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1956 NZ DERBY STAKES

The New Zealand Derby Stakes ended in a dual between Bon Ton and Lookaway over the final furlong, with Bon Ton eventually asserting himself as by far the best three-year-old of the season to date.

Drawn in the second row, Bon Ton shot through brilliantly at barrier rise and was trailing the pacemaker Gentry, within half a furlong. Reputation then dashed through to take the lead from Gentry, with Bon Ton close up and Dignus and Golden Hero next.

The leading positions did not change until Lookaway moved up from sixth with a round to go, to have a clear lead at the furlong from Bon Ton, who had worked clear of a pocket at the quarter post. Bon Ton did not collar Lookaway until as late as 100 yards from the post, and it was a solid effort on the part of Lookaway (who was also drawn on the second line), to have Bon Ton stretched out at the finish, and also beat the third horse, Dignus, so easily. Golden Hero was a fair fourth, followed by Gentry, Aksarben, Overdrive and Crimson Star. Shantung and Sextant extinguished their chances at the start.

Bon Ton dispelled all doubts about three-year-old supremacy to date this season. He had been described as desperately unlucky to go down in defeat to Gentry in the Riccarton Stakes on the first day of the Cup carnival



Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

'DINNY' MORLAND

The death occurred last Friday of Dennis (Dinny) Morland, aged 75, a former licenceholder and harness racing enthusiast. Morland became prominent through the deeds of Bon Ton, a chestnut horse he bred by sending Noble Reta to Light Brigade in the early 50s.

Bon Ton was a brilliant juvenile, winning his first three starts - the 1956 Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes from Golden Hero, the Timaru Nursery Stakes by seven lengths from Overdrive, and the NZ Welcome Stakes from Overdrive and Finestra.

He won four as a 3-year-old, including the T S Harrison Stakes at Methven off 36 yards from Lookaway, the NZ Derby from Lookaway and Dignus, and the Champion Stakes at Ashburton. He failed to win at four, beat Showdown and Golden Chimes in the Henry Mace Handicap at Addington at five, and paid £15 in winning the Methven Cup from Fourth Edition as a 6-year-old. He was disqualified from that win after returning a positive swab.

Morland also had some success with Bon Deed, also from Noble Reta, and Golden Splendour

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 8Sep93

LIGHT BRIGADE

Light Brigade, who would have been officially 27 years of age on August 1 next, died at Roydon Lodge last week from a colic condition or a twisted bowel. He had been in good health and condition right up till the last and had practically completed another full stud season. Among the mares on his final list were Local Gold(dam of Arania), Malabella(dam of Bellajily), Merval(one of the best pacing mares of her day), Lady Belmer(another top class pacer), Vanity Scott, Virginia Scott(dam of Trade Fair), Sure Phoebe(dam of Harbour Light), Royal Triumph(dam of Junior Royal), Inglewood(dam of Glenurquart), Autumn Sky(dam of Lochgair), Highland Silk(full sister to Highland Fling), Circlette(U Scott-Within) and an as yet unregistered royally-bred mare by U Scott-Haughty.

With one or two seasons excepted, Light Brigade had been a sire of high fertility. Even with advancing years he had been reaching a percentage of more than 70 - the 1961-62 statistics show that he covered 48 mares that season for 29 live foals, a percentage of 71.73. His 1960-61 figures were 61 mares covered and 42 live foals, 77.59%. In 1959-60 he did the big season of 91 mares, which produced 67 live foals, 83.53%. The season prior to that the 57 mares he covered produced 30 live foals, 60.38%. A year earlier he had covered 60 mares for 46 live foals, 84.21%. His 1956-57 figures were: 58 mares, 42 live foals, 79.3%; 1955-56, 62 mares, 48 live foals, 83.61%; 1954-55, 64 mares, 32 live foals, 50%; 1953-54, 74 mares, 53 live foals, 82.85%, 1952-53, 78 mares, 50 live foals, 65.38%; 1951-52, 90 mares, 66 live foals, 77.11%; 1950-51, 84 mares, 57 live foals, 75.31% - that was the first season these statistics were compiled.

Light Brigade was foaled at Walnut Hall Farm in 1937 and was imported from America in 1940 by the late Sir John McKenzie. Light Brigade, who was a trotter when he was purchased, took some time to become adjusted to the hopples when first tried at Roydon Lodge by G B Noble, and he looked anything but an elegant pacer in one of his early trials at an Addington matinee. He apparently took some ironing out, because he was a 3-year-old on arrival, and he did not race here until the latter half of the 1942-43 season, when he was officially a 6-year-old.

Unplaced at his first two starts, he opened his winning account in the Trial Handicap, a maiden two miles at Ashburton in June. Driven by his trainer, G B Noble, Light Brigade won impressively by half a length in 4.39 in his 5.1 class. The following season, 1943-44, Noble produced Light Brigade in six races for the excellent tally of three wins, a second and a third placing. He won a sprint race at Wellington very easily, stayed much too well for a 4.48 class field over two miles at Auckland, and in his final appearance of the season he won again over two miles at the NZMTC Easter meeting - the going was heavy, and he created a big impression that day by making his final run down on the heaviest part of the track next to the rails to beat Claremorris and Scottish Lady (both very capable pacers) going away by two lengths. At his only appearance in the 1944-45 season Light Brigade scored another very easy win on a dead track over two miles in the Canterbury Handicap on NZ Cup day.

Light Brigade was now proving a difficult horse to keep sound and had to be sparingly raced in the 1945-46 season. He was a heavy-topped horse, and was afflicted by splints all his racing life. He ran a meritorious fourth from 48 yards in the two mile Craven Handicap at the Metropolitan meeting, and from 36 yards in the Cashmere Handicap, another two mile race at the same meeting, he ran fourth to Belhall, scr, Sir Michael, scr and Tam O'Shanter, scr. The first and second place-fillers were good horses, particularly Sir Michael, a free-for-all winner later on. One unplaced performance the following season saw the last of Light Brigade on the racetrack.

Minus his splints, Light Brigade could have been anything. In training he was more than a match for some of the top pacers of his day. On one particular occasion, when he was still racing in the improvers' class himself, he thoroughly trounced a champion pacer who had already been a free-for-all winner and subsequently ran third in a NZ Cup. The champion shall be nameless, also the champion's trainer - one of the most successful we have had in this country - who was so astounded by Light Brigade's performance that he declared then and there that the imported stallion was "the greatest pacer I have ever seen." And that trainer prepared three NZ Cup winners!

Already started on a stud career, he had been by no means rushed by breeders when first advertised at the microscopic fee (by modern standards) of "7gns a mare, with return privilege." That was soon altered when he sired a NZ Derby winner, Free Fight, from his first crop of foals, a mere handful though it was - he had served about half a dozen mares as a 5-year-old. Light Brigade's fee eventually climbed to 150gns, and he had a 'waiting list' even at that figure. Season after season he was fully booked, and had been right up to the time of his death.

It followed in the natural course of breeding events that a double-gaited stallion like Light Brigade (a son of Volomite, who left many champions of both gaits), should leave winners of both gaits; but no other sire, with the possible exception of an earlier progenitor in Wrack, and Light Brigade's companion Roydon Lodge sire, U Scott, has been credited with so many great performers of both gaits as has Light Brigade.

His pacers are headed by Vedette(Inter-Dominion Champion and free-for-all winner), Thunder(NZ Cup), Lookaway(NZ Cup), Soangetaha(two Auckland Cups), Patchwork(Easter Cup), Le Mignon(13 wins including NZ Saplind Stks), Tactics(11 wins including New Brighton Cup), Scottish Light(12 wins including Lightning Free-for-all), Attack(14 wins including Dunedin Cup), White Angel(12 wins including Oamaru Hannon Memorial) and Masterpiece (11 wins including free-for-all)

His top trotters make just as impressive a team. Ordeal, 1.59 3/5, the only NZ-bred two-minute trotter(17 wins in NZ, including the Dominion Handicap, Rowe Memorial Cup and free-for-alls), Battle Cry(Inter-Dominion Trotters' Championship Grand Final and Auckland Mark Memorial when competing against top-class trotters), Recruit(17 wins including Dominion Handicap, Rowe Cup twice, and free-for-alls), Fair Isle(12 wins including Dominion Handicap), Signal Light(Ashburton Cup and free-for-all), Light Oak(11 wins including Bridgens Free-for-all), Our Own(11 wins including Worthy Queen Handicap), and When 2.02 4/5, NZ and Australian mile trotting record-holder(18 wins including NZ Hambletonian Handicap and free-for-alls).

