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RACING HISTORY

HORSES

HAROLD LOGAN - Bargain Buy

Harold Logan 1924 £100, 36 wins (including match races) £11,500.

Harold Logan was probably the most popular pacer to race in New Zealand but while he provided only triumph for his later owners, an earlier one experienced only a sadness that led to tragedy.

Harold Logan was bred by Jack Coffey, then in the Springfield hotel, his dam Ivy Cole, a good looking but slow performer, and another mare were sold cheaply to Percy Brown of Waimate, a drover. Coffey was shifting to a hotel with less ground but it still turned out the bargain of the ages for Brown.

The other mare's foal turned out to be the near champion, Roi L'or, for Brown but he passed Harold Logan on to Fred Legge a Livingstone(Otago) trainer and shearer - virtually as a gift.

In his first racing season Harold Logan won a maiden by several lengths, ridden by his owner at a Waimate Hunt meeting but could not find that form again. He didn't win at all in his second season(he was then six!) and in his third, after one sale fell through on a vet test, he was sold to Miss Effie Hinds of Christchurch.

After professional treatment for various problems and some straightening out of his attitude by old-school trainer, Dick Humphreys,(he trained where Jack Smolenski, Jim Dalgety etc would follow), Harold Logan then won 8 of his next 10 starts and became a hero horse.

Besides winning two New Zealand Cups and driving Addington crowds into frenzies of enthusiasms with some amazing performances he had a personality few horses could match. He won the NZ Free-For-All as a fourteen-year-old and was lucky to have a hair in his tail when he finally made it back to his stall. The crowd just went berserk.

But Fred Legge watched his charge's progress in despair from his little hut near Duntroon. After racing an unplaced horse at Forbury one day in 1930, unable to pay even his travel bills and broken hearted over Harold Logan, he went to bed, put two extra pillows behind his head and shot himself.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed May 2016

HORSES

REGINA LOGAN

Regina Logan (1924 Logan Pointer-Regina de Oro), NZ family of Regina; unraced; 14 foals, 10 winners. Breeder: James Duffy, Winton. Foals bred by : M Duffy, Winton (Regina Derby); J M McTavish, Winton (Southern Smile); all other foals bred by Miss Julia Cuffs, Weedons.

Yet another classic winner producing mare whose sire was Logan Pointer. Regina Logan's sire Logan Pointer (1909) left 191 winners including Harold Logan (Two NZ Cups, three NZFFA's) with broodmare credits of three Inter Dominion (ID) Champions in Logan Derby, grand Mogul and Springfield Globe. Logan Pointer was leading sire on seven occasions in NZ.

Dam Regina de Oro was by Copa de Oro who died after one season in NZ (sired Rey de Oro in North America) from Regina Belle (NZMTC President's Hcp). Her dam sire was Bellman, an Australian bred trotter of imported parents who sired 47 winners (30 pacers, 17 trotters) including Bell Car (Easter Hcp), Bell Fashion (Timaru Cup). His broodmare credits included the very speedy Native Chief (NZ Derby, NZFFA). Bellman's daughters included Rita Bell (family of Delightful Lady), kola Bell (family of Sheza Mona) and Bellflower (family of Stanley Rio). Regina Belle left good pacer Logan Chief (NZFFA, Dunedin, Canterbury Hcp, Easter Hcp twice, winner of 23 races from 178 starts, to 31/7/1930 held records for gelding for 1m, 1¼m, 1½m) and his half sister Wild Queen was grand dam of Grand Mogul and 5th dam of Black Watch. Regina de Oro's daughter's included Regina Pointer- grand dam of Garry Dillon and descendant in Honkin Vision.

The family of Regina was founded in Southland and has become well established in Australia. Standout descendants include - Garry Dillon (NZ/ Waikato Cups, CF Mark Memorial), Nicky's Falcon (Redcliffe Cup, raced until 14 years old in Queensland), Honkin Vision ($½m, NZSS-2c/3, NZ C/S-2/3, Flying Stakes-3, Junior FFA), Bruce Hall (ID Pacing Consolation), Trusty Scot (NZ Cup/ FFA, Kaikoura Cup, Ashburton Flying Stakes, ID ht), Grand Mogul (ID Pacing ht/final, Louisson/ Easter Hcps).

Regina Logan's fillies included:

1. Pola Negri, a mare of 14.1 hands, was a winner on five occasions. She left daughters who bred on including:
- Ardour, left Dourglo (Geraldine/ Wyndham Cups)
- Ballyhaunis, left Jennifer: descendants Post Dated Vance (Leonard Memorial, Delightful Lady Classic) and Seafield Princess, ancestress of Seafield Hanover (GN Oaks), Letucerockthem (I:52.1, APG-2c, NSW Breeders Challenge-2c/3c), Letucerocku (1:52.6).
- Clontarf bred on.

2. Dalgan Park - descendants through Dalgan Hall, include numerous Australian winners predominantly Tasmanian, Laradoc (ID ht), Bravado Vale (ID Trot Consolation).

3. Promise Me, unraced, bred on with a leading descendant being good trotter Silver Wheels (Rhodes Mile Trot). Southern Smile, reached good company winning the James Hcp at Forbury among her eleven victories. She was one of the first 100 2:10 pacers in NZ (2:08.8 10furs 1936/7. She failed to produce any foals. Voloma, whose Invercargill Cup win at six came from her only start that season. She recorded four earlier wins but failed to produce other than one foal (Native Chief) who was unraced due to injury. Like Southern Smile, by Adioo Guy who left many fine breeding producers, these two mares failed to breed on.

4. Two Crosses, in-bred to Copa de Oro 2/3 was unraced. She was dam of:
- Master Scott, sire of several Australian winners and descendants Teramby Time (NSWSS-3f), Kyalla Mary (NSWSS-2f)
- True Glory, dam of Gay Baron (Riccarton/ Queens Birthday Stakes-3, Rangiora/ CPTC Winter Cups), Rapine (Hawera Cup); 3rd dam of Wickliffe (Golden Slipper/ Oamaru Juvenile-2)

Regina Logan's male progeny included two good juveniles:

Southern Chief, winner of the inaugural Futurity Stakes that became the Timaru Nursery-2 in 1936. An offer of £1,000 was refused shortly after this victory. Of his twelve wins, five were as a six-year-old including Methven Cup, Oamaru President Handicap and Canterbury Handicap. He was used as a sire.

Walter Moore, half brother of Southern Chief, was a good juvenile pacer by Quite Sure. He won his division (two run) of 1940 Timaru Nursery-2 at his first start. In doing so he established a NZ 2YO Pacers mile record of 2:10.8. This stood as the two-year-old standing start record for thirty years (2:07.0, Lumber 1970). His four wins at three included Ashburton All Aged Stakes and NZ Futurity. His final two victories came at four at Forbury and he was unsuccessful over the next four seasons before being retired.

Other minor winners from Regina Logan were - Regina Derby, won one race at Winton JC before fracturing a leg working around roads; Southland, full brother to Southern Chief (Wrack) was the winner of five races at Auckland, Christchurch and Greymouth (3 wins); Luck Ahead, won 3 (Hawera, South Canterbury JC, FPTC); Southern Way's only win came at first start as a three-year-old at Westland; Honest Truth was a winner at Greymouth.

Credit: Peter Craig writing in Harnessed Feb 2015

HORSES

REALM

Realm, who figures in a number of NZ pedigrees today, was bred by Mr T W McMahon, of Kurrajong, NSW, in the memorable year of 1914; Realm was a great performer both in NSW and NZ, but rather a disappointment as a sire. An odd winner by him occasionally crops up in NSW and Victoria. In NZ he was represented by Shadowland, winner of the NZ Derby (1926); Regime, and Royal Serene. The latter had records of 2.12 1/5 and 4.36 1/5. In addition to winning the Derby in 3.27 2/5, Shadowland was successful over two miles.

One of Realm's greatest performances was in 1924, when from a flying start in a Free-For-All he paced the mile in 2.03 4/5, being beaten a length by Acron. A couple of days prior to his sensational mile, Realm, off 72yds had run fourth to Sheik (36yds), Great Hope (24yds), and Taraire (48yds) in the 1924 NZ Cup. Of these four Realm's time of 4.24 3/5 was the fastest.

During August, 1922, soon after he reached NZ, Realm won twice in 4.32 4/5 and 4.26 4/5. He was also successfully placed in other races of varying distances, including a win over 10 furlongs in 2.44. On December 5, 1925, Realm ran second off 72yds to Great Bingen (108yds) in 4.29 1/5. Great Bingen's time was 4.25 4/5 and three lengths separated them.

In NSW he was also a good winner, and put up a winning record of 2.13 in a mile race at Victoria Park in 1922. Hoplessly left, he was credited with running the last half in under a minute. Driven by P Riddle, Realm, then raced by Mr J Barrett, won a division at Harold Park (then Epping) in 2.37 1/2, equal to a mile rate of 2.20. Subsequently he won at Victoria Park in 3.35, 3.31 and 2.53, but probably his best long-distance performance in Australia was his second to Box Seat at Victoria Park in 1922. The latter was on 140yds and Realm on 90yds, and the verdict was a yard. Box Seat averaged 2.13 1/2 for two miles and Realm better than 2.16.

In his racing career Realm was credited with winning over £4500 in stakes. Though his full-brother, Childe Wood, was a great success as a sire, Realm, a mighty racehorse, was a comparative failure.

