Chokin is a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace i ...

racehorse who was notable in winning the

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chri ...

, which is New Zealand's most prestigious horse race. Chokin is also one of the few horses to have won

Harold Park Paceway Harold Park Paceway was a harness racing track in Forest Lodge, New South Wales, in use from 1890 to 2010. It was a half-mile track (804.5 metres) but was just 739 metres in circumference until some changes in its later years. Races at the tra ...

's prestigious Miracle Mile Pace twice. During his 2-year-old season in 1990/91 Chokin was sold to the Pacers Australia syndicate for about $200,000 and changed trainer from Brian Hughes to Roy and Barry Purdon.Death of an Icon
www.harnessnet.com He had won 4 of 5 races before the sale. For his new owners he won the Sires Stakes Final by 4 ½ lengths in 1:56.5 which was a national record for his age. He also won the Two Year Old Championship over 2200 metres by 3 ½ lengths, again in national record time despite a rain affected track. He won 7 of 8 starts in his first season of racing, earned $205,390 and became the first two-year-old to be named

New Zealand Horse of the Year There is a New Zealand horse of the year in each of the racing codes: - Standardbred or harness racing, either pacers or trotters, and - Thoroughbred racing or gallopers. Harness Horse of the Year The New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year award ...

. Early in the 1991-92 season Chokin won the Rising Stars Championship at Addington running his last 800 metres in 55.4 seconds and last 400 metres in 26.9 seconds. He also won the

New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final The New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final is an event for 3-year-old pacing horses in New Zealand.Race Winners

and was undefeated in five starts in New Zealand.Cain, R (2000), ''Another 10 Miracles'' Chokin was invited to contest the

Miracle Mile Pace The Miracle Mile is an Australian harness racing event for Standardbred Horse gait#pace, pacers that was held at Harold Park Racetrack each November until 2008 when the race was switched to Menangle Park Paceway. Prize money has long been among ...

in Sydney, the first time a three-year-old had been invited. He reacted badly to the crowd and atmosphere at

Harold Park Harold Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering. History Harold Park is north-eastern part of Harold Wood, occupying an isthmus of land between the A12 and the Ingrebourne River (The River Ingrebourne at Harold Park and Hornchurch). ...

, galloped wildly at the start, and crashed to the track exhausted on the home turn. A start in the race was against the advice of his trainers. He won the South Australian Pacing Derby under the care of new Australian trainer Bob Knight but then suffered a tendon injury and returned to the Purdons in New Zealand. He won 3 of 5 Australian races for the season. Chokin returned to racing in January 1993 and won only one of his first four starts with 1 second and 1 third. He then won the

New Zealand Messenger Championship The New Zealand Messenger Championship is a Group One event for standardbred pacing horses in New Zealand, run at Alexandra Park. Race scheduling In recent years the race has been held in late April or early May. It was previously raced on t ...

after being wide on the track for most of the race, the Flying Mile beating

Christopher Vance Christopher Vance (5 November 1986 – 13 December 2016) was a Group One-winning New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, trained by Roy and Barry Purdon and generally driven by Barry Purdon or Tony Herlihy. He was the 1991–92 New Zealand Horse of ...

and defeated

Blossom Lady Blossom Lady was a leading New Zealand Standardbred racehorse. Affectionately known as "The Bloss" she is most noted for winning the 1992 New Zealand Trotting Cup and New Zealand Free-For-All double. She also won the 1994 and 1995 A G Hunter Cu ...

to win the Easter Cup. At the

Inter Dominion :''for winners of the Inter Dominion see: Inter Dominion Pacing Championship and Inter Dominion Trotting Championship'' The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. It is ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

he finished third and second in two of his three heats but a throat infection meant he was scratched from the final. In 1993-94 Chokin won 4 of 9 New Zealand starts with 1 third placing. He won the

defeating Master Musician and the

New Zealand Free For All The New Zealand Pacing Free For All is a major New Zealand harness race. It is notable as it is a Group One championship sprint race and has been won by nearly every champion pacer in New Zealand. History of the race Horses which have won the F ...

where he beat Master Musician and

. In the Miracle Mile Pace Chokin led throughout to win in the slow time of 2:00 after the controversial late scratching of Jack Morris with blood trickling from his nose. He then won the Auckland Pacing Cup by 1 ¼ lengths from Franco Ice with a further 3 ½ lengths to Christopher Vance in the time of 3:59.5. It was a national record and the first time 4 minutes had been broken for 3200 metres. In Melbourne Chokin then had an effortless win in the Victoria Cup from barrier eight where he beat Blossom Lady in a mile rate of 1:57.2 for 2380 metres. After a poor 10th in the

A G Hunter Cup The A.G. Hunter Cup is a competition in Harness racing. It is contested over 3,000 metres at Tabcorp Park in Melbourne, VIC. It is one of the world's richest handicap standing start events, currently worth A$425,000. The race was formerly stage ...

he was found to be suffering from a virus. At Harold Park Chokin finished first, fifth and second in his heats of the 1994

Inter Dominion Pacing Championship :''for winners of the trotting event see: Inter Dominion Trotting Championship'' The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. The Inter Dominion was the brain child of Western ...

but was scratched from the final due to illness. He was named Horse of the Year in New Zealand. At age six in 1994-95 Chokin was pulled up in the

after stopping to a walk. It was the most stunning loss in New Zealand harness racing history. Chokin was still able to receive an invitation to the Miracle Mile Pace where he won beating Bee Bee Cee and Golden Reign joining Village Kid and

Westburn Grant Westburn Grant (1985–2020) was an Australian champion Standardbred race horse notable for being a three time Australian Harness Horse of the Year. Westburn Grant raced only three times at aged two in the 1987-88 season for three wins.Cain, R ( ...

as dual winners of the race. At

Alexandra Park, Auckland Alexandra Park is a racecourse in the suburb of Epsom in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the home of the Auckland Trotting Club . The park consists of the Alexandra Park Raceway trotting track, conference centre and a high-end urban village current ...

, he won the Auckland Pacing Cup for a second time from a 15-metre handicap beating Victor Supreme and Master Musician. It was his fifteenth Group 1 win in 17 Group 1 starts. Chokin was then ninth in the Victoria Cup. In the Inter Dominion at Addington,

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

he finished second, second and first in his heats. In the final Golden Reign beat Victor Supreme and Young Mister Charles but had to survive a 30-minute hearing after

suffered interference in the back straight the last time. Chokin finished fourth but was promoted to second after the original second and third finishers were disqualified after returning positive swabs.1995 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Series
Harness Racing Australia, Retrieved 31 January 2016 Chokin died in May 1995 after suffering paralysis as a result of a stroke.

Major wins

* 1994

Auckland Pacing Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park, Auckland, Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major h ...

* 1994

* 1994 Victoria Cup * 1993

* 1993

* 1991

New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final The New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final is an event for 3-year-old pacing horses in New Zealand.Race Winners

* 1991 New Zealand Sires Stakes 2yo Final * 1991 New Zealand 2yo Championship

Reference list

{{reflist, 2 1988 racehorse births Inter Dominion winners Miracle Mile winners Auckland Pacing Cup winners New Zealand standardbred racehorses

Major wins

See also

Reference list