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Next Saturday night at Lord's Raceway Bendigo, on the 60th Anniversary of the first meeting on November 17th, 1954, one of the races is a Veteran Drivers' T1 or better Trot.
All of the drivers have driven at least one top notch trotter.......can you add to the information that will be included in the racebook?
BENDIGO SMARTPLUMB VETERAN DRIVERS TROT, November 15th 2014
Drivers who have played a significant part in Victorian and Australian Harness Racing history headline the field for the Bendigo Harness Racing Club’s Veteran Driver's Trot , at the Anniversary Cup meeting on Saturday, November 15.
Graeme Lang, Peter Manning, Jim O’Sullivan and Neville Welsh have all won either Australian or Victorian driving and training premierships.
Group Races won by the drivers include Hunter Cups, Bendigo, Ballarat, Echuca and Geelong Cups, Kilmore Cups, Sydney Easter Trotters Cups, Dullard Cup. Oaks, Derbies, Breeder’s Crowns and more.
The wizard of Great Western Peter Manning, a perpetual Leading Trainer and Brian Gath who made his name on the tight circuit at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, have also been invited.
Master reinsman Gath has more than 3000 wins to his credit.
Interdominion winning drivers Graeme Lang, Jim O’Sullivan, Jim O’Sullivan, Cliff Powell and Brian Gath are in the field.
Dick Lee has won four derbies as well as a host of trotting cups.
Keith Pratt ( Bendigo) , Jack Sullivan (Woodend), Colin Redwood ( Bridgewater) , Graeme Whittle and Glenn Williams (Bacchus Marsh) , all with over 40 years training and driving experience will contest the mobile trot.
The Veteran Drivers race will be one of a host of on-course highlights complementing the Anniversary Cup meeting at Lord’s Raceway Bendigo on Saturday, November 15.
Veteran Driver’s Challenge Participants:
Brian Gath
Hall of Famer, resident of Longlea. A member of the famous Gath dynasty. Drove his first winner at the Royal Melbourne Show in 1960. Has trained and driven multiple champions from Corop McEwen, to Rocknrolla and Safari. Won the 1978 Inter Dominion Pacers Final with Markovina and finished second with Franco Tiger in1992 and Shakamaker (2002). Has driven over 3000 winners in Australasia and at the Meadowlands in the U.S.A.
Graeme Lang
The Gordon Rothacker medallist for 2013. Started as a teenager in the 1950’s at Watchem in the Mallee. Dairy farmed near Warragul, while training and driving, before moving to Romsey and then Melton. Leading Australian driver in 1979. Father of leading trainer/drivers Gavin and Chris, grandfather of Chris Jnr. Trained and drove Inter Dominion standouts Billboard (1980-4th), Scotch Notch (1983-1st, 1984-2nd, 1985-1st), Dark Edge (1992-8th), Wagon Apollo (1996-3rd, 1997-2nd), Desperate Comment NZ (1997-5th). Sent Champion Scotch Notch to the US.in 1986 after she won two Inter Dominions and recorded 1.56.6.
Ian (Dick) Lee
Won this race last year. Multiple Derby winning trainer/driver, who spent time in Wales at Prestatyn Raceway in the 1970’s. Top horses include 4 times pacing Derby winner Rufus Youngblood, Bendigo Cup winner Rhodonite, Dullard Cup winning trotters Glenfield Girl and Game Ebony, and Hamden’s Pride. Recent winners include Reed’s May and Dora Pepperell. Trains at Weering in the Western District.
Peter Manning.
2007 Rothacker medallist. Master trainer of juveniles before expanding to train a large team at Great Western. Leading Australian trainer in 2004/5. His three training/driving daughters include world record setting driver Kerryn. Standout horses include Kathryn Dancer, Pelicanrama, the champion international trotter Knight Pistol and 1996 Australian 2yo Pacer of the Year, Sheza Mona.
Jim O’Sullivan
Leading Australian trainer in 1978 and trainer/driver in 1979. Trained and drove standouts including Margaret Shannon, Quite Famous and It’s Motor Power. He is a dual Inter Dominion winning driver, winning the 1987 Inter Dominion Pacers final with My Lightning Blue and the 1989 trotting final with Yankee Loch. Trains locally at Maiden Gully.
Cliff Powell
Trains at Elmore. First winning drive at Bendigo was Convive. Cliff trained and drove Derby Royale to victory in the 1978 Inter Dominion Trotter’s final in Melbourne. Has trained and driven top notchers Our Grattan, Modern Man, Belgian Accent (Shepparton Cup) Bendigo Cup winner Taronga, and Paula Morley (Victorian Mares Championship and Spring Cup).
Keith Pratt
Won the first edition of this race in 2012. Keith’s father Cyril was the original Lord’s Raceway track curator. Keith, an HRV distinguished service award recipient, was long time Clerk of Course at Lords Raceway. He drove his first winner at Echuca in 1966. Still trains and drives a team from his property, less than 2 Km from the track. He rates Crystal Sunset, Pannoo Lass, Torvanger and Arrogant Al among his best horses.
Colin Redwood
First drove in 1954. Drove Great Princess at the first meeting at Lord’s Raceway. A member of Bridgewater’s Redwood family, immortalized by the annual Redwood 2yo trotters’ classic at Maryborough, named for Colin’s father Hugh. Colin and brothers Noel and Albert all trained and drove successfully. Rock n Dale raced in two Interdominions,1976-4th and 1978-8th, and won the NSW Easter Cup in both 1973 and 1974. Other trotters of note include Mount Alm. He represented Australia at the 1996 World Amateur Drivers Championship in Italy. Colin has trained over 200 winners since taking out his training licence in the mid-1970s.
Jack Sullivan
A hobby Trainer / Driver based at Woodend. Originally worked for well known trainer Pat Cooper at Doreen . Drove his first winner in 1979. Trained and drove Miss Excellence to win the 1993 NSW Trotters Derby. Recent winners include Michaels Mename ( 2013 Redwood Consolation) and Nicky Newkie.
Neville Welsh
The 2012 Gordon Rothacker Medallist, and Hall of Famer who has driven winners in every decade since the 1950s. Began his career driving track work at a very young for father Lew first at Beaufort, then Sydenham, and secured his first win, Sea Witch at Horsham, aged just sixteen. Career highlights include the 1971 AG Hunter Cup aboard Son of Nancy and the 1974 National Drivers Invitation at the Melbourne showgrounds on Truant Armagh. Most notable however were his record breaking premierships in 1970/71 and 1971/72 where he drove 81 and 84 winners for the season respectively. Recently trained a double at Echuca.
Graeme Whittle
A hobby owner/trainer/driver who had good horses and a lot of success at the Showgrounds and Moonee Valley. Some of his good horses were Tweedsmuire, (1977 Stawell Cup), Joueur (Echuca Cup), Slow Coach and Melpark Sunrise which won the Tontine for Trotters. Graeme trains at Bacchus Marsh.
Glen Williams
Trainer and drove initially with father Les, at Digger’s Rest and Woodvale, then Sebastian and Bacchus Marsh. Glen drove Truscott Boy and Lord Setay early in their careers, and won two VL Dullard Cups on top trotter Bundanoon Prince. Recent winners include Kadabra Dynasty.
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