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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

George with Stanley Rio's Inter-Dom spoils

GEORGE NOBLE

G B Noble's effort to top the trainers' list for the Dominion this season was a fitting reward for an association with trotting in this country which began in 1941 when he was appointed private trainer of the Roydon Lodge team. Of the record total this season of £28,361 15s won by Mr R A McKenzie, horses trained by Noble won around £23,000 of that amount.

Before coming to NZ, Noble had trained at Harold Park from 1918 to 1941. Besides being a horse trainer and reinsman, Noble is a qualified architect and a farrier of no mean ability. He had made a study of the horses foot and its footwear and it was this fact that weighed heavily in Noble's favour when in 1941 Mr J R McKenzie was seeking a private trainer.

Noble's early interest in trotting was through his father, a trainer, and it is more than 40 years since he drove his first winner, Elmo Chief, at Harold Park. In his early years of training at Roydon Lodge, Noble prepared the outstanding trotter Fantom, who won the Dominion Handicap at Addington and the Rowe Cup at Auckland twice.

One of Noble's best records is in the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, a 2-year-old semi-classic, first run in 1941. He trained and drove Scottish Emperor to win the event in 1943 for Sir John and for the same owner won with Royal Minstrel in 1954. In 1956 he produced Golden Hero to win for Mr R A McKenzie and was successful for him again with Jar Ar in 1960. Two years later he drove Thunderboy to win the race at odds of more than 70 to 1.

With La Mignon (1954) and Golden Hero (1956), Noble won the NZ Sapling Stakes, driving both himself.

After the death of Sir John, Noble continued to train the Roydon Lodge team for Mr R A McKenzie. The establishment has produced some good winners, including two of the best mares to have raced in NZ, Arania and Samantha. Arania won nine races and £8960 in NZ. Her successes included the NZ Oaks, Dunedin Festival Cup and two heats of the 1961 Inter-Dominion series at Addington. She then went to America, where she ran a 1.57 mile against time - the third fastest of all time for a mare and just outside the world record time for a mare of 1.56¾, held jointly by Rosalind(T) and Her Ladyship(P). Arania did not race a great deal in the United States, but won six races and was 11 times placed for $45,400. Samantha, who, like Arania, was by U Scott, took a mile record of 2.01 4/5. She won 15 races, including the Wellington Cup twice, and £14,910.

As a driver, Noble has been associated with many of the winners he has trained, and has also met with success in the odd outside drive. He has more than 250 winning drives to his credit. This season he has driven 25 winners, his best total ever, placing him eighth on the drivers list. Asked who was the best horse he ever drove, Noble unhesitatingly plumped for Light Brigade, and one of his greatest earlier thrills in the Dominion was when he drove Bronze Eagle (trained by R B Berry), to win the NZ Cup in 1944.

NZ Trotting Calendar 14Jul65

-o0o-

George Noble, one of NZ's most capable and respected trainers over the past 40 years, died in Christchurch last Thursday at the age of 85 after a brief illness.
During a career which commenced in New Zealand in 1941, the former Australian trained and drove some of NZ's greatest pacers and trotters to win here, in Australia and in the United States. He was leading trainer in New Zealand on two occasions.

George, or "G B" as he was known to his great number of friends, was born in New South Wales, the son of a farmer who also raced standardbreds. George received his early education with the family horses and drove his first winner at the age of 18. However, he decided to follow a career as an architect and did so until the depression in 1930. He then decided to return to the world of harness racing, and in one of the toughest periods of Australian trotting, made a success of his new career.

He was among the top trainers in New South Wales when the late Sir John McKenzie chose him to take over the training and stud management at Roydon Lodge in Yaldhurst. It was a partnership which was to prove highly successful, as a string of champion racehorses went forth in the McKenzie colours to win many of the country's top races. Horses such as Red Emperor, Flight Command, Commander Scott, Royal Minstrel, La Mignon, Highland Air, Slipstream and Highland Kilt saw J R McKenzie head the owners' list on three occasions and following his death in August 1955, the success continued as his son Roy headed the owners' list on seven successive occasions. Scotch Paree, Golden Hero, Garcon Dór, General Frost, Valencia, Bonheur, Adioway, Jay Ar, Heatherloch, Samantha, Bewitched, Arania, Garcon Roux, Roydon Roux and Hurrania continued to keep George Noble and Roy McKenzie to the forefront.

When Roy decided to expand Roydon Lodge's stud activities and transferred the stud and training operation to Templeton in 1970, George Noble remained at the Yaldhurst property he had operated from so successfully. It was from here that George performed one of the training feats which will probably go unequalled in NZ harness racing history. In November 1976, he turned out the Australian-bred 4-year-old Stanley Rio to win the NZ Cup, took him to Auckland to win the NZ Messenger Championship in March 1977, the across the Tasman to win the Inter-Dominion Grand Final at Albion Park. Stanley Rio is the only 4-year-old ever to win such a demanding treble, and only a trainer of George's expertise could have programmed it. He raced the Tasmanian-bred pacer in partnership with his son John and Wayne Francis. The same year, he trained Rustic Zephyr to win the NZ Derby at Addington and was justly named 'Racing Personality of the Year' by the NZ Racing Writers' Association.

Few major NZ races escaped George Noble in his long and successful career, but he also made his mark in international competition. He won the Inter-Dominion Grand Final twice, deadheating in the 1965 event at Forbury Park (with Robin Dundee) with Roy McKenzie's Jay Ar whom he drove himself, then winning the 1977 event with Stanley Rio. He won the NZ Cup with Stanley Rio (1976), the Auckland Cup twice with Highland Air (1957) and Garcon Roux (1971), the Sapling Stakes twice with La Mignon (1954) and Golden Hero (1956), the Rowe Cup with Fantom (1943 & 1944), the NZ Juvenile Championship with General Frost (1968), the NZ Messenger with Stanley Rio (1977), the Great Northern Derby with Garcon Roux (1968) and Roydon Roux (1971), the Dominion Handicap with Fantom (1945), the NZ Derby with Royal Minstrel (1954) and Rustic Zephyr (1976), the NZ Trotting Stakes with Highland Kilt (1950), the NZ Oaks with Arania (1959), Bonnie Frost (1969)and Hurrania (1974), the NZ Futurity Stakes with General Frost (1968), Bonnie Frost (1970), Roydon Roux (1971) and Fabriani (1975), the NZ Sires' Produce with Garcon Roux (1968), the Timaru Nursery Stakes with Meadowmac (1963) and Garcon Roux (1968), the North Island Oaks with Bonnie Frost (1970), the NZ Golden Slipper Stakes with General Frost (1967) and Roydon Roux (1970), the Wellington Cup with Samantha (1962 & 1963).

George also campaigned successfully in Australia. He won the NSW Southern Cross Stakes at Harold Park in 1970 with Bonnie Frost and again in 1976 with Stanley Rio when the race was renamed the Prince Stakes, won the NSW Oaks - Victoria Oaks double with Bonnie Frost in 1970, the same year she took out the J L Raith Memorial at Harold Park, and won the NSW Derby and the R C Simpson Sprint at Harold Park in 1969.

Under his guidance, Garcon Roux became the first 3-year-old ever to better 2:00 in New Zealand when he time-trialled at Hutt Park in 1:59.6 while, when campaigned in the United States, his champion mare Arania narrowly missed becoming the then fastest mare in the world when she time-trialled in 1:57 at Lexington when driven by Bill Houghton. Only Her Ladyship (1:56 3/4), Dotties Pick (1:56.8) and the trotter Rosalind (1:56 3/4) had gone faster at the time.

Arania, one of NZ's best mares, was narrowly beaten in the sensational finish to the 1961 Inter-Dominion Grand Final, which saw Massacre, False Step and Arania locked together at the post. Arania and False Step then went to the United States for the 1961 International Series at Yonkers, and, though she performed dissappointingly during the series, she was to win at Roosevelt, and George also drove his Inter-Dominion winner Jay Ar to win at Santa Anita, California, in 2:01 and Garcon Dór to win on the same track in 1:59.

As a trainer, George Noble may have been equalled by few, but never bettered, and he earned the respect of everyone in the industry for his willingness to help others. He was, in every respect, a 'Gentleman' and harness racing is the poorer for his passing.



Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 28Jun83

FRANK OLIVER

Frank Oliver is concerned that the Trotting Conference has seen fit to permit stallions to serve an additional 25 mares each season.

The successful Hilderthorpe (14 kilometres north of Oamaru) owner-trainer and breeder of the past 36 years is adamant that stallions are serving too many mares (125 is now the maximum permitted). Weak foals not suitable for racing are the result. Oliver, 73, is opposed to artificial insemination on similar grounds. He argues that a large number of mares can be served from the one cover, with a resultant loss of vitality among the foals.

Oliver has a rising 2-year-old in work, Mighty Guy, whom he considers "as good as I have bred." The gelding was obtained from a natural service of Nardin's Byrd on Rain Cloud. Oliver is breeding from four other mares. Three of them, Clutha Gold, Strip and May West, are in foal to Nardin's Byrd. The other, Bindy, has been stinted to Huirapa (Bachelor Hanover-Atanui) who stands at Methven. Clutha Gold and May West are both unraced daughters of Rain Cloud and both are by Majestic Chance.

Their brother Kawarau Gold, won 10 races for Oliver, including the NZ Kindergarten and Oamaru Juvenile Stakes in the 1972-3 season. Kawarau Gold went on to win in the United States. His half-brother, Lumber Box, has also won there in 1:58.

Bindy, a Newport Chief mare, like Rain Cloud, claiming Elaine Travis as her grandam, has produced Bayi who has a best time of 1:59.6 set at Blue Bonnets in Montreal. Fab, a half-brother to Bindy, amassed $121,000 in stakes and has taken a record of 1:59.4. Fab, now 13, won at Rockingham Park late last year. Fab won 10 races for Oliver, including the 1973 National Handicap at Addington, before being sold to the United States. Fab (by Hundred Proof) and Bindy (by Newport Chief)are both out of Gala Girl, who also produced the speedy Boyfriend, Mighty Chief, the grand trotter, and the good pacing winner Selwyn Hanover. All were bred by Oliver.

Mighty Chief, who was sold for 190gns at the National Yearling Sale, amassed $36,445 in stakes from 20 wins and 25 placings. The My Chief gelding numbered the 1965 Dominion Handicap and the NZ Trotting Free-For-All among his wins. Selwyn Hanover, who was also sold as a youngster by Oliver, won nine races, including the 1968 Queen's Birthday Stakes at Ashburton on promotion. Maida Million, who was relegated to second for causing interference in the run home, later became the greatest stakes-winning mare bred in NZ, with $323,048. She is at stud in the United States. Bramble Hall, who finished third that day, amassed $215,809 and raced to an advanced age in America.

The Queen's Birthday Stakes was among seven races Boyfriend won when trained and driven by Oliver. Six of his wins were gained as a 3-year-old during the 1969-70 season when the Bachelor Hanover gelding set NZ records for one of his age of 2:49.8 (11 furlongs, mobile start), 3:10 (12 furlongs, standing start) and 3:25.2 (13 furlongs, stand). Boyfriend did not hit the high spots overseas, but advanced his earnings to $99,392. Oliver renewed his acquaintence with Boyfriend during a visit to the United States in 1973 when the gelding's form had slumped. Oliver suggested his hopples be lengthened and the horse won at his next start.

Gala Girl, who was named broodmare of the year in 1970, died a year later as a 17-year-old of complications while foaling in June to a clandestine mating with a seven-month-old colt. She had won the inaugural NZ Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate in 1956. Gala Girl (by Red Emperor) was one of eight foals Oliver bred from Elaine Travis. The best of them was Pala Royal, who won 10 races in the 1950s. Pala Royal, a Dillon Hall gelding, was particularly adept in heavy footing at Forbury Park, the track them being clay. Two of Elaine Travis's foals died and one, Puzzled, was unraced. Another of her progeny was Band Queen, who won the Waikouaiti Cup in 1959. Oliver bought Elaine Travis for £100 in 1943, mainly for her breeding potential. A daughter of Travis Axworthy and Alice Grey, by Balboa the noted thoroughbred sire, she was an 8-year-old and her best effort in 22 starts over 4 seasons of racing was a second in a saddle event for pacers at Beaumont.

Oliver, then rabbitting at Patearoa, kept her in training, and he won first up with her at Wyndham on New Year's Day, 1944, when Frank was having his first race drive. Oliver shifted to Oamaru soon afterwards and Elaine Travis won him three more races, the last at the age of 10. The shift to Hilderthorpe, where he operates from a 110 acre property, was made later. Oliver has met success with other than his own horses. He took over Admire in the 1965-66 season for Gordon Aitcheson and Fred Ferris and got the gelding back to winning form after an absence of two years. Admire won the 1966 Kurow Cup at Oamaru and caused a boilover when he won the Hannon Memorial on the course the next year.

"It is always a game of luck. Try to breed from the best horses," said Oliver when asked what advice he would give prospective owners or breeders.

Credit: Taylor Strong writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 10Jun80

THOMAS FROST

A trainer and owner who helped to establish trotting in NZ, Mr Thomas Frost, died at New Brighton last week at the age of 88.

Mr Frost, who came to NZ from Yorkshire at the age of 12, was interested in trotting before most of the present day trainers and drivers were born, and raced his horses when tracks were on the New Brighton beach, at Heathcote, Lancaster Park, and the present Showgrounds.

Milroy, who won many races, was one of the first horses owned by Mr Frost, who was later associated with Mr Harry Mace. Mr Mace did much to establish trotting in Canterbury, and was responsible for the establishment of the New Brighton track. Jessie Palm was a champion mare owned by Mr Mace while Mr Frost was associated with him.

A famous grey horse, Stonewall Jackson, was trained, driven and ridden by Mr Frost. Bright, one of the best horses of his time racing in NZ, Troubadour, and Charles Dale were other good horses trained at New Brighton by Mr Frost before he handed over to his son, Harry, in 1917.

Harry Frost won many races, two of his best performers being Talent and William The Great. Another son, Leicester, is still prominent in trotting in NZ, and last season her won five races with Maida Dillon, who returned a record double with Red Emperor of £7948/9/- at the 1950 NZ Cup meeting.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 21Nov51