hancock

Harold Park Function Centre | Miracle Mile | Menangle Markets

HAROLD PARK LEGENDS

B.P. HANCOCK
Born at Junee on New Year's Day 1948, the son of Cyril Hancock, a shearing contractor in the Riverina, Brian Hancock, or 'Golden Gloves' as he became known to adoring Harold Park fans, was mad about horses as a youngster and worked on a milk cart at Junee, then took a job at farmer Pat Allamby's property where he helped to break-in harness horses.

That was the turning point of Hancock's life, for Pat Allamby had a little filly he had named Teeny Rena.

Allamby took a liking to the fresh-faced Hancock, and when the lad announced he wanted to go north to join his older brother, Richard, in the coal mines at Bulli, he allowed the then 17-year-old Hancock to take Teeny Rena with him.

Teeny Rena provided Hancock with his first winning drive when she won as a three-year-old at Nowra in early 1966, and also provided him with his first metropolitan success when she won at Harold Park on February 16, 1968.

The mare almost provided Hancock with a dream start to his training career the following year when he floated her across to Adelaide to contest the 1969 Inter Dominion series at the Wayville Showgrounds.

Then only 21, Hancock had worked the night shift in the Bulli coal mines so he could work his mare during the day.

Although she won a heat of that series, she was controversially left out of the final field and won a Consolation Race instead.

Eleven years later, Brian Hancock finally tasted Inter Dominion success when he teamed with the Ray Wisbey-trained Koala King to win the 1980 Inter Dominion Final at Harold Park.

A decade after that, Brian Hancock returned to Adelaide to win the 1990 Inter Final at Globe Derby Park with Thorate, who was driven by Howard James, before winning the 'Holy Grail' another four times in the 1990s – Weona Warrior at Harold Park in 1994, and then a hat-trick of victories in Adelaide ('97), Hobart ('98) and Auckland ('99) with Our Sir Vancelot.

Rightfully dubbed the 'Inter Dominion King', Brian Hancock is also the most successful reinsman in Australian Grand Circuit history.

When he reined Our Sir Vancelot to victory in the Inter Dominion Final at Alexandra Park in Auckland in 1999, it took his tally of Grand Circuit victories to 16, well clear of his nearest rivals, Vic Frost and Chris Lewis on 12 wins each.

On the verge of becoming the first reinsman to drive 800 winners at Harold Park, Brian Hancock can boast seven wins in the Harold Park Driving Premiership, and six wins in the Harold Park Training Premiership.

Brian Hancock has topped the century mark of winners on four occasions, with his best season being 133 victories in 1990-91.