 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1945
HORSES
CLOCKWORK
For several seasons around the World War Two era, Clockwork knocked about the best classes. He was second in an Auckland Cup and placed in other good races but never made the breakthrough to the headlines in spite of all the efforts of trainer Cecil Donald. The spring of 1945 looked like the same old, same old. Clockwork had been off the winning list for a year and while third in the Hannon Memorial in October he had been a long way from the winner.
So far in fact that the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club hardly raised a murmur when it eliminated Clockwork from the New Zealand Cup. That Cup was a spectacular race, won at last by eternal crowd hero Gold Bar.
However, a few days later in the New Zealand Pacing Free-For-All, Ron Donald hunted the despised Clockwork out of the barrier and drove him hard to ensure Gold Bar would not put his usual big break on the field. The plan worked. Gold Bar was never more than a length in front of Clockwork and the veteran ran him down. That was sensational enough because Clockwork was at 35/1. But more was to come.
Clockwork had pushed Gold Bar so hard they had run a new national record for the 2400m of a mile & a half which stood for some years before being equalled but never beaten by the champion Highland Fling. As for Clockwork? Well, he never pushed the watches anywhere near any record times ever again.
Credit: David McCarthy writing in Harnessed Feb 2016
YEAR: 1945
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1945 NEW ZEALAND PREMIER SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP
Gold Bar made another of his gallant attempts to slip the field in the NZ Premier Sprint Championship on Saturday, but to the surprise of the majority Happy Man caught him in the straight and beat him narrowly. It was the fastest-run race of the three days. Gold Bar ran the first mile in 2:03 3-5, but he took 33secs for the final quarter.
Full Result
1st: J C South's HAPPY MAN. Trained by C H Watson, Hornby and driven by C King.
2nd: A Holmes's GOLD BAR. Driven by the owner.
3rd: B Grice's HAUGHTY. Driven by O E Hooper.
4th: G Chesmar's SHADOW MAID. Driven by C C Devine.
The winner won by half a length with six lengths to third.
Also started: Burt Scott, Clockwork, Countless, Double Peter, Indian Clipper, Loyal Friend & Ronald Logan.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Nov45