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BEN GRICE

Ben Grice, one of trotting's best-known personalities, died in a training accident on his property on New Year's Day. He was 96. Mr Grice fell from the sulky while jogging a young horse on the track at his Prebbleton property. It was the second horse the veteran owner/trainer/breeder had worked that morning.

With his son Des, Mr Grice ran the well-known Kingcraft Farm, current home of World Skipper, Lopez Hanover and Keystone Mutiny. The stud has produced a host of classic winners over the years. Mr Grice has been active in trotting for more than sixty years, first in Mid-Canterbury and then, for the last thirty, at Prebbleton.

The most notable of the hundreds of winners the Grices have produced was the top racemre Haughty, winner of the NZ Cup two years in a row in 1942 and '43, the second time from 36 yards behind. Among the younger brigade, horses like Buccaneer, Jonboy Star, Glamour and Royal Lopez won the NZ Sapling Stakes, while Petro Star and Ruling Lobell made their mark by beating the fillies in the NZ Oaks for Mr Grice.

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Report by Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 19Jan82

Last week, the NZ Trotting Calendar paid a brief tribute to the late Benjamin Thomas 'Grandad' Grice, whose death as a result of a training accident on New Year's Day brought to an end an era in NZ trotting.

But any lifetime spent in trotting as long as Ben's - he was 96 at the time of his death - can not be brushed over in a few paragraphs, particularly when the man in question has made a contribution to the industry which made him a legend in his own lifetime.

Possessed with a delightful sense of humour - particularly when it was sharpened with a few whiskies with his mates - Ben Grice had a host of stories to tell, especially about the early days. But a lot of those stories could never be repeated - they would turn a modern day administrator's hair white - and many of them died with Ben.

Raised in Ashburton, Ben's interest in trotting was stimulated by his father, and it was on his father's property at Willowby that Ben built his first set of loose boxes. Later, on his own property at Winslow, which was formerly part of the old Longbeach estate, Ben converted an old woolshed into boxes and a feed barn, and really set about making a name for himself.

An accomplished horseman who early in his career was not scared to invest a few bob on his horses, he quickly realised you could not train horses up to the stage where they were ready for a bet, then drive them yourself. So over the years some famous horsemen were to don the famous Grice colours, red with cream crossed sashes and cap. Men like Free Holmes, Albert Hendriksen, 'Drum' Withers, Ossie Hooper, Gladdy McKendry, Ron & Ces Donald, Maurice Holmes, Bob Young and, more lately, Jack Carmichael and Denis Nyhan. Ben always believed in employing the best available reinsmen, and that policy paid off as his stable sent forth a string of brilliant pacers.

One of the best of these was Kingcraft, by the little-known stallion Quincey from a fast racemare in Colene Pointer. Colene Pointer, a mare by Logan Pointer from Queen Cole, by King Cole out of the great Norice, was very unsound so Quincey, a locally-based stallion, was walked to the Grice property to serve her. The resulting foal, Kingcraft, was a top performer, and in his first season at three was unbeaten in two starts. The same season, his dam, Colene Pointer, had recovered sufficiently to resume her racing career and won four races, including the Timaru Cup.

Colene Pointer's dam, Queen Cole, was purchased by Ben from Mrs M Duncan of Coldstream Lodge, which stood on the present site of the Fendalton shopping centre in Christchurch. It was not until nearly 60 years later that Ben found out that his expensive mare nearly didn't make it to Ashburton. The late Dave Bennett was working for Mrs Duncan at the time and, along with a mate, was assigned the task of delivering Queen Cole to the shunting yards to be put on board the train to Ashburton. Unfortunately, the mare escaped in the shunting yards and Dave and his friend spent several anxious hours trying to catch the runaway mare. She was finally cornered, loaded aboard the train and delivered to Ben. But Dave Bennett kept the secret of that narrow escape for many years, and it wasn't until a couple of years before his own death that he confided what had happened to Ben.

