This is the fifth 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).
1966 HAROLD PARK – YAMAMOTO
The 1966 Sydney Trotters ID was the first Trotters Championship to be held outside of a New Zealand venue. So for the first time the true Trans-Tasman concept of a Trotters Interdominion was brought to the fore in Australia, in conjunction with the Pacers championship being held for the fourth time (1952, 1956 and 1960 previously) at Harold Park. Gramel joined a select group of top line trotters never to win an ID Trotters Grand Final, following her fourth at Dunedin in 1965, she complimented this with her very close second in 1966. Gramel ultimately won 51 races, 45 in Australia and three each in NZ and America for stakes of $73,500, T2:01.2TT, Australian and world record on Harold Park’s half mile track (two Dullard Cups, Australasian Trotting Championship).
Saturday 5 February, 13 furlongs 98yds : first round of heats
Heat One – MAORI MISS, tr George Gath, dr Neville Gath, T3:44.6/MR not available, 12yds; Panthers Flight (dr Bob Birthisel) 2nd; Sugar N’Spice (dr Brian Forrester) 3rd
An all Victorian finish in the first trotters heat with a Gath trained and driven (George under driving suspension) Maori Miss prevailing. Gath’s neighbour Bob Birthisel produced Panthers Flight to run second with a recent Gath trained Sugar N Spice who had transferred to the Sydney stable of Max Treuer finishing third.
Heat Two – COROP MCELWYN, tr George Gath, dr Brian Gath, T3.41.2/MR not available, 24yds; Queens Cord (dr Doody Townley) 2nd; Lucky Song (dr Perc Hall) 3rd
Another Victorian took out the second heat in Corop McElwyn, again presented to perfection by the father and son Gath combination, this time Brian being the pilot.
Wednesday 9 February, 13 furlongs 98yds : second round of heats
Heat Three – MAORI MISS, tr George Gath, dr Neville Gath, Times not available, Lt; Sugar N’Spice (dr Brian Forrester) 2nd; Yamamoto (dr Colin Watts) 3rd
The first of opening night repeat performers was Maori Miss who won by 20 yards from Sugar N Spice and Yamamoto, who broke settling well back in tenth position before finishing third following a fourth placed finish after leading on the first night. Lucky Song’s driver Perc Hall was dislodged after the first lap of the heat with Lucky Song tailing the rest of the field for the remainder of the race.
Heat Four – COROP MCELWYN, tr George Gath, dr Brian Gath, Times not available, Lt; Gramel (dr Jack Roberts) 2nd; Panthers Flight (dr Bob Birthisel) 3rd
Gramel (72yds) was beaten half a head into second place by Corop McElwyn who finished well along the rails with Panthers Flight a neck further back third. Gramel took two points from finishing second and a further three for fastest time to go with her first night fifth.
Championship Points : Sugar N Spice (9), Maori Miss/Corop McElwyn (8), Gramel (5), Panthers Flight (3), Queens Cord (2), Lucky Song/Yamamoto (1)
In addition, the NSW Trotting Club selected a further two horses who had not scored any points to bring the number of horses to contest the Grand Final up to ten – Hammerhead and Palmara Bay.
Saturday 12 February, 1966 TROTTERS GRAND FINAL, 15 furlongs + 92 yds, $6,000
YAMAMOTO (1960 Stormyway/Guilane, family of Fanny Fern by Blind Tuckahloe), owner KJ and Mrs JA Curtin, trainer Jack Watts, driver Colin Watts, Lt, T4:11.8/T2:10.6, ½hd, 4 yds, 12/1 [T2:10.6]
Gramel, tr/dr Jack Roberts, 72yds, 2nd
Sugar N’Spice, tr Max Treuer, dr Brian Forrester, 24yds, 3rd
(also in finishing order) : Panthers Flight, Lucky Song, Maori Miss, Queens Cord, Hammerhead, Palmara Bay, Corop McElwyn
Yamamoto driven by trainer Jack Watts son Colin, led inside the first lap holding off all-comers especially when resolutely challenged by Gramel in the home straight (7/4 favourite). Winning by a half head over Gramel with Sugar N Spice four yards further back in third. Although placed second, Gramel recorded the then fastest mile rate for a trotter at Harold Park T2:07.6 (lowering her record set in her heat on second night), three seconds quicker mile rate than the winner Yamamoto recorded off the front line.
By Volomite sire Stormyway, the five year old gelding from Guilane, tracing back to a dam line through Trix Pointer (NZ Cup/NZFFA and only dam of a NZ Cup winner Wrackler – NZ/GN Derby and Dominion Hcp Trot – dual gaited champion). Other winners of the Dominion Hcp from the Trix Pointer dam line (Fanny Fern by Blind Tuckahoe) were Acclamation and Ordeal. Yamamoto was passed in for £225 at the NZ National Yearling Sales at Addington in 1962. Subsequently purchased by Heber Hewson, a Kaikoura based executive member of the NZ Trotting Conference for a slightly higher price on behalf of friends Mrs JA and KJ Curtin of Lismore, Sydney, being their first horse. Hewson raced seventh placed Queens Cord in the Trotters Grand Final, she had won the Consolation the previous year at Forbury Park. Yamamoto commenced his career briefly as a pacer and his trotting career was impacted by a slightly bowed tendon suffered when he was four.
Proving his Grand Final win was no fluke, Yamamoto backed up the following week on Pacers Grand Final night (19 February) coming off 12 yards to win the Trotters Invitational over 15 furlongs and 92yds. Aside from his Interdominion performances in 1966 as related above, Yamamoto’s other major win was a Harold Park Invitation Trot in 1965. As Australian records are incomplete (Year Books commenced from 1966/7 season onwards only), it is only possible to relate Yamamoto’s career record from six year old onwards. He had a number of starts at seven and eight for minimal returns – 1966/7, $150, third in Harold Park Summer Trotters Cup off 48 yards and similarly in 1967/8, $355, with a second and third placing plus fourth in Harold Park Trotters Summer Cup. His best mile rate of T2:10.6 was recorded in the ID Trotters Grand Final.
1973 HAROLD PARK – PRECOCIOUS
Unlike the Pacers division that consisted of six heats on each of three nights prior to their final, the Trotters had just the two heats on two nights before their Grand Final. Inclement weather that prevailed throughout the fortnight of the carnival led to a postponement of night three Pacers heats and Trotters Grand Final from Friday 23 February to Tuesday 27 February. Precocious and Bambi were the only NZ trotting representatives at the 1973 Interdominions.
Friday 16 February, 13 furlongs + 98 yds : first round of heats
Heat One – PRINCE KID, tr/dr Ted Demmler, T3:38.6/T2:10.0, Lt; Touch Merchant (dr Don Dove) 2nd; Milden Hall (dr Tom O’Day) 3rd
Prince Kid, stricken with colic two days earlier, displayed remarkable improvement to win the first heat of the Inter-Dominion Trotting championship over 13 furlongs and 98 yards. The Victorian square-gaiter had collapsed when loaded onto the float after trialling indifferently at Harold Park on the Wednesday night prior to the Championships and was considered a doubtful starter in the series. Victorian Touch Merchant was second and South Australian Milden Hall third. Prince Kid had led before trailing behind the two place getters before taking over at the entrance to the home straight to win by a half-length. Kiwi trotter Bambi beat a couple home.
Heat Two – FINNIGAN, tr/dr Vic Frost, T3:43.9/T2:13.2, Lt; Notissa (dr Jack Johnston) 2nd; Precocious (dr Jack Carmichael) 3rd
After disputing the lead with Victorian rival Lochdale, Finnigan breezed away from the opposition to easily win the second trotting heat by 12 yds, his seventh win (eighth overall) for top NSW horseman Vic Frost. Notissa made ground late for second with Precocious a moderate third.
Tuesday 20 February, 13 furlongs + 98 yds : second round of heats
Heat Three – LOCHDALE, tr Jack Longville, Brian Gath, T3:38.6/T2:10.0, Lt; Bay Johnny (dr Snowy Finn) 2nd; Lumpy Dean (dr Owen Glendenning) 3rd
Victorian mare Lochdale was an all the way winner in the hands of Brian Gath, after showing tremendous speed from the start beating Bay Johnny by sixteen yards. Precocious, the favourite was never travelling well enough to be a threat of running a place finishing fifth but gaining sufficient points to make the Grand Final field.
Heat Four – FINNIGAN, tr/dr Vic Frost, T3:39.6/T2:10.6, Lt; Touch Merchant (dr Don Dove) 2nd; Homage (dr Herb Young) 3rd
Finnigan driven by Vic Frost, recorded his second win of the championships following his runaway heat victory on opening night and was again untroubled this time beating home Victorian Touch Merchant and NSW representative Homage. The other opening night winner Prince Kid after being second with a lap to run wilted to fifth position.
