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1949 DOMINION HANDICAP

There was no speed on for the first mile of the Dominion Handicap, and Acclaimation won well from Jimmy Scott, who was possibly unlucky in that he lost ground at the start.

Acclaimation is a beautiful cut of a bay mare, as regally bred as they come, being by the lamented Certissimus from Raclaim, a good winner at the trotting gait herself, and ranking a full sister to Wrackler, winner of the NZ Cup, whose dam, Trix Pointer, also won the premier event.

Acclaimation was bred by Mr G H Nicholl, of Ashburton, and has been raced throughout her career by Messrs A M and R J Bruce, of Ashburton. Acclaimation was trained for her first two successes by J Wilson, also of Ashburton, and a very able developer of young trotters. She joined J Young's stable during her four-year-old career, and Young has now prepared her for seven wins.

Young has had many great trotters in his care, the most notable to come to mind readily being Stanley T and Ariel Scott. With Young has always been associated his son, R Young, who has a 'ton' of patience, such a vital commodity where trotters are concerned, and his success as a reinsman has been built upon profound study, hard work, and an innate skill of much the same brand as that exhibited by a famous fellow countryman of his in James Bryce.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 16Nov49

1949 NZ OAKS

Petro Star had the NZ Oaks field at her mercy a long way from home. Taken to the lead at the entrance to the straight for the first time round, she never afterwards looked in danger of defeat. She won unextended by two lengths. A brown filly by U Scott-Single Star, she had previously exhibited nervousness at the barrier, but racing and experience have had a beneficial effect, and once settled to her work on Saturday she raced very solidly. Single Star was a good class pacer by Nelson Derby from Queens Treasure, a grand-daughter of Norice (imp).

Roschana who finished second to Single Star is a bay filly bu U Scott-Kohua and gives every indication of developing good winning form. Kohua is by Jack Potts from Grace Dillon.

Lady Joss showed some ability to finish in third place. A member of M W Dickie's team at Springston, she is by Springfield Globe from Sunburst, by Travis Axworthy from Morning Glow.



Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Dec49

1948 NZ SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP (NZ FREE-FOR-ALL)

Highland Fling's mile against time at Addington on Friday morning in 1:57 4-5 was a further triumph for the unconventional training and driving methods of L F Berkett. The usual procedure in trials against time is a strong warm-up and a galloping pace-maker. Berkett dispensed with both and shattered the previous record jointly hed by Highland Fling and Lawn Derby, by 1 3-5 secs. The spectacle of Highland Fling's lone role was a thrilling one - probably much more so than it would have been with a pacemaker, and the public appeal of the trial was emphasised by packed stands and enclosures, although the starting time for the first race was still half an hour away.

Berkett rated Highland Fling to perfection: the first quarter in 29secs, half-mile in 58 2-5secs, six furlongs in 1:28 3-5 and full-journey in 1:57 4-5. The last half-mile showed 59 2-5secs and the last quarter 29 1-5secs. A warm ovation awaited Highland Fling and Berkett when they returned to the birdcage, and Berkett's deep satisfaction with the greatest mile paced outside of America was betrayed by his permitting himself one of his isolated smiles.

Six hours after breaking the mile record, Highland Fling was harnessed up for the New Zealand Sprint Championship, which he won by a safe margin after being left flat-footed at the start. Berkett's coolness and unconcern at this initial setback was not lost upon the crowd, and also made a profound impression upon many of the sport's oldest adherents.

Highland Fling's time for the mile and a quarter journey was 2:37 2-5. Single Direct was second two lenghts away, with Integrity a further length and a half back. Ingle Belmer was fourth.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 17Nov48

1948 NEW BRIGHTON OAKS

The New Brighton Trotting Club has instituted the New Brighton Oaks Stakes, a race for three-year-old pacing fillies, to be run over a mile and a half, at it's December meeting. The stake is £800. This is the first occasion that a race of this kind has been provided in the Dominion.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 20Oct48

Alf Kemble, Highland Fling & Leo Berkett

1948 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Highland Fling's New Zealand Cup victory on Saturday was the most fluent, smashing and affluent run ever staged at Addington. Fluent because the faster this nonpareil travels the easier he appears to be doing it; smashing because he reduced a couple of world's records by wide margins; affluent because the £4775 he won on Saturday took his winning total to £30,160, which puts him well in front of the previous New Zealand record stake-winner - the mighty galloper Gloaming - whose total was £26,202.

