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AIR FLOW - Classic Winner Producing Mare

Air Flow (1932 Guy Day/ Willina Chenault) USA family of Sally Ann Shuter; T2:12.2; 13 foals, 10 winners. Breeder: JA McAllister, USA. Imported by JR McKenzie. All foals bred by JR (Sir John) McKenzie, Ch-ch.

Air Flow's sire Guy Day was a son of outstanding stallion Guy Axworthy (George Wilkes line). Among the first 100 3yo 2:05 trotters in North America, he sired Group One performers including Countess Zabetta (Dickerson Cup), Kuno (Kentucky Futurity-2T) and was damsire of Swedish Derby winner Belle Day, Big John (Dickerson Cup) in addition to his NZ credits.

Her dam Willina Chenault was by Peter Chenault (imported by JR McKenzie) from The Harvester mare Willina H. The USA family of Sally Ann Shuter includes descendants in Amigo Hall (Hambletonian), millionaires Adrian Chip, Time Well Spent (trotters), Immortality ($1.6m, Breeders Crown-2/3f, multiple fillies/mares Group races) and Keystone Harem (World Trotting Derby).

Imported in 1934 as a 2yo, Airflow commenced racing as a trotter at three winning four races including one against the pacers at Timaru (South Canterbury Hunt Club). At four, three of her four wins came at Addington including the High Class Trot. In her final season at five, she won one race at New Brighton (Stewards Hcp) again beating the pacers after rearing at the start and coming down on the track (1½m in 3:14). Air Flow was one of the best trotters during the depression years winning nine (31 starts, nine wins, 10 placings, £1,509).

Airflow's filly progeny included:

Air Minded who, after one unplaced start at four, Roydon Lodge bred two-time 3yo winner Thurboprop (Hutt Park Challenge Stakes, Methven TS Harrison Stakes) from her before she died. Scottish Air won four consecutive races at four (Invercargill Cup) breeding on through Rebel Air with several winners including Rebel Star, sire of Gallant Rebel (NSW/SA Trotters Derbies); Rest Assured & Resturgem - minor sires.

Airflow's male progeny included:

1. Aerial Scott, a superb trotter racking up 14 successes from age three to nine (58 starts: 14 wins, 14 placings, £13,565). His first victory came in the NZ Trotting Stakes at his first and only 3yo start.Two wins ar four were followed by five at five including Rowe Cup, Stewards & High Class trots at Addington. A further five wins at six all came at Addington: Trotting FFA, ID ht and final, Telegraph, High Class Trots. His final victory came in the Trotting FFA at seven, an event he finished fourth in as an 8yo. Aerial Scott was twice leading trotting stake winner (1947, 1948).
2. Highland Air, full brother of Aerial Scott, gained 15 victories racing over three seasons (4-6yo). Six wins came at four including his first two starts and NZ Pacing Stakes; three wins at five including first two starts again at Addington (Heathcote & Wildwood Hcps), unplaced in Auckland Cup, third in Dunedin Cup and winner of FPTC Winter Hcp. At six his final six wins were recorded including first seasonal start in Louisson Hcp (2nd National Hcp), unplaced NZ Cup, won Ollivier Hcp and at Auckland - AK Cup, Electric/ Telegraph Hcps. Sold to Australia, Highland Air sired 78 winners (67 AUS, 11 NZ; Broodmare sire of 114: 93 AUS, 21 NZ), damsire of Rosso Cute (24 wins, WA Champagne Classic-2).
3. Flight Commander almost made Cup class winning eight races. He spent most of his siring career in Australia with 86 winners (83 AUS, 2 NZ; Broodmare sire of 119: 115 AUS, 4 NZ) including September Flight (SA Derby) and damsire of top pacer Adios Court (ID hts-4, Hunter Cup, SA Breeders Plate-2, sire of 80 winners in SA (Uncle Remus/ Sartorious; SA Breeders Plate).
4. Red Emperor, full brother of Flight Commander, won seven races over three seasons (Wellington Metropolitan Stakes and AK Stakes at four). He sired 53 winners (50 AUS, 3 NZ; Broodmare sire of 103:75 AUS, 28 NZ) including Blue Emperor (Timaru Cup), Fair Emperor (SA Cup), Gala Girl (Golden Slipper, Broodmare of Year 1969/70; damsire of Arapaho (NZ/AK Cup, Dunedin (2)/Hororata/ Methven Cups, Gala Girl's foursome of Boyfriend, Fab, Selwyn Hanover, Mighty Chief (Dominion Hcp, NZ Trot FFA/ Championship).
5. Slipstream, a top class consistent trotter, raced from age four to thirteen recording 14 victories (placed on 43 occasions from 58 starts). Among trots won were Reta Peter/ CPTC Stewards/ Worthy Queen/ Dunedin/ Christchurch Hcps as well as Champion FFA at Hutt Park. Slipstream twice recorded seconds in Dominion Hcp/ Trotting FFA.
6. Air Command, a dual gaited performer, won six including Auckland Trotting Club's Association Trot.

Minor winners from Airflow: Carlow (one win) at Kumara RC; Risingholme (Three) and Wing Commander (three).

Credit: Peter Craig writing in Harnessed Mar 2015

The tributes have been flowing for Sir Roy McKenzie since his passing and it is worth noting that most of them have not had much to do with his quite considerable standardbred interests and endeavours.

It is his extensive contributions to the community, by way of both charity and time and in very much a hands on manner, along with his gentlemanly and principled conduct generally over many years that have won the most praise and admiration. Either aspect of McKenzie's life provide for ample material to fill a book, and in fact they have, but this is a harness racing publication so in this instance we will just reflect on his contributions and influence in that sphere.

McKenzie was still a young man in his early thirties when he effectively took over Roydon Lodge with the passing of his father in 1955. The original Roydon Lodge was established as a standardbred nursery in 1928 and following the importation of Light Brigade and U Scott for racing and breeding purposes during the depression years, it grew to become the longest running and most successful standardbred stud farm outside of Walnut Hall in America. Roydon Lodge will be celebrating its 80th anniversary next year, and while Sir Roy had scaled back his involvement in more recent years and left day-to-day operations to son-in-law Keith Gibson, he could reflect on over half a century of history at the helm.

The ill-fated Captain Adios was the first sire imported by McKenzie in 1956 and the likes of Scottish Hanover and Thurber Frost would soon follow and be joined by U Scott's son Scottish Command as successful sires at Roydon Lodge. In 1978 and the year of Roydon Lodge's 50th anniversary, Scottish Command was leading sire over Scottish Hanover with his progeny headed by NZ Cup winner Sole Command, and when Adio Star was judged the 10th Broodmare of the Year, she was the eighth by a Roydon Lodge sire. Others would follow such as Desilu and Black Watch and the influence of Roydon Lodge imports, with Light Brigade and U Scott in particular, is simply inestimable.

