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1905 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP HANDICAP

The stake of the race remained at £310. The winner was Allendale Stock Farm's Birchmark (D J Price) with General Lincoln second and Vickery third.

"There was nothing sensational about the race," state the files. "Birchmark was regarded as a horse above average."

There was much more of an international flavour to the Cup in the early years than there has been ever since so it was only a matter of time before it was raided.

The second edition was won by Birchmark, a 5-year-old bred in America, owned and trained in Melbourne and driven by the renowned Australasian "sportsman" Dave Price of Ribbonwood fame.

The gelding began from the front and ploughed through a very muddy track in 5:17 3/5, which will forever remain the slowest time on record.

**'Ribbonwood'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44**

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Birchmark, off the front mark and the race favourite, ploughed through mud and slush to win the second New Zealand Cup. The heavy track unsettled most of the competitors, but Birchmark, always noted for his staying ability, was able to handle the conditions better than the rest. His winning time of 5:17.6 remains the slowest recorded in the race.

Birchmark was an American-bred gelding, owned and trained in Melbourne, and was one of a group of horses sent to Christchurch for the November racing by Lou Robertson, an expatriate New Zealander who had driven Royalwood in the inaugural New Zealand Cup. Robertson had crossed the Tasman to Australia, where he had taken up new training headquarters. Much later he switched his attention to the gallopers, and trained the 1935 Melbourne Cup winner Marabou.

The 1905 Cup carnival was raced over the customary days, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, November 7,9 and 10. Good weather on the first day brought a record attendance to Addington and, despite the extra totalisator facilities provided, amenities were taxed to the hilt. Lord Elmo beat Monte Carlo and Boldrewood in the Metropolitan Handicap, but was not a Cup contender. On the second day intermittent rain and a strong southerly wind made conditions unpleasant. Discoverer won the Christchurch Handicap by a neck from Marian. Both were Cup hopefuls, but it took them five minutes to race the two miles, so they gained little support. Birchmark was not a starter either day.

The cold southerly remained on Cup Day and heavy showers turned the track into a quagmine. As expected in such conditions, horses and drivers were sorry sights
after their events, returning to the birdcage covered in mud. The programme was a mixed bag. Of the eight races, five were in saddle and three in harness. There were two races over a mile, two over a mile-and-a-half, three over two miles and one over three miles, which took an incredible 8:24.6.

In the early spring, Cocoanut beat Verax in the August Handicap, Marian won the Midwinter Handicap, and Birchmark became the first of several National Cup-New Zealand Cup winners. The track that day in August was also in bad shape after heavy rain, so Birchmark was a ready-made favourite.

General Lincoln (Andy Pringle) and Monte Carlo were the next-best supported of the 10 starters. Dave Price (of Ribbonwood fame), who was driving Birchmark, had him in front from the start. Marian and Discoverer both broke and lost their chances. Birchmark led past the stands and, the first time round, was two lengths in front of General Lincoln and Verax. He still had a useful lead well into the second mile. In the back straight Birchmark broke his stride and Andy Pringle pushed General Lincoln into the lead. The pair were followed at 12-length intervals by Verax, Vickery and Monte Carlo. Birchmark recovered his lost ground and quickly surged past General Lincoln, beating him to the winning post by three lengths. Vickery (Manny Edwards) struggled into third place, 50 yards away. The others headed by Verax and Monte Carlo, were unable to handle the bad ground and were well beaten.

The trotter Verax was the season's top earner with £434.

**Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**

1906 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP HANDICAP

In 1906 great interest was shown in the race. The winner, Belmont M, by Rothschild-Puella, came from Australia when noted Sydney horseman Gus Milsom brought the NZ bred Belmont M back in this year. Euchre (A Pringle) was second, and Marian (J Tasker)third.

The stake was £400 and the class was let out to 4:50. Belmont M's time was 4:46.

