| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 1956
 |
| W S Hosking, Vodka and J S Shaw |
J S(Jack)Shaw has been almost everything connected with racing and trotting. He has had through his hands some of the best horses of the three great contesting gaits - galloping, trotting and pacing - won races with saddle horses and jumpers, and had an incredible number of different experiences.
J S has been associated with horses since his youth and his first ride in a race was about 35 years ago on a horse called Bribery, one of the T G Fox team, for whom Jack was head lad. Years later he received his most thilling experience in a race at Wanganui. Driving Jimmy Richmond, Shaw faced a crisis when the rein broke, for he was running in the middle of a packed field. He climbed up on to the horse's back, gathered the rein and continued on to finish third.
Jack Shaw became a prominent trainer at Epsom in the twenties and among his most noted and strongest patrons at that time were Mr M J Moodabe and Mrs Sweetapple. Of the many topline horses through his hands during that period the greatest was Worthy Queen.
The late J R Corrigan, of Hawera, was a major breeder of trotters at the time and between days at the Hawera meeting each year used to sell large numbers of stock, which did much to build up trotting through the Island. Alex Corrigan, a well-knowm driver in his day, now a member of the Trotting Conference, was handling his father's horses back about 1930. Worthy Queen, by Worthy Bingen from Queen Chimes, was bought by a Hastings owner, but on the advice of a friend, her breeder, J R Corrigan leased her back. Alex Corrigan won a number of races with the mare, but she soon reached tough marks for the North and in 1931, when Jack Shaw moved from Epsom to Christchurch, the owner sent Worthy Queen to him. Later, when Mr Corrigan was ill, he sold his racing rights in Worthy Queen to the trainer.
She won many races, but ubdoubtedly her greatest performance was when she established a trotting record against time of 2.03 3/5. Perhaps if conditions had been ideal she would have trotted two minutes. The was a minor gale blowing and it was a remarkable effort. In a race she set up the record of 3.14 1/5 for a mile and a half, and this record, established in 1934, still stands.
The first horse Mr Shaw trained was whispering Willie, who at odd times won races for every trainer who had him, including J Bryce, J Wilson, G Murfitt and W Orange. A number of horses were bought in Australia for Mr Moodabe and trained by Jack, and included amongst them was Torpedo Huon, a rather handsome entire, who did well. Another horse he bought for Mr Moodabe, and perhaps the best pacer Shaw had, was Jewel Pointer, who won many races over all distances and under all conditions. He only cost £300. He once ran three firsts and three seconds within eight days, all in £1000 races, and starting at Auckland had to travel to Christchurch to complete the project.
Perhaps J S's favourite horse, judging from his conversation, is Native Prince. He was bred by Ben Shadbolt of Hawke's Bay, and sold to Chris Rokkjer, who took him to Australia and who, incidently, is still a keen follower of the light harness game. Peter Riddle, later to become famous as the owner of Shannon, bought him and a number of others to Auckland at the time the Aussies were winning everything at Epsom and Otahuhu, and sold him to Mrs Sweetapple. Native Prince won numerous races and worked his way through to New Zealand Cup class.
Gus Cameron sold a chestnut colt by Our Thorpe from the Grattan Abbey mare The Abbess in a consignment of draught horses, for 14gns to the Richmond brothers. Incidentally, the number of horses this breeder has sold must run into big numbers, and the story is told that he "keeps his own five studbooks in his head." The colt became known as Carmel and won races for Jack, who leased him. After being sold Carmel went into C S Donald's team and scored in the Auckland Cup, among other races.
Florrie Bingen, raced in partnership with Mrs Sweetapple, proved a grand bargain. Costing only £150 she won numerous races while under the Shaw mentorship. The greatest stayers through his hands among the trotters were Man O' War and Royal Silk. Mar O'War was in his care for 12 months after the brilliant champion had won two Auckland Cups. Taking Royal Silk over, that smart performer missed once and then won the big race at Dunedin, the Auckland Cup and two other races at Epsom, and the New Zealand Gold Cup at Wellington - in a row.
In 1930 he gave up horse training and he and the New Zealand champion wrestler, George Walker, opened a gym in Auckland. Jack Shaw returned to training the following year, shifting to New Brighton. He continued to be highly successful as a trainer of pacers and trotters until the end of the 1936 season.
