Legendary Bendigo harness racing figure Brian Gath recently lost a great “mate” in a superstar of the 1990s, aged gelding Harley Hanover (Torado Hanover-Jordan Alley).
The grand campaigner, who would have been 30 years of age at the end of the season, attracted a “rock star” following with exhilarating performances when Melbourne trots was conducted at Moonee Valley.
“He was a genuine free-for-aller and country cups horse with such an outstanding will to win,” Gath said.
“I remember at the time we got him, we were struggling along with a heavy mortgage and all the other expenses, and that horse got us out of so much trouble, you just wouldn’t believe it.
“We had him on lease, and he paid for so many things. When we look back on it, we were very, very fortunate.”
Gath said he firmly believes that the family would have lost their farm, but for the deeds of Harley Hanover.
The pacer finished his racing career with 34 wins and 16 placings from 92 starts for nearly $250,000 in stakes.
Harley Hanover started his career ingloriously with a distanced 10th at Hobart on April 15, 1994, after locking wheels and breaking. But he turned the tables eight days later with a strong win at Launceston.
He then recorded another three wins before crossing the Bass Strait and registering two wins at Moonee Valley and one at Geelong before it was time to head for home again.
Gath said he can recall his excitement when Harley Hanover arrived at his stables in September 1996.
“We ran 3rd at Bendigo and then had three city wins in Melbourne – he really didn’t look back from that point,” Gath said.
During a 20-month period from March 1997, Harley Hanover posted a further 12 metropolitan wins.
Gath said apart from all the wins, the pacer was also responsible for some very tough performances when having to settle for the minor prizemoney.
“I remember a race at Sydney’s Harold Park called the 2KY Racing Radio Ben Hur in 1998 when we were very unlucky to go down,” he said.
“Some NSW officials rang me and invited us up there because they were short of nominations and it was a $150,000 event.
“I was in two minds because I was thinking what a big trip it was; and how the hell were we going to get there? Because I didn’t really think our little old truck would probably make it. Anyway, they gave us nearly an hour to think it over.
“I rang a close friend of ours, Colleen Bamford and not only did she encourage us to go but offered their four-wheel-drive vehicle and float to us.
“So, we make the big trip and arrived at Harold Park and it’s a typical Sydney night with rain and a sloppy track.
“We were in front on the home corner going along nicely when he sort of knuckled over up the back end and couldn’t pace properly. We skipped and hopped down the straight. He was very lame but the good judges on the finish line thought we’d managed to hang on.
“But it wasn’t to be, and Anthony Butt beat us by a nose with their horse called Happy Asset. We ended up with $30,000 and the winner got $90,000!”
Gath said two race wins that stick in his mind were the $30,000 1998 Ballarat Cup and the $15,000 Italian Cup, run early the following year.
“Our son Matthew drove Harley Hanover at Ballarat and it was an absolute gem of a drive,” Gath said.
“If it had been me driving, we would have gone down. I was yelling on the sidelines for Matthew to go wide, but he waited patiently for inside runs which eventually did come and he landed the money.
“The Italian Cup win was great and even though he was sent out 9/4 favorite, he still had to run a tick over two minutes for 2380metres.”
Gath said when Harley Hanover was retired in early 2001, his elderly owner was thrilled that he had a home for life at the Gath property at Longlea, Bendigo.
“We kept an eye on him all the time, he was rugged in winter and got his teeth and hooves attended to. He was always fed lucerne, pollard, chaff and everything else and he’d eat all day and spend four or five hours out in the paddock with his stable buddy in Oscar Le Vant,” Gath said. (“Oscar” was another more than handy pacer for the Gaths with 16 wins and 14 placings for over $212,000 in earnings.)
“We all love our horses – we wouldn’t be doing what we do if that wasn’t the case. But horses like Harley are always special in our hearts,” he said.
While he was a family favorite for the Gath family, he will certainly be remembered by harness racing fans far and wide for his consistent powerhouse performances.
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura