YEAR: 1904 NORICE YEAR: 1904 1904 NZ TROTTING CUP HANDICAP YEAR: 1942
This is the story of the four pillars of Haughty - four mares whose names are cornerstones of trotting history - Princess, Norice, Regal Voyage and Haughty herself. This is the combination of champion mares whose united efforts have culminated in a new World's Champion pacing mare, Haughty, 4:13 4-5. The first link in this chain of champions was forged long before the NZ Trotting Cup was established. It all started away back in the 80's, because a young jockey found increasing weight forcing him out of the saddle. That young jockey was D J Price, who then turned his attention to trotting. Price related how he noticed a pacing mare showing a turn of speed on the side of a road, how he bought her for £20 and a £20 contingency, and how he called her Princess. She was said to be by Dexter, but there was some doubt about her breeding. However, she developed into an out-and-out champion, by far the greatest pacer seen in New Zealand up to her time, and she was much too good for the Exhibition Cup field at Dunedin. Later Princess went to Australia, where she produced to Hambletonian Bell Boy that good horse Prince Imperial, who became the sire of a mare that never raced, but which produced, among other winners, Thixendale, Lady Willings, Lough Neagh, Denver City, Glimpse and Logan Princess who, to Happy Voyage, produced Regal Voyage. Here is the second champion mare in the pedigree. Regal Voyage was a fine stayer, quite one of the best mares of her day, and in the Mid-summer Handicap at Addington in 1931 she beat a great field and registered 4:19 4-5 for the two miles, then a world's pacing record for a mare; in third place was Harold Logan, who was forced to do 4:13 2-5. Regal Voyage was bred by Mr B Grice, but she did most of her racing for the late R Wanden, of Blenheim, and was trained by D Withers. At the conclusion of her racing career, Regal Voyage was bought back by Mr Grice, and her first foal, to Nelson Derby, was Haughty. The remaining link in this chain of celebrated mares is imported Norice, and it is a matter of real interest that the first New Zealand Trotting Cup in 1904, and the latest contest, should be so closely connected. Norice finished second in the first Cup to Monte Carlo, and now her grand-daughter, Haughty, is enthroned as the 1942 winner and the champion two-mile pacing mare of all time. Norice produced a great line of horses, including Nelson Derby, Native King and Nelson Fame. The great store that Mr Grice places upon the potency of Norice is reflected in the number of her descendants he is using at his stud. He decided to breed from Nelson Derby when this fine racehorse was practically in the discard as a sire. That must have required a certain amount of courage, but it turned out to be nice judgement, for he has had several good winners by Nelson Derby, notably Haughty, Hardy Oak and Single Star. Mr Grice's interesting experiment in putting mares descended from Norice on the dam's side back to a son of Norice has met with happy results in the production of such good pacers as Hardy Oak and Single Star. Call it inbreeding, linebreeding, or what you will, it was done deliberately by a breeder whose great success over a long period places him in the forefront of breeders-owners-trainers. He has made a study of the Nelson Derby breed, refusing to over-race them at a tender age, and that is one of the main reasons, probably, why Haughty is the champion staying mare of today; she was not taken to the races until she was four, and then she was started only twice, when nearly a five-year-old. That was in the 1939-40 season , so she is now only seven. The latest champion is just a plain, ordinary mare; she can make no pretence at look or style, but she can wag her head at the beauties and reflect that handsome is still as handsome does. There is a limit to speed; the torrid pace set by Gold Bar found out the backmarker, Josedale Grattan, but last year's winner was not disgraced. He was asked to register 4:10 3-5 to win, and it is doubtful if there is a horse in the world today, including Billy Direct and Greyhound, who could do such time on a six-fulong track. Greyhounds 4:06 against time was done from a flying start on a mile track, while Josedale Grattan, in addition to having more turns to contend with on a track two-furlongs shorter, had an additional 36yds to cover from a standing start. All these facts should be given full consideration, because there must eventually be a limit to the speed a horse can carry over any distance in harness. Time was when certain schools of harness racing thought that the day might arrive when a pacer or trotter would attain the speed of a galloper. That is ridiculous; but it proves this much: the limit of pacing and trotting speed must nearly have been reached. It proves that the trotter and pacer is possibly rapidly attaining its highest peak of perfection. And pacers in this country, racing under entirely