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Cecil Devine adjusts Lord Module's headgear

C C DEVINE

"You know, I should have made it 1917, not 1915," says a somewhat rueful Cecil Devine. No doubt he is thinking of the date of birth on his licence application, the date which decreed that as from August 1 he was no longer able to drive a standardbred racehorse in either NZ or Australia. And no doubt, too, he is thinking that those two extra years might mean he would be able to continue driving his pride and joy, champion Lord Module, until he went to stud at the end of his racing career.

But rules are rules. In the trotting world as well as anywhere else. Cecil Charles Devine, born March 23, 1915, is openly critical of Rule of Trotting 90: "A professional horseman's licence shall not be granted to any person who, though not disqualified under Rule 84 hereof (a) is under the age of 16 years; or (b) is 65 years of age or over; or..." and so on. That's the bit that got at Cecil. "I have always been against the retiring rule. I firmly believe a driver should have to give up on a strictly medical basis; It wouldn't be so bad if a man could continue driving his own horses after reaching the age of 65 as long as he was fit."

Yes, it is an argument that has cropped up previously. Just about every time that one of the more prominent drivers has turned 65. Cecil presses home the point. "Morrie Holmes, Doug Watts, 'Gladdy' McKendry, Bob Young, Maurice McTigue, they all could have kept on driving long after they had to go. They were pushed out miles before their time. They were all fit men and trotting was the loser in more ways than one when they retired. "Their expertise was lost for a start; and name drivers encourage betting. Certainly, there is no lack of drivers today and there are some top young drivers, the likes of Peter Jones and the De Filippis. But there are others who could benefit through watching a top man. When I first got into trotting, I had to get out and drive against the top men."

And when did Cecil Devine first get into trotting? Back in the days of the depression. If it weren't for the depression who knows where he might have been now? He might even have been still practising at the bar. Legal men don't have to retire at 65. "I had the idea I might like to be a lawyer when I was at school. But after two and a half years at high school the depression hit and I had to give that idea away." It was just as tough in Cecil's native Tasmania (his father was a farmer at Collinsville, "up in the hills near Hobart") as it was anywhere else. Finding work was just about impossible. Cecil couldn't get a job. A lot of others managed to exist by "chipping the grass in the domain". And it was about this time Cecil first developed an interest in horses. He got a job with his older brother Eric, a prominent trotting trainer in Hobart at the time. He's still successful with horses, but has more recently had some top gallopers through his hands.

It was only because Eric could not afford to take the time off to bring a small team over for a month at NZ Cup time that Cecil ever came to NZ. "The horses belonged to a fellow named Rudd who bred a successful family of pacers, 13 of them in fact, from a mare called Milky Way. Among them were Evicus (he topped the points list at the 1936 Inter-Dominions at Perth), open class performer Cevius and Icevus (also placed at Inter-Dominion level and later stood here at stud). They were all good horses," Cecil recalls.

"I suppose I was about 20 at the time; I took on the job and was supposed to go back when the horses returned. But Wellington looked so good - they had a beautiful six furlong grass track at Hutt Park in those days - I decided to stay on to see if the rest of the country lived up to that early promise." Live up to it's promise NZ must have done; Cecil Devine is still here even though he does return regularly to his former homeland and is known as "Tas" by closer associates.

It wasn't long before he was offered a job with Vic Leeming who was training just out of Christchurch. Colonel Grattan was his top horse about that time; E C McDermott his number one driver. Cecil had driven a winner or two in Tasmania (he'd driven close to 400 when he had to retire) but can't recall with any certainty his first winner here. "Tonioro I think it was, probably at Omoto," is his initial recollection. But a check through the records of the time show that on December 31, 1938 Tonioro, driven by C C Devine , was beaten into second by a neck.

Still Cecil is more certain about the horse that got him started on the path that led him to his current situation. "It would have to be Teddy Gregg, a Quite Sure horse I leased and named after an Australian naval officer." Cecil had also leased a 20 acre property at Prebbleton some time earlier (the stables are still there, the track is gone) and spent most of his time breaking in horses for others, as well as doing a little training. Teddy Gregg was plagued with unsoundness and when tried as a pacer he couldn't stay. "I converted him to trotting and from then on he never looked back. He was in the money about 19 times from 21 starts. And he won four or five. I'd have to say he got me started. He must have won close on £2000. And about the time of the war, that was a fortune. Cecil never went to the war - "I was unfit they said" - but gradually gathered a small but useful team about him. "I got the odd good one or two and just went on and on from there."

Cecil has never had a large team to train. "I think the most I've ever had is twelve." But right from those early days there has been a good horse in the Devine team. Cecil screws up his face in the afternoon sun and starts to remember them. Great Wonder "she was a pretty good sort" who beat Johnny Globe (on a protest); Shadow Maid who was third in Gold Bar's 1945 NZ Cup; Bronze Eagle who had won the 1944 NZ Cup before coming to Cecil's where he died of tetanus; General Sandy "a top horse who beat Caduceus" and then one day dropped dead of a heart attack in training...the names roll forth. He didn't train them all when they came to their peak. Often they came to him after a run of outs and he got them going again.

One he had from the start was the champion filly Vivanti, incidentally by Bronze Eagle. She was a top juvenile winning the 1950 Sapling Stakes, the Juvenile Handicap at Addington from 24 behind - "a phenomenal run", the Welcome Stakes, the Oamaru Juvenile and so on. She beat Johnny Globe in a lot of those races but he came out on top when they met later in the year in the NZ Derby. However, she did win the Oaks.

The next year there was Van Dieman, the horse who was to give Cecil the first of his six NZ Cups and thus the wherewithall to allow him to consider buying his own property. He had every intention of buying a place on the Main South Road, not far from his present place; and Cecil minces no words when he recalls how he lost out in the bidding to another. "I was determined to have that place but eventually had to pull out when I realised I was in too far. The other chap would have kept going all day. He knew what my limit was." That same day, however, while doing some shoeing back at Prebbleton, a friend mentioned to him that the owner of the land he now occupies might be interested in selling. Cecil made the approach. True enough. The land was for sale. One hundred and sixteen acres of bare land were Cecil's. "The best thing I ever did. I've never had to consider expanding. It's probably the time to shrink."

By this time Cecil was married with a child, Bonnie, the red-haired girl who was later to marry Kevin Williams, the man who will be behind Lord Module this season. Cecil had met his wife 'Vonnie' while at Prebbleton where she was organist at the local church for ten years previously. Marriage "was too time-consuming" to continue that. Together they designed their present home, built another on the place as well as the track, stables and men's quarters.

A lot of young men have worked for Cecil and have then gone on to make their own names in the trotting world. Men like Jack Smolenski, Leicester Tatterson, Peter Yeatman, Jim Dalgety, Faser Kirk, Paul Gallagher. He's got a reputation of being a tough boss. "If paying attention to detail is tough, then I am tough," he admits. "When you don't take outside drives or have a big team, you have the time to be particular. And if your not, there is not excuse." He laughs when you suggest he has probably been responsible for putting a lot of people on the right track in his time. And then he confesses, he has learned something from most of those who have worked for him. "You develop your own ideas over the years, but you have got to be prepared to learn off others. Anyone who is not prepared to listen to others is doing himself a disservice. I'm still learning. I learned something the other day from someone who's been in the game only three months. And then when Lord Module had those cracked hooves, I had no idea how to get them right, even though I thought I was a fair student of shoeing. The mushroom shoe we used to fix them was Delvin Miller's idea. You have got to try every avenue to solve problems."

Cecil Devine expects as much from his horses as he does from his men. His philosophy towards training a top horse: feed well, work hard and not always fast, pay particular attention to that detail again. You must respect a top horse who gives everything; any owner, trainer or driver has to." Cecil stops and laughs and, looking straight at Mrs Devine: "but I don't think you get to love them as much as some people think." Mrs Devine races Lord Brigade in partnership with Cecil and it's obvious she thinks he's a good horse, even though he was just pipped at the post in Cecil's last raceday drive. Strangely enough, Mrs Devine has never driven a racehorse - "and I don't ever want to," she laughs.

Those top horses who give everything. Cecil has raced more than his fair share of them. Van Dieman won the NZ Cup in 1951, Thunder in 1956, the mighty False Step in 1958-59-60, Lord Module just last year. "That's far too long a gap," he laughs. Then there were the likes of Terryman, Raft, Van Rush, Drum Major, Bass Strait, Star Beam, Good Review...the list goes on. He has had some great wins in trotting. He's won a fair proportion of the big ones over the years. He reels them off: "Four Dunedin Cups, two Easter Cups, three Rangiora Cups, a Nelson Cup, three New Brighton Cups, Invercargill Centennial Cup, two Timaru Nursery Stakes, two Sapling Stakes, three Flying Stakes, two NZ Derbies, a Champion Stakes, Juvenile Stakes several times at Oamaru, Canterbury Park, Geraldine, Waikouaiti, Rangiora and Timaru Challenge Stakes, a Timaru Cup, Hannon Memorial, a Royal Cup and the big International Paces at Yonkers and Roosevelt..." the list goes on.

He finds it hard to pinpoint any particular highlight over the years. False Step's win in the $50,000 National Championship Pace at Yonkers in 1961 would be one, winning the 1954 Royal Cup when Van Dieman came with a withering run to beat Thelma Globe and Zulu and then meeting the Queen is another. "That would have to be a highlight; most people would have cut off their arm to win that race. Of course in those days you didn't meet or see royalty very often. Now, with the ease of travel, royalty is almost commonplace." Cecil also remembers February 15, 1964 with particular enthusiasm. that day at Addington horses by Van Dieman filled the first three placings: Van Rush driven by Morrie Holmes, Raft (C C himself) and Young Dieman (Paul Gallagher). "They were the only three horses by him in the race; it would have to be a unique feat."

Two years ago he was loathe to compare any of those top horses against the other. But now, he doesn't hesitate to say that Lord Module is the best of all his champions. "It's hard to compare horses of different eras, but Lord Module has done so many good things. False Step didn't have as much speed as Lord Module, but he was a top racehorse, Van Dieman was probably faster but needed to be covered up; Lord Module can do it from anywhere over all distances.

Cecil has been asked time and again when and if he is taking Lord Module to America. Usually it's been accepted that he will before settling back to a life as a stud stallion. But Cecil has never sid yes or no definitely. But now he says Lord Module will go...provided he races up to last year's form. And provided "Mum lets me go". "You can go," Mrs Devine is quick to reply. There are, however, no definite plans. You get the impression Cecil would like to win another NZ Cup before heading away. The stud career is definite. Nothing is more certain. There have been offers already to stand the horse "with full books guaranteed". But there's time for that. "He's the living image of Globe Derby," Cecil says fossicking around for a photograph of "the greatest sire ever" to prove his point. "It's uncanny, even down to the one bit of white on one foot."

The Cup won't be beyond Lord Module again. If anything, says Cecil, the son of Lordship has come back bigger and better than last year. "He's matured, he's very strong. Personally I think he will be a lot better than last year. He feels good in the sulky." Which is where Cecil won't be on raceday, and that makes him just a little sad in another way too. He thinks that only by driving a horse in a race can you really tell what he needs. Still, son-in-law Kevin Williams has been handling the horse in work and at the trials without any bother so it's now up to them on raceday. No-one else has ever driven the horse before. Cecil's been told that when he takes the horse to America he "shouldn't drive the horse" himself. He should get "a good driver". "Well, what's he going to do with a good driver on him?" Cecil asks. "It would be interesting." It's hard to tell whether or not he's annoyed at having that advice given him. Still, as long as he is fit, he intends to drive himself in America. There's no rule to stop him there. And he is fit. He is up and about by 7 of 7.15 every morning, and works hard enough to keep himself fit. "You must stay pretty healthy working out in the fresh air all the time...even if it is a bit too fresh sometimes these mornings," he says.

If he weren't 65, Cecil Devine would do the same thing all over again. "It's given me a pretty good life; I started with nothing and don't need anything now. I've had a lot of luck and I've had a lot of good horses (he's figured in the finish of 11 NZ Cups with Shadow Maid and Blue Prince as well as those others) over the years. Yes, I'd do it all again."

Of his last season, he was disappointed he couldn't get anything to go right in Sydney ("Lord Module wasn't half the horse he was here") and that he was only second in the Auckland Cup. Still he has a lot of admiration for the horse that beat him on that day, Delightful Lady. "She's a good mare, of that there is no doubt. That day, she was well turned out and very well driven. No doubt about that either.

Cecil means it when he says that. He has got a reputation for straight-talking, even though he can be a bit cagey about revealing future plans. His forthrightness has often got him into trouble with officialdom on racedays but as he says: "I always call a spade a spade. And I don't believe in being run over. If your right, it pays to stick to your guns. I've always done that."

He prefers not to talk about the time he was suspended after a battle with Jack Litten down the straight at Addington, except to mention that he did lose a few good horses through his suspension. Enough said. He remembers just as well his last drive down the straightwith Lord Brigade. "It was close you know," he say a little wistfully. "I would like to have won. Still you can't win all the time. I think I've won my share."

-o0o-

Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 11Jul90

C C (Cecil) Devine, who died in Christchurch last week aged 75, was a battler who clawed his way from being a nonentity to fame an fortune in the hard school that is NZ harness racing.

Content to train a small team, even when big success did come his way, Devine neverthless compiled a record in the nation's most prestigious harness race - the NZ Trotting Cup - that is second to none. He won the great event six times, and, while this equalled the training feat earlier in the century of the great James Bryce, Cecil drove all his winners, whereas Bryce shared the driving honours with sons Andrew and James jnr.

Devine's record is likely to stand the test od time.

In his hey-day, with some of his owners not averse to having a punt (and embued with great confidence in the judgement of their trainer), some of NZ's best-known book-makers refused to accept wagers of any sizeable amount on horses from Devine's stable. Devine trained with a purpose. He was a man with very set ideas and, as (sometimes)officialdom and (always) those who crossed him came to learn, he stood up unflinchingly for what he thought was right. When the chips were down, he was a hard man to beat - not only on the track but anywhere. To those he liked, Devine was a generous and loyal friend; to those who got on the wrong side of him, there was almost invariably no reprieve.

Born in Tasmania in 1916, Devine was drawn into trotting through his elder brother Eric, who worked with and drove horses. Hopes to become a lawyer were dashed by lack of wherewithal and opportunity in depression times that saw Cecil, after three years at high school, leave to work in a horse stable. In 1936, when brother Eric was unable to assist trainer Fred Rudd with the good Tasmanian performers Evicus, Icevus an Emlilus on a visit to New Zealand, Cecil got the trip. He was to be here for a month, but stayed for good.

Impressed by the sport here, Devine was readily persuaded to join up with the late Vic Leeming, training at Prebbleton. But, as second-string driver in the stable to Eugene McDermott, opportunities were few and far between. In 1938, Devine went it alone on a little property at Prebbleton, from where his first success as a trainer came with Prince de Oro, whom he rode to win a saddle event at Westport on Boxing Day, 1939. It was two years before Devine won again - on the Coast with trotter Teddy Gregg; and a few weeks after that he won with the same horse a non-tote race at Addington.

It was 1945 before Devine made his first NZ Cup tilt, and this was with Shadow Maid, a good race mare who had been handed to him after losing all semblance of form. Under his guidance, she finished third to Gold Bar and Integrity in a memorable Cup race. Better horses began coming into Devine's stable, and around 1950 he was making his mark with good pacer Good Review and crack filly Vivanti. The latter, bred by Devine and sold to the late Bill Parkinson, won the Sapling Stakes and NZ Oaks and was second in the NZ Derby before Parkinson sold her to Australia.

A milestone in Devine's career came when he leased, with right of purchase for $1000, Van Dieman (U Scott-Reno) as a two-year-old colt from Brian Forest, of Kaiapoi. In an outstanding career for Devine, who eventually bought him outright, Van Dieman won the 1951 NZ Cup and Royal Cup at Addington in 1954. Devine became a national hero as he received the congratulations of the Queen and Prince Philip.

In 1953, Devine left the small Prebbleton stable for a 46-hectare property at Templeton that he transformed from a bare patch of land into a model training establishment. Apart from Van Dieman, one of the first stars from his new property was Thunder, who made a meteoric rise through the classes, culminating with success in the 1956 NZ Cup. A big, rangy son of Light Brigade and Jack Potts mare Busted Flush, Thunder's maiden winat Methven was memorable. He collided with a rival at the start, dislodging Devine, who ran behind, caught hold of the sulky and climbed back in. Making up 100 yards to catch the body of the field, Thunder continued on to win the race to rave reports praising both horse and driver.

