GLENERROL
By Jim Hogan
March 4, 2002
Walk onto Menangle Park any night and ask 100 people if they have heard of Glenerrol and 99 will probably say Glen WHO? Yet here is a horse who won his first 17 races straight and had a lifetime record of only 21 starts for 19 wins, a nose second and the other time he lost his driver! A horse that good deserves to be remembered, so to assist in that direction here is HIS story.
Glenerrol was by Scottish Brigade out of Kardia and was owned by Jim Grant, a very well known name in the Riverina area. Like so many other top class horses to come out of this fertile breeding ground of future champions, Glenerrol was handled by the legendary Roy Harpley.
He had his first start at Leeton on 26-11-66 in a 2yo event, started at 4-7 and won by 20 yards from Caombali. Six days later he came off 12 yards at Wagga and won again at 2-7. Eight days later he raced at Temora off 24 yards, started at 1-2, and beat Flight Derby. A week later, and now off 36 yards in 2yo events, he won at Wagga starting at 4-9. On the 26th December he travelled to Leeton for the M.I.A. Breeders Plate, the first of the Riverina 2yo classic events. Starting at 1-5 he made his heat a one act affair beating Ardcliffe and a week later returned for the final, started at 1-5 again, and ran a new race record beating Twin Star by 10 yards.
Next he crossed the border to Wangaratta for the heat and final of the N.E. Breeders Plate. He won his heat on 27-1-67 by 8 yards from Highland Grace at odds of 1-8 and won the final a week later, at 5’s on, from Ardcliffe. Back to NSW at Cowra for the Golden slipper Stakes, he won his heat on 10-3-67 starting at 1-10 and beat Loyal Attack by 8 yards. The next day he started at 1-20 when he easily won the final from Tennessee Two. His last two starts in his 2yo season were in the heat and final of the S.W. and Riverina Sapling Stakes. He won his heat at Wagga on 1-4-67 after starting at 1-20 and beat Active Officer. In the final at Albury a week later he was barred from the betting, and bookmakers were instructed to frame a market ommiting Glenerrol! He lived up to the ‘complement’ by beating Rustic Leaf by 25 yards.
Glenerrol completed his 2yo season by being unbeaten in 12 starts.
Given a 7 months spell, he resumed in a 3yo event at Wagga on 17-11-67. He was sent out as a 1-6 favourite and won, beating Twin Star. Three weeks later he raced off 12 yards in another 3yo race, at Leeton, and won by 20 yards after starting at 1-4! What do they say, the more you win the better the price!! A week later he lined up at Temora in a 2-28 class race, this time starting at 1-16, and beat Native Flight by 10 yards. It was his 15th consecutive win. Win number 16 came up 10 days later at Leeton where he started at 1-6 and beat Dictator. Six days later he won his 17 consecutive race when he beat Young Prosser by 20 yards after starting at ‘only’ 1-4.
Then the unthinkable happened. He was entered in the W.D.T.A Championship at Parkes and was opposed to the future champion, Cocky Raider. Cocky went into the race with 4 wins from his only 5 starts and was receiving 24 yards start from Glenerrol, but was only second favourite at 5-2, Glenerrol was STILL the odds on favourite at 4-6. During the race he was involved in a scrimmage and lost his driver! It was a sad way to end his unbeaten streak. Recovering quickly he raced at Wagga on 26-1-68, started at 1-10, and beat Eric Mac comfortably. The next day, in the final of the 2-26 class event, he started at 1-7 and dead heated for first with Rosewood Park. He was then spelled. His 3yo season saw 8 starts for 7 wins, including a dead heat.
Glenerrol was away from the tracks for 15 months and resumed, as a 4yo, on 12-4-69 at Leeton. He started off 12 yards in a 2-25 class event and was sent out an 1-1 favourite despite his long layoff. It was the only time in his career he started ‘in the black’ and was beaten a nose, running 2nd to Way Out. He never raced again. Glenerrol was retired for stud duties but died not long after, thus ending one of the most promising careers of the 1960’s.
His lifetime record was 21 starts for 19 wins, 1 second and 1 ‘lost driver’. During his short, but brilliant, career he won the heat and final of the M.I.A Breeder’s Plate, the N.E.Breeder’s Plate, the Golden Slipper Stakes and the S.W & Riverina Sapling Stakes. His 17 consecutive wins, at the time, placed him second to only Aachen, with 20 consecutive wins between February 1956 and January 1959. With his passing Australian harness racing lost one of it’s most promising pacers of the decade.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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