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Who Am I? - Fly Under The Radar Series #5
Harness & Greyhounds
JayJay
8,624 posts
Terribly wet and cold, not even thinking of venturing outside, paddocks are a bog, snow forecast for the Stirling Ranges, so, even though @VillageKid picks these off like fruit from the sideboard, yet another very nice horse that flew under the radar and got beaten up by a string of champions over a long period of time.
And unlike others, there was nothing...and I emphasise nothing...in his pedigree to indicate that that this fellow would measure up.
My sire was a dismal failure at stud, in spite of good Meadow Skipper bloodlines and a fair USA racing record. With only 13 lifetimes winners, I was arguably his only decent horse and my dams extended pedigree is almost totally devoid of winners.I was the only winner from my dam (6 foals), my grand dam also produced just one winner from 6 attempts and my great grand dam's 16 foals produced just 3 winners of 10 very minor races. All this in spite of having the U Scott/Dillon Hall cross as the basis of my maternal pedigree. The family looks relatively good on paper but performance wise, it is a dead line.
However, something caught the eye of a leading trainer and in spite of 2 very unimpressive unplaced 2 year old runs in New Zealand in the late 80's, finishing way down the track in slow times, I was purchased for export to Australia, undergoing the obligatory name change via the addition of a prefix to my original name.
14 months later, I made my Australian debut at an early 90's Pinjarra Monday Christmas meeting in a $2000 4yo maiden, and in spite of blowing the start from the mobile, I won easily as a heavily supported favourite. I repeated the deal a week later at Harvey (for driver number 1 of the 9 different reinsmen that would handle me in my career) and then headed to headquarters for a couple of midweek placings for driver number 2. I continued racing through the provincial classes bringing up another 4 wins from 7 attempts before spelling for 8 months. Returning the next December, I claimed 2 more impressive midweek wins before I tasted metro success in an MO. A month later. with driver number 3 on board, I defeated a future top liner from the DeCampo stable in a major provincial Country Cup, the newspaper pundits now changing my description from "handy type" to "highly promising".
Back with my original driver, I claimed another 3 metro wins and ventured to the provincials for my second Country Cup win, then returned to headquarters winning 2 more metro races to progress to an M5 assessment.
After a spell, I returned into fast class ranks and raced well, being placed behind a couple of behemoths of the era....total super stars...and I lined up against them in what was to be a memorable Pacing Cup Series. I was very competitive, running top 5 in the heats and placed in the Cup consolation as the 3 big guns duked it out. Spelled again, I returned in good form 6 months later with placings in the Tatts Cup and a win in a legends Memorial FFA stand from 30 metres behind.. Remarkably, in spite of being placed in 1.56 and change, I had never broken the 2 minute mile rate in any of my 14 wins.
After shifting into the stables of the leading trainer, driver number 5 steered me to a major off season Cup win in addition to a FFA win against a Pacing Cup winner before yet another stable change after a change of ownership. Although taking some time to find form after a spell...I was getting on in years though not quite a veteran.... I racked up a long series of placings in the major winter Cup races before finally claiming a win after 12 starts in the new stable with a Christmas FFA win. I then scored a surprise win in a Cup prelude taking my lifetime record of 1.58.0 prior to being blitzed by a champion in the Cup Final...in fact, the whole field was blitzed. Spelled again...I was now an 8 year old and needed careful management, I returned for another off season standing start Cup win in what was to be my second last victory. However, in my final fling I became a repeat winner of an off season Cup 6 months later before riding off into the sunset. In all, I racked up 21 wins and 24 placings in a remarkably consistent career across 3 major stables.
And unlike others, there was nothing...and I emphasise nothing...in his pedigree to indicate that that this fellow would measure up.
My sire was a dismal failure at stud, in spite of good Meadow Skipper bloodlines and a fair USA racing record. With only 13 lifetimes winners, I was arguably his only decent horse and my dams extended pedigree is almost totally devoid of winners.I was the only winner from my dam (6 foals), my grand dam also produced just one winner from 6 attempts and my great grand dam's 16 foals produced just 3 winners of 10 very minor races. All this in spite of having the U Scott/Dillon Hall cross as the basis of my maternal pedigree. The family looks relatively good on paper but performance wise, it is a dead line.
However, something caught the eye of a leading trainer and in spite of 2 very unimpressive unplaced 2 year old runs in New Zealand in the late 80's, finishing way down the track in slow times, I was purchased for export to Australia, undergoing the obligatory name change via the addition of a prefix to my original name.
14 months later, I made my Australian debut at an early 90's Pinjarra Monday Christmas meeting in a $2000 4yo maiden, and in spite of blowing the start from the mobile, I won easily as a heavily supported favourite. I repeated the deal a week later at Harvey (for driver number 1 of the 9 different reinsmen that would handle me in my career) and then headed to headquarters for a couple of midweek placings for driver number 2. I continued racing through the provincial classes bringing up another 4 wins from 7 attempts before spelling for 8 months. Returning the next December, I claimed 2 more impressive midweek wins before I tasted metro success in an MO. A month later. with driver number 3 on board, I defeated a future top liner from the DeCampo stable in a major provincial Country Cup, the newspaper pundits now changing my description from "handy type" to "highly promising".
Back with my original driver, I claimed another 3 metro wins and ventured to the provincials for my second Country Cup win, then returned to headquarters winning 2 more metro races to progress to an M5 assessment.
