Guess Who???

Leopard Strike

Over the air

Beyond the Pale...?

I was only 15 at the time but hooked already. The horse was Mr Hawaii bought for a record price of 550k by a syndicate formed by Martin Locke. Mike Azzie was the trainer. He won his first start convincingly and that run got him on the 8 o clock news where the Azzman said he was a superstar ala Potala Palace. He started very short in the Joburg Nursery and ran a disappointing 4th.

As Sinatra sang, "regrets I have a few ...." If only I did my school work with such passion and dedication who knows how far I would have gotten ? My dream was to be a vet. You can't go from school to the tote 5 days a week and then full time on the weekend and excel at anything

Cannot remember if his debut was at the Vaal or Newmarket. Going to guess the Vaal. Pretty sure it was not Turffies and definitely not Gosforth Park.

This horse was "Sired North of the Line" (SNL) and bought by Mike Azzie at the Yearling Sales

Harris you're bang on the money! But he cost R510k. Absolutely stunning horse, but his ability never quite matched those good looks!

Thanks Ruby...and well done Harris...

rubyclipper wrote: This horse was "Sired North of the Line" (SNL) and bought by Mike Azzie at the Yearling Sales

So his sire was Hawaii ? Was he trained by George Azzie ? Was he exported ? I would have been about 9 then and although standing outside the tote on a Saturday morning I had not yet got on top of things

At the same time we bought a horse for 2 grand she was called Breathless and we did the same as the Azzie syndicate and took a bus load of friends to the big T to watch her win her maiden on her second run!
One of the best days of my life, she was ridden by Alan Fleet and trained by Cliffy Otto.
When we bought the Sunday Times a big article from Francois Woolfhart " a Scot gets lucky" with a full write up of our day at the races
Note in theses days we had a full page on racing not just a 2 inch square with result numbers !

Harris , hope this helps............

Hawaii
Sire
Utrillo
Grandsire
Toulouse Lautrec
Dam
Ethane
Damsire
Mehrali

Sex
Stallion
Foaled
1964

Country
South Africa
Colour
Bay
Breeder
A. L. Dell (Platberg Stud)
Owner
Cragwood Stables

Trainer
2) MacKenzie Miller (USA)
Record
28: 21-2-3
Earnings
US$371,292

Major wins

East Rand Juvenile Stakes (1966)
African Breeders' Plate (1966)
Chairman's Handicap (1967)
South African Guineas (1967)
Royal Reserve Guineas (1967)
Derby Trial Stakes (1967)
Clairwood Winter Handicap (1967)
Clairwood Anniversary Plate (1967)
Cape Mellow-Good Guineas (1967)
Transvaal Spring Champion Stakes (1968)
United Nations Handicap (1969)
Man o' War Stakes (1969)
Bernard Baruch Handicap (1969)
Stars and Stripes Handicap (1969)
Sunrise Handicap (1969)

Awards

South African Champion Two-Year Old (1966)
South African Champion Three-Year Old (1967)
American Champion Turf Horse (1969)

Honours

Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (1977)

Hawaii (1964–1990) was a South African bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was a Champion at age two and three (Southern Hemisphere) in South Africa after which he was sent to race in the United States by owner Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. where he was voted the 1969 American Champion Turf Horse honors.[1] Among his wins in the United States was a track record setting performance in the mile-and-a-half Man o' War Stakes on turf at Belmont Park.[2]

At stud

Hawaii retired from racing after the 1969 racing season having won 21 of 28 career starts with earnings of US$371,292 (equivalent). Sent to stand at stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, he sired Henbit, who raced in England and won the 1980 Epsom Derby.

Hawaii died at Claiborne Farm in 1990 at age twenty-six and was buried in their Marchmont division equine cemetery.[3]

In 1977, Hawaii was elected to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.[4]

Mr Hawaii was by Hawaii, out of Mild Smoke (USA), by Sir Gaylord. He was bought by Michael Azzie and Delta Bloodstock (Robin Bruss). The under bidder was Colin Pam, who said the horse was "magnificent, a champion". Willie Pieters, who would have trained the horse for Palm, said of Mr Hawaii, "the best looking horse I have ever seen."

His sire, Hawaii, was trained by Mike's grandfather, George Azzie, And so would have had some sentimental value to Mike as well. The horse was very correct conformationally, and definitely ticked all the right boxes to be a top racehorse. but it just goes to show, you cannot predict or quantify talent... Dave Scott's R2000 purchase ended up winnng second time out, bringing lots of joy to the syndicate members no doubt. A horse doesn't know what he cost