| HORSES |
YEAR: 1960
DESILU - Classic Winner Producing Mare
Desilu (1960 U Scott-Mischevious) NZ family of Rita Bell; unraced; 17 foals, 12 to race for 11 winners/1 qualifier. Breeder: Jack Ferguson. All foals bred by: DWJ(Dave) Anderson except Mac Splash (Jim Dalgety), Bann Eain (Jack Hughes).
Desilu was sired by U Scott. Her dam Mischievous (Dillon Hall from the Logan Pointer mare Monaive) was purchased for £350 by Dave Anderson in 1962 as a seventeen-year-old from Akaroa breeder Jack Ferguson with the U Scott filly Desilu at foot. Anderson was in earlier years associated with John Butcher's stable that leased and then bought from Ferguson for £500 Desilu's full sister Desiree. This led to a long line of success for the Butchers with Tobias, Josias, Abidias, Samarias, Zedechias, Elias, Mathias just a few from the Desiree branch of the family of Rita Bell. Others of note from the Desiree branch included Stabilizer, Nebulizer, Buck The Odds & Pascale Bromac
The family of Rita Bell (Bellman out of an unnamed Berlin mare) is noteable for two branches emanating from Mischievous - Desiree and Desilu. From Desilu's third dam Galindo Lou (Logan Lou, 10 wins, National Hcp twice) to Monaive (granddam of Nebula, 10 wins; dam of Cloudage, 9 wins, Rangiora Cup) to Desilu, there was a winner or winners of top class.
Desilu was unraced due to a mysterious shoulder ailment likely the result of being kicked as a youngster. She became only the second recipient of two Broodmare of the Year awards in 1980 and 1981 (Deft, Interchange, Sheesadoosie, other dual winners). The most successful of this exceptional family of classic progeny were by Tudor Hanover, full brothers Delightful Pal, Jacron and full sisters Delightful Lady, Daveys Jill. Desilu was humanely put down aged 33 in June 1994 after being afflicted with chronic arthritis for several years.
Desilu's male progeny included:
Davey Be Good, winner of twelve races in Australia (1:59.3, 1700m), four at Gloucester Park.
Top Cash, two win horse (Claudelands, Cambridge) and USA winner ($100k earner, 17 wins)
Davey Jack, unplaced at 2 and 3 before winning 5 as a 4yo (Cambridge - Morrinsville, Te Awaumutu clubs; Hutt Park - Otaki, Masterton clubs; Alexandra Park) before export to North America (1:59.3US, $200k earner, 22 wins)
Delightful Pal, winner of 8 from 24 starts with 5 at three from nine outings (Waikato, Alexandra Park & Cambridge twice each). He won the Kumeu Stakes at 4 off 20m for Roy and Barry Purdon before 2 further wins at Alexandra Park at five were followed by his export to USA.
First Batch, four-win horse for Reg Weatherley. Placed at two, he won 4 races at three (three at Alexandra Park including the GN Derby; Cambridge)and the Franklin Presidents Hcp at four. A further 2 wins were recorded at Claudelands as a 5yo before his export to North America.
Jacron, a nine-race winner for Auckland Trotting Club officials Ron Robertson, Jack Maich and Wayne Fleet, he had three victories in his first season at four (Hutt Park, Alexandra Park & New Plymouth) for trainer Ken Sefonte. Interspersed with 6 wins at six including four at Alexandra Park and 2 at Cambridge (Johnstone Memorial) for Mike Stormont, Jacron did not place at five or seven. He was retired suffering from thrombosis caused by a worm build-up in his blood.
Desilu's fillies included:
Auckland's Lady, unraced, dam of one winner, her eighth and final foal in Electric Kiwi (Caduceus Club Classic at 2, Queen of Hearts, Franklin Breeders Cup), dam of four winners including Electric Chapel (9 wins). Bann Eain, winner of 1 race over four seasons at age three - Cambridge (dam of four including three in Australia, Dark Baron (9 wins), Highfields Gem (5 wins), Son Gorgeous (6 wins). Daveys Gene, unraced dam of two winners, Gene Hills (Otaki Cup, 4 NZ/4 Aus wins).
Daveys Jill, open class trotter, winner of 10 races starting with placings at three. Her first 7 wins came at four (Claudelands, Manawatu twice, Hutt Park & Alexandra Park 3). Sixth in the Rowe Cup at five, her final three victories were in consecutive starts at age six (Hutt Park twice, Alexandra Park) with a third in the Reg Rhodes Flying Mile that year. This was followed by 22 unplaced efforts at seven and eight (fifth in the National Trot). Daveys Jill was granddam of the dual-gaited Hanover Zip (Cambridge, Alexandra Park Winter, Nyah & Echuca Cups).
Davita, unraced due to injury, dam of:
. Davita Lass, dam of Smooth Dave (WA Derby); 3rd dam of Smooth Leyanda (QLD Oaks), dam of:
~ The Holmes Legend, dam of Poacher (Roxburgh Cup)
~ The Falcon Legend (Kawatiri Cup)
~ Jerry Garcia (Akaroa Cup)
. El Davita, 3rd dam of:
~ Kirchberg (Northland Cup)~
~ Kirchdoff (Methven, Manukau & Hawkes Bay Cups)
~ Kirkoswald, dam of Forever Loyal (Otaki & Wanganui Cups)
. Taya Lee, dam of Slugger (NZ 2yo Championship, Cardigan Bay 2yo Stakes; granddam of Grinaldi (NZSS 2yo NHT & Manukau Cup), The Oyster Man (NZSS HI C&G; 3rd dam of:
~ Fake Denario ($¾m, 1:48.2US, Aus 3yoc Breeders Crown)
~ Extra BG, dam of: Kotare Mach (Welcome & Flying Stakes); Granddam of Kotare Roland, Biella Star (Wyndham & Winton Cups)
~ Kotare Jaeger (Methven Cup)
~ Ross The Boss ($½m, 1:50.0US)
~ Tanisa Bromac, dam of Tijuana Bromac (Otaki Cup)
. Zoleine, dam of Beaudene (Macau Caesars Palace Gold Cup), Smooth Jack (Masterton Cup)
Last but not least, Desilu's crowning breeding achievement was the 'Queen of the Park', Delightful Lady. One of this country's greatest ever race mares, her career record stood at 144 starts for 47 wins and 40 placings (3 in Australia) for earnings of $476,250 ($5,250 in Australia). Thirty eight of her victories came at Alexandra Park where apart from her five consecutive NI Breeders Stakes wins (1979-1983), she won two Auckland Cups (1980, 1981), two Pezaro/Mark Memorials, two Inter-Island Challenge Stakes & Down Under Miles, a Franklin Cup, a Benson & Hedges Mile and Lion Breweries Mile. She finished third in the 1982 Auckland Cup, won an Inter Dominion heat and placed third in the 1983 Grand Final (to Gammalite and Poplar Alm, the first NZ finisher). She is remembered for her only win at Addington (NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes) and her epic length of the straight tussle with Hands Down before finishing second in the 1980 NZ Cup.
Bred by Dave Anderson, Delightful Lady (Tudor Hanover-Desilu) was 1980/81 NZ Harness Horse of the Year. Her then lessees, Fred & Paul Grant were leading owners ($178,305)the same season. Trained at various stages during her career by Mike Stormont (36 wins, 35 winning drives0 and Gary Hillier (11 wins, 11 winning drives), Paddy Timmins was her other successful driver making up her tally of 47 wins. Nine of those wins came at one mile (1:58.7). Most wins and her highest stake winning seasons came at six (14 wins) and seven (12 wins). She set a number of NZ records over varying distances during her career.
Delightful Lady received the ultimate accolade being elected the eleventh member of the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame. A replica of her in full race trim is located in the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame and the Delightful Lady Lounge at Alexandra Park is named after her. She proved unable to conceive due to a chromosome abnormality, hence no foals were produced by Delightful Lady.
Minor winners from Desilu: Good Time Chief, 5 wins in Australia; Mac Splash, winner at Ruakaka (Northland TC); Daveys Devil, 1:58.3US winner.
Credit: Peter Craig writing in Harnessed Sept 2015
YEAR: 1992
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Few have bred as many winners as J X Ferguson, a prominent Banks Peninsula farmer who continued the Le Lievre family destiny in harness racing. His death recently, at the age of 83, has ended a long association with the sport that began with his grandfather, Etienne Le Lievre. For most of his life Jack lived in Akaroa, but unwilling in his latter years to tackle the hill climb home after a night at Addington, he shifted to a smaller holding at Greenpark.
Mr Ferguson quickly made his mark as a breeder, sending the Man O' War mare Polka Dot to Light Brigade. This mating produced the dual Auckland Cups winner Soangetaha, and to U Scott, Polka Dot left Prince Polka, which won the Auckland Cup in 1955 when trained by Noel Berkett.
An introduction through Soangetaha's trainer Derek Jones to Andy Carmichael forged a friendship that lasted for many years. Mr Carmichael bought many of the horses Jack bred, including Prince Polka, and they were partners in Good Admiral, which won 18 including the 1971 NZ Trotting Stakes, the Reta Peter Handicap and the Challenge Stakes at Alexandra Park.
Jack bought Mischievous, and sent her to U Scott. She left Desiree, the cornerstone of John Butcher's wonderful 'ias' family - notably Abdias, Tobias and Samarias - and Desilu, the dam of the great racemare Delightful Lady. He bred Inter-Dominion Trotting Grand Final winner Precocious from Johnny Globe and Dauphine; Petite Polly, the 1987/88 Victorian Broodmare of the Year; Girl Brigade, which was Southland Broodmare of the Year; and Dels Dream.
A family member recalls that Jack regularly bred from 12 to 15 mares, and was a loyal patron at Roydon Lodge when Sandy Green was studmaster. He sold many he bred through the sales, but in more recent years he raced them, from the stables of Noel Berkett, Jack Smolenski and Peter Robertson.
His favourite was perhaps Jayex, a colt by Nevele Romeo from Eblouir which won the NZ Champion Stakes and a heat of the Sires' Stakes in a short career. With Glamour Chief, he ran second in the NZ Derby, and Melvander, which was the last he raced, won the NZ Trotting Fee-For-All and finished second in the Inter-Dominion Grand Final. "I think the sudden death of Melvander probably knocked him," recalls the spokesperson.
A keen sportsman and a harness racing enthusiast from his earier days, J X Ferguson bred more than 100 winners. He is survived by his wife Maisie, son Peter, and daughters Jill and Lyndsay.
Credit: NZ HRWeekly 10Jun92