different and more difficult conditions than trials against time in the States, have got remarkably close to the best times over the longer distances made in the home of the trotter and pacer. So much for the fact that there may be a limit to pacing speed. If anyone had suggested that a horse would go 4:14 3-5 off the limit of the Cup and get beaten, he would have received a very poor hearing. Yet it happened to Gold Bar. The official sectional times made Gold Bar go to the first half-mile in 62secs; the mile in 2:04 3-5; the mile and a quarter in 2:35 2-5; the mile and a half in 3:08 2-5. He took 65 1-5secs for the last half-mile, and had to lower his colours to three horses in the run home. It was a sensational performance, drawing unstinted praise from Mr A L Matson (president of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club) at the Cup presentation. He expressed great admiration for Gold Bar's wonderful achievement, and sympathised with the owner in having to accept fourth place after his horse's being almost totally responsible for the establishment of a new two-mile winning record. Another record was established which is liable to be overlooked. This is Bayard's time of 4:13 2-5 for third, representing a world's pacing record for a stallion. The ponified pacer was beaten for second only in the last couple of strides by Loyal Rey, whose 4:13 1-5 places him next to Harold Logan on the roster of fastest two-mile pacing performers. The unlucky horse in the Cup was again Peter Smith who had the job of overhauling Gold Bar, and actually gave Haughty the run of the race. Haughty was tucked in behind Peter Smith all the way to the straight, and by that time Peter Smith's desperate chase of Gold Bar naturally found him out. Loyal Rey drifted early, and his run over the last half mile was of a very high standard indeed. The world's harness record for two miles is held by the trotter Greyhound, who went 4:06 in 1939. The first mile took 2:03 and the second the same. The best pacing time for two miles in America stands to the credit of Dan Patch 4:17, who took his record away back in 1903. It is obvious that Billy Direct, 1:55, would greatly reduce this record, but, until a great American pacer does tackle Dan Patch's record of 39 years' standing, the world's pacing records for two miles stand to the credit of Harold Logan, 4:12 2-5 (for third), and Haughty, 4:13 4-5 (winning). Investments on the race totalled £18,350/10/- and for the day £99,419/10/- Full Result 1st: B Grice's HAUGHTY. Trained by the owner, Tinwald and driven by O E Hooper, started off scratch. 2nd: P A Watson's LOYAL REY. Driven by M C McTigue, started off 12yds. 3rd: H E Salter's BAYARD. Driven by C King, started off 12yds. 4th: A Holmes's GOLD BAR. Driven by D C Watts, started off scratch. The winner won by two lengths, with a neck to third and a length to fourth. Times: 4:13 4-5, 4:13 1-5, 4:13 2-5, 4:14 3-5. Also Started: Bronze Eagle scr; Clockwork scr & Ferry Post 12 bracketed with the third horse; Peter Smith scr; Colonal Grattan 12; Fine Art 12 bracketed with the second horse; Great Jewel 12; Josedale Grattan 36 Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar YEAR: 1914 Although when surveying sires of past years you seem to be saying it all the time, it has been a fact that most successful imported sires have failed to establish a male line of any great significance. Why this is, is difficult to say and a number of factors are involved. One of the major ones however is that the sons of successful sires are often not given a decent chance to prove themselves at stud. Had they had such a chance things might have been different and a good example of what might have been is the case of Nelson Bingen. A number of his sons were stood at stud. More to the point the owners of his sons set about proving that their horses were good sires with the result that Nelson Bingen probably outshines any other imported sire when it comes to successful sons. True, his male line has not survived but it did exert considerable influence in its time and it was perhaps a pity that the third generation of his line did not produce a racehorse of good enough quality to ensure the success of the line. Nelson Bingen arrived in this country as a 2 year old in 1914 imported by Etienne Le Lievre of Harold Dillon fame. At about the same time Mr Le Lievre imported the mare Berthabell who was to exercise considerable influence in our breeding. She was mated with Nelson Bingen on many occasions and in some ways Nelson Bingen's stud record relies on his matings with the imported mare. Stood at stud early in his career Nelson Bingen must have had mixed success for he did not appear on the sire lists at all until 1919 and as a seven year old he was given a race preparation and produced on a number of occasions. A trotter, he was a very good one and scored victories at Gore, New Brighton, Forbury and Addington. He was one of the tops of his day and twice beat Reta Peta the champion mare who won two NZ Cups. In his public appearances Nelson Bingen attracted a good deal of attention with his impressive looks and fine action and when again retired to stud he received much more patronage. But still it was 1928 before he topped the sires list. He retained the title the following year and was second for the following three years, though he died in 1932. Altogether he sired 219 winners and they won nearly $400,000 in prize money. His matings with Berthabell resulted in his two most successful sons Great Bingen and Peter Bingen. Great Bingen seems to have lost his rightful place as one of the handful of greatest pacers ever bred in this country, perhaps because he didn't win a Cup, though he was placed second from a long mark. The idol of his day and a great stayer who could sprint with the best of them Great Bingen won 26 races and over $25,000 in prizemoney. To get this in perspective it should be remembered that this prizemoney record stood until 1947 when lowered by Highland Fling and few money-winning records last over 20 years. Great Bingen himself the sire of many winners was the first horse outside America to break 4:20 for two miles which he did in a placed performance in Auckland in 1926. He had a number of trainers when raced in the ownership of J R McKenzie including D Withers, J Kennerly and R Plaxico. He was twice placed in the Cup and but for the huge handicaps he had to concede at the time must have won one of them. Although not so well known as a sprinter he took a time of better than 2:07 for a mile. He full-brother Peter Bingen won two NZ Cups but did not blossom as a stayer until comparatively late in his career and indeed in his early days raced as a trotter. He won nearly $17,000 of 'Depression' stakemoney and he kept the family to the fore by being the first pacer ourside the USA to beat 2:40 for the 1¼ miles. He won 16 races altogether and was also a successful sire. Though a number of Nelson Bingen's get favoured the trotting gait he threw some other top pacers including Jean McElwyn who reached Cup class from Roy Berry's stable, Nelson Derby winner of the Great Northern Derby and Auckland Cup and was a son of Norice, Nelson Fame, Nelso's Victory and Nelsonian. He left any number of top trotters including Olive Nelson, Norma Bingen and Native King who were all Dominion winners, Great Nelson (a brother to Great Bingen and Peter Bingen) winner of the old NZ Trotting Stakes, Baron Bingen, Bingen Wilkes, General Bingen (saddle mile in 2:11.6), Commander Bingen and Kempton. Worthy Bingen was a fair trotter and sire of Worthy Queen. Katute won the NZ Trotting Stakes and Sea Pearl, Admiral Bingen, Escapade (a top saddle trotter and grandam of Fallacy), Sister Beatrice and Stand By were all top class trotters. As a sire of broodmares Nelson Bingen was a fair success though perhaps his total of under 200 winners from this source can be counted as a shade disappointing. A number of his sons were successful broodmare sires. Among Nelson Bingen's most successful daughters were Lady Trafalgar who produced five winners; Lily Bingen who produced six including War Guard who won seven including a National Handicap; Stella Bingen 3rd dam of Stella Frost; Belle Lorrimer grandam of the winners of 78 races including Grouse, Lyndhurst, and the top trotters Faming Way, Flammula, Inflammable and Alight as well as Nantwitch herself the winner of seven races including the Sapling Stakes and dam of Gerafalcon who won 14 including the Trotting FFA; Courcard and Cyrano; Bertha Bingen and Bessie Bingen ancestress of more than 40 winners. Etta Bingen was the dam of six winners and Peggoty a colourful mare of the 1940s for the Butterick family is from a Nelson Bingen mare. Another successful mare by the stallion was Berenice. Dam of the top trotter Flotsam who won nine. Berenice is the ancestress of a number of good winners including Idaho. Katute was the dam of Mah Jong who won eight, and three other winners. Sparkling Sunshine the dam of a near champion in Attack was from a Nelson Bingen mare and Jean McElwyn was successful at stud, among her progeny being the successful sire Prince Charming. Sister Maud produced Queen Maude the dam of five winners including Maori Queen, Maudeen and Sports Review, all top class trotters. It was perhaps a shade unfortunate that Nelson Bingen was an old horse before his value was really appreciated. A number of his sons carried on with the good work however. Easily the best was Nelson Derby. Great Bingen sired 44 winners and was considered to be something of a disappointment at the stud but his mares bred on especially well. Great Bingen mares produced trotters such as Keen Blade (NZ record holder and winner of 8), Lady Inchcape (7 wins), King's Brigade and Sure Gift who were both NZ Trotting Stakes winners and Roderick Dhu, Vagus and Lady Baffelan who all won 7 races apiece. Among the best pacers from his daughters were Kublai Khan and Ghengis Khan who won 16 races between them, Bonny Azure