| HORSES |
YEAR: 1953
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Parawa Derby, one of the best pacers raced in the Dominion in recent years - his Australasian mile and a half record of 3.07 2/5 has now stood for two years - was recently retired from racing. In a career extending over six seasons, he started 75 times for 15 wins, 10 seconds, 9 thirds and 5 fourths. Raced by his breeder, Mr L T Padget, of Invercargill, he won £16,313 in stakes, of which he won £10,120 in the 1950-1 season, when he was second on the leading stakes winners' list to Vedette.
Consistency was for a long time a feature of his racing. In one period of his career he contested 35 races for 12 wins and 19 placings - a wonderful record considering he was racing against one of the best collections of light-harness horses raced in the Dominion at one time.
At the beginning of his career a bad habit of boring threatened to prejudice his career, but he overcame this fault with racing. Parawa Derby began racing as a 4-year-old in the 1947-48 season, and in five starts from J T Looney's Winton stable he recorded two wins and one second placing. He failed to show the same form the next season and recorded only three minor placings in 14 starts.
Parawa Derby was transferred to J B Pringle's Hornby stable at the beginning of the 1949-50 season. Under Pringle's guidance he fashioned an outstanding record, gaining 6 wins and nine placings in 21 starts. He was only once further back than fourth in his last 14 starts for the season. His best efforts were in the Eclipse Handicap (1 1/2m) at New Brighton, when he gave Vedette 24 yards and a beating, running the distance in 3.13 4/5 and in the Winter Handicap (1m 5f) at Addington in May, which he won by five lengths in the fast time of 3.26 4/5.
Parawa Derby again raced with great consistency in the strongest classes the next season and gained six wins and nine placings in 17 starts only twice out of the money. It was at the NZ Cup meeting that he revealed his true greatness. After winning comfortably the Empire Handicap on the opening day of the meeting, he took on the best pacers in the Dominion in the NZ Free-For-All on the second day and put up an outstanding performance to beat Congo Song and Gay Knight in a thrilling finish.
Then came the Inter-Dominion Championships. On the opening day Parawa Derby put up a brilliant performance to run second to Blue Mist (to whom he conceded 12 yards) in his mile and a half heat, running the distance in 3.07 2/5, which smashed Globe Direct's NZ record by two seconds. He scored an easy win over Captain Sandy and Young Charles in his two-mile heat. Parawa Derby was widely considered the unlucky runner in the Grand Final, in which he finished third to Vedette and Soangetaha after receiving a poor run in the straight. His time for the mile and five furlongs was 3.23. This was his last race for the season, during which he won £10,120.
Parawa Derby again showed high-class form at the start of the last season, and after being placed at his first two starts he scored a good win over the dead-heaters, Chamfer and Soangetaha, in the Metropolitan Free-for-all at Hutt Park. On this form he looked as though he would take a power of beating in the NZ Cup, but suffered from an attack of influenza and could not start. That set-back must have affected him permanently, because he showed only one flash of form afterwards, and in 13 subsequent starts he gained only one fourth.
A brown gelding, he is one of the best winners sired by Dillon Hall. His dam, War Betty, a useful mare when raced in Southland was by Man o' War from Betty Martin, by Prince Imperial from Peri, by Imperious from Fairy, a mare who was sired by a thoroughbred. War Betty is the dam also of another winner in Lahore (by Indianapolis).
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 4Mar53
YEAR: 1950
1950 NEW ZEALAND FREE-FOR-ALL
Parawa Derby, who had won impressively on the first day of the meeting, was at surprisingly good odds when he won the NZ Free-For-All with a last-second dab that gave him a head victory over Congo Song. Parawa Derby received a lucky opening on the rails over the last 50yds or he could not have been in the money. It was a wonderful finish in which less than half a length would have covered the first four horses.
Parawa Derby's performance was outstanding, as he was drawn in the second line at the barrier and looked effectively snowed in when the leaders, Gantree, Gay Knight, Captain Sandy, Globe Direct, Single Direct, Nebula and Congo Song wheeled for home.
Parawa Derby, now on 4:22 for two miles, looks sure to become the early favourite for the £5000 Auckland Cup. Since he began racing as a four-year-old in the 1947-48 season, Parawa Derby has won 12 races and £9613 in stakes.
Parawa Derby was bred by his owner, Mr L T Padget, of Invercargill, and is by Dillon Hall from War Betty, a useful Southland winner by Man o' War from Betty Martin, by Prince Imperial from Peri, by Imperious (imp) from Fairy, whose descendants include such good ones as Todd Lonzia, Great Venture, Belmont Hall, Bulldozer and Talent.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 15Nov50