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Top 50 Western Australian Pacers of All Time

Harness & Greyhounds

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    It is hard to believe now when you look at the standard of SA pacing but I can remember a few handy ones heading West in the 80s. Rhetts Law, Abentuer, Tarport Sox, Let's Talk just a few off the top of my head I'm sure there were a fair few others.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Pallaton, Yo Yo Time, Flagship, Alladins Lamp....will dig up some more. Will get onto Gap Road (originally from NSW I think ...by Even Break, a very good FFA horse for Ted Abbott and Alf Charleson if my memory serves me) and Rite tonight  (definitely a SA horse by Aachen). I think whirley Dream was a SA horse as well...and going right back, Minuteman. SA was a rich source of winners for FRK and Kevin Batt when he was in full swing.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Well, that distracted me for a while ...South Australian horses bough to WA...and this list is by no means exhaustive and in no particular order but...Rites brother Ritual for starters, then Tulyar Prince, Society Guy, Murdoch Miss, High Moore, High Adios, Virgil Queen, Skiptar, Burrows, Dillons Return, Rare Chief, Artisan, Abenteuer, Gamby Pride, Rangeview, Maid Aachen, Forward Step......pretty sure Blue Pennant and Peter Patrick both started off life in SA.....free lollypop if you can name the regular trainer/driver of each.

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    Sheesh Aladdins Lamp how did I forget him :\"> some great names amongst that lot JJ and my guess for the lollipop would be the late great PC Coulson although another late great Les Poyser filled the cart behind PP in a Fremantle Cup win.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Haha, good on you VK, Blue Pennant was trained by Tom Charles (dad of Kevin, grandad of Kody) except for a couple of stints with Phil ...regularly driven by both Phil and Lyle Lindau  ....Fred Hough also used.(Lyle  was behind him in Auckland when he famously ran 3rd in an Inters Final at age 13....astonishing horse). Phil won an Inters heat with him in 1967 (Binshaws year). Peter Patrick...trained by Len Stampalia...driven variously by Lyle, Laurie Robinson and Longshot Les...complimentary lollipop on the way.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Very substantial records for both Gap Road and Rite. Gap Road....major performances ... won1983 Howard Porter (beating Casey O'tara and Sinn Fein), won 1983 Lord Mayors Cup (Black Irish and Melfield Tyros), won a 1984 Inters heat, 3rd in another heat and won the Consolation, won 1984 Mt Eden Sprint (Via Vista and Gay Boyden), won 1984 Stratton Cup (Acron Blue and Rite),  2nd 1984 Freo Members Mile (Black Irish), won 1985 Pinjarra Cup (Gogo San Marco and The El Vista) 2nd 1985 Freo Members Mile (Preux Chevalier) and 3rd 1986 Stratton Cup (Morgan James and Mystery Cargo).  Overall, 154 starts, 35 wins, 38 placings, over $154k in stakes. Not bad for a breeding freak of nature....Even Break was hardly a fashionable sire in spite of a good race record and Gap Roads dam Miniature Dixie was a non winning mare who threw one winner from plenty of attempts and the grand dam was also a non winning producer of no winners.....the pedigree is, as they say, not inspiring but there you go, if they can run, it don't matter who their parents are.
    Rite, on the other hand has some serious blood in his pedigree ....by Aachen  with Meadow Vance, U Scott and Light Brigade on his dam Oristano's side...a family that produced, as well as his well performed brother Ritual,  the great Victorian Tara Meadow, one of the first 2.00 minute mares ver produced in Australia (1.59.6 TT)
    Rite's major performances include wins in the 1987 Winter Cup, the 1984 Lord Mayors Cup (Via Vista and Acron Blue), Heat of the Pacing Cup in 1985, 2nd 1986 Winter Cup (Mystery Cargo), 3rd 1987 Winter Cup (Morgan James and Graymoore dream), 2nd 1986 Brennan Cup (Village Kid), 3rd 1986 Members Sprint (Village Kid and Cherokee Chief), a great run at the 1985 Inters when placed in all 3 heats (2nd to Gosh, 3rd to Game Oro and Panyan and 3rd to Gammalite and Gosh) before unplaced in the final. Also won the 1981 SA Kapunda Derby (beating another that migrated to WA Prince Halyer) and 2nd to Yankee Doodle Dandy in the 1980 SA Breeders Plate for an overall record of 127 starts for 25 wins, 40 placings and over $122k in stakes. Both raced against top company for a long period of time with Gap Road probably a narrow winner on points.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    edited February 2016
    Couple of other SA "Migrants", more recent ones......Alzona for the Halls, couple of SA Derby winners in The Sentry and more recently, last Sunday's Williams winner C C Chevron (primarily a Victorian raced mare who was NZ bred, but did win the SA Derby). I think that tells you something about the quality of horse going around in SA when CC Chevron wins their Derby. A couple I'm not so sure about...I know Pappy McCoy spent time in WA...won the Derby for Sugars but may have just been visiting and stayed at Fred's (He and Sugars were great mates) and High Advice...he may also have just been a visitor.
    Going back to @Markovina comment about FRK and Jimmy the Jet and the "pleasantaries" they exchanged in the Bird cage corner when pulling up after a race.....that was the place to be to hear "an honest and frank exchange of views" between drivers...and FRK was no shrinking violet, not always as seen in the TV interviews as the measured, careful responder to frequently daft questions......but, those boys were competitors, fierce competitors and they spoke their minds but geez, if anything ever happened to them...a race accident or stable injury...then it was a true fraternity, one in, all in.....a great sense of support and camaraderie ....and FRK would have meant every word he said about Jimmy after he died. They were great horseman, and generally even better blokes back in those days, and I sense that feeling of being a fraternity will probably not emerge ever again.
  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    Your comprehensive research above has triggered another one in Gogo San Marco JJ. I seem to remember him having a good run of wins through the mid 80's, may have been a Lombardo owned pacer?

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Yep, Mick Lombardo owned...initially with Lyle Lindau but as you know, was one of Bill Horns around the time of Village Kid, Governor Guiness etc. A lot of people think Bill was just the trainer of Village Kid and Black Irish but Bill had many, many strings to his bow and trained hundreds of winners in that period. He was a "bridesmaid" horse old Gogo...yes, he won Free For All's but in the really big races, he never quite cracked it...would win heats and be placed in finals behind very good horses .....2nd in the 1982 Golden Slipper to Yarracoola, 3rd in the 1983 Derby to Gay Boyden, 2nd to Gap Road Pinjarra Cup, 3rd Bunbury Cup to My Dianthus and Bill's Return, 3rd in the Stratton Cup to Village Kid and Alladins Lamp, won Pacing Cup heat, placed in others and so on. A 1979 drop by Smooth Fella foaled in NZ and bought by Mick prior to setting up the breeding side of things.....initially named San Marco in NZ...the Gogo bit was added when he came to Australia.

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    Fantastic to see the great man Percy Johnson train another winner at GP tonight with Mon Lamour. An icon in WA sport especially footy but he has a long association with pacing as well.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    JayJay said:



    Satinover was a cranky horse who couldn't handle the stand and had other faults and but he strung together an incredible sequence and won an Australian Pacing championship and he had such an impact on the crowd and the so called "Match Race of the Century". I've never experienced an atmosphere like it that night at Gloucester Park. So 28 wins from just 63 starts, a 1.57 TT, 14 places, $235,000 plus in stakes, Mount Eden Sprint, 4 Year Old Championship, 2 heats and the final of the Australian Pacing Championship, WA Pacing Cup heta wins, 6 FFA's at both GP and Richmond, won 17 in a row, he was some horse that would have been lost in a big stable and but for fantastic perseverance of Colin Joss and the wonderful hands of Max Johnson, he might never have made it to the track.



