When Dean Cernovskis arrived at the 2017 APG Yearling sale he had every intention of selling his Art Major - Daniela Hantuchova colt. He and co-owners, wife Rikki and father-in-law John O’Sullivan had agreed on a $50,000 reserve.
Dean was concerned the colt’s sheer size might put prospective buyers off. He was much bigger than his Bettor’s Delight half brother which had made $105,000 at the same sale twelve months earlier. Word was out that he was greatly pleasing his trainer Darren Hancock and would soon be at the races under the name of Drop The Hammer.
As Dean watched the towering yearling being groomed for the sale ring, his thoughts wandered back to the night of the colt’s arrival into the world. He was Daniela Hantuchova’s first foal and far bigger than anticipated. Two Canberra vets attended the birth, as did neighbour and experienced studmaster Ray Grubb.
There was great concern when it was discovered one of the colt’s forelegs was in the incorrect position. Veterinary expertise and truckloads of luck saw a gigantic Art Major colt struggle to his feet a few minutes later.
Dean’s affection for the horse grew day by day. “You knew from the outset he was going to take a long time to fully mature”, said the trainer. “His temperament quickly endeared him to the whole family. He was a dream to handle through the weaning process and during the pre-sale period”.
The fact that he was Daniela Hantuchova’s first foal added to the love affair. Dean bought his dam in NZ, simply because he’d always wanted a daughter of Christian Cullen as a racing proposition and a potential foundation broodmare.
Cernovskis won eleven races with the consistent mare, including an MO event at Menangle. You’d expect a mare named after an ace tennis player to perform with distinction. Her namesake was ranked world number 5 at one stage, and played at the top level for eighteen years. She made the quarters and semi finals of many elite tournaments.
Image courtesy National Trotguide - Dean won 11 races with Daniella Hantuchova including this one at Menangle 22/10/2011.
By the time Lot 309 lumbered into the ring, Dean was having a change of heart. He was terrified at the prospect of the colt going to an impatient trainer who might “bust” him too early.
There was a bid of $50,000, and just as the auctioneer was about to knock him down, sentimentality prevailed. “I put my hand up and bought him back for $52,000”, Dean recalled. “I was on the outer with my co owners for a day or two”.
The Hantuchova connection inspired the name Game Set Major. Dean’s prediction that the big boy would be slow to mature proved frustratingly accurate. “He was bowling around nicely as a two year old, but would stress out occasionally”, said the trainer. “We discovered a blood disorder which would present itself whenever we put a little too much pressure on him”.
A long spell and back into work as a three year old. This time the blood problem sorted itself out, but he started to hang uncontrollably. “I could barely steer him, and I’ve got to say, I was starting to regret not having taken the $50,000 at the sale”, reflected Dean.
Game Set Major came back into work last autumn. This time there were no blood problems and he was driving generously. In recent years Dean and Rikki have been taking a small team of horses to Queensland during the winter months, with very pleasing results.
They had no intention of including the now gelded Art Major three year old in this year’s muster, but made a last minute call to put him on the truck. “He’d been in work about eight weeks and hadn’t put a foot wrong”, said Cernovskis. “We decided to treat him like every other member of our six horse team and continue his training in Brisbane”.
Suddenly Dean’s vision materialised. “He started to work the place down”, said his relieved trainer. “Still a bit gawky and green, but the rhythm was coming to him and the further I let him out in his gear, the better he went.”
While we’re on the subject of Game Set Major’s hopple length, it’s currently a massive 67” (1.7 metres) and could get longer! No I haven’t made a mistake - it’s 1.7 metres. I’d like to hear from anyone who knows of a bigger registered hopple length.
The equine Goliath went to the trials six times between 1/12/18 and 2/7/19. Despite being a maiden at the trials, he was served up as a $2.60 favourite when he lined up for his first start at Albion Park on July 19th. He led comfortably from barrier 4 and won by thirteen metres in a 1.53.1 rate for 1660m. His only misdemeanour was a tendency to shift out - worrying for his trainer but not crucial at this stage.
Image courtesy Costello Racing - Game Set Major scored a brilliant first up win at Albion Park.
The Breeders Challenge regional series at Wagga beckoned and the big boy was there for the heat on July 26th. He easily filled that massive hopple as he cruised around the new Riverina Paceway to win by nine metres in 1.52.7. Again he wanted to shift up the track and Dean now realised a bad habit was emerging.
August 4th and Game Set Major drew the coveted number 1 barrier for the Final. “The big bugger cost himself the race”, said Dean this week. “He was shifting out from the back straight and really got the wobbles in the run home. Reigning Pepper got the peg run to beat him 2.2 metres in 1.52.9”.
Game Set Major is currently having a freshen up before being prepared for a couple of suitable races in April 2020. “After that we’ll be aiming for the heats and quarter finals of the new 1 million dollar pace in May”, said Dean. “Hopefully we’ll be in the big final on May 31st at Menangle. In the meantime I’ve got some work to do with his racing manners”.
