This week’s story is about my VERY favourite horse of the 1950’s, Fettle. He was a big, strong horse with speed and stamina and was loaded with charisma. I stll, today, consider him a good thing beaten in the 1960 ID Final, but that’s a story for another day. Fettle was continually underestimated by his rivals and the punters, consequently it was quite possible to get very good odds when backing him. I had my four biggest wins on him in the 1950’s and my fate as a punter was sealed!
There used to be a racing program on Channel 9 in the early 1960’s called Punter’s Post Mortem shown on aSaturday morning. The racing section was conducted by Clarence The Clocker (Arthur Davies) and the harness by a bookmaker named Cedric Gordon. I remember him interviewing Ron Hayes on one of his programs and Hayes said that Fettle would have won many more races if he had been driven by a professional driver but Hayes was having too much fun to ‘hand him over’! A very honest self assessment, rare in harness racing today!
Fettle remains today as one of the MOST underrated pacers of that era.
FETTLE – By Jim Hogan
It was the 26th Jan. 1960, 4 days before the Inter Dominion carnival was due to begin at HP. This was being touted as the greatest ID carnival ever, with the best horses from all over Australia competing against NZ’s best including two legends, Caduceus and False Step. Prizemoney was the highest ever offered at $81,000 including $31,000 for the Grand Final. The NSW Trotting Club had a meeting scheduled for their out of town track, Menangle Park, and had included a fast class FFA on the program to offer some of the ID contenders one last chance for a hard conditioning run. To their delight it attracted a top class field including three horses who would, ultimately, finish 1st, 2nd and 4th in the ID Final.
Hot favourite for the FFA was the NZ champion Caduceus, already a legend. He came into the race with 4 wins in a row including the NZ FFA, another win at Addington off 48 yards equaling the world record for 13 furlongs, a win off 66 yards over 10 furlongs in new world record time and an easy win in a HP FFA beating Brilliant Moon and Apmat. This “country” FFA was seen as easy pickings for a horse who was expected to, and eventually did, win the ID Final from 36 yards behind, and he was sent out as a hot 1-3 favourite. When the dust had settled, however, and the race was over he had been beaten, on his merits, by a horse who, throughout his career, was continually underestimated by his rivals. That horse’s name was Fettle.
Unfashionably bred by Raglo out of Red Doll, he was owned by F. Hayes, and trained and driven throughout his career by Ron Hayes, a dairy farmer from the NSW south coast. Beginning his racing career under the name of Cash Box, he had the first of his four 2yo starts in a 2yo race at Bega on 3-11-53, running third. He had two more placings in 2yo events before winning the Southern Districts Sapling Stakes, at Bega on 6-3-54, at his last 2yo start. When he resumed racing, on 21-1-55 as a 3yo, he had a new name, Fettle.
He won first up, as a 3yo, at Wagga and had six more starts for 3 seconds and a third. He ran 2nd in the Southern Districts Derby, 2nd at HP in the Country 3yo Championship and 2nd in a heat of the NSW Derby, before running 5th, in the final, to First Variety. Sent for a 6 months spell, he resumed as a 4yo at Cowra, on 12-11-55. He won his first 6 as a 4yo before running 4th, in a division of the Wagga Cup, to the brilliant Sky High. Spelled again for seven months, he resumed on the 27-10-56 as a 5yo, and won 9 of his 11 starts at this age.
Winning first up at Wagga he then won a FFA at Young before being beaten in another FFA by the dual HP Cup winner, Sky High. He then won 2 of his next 3 starts before winning his first HP race on 12-1-57, a qualifier (2.22 class). This began an unusual record, which stood for many years, as Fettle was unbeaten at HP in 10 starts there over a 21 month period. After his first HP win he won his last 4 starts, as a 5yo, including 3 at HP. As a 4 and 5yo he had 18 starts for 15 wins, and was now starting to show his true potential.
Resuming as a 6yo, on 14-9-57, on the grass track at Richmond, he ran 5th, from 60 yards behind, before winning his next six. The first of these was at Menangle beating one of the best mares ever to race at HP, Sibelia. He then won, at HP, the heat and final of the Spring Handicap and heat and final of the Summer Handicap, taking him to Cup class. In his first start, at this level, he beat Highland Jan and Malniri in an invitation event at HP.
