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RACING HISTORY

INTERDOMINIONS

SYDNEY - HONDO GRATTAN
For sheer grit, the performance of Hondo Grattan to clean sweep the heats and Final of the 1973 series in his home state of New South Wales, despite being only four and doing most of his racing the hard way, would take some beating. There was never a more worthy Champion. He beat Royal Ascot and Glamour Chief in the $50,000 Final.

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1973 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Backmarker Philemon gave driver Jack Smolenski a notable double for the meeting when he carried off the Dominion Handicap in decisive fashion. On the first day of the meeting Smolenski won the NZ Cup with Arapaho and his win behind the brilliant Oamaru-trained trotter gave him victory in two of the feature events.

Smolenski sent Philemon up from the back when the pace slackened after 600 metres and he was in front with 2400 metres to go. Though tackled in the middle stages by Able Adios and Aronmot (three wide), Philemon remained in front and passing the 800 metres was travelling well.

Easton Light was the first to lodge a serious challenge in the straight from his trailing position on the outer but last year's winner could not catch Philemon and it was left to the unlucky Bachelor Tom to get up for second, a length and a quarter back. Bachelor Tom was travelling well as he improved on the home turn but then jumped some manure lying on the track and was lucky not to lose more groud than he did. He was closing fast at the finished and edged Easton Light out by a nose.

Bambi, who trailed Philemon all the way, was a length and a half back fourth but could have been closer had he taken the gaps which opened for him. Tunza Time fought on for fifth ahead of Able Adios, Mighty Dollar and Le Char.


Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1973 NZ OAKS

"There's no backpedalling now, I'll have to take it up full time," said Rakaia agricultural contractor Noel Edge after his good filly Loyal Drift won the $9000 New Zealand Oaks.

For Edge, who only renewed his licence two years ago after a layoff of ten years, the Oaks was the biggest success of his career. Barrine was the first horse he prepared after his break away from trotting and he was a winner last season while this season Loyal Drift and Kentucky Hanover have shown very good form in each winning three races.

Loyal Drift, by the New Zealand bred stallion Bye Bye Bill, himself a fine pacer, is out of Gancia and was bred by her owner. Mr Edge had since had two foals from Gancia, a two-year-old colt by Nephew Hal and a yearling filly by Play Bill. Last year Gancia missed to Jersey Hanover but has gone back to him this season.

Noel Edge is a brother to Steve Edge and until he gave up trotting for ten years to concentrate on his business Noel edge assisted his brother in his training activities.

There could be few excuses for the beaten lot behind Loyal Drift as she was sent to the lead with a mile to run and held off all the challenges in the straight. Not even a brilliant drive from Maurice Holmes could do better than earn Armbro Jodie second money behind a very well rated winner whose victory was thoroughly deserved. Holmes got Armbro Jodie away brilliantly from the second line and she was lying in third place at the end of a furlong. When Loyal Drift succeeded Hill Crest in front at the mile, Armbro Jodie was switched off the rails to trail on the outer then sent forward three wide past the weakening Connie Francis at the two furlongs. Armbro Jodie looked to be a big threat when she turned for home in second place but she only battled over the final half-furlong and just lasted to hold second, a length from Loyal Drift and half a head in front of Scottish Joy.

Scottish Joy raced in the fourth line on the outer but moved up closer to the lead from the two furlongs and though under pressure, got up to take third off the North Islander and favourite Hill Crest. Lady Hodgen, the early pacemaker, battled on for fifth from three back on the fence then there was a gap of seven lengths to Beedeecee with a nose to Marie Gibbins. Her effort was a good one as she was one of the worst breakers in a straggling start and had only two behind her with six furlongs to run.

Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotting

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1973 NZ TROTTING CUP

Doubts that Arapaho would see out a solidly run 3200 metres against such talented opposition were completely dispelled when he raced away with the $40,000 NZ Cup.

Not only did Arapaho win the Cup, but he did so by five lengths in the brilliant time of 4:08.6 for the 3200 metres, which compares favourably with False Step's 4:09 recorded in winning his third NZ Cup in 1960 when the distance was two miles. The fastest time recorded in the Cup over two miles was Johnny Globe's 4:07.6 in 1954. This was a world record which stood until 1969 when Dainty's Daughter recorded 4:07 in Western Australia.

Arapaho, who at the start of the season was under option to an American buyer for $100,000 but remained in New Zealand when the sale fell through, proved by far the best stayer in the field. Dunsandel owner Mr Laurie Forde has now won 23 races both here and in Australia with Arapaho who took his stake earnings to $90,270 with the $24,000 first prize.

Arapaho was given a dream run by trainer-driver Jack Smolenski. Sixth early he had a turn in front at the 2100 metre mark as the early lead changed frequently, and was then three back on the rails when first Vanadium then Rauka Lad took the lead. Rauka Lad made the pace from the 1800 metres when Young Quinn was shot into a handy lead by Bob Cameron. Vanadium and Arapaho moved to be second and third on the home turn, but Arapaho proved too strong for Young Quinn and went on to win by five lengths.

Last year's Cup winner Globe Bay went another good race for second. He improved along the rails to be in fifth place on the turn and finished determinedly to edge Young Quinn out of second by half a neck. Young Quinn, the youngest horse in the race at four, made a game attempt to beat his older rivals. He was one of several to have a turn in front early when he led briefly at the 2600 metre mark, but at the 1600 he was well placed in the fourth line on the outside of Fab. Cameron sent him passed the tiring Rauka Lad at the 600 metre mark and he turned for home with a handy advantage. He could not maintain it, but his third in such a fast-run race was a good effort for a young horse.

Robalan third in the race last year, gained another placing when he battled on for fourth though four lengths back. He drifted to the rear after 800 metres and then had to go very wide when improving from the 700 metre mark. He was sixth, but very wide out turning for home. Royal Ascot did best of the three horse bracket which include Manaroa and Manawaru. He finished fifth, but never looked like paying a dividend. He had only Manaroa and Robalan behind him at the 800 metre mark and then had to go three, then four wide round Noble Lord at the 400 metres. He was a length back fifth at the line. Vanadium, who trailed Rauka Lad from the 1800 metres, wilted to sixth a length back and a nose in front of Lightsey who ran on well after breaking at the start.

Scottish Charm just battled away in the middle of the field two lengths back with a gap of five lengths back to Noble Lord who made a brief forward move at the 800 metres, but was struggling at the 400 metre mark. Manawaru, who was under pressure to maintain his position at the 800 metres, was a further four lengths back ahead of Bomber Bill, Fab, Manaroa, who broke badly at the start, and Rauka Lad. Rauka Lad stopped badly after going up fast to lead at the 1800 metre mark.


Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1973 NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Robalan won his second successive New Zealand Free-For-All and gave driver Denis Nyhan his fourth win in the event when he raced away for a five and a half lengths win. Robalan strode to the lead after 450 metres and from then on he was travelling too well. He cracked the pace on at the 800 metres and drew right away in the straight.

New Zealand Cup winner Arapaho, after breaking at the start, had a battle with Globe Bay before working off the fence with 1200 metres to go and though he ran on determinedly, he had to be content with second, half a head in front of Bomber Bill, who tracked Robalan all the way.

Young Quinn finished brilliantly but late to get fourth, only another half-head back, with a neck to Young Cardigan, who fought on well from three back on the fence and looked as though he may pay a dividend at the 100 metres mark. Rauka Lad, who ran wide in the straight, was next ahead of Royal Ascot and Lightsey.

Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1973 NZ DERBY STAKES

Koarakau will go down in the record books as the 1973 New Zealand Derby winner, but for those at Addington it will be remembered as the race Eclipse lost.

The 1973 field was one of the most talent packed to contest a Derby and the sensations predicted by many were forthcoming. But it was a tragic race for Eclipse's owner Mr E C Ockwell and trainer-driver Doug Donaldson. The classy Johnny Globe colt worked hard to head off Golden Moose after 1000 metres and from then on always seemed to be pacing comfortably. Donaldson still had him under a good hold passing the 800 then had the rest struggling as he gave him more rein at the 500 metres. Nicely clear at the 400, Eclipse looked to have the race in safe keeping but then came the sensation. For the first time in his career, Eclipse raced erratically and ran off on the home turn. Donaldson got him straightened up for a renewed bid as Al's Holiday dived through to the lead but Eclipse attempted to run off again and it was a disappointed Donaldson who brought him home in sixth place.

While all this was going on, Al's Holiday looked set to give Maurice Holmes his thirteenth winning drive in the Derby as he took a handy lead inside the 200 metres. But then the surprisingly warm favourite Koarakau appeared on the scene and he stormed home to beat Al's Holiday by threequarters of a length. Al's Holiday must have made Koarakau's task harder but for his inexperience. He was having only his third start, having finished second at Kaikoura and winning the First Riccarton Stakes on Cup day. When he hit the front early in the run home, Al's Holiday seemed to loaf a bit and could not match the fast finishing Koarakau.

While Eclipse must be regarded as the unlucky runner in the Derby, this does not detract from the very notable performance by Koarakau who added to a great record trainer Don Nyhan has in the Derby. Koarakau, owned by Mr C Wood, of Papatoetoe, is a son of 1961 Derby winner Lordship, who in turn was sired by the 1950 Derby winner Johnny Globe. Lordship, who stands at stud at Nyhan's Templeton property, was raced by his wife, Mrs Doris Nyhan, while he himself owned, trained and drove Johnny Globe. Don Nyhan also drove Lordship to win the 1961 Derby and but for an accident prior to the Cup meeting would have driven Koarakau. However, a broodmare savaged Nyhan's hand and Koarakau was handled in his three starts at the meeting by his son Barry. The Derby win was the fifth from six starts for Koarakau and he is unlucky not to be unbeaten. The previous Tuesday night, he met trouble at the straight entrance and broke, this incident looking to cost him a winning chance.

Koarakau's time for the 2600 metres was 3:23, a time which compares favourably with Willie Win's record of 3:25 for 13 furlongs set last year. The New Zealand record for 13 furlongs for a three-year-old from a standing start was also set last season by Why Bill at 3:23.8 at Easter.

Though six lengths further back, there was much merit in Kawarau Gold's third placing. He broke twice in the first two hundred metres and finally settled five places back on the fence behind Al's Holiday. He did not get the best of runs from then on but put in a great finishing run for his third placing and looks to have a big future in major staying events.

Golden Moose was a length and a half back fourth after having his chance. Driver Robin Butt said after the race he did not want to give the lead away to Eclipse but was being pressed all the way and had little choice. Gliding Light ran on from the middle for fifth, a nose back, ahead of Eclipse and Bonheur. Bonheur who raced third on the rails behind Golden Moose, shot through on the inside of the runner at the 600 but started to weaken soon after. Mighty Gay, one of the favoured runners, broke and lost a lot of ground at the start. He had made up the leeway coming through the straight with a round to go but could not improve from there and finished ninth.


Credit: 'Lookout' writing in NZ Trotguide

THE BEGINNINGS

SOURCE OF THE PACING GAIT

The history of the pacing horse is as old as antiquity. The changes that have been wrought in the status of the pacer during the last 100 years it truly remarkable. To many who are not conversant with the business, and who have not been actively engaged in the sport, the causes and methods that have been adopted to bring the lateral-gaited horse to the front are an absorbing study.

Some have maintained that the pace is an artificial and cultivated gait. The ancient story that the pacing instinct sprang from the Narragansett pacer is a myth. Some wiseacres have maintained that the original pacer in America, while being taken by ship from Egypt, was 'storm struck,' the pacer being thrown overboard in mid-ocean; and after 10 days the horse was found on the coast of Newfoundland, where he had swum ashore, and that he was found eating rushes on a sand-bar, from where he was rescued and taken to Narragansett Bay.

The idea that the pace is a cultivated gait, and that the trotter antedates the pacer, is absurd. The pacer antedated the trotter by thousands of years. History tells us so.

On the summit of the Acropolis in Athens stand the ruins of the Parthenon, a magnificent temple erected to the goddess Minerva. The building was commenced in the year BC 437, and was completed five years afterwards. All the statuary was the work of the famous Phidias and his scholars. It was made from Pentelic marble. This noted building resisted the ravages of time, and had in turn been converted to a Christian temple and a Turkish mosque. In 1676 it was still entire, but in 1687 Athens was beseiged by the Venetians and the Parthenon was hopelessly wrecked. As a ruin it became the prey of the Turks and other devastators. In order to save some of what remained of it's precious works, Lord Elgin, about the year 1800, brought home to England some portions of the frieze of the temple, with other works of Phidias in marble. He sold them to the Government and they are now preserved in the British Museum.

The frieze is a most interesting subect of study, not only as a specimen of Greek art of the period of Pericules, but as a historic record of the type and action of the Greek horses of that day. It consists of a series of white marble slabs, about four feet wide, upon which are sculptured in high relief the heroes and defenders of Athens, mounted on horses, and the horses are all pacing and distinctly show the pacing attitude.

This is the first record of the pacer, and it is now over 2340 years old. The statuary of the early ages furnished some excellent illustrations of the gait of the horses of that period of the world's history. The four bronze horses on St Marks in Venice are known throughout the world, and they are all in the pacing attitude. The true date of these horses is lost in history, but it is pretty certain that they were cast in Rome about the beginning of the Christian era. Their capture in Rome and transfer to Constantinople, then their capture by the Venetians and transfer to Venice, next their capture by Napoleon and transfer to Paris, and then their restoration to Venice, are all matters of history.

In the first half of the seventeenth century pacers were popular, common and abounded everywhere in England. In the second half of the eigtheenth century not one could be found in all Britian! Of all the facts that are known and established in history of the English horse, the wiping out of the pacer is the most striking and significant. The little English pacers that had been the favourite of kings and princes for so many years were submerged in the strains of Saracenic blood that flowed in upon them, and their only legitimate descendants left upon the face of the earth found homes in the American colonies.

Their blood was one of the principal elements in the foundation of the English racehorse, but the 'lateral-action' in his progeny was esteemed a bar sinister on the escutcheon of the stallions, and it was sought to cover it up with something more fashionable in name. The result was that the little pacer, 'having no friends at court,' was obliged to get out of the way with his 'lateral-gait.' In England, and under the observation of everybody, the pacer showed great tenacity to his long-inherited habit of action and, although buried in non-pacing blood, 'as supposed', of two or three generations, the pace was liable to crop out again at any time.

In the latter half of the last century there were a good many excellent trotters in England, but the further they got away from the blood of the English pacer the fewer trotters they found. It seems to be true of all countries today that where there are no pacers there are also no trotters.

It was during the era from 1775 to 1850 that a lot of the stronger pacing blood trickled into Canada (which has always been strong in pacers) as pacers that could not be converted to trot were not worth the price of a good mule at the time in the United States. But the pacers and amblers were popular in Canada as saddle horses and buggy horses. This was probably how the bulk of the pacers went to Canada; and, when crossed with the native mares, produced the 'Canadian Pacer'. From these came different families that predominated, such as 'The Pilots', 'The Columbus', 'The Copperbottoms', 'The St Lawrences', 'The Royal Georges', 'The Clear Gritts', etc.

Later, when the pacer became popular, quite a number of these Canadian pacers were taken to Kentucky and other States, and while they sired a lot of very useful racehorses, most of them failed to breed on through their sons, and petered out in a generation or so. But their daughters were bred to Hambletonian 10, and played a big part in helping to establish the Hambletonian family.

Today the two gaits, trotting and pacing are breeding-wise inseperable. They apparently always were different sides of the same thing.

Credit: 'Oldtimer' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 29Mar72

NIGHT TROTTING

OPPOSITION TO FRIDAY NIGHT TROTTING

The Canterbury Park Trotting Club struck another rich vein with its switch from Saturday night to Friday night racing at Addington last week.

On-course investments were $245,707, an increase of $72,904 over the corresponding meeting last year, and off-course investments reached $371,097, an increase of $126,588.50. Although the attendance of 10,000 was well below the New Year crowds of close to 13,000 per night, the punters were all there, and the totalisator staff never had a 'breather'. The fields generally were of excellent calibre, with an all-star line up in the Flying Mile, which was won from start to finish by Globe Bay, who had won the Wellington Cup at his last start.

However, all is not yet plain sailing for Friday night racing - in Christchurch, anyway. Christchurch retailers came out against Friday night racing, only hours before the Canterbury Park venture. A statement from Mr E J McGregor, vice-president of the Canterbury and Westland Retailers Association, said that it would be a great pity if the club used Friday nights in the future, and outlined retailers views on the matter. "Traditionally, the retailer has provided complete late-night shopping facilities on Friday nights, and it would be a great pity if Canterbury Park should continue at the expense of the services to the consumer provided by the retailer," he said.

Mr McGregor claimed that it was not really correct to say that many shops open now on Thursday nights, thus leaving the way open for Friday night trotting. "In fact, no shops at all are open in the city any night other than Friday night. By holding race meetings on the same night the trotting clubs cannot possibly believe that the total racing public would be available to attend as they would on any other night," he continued. On the other hand, the retailer would certainly lose by this split in services and interests.

Mr McGregor concluded by pointing out that the fact that Friday night trotting was successful in Sydney had no sound basis for comparison with Christchurch, as Sydney had no late shopping facilities available to the public on Friday nights. He said it was evident that the city was much quieter last Friday night than usual.
He hoped that the trotting club and his association would meet at some stage to discuss the matter.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 26Jan72

PEOPLE

James Bryce Jnr

BRYCE FAMILY

The end of what was once a beautiful romance with trotting for the long-renowned Bryce family finally came (it would seem) when last Tuesday, the day of the 1972 running of the NZ Trotting Cup - a race whose history the Bryces played an outstanding part in - James Bryce, jun. died in Christchurch aged 70.

The father and sons triumvirate of James (Scotty) Bryce and Andy and Jim Jnr really hogged NZ's trotting limelight almost right from the time Scotty, in his mid-30s in 1913, shipped out to NZ with his family and continued his remarkable career as a trotting trainer. It is said that Scotty was so good with horses that the Scottish bookmakers were delighted to see him leave his homeland. And it took no time at all for Scotty in NZ to show why.

This was despite atrocious luck at the start of the Bryce family's venture; and the story can be taken up when the little man from Glasgow stood on the Wellington wharf on a dull, cheerless morning in 1913 with his wife, his belongings and five children clustered around him, and had to take on the chin a blow that would have flattened anyone but the strongest. In surroundings where he knew no-one, wondering what the future would hold. Scotty was approached by a stranger. "Are you Mr Bryce?" And hearing the raw Gaelic accent: "Yes? Well,I have had some bad news for you. Your two horses have been ship-wrecked and are still in England." The day must then have seemed really dismal to the little man from Glasgow. Hardly a promising start in a new land. But Scotty was a real horseman - one of the world's best - and he was about to prove it in no uncertain terms.

Stakes were small and bookmakers big in the halcyon days when Scotty Bryce learned to drive imported American horses in trotting races in Glasgow; but he was a canny Scot who soon earned a reputation for reliability in getting horses first past the post. Reading some NZ newspapers from London Bryce saw the pictures of the race crowds, which decided him to come and try his luck here. When he left Scotland, he was given a great send off. Owners and trainers presented him with a purse of 100 guineas in gold. Here is Scotty's own quote on that farewell, recorded in the Auckland Star in the mid 1940s by C G Shaw: "I have never tasted liquor in my life. I thought port wine was a tea-total drink. I never remember leaving the place."

Fares and freight for the family and the horses left Bryce with £300 when he landed in Wellington, and it was at this stage that he learned that his two mares he was shipping out, Our Aggie and Jennie Lind, had gone aground in the Mersey on an old troop transport, the Westmeath, and were still in England. Subsequently, they were transhipped to the Nairnshire and after a rough passage arrived in NZ strapped to the deck after the mate had suggested putting them overboard. The mares reached here two months after the Bryce family, who had decided to go to Christchurch. The family was taken to a boarding house in the city but left after Mrs Bryce had discovered the woman of the house drank 'phonic', which is the Gaelic for methylated spirits. They went to Lancaster Park and there they settled.

Three months after reaching NZ, Our Aggie, driven by Scotty Bryce, won her first race - but she did not get it. She had not been sighted by the judge as she finished on the outside, and his verdict went to a mare called Cute whose driver said after the race: "I did not win but I could not tell the judge that." Our Aggie was placed second and the crowd staged a riot. Our Aggie won seven races in NZ and became the dam of Red Shadow, considered by Scotty to be his best performed horse ever. Red Shadow won the Great Northern Derby in 1930 and the NZ Cup and Metropolitan Free-For-All in 1933, taking all four principal races at Addington. He sired Golden Shadow winner of the 1943 Great Northern Derby, and Shadow Maid, who won the Auckland Cup in the same year.

When they first arrived with their dad and the rest of the family, James Jnr was 13 and Andrew 11. James Jnr, to begin with, got a brief grounding with the thoroughbreds, being introduced to a famed galloping trainer George Cutts at Riccarton. Before he could go far in his role as a racing apprentice, however, increasing weight forced young Jim out of the thoroughbred sport without him riding a winner. But he had been quick to learn and had what it took, Jim, who got his trotting driver's ticket when he was 15, quickly showed when he won at each of his first three rides in saddle events for the standardbreds.

Scotty had two horses engaged in a race, but the owner of one of them, the favourite, would not allow the trainer to put James Jnr up on that horse (as Jimmy had been promised) and a bitterly disappointed lad took his seat on a little mare called Soda. This happened again on another horse, whose owner, with a magnificent gesture, presented the boy with a cigarette holder and 2s 6d. However, to this Scotty added a £5 note. Finally, the first owner who had been so reluctant to avail himself of James Jnr's services asked him to take the ride, and history records that the young boy this time prevailed on the horse he had twice earlier beaten - for three wins out of three in saddle races.

It speaks volumes for Scotty Bryce's reputation that the biggest dividend paid by a horse driven by him was £14. Way back in 1923 horses driven by the old master earned over £100,000 in stakes. Scotty retired from driving when compulsorily retired aged 69 and died 20 years later. He had topped the trainers' list eight times from 1915/16 to 1923/24, being headed out in that period only by Free Holmes in 1922/23. As a driver, Scotty took the premiership five times, while Jim Jnr. was to top it in 1935/36.

In 1925 Jim and Andy were entrusted by their dad to take Great Hope and Taraire to Perth for the first edition of the Australasian Championship, the forerunner of the Inter-Dominion Championships. Both horses fared well, but on the eve of the Grand Final, the father of West Australian trotting, J P Stratton, came to the brothers and candidly informed them that Great Hope, the weaker stayer of the pair, would have to win the final if the boys were to take the championship on points. Andy, driving Taraire, got behind Jim driving Great Hope in the race, amazing horsemanship being displayed by both brothers, literally pushed Great Hope to the line to take the honours. Scotty, knowing what the lads were like, tied up the money from those successes, and Andy and Jim, needing cash, decided to trade Taraire for an Australian horse and some cash when the carnival was over.

To his mortification, Scotty Bryce not only failed to win a race with Planet, the horse got in trade for Taraire by his sons, but when he himself returned to Perth the following year with Sir John McKenxie's Great Bingen, he was beaten in the final by none other than his former stable member, Taraire. Episodes like this and the one in which Great Bingen, swimming in the Perth river, got away, swam to the bank, made his way though the city and back to his stable unscathed were part and parcel of the Bryce saga.

At his model Oakhampton set-up in Hornby near Christchurch, with it's lavish appointments that included a swimming pool for his horses, Scotty and his sons lorded over the trotting world for many happy years. Between them they were associated with six NZ Cup winners and 10 Auckland Cup winners - either in training or as drivers while they won every other big race there was to win in NZ.

Scotty trained the NZ Cup winners Cathedral Chimes(1916), Great Hope(1923), Ahuriri(1925 and 1926), Kohara(1927) and Red Shadow(1933). Of these he drove Cathedral Chimes and Ahuriri (twice) and Red Shadow, while Jimmy Jnr. drove Great Hope and Andy handled Kohara. Scotty prepared the Auckland Cup winner Cathedral Chimes(1915), Man o' War(1920 & 1921), Ahuriri(1927), and Shadow Maid(1943). Of these he drove Cathedral Chimes, Man o' War the first time and Ahuriri while Andy drove Man o' War the second time and Jimmy Junr. Shadow Maid. Then Andy for owner Ted Parkes and trainer Lauder McMahon won the Auckland Cup in 1928 & 1929 with Gold Jacket, while Jimmy Jnr. drove Sea Born to win for Charlie Johnston in 1945 and Captain Sandy for Jock Bain to score in 1948 and 1949.

Their individual victories are far too many to enumerate, but while Andy was associated with such stars as Man o' War, Kohara, Gold Jacket and, in later years, Jewel Derby and Tobacco Road, James Jnr. took the limelight with Shadow Maid, Sea Born and that mighty pacer Captain Sandy.

Eighteen months ago, Andy, at 66, was admitted to hospital with hernia trouble, told his daughter "I'm in the starter's hands," and died peacefully. James Jnr. left to join up with the other two sides of the redoubtable triangle early this week. Among the grandsons of Scotty, Colin(son of Jim) and Jim(son of Andy) were involved for a time in trotting but both gave the practical side, at least, away. It would seem the Bryce saga is over. But, who knows? Perhaps there will be a great-grandson to kindle the flame again. I wouldn't be surprised.

Credit: Ron Bisman writing in NZ Trotting 18Nov72

PEOPLE

CECIL DONALD

The first trainer in either code to train 1000 winners (in 1972) Cecil Donald has a special hniche in harness racing history. But a simple stat hadly does him justice. In an erawhen the Purdon have rewritten most training records, the innovation and scope of the vintage Donald years stand out as exceptional.

Donald was the "young man in a hurry" of the trotting world from the time he started out training at Addington in 1922. Having five horses was considered a large professional stable then, and only people like James Bryce had 20. Donald soon had 30 in work. Within seven years he had won his first training and driving premierships, his 45 training wins being 11 more than the previous best. He also held the driving record.

After a hat-trick at Forbury he was described in the media as a "healthy vigourous young man whose secret is his personal supervision every day of a huge team of 30 horses." When Cecil won his final Premiership in 1961 he had equalled James Bryce's enduring record of seven. He had won an Auckland Cup (Carmel) and quinellaed the Dominion Handicap (Kempton, Writer) within 12 months of his first. He also posted the lowest winning total of any premiership with 17 wins in 1941-42 when there were only 559 races and huge travel restrictions. Through that era his operation and enterprise constantly attracted headlines.

Some of the major ones:

* In 1931 he became the first to drive and win a race at Addington (the first) the morning after driving in the seventh race at Alexandra Park. Donald had arranged for Captain McGregor to fly his primitive aircraft from Christchurch to Feilding, left the Northern Express near there for his first plane ride and was able to inspect his stable before the first race.

* Early trainers stood stallions to make ends meet but Donald went a lot further with Jack Potts which arrived from America as a 3-year-old in 1922 imported by Alec Anderson. Jack Potts, a lovely pacer, and the only American pacing-bred sire available then, became the breeding phenomenon of his era winning nine successive sires premierships.

* In 1938-39 Jack Potts was the first to leave 100 winners in a season. Donald also stood sons of Jack Potts such as Gamble (2nd in a NZ Cup) which at times caused some problems with officialdom. In 1937he had over 150 horses at Belfast, unheard of in that era. He also raced and trained gallopers and stood thoroughbreds at stud.

* Calumet Axworth, a disappointment, and Lusty Volo, a £1500 purchase, were stallions Donald imported from America. Lusty Volo died from heart failure whe his oldest crop were only two. He left top liners Great Venture and Sir Michael as well as the dam of Our Roger.

* At the 1937 New Zealand Cup meeting Donald was the leading trainer, the leading driver and his stallion Jack Potts the leading sire - another unique record. At the 1940 New Zealand Cup meeting, Donald trained the winner of the NZ Cup (Marlene), the Dominion Handicap (Tan John, a $16 buy and then aged 14) and the NZ FFA (Plutus) - a feat not repeated in the 72 years since.

* Cecil quoted his feat of training the home-bred but chronically unsound Marlene, then seven, to win the Cup as his finest achievment. As usual his skilful brother, Ron, drove, Cecil believing lightweight was an advantage in the cart. He had also been severely injured in a fall driving Accountant that year. But Cecil drove Cairnbrae (an 8-year-old) with supreme judgement (led last mile) to win his second Cup for owner Ted Lowe in 1964 at a time when the various brackets including King Hal, Gildirect, Urrall, Falsehood and Dandy Briar were popular combinations with the public. Donald had minor placings in other Cups with Lindbergh, Jack Potts, Bayard, Lary Shona and Falsehood.

* More than once he produced three horse brackets in the race. Dandy Briar won an Auckland Cup. In later years Chief Command, Indecision and Rauka Lad were his top pacers.

* In 1941 Donald based his entire racing team at Oamaru in the weeks leading up to the August Addington meeting because of the drier tracks. "The Belfast track was always a problem in winter but those were the sort of ideas he would come up with," Donald's former chief assistant Bob Nyhan recalls.

* A Donald innovation relieved a disastrous fire at Belfast which killed his high class pacer Accountant, a brother to Marlene. He had a special irrigation system for his track. "It was something new," Nyhan said. "Nobody bothered to water their training tracks like that. He also groomed the track during training sessions." When a rear barn burst into flames during the night in June, 1944, only the resources of the track watering system saved the main barn. Five horses died in the fire, most by suffocation.

* In 1950 Donald who had held some large sales of his own of young stock here in the 1930's, landed in Sydney with 25 horses to sell or, if not sold, to race. Among them was the stallion Gamble which fetched 1300 quineas. Most of the rest found a new home.

* The Donald training regime accentuated the basics. He had extraordinary patience in "setting a horse up" - claimed as 12 months or more by some. "He was a great feeder," Nyhan remembers. Glocose was a staple part of the horse's diet and his biggest successes were with stayers.

* Don Nyhan used to recall how Donald would put colts together on trucks without stalls as part of their education.

* Beside all that Ces Donald was a leading cattle dealer and eventually bought farms to cater for his stock. To manage one of the biggest racing teams in the country, a stud, and maintain his dealing interests makes him one of the rare achievers in the Kiwi harness world.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 2May12