Racing: Elsu's vacant throne is quickly filled

Mainland Banner winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup Picture / Simon Barker

Elsu was the King of harness racing; Mainland Banner became the Queen.

When it was announced in August that Elsu was to be retired to stud it was difficult to image a worthy replacement appearing for a long time.

After all, days earlier Elsu had been named Harness Horse of the Year, for a second year in a row.

But three months later the void had been filled. It came with the running of the 3200m New Zealand Trotting Cup in Christchurch.

No 4-year-old mare had won the race in its 101-year history - in fact only one 4-year-old mare had even contested the race and was unplaced in 1982.

Those statistics underlined the feat Mainland Banner achieved in winning to be promptly proclaimed harness racing's new Queen.

Mainland Banner has not raced since the cup and goes into 2006 with the outstanding career record of 12 starts for 11 wins and a second.

Canterbury trainer Robert Dunn was in a perfect position to understand the enormity of what the horse had achieved.

During the 1990s, Dunn trained Master Musician, winner of $1.9 million in stakes, but from an amazing seven starts in the New Zealand Cup his lot was two seconds and a third.

Elsu never won a New Zealand Cup either. He had two starts for two seconds - each time beaten by Just An Excuse.

But last season still ended up being Elsu's best. He won the Auckland Cup for a second time last New Year's Eve and recorded a stunning win in the A$450,000 ($488,000) Hunter Cup in Melbourne in February after being wide for much of the race.

He returned to New Zealand where he turned the Interdominion series on his home track in Auckland into a procession.

Elsu went through the four nights of the series unbeaten, the first time it had been achieved since Village Kid at the 1986 Brisbane series.

Elsu also equalled the record for the shortest-priced winner of an Interdominion. He was at $1.50 when the TAB's fixed-odds market closed - the same price Preux Chevalier was at when he won the 1985 series in Melbourne.

The win also took his stake-earning beyond $2 million, the first New Zealand pacer to pass that mark.

Later, he was found to be suffering from an old knee injury and it was decided to retire him due to his worth as a potential sire.

He was bought by the south Auckland breeding operation of Alabar New Zealand in what it described as "the biggest single deal in New Zealand harness racing".

No figure was disclosed but trainer Geoff Small said during the Interdominion series that offers of up to $2 million had been declined for Elsu.

While Elsu was a hot favourite for the Interdominion pacing final, the trotting final was won by 50-1 outsider Play On, trained by South Canterbury policeman Peter Lamb.

Lamb was as surprised as most by the win and was blatantly honest when asked to describe his position in harness racing.

"I'm a nobody in this game - Johnny Nobody. I only train two horses," Lamb said.

The other major trotting races of last year were the Rowe Cup and the Dominion Handicap.

The Rowe Cup was won by Martina H, who gained a deserved win after long being considered the bridesmaid of New Zealand harness racing.

The Dominion Handicap in Christchurch was won by the consistent Pompallier, the first time he had won outside Auckland.

All of his previous 14 wins had been at Alexandra Park.

Another notable win for a trotter came last month when Allegro Agitato scored at group one level in Melbourne.

Allegro Agitato also won the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All during New Zealand Cup week in November.

A sad note was the death of trainer-driver Murray Butt, father of top harness racing horsemen Tim and Anthony Butt.

Murray Butt died suddenly in Christchurch in December, aged 59.

Top trainer Mark Purdon was the last to have his case on the blue magic drugs affair heard, and ended up with a four-month disqualification.

Purdon returned to training on January 1.