Great Harness Horses 1960-1980
JUNIOR’S IMAGE
This story is about a horse who was, possibly, the most controversial pacer of the 1970’s after he became the first, and only, Inter Dominion winner to be disqualified after winning Australasia’s biggest race.
Despite some reports that Junior’s Image was originally a West Australian horse, he actually was a Victorian and began his racing career there.
His first start, as a 2yo, was at Stawell on 6-5-68, where he ran third to Typhoon Jack and 2 weeks later he ran 4th at Horsham to Ercidale. His final 2yo start was at Wayville where he ran 6th to Frosty Hanks. It wasn’t a very promising start to his racing career but time, and natural improvement, would work wonders in this case.
He began his W.A. racing career 9 months later at GP, in a heat of the W.A. Derby, where he ran 5th to Kellian. The following week he ran unplaced at the same venue. He had his third, and final, start as a 3yo on 19-3-69 at Northam where he ran 8th to Garth. His 2 and 3yo career saw just 6 starts for 1 placing, but his 4yo season would see him really set the harness world on fire.
Given 12 months to mature, he resumed at Cunderdin on 5-3-70, running 3rd in a beginner’s class to Delvyns’s Double. That was all the ‘warming up’ he needed as he won his next 7 races straight. First was at Bunbury on 11-3-70 where he beat Frotson and a week later he beat the very talented Roc Eden at Northam. Two weeks later he won at Pinjarra and 8 days later won there again off 24 yards. Six days later he won the Olympic Cup at York off 12 yards and a week later won a 4yo event at Bunbury from 24 yards. Six days later he ran up win number seven at Northam off 48 yards. He was now REALLY starting to get noticed!
On 2-5-70 he raced at GP, running 2nd to Capamore in a Qualifing event. He then proceeded, once again, to win his next 7 races in a row. On 9-5-70 he won at Fremantle and 4 days later won at York. Back to GP where he won his last start as a 4yo, beating Aquil Grani. His 4yo season saw 12 starts for 10 wins and 2 placings.
Resuming as a 5yo, 7 months later on 5-12-70, he raced in a heat of the Xmas Handicap at GP and won after starting at 4-9. Three weeks later he won the final after starting at the same price. Six days later he won again at 1-2, and on 30-1-70 he had his last start in W.A. and won again, this time he was unbackable at 1-6. His connections decided to take him to NZ to contest the 1971 Inter Dominion. He went into the series with 14 wins and a second from his last 15 starts. This was DEFINITELY a horse to be taken seriously, but he was destined to be upstaged by ANOTHER West Australian contender, the brilliant but erratic Mount Eden, who came into the series with 13 wins from his only 16 starts.
In the first set of heats Junior’s Image ran 2nd to Sassenach after being knocked off stride earlier but finished strongly. On the second night over the 2 mile journey, Stella Frost beat him after giving him 24 yards start and in the final set of heats he ran 2nd again to Stella Frost. For the final a week later it was a heavy track due to rain.
In the Final Junior’s Image led most of the way and coming towards the home turn ‘kicked’ about 5 lengths clear and was a big leader coming into the home straight. About half way down the long Addington straight, however, he started to get the ‘wobbles’ and the challengers were coming from everywhere. On the line there were 5 horses locked in a desperate struggle in the closest finish seen in an ID Final, but Junior’s Image prevailed by a neck from Stella Frost, off 24 yards, with Manaroa a nose away 3rd and Last flood a 1/2 head away 4th and Welcome Advice a 1/2 length back 5th.
Five days later the announcement came that he had returned a positive swab! A hearing was held over three days, the longest in NZ trotting history, and concluded that Phil Coulson had administered a drug to the horse and was barred for seven years and fined $1000. Coulson refused to attend the hearing on the ground that it would cost him too much to go back to NZ and he felt he may not get a fair hearing, but he was interviewed by NZ racecourse detectives in Perth, the day after the positive swab was announced. He appealed the ruling and applied for a remission of the penalty but was refused, however in November 1974 he had the disqualification reduced by 2 years and 10 months, allowing him to return to trotting in July 1975.
The amended result of the race gave the title to Stella Frost. Junior’s Image never raced in this part of the world again, going to America soon afterwards. For the rest of 1971 he had 7 starts there for 4 wins, in 1972 15 starts for 2 wins, 1973 28 starts for 2 wins, 1974 23 starts for 2 wins, 1975 33 starts for 9 wins and 1976 23 starts for just 1 win. His fastest win in America was 2-3.
The Junior’s Image saga was one of the ‘blackest’ days in harness racing history and the disqualification of an Inter Dominion winner has never been repeated.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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