn them out Walt ? Spangled Lord never won another race after that Nelson Cup . even though he looked like quite a dashing type . alas 30 more race starts for zip zero.🦆

and that other horse of John Vincent's  you mentioned also had a great 4 year old year winning 7.  (He had 3 x 5 year old wins) and then racing for 5 more seasons Andronicus and another 50 race starts for just one more win . You kiwis sure are persistant characters !! ...😎

Speaking of your mate Palestine , friends of mine had a very nice one at South Auckland who won a few named Stratum , so ended up here in QLD trying to win a few . Alan Donohoe had him flying along and beat Franco Tiger by 5 lengths one night , but sadly broke down badly (tendons ) after 4 straight big wins including the Queensland Championship which was worth a bit. The great Franco Tiger went on to win 50 races including Miracle Mile and $1,000,000 and 2nd in the Interdominion to Westburn Grant (Blossom Lady ran 3rd) 

Stratum  (by Palestine ) had that top horse the 'Tiger' well beat , so a real tragedy he didn't stay sound.  

Can't find a Palestine win for you Walt, for a pic, but here is a very close 2nd , driven by Terry May at Addington for you , on this occasion Balgove with the great Bob Cameron clung on to win.

[Walt]

12 hours ago, Gammalite said:

• used to burn them out Walt ? Spangled Lord never won another race after that Nelson Cup . even though he looked like quite a dashing type . alas 30 more race starts for zip zero.🦆

and that other horse of John Vincent's  you mentioned also had a great 4 year old year winning 7.  (He had 3 x 5 year old wins) and then racing for 5 more seasons Andronicus and another 50 race starts for just one more win . You kiwis sure are persistant characters !! ...😎

Speaking of your mate Palestine , friends of mine had a very nice one at South Auckland who won a few named Stratum , so ended up here in QLD trying to win a few . Alan Donohoe had him flying along and beat Franco Tiger by 5 lengths one night , but sadly broke down badly (tendons ) after 4 straight big wins including the Queensland Championship which was worth a bit. The great Franco Tiger went on to win 50 races including Miracle Mile and $1,000,000 and 2nd in the Interdominion to Westburn Grant (Blossom Lady ran 3rd) 

Stratum  (by Palestine ) had that top horse the 'Tiger' well beat , so a real tragedy he didn't stay sound.  

Can't find a Palestine win for you Walt, for a pic, but here is a very close 2nd , driven by Terry May at Addington for you , on this occasion Balgove with the great Bob Cameron clung on to win.

Great action photo of Palestine. I also remember Balgove. Bob Cameron was a master at judging the pace. If he got the top, he generally stayed there. Drove some very classy animals in his day.

Can't recall the John Vincent horse you're referring to Gammalite. I'm assuming it was late 80's early 90's?

I would have thought Spangled Lord would have notched up a few more wins after his Nelson Cup victory. Not sure if he had issues. His last 26 starts yielded just two placings.

I'd forgotten about Stratum. He was an excellent performer prior to being exported. Looking through old results I see he beat Tight Connection, Reba Lord and Inky Lord and only decent animals did that. 

What a shame he broke down. 

[Gammalite]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:58 PM, Walt said:

Shall I put my NZ Cup on the mantlepiece Gammalite?

your Cabinet here looks good Walt ! BOAY trophy added? 

Here's the Gammalite Trophy room. 

 

The Brodster got one once , or is this Blackie ? I forgot t

 

 

[Gammalite]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:47 PM, Walt said:

I grew up in Nelson where they raced twice a year on the grass. Summer meeting in January and Winter meeting in July. Always big fields and always well attended even if it was knee deep in mud.

Now we have an all weather track. Good attendance for both days of the January meeting...

All weather track is pretty fast too. you should see the time these 2 ran.

Can you (or anyone ) remember these 2 blazing a quick Nelson Mile. ??

CLUE / The inside obscured horse started in 5 x Group 1 top races in Australia running 2nd 4 times before she finally got that well-deserved Group 1 win. (running the same time as in this photo too)

[Unhinged]

48 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

All weather track is pretty fast too. you should see the time these 2 ran.

