Trentham’s reputation as a Punters Graveyard goes back nearly 100 years - Trentham once again proved a graveyard for the Punter – screamed the headline from Truth on Thursday, 27 October 1927.

In the ensuing years various long-shot winners have added to Trentham’s notoriety, and this year marks significant anniversaries of two outsiders taking out the Wellington Cup.

Fifty years ago, the 1972 Wellington Cup, Simon de Montfort wrote himself into trivia immortality as the longest priced Cup winner.  He flew so far under the radar at the time that the following day’s headline read – Simon who?  

Hardly surprising given the Better Honey gelding, ridden by Brian Dodds, paid $180.10, leaving those who had supported race favourite, 1971 Melbourne Cup winner Silver Knight again cursing Trentham’s dire distinction as the track where favourites all too often found their flags lowered by those at longer odds.

Fast forward to the 1987 Wellington Cup and the entire city was abuzz in anticipation of what was the event of the year.  It was the first year brewing giant Carlton and United, under their Fosters banner, was to sponsor the Cup. 

A glossy 100-plus page souvenir publication was produced to mark the occasion and the hottest ticket in town was the one which saw the holder among the chosen 600 who would enjoy the day from the Fosters marquee.

Come race day and helicopters hummed in and out of the course delivering the great and the good who were to enjoy Fosters’ largesse and maybe even watch a race or two.

Pre-race talk had focused on the Matamata mare Eastern Joy and the Lance O’Sullivan piloted runner ended up favourite, but glory on the day went to the rank outsider of the 18-horse field, Rastes trained by rookie Danny Walker.

Walker had only taken out a trainer’s licence the previous August but had grown up in racing helping his father Jack at Tauherenikau.  Following his rapid introduction to Group One racing Walker’s career has included stints across the Tasman, and in Singapore with the late Laurie Laxon.  He is currently training out of Byerley Park and found it difficult to believe 35 years had passed since Rastes took out the Cup.

The Wellington Cup win was not only an early career highlight for Walker but stands as the last Group One win to come out of the Tauherenikau track.

While Trentham punters might have had no time for Rastes but his trainer remembered being quietly confident.

“We had planned all summer to run in the Wellington Cup and were really confident on the first day, but after he only beat four home that confidence took a hit,” Walker said.

The build up to the Wellington Cup had begun with a solid run for second over 2200m at Trentham in early December, which was followed by a win at Otaki a week later and a third placing at Awapuni on 27 December.   

Next up Rastes finished midfield in the Woodville-Pahiatua Cup before his disappointing run at Trentham.

“The jockey thought he’d broken down on the first day, but we couldn’t find anything wrong with him and I took him over the hill [to Trentham] on Thursday and Jim Collett rode him work.  He worked brilliantly,” Walker recalled.

At that stage Rastes still didn’t have a rider for the Cup.

“We tried to get Jim to ride the horse, but we only had 49 and he said he wouldn’t get near the weight,” he said.

“Paul Taylor was meant to ride a horse which was third emergency, so we just pinched him.”

Walker was fulsome in his praise of Taylor’s ride in the Cup.

“He was the best ridden horse in the race.  Lofty rode him to instructions, he just kept him rolling, got him off the fence at the 1000 and kept going forward,” he said.

Punters on the day who were rewarded with a $50.35 win dividend, and those who managed to nab the $17,211.10 trifecta would also have fond memories of the day.   

Faring even better would have been those who followed 20-year-old apprentice Paul Taylor. 

Taylor piloted Jonny Alone to win the day’s other feature, the Jarden Mile (now the Thorndon) to pick up a Group One double.  Like Rastes, Jonny Alone was unloved by punters starting the outsider bar one in the 14-horse race and paid $35.55 for a win. 

But for most on Cup day 35 years ago it was another case of Trentham’s reputation as a graveyard coming to fruition with not a single win favourite greeting the judge.

Footnote: While the $180.10 win price for Simon de Montfort is certainly up there, it is not the largest win price paid out in Thoroughbred racing.  At an on-course-only meeting at Riccarton on Thursday, 17 February 1983 the last race was won by Legalize who paid $332.05; while at Ellerslie on Saturday, 10 October 1987, Jim Collett got rank outsider Lotus Lord up to win at $215.50.