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JOHN PENNEY

John Penney was one of harness racing's most respected and able administrators. His death on Saturday after a brief illness was a sad start to Jewels Day at Cambridge.

He was dignified and industrious, taking on demanding responsibilities at the highest level. He died as Chairman of Harness Racing New Zealand, Chairman of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club and Chairman of the International Trotting Association. "This was a huge burden for anyone," said former HRNZ Chairman, Jim Wakefield. He said many delegates believed the International Trotting Conference held in Christchurch, and chaired by Penney last November, was the best since its inception.

Penney attended St Andrews College, and Canterbury University, and it was his intention when graduating with a BA in 1956 to become a school teacher. Instead, he joined Lane Walker Rudkin as a management trainee, where he remained until his retirement in 1989. During more than 40 years with the company, Penney became Manager of the dyehouse and knitting divisions and later became General Manager of Argyle Fabrics, a position he held for over 15 years. He had the ability to create fabrics to fill gaps in the marketplace identified by his sales people. He was instrumental in providing his division with the most modern equipment available.

Horses came before his turn at administration, with the importation with Sam Ballantyne of the successful sire Plat du Jour and Nardins Byrd, and he won five races with the smart Jersey Hanover mare, Hanover Reine, which Ballantyne trained. He won two races at the 1987 Inter-Dominions at Addington, and four in total, with Maitre, which he raced in partnership with Australian racing journalist Richard Trembath from Derek Jones's stable. More recent winners were Caliph, who won four races, Nepthys, who won two, and Chivalrous, the winner of four races in 2006. All were from Kheba, a Plat du Jour mare he bred from Hanover Reine.

He became a steward of Canterbury Park in the mid-1980s, and when he first heard of the role, he used his dry humour to say that he thought it was a job taking the drinks around. He joined the committee in 1990, became Treasurer, and was one of two club representatives on the Board of Addington Raceway. He pushed hard for the amalgamation of the three Addington clubs, and when that occurred he was one of the inaugural directors and joint-Chairman with Barry Cotton. From 2004/05 to the time of his death he was Chaiman of the Metropolitan club. "He was a joy to work with," said club CEO, Mike Godber. "He had high standards, but you always knew where you were with him."

Penney joined the Executive of HRNZ as the Metropolitan club's representative in 1999, and was completing his fifth year as Chairman. "He was a good strategic thinker," said Wakefield. "He was a quiet achiever who had great leadership skills. He was unfailingly courteous and diplomatic. In the ten years I worked with him, he never once lost his temper. Harness racing is worse off without him."

Penney is survived by his wife Audrey and family.

-o0o-

Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Aug2008

The Oustanding Contribution to Harness Racing Award (sponsored by Jardine Bloodstock) - an award that is given only when appropriate - was made posthumously to John Penney at the Annual Awards Dinner in Auckland last Saturday.

It was received by his widow Audrey after a presentation by Executive member, Jim Wakefield. He said John had an outstanding record as an administrator, with strong principles and high standards. He was known for his modesty, understanding and loyalty to his staff and company. He had great days at Lane Walker Rudkin and became a respected leader in the textile industry in New Zealand. His interest in harness racing started when Haughty won the New Zealand Cup in 1943, and developed strongly after his company sponsored the Hip Hi stakes for lady drivers in 1970.

After his retirement in 1990, he became more involved, his days as a starters assistant being followed by steward and committee roles at Canterbury Park and as Co-Chairman of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club after the three-club merger from 2004 to 2008. As well, he was in the unique position of being Chairman of HRNZ between 2003 and 2008 and Chairman of the International Trotting Association in 2006-2008

As Chaiman of the Met he saw huge improvements to the track and racing operation, increased stakes, the development of the new stabling area, the introduction of the Harness Jewels and it was his private hope for a New Zealand Cup worth $1m.

He valued integrity above all else, and Wakefield said the problems associated in particular with 'Blue Magic' took its toll. "He was unfailingly courteous, polite, a stategic thinker and had immense leadership qualities. He was a successful breeder, often with his good friend Sam Ballantyne, and would visit his mares on a daily basis. John was an example to all harness racing administrators - a true icon of the harness racing code."



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 5Jun08

BARRY COTTON

Through his enthusiastic interest in harness racing and golf, Barry Cotton was well-known and widely respected in sporting circles in Canterbury and further afield.

A big man, with a personality to match, Cotton died in Christchurch on Monday after a short illness. He was born on September 30, 1939, attended St Andrew's College, and was President of the Old Boys' Association in 1984. He was a Queen's Scout, a keen and low handicap golfer at the Russley Club, and was non-playing captain of the Canterbury golf team in the mid-90s.

He played a leading role in the production of live racing from Addington on CTV, and then assisted with the establishment of SKY's Trackside channel.

In 1966 he became a member of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, a steward in 1983, joined the committee in 1988, Vice-President in 1994, and was joint Chairman of the amalgamated three clubs with the late John Penney from 1998 to 2004.

In 1990, he sponsored the Big Softie Inter-Dominion Trotting Championship won by Real Force with his Barda Furniture company, was a foundation member of the Caduceus Club of Canterbury, and received the MNZM for his services to golf and harness racing.

Among his numerous winners, most of whom he raced with his wife Julie and good friends Maurice and Shirley O'Leary, were Moon Princess(6 wins), Xanadu, Toliver Twist(8), Light Buffy(6), Midnight Moon(5) and Perfect Atom(4).

Mike Godber, Chief Executive of the club, said Cotton had a leadership role during the time of change when the three clubs merged. "He was an exceptional mine host whose long-term involvement in racing and golf gave him a very wide circle of friends. Barry's outgoing personality and jovial nature will be missed on the Canterbury harness racing scene," he said.

He is survived by his wife Julie, children Ann-Marie and Matt, and four grandchildren.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 30July08

IAN STARKEY

Ian Starkey has been racing horses for over 50 years, but he enjoyed probably his best week in all that time earlier this month. It began when Wee Jill romped away with her maiden at the Methven meeting at 33-to-1, and ended when her half brother Awesome Imace got up to record his 11th win the Listed Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington five days later.

Starkey has sold the latter to clients of co-trainer and driver Phillippa Wakelin, but he was always going to retain the Sundon mare Wee Jill for breeding, to continue a line which began with the purchase of her third dam Not Surprise at the National Yearling Sales in 1973. Starkey, now farming cattle at Cust after a lifetime as a builder, can recall his first horse back in 1956. "I was having a beer with Gavin Hampton, and he said he knew of a horse that was for sale and that I should go and buy it," recalls Starkey. "So I did and she had four starts for two wins and two thirds in Wellington, although we weren't trying very hard on the first day. I thought the game was easy after that," he added. That horse was called Wakeful, a daughter of the Springfield Globe horse Super Globe. Starkey would breed a few filly foals from Wakeful in the 60s but none amounted to anything.

Another useful performer for Starkey during that time was Ewtor - a name because "Everything Would Turn Out Right." He would provide Bryce Buchanan with his first winning drive at the time when he was working for Jack Carmichael. Starkey got "matey" with Buchanan through Ewtor and when Buchanan went south to train just out of Invercargill, Starkey sent him Not Surprise "to help him along." "I had no intention of buying anything that day (at the National Sales), and I was just standing there chatting to a fellow when this ugly looking thing (Not Surprise) came into the ring. I'd always liked long, skinny horses for some reason, rather than short, fat ones."

