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DILLON HALL

When older breeders study the claims made for some recent imported sires and how well they are bred they can be forgiven a weary smile. To here some tell it, it is only in the last few years that NZ studmasters imported top-bred stallions, the inference being that sires of the past were practically given away by their American owners because no stud in that country would look at them.

This is, with respect, a load of rubbish. One example was Guy Parrish imported in the 1920s who was a full brother to the champion American pacer Arion Guy, and an even better one was Dillon Hall, five times leading sire and, if you probe below the surface, a good bet as the finest sire we have had. I would suggest to stud advertisement compilers who browbeat breeders with long lines of statistics and how impressive second and third placings were, that they have yet to be asked to design an advertisement for a better bred stallion than Dillon Hall, who was imported to this country by George Youngson and his wife in 1939, complete with a two-minute record, which was not all that easy to get in those days.

Dillon Hall, who took his two-minute mark at four years was by the Peter The Great horse The Laurel Hall, sire of two-minute performers and a success in the United States before being exported to Italy where he was very popular, his world record holding son Prince Hall, sire of Medoro, also being bought by the Italians. His dam, Margaret Dillon, was the champion pacing mare from 1922 when she recorded 1:58.2 - sensational going then - her record not being beaten for 16 years. She is rated as one of the three greatest pacing mares of all time. Her dam, Margaret Primo, was by Peter The Great, making Dillon Hall line bred to that great progenitor, and was a daughter of another champion racemare in Margaret O. The latter's dam was a full sister to the legendary sire Axworthy making Dillon Hall richly bred to the two greatest sires of this century. It is difficult to think of a better female line among sires imported here.

Dillon Hall sired 397 winners in this country and his cause was helped by his getting the great mudlark Acropolis in his first crop. Acropolis won 11 races and $25,000 but was not his sire's finest offspring despite the good start he gave him. Chamfer won 14 races including the NZ Cup and was a leading sire in Australia. Maori Home won 17 races and $37,000 and Parawa Derby was not far behind winning $32,000 from 15 victories. Blue Mist was a great Dillon Hall mare winning 14 races in NZ and setting a world record over 1½ miles in Australia of 3:03.2. Our Roger also won the Cup and 14 other races for $30,000 odd and Dragoman won 12. Lady Averill was a top performer and Maida Dillon won 13 races for nearly $20,000.

Perhaps one of Dillon Hall's finest sons was First Lord, who had a career interrupted by injury after winning 10 races. He was noted for his acceleration and did fairly well as a sire. Snowflake was another fine Dillon Hall mare, holding the 3-year-old two mile record for many years and winning six races including the Great Northern Derby. Heather Dillon won 12 and Belmont Hall numbered the Champion Stakes among his wins. Centennial Hall, Duncraig (9 wins), Aberhall (11) and Prince Hall (10) were other good winners, and one of his best trotting sons was Swannee River, who won ten races in all. It was surprising that Dillon Hall did not leave more good trotters for his sire was successful in producing horses of that gait in Italy.

These were the cream of his crops but he left a great number of 'bread and butter' horses who were sturdy and long lasting and who liked racing on any tracks, being particularly adept in heavy going. If Dillon Hall had made an indelible impression as a sire his mares were in great demand and today any Dillon Hall blood in the veins of a broodmare in considered highly desirable. And no wonder. Offspring of his mares have left more than 550 winners. To look at the tops there was Orbiter, winner of nearly $400,000, Robin Dundee, winner of 25 races in NZ alone and altogether winner of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. There was Inter-Dominion winner Free Hall, Student Prince, top pacer Don Hall and the brilliant Sun Chief, winner of 12 including the NSW Derby. Moss Hall and King Hal both won 11, Samantha won 15 including a Wellington Cup and Doctor Dan, Gildirect, Seafield Lad, Denbry and Tobacco Road were all top horses. Another was Smokeaway who won 12 races.

We could go on for hours but should mention Tobias winner of 17 here, Bramble Hall winner of over $160,000, Bay Foyle now at stud here, Stewart Hanover who has won over $220,000, top Australian pacer Imatoff, Monsignor (1:59) winner of 10, Twinkle Hanover, Smoke Cloud and Miss Step. Then there was Roy Grattan, a half brother to Don Hall, and winner of nine and Global Hall, from the same family, who won 10 trotting including the Rowe Cup. Tutta Bella produced eight good winners of over 45 races, Gaiety Hall produced five winners and Van Brabant has produced four. Maida Dillon has founded a successful tribe including Maida Million winner of over $200,000. Dilly Dally produced top trotter Annual Report and four other winners including Nocatchem and Luck's Way, and Marionette was dam of Inter-Dominion trotting champion Poupette. Doctor Barry, from the Dillon Hall mare Weekender, won 100 including the NZ Derby.

Janet Hall left the top pacer Sleek Line and her sister Ellen Hall left four Australian winners. Laura Dillon won five and left Glene, the dam of Fronto Prontezza, and her sister Laura Hall has left five Australian winners. Medium Blue, Flying Blue and Blue Emperor winners of 28 races among them came from Dillon Hall mares. Lauder Hall, who won nine herself, produced seven winners, a number of them doing well in the US. Dillon Hall was five times leading broodmare sire.

The stallion's success brought tempting offers for his owners. In 1946 the company of Matson's Ltd offered the Youngsons $10,000 for the horse allowing them to keep the full book on the lists for that season. This was a big offer but it was declined.

In all, the stock of Dillon Hall won 1507 races in this country for nearly $1½ million in prize money. His record of having been in the top three of the sire lists for 13 successive seasons is unparalleled when the length of his stud career is considered. When he won his third sire title in 1950-1 he set a new record for money won with $143,285. In Australia he sired top horses in Collaborate and Bruce Hall, the former being a leading sire in Western Australia and the latter being a success in that field as well. Chamfer was leading Australian sire seven times and Gentry, a top class pacer here, was also a successful sire in Australia and NZ. The Dillon Hall male line is defunct in this country but survives across the Tasman. First Lord ultimately went to that country.

One of the finest aspects of Dillon Hall's stud career is apt to be overlooked. That is that while he sired almost as many winners as the great U Scott he had a much shorter stud career than that horse, and shorter also than Light Brigade's. Whereas U Scott was at stud for more than 20 seasons, as was Light Brigade, Dillon Hall had but 15 seasons to make his mark. To be in the top three sires for 13 in succession underlines what a great progenitor he was. His stock generally responded to plenty of galloping and walking with a minimum of hoppled work. Properly handled their hardiness and endurance coupled with the breeding potential of his daughters made the two minute import second to none among imported sires this century.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 13Jul77

LAWN DERBY

LAWN DERBY FIRST TO GO TWO MINUTE MILE

New Zealand saluted her first two-minute pacer last week when the tremendous crowd on the final day of the Cup meeting rose on its feet to give the Australian speed merchant, Lawn Derby, one of the greatest ovations in the history of the sport.

Lawn Derby's attempt against the record was regarded by many as little more than an exhibition of unhoppled pacing, but when he reached the end of the first quarter in 0.28 3/5 and the first half-mile in 0.57 3/5, the crowd began to get to its feet.

With six furlongs gone in 1.27 4/5 and the achievement of something never before seen outside America in sight, the Addington fans let loose in a truly amazing fashion.

Outside the demonstration winessed when Harold Logan won the Free-For-All in his "final appearance" two years ago there has never been a scene on Addington to compare with Lawn Derby's reception. The hoisting of 1.59 2/5 for the full journey was the signal for renewed outbursts, and the mobbing of horse, owner, and driver.

New Zealand has waited a long time for a horse capable of such speed, and last Friday will be a day that will never be forgotten for those fortunate enough to see Lawn Derby in action. Even had he failed in his objective, Lawn Derby would well have been worth going a long way to watch. A bright bay carrying plenty of quality, he is a pacer in every meaning of the word.

Boots, hopples and overcheck know no place in his wardrobe, and he moves with a precision that is attractive to an extreme. In short, he is the finished article, and he could not be improved upon as a pacer.

Conditions were as near to perfect as they could be on Friday, but given similar condition again there is little doubt that Lawn Derby would improve his 1.59 2/5.

