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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1967 NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

On the first wet show day in Christchurch for 21 years, a crowd of 14,337 braved the elements to watch the racing at Addington Raceway. Rain set in early in the day and as was only to be expected, the track became very sloppy as the day progressed.

On-course betting fell but not as heavily as seemed likely. The total was $333,126 compared with $407,111 last year. Off-course betting held up well in view of the scratching of Great Adios in the NZ Free-For-All. The Off-course total was $307,812.50 compared with $312,356 last year.

Lordship justified the heavy support to come for him when he won the NZ Free-For-All for the third time. He also proved himself one of the best "mudlarks" ever produced in the Dominion. The race was robbed of a great deal of interest through the scratching of Great Adios, who is reputed to be no good in such track conditions.

Lordship made a good beginning and was soon trailing Waitaki Hanover. With six furlongs to go, Happy Ending moved up on the outside of Lordship but he began to drop out two furlongs later. After passing the three furlongs, driver D G Nyhan moved Lordship out from the rails and he soon took the measure of Waitaki Hanover. Lordship made for home in his best style and it was late in the piece when Allakasam threw out her challenge. She was closing on Lordship, but by that time the race was virtually over and Lordship held Allakasam off by three-quarters of a length. Two lengths and a half further back came Indecision, who finished well over the last two furlongs, and then came Cuddle Doon and Disband, who were both tailed off in the early stages. Spry was the best of the rest who were a well beaten lot.

Friday's success took Lordship's stake winnings to $108,205, the result of 41 wins and 45 placings. Lordship received a great hand from the crowd, many of whom lined the birdcage fence to see him return. There is no doubting the black stallion's popularity with racegoers.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1967 NZ DERBY STAKES

Good Chase proved a class above his rivals in the NZ Derby Stakes. He was well driven by the young reinsman D G Watson, who trailed Royal Walk (one out from the rails) till the home turn. Good Chase was taken fairly wide in the straight and mastered Cardinal Garrison after a short sharp struggle and went on to win going away by a length and a half from Cardinal Garrison, who was the only one to offer any serious opposition to Good Chase.

The race was one of the best contests for years and vindicated the Club's decision to restrict the field to 12. Good Chase paced the mile and a half in the smart time of 3:12.6. He looks headed for the heights.

Good Chase is a sturdy black colt of commanding proportions and looks every inch of what he is - a Derby horse. His sire, Light Brigade (imp) has now sired four New Zealand Derby winners - Free Fight (1946), Fallacy (1951), Bon Ton (1956) and Good Chase. Torlesse, the dam of Good Chase, is a member of a family bred from by the Watson family, of Annat, Canterbury, for many years. The foundation mare of the family was Mary Wood, by Wildwood Junior. Mary Wood produced Peggywood to Parkwood, and Peggywood mated with Gamble, produced Rosewood, who became the foundation of the Watson family's now famed Rosewood Stud. Torlesse, the dam of Good Chase, is by U Scott (imp) from Rosewood, the dam of eight winners herself, and ancestress of Avante, Red Chase, Rosy Morn, Twig, Garry Brigade, Suntrap, Light Patrol, Spring Chat, Zadios, Easydale, Adarato, Pampean, Rosedale, Wee Doll, Forlesse and others.

Rosewood was a full-sister to Lady Ngaio, a particularly good pacer bred and raced by Mr O J Watson who, with his sons, J O Watson and D G Watson, runs the Rosewood Stud. Lady Ngaio was a fine stayer and took a two-mile record of 4:17.4 about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, she died before she could be bred from. Gamble, sire of Lady Ngaio and Rosewood was a pacer of the highest class. He won the NZ Derby in 1934 and finished second to Lucky Jack in the NZ Cup of 1937. Gamble was a strikingly good-looking chestnut horse by Jack Potts (imp) from Princess Ann (imp) and was of all-American blood.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

BUILDINGS & FACILITIES

CITY OFFICES

The NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club building on the corner of Oxford Terrace and Armagh Street, Christchurch, which has housed the staffs of the three Christchurch trotting clubs and the NZ Trotting Conference, for well over 40 years, was sold at auction last week for £38,500. The government valuation was £32,350.

The Christchurch trotting clubs now occupy ultra-modern new premises at Addington Raceway, and the Conference will shift to a new building on the Lincoln Road frontage of the Addington property next year.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 29Jun66

PEOPLE

N C PRICE

The death has occurred of Mr Nelson C Price, a prominent trainer of more than 40 years ago. He trained the 1922 NZ Cup winner, Agathos, one of the biggest stake-winners of the 1920s.

Mr Pringle also trained Glenelg, a leading 3-year-old who won the Great Northern Derby in 1924. Glenelg went on to good company, as did Berenice, a smart mare in the Price stable.

In later years Mr Price trained a top-class saddle pacer in Chef, the Auckland Cup winner of 1945, Sea Born, the 1945 NZ Sapling Stakes winner Sprayman, and he trained and drove Peter Locanda for several wins.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 23Nov66

PEOPLE

C M LAING

Charles McMenamen Laing, who died at Tinwald, spent more that 25 years training and breeding racehorses.

He raced several well performed pacers and trotters and was also associated with the breeding or breaking-in and early training of several outstanding horses, which later achieved Cup standard, including a top trotter in Dictation, Mobile Globe, who won the NZ Cup, and Acropolis, who won the Dunedin Centennial Cup.

Mr Laing owned a racehorse and dairying property and mixed farm, Wairiri Lodge, at Tinwald. His trotting career began in the 1940s when he became attached to the stable of the late Mr P J Andrew as trainer-driver. He married Miss Rona Andrew. On Mr Andrew's death some years ago, Mr Laing took over the property and continued to breed and train racehorses. He raced some horses in part-ownership with Mr F W Jarman, Darfield.

Among many horses he bred, trained or had an interest in were Scott Axworthy, Jimmy Warton, Gay Note, Wairiri Girl, Captain Eddy, Scotty's Double, Anitra, Kennoway, Te Par, Thumberlina, Kyran, Friendly Tom, Alvean, Melissa, Nirvana, Phillonic, Marcina, Horatio Nelson, Pilot Peter, Seal Globe, Nelson Eddy and Rainstorm.

Mr Laing was a foundation member of the Mid-Canterbury Trotting Owners and Breeders Association and served on its committee for 10 years after its foundation in 1952.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 6Jul66

INTERDOMINIONS

SYDNEY - CHAMFER'S STAR
Tasmanian pacer Chamfer's Star (a son of the good Maurice Holmes trained 1950 NZ Cup winner Chamfer) driven by former NZ 25 year old Brian (Mouse) Forrester, completed a clean sweep of the heats and final when after leading all the way from the front mark, to hold out Robin Dundee driven by Maurice Holmes by a long head.

HORSES

BLUE

The death occurred last week of a former champion juvenile pacer in Blue, who is still the holder of the world mile yearling record of 2:09 1/5 put up in 1957. Blue was at stud at the Ascot stud of Messrs G R Shirley and G A Thomas, Invercargill.

Blue was something of a sensation from the day he first appeared in public - at the 1957 National Yearling sales when he was knocked down for the record price for a standardbred yearling at 4250 gns. Shortly after he established his world record which still stands.

Blue went on to firmly establish himself as the best two and three-year-old pacer in the country, and actually he proved himself in world class. In six starts as a two-year-old he was unbeaten, his wins including the 1958 NZ Sapling Stakes in which he established a NZ mile and a half two-year-old record of 3:15 4/5.

As a three-year-old he won the NZ Derby in 3:12 2/5, the NZ Metropolitan Challenge Stakes in 2:36 4/5, an Australasian record at the time, and also the £4000 New South Wales Derby

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 2Feb66

HORSES

Highland Kilt, winner 1950 NZ Trotting Stakes

HIGHLAND KILT

As a yearling Highland Kilt was bought for me for $800 from his breeder, Mrs K Barre of Templeton. This was just before his full brother Highland Fling and his three-quarter brother Caduceus, hit the world headlines. He was by U Scott out of Queen Ayesha by Frank Worthy.

He made his race track debut as a 2-year-old in 1949 at Addington in a time trial against Todd Lonzia's 2-year-old record which had stood for 17 years. There was great intertest in Highland Kilt's appearance as the year before his full brother, Highland Fling, had paced to a world record on the Addington track of 1:57 4/5. He didn't let the family down; he ran the mile in 2:19 1/5 to take the record by 3/5 of a second. The next season he won at Marlborough then took the prestigious NZ Trotting Stakes.

As a 4-year-old he won the Addington Trotting Stakes and two other races, one a heat of the Inter-Dominion championships over 1¼ miles in 2:40. In the middle of a packed field in the final he struck interference, broke, and lost 40 yards yet still finished a good fifth. He was at his peak in 1952, beating a field of the best trotters including Fair Isle, Single Task, Dictation and Gold Horizon. From 36 yards behind he won in the record time for the Forbury track of 3:31 1/5. It was a remarkable performance and he ran the last quarter in just under 30 seconds.

At Kaikoura, in another time trial, he recorded 2:04 3/5, running his last quarter in 29 without being driven out. It is one of my regrets that he did not go against time again while at his peak.

As a 5-year-old Highland Kilt won five races and the last of these, on a wettish track, again confirmed his top ranking. This was in the Wellington Champion Free-For-All and the field included all the top trotters of the day, Dictation, Barrier Reef, Signal Light, Precaution, Gold Horizon, Gay Belwin and others. Normally he was not suited to wet tracks but as it was the end of the season we decided to start him. We need not have worried; after running in the middle of the field he took the lead with a quarter to go and won handsomely from Dictation and Barrier Reef.

The following season he had a few starts off difficult marks before retiring to stud. With Light Brigade leaving top trotters there were only limited opportunities for him and he was eventually leased for stud duties in the North Island. He left some good trotting winners, one of the best being our own Highland Flight 2:03 2/5 raced on lease by E W Lockyer who trained at Raetihi. Highland Glen 2:02 3/5 was another of his offspring; he raced for some years in the States for Eddie Cobb.

Highland Kilt's mares have proved good breeders of trotters. One, Pipetre, was the dam of Nigel Craig, 'Horse of the Year' in 1977 and the first trotter in NZ to better 2:00. The second dam of Castleton's Pride, Highland Gift was also by him; She was out of Esprit, one of Roydon Lodge's original imports.

Highland Kilt meant a great deal to my wife and me. He was racing for me not long after we had been married and as he improved so did out home furnishings. He would have been an ideal trotter to race in the States where at his best he would have become NZ's first 2:00 trotter.

-o0o-

NZ Trotting Calendar 23Mar66

Highland Kilt, whose death is reported, was a champion juvenile and aged trotter.

In 1949 he lowered the 2-year-old trotting record against time to 2:19 1/5. The previous record, Todd Lonzia's 2:22 2/5, had stood for 19 years. Among his three wins as a 3-year-old was the NZ Trotting Stakes.

He won four races at four years, including the Addington Trotting Stakes, the Nicoll Handicap (two miles), and a Qualifying race of the trotters' section of the Inter-Dominion Championships, held at Addington. His five wins as a 5-year-old included the Metropolitan Greyhound Handicap and the Wellington Champion Free-For-All, in which he led home Dictation, Barrier Reef and Signal Light. Another in that field was Gold Horizon. Among his successes in later seasons were the Metropolitan Worthy Queen Handicap and the Ashburton Cup.

Highland Kilt was bought as a yearling by Sir John McKenzie from his breeder, Mrs K Bare, Halswell, and raced throughout in the McKenzie interests.

Credit: Roy McKenzie: The Roydon Heritage

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1966 NZ OAKS

Stylos displayed rare determination in winning the New Zealand Oaks. She was quickly in front and led from that stage. Nearing the three furlongs Stylos was challenged for the lead by Corwar, but Stylos was not to be denied and did not give away her advantage. Kept up to her work in the straight, Stylos proved just a little too good for Corwar and had three-quarters of a length to spare at the post. Stylos is the second Oaks winner sired by Johnny Globe, who also sired Wendy Dawn, winner of the classic in 1962.

Corwar was nor disgraced in going under to Stylos. She raced one out without a trail practically all the way, and an attempt to wrest the lead from Stylos nearing the three furlongs, took some of the sting out of her. Light Thaw was handy most of the way and her third placing was encouraging.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1966 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

The Dominion Trotting Handicap proved a real test of stamina and Tronso, winner of the Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup earlier in the season, finished on just a little better than her rivals. Tronso was always going well and gave her driver, F E Newfield, his most important success with a trotter. Tronso came from sixth place at a fairly late stage and she was fourth into the straight. From then on Tronso always looked to have the result in safe keeping. The race was run at a solid pace, the first half mile taking 68.6 and the mile 2:13.8. The leaders sprinted their last half mile in 32.4 sec.

Tronso is the first horse C R Berkett has trained since renewing his training licence this season. Berkett races Tronso on lease from Mrs E Jamison. Tronso is an eight-year-old brown mare by Light Brigade from Bettagain, a daughter of Desmond's Pride and a top trotting mare of 20 years ago in Betty Maxegin, who was successful against the pacers. Betty Maxegin also produced Mighty Hanover, Robert Medoro and Rapparee, all bred by Mrs Jamison.

Queen's Cord trotted her best race in several starts to beat all but Tronso. She came from several places back at the home turn but found Tronso just too good on the day. Uteena, who had more or less been out of form for some time, trotted a sound race for third. She came right into the picture over the concluding stages and her effort shows she is far from a spent force. Asia Minor made up ground for fourth in the Dominion without looking a real danger, after being checked in the running. A feature of the race was the failure of the two favourites, Le Chant and Johnny Gee. Le Chant finished last and Johnny Gee was pulled up. Johnny Gee was troubled by the grit being thrown up in his face, according to his owner-trainer, W R Butt.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar