A final look at time trials recorded over the years.
Past half century
Millionaire Cardigan Bay’s first TT record came on the new five furlong metal dust Cambridge track (28 September 1963) when prompted by galloping companion Loyal Parade (dr : Jack Baker). He equalled Caduceus’s T1:57 3/5TT (last half 56 4/5, quarter 27 3/5). He was After his ultra successful 1963 NZ Cup campaign ( 4 races/4 wins – NZ Cup, NZFFA, Alan Matson FFA, Ollivier Hcp), Cardigan Bay’s connections were offered £600 by the Wellington Trotting Club to break the Australasian mile record on its 4½ furlong track. On a cold and blustery night on 17 December 1963 before 6,887 fans at Hutt Park, “Cardy” produced the fastest mile of his entire career with a 1:56 1/5TT (world record was Adios Butler’s 1:54 3/5, Red Mile 1960). Charlie Hunter drove the galloping prompter Adios Belle as Cardy posted an unofficial first half of 57 4/5. It would be 16 years before Lord Module equalled and then reduced this record to 1:54.9.
Eleven year old Control’s T2:02 2/5TT on a blustery 3 March 1964 evening at Manawatu Raceway (4½ furlongs) for owner/trainer/driver Jim Donaldson, Tinwald set a new NZ record beating When’s 2:02 4/5 match race mile from 1963 (last time American speed cart seen in public).
Westland King regained the national 2yo trotting record for Jack Litten and owner Kevin Ryder with his T2:08 2/5TT on 22 June 1966 at Addington.
The first three year old to break two minutes in Australasia was Garcon Roux who achieved this feat on 24 February 1969 at Hutt Park recording 1:59 3/5TT. He was one of a select group of three year olds in the 1960/70/early 80’s who qualified for NZ Cup and inaugural winner of Horse of Year Award in
1968/9.
After failing to make the field for the 1971 ID Pacers Grand Final at Addington and rather than compete in the Consolation, Mount Eden was due to time trial at midday on Grand Final day (27 February 1971). A stake of $2,000 was on offer to break 2:00..0, extra $1,000 to break Cardigan Bay’s 1:56 1/5 and additional bonuses sponsored by sportsmen and businessmen of $4,100 to beat Bret Hanover’s world record of 1:53.6. However, due to the inclement weather, rain and a deep and slushy track, his attempt was postponed until 5pm after the last race. Prompted by galloping thoroughbred Maxwelton (Jim Dalgety), Mount Eden in the hands of trainer/driver Jack Miles, recorded an astounding 1:56 3/5TT (30.6, 59.8, 1:28.8, final quarter 27.8/last half 56.8), just .4 second outside Cardigan Bay’s NZ/Australasian record.
The first trotter in Australasia to break two minutes was Nigel Craig. At the New Brighton TC meeting at Addington on 19 February 1977, he recorded T1:58.8TT (29.6, 58.8, 1:27.8, final quarter 31.0) with the Addington clubs providing a $2,100 purse. Nigel Craig was driven by Bevan Heron, co owner with his father trainer Lance Heron, Rangiora. The galloping prompter Glenroy Lass was driven by John Noble. Nigel Craig’s best race mile time was T2:00.3 recorded at Addington on New Years Day 1977. His dam Pipetre was a daughter of good trotter Highland Kilt..
Three weeks after Nigel Craig’s effort, Petite Evander earned $700 for becoming the first trotting mare in Australasia to break two minutes with her T1:59.8TT (29, 1:00, 1:29, 1:59.8) at Alexandra Park on 12 March 1977. She was driven by John Langdon with Paddy Timmins driving the galloping prompter. She held the previous mares NZ and track record of 2:02.2 (12 February 1977) for part owners Frank (FH) Weaver senior and trainer Frank Weaver (FR). Petite Evander went on to race in Europe and North America ultimately becoming fastest (T1:58.0US) and richest trotter produced at that time in Australasia and second highest stake earner behind Cardigan Bay.
