GREAT HARNESS HORSES 1960-1980
YOUNG QUINN
In every decade there is usually ONE horse who stands out from the crowd, a horse who is better than ANY other champion of that era. In the 1950’s it was Caduceus, the 1960’s gave us Cardigan Bay, in the 1980’s it was probably Popular Alm, for the 1990’s it was Christian Cullen and for the “noughties” it would have to be Black’s A fake . The 1970’s was awash with really top class horses, more than I have ever seen in one decade, but STILL one horse stood out from this ‘crowd’, one horse who CLEARLY established himself as better than all the rest, and that horse is the subject of this story. The horse that set the pulses racing the most in the 1970’s was Young Quinn. He was one of THE greatest horses of the last 50 years and was absolutely sensational as a 5yo.
He was known to his connections as simply ‘garbage’, due to his habit of eating EVERYTHING in sight including his bedding, however to his fans he was ‘the Mighty Quinn’. He got his name, not just from his deeds on the track, but from a Bob Dylan song recorded by Manfred Mann in 1968 called “The Mighty Quinn”. One of the lines in the song went “You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn”. This summed him up perfectly and he became the Mighty Quinn to all his legion of fans.
The Young Quinn story started in 1965 when Southland farmer, Bud Baynes, purchased a mare called Loyal Trick for around $400 from two friends. He intended to race her but veterinary opinion said no, so she was sent to stud. Bud’s brother, Colin Baynes, was standing Young Charles at his Otama property so she was sent to him. The first foal, a filly who raced as Judy Charles, won a few races for Colin McLachlan, who bought her as a yearling. Her next foal died. Bud’s son, Des, was working for his uncle Colin, and was offered a free service to Young Charles. Dad provided the mare, Loyal Trick, and father and son agreed to race the foal in partnership. The foal was named Young Quinn after a champion NZ shearer named Snowy Quinn, who Bud had worked with and admired some years earlier.
Many people automatically think of trainer Charlie Hunter when talking about Young Quinn, but he was originally trained by his owner Bud Baynes for his first 7 starts and then trained by Clem Scott for his next 8 starts. Similarly most think of Robert Cameron as his driver but he was also driven by D.McNaught, Peter Wolfenden, Charlie Hunter and Charlie’s ‘right hand man’ John Langdon, who was in the chair when he won his most important race.
He was bred in the South but was trained in the North which led to some confusion as to whether he was really a North Island horse or a South Islander!
‘Garbage’ showed ability right from the start, and when he had his first race start in a 2yo event at Addington on 21-1-72 he came out a winner, although by just a head. This was a really good effort as Young Quinn was a late foal, being born in December, so he was giving ‘age’ to most of his rivals in ALL of his 2yo races. He had his 2nd start eight days later in the Forbury Juvenile stakes and won by a length. (Note that I will be giving all of his winning margins in NZ in THEIR format of lengths, rather than the Australian way of metres, except for his Aussie races. As a guide a length is about equal to 4 metres.)
At his 3rd start on 19-2-72 he ran 3rd at New Brighton after getting caught in ‘traffic’ but he bounced right back a week later winning the Timaru Nursery Stakes by 3½ lengths in record time. Next was the NZ Kindergarten Stakes and, driven by D.McNaught he ‘bolted’ in, again by 3½ lengths and ran a new race record with a 2-7 2/5 mile rate. On to Addington where he won off 12 yards by 1½ lengths but at his next start he ran last, very much out of character, but he would not be beaten again that season.
On 6-5-72, now trained by Clem Scott, he won the Prince Mobile Stakes at Auckland by 10 lengths, rating 2-5, and a week later, still at Auckland, won the NZ Juvenile Championship by 4½ lengths, rating a NZ record 2-5 for the 11 furling event. At his last start for the season on 3-6-72, he contested the NZ Sapling Stakes at Ashburton and won in sensational circumstances. This was one of the most incredible wins ever seen at ANY level. Soon after the start he was badly checked and pulled to a FULL STOP then, no sooner had he got going once more when he was checked again, this time by Holmfield who fell in front of him! Robert Cameron had had enough of this and sprinted him quickly around the field to lead, figuring he could not get into any more trouble if in front. From there he dictated the pace and ran right away in the straight to win easily by 3 lengths. It was an incredible win given the problems he encountered during the race. As a 2yo Young Quinn
had 10 starts for 8 wins and was, of course, voted 2yo pacer of the year.
