What follows is a breakdown of major statistical records for the 2016/17 NZ season (1 August 2016 – 31 July 2017) excluding age group by gait winners and other categories that will be advised following 2016/17 NZ Harness Racing Awards to be held on Thursday 3 August 2017.
Personnel Stats :
Drivers –
2015 World Champion Driver Dexter Dunn led the way for the tenth consecutive year with his sixth double century of victories to go with two seasons where he was stranded on 199 wins. His 228 wins set a new seasonal record eclipsing his 220 mark set in 2010/11. His 221st win on first starter Mistahmistah at Addington on Friday 7 July was also win number 2,000 in NZ for Dunn achieved in by far the quickest ever time period. He joins Tony Herlihy (3,423), Maurice McKendry (3,194), Ricky May 2,781) and David Butcher (2,236) as members of the two thousand win club (Colin De Filippi currently sits on 1,998). Amazingly Dunn’s 228 wins were achieved in only ten months of driving in NZ (away month of August 2016, three weeks in Perth during 2016 ID’s looking after Franco Nelson and he left for North America to defend his World Drivers title in Canada in August on 23 July 2017), meaning he was out of the country for two months of the 2016/7 season.
Breaking a century of wins for the fourth successive year was Blair Orange (193, best ever total and apart from Dexter Dunn closest ever to 200 wins in a season) whose exceptional season saw him push Dunn hard leading the premiership for a considerable part of the season. Ricky May rounded out the top three maintaining his ultra-consistent driving history with 93 wins (top six or better position for past 29 seasons). David Butcher was leading northern driver (80) finishing in fourth position overall. Gavin Smith forged past 500 career driving wins during the season. On a UDR basis of those with more than ten drives, Natalie Rasmussen with 48 wins from only 90 drives (0.6728), amateur driver Sheyrl Wigg with ten wins (0.5455) and Mark Purdon, thirty five wins (04665) clearly led the field.
In the junior ranks, Rory Mcllwrick, was a clear winner with 39 wins placing him thirteenth overall in the Drivers premiership. He also took out the NZ Young Drivers Championship with North Islander Ben Butcher second and John Morrison and Katie Cox (second year running) third equal. The Darren de Filippi Memorial Trot for Junior Drivers was this year won by Cameron Jones (son of Peter Jones) driving Bacardi N Coke.
Ladies were in charge where the Amateur Drivers Championship was concerned. In only her first season as an amateur driver Colleen Negus (Burnham) won two of the three heats to be crowned winner. The Amateurs premiership went the way of Sheryl Wigg (ten wins) from first season amateur Colleen Negus (six wins) and Todd Woodward (four wins).
Leading Driver : DEXTER DUNN, 228 wins (1,070 starts), $2,252,217, both new seasonal records, UDR .3368, 2,007 lifetime NZ wins
Leading Junior Driver : RORY MCILLWRICK, 39 wins (387 starts), $282,004, UDR .1726
Leading Amateur Driver : SHERYL WIGG, ten wins (22 starts), $46,775, UDR .5455.
Trainers –
The Trainers Premiership ultimately proved an easy win for the Mark Purdon/Natalie Rasmussen (110) team despite an early/mid-season charge by Robert Dunn (operating two stables – Pukekohe, Woodend Beach : son John) recording 87 wins with Greg and Nina Hope (83), Cran Dalgety (62), Ken and Tony Barron (47), Phil Williamson (46) and Mark Jones (43) rounding out the top seven positions on the trainer’s premiership. Leading northern trainers tightly bunched in eighth to eleventh equal positions were Barry Purdon (41), Steve Telfer and Chris Garlick (39), John and Joshua Dickie (38), Ray Green and Tony Herlihy both on 35 wins. Graeme Anderson with 34 victories led the southern brigade. During the latest season Phil Williamson, Dean Taylor, John Dickie and partnerships of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen and Greg and Nina Hope all passed the milestone of 500 training successes.
Leading Trainers : MARK PURDON & NATALIE RASMUSSEN, 110 wins (363 starts), $4,105,555 UDR .4493, lifetime NZ wins for this partnership in only four seasons – 2014 – 2017 of 527 from 1,690 starts.
Record Breaking Stats :
In common with recent seasons, another round of sensational record breaking time performances were registered during 2016/17.