who won 17 on her own, Powerful Lady (Oaks), Bobby Burns (8 wins), Golden Marino (6 wins including the Timaru and New Brighton Cups) and Sandusky who won 11 races. Nelson Adonis served a handful of mares as a colt before being gelded. One he left was Sterling Lady who was the dam of 6 winners including Onward (9 wins), Stirling Castle (5), and Mineral (6 wins). Native King was a successful sire considering his opportunities and he got Gracie Fields who won nine races, she being a daughter of Reta Peta. Native Queen was another good one of his stock as was Minnetonka who later left four winners. Native King mares were again successful leaving horses like Maori Home (17 wins and twice placed in the Cup). Native Scott (10 wins) left Statuette successful both on the track and at stud; Beverley Volo (7 wins); Willonyx and Gamble King who each won six; Inquistive Lady and NZ Trotting Stakes winner Temple Star. Worthy Bingen didn't do much after siring Worthy Queen, though one of his daughters produced Greek Brigade who won eight. Peter Bingen sired Peter Smith a top class pacer and another one of the same ilk in Double Peter. Peter Bingen features in the pedigree of the top northern trotters of a few seasons ago in Paula and Paulette. Altogether Peter Bingen left 32 winners. As a rule the sons of Nelson Bingen did well as sires of classic winners one of the best being Taxpayer, by Great Bingen. Nelson Derby looked to be the Bingen son to ensure the line carried on but one of his better bred sons Wayfarer didn't get much of an opportunity at the stud in spite of producing a classic winner in his first crop. The Bingen line has now died out here as it did in the U S. Before leaving Nelson Bingen however, we should mention that one of his sons Kemel left the dam of the top pacer Laureldale though nothing else of note, and that Nelson Bingen blood has continued to be influential in our trotting scene, two examples being the 'Cord' family of winners of Herbert Hewson and Protector whose grandam was a Nelson Bingen mare. It is difficult to sum up Nelson Bingen's career. His critics, and there were a number of them, point out that but for Berthabell his stock may have been quite ordinary performers. There is some truth in this, particularly as beside Great Bingen and Peter Bingen his other top horses were the result of matings with such class mares as Norice. Still he was twice leading sire and five times runner up so his general ranking must be high. And his sons certainly bred on better than most imported sires before and since. Credit: David McCarthy writing in NZ Trotguide 15Dec76 YEAR: 1949 1949 NZ OAKS YEAR: 1953 World class for a Dominion 2-year-old was entered when Brahman paced a mile against time at Addington on Saturday 13 June in 2.02 1/5. Incredulity was plainly written on the faces of seasoned racegoers all over the course when they stopped their watches at this sensational figure. Before the trial Brahman's connections were quietly confident the colt would go between 2.04 and 2.05 and even the owner, Mr B Grice, and the driver, F G Holmes, must have been astonished and elated at the big slice Brahman carved off Convivial's previous Australasian record of 2.08 4/5, put up at Harold Park, Sydney, in 1951. Brahman's performance was epoch-making not only because he completely annihilated all previous NZ and Australian 2-year-old records, but also because his figures compare favourably with anything done in the acknowledged leading light-harness country in the world, the United States. Brahman made his record on a six-furlong track - certainly one of the fastest and best conditioned in the world - but cognisance must be taken of the fact that the American authorities compute that the mile track is the perfect sized track and by far the fastest for record-breaking purposes. They say emphatically - and their overwhelming number of world's records fully substantiates their conclusions - that their leading mile tracks are between four and five seconds to the mile faster than their best half-mile tracks. For example: Greyhound trotted his world's record mile of 1.55¼ on a mile track and the best he could do on a half-mile track was 1.59¾; Billy Direct's 1.55 was done on a mile track, and the best pacing performance on a half-mile track is Sampson Hanover's 1.59 3/5. It does not strictly follow that the difference in speed between a six-furlong track like Addington and a mile track of similar composition would be, say, two seconds by the American way of reckoning, but it would not be far off the mark, and that brings Brahman's potential speed on a mile track - with its wider and more gradual bends - down to the two-minute mark. It may sound fantastic, it may be dismissed by many people as a rather dubiuos method of working things out; but that is the extent the Americans have found, by long years of experience, speed is reduced or increased according to the sizes of tracks, and they ought to know. Brahman is also entitled to this: although the track was in perfect order and only a slight breeze was blowing, the atmosphere was a bit damp and certainly cold when he made his attempt, and winter can scarcely be the most favourable time of year for record-making. On the contra account, of course, Brahman had gained valuable months in age and seasoned condition by delaying his trial until June instead of taking it on in the height of summer - or the autumn. Notwithstanding all this supposition, it was a world run by any standards and puts Brahman in the same champion mould as Titan Hanover, 2.00, a trotter, and Knight Dream, 2.00 2/5, a pacer. Titan Hanover is the only harness horse, trotter or pacer, to enter the 2.00 list at two years, and Knight Dream, a pacer, is the fastest 2-year-old of that gait. Brahman, driven by F G Holmes in the familar colours - cardinal, cream sash, cardinal cap - of his breeder-owner-trainer, Mr B Grice, and with Morano, driven by A Holmes in his well known jacket - purple, red band and cap - as galloping companion (pacemaker has become a misnomer because the rules long since required the accompanying horse never to head the one making the attempt at any part of the trial), Brahman was not long about warming up and at the first time of asking he hit the mile starting peg at top speed. Pacing like a machine - he is smooth and effortless in style - he reached the quarter in a tick better than 31secs and the half-mile in 60 2/5secs. Experienced trotting trainers and others in the stands this looked at each other in consternation. "He can't keep this up," said one. "He'll stop to a walk in the straight," declared another. A third registered blank astonishment by shaking his watch in his ear to make sure it hadn't seized up! And Brahman sizzled on towards the three-quarter mark. There was still no sign of a slackening of speed - six furlongs in 1.31 1/5! "He must feel the strain soon," muttered a bewildered newspaper reporter, who was still dazed by the performance a couple of hours after Brahman had felt no such thing. At the furlong Brahman certainly had nothing in reserve, but when F G shook the whip at him he showed he had grit as well as all this phenomenal speed by finishing without a flicker and tramping the final quarter in 31secs flat, only a fifth slower than his opening quarter and making his full time 2.02 1/5. "It should stand for some time." This was the triumph of understatment drawn out of Ben Grice when this notoriously 'mike-shy' sportsman was coaxed to say something about his champion during one of those extremely friendly gatherings in the birdcage which have become a pleasant aftermath of special events at Metropolitan meetings. The president, Mr C E Hoy, drew applause when he disclosed that Mr Grice had needed no inducement to send Brahman against the record. He assured the crowd, however, that the club would present Mr Grice with a momento to commemorate the occasion. Brahman had brought lustre to Dominion trotting by his superb performance. It was hard to credit what he had done, and he was confident it was only the forerunner of many more records on the part of Brahman. In his reply Mr Grice said he thought before the attempt that Brahman would go 2.04 or 2.05. He was naturally thrilled with the outcome. "He had a good driver and a good track," he said. F G Holmes, who has always been on the top deck among NZ reinsmen, had Brahman under perfect control throughout the trial. He had worked him many times and got to know Brahman right down to the nails in his shoes! A few days before the official trial he had driven the colt a "pretty stiff mile." In a telephone conversation with the editor of the Calendar, A Holmes, who was naturally a keenly interested party in the trial, said: "He went the last half in a tick better than a minute. We think he'll go at least 2.06 on Saturday." F G Holmes gave Mr Grice and A Holmes all the help and encouragement he possibly could. He made Morano available as galloping aid to Brahman and told his brother to "make his own arrangements" about the details of the attack on the record. These side issues may seem of small moment to some of our readers, but they are mentioned to stress the fine sportmanship that inspired the whole show, one of the most exhilarating things that has happened to our sport in all it's existence. In fact, the writer must confess that no previous light-harness performance in the last 30 years has stirred him to the same depths as did Brahman's prodigious run on Saturday morning. Special significance attaches to Brahman's figures because they are only 1 4/5secs slower than the world's 2-year-old pacing record of Knight Dream, and 2 1/5 behind the world's 2-year-old record of the trotter Titan Hanover (the only 2-year-old of either gait in the two-minute list). Compare this with the difference between the times of our older champions: Highland Fling's 1.57 4/5 is 2 4/5secs slower than Billy Direct's world's pacing record of 1.55 and about 2 3/5secs slower than Greyhound's