RIP Ian Dobson

[JJ Flash 2,137]

Ian Dobson, one of harness racing’s most successful owners of all time, died this morning in Christchurch on his 90th birthday.

Dobson, whose name is synonymous with the champion pacer Christan Cullen, started winning races in 1986 but, incredibly, was only now enjoying the best run of his life.

In a February interview before cleaning up at the annual harness racing awards, Dobson said “the horses keep me going. I’m having a bit of fun and I don’t think I’ve ever had such a good run.”

Dobson was a notable absentee at Addington last Friday when his three superstars Akuta, Don’t Stop Dreaming and Muscle Mountain went within a whisker of repeating their unmatched treble of last December when, in a golden 90 minites, they bagged three Group I races, the $250,000 New Zealand Derby, the $100,000 Ace Of Spades and the $86,500 Trotting Free-for-all.

Ian Dobson, with partner Janice, gives the thumbs up after another great night at Addington.Long time close friend Noel Kennard said “Dobbie” always tried to be on course but in the last month his health had gradually slipped.

“I went in to the rest home with his son Stuart to watch the races with him but for the first time he wasn’t with it at all.

“Up ’til about a month ago he could walk unaided and his memory was brilliant. If we talked horses or money he knew exactly what you were saying.”

Dobson’s passing brings to a close one of the most spectacular ownership chapters in harness racing - he won 387 races with 73 individual winners, including 31 at the very highest Group I level.

But while his newest trotting sensation Muscle Mountain has been the most prolific, with 29 wins, Dobson still rates Christian Cullen as his number one champion.

“Christian Cullen was best horse,” Dobson said in February.

“I still own him - he’s alive and well at the age of 28, at the best old people’s home in New Zealand, Dancingonmoonlight Farm.”

Christian Cullen beats Iraklis to win the 1998 New Zealand Trotting Cup.Dobson had been racing horses with some success for 10 years - his first winner was Lord Christopher at Hutt Park on September 2, 1986 - before “Cullen” came along, winning his first race on November 22, 1996 at Addington.

By the time Cullen retired in February, 2000, he had captured everyone’s hearts with his arrogant pacing style, winning some of the most coveted prizes in harness racing, including the New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup and Miracle Mile.

When he left trainer Brian O’Meara’s stable he became the country’s champion sire, giving Dobson more prizes than he could fit in his trophy cabinets.

Kennard recalls how Dobson prized the collection so much, he even contradicted the red sticker ban on his Redcliffs home to rescue the collection after the earthquake demolished his house in 2011.

Scratch golfer

But among the racing trophies were also plenty of golfing memorabilia as Dobson for many years was a scratch golfer, Kennard said.

“After one tournament he won he was flown to Germany to pick up his prize, a Mercedes car.

“Golf meant a lot to him. He played and beat Michael Campbell at Kauri Cliffs one year.” Dobson went on to breed and race a horse with Campbell who, named Cambo, won first-up at Timaru in September, 2007.

“He also caddied for Gary Player and I remember Dobbie telling me the story about how Player asked him for a club and Dobbie said, no, that’s the wrong one, trust me, I know. He was proven right.”

Dobson, a good all round sportsman, proved a generous benefactor for golf, paying for an extension to the Christchurch Golf Club and funding initiatives to help juniors progress up the ranks.

Dobson didn’t always have money. He came from very humble beginnings, growing up in the Depression, biking to work where he earned 10 bob a week as a plumber.

Dobson lived on 10% of his income, saving the rest, and eventually set up his own business, before moving into buying real estate.

“On the one hand he was very scrupulous and on the other incredibly generous with his passions.”

A winning team … Ian Dobson with, from left, his daughter Lynne, partner Janice, and Muscle Mountain’s trainers, Nina and Greg Hope.Kennard admired Dobson for his unrelenting calmness in racing, which routinely threw up setbacks.

“When his horses lost, not once did I ever hear him criticise the driver. And when Muscle Mountain got taken out at the start (badly checked) at Addington recently he copped it on the chin, saying it was just one of those things.”

Dobson took the same c’est la vie approach early on to Muscle Mountain whom he bred and put through the ring as a yearling.

“I think he was offered only $60,000 and he said he wasn’t prepared to let him go for that. If the horse was no good and he ended up losing, sobeit.”

Muscle Mountain was clearly the best of the 10 trotters Dobson raced, giving him his first Group I win as a breeder when he took the NZ Trotting Championship in April, 2021.

Dobson raced 10 trotters who collectively won 64 races but most of his success came with pacers.

His first Group I win as an owner came in 2009 with Joyfuljoy and, while he enjoyed scores of winners in the intervening years, he had to wait until April, 2021 for the next one.

Dobson is survived by his partner Janice, son Stuart, daughter Lynne, four grand children and seven great grand children.

Lynne Dobson said today she will remember her dad as a great father and family man.

‘We didn’t have a lot of money in those days - there were no huge family holidays - but we’d go away a lot to the West Coast and the country race meetings.

“He was quite hard on me but very fair and brought us up to show respect. I remember him saying: ‘what you do in life is look after your family and work hard’, which I’ve taken on board.”

[Iraklis 2,231]

JJ mate, sad news condolences to the family.....

 

Cheers Iraklis

[Thejanitor 1,239]

2 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

Ian Dobson, one of harness racing’s most successful owners of all time, died this morning in Christchurch on his 90th birthday.

