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YEAR: 1991

GAVIN HAMPTON

This month marks the end of driving for Gavin Hampton, now aged 65. Having driven 250 winners since being first licenced in the 1946-47 season, he retires thinking how fortunate he was to train two of them. Near the start of his career, in 1952 and 53, he had Masterpiece and 29 years ago it was the handsome stallion, Radiant Globe.

He wouldn't separate the two on ability, though Masterpiece won him 6 and Radiant Globe 22. "The best was never seen of Masterpiece. I got him when he had won five and he won me six, including four on end. He had great speed. You could bring him into the straight about seventh or eighth and he would produce a brilliant finish; he was a better horse if you held him up."

An unsound son of Light Brigade, Masterpiece started his trot for Hampton by winning at Hutt Park, where he beat Inglewood, and then defeated First Victory at Addington. He went to Ashburton on Boxing Day, winning from Tribal Song and Tiberius, and brought up his fourth successive win in the Au Revoir Handicap at Addington from Vedette, Zulu and Dragoman. His sixth and final win of his career came the same season at Addington, where he won from Lauder Hall, Petite Yvonne and Maida Dillon.

"Radiant Globe was a lovely horse, a great horse to have round the place, and the kids could get on and ride him. You knew he was always going to do his best for you."

Hampton's best driving tally was in the 1970-71 season when he won 21 and Radiant Globe gave him eight of them, including the Greymouth Cup from Barrhill and Jacquinot Bay, and the New Brighton Cup from True Averil and Barrhill. It was also the season of his greatest disappointment. "The 1971 Inter-Dominions were at Addington, and he couldn't start on the first night because he got tied up. On the second night he ran fourth and he won on the third night with a faster rate than any of the other three winners (Stella Frost, Manaroa and Rain Again). He missed out on a start in the Final by one point." To illustrate the good prospect he would have been in the Final, Radiant Globe won the 13 furlong Consolation from Globe Bay by more than six lengths in 3:27, after Stella Frost took 3:38 2/5 in the Grand Final. "I was lucky to get a horse like that," he said.

Hampton's first job was at Takanini at F J Smith's Village Farm. It was a top stable, including at the time Josedale Dictator and Volo Senwood. You had to pick up all you learned, but it was different than what it is these days. He had 11 boys on the staff and they each had two horses to look after and they were strapped for an hour and a quarter every day. "It was three months before I got my first day off, and six months before I was allowed in the cart," he said.

His first winning drive was after he had returned south, to where his father Joe was training at East Eyreton in North Canterbury. "My father wasn't very pleased about it. I drove Rowan McCoy at Greymouth, where it was usual to have two starts in the day. In the first of them, when he was paying £100 to win, I miscounted the number of rounds, and got him going to run fourth. I won with him later in the day, but he was hot favourite then," he said.

He gained a professional licence in 1950 and moved to Belfast, where Masterpiece - later the sire of top pacer Master Alan - and the U Scott trotter Ecosse joined the team. Cara Nelson was another good winner at the time, and in the early 60s he produced Wendy Dawn to win the NZ Oaks and the Nelson Cup, and Belmartial to win the NZ Trotting Stakes. In 1966, he moved to Weedons, where he trained and drove such good winners as Glen Bell, Final Donn, Pineship, Grovenor Globe, and Radiant General who won the 1975 Golden Slipper Stakes.

His driving successes included the Westport Cup behind Slick Chick, the Superstars Final with Lucky Boy, the NZ Free-For-All with Radiant Globe, feature races with Stampede and Zabadak, and the Canterbury Park Cup behind Philemon.

Hampton has noticed great changes in the style of driving in recent years. "It used to be stereotyped, but now it's all hustle and bustle. People are going for the money and they seem to under more pressure. When I first started you would follow someone who would show you how to get the gaps, like Maurice Holmes. I had my first drives for the season at Nelson last month and I couldn't get over it. I would think I'd be going alright, in a good position, then I'd find myself out the back. It's a different ballgame now," he said.

For many years a committeeman on the Trainers and Drivers Association, Hampton considers the Conference could have involved more professional men in some of its decision-making, and worries about the little protection for cadets after they leave the scheme. "It seems too easy to get a licence, and this must have an effect on the future of the young ones."

"The cost and pressure doesn't make harness racing as enjoyable as it used to be," he said. Hampton, whose last driving success was in the 1987-88 season, did not have his first drives this season until the recent Nelson meeting. He leased Parklane for the curcuit, and hopes to end his career driving the same horse at Addington - the scene of his most memorable wins.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 3Jul91

 

YEAR: 1962

1962 NZ OAKS

Following her fourth placing in the NZ Derby Stakes in record time, Wendy Dawn was sent out a warm favourite for the NZ Oaks at New Brighton on Saturday. She had only a head to spare over Solemn at the post, but displayed rare gameness to wear down that pacer in the run home.

Wendy Dawn started from the second line and did not appear to be really at ease on the track. Solemn, winner of a non-totalisator race at Addington, stuck to her work in grim fashion in the run home and was far from disgraced in being beaten into second place. Her stablemate, Maggie Spangler, was always in the picture, and finished three lengths behind Solemn. A length further back came Filet Mignon, who was followed in by Free Land, Mile End, Rose Adios, Sirretta, Stella Globe and Aufleem.

Jilaire, Rose Adios, Joan Vale, Morissa, Solemn, Stella Globe, Filet Mignon, Megaton, Aufleem and Loch Katrine all lost ground at the start. Free Land made the best beginning, but at the end of two furlongs, Maggie Spangler was the leader, and was followed a little later by Solemn. At this stage Jilaire had improved to be up with Solemn. Wendy Dawn raced in about fifth place most of the way but improved to be on the outside of Jilaire and Solemn at the straight entrance. She gradually worked up to Solemn, and these two fillies staged a keen duel.

Several substantial offers have been made for Wendy Dawn, but J G Hampton said on Saturday she was not for sale at present. Wendy Dawn is a bay filly by Johnny Globe from Meadowbrook, and ranks as a half sister to Knightsbridge. Meadowbrook was got by Bonny Bridge from the Logan Pointer Mare, Rose Logan. Wendy Dawn was bred by her owner-trainer, J G Hampton, who drove her on Saturday.


Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 5Dec62

 

YEAR: 1982

Court Martial and owner Joe Hampton
COURT MARTIAL

Edna Hampton lost another of her 'family' the other day. Jerry died on August 2, the day after his 35th birthday. "It broke my heart," Mrs Hampton said a few days ago. "I'm still getting over it. I look out the window to his paddock and keep thinking he might reappear..." But Jerry won't. He was put down just as all the effort of trying to keep going a little bit longer was starting to become a bit painful for him.

Jerry was just his pet name. He was officially Court Martial. He had been part of the Hampton household since the day he was born. Mrs Hampton, at 76 now no longer as agile as she was, remembers that day. The Hampton's mare Suda Bay, served by that old gentleman Light Brigade, was due to foal. The night before she had been a bit unhappy and Joe Hampton "knew she'd foal in the morning. He went across the road at four in the morning to check on her but he was back in a few minutes. The foal was there but he was a whopper. Joe said it was the biggest foal he'd ever seen. He couldn't get up to stand to suckle. But that, really, was only a momentary problem. We wrapped him up, put him on a barrow and wheeled him under the old mare to suckle. He was a lot stronger after that first meal. Right there and then, Joe reckoned he'd keep the horse as a stallion. He was so impressed with him." And, after winning three or four races and then breaking down when involved in a skirmish at Wellington, Court Martial was indeed sent to stud.

No-one has to be told how successful he was. He's still making his mark. His mares can't help leaving winners. All told, Court Martial left close to 480 foals...for 149 winners, a grand performance. There were some champions among them, too. And Jerry has also left 128 winner-producing mares, another top effort. He hadn't served any mares over the last few years, Joe Hampton took him out of public service abour six years ago when he considered they both weren't as fit as they had been. Mr Hampton himself died almost two years ago.

