This is the twenty fourth and second last 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).
Future of Trotters Interdominions
The IDHRC (ID Harness Racing Council) made an imprudent decision when determining that the 2012 edition of the ID Trotters Championship at Melton, Melbourne would the last of its kind. In doing so they discarded Australasia’s only trotters’ race of international standing and status. This is reflected in the number of international officials that attended the Interdominions over the years. Due to ID Trotters Grand Final successes, numerous invitations to Sweden’s Elitloppet taken up by a few such as Pride of Petite, Special Force, Lyell Creek and Sundons Gift plus invitations to North America’s Breeders Crown resulted. The only invitation to have accrued since the demise of the Trotters Interdominions was that of Maori Time for this year’s 2018 Elitloppet and Sparkling Success for 2018 Yonkers International Trot (abandoned due to injury).
The replacement races for the Trotters Grand Final in both NZ and Australia have essentially been unremarkable for their ability to lift our trotters standing internationally even though the Australasian trotting breed has without question improved over the past few years. New Zealand’s ANZAC Trotters Cup at Alexandra Park (held week prior to Rowe Cup) muted to be a trans-Tasman clash with a field of equal national representatives in its seven running’s since 2012 has yet to attract an Australian starter. The Great Southern Star initially modelled on the Swedish Elitloppet concept of two heats and a final on the same programme at Melton lasted five years in this format (2013 – 2017) before reverting to a one off Group One event no different to any other and of no exceptional significance.
However, it was pleasing to see the Trotters ID series reinstated at the 2018 Melbourne Interdominions with NZ intending to continue with the Trotters Championship in 2019 at Auckland’s Alexandra Park ID Championship.
2012 MELTON – I CAN DOOSIT
Victoria had a long-standing historical association with the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship, so it was appropriate that Tabcorp Park, Melton hosted the final Interdominion Trotters Championship, Australasia’s premier square gaiting feature.
This was the forty second running of the Championships first held at Auckland’s Alexandra Park in 1948. Melbourne has hosted the greatest number of Trotters Grand Finals with twelve which have featured ultra-talented home grown stars such as Derby Royale, Scotch Notch, True Roman, Sumthingaboutmaori and Sundons Way together with Kiwi raiders Yankee Loch, William Dee, Pride Of Petite, Lyell Creek, Delft and Galleons Sunset. The Grand Final had been in Melbourne on five of the last eight occasions (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010) leading up to 2012.
The latest Melbourne Grand Final was the last of eleven run at Moonee Valley since 1978 and coincided with the final meeting held at Moonee Valley on 6 February 2010 prior to the move to the new 1000m complex at TABCorp Park Melton. This year’s final was worth $250,000 as had been the case since 2008 (2005 and 2011 NZ $250,000), equal second largest stake following 2000 Melbourne ID Grand Final taken out by Lyell Creek which ran with a $500,000 stake.
Heats for the trotters were held outside Melbourne at Shepparton and Ballarat in the lead up to the Melton final. Heat winners :
Saturday 21 January, Shepparton, 2690mM : first round of heats
Heat One – SPRINGBANK RICHARD, tr Phil Williamson, dr Nathan Williamson, T3:23.0/T2:01.4; Sovereignty (dr Maurice McKendry) 2nd; The Fiery Ginga (dr Alan Clark) 3rd
The favourite The Fiery Ginga sped to the lead wilting late when defeated three metres and 7.6m by Springbank RIchard and Sovereignty respectively, thereby providing an NZ trifecta. Springbank Richard was three wide early before being parked outside the leader The Fiery Ginga for the majority of the race covering his final 800m in 58 seconds and 400m in 29.4. Ten year old Sovereignty sustained a three wide run without cover throughout to land a gutsy second placing. Fourth placing went to Im Dejazzman.
Heat Two – SAVE A SIXPENCE, tr Graeme Lang, dr Gavin Lang, T3:21.0/T2:00.3; Crescent Glory (dr Kerryn Manning) 2nd; Stylish Monarch (dr Nigel Milne) 3rd
In the quickest heat of the evening, Save A Sixpence produced an all the way victory despite being headed momentarily on the home turn by I Didn’t Do it who then promptly broke placing fifth. Aleppo Sunrise raced outside the leader but pulled badly before dropping out to finish 40 metres second last. Save A Sixpence had 1.2m to spare over Crescent Glory who came from three back on the rails to run second. Stylish Monarch was only a head further back after racing three wide without cover for the last lap. Retained finished fourth while Vulcan after being three wide early outside Aleppo Sunrise was taken back by Antony Butt, moving into one out and four back position at the bell and although held up finished no closer than sixth. Save A Sixpence’s final sectionals were 58.2 and 29.3.
