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YEAR: 1941

LEICESTER MAIDENS

Now forgotten, a lesson on how few "legends" last beyond our own time, Winchmore trainer Leicester Maidens produced some amazing results with "has been" pacers and trotters on both sides of the Tasman in the 1930's and 1940's. What was his secret? - and did it later play a role in Bart Cummings winning at least one of his Melbourne Cups?

Maiden's feats with top class veteran horses remain unequalled. In 1941, fresh from a two year retirement on health grounds, he won 23 races just from January to July when leading trainer Ces Donald had 34 for the whole season. More remarkably, the youngest of his winners was eight and the eldest two were 12! Zincali, raced by West Coast All Black, Jack Steel, and formerly with experts Maurice McTigue and "Dil" Edwards, was the leading stakes earner nationally, winning six races and setting an Australasian record for a mile and a half.

In 1936 when asked to take a "lost cause" for Ashburton owner, Harry Nicoll, Maidens agreed - if he could also try the New Zealand Cup/ Dominion Handicap winner Wrackler, then 10, which had been hacked in retirement for more than 12 months. Nicoll reluctantly agreed and within three months Wrackler had won the Addington Handicap beating most of the best open class trotters around.

Born in 1900 into an Ashburton farming family, the personable and popular Maidens first came to prominence with Harvest Child, one of two high class winners from th first crop of the "hyped" expensive stallion, Sonoma Harvester who never repeated the feat. Past his best and a refugee from stables such as that of Freeman Holmes, Harvest Child was rejuvenated under Maidens.

At his 1930's peak Maidens had 30 horses in work near Methven, a huge number then. Rollo, then a 12-year-old, had been retired out of Roy Berry's stable but won several rich races for Maidens. Peter Locanda, Marie Celeste - both 10 year olds - Zingarrie, Jesse Owens - who won four of his six starts for Maidens after being taken over from Dinny Teahen of Certissimus fame - and Palomar were other great successes.

His two best results, apart from Zincali, were Blue Mountain and Peter Smith. Blue Mountain was a tough grey horse owned bt Mrs Inex Sweetapple of Auckland and fornerly with Jack Shaw before Maidens raced him in partnership with his owner. He went within a length of beating Indianapolis in that champion's first NZ Cup in 1934, anothe champion Harold Logan being three lengths away.

Maidens inherited Peter Smith late in his career. He won the rich Olivier Handicap and ran third in three NZ Cup attempts, his problem on Cup Day being that as a fast beginner he was always dragging the field up to inevitable tearaway pacemaker, Gold Bar.

Maidens retired again in 1945 and took over the Royal Hotel in Palmerston North. In 17 seasons training by his count he had been in the top four trainers or drivers seven times and rarely outside the top five. In 1949 Maidens turned up in Melbourne, claiming health reasons though his wife, Margaret, remained in Palmerston North. After a time he took over a free-legged pacer well past his best called Dauntless Peter and decided to train him in hopples, something the horse hated with a passion. "He tried to kick them off every day for six weeks," Maidens recalled.

Largely thanks to a rejuvenated Dauntless Peter who beat the best in the Melbourne Free-For-All in spite of carrying a buckled wheel for most of the way so bad the driver had to sit on one side of the cart, Maidens then won a Melbourne trainer's premiership. Later, in 1953, he was on the front pages (headline "Women Screamed) after surviving a spetacular smash at the Showgrounds when thrown 20ft high in the air, and he was also a guest columnist in the Melbourne Argus.

He was then private trainer for owner/breeder Bob Stewart but after a time there was strife with the stewards over the form of Silver Trigger in two races the same night at a provincial meeting. Owner-trainer and horse were disqualified for 12 months. On appeal Stewart was absolved. However Maidens, who had been in trouble for giving the stewards a "serve" about them talking to him before the start of the race on the night, (he won one race and was second in the other) lost his appeal in spite of several impressive character witnesses in his defence. Stewart sold up in favour of galloping in disgust. Maidens later retired and died in Toorak, Melbourne, in 1973.

The Maidens secret? Various tonics were in use in that era but few were unknown to the top trainers on whom Maidens seemed to improve on time after time. He had either found an effective form of natural hormone treatment or, as he himself seemed to claim, he was ahead of his time in recognising the role of ulcers on the performance of older horses. "Old horses suffer more from ulcers because of stress and the standard training feeding diet ofter makes it worse," Maidens once said in an interview. "Ulcers are painful and have a big effect on diet and work. I pay special attention to diets for my horses (lower oats content, special cooked supplements) and work them less to cut stress."

60 years later, after veteran Rogan Josh came from nowhere to win the 1999 Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings sang the praises of an ulcer product as the winning edge. Treating ulcers became a racing fad - until an ingredient was found to be a prohibited substance. Ulcer treatment remains large in the training of older horses as a result.

It would have been another story the colourful Leicester Maidens would love to have told.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HR Weekly 6Feb13

 

YEAR: 1951

WILLIAM KERR

The death occurred last week of Mr Wm. Kerr, famous in earlier days of trotting as a trainer and studmaster at 'Wildwood Farm,' New Brighton.

Wildwood Junior, winner of the NZ Cup in 1909 and 1910, Admiral Wood, Thelma, Calm, President Wilson, Goldie and others won numerous races for Wm. Kerr and his brother, C Kerr. At one time Wm. Kerr was the outstanding trainer in Canterbury.

'Wildwood Farm' was named after the great imported trotter Wildwood, who was brought from America as a 2-year-old by Mr H Richardson in 1894 and was subsequently purchased by Wm. and C Kerr. Wildwood proved a great trotter in a limited racing career in this country and during his 10 or 11 seasons at the stud he sired some great horses, notably the champions Ribbonwood and Wildwood Junior.

Writing of 'Wildwood Farm' many years ago, Mr F C Thomas, now living in retirement at Riccarton had the following comments: "The writer well remembers his first introduction to Wildwood, soon after the black son of Good Gift arrived in Chistchurch. Though still showing traces of his journey from San Francisco to Christchurch, he filled the eye as quite the best looking young horse ever brought to these shores. He was then rising three, and after a few week's spell was put into light work at Kerr's track. It was two seasons later, however, that he first faced a racecourse crowd, and though of practically unknown quality, he was backed for the Record Reign Handicap at the Showgrounds as if the race was all over bar shouting. Despite his opponents including much better-performed horses such as General Tracey, Albert Victor, Little Willie, Sam Slick and Viking, he was required to give them starts ranging from 4 to 10 secs in two miles. In the field also was a little fancied candidate hailing from Ashburton, Prince Imperial, owned by Mr A G Holmes, and driven by Newton Price. After going a fine race Wildwood just failed to concede Prince Imperial the required 4sec start, though he managed to account for all the others.

"It was this race that led up to the famous match between Wildwood and Prince Imperial at New Brighton, over which big sums of money changed hands. Dave Price drove Prince Imperial, and Willie Kerr, through the indisposition of his brother, held the reins over the black trotter. Wildwood won in two straight heats. Subsequently he showed his worth in races at the Showgrounds, New Brighton and Plumpton Park.

"On retiring to the stud Wildwood was not long in establishing his speed-begetting ability, as a sire of both pacers and trotters. On of the earliest to bring him fame was Ribbonwood, who defeated the Australian champion Fritz in the greatest match ever held in NZ. Another of Wildwood's sons, Wildwood Junior, must take rank as among the greatest racehorses of modern times. In their home trials there was little to choose between Wildwood Junior and his son Admiral Wood. Whereas the latter gained Blue Ribbon distinction, the 'black demon,' who did his racing before Derbies were instituted, won the NZ Trotting Cup in 1909 and 1910.

"Before both these Cups Wildwood Junior had done everything asked of him at his home track, one of his trials being two miles in 4.31, coming home the last mile in 2.10½. He was also a success at stud, tieing for first place on the sires' list for the number of races won, with Logan Pointer, in the 1921-22 season."

Wildwood Junior mares and their innumerable descendants also made their mark, and his blood courses through the veins of such great horses as Highland Fling, Lucky Jack and a host of others. From Wildwood Junior's dam Thelma, Wm. Kerr bred a great line of additional winners, successful sires and producing mares, and this great foundation mare has become the most famous of all Colonial-bred matrons. Winners in NZ and Australia descended from her in the direct maternal line are now close to the century mark.

-o0o-

F C Thomas & 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 21Feb51

Long before light-harness racing had been established on recognised courses in the Dominion, meetings were held by a few enthusiasts on the New Brighton beach. They were rough-and-ready affairs. Few of the competitors had had any training outside their daily routine between the shafts of tradesmen's carts. Most of the races had small sweepstakes attached to them, while the prizes were frequently of the utility order, such as a set of harness, a saddle or even a whip.

At one of the early meetings William Kerr made his first public appearance, and the finished manner in which he handled Queen B and Maud S was an augury of his later development into one of the greatest reinsmen ever associated with trotting in the Dominion. Some years later he and his brother Charles set up a training establishment at Wainoni, about half-way to New Brighton, which, in the course of time, became famous for the number of winners it turned out, besides being the foaling place of several champions. The establishment is still there, its homestead and tall macrocarpa hedges being a reminder of it's past glory.

When William and Charles Kerr set up as public trainers at Wainoni their abilty soon became recognised, and their stable was generally full. At every meeting, whether at New Brighton, Plumpton Park or Lower Heathcote, their colours were always to the fore, and frequently half the days programme came their way. When Lancaster Park Amateur Trotting Club was formed, much better stakes than usual were given on the opening day, and William Kerr won a £400 race with Blue Mountain. Up to this time the majority of horses passing through the Kerr Bros' hands were of the utility order. Those that showed more than average merit were gone on with, but the majority returned to their original sphere of usefulness.

As related in last week's issue, in 1894 Mr H S Richardson, of New Plymouth, imported two sires, Wildwood and Ha Ha; also two broodmares - Alice Azmoor and Norbell; a quartet that played a very important part in helping to build up the Dominion's light-harness industry. Mr Richardson had intended his collection as the nucleus of a North Island stud, but through the agency of the late Mr Joseph Chadwick, a well-known sporting journalist of his time, it was agreed to sell the lot to the brothers Kerr.

Wildwood was a handsome black son of Good Gift, by Electioneer, from Amlet, by Fallis (son of Electioneer; second dam Almeda, by Langford (thoroughbred); third dam Lady Bell by Williamson's Belmont; fourth dam Puss, by American Eclipse. It was an unusual pedigree, for Wildwood was a grandson of Electioneer on the sire's side, while his dam was a great grand-daughter of the same horse. Another feature of the pedigree was the unusally strong infusion of thoroughbred strains. There was four of these in Good Gift's veins, and a like number in those of Amlet.

Wildwood, as a 4-year-old, was put into work by William Kerr and soon showed form of an outstanding order. A number of races came his way, and his appearance at any meeting was an attraction, for most of the local 'sports' had as yet not seen a Yankee trotter in action. About this time Dave Price had in his stable a 4-year-old pacer known as Prince Imperial, a son of Hambletonian Bell Boy and his old favourite Princess, a champion pacing mare - a real sensation of her day. From his first appearance on the tracks Prince Imperial was hailed as a coming champion as he had carried all before him in his public trials. Discussion as to the merits of the two horses became general, the outcome being a match of £500 a side, best two of three one-mile heats.

Excitment reached fever heat when the two champions took the track at New Brighton. But, like so many contests of a similar nature, the match failed to live up to expectations. In the first heat Wildwood quickly raced past his opponent, and from this out the issue was never in doubt. Nor did Prince Imperial fare any better in the second heat. Again the American horse soon drew clear, and though Prince Imperial struggled on gamely, it was soon evident that he was outclassed. Wildwood soon afterwards was retired to the stud. He found a ready affinity with Thelma, who subsequently made good her claim to rank as the greatest producer and foundation mare of all Dominion-bred matrons.

Hearing that Mr John Todd, of Lincoln, had a useful sort of gelding for sale on his farm, William Kerr took a run out to inspect the juvenile. It did not come up to the would-be purchaser's expectations, but he was greatly taken with Thelma, who became his for the sum of £30. And what a great investment it turned out to be!

Thelma, who won several races, including the Champion's Plate, was seven when she retired. She produced 16 foals from 1902 to 1917 and died in 1922. He first foal was Willowwood (by Wildwood), who retired with an unbeaten record: he started only three times, once each season in 1907-08, 1908-09 and 1909-10 and led the field home on each occasion. He must have been a horse of some class, because in one case his winning margin was 10 lengths in a mile and a half race and in another it was 12 lengths in a mile race. His best time was 2.24.

Full relatives to Willowwood were Thelma's foals for the next three years - Wildwood Junior, 4.33, Marie Corelli, 2.17, and Authoress. Wildwood Junior was a champion stayer but unsound. Proof of his calibre is given by the fact that his two NZ Cup victories, in 1909 and 1910, were his only races during those seasons. Wildwood Junior became a very successful sire, and tied with Logan Pointer for first place for the number of races won in the 1921-22 season. Wildwood Junior sired more than 100 individual winners and his daughters bred on very successfully their progeny including Lucky Jack (dual NZ Cup winner), Olive Nelson (one of the best trotters of her day), Zincali (one-time mile and a half record holder), Bingen Palm, Zingarrie, Ronald Logan, Mute, Sure, Wild Guy, Midshipmaid, Probationer, Trenand, Belle Lorimer, Ambition, Real Girl and Dundas Boy. All told, Wildwood Junior mares produced more than 140 individual winners. Wildwood Junior also basked in great reflected glory when the claim was authenticated that the fourth dam of Highland Fling, 1.57 4/5, was an un-named mare by the Wildwood - Thelma horse.

