Invercargill Cup – Blast from the past

This Saturday the Invercargill Harness Racing Club hosts the province’s first ever $100,000 Group One event for either Harness or Thoroughbred racing.

The Invercargill Cup has been upgraded from a $30,000 Group Three event to Southland’s richest race.

Local trainers aspire to win this race and over the Cup’s long history Southland names have featured many times on the honour board.  

In 1986 the race was won by Emcee (Majestic Chance) trained by John Lischner who began his career in Tapanui whilst running the local butcher shop.

Emcee commenced his racing career by running second to Bionic Chance (Majestic Chance) in the Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham and he carved out a very good record, winning eighteen races and banking over $200,000.

In the 1987 edition sponsored by the Southland Times, Emcee had a nice sit behind pacemaker Tax Credit (Sir Dalrae) for most of the trip. His winning margin at the finish was a comfortable two and a half lengths from Light Foyle (Bay Foyle) with Tax Credit finishing third.

Driven by Henry Skinner Emcee was one of five Cup winners for the Branxholme reinsman. His other winners were Majeur (1966), Stella Frost (1969), Balgove (1976) and Old Bailey (1985). Only Blair Orange (6) has driven more Cup winners.

The following year locally owned Laser Lad (Noodlum) won the Cup for the second time. Trained and driven by Canterbury reinsman Peter Jones he beat Ankorman (Midshipman) by a length and a quarter with Final Offer (Boyden Hanover) running third. 

Laser Lad was owned by locals Blair Vickery, Bill Crawford and Kevin English. 

In 2010 Vi Et Animo (Pacific Rocket) won the Cup, trained by veteran Ascot Park horseman Gil Shirley and driven by his son Brent.

It was Gil’s first and only Invercargill Cup winner in his fifty five year training career, so it was a special one for the Shirley family.

On a rain affected track the four year old was shuffled back to last before getting a cart up in the three wide train with a lap to run.

He came wide turning in and let down nicely in the middle of the track to beat Sleepy Tripp (Courage Under Fire) by a length and a quarter with Lord Forbes (Live Or Die) running third. It was an inch perfect drive by Brent.

Vi Et Animo was bred and raced by local IHRC committeeman Wayne McCulloch and is now used at Ascot Park by Clerk of the Course Sally McKay.

One of the best received wins in the last decade was that of Franco Ledger (Falcon Seelster) which won the 2013 Invercargill Cup for trainer driver Hamish Hunter. The stallion was part owned by the boisterous What Ever Syndicate and was a horse Southlanders loved to follow.

Franco Ledger who started from a 30 metre handicap and was the $1-80 favourite, was last with a lap to run with River Black (Courage Under Fire) and Clark Barron setting a very hot pace. Hunter got him off and going inside the 800 and he stormed down the outside to beat River Black by three quarters of a length with Glencoe VC (Washington VC) running third.

The winning time of 3-58.7 was a new race, track and Southland record and was the first time in the race’s history the four minute barrier had been broken. 

It was Hunter’s second Cup winner. He won with Malaz (Lordship) in 1985.

Although in the last six years the progeny of Bettor’s Delight have dominated the Invercargill Cup (Classie Brigade 2017), Maverick (2018), Dadndave (2020) and Pembrook Playboy (2021), past times have proven that less fashionable sires can leave Cup winners too. Rashad (Prince Rashad 1996 and 1997), Oblivion II (The Tough Nut – 2000), Farm Timer (Blossom Lady 1991 and 1992) and Western Terror (Johnny Fox in 2015) prove that Cup winners can come from anywhere.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink