| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 1968
1968 NZ DERBY STAKES
A $70 outlay by the Ngaruawahia Goodyer family was richly rewarded when Leroy won a hard tussle for the first prize of $3250 in the NZ Derby Stakes.
The Goodyers paid $70 to buy Leroy's dam Lezayre, from a friend, Mr H Gates, of Nelson. E J Goodyer qualified Lezayre, but she started only three times. "She showed a lot of ability, but was inclined to run out of her gear, so we retired her to stud," he said. Leroy is raced in partnership by E J Goodyer and his wife.
The breeder of Leroy was Mrs W J Goodyer, Rotorua. Lezayre was mated with Protector, producing Murchison Lad, who raced only once and her next foal was Leroy (by Local Light). The Goodyers also have a yearling Richochet filly out of Lezayre. Lezayre has returned to Local Light, who is having a very successful season. Lezayre is by the South Australian-bred horse Paraider from Evora, by the very successful sire Grattan Loyal(imp) from Lady Trafalgar, by Nelson Bingen (imp), leading sire in the 1928-29 and 1929-30 seasons. Evora also produced Croydon and Honeysuckle, the dam of Vantage.
The Derby was a triumph for the Light Brigade horse, Local Light, as he also sired the runner up, Local Lie.
A K Holmes gave Leroy every chance and he was the early leader only to give way to Western Ridge. Passing the six furlongs, Radiant Globe took over and led Clandeboye and Intrepid into the straight. Taken wide out on the track for his final effort, Leroy answered every call on him and he got in the deciding stride just on the post, to head off Local Lie by a neck. Half a neck further back was Clandeboye, followed by Friendly Forbes, Prince Forbes and Garcon Roux. Both Friendly Forbes and Garcon Roux lost ground at the start and were too far back at the home turn to be a real danger. Local Lie paced an excellent race for second and her effort would ensure her of further support in the New Zealand Oaks. Clandeboye received a good run all the way, and his performance was in keeping with earlier efforts this season. The start was nothing short of a shambles, with Hakim, Friendly Forbes, Manaroa, Soldato, King's Size and True Averil making mistakes, and Garcon Roux ran into trouble.
Leroy is trained among thoroughbreds at Oak Park Stud, where Mr E Goodyer is farm manager. The stud is the home of former champion New Zealand galloper and now successful sire, Syntax, and the French-bred stallion, Pavot. The stud also runs 100 milking cows.
Goodyer, a professional trainer, had three years grounding with West Melton trainer, J D Ltten, and also spent 18 months with J S Hunter at Upper Hutt before taking his present position.
A K (for Kevin) Holmes, who handled Leroy, improved the good driving record of his family in the NZ Derby. His uncles Morrie and Free have between them won 14 Derbies.
Until Leroy's win, the last North Island winner of the race was Student Prince in 1960.
Credit: 'T S' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar
YEAR: 1970
 |
| James & J A Donaldson |
James, the little black iron horse from Tinwald, gave his owner-trainer, Jim Donaldson, the greatest of all pleasures with a magnificent stamina-loaded performance to win the $25,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington on a glorious Tuesday afternoon.
The manner in which he won and fought of the likes of True Averil and Stella Frost at the furlong scotched once and for all the frequently expressed view that James was no good "down here." In that final and bitter quarter James never flinched an inch, and the huge crowd that jostled into every vantage point in sight thrilled to one of the grandest finishes ever witnessed.
Before going on it must be mentioned that while James won with sheer grit and courage, Manaroa must be classed as being desperately unlucky not to have won. His break after pacing for the first few strides must have cost him a good 60 or 70 yards and one private clocker had him giving the leaders eight seconds on settling down. One watch tabbed him with gross time equivalent to 4:03 - to storm home within half a length of the winner after losing so much makes his effort astonishing to say the least.
