Scotch Tar

[Trident 179]

Reading Addington Raceway Timeline.

 

 

YEAR: 1993

 

SCOTCH TAR

The death on a Hororata farm last week of Scotch Tar rekindled memories of a trotter ranked with the all-time greats. For the past three years, Scotch Tar has been cared for by Alf Phillips, and he died suddenly , aged 20. 

Scotch Tar won 29 races - two Dominion Handicaps, the Dunedin Cup, the Worthy Queen Handicap, two NZ Trotting Free-For-Alls, the Ordeal Cup, a heat of the Inter-Dominions, and two Benson and Hedges Challenge Stakes. He had a versatile career, racing against pacers, setting records, and putting up some huge performances against such stars of the day as No Response, Stormy Morn, About Now, Game Way, Even Speed and Thriller Dee. 

He as trained throughout his career by 'Slim' Dykman, now living in Australia, who handled him in 15 of his wins. Robert Cameron drove him in his first 10, and Peter Wolfenden in the others. Cameron was his first trainer, having bought the Tarport Coulter-Scotch Penny colt as a yearling from Sir Roy McKenzie. Scotch Penny is notable for her offspring in the case of Scotch Tar, and also for being the galloping prompter in a time trial by Garcon Roux at Hutt Park but being too slow to keep up.

The best Scotch Tar could do for Cameron in his early training was making a quarter in 36. "I wasn't getting on with him, so I put him in a dispersal sale at Ashburton and Slim bought him for $1000," said Cameron. Dykman gelded him, and the pair soon struck a chord, and Cameron was in the cart when Scotch Tar made a winning debut at Methven in September, 1977. The combination won five races that season, and five the next, including the Dominion Handicap as a 5-year-old from Spartan Prince and Framalda in NZ record time of 4:11.6 for 3200m.

Cameron and Dykman had a parting of the ways at this time, after Dykman questioned the manner in which Cameron had driven the horse. "Scotch Tar was a great competitor, but I have always said that David Moss is a better horse. He is a nice driving horse, settles and doesn't pull. But Scotch Tar was tough, and got better as he went along. In the Dominion, he was on one rein, and was beaten on the corner. But he kept trotting, kept going, and wasn't beaten in the end. And he had remarkable speed. When he raced in the Free-For-All over 2000 metres at the Cup meeting against Hands Down, he led out and went over his first quarter in 27 (26.8 in fact)," he said. In that race, Scotch Tar led for the first 1600 metres, which took him 1:57.4, until he folded over the last 200 metres.

Scotch Tar also won the Dominion Handicap as a 7-year-old from Stormy Morn and Game Way. He won once from nine starts as an 8-year-old, and he defeated Sir Castleton and Dryden Lobell in one of his two wins from seven starts as a 9-year-old.

Scotch Tar's last public appearance was at the Ashburton Trotting Club's centennial meeting in 1990. Kevin McRae prepared him for the meeting and was astonished to find that after just two weeks he covered a half in 1:05. "I'm pretty lucky if a good maiden can run a half on my track in three," he said. Once the centennial was over, Scotch Tar's final resting place was at Hororata, where his company were young horses of similar calling. 

 

[chelseacol 2,488]

great stuff Trident.

Must be old age creeping up on me - but the horses of that era still hold a real appeal for me.

It was Scotch Tar that used to gallop at the top of the straight at Addington when someone was whistling or something ???? Or has the Xmas intake got to me .....

[globederby12 1,495]

Watched him win from 100 mtrs behind at Hutt Park,albeit in lesser company. Im sure no one watched the front horses at all that night,those that backed him were willing him on and those who backed againsted him hoping he couldnt catch them. Brilliant stuff.

[kimtapper 7]

2 hours ago, chelseacol said:

great stuff Trident.

Must be old age creeping up on me - but the horses of that era still hold a real appeal for me.

It was Scotch Tar that used to gallop at the top of the straight at Addington when someone was whistling or something ???? Or has the Xmas intake got to me .....

Hi Chelseacol,

I think you are commenting about George Shand who had a trotter Pointer Hanover about this time and he was the best 'whistler' coming up the straight the last time!!!

He did get in to trouble with officialdom for this reason on a number of occasions and maybe causing Scotch Tar to gallop.

[We're Doomed 4,855]

Just imagine a trotter racing in the pacers free for all during cup week these days. Created a lot of interest at the time.

[Trident 179]

2 hours ago, chelseacol said:

great stuff Trident.

Must be old age creeping up on me - but the horses of that era still hold a real appeal for me.

It was Scotch Tar that used to gallop at the top of the straight at Addington when someone was whistling or something ???? Or has the Xmas intake got to me .....

We should remember what happens with fine wine Chelseacol. It just gets better with age. Mind you some of my fine wine may be corked now.