From the time he was retired, Court Martial had his own little paddock with a road frontage in one of the outer suburbs of Christchurch. He'd walk backwards and forwards, just checking, and then, when children on bikes or ponies rode past, he'd be away to investigate. "His ears would prick up and he would whinny away to them. He was a real darling," Mrs Hampton said. "Everyone round here knew him and would talk to him." And at meal-times. "You had to be right on the dot otherwise he'd come up and lean over the fence and look at you as if to say, "I'm here, where's my tea? If he didn't get his food then, he'd stalk off in a huff." It was when Mrs Hampton went out to feed her old pet the other morning that she realised somthing was wrong. Jerry used to sleep in the hay barn..."there was plenty of straw there for him to lie down on." But this morning, instead of the usual whinny of greeting from the barn, there was only silence. "I thought it was a bit strange. He always used to call out when he saw me going to the feed shed. I went into the barn and he was still lying down. I told him to get up and he gave a couple of kicks but he couldn't or wouldn't get up. There was still food left from the meal before so I thought he wasn't hungry (he was always well fed). Then when he tried again, I thought perhaps his cover might be hindering him. I'm not strong enough to try to unfasten a cover with a horse on the ground, so I rang Gavin (her son who trains at Weedons) to come over and see what was wrong."

Gavin thought "the poor old chap had had it and called the vet. The kindest thing to do, the vet said, would be to put the old horse down. He could have got him up, but he would be in pain. It was hard, but it was the best thing." Court Martial was given an injection that afternoon. He's now buried in a plot alongside his brother, another fine trotter in Signal Light, and Bonny, Mrs Hampton's Queenland Blue Heeler who was run over. "I'm not keen on going into that paddock. It's as though all my family's there in the one plot. While Court Martial was known affectionately by all and sundry as Jerry, Signal Light, who won the Trotting Stakes at his first start, was known as Barney. "People used to reckon we had a couple of Irishmen on the place," Mrs Hampton said.

The Hamptons bought their dam, Suda Bay, when she was two for 60 guineas as part of an estate sale. She and her daughters bred on well for Joe and Edna Hampton. Court Martial's half-sister by U Scott, Heather Dew, left several good winners including the Cup horse Rhyl. And another half-sister, Landgirl, left Pipitre, the dam of champion trotter Nigel Graig.

The list of the open class trotters sired by Court Martial goes on and on... Reprimand, world record holder Moon Boy, Aquit, Seven Nights, Logan Count, Marshella, Rannach Lad, Jason McCord, Aronmot, Fair Play, Merrin, Sure Mart, Macamba (who provided Maurice Holmes with win number 1000), Slane and latest Australasian Championship winner Courting Appeal. Among his pacers have been the likes of Hoover, a huge winner in America, and Martial Salute (US1:59.8). He also sired the dams of horses like Trafalgar, Royal Armour, Dingle Bay, Ambleside, Wee Win, Classic Touch, Stevie Prestige, Logan Lea, Dryden Lobell, Tough Girl, Local Product, Cyclone Lad, Mister Square, etc, etc, etc.

Around the place, Court Martial was always a pet. "He was a real Light Brigade. He didn't have a single vice. Even in his younger days when he was serving mares, he was the gentlest horse you would ever meet. A kid could lead him along on a loose rope; or they could sit up on his back without any fear. He was just one of those lovable old horses. I still miss him. I think I always will..."





Credit: Graham Ingram writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 24Aug82

 

YEAR: 2000

REG STOCKDALE

Reg Stockdale, who died suddenly last week aged 68, was seldom without a good horse in his Yaldhurst stable. He never went to a big team, always turned his horses out in top order, and was renowned for his attention to detail.

His first good horse was Gentry, although he was six and near the end of his career by the time he came into Stockdale's care. He won 13 races in the previous two seasons for Peter Stewart, who trained him for Bob Barry, but Stockdale won first-up with him at Auckland where he was off 48yds and beat Lucky Briton and Gaelic Prince.

He was followed by Blue Prince, who raced initially out of Davey Todd's stable and was driven by Ken Balloch before being bought by Barry. Based at Mangere then, Stockdale won five races with Blue Prince as a 5-year-old including the Allan Matson Handicap from Sun Chief and Aldora. He was still at Mangere when he won the New Zealand Derby for Barry with Student Prince, who defeated King Hal, Jay Ar and Flying Note. On the same day, False Step came from 48yds to beat Lookaway (30) and Sun Chief (12) in the Allan Matson and Moon Boy won the NZ Trotting Free-For-All from Ordeal and Au Fait.

Stewart Hanover, a roan by Garrison Hanover, won eight races in three seasons during the early 60's, and his place in the higher grades was taken by Bramble Hall, a dark brown gelding by Flying Song. Bramble Hall won 10 races, mostly driven by his former employer Maurice Holmes, who knew the big horse performed best when saved for a short, sharp sprint at the end. His major win was the Canterbury Park Free-For-All, a walk-up start which he won from Thurber Scott and Torrent.

In 1971, Stockdale won the New Zealand Oaks with the Garrison Hanover filly Shalimar who upset the favourites and beat Gay Hal and Candy Frost. That night, George Shand won with the big trotter Bambi, Doug Watts won with General Idea, Gavin Hampton won the New Brighton Cup with Radiant Globe who was off 30m, and Felix Newfield won with Blak Label.

Other good horses he trained were the trotter Southern Comfort, Lemrac, who upset one night in the wet at Addington and later ran 1:54 in the US, and Canis Minor, a big winner later in his career for Trevor Thomas.

Eulogies to the former President of the NZ Trainers' and Drivers' Association were given by Derek Jones, Jim Dalgety and Stockdale's son-in-law, Peter Jones. Stockdale is survived by his daughter Lois, son Graham, and grandchildren Phillippa and Mark Jones, Natasha and Jessica Stockdale.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10May00

 

YEAR: 2008

IAN STARKEY

Ian Starkey has been racing horses for over 50 years, but he enjoyed probably his best week in all that time earlier this month. It began when Wee Jill romped away with her maiden at the Methven meeting at 33-to-1, and ended when her half brother Awesome Imace got up to record his 11th win the Listed Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington five days later.

Starkey has sold the latter to clients of co-trainer and driver Phillippa Wakelin, but he was always going to retain the Sundon mare Wee Jill for breeding, to continue a line which began with the purchase of her third dam Not Surprise at the National Yearling Sales in 1973. Starkey, now farming cattle at Cust after a lifetime as a builder, can recall his first horse back in 1956. "I was having a beer with Gavin Hampton, and he said he knew of a horse that was for sale and that I should go and buy it," recalls Starkey. "So I did and she had four starts for two wins and two thirds in Wellington, although we weren't trying very hard on the first day. I thought the game was easy after that," he added. That horse was called Wakeful, a daughter of the Springfield Globe horse Super Globe. Starkey would breed a few filly foals from Wakeful in the 60s but none amounted to anything.

Another useful performer for Starkey during that time was Ewtor - a name because "Everything Would Turn Out Right." He would provide Bryce Buchanan with his first winning drive at the time when he was working for Jack Carmichael. Starkey got "matey" with Buchanan through Ewtor and when Buchanan went south to train just out of Invercargill, Starkey sent him Not Surprise "to help him along." "I had no intention of buying anything that day (at the National Sales), and I was just standing there chatting to a fellow when this ugly looking thing (Not Surprise) came into the ring. I'd always liked long, skinny horses for some reason, rather than short, fat ones."

Not Surprise was a filly by the double-gaited performer Hodgen's Surprise, a pacer by the trotter Hodgen, who sired the great trotter No Response but mostly handy pacers such as Trevor Hodgen, Bluegum Surprise and Lady Hodgen. The breeder and vendors of Not Surprise had been Cliff and Joan Cummings of Lawrence, who within a few years would be very much to the fore at the Sales with the progeny of Sakuntala. "Mrs Cummings was always later giving me an earful about not having any condition on Not Surprise, but it never mattered what you did, she was always just a lean, long skinny bitch. As I said that's the way I like my horses for some reason, but these days I still seem to get a lot of short, fat ones, probably from breeding to Game Pride (though Not Surprise's daughter Daphs Pride)."

