moment of truth

[Varro 244]

what a wicked horse this bloke is, ive backed him a few times, he is still being competitive at 14.

How long can horses keep racing for in Harness racing?  And what would be the oldest pacer to have kept racing?

I also saw not long ago a pacer called Destreos, of similar age, and its had over 400 races, I couldn't believe it.

[Hayden Sefonte 42]

Liza Milna has done an exceptional job with him. Surprised to see him get claimed last night.

[DC9 203]

Peri go had a race at 15. That's the oldest I've seen.

[Varro 244]

yes i agree, ive managed to do well of this horse off the punt as well.

 

would you know how long in the harness cose a horse is allowed to race for?

 

I find it awesome that a horse at his age can still race and be competitive. 

[Mr Spyro 408]

I would think as long as they are injury free , showing  they are still competitive and enjoying the game.   Perigo was pretty ageless and I remember Kevin Smith telling me  his legs were still  pretty  good when he trained him.  Easton Light the trotter, may have been 14 and a bit when he won his last race around 1977 ?

[redpeterVersion2 32]

Rambling Willie is a famous American pacer who raced until 13yrs old. He won $2 million and had over 300 starts. He died aged 25 in retirement in 1995.

[Tool no. 1 92]

Easton Light was 13 when he won the Benson and Hedges Challenge Trot in 1977. Trampfast won the Dominion Handicap as a 14 year old just before the second world war. Raymauwharren Sun was placed a few times as a 14 year old. Perigo did have one unplaced start as a 15 year old. Bush Ranger may have been as old as 18 when he won a saddle trot at Addington in the 1920's.

As far as old pacers are concerned, Foiled Again would be the best of them all. May even still be racing and if so would be 13 years old. Has won over 7.5 million US which makes him the highest earning standard breed of all time.

Destreos is a 13 year old and has had 416 starts and may now have been retired. I know his owner was banned for 6 mths in 2016 so that may have brought down the curtain on an incredible career that started with Geoff Small in NZ in January 2006.

 

Moment of Truth still going strong and winning races at 14 is very impressive.

[Racey180 6]

I think 14 is the limit.So this will be his last season.

[Guest]

Moment of Truth is a bit of a phenomenon really.

I Remember  when he was racing in Centerbury probably as a 4 year old and he was trained by Greg Hope and Phil Williamson.

He used to trot rough a lot of the time and you would think he was unsound and yet he is still going 10. years later and winning, a bit unbelievable really.

You would wonder how a horses legs could stand all the vigour of the hard racing and training for so long?

[Kotare_Hunter 748]

First start was in a Group 2 race for Butt and Anderson

[WhoKnows 791]

He has been going so well for his trainer, who was the trainer who claimed him?

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

This subject comes up every now and then, a couple that havn't been mentioned are Scotleigh trained by ? at Claudlands , and the late Ray Norton had one .... may have been Mighty Hanover these two circa late 60's.

[eljay 1,719]

Scotleigh trained by Roy Griffin

[Mr Spyro 408]

2 hours ago, ivanthegreat said:

This subject comes up every now and then, a couple that havn't been mentioned are Scotleigh trained by ? at Claudlands , and the late Ray Norton had one .... may have been Mighty Hanover these two circa late 60's.

Yep Mighty Hanover. My mother always told me about backing him one night when he sat down on the track and crossed his legs,  All the shoving in the world couldn't move him. The following week he came and broke ( she told me ) a world record. Can't vouch for the record as before my time, but apparently his antics had the crowd roaring with laughter.    Don't know old he was when he raced last,  but as a kid we had a Landon and File horse  Thunder Royal in a paddock over the road. One day he got out and stay at home mums were all chasing him down the road.  Finally stopped in one women's garden and was chewing at her plants. From memory he won the 1967 Wellington Trotting Cup ??

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

I am embarrased to admit that I couldn't recall Roy Griffin.......... lovely old fella who often gave me  a ride to the Auckland trots when I was going to Waikato University.

We must have been sooooooo short of  entertainment in those days because a night at the trots was about 8 on a scale of 1-10 with nooky about 9. I miss those days more than I can put into words. The product today could be even better apart from pathetic field numbers and a  handicapping system that doesn' allow Mrs Brown ( or me ) to work out who is waiting for next week.Appearance mney only adds to the confusion for punters and without their support there will be no future. 

[Taku Umanga 194]

15 hours ago, WhoKnows said:

He has been going so well for his trainer, who was the trainer who claimed him?