I've found a way of feeling younger. I just go and have a chat with a 90 year old and feel like I'm in my prime again.

I recall Scotch Tar running in Bonnie's Chance 1982 NZ Cup. Not sure how many trotters have run in the NZ Cup. Wouldn't think it would be many in the last 40 years. Scotch Tar could peel off sectionals unheard of for trotters at that time.

The 80's era was also my favourite time to look back on. Fond memories of Sir Castleton,Basil Dean,Jenner,Indette,Stormy Morn,Simon Katz,Yankee Loch along with Aussie Scotch Notch etc etc.

Roydon Scott,Hilarious Guest,Lord Module,Trident along with Aussies Popular Alm and Gammalite etc etc.

We may end up looking back at this era with great fondness with horses like Omar Sharif  You just never know what may happen when we get back on the road again.

[Ashoka 1,179]

chelseacol...

I believe that your memory is very good, My memory is telling me that a person was caught and charged with spooking Scotch Tar at Addington. I can't remember if a type of pea shooter was involved or if his technique involved only the use of his mouth through shouting.

The story goes that it was an even-money bet as to whom was crazier...Scotch Tar or his trainer/driver Mr Dykman. Often a fine line between brilliance and insanity...sometimes no line at all.

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

Great Flash back Trident !!

[globederby12 1,495]

7 hours ago, chelseacol said:

great stuff Trident.

Must be old age creeping up on me - but the horses of that era still hold a real appeal for me.

It was Scotch Tar that used to gallop at the top of the straight at Addington when someone was whistling or something ???? Or has the Xmas intake got to me .....

I have thought about your comment about horses of that era,and its relation to how old we are. I have been following Harness since the 60,s, and it takes me quite a while to try to remember some of the racing witnessed.In fact with the brain cells now down to a manageable level it take a post such as Tridents to suddenly have spasms of nostalgia.

One of the major differences I see is in the atmosphere oncourse. In my younger days when the technological age was non existent, a great night out was going to the Trots, The Pictures, or necking in the back of Dads borrowed car. I have been to many early Trot meetings(and Gallops) where it was hard to breathe ,they were packed in so tight.

The 1973 Inters at Harold Park was one classic example. The atmosphere on course ,everynight(4) was something to behold. The closest I have come to that night was when NZ beat Bahrain at the Cake Tin to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals. It was ELECTRIC.

 Contrast that to the Jewels in Ashburton this year. A premier meeting,top class horses, but where were all the people.???. Sitting in front of a TV in the warm,placing bets on their computer. No wonder some of us remember those days with such fond memorys.

Ahhh the good ol days.

 

[Guest]

They were good days of racing in the 70s and 80s.

Addington had the large grandstand and the current stand and on a Saturday night the place was chocker.

Nowadays on an average Friday night apart from the owners and trainers there are bigger all punters.

Quite often there are work groups there for the food and beverage packages but they don't put much through the tote.

Trackside has made it to easy for people to just stay at home, but it would be great to have that old atmosphere back.

[globederby12 1,495]

You are right Kakama, we cant have it both ways and technology can transport us to places only once ever dreamed of.

To coin a phrase(altho it has no relation to this topic). as Elton John once said.

"Sex is alright but you cant beat the real thing".

On course is magic on the best night 

[Royal Ascot 13]

Great post and excellent thread for us old buggers. I was raised at Addington when the tote punched out lots of different coloured tickets and agree that the 70's and 80's were special. What about Noodlum racking up 12 or 13 in a row (haven't googled it - just reminiscing) and then I relocated to Welly as a career move. Loved Scotch Tar racing around that saucepan to win from well behind....sadly Mutt Park didn't get too many good horses. Henry Skinner always had a good un to bring to the Cup Week and back then Richard Brosnan's cup flowed over - with No Response and Bonnies Chance both being very special horses.

Finally our own standardbred version of the famous Bonecrusher-Waverley Star Cox Plate was Hands Down beating Delightful Lady in the early 80's in the NZ Cup - she started from a handicap and he was slow away - and they drew clear of the field down the home stretch - what a race - left us breathless at the time. Great memories but times have changed and I probably put more thru the tote now than then - coz it's just so easy - for all its occasional faults I love www.tab.co.nz.  In fact have been browsing the odds for tomorrow...will Hughie Green pay $5 tomorrow on the tote?

HFIM is a special horse - but don't think he can give HG a 30-50m start and beat him.....thanks for the memories team

[Chestnut 3,151]

I loved those different coloured tickets... those are what we hunted for as kids when our folks were in the course bar and coming down occasionally to get us hot dogs  I tell you we needed them at Hutt Park.. a cold place on some nights  and watching the wonderful Idle Scott start so often from 50m back... but we were happy .. ticket hunting kept us entertained for hours

 

[Chestnut 3,151]

it was cool though wasn't it... Dad used to walk past us and say come on kids and we'd say where are you going, and he'd say back of the tote and we'd be so excited because we'd know that with the change he'd give it to us and let us have a selection and put the bet on for us

Those were the days

 

[chelseacol 2,488]

8 hours ago, Trident said:

We should remember what happens with fine wine Chelseacol. It just gets better with age. Mind you some of my fine wine may be corked now.