Can you (or anyone ) remember these 2 blazing a quick Nelson Mile. ??

CLUE / The inside obscured horse started in 5 x Group 1 top races in Australia running 2nd 4 times before she finally got that well-deserved Group 1 win. (running the same time as in this photo too)

Outside Laver time 1.51.9 after the race I said to John Dunn bugga we get round in that time and as a mare don't get recognized as winning time he replied don't worry she'll do it again.  She did indeed but in Australia going 1.50.1 then unfortunately finished as a racehorse in a freak paddock accident preparing to run in the Grins .

 

[Walt]

9 hours ago, Gammalite said:

your Cabinet here looks good Walt ! BOAY trophy added? 

Here's the Gammalite Trophy room. 

 

The Brodster got one once , or is this Blackie ? I forgot t

 

 

Very impressive......and somewhat better than our good mates wall  

 

[Walt]

Meanwhile, back in sunny Nelson this morning. Hope Saddle about an hour South of Nelson. 

 

 

[mikeynz]

31 minutes ago, Walt said:

Meanwhile, back in sunny Nelson this morning. Hope Saddle about an hour South of Nelson. 

 

 

Dunedin is worse. Re, frost.

[paleface adios]

beautiful weather here at globe derby park

[mikeynz]

57 minutes ago, paleface adios said:

beautiful weather here at globe derby park

Adelaide, u live there ?

[mikeynz]

I don't live in Dunedin but when it's snows and roads freeze the hill roads are almost non negotiable until the thaw, just as they were this morning.

Insurance companies must dread Dunedin in the winter, plenty of dents in vehicles.

Edited August 10, 2023 by mikeynz

[Newmarket]

John Vincent also trained the very good mare Ansett. She was very unlucky  to be the same year as Hilarious Guest which dominated the fillies races that year, Rain Girl another fine horse, Ansett finished 2nd or 3rd to them many times that season.

Spangled Lord galloped from barrier 1 on show day one year, swept to lead and held off Nostradamus. I was pretty happy, paid double figures and collected more on the double when Braedoon won the last.

John always wanted to train Stormymorn whose owner Peter  lived across the road, he did get the chance to train him in his last couple of starts but well past his best. His last start at Timaru over 3200m was going to be his best chance, but they ran along in front and the old boy just battled. 
 

Noble Advice was a trotter that John got up and running, won his first race at big odds before going to another trainer. Also trained Im a Timer to win, paid big odds too.
 

I have talked to the family about those golden years in the early 80s, where they did very well especially on the grass tracks, sadly after this time the wins very much dried up. 
 

Form drop off happened when they moved from the Marshlands area, think they moved several times to Ashburton areas, Rangiora areas to where they are now.

Where he initially trained was a market garden area, it seems many that trained in that area stated the same, grass and ground was top notch. 

[Newmarket]

Just to add, 

The handy Boy Castleton (10m) won the last race Stormymorn (75m) contested, winner went quicker than Stormys dominion time so not a bad effort, from memory he finished midfield so prob went same time. 
 

Stormy was lucky that Scotch Tars form had declined, and Sir Castleton & Basil Dean were just about to burst on the scene, as he would have battled against those 3. 
 

Peter Moore trained the head strong Kakama which was related to Ardstraw. Very speedy but not too brave, needed the front and not get attacked. Remember her once racing at Addington over New Years, first night stopped as if shot. Backed up a couple of days later and lead all the way beating Diamond Moose. 
 

Portfolio dead heated for first twice? Any other horse beat that? 

[Gammalite]

45 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

 

Portfolio dead heated for first twice? Any other horse beat that? 

Million to one to do it twice. very few dead heats anytime , as the judge will always find a few millimetres to split them.

Jay Ar and Robin Dundee the most famous one at Forbury park in the 60's in harness racing. The Interdominion Grand Final dead-heat.

Yesterday at Caulfield was very close with Hot favourite Cylinder . In the Goldolphin blue somehow having a margin .?? doesn't look like it. ?

2 years ago there was great controversy as they gave the 2nd photo here a dead heat was declared with hot favourite Defribillate and Hangman (also at Caulfield ) when there seems a fine margin ???