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CHRISTCHURCH - POT LUCK

Continuing and frustrating postponements through rain which dogged the carnival, a furore over a change of gear on the horse destined to become New Zealand's greatest sire and a clear-cut Championship win on poins for a famous mare despite going under in the Grand Final were memorable features of the first Interdominion Series in New Zealand - at Addington in 1938.

In common with Perth and Brisbane, trotting in Christchurch had in very early times been held on a cricket ground - at Lancaster Park from 1886 - by cricket enthusiasts to raise funds for their foremost love. About five years earlier Robert Wilkin had laid the foundation for the sport by importing from America the Kentucky-bred stallions Berlin and Blackwood Abdallah, the yearling colt Vancleve and six broodmares. The venue soon changed to Addington, where the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club held the first meeting in November, 1899, with stakes totalling £2140 and investments £10,695. The first New Zealand Cup was run at Addington in 1904 (won by straightout trotter Monte Carlo) and by 1938 the Metropolitan Club was ready to stage New Zealand's first-ever four-day meeting for the Interdomions with total stakes of £9700 and a Grand Final purse of £2350.

Rain, badly affecting the six-furlong clay track, proved a nightmare for officials, forcing "the Met" to make four postponments during the carnival. Originally set down to start on Easter Saturday, April 16, the first set of heats were run on Wednesday, April, 20. The second round was to have followed the day after, but was postponed twice until the Saturday, while the third day was held on Tuesday, April 26. Then the Final had to be put of from the following Saturday until Wednesday, May 4. Scheduled to be run over eight days, from April 16 to 23, the meeting wound up extending over a fortnight.

But, despite these upsets, all the ingredients were there for some splendid racing, with a good selection of worthy visitors from Australia to measure strides with a vintage assortment of New Zealand's best. And the racing as it unfolded proved of the highest order. The 1936 and 1937 Grand Champions Evicus and Dan's Son were both on hand from Australia, not to mention Icevus (a well-performed brother of Evicus), J P Stratton's Kolect, Melbourne-trained Joy's John (third in the Adelaide Grand Final a year earlier) and the gallant West Australian mare Lady Childewood.

Such was the strength of the New Zealand force, however, that of these only Evicus (who after finishing last in the Adelaide Grand Final had been trained in New Zealand for some time) made the Final, in which she was never in contention. Points were allotted in the heats on the basis of 6 for first, 2 1/2 for second, 1 for third and 2 1/2 for fastest time of the first four home. The allotment in the Final was 7, 2 1/2, 1 and 3.

First blood in the 10-furlong round went to the bonny four-year-old mare Parisienne, who in the deft hands of trainer Roy Berry started from 12yds and came from the back in slow going to beat Evicus (12yds) by two lengths with favourite King's Play (12) next, then Roi l'Or, hero of a hundred battles, fourth from 36yds.

The second heat was affected by accidents, and 1937 NZ Cup winner Lucky Jack (who was to win the Cup again in 1939 after finishing second in 1938) was among those put out of contention. The winner was Ces Donald's candidate Plutus by two lengths over Joy's John (George Gath).

Supertax, a fine pacer of the era for George Mouritz, came off 36yds to beat Blair Athol (Fr) and Ladt Childewood (12yds) in the remaining heat. Here John McKenzie's American import U Scott, a ruling favourite, made a hopelessmess of the start before catching the field, running upo to third on the turn then wilting out.

Supertax and Parisienne moved well ahead on the points table with 17 apiece following clear wins at a mile and a half on a holding but drying track on the second day. Pot Luck, no danger on the opening day, was runner-up to Supertax in the hands of Maurice Holmes, while smart Auckland visitor Nervie's Last (F J Smith) with 12yds start from Parisienne, failed by half a length to hold her out, with Evicus a good third. Lucky Jack won the other heat for Roy Berry by a neck from Blair Athol.

The going was similar for the two-mile heats the third day, and again Parisienne and Lucky Jack prevailed, but, to the ire of many in the crowd, the third heat, the final event of the day, provided an all-the-way win for the Free Holmes-driven U Scott over Pot Luck and Supertax.

After U Scott had badly muffed his starts on the first two days, owner John McKenzie (later Sir John) has sought permission on the third day to race the horse in a closed bridle instead of an open one. Mr McKenzie ordered U Scott back to the stalls and threatened to scratch the horse when refused this request by chief stipendiary steward Fred Beer and the judicial committee. Under the rules of the day, a horse that started more than once at a meeting was required to wear exactly the same gear unless the express consent of the stewards was given for a change. The stewards reconsidered; U Scott made a late appearance on the track and won. He was greeted with a hostile reception, mainly from people who had altered their choice of bets under the impression that he would be scratched.

