Victoria’s premier open class event – the Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup - has been subject to a number of changes over the years since first scheduled by the Trotting Control Board in the 1948-49 season.

Named to honor the board’s first chairman Alex Hunter, who was inducted into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall Of Fame in 2011, the race was first held for a stake of two-thousand pounds in 1949 with a champion of the era, Silver Peak, successful for Frank Culvert, returning a mile rate of 2 mins 11 secs for the 12-and-a-half furlong journey.

Interstate and New Zealand trainers have been and still are regulars to Melbourne each season to try and win this prestigeous event.

The $20,000 1972 Hunter Cup was unique because the final field was made of eight runners only for the 14 furlongs and 36-yard feature.

The field was determined by pacers who had gained the greatest number of points in a series of eight qualifying divisions held prior to the big race, the winners being Welcome Advice (twice), Alecane (twice), Lovelace, Globe Score, Kiwi Lad and Reichman.

The final field (in barrier order) consisted of:
Front
1. GLOBE SCORE (SA), Bill Shinn (trainer)
2. DELLA BOY, J.P (Jack) Moore
3. ALECANE (NSW), John Binskin
4. HONEST REWARD (EM1), Ralph Ford
5. DIXIE BOY (NSW), Jack Young
6. MY GAL SAL (SA) (EM2), H Harding
12 yards
7. WELCOME ADVICE (NSW), George Harpley
8. BOLD DAVID, Alf Simons
9. REICHMAN, Rex Hocking
10. KIWI LAD (NZ), Howard Wilson

After enjoying a perfect trail on the back of Alecane, who flew the tapes to lead from barrier three, Dixie Boy (barrier four) was extracted into the clear on the home turn and rushed home to claim a last stride, half-head margin in a finish that had the big crowd cheering loudly.

Polemarker Globe Score was third after following the pair. The mile rate of 2 mins 9 secs was one of the slowest for a number of years.

Three consolations were held on night, the placings being:

Honest Reward (Ralph Ford), Flash Adios 2nd, Deep Drive 3rd. Mile rate 2 mins 10 sec.
Ed Brigade (Graeme Wilson), Chamfer Pool 2nd, Son Of Nancy 3rd. Mile rates 2 mins 10.2 sec.
Stormy Lodge (Ralph Ford), My Gal Sal 2nd, Vivkay 3rd. Mile rate 2 mins 13.2 sec.

It’s interesting to note that 100 bookmakers operated at the meeting located in six different areas around the track.

Another Hunter Cup chapter will be etched into the record books on Saturday night.