Queen Cole, and a Prince Imperial mare of unknown history, were the two mares who paved the way for most of the Grice winners, many of them brilliant juveniles who measured up to the best in the two and three-year-old classics. Buccaneer, an outstanding 2-year-old who won three races at two and then went amiss, is rated probably the best of them by Ben's son Des, who, "Went to help dad for a year after the war and I'm still there."

The Grice stable transferred to Prebbleton in 1950 and, naturally enough, Ben Grice named the property Kingcraft Farm, in honour of his old champion. Kingcraft won a division of the 1929 NZ Cup but he was scratched from the final that year. He then finished unplaced in a division of the event in 1930, but in 1931 was beaten a length by Harold Logan in the final after finishing third in a heat on the first day.

A string of grand pacers, dual NZ Cup winner Haughty, her son Brahman who held the 2-year-old mile record for 25 years, Riviera, Petro Star, Tradition, Regal Voyage, Village Guy, Jonboy Star, Courtier, Smokey Lopez, Ruling Lobell, Don Lopez and Avalon (world yearling record holder with a 2:06.8 effort at Washdyke a few seasons back) are but a few of the more famous names associated with Ben Grice.

It was one of Ben Grice's deepest regrets that one of his horses never won the NZ Derby, a classic the veteran horseman dearly wanted to win. He lined up some brilliant pacers in the event, but bad luck always seemed to dog him. He did, however, win the NZ Oaks with Petro Star and Ruling Lobell, the NZ Sapling Stakes four times with Buccaneer, Jonboy Star, Glamour and Royal Lopez and numerous other classics and semi-classics. The Grice horses were always aimed at classic and semi-classic races and, right up until the time of his death, Ben was working with a handful of likely youngsters, one of whom could yet fulfil, even after his death, Ben Grice's greatest ambition - a victory in the NZ Derby.


Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 12Jan82

D A WITHERS

D A (Drum) Withers, who died in Christchurch recently, was one of the leading trainers and drivers of the Dominion in the 1920s. Throughout his long and distinguished career in the light-harness code, Drum had been a credit indeed, to the game.

From boyhood Drum's main idea was eventually to train light-harness horses, and as soon as he left school he went to work for the late B Edwards at Avonhead Road. One of his first charges was Monte Carlo, whom he looked after when that horse won the NZ Cup in 1904. It is interesting to recall that Monte Carlo beat the famous foundation mare in Norice that day and ran the two-mile journey in 4:44 3/5. The owner of Monte Carlo gave young Withers 10 shillings and he considered he was well treated. Times were hard then. Drum was also in charge of another horse called George L II who, about the same time, won two races.

After a period with Edwards, Withers took employment with the late R McMillan and then the late T Davidson. He won his first race while working for Davidson on a horse called T E C at the Canterbury Park meeting, which was held where Wigram aerodrome is now. The late Andy Pringle finished second to Drum and after the race he gave Drum a dressing down for what he considered undue use of the whip on T E C. Drum stated that in those days there were no riding or driving fees, only promises.

Withers then left the horses and drove a bakers cart for a Mr Vass. Mr E Woodham was the baker and owned a horse called Blackchild Boy in the days when three-mile races were quite common. Those races were optional, the horses could either be ridden or driven. Withers rode Blackchild Boy in one of those three-mile races at New Brighton, but he failed to gain a place. Later in th day he went out to do his preliminary for a mile and a half race and was going so well that he asked Mr Woodham, who was standing by the rails, to put £2 on for him. Time was running short, however, and Mr Woodham did not reach the totalisator in time. Blackchild Boy duly won and paid a dividend in the vicinity of £56. The next horse Withers trained was Disappear, whom he started only three times. Disappear won the mile saddle at Addington the day that Adelaide Direct won the NZ Cup, and ran third on the second day.

After a period of ill health Withers gradually drifted back into the light-harness game and some of his first clients were the late J Nixon, who owned Temple Peter, the late W B Clarkson (War Bond), the late J B Pearson (Coil), Mr E Thompson (Florence La Badie), the late Mr F Neale (Bill Brown) and Mr G Rutherford (Prince Athol). Drum said they were all fine men to train for.