Not Surprise certainly had a pedigree of more than passing interest. She was the second foal from Daphleen, by Fallacy from Overdrive, by Whipster (by Quite Sure) from Lucky Sweet, by Lucky Jack from Correct, by Wrack from Precision, by St Swithin. Correct was a half-sister to the outstanding Logan Pointer broodmare Ayr, who produced top pacers and/or sires in Springfield Globe, Our Globe, Van Ayr and Cloudy Range. Correct produced Jack's Son (NZ Champion 3YO Stakes), while Overdrive was the NZ Oaks-winning dam of the great Australian pacer Lucky Creed. Lady Val was a sister to Overdrive who was the grandam of Dominion Handicap winner Armbro Lady, who was sold to America never to be heard of again, while Flakey Jake (12 NZ wins) and Tamra Nightingale (17 Aus wins) also belong to this branch of the family as does a smart young pacer in Captain Padero. Good mares Fern Glen and Hawera along with Maheer Lord also trace to Lucky Sweet, while also emanating from Daphleen is Johnny Be Cool (8 NZ wins, US1:49.8).

Not Surprise would win half a dozen races as a trotter over three or for seasons for Starkey and Buchanan, on each occasion on grass tracks and during the day. "She could be quite brilliant on the grass, and later I realised she was not so good at night, where she couldn't beat the same horses she had hammered during the day. That was probably because she simply liked the grass tracks, because they had a bit of give and somthing she could get her toes into."

The first foal from Not Surprise was Daphs Pride, who had five wins and numerous placings over three of four seasons from the stable of Frank Bennett, although Buchanan drove her in her last win at Ascot Park. Not Surprise left a winning brother a year later in Game Trail, but things went downhill from that point. An Alias Armbro filly had "an attitude problem" and Starkey doesn't tolerate them, while then he tried breeding a pacer by Smooth Fella, but the resulting filly in Rough only "belted a knee" and he has even less time for them. One more foal in a colt by Corsica Almahurst followed, but he had "no bottom", and Not Surprise died a few years ago at the age of 32 having left her fifth and last foal at the age of 18.

Starkey was breeding from Daphs Pride instead during the 90s and her first three foals raced, although the first in A Boy did not win in 17 attempts as a 7-year-old after finishing third at Westport on debut for Hampton. He "turned out to be a cheat" and did not change much when tried the same season by Pat O'Brien and Bernie Hackett. Awesome Lass, a daughter of the Speedy Crown horse Stakhanovite, was the second foal fron Daphs Pride and "she probably had a bit too much faith in her own ability". She qualified at her first attempt and then went "straight to the races" for trainer Jamie Keast, finishing a close fifth on debut at Addington. A few weeks later she won her second race at Addington by four lengths, but a week after that she was involved in a smash on the same course and was hurt. "She was always sore after that. We even gave her a year off, but she could never be worked much and was never the same. I decided to breed from her though because I liked her attitude - she hated other horses but she was great with humans."

The year after foaling Awesome Lass, Daphs Pride produced Chiola Sam to Chiola Hanover and Starkey is sure he has been the best horse from the family even allowing for Awesome Imace. He won four races in good time for Hampton, but "hurt his back getting carted sideways by a breaking horse and was never really the same afterwards." Chiola Sam managed another win at Rangiora before eventually being sold to America, where he trotted to a record of 1:57.

Daphs Pride had five more foals, all fillies, but only Hanger Pride (by Straphanger) amounted to anything, winning twice from Ian Cameron's stable before also being sold to America where she has taken a record of 1:59.8. "She had her good and bad days, but the rest of the foals had only bad days." Those other filly foals were by Pernod Eden, Chiola Hanover, Chiola Cola and Bryin Boyz.

Awesome Lass's first foal was a Chiola Cola filly in 2000 called Awesome Cola, and this is where Starkey struck up a racing association with Wakelin and her partner Stephen Noble. Starkey, 78, had known Wakelin for many years, even before she spent time in Australia, and had built her stables at Oxford. "I've been farming now for twenty years, but I had been a builder by trade up until about five years ago. I got too old to be swinging around roofs." Wakelin had taken a fancy to Awesome Cola in the paddock and leased her for stable clients. She qualified as an early 4-year-old, but then "didn't improve a yard. We thought she had a crook back, but it turned out she had cracked her pelvis at some stage and it had healed by itself, so how she qualified was amazing enough."

When that lease didn't work out, Starkey offered the same connections the lease of Awesome Lass's third foal and first colt - Awesome Imace. That consistent son of Brylin Boyz has now raced 44 times for his 11 wins and $129,000, after first winning the NZ Sires' Stakes as a 2-year-old at Addington over Galleons Assassin, Day Of Reckoning and Mountbatten. The following season he split Houdini Star and Mountbatten in the Sires' Stakes in Auckland before finishing third to him in the Great Northern Trotting Derby. He has won three races each season since, from 30 races in all, but as a now 6-year-old who is a grandson of Balanced Image, his best seasons are probably ahead of him.

In between those foals, Awesome Lass had a filly by Sundon in Sun Lass who had two races before being sold to Australia, where she won four of her first nine starts. Awesome Lass's fourth foal is the Sundon colt Sun Lad, a very smart 3-year-old a couple of seasons ago who won the Sires' Stakes in Auckland over Holiday Lover and King Charlie and who was only beaten a nose by Sprinbank Richard in the Harness Jewels at Ashburton. He has had a good spell since a light campaign as a 4-year-old last season where he won at the Amberley meeting in January. "He would have been back in work by now, except Philippa's track has been under water. Awesome Imace had done a bit before that happened, so he has been working around the roads in the meantime."

Wee Jill followed from Awesome Lass, and she is going to be the daughter that Starkey breeds from one day to carry on the line. "She might race at Addington (this Week), but I'm not sure how she'll go yet settling in a field if she has to - she has the Sundon streak. I was quite happy to see her in the open and then leading at Methven as I figured that would help her get around without making a mistake, but I wasn't sure whether she was forward enough to see it out."

Awesome Lass has since left two sisters to Awesome Imace. The first in 3-year-old Awesome I Am was bought by Wakelin's parents Ken and Barbara as a yearling, while they have also leased the 2-year-old Awesome That's Me but without a right of purchase as Starkey might like to breed from her as well. "I had a lot of people asking to buy Awesome I Am after Awesome Imace won the Sires' Stakes, so in the end I decided to put her in the Yearling Sales and let them fight over her. But a week before the nominations were due, Ken came to me with an offer and I accepted because I did want Philippa to train her." Awesome I Am raced seven times as a juvenile without making much impression, and Starkey would like to see more patience taken with Awesome That's Me.

Awesome Lass is now 16 and is only being bred every second season - she had a year off but is now back in foal to Sundon. That is pretty much it these days for Starkey, outside of a mare he was given a few years ago by Doug McCormick in Perfect Whiz because "he had too many." A racewinning mare by Gee Whiz II, whose first foal is Perfect Hold (8 NZ wins), Perfect Whiz has left a 2-year-old filly by Brylin Boyz called Needs Luck and is in foal to Muscleman because "I liked his grandam (Enthuse)." In the meantime though it will be the "short, fat one" in Wee Jill and her open class half-brother in Awesome Imace who will be keeping Starkey amused and reflecting on that day he took a fancy to the "long, skinny one."



Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 17Sep08

 

YEAR: 2011

GAVIN HAMPTON

Your father, Joe, had racehorses. Were you always going to make a career with them?

No way. I actually started working in town as an office boy but I got a bit sick of that.We had always had ponies to ride to school at East Eyreton where Dad had a farm. Anyway I was helping out at home. Dad went to the races at Ashburton one day and came home and said he had found a job for me. It was working for F J Smith in Auckland (Takanini), so I packed up and off I went.

F J Smith? He was the Englishman who had been in America and was a champion trainer always immaculately dressed?

Yes, he had a lot of success here. He was a top horseman and he knew all the latest things they were doing in America. I was there for about 18 months.

I suppose since he was one for appearances everything had to be spot on?

My word! We had two horses each to look after. There were 19 of us working twenty horses most of the time and we lived in a house there at Takanini. Each day you had to have all the gear hanging up outside the stable and he would inspect that and the horses.

A tough test?

He used to have a white silk handkerchief. He would rub it over the horse's rump and hold it up to the light. It had to be clean or you had to do it over again. He would do the same with the gear, giving it a dust test. The included the horse's covers. We had to wash and scrub them every day. He was a stickler for that. He also had a big collection of treatments he gave to the horses. If you ever went near there you were soon told to get back to work. He died not that long after I left there.

You came home?

Yes, I was training a couple at East Eyreton. Then Dad sold the farm and I moved out to Belfast. I was at George Ashby's for a while and then at Kent Smith's stables next to the Belfast hotel.

A tough start?

I started training for £2 10 shillings a week. But you could get a bag of chaff for five shillings and oats were cheap so it wasn't too bad. The top trainer charged up to £5.

I remember you had a good horse called Masterpiece soon after. How did that happen?

He was a Southland horse and Herbie Booth owned and trained him. I got to know him at Forbury when the meetings were spread over a week. At the end of it he offered me Masterpiece. He had won about four races then and that took him out of the Southland racing classes.

A good horse to work with?

A stallion but a lovely horse to do anything with. We won a lot of good races against the top horses an hell, they were good then. He won a free-for-all beating Vedette, but I never got him to the NZ Cup. He broke down in a suspensory ligament before the race. We bred mares to him. He later left Master Alan, which was a top wee horsepeople will remember.

What was it like for a young guy with a top horse then?

Well, it wasn't all easy. A leading trainer I wont name went all the way to Invercargill to try and get it off me. He told Herbie I didn't know what I was doing and h would do a better job. Herbie turned around at th end and said the horse was at Gavin Hampton's and he was staying there. In fact he sent me up other horses including a trotter called Ecosse which won a lot of races. Herbie died near the end of Masterpiece's career, but his son kept the horses with us.

Ecosse, another stallion. He was by U Scott? What was he like?

Yes, by U Scott, a little weed and a dirty little bugger. You just couldn't trust him. I remember I sent him over to Lyttelton one day to go to Wellington. In those days they used to hoist them onto the boat. When I go to the boat there was a hell of a scene. Horses bandaged everywhere. He was next to Johnny Globe who was a lovely quiet horse and had attacked him and everything else he could get at. I didn't have many mates on that ship.

What had been your first winner?

Rowan McCoy, which Dad bred and owned. A good trotter on her day.

What was the story behind Signal Light that you drove in the 1951 Inter-Dominion trotting final?

Dad had a rabbiting contract in Hakataramea and that required horse. He used to go to the Tattersalls Horse Bazaar in town to get them and that was where all our best racehorses came from when he decided to breed from a few of them. Suda Bay, the dam of Signal Light was one of them. She later left Court Matial for my father. He bought another one, Margaret Logan, which was to start a line for us. They were only going for hack prices.

Did Signal Light have his chance in the Inter-Dominion?

Yes, and I thought it had it won. Then Gay Belwin came along and took it off us in the last few strides. Signal Light won a Trotting Stakes and he was placed in a lot of the biggest races. There were terrific horses to race against then. I especially remember Dictation. He held all the records. He was one of the best trotters I have ever seen if not the best.

Court Martial. He made a big impression, especially as a sire?

He was a good stayer as a racehorse but he was a terrific stallion. He left horses like Moon Boy, lots of top liners. Dad stood him at stud in Riccarton on Hawthornden Road.

A big operation?

Not with old Court Martial. He was a dream. they'd walk him into a paddock of mares and he would just stand there while they tested the mares and palpated them. They'd call him over , he would do the job, then start eating grass. Nothing ever bothered that old horse. He was 35 when he died.

After Masterpiece, Signal Light etc, your next headliner was Radiant Globe. What can you tell us about him?

He was the best horse I trained. Right from the first time I put him in the cart he was special. He gave us a lot of thrills and the two biggest disappointments of my racing life.

How did you get him?

I really only had him to break in initially. Graham Holmes suggested they give it to me. Bob White, who was then a barman in Blenheim - he later had his own pubs - had bred him from a mare he bought from Westport for about $100. She didn't have a lot of breeding. John Hart had a share in him with Bob. As I said I liked him right from the start and they let me go on training him. He was better than anything else I handled.

What were the disappointments?

A New Zealand Cup and an Interdominion. You don't get many bigger disappointments than those two in our game.

Which Cup was that?

1971. He was second to True Averil whom he had beaten in the New Brighton Cup not long before. He was the favourite and he should have won it.

What happened?

I was in front. He was happy there. He could start to pull if you tried to do too much with him. Anyway, we were going along sweet as a nut when Robalan came around. They wanted to lead and there was some noise going on and my horse started to pull. It cost him the race.

Still second though.

When Robalan wouldn't go away I let my horse run clear of the field. He was only going to pull his way into the ground otherwise. We had a big break on them at the turn and it was only in the last few strides True Averil got him.

What happened at the Inter-Dominion?

They wouldn't let him into the final because he had missed the first round of the heats. That was the year Mount Eden didn't make the final either. Radiant Globe was going terrific that year but he had a muscle problem just before the heats started and we couldn't risk him like that. He got enough points in two rounds to get into the finals but they wouldn't let him start. He won his consolation heat by half the straight and went faster than they went in the final. He'd have won that too if he had got a go.

A kind horse?

Just a lovely horse to do anything with. Kids could ride him no trouble. A bit of an actor too. His only bad habit was that he liked to pull battens out of fences. I got a long piece of polythene pipe about 20ft long and gave him that to distract him. He loved that. He would stand on his hind feet and swing it around like a circus pony. The papers came out and took photos of him in action.

You ended up taking him to America?

Yeah. It wasn't a great result. When I first got there I had him at a farm, riding him and doing pacework with him. They thought it was a novelty riding a free-for-all pacer, but I did a lot of it with him. He thrived out there but Del Insko, who had charge of him, wanted him in town to step up his work. He didn't take a lot of work and he didn't show his best up there. In the end he broke down.

Wendy Dawn was a good filly you raced?

Yes, I bred her by Johnny Globe, like Radiant Globe was. Her mother (Meadowbrook) was from Rose Logan which Dad had bred from. She showed me quite a bit early on but when it came to race time I just couldn't get a start with her anywhere. Not many trials then and a lot less races. So I entered her in the New Zealand Derby for her first race. A bit daring then.

How did she go?

She ran fourth, pretty good first up. It was Tactile's year. Her second start was in the NZ Oaks and she won that.

What a career start. What happened next?

Not a lot to be honest. She was smart but she never really got any better. She was also a bit disappointing at stud. She left Tilringer which was useful, but not a lot else.

You did a lot of freelance driving later?

Yes, I had some good clients. Swannee Smith gave me drives on Gay Lyric when he was going well earlier on and Starbeam was another I got a drive on. Jim Curragh had Kind Nature and others and I drove Sassenach and Stampede. Lucky Boy was another and Alandria which Jim Winter trained. I drove Philemon earlier on. Paul did very well in his own right as a driver. He was probably better than me.

How did you get on Stampede?

Mainly through Andrew Sellars. I had driven horses for his father earlier. Alan Devery was training him and said "who is Gavin Hampton?" Andrew said to him he would soon find out because I would be driving him. We did alright together.

What are the horses which live in your memory over the years?

Lordship, Johnny Globe, Cardigan Bay. I mentioned Dictation last time and there was a great trotter in the 1940s called Certissimus who was just beautiful to watch. He died young. Radiant Globe is the horse of my own I will always rate right up there.

Credit: Interview with David McCarthy in The Press 19Feb 2011



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