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RONA LAING

The death occured last week of Rona Laing, aged 72. Born in Christchurch, Rona spent a lifetime in farming and harness racing communities.

Her Wairiri Lodge, at Ashburton, was the home of many imported stallions, starting years ago with the straight-out trotter Pilot Peter, by Peterwah. He was followed by Paraider, Smokey Hanover, Hi Lo's Forbes (sire of NZ Cup winner, James), Jerry Adios, Hodgen's Surprise (sir of No Response), King Creed (sire of Rauka Lad), and Keystone Provider (sire of Samson and Keystone Surprise).

She raced a number of good horses, perhaps the best of them being the Court Martial trotter Macamba, who won seven races, four of them in his 5-year-old season. Others included Melissa, Alvean, Alonzo (1:58), the smart Smokey Hanover trotter Martian, Manchu, Montford, and, more recently, Streak.

She is survived by a daughter Anita, and son, Graham.

Credit: HRWeekly 31May89

Mac Miller and the good trotter Westham

S M (Mac) MILLER

S M (Mac) Miller has driven one winner this season; Princess Armbro in a trot at Nelson in January. It was significant for two reasons. Miller now approaches the time of the permanent ballot. He has turned 65 and Princess Armbro might well have been his last winning drive before he retires. He does so on July 31 with the satisfaction of the second reason - driving 200 winners - starting in 1960 when he drove Irish Wit to beat Medium Blue (Bob Nyhan) and Our Comrade (Keith Powell).

Training from Methven and more recently in Blenheim, Miller was rarely without a good horse. He prepared a small team, and took them all to their best mark. His first top horse was Bonnieburn, who won eight races in the 1960s including the 1964 Ashburton Cup, but Wonthaggi was smart and won five in this era before she broke down. Third Chief won four, including the Nelson and Marlborough Cups, and other good winners in the 60s were Soldato, Nonevero, Terrace Dale and Jacquinot Bay, whose 10 wins included the Wellington Cup.

In three seasons, from 1973-4 to 1975-6, Miller drove 39 winners, most notable being seven with the fine trotter Jillinda, six behind Armbro Brent, five with Armbro Song and four with Martial Salute. Another fine horse he won 10 races with was Trevor Hodgen, who was a wonderful stayer on grass tracks. Other good winners were Truant Direct, Armbro Rhythm and trotters Melvander and Westham. Hobart Star, a son of Timely Knight and the Lordship mare Hobart Lady, won eight races and was rated by Miller as the best he's had. "He was a potential cup winner if ever there was one," he said. Hobart Star was sold to America.

"It is a strange feeling, having to give up. I've travelled and met some great people; people who were prepared to help. I remember Maurice Holmes would jog round and start talking and there would always be a moral to what he'd say. It was good to have people like that to work with," he said.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 14Jun89

JACK CROFTS

Retiring from driving on 31 July, 1989, one of the best moments Jack Crofts remembers during his career was winning the last saddle trot at Addington on Gentles. The best horse he bred was Moonfire, four wins.

He says the best horse he ever sat behind was the brilliant Highland Kilt. Crofts worked for the late George Noble for 13 years. He won twice on Highland Kilt, at Rangiora in February 1950 and at Wellington in May 1952.

Usually only training a small team, Croft says he now has more horses than he can handle, a list comprising seven yearlings and two 2-year-olds.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 14Jun89

ALBY JOHNSON

If ever there was an example of New Zealand's Mr Rugby, Racing and Beer, then Albert John Robert Johnson must have gone close. The rugby fanatic, harness racing trainer-driver, and hotelier passed away recently after a short illness at the age of 73.

Born at Rangiora, he showed an early interest in horses and this carried on for the rest of his life. He was also a natural sportsman shining in tennis, football and most other sports. During his early days of farming he spent a lot of time with Ces Devine who became a life long friend. "He loved driving horses and was as game as they come," recalls Ces.

Reg Curtin trained for Johnson and among his winners were Paul Bunyan, Night Boy, Regal Comet and Smokey Belle. Although Curtin trained his horses Johnson always did the driving. He also enjoyed taking his horses to the West Coast where he had his share of success. The best horse he had was Black Tulip who won seven races whilst trained by Reg Stockdale, and once again all the driving was done by Johnson.

