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RACING HISTORY

PEOPLE

J G FRANCIS

The death has occurred of Mr James George Francis, of Happy Home, Halswell, Christchurch, who was well known for his expert knowledge of store sheep markets and fat lambs, and as an owner of trotters and gallopers.

Mr Francis bred and raced a number of pacers, mostly in partnership. Brava, which he raced in partnership with his brother, Mr E J Francis, was an outstanding winner and is now an successful sire in Australia. Others in which he had an interest were King's Order, Agricola, Dodger, Fury River and Zany.

Langham, whom he also raced in partnership with his brother, was by far the best galloper he raced. Langham's wins included the Winter Oats and Wellington Racing Club Handicap at Trentham and the Great Autumn Handicap at Riccarton. Navarone was the most recent winner for the partnership which earlier enjoyed success with Bravura and Inspire.

Mr Francis was for some years a steward of the New Brighton Trotting Club, a position he held at the time of his death.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 19Sep62

PEOPLE

MR R H (REG) BUTTERICK

The death has occurred of Mr R H Butterick, for many years one of Canterbury's best-known owners, trainers and breeders. Reg Butterick was one of trotting's 'characters'- a self-effacing, agreeable type of man who had a great deal more ability than ever appeared on the surface.

Reg secured his first real 'break' in trotting one overcast afternoon - it was Wednesday, August 14, 1935, to be exact - when he bid 4gns for lot 13 at a horse sale of nondescripts at Christchurch Tattersall's Horse Bazaar, Cashel Street (now-1962- Gough, Gough & Hamer's premises) and had it knocked down to him. This was a bay mare, seven years, by Wrack from a Nelson Bingen mare, and about the plainest bit of horseflesh imaginable. It took the auctioneer, the late Mr A L Matson, all his time to give her away, and Reg Butterick declared that he "only bought her for a farm hack."

By mere chance Mr Butterick discovered the mare could trot; he put her into training and she proved a goldmine by winning seven races on end. She was then retired to the stud and produced a foal by Quite Sure which strangled itself in a fence. Of a fatalistic philosophy, Reg Butterick decided that Peggotty should not have been retired to the stud, and he put her back into training - she proved better than ever, and won the Dominion Handicap in 1941.

Reg Butterick, who bought the American trotting stallion Josedale Dictator from the late F J Smith and had him at stud for many years, owned a lengthy list of horses, the best of whom were Roy Grattan, who was placed second in the NZ Cup, Macklin, winner of the Auckland Cup, and Peggotty.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 26Sep62

MESCELLANY

SULKYS: AMERICAN SPEED CART

It arrived in this country at the beginning of the 20th century as the next big thing. The driver sat right behind the horse's rump on a wide and short-shafted cart on bike wheels and they improved mile times by significant amounts like seconds for starters. But they were impractical for racing here because of their width especially on small tracks. Unruly or long striding racers could cause real problems and horses answering the call of nature could be embarrassing and uncomfortable for the driver!

The speed carts were soon confined to time trials and one was last seen when champion trotters When went against time in Christchurch in 1962. Forward driving seats remained popular however. Many believe a short rigged cart cost False Step and Cecil Devine the sensational 1961 inter Dominion Final. Even winning driver Doug Watts thought he had lost by half a length because of his long shafted cart and Devine was confident he had won in a much shorter one.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Dec 2015

INTERDOMINIONS

PERTH - JAMES SCOTT
The 1962 Inter Dominion Series in Perth will long be remembered for brilliant winning performances by the New South Wales rep James Scott and the champion New Zealand pacer Cardigan Bay and the anti-climax when "Cardy" was injured allowing James Scott to take the Final in a romp. The Final carried a stake of £25,600.

HORSES

LOOKAWAY

From post to post in a mile and a quarter race at Addington in 1960 Lookaway was privately timed to run 2.29 4/5, better than a two-minute rate for the 10 furlongs. That was a truly amazing performance, stamping Lookaway as a pacer well in world class.

