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Colin McLaughlin with Silver De Oro after the 1931 Sapling Stakes

COLIN McLAUGHLIN

Colin McLaughlin has never been one to complain. When the golden run by the carriers of the Royal Stewart tartan were over, Colin enjoyed his racing no less. When moderates Dainty Dish and Meadow Pam carried the flag in place of Manaroa, Allakasam, Royal Ascot, Nimble Yankee and Manawaru - who between them won 75 races in NZ - Colin didn't rush to recall how racing used to be.

But he complained to me. "I've never stopped working, but in the last month I haven't done a thing. I haven't felt like it. I've had a fairly big operation. I'm 80 in July. I hope I get there.

Colin is not as fit and well as he would like to be. He put great discomfort behind him on the day of the Hororata trots so he could see Rosy Score race at Ashburton. Physical problems have not diminished Colin's alert mind, nor his ability to succinctly give his opinion on any matter in the harness racing industry.

Two events this season, quite insignificant in themselves, have disclosed the long arm of Colin's estate in harness racing. The first was the death of Allakasam, the daughter of Fallacy and Sedate who won the McLaughlins 18 races, including the 1967 Auckland Cup, the Hannon Memorial, the New Brighton Cup and the Easter Cup. And the second was the accomplishment of exhibiting the best-presented colt - by Kanturk from Morose - at the yearling sale conducted by Pyne Gould Guinnes in January and the runner-up, one by Preux Chevalier from Alleviate.

But Colin's involvement in racing was mobile long before Allakasam. He was the strapper for Silver De Oro, winner of the Sapling Stakes in 1931, and to Blair Athol, a good Rey De Oro horse who went on to run third in Lucky Jack's NZ Cup when trained by Dick Humphreys. In 1932 he had his first horse, Llewellyn's Pride. A son of Llewellyn, Llewellyn's Pride won his first race at Motukara in 1934. Colin said he paid more than £100 in winning the Wairewa Trot. He was 16/17 in the betting, but the Year Book of the day recorded favouritism but not dividends.

At the time of this success for the young man and for a further seven years, the family farmed at Halswell, on ground leased by the Travis Cancer Research Company. In 1939, when the lease expired, Colin moved to Mount Hutt. The same year, Colin moved in the direction that within two or three generations was going to yield remarkable results on the racetracks of New Zealand and Australia.

"I was able to lease Straight from Eugene McDermott's father. She was a nice pacer, by Jack Potts. She only won the one race. That was in 1939 when the war broke out. I was told she was mad when I leased her but I liked her and later bought the freehold of her. That was the taprootof this family. The best thing I ever did in my life was taking Straight to be mated with Young Bob. I was looking for Globe Derby blood. Young Bob was by Robert Derby, by Springfield Globe, who was by Globe Derby."

Young Bob and Straight gave him Sedate, who produced the grand racemare Allakasam, and two special broodmares, Morsel (by Fallacy) and Flying Mile (by Flying Song). The best of Allakasam's progeny were Allspice (by Estes Minbar) who won eight races, and Jaunty Hanover (by Jersey Hanover) whose eight wins included the Methven Cup and the Queen's Birthday Stakes. She is also the dam of Colarno (by Locarno), who on March 11 gave Wellington OTB committeeman Ron Stechman his first success as a trainer.

The winner of four races, Morsel left Nimble Yankee, the winner of 11 races including the 1977 Pan Am Mile and Royal Ascot, whose crowning achievement was winning the Auckland Cup; his placings were in such events as three Derbies, the Miracle Mile, Inter-Dominion heats and an Inter-Dominion Grand Final. Morsel also left Morose, the dam of Colin's latest racing interest, Rosy Score.

Flying Mile left Manawaru and Manaroa, two outstanding pacers sired by Prince Charming. Like Royal Ascot, Manaroa won 18 races, but he picked up the greater part of his earnings from placings in such feature races as the Inter-Dominion Grand Final, the Auckland and NZ Cups and the Miracle Mile. "I sent Flying Mile to Morano because his staying ability appealed to me. Manaroa and Morano were two of a kind; they both had the same failing of being able to begin," said Colin.

Manawaru and Royal Ascot were by Prince Charming, a son of Springfield Globe who won a few races for Mr E E Johnson of Irwell. "He was out of a mare I used to race and he had a lovely disposition. It was the Globe Derby blood I wanted. I thought I'd get him for £100, but I was able to buy him for 70 quineas," he said. "I just did my own mares, and a few for some mates. There wasn't really a mug amongst them. The point about all of mine was that I didn't has to put a boot on them. Where they got their good gait from I've never worked out; it might have been through Lawn Derby...he was poetry in motion."

Sitting back in the sun, totally impatient with his inactivity, Colin reflected on some other aspects of his harness racing world..."I'm disappointed with the results I've had to high-bred American stallions. I've been to seven and the results have been minimal...I had faith in Regal Yankee. He gave me Nimble Yankee and Jaunty Hanover and they both measured up...I had a soft spot for Manaroa. If they had had three mile races he would have won them all. You just had to wait until he got his legs going...I've never missed a Cup since 1923, when Great Hope won...I mucked around; I still maintain they were half-trained horses.