No-one loved their rugby more than he did, and after playing for Country and Canterbury B he continued his interest by following most of the All Black games, including tours to South Africa and England. In the late 40s Johnson bought his first hotel at West Oxford followed by terms at the Marine in Sumner, Yaldhurst and Prebbleton. It was in the latter two hotels where he further developed his trotting interests both with horses and lasting friendships.

He is survived by two daughters and a son.

Credit: HRWeekly 28Feb89

NANCY EDWARDS

Nancy Edwards, who died in Auckland earlier this month aged 91, was a daughter of a great handler of trotters at the turn of the century, Bert Edwards.

The outstanding horseman of his era, Bert won races at the inaugural trotting meetings at Lancaster Park in Christchurch and Potter's Paddock (now Alexandra Park) in Auckland. He owned the first horse in New Zealand to get within American standard time of 2:30 for the mile - Yum Yum, who won by 15 lengths pulling up in 2:27½ at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's meeting of May 24, 1894.

He owned the first pneumatic-tyred sulky produced in New Zealand, lowered NZ trotting records on five occasions, and held trainer's, driver's and rider's licences from the time they were first issued to the time of his death with a completely clean sheet.

In a stint of several years in Auckland in the early 1890s, Bert and his brother Manny made their mark in no uncertain terms, and, on returning to Canterbury, Bert capped his brilliant career winning the first NZ Cup at Addington in 1904 with the 14-year-old straightout trotter Monte Carlo.

Manny, who also enjoyed a very successful career as a trotting horseman, became the father of two fine harness exponents in Dil and Stan Edwards, while Stan's son Murray also became a proficient trainer-driver.

Nancy Edwards and her sister Marjorie made their mark in thoroughbred breeding, establishing in Otahuhu the plush "Mardella Stud," where they successfully stood such noted sires as Vaals, Dink, Treasure Hunt and Probation. The Edwards sisters all but became involved in standardbred breeding, changing their minds when they had the Italian-bred stallion Medoro on the water and selling him for 7000 guineas to their neighbour Noel Simpson.

Noel made the purchase as his first move in transforming his "Yendarra" property from a cattle farm to a standardbred breeding operation. Medoro became an immediate success as a sire of pacers and trotters in New Zealand, giving Simpson a fine start on his way to becoming Australasia's outstanding standardbred breeder.

Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 25Jan89

JACK BEHRNS

The much-respected and distinguished Chertsey horseman Jack Behrns died recently. Aged 84, Behrns had spent the last five years living at Rolleston with his son, Tom.

He had an interest in harness racing until he died, racing the trotter Evander Morn. "I told him, while he was in hospital that I would take Evander Morn to Blenheim, and I took him a wee radio so he could listen in. He died before then, but I carried on and raced the mare just as we had planned," Tom said.

Jack Behrns was in the elite of horsemen. He trained some of the great horses of the century, notably Indianapolis, Wrackler and Cardinal King, and some very good ones, such as Peggotty, Why Bill, Doctor Kyle, Space Cadet, Byebye Bill and Waitaki Elect.

Behrns was born in Rakaia, starting his working life in the Post Office before coming under the wing of 'Scotty' Bryce. From there he went to Durbar Lodge, and on the death of Don Warren became private trainer for H F Nicoll. He trained Indianapolis - later to win three successive New Zealand Cups - for his first win, and converted the 1930 NZ Cup winner Wrackler to win the 1932 Dominion Handicap from Huon Voyage and Olive Nelson. In April 1931, he won the NZ Derby with Ciro, and then on Nicoll's death, he started training for Reg Butterick, one horse being Peggotty, by Wrack from a Nelson Bingen mare Butterick had bought for just four guineas. Behrns trained her for seven successive races, and at 9 she won the 1941 Dominion Handicap.

He was private trainer for Percy Watson after that; Alladin and Inglewood were two good horses he trained in the 1950s, and Cardinal King was the stable star in the 60s. The trotter Doctor Kyle won 12, Space Cadet included the New Brighton Cup among his 9 wins; Why Bill won 12; Waitaki Elect won seven as a 3-year-old, including the two mile Hororata Cup from Dutch Courage, and Bye Bye Bill won five after standing at stud in Australia and joining Behrns when he was eight.

Jack is survived by two daughters and three sons, all trainers, Tom, Irvin and Robbie.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 14Feb89

ALLAN HOLMES

Allan Holmes, son of the legendary Free Holmes and brother of 'the Maestro' Maurice, died last Wednesday. He was 78.