And every sportsman in this country will wish Mr C L Rhodes the success he richly deserves with Lookaway on his American trip. Mr Rhodes is the type of breeder and owner the sport in this country cannot exist without. He has built a model training establishment in 'Peterson Lodge', he has bred dozens and dozens of horses, and invested many thousands of pounds buying the best of blood, both for his racing and breeding establishments.

'Clarrie' has also been an indefatigable executive in owners and breeders' associations, he has been forthright in his criticism of unwarranted stake reductions, dubious building plans on racecourses, the increased burdens placed upon owners, etc. In effect, he has never been a seeker of popularity, but his candid criticisms have almost invariably been constructive and practical, and trotting is in dire need of more men like him at this very moment. For these reasons - and others - the Calendar wishes to join in the widespread good wishes that will accompany Mr Rhodes and Lookaway on their American venture.

Lookaway has had 21 wins and 18 placings for £20,967 5s in stakes. He has shown great brilliance over all distances on grass or clay tracks. He has taken records of 2.01 3/5 for one mile, 2.33 3/5 for one mile and a quarter, 2.53 4/5 for one mile and three furlongs, 3.12 1/5 for one mile and a half, 3.22 3/5 for one mile and five furlongs, and 4.12 1/5 for two miles, the last time being recorded at Addington in November 1960, when he finished third to False Step and Sun Chief in the NZ Cup.

Lookaway showed brilliant handicap form as a 3-year-old when trained by M Holmes and the following season he became the first 4-year-old to win the NZ Cup, beating Thunder by five lengths, with La Mignon and False Step next after recording 4.14 4/5 for the distance. He also won the NZ Free-For-All at the same age.

Lookaway failed in the 1958 NZ Cup and some months later his form fell away. Late in 1959 he was sent to Invercargill where he was prepared by C H G Irvine, a prominent veterinary surgeon. He soon struck form and at his last start in that season he recorded one of the most brilliant sprint efforts ever seen at Addington. Driven by Irvine, he was almost last into the straight and so far back that his chances looked hopeless. He was switched almost to the outside fence and he unwound a tremendous burst of speed which carried him past Guiseppe short of the post and enabled him to win by two lengths.

Lookaway that day was off 48yds and he paced the mile and a quarter in 2.33 3/5, one of the fastest times recorded in NZ. Actually, for the mile and a quarter from the limit starting point to the finish he was privately timed at 2.29 4/5, or under a two-minute clip! Lookaway later contested the Inter-Dominion Championship series at Addington when trained by Irvine. He failed to qualify for the Grand Final, but paid expenses at the meeting with a slashing win in a comsolation race.

Lookaway then returned to Templeton and rejoined L C Roper's team. He gained one win and one placing for Roper. He paced an outstanding race to finish fourth to Invicta, Patchwork and Scottish Command in the NZ Cup, and a few days later he beat Aldora most convincingly in the Ollivier Handicap after starting from 36yds. He paced the mile and five furlongs that day in the outstanding time of 3.22 3/5.

Lookaway raced brilliantly at the Festival Cup meeting at Forbury Park, but he failed to reach a place. However, he paced some sound races and on the first night when he rushed to the lead in the middle stages of his race, he impressed officials from Yonker Raceway by pacing his first mile in 2.03 2/5. Luck was against him later at the meeting.

Lookaway is an 8-year-old gelding by Light Brigade from the U Scott mare Raceway, who traces back to the imported mare, Bonilene, founder of a highly-successful winning family, including another NZ Cup winner in Adorian.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calandar 9May62

HORSES

U SCOTT

U Scott sire of champions of both gaits and the winners of over £1,000,000 in stakes in three countries - NZ, Australia and the USA - died at Roydon Lodge Stud las week. U Scott was in his 31st year. He had become a living legend.

Class and breeding were strongly ingrained in the conformation of U Scott, a compact, handsome, jet black horse, standing 15.3 hands at maturity, with a bloodlike, clean-cut head in character with the standardbred monarch he was to become. An abundance of what the geneticists call nerve force, coupled with a 'Latin' temperament inflamed from time to time by his life-long affliction of an internal abscess in a foot, made U Scott an animal with whom no liberties could be taken - but one man, in particular, succeeded in calming the boisterous spirits of U Scott.

