Spring Harness Racing Champions

[Lightning Blue]

Winter is nearly done , so Harness raceplace Hiatus is over,  so time to build up to the Great Nz races this Spring.!! bring it on ....

Everyone might be picking AKUTA this year to take out the BIG race out >> The New Zealand Cup in November , especially after his smashing Auckland Cup win at his last start in May for Mark .

Going to put some Great runners here , with a Trivia question each week as we get into the wonderful Spring racing . 

A beauty to kick off !!! 😊 with this guy posing nicely . 

1/ Who do we have here ?

2/ What is his main racing claim to fame ?

 

[Globederby19]

False Step and Cecil Devine. Three NZ Cups.

[Double R]

24 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

False Step and Cecil Devine. Three NZ Cups.

Hi Rees.

When I first looked at this photo, I was initially thrown, as the driver looked like Maurice Holmes, and the likeness with Cecil Devine is very uncanny.

[Globederby19]

10 minutes ago, Double R said:

Hi Rees.

When I first looked at this photo, I was initially thrown, as the driver looked like Maurice Holmes, and the likeness with Cecil Devine is very uncanny.

Thats a young Cecil Devine ,Robert. 

[Globederby19]

Another trivia question.

An incident happened in a NZ Cup, similar to the Ricky May incident.

1  Name the year

2  Name the Winner

3  Name the person involved 

[Blackie]

1. 1939

2. Lucky Jack

3. Eugene McDermott(Colonel Grattan).

[Double R]

1 hour ago, Globederby19 said:

Thats a young Cecil Devine ,Robert. 

Yep, I know that Rees, it was just the resemblance was interesting.

[Globederby19]

27 minutes ago, Blackie said:

1. 1939

2. Lucky Jack

3. Eugene McDermott(Colonel Grattan).

Yep, well done Blackie. 👍

[Lightning Blue]

2 hours ago, Globederby19 said:

False Step and Cecil Devine. Three NZ Cups.

Spot on . thought I would trick some-one into thinking Lord Module but you're too good. No wheel disc's on Cecil's race sulky showed it to be earlier .

The wheel discs coming in around 1970 ish?...... possibly Arapaho the first to Win the Nz Cup with them on the wheels. 

[Lightning Blue]

Well so not to make it too easy , we just have a 'head shot' of the winner today. 😉  in a fine action photo ......

The champion emerging (his first crack at the Cup 🏆)  on the left there in photo on a very heavy Addington track , thrived in the conditions and powered away by 3 lengths to win.

1/ Who is this winner ? (where you will have to remember some harness instead of silks 😂)

2/ clue... The favourite in this race was a horse EveryBody Knows. ...even gallops people. (alas he ran down the track in the boggy conditions) 

Who might that be ?

 

 

 

 

[Blackie]

No one answered yet so…

1962 Trotting Cup won by that mudlark Lordship, what a great wee horse he was and certainly improved the NZ broodmare band.
Cardigan Bay , unusually named after an inlet in Wales, 5th.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Blackie

[Lightning Blue]

Certainly a Spring Champion was Lordship. Maybe just as good as Cardigan Bay on his day. 

would be interesting to see what their Head to Head was.

 Lordship also winning the New Zealand FFA  on showday after galloping way out the back , then circling the field 3 wide mid-race , then running down Cardigan Bay !!!  wow... 

Cardigan Bay winning the Nz Cup the following year off a long Handicap . Lordship also winning a second Nz Cup later on off a Long Handicap as well.

Today's Champion question then >>>>>>>

1/ Who was the champion Pacer who was unlucky enough to meet both Lordship and Cardigan Bay in those Long Handicap Nz Cup wins of theirs?

2/ Clue ....  She suffered the same "Fate'  in-between those 2 Cup winners, also at the hands of Wolfie as well.  What was the 3 time Achievement ???

[Blackie]

Be 2nd in the 1965 Cup to Garry Dillon? So 3x second in the NZ Cup, how tough? Raced in 3 countries and back again did Robin Dundee, 14.2hh.

 

[Lightning Blue]

That is pretty stiff to run 2nd in 3 New Zealand Cups . Robin Dundee just missing out coming up against some legends of the track through her career.

History can repeat too 🏆 .....   like Robin Dundee,  this horse Won the Interdominion Final , but missed in 3 Nz Cup attacks....

Todays Horse is a real hybrid Nz/ Aus champion and like Robin Dundee , just failed to win a NZ Cup on 3 occasions and to rub it in , they were against the FASTEST NZ Cups ever run , with them hurtling around in Cup record times under 3.55 for the 2 miles...... every time he had a crack.

1/  Who is this Spring Champion ? ...... getting oh so close to Nz cup win .