A protest by the Pot Luck camp against U Scott was dismissed after dividends were held up until the following day. It cost Mr McKenzie the winning stake of £525. He had stipulated he would pay this amount to the Returned Services Association if the stakes were awarded to him. U Scott got £100 of that back by taking the lap prize awarded to the first horse past the winning post the second time round with six furlongs to go in the Grand Final. But after leading to the straight he was under pressure and dropped out.

He was a good racehorse, however, and his 11 wins and six placings from 30 starts in New Zealand as a pacer after taking a matinee mark of 2.11 trotting at two years in America, earned him, in days of microscopic stakes, £2055. This was nothing to what he was to accomplish as a sire and broodmare sire, however, and today the son of Scotland and Lillian Hilta is famous throughout the trotting world for his accomplishments at stud.

Roy Berry had to choose between his stablemates Parisienne (top points scorer with 23) and Lucky Jack (second equal in the table with Supertax on 17) as his charge in the Final. He opted for Parisienne. Plutus and U Scott (8 1/2) were next on the points table ending the qualifying heats, at which stage Pot Luck - a wayward type and hard to manage, so that the early slow pace in the heats had told on him - had only 5 points.

A great crowd turned out despite the overcast weather, and on a good track the whole Grand Final field of twelve went off correctly. U Scott, on reaching the front fairly early, set a muddling pace before sprinting up for the lap prize. At this stage Parisienne, squeezed back early, began moving up from second-last. She had the crowd on its toes as she chased U Scott and Nervie's Last (Jimmy Bryce Jnr) into the straight. However, just when it appeared this grand mare was on her way to a clean sweep of the series, Pot Luck - shuffled around in the race but cleverly and patiently handled by Morrie Holmes - pulled out and with a brilliant final spurt outsprinted Parisienne to the line by two lengths. Stan Edwards with Blair Athol was third, only a head from Parisienne, with Jack Pringle and Supertax next, just ahead of Lucky Jack. The last-named, in the hands of Lester Frost had been badly checked near the three furlongs when travelling like a winner. Parisienne was a clear-cut Championship winner with 28 1/2 points over Supertax (18), Lucky Jack (17) and Pot Luck (12).

Bred in Auckland by George McMillan and raced by Mrs D R Revell, Parisienne was by the imported American horse Rey de Oro. Her sire had topped the New Zealand sire's list in the two previous seasons and was also to subsequently twice top the broodmares sires' list. Her dam, Yenot, by the imported Harold Dillon from a mare by the famous Rothschild, was a fair performer who won saddle races in Westport and Greymouth. Yenot was to found a fine family, with the line through Parisienne (dam of the brilliant La Mignon, in turn the dam of Garcon Roux and Roydon Roux) the strongest branch.

Educated by one of New Zealand's best-ever jockeys, Hector Gray, before being handed to Berry, the handsome chestnut Parisienne, 15.1 hands, won the Sapling Stakes at two and at three the New Zealand and Great Northern Derbies. Following her Championship win she in 1939 became world's champion pacing mare with a race record of 4:15.6 for two miles. When she embarked on her equally successful stud career her racing record stood at 16 wins, 10 seconds, four thirds and two fourths and £6766 in stakes. She was widely acclaimed the greatest of her sex to have raced in New Zealand as a four-year-old, and one of the top mares of all time.

Pot Luck, a sturdy five-year-old son of the imported Walter Direct horse Jack Potts (nine times New Zealand's leading sire and six times leading broodmare sire) and the Harold Dillon (imp) mare Hope Dillon, was trained and driven by the then 29-year-old Maurice Holmes for another capable horseman Bert Stafford, then publican at the Carlton Hotel in Christchurch. Stafford, long a trotting dabbler, had bought Pot Luck for £400 from New Brighton breeder J D Smith after the gelding had finished second in the Riccarton Stakes as a three-year-old. While still three Pot Luck carried on to win six races for Mr Stafford, including the inaugural All-Aged Stakes at Ashburton. He was later to win a Wellington Cup and had 18 wins and 33 placings worth £8092 on the scoreboard when retired as a nine-year-old. Ironically, Pot Luck was ninth on the score table with 12 points after winning the Grand Final.

The heats carried stakes of £750 (£525 to the winner) and the Final was worth £2250, of which Pot Luck collected £1500. Parisienne received £450 and also £250 for the highest aggregate of time points, which with her heat wins boosted her earnings to about £1800 -roughly the same as Pot Luck's full share of the spoils.

Australians Joy's John (Victoria) and Lady Childewood (Western Australia) had gained a few qualifying points, but did not stay around for the last day of the meeting, when Joy's John would have been able to contest the Final.

The great Indianapolis, off the winning list since he won his third successive New Zealand Cup in 1936, took a consolation race from 60yds, with the crowd cheering the old favourite home, in the hands of Doug Watts. Lou Thomas won the other consolation with Glenrossie.

Credit: Ron Bisman & Taylor Strong in Interdominions the Saga of Champions

ROTHSCHILD

Though some may find it hard to concede with the present ever growing list of super sires, there is a strong case for suggesting that the greatest sire that ever stood in NZ is not Light Brigade, U Scott, Jack Potts, Dillon Hall or even Logan Pointer.

Rothschild, now a name that is only come across well back in modern pedigrees has as good a claim as any when it comes to rating sires in order of merit. For one thing he sired over 300 winners. That's a cracking total today but at the turn of the century it was a sensational achievement, difficult to appreciate now. There were fewer meetings then and so fewer races.There were fewer finely bred mares and it took some time for Rothschild to attract the ones that were available. What is more, Rothschild had to do everything on his own achievements. His name appears only once in the list of winning sires, in 1915-16 the first year records were officially kept. But no one doubts that he was the leading sire for many years before that, and had the records been kept he would have more premierships than anyone.

Bred in Australia in 1889, Rothschild was by Childe Harold, an expensive, but somewhat disappointing sire who has Harold Park named after him. Rothschild's dam Belle Briggs was considered to be the best bred mare to come into Australia to that time and but for being unsound it is doubtful that she would ever have left America. Rothschild had a brother called Osterley who was a top rachorse across the Tasman, only Fritz being able to beat him. Dan O'Brien, that most colourful figure of the turf, recommended to NZ friends that they buy Osterley, but they were unable to do so so bought his younger brother instead. It was just as well, for Osterley was a major disappointment at the stud.

Rothschild started in a number of races but never won, and as late as 1902, when 13 years old he was still making the odd appearance, though most owners would have given up by then. He stood at Mr W Jarden's Stud in Gloucester St, Christchurch and his breeding enabled him to command a five guinea fee. The bright bay stallion did not take long to make an impression. From his first crop came a sensational juvenile trotter Jessie Palm who streeted her opponents at two starts at two and went on to become a champion trotter. From his first crop too came The Baron who was a top performer in the last days of the Lancaster Park track in Christchurch.

The following year he produced Almont who was the sensation of his day. When he retired Almont took with him a three mile record of 6:50 which was actually never beaten. When he started his career the record was fully two minutes slower. Sal Tasker was another fine Rothschild mare going 2:20 for a mile at two years of age away back in 1906. She eventually went 2:12 and was the champion of her time. So was Emmeline a NZ mile record holder at 2:08.6 and placed in the NZ Cup. About the same time was the trotter Revenue, holder of the mile trotting record for 22 years with a time of 2:11.8 recorded at Forbury in the saddle. He often took on and beat fields of pacers.

Dan Patch, bred in Ashburton, but perhaps better known in Australia than his homeland, was another fine son of Rothschild. A free-legged pacer, Dan Patch held the Australian mile record of 2:10 for many years and in NZ he went a mile in 2:09.4 on Auckland's grass track. A genuine champion Dan Patch unfortunately died before starting a stud career of any significance.

Rothschild sired three NZ Cup winners. Belmont M upset winner of the 1906 Cup was the first, Albert H in 1912 the second and Ravenschild, second to Albert H the previous year, won easily in 1913. In the 1912 Cup in fact Rothschild horses filled the first three places while other sons and daughters to fill places were Evelyn, Lord Elmo, Moneymaker and Bright.

Harold Rothschild, later a very successful sire was another of Rothschild's offspring to do well and other sons who were fine racherses and sires were Gold Bell (one of the finest pacers the North Island ever saw), St Swithin and Jingle. Master Raymond was an outstanding trotter by Rothschild winning eight times over two miles. Pearlchild, Aileen, Capitalist, Lord Chancellor, Lady Sybil, Emilius and Coin were other very successful racehorses.