Andrew (Sandy) Stewart was the stud groom who put in charge of U Scott in 1943 formed one of those strange and inexplicable affinities with his rebel charge that must have been the inspiration for more than one great animal narrative, such as 'Black Bess', 'Lassie' and the current television feature 'Fury'. Sandy's affinity with U Scott was to grow into an obsession. After he became U Scott's acknowledged 'keeper' no one else dared to lay a hand on the horse when Sandy was on the farm, and he was very rarely off it. In fact, it was only with the greatest difficulty that George Noble was able to persuade Sandy to take an isolated holiday - he invariably had to resort to the stratagem of personally buying Sandy's rail ticket and making certain the old gentleman was still on the train when it pulled out! Sandy was never happy when he was off the place, and he invented numerous excuses in order to keep his vacations down to a bare minimum.

Of course, from time immemorial men have loved horses, and Sandy doted on U Scott; and U Scott responded to his groom's mixture of firmness, kindness and cajolery in a way that was completely uncanny to the uninitiated. Sandy stropped the horse himself, he talked to him like a Dutch uncle, he would walk any distance, scythe in hand, to gather a special treat of succulent grass or clover or thistles for his pride and joy. In short, Sandy Stewart was dedicated to U Scott, as dedicated, probably, as humanly possible.

Sandy is still an active unit of the Roydon Lodge team, he became a walking encyclopaedia on U Scott, U Scott's progeny and their performances - here and abroad - and of U Scott's siring sons and producing daughters. Nothing worth knowing about U Scott or written about him ever escaped Sandy Stewart's notice. For Sandy, now in his eighties, there was no horse like U Scott, or ever could be again.

A measure of U Scott's greatness - and the tough fibre of the horse - was revealed soon after Noble arrived at Roydon Lodge from Australia in August 1941, to become private trainer to Sir John McKenzie. U Scott had been out of training for nearly two years. Put back into work, barely three months later he paced two miles in 4.16, the last mile and a half in 3.09. The abscess continued to trouble U Scott, however, and Noble was reluctantly compelled to retire him permanently. "He had sheer brilliance," said Noble. "He probably have been a two-minute horse but for the abscess - the seedy foot must have caused him acute pain at times, especially when the concussion of fast work aggravated the pressure," continued Noble, who added, "otherwise U Scott was as sound as a bell."

U Scott started life as a trotter and he took a matinee record of 2.11 at two years in America before being purchsed from his breeder, Mr J O McAllister, of Lexington, by the late Sir John McKenzie and imported to NZ in 1935. U Scott commenced racing soon after his arrival here. Converted to pacing, at his first appearance as a 4-year-old in the 1935-36 season, he finished second in the Trial Handicap at Wyndham in March to Night Voyage. He was driven that day by J Bryce, Jnr. After three unplaced performances, U Scott opened his winning accounton the first day of the South Canterbury Jockey Club's Winter meeting in May. Again driven by J Bryce, Jnr, U Scott beat Maltravers and Aid-de-Camp in the Opihi Handicap. Two starts later, U Scott was beaten into second place by Credit Funds in the Winchmore Handicap at the Ashburton County Racing Club's winter meeting.

As a 5-year-old, U Scott started 11 times for five wins and four placings, including a decisive win from a champion filly in Parisienne at Hutt Park. At six years he opened the season on a most impressive note when, at his second start, he won the Lincoln Handicap at Addington, beating William Tell and Aid-de-Camp. He was also successful in the Islington Handicap on the thrd day of the meeting. Three more wins came U Scott's way that season, his most notable being his victory over Pot Luck and Supertax in the third heat of the third qualifying race at the Inter-Dominion Championships at Addington. U Scott was trained for that race by F C Dunlevy, and was driven by F (Free) Holmes, who allowed the black stallion to run along in front. Nothing could get near U Scott in the run home, and he passed the post three lengths clear of Pot Luck. He looked a Triton among the minnows that day, and Pot Luck was no minnow! In the Grand Final, won by Pot Luck, U Scott was driven in behind, and he pulled so hard that he literally 'choked' himself and failed to finish in the money.

In all, U Scott started 30 times for 11 wins, 6 placings and £2055 in stakes. He raced in a period when prizemoney had become almost microscopic. Throughout his career, U Scott was troubled with recurring soreness in a front foot, and there is no doubt that if he had been completely sound his record on the racetrack would have been much better. He could both sprint and stay and was a racehorse of unflinching courage.

U Scott was by Scotland, 1.59 1/4, a distinguished representative of the Peter The Great line. Scotland sired 23 in the two-minute list.Scotland's dam, Roya McKinney, was a famous two-minute producer, and was by the mighty McKinney from Princess Royal, a daughter of Chimes, from whom in a direct male line stems the present USA siring sensation Adios.

U Scott's dam, Lillian Hilta, was by U Forbes, 2.21 1/2, a son of J Malcolm Forbes, 2.08, who was a half-brother (by Bingen) to Peter The Great. J Malcolm Forbes himself was described by John Hervey as one of the "most influencial" sires of his day, in fact at one time "unapproached as a progenitor of extreme early speed." U Forbes dam, Iviolette, was by Moko, a "great Futurity sire" who for many years was the premier sire at Walnut Hall Farm and headed the American sires' list in 1911.

Allarine Watts, dam of Lillian Hilta, was by Generaln Watts, 2.06 3/4, a noted son of the great fountainhead of speed, Axworthy himself. General Watts was the world champion 3-year-old trotter of 1907 and a highly successful sire with 274 standard performers to his credit. Alla P, dam of Allarine Watts, was by Palo Alto, 2.08 3/4, champion trotting stallion of the world for some years and whose record, to high wheels, still stands as the "world standard for entire horses." Palo Alto was described in early American breeding manuals as a 'half-bred' because he was by Electioneer out of the thoroughbred mare Dame Winnie. Electioneer, of course, sired (among many other celebrities) Chimes, already referred to above as the ancestor of Adios.

Lula Wilkes, fourth dam of U Scott, was a daughter of George Wilkes, 2.22, sire of Axworthy, and ons of the cornerstones of the standard breed. A noted performer and champion trotting stallion of his time, George Wilkes raced from five years to 16 years. In 12 seasons he started in 69 races (more than 200 heats) for 27 wins and 38 placings. George Wilkes became America's leading sire of the late 1870s and died in 1882 "acclaimed the founder of the most wonderful family of colt trotters that the Blue Grass (Kentucky) had ever produced..."

U Scott has become the leading sire of two-minute performers outside America with three in the list: Arania(1.57), Caduceus(1.57 2/5) and Highland Fling(1.57 4/5) and last season he equalled the long-standing record of Jack Potts by heading the Dominion sires' list nine times. Another record he cannot fail to break within a season or two is as a sire of individual winners - the only sire ahead of him in this regard at present in Dillon Hall with 397. U Scott's individual winners in the Dominion now total 371. U Scott, just over three seasons ago, passed Dillon Hall's previous record for races won, a record that had stood to the credit of Jack Potts up till the 1956-57 season. Dillon Hall passed this total during that season and U Scott has now 'distanced' them both with his total to date of well over 1750.

U Scott's two famous pacing sons, Caduceus (1.57 3/5 - he went 1.57 2/5 in the USA as well) and Highland Fling (1.57 4/5 - dual NZ Cup winner) hold the fastest mile records in the Dominion, and his other pacing celebrities include his world-famous daughter Arania, whose 1.57 against time on America's 'Red Mile' is only 1/5 second outside the mares world record; Van Dieman(4.11 2/5, NZ Cup and Royal Cup; Burns Night(Free-for-all; 3.22 1m 5f); Petite Yvonne(2.03 1/5; Free-for-all); Young Charles(4.10 4/5/0; Burt Scott(Free-for-all); Nyallo Scott(Free-for-all; 3.23 1m 5f); Samantha(2.02), Highland Air, Prince Polka, Hilda Scott, Scottish Lady, Mayneen, Bel Hamed, Monaro, Scottish Command, In The Mood, Unite, Commander Scot, Trusty Scot, Merval, Riviera, Highland Scott, Lavengro and Admit. His trotters include Ariel Scott, Fantom, Barrier Reef, Highland Kilt and Ladt Scott, all champions, and as a sire of classic winners his record is unexcelled.

