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1907 NEW ZEALAND HANDICAP

In 1907 the race was again described as the New Zealand Handicap, and was transferred to the third day of the meeting.

The result was a win for A E Tasker's Marian (J Tasker) with J McDonnell's Advance (Owner) second and J A Buckland's Verax (C B Piper) third. On a heavy track Marian registered 5:16.

The 'also starteds' included Sal Tasker, Durbar, Lord Elmo, Boldrewood and The Needle.

Credit: ' Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44

1907 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Marian began a rich tradition of mares in the formative years of the Cup when she prevailed on a heavy track for James Tasker, who four years later trained another mare in Lady Clare to score.

Marian was a half-sister to the freak pacer Ribbonwood, who won the forerunner of the Cup in the New Zealand Handicap, but who had effectively won his way out of racing before the Cup was introduced.

Their dam was Dolly, who founded the family which led to other top performers such as Plunder Bar, Tactician, Twinkle Hanover, Stylish Major, Le Chant and Grades Singing and Roman Gladiator.

NZ HRWeekly 1Oct2003

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At her third attempt, Marian became the first of many fine mares to win the New Zealand Cup. Her win was all the more meritorious because she led all the way on a heavy track, taking 5:16.4 for the distance.

The 1907 meeting was held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, November 4,6 and 7. The Cup race returned to the final day, Show Day, which was cold but fine overhead. The Cup stake remained at 400 sovereigns. Of the eight races, three were in saddle and five in harness. Three races were contested over a mile-and-a-half, two over two miles, two over a mile and one a mile-and-a-quarter. The three-mile race disappeared. The Show Day turnover of £18,193 was again a record.

Trainer James Tasker started Marian's new-season campaign in August and she ran unplaced in the Midwinter Handicap and the National Cup. Tasker did not start her on the first day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, when Boldrewood, at long odds, upset the Cup candidates in the Courtenay Handicap, beating Electrician and Darwin. Despite this win Boldrewood was not well-backed and started the Cup 11th favourite, and for the second successive year ran fourth.

Rain fell on the second day and the track suffered. Lord Elmo won the Christchurch Handicap over a mile-and-three-quarters from Marian and Terra Nova, in a slow 4:22, with sensational young pacer Advance a well-beaten seventh. Three-year-old Advance was the third favourite, and the most interesting competitor in the New Zealand Cup. He remains the only horse this young to contest the country's premier event. Advance was only two years and 10 months old when he won the National Cup the previous August, against top-class horses, qualifying for his start in the New Zealand Cup. He was a black colt by Prince Imperial from Rose, owned and trained by James McDonnell, of Ashburton.

Unfortunately, Advance went amiss the following season and was retired to the McDonnell stud, where the best of the progeny he produced was Vice-Admiral, who placed third in the 1921 New Zealand Cup.

Marian, ninth favourite in the 13-horse field, led from barrier rise, and at the end of the first lap was just ahead of The Needle, Cocoanut and Verax. There was little change until a mile had been completed, when Advance and Lord Elmo became prominent in the second group. Entering the last lap Marian led from Advance, who had made a big run, with the others, led by Verax, Sal Tasker and Boldrewood, a long way back. Marian pulled away and won by 12 lengths from Advance, with six lengths to Verax, Boldrewood and the backmarker, Sal Tasker, who had to concede an enormous start of 11 seconds to the first horse away, Prince Warbeck.

Marian was trained and driven by James Tasker, who had his stable at Spreydon. She was an eight-year-old chestnut mare by King George from Dolly, by Young Irvington from a thoroughbred mare. Dolly was also the dam of Ribbonwood. Tasker produced a second New Zealand Cup winner, Lady Clare, also a mare, who won in 1911.

Auckland trotter Albertorious was the race favourite, but was slow away, broke during the running and ruined his chance. He reappeared in the next race on the programme, in saddle, and won. Second favourite Durbar also broke during the race and finished well back.

