| HORSES |
YEAR: 1967
MOST HAPPY FELLA (1967)
Meadow Skipper - Laughing Girl - Good Time
Male descendants include Smooth Fella - Oil Burner - Cam Fella - Western Ideal ( American Ideal, A Rocknroll Dance, Rocknroll Hanover, Bettor's Delight, Live Or Die, Presidential Ball, Badlands Hanover, Western Terror etc)
Though a Triple Crown winner for Stanley Dancer and the horse who "made" Meadow Skipper as a sire (he was from his first crop), Most Happy Fella was generally regarded as running against an inferior crop of horses. This was underlined when the Horse of the Year in his triumphant three-year-old season went to a Canadian-owned seven-year-old trotting mare, Fresh Yankee. He was not considered a match on the track for Albatross and at first, nor as a stallion. Within a decade it was a completely different story. Oddly, several of his best stud sons were also not necessarily dominant as three-year-old pacing colts, the usual path to instant success.
Most Happy Fella is the dominating Hal Dale line influence in modern racing. It is hard to find a leading stallion without his name in the pedigree somewhere. He was line-bred to Hal Dale and his dam was line bred to Hal Dale's sire, Abbedale but it made little difference. Even when one boom son, Oil Burner turned out a major disappointment at stud and ended his days in Australian obscurity, his line was saved by one big success.
That was No Nukes (from his first crop) a $21,000 yearling and no more than a very good racehorse. But sharp eyes rated him highly for his great action and strength and he was syndicated for US$55m. No Nukes delivered in spades, three times leading sire and establishing the Western Hanover dynasty as well as siring Jate Lobell and Die Laughing. Cam Fella's line through Bettor's Delight is the current industry leader here. Cam Fella was generally rated Most Happy Fella's greatest racing son, a one stage winning 28 in a row.
Most Happy Fella was smoother gaited than most of the Meadow Skipper - line horses, some of whom were not stylish in hopples. They wanted to be free-legged like Hal Dale but were too unreliable in the style. He made his name in the Cane Pace on a 1000m track. Besides his great colts he sired absolute superstars mares, Tarport Hap and Silk Stockings. His dominance of pacing lines is such now that mares from one descendant are regularly bred to sons of another descendant with great success. And the further success of his sons and daughters of Christian Cullen suggests his domination will continue for a long while yet.
TRIVIA FACT - Significantly, Most Happy Fella's remarkable achievements came in a shorter time frame than most of his rivals. He died at jus 16 at the peak of his stud career.
Credit: Dave McCarthy writing in Harnessed Apr 2017
YEAR: 2004
 |
The son of Most Happy Fella was a flagship stallion for the Christchurch-based stud during the 1980s, and it was a solemn moment for all when he slipped away peacefully in his yard on Saturday afternoon.
"I think it is sad when any great horse like this dies," said Roydon Lodge Stud's Director Keith Gibson. "I would not say his death was expected, but we knew he was nearing the end and he hadn't served any mares for a number of seasons. He'd had a long life for such an active stallion, and a great one."
Smooth Fella made an indelible impact on the harness racing industry in this country. At last count he was the sire of 793 NZ-bred winners (787 pacers and six trotters), with 235 in 2:00, and damsire of 687 NZ-bred winners (681 pacers - 231 in 2:00; and eight trotters - one in 2:00).
Smooth Fella is the sire of 16 1:55 pacers, the fastest of them being Skip (1:51.8), Commander Paul (1:52.4) and Rainbow Fella (1:53). He is also the damsire of 57 to break this mark, the top three in this respect being Silky Pockets (nee Birthday Boy, 1:51.2), Just A Butler (1:51.4) and Valiant Heart (1:51.4).
Without question Smooth Fella's greatest son was Roydon Glen (22 wins, $463,244), who later would sire champion trotter Lyell Creek, and Smooth Fella himself also left other successful sires in former champion juvenile Tuapeka Knight, Slugger and more recently Ermis.
Smooth Fella was the leading sire of 2-year-old pacers four times, with his first three crops in 1980/81, 1981/82 and 1982/83, and then again in 1986/87; he was leading sire of 3-year-old pacers once, in the 1983/84 season; he was the leading sire of pacers once, in the 1984/85 season; and he topped the broodmare sires' list twice, in 1997/98 and then again in 2001/02. Remarkably, he is currently the leading broodmare sire for this season.
Smooth Fella had not served a mare since the 2000/01 season, but in his time at stud in NZ he covered a total of 2314 mares for 1733 live foals.
He was 31 years old at the time of his death.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 14Jan04
YEAR: 1951
MALABELLA - Classic Winner Producing Mare
MALABELLA (1951 Dorals Derby- Mala), NZ family of Krinas dam; 2:07.8, $6,840; 5 wins; 7 foals, five were winners. Breeder of Malabella and all her foals: Nick Matyasevic, Chistchurch.
Sire Dorals Derby left 63 winners standing in Victoria/ South Australia with only Malabella of note. His broodmare credits are shown below and also include Tail Light (VIC Oaks).
Non-winning dam Mala (placed at two) by NZ Cup winner Red Shadow left Princess Grace (Malabella's half sister), dam of open class pacer Vanadium (1:59.3US, Easter Cup, New Brighton Cup twice, Ashburton Flying Stakes, 2 ID heats). Princess Grace was granddam of Sun Seeker (Champion Stakes, Kaikoura Cup, National Hcp).
From the NZ family of Krinas dam (Grey Trap mare), an unnamed Rothschild mare, Krina, was a smart saddle mare (2:10.8, Addington; Nelson Cup) who produced eight winners: Mala, Rerekohua, Ngarimu, Air Spray, Lady Spray, Noel Simpson's Sprayman (Welcome & Sapling Stakes, ID heat), Son's Gift and Stronghold. This family has bred on without leaving any champions aside from Malabella's descendants.
Unplaced as a 2yo Malabella's 2 wins as a 3yo in the Riccarton Stakes and at FPTC with seconds in NZ Oaks, Champion & Cross Stakes and thirds in NZ Derby and NZPacing Stakes. She proved herself a top class 3yo age group pacer. Her one win as a 4yo came at New Brighton and as a 5yo 2 wins at New Brighton and CPTC Islington Hcp. After 5 wins over three seasons, she began her broodmare career.
Malabella's Fillies included:
1. Bellajily, the winner of nine NZ races before being exported to USA (6 wins) and then returned to NZ (served by Most Happy Fella) for breeding purposes by Jim Dalgety. At two, she won her first start at Geraldine, followed by third in the Welcome Stakes and fourth in the Sapling Stakes. Bellajily's only win at three was significant - NZ Derby against the boys on the first night of racing under lights at Addington (20 November 1963). She finished second in the NZ Oaks and third in NZ Pacing Stakes in the same year. Five wins as a 4yo included two wins at Addington and South Canterbury Hcp at Timaru. Bellajily's two 5yo wins were at Forbury Park (DN Festival Cup consolation). A fourth in the Louisson Hcp at six resulted before venturing to North America (2:03.3US). On her return to NZ, she became the dam of:
. Jovial Jeanie (Most Happy Fella), born with a dropped hip which meant she could race right legged and the reason she was sent north to Roy & Barry Purdon to train. The winner of nine (first four on end, placed and then won the next four in succession) including the Franklin Cup, Patron FFA (all nine wins in one season: 14 starts, 9 wins, 1 placing, $21,685); dam of Happy Hazel (Ladyship Stakes-3f, GN Oaks, Nevele R fillies, 3f Pacer of the Year; dam of Imagine That, NZSS-3/3f< GN Breeders, Queen of Hearts, Rangiora Classic, Kaikoura Cup, Renwick FFA, 4m Pacer of the Year); 4th dam of Heza Thrill (1:51.7, Menangle Country Series), Rathmore Lady(1:52.6).
. Krina Bella, 4 wina at two, Thames Debutante-2f, 2f Pacer of the Year; dam of Keep It Up (SA/ Gawler Derbies, SA St Leger, Italian & West End Cups); The Chevalier (VIC Gammalite Marathon); 3rd dam of Apatchee (Nelson/Nelson Winter Cups), Code Red (Inangahua Grey Valley Cup, WA Marathon Hcp), Ohokas Bondy (WA Golden Slipper-2, Caduceus Club Classic-3, Western Gateway-3, Nights of Thunder, 4/5yo C/S), Dancing Diamonds (American Ideal Leonard Memorial-2, NZ Yearling Sales-2/3f).