U Scott's progeny have won approximately £940,000 to date in NZ, and if his Australian and American winnings could be added, the grand total would be far in advance of a millon pounds. He has eclipsed all other standardbred sires - the nearest to him, Dillon Hall, is about a quarter of a millon pounds behind. U Scott reached the head of the brood-mare sires' list in the 1957-58 season, and since then he has been runner-up more than once. U Scott's progress as a broodmare sire was painfully slow until fairly recent years, but his daughters have amply made up for their delayed action by producing such topo racehorses as Lordship, Ordeal, Durban Chief, Lookaway, Scottish Light, When, Grouse, Gentry and Fourth Edition in a relatively short period.

U Scotts sons include Noble Scott, who has topped the Australian sires' list on a number of occasions; and Highland Fling has been one of the leading sires of New South Wales for several seasons past. In NZ U Scott stallions that have left winners include Van Dieman, Scottish Star, Morano, Burns Night, Gay Piper, King Scott, Young Charles, Highland Chief, widower Scott, Scotland's Pride, Highland Kilt and by next season his world renowned son Caduceus will be back at the stud here.

-o0o-

Norman Pierce writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 24Jun80

The influence of former champion sire U Scott, brought to NZ by the late Sir John McKenzie for his Roydon Lodge Stud, continues to be strikingly demonstrated with each passing season.

In North America last season, to the end of 1979, U Scott had seven fresh 2:00 credits as a broodmare sire, giving him a total of 51 mares who have been 2:00 producers. This is five more than his own sire Scotland who was one of the premier sires of the day and finished up siring 46 2:00 producing mares. U Scott is seventeenth on the overall American broodmare sires' list which is headed by Tar Heel (290), Adios (198), Good Time (147), Knight Dream (118) and Bye Bye Byrd (100).

Other sires who spent their stud life in NZ on the American broodmare sires' list are Light Brigade with 25 2:00 producing mares, Garrison Hanover, who had 11 newcomers in 1979, with 18, Dillon Hall with 16, Thurber Frost 15, Smokey Hanover 12, and Fallacy and Johnny Globe, both 10.

They are creditable totals in a very competitive American field without having weight of numbers on their side.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 7Nov62

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1962 NZ TROTTING CUP

It is a light-harness adage that a champion can handle any type of track: Lordship not only handled the wet going in Tuesday's New Zealand Cup better than any of the field - most of them twice his age - but he also completely slammed the opposition and became the second four-year-old to win the premier event; the other was Lookaway. Lordship is a nonpareil, perhaps the greatest pacer in the world today, and both as a racehorse and a potential sire he could be worth a fabulous price when it is considered that standardbred stallions out of the top draw in America have already changed hands for half a million and more. Lordship is almost certain to go to America, and what a gem of the Globe Derby male line he will be expected to make, both in competition and as a progenitor.

Lordship raced smoothly and confidently throughout in the Cup. He was kept in a handy position at all stages, and he had the race won with a little more than a furlong to go. At that point he had his only serious rival, Falsehood, safely covered, and he was drawing away, three lengths clear, as the post was passed. Young Denis Nyhan handled Lordship as well as any 'old hand' could have driven him. He had everything struggling to keep within coo-ee once when he asked Lordship to get down to serious business at the home turn, at which stage he still had four horses in front of him - Diamond Hanover, King Hal, Falsehood and Blue Prince. But Lordship was pacing in the ratio of about two to one to anything else by then.

This was a pointless victory, one of the greatest Cup performances ever, because it was an excellent field that Lordship actually outclassed. Mere speculation, of course, but it is interesting to think what the time could have been if the track had been dry. Lordship paced his last mile in 2:09, the first half in 63, a section of the race that was a real sizzler under the conditions. Lordship's share of the stake, £4550 and the £100 trophy, brings his total winnings to £15,695. He has started 31 times for 15 wins and 12 minor placings.

