Equestrian: When jumps jockeys were king

Tauranga-based Silver Archer represented New Zealand at the Nakayama Steeplechase in Japan. Photo / File

The start of winter heralds another big race day for Racing Tauranga with the Kiwifruit Cup meeting at the Gate Pa course on June 20.

But 40 years ago jumping races took centre stage during the winter and jumps jockeys were king.

There were a series of big hurdle and steeplechase races throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand, with Tauranga slap bang in the middle of the action with the Bay of Plenty Steeplechase at the June winter meeting.

The first reported steeplechase run over the Gate Pa course was in 1893, over three miles for a stake of 25 sovereigns. The Bay of Plenty Racing Club ran steeplechases until 1946 when they lost their winter meeting date. The return of the winter permit saw the reintroduction of the Bay of Plenty Steeplechase in 1959.

In 1959, Our Star, ridden by Peter Cathro and trained at Takanini by Pat McIlroy, won the reintroduction of steeplechasing to Gate Pa.

At the 1961 winter meeting, Noel Riordan, who would go on to win the Auckland and Wellington cups on champion stayer Il Tempo, crossed the line at the head of the field on Tepeta.

The most documented running of the Bay of Plenty Steeplechase took place in 1963, as recorded by Tapestry of the Turf:

"The runners set out to run two and three-quarter miles, as County led them towards the straight for what should have been the second and last time, they were waved into the centre of the course again and the jockeys, some of them waking up but too late, found themselves doing another round.

"Victory went to Triple Count, something of a dour plodder who might not otherwise have been in the money. The others, having covered nearly four miles instead of the planned two and three-quarters, were a weary lot indeed."

A Western Bay of Plenty connection in King Minos triumphed in 1970. Trained in Te Puke by veteran owner/trainer Nick Grafas, the 1969 Grand National Hurdle winner was a half-brother to one of the country's best chasers of the time in Cretan, also owned and trained by Grafas. Another Te Puke trained Bay of Plenty Steeplechase winner was Victory Prince owned and trained by Tom Nelson and ridden by Gary Carson.

Tru Allen, who won the big steeple prize in 1972, was trained by Jim Pender senior, the father of current Tauranga trainer Jim Pender. In 1981, champion hurdler Mr Hickey won the Bay of Plenty regional chase with jumps maestro Ken Browne saluting the judge in 1984 on Pulka.

The Bay of Plenty Steeplechase was downgraded to a maiden chase in 1991 and then held restricted steeplechase status until jumps racing came to an end at the Gate Pa course.

The Western Bay region has been associated with some other jumping highlights over the years.

Graeme "Snow" Scanlon, who was apprenticed to Syd Sullivan at the Gate Pa course, rode Bobs Luck to victory in the 1973 Great Northern Steeplechase. Bobs Luck who was brought as a yearling for $325 was owned, raced and trained by (then) Te Puke farmer Bob McCosh. He was a hard case, who refused a drink in the president's room after Bobs Luck's win, preferring to ride the horse bareback the reverse way down the home straight to the stables.

Top class jumpers to be trained in Tauranga include dual Grand National Steeples winner Dusky Prince, Silver Archer (who represented NZ at the Nakayama Steeplechase in Japan) and Propel.