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FEATURE RACE COMMENT

 

YEAR: 1906

1906 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP HANDICAP

In 1906 great interest was shown in the race. The winner, Belmont M, by Rothschild-Puella, came from Australia when noted Sydney horseman Gus Milsom brought the NZ bred Belmont M back in this year. Euchre (A Pringle) was second, and Marian (J Tasker)third.

The stake was £400 and the class was let out to 4:50. Belmont M's time was 4:46.

Unlike Monte Carlo and Birchmark, who began from the front, Belmont M had only one behind him at the start and turned a top staying performance to get around nine runners.

He was royally-bred, being by champion sire Rothschild from a sister to the dam of champion trotter Fritz, and was a brother to another top pacer in Almont, and when sold at the dispersal sale of breeder Henry Mace fetched a record price for a 2-year-old of 400 guineas.

This was exhibition year in Christchurch and "It was a truly representative gathering."

**'Ribbonwood'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44**

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Belmont M, a son of the great sire Rothschild, won the 1906 New Zealand Cup with a wonderful stayer's run. Unlike the two winners before him, Monte Carlo and Birchmark, both started from the front, Belmont M had only Euchre behind him on handicap. His performance was considered exceptional, because he was forced over plenty of extra ground to get around the other 10 runners. Belmont M was not well supported and started as ninth favourite.

The race favourite was Woodend, but he lost his chance at the start. The second favourite and backmarker Euchre, driven by Andy Pringle, almost carried his supporters through. Euchre took the lead a furlong from the winning post, only to be run down by Belmont M, who was driven a patient race by his Australian trainer-driver Gus Millsom. Marian, one length behind Euchre, was third, followed by Boldrewood, Cocoanut and Terra Nova.

Belmont M was New Zealand-bred but had raced in Sydney in the previous four seasons, graduating to the top class. He was a brother to Almont, another very good pacer, who had won numerous races in Australia. Henry Mace, at Brooklyn Lodge, New Brighton, bred both. Mace died in 1902 and his stud was disposed of by auction in November the same year, when the 47 lots were sold for £2440 10s. Australian buyers paid record prices of 640 guineas for Almont and 400 guineas for Belmont M, then a two-year-old. Both were by Rothschild from Puella, by Berlin from Woodburn. Puella was also auctioned and fetched 90 guineas. Mace, a cordial manufacturer in Christchurch, was an early and avid supporter of harness racing. In 1881 he bought land in New Brighton from Canterbury Sports Company Ltd when it went into liquidation. The Sports Company had bought the land from its original owner, Tom Free, for the purpose of encouraging athletics. Mace soon established his home, stables, training track and stud at Brooklyn Lodge. Later the land passed to the New Brighton Trotting Club and when it shifted operations to Addington to take advantage of night facilities, the cycle was completed when the Queen Elizabeth II Park sports complex was established. Mace, whose private trainer was Tom Frost, was the leading owner for two seasons, with totals of £800 and £760. He was awarded life membership of the Metropolitan Club in 1900 and was a steward of the club at the same time.

Belmont M gave his sire Rothschild the first of his three Cup winners - the others were Albert H.(1912) and Ravenschild (1913). Rothschild was the top sire in New Zealand for many seasons, up to 1915-16. He was a bay horse foaled in 1889, by Childe Harold from Belle Briggs, both sire and dam imported from the United States. Rothschild was bred in New South Wales and imported to New Zealand by William Jarden in 1893. He was trained and started in a few races, but never possessed much speed. He sired 306 winners in this country and died in Wellington Zoo, aged 32. His first winner was Jessie Palm, who, as a two-year-old trotter, won the Juvenile Handicap at New Brighton in April 1897. His other good winners, apart from Almont and Belmont M, were Sal Tasker, Emmeline, Lord Elmo, Bright and Glendalough.

In 1906 - Exhibition Year - the Metropolitan Club raced over four days. It was generally agreed that the best collection of standardbreds ever assembled in New Zealand were at that meeting. Stakes of 5000 sovereigns were distributed and the Cup stake was lifted to 400 sovereigns. The totalisator turnover for the four days reached £48,428, with Show Day creating a one-day betting record of £15,604. The New Zealand Cup was raced on the first day of the meeting, with another feature of the day's racing being the performance of the three-year-old filly Wild Wind, who reeled off a mile in the Riccarton Stakes in 2:21.6. The second day was notable for the success of the overseas contingent. Dan Patch, owned by the Melbourne-based Allendale Stock Farm Company, had a convincing win in the Christchurch Handicap. His driver, Lou Robertson, also won the Halswell Handicap with the Syney pacer Little Ned, but was disqualified for starting before his time. Verity, by Vancleve, in the hands of Andy Pringle, and Birchmark were successful on the third day. A violent storm after the main race churned up the track and Birchmark, revelling in the conditions, won the Best Handicap easily.

The three-mile event was still a regular feature of each day's programme, but on Thursday the race was run with a difference. The drivers of Impatient and Sydney, the leading pair, became confused over the number of rounds and raced on for a full curcuit after the distance had been completed. With the introduction of the sprint distance of a mile-and-a-quarter, the three-mile races were destined for elimination.

The visiting Australian horses - Fusee, Dan Patch, Jewel Heiress and Lady Inez - won half the last day's programme, but the day belonged to Sal Tasker, a four-year-old mare, who won the 500 sovereign Exhibition Cup, the first harness race in New Zealand with a stake of that sum. Starting as the favourite, she made no race of it, winning by 30 yards. She was the first out and was first home, in 4:44.6, much faster than the time Belmont M had recorded to win the Cup. Sal Tasker, by Rothschild from Jessie, had the makings of a top-class performer, setting a mile record of 2:20 for a two-year-old, but never fulfilled her promise. She was the season's top earner, with £575. Sal Tasker started in the 1907 Cup, finishing fifth.

**Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**

Credit: Calendar 25Oct44

 

YEAR: 1908

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

 

YEAR: 1910

1910 NZ TROTTING CUP

The race of 1910 will be long remembered for the series of mishaps associated with it. Just after the field had been sent on its two mile journey Walnut swerved across the track and collided with Manderene, both horses losing their drivers. Then King Cole ran into El Franz, whose driver was thrown out of the sulky. In the meantime, Manderene had practically taken charge of the track. Careering around at a mad gallop he forced the other competitors to get out of the way as best they could. One of the few to escape trouble was the previous year's winner, Wildwood Junior. Cleverly driven by his owner-trainer, William Kerr, the handsome son of Wildwood got an almost uninterrupted passage and had no difficulty in defeating Bright and Ribbons.

Of all those early winners, Wildwood Junior stood out in a class by himself. Either he or another of Wildwood's progeny in the sensational Ribbonwood, would have equalled the performances of some subsequent winners had the track conditions and training methods under which they raced been equal to what they are nowdays.

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NZ Trotting Calendar 31 October 1945

In 1909 and the following year Wildwood Junior won the NZ Cup. Many experienced horsemen who sa Wildwood Junior's performances, and every Cup winner since, are still of the opinion that Wildwood Junior ranks with the greatest winners of the race. His dam was the Kentucky mare Thelma. Thelma is one of the gems of the Stud Book. Not a great deal is known about her ancestry, as the Stud Book states she was from the thoroughbred mare Pride Of Lincoln, by Touchstone, second dam Sally (imp), but if anything can be written regarding her progeny it must be acknowledged that, despite the fact of inability to prove many tabulated ancestors, her breeding could hardly have been anything but aristocratic. To further enlarge on the influence of Thelma's progeny, it need only be mentioned that her daughter Authoress was the dam of Author Dillon, who won the Cup in 1918, and he in turn was the sire of Auditress, who was the dam of Marlene, the 1940 Cup winner; further, Wildwood Junior was the sire of the dam of Lucky Jack, also a dual Cup winner.

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Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

Wildwood Junior set an Australasian record for two miles when he easily won his second NZ Cup. His time of 4.33 beat the record set by Ribbonwood seven years earlier. The Cup was again the only race Wildwood Junior contested during season. If he had stayed sound he might have been the country's second champion pacer, after Ribbonwood. The free-going son of Wildwood received a great ovation from the large crowd when he and owner-trainer-driver Bill Kerr returned to the enclosure.

His record run was remarkable because he had had to race through a disorganised field of 15, with a strong easterly wind and dust frm the front-runners hampering his progress. The stake for the Cup reached four figures for the first time and the club offered 6000 sovereigns over the three days. The time limit for the Cup was tightened to 4:44, and a capacity field of 16 made that mark, most of them pacers, though a few trotters were still able to make the top field.

Wildwood Junior was handicapped eight seconds behind the front line. Trackwork before the race suggested that Wildwood Junior, Al Franz, Manderene, Walnut (an Otago representative who came north with a big reputation), Ribbons and Aberfeldy would dispute the finish. The three-horse bracket of Manderene, Dick Fly and Albertorious, from the stable of Manny Edwards, were the favourites, with Albertorious the least popular of the three. Wildwood Junior, Walnut and Al Franz were the next-best supported.

Unfortunately, the race was a poor spectacle, spoiled by a series of mishaps. At the start Walnut swerved across the track and collided with Manderene, both horses losing their drivers, Robert Logan and Manny Edwards respectively. King Cole played up and ran into Al Franz, who dumped Charles Kerr on the track. Several others suffered interference, while Durbar refused to leave the mark. It was the second year in succession that King Cole and Durbar had failed to start.

Verax went to the front for Claude Piper and led from Bright, Fusee and Ribbons. For much of the race the driverless Manderene hampered the leaders. At the halfway stage Wildwood Junior got near and, passing the stands for the last time, Bill Kerr worked him in behind the leader, Verax. Once into the back straight Wildwood Junior went to the front and won by four lengths from the pony Bright, who ran an exceptional race for Tom Frost. Bright paid £21 15s for secod, a place dividend that has not been exceeded in the Cup's history. Ribbons (Free Holmes) was third 10 lengths back, then at considerable intervals came Aberfeldy, Terra Nova and Lady Clare.

A total of 29 bookmakers operated on Cup Day and brought the club £560 in fees. Totalisator investments were £17,036, of which the Cup attracted £4205. The three-day turnover reached a record £50,889. A new grandstand, with a seting capacity of 2500 and reported to be the finest in New Zealand, was in use for the first time. The outside patrons were given the use of the old grandstand, so altogether 6000 could be seated at Addington. After the second race the New Zealand Trotting Conference president, Phineas Selig, officially opened the new stand.

The weather on the second day was again perfect. Of great significance was the appearance on the programme of the Dominion Handicap, later to become major race for trotters. However, in 1910 the race was open to maiden performers assessed at 5:10 or faster. Two Australian records were broken on the third day. Redchild recorded 4:40 for two miles, the fastest ever in saddle; and Dillon Bell, a three-year-old, ran 4:41.4, a time never previously recorded by one of his age, when he beat Terra Nova, Aberfeldy and the other top-class horses in the Christchurch Handicap.

Credit: 'Veteran' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 13Nov63



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