 

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story, JJ. All the best. R.i.P Ian Dobson.

[JJ Flash 2,137]

54 minutes ago, Thejanitor said:

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story, JJ. All the best. R.i.P Ian Dobson.

It was via Lincoln Farms. 

A nice tribute to a bloke whose company i enjoyed from time to time

[Ohokaman 5,851]

Remember him and the real Cully having a great night after CC won the Auckland Cup. This bloke caught the lot…..

 

 

[Ohokaman 5,851]

And the old fella is stil looking pretty good…….

[JJ Flash 2,137]

11 hours ago, Ohokaman said:

And the old fella is stil looking pretty good…….

Looked a lot better after he won the Derby. I unfortunately was not the same after spending a hundredth of my winnings off him that night

[Iraklis 2,231]

Thanks for the photo's Ohoka, that ol fulla has no idea of the impact he has had on our Harness sport, and your right at his grand ol age he's lookin bloody good and JJ really, the one article above just had to show this dude (CC) beatin me up in the Cup, oh man

 

Cheers Iraklis

[Pure Steel 1,303]

4 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

Looked a lot better after he won the Derby. I unfortunately was not the same after spending a hundredth of my winnings off him that night

No Derby Win for Christian Cullen mate. might of been the Sires Stakes in Cup week where you were on possibly. He defeated 'Holmes DG' to win that big Group 1 as a 3 yearold.  Also won a FFA against the older horses a week later too.

'Holmes DG' Winning both the Derbies that seson,  Defeating Christian Cullen in December at Auckland, and when 'Holmes DG ' won the NZ Derby in the Autumn Christian Cullen was not a starter as had an injury.   

Came back from it well (the injury though) as did the  ROYDEN GLEN copy of 12 starts for 12 wins unbeaten season as a 4 year old ..

 

[JJ Flash 2,137]

1 hour ago, Pure Steel said:

Christian Cullen mate. might of been the Sires Stakes in Cup week where you were on possibly.

Correct you are, got my wires crossed on that one but did have the biggest bet i ever had on a pacer in that race. Actually got a TB trainer to put it on for me as he was going to the tote. Can still remember the look on his face when i pulled out the Rutherfords!!

[Pure Steel 1,303]

1 hour ago, JJ Flash said:

Correct you are, got my wires crossed on that one but did have the biggest bet i ever had on a pacer in that race. Actually got a TB trainer to put it on for me as he was going to the tote. Can still remember the look on his face when i pulled out the Rutherfords!!

Love those sort of horses with high strike rate to bet on. you just know you'll get a run for the money everytime.

NZ always missed having on-course bookmakers. A real tragedy as they were a real challenge to get a quid from . These days there's still some at the gallops but they just copy to the dollar almost,  what odds the corporates give on the tote .

Back in the 80's , several times there were owners  that were buying NZ horses  that had won a race or 2 in Nz, and had ability (for about $40k on average).

A STING was arranged to try and pay for the horse straight up... The bookmakers would open them 4-1 invariably as didn't have any clue about them for their first start in Australia ( no nz races broadcast in Aus then) so the little group of 10 'Helpers' would get allocated a $1000 each and try and hit the bookies at exactly the same time . (The limit the Bookies would take as a bet was $1000 mostly) . So with 10 simultaneous 'hits'  (mainly at Moonee Valley where there was plenty of books) ) , a possible $40,000 was able to be dragged out of the 'books Ring' in 10 bets. ....If not simultaneously,  the first bet placed would make a bookie 'wind it in'  to 2-1 or even Even Money sometimes. and all the other bookies would panic and follow suit before even taking the other bets lol   .     timing was crucial.     

worked well too and several good results. mainly horse leading all the way. One missed once when it got checked and broke unfortunately , lost 50m odd, still got up for 2nd with a big effort, but sadly the 10 grand was gone lol. (they would sling the 'helpers' 100 bucks each or something like that.)   Was a lot of Fun !!

[JJ Flash 2,137]

3 hours ago, Pure Steel said:

No Derby Win for Christian Cullen mate.

Its come back to me , i got CC mixed up with an O'Meara  stablemate Naval Officer, that won 84 Derby in  in same colours. Still CC bolted in the SS final at 4.20 and 1.90 from memory

[Pure Steel 1,303]

4 minutes ago, JJ Flash said:

Its come back to me , i got CC mixed up with an O'Meara  stablemate Naval Officer, that won 84 Derby in  in same colours. Still CC bolted in the SS final at 4.20 and 1.90 from memory

Naval officer !!!!  wow that was memorable one .The Nz Derby ,  the year of that huge crash with Liquid Lightning jumping the winning post shadow , and the big  9 horse pile-up happened. Royden Glen was stuck down on the track for over 10 minutes. Was heart-stopping stuff.  

[Pure Steel 1,303]

18 minutes ago, JJ Flash said:

Naval Officer, that won 84 Derby

Prepare to be shocked with one . makes you hold ya breath for a minute . (all horses were  reasonably sound after and Charlie Hunter was the only effected driver with injury but still managed to stand and walk into the ambulance ) 

 

[Idolmite 2,567]

Sad news. But WHAT A LIFE!!!

[Keepingthemhonest 41]

Naval Officer trained and driven by Mike DeFilippi

Won next start by around 13 lengths by memory

[Ohokaman 5,851]

Nice story from a couple of years ago. Would be fitting if Akuta could win this years Cup.