Heat Three – I CAN DOOSIT, tr/dr Mark Purdon, T3:23.3/T2:01.7; Sundons Gift (dr Chris Lang); Backas Cobber (dr Darren Pace)
Marginally the slowest of the three heats, I Can Doosit although drawn six used his good gate speed to lead and win comfortably with 11.7m to spare over dual champion Sundons Gift with 2.2m to Backas Cobber. I Can Doosit ran his last 800m in 57.3 and 400m in 28.6 for the quickest finish of the night. Sundons Gift came from four back on the rails at the bell and after being held up made good ground to the finish but never got close to I Can Doosit. Backas Cobber had been one out and four back with a lap to run progressed from the three wide line late in the race to be followed in by Mister Castleton.
Saturday 28 January, Ballarat, 2710mM : second round of heats
Heat Four – THE FIERY GINGA, tr/dr Alan Clark, T3:27.6/T2:03.3; Vulcan (dr Anthony Butt) 2nd; Imdejazzman (dr Chris Alford) 3rd
The free going The Fiery Ginga improved on his first heat third when an all the way winner at Ballarat winning by 3.3m with a last 800m in 58.2 and 400m in 28.4. Together with Vulcan, who was three wide early before sitting parked outside The Fiery Ginga, they cleared out from the rest of field. Im Dejazzman headed the remainder 8.6m back after a three wide run early before obtaining the one one at the bell while Cillas Earl ran on for fourth.
Heat Five – STYLISH MONARCH, tr Murray Tapper, dr Nigel Milne, T3:25.6/T2:02.1; Springbank Richard (dr Phil Williamson) 2nd; Save A Sixpence (dr Gavin Lang) 3rd
Driven by young NZ driver Nigel Milne, a relation of trainer Murray Tapper’s, Stylish Monarch had led early before handing up to Springbank Richard and taking the trail before finishing off with a 3.4m victory. Springbank Richard after being three wide early took the lead from Stylish Monarch but could not beat him to the finish. The two Kiwis provided a South Island quinella in front of third place dead heaters, first night winner Save A Sixpence (outside Springbank Ricard with lap to run) and Sundons Gift, in the one out one back position for the final lap. The final 800m had been run in 58.6 and last 400m in 29.1.
Heat Six – dead heat between I CAN DOOSIT, tr/dr Mark Purdon and I DIDN’T DO IT, tr Mervyn Williamson, dr Jodi Quinlan, T3:28.0/T2:03.5; Sovereignty (dr Maurice McKendry) 3rd
I Can Doosit just managed to maintain his unbeaten streak when dead heating with the talented but head strong I Didn’t Do It who had led and pulled hard throughout. I Can Doosit couldn’t quite edge past him in the straight. This ended up being the slowest overall of the night’s three heats but the quickest last 800m in 57.2 and 400m in 27.9. Sovereignty finished six metres in arrears of the two front runners.
Saturday 4 February, Melton 2012 TROTTERS GRAND FINAL, 2760mM, $250,000
I CAN DOOSIT (2005 Muscles Yankee/Sheezadoosie gelding, family of Ab U14), owner Breckon Bloodstock Limited, trainer/driver Mark Purdon, 24yds, T3:25.5/T2:00.4, 5.3m, 10.90m, favourite [T1:55.5, $1,377,319]
Vulcan, tr Tim Butt, dr Anthony Butt, 2nd
Sovereignty, tr Shaun McCaffrey, dr Maurice McKendry, 3rd
(also in finishing order) : The Fiery Ginga, Imdejazzman, Save A Sixpence, Springbank Richard, Stylish Monarch, Billy The Brat, Crescent Glory, I Didn’t Do It, Sundons Gift
Consolation, 2760Mm, $30,000
EARL OF MOT, tr Lance Justice, dr Jason Hackett, T3:27.1/T2:00.7; Armed Guard (dr Noel Shinn) 2nd; Cillas Earl (dr Christine Brew)
A Kiwi first four eventuated following the running of the last ever ID Trotters Grand Final with the $1.50 favourite I Can Doosit prevailing by a comfortable 5.3m from Vulcan with another 5.6m to Sovereignty and The Fiery Ginga. I Can Doosit’s mile rate of T2:00.4 was 0.1 second outside Let Me Thru’s track record. I Didn’t Do It went to the lead from barrier two but then galloped which as had been expected allowed The Fiery Ginga to lead from barrier five with I Can Doosit perfectly drawn at three taking the trail behind him. After leading from the start The Fiery Ginga had Springbank Richard outside him and initially Vulcan wider still while I Can Doosit hopped into the trail. Vulcan after being three wide in the early stages, was two back at the bell before coming home three wide with a trail late.
