Bill Hansell’s career in harness racing had just begun when the dual Academy Award winning movie “The Quiet Man” was released in 1952. The title of the famous John Wayne classic best describes the persona of Bill Hansell, whose passing last week at age 89 saddened several generations of trots lovers. Bill was a quiet man in everything he did - quiet around people, even quieter around horses and a race driver with a silken touch and boundless patience.
As the son of successful hobby trainer Bill Hansell Snr, young William became obsessed with harness horses at an early age and by early teens was committed to a future in the sport. It’s important to remember that youngsters of his generation were growing up in a boom period for the sport in Sydney. Night trotting was still in its infancy but already bringing huge crowds to the popular Harold Park Paceway. Prize money was good enough to inspire the popular cliche “a win at Harold Park will buy you a new Holden car.”
Young Bill had driven thirty winners on outside tracks before he experienced the thrill of winning a race on the renowned “ribbon of light”. Every young driver in the metropolitan area and those in country strongholds around NSW, dreamed of that elusive first win on the track that had been showcasing the talents of champion horses and horsemen since the dawn of the twentieth century. Young Bill Hansell’s magic moment came a week before Christmas in 1959 on a pacer called Dark Silver. Forty three years later at age 69, he drove his final winner on the hallowed circuit.
Bill was 53 when this one was taken at Harold Park in 1986 - courtesy Club Menangle.
He led throughout to win a Trotter’s Discretionary Hcp on the Peter Carson trained Polar Iceman. Carson at the time was training more square gaiters than any other NSW horseman, and regularly used the services of the vastly experienced Hansell. Bill’s affinity with the trotting breed was evident whenever he partnered a square gaiter. He loved trotters and they loved him. Peter Carson made full use of that unique talent.
During his training years Bill Hansell was one of several horsemen to use the popular Granville Showground. He shared the facility with trainers like Jim Caffyn, Barry Matterson, Les Kosklin, Rod Vernon and Charlie and Tom Forrest. The monthly Granville gymkhanas were enormously popular with a wide range of trainers, and would often host twenty or more trials on a Sunday afternoon. Those who fancied a wager on the gymkhana events could usually find a friendly bookie on the hill near the hometurn. The Granville trainers were none too pleased when the A&H Society asked them to vacate the premises to make way for the Parramatta Speedway.
Bill wasn’t a driver to go around in every race on a Harold Park programme. His training numbers rarely got into double figures, and that’s the way he liked it. However, his freelance drives were fairly regular and he was a familiar face at the Glebe circuit on Friday nights. He competed in the golden era of night trotting when there was a hair’s breadth between the skills of many outstanding drivers. There was no need for Billy Hansell to feel intimidated by the presence of legends like Jim and Cyril Caffyn, Kevin Newman, Percy Hall, Vic Frost, Laurie Moulds, and several others. In fact on many occasions it was W.E. Hansell who grabbed victory in the last stride, because he’d remained cooler than his rivals.
Bill parades in front of a typical Friday night crowd after winning the 1972 NSW Oaks Final with Miss Hondo. Winner was trained by Frank Knapton - courtesy Club Menangle.
Many winners came his way at Harold Park. Perhaps his greatest thrill was to win the heat and final of the 1972 NSW Oaks on Miss Hondo for trainer Frank Knapton. He won multiple races on Waitawhile Boy and Byad Boy while a freelance association with trainer Jack Brown yielded outstanding results. The pair combined to win many races with talented horses like Viva Amigo, Jason King, Glamour King, Pakura Road and Laucheen. Bill left Sydney only once during his long career, and that was in 1973 when he accepted a tempting offer to train privately for leviathan owner/breeder Jack Honan.
Honan had a huge number of horses coming through the system on his state of the art Canowindra property, and employed only the best people to run his breeding and training operation. Obviously touched by Honan’s offer and perhaps looking for a change of environment, Bill decided to bite the bullet and relocate to the Lachlan Valley. His wife Mary was happy to make the move, while children Michael, Anne- Marie and Darren couldn’t wait to get there. Hansell won many races for the large as life Honan and enjoyed his association with the very talented pacer Tuapeka’s Garry. Despite an idyllic lifestyle and the opportunity to work with some royally bred bloodstock, Bill was anxious to train again for his old Sydney clients. He and Jack Honan parted company amicably after a year.