Other good horses in Devine's stable at this stage included Starbeam, Great Wonder, Nancy Lee and General Sandy (who was on his way to the top when he dropped dead soon after downing Caduceus in the NZ Pacing Championship). Next came Invicta, who, after winning his way to a tight mark, was despatched to the stable of Steve Edge by Devine. Along with the late Jack Litten, Devine had been suspended from driving for six months for their memorable whip-fight at Addington in 1957. If he couldn't drive Invicta, Devine didn't want to train him. But for this, he would almost certainly have added another NZ Cup to his bag. Under Edge, Invicta, as an 11-year-old, sprang a boilover winning the 1961 NZ Cup.

By now Devine had taken over False Step, inheriting him from the Litten stable following an argument between Litten and owner Jim Smyth. Winner of 14 races including the NZ Derby under Litten, False Step carried on under Devine to win 19 more races in NZ, and in doing so joined Indianapolis as the only three-time winners of the NZ Cup. False Step's Cup wins were in 1958, '59 and '60. Devine then campaigned him in New York. After tragically being stood down from the first leg of the 1961 Yonkers International Series when a blacksmith drove a nail into the quick of a hoof, False Step finished unluckily second to Australian star Apmat in the second leg. And while Devine won the third and finasl leg with False Step, with Apmat fourth, the Australian was awarded the title on points. Shortly after, False Step (now sold for $115,000 to American polaroid tycoon Jack Dreyfus) was driven by Devine to win the Frontiers Pace at Yonkers, with America's champion pacer Adios Butler only fifth.

More vivid in the memory of current-day harness racing fans will be Devine's great exploits with Lord Module. Buying this son of Lordship and the Bachelor Hanover mare Module through the National Sale for a mere $3000, Devine developed Lord Module into one of the most capable pacers pacers produced to this time in New Zealand. Despite a recalcitrant streak which cost him dearly at the start of many of his races, Lord Module won 28 of 93 races ans was also 40 times placed.

Highlights of his career were his 1979 NZ Cup win and his 1:54.9 time trial in 1980 in weather conditions all against a fast time at Addington. In his final race in the 1981 Allan Matson Free-For-All at Addingtn, Lord Module came from last to first to win brilliantly in the hands of Jack Smolenski, one of several one-time employees of Devine who went on to make names for thenselvesin the game.

Devine was forced to retire from race driving at the end of the 1979/80 season. After Lord Module's retirement from racing and standing him at stud, Cecil pottered with a horse or two, but his heart never really appeared to be totally in it from that point. Though he didn't show it, Devine took great personal satisfaction from the success of his son-in-law Kevin Williams with his NZ and Auckland Cups winner Master Mood. Devine's final race win was with Cheeky Module, a son of Lord Module, driven by Smolenski to win a maiden race at Motukarara in January, 1988.

The great trainer is survived by his wife Avonnie and his daughters Bonnie (Williams) and Debbie (Carolan).

-o0o-

A PERSONAL TRIBUTE by Dave Cannan

He was, unquestionably, one of the old school of trotting, long before it became fashionable to call the sport harness racing. And he was proud to be a trotting man, proud sometimes to the brink of vanity and egotism.

But then Cecil Devine had a lot to be proud of and while he never, in my experience, actively sought public recognition for his numerous achievements he was not one to take the self-effacing approach when the media became interested in him or his horses. Why? I never asked him and, if the truth be known, I was probably too intimidated to risk such an impertinent question. My educated guess is that Cecil worked so hard, battling his way from anonymity to world-wide fame, that he wasn't about to give anyone else the credit. And who would deny him that?

Cecil Devine won the NZ Cup six times, training and driving False Step (three), Thunder, Van Dieman and Lord Module to win the country's greatest race. James Bryce also won six Cups but Cecil, rightfully, claimed the record outright as Bryce only drove four. Its possible, but highly unlikely, someone will eventually take that record from Cecil and if "Tassie" is looking down on Addington the day it happens I'll bet dark clouds will magically appear on a bright and sunny November day, and grumble ominously in discontent.

Cecil, who died in July, 1990, aged 75, didn't live long enough to see one of his proudest achievments wiped from the record books - Lord Module's 1:54.9 time trial mile - and while I mourned his premature passing as much as most people, in a way I'm glad Cecil was spared that. Not that I would detract an ounce from Starship's 1:54.5 effort on a hot sunny day at Richmond in 1992 but who of us present could forget the drama and excitement of that cold, wintry night at Addington in 1980 when Lord Module set his mark more than 13 years ago. Not Kevin Williams, who drove the galloping prompter with frozen fingers, not Cecil Devine, who wiped the dew from the sulky as Lord Module prepared for his epic dash, and not me or the thousands of others who stayed on after the races were over to cheer on their champion to such an astonishing time.

And 18 months later they were cheering again when Lord Module denied all odds for the last time to win the Matson Free-for-all, downing Gammalite and Armalight in a race that threatened to bring the Addington Grandstands down. Cecil, forced into unwanted retirement, had to watch like all the rest of us from the stands and before the race began he walked quietly into the press room and slipped some tickets into my pocket. Knowing I rarely risked a dollar on the tote, Cecil had backed up my wavering - and his unflinching - faith in the much-troubled Lord Module with his own cash.

But later, when I chose to spend the proceeds on a mounted action picture of Lord Module, which still (hopefully) adorns a wall in the Addington press room, Cecil was openly furious with me, pointing out the dividend could have - and should have - been spent on my wife or young children. "You always look after your own first...always," he chided me and as epitaphs go, I think it's one of several Cecil Devine would have found appropriate.

Credit: Graham Ingram writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 9Sep80

Ted Sunckell...pictured at Forbury in 1967

TED SUNCKELL

Harness racing in this country is built on the foundation of farm boys like Ted Sunckell. They grew up with horses because their parents needed them to work the fields.

Going back to the days when Ted was a lad, horses were also the method of transportation, communication, getting to school, and racing along the country roads. When he was 15, he took his father's horse Miss Locander from Waiau to the Blenhiem races. This was a two-day trip, and by the time Miss Locander reached Blenhiem she was muscle sore and didn't race well. On the third day of the meeting, obviously recovered, she bolted in and paid £80 to win. On the way home, Ted and visiting trainers from Wellington would stop at the Clarence Reserve cookhouse for a feed and sleep under the stars.

His interest in racing took him into the stables and a job with Addington trainer Drum Withers when he was 17. His first horse came later, when he paid £200 for Tatsydale at a Tattersalls auction in Christchurch. She was bred in Southland by Cliff Irvine, and driven by Vic Alborn won six races, and finished fourth in the Dominion Handicap behind Dictation, Ripcord and Single Task. This was the day when Maida Dillon paid £257/12/6 to win, Johnny Globe beat Vivanti in the Derby and the free-for-all was won by Parawa Derby from Cargo Song and Gay Knight.

From Tatsydale and U Scott, Ted bred Welburn, a tidy little trotter before being sold to Australia. He lost form in the confines of a smaller establishment but found it again after being given away and relocated into the paddock-training environment he enjoyed with Ted. Parados was a smart pacer from Tatsydale trained by Stan Edwards, and other horses from the family were Tatsy Brigade, Song Key, High Note, Gay Tune, El Red and Tatsy Star. Gay Tune ran third in the Trotting Stakes, and at stud left Gay Marlene, who made her name as the dam of Thriller Dee, 1:57.8, and the winner of 24 races. In more recent years, he had his horses trained by Jack Carmichael, Felix Newfield, and his association with Don Nyhan and Globe Derby was more than 30 years.

When it was time to give up the farm, Ted did not give up the horses. He won a race at the Akaroa meeting in 1989 with Star Act, and scored with High Note at Reefton in 1993. Even when frail, he kept working a horse and a cold winter night still brought him into Addington where he could watch a few races. He once said to his son Jim: "When my time comes, I'd like to let go the reins and just fall out the back of the cart."

He says: "He had a Clever Innocence mare in work, and he'd arrive down about 9am to work it. It was hairy watching this. I don't know how he had the strength to do it. Once she took off and did five laps with him. He had one hand on the reins and on hand on the shaft, hanging on."

This season, Ted did not renew his licence. When he died last month at the age of 93, he had run a longer race than most.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 6Oct99

MR W L PARKINSON

Mr W L Parkinson, a well-known figure in the light-harness sport in Canterbury over a lengthy period, died in Christchurch last week after a long illness.

Mr Parkinson took an early interest in galloping but changed later in trotting, in which department he met with considerable success. One of the best pacers to carry his colours was Clockwork, who held the mile and a half record for several years. Another outstanding pacer raced by Mr Parkinson was Ferry Post, who was considered by many to be the best horse he owned, but unsoundness cut short Ferry Post's career. In more recent years, Mr Parkinson raced the champion 2-year-old, Vivanti, who took almost everything before her at that age, including the NZ Sapling Stakes. Other pacers and trotters to do good service for Mr Parkinson were Steel King, Good Review, Kapeen and Beehive. On his Kaiapoi property, Mr Parkinson also bred several pacers and trotters.

Apart from his interest in trotting, Mr Parkinson was one of the best known stock dealers in the South Island and started dealing at an early age. Born at Saltwater Creek, Mr Parkinson started buying and selling cattle as a boy. By the time he went to World War I, he was a familiar figure at the Addington Saleyards. He celebrated his eighteenth birthday in Egypt and on his return from overseas he resumed his dealing in stock.

Mr Parkinson was one of the most popular figures on racecourses around Canterbury especially, and his delightful sense of humour endeared him to all who new him. Mr Parkinson was 59 and is survived by his wife.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 6Mar57

Cecil Devine, Mrs Boyle and owner Erick Rutherford

1956 NZ TROTTING CUP

Thunder loitered with the New Zealand Trotting Cup field in a convivial sort of way for a mile and three-quarters and then went hot-foot for probably the easiest win ever seen in the race.

Call him clumsy, ungainly, or be even so uncharitable as to tag him carty, he is still the complete answer to any question of the fastest passage between any two given trotting or pacing points! Thunder is not by a long chalk, as smooth a pacer as Indianapolis was; but, barring accidents, he is the one horse racing at the present time who is capable of equalling that giant's supreme feat of winning the Cup three years in succession. It is a big errand, but Thunder is geared for the job. Big in physique, big in heart and gigantic in stride and staying power, we can still only have a faint suspicion of how good he really is, because on Tuesday he annihilated some of the best pacers in this or any other country, including two world record holders in Caduceus and Thelma Globe. A field of novices having their first outing at a matinee meeting could scarcely have been so utterly vanquished as the 10 good and true racehorses who struggled along in Thunder's wake. Such is the acid stamp of class.

The track, slushy on top to start with, had dried out remarkably well by the time the Cup - the third race - was due to be run, and a couple of feet out from the rails the going was firm all the way round. It was a pity the pace was allowed to slacken so deplorably in the middle stages. The sectional times reveal how close the field came to a "walk" in the second half-mile, which occupied 1:09.8! The first quarter was run in 35.6 sec, half in 1:06.4, six furlongs in 2:46, mile and a half 3:17.6 and the full journey 4:21.8. From the mile post to the mile and a quarter post the tramped like champions are expected to - this section was left behind in 29.8 sec. Thunder paced the last mile in 2:05.6, but the extent to which to which he was enabled to ease off at the end is shown by his last half-mile in 1:04.2.

His official winning margin was six lengths, and he was slakening pace towards the close. "Although the slow pace early did not suit Thunder, he was always going like a winner," said C C Devine, "over the last half-mile in particular I felt very confident. He was a little sore before the race, but he soon got over that. The way he nods when he is going gives the impression of lameness, but that is just his style."

Cecil Devine won the 1951 New Zealand Cup with his own horse, Van Dieman, another accomplished stayer. Devine, a native of Tasmania, came to New Zealand about 20 years ago. The road to the top for Devine was not an easy one from the depth of the depression when he was glad to be a stropper to a good pacer of those "seldom" days in Evicus. Devine first came into prominence as owner and trainer of the useful little trotter, Teddy Greg. He had the bad luck to lose a promising colt named Viceroy, but he was compensated soon afterwards by some driving success behind the trotter Flying Scott. In the 1949-50 season Devine trained and drove the sensational filly Vivanti, whose mile and a quarter in 2:41.2 still stands as the New Zealand and Australian two-year-old record for a mile and a quarter. Van Dieman was well on the harness stage by then too, and he won the Royal Metropolitan Cup in January 1954, as well as the 1951 New Zealand Cup and a number of free-for-alls. Thunder's meteoric rise from maiden class to the top of the tree has been accomplished in the short space of 19 months. The New Zealand Cup win was worth £4975 (including the silver salver valued at £100) and brought his total stake-winnings to £12,097.

Excelsa was the only one of the field to make a bad break at the start, and Dancing Years showed the way out to Thunder, Roy Grattan and Caduceus, who made one of the best beginnings of his career. There was no inclination on the part of anything to "turn on the heat," and Thunder was in front with two furlongs covered. A furlong further on Caduceus took charge, and it was Worthy Chief's turn to lead by the time the first half-mile had been covered. They were closely packed by now, with Tactician bringing up the rear. Worthy Chief still lead at the mile, with Te Koi just shading him at the end of another two furlongs. Caduceus was third at that stage, and Thunder had drifted back to seventh. Down the back they sprinted, and by the time the three furlongs was passed Caduceus and Thunder were in charge. Two furlongs to go, and Thunder had ranged up on the outside of Caduceus. It was all over at the straight entrance: Thunder left Caduceus standing and he was all by himself at the winning post. Caduceus just failed to hold off Laureldale, who made a suprisingly fine showing for second, and Roy Grattan and Dancing Years were at the head of the remainder.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

Cecil Devine hold the NZ Cup won by Van Dieman

1951 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

A pulsating finish in which Van Dieman, Johnny Globe and Young Charles charged across the line at neck intervals fully compensated Tuesday's dense crowd at Addington for the maudlin pace at which the first mile and a half of the NZ Cup was run.

As a staying test the 1951 contest was completely negated by the jogging tactics of the pacemakers for the first mile, run in 2:16 - the pity of this 'furious loitering' is that it probably made no difference to the result; Van Dieman's lightning run from the half-mile post to the finish in 58 3-5secs, and the high degree of courage he had to show to give Johnny Globe upwards of four lengths start over the final quarter gained him the fullest honours and the full-throated approval of the Addington public.

From whatever angle the race is viewed, Van Dieman deserved to win. On this occasion he did everything right from barrier rise, and even after making liberal allowances for some bad luck encountered by Young Charles, and a faulty beginning by Vedette, neither of them left the impression that they would have beaten Van Dieman on the day.

Vedette lost about 36 yards through tangling at the start, which increased his handicap to 72yds in the first furlong, and although the snails pace early enabled him to make up his loss without taking a great deal out of himself, he was a spent force a furlong from the post after making a fast run on the outer from the five furlongs - he finished sixth, several lengths from the winner. Young Charles would be regarded by many of his supporters as the hard-luck horse of the race. He put in a slight tangle at the start, losing about four lengths, and he was in a rear position practically all the way. Even coming round the home turn he only had three horses behind him, and his task looked hopeless at the distance, where Van Dieman was 'flat' in pursuit of Johnny Globe. At that stage Young Charles must have been standing up Van Dieman several lengths, and his effort to reduce this margin to less than a length was, to many, the outstanding feature of the race.

Real Scott took up the running from the start from Maori Home, Congo Song and Worthy Gold, but before the field had gone three furlongs Johnny Globe dashed up to the leaders and settled down beside Real Scott with half a mile covered. Van Dieman was sixth at this stage. Nothing showed any enthusiasm for the role of pacemaker and Real Scott was permitted to stroll along to the mile in 2:16, the mile an a quarter in 2:47, and the mile and a half in 3:20 3-5. The pace had certainly brightened up a bit between the mile and mile and a half - that section was disposed of in 1:04 3-5 - but it was still positively painful for Cup horses. That was the last of the go-slow policy, however, because the rest of the race was run well inside two-minute speed: Van Dieman's last half (timed seperately) works out at 1:57 1-5 to the mile - his last quarter was only slightly slower than his second-last quarter.

To take up the running again: Real Scott carried on in the lead on sufferance until Johnny Globe was pressed for some initiative by D G Nyhan between the three furlongs and two furlongs posts, and he sprang into action with all the alacrity for which he has become noted. He quickly put a gap of three to four lengths on Real Scott and Maori Home, and by the time the straight was reached he appeared to be increasing his advantage. But with one of his characteristic thrusts Van Dieman was instantly reducing Johnny Globe's lead, and they came to grips 150 yards out. Van Dieman actually gained the best part of a length on Johnny Globe, only to have to be tickled up with 50yds to go when Johnny Globe came again. A photo decision went to Van Dieman, and Young Charles was travelling faster than anything in third place, followed several lengths away by Maori Home, then Worthy Gold, Vedette, Good Review, Real Scott, Victory Globe, Congo Song, Dragoman,and Chamfer in that order, and Indigo last.

The wagering was a record for a trotting race in the Dominion. The total was £40,907 10s (win £20574 10s; place £20,333), compared with £40,717 10s in 1949 (the previous record) and £40,203 10s last year. The total for the Grand Final of the Inter-Dominion Championship last February was £36,622 10s. The total investments on the totalisator at Addington on Tuesday (including £4061 15s in off-course betting), was £217,121 5s, a record for a trotting meeting in the Dominion. The previous record was £214,424 put through on Grand Final day of the Inter-Dominion Championships last February. The previous best of the £211,977 handled on Cup day last year.

Van Dieman's share of the NZ Cup stake was £5125 (including the gold cup valued at £250) and brought his winnings to £14,530. Van Dieman, a handsome five-year-old black horse by U Scott from the Jack Potts mare Reno (2:10 3-5), was bred by Mr B Forrest, of Kaiapoi, and has been trained and driven throughout his career by his owner, C C Devine of Prebbleton. Devine held him on lease until last season, when he exercised a purchasing clause. Van Dieman came to his greatness by easy stages - he was far from being a champion born and bred. In fact, as a two-year-old and three-year-old he was just one of the mob, by no means to be compared with Young Charles, Farlena or Burns Night as a two-year-old, and scarcely of the same ken as Young Charles when that horse was in his top three-year-old form. Development in Van Dieman became more and more apparent, however, and at three years he won the Charles Cross Stakes from Burns Night and Te Maru, the NZ Pacing Stakes from Preston, Morano and Te Maru, and the two-miles Peninsula Handicap at Addington from Piccolo and Morano.

Last season as a four-year-old, Van Dieman made great progress and, by a few pounds over another high-class four-year-old in Soangetaha, he became the leading Dominion stake-winner of his age. Van Dieman's wins included the Charles Cross Stakes a second time, the New Brighton Cup, the Forbury Park Ritchie Memorial, Flying and James Memorial Handicaps. This season he won the Louisson Handicap and Lightning Free-For-All in August before failing in the Farewell Free-For-All.

The man behind the Cup winner in a double sense, Devine has risen to the top of the training profession by his patience, his grit and determination, and the acquirement of a high degree of skill and ability in a much shorter space of time than many of his fellows. A Tasmanian, Devine came to New Zealand as a stropper to a good pacer in Evicus about 15 years ago. He first came into prominence as owner and trainer of a useful trotter in Teddy Gregg. He later trained a colt called Viceroy, who died young after a promising start. He also had some driving success behind the trotter Flying Scott.

In the 1949-50 season Devine trained and drove the sensational filly Vivanti, winner of the NZ Sapling Stakes, NZ Welcome Stakes, Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, and Canterbury Park Juvenile Handicap - all two-year-old races, and her 2:41 1-5 still stands as the Australasian mile and a quarter record for a two-year-old. She also won the NZ Oaks the following season.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 7Nov51

1950 NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES

Johnny Globe, dogged by bad luck for most of the running in the NZ Derby Stakes, was good enough to overcome it all and get up with a brilliant last-furlong dash to shade Vivanti in a photo finish.

Drawn in the second row at the start, Johnny Globe became awkwardly placed from barrier rise. He appeared to reach clear running, racing to the three furlongs, but was immediately in a fix again and it was not until well into the straight that he was able to race clear and go in pursuit of Vivanti. If it had not been a winning run it would have been one of the real hard luck stories of the Derby, because if ever everything seemed to be loaded against a Derby horse it was in the case of Johnny Globe.

Johnny Globe had not won a classic race since he was an easy winner of the Timaru Nursery Stakes last season, but he had been a model of consistency in the interim, finishing fourth in the Welcome Stakes, second in the Manawatu Futurity Stakes, second in the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes and fourth in the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes, all at two years, and second in the Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes and third in the Riccarton Stakes, besides winning in open class at New Brighton before his Derby success on Friday.

Johnny Globe is the first New Zealand winner by a great little Australian champion in Logan Derby, who has been at stud in Auckland for some four years now. Logan Derby, by Globe Derby from the New Zealand bred mare Bell Logan, is closely related on the dam's side to the NZ Cup winner, Chamfer. Sandfast, dam of Johnny Globe, is by Sandydale (imp) from Slapfast, a mare imported from America by Sir John McKenzie as a two-year-old in 1926, and who held a yearling record of 2:22.25 in the States. Slapfast bred winners in Greatfast, Prince Roydon and Silk Lady for Sir John before being sent up for auction at Tattersalls, where she was knocked down at the gift price of 12gns and became the property of the late F E Ward, of Pahiatua.

To Rey de Oro Slapfast left a more than useful pacer in Gold Flight, who died just when he appeared on the verge of high-class form. Johnny Globe, who was bought as a yearling by D G Nyhan for £50, is Sandfast's first living foal.

Vivanti began like a rocket and led out of the straight. Going through the back the first time she dropped in behind Kapeen and was content to accept the trail until the home turn was reached, where she came through on the fence to displace Adorian, Kapeen and Irish Orator and establish what looked like a winning break until Johnny Globe got out of his predicament. Kapeen, third, was merely solid, and Irish Orator never looked like doing any better than a minor placing. Adorian failed to stay. First Victory, Dual Flight, and Regal Parade lost a lot of ground at the start, and Prince Charming reared up and took no part in the race.

The first quarter was run in 35 2-5sec, the mile in 2:13 3-5, and the full journey in the race record time of 3:15.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 15Nov50

1950 NEW ZEALAND OAKS

Vivanti had a close call in the NZ Oaks, and a photo-finish showed her winning by the proverbial whisker. She was one of the smartest to begin, but after two furlongs was content to surrender the lead to Spring Princess. She was never further back than fourth at any stage of the race, and when she took the lead with a furlong to go she looked in for a comfortable win.

Riviera, however, came again with a late run and very nearly brought about the defeat of the win favourite. Riviera, a daughter of U Scott and Single Star, has inherited all the family speed, as after losing nearly 60 yards at the start she took over the lead with more than a mile to go, a position she shared with Spring Princess for most of the journey. After appearing to be beaten in the run to the post, she came again with impressive tenacity.

Moreto, who was always well placed stayed on well to earn third money. Manoa, who lost ground at the start, finished a very creditable fourth. Spring Princess, who was prominent most of the way, should develop winning form eventually. By Springfield Globe, she is out of Princess Maritza, a mare who reached quite good class. Alouette, who was sixth to finish, is a neat type of filly who looks like improving. Heather Brigade, a good looking filly by Light Brigade from a Sapling Stakes winner in Frisco Lady, returned a useful effort. She was seventh to finish.

Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 6Dec50

WILLIAM CLINTON

A court case involving a New Zealand Trotting Cup winner, a leading trainer and a well-known Canterbury owner was guaranteed to be a headliner.

The 1911 New Zealand Cup winner, Lady Clare, raced by Darfield farmer, William F Clinton, and trained at Addington by Jim Tasker was the centre of a suit for £600 damages (about half the stake of a NZ Cup in those days) against Clinton, money Tasker considered he had been denied in stake earnings by the owner's drastic actions.

Clinton had paid a hefty 165 quineas to buy Lady Clare at an Ashburton sale only a year before her Cup win. She had ability but had only won a few races. Tasker agreed to train her for 10 shillings a week (for race expenses and shoeing) the stakes evenly divided. He had trained and driven Marian to become the first mare to win the NZ Cup in 1907 and make his wife, Sarah, the first female owner though that seems a well kept secret. Tasker also bred and sold Sal Tasker, named after his daughter, an Australasian champion mare.

He imported the stallion Galindo and others from America. Tasker drove the fancied stablemate Aberfeldy in the 1911 Cup and Ashburton's Jack Brankin handled Lady Clare. She led most of the way landing big bets for Clinton. In court Tasker took exception to Clinton's lawyer Oscar Alpers claiming that he had driven Aberfeldy "on a tight rein". Justice Dennison reminded Alpers that it was not a trial for fraud. Aberfeldy started in four Cups from the stable.

Set all year for a 1912 repeat Lady Clare suffered a minor knock on a leg in October. Tasker wrote to Clinton saying he would aim at supporting features and withdraw from the Cup. Clinton, who had backed the mare heavily for the Cup threw Tasker's letter in the fire, rang the club and scratched her from all her engagements in Cup week. Tasker was furious and sued. The mare had recovered well and the club's vet passed her fit to race. Another, Dr Charlton, praised Tasker's professional approach to the mare's injury at the hearing.

The colourful Clinton was the star of the courtroom drama but destroyed his own case along the way. Described as "a bewhiskered and somewhat rustic looking figure" he confided to the judge that "of course I had had a whiskey by then" when Tasker's lawyer questioned his refusal to discuss the mare's programme with Tasker after the latter made a special trip to Tattersalls hotel to meet him. "Are you sure it was not a double?" the normally humourless Justice Dennison asked.

Clinton, one of the most successful farmers in Canterbury whose stock sales attracted buyers from all over the province, claimed the right to scratch even though the agreement with Tasker was registered. He then whispered loudly to the judge that as there were no ladies in the court he could say the words Tasker had used telling Clinton what he could do with the mare if he did not accept the terms. "That would be rather a large undertaking" Dennison dryly commented on hearing them, telling the typist to replace them with a row of stars. Clinton then made the damaging admission to the judge that the cost of his actions to Tasker was "no more than he had cost me by scratching from the Cup" - referring to his Cup bets. "Such a statement made the reason for the action of Clinton very plain indeed" the Judge told the jury in the summing up.

Tasker's lawyer Mr Stringer, questioned Clinton about incidents caused by drinking on past visits to the city in his Cadillac and whether this was another example. Clinton had appeared unsteady making his way to the witness box.
Clinton: "That is a personal question and I refuse to answer"
Stringer: "Haven't you in fact had a glass too much this morning?"
Cliton: "That is a very personal question and I won't answer"

At the end of the show the jury absolved Tasker of any Blame ans awarded him £350 in damages. Another sensation passed into history.

Jim Tasker is still the only trainer to win NZ Cups with two different mares. In a bizarre coincidence the 1944 winner, Bronze Eagle from a family Tasker had had for 40 years, was bred, owned and trained by his son, Cliff, until a few months before the race. Tasker lost possession of the horse in a marriage settlement. His former wife gave it to her son, William Suttie, of Springston, the official owner. In another coincidence George Noble, like Brankin, only got the drive because trainer Roy Berry opted for inform stablemate, Pacing Power. Bronze Eagle had several Cup starts and sired the near champion filly, Vivanti, an early star for Cecil Devine.

Tasker retained Bronze Eagle's half-brother, Sir Michael, which won the NZ Free-For-All and NZ Derby for him some years later. The Tasker maternal line starting with Mavourneen were shy breeders and the Group 1 winners were Lady Bridget's only foals over many years.

William Clinton, whose family remains prominent in West Canterbury, died suddenly in 1915 triggering the biggest farming sale in Canterbury for years. He had also bought and raced the high class little roan trotter Muricata, good enough to be nominated for a NZ Cup against the pacers. Adding insult to injury she was run down late in the 1913 Dominion Handicap by the Tasker-owned Michael Galindo. Sold in 1917 Muricata left the dual NZ Cup winner, Ahuriri, and another top class pacer, the pony roan Taraire, later winner of the Pacing Championship in Perth which preceded the Inter-Dominion.

The NZ Cup association did not end there. Luxury Liner the record breaking 1987 winner had as his fifth dam none other than William Francis Clinton's fine staying mare, Lady Clare.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 26Jun1911