By Brad Kingsbury
A SUCCESSFUL visit to Cranbourne racecourse by legendary trainer George Hanlon highlighted last Thursday’s annual meeting dedicated to the Harrison family.
The 89-year-old mentor’s consistent galloper Wenceslas Square took out the T.J. Harrison Class 1 Handicap, named after the late Tom Harrison, patriarch of the locally based racing family and a good friend of Hanlon’s over many years.
The other feature race on the card, the $35,000 Travis Harrison Apprentice’s Cup, was won by Mornington mother-son combination Vicki Rhind and Ben Smith.
Ms Rhind’s talented gelding Helium ridden perfectly by Smith beat favourite O’Canarvass by a neck.
Three jockeys completed doubles on the afternoon, with Craig Newitt and Blake Shinn joining Cranbourne hoop Danny Adam in taking joint riding honours.
It was a welcome change of luck for Adam who faces disciplinary proceedings at Racing Victoria headquarters today, after his much-publicised clash with fellow rider Michael Guthrie in the recent Bairnsdale Cup.
Five Cranbourne trainers took home major prize cheques at the meeting including another 89-year-old mentor, Laurie Cleary, but it was the sentiment involved in fellow octogenarian Hanlon’s victory that topped the day’s events.
“I thought he won well. His form had been a bit ordinary, but I thought he’d run a good race,” Hanlon said after the win. “I knew old Tom (Harrison) well. He was a great old bloke – we were good friends.
“I was very glad to be able to run in this race. I wanted to have a runner in it, because it’s an important race for the place (Cranbourne) and it brought back memories of old Tom for me. It was my first runner in the race and to win it is a big trill.”
Tom Harrison’s son and leading trainer Doug, who flew the family flag with a win in the Class 3 race on the card with Envisioning, thanked the Cranbourne Turf Club for its ongoing support of the day and was pleased Hanlon took out the event.
“It’s a great honour to have the race run in Dad’s name and for a man like George Hanlon to win it,” he said.
“He’s probably one of the greatest trainers and he’s prepared champions over a long period of time. It’s a real pleasure to have him here.”
It was the tenth running of the popular Travis Harrison Apprentices Cup named in honour of the son of Doug’s older brother and former trainer Kevin. Travis was a promising apprentice rider before tragically dying in a road accident in May 1996 and the club has maintained the annual race as a feature event in his memory.
Helium was Ms Rhind’s first runner in the race and she said it was an honour to win it with his son in front of many Harrison family members present on the day.
“I didn’t know Travis, but I do know all about the race’s history and it is a great thrill to win it,” she said.
“These events are important for racing and this one is very important to Cranbourne.”
She said the five-year-old gelding’s long-term goal would be a start in the Mornington Cup.
Other Cranbourne winners on the card included Corporal Congo for Colin Alderson in race one, Mr Reminiscing for Barry Fox in the third event, Laurie Cleary’s Hi Lite Girl in race four and Sunshine Resource trained by Jason Williams and ridden by Sally Wynne in the final event.
The day also featured Kid’s Summer of Country Racing activities and a big holiday crowd attended the meeting in perfect weather.