trotting record of 1.55¼. This is not meant as any disparagement of the peerless 'Fling'; it is mentioned merely to emphasise that Brahman would probably prove at least the equal of the best 2-year-olds in America today. A Holmes drove the galloping companion, Morano, with discernment - the mission had obviously been thoroughly planned and rehearsed, and Morano was kept a 'daylight' margin behind Brahman (the fact that Brahman could hear his hoof-beats was sufficient) until the final quarter, when Morano was moved up to finish with his head on the record-breakers quarters, as our picture shows. There was another member of the Holmes family at Addington on Saturday who must hav derived great pleasure and satisfaction from the performances of all the participants. That was 82-year-old Freeman Holmes, father of F (Freeman) G and Allan Holmes. Freeman Holmes, an importer of numerous sires and mares, brought from Canada the pacing stallion Grattan Loyal, a big stud success and sire of Gold Bar, the sire of Brahman. Freeman Holmes also imported, from America, Rey de Oro, sire of Gold Bar's dam, Imperial Gold, and Logan Pointer, sire of Gold Bar's grandam, Imperial Pointer. Rey de Oro and Logan Pointer were both outstanding stud successes, and Logan Pointer also figures as the sire of Logan Princess, the grandam of Haughty, who produced Brahman. It is a chain of breeding events, culminating in a phenomenon like Brahman, any breeder would be mighty proud to own. Gold Bar was bred by A Holmes and developed into a champion by him. He held a number of records on his retirement in 1946, and one of these, his mile and a quarter in 2.35, still stands. Of interest, too, is that Haughty's 3.35 2/5 for the same distance has also stood as the mare's record for a similar period to Gold Bar's and that both sire and dam of Brahman have identical mile records, 1.59 3/5. Mr B Grice's son, Mr D P Grice, who owns Wayfarer, a full-brother to Haughty and sire of Buccaneer, told the writer recently that Nelson Derby, sire of Haughty and many other good ones, had never done a big stud season. A dozen mares was about the limit of the patronage he received each season, yet he sired a remarkable percentage of winners and must rank as one of the most successful Colonial-bred sires of all time - he got over 100 individual winners and lived to the ripe old age of 31. Regal Voyage, dam of Haughty, was bought at auction by Mr B Grice for stud purposes. She was a beautiful looking mare, in contrast to most of her progeny, who were on the plain side - neither Haughty or her son Brahman would get a prize for looks but they were certainly fashioned to go fast. That Prince Imperial strain again: Gold Bar has it through his third dam, Imperial Polly, and Haughty gets it through her third dam, an unnamed Prince Imperial mare, so Brahman has a double dose of this prepotent strain, a strain that courses through the veins of some of the greatest horses of both gaits over nearly half a century. Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 17Jun53 YEAR: 1963 Haughty, who still ranks as the only mare to have broken two minutes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first mare bred in this part of the world to enter this select circle, has died at the age of 27 years. Haughty won two NZ Cups, was a free-for-all winner and held a number of records. She was an out-and-out champion, and among her notable deeds was the defeat of Gold Bar in a special match race over a mile at Addington in 2.00 2/5. That was in 1943. Haughty's 4.13 3/5 for two miles was a world pacing record for a mare when she retired in 1946, and she was also the biggest stake winning mare up to that time with £13,105 10s. Haughty's second NZ Cup victory in 1943 was a magnificent feat of stamina. From the time Gold Bar hit the front the record crowd was at a high pitch of excitment, and when Haughty, almost exhausted, passed the post a winner, the crowd on the inside flocked onto the track to surround the mare and her driver and gave them a memorable ovation. But let us go back a mile and more and attempt to regain something of the atmosphere of that light-harness drama of November 6. Will they catch him? That was the question on the lips of thousands as Gold Bar held a commanding lead going into the back stretch the last time. When Springfield Globe wilted in his attempt to bridge the gap with three and a half furlongs to go, it momentarily looked as though Gold Bar's big moment had arrived. Then, from 'out of the blue' streaked Haughty and her skilled driver, O E Hooper. A terrific roar swept through the crowd as Haughty gradually drew up to the now exhausted pacemaker and came on to win by two lengths from Countless, with Pacing Power third and Gold Bar fourth. It must have been one of the slowest last quarters ever recorded on a fast track at Addington - 36 sec - yet it was a magnificent climax and a glowing testament to the grit and determination of victor and vanquished alike. Gold Bar had run the first mile, from a standing start, in 2.03 4/5, and reached the mile and a quarter in 2.36 2/5. Haughty's other important successes included the NZ Sprint Championship; her mile against time of 1.59 3/5, and a mile and a quarter placed record of 2.35 2/5, which was still a world race record for a mare when she retired. In the pedigree of Haughty are tabulated the names of three mares who will always remain cornerstones of trotting history. Her sire, Nelson Derby, was by Nelson Bingen out of Norice, an American-bred mare who finished second to Monte Carlo in the first NZ Trotting Cup. On the dam's side of Haughty's pedigree is a close-up strain of Princess, easily the greatest pacing mare of just on 80 years ago. Princess started on her dazzling career back in the early 80s. One fine afternoon that astute horseman, the late Dave Price, noticed a pacing mare showing a turn of speed on the side of a road. He bought her then and there for £20 and a £20 contingency. She was said to be by Dexter, but there was some doubt about her breeding. However, she developed into an out-and-out champion, by far the greatest pacer seen in NZ up to her time, and she was much too good for the Exhibition Cup field at Dunedin. Later Princess went to Australia, where she produced to Hambletonian Bell Boy that good horse Prince Imperial, who became the sire of a mare which never raced, but which produced, among other winners, Thixendale, Lady Willings, Lough Neagh, Denver City, Glimpse and Logan Princess. To Happy Voyage, 2.04 1/5, Logan Princess produced Regal Voyage. Princess was probably just as great a pacer of her time as Haughty was 60 years later. The third great mare in the pedigree is Haughty's dam, Regal Voyage, who reached Cup class. The day she won the Mid-Summer Handicap at Addington in 1931 her time, 4.19 4/5, set a new two-mile record for a mare. In third place that day was the mighty Harold Logan who, from his long mark of 84 yards, was forced to go 4.13 2/5, then a world pacing record. Haughty was mated with Gold Bar when first retired to the stud and produced Whiz, a brilliant pacer who went blind after winning a few races; then came Jaunty, by Josedale Grattan; then Brahman (by Gold Bar), who created the NZ and Australian 2-year-old record of 2.02 1/5 against time at Addington and won his way to NZ Cup class; followed by Tolerant (by Morano), Insolent (by U Scott) and others. Haughty was bred, owned and trained by Mr B Grice, who has now been prominently associated with trotting for nearly half a century. Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 10Apr63 YEAR: 1971
After watching Mount Eden's time trial in 1:56 3/5 at Addington on Saturday afternoon, I have no hesitation in naming him the fastest pacer the world has seen. Given perfect conditions and rated well on Lexington's Big Red Mile in Kentucky, Mount Eden, providing he holds his form, will surely topple Bret Hanover's world record of 1:53 3/5. And, under mobile start conditions at Yonkers Raceway, with Peter Wolfenden driving him (he has accepted this assignment, offered to him by Mount Eden's trainer Jack Miles), it is hard to imagine his rivals in this year's $170,000 International series living with him. The six-furlong Addington track throughout Saturday morning received a thorough drenching by driving rain. Mount Eden's trial, scheduled for noon, had to be postponed for more than five hours until after the last race. Throughout the day the racing was affected by the 'off' track, and the final event, run about 20 minutes before Mount Eden's mile attempt, was won by Radiant Globe in the fastest time of the day, 3:27 for the 13 furlongs - a 2:07 mile rate. The track was then scraped, but still remained quite damp - especially on the turn out of the front straight which occupied most of the second quarter-mile section of the mile. Miles, who drove Mount Eden, later likened this part of the track to porridge. Miles said: "I had to nurse him all the way around that bend, as I didn't want the horse to slip or knuckle over at speed and leave me with no horse, and I reckon that cost me a full second. "Down the back the galloper was no use to me. I kept yelling to Jim (Jim Dalgety, driver of the galloping prompter, thoroughbred Maxwelton) to keep him up, but he shouted back he couldn't." Before the time trial, experienced horsemen agreed that Mount Eden would be lucky to break 2:00. To accomplish a time only 2/5 sec outside Cardigan Bay's NZ and Australian record in such conditions was phenomenal. There seems not much doubt that in the Miracle Mile in Sydney on Friday week, when Mount Eden will meet Stella Frost and Manaroa among others over mobile start mile conditions, given good conditions the remarkable 4-year-old will have little difficulty in breaking Halwes' 1:57 3/5 Australian record, accomplished in the same race in 1968. Miles and his co-owner Bernie Ogden have also agreed to produce Mount Eden in Melbourne before he leaves for the United States and his Yonkers International bid. On the three-furlong Melbourne Showgrounds track, Mount Eden, for a $5000 incentive will attack the track record of 2:00 3/5, which seems at his mercy. On Saturday at Addington my sectional times for Mount Eden were: first quarter 30 2/5 sec; second quarter 29 sec; third quarter 28 4/5; fourth quarter 28 2/5. It was the fifth time in 18 days, since he astonished trackwatchers with a casual 1:58 1/5 mile in his first serious workout in NZ, that Mount Eden had penetrated well inside the two-minute barrier; and each time his clocking was faster. His mightiest race here, though he finished only sixth, was in the third round of heats, when, over 13 furlongs, he lost three-quarters of a furlong at the start and was reliably timed to come his last mile and a half in an unheard of 2:56 4/5, his final mile in 1:56 4/5. Mount Eden's $2000 for breaking 2:00 in the time trial (virtually appearance money) pushed his earning to only $21,160. His racing record is 13 wins and two placings from 20 starts. In the next few weeks in Australia he should double his bankroll, while when he reaches America his earning rate should really rocket. Mr Ogden said on Saturday night that several attractive offers have been made for Mount Eden, and that some are still being considered, but no deals have been made at this stage. Mr Ogden does not expect to go to America with Miles and Mount Eden, but said he might fly from Perth to New York to see him contest the $100,000 International Pace on June 4. Mount Eden may be a freak but he is no fluke of breeding. He is by the imported Adios horse Morris Eden (p, 2:01 1/5 and $88,000), a three-quarter brother to the crack American 3-year-old of last year, Columbia George (p,3, 1:56). Owned by Noel Simpson, Morris Eden, after a successful stint in NZ, is now standing in Victoria, Australia, under Ron Hutchins. His place at Jack Hughes' Glencoe Stud at Pukekohe, has been taken by Good Time Eden, a half-brother by Good Time to Morris Eden. Blankets, the dam of Mount Eden, was unraced. She was by the Light Brigade (by Volomite) horse Aksarben, who won eight races and had a big reputation but was restricted in his race career by recurring leg trouble. Blue Revue, the dam of Aksarben, was a fine producer. She also left Blue (2:09 1/5, world's record for a yearling; eight wins including the NZ Sapling Stakes, NZ Derby and NSW Derby) and several other less important winners. Shepherd's Brook, the dam of Blankets, was by the good racehorse and sire, Nelson Derby. She won three races and apart from Blankets left Midday (6 wins), Midnight (four), Wallacetown (four) and Forenoon (four, and dam of Selena, 7 wins). Shepherd's Brook's dam, the unraced Queen's Treasure, produced Hardy Oak (12 wins), Jack's Treasure (four), Buccaneer (three), Single Star (six), Mareeta (five) and Manoa (four). And Single Star became the dam of a champion NZ filly of her day, Riviera, as well as Petro Star (six wins and dam of six winners including the latest NZ Futurity winner, True Temper). -o0o- Ron Jenkins: Great Trotters One of the most sensational pacers to race in Australia was the NZ-bred, WA-owned pacer Mount Eden who first gained attention as a 3-year-old in winning the WA Sires' Produce Stakes. In recording a mile rate of 2:04 in the mile and a half race from a standing start Mount Eden created a world record for a 3-year-old. In the following season he entered the world spotlight in harness racing. In little more than two months he recorded nine runs in less than two minutes for a timed flying mile. Mount Eden contested the 1971 Inter-Dominion series at Addington, after recording 1:58 4/5 in a time trial before the series began. He failed to qualify for the final as he performed poorly at the start in each of his heats but was timed to run a flying mile in under two minutes in all three heats. Mount Eden's connections were later invited to run their pacer in a time trial on the day of the final and despite the damp conditions, he ran 1:56 3/5, just two-fifths of a second outside Cardigan Bay's Australasian record. On his return to Australia, Mount Eden won the Craven Filter Miracle Mile by 15 yards in 1:58 4/5 after losing some six lengths at the start when he mixed his gait. He paced 1:56.7 in a time trial attempt at Harold Park, replacing Halwes' Australian record of 1:57.3. This was followed by runs of 1:59.8 in Melbourne and 1:57.8 at the Gloucester Park, WA, track in other time trials. Mount Eden was sold to an American owner in April, 1971, for $268,000, making him the most expensive horse, galloper or trotter, to ever be sold in Australia. He left for America having won 14 races from 20 starts and $43,000 in prizemoney. After a time in which he was plagued with injury, Mount Eden was retired to the stud without contesting a race in America. Credit: 'R B' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 3Mar71 YEAR: 1943 1943 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP YEAR: 1904 MABEL & NORICE |