Not Surprise was a filly by the double-gaited performer Hodgen's Surprise, a pacer by the trotter Hodgen, who sired the great trotter No Response but mostly handy pacers such as Trevor Hodgen, Bluegum Surprise and Lady Hodgen. The breeder and vendors of Not Surprise had been Cliff and Joan Cummings of Lawrence, who within a few years would be very much to the fore at the Sales with the progeny of Sakuntala. "Mrs Cummings was always later giving me an earful about not having any condition on Not Surprise, but it never mattered what you did, she was always just a lean, long skinny bitch. As I said that's the way I like my horses for some reason, but these days I still seem to get a lot of short, fat ones, probably from breeding to Game Pride (though Not Surprise's daughter Daphs Pride)."

Not Surprise certainly had a pedigree of more than passing interest. She was the second foal from Daphleen, by Fallacy from Overdrive, by Whipster (by Quite Sure) from Lucky Sweet, by Lucky Jack from Correct, by Wrack from Precision, by St Swithin. Correct was a half-sister to the outstanding Logan Pointer broodmare Ayr, who produced top pacers and/or sires in Springfield Globe, Our Globe, Van Ayr and Cloudy Range. Correct produced Jack's Son (NZ Champion 3YO Stakes), while Overdrive was the NZ Oaks-winning dam of the great Australian pacer Lucky Creed. Lady Val was a sister to Overdrive who was the grandam of Dominion Handicap winner Armbro Lady, who was sold to America never to be heard of again, while Flakey Jake (12 NZ wins) and Tamra Nightingale (17 Aus wins) also belong to this branch of the family as does a smart young pacer in Captain Padero. Good mares Fern Glen and Hawera along with Maheer Lord also trace to Lucky Sweet, while also emanating from Daphleen is Johnny Be Cool (8 NZ wins, US1:49.8).

Not Surprise would win half a dozen races as a trotter over three or for seasons for Starkey and Buchanan, on each occasion on grass tracks and during the day. "She could be quite brilliant on the grass, and later I realised she was not so good at night, where she couldn't beat the same horses she had hammered during the day. That was probably because she simply liked the grass tracks, because they had a bit of give and somthing she could get her toes into."

The first foal from Not Surprise was Daphs Pride, who had five wins and numerous placings over three of four seasons from the stable of Frank Bennett, although Buchanan drove her in her last win at Ascot Park. Not Surprise left a winning brother a year later in Game Trail, but things went downhill from that point. An Alias Armbro filly had "an attitude problem" and Starkey doesn't tolerate them, while then he tried breeding a pacer by Smooth Fella, but the resulting filly in Rough only "belted a knee" and he has even less time for them. One more foal in a colt by Corsica Almahurst followed, but he had "no bottom", and Not Surprise died a few years ago at the age of 32 having left her fifth and last foal at the age of 18.

Starkey was breeding from Daphs Pride instead during the 90s and her first three foals raced, although the first in A Boy did not win in 17 attempts as a 7-year-old after finishing third at Westport on debut for Hampton. He "turned out to be a cheat" and did not change much when tried the same season by Pat O'Brien and Bernie Hackett. Awesome Lass, a daughter of the Speedy Crown horse Stakhanovite, was the second foal fron Daphs Pride and "she probably had a bit too much faith in her own ability". She qualified at her first attempt and then went "straight to the races" for trainer Jamie Keast, finishing a close fifth on debut at Addington. A few weeks later she won her second race at Addington by four lengths, but a week after that she was involved in a smash on the same course and was hurt. "She was always sore after that. We even gave her a year off, but she could never be worked much and was never the same. I decided to breed from her though because I liked her attitude - she hated other horses but she was great with humans."

The year after foaling Awesome Lass, Daphs Pride produced Chiola Sam to Chiola Hanover and Starkey is sure he has been the best horse from the family even allowing for Awesome Imace. He won four races in good time for Hampton, but "hurt his back getting carted sideways by a breaking horse and was never really the same afterwards." Chiola Sam managed another win at Rangiora before eventually being sold to America, where he trotted to a record of 1:57.

Daphs Pride had five more foals, all fillies, but only Hanger Pride (by Straphanger) amounted to anything, winning twice from Ian Cameron's stable before also being sold to America where she has taken a record of 1:59.8. "She had her good and bad days, but the rest of the foals had only bad days." Those other filly foals were by Pernod Eden, Chiola Hanover, Chiola Cola and Bryin Boyz.

Awesome Lass's first foal was a Chiola Cola filly in 2000 called Awesome Cola, and this is where Starkey struck up a racing association with Wakelin and her partner Stephen Noble. Starkey, 78, had known Wakelin for many years, even before she spent time in Australia, and had built her stables at Oxford. "I've been farming now for twenty years, but I had been a builder by trade up until about five years ago. I got too old to be swinging around roofs." Wakelin had taken a fancy to Awesome Cola in the paddock and leased her for stable clients. She qualified as an early 4-year-old, but then "didn't improve a yard. We thought she had a crook back, but it turned out she had cracked her pelvis at some stage and it had healed by itself, so how she qualified was amazing enough."

When that lease didn't work out, Starkey offered the same connections the lease of Awesome Lass's third foal and first colt - Awesome Imace. That consistent son of Brylin Boyz has now raced 44 times for his 11 wins and $129,000, after first winning the NZ Sires' Stakes as a 2-year-old at Addington over Galleons Assassin, Day Of Reckoning and Mountbatten. The following season he split Houdini Star and Mountbatten in the Sires' Stakes in Auckland before finishing third to him in the Great Northern Trotting Derby. He has won three races each season since, from 30 races in all, but as a now 6-year-old who is a grandson of Balanced Image, his best seasons are probably ahead of him.

In between those foals, Awesome Lass had a filly by Sundon in Sun Lass who had two races before being sold to Australia, where she won four of her first nine starts. Awesome Lass's fourth foal is the Sundon colt Sun Lad, a very smart 3-year-old a couple of seasons ago who won the Sires' Stakes in Auckland over Holiday Lover and King Charlie and who was only beaten a nose by Sprinbank Richard in the Harness Jewels at Ashburton. He has had a good spell since a light campaign as a 4-year-old last season where he won at the Amberley meeting in January. "He would have been back in work by now, except Philippa's track has been under water. Awesome Imace had done a bit before that happened, so he has been working around the roads in the meantime."

Wee Jill followed from Awesome Lass, and she is going to be the daughter that Starkey breeds from one day to carry on the line. "She might race at Addington (this Week), but I'm not sure how she'll go yet settling in a field if she has to - she has the Sundon streak. I was quite happy to see her in the open and then leading at Methven as I figured that would help her get around without making a mistake, but I wasn't sure whether she was forward enough to see it out."

Awesome Lass has since left two sisters to Awesome Imace. The first in 3-year-old Awesome I Am was bought by Wakelin's parents Ken and Barbara as a yearling, while they have also leased the 2-year-old Awesome That's Me but without a right of purchase as Starkey might like to breed from her as well. "I had a lot of people asking to buy Awesome I Am after Awesome Imace won the Sires' Stakes, so in the end I decided to put her in the Yearling Sales and let them fight over her. But a week before the nominations were due, Ken came to me with an offer and I accepted because I did want Philippa to train her." Awesome I Am raced seven times as a juvenile without making much impression, and Starkey would like to see more patience taken with Awesome That's Me.

Awesome Lass is now 16 and is only being bred every second season - she had a year off but is now back in foal to Sundon. That is pretty much it these days for Starkey, outside of a mare he was given a few years ago by Doug McCormick in Perfect Whiz because "he had too many." A racewinning mare by Gee Whiz II, whose first foal is Perfect Hold (8 NZ wins), Perfect Whiz has left a 2-year-old filly by Brylin Boyz called Needs Luck and is in foal to Muscleman because "I liked his grandam (Enthuse)." In the meantime though it will be the "short, fat one" in Wee Jill and her open class half-brother in Awesome Imace who will be keeping Starkey amused and reflecting on that day he took a fancy to the "long, skinny one."



Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 17Sep08

DICK CASKEY

Dick Caskey was never afraid to race his horses. A good example was Torle, a smart mare by Able Bye Bye who had 46 starts in the 1978-79 season. She won six races.

Tortuff was another busy campaigner, racing 127 times and gaining her solitary win at Gore when having her 119th start. He won four races with Torpast, and eight with the dual-gaited Armbrowood who raced 162 times.

By far his best, however, was Bambi, a big horse by Forward from Ikawai who won 11 races. In 1971, he beat Merrin and Tony Bear in the Worthy Queen Handicap, and twice he won the West Coast Trotting Stakes - from Mighty Chief and Deodatus, and Able Adios and Fri a year later.

A quiet, retiring person, Caskey died last week in Timaru at the age of 78. He was a keen supporter and willing traveller to meetings throughout the South Island.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 23Jan08

Mark receives congratulations from wife Vicki

MARK PURDON

Mark Purdon became the 16th New Zealand reinsman to notch up 1000 wins when he steered Doctor Mickey to victory at Ashburton on Labour Day. And just as quickly he began chipping away at the next 1000 when he proceeded to salute on Imagine Me, Auckland Reactor and Ohoka Utah on what was yet another stella day for his and training partner Grant Payne's Rolleston stable.

As a son of legendary horseman Roy Purdon and younger brother to Barry, it's hardly surprising that Mark longed to follow in the same footsteps and make harness racing his career as well. "I never thought about anything else," he said, recalling his childhood days. "One of my earliest recollections is sitting on the jogger with Uncle Sandy when I was about ten, and at the age of twelve I used to brush Sole Command every day after I came home from school. He was a wonderful horse, I really loved him. Besides, I was only average at school anyway...just there making up the numbers," he smiled.

Purdon gained his first win behind Dark And Dusty at the 'red clay' Northland circuit in February 1982, and within a couple of seasons he was soon compiling large totals on a regular basis. His best tally is the 75 winners he drove in 1988/89 and he went close again with 74 five years later; twice he's topped a million dollars in earnings during a season. "I get a kick out of any win really, but I suppose the prestigious races do mean a bit more to you," he said.

On the big days is where Purdon seems at his brilliant best, and there's no end to the amount of Group races he's racked up so far...110 of them in fact, including two NZ Cups, an Auckland Cup, an Inter-Dominion Pacing and Trotting Final, numerous age group Classics with both fillies and colts - not to mention the NZ Derby, a race which he's made his 'own' having partnered eight winners of the event since his first with Mark Roy in 1993.

Of all the 16 illustrious horsemen in this country's 1000-win Club though, Purdon is second to none when it comes to his amazing UDR, which highlights his strike rate. Currently at .4952 this season, it's at its highest yet. "I've been lucky with the sort of horses we've had over the years, because there's usually a lot of depth in the team," he said. "Plus your staff play a big part with the preparation of them all. But the UDR is something I'm conscious of, because you know that you've got a lot of following with the punter out there. So there's a certain pride involved, and you are always trying to do your best."




Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 30Oct08

CYRIL WHITE

A lot has changed in the world since Cyril White was born during New Zealand Cup Week in 1918. When Lucky Jack won his first Cup in 1937, White was working as a 'cowboy' at Arthur Nicoll's Durbar Lodge in Ashburton, which meant he was more often tending to and milking the cows.

"Gordon Stewart was the Manager at Durbar Lodge then, and Wrack was nearly finished (as a sire)," recalls White. "I used to ride the hunters as pacemakers and we'd get very strong arms from spending hours on dry brushing the horses. In those days the streets were paved with grass," he added.

Wrack's famous son and three-time Cup winner Indianapolis was unplaced from 72 yards in 1937, as Lucky Jack won for trainer/driver Roy Berry and Ashburton breeder/owner Bill Lowe, but the 18 year-old White was too busy working in a woolshed at Middleton to be anywhere near Addington.

Cyril White will turn 90 on Tuesday, November 11, which also happens to be Cup Day, and life today revolves around waiting for his 'meals on wheels' and the nearest he will get to Addington this year is his Trackside channel. He was hoping to get to Ashburton on Monday to see the 'new wonder horse' Auckland Reactor, but mention the name Purdon to Cyril White and he asks after Roy and whether he is still 'about' too.

White would also do stints with such famous horsemen as Manny 'Dil' Edwards at Yaldhurst and 'F J' Smith in Auckland before the war, and set up stables in Ashburton when he got back from "four years and a fortnight" away fighting in North Africa and Italy for the 8th Army. A horseman with a reputation for his 'old school' methods which most often worked and a skill if not cunning to win when the time was right, White was still training well into his 70s and in the 1989/90 season, when he won a couple of races with the Noodlum mare Willsee. The first of those was a Methven around Cup Week in 1989 when Willsee scored at long odds for local identity Dave Lemon with his son John driving.

Before that there were wins with trotters Reign Hi and Baywood along with pacing mare Opening Night at Methven, and White has fond memories of a good trotting mare in the early 80s called Cathy Crockett who won six races and had a lot of placings along the way. The daughter of Crockett won five races in the early part for White, the last of those at Addington and at good odds, before she raced from various other stables for over two years without showing any form at all. White then got her back as a 9-year-old, and at Ashburton on Boxing Day in 1986 she won the feature class five trot downing Novander at odds of 14-to-one. she was raced by her breeder Les Moore, a long-time supporter of the stable. "She was a funny old thing - early on she would jump everything in sight, but you always had to give her her head." There are stories about how it helped when Cyril allowed the sulky wheels to run freely enough too though.

That same day at Ashburton, the class three trot was won by Pat O'Reilly jnr and Tyron Scottie, a horse that White lined up a couple of times the previous season after converting him to trotting for Ashburton owners Alan and Ian Neumann. Tyron Scottie was a Noodlum gelding who had been bought as a pacer at the yearling sales for $4000. He had been broken in by Allan Dunn and "made to pace" by Gordon Middleton, and White spotted him trotting while being jogged on a lead around the roads one day. "His legs had been cut where the hopples went, and I said to the owners I think I can make a trotter out of him. After starting him a few times, I told them that the horse was going to travel, and I was getting a bit past all that." Tyron Scottie was winning his fourth race that season from his six starts for O'Reilly, and would win 21 races and about $300,000 in all.

Shortly before that, White had raced a talented pacer called Rock On, who won five races for him including a Kurow Cup. A Dancers Boy gelding, Rock On won the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes on debut and as an early 3-year-old at Ashburton, when White was 60, he also drove him to win his second start that season at odds of 12-to-one. White's last win as a driver was with Rock On as a 4-year-old at Addington at 21-to-one downing Carnival King, a good sort trained by the late Pat O'Reilly snr, along with Captain Clive and Seafield Hanover. White bred Rock On from Widow Grattan, by Widower Scott from Nimble Grattan, a Josedale Grattan mare who had been a handy trotter for him back in the 50s.

Josedale Grattan, who won the 1941 New Zealand Cup for F J Smith, had been "a real gentleman of a horse" during White's time with the renowned Welsh horseman. "We used to go to a few dances with widows (from the war) and they could be quite nimble, and that's how Rock On got his name," laughed White.

Life wasn't much fun though when White was a lad and working around various farms and stables before volunteering for the war. He didn't always have a lot to do with the horses in those days, outside of riding work and cleaning up afterwards. Top horses like Josedale Grattan, Van Derby, Ironside and King's Warrior made an impression during his time with Smith though. Van Derby was a beautiful horse and F J thought he would win the Cup with him, but something went wrong. King's Warrior and Ironside started in the Cup before Josedale Grattan, an American-bred horse which Smith had bought and imported as a 2-year-old, ran away from Gold Bar in 1941. F J was very meticulous in everything he did, and caused a bit of a fuss as a driver because he wore gloves. He would give the horses a body wash with methylated spirits - he would never put a hot horse under cold water. Mind you, we often didn't have a hose and running water anyway."

One horse he does remember very well back then was Tonioro, who won a trot during a galloping meeting at Ashburton in May 1940, during his time working for the Vivian brothers at 'Shands Track'. He had been set to win by Lester Maidens and paid fourteen pounds, and I had 'ten bob' on him and that paid for my new teeth. I had them done in stages as I could pay for it."

"In those days we were still learning to drink, which could be quite handy at such times. A schooner (45oz) of beer would cost sixpence, and there would be a lot of them. Now a jug costs seven dollars - it's just as well I don't need much."

White can also well recall in those pre-War years taking care of horses such as the good George Barton-owned mare Santa Fe and Bittersweet on trips to the West Coast, and how often the bridges would get washed out and they'd have to walk them for miles for dry lodgings at night.

White was 21 when he signed up for the War and 22 when he found himself "going back and forth across the desert with Rommel. You didn't think much about the situation then because it was just a way of life, and you got on with it. They were pretty clever though at turning you into a soldier inside of three months." White spent most of his time in the infantry and in Africa, but never got further than Italy during "the last push". "We won through in Africa eventually because Montgowery was a mate of Churchill and he got the equipment he needed. "Freyberg didn't get that, and at the end of the day it was just aboutwho had the most guns and gas."

White lost a lot of mates, but the only time he was hurt if was his "own silly fault. We had taken over a position from the Brits and they had dug the trenches about six foot deep. I was sitting up there one day when a couple of shells came over and landed about fifty feet away. I thought I'd better slip down out of the way, but it was a lot deeper than I was used to and my knee blew up like a balloon. I reckon they must have been coalminers." Towards the end of the war in Italy, White can recall the trotting meetings at Trieste where Tom Gunning also figured, and "mule racing just below (Monte) Cassino."

When White got home in 1945 he set up his own stables in Ashburton, and married Olive McDowell, who went into a Home about five years ago. "Like a lot of lads in my time, I thought I might become a jockey, but I was too big-boned. I kept riding for most of my life and actually had a (galloping) licence for a time (in the 50s) as well after the War. But I saw one lady come off and get hurt quite badly, and that put me off riding very much. I preferred to drive the trotters after that."

Apart from his own mare Nimble Grattan, there were good ones like the Quite Sure entire Super Note and the Light Brigade mare Tronso for Bill and Ray Jamison. White "had to give up" Tronso about a month beforev she won the Dominion for Colin Berkett, who he says would "short change" horses by not jogging them enough. He also recalls about the stock of Quite Sure that "they were quite flighty and too thin-skinned to wear hopples".

White obviously has a lifetime of stories to tell, all of which would in some way be colourful, but one that sticks in his mind was a trip to Nelson in the late 50s with a nice team of horses in Nimble Grattan, Our Bridget and Stylish Petro. "We had been at one pub and then had a bit of trouble getting past (the pub at) Leithfield. We got past Kaikoura and one fellow was snoring away, and the driver hadn't realised something had come adrift from the truck - every time we went around a corner, something wasn't right. Eventually we pulled up and realised we had lost a wheel. One fellow caught a ride to Blenheim with the wheel to get it fixed, but by the time he got back we had sorted something else out. Anyway, by the time we got to the track, the races had begun and we just unloaded Our Bridget and she went out and won."

White actually (offically) trained and drove Our Bridget and Stylish Petro to win early on the first dat of the meeting. Our Bridget didn't win later that same day,but she did win again at good odds on the second day. Nimble Grattan didn't win on that trip and had to wait until a few seasons later when she was a 7-year-old and won three races. The first of those was at Kaikoura and the second was a Ashburton, when White drove her to upset Ahumai and Wes Butt and pay £64. She would later win in Auckland from another stable, before White got her back as a well-out-of-form 11-year-old and he won with her again at a Hororata meeting paying £16.

They could be "tough old birds" in those days, and it seems "they don't make horses the way they used to".
Needless to say, the game has changed and there aren't many Cyril Whites left about either.




Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 6Nov08

ROBIN CORCORAN MNZM

The death occurred last week of Robin Corcoran, a respected harness racing administrator for many years at the highest level.

He was appointed a Steward of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club in 1975, and joined the committee in 1977, where he remained during the amalgamation of the three clubs in 1998, until retiring in 2002. He was treasurer fron 1983 to 1994, a Director of Addington Raceway from 1984 to 1998, and Chairman fron 1995 to 1998.

He was heavily involved in the developments at Addington Raceway, including the Stewards' Stand and the negotiations with the Council over the Westpac Centre development. He initially chaired the Raceway's joint venture company NCC(NZ) Ltd, which managed the Westpac Centre, Convention Centre and Town Hall for the Council from 1996 to 2006.

He was on the Executive of Harness Racing New Zealand from 1987 to 1997, on which he served as Treasurer and Vice-Chairman.

-o0o-

Mike Crean writing in the Press 29 Nov 2008

Robin Corcoran's understanding of Maori land law was unequalled in the South Island. For more than 50 years, the Kaiapoi based solicitor handled complicated and sometimes acrimonious issues of land tenure for local Maori. He won huge regard among Maori, and was seen as an authority by the legal profession.

Corocoran's death three weeks ago, aged 79, prompted a flow of tributes from Ngai Tahu. Many referred to him as their poa (grandfather). The award of Member of the NZ Order of Merit, in 1996, recognised not only Corcoran's work in Maori land law, but also his services to the Catholic Church and harness racing. He continued to work as a legal consultant for years later, and his advice was still sought by other law firms until recent weeks.

After his education at Kaiapoi's convent school and St Bede's College in Christchurch, and completing law studies at the University of Canterbury, Corcoran qualified as a lawyer in 1952 and joined his father's firm in Kaiapoi. He took over the firm after his father's death. By then, he was married to Ursula Baker, was living in Christchurch and was raising a family of seven. However, he continued to work mainly from Kaiapoi, visiting the firm's Christchurch branch office only one day a week.

Fellow North Canterbury lawyer John Brandts-Giesen says Corcoran had "a real understanding of Maori land law" long before it became fashionable. "Robin served Ngai Tahu well," Brandts-Geisen says. Many prominent iwi members "beat their way to his door. He had a large following of loyal clients who valued his judgement and skill." Corcoran's standing was indicated with his appointment to the committee that drew up rules for the Maori Land Court.

Three of Corcoran's children became lawyers. One, Anthony, says his father's service to clients involved pastoral care as much as legal advice. He gave sound guidance on all sorts of matters. His practice was based on common sense, trust and integrity delivered with impeccable manners. "He held himself to the highest standards. He never did what was populist, but what was right," Anthony says.

Brandts-Gieson says the key to Corcoran's success was that "he knew enough law to be sound, but not too much to be arcane". His advise was "direct", drawing on a full and varied life. "He was a good ally, but an awkward and often implacable opponent." His full and varied life was reflected in his holding office on many committees and exectives.

From the day he left school, in 1946, he was active in the St Bede's Old Boy's Association. He served two terms as president and two as chairman. Elected chairman of the college's board of proprietors in the late 1970's, he steered the college through it's integration with the state-school system and was heavily involved in the development programmes. He gave similar service to the former Sacred Heart College. His voluntary work for these and other Catholic schools led to his work as a financial and legal adviser to the Christchurch Catholic Diocese.

A long-time interest in trotting landed Corcoran in the thick of the controversial amalgamation of small Canterbury Trotting Clubs. Beginning as a steward, committee member and treasurer of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington, he became chairman of the board of Addington Raceway and vice-chaiman of Harness Racing NZ. Raceway former chief executive Mike Godber says Corcoran promoted necessary changes in the industry, demanding increased efficiency and the amalgamation of small clubs.

As chairman of Addington Raceway, Corcoran negotiated with the Christchurch City Council for the building of the Westpac Centre on raceway land. He was appointed by the Thai venue management company NCC as chairman of its joint-venture company managing the Westpac Centre and the Christchurch Town Hall and Convention Centre. Godber say's Corcoran's "ability to forge relationships and his gift for relating to people" gave him such standing that NCC felt "he had to be chairman".

Corcoran was a life member of the Canterbury Club, Kaiapoi Golf Club, Kaiapoi Workingmen's Club, St Bede's Old Boy's Association and New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. Son Anthony and daughter Clare say he was a busy man, but always put family and faith first. Home was a happy place, with many visitors and frequent parties. Ursula Corcoran says her husband never sought leadership roles, but many people asked him to help and he never said no.

Anthony Robin Thomas Corcoran, born Christchurch, August 17, 1929; died Christchurch, November 6, 2008. Survived by wife Ursula, daughters Mary Alice, Brigid, Clare and Judith, sons Michael, Matthew and Anthony, and 12 grandchildren.


Credit: HRWeekly 13Nov08

COLIN McLACHLAN

Colin McLachlan was 85 when he died in Christchurch last week.

A former footwear manufactuter, McLachlan had notable success with Mighty Me, the winner of two Derbies and voted NZ 3-year-old of the Year in the 1982/83 season.

Mighty Me, by Out To Win from Believe Me, won 11 races and was 18 times placed for stakes of $141,125.

Other good horses he trained at Yaldhurst were Waylynne (Timaru Cup), Flying Home (Winton Cup), General Demand, Scottish Chief, San Sebastian, Mighty Tuft and Flying Tempest.

Credit: HRWeekly 13Nov08

S D EDGE

Steve Edge was involved in all aspects of harness racing, and did so at the highest level.

He was on the Executive of Harness Racing NZ as the representative of the Standardbred Breeders' Association, and supported the Motukarara Workouts Association and Banks Peninsula Trotting Club. He was also a long time member and committeeman of the Canterbury Trotting Owners Association, at one stage being the Vice-President.

He drove Invicta, raced by his father-in-law Les Duff, to beat Patchwork and Scottish Command in the 1961 NZ Cup, and stood at stud the seven win Lordship horse, Light Lord.

Aged 76, Edge was a colourful character and contributed to harness racing in a huge way over a long period.

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Farm politics was a passion for Little River farmer Steve Edge. His efforts in advocacy, campaining and lobbying for changes in primary industries brought benefits for many people in the wider farming community. The large gathering from throughout Australasia who attended his funeral was testament to this.

While he was at the forefront of reforms in the meat and wool industries, he was especially proud to represent the 'real grass-root farmers'. He believed in influencing change 'from the ground up, rather than the top down'. This approach brought him a strong following among farmers, which translated into high polling for places on various boards. Edge received a Community Service and Commitment to the Farming Industry Award, recognising his outstanding work in the Bank Peninsula district over many years. He served on many farmer boards and committees and was active also in community, racing and sports groups.

Speakers at his funeral talked of Edge as a man of the people who was not afraid to speak his mind. He stood up for what he believed in, at any cost, and fought for those he believed did not get a fair deal or were less fortunate. He was a man of integrity, honesty and passion. He was hard-working, dedicated and wise. He could be volatile but he enjoyed life and people, his friends and his family. He was interested in those around him and their achievements, and therefore commanded their love and respect. He worked single-mindedly for whatever cause or project needed his assistance - and there were many over the years - the speakers recalled.

Edge was born in Gore, the fourth of eight children. The family shifted to Canterbury, first to Belfast, then to Lincoln and then on to Te Pirita. The family was always associated with the land and stock - sheep, horses, cattle, cropping. Edge became an astute stockman with a tremendous work ethic. After a short time at high school in Ashburton, he left to work on the family farm. He then worked as a shearer all over the South Island. With his younger brother, Ralph, he headed for what would now be called their OE, although he liked to call it his university training. The brothers worked in coal and gold mining, on oil rigs and in shearing sheds. The fought in boxing rings. The worked building roads and major monuments, the Flying Doctor Monument north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory being one project. All sorts of occupations were undertaken with zest to make a quid. They developed a special bond with the Aboriginal people and on the frequent trips taken back in recent years, this association and respect were still evident.

Returning to New Zealand after eight years, Edge met and later married, Kathleen Duff, of Dunedin. Around this time he was training a small team of standardbred horses at Rakaia, and it was from this base that many winners came, of special note being the unsound pacer Invicta. Edge trained and drove the 11 year old to win the 1961 New Zealand Trotting Cup. The morning Edge died, he had been busy on the farm with broodmares from the same family as Invicta. As his funeral service ended Dave Clarkson's commentary of the 1961 NZ Cup was played and, as the pall-bearers arrived at the hearse with the coffin, draped with a sheepskin, his racing colours and his battered old hat, Invicta crossed the finishing line.

Edge moved his family to their much-loved farm, Waikoko, in 1970. This property consisted of beautiful hills and valleys nestled between Little River and Kaituna on Banks Peninsula. One of his legacies there is a forestry block which he planted, thinned, pruned and sprayed almost single-handedly, on a rugged 25-hectare piece of hill-block unsuitable for other uses.

Edge overcame many serious illnesses and diseases over the years, but attempting to fight a fire on his farm proved too much for him. He managed to get the local fire brigade, back-up engines and other services called out, and they eventually controlled the blaze, but they arrived too late to save him.

A colourful and vibrant character, he died as he had lived, with action all around him, on the farm that he cherished.

Stephen Desmond Edge, born Gore, July 2, 1931, died Waikoko, December 21, 2007. Survived by wife Kathleen, daughter Lesley, sons David and Murray and four grandchildren.

Credit: NZHRWeekly: 9Jan2008

The tributes have been flowing for Sir Roy McKenzie since his passing and it is worth noting that most of them have not had much to do with his quite considerable standardbred interests and endeavours.

It is his extensive contributions to the community, by way of both charity and time and in very much a hands on manner, along with his gentlemanly and principled conduct generally over many years that have won the most praise and admiration. Either aspect of McKenzie's life provide for ample material to fill a book, and in fact they have, but this is a harness racing publication so in this instance we will just reflect on his contributions and influence in that sphere.

McKenzie was still a young man in his early thirties when he effectively took over Roydon Lodge with the passing of his father in 1955. The original Roydon Lodge was established as a standardbred nursery in 1928 and following the importation of Light Brigade and U Scott for racing and breeding purposes during the depression years, it grew to become the longest running and most successful standardbred stud farm outside of Walnut Hall in America. Roydon Lodge will be celebrating its 80th anniversary next year, and while Sir Roy had scaled back his involvement in more recent years and left day-to-day operations to son-in-law Keith Gibson, he could reflect on over half a century of history at the helm.

The ill-fated Captain Adios was the first sire imported by McKenzie in 1956 and the likes of Scottish Hanover and Thurber Frost would soon follow and be joined by U Scott's son Scottish Command as successful sires at Roydon Lodge. In 1978 and the year of Roydon Lodge's 50th anniversary, Scottish Command was leading sire over Scottish Hanover with his progeny headed by NZ Cup winner Sole Command, and when Adio Star was judged the 10th Broodmare of the Year, she was the eighth by a Roydon Lodge sire. Others would follow such as Desilu and Black Watch and the influence of Roydon Lodge imports, with Light Brigade and U Scott in particular, is simply inestimable.

