Summer Idol
Inductee Hall of Fame 2023
Red Fawn Dog, Whelped April 1968, (Zephyr’s Review – Rose Noir), Owner/Trainer Les Gunton, Granton
Owner-trainer Les Gunton and his wonderful chaser Summer Idol must rate as one of the most famous, and certainly most popular combinations in the history of greyhound racing in Hobart. The pair dominated the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons, especially at the famous T.C.A. where both headed the major awards back-to-back.
Leslie George Gunton was born 7 February 1899 at Gormanston on the West Coast, and died having been hit by a car, near to his home in Black Snake Lane at Granton on 18 November 1971. Amazingly, his death in his 76th year, was just 29 days after his great dog had broken down and was retired at start 91, in a Heat of his 3rd Gold Cup attempt. Les Gunton’s life was one of extreme tragedy. In May 1916 Les enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force, 12th Battalion for World War One, and at a mere 16 ½ years old. Private Les Gunton returned home in September 1917, having been disfigured in combat and spent three years in hospital post war with tetanus. In the years ahead, he lost three wives and son and was survived by his fourth wife Kathleen.
He contributed his somewhat better health in later life to his 33-year involvement in greyhound racing. As written in the 1971 National Greyhound News, “all remember his quiet way with a handshake or a pat on the back and offering his encouragement to all and sundry”. For the most part Les enjoyed only modest success in greyhounds before training quality chasers Limelight Treasure, and her son Arkansas Boy, which Les bred to former N.S.W. star No Discount. He formed a great friendship with famous trainer Charlie “Chicka” Morris, who would venture south from N.S.W. every carnival time with a large team of quality chasers. For most of the 1960’s and early 70’s, Morris would set up camp at Les Gunton’s Black Snake property, some 19 kilometres north of Hobart. He enjoyed huge success here, especially with his “Mount Hall” dogs, and Les stood two of his champions in Autumn Concerto and No Discount at Stud with great success.
Details of how and why Les Gunton purchased the mainland homebred Summer Idol are unknown. He was the only male dog in a litter of three, to a virtually unknown and little used sire Zephyr’s Review, whose main claim to fame was being a son of the super sire Chief Zephyr. His dam Rose Noir was similarly unspectacular and from two litters to the same sire, Summer Idol was it!
At 15 months of age, Summer Idol debuted at the T.C.A on 12 July 1969. He ran 2nd beaten a head in slow time over 540 yards and amazingly ran 7th over 737 metres a week later. They did things differently back then. After 5 starts the big red fawn had run two 2nds and a 3rd, and like his breeding, he was looking a bit plain. At start six and sticking to Hobart apart from one unplaced effort at White City, Summer Idol easily won his Juvenile by 7 lengths from Blue Hermes (a top dog later) on 23 August 1969. Following a Trial Stakes 2nd and 1st, he stepped up to 737 metres again for a 3rd. Whilst he was improving and looking a tough type, there was till nothing standing him apart from the pack.
For reasons unknown this all changed just seven days after that long distance 3rd. On 20 September 1969, he won the first of seven victories on the trot. After bolting in at Grade 3 level at the T.C.A. he stepped up to a Grade 1+2 and despatched the smart Coronation Lane in 29/9/10. Everything was now happening very quickly.
In 1969, the Godfather of the H.G.R.C. Arthur Morgan came up with a new feature race, the Tasmanian Gold Cup, which for some years to come would be for Tasmanian chasers only. Given the dominance of all time legends Benjamin John and Zoom Top in the previous Hobart Thousand, Arthur wanted something special specifically for the locals. A raging success in its initial year of 1969, there were in fact 30 Heats over three nights of great chasing. So, on 4 October Les Gunton took up the cudgel and ran Summer Idol in a Gold Cup Heat, in which he overcame early interference to beat the mighty bitch Fiery Jane in a brilliant 29 6/10.
