AUCKLAND CUP
Before the late Duke of Edinburgh presented the Silver Collar to the club after the royal visit in 1970, the Auckland Cup for decades prior and since, has always been a highly prestigious race to win.
With this coming Sunday (26th March, 2023) seeing the heats of the 2023 Auckland Cup, time now to look back at the two decades of one of the AGRC’s flagship races.
2002 – 2007
After winning the 2002 NZ Cup just a month prior, the John McInerney bred and trained Cecilia Lloyd, added an Auckland Cup to his impressive record. These wins and many others saw him become the NZ Greyhound of the Year. In the final he was victorious from placegetters, Egyptian Gold and Summer Rock. His win earned his owners the Pellet Christmas Syndicate, $14,850 in stakes. He was a son of Irish bred sire Farloe Melody and the super 300m chaser Cecilia Bale, who during her highly successful race career, finished runner up in 1997 to Ben Craik trained Stage Left, in a Railway Sprint final.
Hot Agent, began his race career in Victoria, winning 13 races before his arrival in NZ. Placed in 4 of his 5 starts prior to the Cup final, he began brilliantly from box 7, to lead the field throughout, for his trainer Wayne Steele and owners Rupert Fairbrother, Geoff Bate and Michael Hawkins. His Australian sire Hotshot, achieved the quinella, with Dallas Apollo runner up and another Australian bred chaser the bonny Starlight Bale third.
2004 saw no race as the 2004-2005 season’s running of the Cup Final was raced in early January 2005. Again, it was an Australian bred taking top honours, Idol Appeal, the gifted blue fawn daughter of Placard and Toffee Appeal. She arrived into NZ after just 3 starts to the kennels of highly respected Henderson based trainer, Delys Van Meeuwen. Under Dely’s care she had a highly successful career, winning 32 races from 66 races, for her owners Dely’s husband Bob and Tom Rodewald. She proved to be equally successful in the breeding pen and amongst her progeny was the 2011 Railway Sprint winner Matanuska. Chasing Idol Appeal home in the final were placegetters, Romberg Reason and Zippy Star.
It was a litter brother to the Australian star Bond winning the 2006 Cup, with Freddy Magic, entering the David Schofield kennels in December 2005. The son of champion sire Brett Lee, he won his heat by 6 lengths, before decisively winning the final in a fast 30.10secs., by 5 lengths, defeating kennel mates, the homebred Charleston State and Mo’em Down. Without access to the full records of the Auckland Cup, the achievement of one kennel to have all three podium finishers, if not a first, then still it was very special result.
The dominance in the Cup of the Australian bred chasers crossing the Tasman after commencing their race careers in their home country continued in 2007. Roman Castle, arriving after 17 races, to join the Canterbury based, John McInerney kennel. After a sprint win first up at Addington, he had a 520m run before travelling north to finish second in his heat. After a tardy beginning from box 2, he steadily worked his way through the field to score a narrow win at reasonably generous odds, from Fanta Claws from the Dave Fahey team and the Ben Craik trained Top Fancy.
2008 – 2012
For those who were in attendance on the cup heats night, Thursday 28th Feb. 2008, they witnessed an absolute sublime performance from a 27.5kg. brindle daughter of Hallucinate and Winsome Dollars, named Winsome Ashley. Making her track debut, she lined up in the last of the 6 Cup Heats, the fastest time in the preceding five heats was Thrilling Lucy’s, 30.14secs. She blitzed her nearest rival by a staggering 15.5 lengths and recorded a new track record time of 29.81secs. The first chaser to break 30.00secs. over Manukau’s 527m. Returning for the final seven days later, she scored an emphatic 7.5 length win over her Dave Fahey trained kennel mate and near relative, Winsome Daisy. Red Rush, from the David Schofield kennels finished in third place. Her time in the final was again a new track record of 29.77secs. This time remains our track record to this day. The club will honour her achievements on Cup Day, with the running of the Winsome Ashley Stakes, a 527m race restricted to bitches only. She was a champion on the track and her many descendants have kept her legacy alive.
Trainer Dave Fahey travelled north again in 2009 with another of the Winsome clan. This time taking out the Cup final with Winsome Uno. She was a daughter of Primo Uno and Winsome Duchess, a sister to Winsome Dollars, the mother of Winsome Ashley. Winning her heat stylishly she started second favourite in thew Cup, winning in 30.38, from Appointed Thyme from the Schofield kennel, making it a quinella for the girls. The Di Roberts trained Turbine Bale finished third.
