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INTERNATIONAL HISTORY

The Battle of Midway takes place.

LOCAL HISTORY

May - Air raid shelters dug in Cathedral Square.

Japanese reconnaissance aircraft fly over Wellington once and Auckland twice in March and May.

NZ troops in the North African desert war lead off at the Battle of El Alamein, the first major Allied victory on land.

The first United States troops arrive in NZ to prepare for the Soloman Islands campaign against the Japanese

October 26 - Women Jurors Act allows women to sit on juries. The Act provided for women between the ages of 25 and 60 to have their names placed on the jury list on the same basis as men – if they so desired. The first female juror, Miss E.R. Kingsman, served at the Auckland Supreme Court in 1943.


Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries

RACING HISTORY

H C HARLEY

The death occurred in Christchurch last week, after a short illness, of Mr H C Harley, well known in trotting and motoring circles.

Mr Harley was born in Nelson and went to Greymouth in 1898, where he founded the auctioneering firm of H C Harley and Company. He retired from business in 1921, and since then had lived in Christchurch.

At an early age Mr Harley was keenly interested in trotting and was one of the best-known amateur riders and drivers in NZ. In 1902 he won the Greymouth Cup with Uncle Tom.

In Christchurch, Mr Harley was prominent in the administration of trotting, and was president of the New Brighton Trotting Club, a member of the judicial committee of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, and a member of the Board of the NZ Trotting Association.

He was immediate past-president of the Automobile Association of Canterbury, a director of the South Island Motor Union Insurance Association, and a member of the executive of the South Island Motor Union. He was a keen cricketer ans a vice-president of the St John Ambulance Association.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 2Dec1942

RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

O E HOOPER

O E Hooper was having his 13th drive in the NZ Cup, and his first success in the race, when he drove Haughty on Saturday.

Hooper had his first NZ Cup drive on Dolly Dillon in 1925. She was unplaced, and so were Queens Own(1926) and Audacious(1927). He did not have a drive again until 1930, when he drove King Pointer into third place in a heat. In 1931 he drove the same horse, who was unplaced. In 1933 he drove Satin King, and in 1934 and 1935 he was behind Sunny Morn, who finished fourth in his second effort. Hooper's next drive was in 1937, when he handled Willow Wave, who was unplaced, as was King's Play, whom he drove the following year. In 1939 he drove Cantata into second place behind Lucky Jack. The following year he drove Parisienne, who was unplaced, and last year he had no drive.

Hooper's most important successes until Saturday were with Willow Wave in the Auckland Cup of 1937, the Dunedin Cup in 1937 and 1938 with the same horse, the Free-For-All in 1930 with King Pointer, and the National Handicap the same year with the same horse.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 11Nov42

RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

J S BERRY

The death has occurred of Mr J S Berry, who has been associated with trotting for over 50 years, chiefly, in earlier days, on the administrative side.

He was a member of the old Canterbury Trotting Club, which raced on the show grounds. Later, Mr Berry was a steward of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, and when that Club decided to appoint Stipendiary Stewards, Mr Berry and Mr C H Gorton were the first appointed.

Two years ago Mr Berry was elected a life-member of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov42

RACING HISTORY PEOPLE

J J KENNERLEY

It is with regret that we record the death of J J Kennerley, formerly of Christchurch, and later living in retirement in Auckland.

J J Kennerley, contrary to a general idea, was not an Australian. He was born in the Waikato, but at a early age he went to Australia with his parents.

It was in 1911 that Kennerley trained and drove his first winner, Lively Bells. Kennerley later won a Sydney Thousand with Hardy Wilkes, whom authorities still regard as one of the greatest trotters seen in Australia and NZ.

In 1914 Kennerley came to NZ, and won a race with Eminent at Addington. He returned to Australia but in 1921 he came back to NZ, and settled here. He soon became a leading trainer and at one time he had probably the best team of horses under his charge ever sheltered by the one stable in the Dominion. At that time he was private trainer to Mr J R McKenzie, who owned Great Bingen and Acron and many other good ones.

Other champions and near-champions trained by Kennerley about the same time were Peter Bingen, Native Chief, Logan Chief and Pedro Pronto.

Kennerley twice won the NZ Cup with Peter Bingen, and trained winners of five Free-For-Alls in Logan Chief, Acron (twice), Native Chief and Peter Bingen.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 12Aug42

RACING HISTORY HORSES

HIGHLAND FLING - Enigma

The horse who in a time trial at Addington went within a tick over two seconds to the fastest mile ever paced in America was an out and out Champion. But it was more fun watching him than backing him.

Highland Fling, rather than making a lot of outrageous breaks was just slow to get going. Terribly slow to get going. Sometimes he never really got going at all. He was so good that often it didn't matter. But it was an anxious few moments for the punters early in the race to see how much ground he would have to make up this time. It was usually a lot.

Colin Berkett who drove him to win the 1947 Cup once told me the Fling was not a brilliant, high speed horse. "You'd run the reins over his back and he would accelerate away smoothly like a luxury car but not like a racing car. But he could sustain that run further than any other horse I ever drove."

And from all accounts it was certainly dramatic enough for other drivers and the public. To them he was a horse apart. There are still people around who can tell you all about it. Oh! For mobiles in 1947!

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed July 2016

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Haughty & Ossie Hooper

1942 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

This is the story of the four pillars of Haughty - four mares whose names are cornerstones of trotting history - Princess, Norice, Regal Voyage and Haughty herself. This is the combination of champion mares whose united efforts have culminated in a new World's Champion pacing mare, Haughty, 4:13 4-5.

The first link in this chain of champions was forged long before the NZ Trotting Cup was established. It all started away back in the 80's, because a young jockey found increasing weight forcing him out of the saddle. That young jockey was D J Price, who then turned his attention to trotting. Price related how he noticed a pacing mare showing a turn of speed on the side of a road, how he bought her for £20 and a £20 contingency, and how he called her Princess. She was said to be by Dexter, but there was some doubt about her breeding. However, she developed into an out-and-out champion, by far the greatest pacer seen in New Zealand up to her time, and she was much too good for the Exhibition Cup field at Dunedin.

Later Princess went to Australia, where she produced to Hambletonian Bell Boy that good horse Prince Imperial, who became the sire of a mare that never raced, but which produced, among other winners, Thixendale, Lady Willings, Lough Neagh, Denver City, Glimpse and Logan Princess who, to Happy Voyage, produced Regal Voyage. Here is the second champion mare in the pedigree. Regal Voyage was a fine stayer, quite one of the best mares of her day, and in the Mid-summer Handicap at Addington in 1931 she beat a great field and registered 4:19 4-5 for the two miles, then a world's pacing record for a mare; in third place was Harold Logan, who was forced to do 4:13 2-5. Regal Voyage was bred by Mr B Grice, but she did most of her racing for the late R Wanden, of Blenheim, and was trained by D Withers. At the conclusion of her racing career, Regal Voyage was bought back by Mr Grice, and her first foal, to Nelson Derby, was Haughty.

The remaining link in this chain of celebrated mares is imported Norice, and it is a matter of real interest that the first New Zealand Trotting Cup in 1904, and the latest contest, should be so closely connected. Norice finished second in the first Cup to Monte Carlo, and now her grand-daughter, Haughty, is enthroned as the 1942 winner and the champion two-mile pacing mare of all time. Norice produced a great line of horses, including Nelson Derby, Native King and Nelson Fame. The great store that Mr Grice places upon the potency of Norice is reflected in the number of her descendants he is using at his stud. He decided to breed from Nelson Derby when this fine racehorse was practically in the discard as a sire. That must have required a certain amount of courage, but it turned out to be nice judgement, for he has had several good winners by Nelson Derby, notably Haughty, Hardy Oak and Single Star.

Mr Grice's interesting experiment in putting mares descended from Norice on the dam's side back to a son of Norice has met with happy results in the production of such good pacers as Hardy Oak and Single Star. Call it inbreeding, linebreeding, or what you will, it was done deliberately by a breeder whose great success over a long period places him in the forefront of breeders-owners-trainers. He has made a study of the Nelson Derby breed, refusing to over-race them at a tender age, and that is one of the main reasons, probably, why Haughty is the champion staying mare of today; she was not taken to the races until she was four, and then she was started only twice, when nearly a five-year-old. That was in the 1939-40 season , so she is now only seven. The latest champion is just a plain, ordinary mare; she can make no pretence at look or style, but she can wag her head at the beauties and reflect that handsome is still as handsome does.

There is a limit to speed; the torrid pace set by Gold Bar found out the backmarker, Josedale Grattan, but last year's winner was not disgraced. He was asked to register 4:10 3-5 to win, and it is doubtful if there is a horse in the world today, including Billy Direct and Greyhound, who could do such time on a six-fulong track. Greyhounds 4:06 against time was done from a flying start on a mile track, while Josedale Grattan, in addition to having more turns to contend with on a track two-furlongs shorter, had an additional 36yds to cover from a standing start. All these facts should be given full consideration, because there must eventually be a limit to the speed a horse can carry over any distance in harness.

Time was when certain schools of harness racing thought that the day might arrive when a pacer or trotter would attain the speed of a galloper. That is ridiculous; but it proves this much: the limit of pacing and trotting speed must nearly have been reached. It proves that the trotter and pacer is possibly rapidly attaining its highest peak of perfection. And pacers in this country, racing under entirely different and more difficult conditions than trials against time in the States, have got remarkably close to the best times over the longer distances made in the home of the trotter and pacer. So much for the fact that there may be a limit to pacing speed.

If anyone had suggested that a horse would go 4:14 3-5 off the limit of the Cup and get beaten, he would have received a very poor hearing. Yet it happened to Gold Bar. The official sectional times made Gold Bar go to the first half-mile in 62secs; the mile in 2:04 3-5; the mile and a quarter in 2:35 2-5; the mile and a half in 3:08 2-5. He took 65 1-5secs for the last half-mile, and had to lower his colours to three horses in the run home. It was a sensational performance, drawing unstinted praise from Mr A L Matson (president of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club) at the Cup presentation. He expressed great admiration for Gold Bar's wonderful achievement, and sympathised with the owner in having to accept fourth place after his horse's being almost totally responsible for the establishment of a new two-mile winning record.

Another record was established which is liable to be overlooked. This is Bayard's time of 4:13 2-5 for third, representing a world's pacing record for a stallion. The ponified pacer was beaten for second only in the last couple of strides by Loyal Rey, whose 4:13 1-5 places him next to Harold Logan on the roster of fastest two-mile pacing performers.

The unlucky horse in the Cup was again Peter Smith who had the job of overhauling Gold Bar, and actually gave Haughty the run of the race. Haughty was tucked in behind Peter Smith all the way to the straight, and by that time Peter Smith's desperate chase of Gold Bar naturally found him out. Loyal Rey drifted early, and his run over the last half mile was of a very high standard indeed.

The world's harness record for two miles is held by the trotter Greyhound, who went 4:06 in 1939. The first mile took 2:03 and the second the same. The best pacing time for two miles in America stands to the credit of Dan Patch 4:17, who took his record away back in 1903. It is obvious that Billy Direct, 1:55, would greatly reduce this record, but, until a great American pacer does tackle Dan Patch's record of 39 years' standing, the world's pacing records for two miles stand to the credit of Harold Logan, 4:12 2-5 (for third), and Haughty, 4:13 4-5 (winning).

Investments on the race totalled £18,350/10/- and for the day £99,419/10/-

Full Result

1st: B Grice's HAUGHTY. Trained by the owner, Tinwald and driven by O E Hooper, started off scratch.

2nd: P A Watson's LOYAL REY. Driven by M C McTigue, started off 12yds.

3rd: H E Salter's BAYARD. Driven by C King, started off 12yds.

4th: A Holmes's GOLD BAR. Driven by D C Watts, started off scratch.

The winner won by two lengths, with a neck to third and a length to fourth.

Times: 4:13 4-5, 4:13 1-5, 4:13 2-5, 4:14 3-5.

Also Started: Bronze Eagle scr; Clockwork scr & Ferry Post 12 bracketed with the third horse; Peter Smith scr; Colonal Grattan 12; Fine Art 12 bracketed with the second horse; Great Jewel 12; Josedale Grattan 36


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1942 NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES

M Holmes drove his sixth NZ Derby winner when he brought Scottish Lady home ahead of Captain Morant and Radical. A most improved filly since she was unplaced in the Sapling Stakes, Scottish Lady had won the Riccarton stakes on the first day, but that performance was hardly up to the best effort of Captain Morant, who was made a strong favourite for the Derby, with Scottish Lady only fourth selection to win. But there was no doubt about her superiority on Saturday. She was always going a bit better than Captain Morant and beat him by a length.

Scottish Lady is by U Scott from Rustic Maid, an unraced sister to Gold Country, by Rey de Oro from Country Belle. She was bred by Mr W J Morland, and sold as a two-year-old to Mr G Youngson, of Wendon, Southland, for 350gns. Mr Youngson leased her to Mr D Macfarlane, of Christchurch. Rustic Maid produced previous winners in Highland Scott and Gallant Maid, and she has younger progeny by U Scott, Lusty Volo, and Gold Bar.