Adonis, by Harold Dillon, as his name implies, was a handsome little chap. He was also a fine racehorse, winning in saddle and harness and was good on top of the ground or in the mud. He made a specialty of two-mile saddle races, and his numerous winning performances in harness included the Metropolitan Courtenay Handicap, Forbury Handicap, Metropolitan Parliamentary Handicap, Forbury Park Kitchener Handicap, all two-mile races, and the Metropolitan International Handicap, a leading mile and a quarter event in those days. Adonis also twice finished second in the National Cup. He had not been long at the stud in NZ when he was sold to the New South Wales studmaster Mr A R Tewksbury and became a very successful sire at the Delavan Stud. Adonis sired in the Dominion Queen's Own and Away, both Cup horses.

Waverley, by Galindo, was a good racehorse from three years of age. That season he won a mile harness event in his only start. At four years he made only two appearances and won over two miles in one of these by a wide margin. At five years he was again a decisive winner over two miles at Otahuhu. As a 6-year-old he finished second to Steel Bell in the Auckland Cup and won the President's Handicap, two miles, at the same meeting. At seven years he won a mile harness race in heavy going and the Australasian Handicap, two miles, in 4.35, both at Auckland. Waverley did most of his stud duty at the 'Willowbank' Stud, Southland, and got many winners, including Willow Wave (Auckland Cup), Master Roy, Lynwood, Play Wave, and Jolly Drive.

Of the other sons of Thelma, Neil Denis and The Pointer were the best racehorses. Neil Denis won three races and The Pointer six races. Azelzion also won races, and he and Neil Denis sired an odd winner or two. Aristos, another son of Thelma, did not race. The Pointer was gelded.

Daughters of Thelma who were excellent racehorses were Marie Corelli, 2.17, by Wildwood, Lady Sybil, 2.18 2/5, by Rothschild, and Cameos, 2.15 1/5, by Galindo. Lady Sybil as a 3-year-old was a winner over two miles in harness; at four she won three races, in saddle and harness; and at five she won twice, taking her best record of 2.18 3/5, a good effort in her day. In a restricted career Marie Corelli won two races and took a record of 2.17. She possessed great speed. Cameos, in her only start as a 3-year-old, won the Stewards Handicap, a mile and a half harness event at Forbury Park by half a dozen lengths. At four she won three races, including one over two miles in saddle by a dozen lengths. She won two more races the following season and also divided two great mares in Adelaide Direct and Emmeline in an important sprint at Forbury Park. Authoress did not race.

After Wildwood Junior, the next member of the tribe to carve a niche for himself on the rock of ages was a grandson of Thelma, Author Dillon, winner of the NZ Derby, NZ Cup - and the November Free-For-All three years in succession.

Onyx, who for some years held the NZ mile and a half record of 3.13 against time, and won numerous races before finally finishing second in the NZ Cup, was a famous grand-daughter of Thelma. She won £10,747 in stakes at a time when prize-money was less than half of what it is today. Onyx did not live long at the stud and her only foals were Princess Onyx, whose 3.39 1/5 for a mile and a half still stands as the 2-year-old trotting record, and Baron Chenault.

Free Advice, a great-grand-daughter of Thelma, was a splendid all-rounder who at one time held the mile and a quarter record for a mare. Her crowning achievement in an era of giants - Harold Logan, Wrackler, Kingcraft, Roi l'Or, Logan Park, Logan Chief, Peter Bingen and Lindbergh were among her contemporaries - was to win the second qualifying division of the 1931 NZ Cup from Wrackler, Kingcraft and Harold Logan and finish third to Harold Logan and Kingcraft in the final. A celebrity of the trotting gait who came through the Lady Sybil branch of the Thelma family was Pilot Peter, winner of the Dominion Handicap, 1938.

Classic winners of more recent years tracing to Thelma are Moana Tama (NZ Sapling Stakes); Nelson Eddy (NZ Champion Stakes); Horsepower (Great Northern Stakes, NZ Champion Stakes, NZ Futurity Stakes and Great Northern Derby); Pacing Power (Timaru Nursery Stakes, NZ Sapling Stakes, Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, NZ Derby and NZ Futurity Stakes); Free Again (Great Northern Stakes), and Perpetua (NZ Sapling Stakes and New Brighton Oaks).