Game Pride and Smooth Fella kept Roydon Lodge very much to the fore during the 80s and more recently, Sundon has been McKenzie's crowning glory. Just recently he was named NZ Stallion of the Year for the third time in the last five seasons. Sundon came to be after McKenzie had gone looking for mares to breed to his world champion Arndon (3,TT1.54), a son of Arnie Almahurst and the Super Bowl mare Roydon Gal that he had bred and raced in America with Del Miller. Arndon fell from favour at stud during the Speedy Crown 'onslaught', but he did sire another world champion and significant siring son in Pine Chip (4,TT1.51).

Sungait Song actually came with a colt foal at foot by Arndon and back in foal to him - she was carrying Sundon at that point - and McKenzie bred her back again before sending the package to NZ in 1987. The foals on either side of Sundon were Arnsong (t,8NZ wins) and Roydon Arnie(t,9NZ wins). Despite being a late foal, Sundon was a horse 'born ahead of his time' from the moment he stepped on a racetrack as a January 4 2-year-old, still two months shy of his second birthday. He would not be beaten in 14 races over the next 14 months, and win 18 of his 19 starts, and he would also single-handedly advance trotting breeding in NZ by 'quantum leaps'.

Arania, a daughter of U Scott and the second foal bred by Roydon Lodge from the Gold Bar mare Local Gold in 1956, was a grand racemare in NZ and in the early 60s she was among those to 'blaze a trail' when she accompanied False Step and the Australian champion Apmat to America for the 1961 International Series in New York. Later that year under Billy Haughton's guidance, Arania time trialled at The Red Mile in 1.57 to become the fourth fastest female ever and only a tick behind Her Ladyship, Dottie's Pick and trotter Rosalind. Arania won a NZ Oaks and would produce an Oaks winner in Hurrania, and the family would lead to the likes of the Christian Cullen-Personality Plus colt which sold for $200,000 at this year's sales, while Roydon Dream, a mare who descended from one of Roydon Lodge's foundation broodmares in Parisienne, would be a Broodmare of the Year. Acquired as a broodmare in 1945 on the advice of George Noble, Parisienne would for Roydon Lodge produce the likes of Mary Wootton (dam of Scottish Command) and the top mare La Mignon, a daughter of Light Brigade who to Thurber Frost produced the brilliant Garcon Roux, the first 3-year-old to break 2:00 in Australasia when he time trialled at Hutt Park in 1:59.6 in 1969. Garcon Roux was the winner of the inaugural Horse of the Year Award as a 3-year-old, and daughters of Thurber Frost in Bonnie Frost (as a 3-year-old) and Stella Frost would be next in line and followed by his son Wag in 1973.

Roydon Dream's eight winners included open class pacer Roydon Scott and Roydon Glen, a Horse of the Year as a 4-year-old in a season when he was unbeaten in 12 races for trainer-driver Fred Fletcher including the Auckland Cup and Messenger. The would also be the source of McKenzie's biggest disappointments in the game when they failed to win a NZ Cup after countless earlier attempts. For Roydon Lodge these dated back to Great Bingen, who was second way back in 1925 and who was quite clearly the winner in 1928, only to be placed second by the judge behind his brother Peter Bingen.

Roydon Scott was the pre post favourite in 1979 and 1980, but went amiss on each occasion, while Roydon Glen started the favourite in 1985 along with Preux Chevalier and was plain unlucky and a certainty beaten behind Borana. Preux Chevalier, like Roydon Dream by Lumber Dream, was from the Roydon Lodge mare Heather Frost, a daughter of Thurber Frost also tracing to Parisienne.

Roydon Glen would prove an abject failure at stud, but he did sire NZ's greatest trotter Lyell Creek. Those NZ Cup disappointments would rival the biggest in the game for McKenzie along with the demise of harness racing at Hutt Park, for which he donated Roydon Glen's Auckland Cup winning stake in order to glass in the public grandstand. Such generosity was no stranger to Sir Roy McKenzie.

The McKenzie family originally came from Ullapool on the north-west coast of Scotland and John Robert was born in Melbourne in August, 1876. As one of seven children life was not easy, and he left school at the age of 13 to do odd jobs which included newspaper deliveries. This led to buying a bicycle and later cycle racing where he won several trophies. McKenzie also encountered horses on a small farm of an uncle and this experience was put to good use when the Boer War broke out in 1899 and where he served for two years with the Victorian Bushmen's Regiment. In those days enlisted men were required to take their own horses and after securing one from his uncle, his experiences in South Africa deepened his love for them. On one occasion he was unseated when his horse took fright at gunfire, but the horse returned to be remounted and carried McKenzie to safety. Later his horse was killed and McKenzie was invalided home with a leg injury in 1901.

While convalescing McKenzie worked at times in a store and this led to plans to start up his own shop. In 1905, along with his 16-year-old sister Ella, they had saved £100 and opened up their own fancy-goods store in Collingwood, and within 12 months they had started a second in Richmond. In 1908 their main competitor, Edmonds Ltd, offered to buy them out which included an agreement to take possession in one month. McKenzie immediately organised an extensive closing down sale and before long they were virtually buying stock at the back door to sell at the front. A further offer from Edmonds to close within the week was declined.

Another condition of the sale however was that McKenzie was not allowed to set up the same line of business around Melbourne, and after setting up stores in Tasmania and Sydney, a decision was reached in 1909 to move to NZ after a tour using motor cycles. At the time there were no such things as fancy-goods stores in NZ and in 1910 the first of what became a chain opened in Dunedin. Before long a Head Office was required in Wellington and in 1918, the 42-year-old McKenzie married Miss Ann May Wrigley and they settled in Rawhiti Terrace. Their first son Don was born in 1920 and Roy followed 18 months later.

The 1920s were hectic years for 'JR', as he became affectionately known by friends and colleagues, and after observing a department store while on an overseas trip, within two years his 22 fancy goods stores had been closed down and 22 department stores had opened. During the 30s it was the largest organisation of its kind in NZ and in 1936 McKenzies (NZ) Ltd became a public company with further expansion taking place to 33 stores until the outbreak of the war.

1941 marked the year however when Don, having gained his 'wings' as a pilot in the Royal NZ Air Force, was lost over the sea near Marlborough only days before being posted. JR searched the area for days in vain and it was many weeks before he took an interest in anything. It was only after considerable effort from his wife, George Noble and Rotarian friends that he started working with horses again and he gradually recovered. He would gain great satisfaction from breaking in his youngsters and handing them over to Noble to be trained as 2-year-olds.

It had been in the early 20s when McKenzie had first taken up an interest in standardbreds and the second horse he purchased for good money was a young colt by the name of Great Bingen, a son of Nelson Bingen and the imported Peter The Great mare Berthabell who had been bred at Akaroa by Etienne Le Lievre. Great Bingen, raced with good friend Dan Glaville, became a champion and by 1926 McKenzie had purchased 100 acres with an old homestead at Yaldhurst and would name it Roydon Lodge after his sons. It was in 1928 when McKenzie moved his family to just outside Christchurch.

