This is the eleventh in a series of articles covering the Interdominion (ID) Trotters Championships conducted over the period 1948 – 2012. These articles will be presented on a track by track basis as opposed to a chronological order with the exception of the first (background and first championship) and last two articles (final championship and statistical analysis).
The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) held the ID Trotters Championships on six occasions at Addington plus conducted the 2011 Interdominions in Auckland (Alexandra Park) following the February 22nd, 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.
2003 ADDINGTON – TAKE A MOMENT
The ‘Thunder Downunder” 2003 Interdominions were Addington’s eighth (seventh with Trotters component) and latest held to date at Addington.
Note – the 2011 Interdominions scheduled for Addington in March 2011 had to be relocated to Auckland’s Alexandra Park due to the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.
A family of four key sponsors was assembled for the two Grand Finals – Courage Under Fire, Garrards, Nevele R Stud and Twilight Park in association with Ravenscar Farm. Gold N Gold was the only trotter representing Australia (Michael Marias, NSW); series favourite Take a Moment was progressing towards millionaire status; two former ID Trotters champions (Take A Moment, Special Force) and a future one (Play On) were included among the contestants; trotters prepared by astute trainers with the surnames of Nairn, Butt (Tim), Gibbons, Smith (Jim), Fletcher and Purdon (Mark) were included in the fields.
The Australasian Young Drivers Championships final two nights of heats were held on 4 and 11 April and included those to have gone onto greater heights in Gareth Rattray (winner), Shane Graham (Australia’s WDC rep in 2017 in Canada) finished third, Nicole Thorn (Kiwi now resident in Victoria; Nicole Melander) fourth, Gary Hall jnr sixth, Blake Fitzpatrick seventh and David Harding eighth.
Friday 21 March, 2600m : first round of heats
The first nights programme also included Canterbury Country Cups final and Yearling Sales Series three year old trot. This was the only night of standing starts for the trotters, a controversial move considering all the remaining heats and Grand Final/consolation were run from behind the mobile.
Heat One – TAKE A MOMENT, tr Tim Butt, dr Anthony Butt, T3:23.5/T2:05.9; Castletons Mission (dr Michael House) 2nd; Ado’s Invasion (dr Blair Orange) 3rd
Take A Moment was safely away, cruising to the lead and coasting home the winner by two lengths in 58.9 and 27.9 final sectionals. Castletons Mission finished a half neck in advance of Ado’s Invasion with a nose back to Hutzpah followed by Special Force.
Heat Two – FRUGAL ECHO, tr Leanne Edwards, dr Anthony Butt, T3:22.0/T2:05.0; Sundowner Bay (dr Mike De Filippi) 2nd; Superstaragogo (dr Mark Purdon) 3rd
Anthony Butt stood in for Tony Herlihy, whose travel plans curbed his ability to make the track in time to take his drive. Frugal Echo was away well taking the trail before edging past pacemaker Sundowner Bay to win by a half-length. His time was 1½ seconds faster than that of Take A Moment’s in the opening championship heat. Trainer Leanne Edwards at her first attempt and owner Joe Muscara (Supreme Harness Ltd) both experienced their first ID heat winner with Frugal Echo in his sixteenth victory for stakes approaching $190,000. Sundowner Bay was second 1¼l to the good of Superstaragogo with a half-length to Jay Bee Ar with Play On fifth. Gold N Gold galloped wildly out of contention.
Friday 28 March, 1950mM : second round of heats
The second nights programme included Flying Stakes (3yo pacers) and NZ Trotters Derby.
Heat Three – TAKE A MOMENT, tr Tim Butt, dr Anthony Butt, T2:25.0/T1:59.6; Gold N Gold (dr Michael Marais) 2nd; Sundowner Bay (dr Mike De Filippi) 3rd
The second nights sprint heats over 1950mM saw both winners break two minutes with Take A Moment setting a new NZ record when winning by five lengths in T2:25.0/T1:59.6/58.9/29.4. His twenty eighth career victory from forty nine starts took his prizemoney over $700k. Gold N Gold who was wide early and sat in the death seat for the final lap fought on well for second with Sundowner Bay a neck in arrears and Meniscus a further neck back. Special Force finished eighth.
Heat Four – CASTLETONS MISSION, tr/dr Michael House, T2:24.9/T1:59.5; Ado’s Invasion (dr Blair Orange) 2nd; Gold (dr David Butt) 3rd
Castletons Mission improved fractionally on Take a Moment’s NZ record from earlier in the evening setting a new mark of T2:24.9/T1:59.5/58.8/29.7 when winning by three quarters of a length over Ado’s Invasion, 2¼l to Gold with Major Decision a nose further away. Castletons Mission the early leader from barrier seven produced a decisive win in record time. Owned by Trotting NZ Syndicate (manager Mike Gourdie) and bred by Impact Bloodstock Ltd (Ron Burrell and Lil Whymark), Castleton’s Mission was shaping as Take a Moment’s biggest danger in the Grand Final. First night winner Frugal Echo tore a hind suspensory in finishing tenth and his continued presence at the carnival was in doubt.
Friday 4 April, 2600mM : third round of heats
The third nights programme included NZ Pacers Derby.
Heat Five – MAJOR DECISION, tr Joseph Clementson, dr Peter Jones, T3:14.4/T2:00.3; Special Force (dr Brent Mangos) 2nd; Martina H (dr Derek Balle) 3rd
Major Decision managed a neck victory over Special Force after finally making it round to the front to lead and maintain a constant solid clip throughout such that the national record of Last Sunset’s set on Show Day 2001 in the NZ Trotting FFA was equalled – T3:14.4/T2:00.3/60.8/30.2. Major Decision thus became holder of both the national standing start and mobile records for 2600m. He shared the same sire as Take A Moment in Armbro Invasion. Martina H finished 1¾l further away in third with a six length gap back to Castle Van. Castleton’s Mission put in his poorest performance of the championship finishing sixth while Gold n Gold again finished last after breaking.
