D.D. NYHAN

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

During coverage of Ascot Park it was announced that he had passed away , has this been confirmed.

 

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

https://youtu.be/0zw-hUgblh0

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

 

[tasman man 742]

RIP DD Nyhan.

Of course he became very prominent in harness in the family business ,his parents owning Champion horse and sire Johnny Globe.

As a young driver he became the regular pilot of Lordship and in 1962 won the NZ Cup when that horse just 4 yr old.

At the time it was rumoured Lordship was going to be scratched cos of the very wet conditions.

Lordship had a great career on the track ,often having to start off long marks.

In 1966 the pair won their second NZ Cup...from memory another wet track.

Denis was associated with a number of good horses as a driver and then as a trainer in own right and was always a stand out dresser.

I think Van Glory was another of his horses ,around the time of Robalan and he often drove good  trotters .

In latter years he mainly kept his hand in with trotters.

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

 

[tasman man 742]

Great Video....Lordship one of my favourites.

Surprised there hasn't been more written about Denis Nyhan.

Associated with 2 great horses.....Lordship and Robalan.

Lordship won some 45 races over 8 full seasons of racing ,winning most of NZ's top races ,then went on to a prolific Stud career.

Plus the name Nyhan ,one of NZ's top Harness families.

[tasman man 742]

I now see Dave McCarthy has written a nice tribute to DD Nyhan on Facebook.

And yes ,he notes Denis's wife a good horsewoman from the top stable of trotters......Doyle family.

[Ragamuffin 122]

Another of Racings stalwarts to depart, a very good family with some very good harness successes.  First time I ever went to a harness meeting, (Forbury Park) I fell in love with a lil "Black man" with a huge heart, it didn't stop there, his dad Johnny Globe & son Lords also became favourites but Lordship always held my heart the most.  The only 1 to come close was at Cambridge at his 1st race, my heart pounded like no other since Lordy & I couldn't believe the beauty b4 me, just as Lordy had done for me, Il Vicolo was the 2nd.  The Nyhan's lived down the road in Templeton from where I eventually worked many years later.

[JJ Flash 2,135]

Tribute by Dave McCarthy

 

DENIS NYHAN -A PERSONAL TRIBUTE

Denis Nyhan’s passing saddens, partly because it is another wrench from a vintage racing era but also because that while people understandably highlight his feats with Lordship and Robalan they were only two aspects of a full racing life, well lived.

The bold move to strip Robalan of his hopples at a time when free legged horses were so rare that “Robbie” is the only one to win a NZ Cup, was the most publicised example but not the only one.

Robalan was also the first to win 12 races in one season breaking a record set in the early 1940’s and which were not in open class .His was a memorable Horse of the Year title beating age group pacing sensation ,Noodlum; Arapaho, and Young Quinn. Many voters would relish those sort of options today- fans even more so.

Denis’s life was shaped around two major influences; his parents, Don and Doris,and his wife and best friend Denise. An expert horsewoman in her own right, the daughter also of a famous trainer in Billy Doyle, Denise was a dedicated wife and mother essential in the early days when working with horses during the day and places like a carpet factory at night was standard procedure for many young horsemen. Denis often paid tribute to her support, and acknowledged how in everything but name she was a full training partner with an affinity with horses he much admired and a work ethic even he struggled to match

From his parents he inherited a powerful work ethic, modesty in triumph;loyalty; respect for others ; high personal and professional standards and a preference for the quiet life.He was given responsibility as a teenager for travelling colts together to the North Island one being Ricochet one of his first drives and a horse he much admired. Like them he never sought, much less promoted a public profile, and when persuaded to dwell on personal triumphs it was always about the horses concerned for Denis and Denise, their own contribution minimised. Posed photos are not plentiful and a bowed head from the driver often accompanied Robalan back to the birdcage along with the customary sun glasses.

Asking him to compare champions was not a recommended question. The couple could often also be seen at the parade ring at Riccarton admiring the stars of the galloping turf, content in their own company. Horses and family were their life. In an era of inflated prices for exports the Nyhan champions were never for sale.

After a few early excursions Denis largely gave up betting on the outcome of horse races after realising the truth of the the ancient betting maxim “even when you know you never really know”

He was not at ease in large social situations.An innate shyness caused a long delay in asking for a first date with Denise- fortunately with a happy ending.

Many will still remember the special levels of preparation and presentation by the Nyhans which helped propel both Johnny Globe and Lordship to public acclaim rarely matched today. A spell in the States brought Denis an often expressed admiration for the style of legends such as Eddie Cobb and Stanley Dancer and deepened his commitment to their professionalism,down to the gloves that were always part of his driving equipment.