When Shaw first went south he had Impromptu, who up to that time had shown useful form. Impromtu eventually beat Harold Logan in a Free-For-All and took a record of 3.13. Other noted horses he had at various times and stages of their careers were Koro Peter, the Petereta trotter Peter Dean, The Abbey, Peter Pirate a noted mudlark, Ironside for a time, The Squire, Ballin, Jewel Wood, Golden Eagle a neat trotter, Overate, Arachne, Fairyland and Great Change, while he drove many others.
In 1937, J S Shaw took a position as stipendiary steward to the New Zealand Trotting Conference, and held this office with distinction until he resigned in 1946. Jack Shaw then transferred his attention almost entirely to gallopers, although he followed both sports with keen interest, he established himself quickly, and among the winners he early turned out were the NZ Oaks winner Idle Jest, All Serene, Eulogize, the useful Peridot, and others.
The most eventful day in his long and varied career was at the 1948 Yearling Sales at Trentham. A colt by Beau Repaire from Mabel Rose was offered. Mabel Rose, being a half-sister to the NZ Derby winner Pensacola, Mrs Shaw, formerly Miss Sutherland, was attracted by the entrant in the ring, as her sister had raced Pensacola in partnership with Mr H Edgington. Early bidding for this colt soon stopped and Jack Shaw and William Dwyer were left to outbid each other. Such was not the case, however, and William Dwyer became the owner at 300 guineas. Using more than astute judgement, Jack went straight to the new owner and purchased the colt at a lesser figure than if he had kept bidding.
That colt then established himself as the hardiest top-class horse since the immortal Carbine and was known to the racing world as Beaumaris. He established a single season stake winning record. Among the mostr remarkable of Beaumaris' feats was his third as a three-year-old in the Auckland Cup and his success in the Wellington Cup. His duels with the flying filly Sweet Spray and the tough gelding Tudor Prince will be talked about when you and I are gone. He has set the name of Jack Shaw firmly in racing history as Carbine did Dan O'Brien, or Liberator Patsy Butler.
It is doubtful if any other trotter in the Dominion can match Vodka for speed but his ability to hold a position early has cost him races here. In America horses race to the start at top speed and under these conditions Vodka should shine. Mr Shaw will stable his star at the famous Roosevelt Raceway, 17 miles from New York, and Vodka should race towards the end of April. The season opens on April 1 and continues over 100 days until July, whilst at other New York tracks the curcuit continues until the end of November. The sea trip to the States takes about one month and Jack expects Vodka to be in racing trim six weeks after his arrival. Vodka will be competing once a week, mostly over a mile. The stakes are worth $6000 (roughly £1900). Fifty per cent goes to the winner, 25% to the second horse and 15% to third and 10% to fourth. Should Vodka strike form it is possible that the Americans will invite him to test their best in the American Trotting Championships, which are run over one mile and a quarter in July. America's best are invited to start and this test is the highlight of the American season. This distance would suit Vodka who proved his staying power in NZ.
Well known in Northern trotting circles, Mr W Hosking, of Waiuku, bred Vodka, but he was originally educated to pacing by young Pukekohe trainer J K Hughes. Vodka's early career was not much too enthuse over and he only started five times as a two-year-old, running one fourth. Next season he was converted to the trotting gait and gained immediate success, although at times losing all chances by starting in a pace. At four years Vodka showed real ability by beating the the good trotter Willonyx and later winning two races at Hutt Park. It is understood at this stage of Vodka's career that Mr Hosking gave the horse to Mr Shaw, who recorded one placing with him that season.
At five years Vodka won first up in the Addington Trotting Stakes and at the Cup meeting beat Mountain Range...the final win recorded that season was at the winter meeting when he beat Swanee River. At the Easter meeting he finished fourth but ran the two miles in 4.17 4/5 - a really smart time.
Now a six-year-old, Vodka won four races and was placed six times, earning £5170. his smart time of 3.26 2/5 after going under to Slipstream in the mile and five furlong Freyberg Handicap, was recorded early in the day, and later he won the Fergusson Handicap. Last season was Vodka's leanest so far as winning was concerned and he failed to head them. He registered seven placings however to pay for his keep, but even though he did not win he displayed remarkable speed from almost impossible positions. Over eight starts this season he has won one and been three times in the money. His latest racing was at the Auckland Cup meeting where hw started mostly from impossible marks.
Vodka is by Logan Derby from Cyone Girl, a winner at the pacing gait, by Tsana from Cyone - by Logan Pointer, tracing back to the imported Bell Bingen, ancestress of many winners, including Our Roger, winner of the last NZ Trotting Cup.
Vodka, incidentally, holds the New Zealand winning record for one mile and five furlongs of 3.27. He has trotted the mile and a half in 3.13 4/5, and two miles in 4.16.
Credit: NZ Hoof Beats Feb 1956
YEAR: 1953
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
YEAR: 1947
 |
| J S Shaw holds Native Prince |
J S Shaw, talented reinsman and trainer of champions, breeder of bloodstock and one of the most consistent buyers of 'bargain' yearlings at Trentham over a long period; for nine years a stipendiary steward to the NZ Trotting Conference, has purchased a half share in the trotter Not Quite, whom he will race in partnership with Mr W Hosking. Shaw has also taken out a driver's licence, and he may hold the reins over Not Quite at the New Brighton Trotting Club's meeting on September 6, for which the trotter is being trained by C Fairman. Shaw had his last drive in a race behind Tempest at the Metropolitan meeting on 1937. He won, and is naturally hopeful of bridging a decade with success on either side. (Note: Not Quite finished fifth)
"I am certain, if conditions had been ideal that day she would have trotted two minutes." J S Shaw was discussing his champion of 13 years standing, Worthy Queen, a trotter who made history on a windy, dusty day at Addington in April, 1934, by trotting a mile against time in 2.03 3/5. "It was partly my own fault. There was a gale blowing, and it was the first time she had ever had a horse galloping beside her. I was under the impression I could trail the pacemaker, but was told I couldn't. Over the first three furlongs she was trying to beat the galloper, trying to go faster than she could. She was pulling hard and trotting all in a heap. She was hitched to a short sulky and round the showgrounds bend her hock was hitting my leg. It wasn't until she reached the back straight that she flattened out to really trot. But the first half in 61 1/2 took as much out of her as 58 or 59 would have if she had been trotting kindly.
"She was a really wonderful mare. She didn't know what it was to do anything wrong. She never broke in a race unless something took the legs from under her, which happened on only one occasion to my knowledge. She had her funny little ways," continued Shaw. "On race day you had no chance of driving her on the roads or on to the tracks. She had to be led, and even then she insisted upon stopping now and again to gaze at things. Nothing would thwart her."
Worthy Queen's 2.03 3/5 is not her only record that remains unassailed after 13 years. Her 3.14 1/5 in a race was also established in 1934, and she was clocked from post to post on that occasion in 3.09 - and round the field.
Worthy Queen, by Worthy Bingen from Queen Chimes, a Coldstream Bells mare from Vanquish, was bred by the late J R Corrigan, of Hawera, and sold as a yearling to Mr T Agnew, of Hastings. "A mutual friend of both, the late Harry Jones, saw her trotting in the paddock and told Mr Corrigan what a wonderful filly she was," related Shaw, "with the result that Mr Corrigan leased her back. For him she won several races under the direction of Alex Corrigan and afterwards, when I shifted from Auckland to Christchurch he sent her down to me. That was in 1931. I won several races with her for Mr Corrigan. When he became ill and restricted his racing activities he sold the mare's racing rights to me, and she continued to win races."
"Although Worthy Queen was the best trotter up to a mile and a half ever seen in this country, she was not a top-notch two-miler. The best two-mile trotter I ever had was Peter Dean, by Petereta-Ivy Dean. Mrs Sweetapple and I bought him five minutes before a race on the third day of the Auckland Christmas meeting of 1932. He was 144yds behind in a mile and a half race, and although I had never driven him before, he won; and he also won a two mile race the same day. He cost us £1000, but in the first three months we owned him he won £1025. He won three times and was second in his first four starts for us. Shortly after I brought him to Christchurch he kicked at another horse in an adjoining paddock, injuring himself behind, and although he won races afterwards, he was never sound again. His action changed altogether. I consider he is easily the best two-mile trotter I have ever seen. In a trial before leaving Auckland he came the last half-mile in 61sec and the last quarter in 29sec. When I make this claim I am not forgetting Hardy Wilkes, Electrocute, Bellflower, Submarine, Muricata, Quincey, Whispering Willie, Sea Gift, Trampfast, Wrackler, Huon Voyage, Moneyspider and other great staying trotters."
"Hardy Wilkes was a phenomenal horse, too. He broke five times in a NZ Cup when competing against the pacers and then finished just out of the money. He was especially good in bad ground, but was a very difficult horse to control. He was trained by A Fleming when I was in his employ. I was still in my teens when I trained my first horse. This was none other than Whispering Willie. He won many races, including the Auckland Summer Cup among the pacers at Auckland. For his inches he was a super horse. The sulky he raced in weighed 86lb, compared with the average of 35lb today. What was most remarkable about Whispering Willie was that he won races for every person who trained and drove him, among the number being J Wilson, G Murfitt, J Bryce, R W Mills, W Orange and myself."
Native Prince was a pacer who still stands high in Shaw's regard. "He was a really beautiful-looking horse," he said. "He was bred in Hastings, and sold as a yearling by Ben Shadbolt to C Rokkjer. He won races in Australia, and was bought back to Auckland by Peter Riddle and sold to Mrs Sweetapple. I trained him to win many races, and he finished up by running a great race in the NZ Cup, although he was unplaced. He was a really genuine horse."
"Jewel Pointer was the best all-rounder I ever had. He was good in saddle or harness, he won from a mile to two miles, he was equally at home on grass of clay, mud or dry, and any class of mud to boot. Besides being foolproof at the start - which was a great asset with him - you could always afford to take a risk and get a position before a race had been long in progress. I bought Jewel Pointer for Mr Moodabe for about £300, and he won thousands. One of his best feats was to win three £1000 races within eight days, besides three seconds. He had to travel from Auckland to Christchurch, and it has to be remembered that stakes were then less than half what they are today."
"Carmel must be included among a number a really good horses I had the good fortune to train and drive. The Richmond brothers, friends of mine, bought Carmel among some draught horses at a sale for 14gns the vendor being A Cameron. They leased him to me and I developed him and won several races before selling him to Mr J W Murphy. He went into C S Donald's stable, and under his guidance he won the Auckland Cup and many other races. Torpedo Huon, a good-looking well-bred horse from Australia, was a good winner under my direction, but he did not breed on," continued Shaw. "Western King was also bought in Australia for Mr Moodabe. Unfortunately, this grand pacer got hurt and I thought he would never race here. Even under this severe handicap he went 2.07 4/5 round a field to win, and he had a good two-mile record as well. This horse might have been capable of anything if he had not been injured. Florrie Bingen was one of my favourites. She was bought by Mrs Sweetapple and myself for £150 and she won numerous races, including two over two miles at one meeting in Christchurch towards the conclusion of her career. This was the first meeting at which a limit was put on both ends of a race. One of the races she won was 4.40 to 4.35."
In August 1930, after a run of successes with Warplane and Native Chief, I went out of racing and bought a partnership in a gymnasium in Auckland. A year later I came to Christchurch with Peter Pirate, setting up as a public trainer. It was then that I received Impromptu to train. He was not doing any good at that stage. The first time I started him he won at New Brighton. The following week he won the leading event at Wellington. He ended up by going 3.13 and winning very easily at Ashburton and beating Harold Logan in a free-for-all at Auckland. On his day it took a really good horse to beat Impromptu over any distance; but he was a bad-gaited horse and one of the hardest to train I ever had anything to do with. When I received Royal Silk to train he had one miss and then won five on end, including the big race at Dunedin, the Auckland Cup, the big sprint on the second day, and the big two-miles on the third day of the Auckland meeting; and the NZ Trotting Gold Cup at Wellington."
Koro Peter, champion 2-year-old trotter of the late 1920s, and the only horse of his age and gait to win in open company in the Dominion during the last 20 years, was another celebrity who passed through J S Shaw's hands. This big, overgrown gelding by Peter Moko from Koro Ena, trained and driven by his owner, T Cooper, astounded the trotting world by winning the Introductory Handicap of a mile and a half, from a big field of all ages at Cambridge in May, 1928. Shaw immediately opened negotiations on behalf of Mrs Sweetapple to buy Koro Peter, and secured him for £500. "The same season, a 2-year-old trotting filly named First Wrack, bred and owned by Mr H F Nicoll, had finished third in open company in the Allenton Handicap, of a mile and a half, at Ashburton a month before Koro Peter won at Cambridge. These youngsters were the only 2-year-old trotters to have shown any form for many years. In fact, it is the exception rather than the rule, even up to the present day, for a 2-year-old trotter to race, let alone perform with any degree of success," said Shaw.
"Koro Peter and First Wrack created such Dominion-wide interest that the upshot of it all was that their merit was recognised by the Auckland Trotting Club, which matched them over a mile and a quarter at their June meeting, 1928. The totalisator was opened on the event, and Koro Peter was made favourite. It was a terrible day. The going was fetlock deep in slush, and the two horses had to frighten thousands of seagulls off the track as they went along. These birds frightened First Wrack more than they did Koro Peter, and Koro Peter managed to win after a great struggle all the way up the straight. After the match Koro Peter was sold to Mr G McMillan for £1000 and entered R B Berry's stable, from which he met with a lot of success, First Wrack also reached the top flight of trotters."
"Man o' War was the greatest stayer I ever had," continued Shaw. "He was so clean-winded that he would race on less work than any other horse I have trained. In addition, he had a splendid disposition and was most intelligent. I only had him for about 12 months. He was previously trained by J Bryce, for whom he won two Auckland Cups. The last time I drove Man o' War was a very memorable occasion. It was at Addington when a special day's racing was put on in honour of the American fleet. Man o' War rose to the occasion and won the HMS Hood Handicap, the leading event of the day. This was the worst day that I have ever experienced on a racetrack. There was hail and sleet all day and the races could not be postponed, as this was the only day the fleet could be in Christchurch. Of this particular race I saw only about half; Man o' War came from the back mark and did the job himself. I was absoutely blinded with the slush that was flying everywhere. This may soung incredible, but there are many of the old drivers who will vividly remember it. Some of our mounts had to be led back to the birdcage, as we were driving blind. The morning after the races I woke in daylight but everything was still black. It was hours before my eyesight returned to normal. Most of us had driven all day and our eyes had to be attended to in between races by the doctors present at the meeting. Warplane was a son of Man o' War bred by the late James Pettie, and sold to Mrs Sweetapple for £250. He was a very successful performer over all distances. On the last occasion I brought him to Christchurch - August, 1930 - he won two races in good company, his only two starts at the meeting."
"The Abbey was a good horse I trained, but he had to be humoured. He won several good handicaps for Mr Moodabe. One of his wins was the Whangarei Cup. The Abbey was one of those horses who suffered by the old system of handicapping. I remember one meeting in Christchurch, I won a 4.40 class with him on the first day in 4.29, and he was handicapped the next day in the big race on 4.28 in a 4.29 class, going back 11secs for winning a race which from memory was worth £250 to the winner. He ran second from a 4.28 mark and the found himself in NZ Cup company. Cases such as these," said Shaw, "must make the present-day owner thankful for the existing system of penalties."
"Peter Pirate was one of the best mud horses I ever drove," he continued. "I leased him for Mr Moodabe towards the end of his career, and he won several races. I drove him in four events at an Auckland meeting, for which he was trained by Edgar Kennerley, and he won three and was third in the other. One of his wins was the Adams Memorial Cup. I bought Ironside from Mr H F Nicoll for Mr Hosking for £500. I didn't get on well with this horse, although he won his first race for me, but under G Robertson and later F J Smith, he won good races and stakes running into several thousands. Among his successes were the Ashburton Cup and Adams Memorial Cup."
"The last horse I trained before I was appointed a stipendiary steward was Golden Eagle. She was a really sweet trotter and I was sorry to have to give her up. I bought her from J T Paul on his recommendation for £250 on behalf of Mr Hosking. She won several races, and when I parted with her she was sold to Mr G J Barton for £500. For him she also proved a good winner. Sold to a West Australian owner, she continued to win races in Perth. It was also on J T Paul's recommendation that I bought Not Quite for Mr Hosking and myself," said Shaw.
"The first horse I ever rode in a race was Bribery. He was a wonderful saddle horse, especially over two miles. At that time I was head lad for Mr T G Fox, one of my first employers. Mr Fox was a really considerate boss, and one whose advice I found very valuable in later life. I would like to make some reference to saddle races, particularly straight-out trotters' saddle races. The men who shone in this department some 30 years ago were A Pringle, T Annat, W Orange, J McEwen, F Holmes, and a bit later J McLennan, D Bennett and F G Holmes. In those days when men used to ride in trotting races they were in much better health than they are today, when you very seldom see a horse worked in saddle. I won a lot of saddle races with straight-out trotters and enjoyed them very much though I was never in the first flight of saddle horsemen and had to waste hard to get down to 10st."
"I remember once winning a two mile saddle race on a trotter called Rothmoor giving away starts of up to 28secs. When the limit horses went away I was on the ground putting a martingale on. I had 28secs in which to complete this, mount my horse, and travel down to the starting post to catch my clock under the old system of starting. The present system of starting is far ahead of the old system of the clock. And there is no doubt that the present system of handicapping is also a great improvement on the old order, under which there was a definite encouragement to wait for slow tracks."
Shaw recalled that he won the first Taranaki Cup with Overate, a trotter competing against pacers; and the first Adams Memorial Cup with the imported American stallion Ballin, who had just been converted fron a trotter to a pacer. Another Taranaki Cup winner he trained and drove was Jewel Wood, who also won the Nelson Cup and the first Hawkes Bay Cup in the same season. "The Squire was a trotter I had more than average success with in Auckland," said Shaw. "Mr G McMillan came by him in exchange for a mare named Bingen Jean, and the exchange proved a very good one from our point of view, as The Squire won the two big trotting events at the first Auckland meeting at which we raced him."
Asked about the standard of driving, Shaw said he considered there are equally as many, if not more, expert reinsmen today; but there are considerably more of those who, in his opinion, have not had sufficient experience before being granted a licence. "I think the grading of horsemen a big mistake," he said. "Either a man is capable of driving in any class of race or he is not. The races that we found the hardest to drive in were the maiden races, because here you have the large fields of green horses, and it is in these events that the inexperienced horsemen of today, classified 'C' grade, are found in the largest numbers. I always found it advisable in a race to trail the man, not the horse," said Shaw. "By this I mean that you will invariably get a better run behind an experienced horseman than you will get behind an inexperienced one who in the majority of cases cannot stay put for any length of time. The old hand knows the shortest way round and retains that little in reserve until the right end of the race."
"One of my regrets," continued Shaw, "is the complete dissappearance of the unhoppled pacer. At one time this class of horse was catered by the Auckland Trotting Club by the inclusion of a race for unhoppled horses, which embraced straight-out trotters and free-legged pacers. I won several of these events with a little horse called Nipper. The late A J Julian had a good unhoppled pacer in Haricot, and the late W J Tomkinson won more than his share with that good free-legged mare Pearlie Chimes. But easily the best of this class of horse was Don Wild, who held his own among the best hoppled pacers in the Dominion. I think that if this class of horse was catered for again, so would they be developed. In fact, the way pacers are bred today,they should have less need for straps, and I see no reason why the number of unhoppled pacers should not be considerably multiplied until there are as many of them as there were in Don Wild's day."
Amaris, Fairyland, Gay Paree, Halgana, Arachne, Sal Pointer, Ben Lomond, Warspite, Great Change, Jimmy Richmond, Meritorious, Prinzora, Rustle and Mr Penalty were some of the many other winners of both gaits Shaw trained and drove up to the time he was appointed stipendiary steward to the NZ Trotting Conference in 1937. He held this position with credit to himself and the sport until last year, when he resigned. As stated previously Shaw may return to trotting as an owner and driver with Not Quite (in whom he holds a half-interest with Mr W Hosking), at the New Brighton meeting on September 6. He is assured of a warm reception from the public an his fellow reinsmen.
Credit: 'Ribbomwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 20Aug47