Darraweit trainer/driver Lisa Miles scored a most impressive victory with five-year-old Great Success/Our First Strike gelding Roy Hobbs in the Aldebaran Park Trotters Handicap over 2150 metres at Lord’s Raceway Bendigo, Thursday, October 9.
It was Roy Hobbs first run back after a 15 month injury enforced spell. READ MORE
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Heathcote’s Mannix family’s favourite horse - 7-Y-0 Conch Deville/Bonniele mare Conchs Critter chalked up her 8th victory in 128 starts, when victorious in the Hygain Feeds Trotters Handicap for T0 or better class over 2150 metres at Bendigo Wednesday, October 1.
From Len Baker's Sulky Shorts 30 November 2013 - Longlea reinsman Brian Gath has been inducted into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame in recognition of his successful career.
Gath joins his father George and brother Neville as members of the illustrious club. He was one of six inductees - four human and two equine - honoured at a dinner at Tabcorp Park in Melton on Wednesday night, hosted by Harness Racing Victoria and the Victorian Harness Racing Media Association. A typically humble Gath accepted a trophy marking his inclusion. "Thank you to whoever voted me in," he said. "It's a great honour to be here, the same as my brother Neville and my dad and all the wonderful people who are in it." Since he began driving in 1963, Gath has amassed more than 3000 wins, been the leading Melbourne reinsman four times and the leading trainer twice. He drove more than 100 winners in a season 11 times, represented Australia in the World Drivers Championship and won 32 Group One races, including the 1978 Inter Dominion with Markovina. Others awarded Hall of Fame membership this week included reinsman Gavin Lang, the first driver or jockey to win 5000 races in the Southern Hemisphere; Will Whitbourn, the first to win 200 races in Melbourne and who was never suspended in his 39 years on the track; and driver, trainer, journalist and steward Keith Greenwood. Leading sire Meadow Vance and dam Dixie Love were also inducted. Another highlight of the night came when 2009 Hall of Fame member Maori's Idol - widely regarded as Australia's greatest trotter - was elevated to legend status. He was the first trotter in the Southern Hemisphere to break the two-minute mile in a barrier race, clocking 1:59.3 at Mooney Valley in 1977. Owned by Ric Healey, he still holds the Australasian record of 24 successive victories by a trotter and was the only trotter ever voted Australian Harness Horse of the Year. In retirement from the track with a record of 40 wins and four places from 46 starts, he became a leading sire of trotters that won almost $4 million in stakes. Maori's Idol died in 2006, aged 34, and is buried near the admission gates at the Bendigo Harness Racing Club. The Club also has a wall of honour for the trotting champion and races the annual Group 2 Maori Mile in his honour. With the files of Raelee Tuckerman (Bendigo Advertiser) 19 November 2013 - Champion Veteran driver Dick Lee has taken out the second annual Veteran Drivers Trot Challenge at Bendigo's Lord's Raceway last Saturday night. Lee was one of 12 invited driver's who contested the event and took out the race sponsored by Travelcentre Bendigo driving rank outsider Montana Sky. The Heathcote trained trotter had won only one previous race and had not won for three years. Lee has had a string of outstanding horses over the years including Multiple Derby winner Rufus Young Blood, Bendigo Pacing Cup winner Rhodonite and the trotters Downsouth Clare, Game Oro, Hampdens Pride and Glenfield Girl.
17 November 2013 -The Bendigo Harness Racing Club has collected its fourth industry award in three years, winning the Best media coverage for Digital Media at last night's Gordon Rothacker Medal and Country Clubs Awards at Melton.In the past three years the Club has won the Best Country Race Club (2012) and three industry awards for media and promotion. BHRC General Manager David Aldred was at Melton to receive this year's award. Bendigo journalists, Nicole Ferrie (Deputy Editor Bendigo Advertiser) and Raelee Tuckerman (Bendigo Advertiser) also won 2013 awards and were presented with their awards last night. Nicole won the HRV Media Award for Best News Story with her front page article on Sophie Goss, "Sophie Gorgeous" and Raelee won the Best Print Feature for her article on Tanya McDermott and the Northern Standardbred Riding Group. Read full Award Winners list and report:
16 November 2013 - Jazz King made it six victories from seven starts this season with a popular victory in the Tradelink Anniversary Cup at Lord's Raceway last night.