Another innovation greeted patrons in 1907. A new totalisator house, described as being built on "up to date lines", had been constructed. For the first time, above the totals shown in front of the totalisator, was a clock, one hand of which was stationary and pointed to the time the totalisator closed, while the other gave the time of the day. When the latter hand reached the stationary hand a bell rang and the betting closed. Previously, races were started before the totalisator closed. Lord Elmo was the top stake-earner with a then record of £630.

Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

1908 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Bookmakers had two terms of legal betting in New Zealand. In the early days they were licensed by the clubs, which worked with or without totalisator betting. By the turn of the century bookmakers had been banned, but in 1908 they were back, operating on the course only, at the whim of the clubs. The situation lasted until 1911, when they were finally denied access to the courses. The 1908 Gaming Act also prohibited the publication of totalisator dividends. This prohibition was not lifted until 1950, when the Totalisator Agency Board was established and off-course betting was legalised.

The Metropolitan Club issued a large number of bookmakers' licences in 1908 and they operated in the public and members enclosures. Their operations affected first-day turnover, which dropped to £10,606, compared with £13,168 on the first day of the 1907 carnival. On the second day, 24 bookmakers operated, providing the club with £480 in fees, and on the third day 30 bookmakers took out licences. On Cup Day, despite the bookmakers, a record £18,404 was handled by the totalisator. The three-day total of £41,432 was a drop of £1209 from the previous year.

At his third attempt, Durbar, owned by Harry Nicoll and trained by Andy Pringle, a combination of owner, trainer and driver that was to become a familiar sight at Addington, won a grand contest.

On the first day, Addington patrons had their first opportunity in the new seasonto see the very good four-year-old Wildwood Junior. Bill Kerr's star easily beat 14 others, most of them Cup contenders, in the Courtenay Handicap. Dick Fly was second and St Simon third. Wildwood Junior did not have a Cup run.

A small field of nine faced the starter in the New Zealand Cup. Advance, the early favourite, went amiss and was withdrawn from the carnival. Albertorious was the favourite again, after his eight-length win in the Christchurch Handicap the day before the Cup. But Albertorious, driven by Jim August, was last all the way. He was bracketed with Fusee, driven by Newton Price. Fusee fared worse. His sulky broke just after the start and he was pulled up.

Florin took an early lead and led until the last lap, when Terra Nova took control from Dick Fly, Master Poole, Lord Elmo and Durbar. Pringle sent Durbar after the leaders and he won by two lengths to Terra Nova, with eight lengths to Lord Elmo. At considerable intervals came Dick Fly and Master Poole, with the others well beaten. Durbar's time of 4:36 was just outside Ribbonwood's national record. The stake for the Cup was raised to 500 sovereigns, and for the first of many times the qualifying mark was tightened, on this occasion to 4:48.

Most of the Cup horses lined up again in ther seventh race, the Provincial Handicap, where Lord Elmo improved on his third placing in the Cup. He gave Wildwood Junior a two-second start and beat him by eight lengths. Durbar, also off two seconds was third.

Durbar was a 12-year-old Australian-bred gelding by Vancleve. Terra Nova was by Young Irvington and Lord Elmo was by Rothschild. All three sires were outstandingly successful. A tough old campaigner, Durbar raced until he was an 18-year-old, and unsuccessfully contested the 1909 and 1910 Cups. He was the top stake-earner in 1908-09, with £682. For the fifth consecutive season, John Buckland was top owner, his horses winnnig a record £1391.

In 1881 John Kerr, of Nelson, and Robert Wilkin, of Christchurch, had imported some American stock, which laid the foundation for harness racing breeding in this country. Among Kerr's stock was Irvington, and among Wilkin's importations was Vancleve, who stayed only a short whilein New Zealand and did not serve any mares before being sold to a trotting enthusiast in Sydney. He became one of the most successful sires identified with the Australian and New Zealand breeding scenes. Apart from the great trotter Fritz, and Durbar, he sired Quincey (Dominion Handicap), and a number of other top performers who were brought from Australia to win races in this country. More than 60 individual winners of hundreds of races on New Zealand tracks were sired by Vancleve, a remarkable record for a horse who spent his stud life in Australia. Vancleve mares also found their way into New Zealand studs, the most celebrated being Vanquish - granddam of the immortal Worthy Queen, who created a miler record for trotters of 2:03.6 at Addington in 1934.

