Grey Way recognised

NATASHA MARTIN/Timaru Herald

In the blood: Owner of the ``Washdyke Wonder'' Grey Way, Peter South's passion for horses has not subsided with time. Three-year-old Sergeant Dan is one of 13 horses he still has on his property.

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The Washdyke Wonder has been immortalised.

One of South Canterbury's greatest horses, Grey Way, has been inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

The tenacious gelding, that became greyer with age, was dubbed the "Washdyke Wonder" by the New Zealand racing journalists of the 1970s.

Grey Way joins horses like Bonecrusher, Sir Tristram, Sunline and Seadown's own Phar Lap, as well as racing personalities like Sir Patrick Hogan and Lance O'Sullivan in the Hall of Fame.

Grey Way's owner and Timaru resident Peter South said he was pleased the horse had been recognised for his achievements and unparalleled racing record.

South said the horse gave him "a wonderful ride" as an owner from 1972 to 1980.

"We originally bred him as a jumper, but he had other ideas."

The horse had 164 starts for 51 wins – including one in Australia – 27 seconds and 21 thirds.

"He was a sound-legged horse, he travelled well and he ate well," South said.

"He was just a nice, big, plain grey horse."

Grey Way was known for his fast finishing sprint down the home straight.

Known as a sprinter who could step up to 1600 metres, one of his famous victories came in the 1976 Awapuni Gold Cup over 2000m, where he raced in the lead and held on to win.

South said his best victory came in Auckland Easter Handicap as a seven-year-old.

"He had 60 and a half [kilograms] on [his back] and of course you have to remember in those days the minimum was 49 [kilograms] so you had 11-and-a-half kilograms' difference between the light-weight and the top-weight horses, so that's what made the Easter Handicap his best effort."

Grey Way's stakes earnings of $249,000 saw him become one of the biggest earners of his time.

South, who still has 13 horses on his property, said it was a tough choice to retire Grey Way as a 10-year-old, but he knew it was the right one.

"At 10 years old we thought it was best," he said.

"He was a public idol and I didn't want him to break down, so we thought enough is enough.

At the time of Grey Way's death in 1984, due to grey-horse cancer, South received more than 500 messages of condolence.

The 73-year-old said Grey Way was loved by the New Zealand public for his longevity, never-give-up attitude and his ever-greying colour.

South said the Hall of Fame was the pinnacle of racing and it was an accolade well deserved by his champion horse.

- © Fairfax NZ News