Stapleton works his magic

Rakaia harness racing trainer Warren Stapleton is known for taking on horses in need of repair. 

On Wednesday (Jan. 25) at the Forbury Park meeting at Oamaru Stapleton’s time and effort with Major Purchase (Art Major) was rewarded, when the seven year old won his first race in four seasons.

Major Purchase was bred by good mates Murray Swain and Wayne Pope and looked handy enough when he qualified in 3-02.4 behind the mobile over 2400 metres. He was initially trained by Brett Gray then Jamie Campbell tried his luck with the gelding. Both managed to get minor placings but the win was elusive.

“He (Jamie) was disappointed because he’d spent a fair bit of money on him and he was ready to win for him and he broke down,” Stapleton said.

Southland junior reinsman Mark Hurrell mentioned to Stapleton that Major Purchase may be worth resurrecting.

“There was nowhere else for him to go. He was beat because he’s got a couple of crook fetlocks and a couple of crook knees.”

The gelding arrived at Stapleton’s in October 2021.

“We changed his shoeing and his workload. We’ve got lovely roadsides and we’ve got a frame for three horses. We run them down the road and it’s good for them when the headers aren’t out, the ground’s lovely and soft. The horses can have a canter so that helped him.”

It’s been a long time coming, but on Wednesday the seven year old in the hands of Jonny Cox got up to beat Justin Fun (Changeover) by a neck.

MAJOR PURCHASE REPLAY

“Today you’d have to say was his chance. He’d been in tough fields in Canterbury with terrible draws and doing a good job without jumping out of the ground. We’ve just been poking around with him, and we were expecting a good run because they weren’t the best horses around. He drove him well, got him in the race and got cover. Halfway down I didn’t think the bugger was going to win but he kept grinding away.”

The win was Stapleton’s 250th and he’s predicting that another win may not be too far away. 

“He’s sound now touch wood, but you wouldn’t know for how many hours. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won another race because he’s on his way up and he hasn’t got many points (rating points).”

Major Purchase is typical of horses Stapleton has taken on in the forty plus years he’s been training.

Perhaps his highest profile rejuvenation project was giant trotter Cedar Fella (Son Of Afella).

After winning seven for Southland trainer Bryce Buchanan he won another ten for Stapleton including the Ordeal Cup, New Zealand Trotting FFA, New Zealand Trotting Championship, Canterbury Park Trotting Cup and the Group One 1998 Dominion Handicap.

“He was buggered when I got him. I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew with his tendon on the back leg. It was like a piece of alkathene hanging off the back and it took me a long time to get him going. It was very hard to keep him sound because he was so big.”

Two other trotters he was successful with were October Pride (Game Pride) which won a Canterbury Park Trotting Cup, and Highwood (Game Pride) which won a New Zealand Trotting Derby, an Ordeal Cup, a New Zealand Trotting Championship and a Rowe Cup for the stable.

A couple of pacers he successfully turned around at the end of their successful careers were Freeway Don (Holmes Hanover) and Owaka Jack  (Falcon Seelster) both of which were sold to American.

“In those days Joe Muscara was buying a lot of horses and I was dealing with John Curtin. The horses would be bought unsighted. They would take me on my word.”

Tomba (Armbro Operative) was another trotter he had success with. The gelding won seven races for Northern trainer Sean McCaffrey before Charlie Hunter bought him.

“I got rung by Charlie and he said Massey University had had the horse and couldn’t do any more for him. He asked would I have a look at him. I worked out what was wrong with him and gave him one start at Ashburton and he flew home. Ricky (May) came back and said ‘we’ve got a good one’ so I thought that was bloody good. The next thing the phone goes, and it was John saying Muscara wanted to buy the horse.”

Hunter agreed to sell and Tomba was shipped to America.

“He won his first ten then they gave him a spell and he got kicked in the knee in the paddock and that was the end of him.”

Stapleton has fond memories of another pacer Smooth Trickster, (Cam’s Trickster) which won eleven races for Cran Dalgety.

“He raced in the New Zealand Cup and pulled up unsound. His owner Mr Case rang me up and told me he was giving the horse away as a hack.”

On the way to Geraldine the float stopped at Stapleton’s Rakaia stables.

“The owner said the float was coming past and someone had suggested that I might want to have a look at him and that if I wanted him I could have him.”

Stapleton liked the showy black and worked him up to race fitness. 

“I rang Mr Case and told him that he’d better stick with the horse. I cranked him up and took him  down to Forbury Park. We started him in an intermediate grade race because all the good horses were in the Interdominion heats. Going down the back the horse was second last on the outside and I said to my wife I was pleased I wasn’t at Forbury watching that!! The next thing Ricky (May) pulled him out and he won. Then of course the phone goes and it’s Curtin. I said that he’d have to pay good money for this one. I used to tease him.”

The horse was sold but his new trainer couldn’t get him to pace properly so they rang Stapleton who asked how the horse was shod. When he was told his old shoeing configuration had been discarded he suggested that the trainer sack the blacksmith. When that didn’t happen the horse was transferred to new stables.

His new trainer rang Stapleton and the horse’s shoes were aligned to what he wore in New Zealand and Smooth Trickster went on his winning way.

However not all of Stapleton’s projects have been successful.

“The best horse I had was Tartan Clansman (Majestic Chance) and he was terribly unsound, but I got him going super. I got a ring from a man I used to buy my shoes off and he told me the very latest shoe from America had arrived and he sent two sets down. Trying to do the best for Tartan Clansman I put them on but they didn’t suit him. They sped him up and he ricked a joint and I had to send him home. I outsmarted myself.”

A big part of Stapleton’s success is based around a special rub ointment. 

“The vets kept telling me the horses were buggered and to turn them out. I thought to myself if I could make something we could rub on the outside that sent the blood to the sore parts that would help.”

When questioned about the successful ingredient Stapleton remained tight lipped.

“Even my son doesn’t know. He itching to find out, and said don’t bloody die.”

For complete Forbury race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink