Great Harness Horses 1960-1980
JUST TOO GOOD.
Fate plays many tricks on us as we go through the years. Back in 1953 Nesbit Pike went along to a dispersal sale with two of his children, Keith and Colin. He took a fancy to a particular mare, Precious Gift, but failed to buy her. His assessment of her, however, was ‘spot on’ as she went on to produce the brilliant ‘bush champion’ of the late 1950’s early 1960’s, Last Command. Nesbit DID, however, buy two other mares. The first, Lady Sequel, cost $80, had a foal at foot to Brigade Command and was in foal to that stallion again. That second foal, a filly, was named Rayjen, and with Colin driving her she won about 10 races around the bush tracks. When she went to stud she was served by Deep Adios, who was standing in the region at the time. Her first foal was a more than useful performer named Davian. Her second foal, however, was MUCH more than just a useful performer, he was a chestnut colt with a blaze of white on his face and was known Australia wide as the Temora Tornado, Paleface Adios!
The second mare purchased by Nesbit Pike at that sale back in 1953 was Royal Chase for $160. The first foal she had was named Ella’s Command and she won a few races for Colin’s brother, Keith but when she went to stud, also to Deep Adios, the resulting foal was named Just Too Good, and it is HIS story we will tell tonight.
Unraced at 2, Just Too Good had his first start as a 3yo on 5-12-70 at Junee, running 7th. A week later he won his first race by just half a head at Temora but followed that with an 8th at Junee off 12 yards. On 28-12-70 he contested a heat of the Leeton Sires Produce Stakes, finishing 2nd and 4 days later ran 7th in the final. Given a 2 month spell he resumed in the Wagga Guineas, finishing 3rd to Nightland, but the following week won a 3yo event from 12 yards behind at Junee. His next start was in the South West & Riverina Derby at Temora, finishing 2nd to Noble Welcome. Two weeks later he won at Cowra and on the 16-4-71 had his first start at HP in the Country 3yo Championship, running 2nd to Noble Welcome again. Two weeks later, still at headquarters, he ran 2nd in a 3yo event and on the 17-5-71 made his first trip interstate, winning at Kilmore. Five days later he won a 3yo race at the Melbourne Showgrounds and the following week ran 2nd, off 12 yards, to Fur Elise. It was his final start for the season which saw 14 starts for 5 wins and 5 placings.
Spelled for 6 months, he resumed at HP on 5-11-71 in a 4yo event and beat Arvilette. The following week he was beaten a head by the same horse in the Australasian 4yo Championship. Two weeks later he ran 3rd to Rocket Glenfern and Arvilette in an Invitation 4yo Challenge. Six weeks later he contested the Maitland Inter City Pace, running 2nd in the first heat behind the very smart Bold Biami and the following week won his heat, but in the final on 5-2-72 ran 2nd, once again, to Bold Biami. He then travelled back ‘home’ and won a heat of the Junee Cup on 11-2-72 and the next day won the final. A week later he won the Wagga Cup before he ran 3rd in a Canberra FFA behind the ‘ugly’ Kiwi, Manaroa. Back to Temora where he won a FFA and on the 24-3-72 won a Wagga Invitation from the very good country horse, Sandy Velu. He then ran 4th in a FFA before winning a Cowra FFA on 8-4-72, but 2 weeks later ran 3rd to Canu Bay at West Wyalong. Then he won a Coolamon FFA before travelling back to HP on 28-4-72 for the heats of the 3 & 4yo Championship.
He ran 3rd in his heat but won the final the following week, from Lucky Variety. Two weeks later he won a heat of the Graduation Championship and 3 days later won the final. He then raced at Richmond in the Tom Austen Cup but could only finish 2nd behind Apollo Eleven with Davian 3rd. A week later he won a Menangle FFA from Davian and 2 nights later won at Bankstown. On 27-6-72 he had his last 4yo start beating Apollo Eleven at HP. In his second season of racing, Just Too Good had 24 starts for 15 wins and 8 placings and just one unplaced run (4th!). It was a pretty impressive 4yo season.
