CONCESSION DRIVER OF THE YEAR AWARD
James Herbertson 70 Kima Frenning 68 Zac Phillips 43 Darby McGuigan 41
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LORD'S Raceway has played host to plenty of history-making events, and the the Bendigo Harness Racing Club was not about to let Chris Alford go without a reminder of where one of his biggest achievements happened.
The champion reinsman notched up his 7000th career winner, when he steered the Kelvin Barker-trained No City Chick to a trademark conspicuous win in the second race on Friday night's card in Bendigo. The 50-year-old, known as 'The Puppet' brought up his 6999th victory aboard the Graeme Dalton/Sutton Grange-trained Missus Matilda on Thursday at Maryborough. He would need just two more drives to become the first in the sport in Australia to get to 7000. BHRC marked the milestone with the presentation of a plaque to Alford, who earlier this year nabbed his 100th Group 1 winner. The popular reinsman left behind a permanent reminder of the night by signing a racebook below the magical 7000 number. The book will soon be framed, to be preserved in the Bendigo Harness Racing Museum, operated by historian Noel Ridge. An appreciative Alford was quick to praise the generous support of owners and trainers in helping him reach the milestone. "It's good to have something I can say I've done and that no one else has done before," he said "In years to come that will be broken I'm sure by all these young ones coming through; they are doing very well. "I will just have to try and keep on getting more winners as we go along just to stay in front of them. "I can't thank the owners and trainers enough for putting me on. I go out there and make blues as much as anyone else, but I get to drive lot of fast horses too. "I'd like to thank my family - I don't get to see them much as I am always away racing, but I am sure they would have been screaming at the TV at home. Chris Alford is interviewed post-race. "Hopefully I can keep doing a good job for a little bit longer." Alford's 7000th career win capped a big August for the brilliant reinsman, who earlier in the month went past 400 winners for the 2018-19 season. His last 1000 winners have come in the period from May 2017 and tonight (August 30). https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/6359134/chris-alford-notches-7000th-career-winner/?cs=81&fbclid=IwAR39u3OYniSaaDALphTl14rHcOkckcfAcolUANB-_oGMcsUl_cmpzbU0efg BY KIERAN ILES By Noel Ridge The spotlight shines on Bendigo for Saturday night's TAB Breeders Crown semi-finals and for race goers it's a chance to also visit the History and Memorabilia Collection at Lord's Raceway, which features some prized trots treasures including these silks. The donation by John Phyland's granddaughter of a faded set of racing colours (right), dark blue with yellow stars, to Bendigo's collection has led to the uncovering, with the help of researcher John Peck and website www.classicfamilies.net, of the remarkable story of Phyland and his horses. Balranald, in the south-west Riverina district of NSW, is on the western edge of the vast Hay plain at a place once used to ford the Murrumbidgee River. It was during 1890 to 1918 that Phyland, son of Irish immigrants, born in 1866, ran a 2000-acre sheep station. The property, Lake Vale, was south of Balranald, towards the Murray River town of Swan Hill. This would seem to be an unlikely location for a harness racing breeding operation, being more than 400km from Melbourne, where harness racing was centred on the Richmond track. But, undeterred by distance, Phyland purchased his first trotter in 1882 and proceeded to acquire expensive, high quality standardbred mares and stallions and embark on a venture that saw him: • Breed and race winners of major races including The Melbourne Thousand, Bendigo JC Handicap (raced almost continuously on the grass track at Epsom, Bendigo, from 1867 to 1946), Boort Cup and numerous races at the Melbourne metropolitan tracks at Richmond and Ascot; • Acquire Soultline Villa and training stables adjacent to the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds so he could race at metropolitan tracks; • Develop a large self-contained training facility (including resident blacksmith) and home at 19 Raleigh St, Essendon; • Become the chair of the Victorian Trotting Horse Owners and Breeders’ Association, which lobbied strenuously for night trotting in the 1930s; • Breed from imported and locally bred mares that left families that are still active today. Heaven Rocks, the Ballarat Cup, New Zealand Jewels three and