Master Mood Harness Horse of Year

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 52

Master Mood Harness Horse of Year

By

JEFF SCOTT

Master Mood, which proved unbeatable during the summer months when he ran up a nine-race winning sequence, is the New Zealand Trotting Annual’s Harness Horse of the Year.

The poll, conducted on behalf of the New Zealand Trotting Conference, saw the glamour Prebbleton pacer run out a clear winner by 25 votes to 11 over the top three-year-old, Alba’s Reign. In the most even lineup assembled for Horse of the Year honours, an unprecedented nine different horses gained votes for the major title. Others to take votes were the Max Harvey Auckland Cup winner, Comedy Lad (three), New Zealand’s fastest juvenile Bionic Chance (two), N.Z. Messenger winner Placid Victor (two), Roydon Glen (two) and one each for the Toyota New Zealand Cup winner, Borana, the brilliant two-year-old trotter, Felicia, and the top aged trotting mare, Tussle. Master Mood, numbered the Wellington Cup, Anngow Motors Four-Year-Old Championship, the $50,000 TVNZ Miracle Mile and the $BO,OOO Lion Red Four-Year-Old Final in 1:57.5 among his wins in New Zealand. He also won on the opening night of the Inter-Dominion championships at Albion Park becoming New Zealand’s fastest-bred four-year-old with a sensational 1:56 clocking. After running two thirds in the qualifying heats of the championship, the first of these when Scientific won in 1:55.5, the Noodlum entire was a jaded horse in the final, finishing seventh.

While Master Mood’s brilliant Inter-Dominion heat win is rated the best performance during the season by his connections, his part-owner and trainer, Kevin Williams, felt his win in the Lion Red Mile Final at Alexandra Park was the most satisfying.

Master Mood had five weeks off after returning from Brisbane and is scheduled to make his five-year-old debut in September.

Williams intends to give his star pacer four or five lead-up races before the rich Toyota New Zealand Cup in November. Master Mood was also a clear-cut winner of the Pacer of the Year and Four-Year-Old Pacer of the Year categories. The John Brandon New Zealand Derby winner, Alba’s Reign, took the Three-Year-Old Pacers’ section by 43 votes to three over the top filly, Gina Rosa, and the 1:57.4 miler, Sir Alba. Race Ruler took the Two-Year-Old pacers’ title by a 12 vote margin over Bionic Chance. Comedy Lad ran out a decisive winner of the Flve-Year-Old and older pacers’ section by 27 votes to 12 over Royden Glen, with Borana (five) and Skipper Dale (four) also attracting votes. In the trotters’ section, Felicia (two-year-olds), Tobago (three-year-olds), Firm Offer (four-year-olds) and Mairo Sultan (five-year-olds and older) ran out easy winners, with the Rowe Cup winner, Mairo Sultan, gaining the Trotter of the Year honour.

Results:— HORSE OF THE YEAR VOTING Harness Horse of the Year Master Mood 25 Alba’s Reign 11 Comedy Lad 3 Bionic Chance 2 Placid Victor 2 Roydon Glen 2 Borana 1 Felicia 1 Tussle 1

Two-year-old pacer Race Ruler 30 Bionic Chance 18 (Bionic Chance 48, top filly) Three-year-old pacer Alba’s Reign 43 Gina Rosa 3 Sir Alba 2 (Gina Rosa 47, top filly. Others,

Free’s Best, 1) Four-year-old pacer Master Mood 45 Placid Victor 3 (Quiet Touch 44, top mare. Others, Smarty Pants, 4) Five-year-old and over pacer Comedy Lad 27 Roydon Glen 12 Borana 5 Skipper Dale 4 (Poplar Minbar 36, top mare) Pacer of the Year Master Mood 26 Alba’s Reign 11 Comedy Lad 3 Bionic Chance 2 Placid Victor 2 Roydon Glen 2 Borana 1 (Bionic Chance 30, top filly. Others Gina Rosa 5, Quiet Touch 4, Smarty Pants 1)

Two-year-old trotter Felicia 42 Southern Reign 4 Lobell Star 1 (Felicia 47, top filly) Three-year-old trotter Tobago 45 Dancing Armbro 3 (Doona 36, top filly. Others, Special Day 2, Royal Di 2) Four-year-old trotter Firm Offer 30 Wedgewood 15 Borrowed Time 2 Front Up 1 (Firm Offer 48, top mare) Five-year-old and over trotter Mairo Sultan 25 Admiral Soanai 13 Tussle 10 (Tussle 47, top mare. Others, Landora’s Pride 1) Trotter of the Year Mairo Sultan 19 Tussle 9 Felicia 9 Admiral Soanai 8 Tobago 2 (Tussle 21, top mare. Others, Felicia 16, Firm Offer 4)