Driver W J O'Shea was at a great disadvantage in that he is practically a stranger to the track and the various posts. The result was that his horse was asked for too great a speed in the first half-mile. The first four furlongs in 0.57 3/5 would have found most horses even of Lawn Derby's calibre, collapsing, and no greater proof of his wonderful speed and stamina could have been given than his final half in 1.1 4/5. More favourably rated, he would have reached, or bettered, 1.59.

The Aussie will now remain in New Zealand for several months, making a further attempt over a mile at New Brighton next month, and possibly at Epsom over the Auckland Cup fixture. He should be a wonderful attraction in both centres.

He is the greatest pacer ever seen in New Zealand or Australia and there is little need to say more than that.

Credit: NZ TRUTH 16 Nov 1938

QUITE SURE

One of the more surprising successes at the stud in NZ was Quite Sure, a double-gaited horse imported her in 1938 by Miss Julia Cuff, then based in Southland. The Peter Volo stallion stood for some years in that province and his last years in Rakaia when Miss Cuff moved north.

Although most of his best offspring were trotters Quite Sure actually took his best lifetime mark of 2:01.8 pacing, though his sire, a son of Peter The Great, was a champion trotting stallion as a yearling and each season through to four years. Quite Sure's sons and daughters had mixed reputations but properly handled gave great results to patient trainers.

For a stallion whose offspring generally needed time to show their best, Quite Sure made an instant impact. From his first crop came 26 individual winners of 102 races. They included the juvenile champion Walter Moore, another top pacer Special Force and many others. The best known is the almost legendary Certissimus who, Even Speed and all, is probably the best young trotter this country has ever seen.

Certissimus had a tremendous action and in a tragically short career (he died from an accident as an early 4 year old) he became a wonder horse, returning one scintillating performance after another in the war years. Another champion trotter from the sire's early crops was Will Cary, the first trotter in NZ to better 4:20 for two miles and a Dominion Handicap winner.

Quite Sure's first winner was Bomber, trained by Bill Doyle at Leeston. Bomber went on to win a Dominion Handicap, and Bill has another cause to remember the stallion for he later leased and trained Gold Horizon. A lot of people will tell you that Gold Horizon's equal as a trotter is yet to be produced in NZ. He won more stakes than any other of his gait either here or in Australia at the time and won more than 20 races though the Dominion eluded him.

There were numerous other grand trotters by Quite Sure. Jimmy Dillon won 16 races and held two Australasian records. Blue Horizon was a mighty trotter, also holding records for some years, and he numbered the Ashburton Cup among his many wins. Then there was the brilliant, but unsound Toushay, holder of the 1¼ mile record for a number of years and winner of the Trotting Free For All. Sure Gift was another topliner and with Fairy Dell gave Quite Sure wins in the Trotting Stakes.
Ripcord was another champion trotter by Quite Sure, winning over all distances against top company and holder for a while of a world record over 11 furlongs. He won 11 races in all. Like another top trotter in Super Note, by Quite Sure he had some success at stud.

There were a number of other top horses by Quite Sure. Included among them were Copper Trail, a good Southland pacer and winner of the Gore Cup, Sandy Duval, Rerewaka (NZ Trotting FFA), Karnak (who beat a handicap field at two years), Stuart Lee (who won seven successive races), Imperial Trust, Monagh Leagh, Minora, Quite Happy and Quite Likely, holder of a two-year-old national mark over a mile for fillies. His best pacing son however was Whipster who won eight races until injury terminated his career. Whipster was a successful sire of Massacre, Don Hall and Glint among others.

Quite Sure also had considerable success as a broodmare sire. Quite Sound produced a top class trotter in Rock'n Robin. Glamour Girl was the dam of Flying Maiden and Halberg who won 15 races between them, Flying Maiden being the dam of current top three-year-old Cool Cat. Pleasure Bay is a Quite Sure mare assured of undying fame through her grandson Cardigan Bay. Ballyhaunis was the dam of Jennifer who has produced eight winners at stud and Sure Romance was the dam of Royal Mile, a juvenile trotter of great speed who held the national mile record for a time. Quite Evident, who won five races herself, was the dam of eight winners including Call Boy, who won nine including the Great Norther Derby, and Farlena an Australasian record holder and winner of four including the Sapling Stakes.

Little Doubt, a daughter of Quite Evident, produced six winners including For Certain, an Oaks winner. Maid Myra won five and was the dam of Pohutukawa, winner of 11 races in this country, and Cosy Del produced five winners and is grandam of Balgove. Karnak was the dam of five winners including Scimitar, winner of nine, and Ruer, who is the dam of the champion Australian trotter and sire Delvin Dancer. Credere was the dam of Deodatus, who won seven including the Trotting Stakes, and Salamis produced several winners including Sally Walla and Similas, the dam of Viking Water.

Luronne produced Ascot King a top Australian winner. Sporting Edition was the dam of Spring Edition, who won seven and produced five winners. Quite Contrary is the grandam of Ripper's Delight, Ilsa Voss and Rip Silver. Other good winners fron Quite Sure mares include the juvenile champion Vivanti (winner of the Oaks, Sapling Stakes, Welcome Stakes and holder of several records), Lassoloc winner of seven, Rascal five wins, Knighthood six wins (at either gait), Sure Charge winner of 11 (trotting), Dourglo, Prince Garry and April Hall, the dam of six winners.

Quite Sure sired 254 winners all told of 891 races and $705,749. In his second eligible season he was ninth on the list and remained in the top ten until 1954. His higest placing on the overall list was third in 1948-49, his offspring winning nearly $83,000. Other sons of Quite Sure made their mark at the stud including Desmond's Pride, a brother of Certissimus who himself served a few mares as a colt with success, Concord and Rest Assured.

Some trainers were not keen on Quite Sure's stock and Bill Doyle, who had more success with them than most explains why: "They could be very flighty and hard to handle," recalls the Leeston sportsman, "and didn't take kindly to harsh treatment. But once they were sorted out they were top horses and especially top stayers."

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 8Jun77

JACK POTTS

How do you go about paying tribute to a sire who achieved as much as Jack Potts?

His record almost comes into the category of awe inspiring. Nine times leading sire, all in succession from 1937 until 1945, is a record achievment, for U Scott who equalled the nine premierships had them spread much further apart. Jack Potts was also leading broodmare sire six times. Altogether he sired 271 individual winners of over $900,000 and his daughters produced over 320 winners, some of them great horses. At one time Jack Potts were sought after in much the same way as gold in the 1860s and when you examined what they achieved this is not surprising.

Foaled in 1920 Jack Potts was imported to this country as a 2 year old by Alex Anderson of Christchurch through Robert A Smith who had a hand in bringing out a number of stallions in those days. Jack Potts was a good racehorse if not a great one though a leg injury he suffered as a young horse always made him a dicky proposition. However from Ces Donald's stable he won nine races and $10,000. He was pipped on the post in the Auckland Cup and was twice placed in the NZ Cup. A very handsome horse and a fine mover Jack Potts's main track victories were the NZMTC Metropolitan, Victoria, Advance, Hagley and Mid-Summer Handicaps and two major handicaps at Auckland.

Jack Potts was 12 years old before his progeny first appeared in 1933-34 winning only $568 that season. By 1935-36 he was third on the sires' list and remained in the top three for 13 seasons. His list of winners has some impressive names. Among them were Emulous who won $45,000 and an Inter-Dominion, dual Cup winner Lucky Jack who won 14 races, Marlene an Auckland and NZ Cup winner, the juvenile champions Pacing Power and Horsepower who won 30 races between them with the former placed in the Cup, Inter-Dominion champion of 1938 in Pot Luck ($17,000), Fine Art winner of 15 races, King Potts winner of 12 including the Easter Cup, Auckland Cup winner Betty Boop, Cup placegetters and major winners in Plunder Bar, Knave of Diamonds and Countless.

Lightning Lady the winner of 14 races, Ingle Belmer winner of 12, Clockwork the 1½ mile national record holder for some years and winner of 12 races, Checkmate (11 wins), free-for-all winner Indian Clipper (12 wins), Ferry Post (unsound, but still the winner of 14 races), Brucus, County Antrim and Accountant were other big winners for Jack Potts but by no means were they finished yet. Jack Potts produced a big number of top juveniles including the Derby winner Gamble and Sapling Stakes winner in Two's Loose, other Sapling winners in Frisco Lady and Sir Julien and G N Derby winner Free Again. Any number of his offspring reached tight assessments including Realm Again, Molly Direct, On Approval, Jack Peterson, Mighty Fine and War Guard. The stock of Jack Potts won four NZ Derbies and three NZ Cups. His offspring favoured the pacing gait and very few trotters by him ever appeared.

As a sire of broodmares Jack Potts was even more successful. Among the major winners his daughters produced were Tactician, our first two-minute racehorse who won 20 races including an Inter-Dominion and $40,000; Van Dieman winner of 18 and $42,000; Merval winner of 11 and holder for a time of a world's race record for a mare over a mile; the great Rupee winner of 14; Thelma Globe who won 17 races and also held a world mark over 1¼ miles; Globe Direct another record holder and winner of 14; Young Charles who won 11 races and would have won more if fully sound and a champion juvenile horse; Excelsa (10 wins) who ironically prevented Rupee from winning 10 successive tote races; Auditor, Lady Rowan, Trueco, Gough's Pride, Wayward Peter and Whipster who between them won nearly 70 races and Starbeam, Signal Light, Court Martial, Gay Knight (13 wins) were other big winners from Jack Potts mares.

Lottie Location an unraced daughter produced Local Gold who won nine and produced Arania (1:57, 12 wins) and Local Light, Sure Potts produced Florita who won nine. The unraced Anita Patch produced Patchwork (12 wins, Easter Cup) and Aladdin who won 8. Ingle Belmer, a Jack Potts-Purple Patch mare was the dam of Lady Belmer winner of 13. Lightning Lady produced six winners including Dresden Lady who won 10 and Ladyship the dam of Lordship. Kaulala, a daughter of Horotane produced Great Wonder winner of 10 while another daughter of that mare in Nightbeam (6 wins herself) produced the Broodmare of the Year in Nancy Lee in addition to those mentioned. Joan Potts produced the good racehorse and broodmare in La Fey while Aurie's Star in addition to Young Charles produced Ohio who won seven for Sir John McKenzie. Windermere produced Johnny Guitar who won nine including the Wellington Cup, Santa Anita produced eight winners and a daughter of the Jack Potts mare Suda Bay produced the grandam of Nigel Craig in addition to others. Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan, Impressario and Maharajah were some of the good winners produced from Jack Potts mares

In all the direct offspring of Jack Potts won more than 1200 races. For a number of years the stallion was a showring champion as well and he died in 1948 at 28 years of age. He was buried close to the Donald homestead. Apart from his first two seasons when he stood at M B (Dil) Edwards's Yaldhurst establishment he spent all his stud career at Donald's. His initial fee was seven guineas which seem ludicrous today. At the height of his career he stood at 25 guineas and later 50 guineas in his last year. Perhaps then it is not surprising that Ces Donald was quoted in later years as saying that the stud side of his operation did not make a significant profit. In his early years Jack Potts was not rushed by breeders either though he was fortunate to have the fine juvenile pacer Gamble from his first crop.

A number of Jack Potts sons were stood at stud including Gamble, Emulous, Lucky Jack, Pacing Power, Globe Direct, Realm Again (as a colt), Colossal and Tsana. Some of his sons including Gamble and Pacing Power did well in Australia and his daughters which went to that country also did well producing among others the West Australian champion Mark David.

Even though it was inevitablethat it would be superseded Jack Potts achieved a magnificent feat in siring the winners of nearly a million dollars, particularly as during the war years when he was king of the walk, racing was severely curtailed. His place in trotting is secure as one of the three greatest sires ever to have stood in this country.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 19Jan77

CUPS KINGS - LIGHT BRIGADE

INTRODUCTION
Bettor's Delight in just about ready to make the list as a "Cups King"- the most influential stallion in the two major all-aged races on out calendar, the Auckland and New Zealand Cups. He already has three winners and given his domination that might grow rapidly.

But topping some of the "old timers" won't be that easy, even if he has gone past many already. Who are the best? My top 10, based on the following statistical model.
- 10 points for each winner of the New Zealand or Auckland Cup.
- 5 point bonus for each individual winner greater than one.
- 5 points for each broodmare sire win.
- 1 point for each winner sired by a stallion son.

