BLAST FROM THE PAST
1974 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP: Won by Easton Light
1974 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP
Easton Light toyed with the opposition in winning his second Dominion Handicap by four and a half lengths from Darky Forbes, Edis Nova and last year's winner Philemon.
Easton Light's time of 4:13.1 from the 30 metre mark was a New Zealand record for the distance, and the 10-year-old East Tamaki owned and trained gelding also became the greatest stake-winning trotter in this country. He took his earnings from 24 wins and 51 placings. The previous record was held by Johnny Gee with $67,580 from 28 wins and 53 placings.
Easton Light is trained by Mr E W Running who races him in partnership with his wife, and he was driven as usual by their son Bruce.
Easton Light is out of the 1973 Broodmare of the Year, Beverley Light, who traces to a Southland-bred mare Evening Sun, by Sungod out of a Kentucky mare, and bred at Wyndham by the late Mr George Hunter back in 1925. Beverley Light who won three races as a trotter, left besides Easton Light - a fine double-gaited mare in Miss Debra, who won her way to the verge of New Zealand Cup class as a pacer and took open class rating as a trotter. Both Miss Debra and Easton Light were by the Bill B horse Great Evander, who has proved a highly successful NZ bred sire of both trotters and pacers. He has left such pacers as Vanderford (2:00.4), Wee Don (1:59.8), and star trotters besides Easton Light and Miss Debra, such as Paula (14 wins), Paulette, and a double-gaited star in Milford Boy who took a record of 2:02 as a pacer and 2:03.8 as a trotter and won a total of $140,778.
Beverley Light was also the dam of Double Duty, dam of a useful winner in Jack Robinson. Beverley Light was a half sister to Starshell (by Sandydale), dam of two 2:00 pacers - Hal Brunt (1:58.2, the fastest aged pacing gelding on a half mile track in America this season)and Hal Scott (1:59.4), both by Nephew Hal. The blood of Kentucky appears in the back removes of several successful Southland families.
Credit: NZ Trotguide
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