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  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,890 posts
    I think Satinover was a carbon copy of that top NSW pacer of the 1970s Rip Van Winkle

    Rip Van Winkle was an absolute speed machine and trained by Michael Van Der Kemp ( unfortunately passed away - but a bloke who didnt mind telling anyone and everyone how good his horse was - and what it was going to do)

    However just like Satinover - Pure Steel did something to his horse which it never recovered from

    Mid 1970s Hunter Cup final - at Moonee Valley - a race i travelled down to watch - i can see the betting boards now - RVW - 4/7 ( 7  to 4 odds on fav)  Pure Steel 7/2 second favourite - write your own ticket the rest

    RVW led on its ear - Pure Steel half broke and skipped from the 2nd line - Demmler balanced it up - and circled the field to death seat it

    In the home straight in the final lap - Pure Steel utterly crushed and destroyed RVW - and after that Rip Van Winkle was never the same horse - it had a broken heart - just like Satinover


  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    I reckon Steelo destroyed Rip a bit earlier than that (although I totally concur with you about the MV effort). He destroyed his confidence at GP when Steelo and Coulson just kept serving him up until he called it a day and booked in for therapy....Van Der Kemp was oh so confident but was pretty quiet post race.

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited March 2016
    Hey JJ what Mount Eden did in the Miracle Mile , losing that much ground at the start..would have to be the greatest performance by a pacer of all time. I've seen the vision a few times and don't think anything compares to that effort . It's number 1. Would you agree the best run ever seen ?
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    It's hard to rank "greatest ever performances' just as it is hard to rank greatest ever horse as the very healthy debate on this thread has shown over several years now. But the Miracle Mile run of Mount Eden is right up there, many think the greatest ever. Much talked about and highly rated performances over the years include Steelo in the Kilmore Cup, Preux Chevalier in the Hunter Cup, Mount Eden in the 3YO Sires Produce Stakes, Dainty's Daughter in the WA Cup, Baltic Eagle in the Addington Interdominion Final etc etc. But Mount Eden was stunning that night at Harold Park and many finer judges than me rate it as the best ever.
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    edited March 2016
    I remember one of the first bets I had was a place bet on a horse called Red Vicar , it galloped for an eternity ...ran 4th! I remember thinking that was a pretty big effort...more standing starts those days. Red Vicar would have been in his element of mobile racing today.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    If that was the Interdominion Final in Brisbane, then I was on him as well. Backed him pre post before he left Perth on the float, he breezed through the heats but galloped out in the final before flying home to run 4th....we were spewing for months as in those days, we tended to bet a bit bigger. He was a great horse plucked from obscurity at the York Trots one night...again when he ran 4th around that little saucer, chaffing up from the hopples and all over the place really.....at his next start some months later at GP......in a new stable down Herdsman Parade way with a new trainer driver, 12/1 into 7/4 and he won by about 50 metres..... absolute class horse and a stunning looker to boot. After he worked at the beach, if you stood close to him, if you put your hand on his chest, you could feel and see his heart pumping away...and I think I imagined I could hear it as well. Who knows where he would have ended up if Phil had kept him.

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  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,890 posts
    Ive got to give a mention to a pacer - it wasnt a WA pacer - but it would have been in my top 3 to 4 favourite pacers of all time

    And im talking about the NSW champion pacer of the 1970s Dont Retreat - who was a genuine superstar - raced against the best and a had a great record - one a stack of top line racers - Derbys - Interdominion heats - you name it - it won it - 50% winning strike record i think - and over 50 wins - alot against elite company . It could do it tough in the breeze - where it won alot of races - or come from behind off back marks - and it was super honest and super genuine

    I actually read the other night its whole career - from go to wo - on Harnessweb ( very good read - for any one who followed the sport in that era)

    One misconception i had about Dont Retreat - was i allways thought Laurie Moulds was its trainer for its entire career - you know you think of Dont Retreat -you instantly think of Laurie Moulds - however reading about its career - it actually had about 6 or 7 trainer/drivers - it was a typical Greek or Italian owned pacer - where their never satisfied - no matter how many races ( and money) they win - they allways want want more - a bit like like that Franco horse Graeme Lang had - it had about 9 trainers -he had it - 4 trainers later he got it back then lost it - or like that NSW Derbywinner of about 6 years ago trained by Lizzie Heath - so whats the owner do - takes the horse off her (  and breaks her heart ) and gives it to Luke McCarthy - who did nothing with it 