Unlike Monte Carlo and Birchmark, who began from the front, Belmont M had only one behind him at the start and turned a top staying performance to get around nine runners.

He was royally-bred, being by champion sire Rothschild from a sister to the dam of champion trotter Fritz, and was a brother to another top pacer in Almont, and when sold at the dispersal sale of breeder Henry Mace fetched a record price for a 2-year-old of 400 guineas.

This was exhibition year in Christchurch and "It was a truly representative gathering."

**'Ribbonwood'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44**

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Belmont M, a son of the great sire Rothschild, won the 1906 New Zealand Cup with a wonderful stayer's run. Unlike the two winners before him, Monte Carlo and Birchmark, both started from the front, Belmont M had only Euchre behind him on handicap. His performance was considered exceptional, because he was forced over plenty of extra ground to get around the other 10 runners. Belmont M was not well supported and started as ninth favourite.

The race favourite was Woodend, but he lost his chance at the start. The second favourite and backmarker Euchre, driven by Andy Pringle, almost carried his supporters through. Euchre took the lead a furlong from the winning post, only to be run down by Belmont M, who was driven a patient race by his Australian trainer-driver Gus Millsom. Marian, one length behind Euchre, was third, followed by Boldrewood, Cocoanut and Terra Nova.

Belmont M was New Zealand-bred but had raced in Sydney in the previous four seasons, graduating to the top class. He was a brother to Almont, another very good pacer, who had won numerous races in Australia. Henry Mace, at Brooklyn Lodge, New Brighton, bred both. Mace died in 1902 and his stud was disposed of by auction in November the same year, when the 47 lots were sold for £2440 10s. Australian buyers paid record prices of 640 guineas for Almont and 400 guineas for Belmont M, then a two-year-old. Both were by Rothschild from Puella, by Berlin from Woodburn. Puella was also auctioned and fetched 90 guineas. Mace, a cordial manufacturer in Christchurch, was an early and avid supporter of harness racing. In 1881 he bought land in New Brighton from Canterbury Sports Company Ltd when it went into liquidation. The Sports Company had bought the land from its original owner, Tom Free, for the purpose of encouraging athletics. Mace soon established his home, stables, training track and stud at Brooklyn Lodge. Later the land passed to the New Brighton Trotting Club and when it shifted operations to Addington to take advantage of night facilities, the cycle was completed when the Queen Elizabeth II Park sports complex was established. Mace, whose private trainer was Tom Frost, was the leading owner for two seasons, with totals of £800 and £760. He was awarded life membership of the Metropolitan Club in 1900 and was a steward of the club at the same time.

Belmont M gave his sire Rothschild the first of his three Cup winners - the others were Albert H.(1912) and Ravenschild (1913). Rothschild was the top sire in New Zealand for many seasons, up to 1915-16. He was a bay horse foaled in 1889, by Childe Harold from Belle Briggs, both sire and dam imported from the United States. Rothschild was bred in New South Wales and imported to New Zealand by William Jarden in 1893. He was trained and started in a few races, but never possessed much speed. He sired 306 winners in this country and died in Wellington Zoo, aged 32. His first winner was Jessie Palm, who, as a two-year-old trotter, won the Juvenile Handicap at New Brighton in April 1897. His other good winners, apart from Almont and Belmont M, were Sal Tasker, Emmeline, Lord Elmo, Bright and Glendalough.

In 1906 - Exhibition Year - the Metropolitan Club raced over four days. It was generally agreed that the best collection of standardbreds ever assembled in New Zealand were at that meeting. Stakes of 5000 sovereigns were distributed and the Cup stake was lifted to 400 sovereigns. The totalisator turnover for the four days reached £48,428, with Show Day creating a one-day betting record of £15,604. The New Zealand Cup was raced on the first day of the meeting, with another feature of the day's racing being the performance of the three-year-old filly Wild Wind, who reeled off a mile in the Riccarton Stakes in 2:21.6. The second day was notable for the success of the overseas contingent. Dan Patch, owned by the Melbourne-based Allendale Stock Farm Company, had a convincing win in the Christchurch Handicap. His driver, Lou Robertson, also won the Halswell Handicap with the Syney pacer Little Ned, but was disqualified for starting before his time. Verity, by Vancleve, in the hands of Andy Pringle, and Birchmark were successful on the third day. A violent storm after the main race churned up the track and Birchmark, revelling in the conditions, won the Best Handicap easily.