. Van Glory, like Bellajily by Van Dieman, won 11 races starting with 3 wins as a 2yo (Addington; Hosking & Roydon Stakes at Hutt Park). Her most productive season was as a 3yo recording 5 wins (Otaki Cup, NZ Metropolitan C/S-3, GN Oaks) as well as placings in NZ Derby (second) and thirds in GN Derby & NZ Oaks. Two placings at the NZ Cup carnival and a fourth in a Messenger heat were Van Glory's only rewards at four. As a 5yo, wins came at Alexandra Park (ARC Centennial Hcp-Invitational) and in the second running of the NZ Breeders Stakes where Van Glory paced her quickest mile (1:59.6, Pacing mares mile record, among first 100 2:00 NZ pacers/ NZ bred). Van Glory placed second in the New Brighton Cup and third in the Adams Memorial. Her solitary win as a 6yo was a heat of the Easter Cup(second in another heat, fourth in the final). Third placings were recorded in Hutchinson FFA, Allan Matson Stakes, National Flying Pace and NZ Breeders Stakes. Unplaced at seven, Van Glory retired to be bred from. She was the dam of:
1 Broncroft Castle, dam of Mon Poppy Day (WA & TAS Derbies, WA Golden Nugget, Christmas Gift, Mount Eden Sprint), Parthenon (WA Sales Classic-2f, WA Oaks); granddam of Amongst Royalty ($½m, APG-2f, Bathurst Gold Tiara-2f, WA Sales Classic-2f, WA Golden Girls Mile twice, Aust Pacing C/S Consolation, Aust 2f Pacer of Year); 3rd dam of Straittothehilton (WA Westbred Classic-2f)
2 Vain Franco, NZSBA Broodmare Excellence Award, dam of Under Cover Lover ($864,923, 1:51.4US, 2F: NZSS, Delightful Lady Classic, 3f; Ladyship Stakes, Nevele R Fillies, NZSS, GN, NZ & NSW Oaks, Queen of Hearts, 2 & 3 filly and 4m Pacer of Year; granddam of Bettor Cover Lover (millionaire, NZSS-2f, Jewels-2f, VIC Oaks, Queen of Hearts twice, NZ Breeders Stakes), Exotic Lover (NZYSS-2f); 3rd dam of Chachingchaching (NI Cales Graduate-2)
3 Vanessa Franco, granddam of All In Baby (WA Empress Stakes), Sir Mick Sloy (WA Caduceus Club Classic-3)
4 Vonnie Franco, dam of Wirrpunda (WA Champagne Classic-2, WA Sales Classic 2/3c)
5 Traplanda, a non winning mare, dam of Imperial Grant (Gold Coast Derby).
Malabella's Male Progeny Included:
1 Chief Eagle, recorded 2 Addington wins as a two- and three-year-old before departing for Australia where he won the Redcliffe Derby. A further four wins at four including Celebrity Stakes, 1 of 2 wins at Harold Park (2 02.7), again successful in 4 races as a 5yo (Harold Park(2), Moonee Valley), his final season saw him placed.
2 Lord Garry, a three-win horse with his first 2 wins at Cambridge as a 3yo. His 4yo win was at Alexandra Park (Grey Lynn Hcp).
3 Wee Mike, recorded 2 wins at Timaru and in the Rangiora Challenge Stakes.
4 Michaelae had 3wins as a 5yo (Ashburton, Oamaru, Reefton)
Credit: Peter Craig writing in Harnessed June 2015
YEAR: 1982
 |
'Stopwatch' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 4Feb70.
NZ's greatest race mare Robin Dundee, winner of $250,000 in stakes, has been retired from racing. Word has been received that she has returned a positive test to former champion Adios Butler (1:54 3/5). Now a twelve-year-old, Robin Dundee has been in America for the last two years, being sold by her owner, Mr J W Hewitt for $100,000. Mr Hewitt, however, retained a breeding interest in the Hal Tryax mare. Robin Dundee is at American trainer E Cobb's Fair Chance stud where Adios Butler stands.