Denis could be said to have had a somewhat volatile personality. A confrontation with an equally strong willed Brother Maurice had brought about an abrupt end to his secondary education at Xavier College after two years. However if one could absorb the initial blasts at the targets of the day serenity usually soon returned. Multiple offences however could place you on the “schooling list” .He was self aware of those shortcomings and critics but maintained point of view was important.

Never a “hail fellow well met” person socially outside his inner circle Denis was capable of strong analysis of most situations, especially in racing administration where he made an impression as a long time Harness Racing Board delegate and handicapping expert.

High expectations of truth, honesty and performance and emphasis on “structures and procedures” caused him critical frustration when he considered they were lacking.

He liked and respected his owners (Van Glory’s Nick Matyasevic was a special favourite) as his father had done and conducted his stable with similar integrity.It was a big financial call to buy into Robalan as it was not to sell but in the end it paid off in spades.

Due to a wide selection of variously credible phone sources-never named beyond “one of my contacts tells me” -he retained an interest in administration and a bit more interest in trotting gossip than he liked to admit. His calls to officialdom were treated with respect if not always warmth. To some extent he pined for a harness racing atmosphere of his younger years that had receded as sport widened into big business. He was a strong supporter of country clubs.

On the racecourse,before and during the event Denis was cool and astute and while as a green youngster driving Lordship in the Derby he had been suspended for using his whip to persuade a rival horseman to remove his grip on the colt’s sulky shaft,there was no regret.

“Well what would you have done?” was his response.

Robalan Denis turned from an injury riddled enigma into a champion, He is one of only two horses to win three successive NZ Free for Alls and in all Denis won five. That included one of his coolest drives when Lordship downed the great Cardigan Bay in the 1962 Free for All after making a rare mistake at the start - much to the cheer of his huge Addington fan club. Great racing days.

Once well established on the property that was the result of hard work as much as any silver spoon, the stable opted for a select racing team and relatively few starters, often home bred in more recent times. Denis was a popular free lance driver, his analysis of a race helpful to trainers.

Robert Dunn Richard Brosnan Ben Grice Ruling Lobell.Ces Donald,Bill Roberts, Jack Smolenski,neighbours Billy and Graeme Hunt, the Shinn brothers,and Allan Cross (Del’s Dream) were just some of them. He made a point of never ringing to ask for a drive.

When he made history in 1962 with Lordship in winning an open class free for all at Addington as a three year -a feat not matched for more than 20 years- Denis was 23, had had his first drive in1955 and had had less than 30 wins even in a family backed stable.It reflects a different world for junior drivers then who had to wait,sometimes for years, to get their chance. When they got it they were good.

He trained many fine horses and names like Van Glory (Standardbred Breeders,North Island Oaks );Hal Good (Dominion; Canterbury Park Trotting Cup) ,Eclipse,Dingle Bay, Phillipino, His Nibs, Honkin Vision, Individual, Hobart Lord,Take for Granted,Somerset Gold and a host of others often home-bred or by the Doyle sisters,mostly trotters, were among them.Beside the triumphs of Lordship and Robalan he won a Rowe Cup driving Cee Ar; NZ Oaks with Ruling Lobell; an Ashburton Cup with Balgove and features with several others that were Group level races at the time. He could be critical of people but almost always had a kind word for the horses.

Fast cars and quick trips were a hobby in earlier years until a hot Holden disappearing in central Christchurch one evening sapped that enthusiasm.

Denis regarded home-bred Relinquish as one of the most underrated of the trotting team. The stable’s last three winners were all from Total Perception, a good winning daughter of Look whose foals the Doyle sisters shared.They were Total Exposure,With Intent and The Fox. The last named is back in work with Margot after being a frustrating project for Denis and Denise over several years.

With Intent was a truly outstanding mare whose career was affected by muscular problems. Denis showed some old time placing skills posting twice as many second placings (26) as wins without anything looking untoward ( though I sometimes inquired what had caused the injury to his right arm -which he described as “very cruel”) and she was the last star of the stable. She is still breeding and has a likely type going into training.

The racing scene has changed significantly since the heyday of Denis Nyhan but by the high standards he set himself his record remains of a very high calibre.Outright champions in successive decades in the era of highly competitive open class ranks was itself remarkable.

Denis, 82, had been in ill health with kidney related problems for some time though not in serious condition until near the end.

Of him it can be said that he inherited a rich legacy and added to its value. He would have asked for no more than that. Nor could we.

[Value Bell 251]

1962.