GREAT HARNESS HORSES 1960-1980
NUMBER 28
ADIOS VICTOR
Adios Victor was ANOTHER of the class of 1968 that I have written so much about in recent times. Bred by Syl Bray, he was owned by Mrs. E. Bray and trained and driven by Arthur Bray. He was another top class horse produced by Deep Adios who stood in the region for some time. His dam, May Marrie, had 11 live foals over a 17 year period for 10 pacers and one trotter, the Trotter’s Derby winner, Cocky Adios. Although all the pacers were winners none achieved the heights of fame of Adios Victor.
Unraced as a 2yo, Adios Victor had his first start as a 3yo on 28-12-71 winning a heat of the Leeton Sires Produce Stakes and 3 days later was beaten a ½ head in the final. He then won off 12 yards at Temora before ‘border hopping’ to win at Cranbourne on 14-2-72. Five nights later he won at his first start at the Melbourne Showgrounds and 2 weeks later won a heat of the Vic. Derby. In the final the following week he was beaten just a metre by Annastere with Simpsonic 3rd.
He than had his first start at HP in a heat of the NSW Derby, finishing 2nd to Hondo Grattan and in the final the following week was beaten a head and a nose by Bold Biami and Nicotine Prince. He then won a Coolamon FFA but a week later could only finish 7th in a similar event at West Wyalong. At his last start for the season, on 5-6-72, he finished 3rd in the Kilmore Derby behind Nicotine Prince and Simpsonic. As a 3yo Adios Victor had 12 starts for 6 wins and 5 placings. It was a good start to his career and he was already starting to show his ‘secret weapon’, the ability to sprint VERY fast at the end of his races.
Adios Victor again won first up, this time as a 4yo. Back over the border again, he won at Wangaratta on 6-10-72, and 3 weeks later was 2nd, from 24 yards, at Kilmore. He then won at Wagga before travelling to HP for the Australasian 4yo Championship. He ran 4th in his heat behind Local Ayr who ran an Australasian record, 2-0 4/5 rate, and in the final was 2nd, beaten just 1 metre, by Nicotine Prince. A week later he won a special 4yo Invitation Challenge beating Local Ayr and Jason King. Two weeks later he was in Melbourne and easily won the Lord Mayor’s Cup from Nicotine Prince and Simpsonic. Back to Wagga 4 weeks later, he won a FFA at 1-10 and 2 weeks later ‘dropped’ down to Wangaratta to win the Wangaratta Cup from the very good horse, Monara. He received a start from Monara but locked wheels with another runner and came from behind Monara to win brilliantly. He then came back to Sydney for the 1973 Inter Dominion series.
Coming into the first night of heats he had 4 wins in a row and was a short 6-4 favourite to win his 5th consecutive race. The night was VERY wet, the track almost a quagmire but that didn’t stop him from winning. He was 4th on the rails early but eased out with 2 laps to go. With Glamour Chief leading, he issued his challenge down the back straight the last time and came home his last 3 furlongs in 43.4 seconds. This was sensational time for the HP track of that time in the VERY heavy conditions and took him to a clear victory over Glamour Chief and Royal Ascot. So impressive was the win that one of the ‘chicken kings’, Bob Ingham, immediately offered $80,000 for the horse, big money in those days, but the offer was refused
On the 2nd night he ran last in the heat won by Arapaho and on the last night of heats finished 4th to Glamour Chief after breaking at the start and then colliding with another horse. He failed to qualify for the final but won his Consolation, the 4th on the night. Leading early, he was rated perfectly in front by substitute driver, Kevin Newman, and bounded away over the last half lap to win by 4 lengths. A week later he won an Invitation event beating James Eden and Manaroa but the following week got into trouble in a FFA and FTF. His last start for the season was in a FFA at Temora where he ‘bolted in’ by 25 yards at the prohibitive odds of 1-20! His 4yo season saw 16 starts for 10 wins and 2 placings.
Showing, once again, how quickly he comes to hand, he won first up again as a 5yo at HP. This was a sensational win as he was off 12 yards but won by 25 yards after running his last 3 furlongs in 43.3 and his last 2 in 28.4 unextended, VERY fast times for the HP track of 42 years ago. His second start was two weeks laterin a heat of the Spring Cup where he finished 8th to King Frost but the following week he turned in a sensational run. Once again in a heat of the Spring Cup, he made his run down the back straight in the last lap of a fast run race and went from the 600 metre mark to the 400 metre mark in 13 seconds! This is equivalent to a 26 second quarter, VERY fast time today, unbelievable time 42 years ago. He won the heat by 12 metres from Hondo Grattan and ran a new track record rate of 2-4 1/5 for the standing start 2350 metres race. In the final, however, he could only finish 6th to Bold Jason. He followed that with a 7th behind Welcome Advice
in a Melbourne Invitation, then back to Junee to be beaten a neck and a nose in a FFA behind Welcome Advice and Just Too good. He then travelled to Perth for the W.A. Pacing Cup carnival.