four-year-winner, and 1:49.6 ($554,529) export to the US, is six generations on from the Phyland bred mare Dusky Ribbons; • Saw the start of the training career of colourful and controversial Cedric (Ced) McLean, Phyland’s son-in-law, with a mare left when Phyland died. Phyland’s training and driving career commenced in 1906 at the Lake Charm Race Course in Victoria, between Swan Hill and Kerang, where he trained and drove Roaney to win the two-mile trot. 1906 Lake Charm Trot (six sovereigns): J Phyland’s ROANEY, 20yds (J Phyland) 1; A Bence’s Nipper, scr (Wall) 2; J Donaldson’s Molley, 20yds (Donaldson) 3. Driver Donaldson was World champion sprinter Jack “Blue Streak” Donaldson, born at Raywood and brought up at Inglewood. That same year (1906) at age 20 Donaldson started favourite in the Stawell Gift with a handicap of 11 yards, but was narrowly beaten. The following year, 1907, at the Sandown (Melbourne) track, Phyland trained the winner, Little Wonder (pictured, sired by the Robert Hunter stallion Honest Harry), winning in 2:28.2, and later used as a stallion at Lake Vale. In 1916 he trained a winner, Kanakee Girl, at a Swan Hill Jockey Club meeting. It started from the handicap of 340 yards in the Distance Handicap Trot. Phyland was a serious standardbred breeder. His acquisitions included the stallion General Ribbonwood, nearing the end of a successful racing career. He raced General Ribbonwood and among the wins for Phyland was the Ladies Bracelet (below) at Geelong in 1922. General Ribbonwood, foaled in 1914, was by the champion sire Ribbonwood from the broodmare gem Winona. Winona (1900) for whom the annual Australian Broodmare award is named, was the dam of eight winners and three successful sires (General Ribbnwood, Major Ribbonwood and Win Alto). She was the grand dam of Australian record holder Walla Walla and great grand dam of mile Champion Uncle Joe. Phyland stood General Ribbonwood at the Lake Vale property at Balranald and also at Ascot Vale. He left 17 winners, most of them trained by Phyland and ridden or driven by his son Frank. Phyland also had son of the imported Mauritius and the imported mare Lady Inez in Direct Mauritius foaled in 1911. It also stood at stud at Lake Vale and Ascot Vale. Direct Mauritius was the sire of 60 winners, 54 of them pacers. One of the mares that Phyland had progeny from was Belle Patch. Belle Patch’s second foal for Phyland — in 1921 — was the open class pacer Princess Mauritius, winner of the 1930 Bendigo Cup by his stallion Direct Mauritius. Direct Mauritius’ greatest offspring was Vin Direct, who excelled by winning the first 1925 Australasian Championships at Gloucester Park, the forerunner of the Inter Dominion. A Direct Mauritius mare Katie Mauritius is the ancestress of the 1992 Bendigo Cup winner Lord Muckalee. In 1919 the Lake Vale property was leased and a dispersal sale of horses held. The auctioneers were favoured with “Instructions from Mr John Phyland, to sell by public auction, on his Lake Vale estate, the whole of his stock, plant and sundries including his well bred trotters and pacers, blood mares and foals” such as: Direct Mauritius (brown stallion, five years, by Mauritius (imp)); Timely Bells (bay stallion, by Abbey Bells (imp) from In Maytime (imp) from America); Arion Direct (brown colt, registered trotter by Direct Mauritius from Rosario (imp) from America); Major Belmont (bay gelding, four years, natural pacer by Belmont from Kate Beiden); Jess Mckinney (bay mare, five years, by Clarke Mckinney (imp) from America); Floredo (black mare, placed several times at Richmond, by Tuxedo (imp). Phyland then relocated his family and horses to Soultline (see the red circle on the map at right), the impressive villa and stables less than 200 metres from the track in the main arena at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds. Soultline racing stables had been offered at auction. The property was sold on instructions of Mr S. P. Mackay, the owner of the classy galloper Soultline, winner of the 1909 Newmarket Handicap. It was first passed in. Subsequent negotiations resulted in an offer of £2000 cash for the property. Alice Bell (Directway (imp) from Adelle) was one of the horses that was trained from Soultline and won seven classic races, including the 1919 Bendigo Jockey Club Open. Ruby Ribbon won a second Bendigo Jockey Club Open (pictured) for Phyland at the Epsom racecourse in 1921, when ridden by his son Frank. Phyland often made news. In 1924, The Argus reported: John Phyland, owner of two recent Richmond winners, is a retired farmer from the