The death occurred early in February 1998 of Colin McLaughlin.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Mar89

FELIX NEWFIELD

Part of the reason for Felix Newfield's consistent success in the trotting game is clear even before you reach his well laid out stables and yards. The gravel driveway is raked and neat, the facilities tidy and cared for. To quote the old saying there is a place for everything and everthing has it's place. While he doesn't actually say so it is obvious that he and his assistants place great emphasis on the finer points of running a racing stable. That attitude carried through to other areas probably explains why Felix has trained 315 winners in 25 years, making him one of the most enduringly successful horsemen of his generation. Newfield is a genial, sometimes controversial, personality but behind the quick quips there is another Felix Newfield; one who obviously puts a good deal of thought and planning into his establishment and the horses in his care.

Born in Lyttelton 49 years ago, Felix got involved with trotters when his family lived in Domain Terrace in Addington, close to the stables occupied by the late Jack Pringle. On leaving school Felix worked for Pringle for two years and when that trainer moved to Templeton the youngster joined Howie Smith in the same stable and stayed with him for eight years. His first driving experience was at the age of 16 in 1941, when he and Smith went to the Coast with Lord Brent and Blackdale. Newfield drove both without success and on his return the authorities took away his licence, there being a minor problem regarding age. Felix got his licence back when he reached 18 and his first success came shortly afterwards behind Grattan Bell at Greymouth. He won the next race, too with Sir Walter who was closely related to the Cup class pacer Cantata, the winning dividend being $288. At Westport he won three on end with Victory Boy.

Felix can tell stories about those early Coast trips which would appear almost bizarre to the modern stablehand. Jogging to the railway station in the afternoon to catch the train, clanking across to Greymouth or Reefton etc all night, jogging to the track for races, and then back to the train for another long ride home. The boys rode in the boxes with the horses with only a hurricane lamp to light up the card games or the stories of what had happened or what was going to. The trips to Dunedin, he recalls, were the worst. Sometimes the teams would be based on the Coast for weeks. Other times there would be just the day trips. Road transport in the war years was very difficult because of petrol restrictions which limited floats to being used in a 30 mile radius only. Newfield recalls on one occasion walking a team of horses with Addington trainer Joe Purdon (father of Alex) as far as Bankside where a float would be stategically placed to load the horses. You drove the thirty miles - further if you had the nerve - and then walked some more to the next float. Even meetings like Ashburton could be no cakewalk in those days.

In the early 50's Felix took up a private training position with Donald 'Sandy' Green at Methven. Success was almost immediate and in 22 months Felix trained 18 winners for Green, the mainstays being Gallant Satin, Fearless Peter, Quite Obvious (later a successful broodmare), Lothario and Robert Junior. In December 1952 at Waimate the young trainer won three races out of four for the owner with different horses. It was while at Methven that Felix got to know Colin McLaughlin and their association was to be mutually profitable for years to come.

A few months later Felix returned to Addington and set up on his own and on May 1, 1953, at the Reefton winter meeting came his first success on his own account. The horse was Marathon, owned by Mrs C Pateman, and he won an intermediate event by five lengths at odds of five to one. Not long afterwards Felix married Joan Harris fron Central Otago and moved to his present property at Templeton. It was a far cry from what it is now, having been used as a chicken farm. Felix built the stables and yards and milked cows as well to help him through the difficult early times of professional training.

His initial team was small. Main stake winners were Sedate, who was leased from Colin McLaughlin and who won four races before starting a breeding line which has proved highly successful including as it does Allakasam, Royal Ascot, Morsel and Flying Mile among its produce. Sedate was raced by Felix in partnership with Christchurch businessman Frank Kirkpatrick and Newfield's regard for his first stable patron is obvious. At the same time Frank raced Suzendy and she was a top mare winning 10 races and putting the stable well on the way to success. Frank Kirkpatrick still races horses from the stable and has remained a constant patron through the years - a trait of owners associated with Newfield.

By the end of the 1957 season Felix had reached sixth position on the trainers' table, Suzendy and Captain Free being the leading lights at that time. But it must have been hard work. With the assistance of Murray Hessey, now a trainer at Yaldhurst, Felix worked a big stable of horses and milked about 30 cows as well, which is a pretty daunting timetable even from this distance in time. His highest place on the table was third in 1962-3 when the stable produced 25 winners, only two behind the leading trainer that season, Ces Donald. Great Credit, that speedy but unruly horse was the leading stake winner. There have been any number of top horses through the stable. Johnny Guitar won a Wellington Cup and 10 other races. Queen Ngaio won 10 for the stable and ran fifth in the Cup, the closest Felix has been to achieving his great ambition of winning the big race. "There's not another race like the Cup is there?" he says, and one gets the feeling that nothing is going to be better fitted for the race than Nimble Yankee come November and all going well. Pancho Boy won nine including the Louisson Handicap and Queen Ngaio became dam of the outstanding but unsound pacer Waratah, raced by Joan Newfield and her father Jack Harris. Waratah won the Dunedin Cup and is now fashioning a creditable stud record against great odds in terms of attracting class mares.

There were other horses to recall from earlier days. Semloh was a Welcome Stakes winner, but unsound, and First Belle was a good winner for Felix which persuaded him to buy her first foal. Named John Craig, after the trainer's sons, he was sold to Australia where he was a champion three year old winning two Sires Produce Stakes and two Derbies, and he later did well in America. Earlier there had been Dilossa, Chiffon, Dacron, Seafield Hanover, Sirretta, Sirrah (Harris in reverse for the anagram pundits) and numerous others.

Felix had won his first Addington race in the late 40s with Elation, who splashed through the mud to score at long odds. Elation was later sold by his owner for two shillings and won two in a day for Colin Berkett at Addington, the first time paying a big dividend. Newfield has compiled a fine record in provincial Cup races, winning five at Greymouth for example and three Geraldine Cups, including American Chief's this season. He set some sort of record some years ago when lining five horses up in the New Brighton Cup, finishing first, second, fourth and fifth. He, of course, drove Royal Ascot in the dramatic Auckland Cup of 1973 and relates that he "didn't especially go looking for anyone" until it was announced the dividends were going to be paid out so that the Cup was safe following a controversial incident in the middle stages.

With Tronso he won a Dominion Handicap, and nearly brought off a unique finish to the Derby of 1973 when New Law beat Royal Ascot by a nose. Royal Ascot, driven by Alan Harrison, was called in first by the judge and Felix, with half shares in both horses, thought a dead-heat would have produced a most unusual Derby result.

This season has been another good one, the stable having 18 successes. Ambridge, now in the US won five and Warragamba, by Waratah from Laughlin's Lass who were both trained by Felix, won three, but the star has probably been Nimble Yankee who has risen from being a strong but unreliable pacer to a Cup prospect. American Chief has been another good winner.

Like all professional trainers, especially those who do well, Newfield no doubt has his critics. But a feature of his career has been the way his prominent owners have stuck with him through thick and thin. Frank Kirkpatrick and Colin McLaughlin have been mentioned. Another is Eugene McDermott who has been associated with the stable for more than 20 years through horses like Guinness, Black Label, Holmfield and now Americamn Chief and Gladarm. Few other trainers can match this sort of record over such a long period and it is one that Felix is rightly proud of. He doesn't expect to train so many winners in coming years as he has done in the past because things have changed in trotting. "Working them up and winning races and then selling them is the thing today and horses which might have won eight or nine in past years are now sold like Ambridge after four or five wins, or even earlier," he said.

He works about 20 to 25 now with help from Fraser Kirk, who has developed into an outstanding reinsman under Newfield, and his son Craig, who is 17 and with a good trials record behind him, is set for a probationary career next season. Bob Cole helps out in return for using Felix's track. Elder son John was more interested in machinery than horses but Felix's 15-year-old daughter Dianne is keeping the family name to the fore in pony circles. Most 15-year-old girls have their bedroom walls covered with pin-ups of pop stars. Dianne has so many show ribbons won on Bacardi Rum she doesn't have space for pop stars!

As Newfield shows you round the 36-acre complex you are soon aware that a lot of thought has gone into it's construction though there are some things he would now change. His basic training philosophy could be summed up as: "Keep them working, keep them warm and keep them well." He relates the horse's position to humans. How would you like to be shut up in one little room all day or get a cold shower in the middle of winter or run on concrete roads in steel boots? The answer is plenty of room for the horses during the day, warm water for hosing and plenty of attention to feeding and shoeing. Unlike a growing number of trainers Newfield still sets store by chaff which he uses constantly.

Newfield's training programmes have naturally been formed on what he observed as a young man. He names Ces Donald, F J Smith, Ces Devine and Jack Pringle as the best trainers he has seen. "I noticed that they always produced their horses on the big side," he says. "I try to do the same and this is partly why I race very few two year olds. They need time." He deplores the tendancy to drift away from 3200m races. "They made a lot of our horses because they didn't have to be worked up early. We could do with more of them."

Reinsmanship? Freeman and Maurice Holmes, Wes Butt, Jack Pringle and Bob Young are his tops and he also admires the driving of his good friend Jack Carmichael, who won a lot of races for the stable. "That was when Jack was younger of course," Felix adds with a grin. Newfield admits to being a collector of odds and ends. "We've three tractors on the property and never plough a paddock." He does however make a lot of his own hay, and fowls, ducks and peahens outnumber the horses on the property. His latest pride and joy are three peacocks brought from the North Island and there is the odd turkey as well.

Felix Newfield, as I said, has sometimes been a controversial figure but I found him candid answering the awkward questions. He will tell you what happened the day a Greymouth crowd gave him one of the noisiest receptions even that colourful area has witnessed. He says frankly that his own experience caused the public to miss seeing the best of Auditor, the finest horse he has ever trained. "He was phenomenal," Felix recalls, "and beat all the top horses of his day. But I was anxious to get him ready for the Cup and brought him back too soon after an attack of strangles. He was never the same again and had I known then what I know now he would have won a Cup." Auditor was owned by another long time patron in Jack Brosnan.

How does he react to the sometimes heard allegation that he is a tough cookie out on the track? "When Derek (Jones), Jack (Carmichael) and I started out years ago we were boys among men," he says, "and you had to quickly learn to look after yourself if you wanted to make it, because there were some great drivers about then. We did what we had to do and those days formed our driving patterns. These days it's easier and the old methods look worse than they are." He points out that young drivers have a much easier row to hoe today even though it is apparent that he feels the standards have slipped over the years. People in stands, he maintains, cannot properly read what is happening on a track particularly in a big race at Addington where you have to be in the race to experience what's going on. Newfield's ability in the cart was clearly evident in the Driving Championship held at Addington in March, which he won. Some of the horses he drove went a lot better that night than they had before and, in some cases, since.

He regards False Step as the finest horse he has seen and is adamant that today's horses would be hard put to match old time horses when it came to hardiness. "Jogging to the station, all night on a train, jogging to the track, having two races and jogging back to the train and so on was pretty testing," says Felix, "but they seemed to stand up to it." Returning to the topic of driving, he can recall the day he drove Swingalong in a race at Ashburton in which 40 horses started. Addington, by a mile, is the finest track he has driven on or seen.

Like I said at the start, Felix Newfield is a more complex character than he perhaps likes to appear. He has no doubt had his bouts of luck, good and bad, but there is also no doubt that he is a worker and the success he has had has not been lightly earned. Young men wanting to be top trainers should take careful note for it is consistently a hallmark of all top horsemen.



Credit: NZ Trotguide 6Jul77

FALLACY

A sensational colt pacer of his time, and one who made an even greater impact as a sire, the Light Brigade horse Fallacy died last week. Fallacy was raced by J D Litten who trained him throughout his career and apart from an odd stint at the stud away from Canterbury he spent almost the whole of his lifetime at Litten's Preston Farm at West Melton. He was foaled in 1948.

Fallacy hit the headlines in his first season of racing - as a 3-year-old, at which age he won seven of his 10 starts and also finished second twice. He was the top juvenile of his year winning the 1952 NZ Derby in a race record of 3:12 1-5, which stood for eight years until Stormont cut it back to 3:11 4-5. He also won the NZ Champion Stakes and the NZ Futurity Stakes that season. Fallacy was only lightly raced for the remainder of his career, being twice placed in four starts at four, he was unplaced in his three 5-year-old appearances and placed once in five starts at six.

As a sire, however, he matched his juvenile brilliance. He finished fourth on the NZ sires' list in the 1962/3 season and was leading NZ-bred sire for the year. And it was from this point on that he really made an impact on the NZ sires' list, being in the top five on no fewer than eight occasions. He was faced with strong opposition in holding his place in the leading bracket as Light Brigade, U Scott, Hal Tryax, Garrison Hanover and Johnny Globe were at their peak in a mighty siring age.

In the 17 seasons that Fallacy's stock raced in NZ he sired more than 160 winners of 528 races and $709,814 in stakes to the end of last season. Taking the winnings of his stock in Australia and America into account Fallacy's stock must have won around the $1 million mark. With several crops to represent him in future he could well join the only other NZ bred sire, Johnny Globe, to have sired winners of $1 million in stakes in his own country.

Fallacy sired a triple NZ Cup winner in False Step and also last year's NZ Cup winner, True Averil. Both hold 2:00 records - True Averil the winner of $52,830 in stakes with figures of 1:58 4-5 and False Step, who also won a heat of the 1961 International series at Yonkers in 2:00. Fallacy sired many grand stayers over the years, among them Falsehood(2:06 2-5), who won 18 races, Allakasam(2:00 2-5), one of the finest staying mares bred in this country and the winner of 18 races; a brilliant 3-year-old in Dignus who won the NZ Derby, Junior Royal, who won 12; a NZ Derby winner in Doctor Barry, who won 10, a NZ Cup place-getter in Happy Ending(4:11 2-5), a NZ Cup-class pacer in Rain Again(2:05 3-5), who has won 12 races. In both NZ and Australia the list of winners sired by Fallacy is a select and lengthy one.

In the past few seasons Fallacy has distinguished himself as a broodmare sire, and until his death he was NZ's leading living sire of broodmares. In the seven or eight seasons he has figured as a broodmare sire Fallacy mares have left the winners of more than $200,000 in stakes in NZ. They will continue to exert an influence far beyond this figure. One of NZ's star pacers at the moment in Royal Ascot: Geffin winner of the 1961 trotter's Inter-Dominion Grand Final: Tutira, who won the Dominion Handicap and NZ Trotters Free-For-All: Royal Trump(2:01 3-5): a star juvenile trotter in the ill-fated Black Miller are among those from mares by Fallacy.