With the stores already well established and with a view to semi retirement, McKenzie planned to breed on a large scale and handle his own youngsters as a way of relaxing. During the 1930s and while on two business trips to America, JR purchased a few mares which included Airflow and Spangled Maiden and two young colts which were to prove two of the most influential sires at stud in Australasia ever - Light Brigade and U Scott. Airflow was a fine trotting mare and won nine races and she was the dam of top performers Aerial Scott (1948 Inter-Dominion in Auckland), Flight Commander, Highland Air (1957 Auckland Cup), Red Emperor and Slipstream (14 wins), but she only left one filly to breed on and the family died out in NZ, while Spangled Maiden proved the grandam of great Australian filly Argent and Inter-Dominion winner (for Sir Roy) Jar Ar and established a fine family all round.

Esprit, Slapfast and Widow Volo were other mares imported in those early years who contributed towards making Roydon Lodge the foremost standardbred nursery in this part of the world. And these were just some of the standardbred legacies which Sir John left to his son, with a Trust which was established in 1940 and which enabled one third of the dividends from McKenzies (NZ) Ltd to be distributed to various charities just another.

Sir Roy had casual acquaintances with the family horses while growing up and at school at Timaru Boys High, but in 1941 any of those interests went on the back burner when he went to Otago University to study accounting. There he played cricket and rugby and developed a love of tramping and skiing, which led to captaining the NZ team to the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952, although a broken bone kept him from competing, along with a successful ascent of the Matterhorn. He also enjoyed photography and playing tennis and the tramping led to a close involvement with the Outward Bound Trust as a patron. Over the years he was an active Rotarian and also gave significant support to many other charities, including Women's Refuge, Birthright, the Deaf Decade Trust, the hospice movement and the Nga Manu Native Reserve Trust. He was instrumental in setting up NZ's first hospice with Te Omanga in Lower Hutt, where he was later admitted as a patient.

In 1989 he was knighted for his services to the community and education, and was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit, while he held an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Victoria University and of Literature from Massey. In 1990, Sir Roy initiated Philanthrophy NZ, a regular meeting for a wide range of charitable groups. He was passionate about philanthrophy, but preferred to be as a "community volunteer".

McKenzie was in training with the army when his brother was lost late in 1941, and later he transferred to the Air Force and did training in Canada before going on to England to serve in a Bomber Command squadron for the last six months of the war. Upon returning from England, McKenzie completed his accounting studies and in 1948 he joined the family firm. Within a few months he was then reluctantly on his way back to England however to gain further work experience, and while on the ship he met Shirley Howard and they married six months later. Returning to NZ at the end of 1949, McKenzie worked at the company's head office in Wellington as Executive Director for the next 20 years.

His first horse had actually been Scottish Air, a daughter of U Scott and the first foal from Airflow who won five races in a row at one point. However, this was when Sir Roy was 'underage' and she was not in his name. George Noble had been appointed by Sir John as his private trainer and the studmaster at Roydon Lodge in 1941. It was no doubt one of his best decisions and Noble would guide the overall operation until 1969. Noble had come fron NSW where he had trained to be an architect, but when work proved difficult to find during the Depression, he had turned his attention back to horses and become the leading horseman in the state. McKenzie, knighted in 1949, had selected Noble after recognising his ability with the anvil. With the blood of Light Brigade and U Scott and those imported mares to work on, Noble had Sir John at the head of the owners' list on three occasions and following his death at the age of 79 in 1955 after taking ill while on a voyage to England, Sir Roy was the leading owner for seven consecutive years.

From the early 50s and into the 60s, Noble built up a stable which included top performers in Adioway, Arania, Bonheur, Commander Scott, Flight Commander, Garcon D'Or, Garcon Roux, General Frost, Golden Hero, Highland Air, Highland Kilt, Jay Ar, La Mignon, Red Emperor, Royal Minstrel, Roydon Roux, Samantha, Scotch Paree, Slipstream and Valencia. When Roydon Lodge was moved to 150 acres at Templeton in 1970, Fred Fletcher also took over the training after earlier being in charge of the studmaster duties. It was during the 60s that Roydon Lodge suffered some crippling blows. The first of these was the loss of Captain Adios after only three seasons at stud, while U Scott and Light Brigade soon followed in 1962 and 1964 respectively as did Thurber Frost in 1968 at the age of 14.

Noble also reached the compulsory retirement age of 65 as a driver, and those duties were assumed by Doug Mangos and Noble's son John. Noble had driven 1944 NZ Cup winner Bronze Eagle for trainer Roy Berry and continued to train a small team at Yalhurst in his twilight years during the 70s. His career was capped by preparing the 4-year-old Stanley Rio to win the 1976 NZ Cup and later at the meeting, Rustic Zephyr to win the NZ Derby, both driven by John. Rustic Zephyr was by Armbro Hurricane, one of the sires at Roydon Lodge in the early years at Templeton along with Scottish Hanover, Tarport Coulter and Keystone Way. Stanley Rio also won the Inter-Dominion in Brisbane that season and Noble won the NZ Racing Personality of the Year Award.

In 1947, a visitor to the Wellington office had made a good impression on McKenzie and he would play a leading role in his future involvement with standardbreds in the city and the region. McKenzie would set up his own training facilities near Hutt Park within a couple of years upon returning and Jack Hunter would oversee the operation. As a young man in his late 20s, McKenzie was not inclined to listen to the advice of his father and his first standardbred purchase was a horse called Rocky Reef. A brother to top trotter Barrier Reef, Rocky Reef was a pacer with a known problem for knee knocking, but McKenzie and Hunter set him for a race on the big grass track at Wanganui and he prevailed by a neck, and won two more races as a trotter before being sold to Australia. Roaming was another early winner for the partnership with a double on the same day at Awapuni, when later found to be quite heavily in foal.

The association led to Hunter training full time from a 30 acre property at Moonshine in Upper Hutt, from where he won the Trainers' Premiership in 1964 with 31 wins, while three years later he won the title again with 33 wins while training in partnership with son Charlie. Jack had been assisted in this time by sons Charlie, Kevin and Ian. Charlie was the oldest and after experience as an accountant in a textile firm and undertaking an engineering course in Australia, he had decided in 1958 to rejoin his father in Upper Hutt and work with horses full-time. In 1967 and in the same season where they won the premiership together, Jack and Charlie won nine of 17 races over a two day meeting at Wanganui, with Charlie driving eight including a record five on the second day. Jack had to retire that year with health problems and Charlie won the premiership on his own account the next season with 35 wins, when McKenzie's Golden Sands and Dominion Handicap winner French Pass were stable stars. The latter also won the National Trot in Auckland and the Taranaki Cup beating pacers from 18 yards.

George Noble won the premiership the next year, while in 1971 Charlie Hunter made the important decision to move to the more central location of Cambridge. Seven acres were leased near the Cambridge track while Hunter set up his own property so he could train professionally. It was during the early 70s that Hunter built up the Central Standardbred Agency with Brian Meale and was handed the training of a rising star from Southland - Young Quinn. Hunter would have to watch from the grandstand after an accident on the opening night of the 1974 Inter-Dominions at Alexandra Park, as protege John Langdon drove Young Quinn to triumph in the Pacing Final after earlier winning the Trotting Final with Sir Roy's Castleton's Pride. Young Quinn was by U Scott's fine son Young Charles and would make Hunter a star on the international stage in America.

Another top trotter trained by Hunter for Sir Roy was Geffin, who won the NZ Trotting Stakes and the 1971 Inter-Dominion at Addington when a 4-year-old. Geffin had gone into that series as a six-win horse and won two heats, while he won five straight races afterwards before unsoundness ended his all too short career. Hunter rates Geffin as easily the best trotter he has trained or driven.

The best horse trained by Jack for McKenzie was Scottish Command, who won 16 races including the 1959 Auckland Cup from 60 yards when driven by Ian. Jack Hunter took Scottich Command to America in 1962, but he only raced fairly before returning to stand at Roydon Lodge. McKenzie would be on hand most Saturdays at Upper Hutt to drive work, but the Hunters were surprised the day he informed them he had procured a licence to drive on raceday. It was Scottish Conmmand who would provide him with his first wins at Hutt Park when a 3-year-old. Driving was an important aspect of Sir Roy's involvement, particularly the trotters, and he would win about 50 races over the years. This pleasure was without ever affecting the chances of Hunter's sons or later his trainer Martin Lees, as McKenzie would usually buy his own horses to drive in his own colours of white with a cerise sash. Towards the end of being allowed to drive, Game Yank was a useful trotter for him with three wins, while his last win in March, 1988, came at Manawatu with Argentina, a son of Game Pride who had been purchased out of Owen Quinla's stable.

Charlie Hunter has very fond memories growing up with Sir Roy around. "He was a very special man. He was absolutely loyal to and supportive of this staff and gave people like myself and brother Ian every opportunity by having us do the stable driving right from the beginning - in effect we learned to drive on his horses," said Hunter. "Roy was initially my employer, but since then I have regarded him as a mentor over the years and was especially grateful to be able to regard him as a dear friend throughout my adult life. He was a lovely man who will be sadly missed," he added.

Sir Roy's last big win came as a part-owner when Fiery Falcon won the NZ Sires' Stakes 2yo Final at Addington in May, while his last outright win was with the Fred Fletcher-trained mare Dear Diedre at Addington in July.

FOOTNOTES: In 1998, Sir Roy published his memoirs in a book entitled Footprint - Harnessing an Inheritance into a Legacy. In 2004 a short film was made about his life called Giving It All Away. One of his three sons, John, is today the chairman of the J R McKenzie Trust.

-o0o-

Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 29Mar83

Roy McKenzie sits in his Rangitira Ltd offices in Wellington's James Cook Hotel building talking horses - or more particularly his Roydon Lodge Stud horses. Two weeks later, he is named Trotting Personality of the Year by the NZ Standardbred Breeders' Association at their prestigious Dinner of the Year in Auckland. The following week, the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame chips in with its Trotting Celebrity of the Year Award. For the man who has guided the destiny of one of NZ's premier standardbred nurseries since the death of the stud's founder - Roy's father Sir John in 1955 - such awards are recognition of the contribution he has made to harness racing in this country.

Such is Roy's involvement and commitment to trotting, he actually took the time out to write and publish, in 1978, his tribute to all his father set out to achieve. That book - "The Roydon Heritage-50 Years of Breeding and Harness Racing" - was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Roydon Lodge Stud, then based at Yaldhurst. Now, because of Roy's decision that to operate successfully the stud had to stand four stallions, and to do that needed more ground, Roydon Lodge occupies 150 acres at Templeton, with a further 150 acres at Springston where the stud mares are grazed.

The past few years have been satisfying ones for Roy - last year his American-bred trotter Arndon, under the guidance of long time friend Del Miller, became the world's fastest ever with a 1:54 time trial at Lexington. He has seen Smooth Fella, a stallion he imported in partnership with Central Standardbred Agency directors Brian Meale and Charlie Hunter, quickly rise to a prominent place among the country's stud horses. And he has retired another outstanding stallion, Scottish Hanover, knowing that he was another Roydon Lodge stallion to make an everlasting mark on the NZ breeding scene.

Roydon Lodge is a name which has long been synonymous with success on the NZ breeding scene. A roll call of stallions reflects the influence it has had. Names like Great Bingen, the first stallion to stand in the stud's name, U Scott, Light Brigade, Captain Adios, Thurber Frost, Scottish Command, Scottish Hanover, Armbro Hurricane, Game Pride and Smooth Fella, to name but a few. Their past and present influence on NZ breeding has been, and will continue to be, felt for generations.

But even with sires like this gracing the record books at Roydon Lodge, even now, Roy McKenzie is heading the stud on a slightly different tack. Rather than try and import ready made stallions for stud - "It's getting too dear over there" - Roy's latest thinking represents a change of policy for Roydon Lodge. Now, he is setting out on the time consuming - though obviously more satisfying - policy of spending more time in making horses he believes to be stallion prospects. Evidence of this line of thinking can be found at Roydon Lodge already, where, alongside established stallions Smooth Fella and Game Pride, stand the horses of the future. They are Roydon Albatross, a son of Albatross from the Adios Butler mare Poppy Butler, and Yankee Reb. Roy purchased Poppy Butler in foal to Albatross from Del Miller and the resultant foal in NZ was Roydon Albatross. Roydon Albatross did not start racing in NZ until relatively late in his 3-year-old career because he was a very late foal by NZ standards, being foaled to American time, yet won three out of four starts after failing first time up. At four, he raced only nine times for two more wins, including a Nelson Cup in track record time of 4:16, for 3200 metres on the grass, and two placings.

Roy hopes Yankee Reb will be the eventual successor to Game Pride, the leading sire of trotters in NZ for the past two seasons and heading for his third season in that position. Yankee Reb is by the Speedy Scot stallion Speedy Crown (1:57.2) out of Brazen Yankee, a mare by Hickory Pride out of Hoot Yankee. Hickory Pride is by Star's Pride while Hoot Yankee is by Hoot Mon. Rich in trotting blood, Yankee Reb represents Roy's interest in the breed, an interest enflamed even further by the preformances of Arndon, whom Roy bred himself.

Another Roydon Lodge stallion, Meddlesome (Bret Hanover-Medley Hanover), is to stand at Tony Milina's property for the next two seasons after two terms in Central Otago, while at Mangaroa in the Hutt Valley, where Martin Lees looks after the Roydon Lodge training establishment there, Dreamover (Scottish Hanover-Roydon Dream), a brother to the brilliant but ill-fated racehorse Roydon Scott, is to stand the coming season. Dreamover was originally destined for sale to America, but developed a couple of problems when being trained by Ian Hunter at Morrinsville prior to his departure. "We decided to bring him home then, and, though he may race again, there is enough support around here for him to get 20 mares," Roy said.

Alongside Dreamover at Mangaroa will be the trotting stallion Game Shooter, who up until now has stood in the Manawatu. Game Shooter (Game Pride-Shooting High, by Sharpshooter, by Worthy Boy) received limited patronage in the Manawatu, but, according to Roy, has left some magnificent foals. "Those that have his foals are delighted with them, so he should get around 20 mares," he said. A smart racehorse himself, Game Shooter won six races against some useful trotters.

