The winning margin is increasing with every second as Andre Poutama goes for home on Obadiah Dragon. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.
Dragon breathes fire at Palmerston North but how does that 15-length margin compare?
By Barry Lichter • 14 November 2023
Obadiah Dragon’s 15-length win at Manawatu on Monday had harness racing aficionados wondering how it ranked with the biggest winning margins of all time.
When driver Andre Poutama released the brakes on trainer Ray Green’s two-year-old, he had commentator Aaron White struggling to keep up counting the ever-increasing margin.
But, incredibly, while horses seldom trounce their rivals by so much, the feat was trumped only 21 months ago when Cosmic Angel scored by 16 lengths in a trotting race at Ashburton.
And Manawatu was also the scene for the biggest recent pacing margin when in November, 2020, Richmond Tiger also scored by 15 lengths.
You have to scale up by 100% though, to find the biggest all-time margin on record. At Wyndham, in 2018, the trotter Super Fast Pat won the Gold Chip Final by 30.5 lengths after being a clear leader throughout for driver Brent Barclay.
And Camsplace Cam holds the record margin for pacers in Harness Racing New Zealand’s data base, when he won by 28 lengths at Manawatu in November, 2001.
It’s a cakewalk for Obadiah Dragon and Andre Poutama. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.While it’s likely other horses back in the day won by even more daylight (early feedback has already revealed David Moss won a 2700 metre race at Invercargill in September, 1990 by 41 lengths) part-owner Ian Middleton was both thrilled and surprised by Obadiah Dragon’s feat.
Middleton, business manager for Lincoln Farms, admits he was starting to wonder whether he should be finding a new home for Obadiah Dragon when he hadn’t found any form in six starts.
“But Ray said no, he’ll get there, he just needs a bit of time.
“His biggest problem early on was in his head. The boys at the stable all said he’d win races, he just wasn’t concentrating, so we gelded him after two starts.”
Middleton reckons the making of the horse was sending him south to Manawatu in October when he ran a very unlucky fourth.
At his next start he finished second to the impressive Cambridge debut winner Minjee, run down only over the last 75 metres.
“And yesterday you could see he knew what he was doing.”
Middleton said he was “absolutely delighted” for his two partners in the horse, long time friends, Ian Harris and Paul Humphries.
Harris watched the race with him at the Elmwood Tavern in Christchurch, while RACE chairman Humphries was out on the golf course.
While Harris has been involved in other standardbreds, and has a share in today’s New Zealand Trotting Cup contender Republican Party, Humphries was a rookie with “the wobblies”.
Obadiah Dragon was the middle leg of a hat-trick for Andre Poutama at Manawatu, the first behind Toe The Line, raced by his parents Warren and Liz on lease from Lincoln Farms, and the last on eight-year-old Proviseur, trained by Craig Sharpe, who works for Lincoln Farms. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.They’re now two from two after their other two-year-old, Sweet Lou filly Onyx Shard, scored at her third start on Grins night at Cambridge in April.
Both were bought relatively cheaply by Green’s wife Debbie at New Zealand Bloodstock’s yearling sale in Christchurch, Obadiah Dragon for $27,000 and Onyx Shard for $30,000.
Middleton knows his Fear The Dragon gelding did not beat a stellar bunch at Palmerston North but the big winning margin raised his hopes for more wins in the future.
“He’s no champion but we know he’s an improving horse and he’ll get stronger as time goes on.”
It’s been a good cup week for Middleton already, with Obadiah Dragon’s whitewash following Kana’s stylish late-closing win on the first day at Riccarton.
Middleton paid $65,000 for Kana as a yearling and now races the four-year-old with friends out of Peter Didham’s Awapuni stable.
“We’re backing her up in the Stewards on Saturday against Lincoln’s Kruz and I’ll be happy to see either of them win.”
Lincoln’s Kruz, raced by Lincoln Farms and partners, looked unlucky not to win the Pegasus on the first day, bottled up in tight quarters until too late, and going under by only a half a neck at long odds.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Debbie Lincoln
5.26pm
“She had to sit parked most of the way last time but still went well, and that’s what she does. She’s proven to be a very promising filly and, while it’s hard these days to win without a good trip, it’s an even field and she’s a good chance again.”
Race 2: Lincoln Lou
5.55pm
“He probably cost himself a win last week by going roughly, but he can do that. If he’d got Frisco Bay’s trip he would have won with his closing quarters of 56 and 27 the fastest in the race. He’s just got to do things right to be the one to beat, even from the bad draw, as it’s an easier field.”
Race 5: Frisco Bay
7.30pm
“He’s up in grade a bit but I don’t think there’s anything between them. He’s just got to get the right run and, with his speed, he’ll be right in it.”
Race 6: Kevin Kline
7.59pm
“He’s no superstar but he’s very honest and he’s always a place chance as he’s a tough bugger, he sat parked last week.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.59pm
“With a similar run to last week, he’d be right in it. He clocked 55.8 and 27.7, doing his best work at the finish. He hasn’t gone a bad race since he’s come back.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.59pm
“I wasn’t expecting him to do anything on debut as he’s a green, young horse. But he went very well so he’s obviously lifted his game for the occasion. And he’s trained on even better so the experience has enhanced him. From the inside he has to be a good chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.59pm
“She’s definitely a better animal left-handed but she was passable right-handed and should go better this time. She’s got some speed.”
Race 8: Lincoln Downs
8.59pm
“She’s a nice filly but is behind the others. I don’t expect her to beat anything but she needs the experience.”
Race 8: Lincoln Linda
8.59pm
“There won’t be any shadows for her to jump this time so she has to be a serious chance. She’d been dominant at the workouts and trials before her debut but didn’t get the chance to show her true worth.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
8.59pm
“Fergie was quite impressed with him on debut and requested the drive again. He finished on strongly up the lane and should go well again. He just needs some luck from the outside of the gate.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 3: Argyle
9.04pm NZ time
“I thought his last two starts have been terrific. There’s no doubt this race is tougher, and he has trickier draw, but I was talking to Angus last night and he was quite upbeat about his chances. He said the horse gave him a good feel when he sat parked two starts back and he picked him too (in the draft). But it won’t be easy. There could be a bit of pressure early. I think he’ll come out and see what unfolds and, if there is too much pressure, he’ll drive him quietly.”
Ray’s comments
Sunday at Manawatu
Race 1: Onyx Shard
5.29pm
“You can put a line through her last run at Cambridge when she pulled up showing signs of a respiratory infection. She had a couple of weeks off after that and, while she hasn’t trialled since, she’s been training down nicely. She’s a nice filly and from the good draw should really win.”
Race 3: Lincoln La Moose
6.19pm
“He wasn’t far away in the amateur race at Auckland last time despite jumping a shadow early and galloping. This is a decent drop in class for him and he should be very competitive.