Still thats racing - the Cup has gone to James and his wandering owner who entered the light harness sport 15 years ago. Jim, who must have been close to slipping into the roaring forties at the time, decided to have an interest in trotting after the success his brother, Hugh, had with a grey mare called Quite Contrary. His first horse was La Valla and then came horses like Dresden Blue, one of the Dominion's greatest trotters in Control, Tarseal and Rockin Robin. And ever since La Valla, every horse he has raced has won races.
Then in 1959 he arranged to go down to Gore where a dispersal sale of Mr J H Peterson's racing stock was being held. Up for sale was Responsive, an Attack mare who had already won five races and been 19 times placed, but at 275 guineas bidding stopped and she was passed in. A short time later Jim bought her for 300 guineas, and she carried on for him to win another four races including a Methven Cup, earn a total of $11,715 in stakes and compete unsuccessfully in the 1960 NZ Cup. Unfortunately, Responsive's stud career was a brief one, and James is her only progeny. Her first foal, a colt by Thurber Frost, died, her second foal was James, and 12 months later she died before foaling to Thurber Frost.
It would be hard to find a tougher piece of horse than James anywhere in the country. Up he comes week after week and from 109 all time starts has pocketed $45,425 which makes him second only to Chequer Board in total stake money won amongst all horses still racing.
Responsive was sired by Attack, a quality black horse by Light Brigade and a very good racehorse. Attack reached NZ Cup class and at one stage won eight races in succession. He gained further fame some seasons ago when his son First Variety sired the Inter-Dominion Grand Final winner, First Lee. Attack has been at stud in Australia for some years and has about 50 individual winners to his credit. Responsive was out of Russley Girl, by Grattan Loyal from Ecstatic, by Jack Potts from Ecstacy, by Logan Pointer, and thus claims three of the strongest pacing strains New Zealand has had. Responsive was the best winner left by Russley Girl, who also left Australian winners in Leyoro, L'Etoile, and others in On Probation, Russley Song and Russley Boy.
The race was soon underway with Stella Frost, James, Intrepid and Co Pilot comprising the front group, while Monsignor, Manaroa and Upper Class failed to keep their gait and Rhinegolde and Radiant Globe were slow. Shortly after the start Wipe Out and True Averil broke. For a few furlongs it was a bit ragged with James in command for a while, but he was challenged by Lords who quickly took over and led them into the last mile. James had the run with Stella Frost on his back and then we saw Co Pilot, Intrepid on the fence, Chequer Board, Garcon Roux, Radiant Globe, Wipe Out, Cuddle Doon,Leading Light, True Averil just beginning a dab three wide, Rhinegolde and Manaroa. Upon reaching the half some cards were starting to be played. James had run up and passed Lords with True Averil pressing on from Stella Frost, Radiant Globe, Intrepid, Co Pilot, Garcon Roux, Rhinegolde, Leading Light and Cuddle Doon, with Manaroa still appearing miles out of his crease.
On sweeping into line five had broken away from the bunch and True Averil was the first to tackle James with Stella Frost coming out and Intrepid not being able to produce anything extra. James fended them off with stout heart and then came Manaroa's whirlwind sprint down the fence that nine times out of ten would have won any race in the world. What a finish it was. Stella Frost was beaten in the battle for the $15,000 by a neck with Manaroa a head back, half a length to True Averil and then came Radiant Globe, Leading Light, Intrepid, Garcon Roux, Wipe Out, Chequer Board, Monsignor, Upper Class, Cuddle Doon, Co Pilot, Rhinegolde and Lords - last.
There was no loitering this year - unlike last year's contest - and the winner finished racing after 4:11.2. The first quarter was passed after 32.4, with the first half taking 64.2 and the six furlongs in 1:35.8. The first mile came up in 2:07.5, the mile and a quarter in 2:40.4, the mile and a half in 3:10.6, the mile and three-quarters in 3:41, and so the last mile was run in 3:03.3. Only those on course could appreciate the speed of the rabbit's run (Manaroa), but his last mile must have been cut out in close to two minute time or even better.