While it is unlikely Roy McKenzie will be buying stallion prospects in the United States on any scale in the future, this does not mean the end of imported stallions at Roydon Lodge, for in recent years he has been steadily expanding his breeding interests in the United States. "You are looking at paying a lot of money to import a top stallion now, and $200,000 is about the most you can contemplate paying these days with the stud fees that can be charged. Therefore, we now have a situation where we will be trying to make our stallions rather than buy them ready made." Such a policy, Roy admits, is assisted by having a stallion like Smooth Fella in the barn, but it is one he would have been pursuing even without that advantage. "Having an in demand stallion like Smooth Fella has helped to the extent that he can 'support' the other stallions," Roy said. "Even so, Roydon Lodge is run at a profit - we paid a bit of tax this year - and this is the way the operation is geared to run, with or without Smooth Fella."

Smooth Fella is to stand two more seasons at Roydon Lodge before returning to the North Island, where he stood his first season at stud. "He will probably go back to Peter McMillan at Yankee Lodge, Matamata," Roy said. "He has been in such demand - though we have kept him to around 120 mares - that we have had to restrict a little the number of mares we could take to the other stallions. This summer was a particularly dry one, of course, which made it a little more difficult."

Roy McKenzie takes a great delight in all aspects of trotting and later that night, at Wellington's Hutt Park, took the reins behind Milford Merroney, a trotter trained for him by Martin Lees. "Yes, I like driving, but don't get many opportunities." One such opportunity he grabbed with both hands was to win a race at Morrinsville that carried a $50 trophy. That trophy was donated by veteran Auckland horseman George Stubbs in 1972 "to help the battler" in trotting. While Roy McKenzie could hardly be described a battler in just about any other form of endeavour, he later wrote to George Stubbs explaining that the trophy meant a lot to him, as he considered himself to be a battler as far as driving goes.

It took Roy McKenzie 177 pages in his book to detail the history of Roydon Lodge and the stud's achievments. Those two recent awards are payment in small part for the part Roy has had in filling those 177 pages.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 12Sep07

BOB YOUNG

The late Bob Young is widely regarded as the finest reinsman seen in this country not to win a Drivers' Premiership or a NZ Cup.

He went very close in both, finishing second in the Premiership six times and with Patchwork in the 1961 NZ Cup, he was just as surprised as everyone else when an 11-year-old Invicta and Steve Edge nabbed him by a neck.

Towards the end of his driving career in the 1965/66 season, Young was comfortably clear of Peter Wolfenden, Maurice Holmes and Derek Jones when in February at Addington he was involved in a spectacular smash approaching the home turn and broke his arm. Donald Dundee, a half-brother to Robin Dundee who already had a reputation for being a bad horse to be following, was leading when he suddenly propped and went down. Horses and carts went flying in all directions and among them were Young and Bar None. Le Whip, at almost 40 to one and last at the half for Owen Quinlan, was left with just a driverless horse in front of him. Donald Dundee was on the next transport to America.

Young's forte however was trotters and there were no better hands in the business. He was the leading driver of trotters in a season six times. Not a tall man and slight of build, Young was never seen hanging out of the back of a sulky.

He had a golden patch in the decade between 1945-55 when he won the first two Inter-Dominion Trotting Finals with Aerial Scott (48 in Auckland) and Gay Belwin (51 in Christchurch), four Rowe Cups with Aerial Scott (46), Single Task (49), Gay Belwin (50) and Indomitable (52), a Dominion with Acclaimation (49) and three NZ Trotting Free-For-Alls with Aerial Scott (47,48) and Single Task (50), not to mention the Sapling Stakes, Great Northern Derby and New Brighton Cup twice and the NZ Derby, Auckland Cup, NZFFA and Champion Stakes.

Records are sketchy prior to the 1940s, but one can accurately estimate that Young drove around 750 winners when forced to retire in 1971 along with Bill Doyle, Jack Litten and Doug Watts. The last meeting of that season was at Addington in June where Watts won the Canterbury Park Winter Cup with Smokey Express and Young won the following event, the Canterbury Juvenile Stakes, with Mark Gentry. Young was favourite to win the final event with Fortunate, but came up a head short of Crystal John and Derek Jones.

Young was an ambitious young Scotsman when he arrived from Glasgow, aged 23 in 1929, at the invitation of Sir John McKenzie's private trainer Bobby Dunn. He was none too pleased when his initial duties culminated in carting oats, but his desire to be a driver was realised when he was entrusted with a team to the West Coast curcuit over Christmas that year. Whether this was his first drive is uncertain, but Loretta Napoleon won her debut for him in the Progress Handicap at the Westport Meeting. On the second day, he also won a saddle event with Royal Iroquois.

Young could see the sport was booming and wasn't long writing to his father, Jim, who arrived in due course with another son in Jim junior and eight horses. All of them were to win races, with Stanley T and Sandy N going through to the best classes. Stanley T was a lovely big chestnut trotter who won his first four races in the 1930/31 season with Jim junior at the helm. However, Young would later reflect that his older brother had never really wanted to leave Scotland and he was soon on the boat back home. Young drove Stanley T to win the Stewards' Handicap from 60 yards at the August meeting at Addington the next season, while 12 months later they won the same race from the backmark of 96 yards. Stanley T was however a tricky customer who more often than not let his supporters down.

The skill Young displayed in getting him away on the fresh side on those occasions was an early sign of what was to come. Prebbleton horseman Jack Grant, who worked for the Youngs while still at school in the 1940s, recalls one particular occasion in the 1960s with the notorious trotter Break Through. Arthur Pratt's Light Brigade stallion was one of those horses who when he trotted he won, but most often he didn't. Break Through was having a bad patch when Young was engaged to handle him in the 1967 NZ Trotting Championship at Addington. "As they lined up, Bob had him facing the stand and when told to swing him around, he said just leave me here," said Grant. When the tapes flew, Young quietly swung Break Through around and off he trotted like a toff, leading all the way to beat the hot favourite Mighty Chief by two lengths at 22 to one. Break Through had not started in the first night heats so raced in the Consolation on Easter Cup Day and did exactly the same thing in a time four seconds faster than Final winner Asia Minor. Bob always maintained you should never rush a trotter early on, particularly around the Showgrounds bend at Addington. He said it was better to lose a few lengths getting settled than trying to get handy."

Grant, who in partnership with Derek Jones was one of the leading trainers at that point, well recalls his early days with the Youngs. Grant, back home last week after a lengthy stay in hospital, would help work the horses before school, riding one with two on the lead, then after school had 18 yards to clean. "I will never forget one day I'd finished the yards and had walked inside to listen to a race. Jimmy said to me what are you listening to the race for - have you had a bet? I said no and he said well don't worry about the race, go and clean the yards. I said I've done them. And he said well go and do them again - you'll have less to do tomorrow then."

Another early memory was a Coast meeting where Young was trailling the field with a trotter. Pretending he had broken some gear, Young began yelling "I'm bolting - I can't hold him.""They all moved to the outside, and Bob trotted up the fence to win," said Grant.

Grant says Bob Young was a lot like his father - quiet and tough, but fair. On one occasion, Bob had been away in Auckland and had asked a couple of the stable boys to keep his lawn mowed. They didn't do it because they felt it wasn't part of the job. When Bob got back he said 'is that right,' and sacked them. But whenever we were away on trips he would pull you to one side and ask if you had any money. He would give you a quid - which was a lot in those days - just on the quiet. And there was always a good sling when we won."

Jim and Bob Young initially set up stables close to the Addington track - about where the TAB administration building is now - along with the likes of Vic Alborn and Freeman Holmes. They then moved to Hillmorton where the High School is today.

Hughie Greenhorn, whose father Dave knew the Youngs in Scotland and was already a prominent horseman when Bob first arrived here, was closely associated with the stable and well recalls buying a King Cobra mare Carntyne off them for £10. "We set her for a race at Greymouth and had a decent go at the double." Greenhorn bought a house near Addington in Wrights Road as a result. Greenhorn recalls that towards the end when the horses were in Jim's name, it was Bob doing most of the work. "Jimmy did all the wheeling and dealing, although Bob was a lot more cunning than most thought."

Jim Young died in 1955 and Bob took over the training, but a string of outstanding trotters had done their dash by then. Bob Young continued with the stables, but preferred just to drive as "there wasn't any money in training."

In Grant's early days - before a stint with Maurice McTigue and a partnership with Derek Jones - the likes of Reg Stockdale, Claude Baker and Kevin Murray were also employed in the stable. "He didn't say much for quite a while and when he did, you understand him half the time. If you didn't speak to him, he wouldn't speak to you. But once he got to know you, and he liked you, you were away. He never drank, but he smoked a bit until his later years. There was this fellow called Wally Gracie who had all the 'Edition' horses and he smoked like a train. Whenever Bob was in a race and was turning around afterwards to come back to the birdcage, Wally would put two smokes in his mouth and light them. Bob would walk into the driver's room with his mouth open and Wally would stick one in. He was very business-like. He would just do his thing and then go home, when the rest of us would hang around. He wasn't a terribly funny fellow - rather down to earth - but he had a sense of humour of his own."

Grant recalls another time where Young appeared to have a race won when a horse slipped up the fence and Just beat him. "There was this fellow in the old members stand going crook at him. Bob went looking for him and when he found him, he gave him a bloody good barrel. He said he didn't mind if someone did it from the public stand, but a member should know better."

Grant says he felt a little sorry for Bob Young towards the end. After many years where several well-known horsemen trained at Addington and at least 100 horses were trained there everyday, in the end Young was often a lone figure with a couple of horses. "He must have thought was it really worth it. He really did not say much, but he was very bitter when they took his licence off him - it was such a shame really and so stupid. You had all those household names like Young, Litten, Doyle, Watts, Holmes and Devine - people would bet on the names instead of the horses - that seemed to disappear over-night because of the compulsory retirement age."

"Most of the top trainers over the years like them had sons or grandons to pass things onto and were quite happy to step aside and give them a go. Like Derek (Jones) did for Peter and he now does for Mark. Bob didn't have that. He had a son in Robert, but I recall the day that Bob said to him to 'head away into town and get a job as he wasn't cut out for this caper'."

Young almost always spent his afternoons in his beloved rose garden in Fendalton, but Grant says without fail he never ever missed a day feeding a horse. "Then one morning he rang a friend and asked him to feed up because he wasn't feeling too well. He died later that day."

-o0o-

Bob Young married Vere in 1943 after meeting her in the Milky Way milkbar, a regular haunt after a movie, or later, the races. He is survived by son Robert (Wellington), daughters in Diane (Christchurch), Margaret (Sydney) and Janice (London) and five grandchildren, whom he particularly enjoyed in later years says Diane.



Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 28Jun00

NOEL BERKETT

If Noel Berkett stopped training and driving tomorrow, his name at least would be around for some time to come. For one thing, the Richmond trainer's son, also Noel Leo, is training a small team at Yaldhurst. Working on some promising material, too, according to his father. And for another, there's a youngster being educated in Richmond who, if he's as good as his older sister, should win a few races. The yearling belongs to Noel Berkett's wife Dawn. And his name? "Berkett" "She couldn't think of a name for him so she applied for that one...and got it," the trainer said last week.

Berkett, the horse, is a son of Scotch Abbe and Tui Winter and therefore a brother to Bonnie Lass, winner of three races so far and lots of times placed. Berkett, the trainer and driver, was in the news again the other day when he trained and drove Game Pride filly Chesapeake to take the top plum for 3-year-old trotters, the NZ Trotting Stakes at Addington. It's a race in which the Berkett family has had as much success as anybody over the years.

Noel's father Leo drove later Inter-Dominion trotting final winner Aerial Scott to take first prize in 1945 and, two years later, won with his own horse Temple Star. Brother Colin won the race with King's Brigade in 1949 and then again with Battle Cry in 1953. Chesapeake wasn't Noel's first taste of victory in the event. Back in 1963 he drove Bill Doyle's Asia Minor to win the race. A few years ago, eight it was, he had Chesapeake's dam Susquehanna in the Stakes but could finish only fourth that time. One of the horses Noel junior is training at Yaldhurst is a 2-year-old by Some Evander out of Susquehanna. "Noel was hoping she'd start in the 2-year-old trots but the filly, Graceland, went slightly sore. It'll just be a matter of time, but it is disappointing when that happens," the young trainer's father said last week. "Just so long as she's right for the next Trotting Stakes," he said.

Noel junior uses his grandfather's colours of navy and sky blue, the colours of the Nelson rugby team. Which is appropriate. The Berketts have had a long association with that area. The family farmed at Hope, about three miles down the road from Noel senior's present property. "Dad always had about ten or a dozen in work in conjunction with the farming," Noel said last week. "I've been interested in horses ever since I knew what a horse was." Two other brothers, Ivan and Earle, were more interested in farming than the horses on the place. Those same racehorses, though, also had their use around the farm. "One team would pull the plough or harrows or drill for half a day; then there would be a new team in the afternoon. Dad grew all his own feed and was the biggest pea grower and lamb producer in the district. The racehorses used to do all the work. It would do a lot of horses good today," is Noel's opinion. Training was completed with three fast workouts a week.

It was Noel's father who gave Noel his first horse. He turned out to be a good sort too. "Dad bought out a chap in Westport, horses and all his gear. The one he gave me was Bulldozer who won quite a few races for me and then did well for Vic Alborn who had him later. Noel worked for his father until he married Dawn and moved down to Canterbury to start training for himself, first at Weedons and then later at Yaldhurst on a property previously used by Roy Berry and later Morrie Holmes. Dawn came from a family which raced gallopers, her father winning both the Nelson and Marlborough Cups. She is still intensely interested in horses, driving work whenever she can.

