Haven Hero was the winner of 4 races on the Valley circuit, but his moment up on the big screen, was in a race replay of the 1984 Mirabella Italian Cup when he finished 7th of 9 starters, beaten 18 metres by the mighty champion Popular Alm in that history making comeback to racing, nearly 11 months after fracturing a bone in his leg.

A fortnight later Haven Hero started at 100/1 in a Moonee Valley FFA, and in a courageous effort finished second, just two metres behind Popular Alm. This was to be the last time we ever saw "Poppy" grace the track and Haven Hero would only have a handful of starts before he too broke down, just 6 weeks later at Geelong.

Haven Hero was foaled around the same time that the harness racing action started at Moonee Valley - in the breeding season of 1976.

The son of Adios Todd and Flash Monarch was a handful right from the start and if it had not been for the perseverance of trainer-driver Eric Lane, almost certainly would have never raced.

Lane first started Haven Hero as a 3YO stallion, and they "finished way back at the rear" in each of 5 or 6 starts. The horse was subsequently gelded, and then forced into a lengthy spell because of a resulting infection.

The quietly spoken, hobby-trainer continued to ignore the advice from all and sundry, who told him that he was wasting time with "that idiot of a horse".

In March 1981, Lane produced his now 4yo gelding at the Minyip Picnics where they came in last of the 5 runners, after blowing the start from behind the tapes. Next it was off to a Charlton Picnic meeting where Haven Hero showed his liking for the mobile gate, scoring his maiden victory in a 6 horse field and earning his connections a $70 cheque.

During his 5yo season, Haven Hero began to get his act together, and still by no means "foolproof", notched up wins at Murray Bridge, Terang, Ouyen and Traralgon, together with 5 minor placings.

But it was as a 6yo, that harness fans finally saw what Lane had recognised some years earlier, when Haven Hero raced 25 times for 11 wins, including 3 at Moonee Valley. The exciting pacer also recorded 5 minor placings during that year, including a brave 2nd behind Mandinka Man in the 1983 Horsham Pacing Cup.

Unfortunately, Haven Hero's 7yo campaign never really got off the ground after he contracted a virus. In Lane's words, "We couldn't win a race anywhere !"

The 8yo gelding returned from spell in August 1984 and showed he'd fully recovered from the infection, with a first up victory at Moonee Valley.

So it was Lane who enjoyed the last laugh and silenced his many critics as he took to Haven Hero from racing at the Picnics, to compete "in the big smoke" against the likes of Popular Alm, Gammalite, Wondais Mate, Gary's Advice, Royal Three and Stormyrowan in just a little over 3 years.

After Haven Hero went badly amiss with a split rear pastern at Geelong, surgeons at the Werribee Veterinary Clinic operated successfully and the pacer spent three months confined to his loose box before heading to the paddock.

It was nearly 14 months before Lane eventually brought the pacer back to the racetrack in a Mildura FFA.

However, unlike "Poppy", there was no victorious comeback to celebrate when the 9yo misbehaved badly and was tailed right off at the finish.

Shortly after that race, Haven Hero shattered his front pastern in trackwork which immediately closed the curtain on his racing days. Indeed, it could well have been the end full stop, but Lane and co-owners Mollie and Mandy Cutchie, were desperate to save their favourite son.

They decided to heavily plaster the leg and hope for the best in order to save his life.

Nature duly healed the injury, although Haven Hero was to walk his paddock with a limp until the end of his days.

The homebred gelding retired as the winner of 19 races, minor placegetter on 18 occasions and a bankroll of around $50,000.

He raced against the clock one night at Geelong with Clinton Welsh in the cart and broke the then magical, 2.00 mark, with a time of 1.59.6 . Along the way he also set track records at Traralgon and Geelong.

More important though was the host of memories, the pacer left with the Cutchie family, regular trainer-driver Lane and many harness racing supporters right throughout the Wimmera.

When the disastrous fires swept through the Horsham district on Black Saturday 2009, Haven Hero cheated death as he out-ran the blaze with only a singed tail to show for his narrow escape.

The Haven community gathered during the first weekend in February to celebrate their Centenary year, and the opening of their new primary school. They also remembered that terrible day of 12 months ago. On the same night at Moonee Valley, the harness community gathered to send off the "trots" after 34 years of racing there.

Then on Monday evening, Haven Hero left us.

Fitting, really.

Anthony LOGAN