Allan became the equal-youngest reinsman to drive a NZ Cup winner when at age 21 he partnered Harold Logan, then trained by Dick Humphreys, to win the Cup from 60 yards. He joined James Bryce jnr, who was the same age when he drove the 1923 NZ Cup winner Great Hope.

Mr Holmes, won his second NZ Cup with Gold Bar, who he bred and trained. Gold Bar, who became the first NZ-bred pacer to break 2:00 for a mile with a 1:59.6 time-tial at Addington in 1942, won the Cup at his fifth attempt. The Grattan Loyal entire netted 22 victories in all, and later became a successful sire.

Mr Holmes was joint leading reinsman in the 1945/46 season, during which he drove Great Northern Derby winner, Local Gold. He at one stage employed notable Templeton trainer Derek Jones.

Mr Holmes part-owned and trained NZ Derby winners Congo Song and Blue. Congo Song later won an Inter-Dominion heat; Blue was renowned for setting a world mile record for a yearling of 2:09.2, and ran fourth as a 3-year-old in an Auckland Cup. He also had shares in 1952 Dominion Handicap winner Precaution, and 1987 NZ Trotting Stakes victor, Kami. The last good horse he trained was Brase, who won eight including the Forbury 4-year-old Championship.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 14Mar98

JACK CARMICHAEL

Jack Andrew Carmichael, who retires this season from driving, was born in Wanganui 65 years ago. His father Andrew and brother Alf were freezing workers who trained horses they owned themselves. Among their winners when Jack was a boy were Kraal, Harvest Boy and Silver Black (later trained in Hamilton).

In 1939, Jack went to the Exhibition at Wellington. With £60 in his pocket from shearing, he was "well off". "It was a hell of a lot in those days," he said. He carried on to Christchurch, where he got lodgings with Dave Bennett and a job working in the stable of Wes Butt. "I was there for twelve years. I used to ride Mankind in his saddle work, and rode him when he ran second to Gold Bar at Addington in 2:4.

"In those days we did a lot of travelling, all by train. It was nothing for us to take 12 to 14 horses to the Coast. But travel was cheap then, and the meals and board didn't seem to cost anything. You'd find, too, that all the owners would be there to watch them race," he said. His first success came with Dawn Grattan at the Westland Trotting Club's meeting on March 21, 1942, and a significant win in that period was taking the Greymouth Cup with Direct Medium.

After marrying Dorothy, Jack bought a farm, where he grew potatoes, then raised pigs and milked 30 cows. He liked the farming life, but agreed to train Coronet Lass and Monopat (dam of Micron and bred by Des Grice) for Ted Graham. Two horses soon became four and then a team, with Tekapo Queen, Gold Globe (by Johnny Globe)who won six races in the early 60s, followed by Dorstan, Bonny Rachel, Rocky Star, Chequer Board, Hindu Star, Precocious, Globe Bay and Worth Seein'.

"Precocious was a great old stayer - she'd just keep going, but I think Globe Bay was the best I had. He was a lot better than what people thought. He was a very nervy horse and early on he was stood down for breaking in a race. He was always a bit funny when he looked like being squeezed up and his form leading up to the Cup, the year he won, was a bit patchy. Rauka Lad was the horse they were writing up. I remember there was a bit of a skirmish up front with a round to go. I had to pull him down to the inside and then take him back out. Any other time he would have broken, but this time he just cruised round. He was always going well," he said.

His one regret as a trainer was losing Worth Seein', a daughter of Johnny Globe and Fifth Brigade, the dam of Berkleigh. She got to c4 and then went down with a liver complaint and died. She would have been a top trotter," he said.

For many years Jack was on the committee of the Trainers and Drivers Association and was there during the campaign for a losing driving fee. The trainer of 330 winners has noticed a change of driving standards and tactics over the years. "It used to be a bit easier because you'd be driving against the same fellows. There are a lot of different ones against you now, and there is a lot of different types of driving," he said.

Jack has also noticed a change in the style of training. There was a time, he recalled, when there would be no rush to investigate the speed of the yearlings and 2-year-olds. "It's not a bad thing, starting on the young ones earlier, but I still think waiting for them would be better. I know with Micron we didn't do much with him until he was four and he just about went straight through to Cup class," he said. "I'm inclined to think there is too much emphasis placed on 2-year-old racing. People still like to see the older horses, like Lord Module and Robalan race. They like the name horses," he said.

With the game nearly up, Jack intends to keep training for another 12 months. "I might retire then. I don't know if I want to keep training horses," he said. Like most others in his era, Jack used to admire Maurice Holmes when he was on the track, but has detected a slip in such considerations in recent times. "Life's changed. The younger ones used to look up to the older ones; nowdays they wouldn't give two hoots," he said.

-o0o-

Jack Carmichael was No.1 driver for Prebbleton trainer Des Grice ever since Bob Young died. "He has always been a very competent horseman," said Grice. "I think he's one of the best tactical drivers in the country. He would be in the same class as Maurice Holmes and Bob Young. The biggest problem was getting the information out of him after the race; he was good the next day," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Jul88

HAROLD "CHAPPY" FISKEN

Memories of Dominion Handicaps run over 60 years will flood back for the now 78-year-old Harold "Chappy" Fisken when on Saturday night he sits at his home at Pukekohe, watching on TV the 77th running of this prestigious event.

Many outstanding trotters have won this time-honoured feature, but few among them would measure up to the mighty American-bred horse Peterwah, raced, trained and driven by "Chappy's" father, the late Robert Fisken, to win in 1926 from 72 yards behind. The Dominion was run the same day as the NZ Cup that year, and, according to newspaper reports of that meeting, although the Cup winner Ahuriri was repeating his victory of the year before, the large crowd was ever bit as generous with its applause of Peterwah's outstanding success.

Bob Fisken - all the way from Gisborne - had become a star harness horseman on the NZ scene. On earlier southern forays, he had won the 1921 Dominion Handicap with Wild Lad and the 1924 NZ Trotting Stakes at Forbury Park with Peterwah, while in 1927 he was to win the NZ Sapling Stakes at Ashburton with Petewah's daughter Enawah.

As he recalls those halcyon days when he was just a lad, a sparkle returns to "Chappys" eyes. It is typical of the man that he retains his zest for living, despite the loss of his son David in an auto accident in Mexico about eight years ago, a stroke then rendered him almost totally paralysed 18 months ago and the death of his wife earlier this year.

As he shuffles on a stick around the silos, crushing machines and conveyor belts of the thriving animal food processing plant that has been his primary vocation for a good many years, he quips: "You'd never think I was for three years Poverty Bay and Hawkes Bay champion runner over a mile and three miles, would you? But I'm coming right; you should have seen me a while ago. I guess I haven't got much more time to go, but I'll get better before I get worse," he insists, adding: "I haven't had a licence to drive a car for a few years, but I've still got my trotting trainer's licence. I've got a couple of old nags out there in the paddock, and I'm causing a bit of havoc threatening to put them back in work." The "nags" are the trotting geldings Zakariah (winner of 6 and now noe 14) and Go Hi (a now-white13-year-old with two wins to his credit).

"Chappy's" father, greatly successful as a stock agent and meat exporter and uncrowned king of the trotting sport at its peak in Poverty Bay, was ruined by the Great Depression of the 1930's. That experience made "Chappy" ever careful not to let his love of horses undermine more reliable means of survival. From small beginnings, he built his food-supply business at Pukekohe into one that last year topped $8 million in sales. "Not bad for an operation with a staff of six and no sign on the gate," he proudly observes. "That figure could be much higher, but you can get too big and go under. We just service Pukekohe and Takanini in the main - it's all I want to handle." "Chappy's"interest in harness racing these days is mainly in the process of Iwanago, a useful Nat Lobell four-year-old pacer being prepared at the Pukekohe centre by his son-in-law Barry Lockyer (formerly associated with the outstanding trotter Highland Flight).

Robert Fisken was a legend in his time in the days when Poverty Bay was one of NZ's strongest trotting strongholds and produced another great horseman in Tom Roe, winner of the 1920 Dominion Handicap with Gold Boy. Fisken fought hard to offset his area's isolation by subsidising by 50% the return rail fares for horses from around NZ to entice them to his local meetings. "Bill Lowe used to come from as far away as Ashburton recalls "Chappy". At one of the last Poverty Bay meetings, in 1926, he had Trampfast (who was to win the Dominion Handicap in 1934) and the pacer Carbine Direct both in the Poverty Bay Cup. Dad drove Carbine Direct for him, and won it, while Trampfast was unplaced."

