When Dan Mielicki exclaimed, “This is one of the greatest wins you will ever, ever see” the curtain came down on the induction of six new members into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
Dan was referring to the champion trotter Knight Pistol’s amazing Moonee Valley track record win off 70 metres when he gave Noopy Kiosk 40 metres start and a beating.
Knight Pistol remains the only “Down Under” bred trotter to win a leg of The European Grand Circuit and was not the only Knight inducted.
The late Vin Knight, six-time Melbourne premiership reinsman and a one-time all-time Melbourne wins record holder, is also now in the Hall of Fame.
The 200 plus diners were treated to a photographic slide show of the life and times of Vin that was backed by Don McLean’s haunting classic ballad “Vincent”. It was a starry, starry night indeed.
The first Hall of Fame inductee of the evening was the Ballarat-based champion pacer Happy Voyage, winner of the 1917 Richmond Thousand and a horse that set five mile records in Australia and New Zealand and also claimed a world mile record on grass. Happy Voyage was sold to stand at stud in NZ where he sired the dam of Haughty, the first 2:00 mare in Australasia and six millionaires trace back to his daughters.
Happy Voyage’s trophy is planned to be a centerpiece of a future Hall of Fame that has been mooted for Bray Raceway.
Keith Raw who was one of few horsemen that was able to challenge the Gordon Rothacker juggernaut was also inducted. Keith won four premierships and was a genius with young horses such as Opal Chief, Alipes, San Marco, Hank Scott and Stepping Chief. In the period from 1960 to 1970 Keith trained more Melbourne 2YO winners than any other trainer.
On an evening that Vin Knight was inducted into the Hall of Fame it was fitting that his great friend and archrival on the track Andrew Peace also joined.
Andrew won four Melbourne driving premierships and three Melbourne training premierships but the one towering achievement of his in winning both the driving and training premierships in Melbourne and Sydney in the same season stamped his entry papers. It is an achievement that will never be equaled.
Last year the Abrahams Family was inducted into the Hall of Fame and in 2015 it was the turn of the Shinn Family who have had a century long history of excellence with seven members that have achieved Group One success.
The patriarch of the family was Hubert, son of Wantabadgery farmer William and Sarah, daughter of Chinese miner Henry Kong Pow.
Hubert won races in four States, captured a Melbourne Driving Premiership in 1933/34 and was never suspended in 45 years of competing.
His sons were Bill (a SA icon who trained and drove 1958 Melbourne Inter Dominion champion Free Hall), Frank (Group success in Tasmania, S.A. and Victoria) and Reg (Group success in SA and Victoria).
Frank’s son Gerald and Steven were successful in Melbourne with Steven winning the Kilmore Cup on Pure Steel before carving out a successful career in North America.
Reg’s son Noel has achieved the most Melbourne driving (158) and training (198) successes of any of the family and will forever be remembered for the first triple Victorian Sire Stakes champion Colbruce.
Noel’s wife Ruth (nee Evans) has trained 77 Melbourne winners including a Group One with Steam Washed that was driven by Noel and Ruth’s son Christopher. Their daughter Jessie has also been successful as a driver.
The eagerly awaited announcement of the fourth Legend followed Ken Murdoch and Marty Fields’ Pianomania, a highly entertaining show featuring dueling Grand Pianos.
The fourth legend to join Gordon Rothacker, Maori’s Idol and George Gath was Globe Derby, the greatest Standardbred stallion ever born in the Southern Hemisphere, and the stallion chosen in 1976 to be associated with the Australian National Sire Awards.
Globe Derby was a champion on the track but even better in the stud barn. He sired any number of great sons and daughters such as Evicus (1936 ID), Springfield Globe (1939 ID), Logan Derby (1940 ID), Walla Walla (Australia’s greatest pacer of his era), Auburn Lad (NZ mile record holder), Van Derby (NZ mile race record) and New Derby.
The Globe Derby sireline dominated Australasian racing for more than fifty years and provided the first 2:00 mile in NZ (Lawn Derby), the first 2:00 mile in Australia (Avian Derby), the first sub 2:00 mile in Australia (Ribands) and the fastest ever mile at the Melbourne Showgrounds (Reichman).
An indicator of its influence in Victoria is that 13 of the first 18 Hunter Cup winners and two of the first three Melbourne Inter Dominion winners were by Globe Derby line stallions.
The Victoria Harness Racing Media Association in partnership with Rob Merola (SEW Eurodrive) created and successfully promoted the Night of Nostalgia in 2008, an event that led to the Hall of Fame being established.
One of the features of that Night of Nostalgia and every subsequent Hall of Fame has been the presentation of Certificates of Merit to people within the sport that have worked and performed with credit for an extended period of time.
At the seventh annual Hall of Fame on Thursday night, 15th October, the total of Certificates awarded reached 117, the latest six going to Dennis Foley (Ballarat), Carmel Dix (Maryborough), Rita Burnett (trainer/driver), Bernie Blackshaw (Wangaratta), Lance Justice (trainer/driver) and John Hawke (Renown Silverware).
The Victorian Harness Racing Trainers and Drivers Association who are now partners in the Hall of Fame once again presented a meritorious award with Steve Warren taking it home.
The other partner, Harness Racing Victoria, announced the most extensive list of Media Awards in Victorian Trots history with the major award for Media Personality of the Year going to Gareth Hall (Sky Racing), who received $1,500 and a trophy.
All the other award winners listed below received $500 and a trophy.
Meritorious Award – Tony Logan (Wimmera Mail Times and The Weekly Advertiser)
Rising Star Award – Bridget Cook (Cranbourne Racing Media)
Best Coverage (Television) – In The Gig (Sky Racing)
Best Coverage (Radio/Podcast) – Onefortysevenseven Podcast (Brett Coffey/Shannon Nixon)
Best Coverage (Print) – Paul Courts (Harness Racing Weekly, The Harness Racer, Harnessnews.com.au and Harness Link)
Best Coverage (Social Media) – Desiree Pettit (Harness Breeders Victoria)
Best News Story (Radio, Print, Television or Digital) – Tomren Chases Dream in Hunter Cup (Bridget Cook, Cranbourne Racing Media)
Best Feature Story (Radio, Print Television or Digital) – Farewell Smoken Up (Gareth Hall, Sky Racing, In The Gig)
Best Photograph – Chris Alford and Larry Eastman celebrate Derby win (Stuart McCormick).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