Heat Six – TAKE A MOMENT, tr Tim Butt, dr Anthony Butt, T3:18.2/T2:2.6;Ados Invasion (dr Blair Orange) 2nd; Sunease (dr Derek Balle) 3rd
Take a Moment’s heat was considerably slower (T3:18,2/T2:02.6/59.3/28.5) but his domination at the carnival continued with his having three quarters of a length victory over Ado’s Invasion with a half-length to Sunease and a head to Play On who qualified for the Grand Final.
Friday 11 April, 2003 TROTTERS GRAND FINAL, 2600mM, $200,000
The Grand Final evening incorporated two year old Pacers Welcome Stakes. Play On was scratched on the morning of the Grand Final after suffering from a cold and the hard series he endured.
TAKE A MOMENT (1995 Armbro Invasion/Nakura gelding, family of Pride Of Lincoln N1), owner Long Drive Syndicate, trainer Tim Butt, driver Anthony Butt, T3:15.9/T2:01.2, Nose, 2¼l, ½l, favourite [T1:57.2, $1,132,695]
Castletons Mission, tr/dr Michael House, 2nd
Sundowner Bay, tr/dr Mike De Filippi, 3rd
(also in finishing order) : Martina H. Special Force, Jay Bee Ar, Major Decision, Frugal Echo, Cordon Rouge, Ado’s Invasion, Gold, Sunease
Consolation : 2600mM, $24,100
GOLD N GOLD, tr/dr Michael Marais, T3:15.9/T2:01.2
Hutzpah, tr/dr Colin De Filippi, 2nd
Castle Van, tr Bryce Buchanan, dr Glenys Buchanan (now Chimel), 3rd
The short priced favourite Take a Moment drew ten, one on the second line following out Frugal Echo while Castletons Mission was placed on the unruly at Michael House’s request in the mobile 2600m Grand Final. Take a Moment joined ID greats Scotch Notch and Pride Of Petite in winning his second Trotters Grand Final. Taken back at the start from his second line draw, he was second last with a lap to run with Castletons Mission on his back. Starting their runs with 700m to travel Take A Moment was pushed four wide to make his run at the final turn with Castletons Mission tracking him every step of the way, Take A Moment was simply too good even though Michael House thought he had won it with a whip flourish salute on the line. Beaten by a cool Anthony Butt drive in a magnificent finish, Take A Moment’s thirtieth winning performance saw him undefeated through the whole carnival for Premier Stables trainer Tim Butt and driving brother and ID Hall of Fame inductee Anthony Butt.
Take A Moment (middle) defeats Castletons Mission (far left)
The overall journey took T3:15.5/T2:01.2/58.9/28.6, Take A Moment having a nose to spare over Castletons Mission who showed awesome speed and gained much respect with his second. Sundowner Bay was third 2¼l back ahead by half length over Martin H who finished fourth followed by Special Force. Take A Moment had recaptured the crown that he won brilliantly in Brisbane two years earlier.
Gold N Gold after breaking in two of his three heats was an easy winner of the consolation by three quarters of a length, clocking the same overall time as recorded in the Trotters Grand Final, with a 59.0 last 800m and quarter in 29.4.
The full background story to Take A Moment appears in the second article of the Trotters Interdominions series – Forbury Park and Albion Park (3 April 2018). Briefly, Take A Moment was a gelded son of Armbro Invasion and Nakura, a member of the leading NZ family of Pride Of Lincoln (N1). His grand dam was Nakaia (Crockett/Morning Haze) and between them his dam and grand dam and their progeny have trotters of the calibre of Take A Moment, Quite A Moment, Duke Of The Moment, Dr Hook, Moment Of Truth, Stig, Dream A Moment.
His breeder was Andrew Corkran whose nephew Paul joined him in ownership and trained him in Canterbury. After winning four of his first six starts, Tim Butt organised the Long Drive syndicate to purchase Take A Moment for $120,000. One of New Zealand’s greatest ever trotters, he won thirty nine of his sixty seven starts including six from sixteen in Australia. These included thirteen Group Ones, seven Group Two’s, five Group Three’s with major victories in two Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Finals, three consecutive Dominion Handicaps (including dead heat) and a Rowe Cup with best mile rates of T1:57.2NZ and T1:57.7AUS.
Between 28 October 2002 Ashburton Trotters Mile and 12 December 2003 Bill Collins Mile at Moonee Valley, Take A Moment won eighteen races in succession (including three wins in Australia), just short of Lyell Creek’s record of twenty straight for a NZ trotter. A sequence of thirteen of these wins in fourteen starts took place in the 2002/3 season including Dominion Hcp dead heat with Martina H while his largest win dividend was $2.10 in Ashburton Trotters Mile.
Awards won by Take A Moment included Australasian Grand Circuit Trotting Champion (twice), NZ Trotter of Year (twice), NZ Aged (5yo+) H&G Trotter of Year (twice), NZ Harness Horse of Year, Australian Trotter of Year, NZ stake earning Trotter of Year (three times) and he has been inducted into NZ Trotting and Addington Harness Halls of Fame as well as the Interdominion Hall of Fame. Tim and Anthony Butt trained and drove him to victory on thirty five occasions.
Peter Craig
20 June 2018
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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