Master Mood wins title again

Press, 24 July 1987, Page 26

Master Mood wins title again

By JEFF SCOTT The dual Cups winner this season, Master Mood, also became the first dual winner of the “Harness Horse of the Year” title yesterday. Defending his initial winning of the award in his fine four-year-old term, the dapper Noodlum entire carried on to greater heights this season culminating in his brilliant $225,000 Toyota New Zealand Cups3oo,ooo Harness World Auckland Cup double. Those two outstanding staying displays, backed up by another drubbing of New Zealand’s best pacers in one of the leading sprints, the $75,000 Benson and Hedges New Zealand Free-For-All on Show Day at Addington, were enough to give Master Mood a six-vote winning edge over the outstanding dual Derbys winner Race Ruler in the New Zealand Trotting Annual Poll, conducted in association with the New Zealand Trotting Conference.

Master Mood, which also won a lead-up to the Auckland Cup at Addington and a heat of the Lion Brown Inter-Dominions at Addington in March before running sixth in the final in his 15 outings in New Zealand this season, also beat the InterDominion champions, Lightning Blue and Village Kid, in the JPS Miracle Mile in Sydney in December, establishing a race record of 1:56.1. Race Ruler, bred on the

same- Noodlum—Lordship cross as Master Mood, won 11 times from 12 appearances in New Zealand during the season. He set three national records over 2000 m mobile (2:28.4), 2200 m mobile (2:44.6) and 2700 m mobile (3:25.2), the latter in the $150,000 John Andrew Ford Great Northern Derby, while he equalled the race record of 3:16.4 (mobile 2600 m) in his epic John Brandon New Zealand Derby win. The Taupiri-trained gelding, the first to win the John Brandon Triple Crown bonus, amassed $384,710 in earnings (not including a $150,000 yearling sales bonus), as opposed to Master Mood’s record earnings of $426,595.

Race Ruler was a unanimous choice for Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year from the 41 voting papers returned by the New Zealand media and officials of the New Zealand Harness Racing Conference.

Others to gain votes for “Horse of the Year” which were also unanimous winners of their respective categories were the “Trotter of the Year,” Tussle (six votes for “Horse of the Year”) and the “Two-Year-Old Pacer of the Year,” Tuapeka Knight (four votes). A remaining vote for “Horse of the Year” was given to the outstanding Inter-Dominion winner, Lightning Blue, which created a world record of

3:12.98 for the mobile 2600 m in his sole win here. Lightning Blue was a commanding winner of the “Four-Year-Old Pacer of the Year” award from the New Zealand Messenger winner, Trident (seven votes), Jay Bee’s Fella (five), Lord Lenny (two) and Happy Sunrise (one). The Inter-Dominion trotting consolation placegetter, Tobago (27), took the “Four-Year-Old Trotter” title from the promising Mid-Canterbury squaregaiter, Tyron Scottie (nine) and the former North Island gelding Mount Pride, which is now racing in Australia. Bellam, which numbered the $25,000 John F. Jones Rosso Antico Trot among his six successes to date this term, is the "Three-Year-Old Trotter of the Year” with 34 votes, while the promising Templeton trotting filly, French Accent, gained the Two-Year-Old Trotters, title with a comfortable win over Perfect du Jour.

Results: Harness Horse of the Year Master Mood .... 18 Race Ruler 12 Tussle 6 Tuapeka Knight .... 4 Lightning Blue 1

Two-Year-Old Pacer Tuapeka Knight ... 41 (Debbie’s Chance top filly, other nominees, Julie Vance, Precious Vance).

Three-Year-Old Pacer Race Ruler ....... 41 (Victoria Star top filly,

other nominee, Bionic Chance).

Four-Year-Old Pacer Lightning Blue .... 25 Trident 7 Jay Bee’s Fella .... 5' Lord Lenny 2 Happy Sunrise 1 (Michele Bromac top mare, other nominees, Free’s Best, Proud Princess).

Five-Year-Old and older pacer

Master Mood 40 Skipper Dale 1 (Frangelico top mare, other nominee, Quiet Touch). Pacer of the-Year Master Mood 22 Race Ruler 13 Tuapeka Knight .... 5 Lightning Blue 1 (Victoria Star top filly, other nominees, Frangelico, Bionic Chance, Michele Bromac). Two-Year-Old Trotter French Accent .... 22 Perfect du Jour ... 16 (French Accent top filly, other nominee, Despride). Three-Year-Old Trotter Bellam 34 ’ Kami .6 Directorship 1 (Look top filly, other nominees, Madam Castleton, Newton Grange).

Four-Year-Old Trotter Tobago 27 Tyron Scottie 9 Mount Pride 2 (Your Honour top mare, other nominees, Bohan, Game Dryden).

Five-Year-Old Trotter Tussle ......... 41 (Tussle top mare).

Trotter of the Year Tussle 41 (Tussle top mare).