One man’s passion continues to benefit industry decades later

ONE of Australia’s best-known sporting and agricultural personalities, Alexander George Hunter served both sectors with distinction.

Dying in April 1953 near his famed Seymour property at the age of 63, Hunter, spent time on several committees as he attempted to advance the areas in which he had a passion.

Not only was he chairman of the Victorian Trotting Control Board, Hunter was also President of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, a member of the Victoria Racing Club committee and a well-known studmaster and cattle breeder.

A G HUNTER

Hunter is also credited as being the catalyst for the rejuvenation of trotting when it appeared the sport would fade away in Victoria.

As such, the A G Hunter Cup perpetuates his memory in an ideal manner.

TCB chairman since its inception six years earlier, Hunter had been a member of the VRC committee since 1935.

Although he hadn’t raced a standardbred since night trotting started at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds in 1947, Hunter had several first class pacers, including Globe Derby, which became Australia’s most notable sire, during his earlier years.

Hunter’s biggest success during his time within the thoroughbred industry was the 1932 Victoria Derby with Liberal, which he bred.

Other big galloping wins included the 1935 Caulfield Guineas and VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes with Young Idea; the 1941 Williamstown Cup with Throttle and the 1943 Sires’ Produce Stakes with Simmering.

Windbag, which captured the 1925 Melbourne Cup, was the most successful sire to stand at Hunter’s establishment.

Other stallions which made their mark for Hunter include Hellepont, Neopolitan, Audentes and Palm Vista.

In a tribute to Hunter after his death, Trotting Control Board secretary, Alan V Dunn, wrote: “The death of Mr Hunter is the most tragic loss trotting could suffer. Few people know of the hundreds of hours he spent in bringing the sport to its present plane. His passing leaves a gap in the sport, which it will be difficult to fill.”

Victoria hosted its initial meeting under lights at the Ascot Vale Showgrounds on November 15, 1947, but it was not until January 1, 1949, that the A G Hunter Cup became a fixture on the calendar.

INAUGURAL A G Hunter Cup champion Silver Peak

New South Wales champion Silver Peak – a descendant of Globe Derby – won the inaugural 2000 pounds feature for Frank Culbert, beating Amorous and Miraculous by two yards as a solid 5/4 favourite.

In the following decades, some of Australia’s best pacers won the Cup, including Amorous, Floodlight, Ribands, Merchant, Mineral Spring, Sheffield Globe, Sibelia, Bon Adios, Golden Alley, Monara, Royal Gaze, Pure Steel, Popular Alm, Master Musician and Blossom Lady.

Inter Dominion Champions also rate highly on the honour roll such as Avian Derby, Gentleman John, Radiant Venture, Minuteman, Koala King, Gammalite, Preux Chevalier, Village Kid, Yulestar, Elsu, Blacks A Fake, Mr Feelgood, Smolda, Lazarus and Tiger Tara.

Along with Silver Peak, 27 Cup winners trace back to Globe Derby, including modern-day stars Arden Rooney, Smolda, Bling It On and 2020 champion King Of Swing.

As for this weekend’s edition, King Of Swing, Triple Eight, Amazing Dream, Mach Dan and Malcolms Rhythm have Globe Derby in their ancestry.

While the gruelling test of stamina has always been a great spectacle, two Cups standout among the archives – 1967 and 1994.

The 1967 Cup attracted one of the best fields assembled in the Southern Hemisphere – Inter Dominions included.

GLOBE DERBY

Six of the first seven across the line were handicapped runners, two of them from 36 yards, and that was on the old three-furlong (600 metres) circuit at the Ascot Vale Showgrounds.

Just to highlight the depth of the line-up, the runners were Future Monarch, Fair Deed, Assiduous, Glenbervie, Macaree, Angelique, Halwes, You Crovottie, Waitaki Hanover, Dale’s Gift, Voice Derby, Robin Dundee and dual Hunter Cup winner, Minuteman.

Tasmanian star Halwes was scratched on the morning of the race on veterinary advice when an old leg injury flared up.

The first run with decimal currency – which was introduced in Australia in 1966 – the Cup offered a purse of $14,000.

It also marked the arrival of the Kiwis, with Waitaki Hanover becoming the first New Zealander to win the feature.

Doody Townley, who drove Robin Dundee to finish second behind Minuteman in the first of his two Cup victories in 1964, produced a polished performance behind Waitaki Hanover.

Starting at 10/1, Waitaki Hanover began quickly from his 24-yard handicap to settle midfield as Voice Derby, which also began quickly off 24 yards, worked to the lead.

Voice Derby was challenged by Waitaki Hanover and Angelique at the furlong post, with Minuteman battling on courageously and Dale’s Gift making his presence felt out wide.

WAITAKI HANOVER

Forging his way to the front in the straight, Waitaki Hanover staved off a determined Angelique to score by two yards.

Dale’s Gift, which finished hard up on the outside fence, was two metres away third.

Rating 2:06.6 for the 14-furlong trip, Waitaki Hanover sliced 1.1 seconds off Sibelia’s 1960 race record, and a second off the track record shared by Cardigan Bay and Angelique.

The Hunter Cup remained one of the most sought after races in the Southern Hemisphere during the ensuing 19 years before falling victim to commercialism in 1986.

Following Village Kid’s triumph that year, Winfield Cigarettes offered the Victorian Harness Racing Board enough sponsorship money to double the stake from $125,000 to $250,000.

As a result of the three-year agreement, the Winfield Gold Cup replaced the Hunter Cup as Victoria’s pinnacle race and as a leg of the Australian Grand Circuit.

Subsequently, the Hunter Cup was demoted to a Group Two mobile start and renamed the A G Hunter Memorial.

Prizemoney was slashed from $125,000 to a disappointing $25,000 in 1987.

At the risk of offending those who won the race during its lower years, the Hunter Memorial attracted inferior fields.

The Hunter Memorial was not run in 1992, but the following year it was renamed the A G Hunter Cup and became a standing start discretionary handicap over 2840 metres, with the stakes increased from $25,000 to $40,000.

New Zealand star Master Musician overcame a 40-metre handicap to beat Blossom Lady and Bowral Boy in a track record 2:02.8, a week after beating Jack Morris and Blossom Lady in the $200,000 Victoria Cup.

The Victoria Cup had replaced the Winfield Gold Cup following the Federal and State Governments’ ban on cigarette advertising after Sinbad Bay’s 1989 Winfield Gold Cup success.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Victoria Harness Racing Club, the Hunter Cup was reborn as a powerhouse event in 1994.

Prizemoney was catapulted to $150,000, returning the fallen idol to some of its former glory.

Unfortunately for locals, the trophy headed across the Tasman once again.

Blossom Lady, driven by Anthony Butt, overcame a 20-metre mark to beat Christopher Vance and The Unicorn, in a track record 2:01.2.

Regardless of the fact the money was shipped to New Zealand, the Hunter Cup was back as a major event on the calendar.

That is enough to rate the 1994 edition as one of the most – if not the most – significant in the feature’s history.

For the record, Blossom Lady returned to successfully defend her title the following year, which also saw the Cup re-join the Grand Circuit.

Racing for a record $200,000 stake, the daughter of Farm Timer beat Master Musician and Golden Reign, with the three placegetters sharing the 30-metre backmark.

BLOSSOM LADY winning the 1995 A G Hunter Cup

Blossom Lady rated a sensational 2:00.6 for the 3280 metres, shaving six-tenths of a second off the track record she set a year earlier

Despite the glory going to a raider, there was a sense of satisfaction to see the A G Hunter Cup moving towards the top of the mantle again.

Prizemoney was at $400,000 by 1997, where it remained until a further injection of funds saw the Group One peak at $500,000 in 2006 and 2007.

Dropping back to $400,000 in 2008, the Cup was once again lifted to $500,000 in 2016, where it has remained.

In 2017 the Cup underwent another change – regarded by many as being to the detriment of the event – when it was reverted back to a mobile start and reduced in distance to 2760 metres.

As for Saturday night’s edition, King Of Swing is a $1.95 favourite after drawing the pole – the same starting position the son of Rocknroll Hanover began from to win in 2020.

TIM and ANTHONY BUTT with their mum Jenny following their 2013 A G Hunter Cup victory with Mah Sish

One can only imagine what odds King Of Swing would be if forced to come from a 30-metre backmark like a traditional Hunter Cup from the halcyon days of the Group One!

HOOFNOTE: Butt returned nine years after Blossom Lady’s second win to capture the Hunter Cup with her son, Mister D G.

Subsequent victories behind Mr Feelgood (’09), Stunin Cullen (’11), Choise Achiever (’12) and Mah Sish (’13) have seen Butt become the race’s most successful driver.

Butt will partner Amazing Dream, which is predicted to enjoy the run of the race behind King Of Swing after drawing the inside of the back row.

Butt’s trainer-brother, Tim, is the Cup’s most successful trainer with five wins Mister D G, Mr Feelgood, Stunin Cullen, Choise Achiever and Mah Sish.

A G Hunter Cup Facts:

First dual winner: Sheffield Globe (1961 and ’62)

Most wins: Pure Steel (1977, ’78 and ’80)

Last Victorian winner: Lochinvar Art (2021)

Biggest handicap: 48 yards – Ribands (1954)

Biggest metric handicap: 30 metres – Blossom Lady (1995) and Blacks A Fake (2008)

Oldest winner: 10yo – Blossom Lady (1995)

First winning reinswoman: Kate Gath (About To Rock 2006)

Distances raced over: 12 ½ furlongs, 12 3/4f, 14f, 13f, 14f 36y, 2851 metres, 2900m, 2800m, 2870m, 2380m, 3280m, 3020m, 3050m, 3065m, 3280m and 2760 metres.

Tracks run at: Ascot Vale Showgrounds, Moonee Valley and Tabcorp Park Melton

Descendants of Alex Hunter’s top stallion Globe Derby which have won the A G Hunter Cup: Amorous, Arden Rooney, Avian Derby, Bling It On, Bondy, Dixie Boy, Floodlight, Gentleman John, Idle Raider, King Of Swing, Merchant, Mineral Spring, Minuteman, Monara, Mont Denver Gold, New Oro, Paris Affair, Popular Alm, Preux Chevalier, Pure Steel, Radiant Venture, Rapid Frost, Ribands, Sheffield Globe, Silver Peak, Smolda, Son Of Nancy and Surprise Package.