They moved south 35 years ago. Noel remembers well his first winner. "I will never forget her," he said last week. "She was Anne Scott. She won the first start I gave her and paid £167 at Addington." About 'six or seven' when Noel got her, the mare had won several races when previously trained in the North Island. "She started from 36 behind that day in a field of 20 or more. Dad's horse Snowflake went out favourite in the same race." That big dividend pales into insignificance when compared with the price Leo Berkett got with the first horse he ever trained. Back in March, 1920 Wairoa Belle won at Nelson and paid £1033/5/- to win. That is still a record.

Since that first win, Noel Berkett has been associated with a lot of horses. Highland Fling was probably the best of them. Noel didn't train the champion, but drove him down at Forbury Park and won three times. "I just wish I had one like him now," he said last week. "He was a bit slow off the mark. If they'd had mobile starts for him, he would have been almost unbeatable." Then there was Real Light, "the gamest horse I've seen. He won ten or eleven races in a year including a Dunedin Cup and at Auckland. I had problems with him for a start, but after that he was a great horse to train." There were a few problems, too, getting Mobile Globe to go away, but once they were sorted out, he went on to win the NZ Cup in 1952. "He wasn't a brilliant horse but on his day he was pretty good. He beat a good field that day, the likes of Johnny Globe, Young Charles, Soangetaha, Tactician, Burns Night, Van Dieman..."I love driving, especially if the material in front of you's right. That win would be my biggest thrill in trotting."

Prince Polka won the Auckland Cup for Noel back in 1955 while Denbry was another top performer. Berkett took Scottish Light through to Cup class too. Back in 1962 he made his mark by beating Lordship and Falsehood in the Louisson at Addington and followed this up by winning the big sprint of the day, the Lightning Handicap, four races later. More recently, there have been horses like Doctor Voss, a big winner in America and the speedy but unsound No Truant keeping Berkett's name to the fore.

Berkett moved back to his home territory eleven or twelve years ago. The climate in Christchurch got to him. "I got sick of it. I decided I could train just as well in Nelson and enjoy a decent climate at the same time." At the moment he has only a few racing but about eight in work, mainly youngsters. As well, the Berketts are breeding from Susquehanna, of course, Husleen, a good racemare by Court Martial, and Tui Winter. Noel has high hopes next season for a 2-year-old by Game Pride out of Husleen, Ol Fella he's called. "He's a fine little pacer. He has been placed at the trials and I think he'll be right next year." Then too, there's Berkett.

Chesapeake, Red Peter and the speedy filly Lady Eastburn comprise the current racing team. Chesapeake, who qualified as a 2-year-old in 3.24 at Blenheim, has done everything right all through. "She's given me no problems at all." A 3-year-old filly by Timely Knight, Lady Eastburn has won three races out of six this term, the last two on end. She'll probably line up in the DB fillies' race at Timaru on Friday. In the meantime, Berkett is still thinking what he will do next with Chesapeake, who is raced by his daughter, Mrs Petina Gaugler. "The filly's having a few days off," he said last week, "even though she is still very fresh after her run. I'll just have to think about it." And he's still thinking about his win the other night. "It's always good to win, but to get one like that..."

-o0o-

Article in NZ HRWeekly 21Apr04

Harness racing lost one of its true ambassadors when Noel Berkett passed away on April 9 after a long illness. He was 82.

Berkett belonged to a family that left an indelible mark on the industry, because they won a remarkable four New Zealand Cups in the space of six years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. A son of Leo and brother of Earl, Colin and Doris, Noel was the last surviving member at the time of his passing.

Leo trained the legendary pacer Highland Fling, and drove the son of U Scott in the second of his back-to-back NZ Cup victories in 1947 & 1948. Colin partnered him in the first of those, and followed with another victory behind Loyal Nurse in 1949.

Noel was not to be left out either though, and his crowning moment of glory came in 1952 when he trained and drove Mobile Globe to power over a rain-soaked Addington surface and win the NZ Cup by four lengths. Noel also won the Auckland Cup with Prince Polka on the grass in 1955. His other notable achievements in the sport were being the leading driver of trotting winners in the 1953/4 season, with nine victories; winning the NZ Trotting Stakes in 1963 with Asia Minor, and then again in 1982 with Chesapeake, a fine Game Pride mare bred by him and his daughter Petina who ended up winning six races. Noel also broke-in and qualified the fine trotter Eastburn Grant as a 2-year-old.

Son-in-law Murray Pash says Berkett was a very family-orientated man, and he loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Berkett is survived by son Noel Jnr, daughters Cheryl Pash and Petina Gaugler, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Credit: Graham Ingram writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 14Apr82

Airflow & her 1951 foal Highland Air, Auckland Cup winner

AIRFLOW

Airflow, one of the best trotters in the Dominion in her period, and an outstanding success as a broodmare, had to be destroyed recently at Roydon Lodge, Yaldhurst.

Airflow was imported from the United States by the late Sir John McKenzie and commenced racing in the 1934-35 season as a 3-year-old. She had her first start in the Improver's Handicap at the New Brighton Trotting Club's autumn meeting, a race in which she finished out of a place. Her next three starts resulted in three wins; the Allenton Handicap at Ashburton, the Bayfield Handicap at Forbury Park and the Waikoura Handicap at Oamaru. She was trained for those successes by R Dunn and driven by P P Gallagher. Airflow won one more race that season and that was against the pacers in the Washdyke Handicap at the South Canterbury Hunt Club's meeting in July, and her share of the stake was £49. In all that season for her four wins, Airflow earned £344 in stake money.

As a 4-year-old Airflow started 14 times for four wins and five placings. At her first start at that age she won the Introductory Handicap at the August meeting at Addington, trotting the mile and a half journey in 3.24 2/5, and beating Mataunga by two lengths. Her other successes were gained in the Hornby Handicap at the Canterbury Park New Year meeting, the Stewards' Handicap at Ashburton and the High Class Handicap at Addington.

Airflow won only one race as a 5-year-old but she was placed five times in her other seven starts. She beat the pacers again in the Stewards' Handicap at New Brighton, included in the field being Play On, Red Flyer and Navy Blue. That was her last season on the race track and in all she raced 31 times for 9 wins, 10 placings and £1509 in stakes in a period when prize-money was at its lowest.

Airflow produced her first foal in 1938, Scottish Air. She produced foals fairly regularly up to and including 1955 and besides the winner Scottish Air she left Carlow (by Great Bingen); Aerial Scott (by U Scott), a champion trotter, one time record holder and big stake winner; Risingholme (by Dillon Hall); Slipstream (by Spencer Volo or U Scott); Red Emperor (by Light Brigade); Air Command (by Light Brigade); Highland Air (by U Scott).

Airflow was got by Guy Day from Willina Chenault, by Peter Chenault-Willina H, by The Harvester-Sis Derectum, by Directum.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 10Dec58

INTERDOMINON EARLY HISTORY

Claims have been made to the effect that the Championship meeting, now an accepted annual NZ-Australian standardbred duel, originated in 1925, but the official record of the series takes us back to 1936. The history of this now world-famous series is as follows:-

In March 1925, a gathering of enterprising trotting supporters in Perth held what was termed an Australasian Championship. This took the form of two heats and a final over three different distances - one mile and a quarter, one mile and a half and two miles. The winner was the NZ horse, Great Hope, a handsome chestnut stallion by Great Audubon from Sadie Dillon. He was taken to Perth by his renowned trainer and driver J Bryce.