Few of the drivers had much to report after the event, although Derek Jones said he was "tickled pink" with Leading Light's great race for sixth. Before signing off one must commend Peter Wolfenden for the masterly way he handled James in winning his third New Zealand Cup. His tactics and terrific driving intuition played no small part in the success of James. Previously "Wolfie" had won with Cardigan Bay in 1963 and Garry Dillon in 1965. Generally the race lived up to everybody's expectations and the finish was as exciting as one could have ever thought possible. There were some disappointments including Intrepid's failure to do better than a plodder's seventh, Rhinegolde's 15th and Monsignor's 11th. On the other hand Radiant Globe, Leading Light and True Averil, the first three to arrive behind the placegetters, all ran solid races and appear likely to collect some of the cash prizes during the meeting.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZ Trotting Calendar
YEAR: 1971
 |
| True Averil with Clarrie & Mrs Rhodes and driver Doody Townley |
Every horse, without exception, looked muscled up and bright for the $30,000 challenge and little time was lost once the 15 runners was in the starter's hands. Rain Again and James failed to begin cleanly, Manaroa was a shade slow but pacing just the same and the others all headed off without further ado.
Sam Tryax, driven by D G Jones, was out fast and took the field through the first quarter in 32.6 sec., from Western Ridge, Intrepid on the fence, Radiant Globe on the outside of Jacquinot Bay, Upper Class, Rauka Lad, Garcon Roux, Robalan, Rain Again, Valencia, True Averil in a gap, Bay Foyle, James and Manaroa.
Western Ridge headed Sam Tryax after half a mile reached in 64, but only briefly, for Upper Class then sought the lead, making the first six furlongs in 1:35.4 and the mile in 2:06.6. At that stage Western Ridge was under cover with Sam Tryax and Radiant Globe further along the fence, then Rauka Lad one out with Jacquinot Bay, Robalan, Garcon Roux, Rain Again and True Averil in close contact. Robalan moved fast racing into the six furlongs, tabbing the watches at 2:36.6 for the mile and a quarter, but soon had the company of Radiant Globe.
Radiant Globe looked to have the others in a spot of bother when he opened up a small gap on passing the half mile in 3:07.4. Even when Radiant Globe increased his lead passing the three furlong mark, it distinctly appeared as though his genial Blenheim owners, Bob White and Jack Hart, were in for the kill, because Townley, who at one stage had been four wide, had touched True Averil with his whip when asking him to race three wide past Robalan and Manaroa.
True Averil never looked likely to catch Radiant Globe outside the furlong; inside it was by no means cut and dried, and on the line, with both horses tuckered out after 4:11 of epic racing. True Averil had proved a better horse on the day by a neck. Intrepid, after being pushed back, ran an excellent third, being no more impressive than Bay Foyle, a solid finisher after being well off the pace. Manaroa battled on in dour style for his fifth without ever looking like winning, and then came Valencia, running on, Sam Tryax, Garcon Roux, Rauka Lad, James, Western Ridge, Upper Class, Rain Again and Jacquinot Bay.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZ Trotting Calendar
YEAR: 1991
 |
This month marks the end of driving for Gavin Hampton, now aged 65. Having driven 250 winners since being first licenced in the 1946-47 season, he retires thinking how fortunate he was to train two of them. Near the start of his career, in 1952 and 53, he had Masterpiece and 29 years ago it was the handsome stallion, Radiant Globe.
He wouldn't separate the two on ability, though Masterpiece won him 6 and Radiant Globe 22. "The best was never seen of Masterpiece. I got him when he had won five and he won me six, including four on end. He had great speed. You could bring him into the straight about seventh or eighth and he would produce a brilliant finish; he was a better horse if you held him up."
An unsound son of Light Brigade, Masterpiece started his trot for Hampton by winning at Hutt Park, where he beat Inglewood, and then defeated First Victory at Addington. He went to Ashburton on Boxing Day, winning from Tribal Song and Tiberius, and brought up his fourth successive win in the Au Revoir Handicap at Addington from Vedette, Zulu and Dragoman. His sixth and final win of his career came the same season at Addington, where he won from Lauder Hall, Petite Yvonne and Maida Dillon.