I've found a way of feeling younger. I just go and have a chat with a 90 year old and feel like I'm in my prime again.

I recall Scotch Tar running in Bonnie's Chance 1982 NZ Cup. Not sure how many trotters have run in the NZ Cup. Wouldn't think it would be many in the last 40 years. Scotch Tar could peel off sectionals unheard of for trotters at that time.

The 80's era was also my favourite time to look back on. Fond memories of Sir Castleton,Basil Dean,Jenner,Indette,Stormy Morn,Simon Katz,Yankee Loch along with Aussie Scotch Notch etc etc.

Roydon Scott,Hilarious Guest,Lord Module,Trident along with Aussies Popular Alm and Gammalite etc etc.

We may end up looking back at this era with great fondness with horses like Omar Sharif  You just never know what may happen when we get back on the road again.

haha - very clever Trident- if Omar does a tenth as well as those super horses you named I would be delighted.

Good advice on the chat to a 90 year old - I like that.

I loved the Sir Castleton and Basil Dean battles - didnt Basil run a 3.15 one night?? Must admit I always had a preference for Sir Castleton though !

And funnily enough I can still remember horses I really liked in that era who weren't absolute top liners - Nimble Yankee would be one example.

Great stuff

[Trident 179]

9 hours ago, chelseacol said:

haha - very clever Trident- if Omar does a tenth as well as those super horses you named I would be delighted.

Good advice on the chat to a 90 year old - I like that.

I loved the Sir Castleton and Basil Dean battles - didnt Basil run a 3.15 one night?? Must admit I always had a preference for Sir Castleton though !

And funnily enough I can still remember horses I really liked in that era who weren't absolute top liners - Nimble Yankee would be one example.

Great stuff

I'm sure you're right about Basil Dean putting up 3.15 one night at Addington Clelseacol. I recall people shaking their heads as it was a time you only expected from a decent pacer. I enjoyed Basil Dean's deeds but for whatever reason Sir Castleton was also always my preference. Loved that breed. Must admit certain breeds over the years have always appealed to me. The Kerslake "Bionic" horses. Berry Hanover and Lopez Hanover etc. I always enjoyed the classic 3200 metre races provincial cup races on the grass. Even better if it was a bog track. I can still picture standing by the finishing post,looking up the home straight and seeing the field thundering toward the finish line all covered in mud and just loving it despite not being able to see the drivers colours. Horses like Stortford Lodge rekindle those memories and of course the Berry Hanover,Lopez Hanover's.

We remember horses from way back for many reasons. The horse may have impressed with it's stamina,speed,reliability and will to win. It may have been very kind to you on the punt. It may bring back memories of yourself as a punter back then. Could be a prompt for other memories of events in your life at that time. May just really like the name for whatever reason etc.

I also remember Nimble Yankee and Felix Newfield. Sapling,Rustic Zephyr,Bad Luck,Wee Win,Rocky Tryax and Royal Waldorf all come to mind. Pretty sure Bad Luck was so named because it was born with it's hooves around the wrong way but still managed to win a dozen races. Someone will be able to confirm that. I'm sure it won a Kaikoura Cup beating the Hill's beaut pacer Single Lord who was the outsider of the field. I remember that because both were favs of mine and I had the quinella many times over.

Watching races on the TV back then was a very rare treat. Most of the time we were stuck listening to the radio well before Radio Pacific hoping we could tune in to and hear at least the last few hundreds metres of the call before the National program nearby on the dial drowned out the race. We must have really enjoyed the punt to put up with all of that. You really needed a race friendly radio host to prevent you going nuts. We can appreciate just how fortunate we are now to be able to sit on our chuffs while we watch races on TV and bet on our computer. We can do so right up until the starter lets them go. Never mind having to put the bet on an hour before the race started and if you won then going through a fistful of yellow duplicate tickets hoping we hadn't made a cock up putting the bet on. The Friday Flash was our bible.  

 

 

[Ashoka 1,179]

Trident...

The time that Basil Dean ran meant that, for a time, the trotting NZ record for the distance (2600 metres) was faster than the pacing record. Smokey Lopez was one of my early favourites (gun 3yo pacer). Did not Nimble Yankee win our (NZ) Miracle Mile, which started out as the Star's Travel Miracle Mile with Arapaho winning the inaugural running from the outside of the second row?

Tuning in to hear races was an art form that required dedication and climbing ability. From memory, telephone poles were the best bet.

All the best.

