frost

Harold Park Function Centre | Miracle Mile | Menangle Markets

HAROLD PARK LEGENDS

V.W. FROST
Born at Wollongong Hospital on January 31, 1941, Vic Frost was a chronic asthmatic as a youngster. He was such a sickly young lad, he was not expected to see his 21st birthday.

Despite his shaky start to life, Vic Frost has achieved a lot in the tough and demanding sport of Harness Racing, including five Harold Park Driving Premierships and four Harold Park Training Premierships.

He landed his first winner with Darkie's Last at the Dapto Show at the tender age of 12. Although Darkie's Last never won at a registered meeting, she started Vic on an amazing career that was to take him all around the world.

He won his first race as a driver at Harold Park on March 15, 1957, when he was successful behind Galway Bay at the age of 16.

Frost's first real 'name' horse was Tacloban, with whom he won the 1961 Tasmanian Pacing Championship. Red Adios, which finished fourth behind Minuteman in the 1964 Inter Dominion Final, Fountain and Ringo were other good horses Vic Frost was associated with in the early 1960s.

Later there would be quality performers like Double Agent, Grand Thor, Local Ayr, Kiwi Lad, Area Code, Glenn's Thunder, Cheryl's Delight, Royal Grenadier, Speed Partner, True Delight, Grand Delight, Brand New, Finnigan, Chime Bay, Remember Joy, and in more recent times Westburn Grant and Chandon, in the latter part of his career.

Frost was also associated with Queensland star Lucky Creed during the 1969-70 season, driving the pacer to 20 of his 24 consecutive wins to claim the Australian record winning sequence. During that season (1969-70), Frost became the first reinsman to land a century of winners in Australia with 106 victories.

In 1972, Frost was chosen by Harness Tracks of America to represent Australia in the third World Driving Championship on 11 different tracks in the US and Canada. He drove six winners during the series, including a double at Saratoga, finishing fourth behind Italian Giuseppe Guzzinati, Joe Marsh (US) and Canadian superstar, Herve Filion.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Frost was associated with champion pacer Westburn Grant, who won more than $2million in stakes during a magnificent career. The highlight of Westburn Grant's career was his stunning all-the-way win in the 1992 Inter Dominion Final at Moonee Valley, but he also dominated the Australian Grand Circuit.

Westburn Grant won nine Grand Circuit races during his career, including two Miracle Miles (1989 and '90), two WA Pacing Cups ('91 and '92), two South Australia Cups ('90 and '92), as well as the M H Treuer Memorial ('89), Queensland Pacing Championship ('90) and Australian Pacing Championship ('91).

The most successful reinsman on the Australian Grand Circuit until Brian Hancock arrived on the scene with Our Sir Vancelot, Frost, who is now retired from driving, chalked up 12 wins at Grand Circuit level – nine with Westburn Grant, two with Chandon and one with Area Code.