"Radiant Globe was a lovely horse, a great horse to have round the place, and the kids could get on and ride him. You knew he was always going to do his best for you."
Hampton's best driving tally was in the 1970-71 season when he won 21 and Radiant Globe gave him eight of them, including the Greymouth Cup from Barrhill and Jacquinot Bay, and the New Brighton Cup from True Averil and Barrhill. It was also the season of his greatest disappointment. "The 1971 Inter-Dominions were at Addington, and he couldn't start on the first night because he got tied up. On the second night he ran fourth and he won on the third night with a faster rate than any of the other three winners (Stella Frost, Manaroa and Rain Again). He missed out on a start in the Final by one point." To illustrate the good prospect he would have been in the Final, Radiant Globe won the 13 furlong Consolation from Globe Bay by more than six lengths in 3:27, after Stella Frost took 3:38 2/5 in the Grand Final. "I was lucky to get a horse like that," he said.
Hampton's first job was at Takanini at F J Smith's Village Farm. It was a top stable, including at the time Josedale Dictator and Volo Senwood. You had to pick up all you learned, but it was different than what it is these days. He had 11 boys on the staff and they each had two horses to look after and they were strapped for an hour and a quarter every day. "It was three months before I got my first day off, and six months before I was allowed in the cart," he said.
His first winning drive was after he had returned south, to where his father Joe was training at East Eyreton in North Canterbury. "My father wasn't very pleased about it. I drove Rowan McCoy at Greymouth, where it was usual to have two starts in the day. In the first of them, when he was paying £100 to win, I miscounted the number of rounds, and got him going to run fourth. I won with him later in the day, but he was hot favourite then," he said.
He gained a professional licence in 1950 and moved to Belfast, where Masterpiece - later the sire of top pacer Master Alan - and the U Scott trotter Ecosse joined the team. Cara Nelson was another good winner at the time, and in the early 60s he produced Wendy Dawn to win the NZ Oaks and the Nelson Cup, and Belmartial to win the NZ Trotting Stakes. In 1966, he moved to Weedons, where he trained and drove such good winners as Glen Bell, Final Donn, Pineship, Grovenor Globe, and Radiant General who won the 1975 Golden Slipper Stakes.
His driving successes included the Westport Cup behind Slick Chick, the Superstars Final with Lucky Boy, the NZ Free-For-All with Radiant Globe, feature races with Stampede and Zabadak, and the Canterbury Park Cup behind Philemon.
Hampton has noticed great changes in the style of driving in recent years. "It used to be stereotyped, but now it's all hustle and bustle. People are going for the money and they seem to under more pressure. When I first started you would follow someone who would show you how to get the gaps, like Maurice Holmes. I had my first drives for the season at Nelson last month and I couldn't get over it. I would think I'd be going alright, in a good position, then I'd find myself out the back. It's a different ballgame now," he said.
For many years a committeeman on the Trainers and Drivers Association, Hampton considers the Conference could have involved more professional men in some of its decision-making, and worries about the little protection for cadets after they leave the scheme. "It seems too easy to get a licence, and this must have an effect on the future of the young ones."
"The cost and pressure doesn't make harness racing as enjoyable as it used to be," he said. Hampton, whose last driving success was in the 1987-88 season, did not have his first drives this season until the recent Nelson meeting. He leased Parklane for the curcuit, and hopes to end his career driving the same horse at Addington - the scene of his most memorable wins.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 3Jul91
YEAR: 2011
 |
Your father, Joe, had racehorses. Were you always going to make a career with them?
No way. I actually started working in town as an office boy but I got a bit sick of that.We had always had ponies to ride to school at East Eyreton where Dad had a farm. Anyway I was helping out at home. Dad went to the races at Ashburton one day and came home and said he had found a job for me. It was working for F J Smith in Auckland (Takanini), so I packed up and off I went.
F J Smith? He was the Englishman who had been in America and was a champion trainer always immaculately dressed?
Yes, he had a lot of success here. He was a top horseman and he knew all the latest things they were doing in America. I was there for about 18 months.
I suppose since he was one for appearances everything had to be spot on?
My word! We had two horses each to look after. There were 19 of us working twenty horses most of the time and we lived in a house there at Takanini. Each day you had to have all the gear hanging up outside the stable and he would inspect that and the horses.
A tough test?
He used to have a white silk handkerchief. He would rub it over the horse's rump and hold it up to the light. It had to be clean or you had to do it over again. He would do the same with the gear, giving it a dust test. The included the horse's covers. We had to wash and scrub them every day. He was a stickler for that. He also had a big collection of treatments he gave to the horses. If you ever went near there you were soon told to get back to work. He died not that long after I left there.
You came home?
Yes, I was training a couple at East Eyreton. Then Dad sold the farm and I moved out to Belfast. I was at George Ashby's for a while and then at Kent Smith's stables next to the Belfast hotel.
A tough start?
I started training for £2 10 shillings a week. But you could get a bag of chaff for five shillings and oats were cheap so it wasn't too bad. The top trainer charged up to £5.
I remember you had a good horse called Masterpiece soon after. How did that happen?
He was a Southland horse and Herbie Booth owned and trained him. I got to know him at Forbury when the meetings were spread over a week. At the end of it he offered me Masterpiece. He had won about four races then and that took him out of the Southland racing classes.
A good horse to work with?
A stallion but a lovely horse to do anything with. We won a lot of good races against the top horses an hell, they were good then. He won a free-for-all beating Vedette, but I never got him to the NZ Cup. He broke down in a suspensory ligament before the race. We bred mares to him. He later left Master Alan, which was a top wee horsepeople will remember.
What was it like for a young guy with a top horse then?
Well, it wasn't all easy. A leading trainer I wont name went all the way to Invercargill to try and get it off me. He told Herbie I didn't know what I was doing and h would do a better job. Herbie turned around at th end and said the horse was at Gavin Hampton's and he was staying there. In fact he sent me up other horses including a trotter called Ecosse which won a lot of races. Herbie died near the end of Masterpiece's career, but his son kept the horses with us.
Ecosse, another stallion. He was by U Scott? What was he like?
Yes, by U Scott, a little weed and a dirty little bugger. You just couldn't trust him. I remember I sent him over to Lyttelton one day to go to Wellington. In those days they used to hoist them onto the boat. When I go to the boat there was a hell of a scene. Horses bandaged everywhere. He was next to Johnny Globe who was a lovely quiet horse and had attacked him and everything else he could get at. I didn't have many mates on that ship.
What had been your first winner?
Rowan McCoy, which Dad bred and owned. A good trotter on her day.
What was the story behind Signal Light that you drove in the 1951 Inter-Dominion trotting final?
Dad had a rabbiting contract in Hakataramea and that required horse. He used to go to the Tattersalls Horse Bazaar in town to get them and that was where all our best racehorses came from when he decided to breed from a few of them. Suda Bay, the dam of Signal Light was one of them. She later left Court Matial for my father. He bought another one, Margaret Logan, which was to start a line for us. They were only going for hack prices.
Did Signal Light have his chance in the Inter-Dominion?
Yes, and I thought it had it won. Then Gay Belwin came along and took it off us in the last few strides. Signal Light won a Trotting Stakes and he was placed in a lot of the biggest races. There were terrific horses to race against then. I especially remember Dictation. He held all the records. He was one of the best trotters I have ever seen if not the best.
Court Martial. He made a big impression, especially as a sire?
He was a good stayer as a racehorse but he was a terrific stallion. He left horses like Moon Boy, lots of top liners. Dad stood him at stud in Riccarton on Hawthornden Road.
A big operation?
Not with old Court Martial. He was a dream. they'd walk him into a paddock of mares and he would just stand there while they tested the mares and palpated them. They'd call him over , he would do the job, then start eating grass. Nothing ever bothered that old horse. He was 35 when he died.