Game Pride and Smooth Fella kept Roydon Lodge very much to the fore during the 80s and more recently, Sundon has been McKenzie's crowning glory. Just recently he was named NZ Stallion of the Year for the third time in the last five seasons. Sundon came to be after McKenzie had gone looking for mares to breed to his world champion Arndon (3,TT1.54), a son of Arnie Almahurst and the Super Bowl mare Roydon Gal that he had bred and raced in America with Del Miller. Arndon fell from favour at stud during the Speedy Crown 'onslaught', but he did sire another world champion and significant siring son in Pine Chip (4,TT1.51).

Sungait Song actually came with a colt foal at foot by Arndon and back in foal to him - she was carrying Sundon at that point - and McKenzie bred her back again before sending the package to NZ in 1987. The foals on either side of Sundon were Arnsong (t,8NZ wins) and Roydon Arnie(t,9NZ wins). Despite being a late foal, Sundon was a horse 'born ahead of his time' from the moment he stepped on a racetrack as a January 4 2-year-old, still two months shy of his second birthday. He would not be beaten in 14 races over the next 14 months, and win 18 of his 19 starts, and he would also single-handedly advance trotting breeding in NZ by 'quantum leaps'.

Arania, a daughter of U Scott and the second foal bred by Roydon Lodge from the Gold Bar mare Local Gold in 1956, was a grand racemare in NZ and in the early 60s she was among those to 'blaze a trail' when she accompanied False Step and the Australian champion Apmat to America for the 1961 International Series in New York. Later that year under Billy Haughton's guidance, Arania time trialled at The Red Mile in 1.57 to become the fourth fastest female ever and only a tick behind Her Ladyship, Dottie's Pick and trotter Rosalind. Arania won a NZ Oaks and would produce an Oaks winner in Hurrania, and the family would lead to the likes of the Christian Cullen-Personality Plus colt which sold for $200,000 at this year's sales, while Roydon Dream, a mare who descended from one of Roydon Lodge's foundation broodmares in Parisienne, would be a Broodmare of the Year. Acquired as a broodmare in 1945 on the advice of George Noble, Parisienne would for Roydon Lodge produce the likes of Mary Wootton (dam of Scottish Command) and the top mare La Mignon, a daughter of Light Brigade who to Thurber Frost produced the brilliant Garcon Roux, the first 3-year-old to break 2:00 in Australasia when he time trialled at Hutt Park in 1:59.6 in 1969. Garcon Roux was the winner of the inaugural Horse of the Year Award as a 3-year-old, and daughters of Thurber Frost in Bonnie Frost (as a 3-year-old) and Stella Frost would be next in line and followed by his son Wag in 1973.

Roydon Dream's eight winners included open class pacer Roydon Scott and Roydon Glen, a Horse of the Year as a 4-year-old in a season when he was unbeaten in 12 races for trainer-driver Fred Fletcher including the Auckland Cup and Messenger. The would also be the source of McKenzie's biggest disappointments in the game when they failed to win a NZ Cup after countless earlier attempts. For Roydon Lodge these dated back to Great Bingen, who was second way back in 1925 and who was quite clearly the winner in 1928, only to be placed second by the judge behind his brother Peter Bingen.

Roydon Scott was the pre post favourite in 1979 and 1980, but went amiss on each occasion, while Roydon Glen started the favourite in 1985 along with Preux Chevalier and was plain unlucky and a certainty beaten behind Borana. Preux Chevalier, like Roydon Dream by Lumber Dream, was from the Roydon Lodge mare Heather Frost, a daughter of Thurber Frost also tracing to Parisienne.

Roydon Glen would prove an abject failure at stud, but he did sire NZ's greatest trotter Lyell Creek. Those NZ Cup disappointments would rival the biggest in the game for McKenzie along with the demise of harness racing at Hutt Park, for which he donated Roydon Glen's Auckland Cup winning stake in order to glass in the public grandstand. Such generosity was no stranger to Sir Roy McKenzie.

The McKenzie family originally came from Ullapool on the north-west coast of Scotland and John Robert was born in Melbourne in August, 1876. As one of seven children life was not easy, and he left school at the age of 13 to do odd jobs which included newspaper deliveries. This led to buying a bicycle and later cycle racing where he won several trophies. McKenzie also encountered horses on a small farm of an uncle and this experience was put to good use when the Boer War broke out in 1899 and where he served for two years with the Victorian Bushmen's Regiment. In those days enlisted men were required to take their own horses and after securing one from his uncle, his experiences in South Africa deepened his love for them. On one occasion he was unseated when his horse took fright at gunfire, but the horse returned to be remounted and carried McKenzie to safety. Later his horse was killed and McKenzie was invalided home with a leg injury in 1901.

While convalescing McKenzie worked at times in a store and this led to plans to start up his own shop. In 1905, along with his 16-year-old sister Ella, they had saved £100 and opened up their own fancy-goods store in Collingwood, and within 12 months they had started a second in Richmond. In 1908 their main competitor, Edmonds Ltd, offered to buy them out which included an agreement to take possession in one month. McKenzie immediately organised an extensive closing down sale and before long they were virtually buying stock at the back door to sell at the front. A further offer from Edmonds to close within the week was declined.

Another condition of the sale however was that McKenzie was not allowed to set up the same line of business around Melbourne, and after setting up stores in Tasmania and Sydney, a decision was reached in 1909 to move to NZ after a tour using motor cycles. At the time there were no such things as fancy-goods stores in NZ and in 1910 the first of what became a chain opened in Dunedin. Before long a Head Office was required in Wellington and in 1918, the 42-year-old McKenzie married Miss Ann May Wrigley and they settled in Rawhiti Terrace. Their first son Don was born in 1920 and Roy followed 18 months later.

The 1920s were hectic years for 'JR', as he became affectionately known by friends and colleagues, and after observing a department store while on an overseas trip, within two years his 22 fancy goods stores had been closed down and 22 department stores had opened. During the 30s it was the largest organisation of its kind in NZ and in 1936 McKenzies (NZ) Ltd became a public company with further expansion taking place to 33 stores until the outbreak of the war.

1941 marked the year however when Don, having gained his 'wings' as a pilot in the Royal NZ Air Force, was lost over the sea near Marlborough only days before being posted. JR searched the area for days in vain and it was many weeks before he took an interest in anything. It was only after considerable effort from his wife, George Noble and Rotarian friends that he started working with horses again and he gradually recovered. He would gain great satisfaction from breaking in his youngsters and handing them over to Noble to be trained as 2-year-olds.

It had been in the early 20s when McKenzie had first taken up an interest in standardbreds and the second horse he purchased for good money was a young colt by the name of Great Bingen, a son of Nelson Bingen and the imported Peter The Great mare Berthabell who had been bred at Akaroa by Etienne Le Lievre. Great Bingen, raced with good friend Dan Glaville, became a champion and by 1926 McKenzie had purchased 100 acres with an old homestead at Yaldhurst and would name it Roydon Lodge after his sons. It was in 1928 when McKenzie moved his family to just outside Christchurch.

With the stores already well established and with a view to semi retirement, McKenzie planned to breed on a large scale and handle his own youngsters as a way of relaxing. During the 1930s and while on two business trips to America, JR purchased a few mares which included Airflow and Spangled Maiden and two young colts which were to prove two of the most influential sires at stud in Australasia ever - Light Brigade and U Scott. Airflow was a fine trotting mare and won nine races and she was the dam of top performers Aerial Scott (1948 Inter-Dominion in Auckland), Flight Commander, Highland Air (1957 Auckland Cup), Red Emperor and Slipstream (14 wins), but she only left one filly to breed on and the family died out in NZ, while Spangled Maiden proved the grandam of great Australian filly Argent and Inter-Dominion winner (for Sir Roy) Jar Ar and established a fine family all round.