LIGHT BRIGADE 1937
(Volomite-Spinster-Spencer)(Died aged 27)
Four WINS, Three WINNERS, Four BROODMARE WINS, seven SIRE SON WINNERS = 77 points

Light Brigade's Cup records could be considered a shade underwhelming but for the huge success of his sons. Further, his own winners were compressed into a four year cycle while he was at stud for about 20 years. He and his son Fallacy between them left five NZ Cup winners in succession with Thunder, Lookaway and False Step(Three). A record hard to beat.

Local Light (sire of Captain Harcourt and Leading Light) was a star and Fallacy makes Light Brigade the only stallion here to also have a son on it.

Rated by George Noble as the best stayer he trained (he was heavy topped and had leg problems), Light Brigade like U Scott, left as many outstanding trotters as pacers. His versatility made him the "go to" stallion for many years. His Volomite cross with U Scott's Scotland line was made in breeding heaven. Light Brigade only won two sires premierships but was broodmare champion eight times.

TRIVIAL FACT: Sir Roy McKenzie recalled that Light Brigade loved apples and would pick up a stick in his mouth to knock them out of the trees. He did the same with walnuts, eating the nut and spitting out the shell. Brains as well as Brawn.



Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Nov 2016

1936 HAROLD LOGAN RETIRES

To be decorated with a collar of flowers and to be pelted with rose petals in surely a unique experience for a horse in this country, but that honour was accorded Harold Logan on the final day of the Metropolitan Club's meeting.

Over a number of years Harold has been public favourite number one. Champions have come and gone but the well mannered and glorious Hinds' pacer, though now in honourable retirement will never be forgotten.

Friday was announced as his last appearance on a race track and it was to mark the occasion that the Canterbury Owners and Breeders Association arranged the unusual, and pleasing, ceremony before the running of the last race, the Free-For-All. It was a scene worth going a long way to see. A tremendous and cheering crowd; Harold parading in his collar of flowers which he appeared anxious to eat, and being showered with rose petals. Surely a great tribute to any horse.

When the old chap rose to the occasion and won the Free-For-All enthusiasm knew no bounds. Before he had reached the post hats were being thrown in the air and the crowds cut loose to give him one of the greatest receptions ever seen on a race track, surging down the course and packing the three sides of the birdcage in a wildly cheering mob. Even while being cooled off, he was followed by an army of admirers anxious to pat him, and in many cases pull a hair from his tail.

No horse has captured the public imagination as has Harold Logan, and he has concluded his remarkable career to be remembered as the perfect racehorse and a truly great gentleman.

Credit: NZ TRUTH 18 Nov 1936

Indianapolis winner of the 1934,5&6 NZ Cups

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis, as one of only two horses (False Step is the other) with three victories in the NZ Trotting Cup to his credit, will always rank as one of the grandest stayers produced in NZ.

Most of us who saw him race are never likely to forget his giant strides, his mighty physique and his regal bearing. Among the outstanding incidents of a meteoric career - he was already in champion class at four years - were his last quarter in better than 28 secs in winning the Weston Handicap at Oamaru, his mile in 2 00.4 at Addington on a two-mile preparation and his then winning records of 4:15.8 for two miles and 2:36.6 for a mile and a quarter.

Indianapolis was bred at Durbar Lodge, Ashburton. Although apparently overgrown and not suitably built for two-year-old racing, he took the public unawares by winning at his very first start as a two-year-old on May 21, 1932, being 13th in the order of favoritism; he won very easily the Selma Handicap at Ashburton from a field of all ages. Taxpayer beat him in the NZ Sapling Stakes and NZ Derby Stakes, but he had his revenge in the Great Northern Derby and from thence forward he was always a class above his gallant little rival.

Indianapolis was sold by Mr A J Nicoll to Mr G J Barton as an early three-year-old. The late W J Tomkinson upon whose advice Mr Barton bought the horse, was never florid in his description of youngsters of either gait (so much could slip between the trial and the Cup); but all his reserve was broken down when he had a drive behind Indianapolis. "This is the greatest pacer ever foaled." was his enthusiastic declaration to Mr G J Barton and there and then Indianapolis was sold to the Dunedin sportsman.