After Masterpiece, Signal Light etc, your next headliner was Radiant Globe. What can you tell us about him?
He was the best horse I trained. Right from the first time I put him in the cart he was special. He gave us a lot of thrills and the two biggest disappointments of my racing life.
How did you get him?
I really only had him to break in initially. Graham Holmes suggested they give it to me. Bob White, who was then a barman in Blenheim - he later had his own pubs - had bred him from a mare he bought from Westport for about $100. She didn't have a lot of breeding. John Hart had a share in him with Bob. As I said I liked him right from the start and they let me go on training him. He was better than anything else I handled.
What were the disappointments?
A New Zealand Cup and an Interdominion. You don't get many bigger disappointments than those two in our game.
Which Cup was that?
1971. He was second to True Averil whom he had beaten in the New Brighton Cup not long before. He was the favourite and he should have won it.
What happened?
I was in front. He was happy there. He could start to pull if you tried to do too much with him. Anyway, we were going along sweet as a nut when Robalan came around. They wanted to lead and there was some noise going on and my horse started to pull. It cost him the race.
Still second though.
When Robalan wouldn't go away I let my horse run clear of the field. He was only going to pull his way into the ground otherwise. We had a big break on them at the turn and it was only in the last few strides True Averil got him.
What happened at the Inter-Dominion?
They wouldn't let him into the final because he had missed the first round of the heats. That was the year Mount Eden didn't make the final either. Radiant Globe was going terrific that year but he had a muscle problem just before the heats started and we couldn't risk him like that. He got enough points in two rounds to get into the finals but they wouldn't let him start. He won his consolation heat by half the straight and went faster than they went in the final. He'd have won that too if he had got a go.
A kind horse?
Just a lovely horse to do anything with. Kids could ride him no trouble. A bit of an actor too. His only bad habit was that he liked to pull battens out of fences. I got a long piece of polythene pipe about 20ft long and gave him that to distract him. He loved that. He would stand on his hind feet and swing it around like a circus pony. The papers came out and took photos of him in action.
You ended up taking him to America?
Yeah. It wasn't a great result. When I first got there I had him at a farm, riding him and doing pacework with him. They thought it was a novelty riding a free-for-all pacer, but I did a lot of it with him. He thrived out there but Del Insko, who had charge of him, wanted him in town to step up his work. He didn't take a lot of work and he didn't show his best up there. In the end he broke down.
Wendy Dawn was a good filly you raced?
Yes, I bred her by Johnny Globe, like Radiant Globe was. Her mother (Meadowbrook) was from Rose Logan which Dad had bred from. She showed me quite a bit early on but when it came to race time I just couldn't get a start with her anywhere. Not many trials then and a lot less races. So I entered her in the New Zealand Derby for her first race. A bit daring then.
How did she go?
She ran fourth, pretty good first up. It was Tactile's year. Her second start was in the NZ Oaks and she won that.
What a career start. What happened next?
Not a lot to be honest. She was smart but she never really got any better. She was also a bit disappointing at stud. She left Tilringer which was useful, but not a lot else.
You did a lot of freelance driving later?
Yes, I had some good clients. Swannee Smith gave me drives on Gay Lyric when he was going well earlier on and Starbeam was another I got a drive on. Jim Curragh had Kind Nature and others and I drove Sassenach and Stampede. Lucky Boy was another and Alandria which Jim Winter trained. I drove Philemon earlier on. Paul did very well in his own right as a driver. He was probably better than me.
How did you get on Stampede?
Mainly through Andrew Sellars. I had driven horses for his father earlier. Alan Devery was training him and said "who is Gavin Hampton?" Andrew said to him he would soon find out because I would be driving him. We did alright together.
What are the horses which live in your memory over the years?
Lordship, Johnny Globe, Cardigan Bay. I mentioned Dictation last time and there was a great trotter in the 1940s called Certissimus who was just beautiful to watch. He died young. Radiant Globe is the horse of my own I will always rate right up there.
Credit: Interview with David McCarthy in The Press 19Feb 2011