Not only did Fallacy sire 2:00 performers in False Step and True Averil, but two of his sons in False Step and Dignus became 2:00 sires. False Step sired Miss Step(1:59 3-5), who left NZ as a novice and took her record in America and Dignus, a leading juvenile himself and winner of the New South Wales Derby, is the sire of Peerswick(2:00). Some of Fallacy's best performed sons were kept entire and as his male line has already taken 2:00 status (through his own siring efforts and those of his sons False Step and Dignus) it is certain to exert itself further. Other sons, particularly True Averil, Junior Royal and Happy Ending could further add to the male line of Light Brigade, through Fallacy.

Fallacy has an interesting breeding background. His sire Light Brigade was not only one of NZ's top sires over a long period, but his sons, grandsons and great grandsons have come to the top as sires. His fillies have put him at the head of the NZ broomare sires for the last three seasons. Fallacy's dam, Diversion also belongs to what is probably the most distinguished sire family outside America. Diversion was by Rey de Oro(imp) from Escapade, by Nelson Bingen fron NZ Cup winner Country Belle, whose grandam was an Arab mare. It is to this Arab mare that Logan Derby (sire of NZ's champion sire of the last three seasons in Johnny Globe) and one of NZ's greatest broodmares in Rustic Maid, trace. Rustic Maid has established a family of sires all of her own. Chamfer and Scottish Brigade, both leading sires in Australia, Gentry, who was top sire of NZ's 2-year-olds last season.

Fallacy will break an association of some 25 years with the Preston Farm household of the Litten family. Jack Litten always did the Light Brigade horse proud and only last month when I saw Fallacy at West Melton he certainly did not look his 25 years and was being given the same immaculate care that had been given him throughout his life.

Credit: 'Stopwatch' writing in NZ Trotting 9Sep72

Spry promoted winner of the 69 Cup

1969 NZ TROTTING CUP

In a crawling, unexciting, melee-prone 1969 New Zealand Trotting Cup, in which a fall, a disqualification, and a general mess marred the entire race, Spry emerged the winner. But not until the programme had been set back a quarter of a hour after a prolonged inquiry had resulted in Stella Frost being axed from first place.

Stella Frost, trained by Doodie Townley at Tinwald, left for 'dead' the summer fashions - frilly mini skirts and bright summer hats - in the parade in the birdcage prior to the race. But she did not win the wreath of flowers after the event. Instead the honour was given to Spry, after Townley and Stella Frost were disqualified for interference to Garcon Roux. Garcon Roux fell with nearly two furlongs to run after being chopped off by Stella Frost. Others to suffer in the skirmish were Leading Light, Lords and Allakasam.

Generally the race fell a mile short of expectations. On paper before starting time, the pace appeared as if it would or could be a cracker from the start. It wasn't. In fact they lumbered over the first mile in 2:10.2, and then left the mile and a half behind on a fast pitch in 3:16.

All honours however rest with Spry. He was paraded in excellent order by his part-owner and trainer, Charlie Winter of Spencerville, and driven to perfection by Pat O'Reilly, who rated the horse second to none. Spry raced in the first half-dozen throughout the contest, and spurted clear of the rest running towards the two furlong peg when Diarac called it a day pretty suddenly. Spry had two lengths on the others starting the last furlong and a half, but although overtaken by Stella Frost, stuck to his guns well to fend off Holy Hal. Charlie Winter was as happy as a sand boy after the event. He remarked to me that it was a good go, and that was before the result of the inquiry was known. Winter will attempt to round off a Cup-Derby double when Berkleigh will parade for the classic.

Spry has now fashioned a record of 11 wins and 21 placings worth $28,335 for Mr & Mrs C A Winter, who bred him from Fifth Brigade. Spry was her second foal, her first being Bonny Strathair in Jack Carmichael's stable. Fifth Brigade, the dam of Spry, was bred in 1947 by Light Brigade out of Diamond Queen, a Gamble mare out of Phoebe's Chance, by Judge Hancock out of Mavis Bingen, by Huia Dillon. The breeder of Fifth Brigade was Mr W J Moir of Flaxton, a small settlement near Kaiapoi, and it was from this area that she was saved from a premature death by Winter and Mr E G Mitchell who had been asked by the local publican, Mr A G Faigan, to find his mare, Fifth Brigade, and shoot her. However, after it took them half a day to find her in her Kaiapoi hideout Messrs Winter and Mitchell decided to breed from her, taking alternate foals.

Stella Frost must be somewhat unlucky not to hold the race as she had a length on Spry at the finish and was doing her work 'on her ear.' Everything went well for the pair (Stella and Townley), and on the day they were too good. Holy Hal went a gallant race, finishing a length and a half behind Spry with Chequer Board finishing on from the back for third. His performance was commendable considering the ground he lost at the start, but the loitering allowed Jack Carmichael to join the tailgate without too much bother.

Spry gave Pat O'Reilly his first winning drive in the race, and Stella Frost paved the way for the second disqualification in the 64-year-old history of the event. Sherwood back in 1921 was relegated to second, and the race was given to the trotter, Reta Peter, also winner of the race in 1920.

After the starter waited for Chequer Board to behave, the field was despatched before over 18,000 pairs of eyes. No sooner had they hit out when Garcon Roux broke, Chequer Board doing likewise, while Holy Hal and Lords also made mistakes. Chief Command breezed out in front, being overtaken after half a mile by the towering Diarac. And so he led from there on, being stalked by Chief Command, Stella Frost, Spry, Co Pilot, Meadow Bank, Cuddle Doon, Garcon Roux, Leading Light and Wipe Out three wide. Coming into the last half mile no change could be noticed, although Wipe Out and Spry had moved forward and Stella Frost had been pushed back a place or two.

Then with nearly two to go, Stella Frost clipped Garcon Roux and down went the brave chestnut, interfering with Leading Light, Lords and Allakasam. At this stage, Pat O'Reilly had set sail for the post, and indeed to most observers, Spry had enough daylight on the rest to carry the day. But bearing down on him with over a furlong to run came the black cruiser, Stella Frost, with Doody Townley leaving the whole task up to the mare. And without so much as a flick of the stick, Stella Frost passed Spry, who in turn had a length to spare from Holy Hal, with Chequer Board coming home stoutly for third. Co Pilot finished fourth, Chief Command plugging into fifth, followed by Cuddle Doon, Meadow Bank, Wipe Out, Tobias and Diarac last. Stella Frost was disqualified, Garcon Roux fell, and pulled up were Lords, Leading Light and Allakasam.

Once Diarac reached the lead, the progress of the race slowed considerably. The first quarter was put away in 32.2, with the first half mile being put away in 64. Six furlongs took 1:39, with the first mile coming up in 2:10.2. The last mile they went through in 2:04.8, with Stella Frost bringing them home the last half mile in 59.8, which she can do at her leisure. Gross time was 4:15.

Credit: M W Grainger writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

1968 NZ TROTTING CUP

Crumbling one after another before the long reaching stride of Humphrey, the rest of the 1968 NZ Cup field proved completely out of their depth against the short priced favourite from Hinds. My own impression of Tuesday's Funeral March in Be Flat was that the winner, whether the race had been run at it's pitiful 4:16, or 4:06, the result, as far as the winner was concerned, would have been the same. A real champion who can sprint, stay and, above all, begin like a rocket, had all the answers from go to whoa.

The half-mile sprint our first $20,000 Cup was reduced to came as a complete anti-climax to the great expectation that preceeded the race; instead of a re-incarnation of a Gold Bar or a Vesuvius we were treated to the frustrating dawdlings of pacers quite capable of reaching two-minute speed but who, instead, were firmly reefed and riveted to jog the first mile in 2:12.4 and the mile and a half in 3:16.8. This left Humphrey the relatively simple task of a last half-mile in 59.6, which he obviously do 'on his ear' any old time. In fact, if anything could have offered him any sort of competition, he could have knocked spots off two-minute speed on the day. Hubert should have been there to see him go!

Humphrey is raced by W E (Ted) Lowe and his wife, and Ted drove with supreme skill and confidence. The hearts of backers of the favourite must have moved close to their palates when Mister Chips broke with a little less than half a mile covered and caused a hullabaloo, because Humphrey looked to be right in the path of it; but Ted Lowe said after the race that the incident had caused him no concern. There were many well-wishers who viewed with no little anxiety the lack of 'elbow room' Humphrey would have from his short mark of 6 yards. They were soon reassured. Humphrey proved to be actually better off there than he might have been on the limit and, when he got away with such smooth alacrity, even for him, he virtually had victory conceded to him by the snails pace set by Spry, in particular.

Humphrey, a quality seven-year-old bay gelding, built like a greyhound, has now won 18 races and been placed 21 times for $42,665 in stakes. By Morano, a brilliant though temperamental pacer by U Scott from Coquette, Humphrey's sire was a member of the Bonilene (imp.) family, which has been represented by two NZ Cup winners, Lookaway and Adorian, on the distaff side. Dalene, dam of Humphrey, won three races and took a 2:10.6 rating for a mile and five furlongs. She is by the eminently successful American-bred sire Light Brigade, and her dam, Doonholme, also a useful pacer, was a royally-bred mare by Rey De Oro (our leading sire on three occasions) from Raclaim, by Wrack (also our leading sire for several seasons), from Trix Pointer, the great American-bred pacer who won the NZ Cup in 1919, and whose son Wrackler (by Wrack) won it in 1930. That is a brief sketch of the Trix Pointer household and its three NZ Cup winners to date; and, by the way, the 1953 NZ Cup winner Adorian is Humphrey's uncle! Ted Lowe mentioned this during the Cup presentation.

Now on to the Lowe family record in the NZ Cup. The late W T Lowe, father of Ted Lowe, bred and owned Lucky Jack, who won the Cup in 1937 and 1939 and finished second to Morello in 1938; and Ted Lowe also owned Cairnbrae, who was trained and driven to win the 1964 Cup by C S Donald. Ted Lowe paid a warm tribute to "the best vet in the world, Bill Robinson," during his reply to the gold cup presentation in the birdcage. Bill Robinson apparently performed a delicate, highly-professional and skilful operation to remove a stick from Humphrey's rump when he was a young horse. Ted Lowe at one stage thought Humphrey "would never race again," but Mr Robinson saved the day - and the future - for Humphrey. A special mention, too, for Mrs W T Lowe, Ted's mother, who has now seen, from the foal stage right through to headquarters fame, generation after generation of the family founded by Tairene, a chestnut mare bred by her late husband and foaled in 1912, by the dual NZ Cup winner Wildwood Junior fron Jessie B., by Smith O'Brien from the legendary Prickwillow mare. Atanui is one of this tribe.

