Racing: Legendary trainer out to turn back clock

Charlie Hunter-owned Sovereignty is NZ's trotting favourite. Photo / Christine Cornege

For Charlie Hunter the most valuable treasure in the trophy cabinets at Alexandra Park has nothing to do with tonight's Interdominions.

That great transtasman racing series culminates with an $800,000 pacing final and $250,000 final for the trotters, with Cambridge-based Hunter having a rare chance to repeat history.

Hunter owns and is the unofficial part-time trainer of Sovereignty, New Zealand's best chance in the trotting final, and if he wins it will turn the clock back to 1975, when Hunter ruled harness racing.

With Young Quinn and Castleton's Pride he became the first horseman to train the winners of both the Pacing and Trotting Finals in the same year.

Add that to his 1971 Trotting Final win for Geffin and his victorious North American campaign with Young Quinn and you can see why Hunter's feats in racing earned him an ONZM.

But as much as Hunter would love Sovereignty to win tonight's trotting final, for the 77-year-old there is something far more important than the Interdom trophy at Alexandra Park.

Displayed in a corner of the Hall Of Fame is the helmet that saved Hunter's life during the most sickening racing fall in New Zealand history.

In the 1984 New Zealand Derby nine of the 14 horses crashed at full speed directly in front of a packed grandstand at Addington.

Hunter, driving Tucker's Rule, was caught at the bottom of the carnage, with champion pacer Roydon Glen trashing out with his legs and repeatedly kicking Hunter in the head.

Hunter broke his sternum and ribs and his lungs were punctured. But the cracked helmet that sits in the Hall Of Fame saved his life.

"It was a horrible crash and I could feel Roydon Glen kicking out and squealing," said Hunter.

"When I eventually got clear I crawled to the inside of the track and lay there waiting for the race to finish.

"I was in the Hall Of Fame on Monday night and saw the helmet. It makes you realise what could have happened ..."

Having been as low as you can go in racing, Hunter has also been to its mountain top, his 1975 Interdom double having never been repeated.

"Back then the finals were a week apart and to train both winners was very special.

"But when you think that was 36 years ago it makes you realise how hard it is to get another horse good enough to have a chance to win a Grand Final."

This series is likely to be the last Interdominion staged in New Zealand and tonight's meeting will have a strong Canterbury flavour after it was moved north because of the February 22 earthquake.

That includes the first 500 patrons through the gate dressed in red and black receiving a $20 betting voucher.

The owners of most of the Australian horses have agreed to contribute 5 per cent of stakes won tonight to the Red Cross Relief Fund.

INTERDOMINIONS

What: Transtasman racing series.
When: Tonight.
Where: Alexandra Park.