ngakonui grass Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 14 minutes ago, Turny said: Fielding Agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buller Rep Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 14 hours ago, Taniwha99 said: Woodville Racecourse / Awapuni Racecourse Wanganui Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 19 hours ago, Turny said: Fielding Well done Tom ! How did you work that out ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 (edited) In 1973 I was an Inspector for Commercial Union and did a pre risk survey before going on risk. After 3 hours in the committee room and many whiskies later walked to my motel, straight to bed and woke with a huge hangover, went back got the rental car and drove back to Welly. Great club, great whiskey and had a relationship for many years Got invites to every meeting after and enjoyed many days there, minus the whiskies. A good lesson for a 22 year old in 1973 Edited February 28, 2022 by Turny 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 3 hours ago, Turny said: In 1973 I was an Inspector for Commercial Union and did a pre risk survey before going on risk. After 3 hours in the committee room and many whiskies later walked to my motel, straight to bed and woke with a huge hangover, went back got the rental car and drove back to Welly. Great club, great whiskey and had a relationship for many years Got invites to every meeting after and enjoyed many days there, minus the whiskies. A good lesson for a 22 year old in 1973 Were you there in 1988 when I brought the dreadful Blue Razor to parade in the birdcage ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 Okay this one's a bit tougher - where is this picnic meeting held in 1954 ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Too easy PJ, but I won't spoil it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 3 minutes ago, Hesi said: Too easy PJ, but I won't spoil it Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 38 minutes ago, Hesi said: Too easy PJ, but I won't spoil it Did you go to school there, Alan ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 1 hour ago, PWJ said: Were you there in 1988 when I brought the dreadful Blue Razor to parade in the birdcage ?? I shifted to Auckland in 87 after my wife exited the Air Force in Ohakea. We lived in the Bulls housing are from 77 to 86. Never missed a meeting from 73 to 86 The best meeting was the Easter Saturday and Monday, and backing Bob Waerea in the Highweights, the first race each day, Bob was an ATM machine for me. In the 70s there were 70 plus horses trained on the track, with Don Grubb having 20 odd. I rode work for Don each weekend mostly going to Foxton Beach. Great days. Really enjoyed my time there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWJ Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 19 minutes ago, Turny said: I shifted to Auckland in 87 after my wife exited the Air Force in Ohakea. We lived in the Bulls housing are from 77 to 86. Never missed a meeting from 73 to 86 The best meeting was the Easter Saturday and Monday, and backing Bob Waerea in the Highweights, the first race each day, Bob was an ATM machine for me. In the 70s there were 70 plus horses trained on the track, with Don Grubb having 20 odd. I rode work for Don each weekend mostly going to Foxton Beach. Great days. Really enjoyed my time there. Don Grubb trained some of my favourites - Gatcombe's Pride, Chief Joseph, Tanalyse and the Wanganui course specialist Monastic. Bob Waerea - great highweight/jumps rider who I think used to ride trackwork for Eric Ropiha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Yes Bob rode out for Eric, Gatcombes Pride was my fav, very nice mannered horse. Then we had Tono Bungay, what a nightmare he was -rode him once in fast work and he pulled my arms off, could have been anything if the brain had of been fused. Never ridden such a bloody strong horse, he was hell. Monastic was a little headstrong too but lovely animal off a lead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 1 hour ago, PWJ said: Did you go to school there, Alan ? No, just a few clever tricks on Google Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 20 minutes ago, Turny said: Yes Bob rode out for Eric, Gatcombes Pride was my fav, very nice mannered horse. Then we had Tono Bungay, what a nightmare he was -rode him once in fast work and he pulled my arms off, could have been anything if the brain had of been fused. Never ridden such a bloody strong horse, he was hell. Monastic was a little headstrong too but lovely animal off a lead. If I recall correctly Gatcombe's Pride was a real mudder and won the Cornwall Hcp at Ellerslie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Probably a few people here then that Tom and PJ know Generations of breeding reward the Fraser family February 10, 2009 For many years the backbone of the New Zealand breeding and racing industry lay in the provinces with farmers who had a mare or two, and a racehorse or two, in the back paddock. http://www.nzthoroughbred.co.nz/UserFiles/Image/ARCHIVE/Due Diligence pres 2953sm.jpg Sir Patrick Hogan (2nd from left), sponsor of the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic, with representatives of Due Diligence's ownership group at the presentation ceremony Photo: Trish Dunell The local racing club was a social focal point and trips to the local race meetings were often family affairs, and generations of New Zealanders got involved in the racing and breeding game through their family and kept their equine families going the same way. The equine family of the WRC Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (GR 2) winner Due Diligence (Danasinga – My Amazing Grace) is one such family. The Fraser family of Halcombe, about 10 minutes inland, east of Feilding, have been racing and breeding this family for over 50 years. According to Tom Fraser who farms a sheep, cattle and cropping farm that he has lived on all his life, his mother Olga owned My Amazing Grace ( Seige Perilous), and her mother Amazing Grace, (Sobig- Aurora's Pride) who was bred by another Mrs Fraser being Tom's grandmother. "My grandfather Tom was New Zealand Owner of the Year in 1931, and owned the winners of over 100 races, including Hunting Cry who won the Derby and five days later won the Railway, so I guess you could say that racing and breeding are in the blood," said an obviously delighted Tom Fraser when discussing the win of Due Diligence. "Mum raced all this family, she raced the grandam Amazing Grace who won six races, she was a sister to So and So who won 24 races including a listed steeplechase in Germany and a half sister to Gatcombe(All A'Light) who won six races including the AJC Chairman's Handicap. He was also third in the AJC Sydney Cup. They were out of Aurora's Pride (Tauloch – Lady Aurora) herself