Mr Spyro 408 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 1 hour ago, chelseacol said: some great trotters in that list. I still remember Scotch Tar breaking at the top of the straight at Addington a few times. Didn't they work out someone was whistling at him ?? Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me. Gee he could run though - FFA on Show Day being the best example of that. I think it was Scotch Tar that broke up at Alex Park one night and swear he was quarter of a lap behind. Reg told punters to throw tickets on favourite in the bin, suddenly he put in a miracle run and Reg remarked " The tickets I told you to throw away, you better go and get them back " He got up and won in a unbelievable performance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamour 673 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 3 hours ago, Mr Spyro said: Didn't they work out someone was whistling at him ?? Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me. It was probably George Shand who was doing the whistling. I think he got warned for it a number of times. He seemed to do it when he was driving against horses who were a bit erratic and could be upset by unexpected noises, unless my mind is playing tricks also, its a long time ago now.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruff 2,800 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 3 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said: Great racing back then, I used to always follow stormy morn, he didn't have brilliant speed, but never stopped trying always on the back mark. Trainer was a nice guy and very honest, we took a stablemate to Alex one night with a string of duck eggs ran last ,changed Stables to Lockyer and won paying 60 a few weeks later.Landoras pride was next door with a training track separating the two properties Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Value Bell 253 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 Forsyth from Waimate trained Stormy Morn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spyro 408 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 8 minutes ago, Value Bell said: Forsyth from Waimate trained Stormy Morn. He had a few trainers over the years, Tony Perucich had him at Pukekohe at one time. There is a name from out of the past, wonder if he is still around. Tony Millina was another character, a mate who drove against him told me he spent so much time looking behind him he should have had wing mirrors. A lot of great characters in those days. 8 minutes ago, Value Bell said: Belinda 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R 260 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 18 minutes ago, Value Bell said: Forsyth from Waimate trained Stormy Morn. Forsyth trained Dreamy Morn, an open class pacer that did very well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thejanitor 1,226 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 49 minutes ago, Value Bell said: Forsyth from Waimate trained Stormy Morn. If my memory is correct I believe Trevor Thomas trained Stormy Morn for the early part of his career. Perucich (sp?) trained him when the horse went to race up north. harewood 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double R 260 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 28 minutes ago, Thejanitor said: If my memory is correct I believe Trevor Thomas trained Stormy Morn for the early part of his career. Perucich (sp?) trained him when the horse went to race up north. Tony also had a handy pacer called Trio. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spyro 408 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 A few more. Dusty Dunsmuir, Ivan Dickie, Ray Ogg, Pat Leak, Don Hayes whose horses always looked a million dollars...... Reg the maestro , so glad to have got to know him . He was a larger than life character, booming voice , quick mind and those giant strides he took even when getting on in life. Just never, never, pinch his bloody mince savoury , he was still seeking out the culprit a year later. So cruel that such a wicked disease should tame such a huge personality. He was of a generation that has sadly vanished in mists of time. Belinda and chelseacol 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruff 2,800 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Mr Spyro said: He had a few trainers over the years, Tony Perucich had him at Pukekohe at one time. There is a name from out of the past, wonder if he is still around. Tony Millina was another character, a mate who drove against him told me he spent so much time looking behind him he should have had wing mirrors. A lot of great characters in those days. Tony milina drove Mister Square and wasn't looking back when he carved up mairo sultan a lap out in the Rowe cup, he won the year after though (88?) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wood 1,577 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 A lot of them used to go to the Racing Writers function at Alexandra Park, a great cross section of Galloping and Trotting legends. They were great nights, then off to the Press Club in downtown Auckland afterwards. Your seating was allocated and sitting next to Roy Purdon was one of my highlights. We had racing press in those days! Gruff 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spyro 408 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 He kept doing his once yearly gig at Ruakaka for few years after Alex Park, until another commentator stole his one day. You know you meet so many people in life that come and go, some are so fleeting and make barest of impressions and then there is rare breed like Reg that leave a life long impression through sheer strength of personality. Gruff 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohokaman 5,842 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 On 11/22/2017 at 3:52 PM, globederby12 said: I don't know if you were there the night Devine had Lord Module and Sunseeker his stablemate in the same race. Sunseeker led to the turn with LM in the trail. Well guess who moved blatantly off the fence blocking those outside and forcing them wide while LM rockets through and wins. Try that today and one would think you would be toast. Actually backed Snowline one night, she payed heaps . And remember Maurice