| HORSES |
YEAR: 1981
 |
Young Charles, who died a few days ago at the grand age of 35, did much to underline the hard wearing qualities of the U Scott line.
"His death was sad, but easy to accept," his owner-breeder Bob Mayne said last week. "He ate up normally, did everything else as usual and quietly walked away and died," said Mr Mayne, a retired Christchurch cartage contractor.
As a racehorse and as a sire Young Charles was every inch an individual, being bred on the stout U Scott - Jack Potts cross. U Scott and Jack Potts both headed the NZ sires' list on nine occasions and Young Charles topped the list in 1975, the year of Young Quinn.
Foaled on October 25, 1946, Young Charles revealed immediate ability for trainer Colin Berkett, being champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old of his year. In all, he won 11 races and had 26 placings from 56 starts for $24,435, racing against the likes of Van Dieman, Johnny Globe, Vedette, Caduceus, Burns Night and Soangetaha. Hampered by tendon trouble once he attained Cup class rating, his courage won the hearts of many. Canterbury trotting men to this day maintain that his second to Johnny Globe in the 1954 NZ Cup 'on three legs' was one of the most memorable contests ever at Addington. Johnny Globe set a world two mile time of 4:07.6 in that race and Young Charles on a restricted preparation, recorded 4:10.8.
"My greatest thrills were his wins in the NZ Futurity Stakes and All-Aged Stakes at the Ashburton June meeting," Mr Mayne recalled. "Colin Berkett was a great feeder, and, as Young Charles had a wonderful constitution, he had to be worked really hard to give his best on the track," Mr Mayne said.
Young Charles' battle for recognition as a sire was certainly an uphill one. When retired to Mr Mayne's Yaldhurst property he received only eight mares and 11 the following season. He then had a season in Auckland before moving to Southland. Restricted as his early opportunities were, Young Charles slowly but surely acquired the respect of breeders, siring the likes of Danny's Pal (10 wins and 14 placings), Jacobite (12 wins and 9 placings), Valcador (10 wins and 12 placings), Lonesome Valley (9 wins and 12 placings) and Top Copy (9 wins and 21 placings).
Even better, however, was to come when he stood at Colin Baynes' Ferndale and Otama nurseries. Notable pacers conceived at those studs before he finished his Southland career at Des Baynes' Highway Farm, Edendale included Young Quinn (1:55), Sapling (1978-79 Pacer of the Year), Sassenach (1:58.6), Peter Onedin (1:56.8), Gurkha (1:58.2) and Ghandi ($225,000).
Young Charles has so far been credited with siring 165 winners and 20 in 2:00, from around 470 live foals an excellent percentage of 35. Only Local Light (23) and Lordship (22) have been more successful NZ-bred sires of 2:00 performers. "I always wanted him to make the top as a sire more than anything else in the world. When Young Quinn won the 1975 Inter-Dominion final in Auckland, that really put the icing on the cake for me," Mr Mayne said.
As a broodmare sire, Young Charles has now emerged as a real force. He has sired the dams of 122 winners (to July 31, 1981) and at least eight in 2:00 including Armbro Star (1:59.6), Testing Times (1:59.2), Loyal Drift (NZ Oaks), Smooth Charles (1:58.8) and Saucy Jack (Methven Cup).
One way or another, Young Charles has been a good horse to many trotting people all over NZ and many are grateful for the care he received right up until his death. Bob Mayne went to a lot of trouble to bury Young Charles in a special grave on his property last week. The influence of his old favourite promises to be felt as long as there is light harness racing in NZ. Sapling, his best performed entire son, has been heavily booked for his initial season at the Hokonui Stud, where he was conceived nine years ago and where Young Charles made his name as a sire.
Credit: Don Wright writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 22Sep81
YEAR: 1949
 |
| Gladdy McKendry & Burns Night |
Burns Night overwhelmed the unlucky favourite, Young Charles, in the last 50yds of the NZ Derby Stakes and brought off the first major upset in the blue ribbon event since Air Marshal won in 1944.
Until his Derby success Burns Night was a maiden, but last season he performed consistently in a number of the leading two-year-old classics, being runner-up to Morano in the Timaru Nursery Stakes; occupying the same position to Young Charles in both the Welcome Stakes and the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes; and finishing fourth to Farlena, Young Charles and Van Dieman in the NZ Sapling Stakes. These were Burns Night's only starts as a two-year-old and no horse of his age raced more consistently last season.
The reason he drifted to seventh favouritism in the Derby was no doubt due to his failure in the Riccarton Stakes a week earlier, when he did not get away well. Morano broke up badly at the start of the Derby, slewing across the track and stopping Young Charles who lost fully 50yds. Farlena lost more than that and Van Dieman and Te Maru were slow to settle down. Racing into the back Casacando was sent in pursuit of the leaders and he soon took over from Anitra and Soangetaha. Flight Commander was hemmed in on the rails, and he never looked like finding an opening, eventually going into a tangle in the run home when literally climbing over Casacando.
Young Charles set out in earnest after the leaders with half a mile to go, but he had no sooner got within range of Casacando than Soangetaha came out from the rails to meet the challenge, thus forcing Young Charles to race three out right round the far turn. It was a fine spectacle when Casacando, Soangetaha and Young Charles wheeled for home almost abreast. Casacando was the first to weaken, and Young Charles was under a hard drive to hold a small advantage from Soangetaha. Then Van Dieman joined in. Young Charles was doing a little better than these when Burns Night came from the clouds, right on the outside, to clinch victory by more than half a length.
Burns Night won a truly-run race (the mile was run in 2:13 2-5, the mile and a quarter in 2:42 3-5 and the full distance in 3:16 1-5, a little below Croughton's race record of 3:15 4-5) in decisive fashion, but on top of his early set-back, Young Charles was desperately unlucky. None of the breaks came his way during the running, either, and the manner in which he fought off all challenges except the winner's was recognised on all sides as the effort of a young champion.
The story is told that Mr N G Mason, breeder of Burns Night, did not deliberately set out to buy the Derby winner's dam, Festival. He just happened to be passing that way when Festival was put up for auction, and he only had to part with £7 to become her owner. He bred Gay Piper from her, and sold this good pacer to G McKendry for £500 as a yearling. Gay Piper turned out to be so good that McKendry paid another £500 for Burns Night when this colt was only a few days old. Gay Piper and Burns Night are both entires and may be given stud opportunities later on, as they are attractive individuals.
The Derby result was a distinct triumph for U Scott as a sire, the first three-fillers all being by him.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 9Nov49