The field had an initial upset through Governor Frost's rearing up and falling when the field was practically ready to leave. This caused a few minutes delay, and when the trigger was eventually pulled, Jacobite, Mister Chips, Happy Ending and Cuddle Doon broke, while Allakasam shuffled off the mark and Cardinal Garrison was slow to move. Atanui was the early leader from Loyal Knight, Chief Command, Miles Gentry, Spry and Governor Frost, with Mister Chips improving, then Co Pilot, Jacobite, Chequer Board and Humphrey. Spry hit the front at the end of five furlongs, and with a mile covered he was followed by Chief Command, Atanui and Governor Frost. Humphrey was tenth at this point, and he had run up close to Spry with half a mile to go. The horse who might have made a race of it for Humphrey from then on was Chief Command, but he got pushed back at a crucial stage, and the race was well sewn up by the time he secured an opening to brush home briskly in fourth place. Cardinal Garrison also looked a shade unlucky. After his slow beginning he made up his lost ground promptly, only to have a ragged spell probably because of the lack of pace. His run from the half-mile, where he had to go three wide to get within a length and a quarter of the winner, presented him as a four-year-old of real class, and his big day will assuredly come.

But it was Humphrey, more Humphrey, and nothing but Humphrey once he flew past Spry. Co Pilot did surprisingly well to come in two lengths and a half from the second horse, and following the fourth horse, Chief Command were Chequer Board, Miles Gentry, Atanui, Spry, Governor Frost, Loyal Knight, Allakasam, Great Adios, Happy Ending and Cuddle Doon in that order.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

Great Adios & R P Norton

1967 NZ TROTTING CUP

The north's pacing champion Great Adios humbled is 15 opponents in Tuesday's NZ Trotting Cup. The best of the steeds from the south, Happy Ending among them, can at least be grateful that the three minor prizes will remain in the South Island. Great Adios indeed made them all look ordinary on Tuesday.

And this is no sudden turn of events, or swing of the pendulum, because Great Adios is the third North Island horse in the last five years to win the Dominion's premier light-harness event. In 1963 Cardigan Bay beat Robin Dundee, Master Alan and Oreti (all minor place-fillers were from South Island stables), and in 1965 Garry Dillon led home the three southerners Robin Dundee, Jacobite and Gay Robin. Before Cardigan Bay's turn, there had not been a North Island-trained winner for 21 years - that was Josedale Grattan in 1941.

So the inference to be drawn is that the balance of pacing power has shifted north with a vengeance. How else can we explain away the picking of our rich Canterbury plum by a ratio of three to two in the past five years? And the office boy has just put his head in the door to remind me that the North Island made a clean sweep at Riccarton last Saturday - all eight events on NZ Cup day were won by North Island stables.

Great Adios sailed serenely into the lead with a little more than three furlongs to go and thereafter nothing could offer him any sort of competition. He continued to draw away, and although he must have given his supporters a heart attack when he veered away from the rails on turning for home and made his run over the final furlong close to the outside fence, a measure of the decisiveness of his victory was that he still had five lengths to spare at the winning post.

Looking lighter in condition than possibly anything else in the field, Great Adios must still have been superbly fit; a light fleshed type with a ton of guts - he must be, to tramp the two miles in 4:10.4, his last mile in 2:03.4 and his last half mile in 60.4. It was the third fastest NZ Cup in history. Johnny Globe's world record of 4:07.6 in 1954, and False Step's 4:09 in 1960, are the only faster performances. The first half-mile on Tuesday took 64.2, six furlongs 1:36.8, mile 2:07, mile and a half 3:10 and mile and three quarters 3:40.2. So there was no dawdling; it was a terrific battle from flag-fall, and Lordship was asked to go 4:05.2 to win, which would have been 2.4 secs. inside the world record of his sire Johnny Globe. Little wonder Lordship was never a threat.

Great Adios is a light chestnut stallion by Captain Adios (imp), a top-class juvenile pacer in the United States, winner of the Fox Stake for two-year-olds, and who was imported to the Dominion by the late Sir John McKenzie for his Roydon Lodge at great expense. Captain Adios's stud career, unfortunately, was all too brief - he died as a result of an accident in March, 1960, after less than four years (only three years at stud) in the Dominion. His percentage of winners to foals dropped is exceptionally high. Great Adios is out of Gail Bingen, by Gaillard, a son of Rey de Oro (imp) and Bonny Logan, by Logan Pointer (imp) from Bonilene (imp), and Bonilene is ancestress of two previous NZ Cup winners, Adorian and Lookaway, on the distaff side. Gail Bingen's dam, Agnes Bingen was by Nelson Bingen (imp) sire of the dual NZ Cup winner Peter Bingen, among numerous other great horses of both gaits. Agnes Bingen's dam, Agnes Bell, was by a top-class pacer in Gold Bell, sire of the dual Auckland Cup winner Gold Jacket. Great Adios's half-brother, Great Reveller, was a good winner in New Zealand and later did well in America. Other winners from the latest Cup winner's dam include Village Lord, Milldoria and Chief Reveller.