On 15-12-73 he easily won his first heat from Glamour Chief and Local Product and a week later won a heat again, this time from Regent Queen and Yankee Rhythm. Four nights later he finished 11th behind Tanaka in the final round of heats and in the final ran 9th behind Local Product. Three weeks later he won again at Gloucester Park and the following week ran 4th from 24 yards. He then contested the Inter Dominion series being held in Perth that year. In the first round of heats on 9-2-74 he beat Bret Armagh but 4 days later ran 5th behind Just Too Good. In the final round of heats he won beating James Eden and Welcome Advice. The final was a dreadful affair with a terrible skirmish on the very first turn taking almost all of the field out of the race including Paleface Adios, Just Too Good and Welcome Advice. With just 4 runners left with a chance, including last year’s winner Hondo Grattan, the race lost most of it’s appeal as a spectacle. Hondo Grattan
ran to the front in the last lap and try as he may, Adios Victor could not run him down, finishing 2nd beaten 3 metres. Two weeks later he finished 2nd again, this time to Just Too Good, beaten 2 metres in the Queen Elizabeth Cup. He then went back home for the Temora Cup where he finished 5th from 96 yards behind. It was his last start for the season. As a 5yo Adios Victor had 18 starts for 7 wins and 3 placings.
Resuming as a 6yo in a Melb. FFA on 12-10-74 he, once again, won first up. In this race he went hard early to lead and from there on was never headed, winning easily from Gallagher. Ten days later won the Cranbourne Cup from Cassius Court and Monara. Six days later he ran 4th in the Kilmore Cup after giving the winner, Nevada Smoke, 24 yards start. He then won a Temora FFA before going back to Melb. for the Winfield Cup where he finished 6th. He then travelled again across to Perth for the W.A. Pacing Cup. He ran 2nd, beaten a neck, in the first heat behind Royal Force to whom he gave 12 yards start, then 2nd in the next round of heats to Flying Heel and finally 2nd again in the last set of heats. In the final he was beaten a nose by Just Too Good! The following week he had his last start at GP on this trip, for a 3rd in an Invitation.
Back at HP 7 days later he won a heat of the Australia Day Cup in sensational fashion. From his 12 yard mark he was slowly away and settled down 15 yards behind the 2nd last horse. He raced in last place until the 2 furlong mark where he started his run 3 and 4 wide. He was about 5th into the home straight but unleashed his devastating sprint and ran all over them for an easy victory. The following week he ran 2nd to Mitchell Victory in another heat. In the final he was beaten a nose by Mitchell Victory, the second Group One final he had lost by a nose in 4 weeks! Back to Junee for a 3rd in a FFA behind James Eden and King Frost before going back to HP and winning a FFA there. A month later he contested the 1975 Miracle Mile but finished last behind the outstanding Young Quinn. The following week he ran 6th to Flying Heel in the Melb. Marathon Stakes before going back home to win a Temora FFA from Paleface Adios. At his last start as a 6yo he contested
the Canberra Flying
Mile but could only finish 3rd behind Paleface Adios who was almost unbeatable at Canberra. As a 6yo he had 19 starts for 6 wins and 9 placings in what was a very unlucky season.
Adios Victor resumed on 10-11-75, for what was to be his last season of racing, at Kilmore off 48 yards and finished 5th. Four nights later he won the Winfield Sprint at the Showgrounds and a week later contested the Winfield Cup finishing 6th to King Frost. Five weeks later he ran 2nd, beaten a neck, in a FFA still in Melbourne and 4 nights later ran 2nd again in a FFA. Four nights later he contested the A.G. Hunter Cup and was beaten a half a head by Truant Armagh. Six nights later he was racing at HP in the heats of the Australia Day Cup finishing 5th in the first set of heats, 3rd on the second night and failing to qualify for the final. He then travelled to Globe Derby for the 1976 Inter Dominion carnival finishing 10th on the first night and 4th in the second round of heats. He was then retired to stud.
At stud Adios Victor produced 475 foals for 165 winners of over $1,500,000.
Adios Victor had a career record of 75 starts for 30 wins and 23 placings. He won many top class events but was also very narrowly beaten in just as many, for example beaten a head in the NSW Derby, beaten a metre in the Vic. Derby, beaten 1 metre in the Australasian 4yo Championship, beaten a half a head in the A.G.Hunter Cup, a nose in an Australia Day Cup, a nose in a W.A. Pacing Cup, plus second in an ID final and a Queen Elizabeth Cup! With an ounce of luck he could have won ALL those races and would have been remembered as one of the greats of the last 30 years yet few today know very little about him.
He possessed, quite possibly, the FASTEST sprint of any horse up to that time, and even today there are top class horses that won’t come close to reproducing the times that he ran 42 years ago on a HP track 4-5 seconds slower than it is today. His 13 second 200 metre burst on 19-10-73 is Thoroughbred time and equates to a 26 second quarter. That would be mind boggling time today but for the HP track of 42 years ago
is almost beyond comprehension, yet it was timed by Trotguides experienced clockers.
Whichever way you look at it Adios Victor was one of the GREATS of a period that produced more really top class horses than any other period I have seen in the last 60 years. Together with Hondo Grattan, Paleface Adios, Welcome Advice, King Frost, Just Too Good and Bold Biami he ensured that NSW was the ABSOLUTE top state for a number of years. He was also, as mentioned earlier, another of that phenomenal crop of 1968.
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