May I relate two little stories about my association with W.E. Hansell. In the early 1970’s races for media identities became popular as charity fundraisers on the Sydney gymkhana circuit. Ian Craig and I were getting in as much practice as we could between events. One Friday morning we turned up at the Granville Showground where Billy Hansell had arranged for three horses to work together over ten furlongs. Bill drove a trotter called Scottish Larry, I can’t recall the name of Ian’s mount and I was on a chunky little bay horse called Kena Raid. Bill led in the trial with Ian on his back, and I was last of the three as we turned for home. We were “flat chat” as I eased outside Ian’s wheel. Kena Raid ducked back in suddenly and climbed onto the wheel in question. He stumbled for a few strides before hitting the deck and spearing me head first onto the sunbaked Granville track. It’s still a blur for two reasons - we’re talking fifty years ago and I was all but out cold for what seemed an eternity. Ian Craig was kind enough to drive me to the nearby St. Joseph’s Hospital where several stitches were inserted in a gash above my right eye. Apart from my badly wounded pride I got over it quickly, and missed only one or two race meetings. Billy Hansell checked on my welfare every time we met for the next twelve months.
Kena Raid had fallen pretty heavily in the incident, and I didn’t expect to see him at the races for a while. Two weeks later he turned up at Harold Park and was the medium of strong support in what looked to be a very suitable race. He was driven in Bill Hansell’s trademark style to escape a pocket three back on the fence and swoop late to grab them on the line. For obvious reasons I remember the race clearly. Two weeks earlier the horse had lost his legs in the hands of a greenhorn. Next thing he lands a betting coup in the hands of a magician. It was a classic case of the master and the pupil.
Here's Bill after one his 12 wins on Byad Boy for trainer Jack Webb - courtesy Club Menangle.
One night at the trots around twenty years ago, Bill casually asked if I had a hopple measuring device at my Ebenezer stable. When I told him I was using a very primitive home made contraption, he muttered something about making me a new one. Two weeks later at Harold Park, he presented me with a very neat tubular steel creation with calibration that turned out to be deadly accurate. Not only had he been true to his word, but I was deeply touched by his generosity.
By a bizarre twist of fate Bill’s brothers Ken and Joe predeceased him in the last twelve months. He made the trip from the Central Coast to attend brother Joe’s funeral recently, but was obviously struggling and looking very frail. For Robert Hansell, youngest of the four brothers it’s been a very tough year. He paid Bill a simple and heartfelt tribute early this week when he said “he was a wonderful brother and one of the greatest trotting horsemen of his generation.”
Sincere condolences go to Bill’s wife Mary, a daughter of former legendary trainer Dinny Byrnes. Heartfelt sympathy to sons Michael and Darren and to daughter Anne-Marie. Bill was delighted in the early 90’s when Michael made the decision to enter the sport for a short time. He drove 23 winners including one that gave his father a huge thrill - a Harold Park win on Glendarvie in 1994. Michael was able to squeeze in his harness racing involvement between commitments as a professional signwriter.
With wife Mary and father-in-law Dinny Byrnes at Harold Park shortly before the closure of the iconic track - courtesy Club Menangle.
As he advanced in years and slowly phased out of harness racing, Bill forged an association with the Sydney Turf Club. He fulfilled several roles including the raceday responsibility of ticking off every Canterbury and Rosehill starter as they entered the racecourse from the float parking area. His quiet demeanour and affable nature endeared him to many trainers and stable staff.
With Bill Hansell’s passing yet another link is lost to the rollicking days of the Sydney trots - the days when Harold Park was a mecca for veteran horseplayers and for young men taking their new girl out on the town for the first time. It was an era of wonderful horses and innately talented horsemen. Thoroughly deserving of his place in the upper echelon is Bill Hansell, horseman and gentleman.
(Banner image - Bill won several races on Jason King in the 1970s. This one was taken at the long defunct Parramatta Paceway, now the site of Westmead Hospital - courtesy Club Menangle.)