Auckland 1999 - Trotters Series

1999 Trotters Series
Alexandra Park, Auckland NZ

1999 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Series $NZ$150,000
Heats: 5, 9, 12 March 1999
Final: 19 March 1999

Following its tough all the way win in its heat on opening night, Special Force was installed a short-priced favourite by the NZ Tote for the Trotters Grand Final. The stark reality of these markets was that Australian horses were not among the main fancies.

Special Force, the Dullard Cup winner at Moonee Valley, had led throughout on opening night to be most impressive. Another eye-catching effort in this heat had been put up by from the promising Mountain Gold in having to overcome a few problems to finish close behind the winner.

Australia's three main hopes going into the series -- Knight Pistol, National Interest and Noopy Kiosk -- did not do enough in the opening round of heats to suggest they were likely to play any real part come Grand Final night.

Special Force was sent out an odds-on favourite in the first of the second round heats and, as expected from the pole, went straight to the front with Mountain Gold dropping onto its back. Approaching the 1400m mark and both Africa and Pride Of Petite came with strong runs from well back to suddenly make this a most interesting affair.

With the 'Petite' mare from the Purdon stables grinding away outside of Special Force, the speed was right on with quarters of 29.9, 29.3 and then a 28.5 as they raced for the hometurn.

Mountain Gold was able to secure a run through on the passing lane and grabbed the favourite right on the line to upset most punters. Though obviously not was good as a year or two earlier, Pride Of Petite battled on well for third.

To have had the run of the race and then be beaten on the line must have surprised supporters of Special Force. Perhaps many were under-estimating Mountain Gold.

Heat 4 brought together several smart types with Sundon's Way, Cedar Fella and Knight Pistol engaged. Mark Purdon had Sunny Action take up the early running, until Sundon's Way strolled to the lead and began dictating its own terms. Not surprisingly, Australia's Knight Pistol went forward mid-race to drop into the 'death', followed forward by Cedar Fella.

Special Force NZ - 1999 Inter Dominion Trotting Champion

Slow splits in front were obviously setting this heat up for those up front, and Sundon's Way gave nothing else a chance in the run to the line.

In recent years many a Kiwi fan has claimed the mare Merinai to have been the top trotter in the Dominion. She certainly had the edge over the unlucky Buster Hanover in their clashes. But Merinai had gone into this series under a cloud having for a couple of weeks been troubled by severe soreness in a shoulder.

Just as the pacers' section had lost Christian Cullen after the series had begun, so too did the trotters come to lose Merinai when Mark Purdon had no option but to scratch the mare when she had failed to trot anywhere near her ability. This was a double blow for the stable having earlier lost Buster Hanover just prior to the championships. The depth of his stable was shown by Purdon taking the quinella on the second night with Sundon's Way and Sunny Action.

After two rounds, Special Force and Sundon's Way were clear on the progressive points table with 29, followed on 25 by Cedar Fella, 24 Mountain Gold, 22 Sunny Action, 20 Meander In Eden and Pride Of Petite, 18 Miss Whiplash. Noopy Kiosk with 17 points was looking likely to be the only Aussie to have any real hope of being a finalist.

With seemingly only four or five genuine chances in the big Grand Final, Special Force took a strong grip on the title by trotting to the early lead from its ideal barrier 2. Tactics then began to play into the hands of the Dave McGowan-trained 5YO when rival drivers seemed reluctant to take him on. Reinsman Todd MacFarlane later explained how he was feeling confident at the half-way stage when none of his rivals had taken him on. "I was quite surprised no-one had attacked me, and at the mile I was fairly confident we could go right on with it as my horse still had a bit in reserve."

David Gibbons had tucked the Australian Noopy Kiosk in behind Special Force and they gained a nice trip. But in the trot to the finish, it was Special Force who was packing too many guns, beating Noopy Kiosk. The equal favourite in the race, Sundon's Way (Tony Herlihy) followed the same pathway its sire Sundon (US) had seven years earlier when it too had starred in the heats only to be most disappointing in the Grand Final due to unsoundness in its case.

Special Force was a gelding by Chiola Hanover (US) from Special Pride. He trotted his last half in 58.5 and the last quarter in 29.1. His victory took his record to 16 wins from 40 starts and $257,665 in stakemoney. Owner-breeder of the horse, Bernie Lim, said after the presentation that he owned about 60 horses, including 15 broodmares. "It's horses like Special Force that keep you going," he added.

Within a day the win, Lim announced he was considering taking his trotter to the Elitlopp Series in Stockholm, a trip that would not produce the results the Inter Dominion Grand Final might have suggested.