The weight of the Auckland money was responsible for making Cardigan Bay the win favourite. Cardigan Bay's totals were £3071 10s on-course (win and place) and £10,621 10s off-course. Lordship, surprisingly, was allowed to pay double figures for a win. He carried £2023 10s for a win (on and off-course combined), and £2337 for a place. The Falsehood-King Hal bracket was entrusted with £5362 for a win, and £7345 for a place. The total investments on the race were £61,004 10s, a big increase on the £49,562 10s handled last year. The on-course total this year was £24,828 10s, compared with £21,328 last year. The off-course investments soared to £36,176, as against £28,234 10s last year.

Grouse broke badly at the start, and Sun Chief, Scottish Light and Falsehood were slow to get underway. Diamond Hanover took over his customary pacemaking role and led early fom Smokeaway, King Hal, Blue Prince and Samantha, with Lordship next, on the outer, one out from the rails. Cardigan Bay made some headway in the first quarter, but he did not keep it up, and he was near the rear at the mile, where King Hal had run up to second and Lordship was still travelling like a hare, sixth. Lordship improved one position at the half-mile, where Falsehood was in full cry on the outer, and by the time the leader, still Diamond Hanover, reached the two furlongs, Falsehood was gathering him in with every stride. By now Lordship was looming up wide out.

No sooner had Falsehood taken charge on straightening up than Lordship zoomed past him with about as much effort as a mason would display in laying a brick. It was all over. Daylight was second, Falsehood next, and Blue Prince three-quarters of a length away third. Sun Chief was fourth, followed by Cardigan Bay, leading in a string of exhausted horses - Diamond Hanover, Samantha, Smokeaway, King Hal, Lady Belmer, Scottish Light, Invicta and Susan Blue in that order. Grouse had been eased up.

Lordship is a 'pocket dreadnought'. Even now he is barely 15 hands. Trainers knowingly call it heart. Sporting writers traditionally call it class. Whatever it is, it is the indefinable ingredient that is the hallmark of the 'small parcel' tribe of world beaters that also includes Adios Butler, and Lordship's sire, Johnny Globe, who was also under 15 hands when registered as a two-year-old. Logan Derby, sire of Johnny Globe, was also a little fellow, "with the endurance of a camel," according to those who knew him best.

Tuesday was a great day for the Nyhans: Mr and Mrs Don Nyhan and their son Denis between them staged the whole show - Mrs Nyhan bred and owns Lordship, Don Nyhan trains him, and Denis drove him, and Don, of course, owns Johnny Globe, whom he brought as a yearling for £50 and won 34 races and £42,887 10s in stakes with him. He also trained and drove him the day he won the NZ Cup in 4:07.6, which has already stood as a world's record for eight years. Johnny Globe's fleet son is the only horse in sight likely to better it.

Roydon Lodge can take justifiable pride in the deeds of Lordship, because the late Sir John McKenzie imported Slapfast, the granddam of Johnny Globe, while Ladyship, the dam of Lordship, is by U Scott. Sir John also brought from Australia, back in 1923, the pacing mare Lightnin', a high-class racehorse herself who established the family which has already produced, besides Lordship, an earlier champion in Emulous. Lightnin' was by Siam from an Honest Harry mare and, according to Edgar Tatlow, in the early days of Australian breeding - "every other winner was out of an Honest Harry mare." To round off Tuesday's special interest in this pedegree: Ladyship (who took a record of 4:23.4 for two miles) was by U Scott from Lightning Lady (a top class pacer herself and a full sister to Emulous) by Jack Potts from Light Wings, by Peter Chenault (another of Sir John McKenzie's importations) from Lightnin'.

The weather played a big part in Lordship's winning run, for when the rain which fell heavily before and during the first race came, D G Nyhan had made up his mind to scratch the horse. The time for scratching horses for the first leg, however, had expired, and if Nyhan had carried out his intention he would have been fined. It was then decided, rather than risk official disapproval, to start the four-year-old, with the happy result of him winning.

So concludes the chain of events culminating in a neat pacing phenomenon, neatly driven by the son of a lady owner whose neat speech following the Cup presentation was warmly acclaimed by a dampened but by no means dispirited crowd of 18,500.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 7Nov62

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1962 NZ OAKS

Following her fourth placing in the NZ Derby Stakes in record time, Wendy Dawn was sent out a warm favourite for the NZ Oaks at New Brighton on Saturday. She had only a head to spare over Solemn at the post, but displayed rare gameness to wear down that pacer in the run home.

Wendy Dawn started from the second line and did not appear to be really at ease on the track. Solemn, winner of a non-totalisator race at Addington, stuck to her work in grim fashion in the run home and was far from disgraced in being beaten into second place. Her stablemate, Maggie Spangler, was always in the picture, and finished three lengths behind Solemn. A length further back came Filet Mignon, who was followed in by Free Land, Mile End, Rose Adios, Sirretta, Stella Globe and Aufleem.

Jilaire, Rose Adios, Joan Vale, Morissa, Solemn, Stella Globe, Filet Mignon, Megaton, Aufleem and Loch Katrine all lost ground at the start. Free Land made the best beginning, but at the end of two furlongs, Maggie Spangler was the leader, and was followed a little later by Solemn. At this stage Jilaire had improved to be up with Solemn. Wendy Dawn raced in about fifth place most of the way but improved to be on the outside of Jilaire and Solemn at the straight entrance. She gradually worked up to Solemn, and these two fillies staged a keen duel.

Several substantial offers have been made for Wendy Dawn, but J G Hampton said on Saturday she was not for sale at present. Wendy Dawn is a bay filly by Johnny Globe from Meadowbrook, and ranks as a half sister to Knightsbridge. Meadowbrook was got by Bonny Bridge from the Logan Pointer Mare, Rose Logan. Wendy Dawn was bred by her owner-trainer, J G Hampton, who drove her on Saturday.


Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 5Dec62

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1962 NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Lordship proved his undoubted superiority over the rest in his exalted class with his grand win in the NZ Free-For-All on Friday.

Lordship tangled at the end of two furlongs and by the time he had settled down again looked out of the race. However, he picked up the field with apparent ease and raced three wide down the back straight the last time. Lordship turned for home in second place and with an outstanding run gathered in the leaders to win by the comfortable margin of three-quarters of a length, going away.

There is no doubt Lordship is the most brilliant pacer seen in the Dominion for some time, and the merit of his performance was emphasised when Cardigan Bay, a champion, made a gallant effort to hold off Lordship without avail. Jar Ar finished a good third after racing three out for the greater part of the journey.

If taken to America, Lordship could well seriously threaten, if not lower, Adios Bulter's world record for a mile, 1:54.6. Lordship's time for the 9.5 furlongs in Friday's race from the mobile gate represented a 2:04 mile rate.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Nov62

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1962 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

Driven a well-judged race by R J Jones, Spinster Scott finished strongly down on the inside to win the Dominion Handicap, premier event for trotters in New Zealand. She was kept close to the lead throughout and was fourth to turn for home. Over the last furlong Spinster Scott was switched to the inside and came home full of running to complete the two mile journey in 4:19.8, grand trotting by any standards.

At her three starts prior to Friday Spinster Scott had been placed against good company. At the National meeting at Addington, Spinster Scott had beaten all but Moon Boy in the Christchurch Handicap, and on the second day was fourth to When, Moon Boy and With You in the Winter Free-For-All. On the opening day of the present Cup meeting, Spinster Scott finished fourth to Our Own, With You and When in the Worthy Queen Handicap.

Spinster Scott is an aged bay mare by the Noble Scott horse, Widower Scott, from the Gallant Knight mare, Gallant Flight. As in the case of the pedigree of Lordship, the hand of the late Sir John McKenzie can be seen in the breeding of Spinster Scott. Noble Scott, the sire of Widower Scott, was bred by Sir John and was got by U Scott from the imported mare, Widow Volo, by Peter Volo. Widower Scott was out of Madam Slow, by a champion in Great Bingen from Slapfast, granddam of Johnny Globe, sire of Lordship. Madam Slow was bred by Sir John, and Slapfast was imported from Americaby Sir John. Widower Scott was bred by Mr E Prattley, Timaru.


Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Nov62