A mere 7 days later, and prior to his Gold Cup Semi, Les ventured to Launceston in pursuit of Summer Idol’s first Launceston victory. In those days, if you didn’t win your grade at each track in turn, you had to race in the highest grade where you had last won. So, having forfeited his juvenile and trial grade at White City, this highly promising youngster did post his initial Northern win, but it was in a Grade 3! 11 days on, and chasing five on the trot, he stormed home after early strife to score in his Gold Cup Semi Final by 1 length over Pleasant Crown. At merely 18 months of age, Summer Idol attempted his sixth win on end in the Final of the inaugural Tasmanian Gold Cup on 25 October 1969. And win he did. Carrying the white rug, he was slowly away but railed hard to 3rd out of the straight.
He produced what would become his trademark formidable finishing burst to win running away from Fiery Jane and Kiwi Hanover in 29 9/10. A star was born, as was a new crowd favourite for the T.C.A., where big attendances were the norm on a weekly basis. Les Gunton, who had suffered so much more than most, was such a genial and humble soul, and together with his wonderful dog they were at the start of magnificent and inseparable journey over the next two seasons.
14 days post Gold Cup, Summer Idol made it 7 wins on end, and 7 540-yard T.C.A. wins on end, when he despatched both the classy Modesty Maid, and a lineup of star Grade 1+2 sprinters in a brilliant 29 6/10s. From now on it was top shelf opposition for life, and three of his next four starts were off a handicap of 1/10th behind scratch. This was a mighty imposition in an era of seemingly unlimited high-class chasers. He ran only a 2nd in those four runs, behind the likes of great dogs, Top Thunder, Trion Scout and Blackberry Anne.
After finishing 3rd to champion N.S.W. dog Dusty Snider in a rare White City foray, Summer Idol commenced 1970 with a Heat win in the New Year Stake at home. He was actually run down and finished 2nd in that Final, for the only time in his career, but it took Plunder Road to do so; truly one of the greatest Victorian dogs to ever grace our shores, and the time was a near record 29.2 seconds. 17 January 1970 was the first of three nights of heats of Tasmania’s greatest race – the 1970 Hobart Thousand with all the cream of Australia’s finest on hand to chase their piece of glory. Summer Idol was front and centre on night one and dominated his Heat and Royal Aspect by 5 lengths, in a best of night 29.5, what’s more as a prohibitive 2/5 favourite. Next, he was 3rd at White City off a yard behind scratch before his Semi Final of the Thousand. With only winner’s advancing, Summer Idol just fell short of a final berth when he was 2nd to the star Dusty Snider, 1 ½ lengths in arrears. For a third time “Snider” beat him 21 days later in a Grade 1-2, though Summer Idol gave him 4 lengths and was beaten only a neck.
On 2 March 1970, Summer Idol took on a crack field in the Six Hour Day Invitation over 737 yards. Showing his great stamina, Summer Idol strode away from top chaser Berry Cream. This was a sign of his versatility with the remainder of his career being a mixture of great success over both sprint and staying trips. His next 15 starts were solid if less spectacular and all at the T.C.A. where he had 4 wins and 6 placings, but in six of these he had to concede a 1/10th start to great chasers like Ricky Rand, More Champagne and Forbes (which he dead heated with giving away that 1/10th start).
So strong was distance racing in the Apple Isle at this time, Sargood, the champion Victorian stayer came her for the rich Distance Championship of Tasmania in August 1970. Run as heats and semis at both Hobart and Launceston, Summer Idol won his T.C.A. Heat by 6 lengths, but after failing in the White City Semi, and 3rd in a Hobart Semi, he did not make the Final, which Sargood dominated.