Driven by Greg Sugars the Shaun Kittel trained Jazz King was always in contol and safely held The Cavalier (Sammy Kilgour) who tested his motor most of the way to score by six metres. Jazz King is raced by Greg Fleming and was bred by Kerry Winazr and Lynne Pocock and was the last horse that local great, the late Ron Pocock trained. Giveusagrin (Daryl Douglas) finished third. Dick Lee scored an upset win in the Travelcentre Bendigo Veteran Drivers Trot. His drive, Montana Sky was the outsider in the field and had not won for three years prior to last night's win. The 9 year old mare is trained by Kevin Hill at Heathcote and it was the second win from 45 starts for the daughter of Wagon Apollo. Lee who has had a string of champions in his stable including the multiple Derby winner Rufus Young Blood and Bendigo Cup winner Rhodonite said he loves driving trotters and he was thrilled to be invited to drive in the feature and to win the trophy was a bonus. 20 September 2013 - The Committee of the Bendigo Harness Racing Club has signed a new three-year partnership with Bendigo Pacing Cup sponsor Petstock Animal Supplies. Petstock has been the Club’s principal sponsor since 2010 with the Group 2 Bendigo Pacing Cup their main event. This month the Club again signed Petstock as the Cup’s naming rights sponsor for 2014, 2015 and 2016. Club president Dennis Bice said the new agreement is significant to the Club’s business plan and he welcomed Petstock’s continued partnership with the Club’s feature race. “We are thrilled that Petstock will continue to sponsor the Pacing Cup for the next three years and we look forward to working with the entire Petstock team to give the company prime brand exposure at each of our harness race meetings,” Mr Bice said. Petstock’s Chris Walker has been closely associated with the Club during the past sponsorship agreement including having a hands on roll as a Club committeeman last financial year.
“We value our partnership with harness racing in Victoria and are pleased to have both the Bendigo Pacing Cup and Ballarat Pacing Cup in our sponsorship stable,” Mr Walker said. “Petstock sees increased branding opportunities with harness racing and we have been encouraged by the level of support we have been receiving from local trainers and members during our sponsorship arrangement with Bendigo over the past three years. “We look forward to the continued support from the harness industry and the Bendigo Cup event and profile growing over the next three years. “The Bendigo Pacing Cup race night and promotion makes for an outstanding event and we are very excited to be a part of its ongoing growth, which we believe will ultimately help establish the Pacing Cup as a Group One race in years to come.” The BHRC will, for the first time, host a Bendigo Pacing Cup Eve Cocktail night to celebrate the feature event and recognize, sponsors and competitors at the All Season’s Hotel on Friday 10 January. The 2014 Group 2 Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup will raced on Saturday night 11 January. 19 September 2013 - Just 10 days ago, prolific Bendigo standardbred broodmare Classic Kate died peacefully at the grand old age of 32 years, surrounded by her 20 year-old son Sports Dancer and 10 year-old grandson Real Impact.
