 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1951
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1951 NEW ZEALAND FREE-FOR-ALL
Maori Home was responsible for a big upset in the New Zealand Free-For-All, in which the win favourite, Van Dieman, failed signally through going into a bad break at the start.
All the champions raced well below par - Vedette faded to fourth after attempting to lead all the way, and Soangetaha had to accept a moderate third. He appeared to leave his run far too late, otherwise the result might have been a lot different.
Maida Dillon and Dragoman lost a big stretch of ground at the start, and Maida Dillon showed all her old brilliance to reach second place at the finish. Young Charles, who was also slow to begin, made a move commencing the last half-mile, but he was not impressive.
Maori Home is the seventh different free-for-all winner in that many such contests this season. Van Dieman won the Lightning Free-For-All and Fortuna the Farewell Free-For-All at the Metropolitan August Meeting, Chamfer the Challenge Free-For-All and Parawa Derby the Metropolitan Free-For-All at the Wellington September Meeting, and Vedette the Hutt Park Free-For-All and Soangetaha the Wellington Free-For-All at the Wellington Spring Meeting.
Maori Home, foaled in 1942, is now one of the veterans of the best company. He ran fourth in the NZ Cup on the opening day of the Carnival. His stake-winnings have reached £12,060 and he has won 13 races. He was driven on Friday, and very confidently, by the youthful horseman W P Ireland, who is attached to the stables of V Alborn, Maori Home's trainer.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Nov51