Vance Hanover clear leader

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 42

Vance Hanover clear leader

When the books were officially balanced by the New Zealand Harness Racing Conference statisticians yesterday, premier sire Vance Hanover was well out in front of his nearest rival, Game Pride, on the over-all sires’ list for the 1988-89 season.

Vance Hanover dominated proceedings to such an extent that he topped each individual division for the age group pacers, except the five-year-old and older section. Luxury Liner’s DB Draught New Zealand Cup and Ansett (N.Z.) Auckland Cup victories meant that his sire, Mercedes, was always going to win that division from Christmas time onwards. Vance Hanover sired a record 89 individual winners during the season of 190 races, for stakes of $1,621,379. The Albatross stallion, whose oldest crop were seven-year-olds last term, has now sired the winners of $4.3 million lifetime in New Zealand.

Vance Hanover, after spending the last two seasons at Great Northern Bloodstock’s Ashburton base, has returned north to stand the upcoming stud season at Great Northern’s 'Te Aroha showplace. Game Pride’s stock won $888,862 in New Zealand this term, all but $20,000 of this coming in races confined to trotters. The Roydon Lodge-based Hickory Pride stallion was represented by 141 winners during the season.

Lordship, which was last month retired from public service, again enjoyed good results, finishing third on $842,654 with the established stallions, Smooth Fella, Mercedes, Noodlum and Plat du Jour next in line.

The Springston-based stallion, Clever Innocence, second to Vance Hanover on the list of leading sires of four-year-old pacers last term, improved his standing from eleventh the previous term to' eighth in 1988-89.

Another notable rise was that of the exciting Nevele R. Stud stallion, Nero’s 8.8., which has jumped from forty-first place on the over-all list two seasons ago to fifteenth last season. His oldest crop were three-year-olds last term.*.'