Vance Hanover heads sires’ premiership

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 47

Vance Hanover heads sires’ premiership

By

JEFF SCOTT

Vance Hanover, which has dashed to a handy lead on the standardbred sires premiership with his stock having won 40 races and $301,303 in stakes already this term, could remain in Mid-Canterbury for a two-year stint.

The highly-successful Albatross entire was sent south originally for just one season by Great Northern Bloodstock at its newly-revamped Poplar Lane Lodge Stud at Ashburton, but the response from South Island breeders has been such that Great Northern’s South Island manager, Mr Wayne Ross, is hopeful the stallion will stay for another term.

"I’m hopeful to persuade the board to leave him in the south for one more season,” said Mr Ross.

Vance Hanover has 150 outside bookings and 25 of the stud’s own mares to be bred with this term. “We might fit in some more but they would only be top race mares that are retired during the season," said Mr Ross.

Among those to visit Vance Hanover include the 1:55.8 mare, Canberra Del which has been purchased by Great Northern and is being returned to New Zealand; an unraced half-sister by Tudor Hanover to Victoria Star; Adios Trick (GN Oaks winner), Ngahere (the dam of Skipper Dale), Kim (Out to Win-Deft),

Nardia (the dam of Agile), Annots Bruader (1:56, US), Gabrielle Rose (half-sister to Tuapeka Knight), Aberfeldy (Mark Lobell-Black Watch), Queenship (the dam of Lord Hillas, Carefree Princess and Noble Fella), Derry Al (the dam of Spanker On), Tanya Lee (the dam of Slugger), Patchwood (the dam of Robindale Lord), Tact Adios (Adios VicTactena), Surge (Out To Win-Torrent), Tudor Gold (Garrison HanoverGolden Circle) and Countess Brandon (Lumber Dream-Laneen).

“While others are frantically moving north, we felt it was a good move to establish a base in Canterbury — this is the home of trotting,” said Ivan Pavlovich, the head of Great Northern Bloodstock.

Mr Pavlovich, who earlier raced the N.Z. Cup class pacer, Van Tudor, before selling him to the actor, Michael Landon, was firstly involved with thoroughbreds, having won 38 galloping races in Australia with horses trained by Jack McGreal. He did not live there permanently however.

“No, I just used to live there every week-end — I made 36 trips in one year,” said Mr Pavlovich.

Mr Pavlovich was involved in bringing Ivory Hunter (the dam of Myocard) to Puketutu Island and still has shares in the ownership of the stallion. His Te Aroha showplace was originally intended to be used as a thoroughbred stud, but when it became apparent the cost was going to be four times as expensive as for a standardbred stud, he swapped codes. Majestic Chance is enjoying good patronage at Te Aroha this term. Great Northern Bloodstock have spent around $150,000 on improvements to Poplar Lane Lodge in Fords Road this year. “One of the reasons we selected this block of land was it always provides good grass at all times of the year, even in a drought situation,” said Mr Rosss.

Upon obtaining the property, the pastures were sprinkled with trace elements which is reaping the benefits now.

Vance Hanover, which arrived in New Zealand in 1979 unraced after devel-

oping quarter cracks, has had to prove himself as a leading sire initially by breeding with mares from mediocre families. This season’s figures will do much to satisfy a personal aim of Mr Pavlovich’s which he made during a visit to Ashburton in June. "I know its a big prediction,” said Mr Pavlovich, “but if Vance Hanover is not the leading sire by 1989 I’ll want to know why.”

“The horse only started to get top quality mares last season,”, said Mr Pavlovich of the 11-year-old stallion.

Vance Hanover was bred with 130 mares last term, of which only one was served naturally, and over-all he got 123 in foal. Of the 40 wins by his stock this term, 31 of them have been recorded at the leading North Island track, Alexandra Park. The only other stallion predominantly based in the North Island to have enjoyed comparable success in modern times was Tudor Hanover, which

topped the sires’ list in 1980-81 when his famous daughter, Delightful Lady, was at the top of her memorable career.