Another mare that proved very prolific to the Wildwood strain was Gertie, a daughter of Knight Errant. She was imported from America to Sydney in 1890 by Messrs Trestrail and Burns, who subsequently passed her on to William Kerr. At the Wainoni establishment her first foal by Wildwood was the speedy Storm, followed by Stormlet and Stormless. In 1907 she was mated with Wildwood Junior, and the result was a bay colt called Calm, who did his breeder good service on the tracks. On one occasion Calm ran third in the NZ Trotting Cup, a race that Kerr always maintained should have been his. In his trials, Calm was the equal of Wildwood Junior, but was not nearly as genuine. Gertie's later foals, all by Wildwood Junior, were Gertiewood, Breeze, Calmly, Peaceful, Leewood and Taunekaha; a truly notable collection.

No mention of Wildwood would be complete without reference to his greatest son, the sensational Ribbonwood. This speed merchant was bred by Mr G H McHaffie, of New Brighton. Though he never had his name inscribed on the list of NZ Cup winners, he won many important events and made history by his easy defeat of Fritz in the never-to-be-forgotten match at Addington. Ribbonwood was phenominal for his day, he was the first horse in the Southern Hemisphere to break 2.10 for a mile.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 14Feb51

 

YEAR: 1956

MR J B THOMSON

Mr John Bruce Thomson, an Invercargill businessman widely known throughout the province, and throughout the South Island for his associations with racing and trotting, died suddenly in Invercargill last week, aged 83. Mr Thomson had a lifelong association with both the Southland Racing Club and the Invercargill Trotting Club, and was president of the NZ Trotting Association when it was absorbed in the NZ Trotting Conference in 1950.

Mr Thomson was managing director of Thomsons Ltd, cordial manufacturers and wine and spirit merchants. Known as a public-spirited citizen, who supported many charitable organisations, Mr Thomson will also be remembered for his part in the May Day carnivals which were a regular feature of Invercargill life 30-odd years ago. He was held in high esteem by all sectors of the community and was known for his generosity and fairness. He was known almost universally among his friends as 'J B.'

It was through the sports of racing and trotting that he became widely known. A number of attempts were made to establish a trotting club in Invercargill in the early days, and when the Southland Trotting Club was re-registered on March 5, 1913, Mr Thomson was elected president. For the next few years the club conducted non-totalisator meetings. Because of the lavish stakes, it was necessary each year for members of the club to make up the deficiency. With the promise of totalisator permits in 1924, a meeting of light-harness enthusiasts was held and the Invercargill Trotting Club as it is constituted to-day was formed. Mr Thomson became the first president, a position he held until he retired in 1952, thus ending 40 years as president of the trotting Club in Invercargill.

As early as 1927 he was elected an executive member of the NZ Trotting Association, was later made vice-president, and in 1947 president. He was president in 1950 when a change of administration embodied the Association in the NZ Trotting Conference. He was for many years a member of the stipendiary stewards committee of the Association. Soon after his arrival in Invercargill in 1906, Mr Thomson was elected a member of the committee of the Southland Racing Club, and he remained a member until his death.

Before World War I, Mr Thomson had his own stud farm and a private training track at Charlton, near Gore, with A J Scott as trainer. It was there that Cathedral Chimes, who won the NZ Cup in 1916 in his colours, and other good winners in Louvain Chimes, Dora Derby and Raeburn did their early training. At this time Mr Thomson raced on an extensive scale, and in Canterbury he had horses like Cathedral Chimes, Muricata, the best free-gaited trotter of her time, Antonio, Zara, and the great pony pacer Soda, as members of J Bryce's team at Sockburn. Zara later became the dam of Zincali, who at one time held the NZ mile and a half record of 3.10 3/5.

Cathedral Chimes was one of the greatest pacers of his day. When he won the 1916 NZ Trotting Cup it was the first time that trotting races were run from a standing start. Cathedral Chimes won a number of other big races in NZ, was second in the NZ Cup in 1917, and after being retired to the stud he sired the winners of three NZ Cups, Ahuriri (twice) and Kohara. Before leaving for service overseas in World War I, Mr Thomson sold his stud, with the exception of Cathedral Chimes whom he leased to J Bryce during his absence. His interest in horses also led to a long association with agricultural and pastoral shows, and he was a prominent exhibitor of show jumpers.

A bachelor, Mr Thomson was at the time of his death, and for something like 40 years previously, a full-time boarder at Invercargill's Grand Hotel. He took a keen interest in all organisations established for the good of the community and was a foundation member of the Invercargill Rotary Club. He was also a past president of the Invercargill Club. A keen lover of bird and forest life, he was Southland representative on the council of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. He had a fine collection of native trees at his holiday cottage.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 28Nov56



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