There is an old saying, “as tough as teak,” referring to the prized tropical hardwood timber used in boat building industry as it renowned for the qualities of durability and resistance. This saying surely sums up the 2010 and 2011 Cup winner, Little Mother, the 27.0kg daughter of Big Daddy Cool and Zilla. Where do the superlatives stop when looking at this chaser’s race career. 132 starts, an incredible 85 wins, she still holds the NZ stakes earning record of $377k, add to that her track records. In 2010 she won her heat by over 9 lengths from Ava Appeal in 30.12, before winning the final in 30.15, from runner up Hailey’s Agent trained by Ben Craik, with another classy bitch, the Ray Adcock trained Tricky Shelley, filling third spot. Again in 2011 she was victorious in her heat, defeating Have A Yap before topping the podium in the final. Her 2011 time was a very smart 30.20, leading from box rise to defeat the ever-closing Winsome Opawa, from the Dave Fahey team. The very consistent chaser Have A Yap, from the Schofield kennels joined them on the podium. Little Mother was a champion for her trainers Brendon Cole and Lisa Ahern and her Australian based owner Gordon Sciberras. She returned to NSW for her breeding career.
It was another of Big Daddy Cool’s progeny winning the 2012 Cup. The Lisa Ahern bred/owned and trained Bigtime Kinvara, was the next NZ bred greyhound to win the final since Cecilia Lloyd a decade before. He defeated another NZ bred, the John McInerney trained Another Dollar, (a son of 2008 Railway Sprint winner Another Gale) by just a head in his heat. Again, the talented pair fought out another tight finish in the final, with Bigtime Kinvara extending the margin to just a neck. Returning to defend her wins of 2010 and 2011, was the champion Little Mother. Jumping from box 6, she was forced wide for most of the race, before finishing strongly for third.
2013 – 2017.
After three consecutive years of the Cup winner coming from of the Cole/Ahern family operation in Palmerston North kennels, a chaser from the Schofield kennels, returned to the top of the podium. Fancy Tip, a white and black son of the leading Irish bred sire Premier Fantasy and Flash Fancy. Although Australian bred was owned and trained by Denis Schofield. Three lengths astern, was the Dave Fahey trained Pretty Good, with Koko Whiz another Schofield representative finishing third.
Bred, reared and trained by the successful Gary Harding/Karen Walsh combination Thrilling Butcha, was owned by the prominent thoroughbred administrator Andrew Castles. The 36.0kg son of Bombastic Shiraz and Thrilling Gert, taking control after some first bend jostling to score by five and a half lengths. The podium finishers were all from northern kennels, with Tom Patton’s Villain’s Flyer and Ben Craik’s Code Nine, taking the minor placings. Thrilling Butcha returned to restricted age racing, with another three consecutive wins culminating in a victory in the NZ Derby. A special and rare achievement.
Again in 2015, the Ahern/Cole team tasted Cup success. This time with another Australian bred, owned by the successful Queensland based Temnick Partnership, headed by highly successful trainer Tom Tzouvelis. Angvella, a brindle son of Just the Best, arrived here in December 2014 after successfully racing in three Australian states. Impressively winning in his cup heat, he turned on a bold front running display to win in a slick 30.12secs. Thrilling Georga and Royal Runner, trained by Karen Walsh and Angela Turnwald respectively, filled the minors.
Seventeen years after his father, the leading Australian breeder Paul Wheeler winning the Cup with Denzil Bale, trained for him by Craig Roberts, his son Brendon Wheeler, enjoyed Cup success with Dyna Vikkers, again trained by Craig. Caught up in traffic early in the race and back in the field prompted race caller Peter Earley to comment mid race, “he’ll have to weave his magic,” Dyna Vikkers produced a real burst of acceleration in the run to the line to take out a deserved victory. The Auckland Cup, was just one of his NZ group race wins, retiring with stake earnings of $226k. His Australian based litter brother Dyna Double One, had the rare distinction of being one of the few greyhounds to win in excess of one million dollars during their race careers.
Again in 2017, a South Island based kennel took home the Cup. After success in 2008 and 2009 the Jean and Dave Fahey partnership returned to the top of the podium with an Australian bred chaser. He’s All Power, a son of Jagger Swagger, bred and owned by the prominent Australian based Whittington/Sprod partnership. After successfully racing in NSW and Victoria, he joined the Fahey team. Successful in all four of his starts prior to the final, he took out the Cup running down the place getters, Paul Dozer from the Angela Turnwald team and the Henny Laagland bred and trained Belcroft Banker.
2018 – 2022
To have three siblings from the same litter in a Grp.1 final is quite an achievement. Dirk Bale, Allen Ablett and Avenger Bale, bred by Paul Wheeler and trained by Craig Roberts were sons of Fernando Bale and Langi Bale. Although his two brothers were shorter in the odds, Dirk Bale began brilliantly from box 6 to lead throughout, winning in a quick 30.06 from another Canterbury trained chaser the Fahey team’s Shallay Pallay and his litter mate Allen Ablett. This talented trio of brothers ended their race careers jointly earning their connections an impressive $385k.
After placings in the race with Paul Dozer and Royal Runner, the Foxton based Angela Turnwald kennel took the top honours with the Australian bred Diddilee, in 2019. Within his ownership syndicate were members experiencing for the first time the thrill of greyhound racing. In a driving finish the 36kg so of Barcia Bale prevailed over Ringside from the Ray Adcock team and the dual Grp. 1 winner Pinny Mack, trained by Steve Clark.
Silenci, from the Cambridge kennels of Peter Ferguson saw a northern trained chaser salute the judge six years after Thrilling Butcha’s victory. An Australian bred son of the American sire Bella Infrared, after running second in his heat to Pinny Mack, he reversed the heat result taking victory in the final, a popular win for his mainly Waikato based syndicate of owners. Kennel mate Robson filled the other podium place.
After stylishly beginning his career in Queensland, Federal Morgan crossed the Tasman Sea to join the Cole kennels. He had immediate success over the 457m at Cambridge before stepping up to the longer trips at Addington and Hatrick. His Manukau debut was in a cup heat, breaking the 30.00sec. barrier. He won the final recording a 29.96sec. six and half-length victory was a dominant display of front running. His two sub-30.00secs. performances in both heat and final meant that he joined Winsome Ashley in achieving this special feat. Storming home from the back of the field was Garry Cleeve’s Know Keeper, with the Peter Ferguson trained Drink Shoeys third. On retirement after race injury Federal Morgan stood briefly at stud here before returning to his NSW breeder Scott Eaton. He has been well received by Australian breeders and has young litters on the ground both here and over there.
Naming an unraced greyhound Opawa Superstar, could be said to put real pressure on for expectation of performance. This New Zealand bred son of champion sire Fernando Bale and Opawa Tab’s performances have certainly met every expectation. At just 21 months of age, he finished third in the Grp.1 NZ Cup, before debuting a Manukau just weeks after his second birthday, to win his heat in style. Exiting box 3 in the final, he began brilliantly to lead his rivals throughout, scoring by four and a half lengths from kennel mate Opawa .Wayne. Another Canterbury trained chaser from the Craig Roberts kennels Talbingo Bale took the third placing.
2023 AUCKLAND CUP FOR NZ BRED.
Sunday’s victories saw New Zealand bred chasers take top honours in our premier 527m and 318m races for the first time in the same season for century twenty-twenty one.
The Auckland Cup has been the most challenging of races for a NZ bred chaser to win, with just three previous winners. In 2000, Dusty Fog, a son of Noble Talent – Someone’s Dream, bred by Valerie Jackson and raced by a family syndicate took the honours. Eleven years later it was the Lisa Cole’s Bigtime Kinvara, a son of Big Daddy Cool – Flag The Bank, winning in an all NZ bred finish, with Another Dollar and Ultimate Dream joining him on the podium. In 2014, the successful breeding/training operation of Gary Harding and Karen Walsh, taking top hours with Thrilling Butcha.
With both their involvement in the Conspiracy Syndicate and in the rearing and training of this year’s winner Space Boy, the Cole kennels have their second Auckland Cup breeding and training success, (they also trained the Aussie bred dual winner Little Mother and the 2021 winner Federal Morgan). Space Boy is just one member of All About Space’s talented first litter and at just 26 months of age he and his litter mates will be a potent force in the future.
Space Boy’s direct female line has been in NZ for three generations, with dam All About Space (a 2019 Ak. Cup finalist and winner of 23 races), second dam Spot On Maggie (8 wins and has been a great producer), with third dam Rosieanna Belle (2 wins from just 7 starts) were bred by the Duganzich family from Turakina. Although now retired from the industry, they for sure will take much pride from their involvement over the years in Space Boy’s powerful winning performance.
Congratulations to all involved in the respective pathways to victory for this fine New Zealand bred chaser.