Into the straight Vulcan and I Can Doosit drew away from the others with Vulcan having momentum at the 180m but I Can Doosit made full use of the passing lane to become the fifth dual winner of the ID Trotters Grand Final (Scotch Notch 1983, 1985; Pride of Petite, 1996, 1997; Take A Moment 2001, 2003; Sundons Gift 2009, 2010). Sovereignty was three wide at the bell and came home well for his third while The Fiery Ginga faded late into fourth. Of the others, Springbank Richard seventh and Stylish Monarch eighth had little luck while Sundons Luck parked three wide outside Springbank Richard and the leaders with a lap to run tired quickly in the latter stages to finish last. The Fiery Ginga had run the first half of the last 1600m in 31.7 and 30.6 splits prior to the final 80m being run in 57.8 (third quarter in 29.0) and 400m in 28.8.
I Can Doosit made a clean sweep of the Melbourne series but was denied the opportunity to become the first to win three ID Trotters Grand Finals with this being the last ever Trotters Interdominion. Only Blacks A Fake with four, Our Sir Vancelot and Im Themightyquinn with three among the pacers have won more than two Interdominion Grand Finals. I Can Doosit was Mark Purdon’s fifth (plus one Pacers Grand Final) training and third (plus two pacing Grand Finals) driving success in ID Trotters Grand Finals.
Consolation winner Earl Of Mot after being three wide early and sitting parked outside the leader for the remainder of the race beat Armed Guard home by a half neck. Armed Guard came from one out and four back with a lap to run finishing 1.3m ahead of third placed Cillas Earl whose third after a three wide run that saw her trot roughly when checked was full of merit. Next to finish was Aleppo Sunrise.
I Can Doosit bred by Breckon Bloodstock Ltd, using frozen semen from champion American stallion Muscles Yankee out of Chiola Hanover mare Sheezadoosie (Speedy Crown/Becalm Lobell), a good trotting mare the winner of seven races, second in GN Breeders Stakes, $48,631, T2:04.2 and twice NZ Broodmare of Year. In addition to I Can Doosit, all her six live foals were winners including full brother Snos Big Boy, Heezadoo Early and full sister Yankeedoosie. A more detailed breakdown can be found under the ID Trotters Alexandra Park series – part six (1 August 2018).
I Can Doosit was owned by the Breckon Breeding Syndicate, an early product of the Breckon racing empire. His race record up to the completion of his Interdominion championship win in Auckland in 2011 showed twenty five starts in NZ for thirteen wins, two seconds, three thirds, $367,753, T1:56.7 and one NZ record over 2700mM of T3:22.6. In Australia at this stage, I Can Doosit had started on four occasions for two wins, $57,876, T2:03.8. Looking at I Can Doosit’s race record after the 2011 Auckland Interdominions shows that in the balance of his five year old career he had two further starts for a second in NZ Trotting Championship to Stylish Monarch and a win in the 2011 Rowe Cup at Group One level at Alexandra Park. I Can Doosit (14 points) finished second to Sundons Gift (17 points) in the 2010/11 Australasian Trotters Grand Circuit.
As a six year old I Can Doosit continued on his wining way, at one stage being the winner of eighteen consecutive races over a twelve month period from December 2011 through to December 2012. His 2011/12 season wins in NZ included Kaikoura South Bay Cup prior to his consecutive winning run commencing, Lyell Creek Stakes, Cambridge Trotters Flying Mile, National Trot, City Of Sails Trot, NZ Trotting Championship, Greenlane, Anzac and Rowe Cups, for a seasonal return of ten wins from twelve starts, $398,825, T1:55.5. In Australia, he was unbeaten in three starts at the Interdominions as described earlier, $222,940, T2:00.4. I Can Doosit (25 points) was crowned Australasian Trotters Grand Circuit champion for 2011/12 (final season for Trotters Grand Circuit; future years retitled as Trotting Masters).
