SA stalwart decides to call it a day

A prominent harness racing figure in the mid north region of South Australia has decided it's time to take a change and pursue other interests.

Lyndon Hall, who is based at the popular coastal tourist city of Port Pirie, 225 kms from Adelaide, has been training horses for more than 40 years, with an imposing strike-rate.

"We've met a lot of lovely people, made a lot of friends and had heaps of fun during our long involvement, but we are now looking to take a different direction," Hall said.

"My wife Jacqui and I have two married daughters in Tammi and Jo-Ann, and there's six grand-daughters. So when sporting activities are allowed to start again, there will be lots of netball and basketball on Saturday afternoons," he said.

"And of course, I still enjoy my fishing. We plan on getting back into the camping and fishing scene."

Hall said he got the harness racing bug as a teenager through the late Bob Clarke, who was a well-known outstanding conditioner of horses in the area.

"I learned a great deal from Bob, not only in the training aspects, but also driving. Bob actually let me to drive one of his star pacers in Already to get my driver's licence. I had to do a few satisfactory drives in front of the stewards," he said.

"Already was a class horse and I remember him winning a heat and final of the Mildura Pacing Cup in good style. Bob's son Andrew is still training horses at Mt Gambier."

Hall said as a youngster he was an apprentice butcher.

"Dad owned two shops and asked me which one I would like to take over. I told him that I didn't want either because I was going fishing," he said.

"I ended up being a professional fisherman for 14 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I had a go at the hotel business and owned a few over a period of 24 years and we've still got one at Port Broughton."

Hall established his training complex on a "couple of hundred acres" near Port Pirie, with a 900metre training track, stables and large paddocks.

"We were big supporters of trotting around the area, always racing big teams at our home track as well as others like Whyalla. Jacqui also had three years as Port Pirie President," he said.

"I remember taking a record 18 horses one night to Port Pirie, while the most we ever raced at Whyalla was 14. There were plenty of other times when we'd load up the truck and head off to race at other tracks, including Broken Hill and Mildura which were long hauls.

"A favorite memory from Broken Hill was one night throwing seven on the truck and getting five winners and two second placing cheques. That was a fun night."

Hall was the leading trainer at Port Pirie on five occasions. His career record stands at around 3200 starters for 280 victories, 400 second placings and 480 thirds.

He regards a win in a heat and final of the Sunraysia Cup years ago with talented pacer Fifty Gorillas (D M Dilinger-Roxy Bay (Whata Baron) as among his best.

"We had Ryan Hryhorec drive the horse in the heat, and the late Gavin Lang in the final. It was the only time we ever had Gavin drive for us," Hall said.

"Fifty Gorillas won 20 races for us and then John Heath won a few more when they sent the horse up to him at Menangle. He was first emergency in an Inter Dominion final at Sydney and narrowly missed getting a start because there was a scratching at 9.10 am-10 minutes too late to get a start!

"I think Fifty Gorillas was the fastest horse bred by D M Dillinger for a while-he could still even hold that mantle."

Hall said he also admired a pacer who is still at his place recovering from a hoof injury in Mymatethomo.

"He is one of the nicest horses I've ever had. He had a strong will to win and possessed sheer speed when he was right. One of his greatest wins was as a C1 assessed pacer up against FFA horses and he come out and took the Whyalla Cup," he said.

So while it's a safe bet to say that fish, crabs and other seafood delicacies will be on the dinner plate if you visit the Halls in the future, there's a chance you may even be challenged to a game of darts.

Hall has a sharp eye and still harbors a love for the sport. But a word of warning: he was the state champion in the 90s and won several championships.

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura