Racing: Deeds of super galloper Johnny Cash recalled

Ian Signal, who owned, trained and bred the top galloper of the 1960s and '70s Johnny Cash, was a visitor at the Otago Racing Club meeting on Saturday.

Signal (85) spends his time touring New Zealand and living in a bus after retiring from farming pedigree Jersey cattle at Matamata.

"I am lucky to be able to do it," Signal said.

His visit to Wingatui has given him the chance to renew his acquaintance with trainer Brian Anderton, whom he has known for many years.

Signal bred Johnny Cash in 1964 and named him after the country singer who had then made his name with songs such as I Walk The Line.

"Johnny Cash saw the horse when he was in New Zealand and mention of that is made in his autobiography," Signal said.

The horse was by Lord Sasanof, who won the Avondale, Great Northern and Wellington Guineas in 1959.

The Fair's Fair entire won the Foxbridge Plate, Thames Valley Stakes, Queen Elizabeth Plate at Paeroa and the Clifford Plate at Ellerslie under weight-for-age conditions as a 5yr-old.

Johnny Cash was out of Otahuhu, a non-Stud Book mare by Contact, winner of the 1936 Sydney Cup.

Johnny Cash had his first win as a 2yr-old at Gisborne in May 1967 when trained at Matamata by Russell Campbell.

The gelding won as a 3yr-old for Campbell from eight starts.

"Russell had trouble keeping him sound so I decided to have a go at training by riding him on the farm," Signal said.

Johnny Cash responded by winning at Te Rapa, Te Aroha and Ellerslie (an open 2000m) at 4.

A horse named Tom Jones won the same day at Te Aroha.

The pair clashed in the 1969 Waikato Gold Cup, with Johnny Cash the winner in the hands of David Peake.

Johnny Cash won the Wellington Racing Club Handicap at Trentham two months later in 2.25 for the mile and a-half (2400m), slashing 2.25sec off the record for Australia and New Zealand set by Palfresco in the 1935 Caulfield Cup.

Johnny Cash had his other win that season in the Even Stevens Challenge Cup at Te Rapa, a race named after the horse who won the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1962.

Even Stevens was trained at Te Rapa by Archie McGregor for Jim Wattie, who developed a major cannery at Hastings.

Johnny Cash won the Allison Cup at Ellerslie in 1972 and '73 and raced until he was 9 when he ran Syndrome to a neck in the Carr Memorial at Rotorua.

Syndrome was owned and trained by Ralph Manning, who has won the Greymouth, Gore and Taranaki and Cups this season with Bruce Almighty.

"I had him [Johnny Cash] nominated for the Melbourne Cup twice but I never felt I was up to training in Australia.

I did try my luck there later and won about five races in Queensland and Sydney with Johnny Paycheck and Jager," Signal said.

Johnny Cash died at the age of 26.