Ashoka

[Mr Spyro 408]

I'm sure it was Scotch Tar at Alex Park in his early career, that got so far back after breaking Reg Clapp said " Throw Your Tickets Away "  He looked quarter of a lap behind the last horse but started to  get into it in amazing fashion.  Reg Clapp remarked " Those tickets I said to throw away ...... you better get them back  "    He got up and won which was unbelievable

[globederby12 1,495]

The  most memorable occasion for me was being on course at Hutt Park the night Cardigan Bay visited on his soujourn around the country at the time.

Boy was it packed. That horse bought the house down as he paraded then did a lap,and Im sure he could of raced and beaten most of the nags on course that night,even at his advanced years. It is horses like that ,that become part of a Nations conscience ,one felt on the verge of tears.

The Booklet on his career ,bought on course that night still holds pride of place in my Harness collection of books and memorabilia.

[chelseacol 2,488]

7 hours ago, Ashoka said:

Trident...

The time that Basil Dean ran meant that, for a time, the trotting NZ record for the distance (2600 metres) was faster than the pacing record. Smokey Lopez was one of my early favourites (gun 3yo pacer). Did not Nimble Yankee win our (NZ) Miracle Mile, which started out as the Star's Travel Miracle Mile with Arapaho winning the inaugural running from the outside of the second row?

Tuning in to hear races was an art form that required dedication and climbing ability. From memory, telephone poles were the best bet.

All the best.

Ashoka

Yes Ashoka he did win the NZ Miracle Mile - think it was the Pan Am Mile that season??? Might be wrong.

One of those Mile nights I can vaguely remember in one of the undercard races a horse called Butlers ???  (something) fell early on - and Reon saying something like "and Butlers ?? has gone down on his nose, and over the top goes one, two, three, four..."

Listening on the radio - did have a certain kind of magic for a young kid.

 

[Basil 333]

Scotch Tar certainly provided some memorable (as well as some not-so-memorable) moments.  Three that particularly stick in the mind (well, mine anyway) are:

1.  His first Dominion when he sat outside Alias Armbro and ran that good horse into the ground, smashing the NZ 3200m record in the process.

2.  Getting just nutted by Locarno in a mile against the pacers at Timaru.

3.  1979 (I think) NZ Trotting FFA.  ST was near the rear approaching the 600 with little room.  For some inexplicable reason, Dykman decided to go for an inside run.  ST promptly ran into another horse and galloped, losing 10-odd lengths.  Taking off after them, ST trotted his next quarter so quickly that he hit the front (5 wide) at the 300 and went on to win easily.  

[Guest]

Think it was the early 70s. Remember the 3 bracketed trotters. Jonny Gee, Tony Bear and one other, was it Briganelli?

When horses were trained by the same trainer they were bracketed and you had 2 or 3 chances to get win or place money

[Ashoka 1,179]

Brodie...

It was Briganelli. My favourite trotting bracket was only a two-some...Black Frost and Marius. My favourite pacing bracket was a three-some...Manaroa, Manawaru and Royal Ascot. Other three-horse brackets I recall were Garcon Roux, Rain Again and Valencia and, I think, Rauka Lad, Forest King and Royal Trump. It is, indeed, strange what sticks in the mind.

All the best.

Ashoka

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Ashoka said:

Brodie...

It was Briganelli. My favourite trotting bracket was only a two-some...Black Frost and Marius. My favourite pacing bracket was a three-some...Manaroa, Manawaru and Royal Ascot. Other three-horse brackets I recall were Garcon Roux, Rain Again and Valencia and, I think, Rauka Lad, Forest King and Royal Trump. It is, indeed, strange what sticks in the mind.

All the best.

Ashoka

I was only a lad when they were racing.

Great Saturday night Addington racing.

Full stands and people enjoying the night.

The massive dividend board that was manually altered. 

Was fascinating watching the odds altering up and down.

People taking doubles and going around the back of the tote to exchange the winning first leg for the second leg, and if you got second in the second leg you got the concession double. great times I think.

The McLaughlin trio were always popular bracket as most of the time 2 got in.

Manaroa (The Ugly Duckling) top horse but poor stand start horse.

Same with the Tony Bear, Johnny Gee, Briganelli bracket you often got double div cos 2 got in. Think Wes Butt trained them?

[lonestar 80]

Brings back wonderful memories as a youngster at Addington on a Saturday, going with my uncle who was a member, so I tagged along searching the outside members stand overlooking the long gone birdcage, for discarded tickets.

My favourite bracket back in the late 60's early seventies was Stylish Major and Le Chant. I also loved the great old trotters Mighty Chief and Single Cash. There were some great pacers back in that era but I think the trotters were stronger with the Wes Butt 3 , Eastern Light, Precocious, Waterloo, Going, Logan Count  and a host of others.

Special times! must be getting old