Esprit, Slapfast and Widow Volo were other mares imported in those early years who contributed towards making Roydon Lodge the foremost standardbred nursery in this part of the world. And these were just some of the standardbred legacies which Sir John left to his son, with a Trust which was established in 1940 and which enabled one third of the dividends from McKenzies (NZ) Ltd to be distributed to various charities just another.

Sir Roy had casual acquaintances with the family horses while growing up and at school at Timaru Boys High, but in 1941 any of those interests went on the back burner when he went to Otago University to study accounting. There he played cricket and rugby and developed a love of tramping and skiing, which led to captaining the NZ team to the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952, although a broken bone kept him from competing, along with a successful ascent of the Matterhorn. He also enjoyed photography and playing tennis and the tramping led to a close involvement with the Outward Bound Trust as a patron. Over the years he was an active Rotarian and also gave significant support to many other charities, including Women's Refuge, Birthright, the Deaf Decade Trust, the hospice movement and the Nga Manu Native Reserve Trust. He was instrumental in setting up NZ's first hospice with Te Omanga in Lower Hutt, where he was later admitted as a patient.

In 1989 he was knighted for his services to the community and education, and was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit, while he held an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Victoria University and of Literature from Massey. In 1990, Sir Roy initiated Philanthrophy NZ, a regular meeting for a wide range of charitable groups. He was passionate about philanthrophy, but preferred to be as a "community volunteer".

McKenzie was in training with the army when his brother was lost late in 1941, and later he transferred to the Air Force and did training in Canada before going on to England to serve in a Bomber Command squadron for the last six months of the war. Upon returning from England, McKenzie completed his accounting studies and in 1948 he joined the family firm. Within a few months he was then reluctantly on his way back to England however to gain further work experience, and while on the ship he met Shirley Howard and they married six months later. Returning to NZ at the end of 1949, McKenzie worked at the company's head office in Wellington as Executive Director for the next 20 years.

His first horse had actually been Scottish Air, a daughter of U Scott and the first foal from Airflow who won five races in a row at one point. However, this was when Sir Roy was 'underage' and she was not in his name. George Noble had been appointed by Sir John as his private trainer and the studmaster at Roydon Lodge in 1941. It was no doubt one of his best decisions and Noble would guide the overall operation until 1969. Noble had come fron NSW where he had trained to be an architect, but when work proved difficult to find during the Depression, he had turned his attention back to horses and become the leading horseman in the state. McKenzie, knighted in 1949, had selected Noble after recognising his ability with the anvil. With the blood of Light Brigade and U Scott and those imported mares to work on, Noble had Sir John at the head of the owners' list on three occasions and following his death at the age of 79 in 1955 after taking ill while on a voyage to England, Sir Roy was the leading owner for seven consecutive years.

From the early 50s and into the 60s, Noble built up a stable which included top performers in Adioway, Arania, Bonheur, Commander Scott, Flight Commander, Garcon D'Or, Garcon Roux, General Frost, Golden Hero, Highland Air, Highland Kilt, Jay Ar, La Mignon, Red Emperor, Royal Minstrel, Roydon Roux, Samantha, Scotch Paree, Slipstream and Valencia. When Roydon Lodge was moved to 150 acres at Templeton in 1970, Fred Fletcher also took over the training after earlier being in charge of the studmaster duties. It was during the 60s that Roydon Lodge suffered some crippling blows. The first of these was the loss of Captain Adios after only three seasons at stud, while U Scott and Light Brigade soon followed in 1962 and 1964 respectively as did Thurber Frost in 1968 at the age of 14.

Noble also reached the compulsory retirement age of 65 as a driver, and those duties were assumed by Doug Mangos and Noble's son John. Noble had driven 1944 NZ Cup winner Bronze Eagle for trainer Roy Berry and continued to train a small team at Yalhurst in his twilight years during the 70s. His career was capped by preparing the 4-year-old Stanley Rio to win the 1976 NZ Cup and later at the meeting, Rustic Zephyr to win the NZ Derby, both driven by John. Rustic Zephyr was by Armbro Hurricane, one of the sires at Roydon Lodge in the early years at Templeton along with Scottish Hanover, Tarport Coulter and Keystone Way. Stanley Rio also won the Inter-Dominion in Brisbane that season and Noble won the NZ Racing Personality of the Year Award.

In 1947, a visitor to the Wellington office had made a good impression on McKenzie and he would play a leading role in his future involvement with standardbreds in the city and the region. McKenzie would set up his own training facilities near Hutt Park within a couple of years upon returning and Jack Hunter would oversee the operation. As a young man in his late 20s, McKenzie was not inclined to listen to the advice of his father and his first standardbred purchase was a horse called Rocky Reef. A brother to top trotter Barrier Reef, Rocky Reef was a pacer with a known problem for knee knocking, but McKenzie and Hunter set him for a race on the big grass track at Wanganui and he prevailed by a neck, and won two more races as a trotter before being sold to Australia. Roaming was another early winner for the partnership with a double on the same day at Awapuni, when later found to be quite heavily in foal.

The association led to Hunter training full time from a 30 acre property at Moonshine in Upper Hutt, from where he won the Trainers' Premiership in 1964 with 31 wins, while three years later he won the title again with 33 wins while training in partnership with son Charlie. Jack had been assisted in this time by sons Charlie, Kevin and Ian. Charlie was the oldest and after experience as an accountant in a textile firm and undertaking an engineering course in Australia, he had decided in 1958 to rejoin his father in Upper Hutt and work with horses full-time. In 1967 and in the same season where they won the premiership together, Jack and Charlie won nine of 17 races over a two day meeting at Wanganui, with Charlie driving eight including a record five on the second day. Jack had to retire that year with health problems and Charlie won the premiership on his own account the next season with 35 wins, when McKenzie's Golden Sands and Dominion Handicap winner French Pass were stable stars. The latter also won the National Trot in Auckland and the Taranaki Cup beating pacers from 18 yards.

George Noble won the premiership the next year, while in 1971 Charlie Hunter made the important decision to move to the more central location of Cambridge. Seven acres were leased near the Cambridge track while Hunter set up his own property so he could train professionally. It was during the early 70s that Hunter built up the Central Standardbred Agency with Brian Meale and was handed the training of a rising star from Southland - Young Quinn. Hunter would have to watch from the grandstand after an accident on the opening night of the 1974 Inter-Dominions at Alexandra Park, as protege John Langdon drove Young Quinn to triumph in the Pacing Final after earlier winning the Trotting Final with Sir Roy's Castleton's Pride. Young Quinn was by U Scott's fine son Young Charles and would make Hunter a star on the international stage in America.

Another top trotter trained by Hunter for Sir Roy was Geffin, who won the NZ Trotting Stakes and the 1971 Inter-Dominion at Addington when a 4-year-old. Geffin had gone into that series as a six-win horse and won two heats, while he won five straight races afterwards before unsoundness ended his all too short career. Hunter rates Geffin as easily the best trotter he has trained or driven.

The best horse trained by Jack for McKenzie was Scottish Command, who won 16 races including the 1959 Auckland Cup from 60 yards when driven by Ian. Jack Hunter took Scottich Command to America in 1962, but he only raced fairly before returning to stand at Roydon Lodge. McKenzie would be on hand most Saturdays at Upper Hutt to drive work, but the Hunters were surprised the day he informed them he had procured a licence to drive on raceday. It was Scottish Conmmand who would provide him with his first wins at Hutt Park when a 3-year-old. Driving was an important aspect of Sir Roy's involvement, particularly the trotters, and he would win about 50 races over the years. This pleasure was without ever affecting the chances of Hunter's sons or later his trainer Martin Lees, as McKenzie would usually buy his own horses to drive in his own colours of white with a cerise sash. Towards the end of being allowed to drive, Game Yank was a useful trotter for him with three wins, while his last win in March, 1988, came at Manawatu with Argentina, a son of Game Pride who had been purchased out of Owen Quinla's stable.