Resuming 3 months later he had his first 3yo start at New Brighton on 16-9-72, running 6th, from 24 yards. He was trialling brilliantly during October but suffered a knee injury which he never seemed to recover from during the season. On 18-11-72 he ran 5th in the NZ Derby Stakes at Addington then 3rd at New Brighton and 9th at Ashburton. On 2-1-73 he won the Mercer Mile in 2-3-3/5 but at his next start, now trained again by Bud Baynes, ran last in the Southland Futurity and then 14th in the NZ 3yo Championship. A week later he won a 3yo event at Forbury Park and was then transferred to Charlie Hunter to train. At his first start for Hunter he took on the best open class pacers in an Invitation event, running a very credible 3rd to Vanadium and Arapaho at Auckland, and 4 days later ran 3rd again, this time in the Gold Cup, to Arapaho and Vanadium. These were terrific performances as he was only a 3yo, and a ‘young’ one at that, competing against the very
best pacers in the land. Three days later he ran 5th to Arapaho and at his last start for the season ran 8th to Speedy Guest in the Great Northern Derby. It was a disappointing season after his wonderful 2yo year with just 2 wins in 12 starts, but his early injury definitely had much to do with that.
Resuming as a 4yo on 18-8-73 at Franklin, he ran 2nd to Royal Raider beaten a neck and 2 weeks later was again 2nd beaten a half a head by the Inter Dominion placegetter, Royal Ascot. Three days later he won an Invitation at Wellington and 3 days after that ran 3rd in a FFA. He followed that with a 2nd to Young Cardigan at Auckland and a week later won an Invitation there beating the same horse by 6 lengths. Three weeks later he again won at Auckland and followed that 4 days later with a 7th, from 18 yards, to False Dream. He then moved on to Addington for the NZ Cup carnival.
In the NZ Cup he finished a well beaten 3rd to Arapaho and Globe Bay and 6 days later ran 4th to Robalan in the NZ FFA. Four nights later he won the Alan Matson Stakes and four nights after that won an Invitation from Hi Foyle and Royal Ascot. Two weeks later he contested the Stars Travel Miracle Mile and was beaten just half a head by Robalan in 1-58½ with Arapaho 5 lengths away 3rd. Next he took on the National Flying Pace and was beaten by the same horse with Arapaho again 3rd. A week later it was the 2 mile Auckland cup and he AGAIN ran 2nd, this time behind Arapaho and 5 nights later in the Flying Mile was again 2nd to Arapaho, beaten just a nose. He then ran 2nd again, this time behind Robalan in an Invitation and 3 nights later ran 2nd again to Robalan in the Wellington Cup. It was his 6th consecutive 2nd placing at the very highest level!
The Inter Dominion was being held in Perth the following month and connections decided not to go, but pressure was applied to them from the organising committee as they wanted a NZ presence, and, with more favourable travelling allowances, they made the long trip to Perth. Young Quinn never settled in and raced below his best running 5th in the first heat, 7th in the second heat and 6th in the final heat, failing to qualify for the final. He contested the Consolation but could only finish 9th. His connections were going to spell him but decided to give him one last start for the season in an Auckland FFA 2 weeks after his last race at Perth. He showed that he had gotten over his abortive trip by beating Arapaho by 1½ lengths running his last half in 58.9. As a 4yo young Quinn had 23 starts for 6 wins, 9 seconds and 2 thirds. He was also voted 4yo pacer of the year.
Up to now Young Quinn had performed well but had not, as yet, ‘set the world on fire’. His 2yo season was a great result but he was disappointing at 3 and only won 6 from 23 as a 4yo. He was voted the 4yo of the year and he DID perform well against the open class pacers so there were high hopes that he would take the next step and be competitive against allcomers as a 5yo. No one, however, was prepared for what he did that year.
Given 6 months to reach maturity, he opened his new campaign at Wellington on 5-9-74 with a new driver, Peter Wolfenden, who would do the driving for the next 2 months.He won first up by 3½ lengths and followed that 2 nights later with another win in an Invitation. This time he came off 18 yards but still won easily by 5 lengths. Four nights later he made it 3 out of 3 for the season with an 8 length win in a FFA. Ten nights later at Auckland he made it VERY apparent that HE was the horse to beat this year. Off 36 yards he easily beat Captain Harcourt by 3 lengths and broke the NZ record whilst doing it, rating 2-2 3/10 for the standing start 11 furlongs. The following week he won the C.F.Mark Memorial Handicap off 48 yards by 8 lengths and a month later again easily won an Invitation. Four nights later he started off 30 yards and again treated his rivals with contempt, winning by 2½ lengths. It was his 8th consecutive win. Next up was the NZ
Cup carnival.
In the Cup he got caught up in an early speed duel for the lead and had nothing left when Robalan came charging home, finishing 3rd. Three nights later he ran 3rd to Robalan again, this time in the NZ FFA. Four nights later, with Charlie Hunter driving, he came off 30 yards in the Alan Matson Stakes and won, equalling the NZ record for 13 furlongs, and at his next start set a new world record when he rated 1-57 winning the Stars Travel Miracle Mile. Two weeks later he ran an uncharacteristic 7th to Robalan in the National Flying Pace. He wouldn’t be beaten again in NZ for 5 years!
On 27-12-74 he won an Auckland Invitation from 36 yards and 4 nights later absolutely bolted in the Auckland Cup by 10 lengths, despite the track being very heavy. A week later he easily won a Cambridge FFA by 8 lengths rating 1-58 9/10 and 4 nights later came off 30 yards in a Wellington Invitation and won in track record time. Four nights later he was off 42 yards in the Wellington Cup. From his mark he was last early but caught the field and then rushed up 3 wide to go to the lead. From there it was a procession with him winning by 5 lengths and equalling the track record for 12 furlongs. Two weeks later he was in Auckland to contest the Inter Dominion and make up for his poor showing in Perth the previous year.
In his first heat on 1-2-75 he served notice to EVERY competitor that he was the horse to beat when he trounced Just Too Good and Royal Gaze and ran a new world record rate of 2-3 3/5 for the 11 furlong event. Three nights later his driver, Charlie Hunter, injured himself in an earlier race on the night and had to give the drive to his right hand man, John Langdon. With Langdon driving, Young Quinn jumped straight to the front and ran his rivals ragged, beating Master Dean by 4¼ lengths with duel Inter Dominion winner, Hondo Grattan, 1¼ lengths away 3rd. Charlie Hunter had done more damage than he had originally thought, breaking a bone in his right hand and fracturing a bone in his left, so Langdon was his driver for the rest of the series.
On the third night in the 2 mile heats, Young Quinn came off 18 yards and ran a new world record rating 2-4 1/10. John Langdon had also, earlier in the night, won the Trotters Grand Final with Castleton’s Pride so he was on a real ‘high’! The Final on 15-2-75 attracted a crowd of nearly 30,000, most of them there to see Young Quinn win for NZ. They weren’t to be disappointed. This was a rough Grand Final and Young Quinn was checked early and then checked again by Final Decision. He was last most of the way and was still about 80 metres off the leaders at the bell. At the 400 metre mark he made his run, 4 and 5 wide, but raced to the front and won, unextended, by 1¼ lengths from Hi Foyle and Speedy Guest. Just as a bonus he set another new world record, rating 2-3 3/5 for the standing start 13½ furlong event. He had completely dominated the series and now he had overcome all manner of obstacles to win the big one. It was a VERY popular win
with the, mainly, local crowd. Ten nights later he went against time at the Hutt Park track, but on a wet and windy night could only manage 1-59. Two weeks later he was at HP for the Miracle Mile.
He arrived only the day before the Miracle Mile but settled in quickly. It was to be Charlie Hunter’s first drive at HP and this, combined with the fact that he was coming back in distance from 13½ furlongs to one mile, and had drawn the dreaded 6 barrier, caused the local bookmakers to make him only second favourite behind Mitchell Victory who drew barrier three, considered the best at HP in mile races. No horse had ever won the Miracle Mile from the 6 barrier and ‘garbage’ went to the post a 3-1 second favourite. It was to be one of the greatest mistakes ever made by the bookies. He came into the race with 9 wins in a row yet you could back him at 3-1! Rarely, if ever, is there an opportunity like this to ‘steal’ money from the bookies, but it was there at HP on 14-3-75. In NZ he was being lauded as the best pacer since Cardigan Bay. Would old ‘Cardy’ have been 3-1 from the 6 barrier in this race? I think not!
A crowd of over 25,000 was there to see him race, the biggest Miracle Mile crowd so far, and they weren’t to be disappointed. At barrier rise Hunter eased him back and he settled down last where he stayed until the 400 metre mark. Then he made his move going 4 and 5 wide and raced past his rivals with ease and won unextended in 1-58 4/5. After the race Charlie Hunter said it had been one of his easiest wins. The following week he won the Hurricane Stakes from Hondo Grattan and then contested the Lord Mayor’s Cup. He ran 4th, from 30 yards, in his heat on 21-3-75 and then went home. Two months later he had his last start in NZ for 5 years. Off 36 yards in an Auckland Invitation, he was last until the 400 metre mark then ran home in 56.3 to leave his rivals stranded. The decision was then made to race him in America.
In Australia and NZ Young Quinn had 70 starts for 37 wins and 17 placings prior to going to America.
For the rest of 1975 he had 19 starts for 7 wins and 6 placings. Included in his wins were the Governor’s Cup, the American Pacing Championship, the Provincial Cup in an equalling track record time of 1-56 3/5, the Western Pacing Championship in a new world record time of 1-56 and the American Pacing Classic. He won 6 times with sub 2 minute mile rates and won $310,848 in US dollars.
He started his 1976 racing season with the same type of form he started with the previous year, winning 5 of his first 7 starts, but then seemed to lose all form. In 1976 he started 31 times for 10 wins and 10 placings. He won in sub 2.0 times in 9 of these 10 wins, his best times being 1-56 2/5 when equalling the track record in Ottawa, and a new world record at The Meadowlands on 25-9-76, of 1-55, when winning an Invitation. His earnings for this year were $218,398.
In 1977 he had just 4 starts for 2 placings, earning $10,372, and the following year had 7 starts for 3 wins, all in under 2 minutes, with earnings of $50,256. In 1979, now a 9yo, he had 3 starts for 2 wins and a 2nd. He earnt $10,500 that year bringing his total earnings in Australasia and the USA to $752,587. He was then returned to NZ.
In his 5 years of racing in the USA Young Quinn had 64 starts for 22 wins and 20 placings. In all of his wins, except his very first, he won in 2.0 or better, equalled the track record on 3 occasions and broke 2 world records. His best time was 1-55.
Upon returning to NZ he was put back in training and returned to the track as a 10yo on 29-1-80, running 2nd in a Ruakaka Flying Mile. At his next, and last, start he ran 4th in the 1980 Auckland Cup, from the front mark, behind Delightful Lady. He was then retired. His earnings for his lifetime racing career was $759,227. Being a gelding he spent his last 11 years just running around a paddock. Young Quinn died in October 1991.
The term ‘champion’ is grossly overused in this part of the world, but Young Quinn was a TRUE champion who became the best pacer in this part of the world and then took on the world’s best in the USA and acquitted himself with honour, something many of those other ‘champions’ could never do. As a 5yo he was at the top of his game and was absolutely dominant in every race he contested.
We should not forget ‘garbage’ too soon as horses like him don’t come along too often.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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