During his three-year-old season, Indianapolis lowered the two mile record for that age to 4:23.2 (a record which stood for 14 years), and the following season he won the Craven Handicap, of a mile and a quarter at Addington in 2:37, then a record for the distance.

At five years of age he went 4:20 for two miles in August, and in winning his first NZ Cup three months later he made the then world's race-winning record figures of 4:15.8 for two miles. It was a searching test of stamina, and Indianapolis came through it with honours by pacing his last mile in 2:3.6 and the last half-mile in 59.6.

Indianapolis first went against the mile record at Addington in 1934, and lowered it to 2:1.4. In 1936, the year of his third NZ Cup victory, he was again asked to go against time for a mile. This was only a couple of days after the NZ Cup. He had been trained for two miles, not a mile, and the fact that he then went 2:00.4 showed his versatility and greatness only too clearly. If he had had a special preparation for a mile, there is no shadow of doubt that he would have been the first two-minute pacer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Other happenings that always come to the top in any discussion about him are that Mr G J Barton refused an offer of 20,000 dollars from a visiting American sportsman when the great pacer was at the height of his four-year-old magnificence; and that he broke his hopples at the start of the Christchurch Handicap at Addington on November 9, 1934, and went on to victory with the broken gear dangling round his legs, truly a tantalising and breath-taking affair. It was in the Weston Handicap at Oamaru that he registered 2:36.6 which stood as a winning record (equal with Harold Logan) for some years. In that race Indianapolis was last with two furlongs to go, and it was also in this race that he paced his last quarter in better than 28 secs.

A bay horse by Wrack from Estella Amos, both American-bred, Indianapolis won 27 races and £10,257 ($20,514) in stakes. It was estimated that the same races were worth £33,000 ($66,000) in 1948. Yet all this fame and fortune once hung upon the slenderest of threads. A brittle foot went within an ace of terminating Indianapolis's career on the eve of his first NZ Trotting Cup. One of his fore hooves split from the toe right up to the coronet, and the heel also gave cause for much anxiety. Skilful riveting of the hoof, an operation that will always be remembered as a stroke of genius on the part of the late F Archer, Addington farrier, enabled Indianapolis, with the help of a "deadener" in the affected parts, to overcome a decided lameness and triumph over his painful disabilities. At that particular time Larwood's toe and Indianapolis's hoof were vieing with each other as front page news!

The late W J Tomkinson did not live to enjoy the full harvest of his fine judgement with Indianapolis, who was trained for all of his NZ Cup victories by Tomkinson's "first lieutenant," F C Dunleavy. Tomkinson trained Indianapolis for 11 of his wins, including the Great Northern Derby, Auckland Cup (as a four-year-old) and Metropolitan Craven Handicap, and it was at the close of Indianapolis's four-year-old in 1934 that Tomkinson died. In the training of a pacer or trotter that had been put through the rudimentary stages, Tomkinson was acknowledged to have no peer. As a younger man he was a driving "ace" and many a time he drove solely with his hands to win uncannily by the narrowest of margins. He was known to study the peculiarities of each of his charges with meticulous care, and the results speak for themselves.

Credit: Pillars of Harness Horsedom: Karl Scott

INTRODUCTION
Bettor's Delight in just about ready to make the list as a "Cups King"- the most influential stallion in the two major all-aged races on out calendar, the Auckland and New Zealand Cups. He already has three winners and given his domination that might grow rapidly.

But topping some of the "old timers" won't be that easy, even if he has gone past many already. Who are the best? My top 10, based on the following statistical model.
- 10 points for each winner of the New Zealand or Auckland Cup.
- 5 point bonus for each individual winner greater than one.
- 5 points for each broodmare sire win.
- 1 point for each winner sired by a stallion son.

CUP KINGS - SPRINGFIELD GLOBE 1934
(Globe Derby-Ayr-Logan Pointer)(Died aged 26)
Four WINS, Four WINNERS, Three BROODMARE WINS, One SIRE SON WINNER = 71 points.

This is the big surprise. Because Springfield Globe wore himself out on one Cup Day chasing Gold Bar he acquired an unfair reputation as a non-stayer even though others had suffered the same fate. He also ran some great 3200m times. His best son, the brilliant Tactician, like his sire an Inter-Dominion champion, never won a big Cup but made history as our first two minute racehorse.
Never mind that Tactician had rather recklessly "set up" Johnny Globe's sensational 4:07.8 world record in the Cup of 1954 and that the Australian owned Springfield Globe was used as a 'bunny' for stablemate and bracket favourite Pacing Power, in the 1943 Cup. But he had the last laugh.
Springfield Globe only left six crops in this country and was the champion "colonial" stallion six times. To produce four individual major cup winners given his named foals (about 150) was a huge achievement. He also sired the dam of Scottish Command.
Springfield Globe's NZ Cup winners came in successive years (Mobile Globe and Adorian) and his Auckland Cup winner Thelma Globe and Victory Globe in three years. He also sired Prince Charming, a top sire for Colin McLaughlin at Mount Hutt. He left Royal Ascot.

TRIVIA FACT: Springfield Globe was never meant to be at stud here. Sent over for racing before the War, owner Charles McCarthy found he was unable to import him back under war conditions and leased him to trainer Roy Berry. When he did get home(artfully delayed at times it seems)he commanded a record fee at McCarthy's stud and left many more outstanding horses there.


Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Nov 2016

RED SHADOW

The star performer at Addington yesterday was Red Shadow, who, in addition to carrying off the honours of the Dominion's premier light harness race, the New Zealand Trotting Cup, also won the concluding event of the day, the Hagley Handicap, of one mile and a quarter.

In the former race he gave a great exhibition of stamina, while in the mile and a quarter race he showed a flash of brilliance over the final furlong. It was the performance of a great horse to break 2min 40sec on a course which 24 hours previously had been a quagmire.

The double success of Red Shadow was a triumph for the well-known Hornby trainer, J Bryce, who has now prepared the winner of six New Zealand Cups. His candidate in this year's race looked the pick of the field on the score of condition and at the telling stages of the race there was evidence of his thorough preparation.

Red Shadow came into his present ownership, that of Mrs M Harrall, who also owns the runner-up, Royal Silk, in March last, when, at a special auction conducted by Messrs H Matson and Co., he was purchased for the sum of 625 guineas. As he is only a six-year-old and a stallion, it is to be expected that he will add considerably to his already good list of winnings.

Red Shadow is by imported Travis Axworthy, a horse brought to this country from America by Mr E X Lelievre in 1924, and his dam is Our Aggie, who was bred in Scotland and raced in that country by J Bryce.

Credit: THE PRESS 8 Nov 1933

HUON VOYAGE

While the race for the Dominion Handicap was disappointing in that before half the distance had been covered there were really only four horses with pretensions of winning, this shortcoming was compensated for by the winner, Huon Voyage.

The Australian-bred gelding who has a record of 4min 22 3/5sec, gave a very solid display of trotting and his fine stamina stood him in good stead over the concluding stages. It is no easy task for a horse to make up the ground he did in such a short distance and then to maintain his effort over the remaining distance of the two miles, but Huon Voyage did his part well and his success was well received.

Brought to New Zealand during the 1931-32 season from Melbourne, Huon Voyage a few months after his arrival established a new record for trotters over two miles when he finished second in 4min 22 3/5sec to Mountain Ore at Addington. Nearly a year ago he, with several others of Mr F B McFarlane's horses, was sumitted for auction, before Mr McFarlane's departure for Australia, but he failed to change hands and was left with R J Humphreys to train. Mr McFarlane in the meantime has relinquished all his other trotting interests and has a small team of gallopers which he trains with a fair measure of success at Flemington.

The news that his New Zealand representative has won the highest class trotters race in the Dominion, which carries a stake of 600 sovs, will no doubt be received with satisfaction by the Victorian owner.

R J Humphreys, by training Huon Voyage to win the Dominion Handicap, and Harold Logan to win a New Zealand Cup, has joined a small band of trainers who have trained the winners of the two most imprtant races in their respective spheres in New Zealand. Other trainers who have done so are J Bryce and J Tasker.


Credit: THE PRESS 8 November 1933