He then travelled to S.A. and ran third in a FFA behind Caduceus and False Step, after a scrimmage with False Step in the last lap. The following week he began his 1958 ID campaign by running 3rd, from 12 yards, in the first series of heats, behind Moon Raider. He was elevated to series favourite, after this run, but was suffering some leg problems. On the second night he again ran 3rd, this time behind False Step. The Wayville track was only 2½ furlongs in length, and was often referred to as the Wayville ‘saucer’, as it was shaped like a plate and almost one continuous bend! The combination of continuous tight bends and sore legs did not help Fettle’s quest for victory, as he lost ground on every turn. He was now equal favourite, with False Step, for the final, despite his difficulties with the track. On the third night of heats, over the long course of 15 1/4 furlongs (3050 metres), he ran second to the 1957 ID winner, Radiant Venture. This was the
best race of the series with these two pacers having their own private ‘two horse war’ for the last 5 furlongs (1000 metres). With nothing between them over the last 2 laps they streeted the opposition with Radiant Venture eventually winning by a short half head and the 3rd horse 20 metres behind. In the final Fettle finished second last, and his driver, Ron Hayes, vowed never to return to S.A. until they had a decent half mile track. He was then spelled for 7 months.
Resuming on 7-10-58, he had his first start as a 7yo at Richmond. From 60 yards behind, and first up, he wasn’t expected to prove a threat, and was sent out at 15-1. Showing his class, and the folly of underestimating him, Fettle stormed home to win convincingly and 2 weeks later won a FFA, at HP, beating Sibelia and Diabalo Don. Third in the Spring Cup from 12 yards, he came out the following week and won an invitation event beating Gentleman John and Sibelia. Given a 2 month break, he resumed with a second, to the speedy First Kiss, before winning another HP FFA. He then ran 2nd in the Summer Cup to Caduceus and a week later won another invitation from Diabalo Don and Sibelia. Unplaced, from 12 yards behind, to First Kiss, he then ran second in a FFA before winning the 1959 Lord Mayor’s Cup.
This was a terrific win as he started from 12 yards, raced three wide around the field to lead the outside runners, and on a very wet track held off Caduceus and Kiwi Dillon for a very strong win. At his last start, as a 7yo, he dead heated, with First Kiss, for 2nd behind Sibelia in an invitation. His 12 starts as a 7yo had produced 6 wins and 5 placings.
Spelled for 6 months, he resumed with a 4th at HP but 8 days later set a new track record at HP, in a FFA, beating Apmat and Sibelia. Then, for the first time in his career, he had 3 unplaced runs in a row, caused by his handicap and luck in running. His next start was the race talked about at the start of this article, the Menangle FFA. A return to FFA conditions, and a better draw, did not influence the bookmakers. Once again he was underestimated, starting at 8-1, but Fettle on his day was unbeatable. Jumping straight to the front, he set a very solid pace before sprinting away from the field at the 3 furlong mark to win in track record time. Caduceus came in 2nd with Scottish Command 3rd and Apmat 4th. Four days later, in the first round of heats of the 1960 ID carnival at HP, he won his heat in sensational time, running a new track record and rating 2-3 3/5 for the standing start 11 3/4 furlong event. In the next 2 heats he was 2nd, beaten 4 yards,
and then 3rd, beaten a neck and a half a head, in the final heat.
In the ID final he was kept very safe by bookmakers at 9-2. Beginning very well from his 12 yard mark, he went around the field early and tried to lead, but Alph Phillis, on Rosslawn, refused to ‘hand up’. Fettle then sat outside the leader and tried, again, to get the lead, but once more Phillis refused him. While all this action was going on up front, Caduceus and Apmat were sitting back in the field, biding their time. In the last lap Fettle challenged Rosslawn for the lead again and raced past him nearing the home turn. Half way down the straight Fettle was still in front, but then the ‘swoopers’ arrived on the scene and relegated him to 4th. It was a tremendous run in such quality company. The run took it’s toll, however, as he was unplaced at his next 2 starts from back marks. Invited to race in America in the inaugural International Pace Series, he had his last start, in a HP FFA, before going overseas. Appreciating the FFA conditions, he jumped
straight to the front and led, running 4 lengths clear down the back straight and winning easily. He then headed off to America.
Unfortunately he injured himself and never raced there before returning home. Then, 18 months later, he was nominated for a Kembla FFA. Off the scene for a year and a half and now a 10yo he wasn’t expected to win,
so the bookies put him up at 6-1. Weight of public money, however, forced his price down to 4-1. Everything was against him, his time away from the
track, his age and half decent opposition, but the punters knew he only had to be a fraction of his former self to win and, of course, he did. He only had 2 more starts.
He ran 5th behind James Scott and in his final start was unplaced, from 24 yards, to Lew’s Hope. He retired to stud with a career record of 69 starts for 34 wins and 20 placings. Not bad for a self confessed “hobby” trainer/driver but, just like Fettle, Ron Hayes was
also often underestimated by his rivals, much to their misfortune.
Fettle remains today one of the finest pacers ever to grace the Glebe circuit.
Author’s note: It has been reported that Fettle injured himself BEFORE his American trip and NEVER went over there but that is incorrect. He DID travel to America. I even have video footage of him being loaded onto the plane!
By Jim Hogan
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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