Haughty Romeo’s 1:58.4TT at Winton on a cold autumn evening (3 April 1978) made him the fastest 3yo miler at that time (Roydon Scott 1:58.9 race mile). He was driven by Maurice Skinner using an American speed sulky imported by NZSBA.
In beating Cardigan Bay’s seventeen year old record, Lord Module’s 1:54.9TT (28.8, 56.9, 1:26.3, final quarter 28.5) took over a second off the old record at Addington on 23 January 1980. A cold night on a sticky track, this was the fastest mile time ever recorded outside North America. Lord Module had earlier broken Young Quinn‘s (1:57.0) race mile record and equalled Cardigan Bay’s TT record with his 1:56.2 set at Addington (NBTC) on 1 December 1979 earning an extra $10,000 bonus.
Scotch Tar showed ample evidence of his great speed when running the second fastest trotted mile in T1:58.9TT (29:6, 59.0, 1:28.8, final quarter 30.1). In ideal he was driven by owner trainer Slim Dykman on the opening night/day three of NZ Cup carnival at Addington on 18 November 1980. Earlier at the Cup meeting he had won the Worthy Queen Hcp on Cup Day from 35m; tackled the open class pacers in the NZFFA (2000m) on Show Day astounding many by leading off the mobile until 200m from the finish (26.8, 58.8, 1:28.4, 1:57.4) before conceding to Hands Down (finished ninth of fourteen); won Dominion Hcp on final night of carnival.
The first 2yo to go under two minutes was Disco Dancer (Master Mood p2, 1:59.5 race mile, Timaru 7 April 1984) at Alexandra Park on 14 Feb 1981 with his 1:58.8TT (59..8, 1:29.4, final quarter 29.4). He was driven by co trainer Charlie Hunter with Don Hayes handling galloping prompter Breconshire. Testing Times had earlier been the only 2yo under two minutes with his 1:59.6US being recorded in North America.. Disco Dancer ran a season’s fastest 2:01.0 race mile at two.. As a 3yo he set a NZR of 1:57.7TT at Cambridge on 11 December 1981. This meant he held both two and three year old mile records’ prior to being exported to USA following six 3yo starts.
Jenner shattered Halberg’s 3yo national trotter’s record of T2:08.0 with his T2:04.5TT at Alexandra Park on 16 May 1981.
Mister Square established both two and three year old NZR mile trotting records with time trials at Alexandra Park. He ended his 2yo season on 23 May 1981, running T2:06.1TT (last 800, 61.1) beating Westland King‘s long standing record by two seconds. A year later at Auckland trials on 2 June 1982, his T2:03..8TT (60.6, 1:31.5, final quarter 32.3) was his best NZ time (T2:01.4US) beating Jenner‘s 3yo record. He was accompanied by galloping prompter Breconshire.
Outstanding Australian pacer Gammalite took on NZ’s best at the 1981 NZ Cup carnival. Following a fifth in the Cup and fourth in the NZFFA to Armalight, trainer Leo O’Connor opted to trial him over a mile on the opening night (third day) of the carnival, Tuesday 17 November 1981. The Trotting Calendar put up $250 and NZMTC a $500 trophy for the trial. Following light rain, the track surface was soft and a cool sou’ wester persisted.. At 7.15pm, driver Bruce Clarke accompanied by John Noble (Sepoti) set about producing a fantastic time of 1:56.1TT (sectionals 29.8, 28.8/58.6, 29.0/1:27.6, 28.5). Gammalite finished second to Lord Module (Alan Matson FFA – his last start) on the final night.
Greg Robinson set a personal best of 1:58.3TT easily a track record on the new all weather track (opened 12 April 1980) at New Plymouth on 16 January 1982. In 1979 at Alexandra Park he had recorded a 1:58.9TT using Auckland OTB’s American speed sulky.
Two year old trotter Zebec time trialled in T2:04.8TT at Addington on 7 May 1982 setting a new NZ record for owner/trainer Dick Monk and driver Ron Stechmann.