Balranald district of Victoria (actually NSW), whence one of the winners Balranald Maid takes her name. At present Mr J. Phyland is a resident at “Soultline", Flemington, the former home of the late Mr S. P. Mackay. He has a fair number of trotters in work at Ascot. He is a well known identity at Richmond, where although he is close on 18 stone, he is occasionally seen behind some of his horses. At present, however, his son, Frank Phyland, is doing the majority of the riding and driving for the stable. During the 1920s Phyland acquired land at 18 Raleigh St in Essendon, where he established a large property including a home and stables. The property was so extensive it had its own blacksmith. In 1931 Divitius, a pacer bred and sold by Phyland, won the prestigious Melbourne Thousand at the Richmond track. Shortly before this, this article was published in the Swan Hill Guardian headlined 'Pacer for £1': Mr. John Phyland (pictured) of Ascot Vale (Vic.), who has spent some thousands in the breeding industry, remarks the “Australian Trotting Record,” was naturally pleased at seeing Divitius, a horse bred and sold by him, victorious at the Melbourne Show. Divitius is by Direct Mauritius from a buggy mare and put up the fast time of 2.21 in winning the Maiden Pacing Competition. Some time ago Mr. Phyland at a Swan Hill horse sale offered a fully-related pair to Divitius, and rather than take them back to his station across the border, accepted £1 apiece. Now that the dam has made a name for herself as a producer the owner of these bargain horses should make a little profit. But just fancy a pacer for a pound. Thanks to www.classicfamilies.net, we now know that the “buggy mare” was Ivy, by Phyland’s stallion Little Wonder from the mare Comet. During the 1930s Phyland was the President of the Victorian Trotting Horse Breeders and Owners’ Association, which had for many years been affiliated with the Royal Agricultural Society and the Chamber of Agriculture. The association was very active in presenting the case tor night trotting to Members of Parliament. A newspaper of the day, The Argus, reported: The president of the association (Mr J. Phyland) who has pastoral properties at Lake Vale, Swan Hill, and Balranald, and who for years has been a leading breeder of trotting horse, took the chance of urging the introduction of night trotting when thanking Members of Parliament in a circular for the BOA. The bill was defeated in Parliament, preventing the introduction of Night Trotting in 1936. Among the winners Phyland continued to train was 1934 Boort Cup winner Daphne Ribbon. Later in 1938, Balranald Pride was a winner at the Epsom track in Ascot Vale. Phyland passed away at his residence in Essendon in March of 1945, aged 79. Did You Know? John Phyland was the father-in-law of colourful and controversial trainer of the Showgrounds era Cedric (Ced) McLean, who was associated with top trainers Dave Wilson, Alph Phyllis, Frank Shinn, Jack Barron, Howard Craig, Ron Peace and Jack McKay. He also was a close associate of master builder, owner, concession punter and later champion jumps trainer Bendigo’s Jim Houlahan. McLean, a World War 2 returned serviceman, was employed in the catering industry. He married Rose, the youngest daughter of John Phyland. The last of Phyland’s horses was Daphne’s Own and, as no-one was interested in training this last of Phyland’s breeding enterprise, Ced McLean started training it. One of McLean’s first plunges, for which he later became renown, was with Daphne’s Own at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds in 1951, when it was backed from 33/1 to 14s before saluting. Not only did Ced (pictured) inherit Daphne’s Own, he also inherited the colours of his late father-in law. However, he had to seek alternate colours when the blue with yellow stars were registered to former South Australian trainer-driver Dick Benger, who re-located to Eddington from his former base at Avenue Range in South Australia while Ced was on one of his many “holidays” from training. Ced’s daughter, Cheryl, related when handing his colours and some photos to the Bendigo collection: The Phyland breeding dynasty is stlll influential today, with the enigmatic but brilliant 2018 Ballarat Cup winner Heaven Rocks, who traces back to the Phyland bred mare Dusky Ribbons, racing in the USA. https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/bendigo-collection-the-story-of-john-phyland/ The 2019 Bendigo Bank Trotters Cup has tonight been won by MCLOVIN in a new track record. Trained by Andy Gath and driven beautifully by Kate Gath.
Congratulations to all connections on their win. Story: https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/6100465/harness-racing-club-honours-four-decades-of-committee-service/?cs=81&fbclid=IwAR3k27IrCG-jNbwXNYWv2OKN8D_wKEXf0H5eoh3JomFh2lxPck6_e0_VVrM
HE MIGHT have stepped down from the Bendigo Harness Racing Club Committee, but Peter Svanosio is not walking away from the sport he loves. Anything but. The Bendigo and indeed Australian harness racing stalwart and former trainer was honoured for 42-years of service at a gathering of past and present committee members on Tuesday night. It officially marked the end his time on the committee. But the BHRC life member has no plans on exiting the harness racing scene. "I just felt my time was up on the committee, but I will still be helping around the club," he said. "I'll still drive the mobile for them and I'll still have my horses. "I'll help out when I can. (Son and trainer/driver) Chris and I have got plenty of horses and I'm busy at the trials. "We have got a mobile driver, who I trained up. I drove it for a while last year when they didn't have anyone. If he goes away or has a week off, I won't let them down and I'll step in. "If there's something else that needs to be done, I'll do it. "I had probably been trying to give it away the last three or four years, hoping someone would come along and take my spot, so the president was well aware that if there was something wanting to fill a spot it was there." Svanosio officially tendered his resignation the day after the 2019 Bendigo Pacing Cup meeting. He said he looked back with great pride on his involvement with both the committee and a progressive club. Svanosio felt privileged the club's members had continued to show faith in him throughout his more than four decades on the committee. "When I came onto the committee, you had to be elected and face an election every two years - I was in people's hands," he said. "It's not like these days when clubs and organisations struggle to get people on to committees. "I take some pride in the fact that members of my club continued to re-elect me. "That is why I was still there all those years and then went off on my own volition." Svanosio said the horses he raced with son Chris would continue to take up plenty of his time. One of those, Artful Christian will line up on Bendigo Powder Coating 2019 Anniversary Cup night at Lord's Raceway on Friday. The six-year-old gelding, who was breed by former BHRC executive Dennis Bice, will contest a C2 to C3 event, and will be driven by emerging driver Tayla French. A high-calibre field for the Anniversary Cup (C6 or better) is headed by the Emma Stewart-trained Somerocksomeroll and Idealsomemagic, who is chasing a fourth-straight win for the Tindale stable. BHRC general manager Erik Hendrix praise 42 years of 'wonderful' service from Svanosio. "Introduced to the club as a young boy, Peter has truly seen this club built from the ground up," he said. "I have never seen anyone serve such a long time on any type committee. "It's a testament to Peters character and shows how well loved he was around the club to be continually voted on as a committee member. "Peter will now have time to concentrate on helping trainer, driver and son Chris Svanosio with his growing stable. "As a life member you will still see Peter around the club and at most meetings." What an amazing Anniversary Cup last week with a big thanks going to our Major Sponsor Paul and Rebecca Morrissey from Bendigo Powder Coating. Congratulations also goes to the winner of the Anniversary Cup in Idealsomemagic trained by A & B Tindale and driven by Kate Gath beating home Bettor Be The Bomb and Just Wantano.