The betting was even. The favourite both ways, Happy Ending, carried $6597 for a win and $9706 for a place. Great Adios carried $6200 and $7003, and Lordship $5939 and $8065. Great Adios, who is owned by Mrs P M Norton, an Albany hotel proprietor, and trained and driven by her son, R P Norton, is now eight years old and the winner of $45,820 in stakes and trophies. The Cup was his 18th win, and he has also gained 21 minor placings.

Except that Lordship put in a couple of skips and Chequer Board broke, the start was a good one. Happy Ending was a little slow, but soon recovered his ground. So keen were the drivers that the lead changed constantly - Bobbinette, first out, had not reigned for more than half a mile before Garry Dillon and Cuddle Doon were upon her. With nine furlongs to go these three were followed by Happy Ending, Doctor Barry, Rocky Star, Spry, Tobias, Allakasam, Great Adios, Viking Water, Co Pilot, Waitaki Hanover and Disband, while Lordship had run into a pocket. In full cry racing past the winning post with a round to go, Tobias reached the lead with five furlongs left, and was joined at the half-mile by Great Adios. Tobias soon wilted. In fact, they were all embarrassed for the want of speed once Great Adios's driver put his foot down; he was the only one who could hold top gear for the distance. Five lengths back, Happy Ending shaded Spry by half a neck. A length and a half further back came Allakasam, whose 4:12 is the second-fastest time for a mare the world over - the only better record is Thelma Globe's 4:11. Tobias was six lengths back fifth, followed in by Co Pilot, Cuddle Doon, Lordship, Garry Dillon, Rocky Star, Bobbinette, Waitaki Hanover, Chequer Board and Viking Water, with Doctor Barry last.

The on-course total on the Cup this year, $48,358, was down $4432 on last year's figures; the off-course total $70,292, was $5625 less than last year.

The day was gloriously fine, and the official attendance was approximately 18,500, compared with 18,250 last year. The on-course total for the day, $454,059, compares with $497,864 last year. Off-course betting reached $383,247 for the day, against $477,412 last year. The on-course figures were down $43,805 and the off-course total down $94,165. However, to this year's figures has to be added half of the total of $122,416 invested on the two NZ Cups double. This amount, $61,208 brings the grand total for NZ Cup day to $898,514, which is a decrease of $76,762, quite a good result considering the economic state of the Dominion. The sum harvest of all this is yet another feather in the cap of the Metropolitan's wide-awake president, Mr R W Saunders, who was the prime instigator of the legislation which lead to the "twelfth-hour" passage of doubles betting with the TAB on the two NZ Cups.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

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

STRAIGHT - Mystery Mare

Colin McLaughlin was a man who did things his way. So there is mystery how a mare he bought as a young man in Ladbrooks(where his father Andy bred trotters) and did not produce her first winner until she was 17, led McLaughlin on a magic racing journey. The stream of unfashionably bred top class horses from one owner/trainer in a relatively short time is un-equalled and in these days of mass production will probably remain that way.

The first mare was Straight and her trip toward the limelight really began when McLaughlin, by then battling to make a go of farming in Mt Hutt, sent her to Young Bob, a Methven based stallion. The result, Sedate, won four for him and when she went to stud, her first three foals, Morsel, Flying Mile and Allakasam began a stunning run of form. Allakasam won an incredible seven Cup races including the Auckland, Easter and New Brighton editions. Flying Mile left the famous 'ugly duckling' Manaroa, one of the real characters of harness racing whose NZ Cup run was so phenomenal and then Manawaru with her first two foals. Morsel left the Auckland Cup winner, Royal Ascot.

McLaughlin had made the outwardly strange decision to breed his own stallion to his mares and bought Prince Charming for the purpose. Like Young Bob he was a Globe Derby line horse and the unusual double cross results were simply amazing.

Then, like a tap turning off, the Straight tribe wilted then virtually disappeared. There were winners of course and one or two good ones because Colin bred a lot of horses. Allakasam left Jaunty Hanover and Allspice and Morsel left Nimble Yankee and Remorse. Because he had so many mares Colin tended to mix visits to top studs with cheaper 'Hail Mary' stallions who didn't make the grade. The new generation of American blood did not seem to click and the blood thinned.

Then, in the mid 1980s, an unfashionably bred horse called Borana became the longest odds winner in the history of the NZ Cup for Peter Jones. Straight was his fourth dam. The family had finally won the Cup. These things happen in breeding but not often however does a back country farmer who went to Ellesmere instead of the U.S. to buy a stallionachiev so much with the results.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed June 2016