Descending on the leaders with the same overwhelming purpose as the young blood in the poem who brought the good news from Aix to Ghent (or visa versa) Highland Fling had his second NZ Cup sitting on the sideboard a furlong from the post; in the remaining 220 yards he put the finishing touches to a new world's pacing record for two miles and a world's winning race record for horses of both gaits.

Highland Fling and Berkett richly earned the terrific ovation they received from the dense crowd when they passed the post six lengths clear of Plunder Bar. So secure was Highland Fling's victory that Berkett put away his whip short of the post and took a disdainful look round at the havoc he had wrought. It was a pardonable flourish on a very special occasion - Berkett's first winning Cup drive; his son, Colin, drove 'The Fling' last year. It is only fair to add that the beating of a rapid tattoo on the sulky shaft was the nearest acquaintance Highland Fling made with the whip on Saturday. Never before has the rout of a high-class field been so complete. For a high-class field it undoubtedly was: in the ultimate you had the ancient allusion to a Triton among the minnows.

Highland Fling's 4:10 3-5 is the fastest time a pacer has yet registered the world over. The only harness horse to have bettered it is Greyhound, a trotter, whose 4:06 was done against time and with many advantages not enjoyed by Highland Fling. But that is not all: from post to post Highland Fling was timed at 4:07 2-5, his last mile in 2:02 3-5 and last half-mile in 59 3-5sec, so the people who have been putting him in world class for long enough have now come into their own. Two-mile races are now becoming fairly common in America, and nothing approaching Highland Fling's achievement of Saturday has been reported from the land of his ancestors.

Highland Fling's supporters - he was apparently summed up as unbeatable by the multitude of backers who put more than a third of the total win investments on him - must have had palpitations when the champion bobbed at the start and increased his handicap by at least 24 yards. And before a furlong had been covered he narrowly averted disaster when Nyallo Scott broke. Highland Fling had repaired these setbacks with six furlongs covered, at which stage he was tucked in behind the bunch, but he gave further cause for anxiety with five furlongs to go by drifting slightly. Once he reached the clear just after entering the last half-mile, however, all fears were soon put to rest and he gathered in everthing except Plunder Bar and Single Direct smartly. He did not attenpt to dispose of his only remanining opponents until the home turn was rounded and his task proved much simpler than even his most ardent admirers could have imagined.

Single Direct ran a fine race but was a trifle disappointing. He tackled the pacemaker, Plunder Bar, early and often, but never looked like beating him. Plunder Bar made a notable contribution to light-harness history by carrying the field along at a solid pace; his 4:16 4-5 is easily his best time to date. Emulous made one of the best beginings of his career and was soon favourably placed in the running, only one sulky-width from the rails; but when Highland Fling moved up on the outside of him with three furlongs to go Emulous was plainly on the way out. He finished ninth. Knave of Diamonds, who appeared to be hampered by another horse in the back stretch the last time, was a moderate fourth, followed by Loyal Nurse, Sprayman, Dundee Sandy, and Navigate.

Highland Fling, like another great harness figure in Harold Logan, had lowly beginnings. Bred by Mrs K Bare, of Riccarton, he was sold to Mr A T Kemble, of Auckland, for a sum about £25 short of £200 by the time a contingency had been paid. Highland Fling is still a comparative youth as pacers go, being only six. By all precedents his best days should still be in front of him. He is by U Scott from Queen Ayesha, an unraced mare by Frank Worthy from Royal Empress, who was by Logan Pointer from a Silver King mare. It is what is commonly known in breeding circles as a short or lopsided pedigree. His sire is just the best, and what there is of his dam's family tree for two generations back in unimpeachable; but from Silver King onwards it falls short of what is usually expected of a champion's lines in the trotting DeBretts - the NZ Stud Book. Be that as it may, Highland Fling's greatness has gone a long way towards raising the obscure name of Silver King to the standard-bred peerage. Very little is known of Silver King, but it has been established that he was by Wallace L (imp)from a mare by Kentucky from Silver Queen.

The Cup this year was apparently looked forward to more as a spectacle because of the decrease of £6641 in the totalisator investments for the day, £4311 was recorded in the Cup total alone. Many of the estimated crowd of 32,000 must have made up their minds to take no risks in missing a vantage point to see the race, because the totalisator cues were not as long as last year, and all the money offering was handled comfortably several minutes before the totalisator closed. The NZ Cup total was £34,972, compared with the record of £39,283 last year.

Credit: 'Ribbonood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 3Nov48

1948 NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES

There will be general agreement with Mr C S Thomas, president of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, in his declaration that the New Zealand Derby on Saturday was the greatest classic race ever staged at Addington. Four horses - Croughton, Bronze Gold, Perpetua and Chamfer came to the wire with less than a length between them, and the winner's time, 3:15 4-5, was a new record for the race, clipping two-fifths of a second off War Bouy's long-standing record established in 1933.

Although Croughton enjoyed better luck in the running than either Bronze Gold or Chamfer, he is every inch a Derby colt and fought on in the gamest possible manner in a finish demanding the highest degree of courage, staying power and true racing instincts. Bronze Gold was in an almost hopeless position turning for home; at the back of a bunch of six horses and boxed in on the rails. He had to be extricated and brought on the outside to make his run and was travelling faster than anything only a neck behind the winner at the finish.

Chamfer was in front at the end of a quarter but M Holmes allowed Perpetua to supplant him. This may have led to his ultimate undoing, because he could not find an opening until late, and when it did come he appeared to be hampered for room in his attempt to push through on the rails. Chamfer was only a head away fourth.

Spring Fashion, who at one stage of the betting was a firm favourite, began slowly and met a slight check when Zantileer broke near her with five furlongs covered. Spring Fashion made a run going to the far turn but came to the end of it long before the straight had been reached.

Croughton, a tall, racy-looking bay colt, is the first horse raced by his owner, Mr J S South. Mr South, who is a resident of Geraldine, has achieved in a year or two what most breeders fail to do in a lifetime - breed a Derby winner. Croughton is by Springfield Globe, a Colonial-bred stallion who is making a big name as a sire of classic and semi-classic winners. Croughton's dam is Lady Antrim, by John Dillon from a Wildwood mare, and that is as far as the pedigree goes.

Croughton gave his trainer, J Young, his first Derby success. R Young, who drove Croughton, also won the blue riband event with Sir Michael in 1945

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 10Nov48

1948 DOMINION HANDICAP

Full Result

First: J T Taylor's GREAT VENTURE. Trained by the owner and driven by S A Edwards, started off 12yds.

Second: L F Berkett's TOUSHAY. Driven by the owner, started off 24yds.

Third: J R McKenzie's FANTOM. Driven by G B Noble, started off 60yds

Fourth: Bruce Bros' ACCLAIMATION. Driven by M Holmes, started off Scratch.

The winner won by five lengths, with three lengths back to third.

Also started (in finishing order): Medical Student, Rerewaka, Belmoral, Pardon Me and Ariel Scott.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 17Nov48

1948 NEW BRIGHTON OAKS

Perpetua outclassed her eight rivals in the New Brighton Oaks, the first race confined to three-year-old fillies in the long history of the sport.

Perpetua added to her task by beginning slowly and drifting all of 30 yards behind the leaders in the first quarter. With seven furlongs covered she flashed up to second place alongside Rayon. She was in front with three furlongs to go and ran on strongly in the straight to win unchallenged by a length. Her time 3:16 2-5, was outstanding, and revealed the winner as a youngster of exceptional class. It also confirmed her fine showing for a close third in the NZ Derby.