In his earlier days Drum was a regular visitor to the West Coast meetings, where he had a great run in saddle races, a horse called Voter being a good winner under weight for him. He said that what seemed years later he was at the first Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting and D Bennett advised him to ride Voter in a saddle race. Drum thought that the horse must have been old enough to vote, but when he had a look at him he still looked like a young horse, so he decided to ride him. Voter won, and his next engagement was in the Reefton Cup. His connections were not very keen in starting him in the Cup, as he was not thought very much of in harness. Voter surprised everyone by winning the Cup and his owner was so pleased that he took the horse home to his stable and gave him a good drink and a feed and returned to scratch Voter from a saddle race later in the day. The fields were not very large, and the stewards persuaded Mr Lochore, the owner of Voter, not to scratch his horse. Voter was brought back to the course, and despite being full of feed and water, he ran a great race to finish second. Drum said tha Voter was a great favourite of the Reefton people.

Withers had a lot of time for a horse called Little Pointer, owned by a Mr Grant of Nelson, who bought him from Mr B Grice. He won the Nelson Cup with Little Pointer and then sent him and Prince Athol up to Hawera. For the Hawera Cup Little Pointer was considered a certainty. Unfortunately, a car ran into him on the way to the races, breaking one of his legs. Prince Athol made some recompense for the ill-luck by winning his race. Withers later bought a full-brother to Little Pointer off Mr Grice for Mr Grant named Little Logan, a straight-out trotter. Little Logan was entered in the trotters' races at Palmerston North and, talking things over with Mr Grant before the first trot, Drum decided that the most difficult horse to beat would be Herbilwyn, trained by the late Skipper Price. While waiting to be called in to the barrier, Drum and Skipper decided to save a pound's worth of the dividend between them. The race duly started and Herbilwyn went away smartly and was soon bowling along extra well. At the straight entrance Drum noticed Skipper take a look around and thought to himself, "Skipper thinks no one is going to chase him." Drum shook Little Logan up and was two lengths past Herbilwyn before his rider was aware of any danger. Little Logan had the race in safe keeping before Skipper could get busy on his horse. Skipper was called before the stewards and given a holiday for 12 months for 'going to sleep.'

Another incident is worth relating, but for obvious reasons, no names will be mentioned. Drum was driving a horse in a big race and unbeknown to Drum the trainer had tightened up the horse's hopples, as he had his eyes on a bigger stake the next day and was far from keen to win this particular race. His only instructions to Drum were "do the best you can." Drum did and the horse won to the tune of a dividend of £48. The laugh was on the trainer, as Drum had £2 on his drive.

Wither's considered Logan Lou and Regal Voyage two of the best mares he ever had. Logan Lou won the August Handicap on the first day of the National meeting in 1925, finished second in the King George Handicap on the second day and won the National Cup on the third day. Logan Lou also won the National Cup the next year. Logan Lou was considered by Withers to be unlucky not to win a NZ Cup. Prior to the 1924 race Logan Lou was very well, but a short time before the meeting she met with an accident and could not take her place in the field.

Regal Voyage held a very high place in the opinion of Withers. She was the first mare to go better than 4:20 for two miles and was in the top flight amongst the Dominion's pacers. Regal Voyage began racing as a 4-year-old in the 1928-9 season, when she had four starts. She opened her winning account when she won the Teviotdale Handicap at Amberley. She was trained for that success by L Davidson and driven by D Withers. As a 5-year-old the next season Regal Voyage won four races. After her first success that term she was transferred to D Withers's stable. During the remainder of the season she won the Autumn Handicap at Ashburton, the Renown Handicap and the Southland Handicap at Forbury Park. The next season saw Regal Voyage win four races, her most-important success being in the Mid-summer Handicap at Addington.

Regal Voyage opened the 1931-2 season with a win in the August Handicap at Addington and then after several minor placings she won the Dunedin Cup. At the same meeting she won the Au Revoir Handicap, and this was to be her last winning effort on the race track. Following two unsuccessful seasons she was retired to the stud, and amongst her progeny was the grand race mare in Haughty, dual NZ Cup winner and dam of the 2-year-old mile record holder Brahman (2:02 1/5) and other winners

Withers recalled the time he won the Wellington Cup with Silk Thread. The day the acceptances closed Silk Thread was lame, so he was put out in a paddock and it was intended to withdraw him later. In those days acceptances did not close till eight o'clock at night, and when Withers returned later in the afternoon, E Schofield, who was looking after the horse said that he had been galloping about all afternoon, so it was decided to take him to Hutt Park. He duly won the Gold Cup, beating Logan Park, driven by the late W J Tomkinson.

Another good winner for Withers was a pacer called Little Nelson, owned by Mr B Grice. He was entered for the Cheviot Cup, a race Mr Grice was very keen to win as a handsome trophy went with the stake. Grice thought before the race that they could not be lucky enough to win, but Drum said that Little Nelson would have to fall over to get beaten. That is just what happened. He was knocked down.

Drum had no hesitation in saying that Great Bingen was the best horse he ever trained. He was a "perfect gentleman" and always did his best in a race. He was the first horse to go two miles in 4:20 in the Dominion and won some of the most important races in the country, but there appeared to be a hoodoo on him as far as the Cup races were concerned. Great Bingen won over all distances, very often from seemingly impossible marks. In the opinion of Withers, his greatest sffort was when he won the York Handicap at Addington from 108 yards behind. Great Bingen finished second to Ahuriri in the 1925 NZ Cup and in 1927 he had to be content with fourth place behing Kahara, Cardinal Logan and Man O'War. In that contest Great Bingen met with interfrence when Imprint broke in front of him, but he came home with a whirlwind finish for his placing. The following year Great Bingen was narrowly beaten by his full-brother, Peter Bingen.

The Auckland Cup also eluded Great Bingen, in the 1926 race he was considered very unlucky by his trainer-driver. Great Bingen was in a good position in that race, trailling Acron, who was following the trotter, Peterwah. Peterwah broke and interfered with Acron, who can back on to Great Bingen, stopping him almost dead. Great Bingen recovered sufficiently to finish fourth. He ran fourth again the next year when conceding starts of up to 78 yards.

While on the subject of Great Bingen it is interesting to compare the stakes won by him at the Australian Championships at Perth in the 1925-6 season. He won the first heat, for which he received £100, and got a similar sum for winning the third heat. He also won the first final and the third final, which were worth £300 each. In all he amassed a total of £800 for winning four races. In the 1925-6 season Great Bingen was only twice out of a place in 13 starts.

Withers had a good deal of success with Kingcraft, a big gelding by Quincey from Colene Pointer. Kingcraft belonged to Mr B Grice and was inclined to waywardness, but he won many races when in the care of Withers. Kingcraft commenced racing as a 3-year-old and won at his only two starts that season. His successes were gained in the Juvenile Handicap at Addington and the Palmer Handicap at Wellington. Kincraft was a hardy type and raced with outstanding success for several seasons, counting amongst his wins for Mr Grice the Islington, Canterbury, Flying, President's and Farewell Handicaps at Addington. Kingcraft also won the first heat of the NZ Cup in 1929. Kingcraft failed to win a race in the 1933-4 and 1934-5 seasons, although he was placed several times. He was then presented to Withers by Mr Grice and went on to win three more races in the ownership of Withers. His wins were gained in the Electric Handicap at Oamaru, when driven by S A Edwards, the Advance Handicap at Addington, and the Bollard Memorial Handicap at Wellington. In the latter two races Kingcraft was driven by Withers.

Loganwood was another pacer who won races for Drum, and he was also trained successfully by G S (Swanny) Smith. Drum also had several driving successes behind that grand little pacer Roi L'Or. He finished second behind him in the Dunedin Cup and then won the big race on the second day. Drum said 'lady luck' was with him that day as Roi L'Or was on his toes at the start and was racing in a short sulky. When the barrier went Roi L'Or swung round and kicked quite a few spokes out of one wheel. The broken spokes made a terrible clatter and going down the back the last time the wheel started to buckle and was rubbing against the forks. Roi L'Or just got up to win by a neck and on his return to the birdcage the wheel collapsed altogether.

Withers was private trainer for the late Sir John McKenzie for nearly four years. During that time he trained a large number of winners, and included amongst the horses he had in his care were a select string including Great Bingen, Acron, Silk Thread, Peter Swift, Great Actress, Real The Great, Frisco Beau and Dolores.

Numbered amongst Drum's driving successes were the Reefton Cup with Lord Lytten and Voter, the Greymouth Cup with Anon; the Methven Cup with Colene Pointer; the Bollard Memorial Handicap with Kingcraft and Steel All; the Oamaru Handicap with Coil; the Dunedin Cup with Regal Voyage; the National Cup twice with Logan Lou; the Adams Memorial Cup with Silk Thread and the Wellington Gold Cup with Silk Thread.

His best season was in 1925-6, when he was the Dominion's leading trainer with 22 successes. He was leading driver in the 1925-6 and 1926-7 seasons with 29 and 31 winning drives respectively.

Prior to, and during World War II, Drum raced a galloper in Sandwich Man with a good deal of success. Trained for him by the late F Christmas, Sandwich Man won for Withers the County Hurdle Handicap at Ashburton, the Suburban Handicap at Riccarton, the Tinwald Handicap at Ashburton and the Presdent's Handicap at Oamaru. Amongst Sandwich Man's placed performances was a second to Defaulter in the Wellington Cup. Culverden, another galloper raced by Withers, won for him the Hack and Hunter's Steeplechase at Oamaru, when trained by his son, G H Withers.


Credit: 'Irvington'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 15Sep65

Harold Logan & Roy Berry starting the 1933 Cup off 72yds

SPARE A THOUGHT

If the connections of Borana and Camelot think it's going to be tough to win a second Cup off 10m this year, they should spare a thought for this fellow. Half a century ago, Harold Logan was the champion pacer of the day and made a habit of attempting the NZ Cup from seemingly insurmountable handicaps.

The handsome gelding began racing as a 5-year-old and in his first attempt at the Cup, as a 9-year-old, won from 48yds over Kingcraft (fr) and Free Advice (12yds). That was his 15th win in just 33 starts, but these were the days when handicaps were made to cripple. Harold Logan scored an astonishing win in the big event the next season from 60yds, downing Glenrossie (12), Roi l'Or (24) and Red Shadow (12) in 4:16.4, but the following season the 11-year-old was unplaced from 72yds.

By now Harold Logan was a household word, but it was only the beginning. He returned as a 12-year-old to almost win the NZ Cup trial from 84yds, going down by a whisker to scratch starter Blue Mountain. In the Cup he finished third to Indianapolis (24) and Blue Mountain (front) fron 72yds, creating a two-mile world record of 4:12.4. Harold Logan easily won two free-for-alls on the latter days of the meeting and wound up the season racing unsuccessfully at a Manawatu Trotting Club's meeting from 214 yards.

As a 13-year-old he won the Cup trial at Hutt Park from 60yds but did not start in the big race. But the old warrior was back for more in 1936, finishing fourth to Indianapolis (48), Red Shadow (24) and War Bouy (front) from 48 yards.

Harold Logan did not race in the 1937-38 season, but this was not retirement. He was back in training as a 16-year-old and managed a couple more placings from long handicaps before finally winding up his colourful career. He had raced 108 times for 29 wins and 29 placings.



Credit: HRWeekly 6Nov86

MABEL & NORICE

There have been few more colourful tales of our harness world than that of Norice, arguably the greatest broodmare in its history, and her owner Mabel Duncan.

In the World War One years Norice was the breeding queen of New Zealand and Duncan kept her in suitably palatial surroundings at the country's plushest trotting stud, Coldstream Lodge in Fendalton. The present homestead at the end of Chilcombe St - the property originally fronted Memorial Avenue when it was 59 Burnside Rd - remains the only memorial to what also was the first stud of any code in New Zealand and the place many harness fans angled to get an invite to visit during carnival week in Christchurch.

Coldstream had been established and named by Ernest Jerningham Wakefield on whose motion the Canterbury Jockey Club was formed in 1855. He stood The Peer there (Peer St is still close by) but Ronald and Mabel Duncan would enlarge and transform it at great expense into a showplace hosting four of the most famous standardbreds of their time.

Horse-mad Mabel Duncan, an accomplished show rider in her youth, was the youngest daughter of A J White whose furniture store was Christchurch's largest. Her Husband, an accountant, successful real estate agent and land speculator, was the sixth son of the former Mayor of Christchurch, Andrew Duncan (there were seven in all) and a dashing "man about town" in the land agency business. They had been married in Sydney in 1905, chiefly to avoid embarrassment to family. The Whites were the high profile Catholic family in the city and the Duncans leaders of the Presbyterian church - not a popular quinella at any religious ceremony in those far off times. The doomsayers would have the last laugh.

Ronald Duncan acted as judge, timekeeper and stipendiary steward at several Canterbury racing clubs and later on the executive of the NZ Trotting Association and King Cole (for a time) was the only horse he raced. He added 10 ha to Coldstream and built a luxurious stable complex and trainer's quarters which included, a reporter marvelled, a hot shower. Mabel was loosening the purse strings as well.

She bought Norice, the most famous racemare in the country, for a hefty sum from the popular Bower Hotel (New Brighton) owner, James Pettie, who had imported Norice from California (accompanied on the trip by Dave Price who brought back the first spreaders used here) but was now moving to the outskirts of Gisborne. Mabel also bought the promising King Cole from Nelson Price as well as his dam. Mabel's trainer, Dave Price, had already given her his half share in King Cole as a foal.

King Cole was one of only 17 foals left here by Price's champion, Ribbonwood. 15 raced and 12 won. Another notable and expensive purchase, before her marriage, had been the champion Sal Tasker, the fastest mare in Australasia, with a sensational official time at Addington in 2:20. She was named after Sarah Tasker the wife of her prominent breeder James Tasker - though Nelson Price first raced the mare and landed a betting plunge first up at Sockburn with her before selling.

At the outbreak of World War One Coldstream boasted both the fastest mare and stallion in Australasia (King Cole having broken his sire Ribbonwood's mile record in a special morning trial at Addington) as well as Norice, the most commercial broodmare. Mabel often used Sal Tasker when driving to town (Ronald played a big role in the tramway being extended to Clyde Road later) safe in the knowledge no challenger could possibly beat her down Fendalton Road.

Mabel also sent mares to be bred in Australia to Abbey Bells and horses to race there including Sal Tasker and her son Coldstream Bells, which was cruelly robbed of the biggest prize in Australasia, the Melbourne Thousand, when another driver deliberately crashed into him and Price at the start. Coldstream Bells still ran second and was later a sire of some note. Mabel Duncan seemed jinxed at times with her horses yet Norice was always there to give Coldstream its status. She also had a champion pony stallion which went years without defeat in Christchurch show rings.

Norice had six generations of recorded pedigree when most local mares, Sal Tasker included, rarely had more than two. She was by Charles Derby (ancester of Johnny Globe, Lordship etc) and after she was bought a half-brother became one of the fastest juveniles in America. Black, fast, sometimes erratic, Norice was the leading stake earner of 1904 winning six of her first seven starts here. She would have won the first NZ Cup that year too but she had problems which prevented Price from training her sufficiently for the race. Even so she led clearly most of the way and as she was eased when passed by Monte Carlo in the straight the big margin was misleading. The veteran never beat her in shorter races.

Norice made history again when disqualified from first in a Flying Handicap at Addington for galloping near the finish. In a landmark decision the race was restored to her because the committee had not taken evidence from her driver, Price, which would have established that a hopple had broken. From then on committees could not make decisions without hearing evidence from the drivers. Later in the day she won the Champion Free-For-All. Norice had also caused Pettie some grief because he had to lodge another cheque "under strong protest" with the NZTA before Norice could race here. Her previous owner was apparently in forfeit to the American Trotting Association and that body had just agreed to share it's rulings with this country.

