Maori's Idol

Maori's Idol (1 September 1972 – 20 October 2006)[1] was an Australian Standardbred racehorse. He was the first Australian trotter to break two minutes with a time of 1:59.3 on 19 November 1977 at Moonee Valley. Maori's Idol became one of Australia's greatest trotters, with a record 24 successive race victories before placing third in the 1978 Melbourne Inter-Dominion Final. He is still the trotting record holder with 22 wins in a season.[2] He was so superior to his rivals that he may have gone through his career unbeaten had he been placed to advantage by his connections.[3]

Maori’s Idol
Adios, the grandsire of Maori's Idol
BreedStandardbred
SireIke Frost (USA)
GrandsireAdios
DamMaori Miss
DamsireGrand Monarch
SexStallion
Foaled1 September 1972
CountryAustralia
ColourBay
OwnerRic Healy
TrainerRic Healy
Record46: 40-3-1
Earnings$98,821
Major wins
1978 Dullard Cup
Awards
1977/78 Australian Harness Horse of the Year
1977/78, 1978/79 Australian Trotter of the Year
Best winning mile rate 1:59.3, Leading Australian Trotting Sire (4 times)
Honors
Victorian Harness Racing Media Association Hall of Fame Legend
Last updated on 17 January 2016

He was by a Leading Sire of Trotters, Ike Frost (by Adios) his dam was Maori Miss by Grand Monarch. Maori Miss won a heat of the 1966 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship and was selected as the Australian Broodmare of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1979. Maori's Idol older half-brother Maori Monarch won the Victoria Trotters Derby and the Australasian Trotting Championship. Maori Miss has founded a very successful family of her own and is the third dam of Sumthingaboutmaori.[4]

Racing career

Maori's Idol was trained by his owner Ric Healy and driven by Bryan Healy at Marnoo, Victoria.

1975/76 season

He won his first race start at Adelaide's Globe Derby Park in 1975 after being tailed off in running.[5] He started once again that season for a win at Kilmore, Victoria before being sent for a long spell.

1976/77 season

Maori's Idol won his first nine race starts before he was defeated from a 60-metre handicap at Bendigo against pacers. On 9 July 1977 he made a winning debut at Moonee Valley. During this season Maori's Idol had 13 race starts for 11 wins.

1977/78 season

Maori's Idol won a race at Moonee Valley after starting with a 60 metres handicap. On 19 November 1977 he became the first trotter in Australia to break two minutes when he won the Summer Wine FFA in 1:59.3. In Adelaide Maori's Idol won three more races during the Australian Pacing Championship carnival. He also had a 50 metres victory in the Hamilton Cup against pacers.[6] Maori's Idol had won a record 24 successive races and all of his 12 starts at Moonee Valley before finishing third in the 1978 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship final.[7]

In Brisbane Maori's Idol won two heats of the Sir Clive Uhr Championship (now Queensland Pacing Championship) against pacers including a win over Paleface Adios. In the final he finished second to Rip Van Winkle.[8] At the end of the season he was selected as the Australian Harness Horse of the Year, the only time that a trotter has received the award.[9]

1978/79 season

Maori's Idol won four of his first five starts, his only loss against pacers in the Kilmore Cup. His wins included the Dullard Cup from a 40 m handicap on 25 November and the Freestone Cup. In the Dullard Cup he broke his own track record when driven less patiently than the Inter Dominion final when there was severe criticism of the drive.[10] He was then badly injured and didn't finish in a race at Moonee Valley on 9 December 1978. That was his only defeat in eight mobile barrier start races against trotters.

On 29 August 1981, Maori's Idol made his final start defeating New Zealand trotter Cal Brydon despite conceding a handicap of up to 40 metres to his rivals.

Summary

During his career Maori's Idol had 46 race starts for 40 wins (8 were against pacers) and four placings and then record trotting earnings of $98,821. He also won 16 of his 18 starts at Moonee Valley. Maori's Idol held Australian records at six different distances from standing starts and two for mobile starts. He holds the Australian and New Zealand record for a successive winning sequence for a trotter of 24 victories.[7] In his career Maori's Idol won 31 of his 34 starts against trotters.

Maori's Idol was the only trotter voted in the top 10 Australian post-war Standardbreds in a poll conducted by Australian Standardbred magazine,[11] and Harness Racing International stated that he would win the vote as Australia's best trotter in any poll when they named their greatest ever trotters.[12]

Stud record

In 1990 Bill and Margaret Hanson purchased Maori's Idol from Noel Taylor for stud duties. At stud he has sired 726 foals for 183 individual winners of $3.9 million in stakes including the Australasian Trotters Championship winner Digger's Idol.[13] His other good performers include Alabama's Idol, Dashing Chief, Kimbo, Kwik Kiwi, Laurie's Legacy, Mighty Maori and Rainbow's Idol.[14]

Maori's Idol died on 20 October 2006 at Homevale Stud at Fern Hill, where the 34-year-old stallion had spent his past 16 years.[15] He was buried next to the admission gates at the Bendigo Harness Racing Club's track.[16]

See also

References
  1. MAORI'S IDOL
  2. Records - Pacers/Trotters Archived 2014-03-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28 July 2011
  3. Agnew, M (1997).The Australian Harness Horse, Dual-Gaited Publications.
  4. "Classic Families: Maori's Idol". Pepper Tree Farm database. Syntax Software Pty Ltd. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  5. Markham, D (1975) Startling first race leaves punters gasping, The Advertiser, 27 October 1975.
  6. Maori's Idol...by 50 metres, The Age, November 16, 1977, Retrieved 17 January 2016
  7. Agnew, Max, "Silks & Sulkies – The Complete Book of Australian and New Zealand Harness Racing", Doubleday, Sydney, 1986, ISBN 0-86824-245-4
  8. Flashback Friday....Squaregaiting Superstar, www.harnesslink.com, Retrieved 14 February 2016
  9. Australian Harness Racing Awards - Aust Horse of the Year Archived 2006-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Maori's 40th win and his greatest The Age, 27 November 1978, Retrieved 17 January 2016
    1. Australian Standardbred, It's Poppy, December 1991, The Australian Standardbred Pty Ltd
  12. Harness Racing International, Hall of Fame Gallery, November/December 2001, Ellikon Press
  13. Australian Trotting Stud Book, Vol 36, Australian Harness Racing Council
  14. Bendigo bids farewell to a trotting idol Bendigo Advertiser, 24 October 2006
  15. "Maoris Idol Passes On". Archived from the original on 2007-09-08. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  16. Curtain falls on Maoris Idol, Herald Sun
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