After a spell, I returned into fast class ranks and raced well, being placed behind a couple of behemoths of the era....total super stars...and I lined up against them in what was to be a memorable Pacing Cup Series. I was very competitive, running top 5 in the heats and placed in the Cup consolation as the 3 big guns duked it out. Spelled again, I returned in good form 6 months later with placings in the Tatts Cup and a win in a legends Memorial FFA stand from 30 metres behind.. Remarkably, in spite of being placed in 1.56 and change, I had never broken the 2 minute mile rate in any of my 14 wins.
After shifting into the stables of the leading trainer, driver number 5 steered me to a major off season Cup win in addition to a FFA win against a Pacing Cup winner before yet another stable change after a change of ownership. Although taking some time to find form after a spell...I was getting on in years though not quite a veteran.... I racked up a long series of placings in the major winter Cup races before finally claiming a win after 12 starts in the new stable with a Christmas FFA win. I then scored a surprise win in a Cup prelude taking my lifetime record of 1.58.0 prior to being blitzed by a champion in the Cup Final...in fact, the whole field was blitzed. Spelled again...I was now an 8 year old and needed careful management, I returned for another off season standing start Cup win in what was to be my second last victory. However, in my final fling I became a repeat winner of an off season Cup 6 months later before riding off into the sunset. In all, I racked up 21 wins and 24 placings in a remarkably consistent career across 3 major stables.
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bloodlines and a fair USA racing record (9 wins and 1.57.4). With only 13 lifetimes winners,
I was arguably his only decent horse and my dams (Ryal Derby) extended pedigree is
almost totally devoid of winners.I was the only winner from my dam (6
foals), my grand dam also produced just one winner from 6 attempts and
my great grand dam's 16 foals produced just 3 winners of 10 very minor
races. All this in spite of having the U Scott/Dillon Hall cross as the
basis of my maternal pedigree. The family looks relatively good on paper
but performance wise, it is a dead line.
However, something caught
the eye of a leading trainer (Phil Coulson) and in spite of 2 very unimpressive
unplaced 2 year old runs in New Zealand in the late 80's, finishing way
down the track in slow times (Mile rate just 2.8.4 MS), I was purchased for export to Australia,
undergoing the obligatory name change via the addition of a prefix (Just) to my
original name Packapunch).
14 months later, I made my Australian debut at an
early 90's Pinjarra Monday Christmas meeting in a $2000 4yo maiden, and
in spite of blowing the start from the mobile, I won easily as a heavily
supported favourite (2/1 on). I repeated the deal a week later at Harvey (for
driver number 1 of the 9 different reinsmen (Coulson, Shane Young, L.B. Harper, J.L.Keys, Lewis, Olivieri, Mike Reed, Neville Brindley and K.J.Bailey) that would handle me in my
career) and then headed to headquarters for a couple of midweek placings
for driver number 2. I continued racing through the provincial classes
bringing up another 4 wins from 7 attempts before spelling for 8 months.
Returning the next December, I claimed 2 more impressive midweek wins
before I tasted metro success in an MO. A month later. with driver
number 3 on board, I defeated a future top liner from the DeCampo stable (Smooth Business)
in a major provincial Country Cup (Harvey Cup), the newspaper pundits now changing
my description from "handy type" to "highly promising".
Back with my
original driver, I claimed another 3 metro wins and ventured to the
provincials for my second Country Cup win (Katanning Cup at Katanning), then returned to headquarters
winning 2 more metro races to progress to an M5 assessment.
After a
spell, I returned into fast class ranks and raced well, being placed
behind a couple of behemoths of the era (bit of poetic license there but Speedy Cheval, Leg Before and Buy Afella were very good horses)....total super stars...and I
lined up against them in what was to be a memorable Pacing Cup Series. I
was very competitive, running top 5 in the heats and placed in the Cup
consolation as the 3 big guns (Jack Morris, Franco Tiger, Whitby's Miss Penny) duked it out. Spelled again, I returned in
good form 6 months later with placings in the Tatts Cup (behind Like A Tiger) and a win in a
legends Memorial FFA Cyril Lilleyman Memorial) stand from 30 metres behind (defeating Lake Street).. Remarkably, in spite
of being placed in 1.56 and change, I had never broken the 2 minute mile
rate in any of my 14 wins.
After shifting into the stables of the
leading trainer (Olivieri), driver number 5 steered me to a major off season Cup (J.P Stratton Cup defeating Hilarion Star))
win in addition to a FFA win against a Pacing Cup winner (Hilarion Star) before yet
another stable change (to Mike Reed) after a change of ownership (Delma Coulson and Bob Wieringa to Albert Walmsley). Although taking some
time to find form after a spell...I was getting on in years though not
quite a veteran.... I racked up a long series of placings in the major
winter Cup races (Media Guild Cup, Navy Cup) before finally claiming a win after 12 starts in the
new stable with a Christmas FFA win. I then scored a surprise win in a
Cup prelude (beating Norwest Boy and Justaboyden) taking my lifetime record of 1.58.0 prior to being blitzed
by a champion in the Cup Final...in fact, the whole field was blitzed (by Justaboyden).
Spelled again...I was now an 8 year old and needed careful management, I
returned for another off season standing start Cup win (Easter Cup) in what was to
be my second last victory. However, in my final fling I became a repeat
winner of an off season Cup (J.P.Stratton Cup) 6 months later before riding off into the
sunset. In all, I racked up 21 wins and 24 placings in a remarkably
consistent career across 3 major stables. (Coulson, Olivieri and Reed banking $164k in the process when city races were worth between $7500 and $10500 total stake...and the Easter Cup was worth $25,000 total stake.)