Charlie Hunter has very fond memories growing up with Sir Roy around. "He was a very special man. He was absolutely loyal to and supportive of this staff and gave people like myself and brother Ian every opportunity by having us do the stable driving right from the beginning - in effect we learned to drive on his horses," said Hunter. "Roy was initially my employer, but since then I have regarded him as a mentor over the years and was especially grateful to be able to regard him as a dear friend throughout my adult life. He was a lovely man who will be sadly missed," he added.

Sir Roy's last big win came as a part-owner when Fiery Falcon won the NZ Sires' Stakes 2yo Final at Addington in May, while his last outright win was with the Fred Fletcher-trained mare Dear Diedre at Addington in July.

FOOTNOTES: In 1998, Sir Roy published his memoirs in a book entitled Footprint - Harnessing an Inheritance into a Legacy. In 2004 a short film was made about his life called Giving It All Away. One of his three sons, John, is today the chairman of the J R McKenzie Trust.

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Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 29Mar83

Roy McKenzie sits in his Rangitira Ltd offices in Wellington's James Cook Hotel building talking horses - or more particularly his Roydon Lodge Stud horses. Two weeks later, he is named Trotting Personality of the Year by the NZ Standardbred Breeders' Association at their prestigious Dinner of the Year in Auckland. The following week, the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame chips in with its Trotting Celebrity of the Year Award. For the man who has guided the destiny of one of NZ's premier standardbred nurseries since the death of the stud's founder - Roy's father Sir John in 1955 - such awards are recognition of the contribution he has made to harness racing in this country.

Such is Roy's involvement and commitment to trotting, he actually took the time out to write and publish, in 1978, his tribute to all his father set out to achieve. That book - "The Roydon Heritage-50 Years of Breeding and Harness Racing" - was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Roydon Lodge Stud, then based at Yaldhurst. Now, because of Roy's decision that to operate successfully the stud had to stand four stallions, and to do that needed more ground, Roydon Lodge occupies 150 acres at Templeton, with a further 150 acres at Springston where the stud mares are grazed.

The past few years have been satisfying ones for Roy - last year his American-bred trotter Arndon, under the guidance of long time friend Del Miller, became the world's fastest ever with a 1:54 time trial at Lexington. He has seen Smooth Fella, a stallion he imported in partnership with Central Standardbred Agency directors Brian Meale and Charlie Hunter, quickly rise to a prominent place among the country's stud horses. And he has retired another outstanding stallion, Scottish Hanover, knowing that he was another Roydon Lodge stallion to make an everlasting mark on the NZ breeding scene.

Roydon Lodge is a name which has long been synonymous with success on the NZ breeding scene. A roll call of stallions reflects the influence it has had. Names like Great Bingen, the first stallion to stand in the stud's name, U Scott, Light Brigade, Captain Adios, Thurber Frost, Scottish Command, Scottish Hanover, Armbro Hurricane, Game Pride and Smooth Fella, to name but a few. Their past and present influence on NZ breeding has been, and will continue to be, felt for generations.

But even with sires like this gracing the record books at Roydon Lodge, even now, Roy McKenzie is heading the stud on a slightly different tack. Rather than try and import ready made stallions for stud - "It's getting too dear over there" - Roy's latest thinking represents a change of policy for Roydon Lodge. Now, he is setting out on the time consuming - though obviously more satisfying - policy of spending more time in making horses he believes to be stallion prospects. Evidence of this line of thinking can be found at Roydon Lodge already, where, alongside established stallions Smooth Fella and Game Pride, stand the horses of the future. They are Roydon Albatross, a son of Albatross from the Adios Butler mare Poppy Butler, and Yankee Reb. Roy purchased Poppy Butler in foal to Albatross from Del Miller and the resultant foal in NZ was Roydon Albatross. Roydon Albatross did not start racing in NZ until relatively late in his 3-year-old career because he was a very late foal by NZ standards, being foaled to American time, yet won three out of four starts after failing first time up. At four, he raced only nine times for two more wins, including a Nelson Cup in track record time of 4:16, for 3200 metres on the grass, and two placings.

Roy hopes Yankee Reb will be the eventual successor to Game Pride, the leading sire of trotters in NZ for the past two seasons and heading for his third season in that position. Yankee Reb is by the Speedy Scot stallion Speedy Crown (1:57.2) out of Brazen Yankee, a mare by Hickory Pride out of Hoot Yankee. Hickory Pride is by Star's Pride while Hoot Yankee is by Hoot Mon. Rich in trotting blood, Yankee Reb represents Roy's interest in the breed, an interest enflamed even further by the preformances of Arndon, whom Roy bred himself.

Another Roydon Lodge stallion, Meddlesome (Bret Hanover-Medley Hanover), is to stand at Tony Milina's property for the next two seasons after two terms in Central Otago, while at Mangaroa in the Hutt Valley, where Martin Lees looks after the Roydon Lodge training establishment there, Dreamover (Scottish Hanover-Roydon Dream), a brother to the brilliant but ill-fated racehorse Roydon Scott, is to stand the coming season. Dreamover was originally destined for sale to America, but developed a couple of problems when being trained by Ian Hunter at Morrinsville prior to his departure. "We decided to bring him home then, and, though he may race again, there is enough support around here for him to get 20 mares," Roy said.

Alongside Dreamover at Mangaroa will be the trotting stallion Game Shooter, who up until now has stood in the Manawatu. Game Shooter (Game Pride-Shooting High, by Sharpshooter, by Worthy Boy) received limited patronage in the Manawatu, but, according to Roy, has left some magnificent foals. "Those that have his foals are delighted with them, so he should get around 20 mares," he said. A smart racehorse himself, Game Shooter won six races against some useful trotters.

While it is unlikely Roy McKenzie will be buying stallion prospects in the United States on any scale in the future, this does not mean the end of imported stallions at Roydon Lodge, for in recent years he has been steadily expanding his breeding interests in the United States. "You are looking at paying a lot of money to import a top stallion now, and $200,000 is about the most you can contemplate paying these days with the stud fees that can be charged. Therefore, we now have a situation where we will be trying to make our stallions rather than buy them ready made." Such a policy, Roy admits, is assisted by having a stallion like Smooth Fella in the barn, but it is one he would have been pursuing even without that advantage. "Having an in demand stallion like Smooth Fella has helped to the extent that he can 'support' the other stallions," Roy said. "Even so, Roydon Lodge is run at a profit - we paid a bit of tax this year - and this is the way the operation is geared to run, with or without Smooth Fella."

Smooth Fella is to stand two more seasons at Roydon Lodge before returning to the North Island, where he stood his first season at stud. "He will probably go back to Peter McMillan at Yankee Lodge, Matamata," Roy said. "He has been in such demand - though we have kept him to around 120 mares - that we have had to restrict a little the number of mares we could take to the other stallions. This summer was a particularly dry one, of course, which made it a little more difficult."

Roy McKenzie takes a great delight in all aspects of trotting and later that night, at Wellington's Hutt Park, took the reins behind Milford Merroney, a trotter trained for him by Martin Lees. "Yes, I like driving, but don't get many opportunities." One such opportunity he grabbed with both hands was to win a race at Morrinsville that carried a $50 trophy. That trophy was donated by veteran Auckland horseman George Stubbs in 1972 "to help the battler" in trotting. While Roy McKenzie could hardly be described a battler in just about any other form of endeavour, he later wrote to George Stubbs explaining that the trophy meant a lot to him, as he considered himself to be a battler as far as driving goes.

It took Roy McKenzie 177 pages in his book to detail the history of Roydon Lodge and the stud's achievments. Those two recent awards are payment in small part for the part Roy has had in filling those 177 pages.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 12Sep07