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GOLD HORIZON

The death was reported recently of Gold Horizon, one of the greatest trotters ever to race in NZ and leading stake-winner among those of his gait with £18,260 to his credit.

Gold Horizon won almost every important event on the calendar for those of his gait, several of them twice. He was the poetry of motion when in action and wore a minimum of gear. Apart from the usual harness he wore only shin and ankle boots behind.

Gold Horizon commenced racing as a 5-year-old in the 1947-48 season, when owned and trained by his breeder, J G Gillard. At his first start, Gold Horizon won the Claudelands Handicap at the Waikato Trotting Club's summer meeting on January 3, 1948. At his next attempt, Gold Horizon finished out of a place but made amends by winning at his next two appearances. He finished that season with a third placing and his record was six starts, three wins and a third.

As a 6-year-old, Gold Horizon won two races and gained a second placing, his most important success that season being in the February Handicap at the Auckland Trotting Club's February meeting. The race was run over a mile and a half and Gold Horizon trotted the journey from 12 yards in 3.22. Gold Horizon did not race in the 1949-50 season and won only one race the next term in 10 starts. He had been driven in all his successes up to this time by J G Gillard.

In the 1951-52 season, Gold Horizon was leased by the Leeston owner-trainer, W J Doyle, who has experienced outstanding success with trotters over a long period. At his third start for Doyle, Gold Horizon finished fourth against a field of pacers in the Elgin Handicap at Ashburton and followed that placing by winning the Wishful Handicap at Oamaru, beating Dictation, Highland Kilt and Barrier Reef. Four more successes came his way that season in addition to several placings. He won the Ashburton Trotting Cup Handicap, the NZ Hambletonian Handicap, the R A Armstrong Memorial Handicap and the Hambletonian Handicap at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's winter meeting. Gold Horizon's improvement under Doyle was remarkable; he became as 'solid as the Rock of Gibraltar,' and developed outstanding stamina.

The next season Gold Horizon won the Wishful Handicap at Oamaru for the second time and followed up that success by winning the Greyhound Handicap at Addington from 48 yards, trotting the mile and five furlong journey in 3.27 4/5, which was then the winning record for the distance. Also for the second time, Gold Horizon won the NZ Hambletonian Handicap at Addington trotting the two mile journey from 60 yards in 4.18. At his last appearance for that term, Gold Horizon easily won the Steward's Trotting stakes at the Easter meeting at Addington, beating Sure Charge by two lengths in 2.42 1/5 for the mile and a quarter journey.

Gold Horizon carried on his winning way in the 1953-54 season to record three wins and two seconds in six starts. His successes were gained in the Christchurch Handicap at the National meeting at Addington, the NZ Trotting Free-For-All and the Steward's Trotting Stakes for the second time. This event, of course, was run under free-for-all conditions.

Although he had reached the advanced age of 12 years when the 1954-55 season opened, Gold Horizon showed he was far from being done with. At his second start for the term he won the Worthy Queen Handicap at the NZ Cup meeting at Addington from 42 yards, trotting the mile and a quarter in 2.39 2/5. Gold Horizon was now racing in the joint ownership of W J Doyle and J G Gillard, but was still being trained and driven by Doyle. Those to finish behind Gold Horizon that day were Slipstream, Fair Isle and Battle Cry. At the same meeting Gold Horizon added the NZ Trotting Free-For-All for the second time. Dictation, Battle Cry and Fair Isle finished in the minor placings.

Shortly after, Doyle's interest in Gold Horizon terminated, and he was returned to his breeder. Although he was raced several times and even tried as a pacer, Gold Horizon did not regain winning form.

Foaled in 1942, Gold Horizon was got by Quite Sure (a most successful sire of trotters), and was the second foal of the Great Parrish mare, Eyre (2.49, P). Eyre was out of Great Eyre, who was got by Great Audubon-Eyrechild, by Rothschild from a Traducer mare. Eyre also left Belcar (3.24, T), to Worthy Belwin. Great Eyre left a string of winners besides Eyre in Golden Eagle, Axminster, Charles Rex, Fighting Friend and Eyre's Last, all of whom were bred by J T Paul at Mangere.



Credit: Írvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 16Mar60

1953 DOMINION HANDICAP

Vodka's characteristic slowness in the opening stages of the Dominion Handicap soon gave way to brilliant acceleration, culminating in a dogged finish that gave champion Gold Horizon no earthly chance of conceding him a start of about half a dozen lengths from the home turn.

Although driving tactics on this occasion were not in Gold Horizon's favour, the backmarker was almost on terms with Vodka at the end of two furlongs, and was actually right up beside him with six furlongs to go. The 'drop' Vodka had on Gold Horizon was the result of having the inside running (Vodka was two out and Gold Horizon three out) at this latter stage, contributed largely to Vodka's victory - a decisive one in every way and richly deserved as well.

Vodka, who had run meritorious seconds in both his appearances on the first day, came up a much steadier horse for the Dominion Handicap, in which he trotted solidly and generously throughout.

The result was a vindication of the 6yds barrier, for both Vodka and Gold Horizon started from split marks. J S Shaw stated after the race that his horse was not cramped for room in any way - he was able to stand a yard back from the barrier and had plenty of clearance behind - and made one of his best beginnings, probably the fastest of his career.