Karnak was on her toes at the start and she reared up at barrier rise and lost fully 36 yards. She was then sent round the field to take the lead at the end of half a mile, but she was in difficulties when Lucky Gem challenged her going into the back the last time, and was beaten before the home turn. Radical showed considerable improvement on his Riccarton Stakes run and looks sure to win races, Lucky Gem, Tam o'Shanter and Pocket Book were the best of the others.

Full Result

1st: D Macfarlane's SCOTTISH LADY. Trained & driven by M Holmes, Russley.

2nd: H E Cook's CAPTAIN MORANT. Driven by F G Holmes.

3rd: O E Hooper's RADICAL. Driven by the owner.

4th: LUCKY GEM.

The winner won by a length, with a length and a half to third.

Times: 3:25, 3:25 1-5, 3:25 2-5.

Also started: Bonny Volo & Tam O'Shanter bracketed; Delusion; Gold Sheik; Karnak; Pocket Book; Sergent Bob, Terry O'Shea & Trusty Scott bracketed; Tungsten Steel; Volusta; Wee Logan.






Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov42

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1942 NZ PACING SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP

Gold Bar is the new record-holder at a mile and a quarter. His 2:35 to win the NZ Pacing Sprint Championship by three lengths from Haughty is a world's race record, and as far as New Zealand-bred horses are concerned, Gold Bar now holds the mile harness record 1:59 3-5, the mile saddle record 2:03 3-5, the mile and a quarter record 2:35, the mile and three furlongs record 2:56, and the mile and five furlongs winning record 3:27.

It is a bunch of records never before held by the one horse in the Dominion, and as a speed king Gold Bar has certainly earned a high place in light harness history.

He now goes to the stud at a fee well within the reach of all breeders.

Full Result

1st: A Holmes's GOLD BAR. Trained and driven by D C Watts, Yaldhurst.

2nd: B Grice's HAUGHTY. Driven by O E Hooper.

3rd: Messrs Pezaro & Bridgen's JOSEDALE GRATTAN. Driven by F J Smith.

4th: E R Smith's PETER SMITH. Driven by L A Maidens.

The winner won by three lengths, with two lengths back to the third horse.

Times: 2:35, 2:35 2-5, 2:35 4-5, 2:36.

Also started: Bayard; Burt Scott; Dusky Sound; Fine Art; Mankind.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov42

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1942 DOMINION HANDICAP

Margin won the Dominion Handicap by sheer stamina. Not a showy trotter, Margin's action is deceptive; it requires a minimum of effort. In other words, there is no waste action about the Maxegin mare, whose consistency is indicated by her record of five wins, two seconds, three thirds and a fourth in her last 17 starts. She is a particularly honest mare, and remarkably solid. A great deal of credit must go to her trainer-driver, G Cameron, who has taken her from the improvers' class to the best company in just over a year.

Readers may remember a paragraph which appeared in the Calendar in relation to the breeding of this mare. She is registered as by Maxegin from a Wildwood mare, and it was pointed out in the paragraph that if Margin was out of a Wildwood mare, this mare could not have been less than 28 years of age when it foaled Margin. This statement aroused the interest of a breeder who knew something of Margin's bloodlines, and it is now thought that the dam of Margin is by Peter Moko and not Wildwood as stated in the original registration. This, however, has not been definitely established, and, unfortunately, probably never will be now. It is all the more regrettable because of Margin's potential value as a brood mare.

Full Result

1st: W Fairbairn's MARGIN. Trained & driven by G Cameron, New Brighton. Started off 72yds.

2nd: S Cording's TE KAHU. Driven by D Bennett. Started off scratch.

3rd: D Pattullo's TIM WORTHY. Driven by R Messervey. Started off scratch.

4th: W J Doyle's WITHIN. Driven by the owner. Started off 60yds.

The winner won by three quarters of a length, with a neck to third.

Times: 4:26 4-5, 4:33, 4:33 1-5, 4:28 2-5.

Also started: Allie Audubon scr; Great Mountain scr; Sister Mary scr; Monican 12; Reception 12; Royal Romance 36; Mah Jong 48; Biworthy 60; Gracie Fields 72; Royal Worthy 72; Gerfalcon 84; Bush Laddie 96; Dark Hazard 96.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov42