 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1951
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Cecil Devine hold the NZ Cup won by Van Dieman |
A pulsating finish in which Van Dieman, Johnny Globe and Young Charles charged across the line at neck intervals fully compensated Tuesday's dense crowd at Addington for the maudlin pace at which the first mile and a half of the NZ Cup was run.
As a staying test the 1951 contest was completely negated by the jogging tactics of the pacemakers for the first mile, run in 2:16 - the pity of this 'furious loitering' is that it probably made no difference to the result; Van Dieman's lightning run from the half-mile post to the finish in 58 3-5secs, and the high degree of courage he had to show to give Johnny Globe upwards of four lengths start over the final quarter gained him the fullest honours and the full-throated approval of the Addington public.
From whatever angle the race is viewed, Van Dieman deserved to win. On this occasion he did everything right from barrier rise, and even after making liberal allowances for some bad luck encountered by Young Charles, and a faulty beginning by Vedette, neither of them left the impression that they would have beaten Van Dieman on the day.
Vedette lost about 36 yards through tangling at the start, which increased his handicap to 72yds in the first furlong, and although the snails pace early enabled him to make up his loss without taking a great deal out of himself, he was a spent force a furlong from the post after making a fast run on the outer from the five furlongs - he finished sixth, several lengths from the winner. Young Charles would be regarded by many of his supporters as the hard-luck horse of the race. He put in a slight tangle at the start, losing about four lengths, and he was in a rear position practically all the way. Even coming round the home turn he only had three horses behind him, and his task looked hopeless at the distance, where Van Dieman was 'flat' in pursuit of Johnny Globe. At that stage Young Charles must have been standing up Van Dieman several lengths, and his effort to reduce this margin to less than a length was, to many, the outstanding feature of the race.
Real Scott took up the running from the start from Maori Home, Congo Song and Worthy Gold, but before the field had gone three furlongs Johnny Globe dashed up to the leaders and settled down beside Real Scott with half a mile covered. Van Dieman was sixth at this stage. Nothing showed any enthusiasm for the role of pacemaker and Real Scott was permitted to stroll along to the mile in 2:16, the mile an a quarter in 2:47, and the mile and a half in 3:20 3-5. The pace had certainly brightened up a bit between the mile and mile and a half - that section was disposed of in 1:04 3-5 - but it was still positively painful for Cup horses. That was the last of the go-slow policy, however, because the rest of the race was run well inside two-minute speed: Van Dieman's last half (timed seperately) works out at 1:57 1-5 to the mile - his last quarter was only slightly slower than his second-last quarter.
To take up the running again: Real Scott carried on in the lead on sufferance until Johnny Globe was pressed for some initiative by D G Nyhan between the three furlongs and two furlongs posts, and he sprang into action with all the alacrity for which he has become noted. He quickly put a gap of three to four lengths on Real Scott and Maori Home, and by the time the straight was reached he appeared to be increasing his advantage. But with one of his characteristic thrusts Van Dieman was instantly reducing Johnny Globe's lead, and they came to grips 150 yards out. Van Dieman actually gained the best part of a length on Johnny Globe, only to have to be tickled up with 50yds to go when Johnny Globe came again. A photo decision went to Van Dieman, and Young Charles was travelling faster than anything in third place, followed several lengths away by Maori Home, then Worthy Gold, Vedette, Good Review, Real Scott, Victory Globe, Congo Song, Dragoman,and Chamfer in that order, and Indigo last.
The wagering was a record for a trotting race in the Dominion. The total was £40,907 10s (win £20574 10s; place £20,333), compared with £40,717 10s in 1949 (the previous record) and £40,203 10s last year. The total for the Grand Final of the Inter-Dominion Championship last February was £36,622 10s. The total investments on the totalisator at Addington on Tuesday (including £4061 15s in off-course betting), was £217,121 5s, a record for a trotting meeting in the Dominion. The previous record was £214,424 put through on Grand Final day of the Inter-Dominion Championships last February. The previous best of the £211,977 handled on Cup day last year.
Van Dieman's share of the NZ Cup stake was £5125 (including the gold cup valued at £250) and brought his winnings to £14,530. Van Dieman, a handsome five-year-old black horse by U Scott from the Jack Potts mare Reno (2:10 3-5), was bred by Mr B Forrest, of Kaiapoi, and has been trained and driven throughout his career by his owner, C C Devine of Prebbleton. Devine held him on lease until last season, when he exercised a purchasing clause. Van Dieman came to his greatness by easy stages - he was far from being a champion born and bred. In fact, as a two-year-old and three-year-old he was just one of the mob, by no means to be compared with Young Charles, Farlena or Burns Night as a two-year-old, and scarcely of the same ken as Young Charles when that horse was in his top three-year-old form. Development in Van Dieman became more and more apparent, however, and at three years he won the Charles Cross Stakes from Burns Night and Te Maru, the NZ Pacing Stakes from Preston, Morano and Te Maru, and the two-miles Peninsula Handicap at Addington from Piccolo and Morano.
Last season as a four-year-old, Van Dieman made great progress and, by a few pounds over another high-class four-year-old in Soangetaha, he became the leading Dominion stake-winner of his age. Van Dieman's wins included the Charles Cross Stakes a second time, the New Brighton Cup, the Forbury Park Ritchie Memorial, Flying and James Memorial Handicaps. This season he won the Louisson Handicap and Lightning Free-For-All in August before failing in the Farewell Free-For-All.
The man behind the Cup winner in a double sense, Devine has risen to the top of the training profession by his patience, his grit and determination, and the acquirement of a high degree of skill and ability in a much shorter space of time than many of his fellows. A Tasmanian, Devine came to New Zealand as a stropper to a good pacer in Evicus about 15 years ago. He first came into prominence as owner and trainer of a useful trotter in Teddy Gregg. He later trained a colt called Viceroy, who died young after a promising start. He also had some driving success behind the trotter Flying Scott.
In the 1949-50 season Devine trained and drove the sensational filly Vivanti, winner of the NZ Sapling Stakes, NZ Welcome Stakes, Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, and Canterbury Park Juvenile Handicap - all two-year-old races, and her 2:41 1-5 still stands as the Australasian mile and a quarter record for a two-year-old. She also won the NZ Oaks the following season.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 7Nov51