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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

NZ FREE-FOR-ALL SORTS OUT CHAMPIONS

While we are conditioned by history in New Zealand to regard handicap racing as the ultimate test in both racing and trotting, it is odds on that any American visitors to the Cup carnival are likely to show at least as much interest in Friday's big pace event, the NZ Free-For-All.

The odd average stayer has fluked victory in the Cup on the Tuesday through a combination of circumstances but it very rarely happens that anything other than a pacer right out of the top draw bowls the same field from even marks over the sprint distance on the Friday.

The Free-For-All was first run in 1914 probably to give some chance to the top horses who were often out of major handicaps due to the old 'clock' method of handicapping. In the 60 contests run to date all but a couple have been won by horses who were and are household names. In fact in many ways the FFA is a better indication to the historian on who our great pacers have been than the Cup is, though of course it does not carry the same 'mana' as the two mile classic.

There are plenty of FFA winners who could well have been among the Cup winners. Acron and Great Bingen were two from the 1920's who come to mind while in later years Single Direct, Vedette, Tactician, Caduceus, Robin Dundee and Stella Frost were the tops of their day with the last named of course being first past the post in the 1969 Cup before being disqualified.

Only four horses have thus far won the event three times and all were champions. Author Dillon in the second decade of the century, the wonderful Harold Logan in the 30's, and Caduceus and Lordship in more recent times. Possibly by the time you have read this Robalan will have joined this illustrious group for he has won in the last two years. His win last year in world record time was almost certainly the highlight of the Cup meeting even allowing for his thrilling Cup win four years earlier.

In the days when the event was a standing start Robalan shared the record with Johnny Globe who clocked 2:33.6 away back in 1954 when that little pacer was, at least for those first two days of the Cup meeting, as good a horse as any in the world. In an earlier era Gold Bar set a long standing record with his 2:35. In 1942 and allowing for the difference in track surfaces in those days this was a feat as remarkable as any since.

Back in the 1920's the race was run over a mile for several years. Among the winners being Acron in 2:03.6 (1924) and the tremendously fast but 'rattle headed' horse Native Chief. Several top trainers gave up trying to instil some raceday interest into Native Chief, but his great speed always suggested that he could have been two-minute material.

Robalan looks very likely to make it three in a row this year for though his powers may be on the wane as the years catch up with him he can still give a sharp sprinting lesson to many of his younger rivals as he has already shown this season. With Noodlum out and Lunar Chance at the time of writing being something of an unknown quantity there is nothing in the Young Quinn class to worry Robalan as there was last year. Final Decision might take a special liking to this sort of contest while Micron is a most respectable sprinter and could bob up from behind the mobile start.

History strongly suggests that you forget the 'roughies'in the Free-For-All, the last winner not in the champion class possibly being Chief Command at the extraordinary meeting of 1969. Most of the winning list of this race reads like a who's who of the New Zealand standardbred and it's odds on that traditions will not be broken in 1975.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in the NZ Trotguide 13/11/75

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1975 NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

After fighting out the finish of the Cup, Lunar Chance and Final Decision clashed again in the NZ Free-For-All and once again the brilliant northerner had to bow to Lunar Chance. The margin was as close as the Cup's had been but this time the running of the race showed the two horses adopting tactics which were almost a complete reversal of the Cup running.

On Tuesday Lunar Chance had gone to the front at the 1200m with Final Decision, having gone off stride for no apparent reason after 200m, still making up the ground he had lost. The northerner must have gone his last 2400m in close to three minutes and he just failed to catch the stubborn Southland pacer who must be one of the finest stayers we have seen for some time.

In the FFA the boot was rather on the other foot, Final Decision going to the front quickly after a good beginning from the difficult No.1 barrier draw while the wider drawn Lunar Chance settled well back. At the turn it looked Final Decision's race but the Southlander staged a brilliant late run to get the nod by a head. Why Bill caught the eye with a performance as impressive as his Cup run was disappointing for third. Speedy Guest, seemingly always the bridesmaid in the big ones, was fourth.

It has been a great week for Keith Lawlor and Lunar Chance and a victory in top races for amateur trainers and drivers is invariably popular, especially to those who remember the days when trotting relied almost exclusively on the "little man" to keep the sport going at a time when it threatened to loose it's appeal. The Lawlor family are typical of the type of trotting enthusiasts who have played such a large part in the development of the sport. Keith's father and grand-father were both associated with horses for many years in conjunction with farming interests in Gore and perhaps the one regret Keith had on Tuesday was that his father, who died some years ago, could not be present to see the triumph of the horse whose family Lawlor Senior had bred from for many years. Like many Southland horsemen it was his practice to sell horses to northern owners once they had won their way out of the local classes but there seems little danger of Lunar Chance leaving the southern province for some time yet.

The Majestic Chance gelding is the first Southland owned, trained and driven horse to win the Cup for 50 years and appropriately the last one, Winsoon, is an antecedent of this year's winner. It seemed for a time after his impressive visit to Addington in the early spring that Lunar Chance may be robbed of his opportunity to win the Cup by a loss of form brought on by dehydration. But he "came right" at precisely the right time and after a stiff workout last Monday his owner pronounced him back to the best. A photo in a Christchurch newspaper showing Lunar Chance doing his regular galloping work brought some comment and Keith himself quipped on Cup eve, "I don't know whether to run him tomorrow or wait for Riccarton on Wednesday."

His run in the FFA was timed at 2:28.8 - not as fast as Robalan's record breaking effort last year but very quick for 2000m by any standards. Final Decision must wonder what he has to do to win a big one at Addington. His run in the Cup was the most brilliant effort from a horse with an interrupted run since Manaroa in the late sixties. He confirmed that form with his courageous effort on Friday and the third clash between he and Lunar Chance should be worth going some way to see. They are both expected to line up in the Alan Matson.

The FFA lost some of it's "needle" through Robalan breaking hopelessly after 300m to the obvious gloom of his many supporters. That mistake cost him any chance of an unprecedented fourth win in the event while Micron and Tricky Dick took an instant dislike to the mobile and took no serious part.

It was still a memorable race but the week's honours must lie with Lunar Chance.


Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1975 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Upstanding eight-year-old gelding Hal Good completed a brilliant double for his breeder-owner Arthur Chesmar and trainer-driver Denis Nyhan when he powered home to snatch a narrow victory over Easton Light in the 1975 Dominion Trotting Handicap the Nation's premier event for squaregaiters at Addington on Show Day. Back in early January he produced a similar paralysing burst to take the other annual trotting feature on the course the 1975 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup and again it was the northern champion Easton Light who filled second placing.

By the now deceased import Goodland (USA) sire of other squaregait standouts in Markalan, Good Admiral, Tunza Time and the brilliant juvenile and now successful Endeavour Lodge-based sire Westland King, Hal Good is from the untried mare Halswell's Pride by Kingcobra (Aust) from a star racemare of the forties for Arthur's late father George in Shadow Maid, who as well as winning the 1943 Auckland Cup ran third behind two champions Gold Bar and Interity in the NZ Cup of 1945. By brilliant chestnut pacer of the early thirties and winner of the 1933 NZ Cup Red Shadow (NZ), Shadow Maid was from Homelass. This line has been in the Chesmar family for half a century or so, the late George breeding Homelass back in 1927.

Although Hal Good presented him with his first Dominion Handicap victory, winning prestige events is no new experience for Denis Nyhan who trains his team at Templeton. Son of the Johnny Globe man Don Nyhan, Denis has, in a couple of decades of driving standardbreds been associated with more top horses of both codes than most reinsmen hope to sit behind in a lifetime.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide

Computer betting was introduced by the TAB in Wellington and gradually expanded throughout the country.

October - Trebles betting was introduced, partly to replace the popular Jackpot form of betting which was becoming increasingly controversial.

STARTERS & STARTING

MOBILE STARTING BARRIER

The CPTC developed a mobile starting barrier and in October 1974 the NZMTC was advised by Canterbury Park that its mobile starting gate would be available to the Club for its Cup Meetings at $100 per day or night.

In December 1983 the NZMTC suggested that the replacement of the CPTC’s mobile barrier should be undertaken by Addington Raceway Ltd. In February 1984 the CPTC advised that they had purchased a suitable vehicle on which the starting gate could be mounted and that they were prepared to discuss the ownership with the Directors. In June 1985 Addington Raceway advised that the CPTC had offered to sell the gate to the Raceway at cost price less the subsidy received from the NZ Racing Authority and that the Raceway had the option to purchase the gate for $19,704. The gate had cost Canterbury Park $33,809 to manufacture and the Racing Authority had reimbursed the Club $14,105 from the Amenities Fund. The Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s offer was accepted.

Credit: NZMTC: Historical Notes compiled by D C Parker

PEOPLE

JIM HOLT

Armbro Circle, winner of five races this season was among the horses to pass through the hands of Jim Holt, the Waimate trainer who died last month.

He was forced to give up training Armbro Circle last August due to a relapse of ill-health and on his suggestion Christchurch owners Mr and Mrs Wally Boulton transferred the four-year-old to Lester Curry at Kingsdown (South Canterbury)who has prepared him for five wins and a second from six starts.

Dunedin-born Holt was associated with his brother-in-law, Mr A W Crawford at Gore for some time in breaking and training. During this period he had the good winners, Carneaevon (which he raced in partnership with Mr Crawford) and Free Count.

Other useful winners he trained were Clarkson (three wins), Mentone (five), Van Brabant (Wyndham Cup), Happy Songster, Goldwater (Waimate Cup), Aero Circle (three), Surrey Hills, Dew Heath and Stormcara.

Holt developed Van Rebeck and trained the Van Dieman entire for his initial win before he passed to Wes Butt and carried on to good form including a heat of the 1965 Inter-Dominion at Forbury Park. Van Rebeck subsequently boosted his earnings to $143,000 in the United States.

Holt, who shifted to Waimate in 1959 was highly regarded for his ability to gait, educate and shoe horses. Many horses received their initial education from Holt before they went on to win races. Just last Saturday Tacmae a product of the Holt establishment, won the novice trot at Waikouaiti. Jim went within an ace of landing Tacmae a winner at the Kurow meeting last August. She was then returned to her Ryal Bush (near Invercargill) owner, Jim Dynes.

In the last few years he stood the former smart pacer, Rembrandt (Masterpiece-New Look) at his Knottingly Lodge. Complete Circle, a three-year-old half brother by Bachelor Hanover to Armbro Circle has also been transferred to Curry. Complete Circle has shown ability as a trotter. Good Spark, a half brother to Zhivago (1:58) and a trotting winner for Holt last season has been placed with Clem Scott at Makikihi.

Credit: Taylor Strong writing in NZTrotguide 7Nov1974

PEOPLE

'SANDY' TODD

One of Southland's best known trotting personalities Mr A ('Sandy') Todd, of Mataura, who raced the first million dollar pacer, Cardigan Bay, died last week. He was 77.

Born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, not far fron Glasgow, Mr Todd came to NZ with his family at the age of 17. In partnership with his brother, Dave, he raced several horses when in his 20s, such as Sonata and Desert Star. The two brothers then bought Chimes Lodge at Mataura, then a 13 acre property and now a considerable holding. There they established one of Southland's early and most successful standardbred studs.

Dave Todd looked after the training side and 'Sandy', the stud side of the establishment. He was a competent and able studmaster and such horses as Arion Axworthy, Grattan Loyal, Bruce Walla, Cassanova, Dillon Hall, Free Fight and also the thoroughbred horse, Philamor stood at Chimes Lodge.

Highlight of the Chimes Lodge history was the arrival of Cardigan Bay, bred and trained by Dave Todd, and raced by 'Sandy' until he won his way out of Southland classes. Cardigan Bay was then sold to Mrs M B Dean, of Auckland, and he later went to America where, he became the first $1 million stake winner in trotting history. He did more to promote trotting in NZ than any standardbred before of since and his name was a house-hold word throughout NZ, Australia and America.

'Sandy' Todd not only developed Chimes Lodge into one of Southland's most successful standardbred nurseries, but he knew every aspect of the racing, breeding and training sides, and was also a successful farmer. His death breaks a further link with Southland's early pioneer breeders, a diminishing band whose early interest and enthusiasm in trotting played a salient part in the sport attaining its present day ranking.

'Sandy' Todd was a character in his own right; one whose contribution to the light harness industry can be measured by the success he achieved and the lengthy association he had. But, as he often said when referring to horses or officials. "The record has to be on the slate." And there would never be any question that Sandy had the record on the slate. He is survived by two sisters, Mrs H Brownsey (Auckland), Mrs Easterbrook, of Matamata and a brother, Dave, of Mataura.

Credit: NZ Trotguide 31Jul74

INTERDOMINIONS

PERTH - HONDO GRATTAN
In a sensational 1974 Final, Hondo Grattan became the first pacer to win the Grand Final in successive years. His work was made much easier by a full-scale pile up which left only four of the ten starters with a winning chance. Hondo Grattan only scraped into the Final, this time by virtue of his dead heat for fourth with Paleface Adios in the last qualifying round.

HORSES

Tactile at stud

TACTILE

The brilliant NZ pacer who won an unprecedented five derbies in NZ and Australia, then raced with distinction in America, where he pushed his earnings to $189,415 before launching a successful stud career there, has arrived back to his Ryal Bush (near Invercargill) owner Jim Dynes.

Dynes, who is already standing the Nandina stallion Scrappy Wave at his stud, has had so much enquiry for Tactile that he may have to place him the coming season on the property of his cousin and former partner in the horse, Derek Dynes who has a larger property. This keen enquiry is not surprising for from his first two crops in America of 32 foals Tactile is already represented there by 14 individual winners. These are headed by a smart youngster Jinks Minbar, who after starring in his 2-year-old campaign last year when he took a mark of 2:03.2 has continued as a good three-year-old winner this term, his victories including several at Yonkers Raceway, the track on which his sire flew the NZ flag high several years back. The Dynes cousins bought Tactile in a private deal with Tactic's breeder Andy Wilson, as a Hal Tryax foal in embryo and they raced him in partnership with outstanding success before Jim bought Derek's share when Tactile was ending his racing career in America.

His dam Tactics was a Cup class pacer herself (11 wins, including a New Brighton Cup), Tactics was of course the dam also of Deft (10 wins and 29 placings for Mr Wilson's wife Ann), in turn the dam of Mrs Wilson's champion 2-year-old of the current season Noodlum. Tactile's sire Hal Tryax also sired the mighty Cardigan Bay and grand mare Robin Dundee not to mention numerous other winners that saw him top the leading sires list in 1965-6 and 1966-7, and Tactile capped his NZ and Great Northern Derby wins with victories the same season (1962-3) in the South Australian, Victorian and New South Wales Derbies. Winning his way to the best class here, he ran Cardigan Bay to half-a-length in the 1963 Auckland Cup in which epic encounter the mighty Cardy, after giving away starts of up to 78 yards, prevailed but had to pull out all the stops to survive Tactile's late bid.

Like most of our top horses, Tactile eventually found his way to America, and so impressed was Yonkers Raceway chief Martin Tananbaum with the form he showed in around New York, where he took a mark of 1:59.6, then he persuaded Jim Dynes to let the stallion stand at his White Devon Stud in upstate New York. Tananbaum died in 1970, but Tactile carried on in service at White Devon under the farm's manager Harry Moss. With such fierce competition in breeding in the States, it was a struggle to get Tactile mares of any reasonable quality or quantity. So it is a credit to him that from his first two crops of 32 foals he already has 14 individual winners.

With the decision to disperse the White Devon stallion string, Tactile was earlier this season shipped to England on the first leg of his return home to Southland. After his compulsory six-month quarantine there, he was flown to NZ and recently completed the mandatory fortnight's quarantine here. He travelled by float and boat from the quarantine base at Alton Lodge, near Te Kauwhata, to Ryal Bush to meet up again with Jim Dynes. Says Alton Lodge proprietor Eric Haydon "he arrived in fron England in great nick and will reach Southland in wonderful order."

Now rising 15, Tatile appears assured of a fine future at stud in NZ.

Credit: Ron Bisman writing in NZ Trotguide 18Jul74

HORSES

LORD MODULE - Enigma

Maybe, if you are of a certain age, you can skip this one. You know the story as well as anyone. How Lord Module could bring the Addington public to the highest levels of excitement since the days of Johnny Globe then stun them into silence with a show of temperament not equalled in the years since. Had he been anyone else than Lord Module his career would have been abbreviated by the stewards long before it reached its amazing unforgettable climax.

To cut to the chase Lord Module went from Horse of the Year in 1979-80 acclaimed for many things including brilliantly winning the Cup(of course there was an inquiry this was Lord Module after all) after giving away starts of 60m. 12 months later he had already twice been barred from racing and his fan club suffered a big drop in membership.

After he refused to start at Forbury Park Jack Smolenski was called back by his old boss Cecil Devine to do the business but Jack was soon after suspended at Kaikoura and out for a month. Lord Module turned on a circus act at the Cup trials and then took no part in the NZ Cup itself and was barred from standing starts for a month. He then refused to keep up behind the gate in the Pan Am Mile and was barred from all racing until he trialled twice. He failed the first one, was lucky to pass the second and did well in the third. He won a mile at Timaru but was again giving away big starts from the stand.

Things were only fair in the spring too until the amazing night of the Matson Free-For-All which resulted in the greatest demonstration of public affection seen since the days of Johnny Globe. Most people who were there still get a tingle in the spine recalling it. Of course Lord Module was going to have the last word. A special promotion at Addington a few years later featured past champions at stud. When the parade went to the birdcage Lord Module was a no show. He had decided to take a lie down in the parade ring and nobody was going to change his mind. A champion with a difference.

Recently when discussing Lord Module's career one contribution was "Lord Module? He could be a real mongrel. But I loved him." Sums it all up really.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016