Irvington was used for only a few seasons in New Zealand before he too, went to Australia. Irvington was a poor foaler. He sired only two winners - Lady Ashley and Young Irvington - and it is through the latter that the name survived. Bred in 1886 by Tom Free at New Brighton, Young Irvington was a good racehorse, not only the first "pacer" seen on Canterbury tracks, but also a natural or free-legged pacer, racing without straps. Young Irvington left about 60 winners, and his daughters were also outstanding producers at stud. Early on they produced Ribbonwood (Dolly), Our Thorpe (Lady Thorpe) and Admiral Wood (D.I.C.).

Durbar's owner, Harry Nicoll, who raced both thoroughbreds and standardbreds, was also a breeder and top administrator. For many years he was president of the Ashburton Trotting and Racing Clubs. He retired from the presidency of the New Zealand Trooting Conference in 1947, after holding that office for an uninterrupted period of 25 years. He owned his first horse in 1902 then, in 1905, Andy Pringle became Nicoll's private trainer and they started a long and successful association. Pringle was an astute horseman, often sought by other owners and trainers to drive their horses. He was top reinsman in 1914-15 and again in 1916-17 and 1917-18. His son, Jack Pringle, was also a top horseman, winning the trainers' and drivers' premierships in 1950-51. Nicoll was top owner in 1910-11 (£1547 10s), 1911-12 (£1222), 1912-13 (£987 10s) and 1920-21 (£4161). His Ashburton stud, named Durbar Lodge after his first Cup winner, produced some great pacers and trotters, with Indianapolis, Wrackler, Seas Gift and Bronze Eagle foremost. All were bred by Wrack, who was bought by Nicoll from American owners.

Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

Lady Clare and driver Jack Brankin

1911 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Lady Clare, the second mare to win the New Zealand Cup, was a six-year-old by Prince Imperial from Clare, who was by Lincoln Yet, the sire of Monte Carlo.

Her trainer, James Tasker, who had been successful with Marian in 1907, took the drive behind her more favoured bracketmate Aberfeldy, and entrusted the drive behind Lady Clare to Jack Brankin. The Cup field was not a strong one, with Wildwood Junior out of the way. Also missing from nominations was King Cole, the star of the August meeting. King Cole, winner of the King George Handicap from Bribery and Dick Fly, and the National Cup from Havoc and Bright, had been temporarily retired to stud. The club received 14 nominations, but the early favourite, St Swithin, was injured and withdrawn. Sal Tasker, who had not raced for four years, and Manderene were two other defections. The front starter, Imperial Polly, received five seconds from the back marker, Bright. Al Franz, because of some outstanding trials, was race favourite, with the bracketed pair of Dick Fly and Redchild, from the stable of Manny Edwards, also well supported. Redchild was the only trotter entered.

The field did not get away at the first attempt because Free Holmes, the driver of Bribery, jumped the start. Medallion stood on the mark and took no place in the race, while Bribery went only one lap and then pulled up lame. Lady Clare led from the start and at the halfway stage was still in front, followed by Al Franz, Dick Fly, Imperial Polly, Aberfeldy, Havoc and Redchild. The mare held on to the lead to win by a length, in 4:38, from Dick Fly, with necks to Al Franz and Redchild. Then came Aberfeldy, Bright and Havoc.