In his final season of racing at seven, in NZ I Can Doosit won six of eight starts placing second and fourth in the other two. His eighteen win sequence concluded with his fourth placing in Stig’s record breaking T1:55.2 Cambridge Trotters Flying Mile. Seasonal wins in NZ included the Banks Peninsula/Canterbury Park Trotting Cups, Kaikoura South Bay Cup, NZ Trotting FFA, Dominion Hcp, Lyell Creek Stakes (third time) with a second placing in National Trot, $238,907, T1:56.6. In Australia his solitary and final career start came in the EB Cochran Trotters Cup which he won, $25,165, T1:59.8, injuries having taken their toll over what was a stellar career. The Auckland Trotting Club honoured the recently-retired champion millionaire trotter I Can Doosit winner of thirty six races when he led out the field for the Group 1 2014 National Trot. Trotting one last lap of Alexandra Park before being presented with a special dress rug to celebrate his career.
Overall career record showed forty seven starts in NZ for thirty victories, four seconds and three thirds, T1:55.5, $1,139,694; in Australia his eight starts brought six wins, $306,080, T1:59.8. I Can Doosit has been inducted into the NZ Harness Racing Hall Of Fame.
MY TOP SEVEN
Whilst fraught with danger, I offer my opinion on the leading contestants from forty two Interdominion Trotting Championships. Much easier said than done when attempting to sort out your top seven from forty two editions of ID Trotters Grand Finals won by thirty seven individual horses (five dual winners) to be considered for your fictitious 2018 Trotters Grand Final. This is only one person’s opinion mind you and I have attempted to consider only Grand Final victories, standard of the opposition beaten, times run for the era involved as part of the criteria used as opposed to a horse’s overall career record.
In chronological order to begin with : No Response’s exhilarating home straight last to first finish at Addington in 1979; Scotch Notch’s two out of three “ain’t bad” battles with the likes of Sir Castleton in mid-1980’s (winner in 1983 and 1985, second in 1984); dual winner Pride Of Petite’s awesome back mark efforts at Moonee Valley (1996) and more especially Globe Derby in 1997, from her six Grand Final appearances; Lyell Creek’s clean sweep of effectively three Group One races making up 2000 Interdominions in the midst of a twenty race winning sequence including four in Australia (14 February 1999 to 23 October 2000); Take A Moment’s historic victory in Albion Park’s only Trotters ID and breath-taking survival by a nose from Castletons Mission at Addington in 2003; Sundons Gift back to back victories at Moonee Valley in 2009 and 2010; finally I Can Doosit’s courageous Auckland win in 2011 and his more comprehensive victory in Melton’s only Trotters ID in 2012.
Of my chosen seven, from the eleven Trotters Grand Finals viewed personally on track, three made my final field – No Response (1979), Take A Moment (2003) and I Can Doosit (2011). Let the “fictitious” 2018 Interdominion Trotters Grand Final commence!!
So to my preference : Scotch Notch takes out victory for me by the barest of noses from Lyell Creek with a length to Pride of Petite closely followed a neck away by No Response with dead heaters Sundons Gift and Take A Moment a half-length back with a further nose to I Can Doosit. There you have it, my order of selection, two lengths covering the whole field. However if you were to order this select field based on best ID Trotters Grand Final mile rates a slightly different picture would emerge (consider also that Grand Finals were held at varying distances and standing/mobile starts) – Sundons Gift T1:59.7, 2575mM 2009 Moonee Valley; I Can Doosit T2:00.4, 2760mM 2012 Melton; Take A Moment T2:01.2, 2600mM 2003 Addington; Scotch Notch T2:04.4, 2700mSS 1983 Alexandra Park; Pride Of Petite T2:04.6, 3280mSS 1996 Moonee Valley; Lyell Creek T2:05.5, 3020mSS 2000 Moonee Valley and No Response T2:07.5, 2600mSS, 1979 Addington.
Again just my opinion of many ID Trotters Grand Final contestants with many a top line trotter left out including several of the finest order who didn’t manage to win a Grand Final.
Peter Craig
24 Oct 2018
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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