Claimed by owners linked to the Abernethy stable I think ..... good claim too as will most likely start at Tauranga over 3000 m next Sunday, which is a race he won last year ...... plus, Liza has always said that the horse will retire from her barn, so he will most likely be claimed back.

[Iraklis 2,231]

Destreos raced on sat night hows that? ay ay didn't do too bad either ran 3rd at Albion......go the ol fulla!!!! solid ol kiwibred!!!!

 

Cheers Iraklis

[harewood 477]

On 1/30/2017 at 9:49 AM, Iraklis said:

Destreos raced on sat night hows that? ay ay didn't do too bad either ran 3rd at Albion......go the ol fulla!!!! solid ol kiwibred!!!!

 

Cheers Iraklis

Destreos had his last race at Albion Park on Tuesday 18 July. and guess what. He won again his 73rd victory at the park and his 96th win overall. BUT thats not the end of him. The trainer is relocating back to Tassie and taking Destreos with him to continue racing AND as you would do with a "friend"  is likely stopping at Melton on the way just to give the old warhorse another race.....just in case the horse thinks he is going to a nice paddock to retire 

What a great old warrior who still has his zest for racing and obvious desire to still win as he usually leads and never gives in. Will watch his progress with interest as Tassie must surely be easier than the mainland.

http://www.harness.org.au/news-article.cfm?news_id=34251

[globederby12 1,495]

19 hours ago, harewood said:

He won again his 73rd victory at the park and his 96th win overall.

May make his 100th win. Paleface Adios made it to 100 wins if my memory serves me right. I remember Destreos running in his first few runs and it is absolutely amazing the horse is still so sound.  The Brad Thorn of the harness world

[Lee270744 684]

On ‎1‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 4:20 PM, ivanthegreat said:

This subject comes up every now and then, a couple that havn't been mentioned are Scotleigh trained by ? at Claudlands , and the late Ray Norton had one .... may have been Mighty Hanover these two circa late 60's.

I hope Ray Norton doesn't read this he will start pinching himself.

[Belinda 143]

Mighty Hanover raced til he was 15 (had 8 unplaced starts as a 15yr old)I think his world record was set when he was 14. Scotleigh raced til he was 14 ( he had 20 unplaced starts as a 14yr and 249 lifetime starts for 19 wins and 39 placings) Single Cash raced until he was 13 (he had 8 unplaced starts as a 13yr, raced 155 times for 20 wins incl 2 Rowe Cups) They bred 'em tough in those days

[Thejanitor 1,219]

5 hours ago, Belinda said:

Mighty Hanover raced til he was 15 (had 8 unplaced starts as a 15yr old)I think his world record was set when he was 14. Scotleigh raced til he was 14 ( he had 20 unplaced starts as a 14yr and 249 lifetime starts for 19 wins and 39 placings) Single Cash raced until he was 13 (he had 8 unplaced starts as a 13yr, raced 155 times for 20 wins incl 2 Rowe Cups) They bred 'em tough in those days

They are just as tough today. 

Two horses in race 1 at Addington have had well over 100 starts.

Franco Caliph (8g P Forty-Seven) 132 starts

Alexy (7g Courage Under Fire) 163 starts

If this pair race until they are 13 or 14 they will have well each have over 200 starts between them.

[lonestar 80]

6 hours ago, Belinda said:

Mighty Hanover raced til he was 15 (had 8 unplaced starts as a 15yr old)I think his world record was set when he was 14. Scotleigh raced til he was 14 ( he had 20 unplaced starts as a 14yr and 249 lifetime starts for 19 wins and 39 placings) Single Cash raced until he was 13 (he had 8 unplaced starts as a 13yr, raced 155 times for 20 wins incl 2 Rowe Cups) They bred 'em tough in those days

Most of the trotters in that era raced until about 10 -13 years old.  Waipounamu, Mighty Chief Tony Bear etc all raced into their teenage years

[harewood 477]

5 hours ago, Thejanitor said:

If this pair race until they are 13 or 14 they will have well each have over 200 starts between them.

Destreos has had 434 starts by himself for 96 wins and still counting. . These two could have a 1000 starts each and never match that.  It is the will to win and determination not to be beaten that makes Destreos a modern marvel 

[john legend 743]

can confirm big deal made at the time of mighty hanover running a world record at age 14. of course over 2700 mtres there are virtually no races run anywhere else in world so not like breaking the mile mark (but still impressive...lol)