"Chappy" was 11 when in 1921 his father won his first Dominion Handicap with Wild Lad. A gelding from the Wildwood horse Wildmoor from a Rothschild mare Miss Vera, he came off 12 yards to bolt in by six lengths. The following year, Bob Fisken accompanied Free Holmes and J D Piper to America in search of standardbred speed. Holmes' acquistions on that trip were Estella Amos (who left champion pacer Indianapolis and outstanding matron Tondeleyo) and Rey de Oro (who became a three-time champion NZ sire).

Fisken secured as yearlings Peterwah and Real Guy, the pair costing him a total of £500 landed in Gisborne. Re-sold to Albert Hendricksen, Real Guy, a Guy Axworthy horse, raced only twice, winning one of those starts at Auckland, before siring 69 winners and also becoming a successful broodmare sire.

Peterwah was by Etawah, in his time champion world two-year-old trotting colt with a 2:19½ mark on the half-mile, and Transylvania winner at four in a world record for three heats of 2:03¼, 2:03½, and 2:03½. Janeva, the dam of Peterwah, was by the immortal progenitor Peter The Great. Over 11 seasons, Peterwah had 12 wins between Auckland and Dunedin. In winning the 1928 August Handicap at Addington from 24 yards behind he beat a capacity field of good-class pacers in 4:23 4/5, a world trotting mark for two miles from a stand. Hailed at this point as the greatest trotter NZ had seen, he was the last of his gait before Scotch Tar (1982) to contest the NZ Cup, finishing unplaced in the 1828 event.

Peterwah once won from 228 yards behind at a Poverty Bay meeting. "He was handicapped out of trotting races, and had to compete against the best pacers," recalls "Chappy". Mixing his racing with limited stud opportunities before his owner was forced to sell him with the bulk of his big string of horses to Australia, Peterwah sired 22 NZ winners and a further 21 in Australia. One of these was Enawah, who added 11 other victories to her Sapling Stakes win. Another, Captain Bolt, became "Chappy's" first good horse, winning him four races before being sold to Mrs E A Berryman and becoming an even bigger success under Cecil Donald.

On moving to Rotorua and marrying, "Chappy" gave trotting away for long years, breaking 180 acres into a sheep and cattle farm, and freeholding a plush house on five acres overlooking the lake. "When someone gave me £6000 for it in the 50s, I thought I was made," he said. "It was re-sold for £65,000 and then £102,000 before we changed to dollars and I suppose it would be worth something like half a million dollars now."

One of the horses bought by Hawera trotting stalwart Alex Corrigan when the Fiskens sold up was Robert Earl. This son of Wrack and the Logan Pointer mare Ivy Pointer became a successful sire; and a free service given to him by Corrigan bought "Chappy" back into the sport. "I can't remember what the horse was that I bred, but I was into it again, and since then have always pottered around with a horse or two," he says. Apart from Zakariah, "Chappy's" best winners have included trotters Final Star, Five Star and Pukepoto and pacer Faux Pas. "I even got to Addington once, when I took a trotter Knighthood that I trained for an old bloke up this way after winning at Hutt Park with him; but we didn't get any money down there," he said.

"I reckon, however, that I made it a a sire. My son David, about four years before he was killed, finished 10th in the Boston Marathon." The trophy to mark that worthy accomplishment by David takes pride of place over everything else in the Fisken household.




Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 16Nov88

FG Holmes pictured with the 1935 Wellington & Auckland Cups won by Graham Direct and Adorian's 53 NZ Cup

FREEMAN (FG) HOLMES

Freeman (FG) Holmes, who died in Christchurch last week aged 88, apart from being one of NZ's most accomplished and successful horsemen, was an enigma. Many of the old school have insisted he was every bit as gifted a reinsman as his famous brother Maurice. His record leaves no doubt that he was not only a top driver but also an outstanding trainer.

'FG' was a loner; an introvert who shunned publicity and well wishers, and was very selective about who he even spoke to. He was harder to get on with when he'd just won a race than when he had been tipped out from a favourite. Yet catch him in the right moment and he would chat the breeze for as long as you would care to listen - and listening to him could at times be very enlightening and rewarding. Besides breeding, racing, training and driving, he had other pet pursuits, high among them hunting and shooting. He was also, in his early days, a fine athlete.

The writer well recalls as a junior in the racing department of "The Press", Christchurch, in November, 1953, calling on 'FG' at home at West Eyreton a few hours after his NZ Cup win with Adorian, in the hope of getting a feature story to phone through in time to make the next morning's paper. People were phoning to congratulate the family. Freeman refused to be called to the phone. "Don't ask them here," he insisted. "We're not having a party." Trying to get the background to Adorian from him was nigh on impossible. He insisted, with that curious humour of his, that I sang a song before he would tell me anything. When I obliged, instead of telling me about Adorian, he played for me, over and over, a record of an Australian race in which, in a skirmish with top Sydney driver Jack Watts, 'FG' had been tipped out over the rail and quite seriously injured. "He's a bloody good driver, that Jack Watts," said Freeman each time we listened to the incident. I finally got some sort of story from him - which took some working out as he spoke of horses, mares, colts and fillies without bothering about their registered racing names.

'FG' was the first son of the famous Free Holmes to come to prominence. Insofar as NZ horse racing is concerned, the Holmes saga began with Freeman Senior. Born on a farm near Ashburton in 1871, he was, as a rising 12-year-old five-stone stripling, pressed into service, because of a shortage of jockeys, to ride, laden with "ballast," in an Ashburton galloping event - which he duly won. "Old Free" as he ultimately became reverently known to the racing and trotting fraternities in NZ, successfully rode gallopers on the flat, and over jumps, and then became a prominent trainer and owner of thoroughbreds.

Turning his hand to the sister sport of trotting, Free became a leading saddle exponent, driver, trainer, importer and breeder. Race driving until he was 73, Free continued to train, and when well into his 80s was training - and riding to and from Riccarton racecourse from his property nearby - the thoroughbred Tarantella, owned by his then teenage grandson Graham (son of FG), and a winner for them.

Of Free's four sons, first Freeman, then Maurice, then Allan became actively involved as drivers and branched out to become trainers in their own right. Walter stayed at home, assisting with the stud side of Free's activities. 'FG' was a proficient jockey. He was 13 when he won the Apprentice's Plate at Wingatui in February, 1913, and subsequently won several hurdles and flat events. He first drew attention to himself riding saddle winner Law Chimes at the 1916 NZ Cup carnival. Two years later he finished third with Sungod in Author Dillon's NZ Cup.

Freeman's first classic win came in the fourth edition of the Auckland Trotting Club's Great Northern Derby in 1919, driving Lady Swithin for successful Ashburton owner and administrator H F Nicoll, later to become long-time president of the NZ Trotting Conference. In 1921, then aged 22, Freeman drove Sherwood to win the NZ Cup for owner S G Lemon. After a protest alleging interference by Holmes to the previous year's winner, straight-out trotter Reta Peter (whom he beat by two lengths), Sherwood was relegated to second and Holmes was fined £25. The incident was hotly debated for years by many who saw the race. And, when, 32 years later, 'FG' trained and drove his own good horse Adorian to win the 1953 NZ Cup, he seized the opportunity at the presentation to insist again that he should not have been disqualified with Sherwood. "It was unjust," he said.

'FG' drove NZ Sapling Stakes winners Richore (1926), Sonoma Child (1928), Captain Morant (1942)and Forward (1951). He won the NZ-GN Derbies double in 1927 with J Washington's Daphne de Oro, drove J Duffy's Native Chief to win the NZ Free-For-All that year and was the nation's leading reinsman of 1927/28 with 33 wins. He trained Graham Direct to win the 1935 Auckland Trotting Cup for J Westerman (driven by his father, Free) and drove him himself to win the 1938 NZ Trotting Gold Cup at Wellington. He won two further NZ Derbies with Bonny Bridge (1943) and Blue (1958).

Much of the credit for tough NZ-bred gelding Captain Sandy becoming the first two-time Inter-Dominion Grand Champion must go to 'FG'. At the 1950 series in Melbourne, with regular pilot James Bryce junior suspended, FG Holmes filled the breach and from the awkward 24yd mark got him into the final by gaining a fourth and a third in the heats. But Holmes himself was suspended on the third night for alleged interference to swift Melbourne Claude Derby. Jack Watts replaced 'FG' and Captain Sandy won the Grand Final by a head from Globe Direct, trained and driven by Freeman's brother, Maurice. At the same carnival, brother Allan won a Consolation with Congo Song.

At the 1953 Inter-Dominions in Perth, Freeman again did most to get Captain Sandy in the Grand Final, finishing fourth with him the first night and second in fastest time the second night. Committed to drive good NZ mare Blue Mist (with whom he won on the first two nights) in the Grand Final, Freeman had a rocky run with her on the way to finishing fifth. His replacement behind Captain Sandy, West Australian Bob Pollock junior, emerged triumphant.

'FG's 1953 NZ Cup winner Adorian was one of four good winners he and Miss P Norton bred from a very good mare for them, Coquette. Miss Norton and 'Old Free' bred Coquette by Free's importation Grattan Loyal from Bonny Logan, daughter of Free's importations Logan Pointer and Bonilene. Racing from three to ten years, Bonny Logan won 14 races for Free and his principal stable patron W H Norton, then produced nine live foals, eight of them winners. 'FG' raced and trained Coquette for eight wins including the 1942 National Cup. Apart from Adorian, Coquette's only other three foals were top winners for 'FG' in the shape of Vigilant, Morano and Forward.

In a memorable contest for the 1951 Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes at Addington, 'FG' was skittled and tipped from Forward's sulky at the start, ran with the colt holding on to his reins for some fifty yards, climbed back into the cart, wheeled the field in the last half-mile and won. In 1953, 'FG' drove Brahman, son of the first two NZ-bred 2:00 pacers Gold Bar and Haughty, to an Australasian record 2:02.2 time trial as a two-year-old. In 1957 he drove Blue, trained and part-owned by his brother Allan, to a world yearling record of 2:09.2. Both marks lasted for more than 20 years.

In the 1960's, 'FG' became associated with champion trotter Ordeal. Seven before she won a race, she was handed to him after five wins for Reefton trainer Charlis Murcott. She won two more as a seven-year-old under Holmes. After having a season off to have a mystery foal that was destroyed because the sire was unknown, she returned to racing as a nine-year-old. Her next victories under Freeman were the Worthy Queen-Dominion Handicap double at Addington. She went on to win the 1961 Rowe Cup (driven by Maurice Holmes from 78yds in a national record 4:14), and wound up winning in America.

In later years, Holmes dabbled as an amateur trainer of gallopers, winning with good chaser Hogan. His last racing win came with Delargey at Wingatui in October,1980.

'FGs' sons Freeman ('FL') and the late Graham Holmes followed in the footstep of their father, uncles and grandfather as prominent horsemen, and 'FL' has been associated as part-owner, trainer, driver and now studmaster of a modern-day champion, Noodlum.

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'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 30May51

If you read about it in a Nat Could or Edgar Wallace racing thriller you wouldn't believe it, which only goes to prove that fiction, after all, is not such a complete stranger to the truth!

It happened at Addington on Saturday (May 26): the race, the Juvenile Handicap, the horse, Forward, and the hero of the piece F G Holmes, trainer-driver of Forward.

When the barriers were released, Centennial Hall swung across and tipped up Forward's sulky on its side, throwing Holmes on to the ground. With the field well on the way, Forward instinctively went after them. Holmes, holding firmly on the reins, was smartly on his feet, and he secured a tenuous hold on Forward's sulky with one hand while holding the reins in the other.

For upwards of 50yds, Holmes was forced to put in some giant strides to keep up with Forward, and he eventually managed to get one foot in the sulky, followed immediately by the other; by the time he was seated safely again the leaders must have been 60yds in front of him; it was a wonder he retrieved the situation with no greater loss of ground.

The majority of the public had not been unaware of the incident, and Holmes was warmly applauded on passing the stands the first time round. Excitement mounted as Forward improved his position and hotly challenged the leaders with two furlongs to go. Wide out, he strode to the front at the distance and won full of running.

It was an astonishing recovery, to say the least. Most of the people who made him hot favourite must have been persuaded that all chance had vanished when Holmes was deposited on the ground at the outset. Presence of mind, a full measure of grit and determination, and an ounce of luck were the main ingredients in perhaps the most dramatic spill and its sequel ever seen at Addington; it at least ranks equal to Indianapolis's win in the Christchurch Handicap at Addington in 1934 with a broken hopple.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 4Jun87