Biggles' victory (Tintin in America) at the Forbury Park reunion in Oamaru gave his Geraldine coach John Murdoch a further boost.
Murdoch has been going through tough times recently after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
“The large excitement is that the doctors have fixed me. They did a wonderful job and I'm off again. Everything is clear to me and the doctor said he doesn’t want to see me for another year,” he said.
Biggles qualified for the Oamaru circuit in March 2022 but did not begin his racing career until two years later, finishing second on his debut on the Oamaru turf.
“He could have raced as a adolescent horse, but he was immature and needed to grow up a bit. In the meantime I got cancer and needed treatment, so he just stayed in the paddock and waited for me. It was probably really good for him. He’s a great horse to do anything with and as I’m making snail-paced progress he’s ideal for me.”
The gelding's fourth dam, Dawn Mist, won twelve races, including the first final of the Nevele R Three Year Elderly Fillies Series in 1979.
“He (Biggles) was advertised online as a yearling with his mother. It was just down the street so we checked it out and it was great. So we just bought it.”
The Murdochs still have Biggles' mother Jill Ireland on their property.
“She is an Artsplace mare. They are like gold. I'm tempted to take her to Macca Lodge and have Lord Forbes wait on her. She’s seventeen but as fit as a trout.”
Biggles is named after the First World War cartoon character and Murdoch races the gelding with his wife Joy.
“Our daughter had a baby and we knew it was going to be a boy. With a wink I had the brilliant idea of calling him Biggles. Anyway, she had the baby and called and said Biggles was born, but that was just a joke. She never called him Biggles, so when we bought the horse there was only one name for it.”
In today's Icon Interior Construction Handicap Pace, rider Seth Hill Biggles was able to safely run away to the ten meter mark and coming out of the first turn he had the gelding in the lead.
The seven-year-old was challenged by both The Highlander and Catherine at the end of the 2600 meters but found another gear and beat Catherine by half a length, with The Highlander finishing a length and three-quarters behind in third place.
BIGGLES REPEAT
“We are excited about it. He's a bit of a trick because he tees off when there are no horses near him. When the other horses appeared next to him, Seth said he kicked them again. He said he put the blinds down in the 1,000-meter race because he was just joking around.”
The win was Biggles' third in his eighteen-year career and second in a row. He won at Ashburton a week ago and as race conditions allow for a concession for junior riders, his rating points remain the same.
Murdoch has held a training license since 1991, his first winner being General Grace in Omakau in 1994.
He was his best horse, winning ten races, including two Waikouaiti Cups.
“His name came up today because Phil Williamson said after our win in that race that this horse was ideal for another Waikouaiti Cup. There’s a good chance we will.”
John and Joy have a twelve-acre homestead near Geraldine, where he completes part of his training.
“I jog him around on the back of a motorbike, but mostly I go down to the track (Orari). From here it's only nine kilometers and the road is flat. It's a great crew there. They are all volunteers.”
For complete race results, Click here.
from Bruce Stewartfor harness link
