Giant names of turf enter Hall of Fame

TWO Tasmanian sporting icons were last night inducted into the Tasmanian Racing Hall of Fame.

Equine cult hero The Cleaner and football legend Darrel Baldock were both inducted at a gala awards night function at Country Club Resort in Launceston.

The Cleaner burst into the national racing limelight in 2014 when he became the first Tasmanian-trained horse to run in the WS Cox Plate — Australia’s premier weight-forage event.

He won the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley to earn his place in the 2014 Cox Plate and he mirrored that the following year to again make his way into a Cox Plate.

It was The Cleaner’s bold and courageous frontrunning style that captured the imagination of the racing public nationwide, which eventually led to the horse becoming a cult figure and at the same time placing his knockabout Longford-based trainer Mick Burles under the racing spotlight.

Together they put Tasmania back on the national racing map and put horse racing on the front and back pages of newspapers around Australia for all the right reasons.

The Cleaner amassed 19 wins from his 54 starts for more than $1.3 million in stakes.

The late Darrel Baldock was one of those people who had success at just about everything he tried.

He was an outstanding footballer, rated one of the best to ever play the game. He captained St Kilda to its only premiership in 1966 and he is a legend in the AFL Hall of Fame and an icon in the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.

After his football career, Baldock entered politics and was a minister for seven years in a 15-year stint with the Labor Party.

In racing, first as an owner, he enjoyed success when he teamed up with Tasmanian Hall of Fame trainer Len Dixon. Together they won the 1981 Hobart Cup with Andrias and the same horse won the 1982 Launceston Cup and the Duke of Norfolk Stakes at Flemington in the same year.

Baldock also had success with jumpers. Satchel won two Tasmanian Grand Nationals (1975 and 78) and he owned Sir Rhythmic that won the VRC Grand National hurdle at Flemington.

But it was his home town Cup at Devonport where Bal- dock had his greatest success, winning the race four times and three times as a trainer.

He won it as an owner with Melita in 1982 and as a trainer with Samala in 1995 and with Chardere in 2002 and 2004.

Other inductees include Aliocha, one of the best stallions to stand in Tasmania with his strike rate to runners exemplary and definitely worthy of induction into the hall of fame.

One of Aliocha’s best progeny was St Andrews, which won a Hobart Cup and three Launceston cups.

Devonport-based retired businessman Neil Herbert was also inducted in the associates’ category with his many years of service as a racing administrator and as an owner earning him entry into the elite club.

Joseph Powell, a trainer who excelled during the late 1800s and early 1900s was the sole inductee in the trainer category.

Powell was regarded as a master horseman who is credited with winning at least five trainer premierships. He prepared Street Anchor to win the 1984 Launceston Cup and that horse went on to win the Melbourne Cup the same year with only a technicality preventing Sheet Anchor from appearing in Powell’s name as trainer.

Another of this year’s inductees, the late Ray Bean, was considered one of the greatest jumps jockeys of his time with a fine record in Tasmania and interstate.

Bean’s biggest success came in the Great Eastern Steeple at Oakbank in 1976 when he rode Aberfoyle to victory for legendary Tasmanian owner Ray Trinder. At the time, it was the richest jumps race in Australia.

Brallos, considered one of the greatest Tasmanian racehorses of all time and an inaugural inductee into the Hall of Fame, was elevated to Legend status.

His efforts to win the Hobart and Launceston Cup double twice in 1976 and 1977, as well as snaring the Devonport Cup as many times, ensures his place at the top of the tree of Tasmanian stayers.

The gelding won the Geelong Cup in 1977 and contested the Melbourne Cup that year in which his rider Max Baker, also a Tasmanian Racing Hall of Fame Legend, declared him a serious winning chance only to be foiled by bad luck in running.