The three-mile event was still a regular feature of each day's programme, but on Thursday the race was run with a difference. The drivers of Impatient and Sydney, the leading pair, became confused over the number of rounds and raced on for a full curcuit after the distance had been completed. With the introduction of the sprint distance of a mile-and-a-quarter, the three-mile races were destined for elimination.

The visiting Australian horses - Fusee, Dan Patch, Jewel Heiress and Lady Inez - won half the last day's programme, but the day belonged to Sal Tasker, a four-year-old mare, who won the 500 sovereign Exhibition Cup, the first harness race in New Zealand with a stake of that sum. Starting as the favourite, she made no race of it, winning by 30 yards. She was the first out and was first home, in 4:44.6, much faster than the time Belmont M had recorded to win the Cup. Sal Tasker, by Rothschild from Jessie, had the makings of a top-class performer, setting a mile record of 2:20 for a two-year-old, but never fulfilled her promise. She was the season's top earner, with £575. Sal Tasker started in the 1907 Cup, finishing fifth.

**Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**

Credit: Calendar 25Oct44

STRIDES MADE IN HARNESS WORLD

Last Tuesday's NZ Cup field - and other fields for many years past for that matter - have been comprised of horses which are - or were - the acme of physical fitness and grace.

Seventy-odd years ago at any meeting you would have been confronted with the clumsy efforts of horses that, only a few days previously, had been earning their oats between the shafts of a butcher's, baker's or grocer's cart.

Yes, the progress of harness racing has been meteoric as to make one wonder where its limitations will cease, especially with night trotting for Addington practically here. For instance, when Bert Edwards drove that grand old trotter, Monte Carlo, to victory in the first New Zealand Cup, the stake was only 310sovs, and on a good track the winner took 4:44.4 to cover the two miles. By 1910 the value of the Cup had jumped to £1000; in 1913 it was £2000, and in 1929 it had gone up to £4000. At one stage it reached £7500, thereby making it the richest harness race in New Zealand or Austalia at that time.

There has been a corresponding improvement in the times also. Monte Carlo's feat of going the journey in 4:44.4 was hailed as a great one at the time, but it now looks insignificant when compared with Johnny Globe's 4:07.6

Away back in the 'seventies, on almost any general holiday and sometimes on Saturdays, a band of sporting enthusiasts would meet on the New Brighton beach, near the present township. During the day about half-a-dozen events would be decided, some for trotters and some for gallopers. They were rough and ready meetings, and the prizes were usually of the utility order, such as a saddle, a bridle or even a whip. When the New Brighton Racing Club was formed these informal gatherings ceased. Mixed racing and trotting meetings were held on a new course for some years, but after a while the galloping element faded out and it was left to the New Brighton Trotting Club to carry on, which it has done successfully to this day.

It was the Lower Heathcote Racing Club, however, that did most to establish the light-harness sport. The old Heathcote course was situated on the Sumner Road, just before you came to the bridge. All the arrangments were primitive.

My present concern, however, is more with those old-time trotters which in their humble way helped lay the foundation of trotting as it is now. To a dwindling few present-day racegoers (all well into their 80's) the names of such ancient celebrities as Fidget, Shakespeare, Sapphire, Bobby Burns, Maid of Munster, Narrow Gauge, Cock Robin, Wait A While, Chanticleer, Victor, Young Irvington and Long Roper will conjure up memories of the so-called 'good old days'.

Mention of Cock Robin brings to mind the fact that even Gloaming's trainer was an active participant in the trotting sport. Before becoming associated with Gloaming, Dick Mason owned Cock Robin and on one occasion rode him to victory in a race at Oamaru. The versitile Mason was just as fine an artist on the back of a trotter as in a galloper's saddle, and this particular win gave the ring a nasty jolt. Amongst the regular competitors at Heathcote, was a pony called Jimmy Brown who, though blind, generally knew the shortest way to the winning post. Once Jimmy would not answer the helm and, swerving off the course, landed in the Heathcote River. Both he and his rider had cause to remember that mishap.

Most of the races were run under saddle (a pity there are now none of these events in Canterbury) and it was no unusual thing to find a good horse giving away from 60secs to 90secs start, and even that concession failed to put the cracks out of court. For a long time the handicappers never made less than 5secs between any division of horses, for which there was probably a good reason. Under the rules, when a horse broke its rider was compelled to pull it up and turn round before going on with business. When, as often happened, there were several that could not trot a furlong without getting 'in the air', the race savoured more of an equine circus or a Waltzing Matilda contest than a trial of speed. Just fancy a race at Addington with similar conditions prevailing!

The Lower Heathcote Trotting Club died a natural death in 1893, but its memory lingers. When Lancaster Park was brought into being as a sports and cricket ground, difficulty was experienced in financing it. To help in this was a club known as the Lancaster Park Trotting Club was formed and held meetings on a three-lap-to-the-mile course, the same as that on which the bicycle races were run. The venture did not serve its purpose and its operations were subsequently taken over by a more practical body known as the Lancaster Park Amatuer Trotting Club. Its meetings were well conducted and did much to popularise the sport.

Another club that had a rather meteoric career was the Canterbury Trotting Club, with headquarters at the Addington Show Grounds. In the meantime the Lancaster Park Amateur Trotting Club, finding its headquarters all too small to accommodate the ever-increasing crowds, formed a course on the Twigger Estate at Addington. This meant that two clubs were racing side by side, seperated only by a tin fence. Naturally, such a state of affairs could not go on, so eventually the Government forced the two bodies to amalgamate. It was a fortunate move, for out of the amalgamation grew the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club.

It was not until operations had been in progress at Addington for a few years that the New Zealand Trotting Cup was instituted. The field for the initial contest in 1904 comprised Monte Carlo, Norice, Euchre, Vickery, Factory Boy, Vascoe, Verax and Royalwood. Like so many of its successors, the first Cup did not give rise to much excitement. The American-bred mare Norice, went off at a great clip, but when it came to the real business Monte Carlo soon had her measure. In those times 'Old Monte' was held in just as much affection by racegoers as in latter years were Harold Logan, Johnny Globe, and now, Cardigan Bay. The victory of the American-bred Birchmark in 1905 was recorded on a very heavy track and under wretched conditions. There was nothing outstanding associated with the success of Belmont M., Marian, Durbar or Wildwood Junior.

The race of 1910 however, will be long remembered for the series of mishaps associated with it. Just after the field had been sent on its two mile journey Walnut swerved across the track and collided with Manderene, both horses losing their drivers. Then King Cole ran into El Franz, whose driver was thrown out of the sulky. In the meantime, Manderene had practically taken charge of the track. Careering around at a mad gallop he forced the other competitors to get out of the way as best they could. One of the few to escape trouble was the previous year's winner, Wildwood Junior. Cleverly driven by his owner-trainer, William Kerr, the handsome son of Wildwood got an almost uninterrupted passage and had no difficulty in defeating Bright and Ribbons.

Of all those early winners, Wildwood Junior stood out in a class by himself. Either he or another of Wildwood's progeny in the sensational Ribbonwood, would have equalled the performances of some subsequent winners had the track conditions and training methods under which they raced been equal to what they are nowdays.

Credit: 'Veteran' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 12/11/63