Classic Kate was a Batman mare out of Gay Debutante and was purchased as a yearling by Bendigo trainer and breeder Garry Graham and long time friend, Eddie Jenkins. She won six races including the 3yo Sires Stakes Semi Final at Moonee Valley and in excess of $21,000 (30 years ago). In the breeding barn, Classic Kate superseded her racing performances. She had her first foal in 1988, New York Dancer, and her last foal in 2005, Leica Dancer. In total, she had 14 foals (two of which died young), 9 of them were fillies, and she managed to outlive her two eldest daughters. The Graham's are still breeding out of four of her daughters and now also two of her granddaughters. She is the only mare to have five of her descendants as finalists in the Group 1 Australian Pacing Gold Series including:
Classic Kate is also the grandmother of top race horses Hexham Heartbeat, Whata Impact, Real Impact, Earls Court, Black Legacy, Otaktay, Sidney Shaw, as well as the top juveniles of 2009 and 2010, Modern Girl and 2010 Horse of the Year Royal Verdict, which won three Group 1, 2yo races that season. The combined earnings of all named descendants from Classic Kate is in excess of $1.5million. This includes a $500,000 + earner in her grandson Royal Verdict ($531,187) and three $100,000 + earners including Classic Kate's son Sports Dancer ($162,018), granddaughter Modern Girl ($122,135) and her great grandson, West Australian, Sir Jasper ($100,101). Another soon likely to join the $100,000 + club is granddaughter, Victorian mare Hexham Heartbeat, which is on the cusp of the $100,000 earnings. Classic Kate's descendants boast several Group winners between them including;
17 September 2013 - Local trotting mare Waikare Patricia has been honoured by Harness Racing Australia with the "Aged Trotting Mare of the Year" Award. The Longlea-owned mare, trained by Graham McDermott had an outstanding year winning 8 of her 16 starts and earned just shy of $100,000 on the track. The mare's lifetime earnings are over $120,000. Waikare Patricia stands in elite company as a Vancleve Trotting Award recipient. Others to get gongs this year were Vulcan (Australian Trotter of the Year and Aged Trotter- Horse/Gelding of the Year); Blitzthemcalder (3yo Trotter Colt/ Gelding of the Year); Habibti (3yo Trotting Filly of the Year); Im Stately 2yo Trotter Colt Gelding of the Year) and Claudy Princess (2yo Trotter of the Year). Waikare Patricia is a credit to McDermott who he himself can boast having an outstanding pedigree. He is a third generation horseman who trains a boutique racing team. He established himself within Victoria’s highly competitive training ranks from his base at the same Longlea property (near Bendigo) where his late father Henry prepared pacers the calibre of Gosh and Springfield Rajah. Since June 2012, Graham has fulfilled the role of number two trainer alongside renown trotting specialist Chris Lang at his stunning Nagambie farm. The Goulburn Valley opportunity has been another invaluable learning experience for the former accomplished junior driver who worked alongside some of the best trainers in the business including Graham Johannesen, John and Michael Langdon and Brian Gath before forging his own career as a specialist juvenile educator and pre-trainer. McDermott said he is over the moon at Waikare Patricia winning the award. "She has had a great year and its terrific that she has achieved this award," McDermott said. "The next 12 months for her is going to be really interesting and exciting."
McDermott's first significant training triumph was former rogue pacer Snappy Sections with whom he won 12 races in the late 1990’s and celebrated his first metropolitan victory at Moonee Valley. But he is best known in more recent times as the mentor of Romeo Castle, a winner of 20 races and over $200,000 in prize money including the Group Two Victoria Sires’ Classic and Ararat Pacing Cup. He also has a particular fondness for square gaiters and brought up his first Group One success in the 2011 SA Trotters’ Derby with Waikare Aristocrat, a homebred son of Inter Dominion placegetter Waikare Gold who also finished runner-up in The Holmfield at Group Three level as a three-year-old. But its been Waikare Aristocrat’s half sister Waikare Patricia which flown the stable flag with distinction and now honour during the 2012/13 season. The daughter of Last Sunset won the Fonterra Dairies Vicbred Platinum Trotting Mares Sprint Group last December, then raced in great form before taking at the Vicbred Platinmum Metropolitan Trot Final Group 2 in May. The mare capped her year winning the Glenferie Farm Kahdon Trot Group 2 in June. Aside from his training commitments – both for the Lang stable and a small group of private clients including Raceapacer - McDermott is a strong supporter of his wife Tanya’s work with the Northern Standardbred Riding Group and re-educating and rehoming standardbreds for a life outside racing as pleasure horses. - David Aldred with the files of Raceapacer. 15 July 2013 - Wintery weather didn’t deter trotting lovers Australia wide from attending the 28th running of the $50,000 (Group 1) Seelite Windows & Doors “The Redwood” Classic for Two Year Olds over 2190 metres at Maryborough on Sunday July 14, taken out by Kiwi filly Daenerys Targaryen for champion Christchurch based trainer/driver Mark Purdon. Having his first try in a standing start event, Daenerys Targaryen stepped slowly but safely from outside the front row, with Chris Alford’s Miracle showing his usual faultless manners to pounce on the lead from barrier three, while the hot favourite Im Stately began slowly from barrier two on the second line settling a long way back in the field. Once balanced, Daenerys Targaryen despite being three wide, moved forward to assume control with around 1500 metres to travel, with David Jack sending Im Stately three wide racing for the bell to park outside the leader for the final circuit. Given the easier passage, Daenerys Targaryen ($4.00) held on to score by a head over a game Im Stately who gave away too big of a start in a rate of 2-06.5, with the maiden Guiltless 7.4 metres away in third place after a cosy one/one trip. Daenerys Targaryen (Majestic Son/Niamey) is raced by Riccarton Lone Star Restaurant proprietor Trevor Casey who also figures as one of the trio of breeders. Outstanding Metropolitan/Like A Calder colt Blitzthemcalder was victorious in the (Group 1) Seelite Windows & Doors Victoria Trotters Derby over 2690 metres, much to the delight of owner/breeders Rick & Jan Burchell, but not before giving his supporters a scare as the mobile barrier pulled away. Starting from gate three, Blitzthemcalder appeared to race roughly as the start was effected, with Chris Alford immediately restraining to keep him in his gait which he did, settling four back in the moving line. Finding his rhythm, Alford had no hesitation in sending the $1.60 favourite forward entering the straight with two laps to travel, parking outside the prolific winning pole line leader Spidergirl who had little difficulty in retaining the inside running. The action was to hot up racing for the bell when Ross Graham sent last season’s Redwood winner Sun Of Sonoko forward three wide to tackle the leaders, but was unable to cross being left on a limb. Surging to the front on straightening, Blitzthemcalder’s class told in the run to the wire as he raced clear to score by 4.3 metres in advance of Our Dreamlover (one/two), with the NSW visitor Quite A Moment (one/one) a head away in third place. Trained to the minute by Lara’s Ross Payne who has done a marvellous job with the horse after competing in New Zealand a month earlier, Blitzthemcalder recorded a mile rate of 2-01.9 on the wet track, only .8 of a second outside Acacia Ridge’s track record of 2-01.1 set in 2007. A shock announcement was made immediately following the event that Ross Payne has been appointed stable foreman for Mark Purdon and will re-locate to his home country following the Breeders Crown Series. What will happen to Blitzthemcalder in anybody’s guess. The Peter Egan Bi-Rite Electrical Trotters Free For All for T6 or better class over 2190 metres went the way of 5-Y-0 Sundon/Stoned At Midnight gelding Stoned I Am ($7.40) for Pearcedale trainer Bill Walker and reinswoman daughter Simone. Trapped in the open from gate two outside Waikare Aristocrat inside her, Stoned I Am was shuffled back through the field as Earl Of Mot took over the front running role, with Chuck Wagon going forward to sit outside the leader, before being eased to allow Star Gun which had been wide to move into the breeze. Easing three wide to follow former Redwood winner I See Icy Earl in the last lap, Stoned I Am was too strong at the finish for I See Icy Earl in a rate of 2-03, with Chuck Wagon running on late for third after being semi held up on turning. Other winners on the mammoth eleven event card were : Michaels Mename (Jack Sullivan – Woodend), Invasive (Lance Justice - Melton), The Pearl Of Paris (Peter Hornsby – Kialla & Stacey Towers), The Dutchman (Tony Xiriha – Pipers Creek), Andys Favourite in the Monte saddle race (Chris Lang Jnr – Nagambie & Maree Cambpell), Duke Of The Moment (Dean Braun – Lara & Chris Alford), Sundons Promise (Daniel Jack – Wahring & Nathan Jack) and Purplepeopleater (Chris Lang – Nagambie). - Len Baker
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