Sales Series - Inaugural winners

On Friday night three NZB Standardbred Sales Series races will be held at Addington.

The series has been held since 1992, at which time PGG was the Sales Company running the National Sales.

We take a look back at those inaugural winners at Alexandra Park.

In 1992 the Sales Series for Two Year Old Trotters was run in July. Worth $43,000.00 it was won by Chiola Hanover gelding Castleton’s King, trained by Robbie Behrns and driven by Richard Brosnan.

Brosnan adapted a handlebars down approach and at one point was out in front by twelve lengths. That margin closed to three quarters of a length at the finish with Gianni and Tony Herlihy storming home for second.

The winning time of 2-03.3 was a new NZ record and lowered Chicotee’s old mark of 2-05.5 for the 1609 metres.

Castleton King cost Pukekohe market gardener Bernie Lim $3,500.

The first ever Sales Series for Two Year Old Pacers was won by Hitchcock who was by No Nukes stallion Payson’s Brother.

Trained by Roy and Barry Purdon, the two year old was bred by Noel Taylor who shared in the ownership with Lew Christensen, Warren Pengelly and Scott Richardson.

He was out of Taylors mare Psycho who was also the dam of Soho.

The race was worth $200,000 with the winner earning $122,000.

The inaugural Two Year Old Sales Series for Fillies was won by Vance Hanover filly Vee Mee driven by Ricky May.

The winning margin was two and a half lengths from This Time Franco.

Trained by Michael House, Vee Mee was a half-sister to Mighty Me and was bred by Methven harness racing identity Eric Mee. She cost her owner Bruce Hyde $7,000 at the 1991 Premier Sales in Christchurch.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink