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Natt Hall, Barry Anderson & Commissioner after the Timaru Nursery Stks

NAT HALL

Nat Hall, who died suddenly last week at the age of 71, was a loyal and long-serving committeeman of the Rangiora Harness Racing Club. "When Nat had a job to do, you could always depend on him to do it well," said past-president, Erin Crawford.

Hall stood the stallion Farm Timer, but his flagship was the grand pacer Commissioner whom he trained himself. By Play Bill from the Scotland's Pride mare Preferable, Commissioner won three races at two, and beat Noodlum in the Champion Stakes at Ashburton in 1974.

As a 3-year-old, he won the NZ Metropolitan Championship from Don Lopez and In Or Out, and one of his two wins at four came at he expense of Trevino in the NZ Premier Stakes. Driven mostly by Barry Anderson, Commissioner won the New Brighton Cup at five from Lunar Chance and Sole Command for Bob Nyhan, who also drove him in his last win, over Cyclone Lad and Stanley Rio, in the Lion Brown Invitation Stakes.

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David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 4Dec75

Most readers are aware that no matter how much scientific research is put into bloodlines, nearly every top class horse has at least one factor of luck or chance in his breeding history.

Just how far chance can go toward getting the desired result is evident in the history of Commissioner who won the third leg of the Triple Crown series at Addington recently. In winning the $7,000 NZ Premier Stakes for 4-year-olds and having taken the 3-year-old equivalent last season, the Play Bill horse nearly took the $10,000 bonus which the NZ Metropolitan Club is offering to the first horse to win all three legs. Noodlum was Commissioner's stumbling block for he won the 2-year-old leg, the Welcome Stakes in 1974 after Commissioner had broken at the start. Noodlum was out of action when the 3-year-old leg was decided and of course sidelined by a similar injury this time. Nevertheless he would have been working to top his old rival for Commissioner sped over the 2600m in 3:21.4 and the Rangiora pacer is obviously one with a very bright future.

Yet it is only by a series of coincidences that we are seeing Commissioner at all. His dam Preferable had as her grandam the brilliant Sonoma Harvester mare Garner whom E C McDermott bought for the great sum of $35 in the early 1930s and proved one of the finest trotters of her era. At stud, among others, she produced Lady Josephine to the Rey De Oro stallion Gaillard. Owned by Bill Allen at Addington, Lady Josephine had a reputation for being able to get in foal at any time to any stallion and she was sent down the road to the Addington stables of Alf Bourne in 1947 to be mated with Scotland's Pride who had just been retired for the track after a successful but frustrating career.

Scotland's Pride won races alright but he had a major problem in that while his right foot turned inwards his left turned outwards and Bourne claims he is the only pacer to have raced with "two left feet". There was no stud fee for him apparently as long as you were prepared to deliver your mare and take it home after servicing. Preferable was the result of this informal arrangement and she got her name when the Allens found that they were one name short on the application form but told officials the first name they wanted was preferable to the second. Preferable became the third name and this was the one ultimately given.

Preferable showed some promise as a trotter as a young horse and ultimately won at that gait though she never set the world on fire and had periodic bouts of unsoundness. As a six-year-old she was retired to stud. Though two of her first three foals were winners Preferable looked set for a breeding career to match her racing until she was allowed to run in the paddock with the Hal Tryax horse Lucky Tryax. Her second foal from this arrangement was leased by 'Snow' Whitford with the right of purchase and this was of course the outstanding juvenile pacer Sam Tryax. Before this colt showed his worth, however, Preferable was sold to Nat Hall for $25 with another $25 thrown in if the now ageing mare had another foal.

She was over 20 years old by this time and showing it. But she retained the breeding qualities of her own dam and produced Infallible to Fallacy before dropping Commissioner to Play Bill - not a bad return on $50. Now 27 years old Preferable is still being bred from and Nat Hall has a Regal Yankee colt Chancllor bred in 1973. While he is showing promise his owner will be surprised if he is another Commissioner.

A Rangiora farmer Nat Hall has been actively engaged in training for about six years though prior to that a number of horses he bred had been leased out, among them the good trotters Indira and Smokey Bear. Not a pretentious man and one who has something of a reputation for avoiding the limelight which he thinks he hasn't fully earned. Though he dislikes taking Commissioner to the parade ring and prefers to watch the 4-year-old from the top of the straight near the stables entrance, Nat is direct when asked the reason for deciding on Play Bill as a breeding mate for Preferable: 'The old mare had no teeth and Freeman Holmes had a lot of grass at his stud' says Nat. Such refreshing candour in a day when some breeders might be disposed to give you a long lecture on the 'nicking' of bloodlines surely deserves a horse like Commissioner.

Commissioner's immediate future includes a crack at the Miracle Mile on Staturday in which he has drawn well and might well attempt to lead from start to finish. Certainly anything that takes him on over the first 400m is going to know they have been sprinting. It is possible he will go to Auckland for the Cup carnival though as Commissioner is having quite a busy season at stud (having served 20 mares so far) Nat might be inclined to settle for the Canterbury Park meetings at New Year.

Whatever happens, Commissioner seems destined for a grand career - and all because Nat Hall bought an old toothless mare for $25. It all shows yet again that unfashionably bred horses still can make fools of the most expert student of breeding.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 19Nov03

BARGAIN PRICED HORSES

Large prizes are the headlights of progress. They are the rewards which await those who own the fastest and stoutest racehorses. They increase values, and place the acid stamp of merit on the names of winners which, in time, become the basis of comparison with those which preceeded and those which follow them.

No owner of racehorses has ever complained that the stakes are too large, but it is a common lament on the part of sale-ring frequenters that 'they could have had for such and such a bargain price' a horse that surmounted its humble origin to flourish into one of the best compaigners of its time. The sale-ring bargains are numerous. Many of them changed hands at prices that must have been a considerable loss to their breeders, and, in the right hands, numerous cast-offs have richly rewarded the speculators with a keen eye for a passable bit of horseflesh.

Buying horses is a gamble and always will be. There are more bad ones than good ones sold or practically given away. On the same day that 400gns was paid for a good-looking filly, which turned out to be a duffer, Nicoya, a gelding by Wrack, was knocked down for 4½gns.

Here we digress for a moment. The Wracks became one of the greatest breeds we have had in this country, but their early stocks were low indeed. In spite of Wrackler and First Wrack coming from Wrack's first season, shrewd judges got the idea that the bulk of the breed were 'wasters.' So strong did the prejudice become that some owners did not so much as bother trying their young horses by Wrack. One well-known breeder even resorted to the desperate expedient of going on a shooting expedition among a paddock full of Wracks! This unwarranted prejudice was no doubt the reason why three of the greatest trotters of the breed, or any breed for that matter, were picked up at auction by lucky ringsiders for a few pounds each.

I have in front of me as I write a sale catalogue of H Matson & Co dated Easter Monday, 1931, in which a bay yearling filly by Wrack from a Paul Huon mare was sold on behalf of Mr H F Nicoll for 6gns to D Neill. That filly was none other than Sea Gift, who late found her way to J Bryce's stable, eventually to end up in the ownership of Mr C M Archer. Trained by E J Smith, Sea Gift won thousands, became the champion 2-year-old trotter - her record of 4.21 2/5 still stands - and beat good pacers after outclassing herself among her own gait.

Lot 13 turned up trumps for Mr R H Butterick, who went to Tattersalls Horse Bazaar on Wednesday, August 14, 1935, and paid no heed to superstition or anything else by bidding 4gns for the aforsaid lot, a bay mare, seven years, by Wrack from a Nelson Bingen mare. This mare was about the most unprepossessing piece of horseflesh imaginable, and it took Allan Matson all his time to 'give her away.' The mare, intended for a humble farm animal, by mere chance was tried for speed and became Peggoty, who won seven races on end, had a foal, and returned from the brood mares paddock to win the Dominion Handicap.

In another catologue I find that Nicoya was sold by the same firm, and on behalf of the same vendor, for 4½gns. Nicoya was described by a well-known trainer at the sale as "a big, soft-legged, carty gelding who might be useful in the harrows." The great majority who saw him sold evidenly sudscribed to this opinion, because Nicoya was knocked down to a West Coast sportsman for 4½gns. When he eventually came into the ownership of Mr J Manera, and was handed over to L F Berkett to train, Nicoya became a star among our best handicap trotters and finished up by beating Huon Voyage in the Champion Handicap, one mile and a half. The 4½gns cast-off was one of the greatest trotters produced in this country. It is certain that the best of him was never seen.

A 'Tasmanian buyer' secured a veritable goldmine when a NZ agent bid 37½gns, on his behalf for Ayr, who was sold at Tattersalls on behalf of Mr H F Nicoll on March 24, 1932. The 'Tasmanian buyer' was Mr E Tatlow, who bred from her Springfield Globe, Our Globe, Ayress, Van Ayr, Ayr Derby, and three younger ones all by Raider, the last of which, a colt, arrived in 1943. In view of the great track performances of Springfield Globe and Our Globe, it is reasonable to assume that any foal from Ayr today must be worth a tidy sum.

Karangi was bought at one of Mr J R McKenzie's dispersal sales for £10; Roydon's Pride (dam of Certissimus and Desmond's Pride) went under the hammer at Tattersalls for 27½gns, and Slapfast (dam of Gold Flight) for 12gns.

When 'money is scarce and hard to get' you should search round and try to happen upon something like Garner. But you would require a lot of luck as well as an eye for a likely sort to pick up such a rare bargain as Garner turned out to be for the late E C McDermott. This daughter of Sonoma Harvester and Pat Dillon was bought by McDermott for 16gns. She was a born trotter who showed unusual ability when only 2-years-old. As a 3-year-old she was the best trotter of her age that season, winning a double at Cheviot. At 4 years she put up a remarkable performance by winning the three principal trotting events at the Auckland Cup Carnival. Later she beat most of the best trotters in commission at Addington and took the two-mile record of 4.28 2/5. In her track work Garner trotted a mile in 2.09, and the last half mile in 62 4/5.

Thelma Wrack, when carring the Sapling Stakes winner, Moana Tama was sold for £2/10/- and the mare and foal were later passed on to Mrs G Bills for £10. It is related that Thelma Wrack was a hard mare to handle and that she could never be raced. At one time, I am informed, she was ordered to be shot, but she eluded all attempts to catch her. The frustration of those who had designs on her life is one of the fads of Fate, not new by any means.

Madam Templeton, in foal to Jingle, was knocked down at Tattersalls for £3/10/-. A colt foal duly appeared, to be named Rollo. He was raced for a time by Mr D R Revell, who sold him to Mr H M Allen, for whom he won thousands.

Mr E F C Hinds bought the then crippled Harold Logan for 100gns and won more than £11,000 with him. At Mr H W Aker's dispersal sale he had Tactless knocked down to him at 60gns, and developed him into a tidy stake- winner. Llewellyn's Pet, whom he secured for 14gns won several races.

Quality, one of the best staying mares of her time, was sold in 1927 on account of Mr A Bright, Ashburton, to Mr J O'Grady (her breeder and original owner, by the way), for 45gns. Quality won a considerable sum in stakes and qualified for the NZ Cup. She was one of the best investments that C S Donald ever had in his stable.

Billy Sea, when his sun was setting, as most people thought, was sold by Mr J A Mitchell, of Palmerston North, in 1927, to L Stobart, of New Brighton for 38gns. Stobart won the big race at New Brighton the following year with his purchase, and paid a huge dividend. Then N C Price trained Billy Sea to win a saddle race at Addington. Returned to Stobart, Billy Sea started in the Ashburton Cup, which he won at another large dividend. He was a hard wearing veteran, and it was remarkable the number of times his ability was under-estimated.

Kean John, sold by Mr M O'Brien to Messrs Barton and Trengrove in 1932 for 100gns won £1337 for those owners, while The Rook, sold in 1922 by A Hendriksen to A E Messervey for 27gns afterwards collected close to £1000 in prize money. Albert Logan, who was sold for 62gns by Mr A P Tutton to J W Thomas in 1923, won nearly £600. Tumatukuru, bought by a patron of W J Tomkinson's stable for 35gns, showed a handsome profit, as did Whakaku who was sold by Mr M O'Brien to a Perth sportsman for 75gns in 1926, and won distinction in the West. Lady Barrister, a well-bred mare in foal to Guy Parrish was sold in 1928 by Mr E Cambridge to Mrs W Balloch, of Melbourne, for 70gns. Her foal was Guy Parrister, a good winner, and she was raced again after rearing the foal, with good results.

Glenrossie, who was sold by Mr R M Morten to Mr J McDonald, for 80gns, won his way to the best company, crediting the Wellington sportsman with several thousands in stakes, and at times returning good dividends when his form should have pointed otherwise. Logan Park, another winner of thousands, was purchased by Messrs Armstrong and Johnston for 125gns, and Cannonball proved a bargain at the 105gns paid for him as a young horse.

Carmel, winner of thousands, changed hands as a youngster at 14gns. Mountain Dell, another big stake-winner, was sold as a juvenile for £10, and Impromptu, a great pacer, was sold as a 3-year-old for £45. Moneyspider was another that was passed on very cheap, and last, but not least, Monte Carlo, winner of the first NZ Trotting Cup, who once changed hands for £25.



Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 20Sep44

1934 MIDDLETON HANDICAP

400 sovs: Unhoppled Trotters: 4min 38 class: Two miles

In the Middleton Handicap backers again pinned their faith to an Aucklander in Nell Volo, who had come from the north with a great reputation. Up to a point she justified this reputation, but a bad break two furlongs from home effectively settled her chances. Lough Guy made practically all the running, closely attended by Fifa and Explosion, while Garner, First Wrack, and Great Way were always handy.

Four furlongs from home Nell Volo, who was trotting very steadily, made a forward move and was just behind Lough Guy and Explosion, with Garner and First Wrack handy. Just when it seemed that Nell Volo would pass her field she broke badly and Explosion and Lough Guy came away from the rest.

Explosion won nicely in the finish, but Lough Guy was all out to beat Nell Volo, who, again settled to her work, finished very fast to gain third money from First Wrack, Nicoya and Olive Nelson.

Explosion scored his first win - a very popular one - since he came to Canterbury. He made a better beginning than usual, and did not make a mistake. It was a performance that draws attention to his prospects of winning more races. Of his speed there is no question, and now on the winning list he should go further successes. Lough Guy, now trained by M Holmes, gave the best showing of his career, and was unlucky in running against a good trotter at the top of his form.

There is no doubt of Nell Volo's speed, and but for her one break she would almost certainly have won. Her form during the rest of the meeting will be watched with the greatest interest. Naturally a slow beginner, she has a beautiful action once on he way.

Of the unplaced division both Nicoya and Olive Nelson, from the back marks(84 & 108 yds respectively) gave high-class displays of trotting. Both are in excellent fettle for the tighter class races on the two remaining days. Mountain Mist, Writer, Garner, and Great Way spoiled their chances by breaking.

Credit: THE PRESS 7 Nov 1934

ROBERT McMILLAN

A fatal collision between the West Coast express and a car at Hornby was a front page story early in 1923. Added to the sensation was that Robert McMillan, the car passenger killed, owned the Santa Rosa Farm in Halswell, then the country's most successful Harness stud.

Champion stallion Harold Dillon, and horses like Great Audobon, Nelson Bingen, Brent Locanda and Petereta most of which produced at least one champion, made up the roster. They had made McMillan, who had personally selected many of them, a wealthy man. The driver of the car, severely injured, was his great friend Eugene McDermott, also of Halswell and regarded as the leading non professional horseman in the country.

Canadian-born of Scottish stock, McMillan had worked for a leading American trainer, John Blant for many years before coming to New Zealand and making his way as a trainer, ultimately at Santa Rosa on Nicholls Rd opposite the Halswell Hotel. McMillan had also struck gold when he bought Great Audobon, the first son of the legendary Peter The Great to win a trotting race in New Zealand. He also won as a pacer before siring the NZ Cup winner, Great Hope, with which McMillan won the Great Northern Derby at his first start (1921) before selling on.

McMillan struck up a close association with Etienne Le Lievre of Akaroa who stood his best stallion imports, usually selected by McMillan, at Santa Rosa. At the time of his death McMillan was described as "a real man and one ready to do a good turn to anyone who was a trier". The two Macs, McDermott being of strong Irish stock, had taken a late afternoon drive to Yaldhurst to inspect American imports based with Ben Jarden, one being the later famous stallion Jack Potts.

Soon after McMillan's burial at St Mary's church in Halswell, Santa Rosa was sold to trainer Albert Hendrikson from Templeton and it gradually lost its lustre as a commercial stud, later being used for training by Charles Cameron and others before housing took it over.

McMillan's death had exposed an embarrassing situation in his private life. In 1914, in his late 40's, he had married Madge Green, 24, who had borne him three children in four years. However the marriage broke down and McMillan was ordered by the court on his wife's petition in 1921 to restore her rights, after she was banished from the house. Great Hope's sale may have been part of the settlement because she did not appear in his will, his estate being valued at a considerable £13,000. The children had been cared for by Madge's sister, Miriam, and that apparently continued to be the case after his death. His only son, Peter, later returned to Canada and one of his two sisters died in Arizona.

Eugene Clement McDermott was the son of a professional trainer, John McDermott, originally from Doyleston but based for some years in Domain Terrace. He shifted to Junction Road in Halswell after World War 1 where the family farmed for over 80 years. Eugene, who operated as a stock dealer from an early age, and as a farmer based in Tankerville Road, was a leading trackwork rider at Addington when that was popular and a champion saddle trot race rider on horses like Vilo, Capriccio, Schnapps and Cora Dillon, all trained by his father, besides a host of outside rides. However he resisted pressure to become a professional until late in life for special reasons and never trained a big team.

After the Hornby tragedy McDermott said he would give up owning racehorses and while in later years he relented it was usually only in special cases such as the trotter Garner which he bought for £16 and won many races includig a clean sweep of the features at an Auckland Cup meeting. Ironically it was the death of another close friend, the country's leading trainer, Bill Tomkinson which propelled MsDermott back into the headlines.

Tomkinson suffered minor injuries falling from a drum securing a float door as the team left for Auckland in 1934. Sent home from hospital apparently fit and well he became seriously ill and died within days triggering the biggest Christchurch funeral of the year. The cortege procession was a mile long. McDermott, a pallbearer, had also raced gallopers with Tomkinson and his young son, Jim.

He took over driving the Tomkinson star Indianapolis that year. They won the 1934 NZ Cup but "Mac's" most memorable triumph was with the champion in an odds-on win at Addington the same year. After less than 200m before a very large Addington crowd the hot favourite broke a hopple. Normally he would have been pulled up but Indianapolis seemed to be only keener with the flapping hopple so McDermott decided to let him run for the public's money. The result was a famous hour in Addington history. Indianapolis never missed a beat. He won easily and paced the last 2400m in 3:08.8 - then two seconds inside the national record for that distance and a theoretical world record. McDermott was cheered "to the echo" by grateful punters.

In the 1937 Cup his own luck ran out when he fell from the sulky of Colonel Grattan with about 800m to run, suffering a fatal heart attack. He had told friends before the race if he was leading at that stage Colonel Grattan would win. His son, also Eugene, was taken out of school to help run the family farm.

Later a prominent owner and highly regarded administrator, he had played rugby for Canterbury in the war years. One of his sons, John, also an Addington administrator (his brother Maurice is a stalwart of Banks Peninsula) is now a licensed trainer - like both his great grandfather, 100 years ago and his grandfather. The McMillan racing tradition died that fateful day at Hornby but the McDermott legacy lives on.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 1May13