Tuesday 27 February, 1973 TROTTERS GRAND FINAL, 15 furlongs + 92 yds, $10,000
PRECOCIOUS (1962 Johnny Globe/Dauphine mare, family of Kate by Highland Chief U301), owner Arthur Carmichael, trainer/driver Jack Carmichael, 48yds, T4:11.8/T2:10.6, track record, 4yds, 1½yds, 13/2 favourite [T2:05.4, $38,780]
Touch Merchant, tr Darky Wilson, dr Don Dove, 12 yds, 2nd
Bay Johnny tr/dr Snowy Finn, 12 yds, 3rd
(also in finishing order) : Lochdale, Notissa, Prince Kid, Finnigan, Lumpy Dean, Vanity Van
The ten year old grandmother Precocious, a proven stayer, after beginning safely from the 48yd back mark settled last in indian file, before steadily improving her position to be sitting behind Lochdale in the one by one with a lap to run. Taken wide by Jack Carmichael and wider by some of the Australian drivers, she took the lead with two furlongs to run, a lead that she never surrendered defeating Touch Merchant by a length in a time that equalled Yamamoto’s 1966 Grand Final time of T4:11.8/T2:10.6 for 15 furlongs and 98 yard journey. Touch Merchant’s owner (with Mrs ED Wilson)/trainer Dave (Darky) Wilson had driven Avian Derby to win the 1952 Sydney Pacers Grand Final in place of suspended Syl Bray. NSW’s Bay Johnny finished third with a head to Lochdale who wilted after moving up to be parked second from the mile peg.
Jack Carmichael had Precocious in his care for the Interdominions and David McCarthy writing in The Press (2 July 2011) quoted him as saying “We were off the back mark and it wasn’t going to be easy. An old bloke there took me aside and told me the locals would make things tough for me in the final but I should remember that stewards might give me a ‘holiday’ but they wouldn’t take the race off me. Sure enough, one driver in particular tried to push me off the track for a whole round [Ted Demmler on Prince Kid waged a mid race battle with Carmichael; Prince Kid forced Precocious three wide and went into a tangle after striking Carmichael’s wheel disc. Both drivers received four week suspensions]. I gave as good as I got, remembering that advice, and won the race. There was a long enquiry but the old bloke was right. They gave me a month’s suspension but we kept the race. The other driver, Bert Alley, became a good mate of mine.”
Consolation : 15 furlongs + 92 yds, $3,000
HOMAGE, tr Snowy (WH) Finn, dr Herb Young, T4:16.2/T2:13.0, Lt; Bold Command (dr Mick Lawrence 2nd; Grand Set (dr Brian Gath) 3rd
NSW four year old Homage won the Trotters Consolation after breaking on opening night and finishing third the second night. Leading over the last mile, he won easily in a T2:13.0MR with Queenslander Bold Command second and Victorian Grand Set third. New Zealand’s other trotting representative Bambi disgraced herself by taking no part in the contest.
Finnigan (2/3 betting) went onto win his third race over the four nights of the carnival by taking out the Dunedin Trotters FFA ($2,990) on Pacers Grand Final night (2 March) in a T2:06.0 mile rate for 13 Furlongs and 98 yds with Precocious second. Finnigan was a winner of one race at Hororata (T2:16.4) and placed on seven occasions in New Zealand before departing across the Tasman as an eight year old at the beginning of the 1971/2 season. Bred in Ashburton by Mrs TJC Sprott, Finnigan was from a mid Canterbury family with grand dam Noble Ann leaving six winners including dual gaited Doctor Kyle (ten wins, nine as trotter over five seasons including heat of NZ Trotting Championship, £4,490).
The owner of Precocious was Andy Carmichael, a successful businessman (Broadway Pies) and a good winning owner of horses like Prince Polka (Auckland Cup, fifth 1955 Auckland Pacers Grand Final) and Chequer Board (Easter Cup, ID Pacer Consolation). Precocious was by champion racehorse and stallion Johnny Globe out of a successful Light Brigade mare Dauphine (dual gaited winner of four), dam of seven winners (Au Fait, Precocious, Misty Prince, Valiant Sandy, Worth Seein’ in NZ and Oinaka and Royal Scorpion in Australia). Andy Carmichael and Hawera trainer Doug Grantham purchased her as a yearling filly in 1963 from veteran Akaroa breeder Jack (JX) Ferguson. She was a full sister to Au Fait winner of 1961 Dominion Handicap for Wellington breeder Jack McKay and later sold to North America for a high price but unsuccessful in her three American starts. It was decided that Grantham should train the filly subsequently named Precocious but as her work was increased she kept putting on condition until a vet discovered that the then two year filly was in foal.
It transpired that an Aksarben colt named All Gallant had jumped the fence and ran with a number of yearlings on Mr Ferguson’s property. Precocious was given time to have her filly foal, named Over Fence, a non-winner (six minor placings) who left her first foal in the year of Precocious ID success. He was the high class Great Evander trotter Precocious Lad (six NZ wins, T2:10.6, T1:57.3US, $512,627). Precocious was put back into work commencing her race career aged five in the 1967/8 season. Winning four of her twelve starts at Cambridge, Manawatu, Hawera (60 yds) and Alexandra Park (dr Robert Mitchell son of tr Bob Mitchell), together with several placings (only twice further back than fourth). Andy Carmichael bought out Grantham’s share (after three wins) placing her with Cambridge trainer Robert (Bob) Mitchell.
With a solitary win (1968/9) at six at Claudelands plus a couple of placings, Precocious followed this up with a further two wins as a seven year old (1969/70). These victories were at Cambridge (driven by Jack Carmichael, no relation to owner) and Alexandra Park together with seven minor placings (second Cambridge Trotters Mile) to go with a win at 33/1 in a Melbourne Showgrounds Trotters FFA (14 furlongs mobile, T2:10 1/10MR) during the 1970 Pacers Interdominions defeating Tony Bear. In addition, she ran fourth to Just Money in another Melbourne Trotters FFA (T2:09 4/5MR). Precocious was transferred to the Templeton stable of Jack Carmichael for her eight year old season (1970/71) after his success with Chequer Board who was racing in the interests of Andy Carmichael. On the verge of open class, Precocious didn’t manage a win in her first twenty two starts for Carmichael, just seven placings including seconds in Ordeal Cup, Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, a third in Dominion Hcp and fourth in Geffin’s 1971 Addington ID Trotters Grand Final. Taken north by Carmichael, she had her first wins from his stable in the St Andrews and Remuera Handicaps at the Auckland May winter meeting.
Her stellar NZ season, her fifth, came as a nine year old (1971/2) with five victories, three of those coming in her first seven starts – Christchurch and Ern Smith Trots at Addington and West Coast Trotting Stakes at Greymouth by eight lengths prior to a fourth in the Worthy Queen Hcp on NZ Cup Day. Precocious, the favourite scored her major seasonal win in the Dominion Hcp on Show Day, the result was never in doubt she being two lengths to the good of Merrin, Easton Light and Marius. Her winning time of T4:18 2/5 was nearly three seconds slower than the race record held at that time by none other than her full sister Au Fait (T4:14 4/5). She followed this victory up by running second in the NZ Trotting FFA to Tony Bear. Precocious was to win again at Addington in February taking out the Hagley Trotting FFA at the Canterbury Park meeting. Precocious finished as the seasons leading stakes earning trotter with $16,305 from five wins and six placings from 23 starts.
Apart from the Interdominion triumph described above, Precocious in her final NZ season was back in the care of Bob Mitchell for whom she had two wins as a ten year old (1972/3). They were in the NZ Trotting FFA at Addington during NZ Cup week (second in Dominion Hcp to Easton Light) and at Alexandra Park in the Wairakei Mobile FFA in February just prior to the Interdominions in Sydney. Precocious had an Australian 1972/73 season record of four starts at Sydney Interdominions for a win in Grand Final, second in Dunedin Trotters FFA, third and fifth in ID heats for stakes of $7,275, T2:10.6. After her return from the Sydney Interdominions, Precocious had a further five starts in NZ with a fourth in NZ Trotting Championship her best performance and twelfth placing in Miss Debra’s 1973 Rowe Cup her final career start off the back mark of 30 yards. Her full career record showed NZ : 107 starts, sixteen wins, thirteen seconds, eleven thirds, $38,480, T2:07.0; AUS eight starts, two wins, a third, $11,625, T2:10.1; grand total of eighteen wins, $50,105, T2:07.0.
In the broodmare paddock, Precocious left eleven live foals having been sold to Victorian breeder John Tweddle in 1976 by Andy Carmichael before his death in November 1981. Of her foals, five raced for just two winners – Precocious Guy, non-winner in NZ, 2:00.2US, $105,854; Pertly, 2:07.6TT with several of her filly foals breeding on including Narryna Way, dam of Narryna Guy (VIC SS -3c); Over Fence, dam of Precocious Lad T1:57.3US, $512,627, Precocious Lass (grand dam of Millwood Ashley 1:52.3US, Millwood Dell 1:54.0US, Alison Bay 1:54.4US), grand dam of Precocious Hanover (Thames Nursery), 4th dam of Aloha Christian 1:51.4US.
Peter Craig
9 May 2018
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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