The following year, under the same conditions, Great Bingen and Taraire emerged with eight points each. The run-off resulted in Taraire (J Shaw, of Perth) beating Great Bingen (J Bryce). Great Bingen was trained and driven for the Championship by Bryce, who, incidentally, trained and drove Taraire for numerous successes before he was sold to a Perth owner. Bred at Tai Tapu by the late R M Morten, Taraire was by Four Chimes from Muricata, dam also of the dual NZ Cup winner, Ahuriri, and other winners.

The so-called 'Championship' then lapsed until June, 1935, when Mr J P Stratton, the leading figure in Western Australian Trotting, and the late Mr H F Nicoll, the president of the NZ Trotting Conference, convened a meeting in Sydney which was attended by delegates from every Australian State and NZ. This conference discussed a yearly Inter-Dominion Trotting Championship, and was quick to realise the benefits which would be derived from it. It was decided that such a meeting would be held in 1936 and conducted annually thereafter. Since that date 14 contests have been staged.

The first Championship, held in Perth in 1936, was won by Evicus, a Globe Derby mare who raced well in NZ for a period. The Grand Final was actually won by Logan Derby, but on a points basis he was relegated to second place. Evicus was driven by veteran Free Holmes, who made the trip specially to drive her. No NZ horses took part in the second of the Inter-Dominion series, held in Adelaide in February, 1937. The winner was Dan's Son, from Wrinkle and Joy's John.

The first Championships held in NZ were at Addington in 1938. Bad weather seriously retarded the running off of the divisions. Parisienne, who succumbed to Pot Luck in the Grand Final, was declared the Champion on points. A brilliant pacer, and later a successful sire, Springfield Globe, was the winner of the fourth Championship held in Launceston, Tasmania. He was followed home in the Grand Final by Globe Dorell and Radiant Walla. Perth again set the stage for the 1940 series, and although the Grand Final was won by Grand Mogul, bred and owned in NZ, the Grand Champion on points was Logan Derby.

The series had to be suspended during World War II, until 1947, when they were again allocated to Perth. Stake-money had greatly increased in the interval - in 1940 the Grand Final was worth £3000; in 1947 it had jumped to £8000. The winner was Bandbox (Van Derby-The Mirror).

A very successful meeting resulted for the Auckland Trotting Club when the Championships were held there in 1948. For the first time trotters as well as pacers were catered for, and the innovation was attended with such bounteous results that the square-gaiters earned a permanent place in the Championship set-up as far as NZ is concerned. After Loyal Peter, Emulous, Highland Fling and Knave Of Diamonds had won divisions, Emulous, from 36 yards, put up a slashing run in the Grand Final (worth £7600) to win decisively in the then world's winning record time of 4.12 2/5 for the two miles. Emulous, a bay horse by Jack Potts from Light Wings, was trained and driven by W K Tatterson. Emulous was a mighty pacer who was Highland Fling's only recognised adversary over a fairly long period and he beat him several times. Division (or qualifying race) leaders in the trotting section were Fantom and Aerial Scott. The last named won the Grand Final from Toushay and Willie Winkie.

Adelaide, for the second time, was the venue of the 1949 Championships. Among the division winners were Victory Speed, Amorous, Raidella, Hatteras, Single Direct and Plunderer. In the Grand Final, of £8500, Single Direct, driven by his trainer, E N Kennerley, completely outclassed his opponents. The crowd, 45,000 was a record for an Adelaide meeting. Captain Sandy raced brilliantly in the Grand Final of the 1950 series, held in Melbourne, and beat two other NZers in Glob Direct and Sprayman. The Grand Final stake of £10,000 set a new high for stake-money at the Championships. Division winners were Globe Direct, Claude Derby, Avian Derby, Tivoli Star and Derby Globe. Much of the gloss was taken off the Grand Final when Claude Derby could not start because of an injury. He was then the recognised champion of Australia, and his presence that year created the widest interest.

The scene of the Championships returned to Addington in 1951 and must go down as one of the most memorable in the history of the series. A field of champions including heat-winners in Vedette, Soangetaha, Parawa Derby, Blue Mist, Zulu and Ada Scott faced the starter for the Pacers' Grand Final. In one of the greatest races ever staged at head-quarters, Vedette worked clear from an almost impossible position to beat his younger rival, Soangetaha, by a length and a half. Vedette's effort brought the huge crowd to it's feet in appreciation of a wonderful performance on the part of both horse and driver. As late as two furlongs from the finish Vedette appeared to have no earthly chance of finding an opening, although he was close enough to the leader, lying about seventh; but the field was closely packed on all sides of him and time was running tantalisingly short. It is now history how M Holmes extricated his charge to win the Grand Final, and run the mile and five furlongs in 3.22 3/5, which was then an Australasian record. Trotters were also catered for in 1951 and in a fine contest Gay Belwin took the honours from Signal Light, Dictation and Barrier Reef. Gay Belwin was trained by the late J Young - a master with trotters - and was driven by his son, R Young.

Fittingly, the 1952 Championships, the first to be held at Harold Park Raceway, coincided with the 50th anniversary of the formation of the New South Wales Trotting Club. On the Grand Final night, the largest crowd ever to assemble there - one of 38,090 - saw Avian Derby take the major honour. It was also very appropriate that this son of Lawn Derby - and therefore a descendant of Childe Harold, the great horse after which the Raceway is named - should rise to one of the greatest occasions in the club's history.

All roads led to Perth for the 1953 series and the ex-NZ pacer, Captain Sandy, after running prominently in the heats, was first home in the Grand Final from Ribands and Kellett. Captain Sandy thus became the only horse to win the Championship twice. His performance was all the more remarkable as, prior to his sale to Australia at a moderate figure, he had lost all form in NZ.

At Wayville, South Australia, in March 1954, 13 runners lined up for the Grand Final - Floodlight, Ribands, Merchant, Sparkling Max, Andi, Recovered, Beau Don, Captain Sandy, Goulburn Monarch, Wilber's Hope, Dainty Rose, Hedonist and Tennessee Sky. The winner was Tennessee Sky, who had barely qualified in the heats; but the Sky Raider-Lily Direct pacer was considered the unlucky horse on the early nights of the carnival. In the Grand Final he was skillfully handled by the Perth reinsman, Frank Kersley, and won brilliantly from Recovered and Andi.

Last year's carnival was held at Epsom, Auckland. In a stirring finish to the Grand Final M C McTigue's brilliant gelding, Tactician, a son of the 1939 winner, Springfield Globe, sprinted clear rounding the home turn and held off the determined challenge of NZ's idol, Johnny Globe, a son of 1940 winner, Logan Derby. Petite Yvonne was third and Laureldale fourth, with Australia's Ribands unplaced. Mr and Mrs E S Baxter's Battle Cry won the trotters section from Vodka, Precaution and Ecosse.


Credit: Ron Bisman writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 8Feb56