Given a 4 month break, he resumed as a 5yo at HP in the heats of the Spring Cup on 8-10-72. He finished 2nd on the first night and won a heat on the second night, but in the final could only finish 2nd to Bold Biami. He then travelled to Shepparton winning a FFA in track record time from Alipes and Greenwald. Back to Temora to win a FFA by 30 yards, at 1-10, before travelling back to Melbourne for a FFA win at the Showgrounds. He then came back to Young for another FFA win followed by another at Leeton. He then beat Canu Bay at Wagga and on the 9-1-73 went back to Shepparton and won the Shepparton Cup from 12 yards after starting at 1-2. It was his 7th consecutive win. He then won a Canberra FFA from the very good Local Ayr before winning a Cowra FFA from the, even better, King Frost. He then ran 4th to Reichman at Junee before contesting the 1973 Inter Dominion series at HP. He won his first night heat from Bold Biami and 4 nights later ran 2nd to Arapaho. The following week he won his final heat from Reichman and Robalan, but in the final found Hondo Grattan too good on the night, finishing 4th. A week later he won an Invitation beating the ID runner up, Royal Ascot, but the following week ran last in the Miracle Mile to the flying Reichman.
He then won a Canberra FFA and a week later won a Cowra FFA before coming back to HP for the Lord Mayor’s Cup carnival. He ran 3rd on the first night behind the brilliant front running Dillon Light and 2nd on the second night behind the ID champion, Hondo Grattan. In the final he finished a very close 6th to Hondo Grattan. That was his last start as a 5yo and his season’s figures read 24 starts for 15 wins and 5 placings, very similar to his 4yo results.
Given a 7 month spell, he resumed as a 6yo on 3-11-73 in a Cowra FFA, but was beaten 3 yards by the enigmatic Harwood Brigade with Hondo Grattan 3rd. Fourteen days later he raced in a Junee FFA and was again beaten, but only just! He finished 3rd, beaten a neck and a nose, behind Welcome Advice and Adios Victor. It was not uncommon, at this time, for some country FFA fields to be MUCH stronger than the main event fields at HP, as evidenced by the last two fields he raced against. Two weeks later he ran 4th at HP behind Hondo Grattan and a week later ran 5th to the same horse. He then went to Wagga for a FFA but ran 2nd behind Paleface Adios with Harwood Brigade 3rd, and then to Temora for a 2nd in another FFA.
He finally opened his winning account as a 6yo on 18-1-74 in a heat of the Australia Day Cup at HP, beating King Frost and the following week won a second heat beating Tarcoola Frost. In the final he could only finish 7th to King Frost. He then travelled to Perth for the 1974 Inter Dominion carnival. He won his heat easily on the first night and 4 nights later won again. On the final night of heats he ran 4th behind Adios Victor and went into the final a strong fancy at 5-2. History now knows that he was mixed up in that aweful crash just after the start of the race and fell. Just to show that he had taken no harm from his fall he came out 2 weeks later and won the Queen Elizabeth Cup at GP from Adios Victor. He had just 2 more starts for the season, running 4th to Reichman in a Junee FFA and 3rd to Paleface Adios in a Canberra Flying Mile. As a 6yo Just Too Good had 16 starts for just 5 wins and 5 placings.
He resumed after a 6 months spell with a track record breaking run in a Parkes FFA beating King Frost. He then contested the Spring Cup at HP running 3rd in the first set of heats to Don’t Retreat, then 2nd behind Tarcoola Frost on the second night. In the final he ran an uncharacteristic 9th behind Tarcoola Frost. On 2-11-74 he ran 2nd to King Frost in a Cowra FFA but 3 nights later won a Young FFA. He then ran 3rd behind Adios Victor at Temora before travelling to Melbourne for the Winfield Cup. In this race he was beaten a head by Kingsmead but 2 weeks later won the Pacific Coast Pace at HP from Monara and Mitchell Victory. He then travelled to S.A. for the S.A.T.C. Cup but finished 3rd, beaten a head and a head by James Eden and Bold Jason. A week later he was in Perth for the W.A. Pacing Cup carnival.
On the first night he finished 3rd but won his heat on the 2nd night before finishing 5th on the 3rd night. For the final he was kept very safe at 7-2 and justified those odds by just beating Adios Victor by a nose. He then travelled to NZ for the 1975 Inter Dominion carnival at Auckland. He went over with one of the strongest Australian contingents ever sent across the Tasman but, like all the other Aussie horses, performed WELL below his best! I’ve always wondered why? He finished 2nd on the first night, 6th on the second night, 6th again on the third night and 10th in the final to the absolutely unstoppable Young Qui.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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