Perpetua was a top-class two-year-old, winning the NZ Sapling Stakes and she is proving a bargain at the 475gns, M A Todd, of Oamaru, paid for her at the 1946 yearling sales. An appealing feature of the win, although a distant one, is the fact that on the same course 49 years ago Perpetua's famous fifth dam, Thelma, won the principal event, the Brighton Handicap, two miles, by a dozen lengths.

Star Rosa, who was inclinded to hang in over the last furlong, looked dangerous only momentarily. She nevertheless went a good race and her barrier manners are gradually improving. Tradition, who pulled hard for more than a mile, was checked slightly when Rayon tired quickly coming to the home turn, but this probably made no difference to the result. It was Tradition's best performance for a long period, however, and the fast time she recorded was good enough to win races for older horses than three-year-olds.

Of the others, Scottish Nurse impressed most. She was just shaded into fourth place. Her greatest assets at present are her solidarity and honesty. She comes from a family that is well served by age.


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 15Dec48

Highland Fling, Colin Berkett & Alf Kemble

1947 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

The NZ Trotting Cup, 1947, was nothing more than a workout for Highland Fling. If the field he routed was high class - it must be assumed it was, because winners of three previous Cups and five free-for-all winners were strung out behind him - then Highland Fling has proved himself the greatest pacer ever bred in this country.

He elected to win the race the tough way. He took the lead off Loyal Peter within half a mile and proceeded to carry the cream of the Dominion's stayers to a state of exhaustion that gave the finish all the appearances of a walk-over. Highland Fling had only to register 4:18 2-5, nearly five seconds slower than his best time as a four-year-old last season, and the effortlessness of his win had to be seen to be appreciated. The trite saying "He did not turn a hair," was heard on all sides when he returned to the birdcage, and it was never more appropriately applied.

Only now five years old, Highland Fling is already several removes above anything else wearing harness, sprinters and stayers alike. He is the only horse since Harold Logan who looks capable of putting the longer-distance records as far out of reach of his successors as Harold Logan did, and Harold Logan's 4:12 2-5 has stood for 13 years.

And now something about the man who transformed Highland Fling from a petulant,'iffy' flying machine into a businesslike, genuine racehorse. L F Berkett, from the time he first 'talked turkey' to Highland Fling, knew that he had the greatest horse in his long and notable career, Dilworth, Imprint, Red Shadow, Royal Silk etc, notwithstanding. That was just over a year ago, and in that short space of time Highland Fling has won ten races and more than £12,000 in stakes - his total to date has reached £15,313, which is only £744/10/- short of Integrity's New Zealand and Australian record total of £16,057/10/-.

Bought by Mr A T Kemble from his breeder, Mrs K Bare, for something under £200, Highland Fling was a sensational early two-year-old, and an unsuccessful offer of £2000 for him was made by a Canterbury sportsman. His mile record of 2:10 for that age still stands, and if he had not drawn up his own set of rules as a three-year-old he would probably figure prominently on the record roster of pacers of that age. He was a winner at three years, but altogether he did not line up at the races as he should have done, although always produced in the pink of condition by his young Auckland trainer.

The first time Berkett raced Highland Fling in Canterbury he struck a very sloppy track and in both the main distance event and the sprint at the New Brighton Autumn Meeting he had to strike his colours to an honest, though not great mare in Gold Peg. Then came Highland Fling's meteoric rise to championship status. Losing upwards of 100 yards at the start of two-mile races, he still proved capable of winning decisively. Not always though, because on odd occasions he refused to lend any sort of co-operation to Berkett, Sen. or Berkett, Jnr., and took no real part in some of his races. But in 18 starts for Berkett he has won 10 races, been second twice and third once. You could scarcely call that inconsistent.

The father and son tradition in New Zealand trotting can offer no finer examples than those of the Bryce and Holmes families. Both are now producing their successful horsemen in the third generation. L F Berkett bids fair to establish a similar family saga of skilled reinsmen. Already his son, C R Berkett, who drove the Cup winner, is the leading trainer and horseman of the season, and another of his sons, N L Berkett, is also one of the most successful of the younger generation of trainers and drivers.

Highland Fling was the favourite and started from 12 yards, the second horse, owned and driven by O E Hooper was Knave of Diamonds also started from 12yds. Loyal Peter, starting from scratch was driven for W B Somerville by S A Edwards and finished third. Mr W J Doyle's In The Mood also started off scratch and was driven by the owner into fourth place. The margins were two lengths and one and a half lengths.


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 5Nov47

1947 NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES

In one of the roughest classic races seen at Addington for some considerable time, in which interference leading to protracted judicial inquiry was rife in the concluding half-mile, Congo Song won the NZ Derby Stakes at Addington on Saturday after a great duel with Beckleigh.

Congo Song who was bred by A Holmes and P Symes, and is trained by A Holmes, was driven by Holmes's brother, M Holmes, who has a proud record in the Derby. Congo Song gave him his eighth success in the race. He won with Wrackler in 1928, Arethusa in 1930, Ciro in 1931, Aldershot in 1938, Imperial Jade in 1939, Scottish Lady in 1942, Free Fight in 1946 and Congo Song this year.

Congo Song, who finished second in the Canterbury Park Juvenile Handicap and the NZ Sapling Stakes as a two-year-old, continued this promise by filling second place to Gay Knight in the Canterbury Three-year-old Stakes at the Metropolitan August meeting. In this race he looked very unlucky to be beaten, and on the strength of this showing he was made a short-priced favourite for the Riccarton Stakes, which he won decisively, though narrowly from Belmont Hall.

Congo Song is one of the finest types of three-year-olds ever to win the blue ribbon event. He boasts plenty of size and quality, is a magnificent pacer, and in all his races he has displayed gameness that would do credit to any seasoned performer. His barrier manners are above reproach, and altogether he is everything a classic winner, especially an entire with the budding qualifications of a future stud horse, should be.

Congo Song is by Gold Bar, 1:59 3-5, from Flying Helen, by Flying Prince, whose name appears very rarely in pedigrees, because he died young. He was above the average as a two-year-old, finishing fourth in the NZ Sapling Stakes, but he did not win a race, and if memory is not at fault his death was reported when he was a late three-year-old. He was by Wrack (imp) from Queen Cole, by King Cole from Norice (imp), so his breeding was impeccable. Flying Helen is out of Helen, by Brent Locanda (imp), who reached prominence on the sires' list, among his best known performers being Black Admiral, Locanda Mac, Locanda Dillon, Somerby, Vilo, Brentloc, Locanda Boy, Dundas Boy, Trenand, Peter Locanda, Dalmeny, Dalnahine and Epigram. Helen was out of Tui Russell, by Russell Patch (imp), who was a son of famous Dan Patch, a world's champion in his day, and whose record of 1:55¼ behind a windshield, although subsequently disallowed by the American authorities, stood as the official world's record for some time. Tui Russell's dam was Elie de Beaumont, a daughter of Prince Imperial, whose name continues to crop up in the pedigrees of high class pacers and trotters. The Elie de Beaumont family has produced many winners, though nothing in the top flight as yet. Congo Song may repair that deficiency. Congo Song's time of 3:17 3-5 in the Derby has been beaten only once previously, by War Buoy, who put up the race record of 3:16 1-5 in 1933.

Beckleigh, runner-up in the Derby, is a rapidly-improving bay colt by Dillon Hall from Maeve, by Grattan Loyal from Olwyn, by Four Chimes from Taruna Mary, the dam of the great stayer in Lindbergh, who won a heat of the NZ Trotting Cup when the premier race was run in two divisions and a final. Fortuna, who ran a creditable third after getting almost on terms with the winner at the distance, is a bay filly of very nice quality by Springfield Globe from Betty Wrack, who goes back to the same source of winners as the greatest of out Colonial-bred brood-mares, Thelma. Fortuna is a full sister to Super Globe, a young pacer of real possibilities.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 12Nov47