    But Dont Retreat was a great horse with a great will to win

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Eewwww he was a good horse alright....we'll have him as an honary and very honorable West Aussie because he raced here and won not only the WA Pacing Cup final when the rest of them ganged up on him but he also won over the very parochial mob....I forget the exact details and the horse but the leader in that cup walked and no one took him on....he was very well received at Gloucester Park....and like you, Laurie Moulds is the name I associate with him. He raced against stacks of really good horses in all the big races and was as tough as teak. I think he had a famous half brother....Alecane I think but could be mistaken ...will check later. Over 50 wins at better than 50% ...you can't argue with that ....light blue colours Chariots? I won't buy into the mediteranean temperament other than to say you only train for them once and your driver better have thick skin because as sure as hens lay eggs, he was going to be accused of pulling it up.

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  • sonnysonny    1,056 posts
    I think C.J.Caffyn was one of the trainers . My favourite was The Scotsman trained by Graeme Sparks. Won a miracle mile and plenty of other top races and when he won at H.P a Scotsman playing the bagpipes walking down the home straight. Ah memories..

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    JJ I see there was a race tonight at Northam in honour of Barry Morrison I was wondering if Barry had unfortunately passed away recently?

    On another note Kevin Thompson the long time NSW trot caller has retired today. Although not a West Aussie himself I can fondly remember him calling many a great WA pacer to victory at Harold Park in the 80s & 90s the likes of Preux Chevalier, Village Kid, Jack Morris, Norms Daughter et al.
  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    Seen KT interviewed by John Tapp a few years ago...he was very good and interesting. A different caller but liked his style..he did it well as 99% of them do.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Yes, about 10 days ago, B.D.Morrison, absolute stalwart of trotting in Wanneroo, passed away. Never rose to great heights but seemed to have been involved for many decades.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Indomitable and Indomitable Saab perhaps two of his best...one of them raced in a Golden Nugget final about maybe 6 or 7 years ago?? 

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    I reckon Barry trained a winner at GP only a few weeks back too JJ.

    R.I.P

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Yes, back on August 12, Mattjestic Star.

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  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    Watching In The Gig this arvo saw Shelly Lee running a great race to win the Vic Oaks in 1985 despite Demmler in the cart.
    Pretty sure she was originally a West Aussie filly trained by T.B Warwick and owned by The Lombardos?

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  • Ridersonthestorm33Ridersonthestorm33    10,809 posts
    Would say yes and yes. Definitely Tricky Trevor. She was smart too.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,630 posts
    Yes, bred by Roy Annear, by Adios Vic out of Summer Scene, an old Harry Bele breeding line based on Admiral Way. Lombardo acquired, Tricky trained and drove ...2nd in the Golden Slipper to Maxwell Hook, as a 3YO won the Sires Stakes Fillies ($40k), won the Triple Crown 3YO Fillies (remember it well, Lady Be Cool a close 2nd grrr!) and won the Victoria Oaks. She won 9 races and 7 placings from 31 starts, went 1.58.9 in the days when you could time trial your horse in between races at Friday Night meetings and she was an outstanding brood mare, 10 winners, 5 in 2.00 minutes including Lombo Laredo, Eagle Eyed Lombo and plenty of other good winners.
  • AmyquilAmyquil    250 posts
    Jay Jay and co. this was my top 10 at the start of this thread. Harness racing was the centre of my universe for 30 years. Don't know what happened but it hasn't been on my radar for at least a decade. Anyone in that time good enough to bump some of these out?
     
    Village Kid
    Im TheMightyQuinn
    Preux Chevalier
    Pure Steel
    San Simeon
    Baltic Eagle
    Jack Morris
    Norms Daughter
    Chandon
    The Falcon Strike

    I reckon the best overall were Preux, Popular Alm and Elsu but who knows what may have been going on with Poppy
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