2/ Who were the very Fast conqueror's of him to deny him a Nz Cup ?

 

[Double R]

Tiger Tara.

Lazarus beat him twice, and The Fixer once.

Message to myself!!! Let someone else have a go at answering these Robert.

[Lightning Blue]

28 minutes ago, Double R said:

Tiger Tara.

Lazarus beat him twice, and The Fixer once.

Message to myself!!! Let someone else have a go at answering these Robert.

Anyone can join in mate. always fun to view some of the greats again.  Spring has sprung ☀️  and the Cup champions are a thing of greatness . is great seeing them kick off once again ....ready for a Cup tilt in November. 

Lazarus looks bit like the Tiger too.?  2 of the very best ever.  Mark must be favourite this year too ?? with the amazing AKUTA. 

Tiger Tara had sired a couple of winning 2 year olds last season from his first crop , but they didn't go on with it this year . which seems a bit surprising and worrying.  think he might of gone back to Nz to stand now.

[Blackie]

Whisper horse of the moment goes around tonight in the Maurice Holmes, Anything Goes, maybe Nat’s drive in the Cup? All set up for a Lightning Blue offload?💰😊. Paying $11 as of tonight.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Blackie

[Lightning Blue]

20 minutes ago, Blackie said:

Whisper horse of the moment goes around tonight in the Maurice Holmes, Anything Goes, maybe Nat’s drive in the Cup? All set up for a Lightning Blue offload?💰😊. Paying $11 as of tonight.

nah mate. 'anything goes' but ya got to get going first...  It galloped out last start and doesn't look comfortable at all in standing starts . tonight will be lucky to get away with them . In the Cup ? No chance.

The Cup is already engraved with the 2023 winner . Only 5 letters needed .....

Have a go at this !!!  nearly airborne here in photo off the ground with all four feet , he's going that fast .  Incredible beast ...

[Globederby19]

Lazarus.

[Globederby19]

1 hour ago, Lightning Blue said:

The Cup is already engraved with the 2023 winner . Only 5 letters needed .....

You really think it's that easy. ?. 

[Lightning Blue]

54 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

1 hour ago, Lightning Blue said:

The Cup is already engraved with the 2023 winner . Only 5 letters needed .....

You really think it's that easy.

The changing of the guard was signalled in May with The Auckland trotting Cup. At Akuta's last race start.  (also a 2mile stand start like the nz Cup)

AKUTA powering past 'Copy That ' and 'Self Assured' (the winners of the past 3 Nz Cups between them)  to win well.

He ran 4th last year as a 3 yearold in the Nz Cup (a fabulous effort)  and will have developed a year on now , after those Fabulous clashes with Copy That and Self Assured in the Race by grins, the Taylor mile, the Messenger ,Waikato mile etc  back in the Autumn.   Nz racing at it's Best !! 

Akuta will win the Nz Cup🏆 easily , (by 3 lengths like Lazarus did maybe) , and at $3.80 odds currently too !! which is great for the punter . just Get on and enjoy your winnings 💰 come Nov.  

 

[Globederby19]

2 hours ago, Blackie said:

Whisper horse of the moment goes around tonight in the Maurice Holmes, Anything Goes,

Not a bad horse, but beaten on its merits tonight.   My pick for the Cup for a second time and as a seven year old I think this is his year again. Self Assured. This horse just doesn't know when to lie down , and would be one of the toughest and grittiest horses to put his head through a bridal. 54 times from 57 starts in the money speaks for itself. On of Better Delights best. Republican Party for a longshot and interested to see if Majestic Charger has another go, great two miler.

[Globederby19]

11 minutes ago, Lightning Blue said:

AKUTA powering past 'Copy That ' and 'Self Assured' (the winners of the past 3 Nz Cups between them)  to win well.

C,mon LB, watch the race again. Self Assured had to work hard around them and not find the lead early on as Kango wouldn't let Rasmussen in, then sat parked for a while  then got a trail 3 back again, but still had plenty left in the staight, and it took a big effort from Akuta who had done no work at all to get the upper hand. Copy That had to sprint around them to sit parked but couldn't go on with it . Iron horse is Self Assured, given a good run in transit I think you will lose yr money. JMHO.

[Lightning Blue]

Here's a Contender for the Leading Spring Champion of Nz harness racing.

Copy That could possibly be on track to try and match the efforts of this bloke in this photo below this year .

Thought it was Blair Orange running 2nd here too, but the angle is deceptive and the Champion horse nearest camera ran 2nd by a nose. 

1/ Name the Star taking victory here in one of his November forays ? 

2/ For a bonus point or 2, can you name the Oz Champion 2nd and Blair's runner as well ?

[Double R]

Terror To ???.

Smoken ??.

Highview ??

Someone else can complete the names.