By Tayler Strong
The 1954 Waimate Centennial Cup was re-presented as the trophy for the 2019 edition of the Whitestone Livestock Waimate Cup on Sunday.
“People from Riverton found the old Waimate Cup in a dump and kindly returned it to the Waimate Trotting Club,’’ explained Alex Colvill, president of the club.
The 2019 Cup was won by Onedin Reign, who held off stablemate Spot On by a head. Both horses are trained by Robert and John Dunn at Woodend Beach. John drove Onedin Reign, raced by breeders Gary and Terry Lane.
It was the third Waimate Cup win for the Dunns. Robert trained the 2003 winner Make A Meddle (driven by Mark Jones) and Madiba Magic (2015 at Oamaru), driven by John, who also drove the Geoff Dunn-trained C C Mee to win in 2004.
The Waimate Centennial Cup was won by Captain King, who was among five wins that day on a nine-race card for reinsman Jimmy King in atrocious conditions on December 11, 1954. The Cup was over two miles and Captain King also won the final race on the card over a mile and a quarter. Captain King was owned and trained at Washdyke by Jock Bain, who also trained the King-driven winners Gold Moana and Don Hall.
Paul Gallagher, a former horseman based at Washdyke, who attended the meeting on Sunday, recalled the 1954 meeting.
’I was there and remember Jimmy had to be led back after he won the last race as he was blind with the mud,” said Gallagher.
Jock Bain owned and trained Captain Sandy to win the Auckland Trotting Cup in 1948 and 49 and Interdominion Final in Melbourne in 1950. Bain, who leased Captain Sandy, returned him to breeder Bob Ludemann after failing to win a race for the next two seasons and the Sandydale gelding was subsequently retired.
Captain Sandy was then bought for 525 guineas in 1952 by Adelaide trainer Dinny Nolan and won the 1953 Interdominion Final in Perth as a 10yr-old.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