Holmes having his last drive after the draconian early retirement rule. He duly won on an old Trotter called Transmitter Sound. Good times they were I was there the night Snowline won, it was rough alright. Kevin Holmes used to bring horses down from Cambridge and Light Forbes and trotter Dark Wood were two I recall winning there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 4,004 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 Few other regular drivers at Alexandra Park in the 60’s- Monty Kerr, Syd Kemble, Butt Hair, Reg Weatherley, Kevin Holmes, Jim Smale, Jack Davies, Les Purdon, Jim Smith, Ivan Norris, Errol Wallis, Sandy Purdon, Noel Duncan, Colin Chandler, Ivan Thomas, Jack Cooney and Doug Grantham. Mr Spyro and Belinda 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 1,495 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 7 hours ago, Mr Spyro said: I think it was Scotch Tar that broke up at Alex Park one night and swear he was quarter of a lap behind. Reg told punters to throw tickets on favourite in the bin, suddenly he put in a miracle run and Reg remarked " The tickets I told you to throw away, you better go and get them back " He got up and won in a unbelievable performance. He won from 100 mtrs behind one night at Hutt Park. In the FFA at Addington he led out the first mile in 1.57 . He could trot up a storm that horse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamour 673 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 11 hours ago, Thejanitor said: If my memory is correct I believe Trevor Thomas trained Stormy Morn for the early part of his career. Perucich (sp?) trained him when the horse went to race up north. You are correct Janitor. Stormy Morn was owned by Peter Moore who was a great guy and a plumber by trade, I use to get him to do my plumbing repairs back in the day. He did train some of his own horses but not Stormy Morn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Value Bell 253 Report post Posted November 23, 2017 Kelvin Primmer was a character as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim vince 985 Report post Posted November 24, 2017 Wow great memories.is the Hutt park land now just housing.would love to see a track in Wellington. Error Wallis was a great man sired Michelle. Teal hard work in those days couple of jobs and horses as well.some of the stories he told me had me rolling over laughing.I used to go to Hutt park. Vociferous crowd not immune to throwing an odd pie at a driver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseacol 2,488 Report post Posted November 24, 2017 45 minutes ago, tim vince said: Wow great memories.is the Hutt park land now just housing.would love to see a track in Wellington. Error Wallis was a great man sired Michelle. Teal hard work in those days couple of jobs and horses as well.some of the stories he told me had me rolling over laughing.I used to go to Hutt park. Vociferous crowd not immune to throwing an odd pie at a driver. the good old days - when the pies on course were affordable enough to throw at a driver - and not hard like concrete so you didn't get charged with GBH if your aim was good Mr Spyro 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spyro 408 Report post Posted November 24, 2017 3 hours ago, chelseacol said: the good old days - when the pies on course were affordable enough to throw at a driver - and not hard like concrete so you didn't get charged with GBH if your aim was good We should have had those pies in Auckland, Richard Brosnan would have copped more in the chops than the 3 Stooges. chelseacol 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45yearsofharness 173 Report post Posted November 24, 2017 On 23 November 2017 at 2:05 PM, Mr Spyro said: I remember he was put down after breaking a leg but can't recall if that was at stud or he was still racing. Can't think of owner Mrs Menzies christian name but her husband and co -owner was Murray Menzies, % 99 percent sure he played rugby for Ponsonby and then Auckland. Diogenes was a hard horse to catch but on his night real hard to beat when he led. Diogenes was still racing when he broke his leg, fin 4th in his last start to Scotch Tar. While racing he served 14 mares and left 5 individual winners of 20 odd races The best of those were, Zeus 7 wins, Bradie 6 wins, Grecian Symbol 4 wins. ( and would have won many more but broke pedal bone) Others were Royal Manor, Narrahs Pride. The horses he served were mediocre, if given some good mares he could have left some champions. Diogenes held the mile track records at Hutt Park, Manawatu and Cambridge, He beat Pitite Evander ( one of the horses missing from the named horse) over a mile at Auckland, Eastern Light was third. Menzies did not continue as an owner, the main owner was Kieth Dryland Graham Pruden Drove Diogenes to 15 of his 16 wins, Robin Butt for the other. Value Bell 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Sparrow 702 Report post Posted November 27, 2017 Ah Yes Globe, some great memories from Hutt Par. I first went there with my Dad way back when I was about 10 (52 years ago then)and I was having a hot dog or pie under the stands at the western end of the stand to get out of the incessant rain and a bloke came along and asked my Dad if he could borrow the race book, which I was studying. We gave it to him and he thumbed through it and as he gave it back to me he said "Thanks for the loan of you book son, now have a bit of your pocket money on Stormy Petrel later in the night as I own it.". Dad shouted me a 10 shilling bet on it and it duly ran a place paying an enormous 12 pounds for a place. It was a great first visit to my local track and later on I commentated the trials there on occasion and became the assistant judge when Bob Fannin was the judge there as well. I was there the night we farewelled the great Maurice Holmes when he drove Transmitter Sound too. What a fantastic reinsman he was. globederby12, Fartoomuch and chelseacol 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 1,495 Report post Posted November 27, 2017 Actually my bro in law Ziggy and I used to go there often. Pay 10 bucks to get into the members stand where one was shielded from the usual shiite weather and suck a couple of bottles of Marquee Vue and have a ball. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...