Racing: Legend makes last trip up the Hill

The 77-year-old Baggy Hillis died in Waikato Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning, just in advance of Wayne Hillis, above, returning from Queensland. Photo / NZPA

"Up the Hill the last time," is a term we've heard in Ellerslie steeplechase race calls for many decades.

It will take on an entirely new meaning when the coffin carrying jumps legend Baggy Hillis is carried over the Ellerslie Hill at midday today.

The gesture is at the request of Hillis' son Wayne.

The 77-year-old Baggy Hillis died in Waikato Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning, just in advance of Wayne Hillis returning from Queensland, where he has campaigned a team at the winter carnival there.

"I hadn't mentioned to Bags that I was thinking of doing this," said Hillis yesterday.

"But I think it's something he'd approve of."

Hillis yesterday approached the Auckland Racing Club and racing manager Andrew Castles quickly put arrangements in place.

"Our course manager Jason is on holiday, but he is coming in to supervise the occasion," said Castles.

"The coffin will be placed on the back of one of our tractors and taken around the outside of the course proper and up the Hill."

It's virtually impossible to determine how many times Hillis climbed the Ellerslie Hill on horseback, but during his stellar career no one did it with more style and class.

Wayne Hillis said he was too young to appreciate all of his father's winning runs at Ellerslie, but said his two Great Northern Steeplechases on Brockton in 1971 and 1972 had to be head of the list.

They were extremely proud days for Baggy Hillis when son Paul later won the Great Northern on Deductable and Wayne replicated that with a remarkable display of front running aboard Sir Avion, who dead-heated with Smart Hunter and Michelle Hopkins in 2001.

To deadheat after 6400m and three trips over the Ellerslie Hill was almost beyond belief.

Paul and Wayne Hillis were completely different riders, but each had elements of their father's class.

When another racing legend Roy Higgins died earlier this year, as a send-off he was given a trip around the course proper at Flemington on which he proved he was one of the finest staying riders of all time in numerous Melbourne Cups.

The funeral service for Baggy Hillis is at Matamata Racecourse on Friday at 1.30pm.