The Cup victory was the last of Lady Clare's seven career wins, but she showed her durability by racing over eight seasons. Indirectly, she featured again in the Cup in 1988, when Luxury Liner turned the clock back 77 years. Lady Clare was the firth dam of Luxury Liner. Lady Clare's £700 from the Cup stake of 1000 sovereigns was the only money she won during the season. Emmeline, an outstanding mare by Rothschild from Imperialism, a Prince Imperial mare, won £949 and was the season's top earner. Rothschild and Prince Imperial were both still standing at stud in the Canterbury area. Rothschild was at Durbar Lodge, in Ashburton, available at a fee of 10 guineas. Prince Imperial and his son, Advance, stood at James McDonnell's Seafield Road farm, also in Ashburton. Prince Imperial's fee was also set at 10 guineas, but Advance was available at half that rate. Franz, the sire of Al Franz (third in the Cup), stood at Claude Piper's stud at Upper Riccarton, at 10 guineas. Franz was a full-brother to Fritz, by Vancleve from Fraulein.

A new surname at that time, but a very familiar on now, Dan Nyhan, introduced another great harness racing family to Addington. Nyhan trained at Hutt Park and ha won the 1909 Auckland Cup with Havoc. He was the father of Don Nyhan, later to train the winners of three New Zealand Cups with his legendary pair of Johnny Globe and Lordship, and grandfather of Denis Nyhan, who drove Lordship (twice) and trained and drove Robalan to win the Cup.

Of all the stallions in Canterbury, Wildwood Junior commanded the biggest fee, 12 guineas, but he held that honour only until 1914, when Robert McMillan, an expatriate American horseman, stood his American imports Nelson Bingen and Brent Locanda at fees of 15 guineas at his Santa Rosa stud at Halswell. He also had Harold Dillon and Petereta on his property. Harold Dillon, sire of the champion Author Dillon, was the top sire for six seasons, from 1916-17 until 1921-22, while Petereta gained some fame by siring the double New Zealand Cup winner Reta Reter.

The outstanding feature of the 1911 Cup meeting was the introduction of races restricted to trotters, particularly the Dominion Handicap. The move, prompted by the Metropolitan Club, came at an appropriate time to save horses of this gait from extinction in New Zealand racing. In the 1880s and 1890s there were two trotters for every pacer in New Zealand, but by 1911 the reverse ratio applied. With the advent of the sulky and harness from the United States, trainer in the 1890s found pacers easier to gait and easier to train, and learned that they came to speed in less time, so many trotters were converted to the pacing gait. Generally, the trotter could not match the pacer on the track.

Coiner won the Middleton Handicap on the first day, in saddle, and raced over two miles in 4:52. Quincey, who had been successful against the pacers on several occasions, got up in the last stride to dead-heat with Clive in the Dominion Handicap, with Muricata, a promising five-year-old, third. Muricata became the dam of double New Zealand Cup winner Ahuriri. The Dominion Handicap carried a stake of 235 sovereigns and was raced in harness for 5:05 class performers. Quincey's time was 4:37.4 slightly faster than Lady Clare recorded in the Cup on the Tuesday. Another of the 13 trotters in this race was the Australian-bred Verax, who started in the New Zealand Cup six times.

The meeting ended with some high-class racing on Show Day. In the Enfield Handicap, in saddle, Aberfeldy, from scratch, beat 14 rivals in 2:12.6, a New Zealand race-winning record for one mile. St Swithin, who had to miss the Cup, won the Christchurch Handicap from Emmeline and Little Tib. The Andy Pringle-trained pacer confirmed how unfortunate it was for his connections that injury denied him a Cup start.

Further improvements had been made at Addington, with a large new 10-shilling totalisator housebeing used for the first time. With bookmakers outlawed, the totalisator turned over a record £27,418 on Cup Day, and betting on the Cup of £6096 10s was a single-race record. The total for the three days of the carnival of £68,329 was an increase of £17,440 over the previous year.


Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

Advance and Imperialism

Advance and Imperialism, stars of the Victorian era, mock claims juvenile racing is something new. Advance, 16hh at two, beat an all aged field at Ashburton as an April juvenile and in August beat a Cup class field in the 1907 National Handicap, the third biggest open race in the country. He was two years and 10 months old. He is still the only three year old to place in the NZ Cup. Imperialism, a high class filly, won at Ashburton only eight weeks after being broken in.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 28 Mar 2012