 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1937
HORSES
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
YEAR: 1937
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1937 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP
Lap Prizes Must Never Be Repeated
The majority of light-harness followers expect the contest for the New Zealand Cup to be a real race - something worth going a long way to see and something to remember. This year, as a spectacle, it was almost a farce and only worth remembering when clubs are considering classes and conditions for big races in the future. Last week's Cup should see the end of lap prizes, with time restrictions, and the finish of big fields in events where class is supposed to be the dominant feature.
The only description to do the event justice is to say it was a crazy, dusty scramble, with luck playing an outsize part in preventing a serious accident. Those who opposed the 4.28 limit from the outset - and "Truth" strongly criticised the failure to tighten the class - had their opposition well justified, the results proved that the unweildy field ruined the Cup for contestants and spectators.
Interference was rife throughout, and altogether it was a race that gave cause for a great deal of reflection. The first mile and a half was nothing short of a shambles. It is doubtful if many were looking to win the lap prizes, but because a few set out with thnat object in view, the rest of the field was scrambling all the way, trying either to get into decent positions, or out of trouble, and more often than not getting neither.
In "Truth's" opinion those who supported the Auckland bracket, King's Warrior and Bonny Azure, had no reason to feel pleased with the tactics employed. King's Warrior was the popular selection of this pair, but there is little doubt that he was solidly supported in the belief that Bonny Azure formed a strong second string and was a possibility to finish in the money. In our opinion, the manner in which she was driven deprived the public of an expected strong second string. Slowly away, she was rushed to the front and driven into the ground. To "Truth" it appeared as if she were in the field for no other reason than to win the lap prizes. This she did. But to gain the lap money she forfeited any chance she had of winning or being in the money.
The tactics employed with Bonny Azure supplied the greatest argument yet advanced in favour of the abolition of lap prizes. The public support horses to win or be placed, but if the public cash is to be sacrificed in this manner it is time the lap prizes were forgotten.
It would be foolish to suggest the Bonny Azure was not driven to win the New Zealand Cup. At the same time few will suggest that she was driven in a manner calculated to win the New Zealand Cup, and that is not a state of affairs that should be invited again by the Metropolitan Club.
The dust was terrific. It was almost impossible to recognise other than the leaders, and those horses well back in the handicaps raced in a cloud of dust, with most drivers 'flying blind.' The size of the field, coupled with the dust was responsible for a great deal of interference taking place, and for the accident that put King's Warrior and Indianapolis out of the race. In the thick of the dust, Fred Smith appeared to put King's Warrior where there was not sufficient room for him, the result being that that pacer hit Graham Direct's sulky and fell, stopping Indianapolis and interfering with Graham Direct and De Soto. Scarcely a horse covered the full distance without meeting some trouble, either major or minor.
Over the final furlong the majority of the field was like a swamp hen's tail - going up and down in the one place - and Lucky Jack was the only one which could raise anything like a sprint home. He was the lucky one in the scramble but he deserved his victory. Owner Bill Lowe is one of our best sportsmen, and the win was popular. Gamble was a tired horse in second place, with Tempest, reserved for a final dash, third. De Soto was fourth, followed by Bonny Azure the only other one within photographic range of the winner.
The second horse was unlucky. He was forced to cover a ton of extra ground from the start, and with a better run he would have won, but he was a very tired horse when he left his feet a chain from the post. Tempest ran a good race, but De Soto was unlucky to run into trouble when King's Warrior fell. More patiently driven Bonny Azure might have won. War Buoy, which went to a tangle a furlong from home; Pot Luck, Reporter, Cloudy Range, Indianapolis, Graham Direct, King's Warrior and others returned to the birdcage with their tales of bad luck and woe attributed to the size of the field and the dust.
The track was watered after the Cup. Earlier in the day there was the promise of rain, and for that reason the watering waggons were not brought into action before the big event. The promise of rain, however, was not sufficient to settle the dust, and it appeared that those responsible erred badly in leaving things to nature.
Altogether, it was a most unsatisfactory contest - a crazy, dusty scramble - and "Truth" trusts that the conditions ruling this year will never be repeated.
Credit: NZ TRUTH 17 Nov 1937
YEAR: 1937
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Viscount Galway presents the Cup to Bill Lowe |
With Indianapolis back on 72 yards in a 16-horse field and given no chance the next year, particularly when his preparation was badly affected by a stone bruise, the Cup was a relatively tame affair as Lucky Jack won easily from fellow frontmarkers Gamble and Tempest.
Owned by his breeder Bill Lowe and driven by trainer Roy Berry, Lucky Jack was however a fine stayer in his own right and repeated two years later in a close and exciting finish over the stablemates Cantata and Blair Athol. He was unlucky not to match Indianapolis' feat, finishing a fine second in 1938 from 48 yards.
Roy Berry had ridden Sinapis to win the New Zealand Galloping Cup at Riccarton in 1913, equalling Free Holmes feat in that respect, and would win another Trotting Cup with Bronze Eagle in 1944, while the Lowe family had further success with Cairnbrae and Humphrey in the 60s.
Lucky Jack's second triumph was overshadowed though by the death of Eugene McDermott after leading with Colonel Grattan just two furlongs from home in the Cup. The popular horseman had shot clear in the backstraight, but fell from the sulky soon after and died on his way to hospital from the heart attack.
Credit: New Zealand HRWeekly 8Oct03