Without a letup, Summer Idol reverted back to sprinting, for a crack at his Gold Cup title of the year before. The 1970 Gold Cup was made up of an amazing 29 heats and 8 Semi Finals. In a period of a seemingly unlimited crop of outstanding sprinters, Summer Idol overcame poor starts in both his Heat and Semi Final victories and was the bravest of 3rds to Blue Hermes and Royal Aspect in the 1970 Gold Cup Final. Summer Idol’s next 13 starts saw a drop in standard to just 1 win and 6 placings. Many thought his best was behind him now. Summer Idol never once spelled from debut to the second last of 91 runs, which was a testament to both this great animal’s toughness and soundness, but also the magnificent care and maintenance of Les Gunton.
Just as the doubters began circling, Summer Idol rediscovered his mojo, at both Hobart and Launceston, and over both the short and the long. It began in February 1971 with a devastating 8 day burst of wins; first off, he despatched Blue Hermes in his 1971 Launceston Cup Heat. Three days on and back to the T.C.A., he thrashed the classy Stardust Melody, then it was another 4 days before his 1 length win over White City specialist Karingal Road in his Launceston Cup Semi Final. After making errors in Launceston’s premier feature, he only finished 7th, but he was back with a bang.
The National Distance Championship was held scheduled for the May 1970 and was hosted by the H.G.R.C. at the T.C.A. in Hobart. Les Gunton had no hesitation running the great dog is the March 1970 Heat in Hobart. He was simply devastating in reducing Cold Toast’s 737 metre Track Record to 40 2/10s. In so doing fellow Tassie great Old Hobbs was 7 lengths behind him. Before the Interstate qualifiers arrived in April 1970, Summer Idol produced three outstanding runs in successive weeks. Back to 540 yards, he just failed to run down the great sprinting bitch Jan Remie. Then he blitzed Karingal Road over 737 yards in a quick 40 4/10s. Now a real crowd favourite and with an impromptu cheer squad at times, he again reverted back to 540 yards and put 7 lengths between his and the wonderful Midnight Cowboy in a brilliant 29 4/10s.
Just 7 days after his fastest T.C.A. sprint win, Summer Idol beat star N.S.W. bitches Hoodie and Sister Fox in his 737-yard National Distance Semi Final in Hobart. At White City a week on, he ran 4th to the all-conquering queen of Australian staying Saki Dasher, in a track record 43 12/16s over the 785-yards. Staged in Hobart, the 1971 National Distance Grand Final saw football great Bob Pratt’s Saki Dasher ran just a tick outside her new track record of 39 9/10s, with the Tassie champs Old Hobbs 3 ½ length 2nd and Summer Idol 3/4l length 3rd.
Summer Idol would go on to have 14 more starts for 4 wins. In June 1971 he won his Heat of the feature 785-yard Winter Stakes at White City. A week later, the Final was a “no race” and the Club re-ran it on the same night. Showing his amazing durability, this wonderful dog not only beat Pretty Vista by a length but ran the same 44 12/16s he had run winning his heat!
At starts 87 and 88 Summer Idol won back-to-back 540-yard top grades at his beloved T.C.A. October 20, 1971, was his final trip to the races. It was his third crack at a Gold Cup but sadly he broke down in that Heat and was immediately retired to Stud. He had very limited opportunities in that pursuit, but his daughter Judy’s Battle did run 3rd in the 1975 Hobart Thousand.
Summer Idol had 91 starts for 31 wins, 18 seconds and 15 thirds. He was equally adept over the short and the long, won and was placed in multiple feature events at both White City and his beloved T.C.A., and apart from his last start raced every month continuously from his debut till start 90. An iron dog indeed! He was the Leading Hobart greyhound for both 1970 and 1971. In those same years Les Gunton was the Leading Owner, and 1st then 3rd as Leading Trainer, and despite racing only two dogs other than Summer Idol in that period. It’s no shock that he was the 1971 Tasmanian Greyhound of the Year. Similarly, it’s little shock that one of the most popular chasers in T.C.A. history now becomes a Tasmanian Greyhound Hall of Famer.
View Summer Idol racing record
By Greg Fahey