At stud Norice left a series of smart colts who were in strong demand in Australia as sire but her most famous son was Nelson Derby, a striking colt from birth bought from Mabel by George Craw of Palmerston North for a record £750. He won the Great Northern Derby and the Auckland Cup though not sound, according to trainer Bill Tomkinson, and sired Haughty the first mare outside America to break two minutes. Therein lay quite a story.

The racing dream which seemed to belong to Ronald and Mabel Duncan started to fall apart around 1916 when Duncan took the extraordinary step then of suing his wife for £325 through the courts, presumably for Coldstream costs. Coldstream was sold with Mabel retaining the home block. Ronald Duncan bought and moved to the famous homestead block in North Canterbury. He later moved to Australia where he died in 1942 having remarried after Mabel's death.

Mabel had to cut numbers and sell virtually all her young stock. Watching Nelson Derby, the horse she had been aiming to breed for so long walk out the gate must have been heartbreaking. Selling Norice and Sal Tasker (whose descendants are still competitive today) was never an option. She still clung to part of Coldstream when she died in 1936 the once wealthy heiress having been adjudged bankrupt the previous year. Her parents had a strong social conscience and spent much of their wealth on community projects including building and supporting the large St Joseph's orphanage in Halswell. Norice had her last foal in 1931.

Among the horses sold was Queen Cole (King Cole-Norice) to John Grice of Tinwald whose son Ben inherited her first foal Colene Pointer (Methven and Timaru Cups) a fine stayer and dam of Queen's Treasure and Kingcraft. Ben had another foundation mare, Logan Princess, dam of the high class Regal Voyage. When that mare retired, down the road at Walter Gudsell's Pluto Lodge Stud in Tinwald was a poorly patronised Nelson Derby and so history in the form of Haughty was made. Crossing the two families and doubling up on Norice blood through Nelson Derby by Ben Grice to reinforce the family speed factor has ensured the survival of the Norice character through every generation since. Native King was another Norice colt successful at stud. Kingcraft, by the obscure Quincey who also happened to stand locally (Colene Pointer had broken down so badly she could not travel far) was almost a great horse, competing in the NZ Cup after just eight starts, but like his granddam was erratic at times.

Norice's essential qualities of high speed and waywardness combined with soundness problems have suvived to a remarkable extent through almost a century of breeding. At crucial times her tribe produces fast fillies like herself, like Single Star, Riviera and Petro Star for Grice. Perhaps the best example of the potency of the mare was the amazing Mount Eden. He was the essence of her pacing power and like her highly strung yet his performances were so stunning no less a commentator than Ron Bisman claimed he was to him the fastest horse the world had seen.

The Norice line has actually thrived on the superior breeding performance of relatively few mares, and largely just three breeders - Mabel Duncan, Grice and the Cummings family of Tuapeka whose mare Sakuntala has been the springboard of much of the family's recent success. The New Zealand Cup winners Iraklis and Monkey King, both from this source, were noted for extreme acceleration. Their ancestress Hindu Star, dam of Sakuntala, carried a close up (3x3) Norice masterminded by Grice. Holmes D G came from a more obscure branch of the Norice tribe but still had the essential double cross of Nelson Derby.

In earlier eras stars like Nicotine Prince, Chief Command and Indecision; the speedy Maurice Holmes 2yos like Strauss, Violetta and company; Hardy Oak, Single Star, Ardstraw, Canis Minor, Tuapeka Star, Ruling Lobell etc, etc kept the Norice name to the fore. O Baby is her current Horse of the Year poll winner.

The Norice legacy can be character building for those seeking to extend it. Lightning does not strike as consistently as with some families - but when its stars align it sends an electric charge through the pacing world that no other family can match.

Mabel Duncan and Ben Grice knew what they had to work with. Their work was not in vain.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 10Apr13