These are but the cream - there are dozens more of both gaits any trainer would be glad to have in his stable. In the classic field too, Light Brigade has built an indelible name as the sire of the following winners:

Timaru Nursery Stakes: Dresden Lady, Bon Ton.
Oamaru Juvenile Stakes: Vigilant, Golden Hero.
Great Northern Stakes: Scutari.
NZ Sapling Stakes: Forward, La Mignon, Golden Hero.
NZ Derby Stakes: Free Fight, Fallacy, Bon Ton.
NZ Champion Stakes: Fallacy, Bon Ton, Lochgair.
NZ Futurity Stakes: Fallacy, Lookaway.
GN Derby Stakes: Soangetaha, Scottish Brigade.
NZ Trotting Stakes: Signal Light, King's Brigade, General Lee, Battle Cry, Winterlight, Our Own, Asia Minor.
Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes: Bon Ton.
NZ Welcome Stakes: Bon Ton.
NZ Oaks: Zany, Balcairn.

Light Brigade is taking time to come into his own as a brrodmare sire, but he is in good company in this respect, because U Scott was also late in making his mark as a sire of producing dams; but he eventually made it, and Light Brigade now looks certain to follow suit. Light Brigade made a sharp advance from seventh on the Broodmare Sires' List in the 1961-2 season to fifth last season, when his daughters were represented by such winners as Min Scott, Peerswick, Deft, Lakeda, Meadowmac, Adioson, Belle Vue, Black Treasure, Field Chief, Filet Mignon, Notify, Queen's Cord, Rapine and Uteena. In earlier seasons his mares produced the champion trotting mare Au Fait, as well as Gay Baron, Adioway, Raft, Zenith, Stormy Parade, Dawn Smoke, Ivy Scott, Estelle, Retreat, Spangled Princess, Adroit, Josie Gay, Satyr and others.

Light Brigade's sons have bred on, notably Fallacy(sire of False Step, Falsehood and Dignus), Masterpiece(sire of Master Alan), Local Light(sire of Blue), Court Martial(sire of Moon Boy and Reprimand), Forward(sire of Avante), Fourth Brigade(sire of Fourth Edition), Red Emperor(sire of Blue Emperor) and Attack(sire of Responsive, First Attack and Doctor Kyle).

Light Brigade's sire, Volomite, 2.03 1/4, will ever remain one of the cornerstones of the standard breed. Sire of 33 in the two-minute list, and who was the leading sire of America over a long period, he has now been the leading broodmare sire for many years. Light Brigade's dam, Spinster, 2.05, was the dam of five winners, and belonged to the famous Minnetonka family, which has produced a record number of Hambletonian winners, including Hoot Mon, 2.00, the first two-minute Hambletonian winner, and who is now an eminent sire (11 in the 2.00 list) - he has been fully booked for years past at a fee of $5000. Spinster was by Spencer, 1.59 3/4, who was the leading sire of the United States in 1937. The Minnetonka family abounds in trotters and pacers in the very top flight, one of the most notable pacers being Dancer Hanover, 1.56 1/5.

Light Brigade has already been the leading sire of the Dominion three times, and he has also been second six times and third four times, in the last 13 seasons he has not been further back than third. His grand total to date in NZ is approximately £740,000, which places him second to the record-breaking U Scott (approximate total to date in NZ £987,000), and in front of Dillon Hall (£731,000, approx.), who was second until this season. Light Brigade, in the 1956-7 season, established a record for one season that still stands - his progeny's winnings totalled £72,337 10s


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 29Jan64