- Maori's Idol
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Maori’s Idol 
Adios the grandsire of Maori's Idol.Breed Standardbred Discipline Trotting Sire Ike Frost (USA) Grandsire Adios Dam Maori Miss Maternal grandsire Grand Monarch Sex Stallion Foaled 1972 Country Australia Owner Ric Healy Trainer Ric Healy Honors Racing record 46: 40-3-1 Race earnings $98,821 Major racing wins 1978 Dullard Cup Racing awards 1977/78 Australian Harness Horse of the Year
1977/78, 1978/79 Australian Trotter of the Year
Best winning mile rate 1:59.3Other awards Leading Australian Trotting Sire (4 times) Last updated on: 27 July 2011. Maori’s Idol (1972–October 2006) 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 in the 1978 Melbourne Inter-Dominion Final. He is still the trotting record holder with 22 wins in a season, against the 10 wins of Simon Tappertit (8 in a row) trained by South Australian Horseman Toby Ryan.[1]
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 Interdominion 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.[2]
Contents
Racing career
Maori’s Idol was trained by his owner Ric Healy and driven by Bryan Healy.
1975/76 season
He won his first race start at Adelaide’s Globe Derby Park in 1975.[3] 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 in 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. At the end of the 1977/78 season, he was voted Australian Harness Horse of the Year, the only time that a trotter has received the award.[4]
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. 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 final.[5]
In Brisbane Maori’s Idol won two heat of the Sir Clive Uhr Championship (now Queensland Pacing Championship) against pacers. In the final he finished second to Rip Van Winkle. 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.[6]
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. 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 pacers.
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 m 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 mobile starts. He holds the Australian and New Zealand record for a successive winning sequence for a trotter of 24 victories.[5] 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[7], 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.[8]
Stud record
In 1990 Bill and Margaret Hanson purchased Maori's Idol from Noel Taylor for stud duties. He was then retired to stud and has sired 726 foals for 183 individual winners of $3.9 million in stakes including the Australasian Trotters Championship winner Digger's Idol.[9]. His other good performers include Alabama's Idol, Dashing Chief, Kimbo, Kwik Kiwi, Laurie's Legacy, Mighty Maori and Rainbow's Idol.[10]
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.[11] He was buried next to the admission gates at the Bendigo Harness Racing Club’s track.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Records - Pacers/Trotters Retrieved 28 July 2011
- ^ "Classic Families: Maori's Idol". Pepper Tree Farm database. Syntax Software Pty Ltd. http://www.classicfamilies.net/HorseDetails.aspx?HorseID=10012051. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ Markham, D (1975) Startling first race leaves punters gasping, The Advertiser, 27 October 1975.
- ^ Australian Harness Racing Awards - Aust Horse of the Year
- ^ a b Agnew, Max, "Silks & Sulkies – The Complete Book of Australian and New Zealand Harness Racing", Doubleday, Sydney, 1986, ISBN: 0 86824 245 4
- ^ Australian Harness Racing Awards - Aust Horse of the Year
- ^ # Australian Standardbred, It's Poppy, December 1991, The Australian Standardbred Pty Ltd
- ^ Harness Racing International, Hall of Fame Gallery, November/December 2001, Ellikon Press
- ^ Australian Trotting Stud Book, Vol 36, Australian Harness Racing Council
- ^ http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/bendigo-bids-farewell-to-a-trotting-idol/197965.aspx
- ^ Maoris Idol Passes On
- ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/curtain-falls-on-maoris-idol/story-e6frf9if-1111112394882
Categories:- 1972 racehorse births
- 2006 racehorse deaths
- Harness Horse of the Year winners
- Harness racing in New Zealand
- Australian Standardbred racehorses
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