Credit: 'Old Timer' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 24May50

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Owner, Trainer, Driver Peter Riddle with Mrs Riddle

1924 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

The 1924 Cup Meeting brought together a number of fine performances, with individual highlights being recorded by the likes of Acron, Great Bingen, Great Hope, the imported Jack Potts, the 3-year-old Kohara and the trotting mare Nikora, who downed a field of 17 in the Dominion.

The Cup itself was another triumph for Australia, with Sheik, owned, trained and driven by Sydney's Peter Riddle, stalling off the game bid of the little Great Hope and Andy Bryce, who was the third member of his family to drive in the race. Riddle was a fine horseman and had been competing with success for a decade at Addington, where he had a team of six at this time.

Sheik was among them, having arrived the previous season, and his form was such that he was favourite along with Acron, both appearing well handicapped on 36 yards.

Great Bingen, in his first attempt at the Cup, was given 72 yards however and owner John McKenzie was so unhappy that he withdrew him, only to then watch Acron go the wrong way at the start.

Acron, who won the Free-For-All on the second day in Australasian record time for the mile of 2:03 3/5, was to be the beginning of a long history of disappointments for the McKenzie family in the great race.

**Credit - New Zealand HRWeekly 8Oct 2003**

The seven-year-old stallion Sheik became the third Australian-bred horse, after Durbar(1908) and Adelaide Direct(1917), to win the New Zealand Cup. Only two more Stanley Rio(1976) and Steel Jaw(1983), have followed.

Sheik's victory was a popular one because he had shown himself to be a top-class horse. He was well supported, being the second favourite after Acron. Betting on the race reached £17,000, with Acron and Sheik carrying half of the invested sum.

Sheik's sire Bonnie Chief was by Chieftain from Clare, by Childe Harold. Francesca, his dam, was by Franz from Phoebe, both by Vancleve. John Cameron, of Moree in New South Wales, bred Sheik and was on the course to see the horse win. Sheik had been leased to trainer Peter Riddle, who in the previous year had bought the horse outright when Cameron disposed of his racing stock. Riddle was Sydney-based and had his first experience of Addington racing in 1914, when he unsuccessfully campaigned a team at the Cup meeting.

In the 1923-24 season Sheik was campaigned in New Zealand and from six starts had two wins, two seconds, a third and a fourth. Riddle had six horses in training at Addington for this meeting and Sheik, because of his good form the previous season, was always one of the favoured candidates after the handicapper had set h9im on 36 yards. One owner far from satisfied with the 60-yard handicap given his horse, Great Bingen, was J R McKenzie. McKenzie withdrew Great Bingen from the race. He was left with his other representative, race favourite Acron, but the horse whipped around at the start and was out of the race.

The outstanding mare Onyx was handicapped on the back mark of 84 yards in the 12-horse field. She had won the August Handicap and National Cup from 72 yards in August and earned her impostion. However, Onyx was always too far back in the fast-run race to have any chance. First Carbine, like Acron, lost his chance at the start. Paul Default, from the front, led out, and was followed by Blue Mountain King, Great Hope, Tatsy Dillon and Sheik. After a mile Sheik took the lead, and entered the last lap ahead of Realm, Great Hope, Taraire and Vilo. Taraire and Great Hope, the Bryce pair, closed on Sheik nearing the home bend and Taraire looked the likely winner. However, Sheik shook him off and then withstood a secod challenge, from Great Hope, eventually winning by a length from Great Hope, with two lengths to Taraire. Then came Realm (who went a fine race for Bill Tomkinson from 72 yards), Vilo, Tatsy Dillon, Paul Default, Alto Chimes, Blue Mountain King, Onyx, Acron and First Carbine. The Auckland pair, Blue Mountain King (who had won the 1923 Auckland Cup) and First Carbine, were disappointing. Blue Mountain King and Realm were by Ribbonwood and were bred in Australia.

Only one saddle race was programmed on the first day, with these events gradually being phased out in favour of sulky racing. Although Addington's betting had peaked, the club kept faith with it's many owners and trainers and offered £15,450 in stakes over the three days. Racing on the second and third days was exceptional, with Acron, Great Hope, Great Bingen, Jack Potts, Kohara and Nikora providing the highlights. Acron, who failed completely in the Cup, gave a great display of pacing, winning the Free-For-All in a record 2:03.6, beating the previous best Australasian time of 2:04.2, set by Happy Voyage against time. Realm was second and Logan Chief third. Great Hope won the Courtenay Handicap in a record race-winning time of 4:24.4 from Sheik, and capped a fine meeting when he won the final event, the Spring Handicap. Great Hope started from 60 yards and paced the mile in 2:07.8. From the three races at the meeting the Bryce star performer recorded two wins and a second.

Great Bingen, heavily backed, won the Hagley Handicap on Cup Day and Jack Kennerley reappeared with his budding champion in the Christchurch Handicap on the final day. Already on a 72-yard handicap, Great Bingen was just beaten into third by Vilo and Dolly Dillon.

Jack Potts won the Metropolitan Handicap and then the Victoria Handicap, recording his fourth victory in nine months. The American-bred stallion became one of New Zealand's most successful sires. For nine seasons in succession (1937-38 to 1945-46) he was leading sire.

In his first outing as a three-year-old, Kohara won the Australasian Handicap. The previous June, Kohara had won the 1923 Sapling Stakes at Ashburton. He proved his juvenile form was the promise of better things to come when he won the 1927 New Zealand Cup for James Bryce. Nikora, an aged mare, won the Dominion Handicap from 16 others.

The horses did not take all the limelight at the 1924 carnival. Andrew Bryce became the third member of the Bryce family to sit behind a NZ Cup contender, taking the drive behind Great Hope. Owner George Barton had the pleasure of seeing his Bell Harold win the St Albans Handicap on Cup Day. Barton's name was to appear 10 times on top of the owners'list between the years 1927-28 and 1937-38 - unquestionably he was one of the most successful owners in New Zealand harness racing history.

The opening event on the third day was the Governor's Handicap for trotters. A youthful Maurice Holmes, then only 16, drove Wonder Why, from the 60-yard mark, into third place, but he had to wait a little longer for his first success.

**Credit - Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1924 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Another New Zealand Trotting Cup has been decided and the spoils are with the Australian horse Sheik. The field paraded in the best of condition and nothing had it on the winner for looks. He was an absolute picture.

Acron was a hot favorite, but he whipped around at the start and took practically no part m the race. He had a cobber in First Carbine, who was very mulish and refused to go off. With half the journey covered Riddle took the lead with Sheik, and that, was the beginning of the end. Realm made a dab going out of tha straight the last time, but he was done with at the far turn. This left Taraire and Great Hope to chase the leader, but they had no chance, and Riddle landed his horse home a winner by a length and a quarter. It was a very popular win, and when Sheik took charge, with a mile to go, the huge crowd started to applaud.

What would have happened had Acron gone away with his field is hard to say, but he must, have made matters interesting. Onyx was not herself, and as a consequence did not run as well as she might have. Great Hope, last year's winner, made a fine effort in the straight, but he could not get to the winner. On the far bend Taraire appeared a possibility, but he could not sustain his run.

The time was exceptionally good, the full distance taking 4min 25 4/5sec. The first mile took 2min 14sec, and the mile and a half 3min 22sec. The last half was run in lmin 3 4/5sec, an extraordinarily fine time.

Credit: NZ Truth 15 Nov 1924

PEOPLE

JACK 'SONNY" TRENGROVE

When two Dunedin butchery partners decidedly to separately get into harness racing in the 1920's the results were astonishing.

One won the New Zealand Cup with his first starter in any trotting race, a unique feat. The other was the first owner to win three NZ Trotting Cups. Together they won four New Zealad Trotting Cups in 13 years and ran another six placings.

Jack "Sonny" Trengrove and George Barton were partners in Dunedin's biggest butchers shop, sited in the Octagon. Both started off racing gallopers and, in Barton's case, continued to do so. Long before Australians started paying big money for our top horses Trengrove and Barton were big spenders. In September, 1923 Trengrove paid £2000 - a million dollars today - for two horses, Alto Chimes and Great Hope.

It was money well spent. Trengrove, who had a number of successful gallopers, set a thus far unique record in the 1923 NZ Cup won by Great Hope. The little chestnut horse was driven by the then youngest driver to win the race, 21-year-old Jimmy Bryce jnr, but more incredibly it was the first time Trengrove's colours had been carried in a pacing race.

"I am delighted. Wouldn't you be it you won the Cup the first time your colours were unfurled?" Sonny asked the media. One cheeky reporter noted that "although his present condition of obesity would seem to belie it, Jack Trengove was a star of the Heathcote Valley rugby team in his earlier years". The portly butcher was also a steward of both the Forbury Park and Otago Hunt Clubs.

Great Hope was placed in two further Cups (Alto Chimes ran in one of them) and helped break new ground when, at Trengrove's insistence, he travelled all the way to Perth for the Pacing Championship, the first attempt to get an Inter-Dominion series off the ground. Great Hope won the three heat series by one point winning over £1000 for Trengrove who travelled to the meeting. The butchery business survived a huge fire in 1921 and grew even larger but Trengrove sold out in 1926 to follow his horses.

Great Hope, the best 3-year-old of his era, was originally owned by breeder Robert McMillan of Santa Rosa stud in Halswell - the Nevele R of its time - who was killed in a spectacular crash between a car and the southbound express at Templeton which also severely injured his great friend Eugene McDermott. The horse was then bought by Hawera's Joe Corrigan for £1000. Great Hope was slightly disappointing at four and Corrigan - not entirely for racing reasons - sold him on to Trengrove after the August National meeting, the horse remaining with James Bryce.

Young Bryce gave Great Hope the run of the race and he beat the first 4-year-old to run in the Cup, Acron, which would have won had he gone away.

George Barton was also a self-made man having started out as a butcher's apprentice. Uniquely, at the height of his racing fame he employed private trainers on both sides of the Tasman - a thoroughbred one in Victoria (where he had Group 1 winners) and a standardbred one in Christchurch. After the freak death of his long time harness trainer and advisor, Tomkinson, Barton bought the trainer's Derby Lodge stable and set up "Tomkys" foreman, Claude Dunleavy, in his place, with Mrs Tomkinson being allowed to live in the house.

Like Trengrove, Barton had a unique racing record. He won eight successive owner premierships in harness racing in the 1930's. The in 1938-9 was the leading thoroughbred owner in the country, a dual code feat never equalled and unlikely to ever be. He had retired from Otago's best known butchery in 1936.

Barton, a fearless punter, especially in Australia, was direct and could be ruthless. Six hours before the 1937 New Zealand Cup in which he had three runners Barton sacked trainer Dunleavy (who later went to Roydon Lodge), Tempest running third in the event for the stable with Doug Watts in the cart. Southland's Jim Walsh was (Briefly) given the horses. Dunlevy had won £23,000 in stakes for the owner in the previous three years and twice had three Cup runners the same year for him, a record which endures to this day. Barton gradually returned to thoroughbreds for his major interest though he retained his interest in trotters. His high class galloper Ark Royal was principally responsible for his leading owner status in the thoroughbred world.

Barton, who gave up his Australian galloping stable over a case on suspicious running once pointed out that at a country gallops meeting in Victoria he had won three races worth £90 but won £2000 in betting on them. In December 1934 Barton caused a sensation when resigning from the Forbury Park Trotting Club on apparent health grounds - and a "recent unpleasant incident" - which referred to a Stewards inquiry into the running of his horse, Tempest, which had earlier sensationally beaten the pacing star War Bouy ending his 9 winning streak.

Barton would nor accept his horses were not run entirely on their merits. He bought and raced stars like Free Advice, Subsequent Inter-Dominion champion, Grand Mogul, Nelson Derby, Lapland, Cloudy Range and many others.

However, Barton's greatest triumph was buying subsequent triple NZ Cup winner Indianapolis from Harry Nicoll in the depths of the Depression. Tomkinson trialled him and declared him a bargain "the greatest pacer ever foaled" at £500. It seemed a remarkable price considering what Sonny Trengrove had parted with for Great Hope a decade before. The Indianapolis story is an amazing one and owner Barton remains one of only two men to have individually owned three New Zealand Cup winners. Indianapolis's public image would dwarf most modern "superstars". Newspapers devoted entire articles to him just standing in a box recovering from injury. Had Tomkinson lived there is no doubt Indianapolis would have been our first 2 minute miler.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 31Oct12

PEOPLE

ROBERT McMILLAN

A fatal collision between the West Coast express and a car at Hornby was a front page story early in 1923. Added to the sensation was that Robert McMillan, the car passenger killed, owned the Santa Rosa Farm in Halswell, then the country's most successful Harness stud.

Champion stallion Harold Dillon, and horses like Great Audobon, Nelson Bingen, Brent Locanda and Petereta most of which produced at least one champion, made up the roster. They had made McMillan, who had personally selected many of them, a wealthy man. The driver of the car, severely injured, was his great friend Eugene McDermott, also of Halswell and regarded as the leading non professional horseman in the country.

Canadian-born of Scottish stock, McMillan had worked for a leading American trainer, John Blant for many years before coming to New Zealand and making his way as a trainer, ultimately at Santa Rosa on Nicholls Rd opposite the Halswell Hotel. McMillan had also struck gold when he bought Great Audobon, the first son of the legendary Peter The Great to win a trotting race in New Zealand. He also won as a pacer before siring the NZ Cup winner, Great Hope, with which McMillan won the Great Northern Derby at his first start (1921) before selling on.

McMillan struck up a close association with Etienne Le Lievre of Akaroa who stood his best stallion imports, usually selected by McMillan, at Santa Rosa. At the time of his death McMillan was described as "a real man and one ready to do a good turn to anyone who was a trier". The two Macs, McDermott being of strong Irish stock, had taken a late afternoon drive to Yaldhurst to inspect American imports based with Ben Jarden, one being the later famous stallion Jack Potts.