Story: https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/6089226/better-days-ahead-for-youngster-says-keith-cotchin/?cs=81&fbclid=IwAR160TqCJofZunslux7hWfv1SBvfAwNhTYHACT3cnIvLWX8SG5nKnFZu4Lw THERE'S been plenty of bumps along the road, but Elmore trainer Keith Cotchin is hopeful of smoother times ahead with his promising three-year-old Betternbetter. The smart gelding has been besiged with problems throughout his short racing career, but appeared to be back to something like his best with a dominant win in the Happy 6th Birthday Emily Hayes Pace (2190m) at Maryborough on Wednesday. Chief among the issues which have plagued the son of Cee Cee Sheffield and Christina Cullen was a near-fatal colic attack last year. That he is still healthy and winning races is testament to all of his trainer's patience and love for the horse, the gelding's toughness and the great work from the team at the Bendigo Equine Centre, who saved Betternbetter. "We have had a few problems with him, that's for sure, but hopefully we are back on track now," Cotchin said. "He had the big colic operation and then he came back and had a few runs, but we were not sure what was going wrong. "He won his first two starts when we brought him back and then we ran him in the heat of the (Victoria) Derby at Ballarat, where he over-raced and was making a few noises. "We couldn't find anything wrong with him and we gave him another run and wasn't too impressive. "We did all these tests on him, but nothing showed up, so we have put a collar underneath his jaw to stop him arching his neck and that seems to have made a difference. "Hopefully we have sorted it out. He had his first run back the other night and got beat (at Geelong), but we think he switched off a bit. Today (Wednesday) he was very sharp." The gelding was rarely troubled throughout the run following a brilliant front-running drive from Greg Sugars. Cotchin said the gelding would next target the $25,000 Reg Withers Classic for three-year-olds at Kilmore on May 10 "There isn't a lot of races from him down in town at the moment, but the three-year-old classic at Kilmore looks a good option and then the Sires kicks off after that, which we will look at, all being well," he said. Meanwhile, a change of trainer has worked wonders for young mare Raptover A Rainbow, who broke through for a debut win at race start number five. The four-year-old is now under the care of Bendigo's Shaun McNaulty after formerly being trained by Matthew Craven. Raptover A Rainbow was having her first start since a second-place effort at Mount Gambier on January 19 and was driven by Bendigo's Chris Svanosio. Albert Rothacker, a member of harness racing's famed Rothacker family passed Sunday night 10th February aged 91. Albert was a foundation member of the Bendigo Harness Racing Club, Life Member and was instrumental in the progression and success of the BHRC. Albert farmed a property at Serpentine, and along with his brother Gordon and cousins Eric, Des and Stuart was an owner/driver in the 1950s and '60s as well as a hobby trainer, His son Robert has said, "Dad drove quite a bit and took Arlen to Melbourne in the mid '60s and won a couple of metro races," Robert said."In the '50s he drove Wilbur's Hope and three Rothackers, Albert, Eric and Gordon were in a race once and he did get up and beat Eric and Gentleman John and Gordon and Avian Again. Wilbur's Hope was a fantastic free-legged horse."Albert's driving career came to an end after hurting his shoulder in a fall at Horsham in the early 1970s, but he continued to train until 1994-95. Albert bred and owned horses including Impala which he raced with Robert, up until 2005.The Bendigo Harness Racing Club extends its condolences to Albert 'Rothacker's family and friends.
From Trots Media
Victorian harness racing has paid tribute to a long-time trainer, driver, gentleman and Inter Dominion champion in Eric Rothacker.The beloved trots participant passed in Bendigo at age 89 on October 13, leaving behind a devoted family and a considerable imprint on the harness racing landscape. Eric continued to train until 2015-16 and drive until 2009-10 after an extensive career of participation, most recently with 1996 Bendigo Trotters Cup winner Larry Do, 1990 Horsham Pacing Cup winner Eck’s Shadow and Fiery Gent (2002). His last training win was with Watch My Sox at St Arnaud on July 2, 2015, when he was aged 86, while it was at age 76 that he piloted his last win (Hanging Loose at Bendigo in November 2005). He was a prominent member of Victorian harness racing royalty, being the son of former Bendigo HRC President Vic Rothacker, nephew of Bill Rothacker and cousin of Gordon Rothacker. He formed a terrific and successful bond with Gentleman John in the 1950s, a gelding who he owned, trained and drove after the yearling was gifted to him by his father. Gentleman John would win 55 races including the 1955 A. G. Hunter Cup, three Vic Globe Derby Championships, three Melbourne Showgrounds Free For Alls and the Horsham Easter Cup. But it’s his victory in the 1956 Inter Dominion at Sydney’s Harold Park for Eric Rothacker that would provide a career highlight, with the 26-year-old being at the time the youngest reinsman to win the race. Gentleman John beat local pacer Mineral Spring by a head with New Zealand’s Caduceus a gallant third in front of a crowd of 34,020. It was Gentleman John’s 24th win and took his earnings to £19,000. Harness Racing Victoria extends its condolences to Mr Rothacker’s friends and family. |
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October 2020
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