the winner of 10 races including the WRC Parliamentary Handicap – she was a good mudder! "From Amazing Grace she bred Gatcombe's Pride who we raced from Don Grubb's stable. He had also trained Gatcombe. Gatcombe's Pride(Vice Regal) was a great horse - he won 15 races, including the ARC Cornwall Handicap twice and the Trophy Handicap at Tauranga which was also Group Three. "Mum died in 1994 and I started breeding from My Amazing Grace shortly after that. She went twice to Vice Regal and left a three race winner in Auorica who we are also breeding from, and then we joined forces with the fELL boys at Fairdale Stud. "My boys, Stuart, Eion and Hamish are all mad keen on the game as well and have been involved in breeding from My Amazing Grace. We are hobby breeders and we have to sell a few to keep going. Over the past 10 years we have been involved with the Fell boys whom we have always known, and we go halves in the yearlings we take to Karaka," he explained. My Amazing Grace produced a colt to Oregon in 1999, which was sold at Karaka to Singapore interests for $32,000. He was named Dreyfuss and won the Singapore Derby. The following year she produced another colt to the same sire and he sold to John Wheeler for $46,000. He was named Treefeller and was placed. The mare then produced two fillies by Howbaddouwantit, the second of which went to Western Australia for $50,000. Her Riveria foal was retained by the family and leased to the South Island and will return to go to stud next season. "Due Diligence was bred using the Fells' nomination from their share in Danasinga (AUS). She was an outstanding individual, always a looker, and we sold her to Lance O'Sullivan for $50,000. This year we passed in another Howbaddouwantit filly at Karaka who is also a lovely looker, and brought her home to Halcombe where most of our horses are kept. Unfortunately My Amazing Grace died last season, shortly after producing a stunning Lucky Unicorn filly. "We also sent Auorica to Lucky Unicorn at the same time and we are very pleased with that foal as well. A group of us are racing her first foal Lozen (Daggers Drawn) and her second foal also by that sire is being raced by Stuart and his friends. We sold a His Royal Highness colt from this mare at the Ready to Run sale last November. "It was a great thrill for all of us to see Due Diligence win the Group Two race, especially for Hamish who is home from London at the moment. Coincidently he was at Canterbury University with some of the members of the Ona Bender Syndicate, Matt Karam and Tim Gillespie," said Fraser. There are 10 members all together in the syndicate and they are, as the name would suggest, having a lot of fun, and it's a case of third time lucky as the syndicate had previously lost the first two fillies they tried to race. The syndicate also includes former All Black Byron Kelleher and former Chiefs and Waikato player Sims Davidson, whose family are involved with Mapperly Stud which is why she races in tthe Mapperley colours. Hamish Fraser is a commodity trader in London, and his brother Stuart is currently also in the United Kingdom, living in Harrowgate where his wife is a veterinary pathologist. The third brother Eion lives in Auckland and works for New Zealand Bloodstock Limited in the Airfreight Division. Needless to say, as Due Diligence heads onwards towards the Group One New Zealand Oaks, they will all be keeping in touch and paying close attention to what is happening at Ellerslie in the first week of March, then at Trentham a fortnight later.- Michelle Saba 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 20 minutes ago, Turny said: Yes Bob rode out for Eric, Gatcombes Pride was my fav, very nice mannered horse. Then we had Tono Bungay, what a nightmare he was -rode him once in fast work and he pulled my arms off, could have been anything if the brain had of been fused. Never ridden such a bloody strong horse, he was hell. Monastic was a little headstrong too but lovely animal off a lead. hey Tom Tom. luvin' this reminiscing mate, some of those names ar erinin' bells for Max ...did you know Syd Brown's team at all back in the day at Woodville ..or Peter McLean/Ian Bradbury? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Knew a few of Syd Browns horses but never rode any, interestingly he campaigned to Sydney in the 70s on a regular basis with success, he was a master trainer, a very quiet guy but unforgiving if you shagged a race ride. Champion trainer. I was based in Feilding and knew the Awapuni trainers/riders more. Often helped Awapuni trainers on Race day at Awapuni/Marton/Bulls preparing their horses for their races. Was a long time ago Max, forgotten more than I remember 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngakonui grass Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Rawene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 1 hour ago, PWJ said: Don Grubb trained some of my favourites - Gatcombe's Pride, Don didn't like it much when Mrs vS lined her winter stayer up against Gatcombes Pride in the stakes races. Result Mrs vS 2 ... Mr Grubb 0 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 What was her horse Von Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Maizcay Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Laceration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceChat Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 3 hours ago, ngakonui grass said: Rawene i think so too.....think i ve seen this pic many moons ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 9 hours ago, Our Maizcay said: Laceration? correct 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 11 hours ago, Turny said: What was her horse Von Laceration - He was my pet! After dead heating in a race on 5th July with Sobeck at Wanganui, Merv Andrews came to Mrs vS and said "you have got Don Grubb worried" as they knew we were aiming for the 1988 Parliamentary Hcp. Won the Parliamentary that year and repeated the following year. Had so much fun with that horse winning 9 races from 28 starts. We retired him straight after the 1989 Parliamentary as a 9yo (didn't start racing until a late 6yo) and he enjoyed a great retirement until he was 30 yo. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Remember Laceration Von, and yes was a very good horse. GP needed very loose ground to perform, was a gorgeous pleasant horse who always put in. What a great Era that was, I think Don had 9 open class gallopers in work around that time, all having won 4 races, which was a profit for two years. Not so today, hence my lack of deep interest nowadays, but do enjoy a couple of trips to Trentham each year, Oaks and Steeplechase days, still the home of racing because if you could win at Trentham you knew you had a good one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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