Brisbane 2001 - Trotters Series

2001 Trotters Series
Albion Park, Brisbane

2001 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Series $200,000 Heats: 21, 24 April 2001 Final: 28 April 2001
Whenever the Inter Dominion Carnival is staged on Australian soil other than Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide, it has been accepted that the championship for trotters is staged at Moonee Valley, or perhaps Harold Park. In 2001, Brisbane’s Albion Park Harness Racing Club had broken with tradition by delighting the Inter Dominion Inter Dominion Harness Racing Council when seeking to host the event alongside the series for pacers. Brisbane fans would unfortunately not get the opportunity to see Lyell Creek NZ in action on Australia’s fastest and best track. But, when handicaps were released after acceptances closed, it was obvious that a great series could be expected. Only six New Zealand trotters had accepted for the championship. The first pre-event market released by Phil Nott down in Melbourne who knew his trotters, had five of these heading his betting, with Last Sunset NZ the $2.75 favourite. Others were $3.50 Take A Moment NZ, $5.50 Mountain Gold NZ, $7 Sundons Way NZ, $11 Special Force NZ, $16 National Interest, $21 Djerriwarrh, $26 Eastnor Lad NZ, $41 Tamra Nightingale, $81 Alba Foyle, and $126 for others. "With only five top class New Zealand trotters now in the series, there will be a lot of places up for grabs in the Final to be shared by the Australian horses," pointed out Nott. "National Interest is one that has been very well supported in the past fortnight, and other people have specked Melbourne trotters at big odds, such as Cool Fortune, Vander Plas NZ and even Avatar NZ," he said. Last Sunset NZ was a well-known performer to Melbournians having first raced at Moonee Valley in the juvenile classics. Several further visits in the following two years suggested the horse had never really lived up to the big boom on it at three, but he could sprint well when saved for a late dash. Barry Purdon’s Mountain Gold NZ had always enjoyed a big reputation in New Zealand, but had galloped on his only visit to Australia for the 2000 Inter Dominion Championship.		Take A Moment NZ - 2001 Inter Dominion Trotting Champion

Several years before, Purdon had discovered Mountain Gold NZ in the South Island and had syndicated the horse for a reported $200,000. The syndicate included the most famous of all thoroughbred breeders in the Southern Hemisphere, Sir Patrick Hogan, who became internationally known when his stallions Sir Tristram and Zabeel became the greatest of them all in modern day breeding. It is believed that after the horse promised so much, greenness and then bumping into Lyell Creek NZ, made things rather difficult for Purdon with the galloping members of the syndicate. When the syndicate asked for a change of driver, the trainer stood aside and had Tony Herlihy take over. Success in a big way in Brisbane for Mountain Gold NZ would make everything fine again amongst its owners. When Herlihy told his brother-in-law he was unable to drive this horse at Albion Park, Maurice McKendry was engaged.

Take A Moment NZ, a rising six-year-old, would be making its Australian debut in the series. A stablemate of Lyell Creek NZ, it had been given a handicap of 20 metres, suggesting it was well performed in New Zealand. Actually, the horse was extremely lightly raced for any horse going into an Inter Dominion, as this was its first season of racing. Take A Moment NZ obviously showed outstanding promise when Tim Butt recommended to the Long Drive Syndicate back in October that they outlay the $120,000 tag placed on it. A month later, during the New Zealand Cup Carnival, it was entered for a minor race and won that by 12 lengths. A further couple of wins followed, and this son of Armbro Invasion USA came into championship calculations when it finished second to its famous stablemate in the $50,000 National Trot at Alexandra Park.

It would arrive in Brisbane having had just 17 starts for 11 wins, already banking more than $203,000. Trainer Tim Butt said the horse was an up-and-comer that he expected would derive plenty of benefit competing in a series like this. "He has been handicapped right up to his best, but with an ounce of luck, he is likely to be hard to beat if he keeps on improving," predicted the trainer.

There were just the four heats for the trotters, two on opening night, and a further two in the second round. None of the Kiwi or Aussie trotters had raced at Albion Park. The track had held no concerns, and all four heats would be won inside a mile rate of 2:02.9 – and that time was over 2647m.

With Last Sunset NZ to race off the front in its two heats, it was little wonder bookmakers had the horse the favourite to win the series, as the joint backmarkers – Mountain Gold NZ and Special Force NZ (winner in Auckland in 1999) were both off 30m. Take A Moment NZ and National Interest would start from 20m, and Djerriwarrh and Cool Fortune (owned in Qld) were both off 10m.

Last Sunset NZ performed up to expectations in Heat 1 when backed in to an odds-on favourite, it downed outsider Queens Rhapsody NZ and the 200-1 Victorian Lester Scot third. The winner had dashed home its last 800m in 58.3, with an overall mile rate of 2:02.6. The third horse, trained and driven by Chris Lang, is a stablemate of National Interest, generally looked upon as having taken over the mantle of the nation’s top trotter.

In Heat 2, National Interest (20m) was being hailed the winner when it broke in sight of the winning post, with Mountain Gold NZ taking full advantage of this costly mistake. Maurice McKendry later explained how he had to avoid a locked-wheels situation with National Interest on the home turn, so in getting up to win by a half-head over backmarker Sundons Way NZ was a good effort. Avatar NZ picked up the 12 points for finishing third. Take A Moment NZ, after galloping away, made up considerable ground to be sixth. The mile rate was 2:01.3.

When several nights later the second round began, Last Sunset NZ was again all the rage in what some said was the weaker of the two heats. The Purdon brothers would make it a clean sweep of the four heats, with Heat 3 falling to the 6-6 favourite Last Sunset NZ when it led for much of the way to defeat the Sydney mare Queens Rhapsody NZ (33-1). The winner’s mile rate for the 2645m was 2:02.9.

Heat 4 brought together three classy Kiwis – backmarkers Mountain Gold NZ and Sundons Way NZ, and Take A Moment NZ off 20m. Anthony Butt had Take A Moment NZ third at the bell, on the back of the leader. The horse finished stoutly to beat Cool Fortune with a mile rate of 2:01.8. Mountain Gold NZ after racing three wide for a spell, finished fourth, and Sundons Way NZ sixth after being wide at the bell.

Grand Final Field
1. Bold Dee Jay (ft) NSW
2. Alba Foyle (ft) Vic
3. Lester Scot (ft) Vic
4. Eastnor Lad NZ (ft) NZ
5. Last Sunset NZ (ft) NZ
6. Queens Rhapsody NZ (ft) NSW
7. Vander Plas NZ (ft) Vic
8. Djerriwarrh (10m) Vic
9. Cool Fortune (10m) Qld
10. Take A Moment NZ (20m) NZ
11. National Interest (20m) Vic
12. Special Force NZ (30m) NZ
13. Mountain Gold NZ (30m) NZ
14. Sundons Way NZ (30m) NZ

Officials moved to place security around each of the 14 finalists on raceday, with a security firm having the responsibility of watching over all trotters for the 15 hours leading up to the $200,000 Final. Two days before the race, Mark Purdon scratched one of his two horses -- co-backmarker Sundons Way NZ. Bookmakers then turned the price of stablemate Last Sunset NZ into an 8/11 favourite.

It would be a bad night for most local bookmakers if the favourite saluted, which seemed highly likely. Brad Jones had earlier bet 10-1 about the horse, and had followed this with bets of $10,000 to $2,000 and $4,000 to $1,000 – even before the heats began. Much of the big money since had been for the favourite, with many of the opinion the horse had got in under the handicapper’s guard. Director of Racing, Rod Osborne, told the media: "We would like to have another go at him."

Even with Lyell Creek NZ overseas, trainer Tim Butt still had two starters in the Final – Take A Moment NZ (Anthony Butt), and Eastnor Lad NZ (David Butt.) Chris Lang would also start two – National Interest, which he would drive, with brother Gavin to pilot Lester Scot.

Take A Moment NZ, purchased by the syndicate six months earlier, gave its owners the best possible bonus when it trotted its way into history with a spirited win over the 3157m, with Mountain Gold NZ and Special Force NZ filling the placings. The short-priced favourite Last Sunset NZ, gladdened the hearts of the bookmakers when it broke at the start and was never a chance, finishing eighth.

INTER DOMINION TROT FINAL
(3157m)
20m Take A Moment NZ Anthony Butt), 1; Mountain Gold NZ 30m (Maurice McKendry), 2; Special Force NZ 30m (Colin De Filippi), 3. Others: Djerriwarrh 10m, Lester Scot ft, Queens Rhapsody NZ ft, Eastnor Lad NZ ft, Last Sunset NZ ft, National Interest 20m, Bold Dee Jay fr, Cool Fortune 10m, Vander Plas NZ ft, Alba Foyle ft. Mile rate: 2:03.2.