Soon after McMillan's burial at St Mary's church in Halswell, Santa Rosa was sold to trainer Albert Hendrikson from Templeton and it gradually lost its lustre as a commercial stud, later being used for training by Charles Cameron and others before housing took it over.

McMillan's death had exposed an embarrassing situation in his private life. In 1914, in his late 40's, he had married Madge Green, 24, who had borne him three children in four years. However the marriage broke down and McMillan was ordered by the court on his wife's petition in 1921 to restore her rights, after she was banished from the house. Great Hope's sale may have been part of the settlement because she did not appear in his will, his estate being valued at a considerable £13,000. The children had been cared for by Madge's sister, Miriam, and that apparently continued to be the case after his death. His only son, Peter, later returned to Canada and one of his two sisters died in Arizona.

Eugene Clement McDermott was the son of a professional trainer, John McDermott, originally from Doyleston but based for some years in Domain Terrace. He shifted to Junction Road in Halswell after World War 1 where the family farmed for over 80 years. Eugene, who operated as a stock dealer from an early age, and as a farmer based in Tankerville Road, was a leading trackwork rider at Addington when that was popular and a champion saddle trot race rider on horses like Vilo, Capriccio, Schnapps and Cora Dillon, all trained by his father, besides a host of outside rides. However he resisted pressure to become a professional until late in life for special reasons and never trained a big team.

After the Hornby tragedy McDermott said he would give up owning racehorses and while in later years he relented it was usually only in special cases such as the trotter Garner which he bought for £16 and won many races includig a clean sweep of the features at an Auckland Cup meeting. Ironically it was the death of another close friend, the country's leading trainer, Bill Tomkinson which propelled MsDermott back into the headlines.

Tomkinson suffered minor injuries falling from a drum securing a float door as the team left for Auckland in 1934. Sent home from hospital apparently fit and well he became seriously ill and died within days triggering the biggest Christchurch funeral of the year. The cortege procession was a mile long. McDermott, a pallbearer, had also raced gallopers with Tomkinson and his young son, Jim.

He took over driving the Tomkinson star Indianapolis that year. They won the 1934 NZ Cup but "Mac's" most memorable triumph was with the champion in an odds-on win at Addington the same year. After less than 200m before a very large Addington crowd the hot favourite broke a hopple. Normally he would have been pulled up but Indianapolis seemed to be only keener with the flapping hopple so McDermott decided to let him run for the public's money. The result was a famous hour in Addington history. Indianapolis never missed a beat. He won easily and paced the last 2400m in 3:08.8 - then two seconds inside the national record for that distance and a theoretical world record. McDermott was cheered "to the echo" by grateful punters.

In the 1937 Cup his own luck ran out when he fell from the sulky of Colonel Grattan with about 800m to run, suffering a fatal heart attack. He had told friends before the race if he was leading at that stage Colonel Grattan would win. His son, also Eugene, was taken out of school to help run the family farm.

Later a prominent owner and highly regarded administrator, he had played rugby for Canterbury in the war years. One of his sons, John, also an Addington administrator (his brother Maurice is a stalwart of Banks Peninsula) is now a licensed trainer - like both his great grandfather, 100 years ago and his grandfather. The McMillan racing tradition died that fateful day at Hornby but the McDermott legacy lives on.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 1May13

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1923 NEW ZEALAND CUP

Another Cup has come and gone and this year it went to the favorite, Great Hope, who was sold some time back to the Dunedin owner, Sonny Trengrove, who made his first appearance as an owner of a light harness horse.

Ever since the National meeting Great Hope has been in the market, as the majority of people thought he would improve considerably on his August efforts. So he did, but this scribe is not going to suggest that the improvement was not the result of his races and there was nothing not all square about it. Right here let it be said that after seeing the Cup run and won by Great Hope, this scribe thinks that, though he was unplaced, the pony Taraire is to-day the best pacer in the Dominion. Well, what happened to him on Tuesday? Nothing more or less than that it failed to leave the mark and lost about three seconds. Afterwards he went a good race, but turned it up when pursuit was hopeless.

Now for the race. The bracket was a good favorite and both Great Hope and Tamaire stripped well; so did the second favorite, Acron, but he is a young horse and many were afraid of him at the peg. Early in the day his trainer told Owner J. R. McKcnzic that he had every hope that the bay would be tractable at the peg. but though he was not very bad, still he was on his toes and the assistant starter took hold of him after he had been giving trouble, but at Kennerley's request he let him go again.

When the word was given Great Hope was in his stride like a flash, whlle Paul Dufault dwelt and so did Acron, Whispering Willie and Turaire. Great Hope led to the stand, when he was steadied, and Paul Dufault led him and a bunched field, which was tailed by Taraire. Down the back stretch Paul Dufault was going very fast and tho driver of Great Hope was using him as a wind shield, while none of the rear rank could head them off. As they went into tho straight Vilo and Onyx were noticed putting in good work but the leading positions were unchanged. With half a mile to go Great Hope ran past Paul Dufault and down the back it looked like a stroll for the winner, but as they swept into the straight Acron who had been snowed in most of the way, Vito and Onyx started after the leader.

In a good finish ihe handsome chestnut held his own and won by a length from Acron with the consistent but unlucky Onyx in third p!ace. Then came Willie Lincoln and the Oamaru horse, Albert Cling. With five furlongs to go Snowshoe when well placed, left his feet and Tompkinson got a heavy fall but luckily, was not hurt. It was considered in some quarters that Acron was unlucky and he might have been, but this scribe will not have that the best horse did not win. He never put a toe wrong the whole way and young Bryce deserves every credit for the wry he drove the winner. It was a case of his father over again at his very best. Snowshoe has all along been giving trouble and probably he hit himself when he fell, as certainty nothing in the race interfered with the Aussie.


Credit: NZ Truth 10 Nov 1923

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Great Hope with J Bryce Jnr after the 1923 NZ Cup

1923 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

As the first two decades of Cup competition closed there was a changing of the guards of sorts when Great Hope led home the unlucky Acron, the first 4-year-old to contest the race, in the hands of James Bryce Jnr, who at 21 remains the youngest reinsman to win the Cup, along with Allan Holmes.

In a fine field, they were followed in by Onyx, Willie Lincoln, Albert Cling, Trix Pointer and the winner's stablemate Taraire, the backmarker on 48 yards.

Initially raced by his breeder Robert McMillan and then Joe Corrigan, Great Hope had only been owned for three months by Dunedin sportsman J Trengrove.

He went on to be placed in the next two Cups and was also runner-up to stablemate Taraire in the forerunner to the Inter-Dominion Championship in Perth.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 1Oct2003

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Great Hope, always well-placed and well-driven by James Bryce junior, held out the four-year-old Acron after a great contest. Bryce, only 21 years nine months, was by far the youngest driver to win a New Zealand Cup, a record he held until 1932, when Allan Holmes, 21 years one month, piloted Harold Logan to victory.

Bracketmates Great Hope and Taraire were the race favourites. The latter, the top money-winner from the previous season, scored a dashing win in the King George Handicap at Addington in August, posting 4:29.6, and qualified within the limit of 4:30. But Taraire was badly treated by the handicapper and shared the back mark of 48 yards with Vilo. As it turned out, Taraire began badly and never showed up during the running.

Great Hope raced three times in August. Earlier in the three-day National meeting he raced prominently in the August and King George Handicaps, but failed to see out the distance, fading in the last 100 yards. In the National Cup on the final day he improved to run third behind Alto Chimes and Onyx.

From the start Bryce positioned Great Hope, from his 12-yard handicap, in behind the leader Paul Default, and they were followed most of the way by Trix Pointer, Vilo, Albert Cling and Willie Lincoln. Snowshoe fell when mixing her gait in the back straight the first time and dislodged Bill Tomkinson. In the back straight the last time Paul Default and Great Hope were driven clear, while Onyx made a forward move and Acron moved up fast on the rails. At the tanks Bryce sent Great Hope away in the lead, and he turned for home on his own, finally winning in 4:31.4 by a length from the fast-finishing and unlucky Acron. Then followed Onyx, Willie Lincoln, Albert Cling, Trix Pointer and Taraire.

Great Hope, a five-year-old, was by the American sire Great Audubon, from Sadie Dillon. He was raced early in his career by his breeder, Robert McMillan, of the Santa Rosa Stud, where Great Audubon stood at a fee of £15 15s. At three, Great Hope was the best of his age, winning the Great Northern Derby at Auckland and the New Zealand Derby at New Brighton. Between these winning runs, McMillan died and the horse passed to Joe Corrigan, a patron of the Bryce stable. After the August meeting, where Great Hope proved disappointing, he was sold again, this time to the Dunedin sportsman, J Trengrove. When presented with the Cup by the Governor-General, Lord Jellicoe, Trengrove expressed his jubilation and good fortune at having owned a horse for only three months and in that time having him win the country's most prestigious race.

Acron was the first four-year-old to contest the New Zealand Cup, but, like so many other extremely good four-year-olds who followed him into the race, the win eluded him. Acron possessed brilliant speed and stamina and for 10 years held the record mile time in New Zealand of 2:03.6. The outstanding youngster of his time, winning the Great Northern and New Zealand Derbies, Acron was the last qualifier for the 1923 New Zealand Cup, winning the Islington Handicap, the last race on the final day of the August meeting, with a superlative performance. He started from 72 yards and beat 17 others to record a time of 4:29.8.