Seldom have positions changed so quickly in a big trotters' race as they did in the Dominion Handicap. Fair Isle, the leader out from the start, was supplanted by Swanee River at the end of two furlongs. In the straight the first time Swanee River attempted to slow up the pace, but he was soon surrounded, and Correction was the leader a little further on. Then Highland Kilt took over with about five furlongs covered, and he was run down by Dictation with a little more than a mile to go.

The pace had slackened in the middle stages - the mile showing 2:15. Dictation was challenged by Vodka at the home turn, with a gap to Gold Horizon and Precaution, and Correction and Fair Isle next. Vodka had no sooner disposed of Dictation than Precaution challenged him, but Precaution went into a break under pressure and Vodka carried on to win by five lengths from Gold Horizon, who came home well. Fair Isle was half a length away third with Precaution (who was disqualified for galloping), and correction next.

Mr C E Hoy, in presenting the trophy to Shaw, said the Dominion Handicap had always been a very favoured race with the trotting public. Year after year the trotters had staged wonderful contests. The Dominiom Handicap had been responsible for two Australasian records, Dictation's winning record of 4:16 2-5 in 1950, and the same horse's outright record of 4:15 4-5 in running fourth last year. The owner-driver of Vodka, J S Shaw, was one of the best-known men in trotting; he had spent a lifetime in the sport, and it was no doubt a source of great satisfaction that he drove the winner himself. In reply, Shaw said he wished to thank the club for the handsome stake as well as the trophy. He also thanked the trainer of Vodka, N K MacKenzie, for the perfect way he had produced the horse.

Although this was J S Shaw's first win in the Dominion Handicap, he played a big part in the victory of Whispering Willie in the 1918 race. He trained the horse until two weeks before the race and then had to go into Camp. Whispering Willie was taken over by G H Murfitt, who drove him to win the race. Shaw still has a very warm spot for Whispering Willie. "He was only a pony," he said, "and his dam died soon after he was foaled and Mrs Allington reared him on the bottle. Whispering Willie, in Shaw's opinion, would be a great trotter even by modern standards. His trial before the Dominion Handicap was 4:28 for two miles, pulling an 80lb speed cart - today's (1953) carts weigh only 36lbs. Whispering Willie went through several stables and won for all of them. He was educated by J Bryce. His next trainer was J H Wilson, then Shaw, G H Murfitt and R Mills. For Shaw Whispering Willie won numerous races, including the Summer Cup at Auckland against some of the best pacers in the land. Whispering Willie beat the pacers on a number of occasions and was one of the racecourse idols of his time.

Vodka has taken time to get over his tardiness at the start of his races, but patient training and driving have brought their harvest. Vodka has now won 11 races and £6045 in stakes and a trophy.



Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov53

TROTTERS ELIGIBLE TO ENTER NZ CUP

For the first time since 1928, when the American stallion Peterwah was in the field, a trotter - or trotters - will have the opportunity, this year, of competing in the NZ Cup.

The race is for pacers on 4.23 and faster, and trotters on 4.30 and faster, and the only trotters who qualify at present are Dictation, Gold Horizon and Vodka. All are great stayers, and two of them, Dictation and Gold Horizon, are brilliant enough out of the barrier to be capable of adding a lot of interest to the race. If either of these great square-gaiters should go the early part of the race as fast as they have done in races among horses of their own gait, there will be little chance of any pacer slowing up the field and indulging in some of the leisurely first miles that have detracted from some of the leading handicap races of the past.

To this extent the presence of these class trotters will be welcomed; and they will also bring variety to the premier event.

In the meantime, no one will expect spectacular results from the Metropolitan Club's innovation - for an innovation it is under our present handicapping system - but old-timers will reflect nostalgically on the great performances in the past of trotters among the pacers and express a hope that this latest step may eventually bring to light a Reta Peter or a Monte Carlo both of whom won trotting Cups against fields of pacers; and, only in a slightly lesser degree, a Whispering Willie, a Hardy Wilkes, a Trampfast, Wrackler, Bellflower, Electrocute, Peterwah, Muricata, Submarine, or Moneyspider, all of whom defeated high-class fields of pacers at different periods. There were others.

The public, in the past, greatly enjoyed the exhilarating spectacle of a real trotter coming home at the head of a field of pacers. We have seen too little of this kind of sport of recent years, and the Metropolitan Club, we think, is deserving of bouquets and not brickbats, for its bold step in once again opening the gate to its top class races to the trotter; because, if the trotters play their part as well as many of us feel confident they will, their presence among the pacers in other races will naturally follow as a matter of course.

Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 22Sep54

1952 NZ HAMBLETONIAN TROT

Gold Horizon(W J Doyle) notches his third important success of the season by winning the NZ Hambletonian Handicap from Single Cash(9) and Fair Isle(4). Signal Light was fourth.

By Quite Sure(2.01¾ - a record he set as a free-legged pacer), Gold Horizon is out of another pacer in Eyre(2.49). This marked his ninth win, his stakes earnings being £7285.

Single Task's effort was meritorious as she might have won but for being badly placed just inside the last half mile.



Credit: NZ Hoof Beats Vol 2 No.12

1953 NZ HAMBLETONIAN HCP

Gold Horizon(W J Doyle) middle just shades Dictation(J Wilson) inner with Single Task(R Young), partly obscured on the outer, half a length away. Bulls Eye was fourth ahead of Highland Kilt(outside)



Credit: NZ Hoof Beats Vol 3 No 1