A true Legend… Halwes – By Jim Hogan
Most of the horses I have written about in previous stories have been ‘champions’ in one way or another, but occasionally a horse comes along that is SO much better than the others of his time that he, or she, deserves a title greater than champion. These horses generally become known as legends. Now there have been a few legends in the last 50 years, Cardigan Bay is one and Popular Alm is another, but I won’t try and
list them all, instead I will, tonight, tell you about just one. He came from Tasmania and he is a TRUE legend in Australian harness racing. His name was Halwes.
Bred by Charlie Dickson at Canowindra, Halwes was given to Charlie Williams to settle a debt! Williams then gave him to Aub Wesley to train on a half share basis.`Halwes was beautifully bred, being by Nephew Jay from Desmouth. On his sire’s side he traced to Hal Dale, Peter Volo and Peter the Great. His dam, Desmouth, was a sister to Floodlight who ran third in the 1952 Inter Dominion final to Avian Derby, and traced back to Raider and Globe Derby, so he definitely had ‘blue blood’ running through his veins.
Halwes didn’t race until he was a 4yo, having his first start at Carrick, Tasmania, on 23-11-63. He started at 1-2, won rating 2-25 3/5, and beat Sitting Bull by 30 metres with 50 metres to Beau Belwin. It was a good beginning but probably nobody realised that they were there at the start of something very special. He won his next 3 starts at Elphin and Elwick before dead heating for first with Tas Nez at Carrick on 1-2-64, in the heat of the Novice Championship, off 20 metres. He came out a few races later, on the same day, and ran second in the final, to Duke Maru, who beat him by 2 metres. Halwes then won his remaining six starts as a 4yo to finish his first season with 12 starts for 11 wins (one a dead heat) and a second.
He resumed as a 5yo running unplaced behind another very good Tasmanian pacer, Stormy Bruce, and then made a flying visit to the mainland. He had 2 starts at the Melbourne Showgrounds, winning both. The first was on 9-1-65, where he started 7-4 and won in race record time, and a week later he ran another race record, beating Siva by 10 metres. Back in ‘Tassie’ he started off 30 metres and won the Danbury Park Cup at Elphin, ran 2nd in the Burnie Cup off 50 metres, won the Sorell Cup off 40 metres, and then won 2 of his next 3 starts. He then made another flying visit to Melbourne for 3 races, winning all 3. The first was on 3-4-65 where he beat Slick Deed by 23 metres, rating a very fast (for the Showgrounds) 2-6 4/5, which was ANOTHER race record, the following week he won again and his final start, for this visit, was on 17-4-65 where he beat New Noble by 8 metres in record time. He then had an unplaced run back home. His 5yo season saw 13
starts
for 9 wins and a second.
He never raced as a 6yo, I don’t know why, but he resumed as a 7yo winning his first 8 starts. The first was on 15-10-66, at Ulverstone, winning from 60 metres, then he started at 1-6 winning a FFA at Elwick by 80 metres rating a VERY slick 2-5 3/10 which was a track record. He then started at 1-10 winning a Sorell FFA by 30 metres, won at Elphin by 10 metres and on the 17-12-66 started at 1-20 when he set a new track record at Elphin. He then went to Elwick to contest the Tasmanian Pacing championship. He won his first heat off 40 metres, starting at 1-5, and rated a record 2-5, won his 2nd heat off 50 metres, beating top class performer, Future Intangible, and on the 31-12-66 won the final, off 40 metres, beating Future Intangible again and rating a record 2-5 4/5, very fast time for this track in 1966.
He then began his racing career on the mainland, first up being a FFA at Melbourne on 7-1-67. By now he was well known to Victorians, having been unbeaten in 5 starts there, and coming into this race with 8 wins ‘on the trot’, ensured he would be well fancied. He started 1-1 favourite for this top class FFA and was first across the line by a neck, but the driver of the second placed horse, Robin Dundee, protested. The connections of Halwes said if they took the race off him they would never race in Melbourne again! They DID, and that was the last time Victorian’s saw Halwes race in their state!!! He then travelled across to Perth for the 1967 Inter Dominion series. On the first night of heats he started at 9-10 but ran 2nd to the eventual grand final winner, Binshaw, after giving him 20 metres start. Three nights later he was 4-5 favourite and, once again from 20 metres, ran 2nd to Binshaw, the margin being 3 metres in both races. Halwes then suffered a
minor leg injury which ruled him out for the rest of the series. Resuming at Elwick a month later he won from 60 metres and then headed up to his new base of operations, Harold Park.
On 23-3-67 he had his first start here for a 2nd to Robin Dundee and a week later ran 5th, from 10 metres, to Dale’s Gift in the Lord Mayor’s Cup. Seven days later he had his last start for the season running 2nd to the brilliant, but erratic, Voice Derby. As a 7yo Halwes had 15 starts for 9 wins and 5 seconds.
He resumed, as an 8yo, on 7-10-67. Although nobody knew it at the time, this was the season that would put his name ‘up in lights’. First up he won, from 70 metres, at New Norfolk, and six days later had his first start, for the new season, at HP, running 3rd to the brilliant Macaree in the Whirlwind Stakes. A week later he ran 5th, in a FFA, to Macaree once again, but the following week won the Spring Cup from Voice Derby. In this race he began well from his 10 metre mark and sat mid-field until the bell lap. He made his move, with one lap to go, and was 3 wide for the entire last lap, but was just too strong for the runner up. He came back a week later for an Invitation and, from 20 metres, won easily, beating First Lee by 15 metres and breaking the race record. Given a 2 months break, he resumed in January at the HP Summer Carnival, winning the one mile Cannonball Stakes, from 20 metres, beating Macaree and rating 2-4 3/5, but failing to break the race record of 2-4 2/5 set by Uncle Joe way back in 1954. A week later he won the FFA beating First Lee and Macaree in record time and the following week contested the 1968 Summer Cup. He was expected to win this race as well but to everyone’s amazement was beaten! He came into this race with 4 wins in a row and he was to win his next 5 in a row including 3 ID heats in NZ, so there was no question that he was the best horse in Australia AND NZ. On this night, however, he ran into the absolutely brilliant but ill-fated Victorian, Raiarmagh Pool. Well placed early, Raiarmagh Pool sprinted 5 lengths clear of the field at the 600 metre mark and held that advantage to the finish line with Halwes a battling second and 15 metres to the third placed Macaree. The winning margin could have been double that if his driver, Gordon Rothaker, had so desired, so dominant was Raiarmagh Pool
Raiarmagh Pool could have been ‘anything’. He won 20 of his 26 starts including his last 4 in a row. At his 2nd last start he gave Adaptor 10 metres start and a thrashing in the Shepparton Cup, winning in track record time. Adaptor was a Miracle Mile winner before going to America. He then had his last start in the HP Summer Cup beating Halwes easily. Given that we now consider Halwes one of the ‘Greats’ of harness racing one can only wonder just how good Raiarmagh Pool was. Gordon Rothaker once said he was the best horse he ever handled and he had quite a few ‘good ones’! It was one of the great tragedies of harness racing when he died 4 months later, robbing harness racing of the most promising pacer I have ever seen.
Halwes then travelled to Auckland for the Inter Dominion series. Off 15 metres, he won his first heat easily in track record time, and 4 days later ran a world record rate of 2-4 1/5 for 11 furlongs (standing start), winning by 8 metres. Three nights later, off 15 metres again, he won his final heat beating First Lee quite comfortably. He was a raging hot favourite for the final but it is now history how he was scratched just 1 hour before the race with a minor hoof problem. After he won his first heat part owner, Charlie Williams, wanted to sell his half interest in Halwes to American interests for $50,000, but Aub Wesley said no and the horse stayed here.
