The New Zealand Cup 50 years ago - Robalan

It's 50 days to the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway so why not look back on the winner of the Cup 50 years ago? And it's none other than Robalan.

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

It's hard to imagine too many more popular New Zealand Cup winners than the combo of free-legged fan favourite Robalan and his trainer-driver Denis Nyhan.

In 1974, just weeks out from the Cup it seemed "Robby" might not even make the field. He collapsed in a trial, was scratched from the Hannon Memorial, and tests on his heart, skin and blood all came up negative.

But in the spirit of a champion he ran a slashing trial just 10 days later and went into the Cup as the second favourite.

It was generally agreed he was much more potent over the shorter distances rather than the 3200 metres of the New Zealand Cup. So for him to go on and beat the likes of Young Quinn and become the first ever free-legged pacer to win the country's biggest race at his fourth attempt has turned into harness racing folklore. Nyhan threw the hopples away for good after Robalan failed hopelessly in the 1971 Inter-Dominions at Addington.

He raced in the New Zealand Cup five times in all. Apart from his first win in 1974 he was 11th in 1971, third in 1972, fourth in 1973, and third in 1975.

Nyhan described his win in 1974 as "little more than a workout"

Robalan was midfield early on, and after a number of lead changes favourite Young Quinn went four wide with Robalan in hot pursuit. Robalan was "full of running", according to commentator Reon Murtha, at the 600 metre mark though Kotare Legend had a decent break on the field turning for home.

Nyhan then pulled Robalan out and they would have been at least four lengths off the leader at the 200 before the free-legged marvel powered to the line, to rapturous applause, by an ever increasing 2 1/4 lengths in 4:09.00

Just three days later he went on to win the Free For all, a race he won three years in a row. He set a world record with 2:26.6 for the 2000 metres, a mile rate of 1:58.

In all Robalan won 12 races in his seven-year-old season from 20 starts, including six in a row, and was named 1974 Horse of the Year.

Known for his phenomenal speed, and his cantankerous nature, he won 39 races between 1969 and 1976. He died in 1996, aged 29, and was buried at the Nyhan property at Templeton just outside Christchurch. Denis Nyhan died in 2021, aged 82 - two legends combining to win harness racing's ultimate prize.