Thriller Dee broke Nigel Craig’s national mile record a fortnight before the 1983 Interdominions held in Auckland. Her T1:57.8TT on 25 February 1983 for driver Peter Wolfenden included a first half in 57.8 and final quarter in 31..3.
Time trialling brilliantly in 1:56.4TT at Alexandra Park on 28 July 1984, Slugger easily broke Disco Dancers 3yo record with Peter Wolfenden the pilot in 1:57.7TT (59.7, 27.7 (1:27.4), 29.0). Later the same evening, he raced over 2200m (20m), losing 50m at start and running fifth to trotter Cal Brydon (C5 pace Max Harvey Hcp).
The 8 November 1990 Ashburton (Thursday) Cup week meeting provided Itz Magic with the opportunity to time trial prior to race one recording 1:55.6TT. The first race of the day, a maiden trot, was won by Lilly the Pink who in 1994 time trialled within .1 second of Thriller Dee’s NZ trotting mare’s record at Ashburton.
A highlight of Nelson’s opening day on 1 February 1992 was Starship lowering Lord Module’s 12 year old national record to 1:54..5TT. Trained by John Reedy, he was driven by Anthony Butt with Colin de Filippi steering the galloping prompter Sheer Grunt.
Lilly The Pink used her natural speed to time trial at Ashburton in T1:57.9TT on 20 January 1994 shortly before her impressive 1994 Sydney Interdominion campaign for part owner (with wife Heather), trainer/driver Carl Middleton.
Above the Stars lowered the national mile record for 2yo trotters in a time trial at Alexandra Park on 8 July 1994 (T2:02.4TT). He had earlier equalled Our Super Force’s 2200mM 2yo national record of T2:52.1 when racing solo at the Alexandra Park trials.
Following wins in the Trotting FFA and Dominion Hcp at the 1995 NZ Cup carnival, Call Me Now strode onto Addington Raceway to record a NZ record T1:56.7TT for the mile on 8 Dec 1995 (still in top twenty mile times recorded in NZ 20 years later).
In recent years, Ashburton has become the time trial “capital” for NZ harness racing. The vast majority of recent time trials have been conducted on the ultra quick 1483m circuit with some of the more significant examples being :
- Relentless Lady 1:55.0TT and Annie Robinson T2:00.0TT on 10 March 1998
- Valley of the Moon T1:58.5TT on 4 March 2003
- The Daisy 1:54.7TT on 6 March 2007
- Star of Venus 1:53.0TT and Alta Delilah 1:53.9TT on 30 March 2010
- Savona T1:57.5TT on 13 April 2011, then equal fourth fastest trotting mares time recorded in NZ with Pocaro‘s T1:57.5 on Jewels Day 2009 (One Over Kenny T1:57.0, Cambridge 24 December 2007; Pride of Petite, T1:57.4, Alexandra Park 12 March 1999/Lavra Miriam T1:57.4 Wairio 18 December 2009). Savona subsequently ran T1:55.4 (Australasian Trotting Mares record), T1:56.1, T1:57.3 race miles at Menangle in 2012
- Christy Breanna ‘s 1:51.7TT set an Australasian mile record for a time trial on 15 April 2014 and her’s is the only time trial to date under 1:52.0 in Australasia. She was a three win horse at the time (obtained a C3 assessment, 6 wins)
- Shes Got It 1:55.3TT and Rocking Cullen 1:57.4TT on 25 November 2014
A recent exception to the Ashburton bias was Dead Cat Bounce’s 1:59.8TT at Alexandra Park on 7 November 2014.
The most recent time trials have been those of trotters Kilmorich (1:59.4TT) from the Bruce Negus stable on 15 March 2016 and Star Commando (T1:58.4TT) for Bruce Hutton on 3 April 2016, both at Ashburton..
It seems unlikely that we will see any new records set by way of time trial in future due to the times being achieved on racedays. Time trials will more likely be used to enhance a mare’s performance for breeding purposes.
Peter Craig
7 April 2016
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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