Image courtesy Costello Racing - Dean was joined by wife, Rikki, daughter Lucy and son Harry after the Albion Park win.
This is all pretty heady stuff for the southern highlands kid who fell in love with the standardbred at an early age. He didn’t even have the right name for a budding trots trainer and had lost count of the times he’d had to explain that his grandfather had emigrated from Latvia at the end of World War 2.
There was a time when a hundred horses were trained on a 600 metre track constructed by the Wingecarribee Shire Council at Lackey Park Moss Vale. “I used to ride my bike down there and just watch the horses in their trackwork”, recalled Dean.
It wasn’t long before the youngster was learning the ropes from veteran trainer Merv Thurston, whose son in law David Baxter and grandson Damian were also heavily involved in the sport.
Young Cernovskis was a trotting “tragic” by mid-teens. “I was first into the newsagency when the Trotguide arrived every Thursday and I would read every single word”, he said.
The only shred of racing background in Dean’s family tree is the fact that his grandmother Helen Burke was a sister to the father of Peter Snowden, one of Australia’s most successful thoroughbred trainers.
Dean Cernovskis first spotted young Rikki O’Sullivan at Canberra trots. He was instantly taken by the attractive daughter of former respected trainer driver John O’Sullivan. He says she took plenty of “catching”, but just as he was about to give up, Rikki agreed to go out with the trots mad young bloke from Moss Vale.
That courtship began eighteen years ago. Today the couple are the proud parents of Lucy (5) and Harry (3). They live on a six acre property at idyllic Gunning, halfway between Goulburn and Canberra. Directly across the road is the Gunning Showground with a 600 metre track, where Dean does most of his trackwork. “When a horse needs a really good hit out, we go to the Goulburn Paceway”, he explained.
Rikki is an extremely capable driver in her own right, posting numerous wins before the demands of motherhood created time constraints. “She drives very well and I’m sure she’ll give it another shot in the future”, says Dean.
The euphoria of Dean’s first winning drive has never left him. “It was a catch drive from Canberra trainer Lindsay Woodward who put me on Out For Fun in a heat of the 2001 Junee Cup”, recalled the trainer. “We went back a week later for the Cup final and the meeting was washed out. I was absolutely gutted, but I did get to win another one on him at Canberra a week or so later”.
Image courtesy National Trotguide - Dean Cernovskis fell in love with harness horses as a teenager.
Bucolix was Dean’s first Harold Park winner as a trainer in 2003. It was just a few weeks before he gained his metropolitan race driver’s licence, and young Michael Towers picked up an unexpected win at headquarters.
He didn’t have to wait long to open his Harold Park account. The horse was one of his all time favourites Brindabella Ben, with whom the up and coming trainer recorded nine wins and seventeen placings.
Another institution in the Cernovskis camp was the recently retired Lucky Voodoo. The iron gelding raced 234 times for 27 wins and an astonishing 59 placings for $260,000. He spent much of his time in Brisbane stables, but finished his career with Dean and Rikki.
Iamboogie raced even longer than Lucky Voodoo. The remarkable twelve year old was a member of this year’s Queensland team and actually won two races at Albion Park.
Racing sentimentalists will be touched to learn that Iamboogie is the very last of the progeny of the great Westburn Grant still competing. Winner of two Miracle Miles and an Inter Dominion Grand Final, Westburn Grant is a healthy thirty three, living in retirement at the Mooball (NSW) property of former trainer Vic Frost.
Image courtesy National Trotguide - Dean wins on one of his favourites – Iamboogie.
At half of Iamboogie’s age, The Announcer can look forward to an extended racing career under the care of the Cernovskis team. This son of Badlands Hanover won two races at Albion Park on the recent Queensland sojourn and will be a very handy Menangle horse next time in. He’s already a 1.52 winner at headquarters.
Hard working Dean Cernovskis arrived home from Queensland less than two weeks ago. All horses went to the paddock for a brief break, while he immediately kick started the small business he’s been operating for several years.
He’s very proficient in the art of floor sanding - a much in demand skill for the restoration of old floors and the preparation of new floorboards prior to treatment.
It’s well documented that more trainers are leaving rather than entering the harness racing industry. Hours are long and rewards are few, unless a trainer is blessed with the presence of two or three topliners on his team.
Thankfully people like Dean Cernovskis are still in the game. He’s one of the rare breed driven not by the bright lights, but by sheer love and admiration for the standardbred horse.
He sounded as excited as ever as he told me the story of Game Set Major on the phone during the week.
He could have been sitting on the fence at Lackey Park watching Merv Thurston’s horses working around the little council track.
(Banner image courtesy National Trotguide - Dean and Alta Capone on the way to an Albion Park win 2015.)