GP with just one race day start to his name

It’s not often you see a graduation driver who’s held a licence for nineteen years and has had just one drive.

When I saw John Fanning’s name pop up in the results sheet at the recently held workouts at Chertsey, it got me digging.

It turns out that John is a recently retired General Practitioner who helps out Elgan trainer David Mitchell on Tuesdays and Saturdays and prefers just to drive at workouts and trials.

“For the last probably twenty years, I’ve been driving all of David’s horses at the trials and workouts. I’ve had the one race day drive. Basically I don’t want to get in the way of the young ones coming through. They’re much better off furthering their careers than having some old fool driving around on race day,” he said.

His only drive at the races was at Roxburgh in January 2017 behind Pegasus Merrily, a horse he bred and part owned. The gelding was trained by Mitchell and finished eighth on a day that was so wet the mobile vehicle wasn’t used.

“There was sleet that day.”

Fanning grew up in the North Island. He said, “Mum and Dad used to go to the gallops up there a lot.”

He has fond memories of the Noel Eales trained Commissionaire.

“He was one we used to follow closely. When I moved south to Dunedin I started to get interested in harness racing. I used to stay with the late Ted Lowe and go out to Forbury Park.”

John trained at Otago Medical School from 1978 and after graduating in 1984 he moved to Timaru where he initially worked at the hospital.

“I started General Practice there in ‘86. I started with two older GPs and then it became the Timaru Medical Centre in 2017.

Whilst working at Timaru Hospital he met Mitchell when they both played senior rugby for Pleasant Point.

“I played for South Canterbury when I was working at the hospital but once I went into General Practice I only played Club footie and made myself unavailable for rep stuff because I didn’t have anyone to pay the bills if I got hurt.”

Fanning played first five while Mitchell was one out at second five.

“He was pretty quick and that’s one thing (speed) I didn’t have.”

So how did he get into breeding?

“The guy that I raced horses with – Bruce Small, got me into breeding in 1987 or 1988. It took us nine or ten years to get our first winner so we were very patient. The first mare we got was Wee Jaybee which we got off to David Langford.”

The partnership bred three foals out of Wee Jaybee, one each by Stortford Lodge, Stanley Rio and Marked Man II.

They bought Claire Matin, a Dancing Master filly, at the 1994 sales. Trained by Brian Saunders she won once from seven starts at Oamaru in March 1997.

Together Small and Fanning bred nine foals out of the mare, the best being Troublemaker filly Pegasus Aurora which won four for Mitchell.

John retired last month after forty two years as a Doctor.

“I loved what I did but I’m loving what I do now.”

John’s most recent workout win was on the Mitchell trained Making Fun, an unqualified three year old Always B Miki gelding out of Ming Lee, making him a half-brother to Asian Elvis (6) and Deceptive Lee (9).

“He goes alright. We may or may not give him another workout. The ability is not in question it’s just about teaching him stuff really.”

Ming Lee has also left Madam Barber, a Lather Up four year old mare, Amusing Lee, an Always B Miki two year old filly, Perfect Lee, a Captain Crunch yearling filly and a Pebble Beach weanling colt. Fanning, Small and Mitchell share in the ownership of them all.

Fanning and Small are also breeding from a handful of mares including American Ideal mare Beautifilly, a half -sister to Lazarus. She has left a Sweet Lou colt which is two and a Captain Crunch weanling filly.

They’re also breeding from Auckland Reactor mare Pegasus Ophelia who has left eight start maiden Liberty Girl and two other foals by Vincent and Captain Crunch.

“She’s distantly related to Claire Matin and goes back to Hands Down.”

Ming Lee and Pegasus Ophelia are due to foal to Lazarus.

“We’re only sending two mares to stud this year.  Beautifilly is going to Always B Miki. And we’ve just bought another mare Callies Delight and she’s going to Pebble Beach.”

Small, Fanning and Mitchell bought Callies Delight in May this year. She’s the winner of twelve races including the 2023 Group One Breeders Stakes.

So by choice John Fanning won’t be hitting the big time in the driving ranks but that doesn’t stop the good doctor from doing what he loves.

And with plenty of well-bred young stock coming through, I’m sure his name will feature as a breeder and owner in the coming years.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink