What’s in a name? For the 3-year-old pacer Whittaker third time lucky.
Whittaker who posted his third win in four starts when successful at Wyndham last Sunday has had three registered names.
The Sportswriter – Anarchy colt was named Melman by Taupaki breeder Ann Cooney and sold for $20,000 at the 2015 Australiasian Classic sale to Weedons trainer Nigel McGrath.
Melman joined the stable of Leonne Jones at Templeton and his new owner Todd Halliday, of Rangiora changed the colt’s name to Tadpole’s Legacy at the end of April. The colt won his first public outing under that name in a trial at Ashburton in May, qualifying in 1.58.3.
He won a workout at Rangiora the following month. He was then bought by Greg Brodie, of the Gold Coast who was granted permission by Harness Racing New Zealand to change the name of the colt to Whittaker.
The new name memorialised Bill Whittaker, the long-time racing writer of the Sydney Morning Herald. He died in 2009.
The third change of name coincided with the switch of the colt to the Burnham stable of Mark Jones.
“It is most unusual to have a name change after a horse has trialled for the obvious reason that punters could be misled but the new owner (Brodie) was insistent with his application to the board (HRNZ) that Tadpole’s Legacy was inappropriate,” said John French, who is in charge of registrations at HRNZ.
Whittaker won first up at Addington in July, and then finished second there the same month. He then resumed racing with a win at Invercargill three weeks ago.
Mr Brodie raced Rocker Band from the Jones stable. She won a Harness Jewels race for 4-year-old mares at Cambridge in June, Rocker Band was recently transferred to Barry Purdon and won the Group 1 Ladyship Cup at Melton last Saturday in her second Australian start, after a win the week prior.
Brodie raced Courage Under Fire, winner of his first 24 races including the New Zealand, Great Northern, New South Wales, Victoria, Australia and Queensland Derbies when trained by Bruce Negus. Sly Flyin, winner of 29 races and $911,000 was another big winner in his white and light blue colours.
I can recall a name change for a horse raced in the late 1970s by the then Prime Minister Rob Muldoon and Transport Minister Colin McLachlan. The gelding was registered as Rastus when they bought him but his name was changed to Johnny Lincoln. A gelding by Jersey Hanover from Valerie Globe, he won two races when trained by Graham Holmes and another for Jack Carmichael before being sold to the United States.