Robin Dundee travelled a long way since she won at her first start - the Southern Stakes for 3-year-olds at Invercargill on October 29,1961. She outdistanced her 14 rivals on that occasion winning pulling up by 16 lengths, and at her next start went on to win the NZ Oaks.
Robin Dundee was a pacing midget if ever there was one. She was little more than a pony pacer, 14.2½ hands, but developed into a dour stayer and determined sprinter. She travelled far and wide; had several trips to Australia where she raced against the strongest opposition in both countries. She won the Miracle Mile at Harold Park (Sydney) in 1:59, the fastest mile ever recorded by a mare in either Australia of NZ under race conditions.
She contested four Inter-Dominion championship series. At he first attempt at Melbourne in 1965, she broke a pedal bone which put her out of action for several months. The next year she dead-heated for first in the $20,800 grand final when the championships were held at Forbury Park; a year later she finished second to Chamfer's Star in the $30,000 grand final in Sydney and fourth in the 1967 grand final at Perth. She went to America shortly after.
In NZ Robin Dundee took a mile record of 1:59 2/5 and on three occasions finished second in the NZ Cup - to Cardigan Bay, Garry Dillon and Lordship. She won 25 races and was 50 times placed for $80,540 in stakes in NZ and in Australia won 10 races and was 10 times placed for almost $30,000 in stakes, giving her a NZ and Australian total of $110,540. Among her NZ successes was the 1965 Auckland Cup.
Robin Dundee did not regain her top form in America and was sidelined for some months because of unsoundness. The extensive travelling she did and increasing years were no doubt against her. But as an 11-year-old she won five races and $58,275 in the States, bringing her lifetime score to just on the $250,000 mark.
By Hal Tryax, she was out of the Dillon Hall mare Cherry Blossom, dam also of Dundee and Donald Dundee, both of whom also went to America. Robin Dundee, who had two mile figures of 4:12 2/5 to her credit was also a great public idol - her duminutive stature, sheer courage and consistent record all going to make her a raceday favourite.
She was trained throughout her NZ career by Gore trainer J Walsh, who also campaigned her in Australia and in America for a short time.
-o0o-
Twenty-six years ago when he was given the opportunity of breeding a foal from a Dillon Hall mare in return for providing her with a good home, little did then Mataura Island farmer Mr Jack Hewitt think a notable chapter was unfolding in the story which later produced one of NZ's greatest racemares who was also to become the dam of the world's fastest aged pacer.
Now semi-retired with his wife Joan on a 14 acre Myross Bush farmlet on the outskirts of Invercargill, Jack Hewitt last week recalled the chain of events leading up to the arrival in the world of Robin Dundee and the breeding in America of her son Genghis Khan (1:52.8).
In the spring of 1956, Mrs Hewitt's uncle, the late Bob Ritchie, a brother to the late Hugh Ritchie, a well known Invercargill identity, sold his farm at Willowbank in Northern Southland, an area steeped in light harness history, to his son Keith. Not particularly interested in horses, Keith got his father to try and find a good home for Cherry Blossom, a daughter of Dillon Hall, who was owned by his parents and was nine at the time. Jack Hewitt was approached by Bob Ritchie, then the Gore-based manager of Southland Farmers Co-op, who was particularly fond of the mare and was anxious to see her well cared for.
Jack was given the chance to breed a foal from her after he agreed to look after her on his Mataura Island farm. Taking the advice of Mr Ritchie, he mated her with Hal Tryax, the first 2:00 3-year-old pacer imported to NZ and standing at the late Hugh Gamble's Edendale property at the time. Cherry Blossom was technically owned by Mr Ritchie's wife Myra, now living in Gore. The Ritchies decided to dispose of their other horses, but Cherry Blossom was one that they treasured and did not want to fully part with.
The resulting foal from the mating to Hal Tryax was born at Derek Dynes' Wyndham property, not far from the Wyndham Showgrounds, where she was visiting the court of the Light Brigade horse Fallacy. A small chestnut who grew to only 14.2 hands at maturity, she was named Robin Dundee and was to carry on to woo light harness fans the world over. Mr Hewitt was breeding foal about from Cherry Blossom with Mrs Ritchie. To Fallacy she produced Adamae (dam of Ian). She then missed to Hal Tryax in 1959, but produced a filly, Blossom Song, by Flying Song, for Mrs Ritchie. To the same sire she produced the good winner Donald Dundee a year later. Cherry Blossom then developed shy breeding tendencies, missing to Hal O'Matic and Van Hanover among others. She ended her days with Mr C J Coll of Cave, Canterbury, producing Lord Dundee after running with First Lord in 1968.
Under the late Jack Walsh's guidance at Gore, Robin Dundee developed into NZ's champion racemare of her time for Mr Hewitt who, at the end of her NZ racing career, declined tempting American overtures and offers from the late Martin Tananbaum and decided to lease her for racing purposes to noted New York trainer-driver Eddie Cobb, William Schlesinger and Leon Machiz. For the partners, Robin Dundee won $62,000 on American racetracks before a breeding arrangement was entered into whereby Mr Hewitt was to get three foals and his partners one each. That contract has now expired and Messrs Hewitt and Machiz breed foal about from Robin Dundee, now hale and hearty at the grand old age of 24.
Robin Dundee's chapter of setbacks as a matron has been something of a heartbreak. In fact, until Genghis Khan arrived she appeared doomed to leave horses later solely destined to become injured, break-down or die. Her first foal, Dundee Adios, an Adios Butler colt, broke a bone in his leg which was later pinned in an involved operation at Pennsylvania University. Mr Hewitt bred Dundee Adios and brought him back to NZ to stand at Des Baynes' newly-established Highway Farm, Edendale. Dundee Adios, like his dam a small horse, now stands at Mr Roddy McFarlane's Winton Stud and has compiled a respectable record as a sire. Mr Hewitt suffered more bad luck with Robin Dundee's third foal, Dundee Butler (by Adios Butler) who was badly injured and now stands at stud in Victoria.
Before producing Dundee Butler, Robin Dundee foaled Miss Robin Dundee for Mr Schlesinger. A daughter of Tar Heel, she produced two fillies and a colt by Most Happy Fella at stud. She was found dead in her paddock with a ruptured stomach at Hanover Shoe Farms in September, 1979, when in foal to Albatross. Miss Robin Dundee was not insured and her owner had declined a $100,000 offer for her. Earlier in her career, Miss Robin Dundee took a mile record of 2:00.4 in a light racing career.
Robin Dundee's fourth foal, a 1975 Meadow Skipper colt, had a malformed foot and had to be destroyed as a yearling. Ghenghis Khan, her fifth foal, was not over precocious at two and three, but has emerged as one of North America's stars this season, taking a 1:52.8 mile record to make him the fastest aged pacer in the world with earnings of $750,000 for Eddie Cobb, the Nevacal Stable, New Jersey and the Jet Star Farms, Clarksbury, New Jersey. Robin Dundee's sixth foal, a filly by the Tar Heel horse Nansemond, who downed Albatross in the Little Brown Jug, was brought home to NZ by Mr Hewitt and is a member of his prized broodmare band at Myross Bush. Mr Hewitt maintains she was spoilt during her six month trip home and showed little interest in training after being broken in by his son Robert. Rather, she preferred to take more interest in human company. Standing only 14 hands, she has produced a Pass With Care filly, now a weanling, and is in foal again to the same sire, a son of Meadow Skipper, the sire of Ghenghis Khan.
Robin Dundee's seventh foal, Oily Bird, an Oil Burner colt, was sold by Mr Hewitt to Mr Machiz, but was injured and has developed slight arthritis in a leg. In 1980, Robin Dundee foaled a filly to Mr Machiz's crack racehorse Say Hello, a Bye Bye Byrd horse who clocked 1:55.4 as a 2-year-old.
Jack Hewitt has not seen Robin Dundee since she went to America 16 years ago and he has ruled out much possiblity of ever doing so again. The memories he cherishes of her, however, have been rekindled by the sensational deeds of her son Genghis Khan, and he derives great pleasure from successes by the progeny of her other son, Dundee Adios, in Southland.
Credit: Don Wright writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 20Jul82