If he was a great sire himself Rothschild gained even greater fame through his daughters. Many of his most successful matrons were themselves good on the track and easily the best known was Pearlchild. Winner of many races for Mr H F Nicoll, including the National Handicap, Pearlchild, a daughter of Verity, produced ten individual winners at stud. Among them were three Derby winners (Ciro, Childe Pointer and Nantwich) a successful sire (Casanova), First Wrack, winner of 11 races and outstanding mares Vanity Fair, Pearl Pointer and Double Measure. The great record of the Verity family owes much to Pearlchild. Vanity Fair in particularly was an outstanding broodmare herself.

Another Rothschild mare now well known was Moonbeam, the grandam of Horotane and therefore ancestress of current Broodmare of the Year in Nancy Lee. Henrietta produced Haymetta, the winner of five and in turn dam of Duncraig who won nine. Jessie Fraser produced the successful racehorse and sire Logan Fraser. Cocaleen was the dam of four winners including the earlier mentioned top pacer Moneymaker and Logaleen who won five.

An unnamed Rothschild mare produced Golden Square the dam in turn of Graticulate who won eight. Sweet Daphne was a most successful mare being the founder of the family best known in recent years though the deeds of horses like Bright Highland and Bright Enterprise. Bright Alice, another daughter of Rothschild produced Cup winner Kohara who later did well at stud, and the Rothschild mare Kola Nut produced King Cole the mile recordholder of his day and a very successful sire. It was from King Cole's matings with Norice which has produced one of the greatest breeding lines in the Stud Book, a line commonly associated with veteran breeder Ben Grice.

A mare by Rothschild was the dam of Yenot who gained fame through the deeds of Parisienne and later La Mignon, Garcon Roux etc. Another Rothschild mare was the ancestress of Van Dieman and yet another unnamed mare the founder of the family to which Vanadium and Van Glory belong. Sal Tasker produced Coldstream Bells, a successful sire in the first quarter of the century. Another great Rothschild mare was Ocean Wave, dam of Muricata who produced two champion pacers in Ahuriri (two NZ Cups) and Taraire and who is the fourth dam of the trotting sire Great Evander.

Auckland Girl, who won eight races herself, was another successful mare at stud as was Dollar Princess who produced seven individual winners. Among them was Doraldina, winner of the Sapling Stakes and Derby and who herself produced five winners. Recess, grandam of Aldora was a member of the same family as was Gold Chief a Derby winner and sire of the champion Rupee. Another Rothschild mare Lady Derby founded one of the best branches of the Norice family which includes Maudeen, Queen Maude and Indecision among it's members. A mare by Rothschild founded the Gentle Annie family which claims among others the champion trotter Moon Boy and top pacer of yesteryear in Betty Boop. Then there was Olive Child, dam of Audubon Child, who in a colourful career won eight races.

The full relations Emmeline, Emilius, Aileen and Evelyn did great work for Rothschild's reputation and they may have set a record when three of them appeared in the same NZ Cup field and two were placed. Aileen produced at stud the Cup class pacer Ronald Logan and Emmilene founded a successful family, one prominent recent member being Cuddle Doon. Evelyn won five races herself and was the dam of four winners. Emilius had some success as a sire.

Altogether Rothschild daughters produced over 300 individual winners. Rothschild had much more success than many imported sires as far as his sons were concerned and a number of them are well known stud names. Harold Rothschild did very well down south and as a son of one of Southland's most successful foundation mares in Harold's Rest he played a prominent part in two other big Southland families, particularly in that of First Water whom he sired.

Capitalist sired the fine racehorse and good sire in Gold Bell. Lord Elmo sired some good mares in particular and so did Almont. George M Patchen appears in the pedigree of Cardigan Bay and Globe Bay and another son St Swithin sired the dam of Springfield Globe. Woodchild, Lord Chancellor, Imperial Crown, Proudchild, Prosphorous, St Kevin (a brother to Dan Patch) and Pygmalion, were other Rothschild horses to make an impression at stud while his Cup winner Ravenschild did well also.

Rothschild spent his declining years in the unlikely location of the Wellington Zoo and he died there in the early 20s at the age of 32. Shortly before his death his stock held the Australian and NZ mile pacing records, the Australasian trotting mile record and the world record over three miles. Though he officially topped the sires list once he remained in the top five for many years, even into the 1920s which shows the hardiness of his stock. Indeed his last representative on the tracks was still going in 1929. At one stage in his hey day just before World War I the sons and daughters of Rothschild held every official record in Australasia, a feat few can equal.

He was a horse of quite remarkable disposition and an existing photo of him shows him being confidently led by a lad not five years old. I wonder how many of our much boomed later sires could have fashioned a record equal to Rothschild if serving the class of mare which dominated his court. It might be worth noting that during his stud career Rothschild, in NZ alone sired more winners than the great Globe Derby managed across the Tasman. He was a remarkable influence in the development of the standardbred as we know it, and it would be a brave man who could state with certainty that any of his successors was a greater sire.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 23Mar77

R B BERRY

The death of R B Berry removes NZ's most successful trainer of pacers and trotters of modern times. His list of classic and leading handicap winners is unrivalled in Dominion light-harness history. He 'made' most of his own champions, juvenile trotter or pacer, sprinter or stayer. The eminence he attained in his profession was in large measure due to his all-round knowledge of the horse from the foal stage, to his great patience, his almost uncanny sense of balance and perfection in the gaiting and educating of young horses, his instinctive love of all animals, his innate 'horsesense.'

The Thomas Murphy of Dominion trotting will be missed. The sands of time may reveal him as the same legendary figure in trotting as the late R J Mason has become in racing.

Berry was originally associated with the gallopers, and, like many other valuable recruits from the sister sport, he was forced out of the saddle by increasing weight. As a youth, he was apprenticed to Free Holmes, and later rode for M Hobbs and T Quinlivan. His most important riding success was on Sinapis in the NZ Cup of 1913. He also won the Thompson Handicap on Lagoda, McLean Stakes on Marsa, Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes on Charmilla, and was on Stardancer when she dead-heated in the Stewards' Handicap of 1912.

It was on his return from the Great War that Berry turned his attention to trotting, and the first horse he trained and drove was Coldwater; but it was the 'Bingen mares' that played an important part in putting Berry on the road to success, just as truly as Berry proved that the 'Bingen mares,' properly handled, were equal as racehorses to those of any other breed. It must be explained here that, due to their fiery and uncertain temperament, mares by Nelson Bingen had let themselves in for wide prejudice, and many of the breed were not even raced because of this 'set' against them.

The first of the Nelson Bingen mares Berry sent to the top was Escapade, and she not only became the champion trotting mare of her time, but she also beat pacers bordering on Cup class. Sea Pearl and Jean McElwyn were two pacing daughters of Nelson Bingen who took high honours and were big money-winners for Berry's stable. Sea Pearl was the leading stake-winner one season and Jean McElwyn, who stood little over 14 hands, was the 'pocket battleship' of her time and a genuine public favourite. Machine Gun, an Australian pacer, was a big stake-winner for the stable and reached Cup class. So did Dundas Boy, a fine pacer who was placed in a NZ Cup. Bingen Starr, Koro Peter and White Satin were high-class trotters sheltered by the Berry stable upwards of 15 years ago. Koro Peter and White Satin were both juvenile champions.

Two of the greatest stayers and 'characters' Berry trained were the trotter Trampfast and the pacer Rollo. Trampfast was described by Berry as "intelligent, game and reliable." He was well into double figures when Berry took him in hand after this grand trotter had been absent from the racetracks for a period of 18 months, but he developed better form than ever, and won the Dominion Handicap and other races. He also competed successfully against high-class pacers. Rollo was the antithesis of Trampfast in temperament. He was completely devoid of brains. Berry himself declared the big Jingle pacer had a vacuum between his ears. But he became a high-class winner and was a natural stayer. A problem on the mark, he had no idea of how to fill his hopples once he mis-stepped at the start, but he never stopped trying when he did go away at all well.

Berry's first acquaintance with mares of the Rey de Oro breed was not an inspiring experience. It was his turn to become prejudiced. For years he would not have a mare of this speedy family on the place. One day Mr D R Revell plucked up sufficient courage to ask him to take a yearling filly by Rey de Oro from Yenot. Berry agreed to do so, but only under pressure. Thus arrived Parisienne, the greatest mare of her time, winner of the Sapling Stakes, NZ Derby, Great Northern Derby, and numerous other races, including the Grand Championship at the Inter-Dominion series held at Addington in 1938.

Berry achieved his life's ambition as a trainer and driver when he won the NZ Trotting Cup with Lucky Jack and so completed the NZ Cups double Sinapis(1913), Lucky Jack(1937). Lucky Jack still ranks as one of the finest stayers of all time, as he went on to finish second in the Cup of 1938 and won again in 1939. Lucky Jack was also an outstanding performer at Inter-Dominion Championships, and his other important successes included the National Handicap and Timaru Cup.

Great Jewel, who joined Berry's stable late in life, was the leading stake-winner of the Dominion one season when he was trained at Yaldhurst, and if he had been sound he would probably have been a champion. Pacing Power was a great horse for Berry from the time he won the Timaru Nursery Stakes. He went on to win the Sapling Stakes, Derby, Ashburton Cup, NZ Premier Sprint Championship, and finished third in two NZ Cups. Sprigfield Globe, who came from Australia to join the stables some three seasons back, became one of the most brilliant pacers of recent years, his successes including the Mason Handicap and the NZ Premier Sprint Champuionship

One of Berry's greatest triumphs, and his last, was to train Bronze Eagle to win the £5000 NZ Trotting Cup of 1944; a triumph because general opinion was that this grand pacer had passed his prime before going into Berry's stable. Bronze Eagle also won the National Handicap and All Aged Stakes for Berry.

As a trainer of Classic and leading handicap races. Berry had an unrivalled record. His successes included: NZ Trotting Cup(Lucky Jack, twice, & Bronze Eagle); NZ Derby(Parisienne & Pacing Power); NZ Sapling Stakes(Parisienne, Pacing Power & Acropolis); NZ Champion Stakes(Attorney & Horsepower); NZ Futurity Stakes(Horsepower & Pacing Power); Great Northern Stakes(Horsepower & Bohemian); Great Northern Derby(Valdor, Parisienne, Horsepower & Acropolis); Canterbury Handicap(Rollo & Southern Chief); Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes(Sandiways); Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes(Globe Direct); Dunedin Cup(Great Jewel); National Cup(Lucky Jack & Bronze Eagle), Dominion Handicap(Trampfast & Pilot Peter); Timaru Nursery Stakes(Walter Moore & Pacing Power); NZ Sires' Produce Stakes(White Satin); NZ Trotting Stakes, Timaru(Paying Guest); NZ Trotting Stakes, Addington(Fantom); NZ Premier Sprint Championship(Springfield Globe & Pacing Power); All Aged Stakes, Ashburton(Horsepower & Bronze Eagle).

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 3Jan46

SCOTTISH COMMAND

Scottish Command a successful racehorse and standardbred stallion has died at Yankee Lodge Matamata aged 22 years. In recent years Scottish Command has proved popular with northern breeders and studmaster Mr Peter McMillan reported 40 mares had been booked for the coming season.

Foaled in 1953 at Roydon Lodge, Scottish Command was by top sire U Scott from Mary Wootten by Springfield Globe - Parisienne. In a racing career spanning seven seasons in this country Scottish Command won 16 races and was placed 48 times, his wins included the 1957 Auckland Trotting Cup from 60 yards and a consolation race at the Inter-Dominion Championships in Christchurch, he was also third in Invicta's NZ Cup.

He raced in the interests of Mr Roy McKenzie and was trained by the late Jack Hunter whose sons Ian and Charlie handled Scottish Command in most of his races. However, when the entire scored his initial win at Hutt Park he was driven by his owner giving him his first success. Leased to America at eight years Scottish Command won only $13,000 there and he was also successful in Wales while undergoing a period of quarantine before returning to NZ. His lifetime winnings were $65,634.

From a small number of matings before his export Scottish Command had produced a promising crop which included the 1973 Great Northern Derby winner Scottish Laddie. In the years since he returned he has consistently taken a high ranking on the sire list, doing best when seventh in the 1971-2 term. In the past seven years sons and daughters of Scottish Command have won 177 races and been placed in a further 419 for stakes of $358,000 the amount of winnings from the USA lifts his total to over $½ million.

Among his best winners of recent times have been Command Performer (1:58.6), Black Watch, Scottish Charm, Bella's Command, Scottish Warrior, Paula Scott, Hundred Pipers, Sole Command, Scotty Grattan and Sway Boy.

At the request of Mr McKenzie Scottish Command was buried in his paddock at Yankee Lodge.

Credit: Richard Turnbull writing in NZ Trotguide 9Oct75