Three weeks after he was withdrawn from the ID final he lined up in the Miracle Mile at HP, started 4-9 favourite and absolutely demolished the field, winning by 20 metres in world record time. Second home was the ID winner, First Lee with a further 10 metres to Great Adios. Two weeks later he started in an Invitation at HP off 30 metres behind. Last early, he sprinted to the lead with 2 laps to go and made the race a procession from there. He raced 3 lengths in front down the back straight and won by 15 metres in Australian record time. He then ran 3rd, from 30 metres, in the one mile Tornado Stakes but 6 days later raced in a FFA. He started at 1-5, went to the front with 2 laps to go, was 4 lengths in front with one lap to go, ran 6 lengths in front down the back straight and won by 20 metres in Australian record time. A week later he lined up in the Easter Cup off 30 metres. He was last early but made his move with one lap to go. Forced 3 wide
at
the bell, and 4 wide down the back straight, he sprinted very quickly to win, once again, in record time. Two weeks later he started off 40 metres in the Marathon Stakes over 15½ furlongs (3100 metres). Three’s ‘on’ in the betting, he made a run from last with 2 laps to go but was caught 3 wide and dropped back. He made another run with one lap to go but was forced 4 wide for the entire last lap. Despite this hard run he STILL won easily. That was his last start for the season. His 8yo record read 17 starts for 13 wins including 2 Australian, and 2 world, records. He was, of course, voted 1968 Harness Horse of the Year.
Back home for a spell, he resumed as a 9yo on 7-9-68 in an Elwick FFA. Starting at 1-20 he demolished the field, winning by 115 metres. Three weeks later he returned to HP in the Lightning Stakes over one mile. Starting at 1-10 and from barrier six behind the mobile, he went forward at the start but was caught 3 wide early before settling midfield. In the back straight the last time, he sprinted quickly to the lead and won easily. Two weeks later he started in the one mile Whirlwind Stakes but could only finish 5th over the short distance from his handicap of 30 metres. A week later, however, he raced in a FFA. Starting at 1-8 he was last early, raced up to sit outside the leader at the bell, went to the front on the home turn and won unextended. A week later, off 40 metres in the Spring Cup, he was last early and forced 4 wide for the entire last lap to be beaten by just 4 metres and a head.
A week later, on 1-11-68, he again started off 40 metres, this time in an Invitation event. He was, of course, last early but went 3 wide with 2 laps to go to sit outside the leader. He raced to the lead in the home straight to win well. Three weeks later he was invited to go against the clock at HP, running 1-57 3/10 to set a new Australian record. Given a short let up, he resumed on 17-1-69 off 30 metres in the one mile Cannonball Stakes, finishing 6th. A week later he had his last start, off 40 metres, in an Invitation, once again finishing 6th. The handicaps were proving his undoing and, because he was now 9 years old, the decision was made to retire him to stud rather than keep trying to ‘do the impossible’.
Halwes retired to stud with a career record of 64 starts for 46 wins and 10 placings. He was only beaten twice from level marks in his last 4 years of racing and only the handicapper was able to keep him within sight of the fields of the day. When he contested the Inter Dominion in NZ he was clearly superior to ALL the Kiwi Pacers, and was a different class of horse to the ID winner and MM runner up, First Lee.
In every decade there appears a horse, or two, who are far superior to the other ‘champions’ of that era. In the 1960’s there were three GENUINE contenders for the title of ‘legend’, Cardigan Bay was one, the trotter Gramel another and Halwes. Kevin Newman, a living legend in NSW harness racing, has always said he was the best horse he ever saw, and he saw them all back to the early 1950’s. Those of us who were fortunate enough to be there during Halwes’s reign always knew we were seeing a very special horse in action. One can only wonder how he would have gone racing under today’s all mobile conditions. You would have to think, however, that a second row draw was FAR more to his liking than having to give his opponents 30-40 metres start every time.
Halwes died of a heart attack, aged 28, on 15-9-87, at the Hagley property of his adoring owner/trainer, Aub Wesley.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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