In the past two weeks Southland has lost a successful harness racing breeder and owner/trainer in Andrew Sellars.
And unfortunately we also lost a great horse, Diamond Field.
Andrew Sellars passed away on Friday 3rd March at his home in Myross Bush. Over the years he had bred three cup class horses all out of his wonderful mare Leyava.
I recently had the privilege of sitting down to talk with Andrew about his life with horses, especially about the Leyava story. He had a wonderful way of telling a story in precise detail, he had a real passion for the standardbred and he had a sharp wit. It was a pleasure to write the Leyava story and he told it so well.
Last year Leyava was honoured at the Southland Harness Awards becoming the first broodmare ever to receive such an accolade in the Award's 27 year history.
The Leyava story is still on this website, on the home page just below this story. Can be read here !
Also at the weekend Southland lost one of it's best trotters in Diamond Field.
The rising 31 year old was living out his retirement at Michelle Blackie's property at Makarewa. Michelle is the daughter of Bob Blackie who was a member of the syndicate that raced Diamond Field.
Diamond Field started his racing career with Allan Beck in Winton and won eight races for him before he ventured onto the big stage. He ultimately won 33 races and $536,607 in stakes, and was one of the first truly Australasian Trotting Stars of his time.
He was raced by the Southland Standardbred Number Two Syndicate, members of which were present for many of his wins on both sides of the Tasman. He was good enough to start in five Interdominion Finals, winning in 1994.
Diamond Field earlier this season paraded at the Riverton Trotting Club meeting and was presented in wonderful condition. Some of his owners travelled down from Timaru to see him that day.
Michelle Blackie leading Diamond Field with Allan Beck in the cart – Photo Bruce Stewart.
Diamond Field
Age: 1986 Bay Gelding by Yankee Jolter out of Robyn Evander
Bred by: Nigel and Marianne Sim
Raced by: Southland Standardbred Number Two Syndicate
Trained by: Allan Beck, Roy and Barry Purdon, Mark Purdon, Neil Cavallaro and Patrick O’Reilly
Race record: 150 starts, 33 wins, 29 seconds, 20 thirds for $536,607 in stakes.
Best season: As a 7 year old 19 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds and 2 thirds for $212,480
Successful trainers with wins: Roy and Barry Purdon (12), Allan Beck (8), Mark Purdon (6), Neil Cavallaro (5) and Patrick O’Reilly (2). (33)
Successful driver with wins: Tony Herlihy (15), Allan Beck (7), Paul Cavallaro (4), Mark Purdon (3), Patrick O’Reilly (2), AL Chapman (1) and Kirk Larsen (1). (33)
New Zealand Records:
•11/05/1996 Auckland TC 2200 metre stand 2-48.8
•04/05/1996 Auckland TC 2700 metre stand 3-26.6
•18/03/1995 New Zealand Metropolitan TC 2000 metre mobile 2-29.3 NB: This record stood for 16 years before being bettered by I Can Doosit 2-25.0.
Major wins:
•1994 FAI Rowe Cup (Group One) $90,000 OC Handicap Trot 3200 metres.
•1994 Interdominion Trotting Championship at Harold Park
•1996 FAI City of Sails FFA Trot (Group Two) M5 and faster 2200 metres.
•1993 Air New Zealand New Zealand Trotting Free For All (Group Two) OC FFA Mobile 2600 metres
•1993 Radio Pacific Challenge Stakes (Group Two) C5 and faster FFA Mobile 2700 metres
•1995 Firestone Firehawk New Zealand Trotting Championship (Group Three)
Major Placings:
•2nd 1993 Dominion Trotting Handicap (Group One)
•2nd 1993 Rowe Cup (Group One)
•3rd 1997 V.L. Dullard Trotters Cup
•1996 Waikato Times Flying Mile (Group Two)
•1995 New Zealand Trotting FFA (Group Two)
•1994 National Trotting FFA (Group Two)
•1997 EB Cochran Trotters Cup
•1993 New Zealand Trotting Championship (Group Three)
•1993 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (Group Three)
Australian form: 28 starts, 9 wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds for $153,178 in stakes.
Note: Diamond Field started in five Interdominion Championship Finals finishing 4th (1993), 1st (1994), 3rd (1995), 6th (1996) and 6th (1997).
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing
