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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1963 NZ DERBY STAKES

Bellajily brought a welcome change of luck to her Templeton trainer, C C Devine, and owner-breeder N Matyasevic, when she came out on top in a close finish to the New Zealand Derby Stakes on Wednesday night.

Bellajily's effort was full of merit, as she started from the outside of the front line, and was a good way from the lead in the middle stages. She ran three wide from the half-mile and was forced four out racing to the straight. Bellajily responded in the gamest fashion to urging on the part of driver D J Townley, who drove Rupee to win the race in 1952.

Bellajily is the first filly to win the race since Scottish Lady was successful in 1942, and the sixth since the race was first run at Addington in 1923. Bellajily had paced a good race for fourth in the NZ Metropolitan Challenge Stakes on the first day of the meeting, and she has proved by far the best filly of her age group. She paced the mile and a half journey in the smart time of 3:12.6. The leaders took 61.6 for the first half mile and 29.8 for the final quarter.

As a two-year-old last season, Bellajily drew attention to her future prospects when, making her first race appearance, she led practically all the way to win the Invitation Stake at Geraldine, beating Rocky Star and Lady Luronne. Later, Bellajily finished a good third to Peerswick and Meadowmac in the NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington, and she finished up the term with a useful fourth in the NZ Sapling Stakes.

Bellajily is a bay fillyby Van Dieman from Malabella (3:11.6), by Doral's Derby-Mala, by Red Shadow-Krina, by Jewel Chimes. Krina, who was a smart saddle mare with a 2:08 record, also produced Rerekohua, Ngarimu, Air Spray, Lady Spray, Sprayman, Son's Gift and Stronghold.

Wildwood Chief did well to get second, as he was not too well placed early, and he, too, had to race wide entering the straight. Peerswick made a game attempt to lead all the way, and he showed courage to hold third place. Lochgair was pushed back at the start, and his fourth placing was a capital performance. He appeals as a pacer of fine potential. Grande Garnison, who started from the second line, was securely pocketed most of the way, and did not get a run in the straight until the race was over. He was fifth to finish.

La Scala, Scottish Advance, Heriot and Lochgair lost ground at the start, and Peerswick was the first to show out from Lottery Song, Khraizon, Full Sovereign (three wide), Falstaff, Space Cadet, Wildwood Chief, Grande Garnison and Bellajily, with two lengths to Lochgair and Melanian. The order changed little until the half mile, where Bellajily was beginning to improve. At this stage Peerswick was still in command, and he led into the straight from Lottery Song, Khraizon, Full Sovereign and Bellajily. Lochgair and Wildwood Chief were showing up wide out, with Grande Garnison having no-where to go down on the inner. Bellajily was the first to challenge Peerswick, and then Wildwood Chief put in his claim, with Lochgair closing fast. All four place-getters were responsible for first class efforts, and Grande Garnison would lose little caste as a result of finishing no closer than fifth.

The record mile and a half time for a three-year-old filly is the 3:11.4 registered by Wendy Dawn when she finished fourth to Tactile, Vanderford and Garcon D'Or in last year's New Zealand Derby.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1963 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Min Scott gained her most important success to date when she finished too well for Mighty Hanover in the Dominion Handicap. Winner of two races earlier this year, Min Scott was prominently placed throughout and her final sprint was reserved till into the straight. Her success was a most convincing affair.

Min Scott cannot boast a great deal in the way of size, but she is beautifully put together, and has a perfect action. By U Scott, she is a five-year-old black mare out of Royal Charge, a half-sister to a one-time most capable pacer in Prince.

Min Scott's success was a real family affair as she is owned by Mrs G N Hunter, whose husband J S Hunter trains Min Scott, who was driven by C S Hunter, a son of the trainer. Min Scott trotted the two mile journey in 4:18.8 from 12 yards - a very smart run.

Mighty Hanover was responsible for most of the pace in the race, and he was far from disgraced in going under to a trotter of the calibre of Min Scott. Front running is something unusual for the Lucky Hanover-Betty Maxegin trotter, but no other runner appeared anxious to take the lead off him. Mighty Hanover attempted to slip the field racing to the straight, but was run down in the race to the post.

Having his first start since being trained at Belfast by C S Donald, Front Line drew attention to his immediate prospects with a forward showing for third. A full-brother to Battle Cry, Front Line has been a difficult horse to keep sound, but the effort points to him yet living up to the fine promise he showed as a young horse. Our Jimmy pulled hard in behind his stablemate, Mighty Hanover for most of the way in the Dominion and he battled on for fourth. Moon Boy pulled a shoe during the running and finished last. He was showing signs of lameness on returning to the birdcage.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar20Nov63

NEW BRIGHTON TROTTING CLUB

FINAL MEETING AT NEW BRIGHTON

The New Brighton course would now become Queen Elizabeth II Park and in 20 years time or so it could develop into the Hagley Park of the seaside suburb, said the Deputy Mayor of Christchurch (Councillor H P Smith) who was speaking at the closing ceremony of the club at its final meeting on its own course on Saturday. Cr. Smith said the New Brighton Club's gesture in offering the property to the City Council at much below the sub-divisional value was a magnificent one. The 'City Fathers' would be 'just as jealous of every square yard of it' as they were of Hagley Park, he continued. People would be able to enjoy recreation on the new park "for time immemorial".

The crowd of nearly 10,000 which attended on Saturday far exceeded expectations, and the £104,625 handled by the totalisator on-course was £32,000 more than last year. The main event, the A E Laing Handicap, carried a £50 trophy presented by Mr Laing, a former president who has been in hospital for some weeks. Five other presidents are still active officers of the club and races were named after them on Saturday's programme. They are Messrs W E Desmond, O Hutchinson, A G Jamieson, A McDonald and S J Moore.

Mr W F Stark, the president, in introducing the Deputy Mayor, thanked the public for their generous support in the past and extended to all a warm welcome to the club's future meetings at Addington. Queen Elizabeth II Park would be "real value for posterity" he said , and he was thankful that sub-division of such a fine place had been avoided. Officers of the club gathered in the birdcage for the ceremony, at which 'Now Is The Hour' and 'Auld Lang Syne' were sung.

A long list of champions, notable among them Wildwood Junior, Reta Peter, Adelaide Direct, Willie Lincoln, Agathos, Onyx, Peter Bingen, Great Bingen, Harold Logan and Josedale Grattan, were trained, at one time or another, on the New Brighton track. Between 25 to 40 years ago New Brighton was one of the busiest training centres in NZ, and trackwork was covered by the Christchurch daily papers - particularly when there were two morning and two evening papers - just as fully and prominently as the training activities at Addington.

Back in the late 1920s J N (Jim) Clarke trained a large team from Brooklyn Lodge (now occupied by George Cameron), and Peter Bingen, Great Bingen and Willie Lincoln were among the horses who occupied stalls in his stable. Contemporaries of Jim Clarke who come readily to mind included A J (Alf) Wilson, who trained and drove Reta Peter, twice winner of the NZ Cup; W (Bill) Warren, N L (Nelson) Price, J D (Doug) Smith, H (Harry) Frost, H(Harry) Aker, G (George) Robinson, A E (Arthur) Bussell and E R (Ernie) Husband.

Much earlier, the brothers W (Bill) and C (Charlie) Kerr, won renown with Wildwood Junior, Admiral Wood and others; M (Manny) Edwards took Adelaide Direct to the top; C Channing's Agathos was among the top flight of pacers in the early 1920s and Onyx, trained by J (Jack) Messervy, was the champion mare of the Dominion about the same period. Much later Pot Luck, trained by his owner H (Bert) Stafford, was a headline pacer trained at New Brighton, and F J ('Wizard') Smith used to quarter his team there on his regular visits to Christchurch meetings - Josedale Grattan and Nell Volo were among his great ones who had their final trials ay Brighton before important wins at Addington. W ('Tiger') Barron, was a prominent seaside trainer of over 30 years ago with horses owned by Mr D Rodgers.

There were others, many of them: the Jardens, the younger Kerrs and Smiths and Messervys, R (Dick) Motz and his son Arnold, E F C (Ernie) Hinds, D (Dan) Mahoney, E (Ernie) Hawtin, T H (Tom) Gleeson, G L (George) Mitchell, L C (Lester) Frost, F R (Fred) May, L (Lester) Davidson; and coming right down to the present day G (George) Cameron and A (Alf) Rhodes are among those still holding the fort along with A Richards, A Kendall, G Tisch, A L Mugford, W Ireland and a few others.

New Brighton at one time was as fast as any track in the country - Happy Voyage's 2.04 1/5, which stood as the NZ and Australian mile record for a season, was established on the track in 1923. In 1925 the champion mare Onyx, a lovely piece of horseflesh, went 3.13 against time for a mile and a half, which stood as a NZ and Australian record for a number of years. And on more than one occasion the peerless Harold Logan broke records from long handicap marks there - his 2.36 3/5 in winning the mile and a quarter Avon Handicap from away back on 84 yards (then a 'world's winning race record') will live on in the writer's memory as one of the greatest displays of good manners, brilliance and courage ever seen anywhere.

According to the late F C Thomas, a well-informed trotting historian of the early days, New Brighton is one of the oldest courses in NZ used solely for trotting meetings, and it is now more than 90 years since the first trotting event was held in the district. The New Brighton Club did not exist in those early days and was not formed until about 1890. For some time before that the New Brighton Racing Club held trotting meetings and mixed galloping and trotting meetings on the course. The New Brighton Trotting Club did not hold it's first meeting until 1895, when £190 was paid in stakes and totalisator turnover amounted to £1648.

Anyone prepared to dispute this statement is referred to the NZ Turf Register, 1894-95, which details the "New Brighton TC Inaugural" meeting, Saturday, March 16, 1895, "weather fine, going rough". The first race was won by J Gallagher's Swinton by "300 yards" in 6.01 for two miles. The mile Dash Handicap and the two miles Avon Handicap went to T Walker's Mistake in 2.54 and 5.54 1/2 respectively. The New Brighton Handicap, run over two miles in saddle, was won by H Mace's FB in 5.34. Other winners were J P Martin's Toby II(two races) J Barrett's Lily, and W Kerr's Felix.

The property was at that time owned by Mr Henry Mace, who with the club's first president (Mr H McIlwraith) and secretary (Mr A I Rattray) first gained Government recognition of trotting through the old NZ Trotting Association, which had been formed in Christchurch in 1888. On the death of Mr Mace in 1902, the course became the property of Mr H Button, who had a stud and trained thoroughbreds from the Brooklyn Lodge stables. The club continued to prosper and bought about half the present block containing the track from Mr Button in 1909, the same year in which the club's first course superintendent (Mr R Davidson) was appointed. Mr Davidson's son, L Davidson, has trained horses on the New Brighton course until recent months.

The course was very rough in the early days, but it gradually improved under Mr Davidson's care until he retired in 1924. He was succeeded by Mr W Stevenson, whose son, Mr T Stevenson took over in 1936. Mr T Stevenson will complete 27 years as course superintendent on September 27, and will remain on the course when the Christchurch City Council takes over on October 1.

The club did not secure the remainder of the property until the early 1930s.

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Vanderford had to be good to win the A E Laing Handicap. He made his usual fast beginning and was quickly up near the leaders. Vanderford followed Kingsdown Patch, one out, till rounding the turn into the straight. At that stage Kingsdown Patch could do no better, and it appeared as though Vanderford's driver, M Holmes, was forced to make a forward move earlier than he would have liked. Vanderford had to race very wide turning for home, but shaken up a little, he soon collared the leaders, and once he did the result was in safe keeping. Vanderford won going away by a length, to record his fifth success on end, and his fourth for the season. He now requires only one distance win to become eligible for the NZ Cup. Rustic Lad was second, Flying Blue third and Avante fourth.

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To the consistent Master Alan went the honour of winning the last race on the New Brighton course, and his success was a popular one. Earlier in the season Master Alan had been runner-up to Cardigan Bay at Hutt Park and second to Doctor Dan at New Brighton a fortnight ago. Master Alan raced in about the middle of the field until the turn and joined the leaders about the furlong. Master Alan responded in grand style to record 2.08 4/5, the last half being run by the leaders in 1.02 4/5, the final quarter in 31 2/5 secs, on a track which was not fast. Junior Royal paced a little roughly early in the race and was doing his best work in the concluding stages. Robin Dundee paced a sound race and made up ground for third. Doctor Dan was next, followed by Lordship, who had every chance. He is obviouslt not at his best.


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Sep63

NEW BRIGHTON TROTTING CLUB

SALE OF NEW BRIGHTON TRACK

To commemorate the Royal visit to Christchurch the New Brighton Trotting course grounds and buildings will be bought by the Christchurch City Council, named Queen Elizabeth II Park, with the Royal assent, and provide a reserve second only to Hagley Park.

The purchase was announced by the Mayor (Mr G Manning) at the public welcome to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Lancaster Park on Saturday.

The President of the New Brighton Trotting Club (Mr A E Laing) said the price, £75,000, was well below the Government valuation of £90,000, but monetary considerations had not been the sole thought of the club's executive, which was deeply conscious of the fact that public patronage down through the years had been the main contributing factor in making the freeholding and maintenance of the property possible. Mr Laing added: "I'm sure all our members and followers of the New Brighton Trotting Club will be happy that this wonderful area of ground is going to be developed to cater for all sports."

The City Council will take possession of the property on October 1. Everyone would be delighted by the purchase, especially at such a reasonable price said the Deputy-Mayor(Cr H P Smith). The terms on which the purchase has been made would enable the city to pay for it without recourse to rates. Tree-planting and the laying out of athletic tracks would be involved in the development, he said, and while the final development would take some years, the reserve would emerge as a park second only to Hagley Park and with amenities for a number of sports. A great advantage would be that off-street parking would be possible at the new park, Cr Smith said.

The Chairman of the reserves committee (Cr P J Skellerup) said the decision to acquire the park was a momentous occasion, and future generations would look on it as an historic one. The possibilities offered were enormous, and would substantially increase Christchurch's chances of securing the Empire Games in 1970 or 1974, he said. Trees would be an important feature of the development, Cr Skellerup said. Possibilities for the park included playing fields for winter sports, cricket ovals, an all-weather athletic track, a lido swimming pool of Olympic standards and even a polo field.

The purchase was negotiated by a sub-committee consisting of himself, Cr Smith and Cr M R Carter, with the president of the Trotting Club (Mr A E Laing) and other executives, Cr Skellerup said, and the Club officials had shown great public spirit and co-operation throughout.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 20Feb63

BUILDINGS & FACILITIES

HUB RAIL

Extract from Executive News.

An application from the Addington Trotting Course Ltd, supported by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, to replace the existing inner track fence at Addington with that of a hub type running rail similar to that used at Yonkers Raceway in the United States was approved by the NZ Trotting Conference Executive at it's meeting last week, on the condition that it would be replaced if not proved successful to NZ racing conditions.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 19Sep62

STARTERS & STARTING

MOBILE GATE: Introduction

The Canterbury Park Trotting Club, through the energetic promotion of its president, Les Smart, was responsible for the introduction of the mobile starting gate at Addington.

The gate was first used at the Canterbury Park's winter meeting on May 26, 1962 and the honour of winning the first race went to Doody Townley driving Carina Star, trained by Lou Thomas, to win the Maiden Pacing Stakes over 9½ furlongs in 2:41 on a heavy track by four lengths.

But the mobile gate was the subject of considerable debate and agitation between clubs, horsemen and public and was not introduced (or accepted) without a great deal of effort by its advocates.

Hawera owner-trainer, Alex Corrigan began the great debate when he produced New Zealand's first mobile gate in the late 1950s. He spent £2,500of his own money converting a Land Rover, using boosters and hydraulically-operated barrier arms. His big day came at Hawera on April 23, 1957, when the first mobile start racewas run and won by Brahman (Ces Donald). Ironically the runner-up was Mr Corrigan's own horse, Earl Marie.

Mr Corrigan then began a nation-wide campaign with his gate, travelling throughout New Zealand seeking club converts to the American-style starting system. The Land Rover was then seen in action at Addington, Stratford, Waikato, Cambridge, Pukekohe, New Brighton and Tauranga and its detractors pointed to the slowness of the vehicle to pull away from the fields, especially on grass tracks or on softish all-weather tracks.

The anti-mobile faction seemed to have won when Mr Corrigan found he was pursuing a lost cause, and stopped his campaign. But the Canterbury Park Trotting Club responded to the many requests from horsemen who had seen the mobile in action in America and with Les Smart as its most ardent advocate, a new mobile gate was constructed. It was given a couple of trial outings, which proved successful, and performed well when tried at the first totalisator meeting.

However, a year after its debut, the controversy continued. The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club decided not to have any more mobile starts. Club official Bernie Wilks desribed the gate as "dangerous" and "not wanted by the public" when speaking at an annual meeting of the NZMTC.

Top horsemen George Noble and Cecil Devine were quick to defend the mobile. Noble claimed the mobile would help overthrow an antiquated handicapping system which was framed in the 1940s. Devine claimed the mobile would "take four of the worst strains out of trotting: 1) strain on the horses at the barrier; 2) strain on the drivers; 3) strain on the starter; 4) strain on the punter.

Trotting Calendar editor, Karl Scott, produced betting figures which proved the largest betting pools at Canterbury Park meetings had been on mobiles and he produced similar figures for NZMTC meetings.

The original mobile barrier was still in use at Addington until 1984. It was than sold to the North Canterbury OTB Association and is still in use at Rangiora trial meetings.

Credit: Centennial History Canterbury Park TC

PEOPLE

G MOURITZ

The death occurred in Christchurch recently of Mr G Mouritz who, for more than 30 years, was a trotting trainer and driver in Canterbury.

Mr Mouritz was born in Australia and he came to NZ more than 30 years ago. He was private trainer for Sir John McKenzie for a time and while with him he trained and drove Taxpayer to win the NZ Sapling Stakes and the NZ Derby Stakes. Mouritz also drove two fine pacers in Wild Guy and Supertax to win races.

In partnership with Mr C Campbell, he bred a number of winners, including Petite Yvonne, one of the best mares raced in NZ in the last 10 years.

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In the photo, George Mouritz is seen returning to scale at Greymouth with Elsinore, dam of Robalan, after the first of her three wins

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 16May62

PEOPLE

R T McMILLAN

The death has occurred of Mr Robert Thomas McMillan, of Irwell, Canterbury, who was a past-president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club. He was prominent for many years in public, farming and local body affairs. He was 75.

Mr McMillan was a steward of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club from 1942 until the time of his death. He was a serving member of the committee, to which he was elected in 1943, and was president of the club from 1952 to 1954. He was elected a life member in 1954.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 19Sep62

PEOPLE

CARDIGAN PETTERSON

Mr Cardigan Petterson, who shod horses for 65 years, is a mobile advertisement for the salubrious Akaroa climate. This patriarch of the anvil, who is much nearer 90 than 80, started nailing shoes on horses' feet when he was a lad, and he is still in remarkably good health, although his hearing is not the best. He continues to walk everywhere. He has retired from business, but still takes an interest in the equestrian activities of Peninsula folk who brought their ponies, thoroughbreds, trotters, hacks and draughts to his forge at Akaroa for more than 40 years.

Today the game of bowls is his absorbing recreation.

Cardigan Petterson shod horses for three - in odd cases four - generations of Banks Peninsula folk - the families headed by Jas. Dalglish(Sen), H Elliott, George Crotty, A Leonard, J Barker, V Masefield, Charles Moore, Robert Gilbert, Luke Waghorn, John Thacker(Sen), E X Le Lievre and Jules Le Lievre.

Mr Petterson, named after the ship Cardigan Castle, on which he was born when his parents were on their way to NZ from their native land, Sweden, in 1873, started work with his father, J P Petterson, who was a blacksmith and gunsmith on Banks Peninsula for many years. In 1900 Cardigan Petterson set up his own shop at Little Akaloa and, after five years there, he went to Christchurch and started business in Victoria Street in partnership with the late 'Bernie' Fanning. Six years later he shifted to Le Bons Bay, where he engaged in blacksmithing and farming. In 1917 he took over the Akaroa smithy, which had been run for many years by Mr Chas O'Reilly, and he plied his ancient trade there for over 40 years.

Mr Petterson was always a great admirer of 'Bernie' Fanning (a famous All Black Rugby lock) and his skill as a farrier. "Between us," he said, "we once made twelve shoes in under thirteen minutes for a bet. That was at Victoria Street. There were twenty-two blacksmith shops inside the city belt some 50 years ago," said Mr Petterson. "In those days we used to get 6/- for a set of hack shoes, and 7/- for draughts."

'Bernie' Fanning and 'Ernie' Archer were farriers of great skill, according to Mr Petterson. They could shoe any horse, and had few failures, especially with trotters and pacers, which were the most difficult of all horses to plate. Shoeing polo ponies was also a difficult job. Messrs Rutherford and Ellworthy used to bring their ponies to the partners when there was a tournament on in Christchurch.

Bernie and Cardigan were among the first to realise the importance of square toes on trotters, and they made a study of cross-firing preventatives on pacers. They paid particular attention to the hind feet, which still need the most care in both pacers and trotters. "Bernie shod the winner of the NZ Trotting Cup nine times to my knowledge," said Mr Petterson, "and that in a comparatively short space of time."

"We were fit young fellows in those days," he declared when chatting of old times. "Why, half a century ago they used to bring me unbroken horses that had never had a hoof lifted off the ground. I had to do the breaking-in for some of the Peninsula farmers by handling the horses' feet and straightening them up before shoeing them. I once tackled a farmer about the wild horses he used to send me to shoe, mentioning that these horses had not been trained to lift their feet. His reply was:'You know more about that part of it than I do.' We had to take a lot of risks with that type of horse," said Mr Petterson, "but it kept us fit for the football."

Reta Peter and Peter Bingen, both dual winners of the NZ Trotting Cup, were among the celebrities shod by Mr Peterson. "Reta Peter," he said, "the only trotter to win the Trotting Cup twice, used to slip when going at speed, and we made special concave plates with a ridge round the toe which gave her grip that increased her speed amazingly."

Ocean Wave, the dam of Muricata, and grandam of the dual NZ Trotting Cup winner Ahuriri, was another old-time mare who required a lot of study and careful shoeing before she developed her best form. "Her four plates weighed only 11 ounces altogether," said Mr Petterson. He compared this weight with the weight of a set of shoes for a draught horse - eight pounds for the set in some cases.

Horses with sore heels and quarter cracks presented a real problem - bar shoes to ease the pressure on the cracked heels and put the pressure on the frogs were among the most exacting tasks required of the farrier. The late Mr E X Le Lievre was among the first on the Peninsula to have his trotters and pacers shod as yearlings and 2-year-olds, with excellent results, "as the record books will show," declares Cardigan.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 28Mar62

PEOPLE

F C DUNLEAVY

Mr F C Dunleavy, a leading light-harness trainer some years ago, died last week. He was 64.

Mr Dunleavy gained fame as the trainer of Indianapolis, the winner of three NZ Trotting Cups in 1934, 35 and 36. He headed the trainers' list in the 1934-35 season.

Mr Dunleavy was an Australian who came to NZ in 1922 with the late Mr W J Tomkinson, father of the Riccarton trainer, J C Tomkinson. When Mr Tomkinson, who was a leading trainer and had brought a strong team with him, decided to stay, Mr Dunlevy stayed with him.

Mr Dunleavy left the stable for a while to become a private trainer for Mr G Watkins, at Edinburgh Lodge, but later returned and took over Mr G J Barton's team when Mr Tomkinson died. Indianapolis was the best pacer he trained for Mr Barton, but other good ones included Tempest, Grand Mogul and Cloudy Range. For Mr J Richardson he had some success with Iraq.

Mr Dunleavy was also private trainer for a brief period to Sir John McKenzie, for whom his best winner was U Scott. U Scott won a heat at the Inter-Dominion Championships in 1938 while trained by Mr Dunlevy.

After ceasing his training activities, Mr Dunleavy went into business. He had been in retirement for some years before his death. He is survived by his wife.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 9May62