Slow away in the Cup and a long way back early, Acron gradually improved and at the end of the first mile took a place on the inside, at the back of the first group. That proved to be a bad decision because Jack Kennerley could not clear Acron until the race was all but over, though he put in a tremendous run for second. Such bad luck was to dog owner J R McKenzie and his son Roy, who, despite every effort, have failed to land a New Zealand Cup. Yet, between them the McKenzie's have won every other important race on the harness racing calendar and have been leading owners 18 times. J R McKenzie headed the owners' list for the first time in the 1925-26 season.

Acron and Onyx (who ran her usual honest race for third) were by Free Holmes' imported stallion Logan Pointer, then standing alongside his other American import, Rey de Oro, at his Upper Riccarton Stud. Both were successful sires, but Logan Pointer more so. Logan Pointer, foaled in 1909 and imported in 1915, did not race in New Zealand and was first represented on the sires' list in 1918-19. For six seasons, from 1922-23 until 1927-28, and again in 1930-31, he was the country's top sire. Unfortunately, Logan Pointer met a premature end, in 1924, in the prime of his stud duty, when he was kicked by a pony and had to be destroyed. In all, he sired 187 individual winners. His greatest son, without doubt, was pacing idol Harold Logan. Other outstanding performers, in addition to Onyx and Acron, were Prince Pointer, Jewel Pointer, Logan Chief, Cardinal Logan, Logan Park, Native Chief and the trotter Trampfast.

On the second day of the 1923 meeting some excellent performances were recorded by several young horses, none more so than the victory by Logan Chief in the New Zealand Free-For-All, beating Great Hope and Happy Voyage. Logan Chief was one of the stars of the early part of the season, recording three wins and two minor placings from five starts.

Kennerley must have been the envy of most trainers at this time, with Logan Chief, Acron and rising champion Great Bingen in his Belfast stable. But even with this powerful trio, Kennerley trailed James Bryce at the end of the season. Bryce trained 24 winners and drove 28. Kennerley, with 16½ training and the same number of driving successes, was runner-up.

A cold easterly made the third day unpleasant. Don Wild, a free-legged pacer, won the Christchurch Handicap from Tatsy Dillon and Trix Pointer. Don Wild continued his good form after this meeting and by the end of the season was the top money-winner with £3202. Free-legged pacers have been a rarity on racetracks in New Zealand and few have made top company. There have been exceptions - Young Irvington, Don Wild, Lawn Derby, Robalan and Final Decision all raced 'without straps' and made it to the top level.

Native King, a son of Nelson Bingen and Norice, won the Dominion Handicap in race-record time of 4:37.2. Native King was a brother to Nelson Derby, sire of Haughty.

The betting at Addington over the three days was £210,436, a decrease of £11,000 on the previous year. The trend continued, as interest, it seemed, had peaked at Addington. Patrons at the track in 1923 were greeted with extentions to the steward's stand. However, the purchase by the club of a large property on Riccarton Road and the proposed transfer of operations away from Addington were much-discussed topics at this time. The Riccarton project never went ahead, although substantial plans were drawn up. Significantly, the track was designed to run clockwise, the opposite way to Addington. The Riccarton land was sold some years later, and it seems that harness racing in Christchurch will forever have its headquarters at Addington




Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

PEOPLE

Joseph Oller (Josep Oller i Roca, in Catalan) (Terrassa, 1839 – Paris, 1922) was a Spanish Catalan entrepreneur who lived in Paris for most of his life. He founded the famous cabaret Moulin Rouge and was the inventor of the parimutuel betting.


Joseph Oller.[edit] Biography Born in Terrassa, Catalonia,(Spain), Joseph Oller emigrated to France with his family as a child. Later, he moved back to Spain to study at the university in Bilbao. There, he became fond of cockfighting and started his career as a bookmaker.

Once in Paris, in 1867, Joseph Oller invented a new method of wagering, which he named Pari Mutuel (French for Parimutuel betting). He successfully introduced his system at French race tracks. Nonetheless, in 1874, Joseph Oller was sentenced to fifteen days in prison and fined for operating illegal gambling. Later, in 1891, the French authorities legalised his system and banned fixed-odds betting. Quickly, Oller’s Pari Mutuel spread across most race tracks around the world, but the method was operationalised in engineered systems like that of the automatic totalisator, invented by George Alfred Julius.

From 1876, Joseph Oller focused his attention on the entertainment industry. First he opened various auditoriums and venues: Fantaisies Oller, La Bombonnière, Théâtre des Nouveautés, Nouveau Cirque and the Montagnes Russes. But it was in 1889, when he inaugurated the famous Moulin Rouge. Four years later, he opened the first Parisian music-hall: Paris Olympia.

He was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery.



Credit: Wikipedia