The seasons NZ records were :
Pacers –
2 Year Olds :
1 Mile mobile Ashley Locaz (colt or gelding) 1:51.9, Ashburton
1700m mobile Alta Maestro (colt or gelding) 1:59.7, Cambridge
1700m mobile Elle Mac (filly) 2:01.3, Alexandra Park
1950m mobile The Devils Own (colt or gelding) 2:16.3 (joint overall NZ national record), Addington
1950m mobile Elle Mac (filly) 2:21.6, Addington
2000m mobile Angel Of Harem (filly) 2:26.1, Phar Lap Raceway, Timaru
2400m mobile Kotare Elite (filly) 3:02.6, Ashburton
3 Year Olds :
1700m mobile Bonnie Joan (filly) 2:00.2, Forbury Park
1950m mobile Ultimate Machete (colt or gelding) 2:16.5, Addington
2000m stand Mt Hutt Harry (colt or gelding) 2:29.1, Addington
2200m mobile Ultimate Machete (colt or gelding) 2:36.1 (joint overall NZ national record), Alexandra Park
2400m stand Baileys Rock (colt or gelding) 2:59.4, Ashburton
2400m stand Delightful Memphis (filly) 2:55.5 (NZ national mares record), Central Southland Raceway, Winton
2600m stand A G’s White Socks (colt or gelding) 3:12.6, Addington
2600m mobile Vincent (colt or gelding) 3:06.0 (overall NZ national record), Addington
2600m mobile Spanish Armada (filly) 3:09.1, Addington
2700m stand Vincent (colt or gelding) 3:19.6 (overall NZ national record), Alexandra Park
2700m mobile Bonnie Joan (filly) 3:17.1 (NZ national fillies/mares record), Ascot Park, Invercargill
4 Year Old & Older :
1950m mobile Lazarus (entire or gelding) 2:16.3 (joint overall NZ national record), Addington
1950m mobile Rocknroll Princess (filly) 2:19.0, Addington
2400m mobile Rocking Robyn/Robyn’s Bad Boy (entire or gelding) 2:54.1 (joint overall NZ national record), Central Southland Raceway, Winton
2600m stand Franco Nelson (entire or gelding) 3:10.7 (overall NZ national record), Addington
2600m mobile Mr Mojito (entire or gelding) 3:06.3, Addington
2600m mobile The Orange Agent (mare) 3:07.4 (NZ national mares record), Addington
3200m stand Lazarus (entire or gelding) 3:53.1 (overall NZ national record), Addington
Trotters –
2 Year Olds : no new NZ records set during 2016/7 season
3 Year Olds :
1950m mobile Enghien (colt or gelding) T2:22.2, Addington
1950m mobile Chevron Express (filly) T2:21.9 (NZ national fillies/mares record), Addington
2200m stand Heavyweight Hero (colt or gelding) T2:49.8, Alexandra Park
2600 stand BD Khaosan (colt or gelding) T3:19.3, Addington
2700m mobile Heavyweight Hero (colt or gelding) T3:27.2, Alexandra Park
4 Year Old & Older :
1 Mile mobile Wilmas Mate (mare) T1:55.5, Ashburton
1700m mobile Idle Bones (mare) T2:03.8 (NZ national mares record), Alexandra Park
1950m mobile Monbet (entire or gelding) T2:21.7 (overall NZ national record), Addington
2200m mobile Habibti Ivy (mare) T2:41.9 (overall NZ national record), Alexandra Park
2400m mobile Beg Hall (entire or gelding) T2:59.9 (NZ males record), Ashburton
2400m mobile Habibti Ivy (mare) T2:58.5 (overall NZ national record), Ashburton
2600m stand Doctor Bones (entire or gelding) T3:14.6 (overall NZ national record), Addington
2600m stand Habibti Ivy (mare) T3:14.8 (NZ national mares record), Addington
2600m mobile Eyre I Come (entire or gelding) T3:12.6 (overall NZ national record), Addington
2700m mobile Quite A Moment (mare) T3:19.9 (overall NZ national record, Alexandra Park
3200m stand Monbet (entire or gelding) T4:00.7 (overall NZ national record), Addington
Leading Sires/Broodmare Sires/Stake Earning Pacer and Trotter :
Bettors Delight was crowned leading sire for the sixth consecutive season. He took out many individual siring titles – overall, overall Pacing sire, all Pacing age group categories leading sire proving what a dominant broodmare siring force he will be in years to come, already fourteenth on latest seasonal list overall.
Finally, deceased trotting stallion Sundon was beaten for the top trotting stallion prize after sixteen consecutive years as leading trotting stallion (stakes only basis as he remained leading trotting stallion for winners). French stallion Love You stood atop the trotting stallions list primarily through the deeds of his leading progeny Monbet and Enghien. Sundon still figures in the five year old and older age group category as seen below.
Christian Cullen and Sundon were dominantin the broodmare sire categories.
Leading Sires –
Overall Combined Gaits – Stakes : BETTORS DELIGHT ($6,887,142)
Overall Combined Gaits – Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT (195 winners)
Pacers : Stakes/winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($6,846,957, 193 winners)
Trotters : Stakes/winners : LOVE YOU ($1,284,766), SUNDON (58 winners)
2yo Stakes : BETTORS DELIGHT ($797,276)
2yo Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT (16 winners)
2yo Trotters : Stakes/winners : MAJESTIC SON ($191,016, 9 winners)
3yo Stakes : BETTORS DELIGHT ($2,870,495)
3yo Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT (79 winners)
3yo Trotters : Stakes/winners : LOVE YOU ($330,036), MUSCLE MASS (16 winners)
4yo Pacers : Stakes/winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($2,053,485, 55 winners)
4yo Trotters : Stakes/winners : PEGASUS SPUR ($266,058, 14 winners)
5yo & older Pacers : Stakes/winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($1,125,701, 43 winners)
5yo & older Trotters : Stakes/winners : SUNDON ($868,217, 46 winners)
Leading Broodmare Sires –
Stakes : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($3,788,373)
Winners : SUNDON (134 winners)
All 2yo Stakes/winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($582,870, 13 winners )
All 3yo Stakes/winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($1,281,798, 49 winners)
All 4yo Stakes/winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($1,391,217), IN THE POCKET (32 winners)
All 5yo & older Stakes/winners : SUNDON ($1,686,408, 71 winners)
All Trotters Stakes/winners : SUNDON ($3,087,160, 134 winners)
Leading Stake Earners –
Pacer : LAZARUS ($762,700, NZ earnings only)
Trotter : ENGHIEN ($234,041 NZ earnings only)
Grand Circuit Pacing Champions Australia/NZ : LAZARUS (240 points)
Grand Circuit Trotting Champion Australia/NZ : HABIBTI IVY (160 points)
Peter Craig
31 July 2017
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
