Jenny
Barnes

Oakbank
2002

26/03/02 Heroes and Warriors - Von Doussa Steeplechase

Chocolate Royal was by the Ribot stallion Dies from Beauty Queen and was foaled in 1972. Trained and owned by F Bullock at Hamilton in Victoria Chocolate Royal was an experienced jumper by the time he ventured to Oakbank in 1978. In the Von Doussa that year he made a final charge to run down Fine Advice with Roughneck finishing third. Due to their runs on Saturday Roughneck and Chocolate Royal were sent out as equal favourites for Monday's Great Eastern. The longer trip suited Roughneck better and he raced away to win by 50 lengths. Chocolate Royal returned to the Victorian jumping circuit and placed behind So and So in the Grand National Steeplechase.

In 1979 Chocolate Royal returned to Oakbank along with old rival Roughneck for the Von Doussa and Great Eastern. In the Von Doussa Chocolate Royal repeated his 1978 victory winning by 1 ¼ lengths from Roughneck with Heroic Speech third recording a record winning time. Before Monday the rain hit Oakbank and the Great Eastern was run in cold and wet conditions. Chocolate Royal was favourite over Roughneck and both started well. At the jump at the base of the hill Chocolate Royal fell on the first lap then a lap later Roughneck fell at the same jump with Heoic Speech going on to victory. Chocolate Royal then went back to the Melbourne circuit and was again placed in the Grand National Steeplechase this time behind Somoy.

Chocolate Royal returned to Oakbank in 1980 to try and make in history in being the first horse to win the Von Doussa three times. Chocolate Royal duly stormed to his third victory again in record time and headed to the Great Eastern as topweight and favourite. Interference suffered on the final lap resulted in Chocolate Royal losing valuable ground and despite storming home he couldn't catch Lord Rocky Red who won by seven lengths with a further seven lengths to Fine Advice third.

Chocolate Royal continued to race in Victoria until early 1982. After running 3rd in a Jumpers Flat at Penhurst Chocolate Royal had his final jumps start in the Redleap Steeple. He finished 6th of 10 behind Donrewen for W Londregan who had ridden him at Oakbank. Soon after another run on the flat he was off the scene for 11 months. Running second in a Jumpers Flat again at Penshurst in March 1983 beaten a neck by Alkia Son was Chocolate Royal's final run in a race. Overall Chocolate Royal had 109 starts for 17 wins 15 seconds and 12 thirds.

The next dual winner was well travelled Spinning Wagon who raced at Oakbank in the mid 90s. Sired by Battle Waggon from New Zealand mare Big Spin Spinning Wagon showed signs of being a future stayer at 2 years where his best results were a fifth placing at Randwick over 1600m and a 4th over 1400m at Kembla Grange. As a 3yo in January 1988 Spinning Wagon broke his Maiden over 1200m at Goulburn then was second behind Ton of Class at Coffs Harbour on a heavy track. Another win at Goulburn over Atlantic Whisper followed before Spinning Wagon started to struggle in the higher grades. Campaigning through winter his form picked up with placings at Warwick Farm, Bathurst and Goulburn before winning on August 11 at Hawkesbury over 1600m. A third in a Provincial Stakes over 1600m at Wyong followed before two unplaced runs and a spell.

Five runs into his 1989 campaign Spinning Wagon recorded his fifth victory in a Rural Stakes at Goulburn in May but again struggled in wet conditions in a further 3 runs. Back to the dry tracks Spinning Wagon was placed at Wyong before winning a 2300m Provincial Stakes at Hawkesbury. A seventh placing at Listed level followed before he took out another Provincial Stakes over 2000m at Hawkesbury. Pabulum was too good at Randwick before Spinning Wagon won a restricted race at Canterbury. A spell soon followed but in five runs Spinning Wagon could only manage a second at Orange in an Open Hcp. After a let up and the onset of the winter racing he found form placed at Wyong and Randwick before heading to Eagle Farm for the Brisbane Cup. After finishing well back in that race Spinning Wagon dropped in class to run second to Stack the Deck at Hawkesbury then won a restricted 2400m race at Randwick. Taken to Darwin for the Darwin Cup Spinning Wagon was unsuited to the conditions and finished well back before a spell.

By December 1990 Spinning Wagon found himself in Adelaide being placed over 2014m at Morphettville on Australia Day before again being placed two days later over 2415m. He was then unplaced twice before running second beaten a head at Victoria Park over 2200m. Another placing at Morphettville followed but a jumping career was now in the future plans for Spinning Wagon. On the 30th of March 1991 Spinning Wagon made his jumping debut in the Dicksons Hurdle at Oakbank. He finished fifth of the 9 runners behind Cruise Liner. Spelled Spinning Wagon moved his base to Melbourne and at his second Victorian start won a 1600m Welter at Moe. Two runs later he was back to jumping winning a Hurdle at Victoria Park over 3210m. Unplaced behind Yrangie at Moonee Valley he then ran third at Caulfield behind My Dark Rebel and then twice finished third behind Gold Fever at Flemington. A 5th behind Silver Haul and Bula Naitasi at Cranbourne followed before Spinning Wagon was a close third to Gold Fever and Yrangie at Werribee. Returning to Sydney for the then annual Trans Tasman Hurdle in November 1991 Spinning Wagon ran a close second to Bula Natasi with Yrangie third. A fourth on the flat and second over hurdles followed before Spinning Wagon won an Open Hcp over 1750m at Pakenham. Spelled Spinning Wagon returned for the winter but failed to find form and was given a long spell to Feburary 1993.

After heading to Oakbank for a trial win Spinning Wagon made his steeplechase debut in the Von Doussa Steeple. Revelling in the race conditions Spinning Wagon raced to the line in front by six lengths from Lift Off with Squire John third. Given a let up after the race Spinning Wagon returned to Victoria where he was fourth to Irish Kiwi at Moonee Valley then second to Megano at Flemington. After being unplaced at Moonee Valley he was pulled up in a Steeplechase at Sandown and was away from racing until the following February. Unplaced on the flat first up Spinning Wagon then won a hurdle at Bendigo and was second to Bula Naitasi in a hurdle at Victoria Park. He then repeated his 1993 Oakbank campaign in winning a trial before heading to the Von Doussa Steeplechase. Again Spinning Wagon enjoyed the testing course and raced away from his rivals winning by 13 lengths from Tyrolia with Newsbeat third and Chantry Rise fourth. Again he missed the Great Eastern and returned to Victoria to finish well back in a steeple at Flemington on Anzac Day. A trip to Warnambool followed where he again finished well back and was retired. Trained in the latter part of his career by Eric Musgrove at Cranbourne Spinning Wagon raced at 36 different racetracks in NSW, Victoria, SA and NT. He raced 110 times for 14 wins 12 seconds and 12 thirds.

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