| MESCELLANY |
THE MILE RECORD
The first horse to break 2:10 in New Zealand was Ribbonwood, who set the mile mark at Addington against time in 1903. He was driven by his owner-trainer, D J Price.
This record stood until 1911, when a son of Ribbonwood, King Cole, lowered it to 2:08 3-5, also against time, and at Addington. King Cole was owned by Mr R O Duncan and trained and driven by N L Price.
By 1915 a champion mare, Country Belle, a great sprinter as well as a stayer, was sent against the watch at Addington. Owned and trained by Mr W J Morland, and driven by James Bryce, Country Belle clipped more than a second off the record by registering 2:07 1-5.
The following season the Australian-bred mare Adelaide Direct, owned, trained and driven by M Edwards, lowered the record to 2:06 2-5 at Auckland.
The 1920-21 season saw Our Thorpe, driven by his owner, A Fleming, attack the record at Addington and reduce it by a fraction to 2:06 1-5.
This stood until the 1922-23 season, when the Australian-bred pacer Happy Voyage, driven by her owner-trainer W J Tomkinson, registered 2:04 1-5, also against the watch, at New Brighton on April 14, 1923. This was also a world grass-track record. The files state that Happy Voyage was paced by War Bond (ridden by A D Chapman), and Olwyn (driven by J N Clarke).
The mile record was next lowered in a race. This was in the November Free-For-All at the 1924 New Zealand Cup meeting. Run from a flying start, the race was won byMr J R (later Sir John) McKenzie's Acron, trained by J J Kennerley and driven by A Butterfield, in the then sensational time of 2:03 3-5. The second horse, Realm, also fractured 2:04.
In 1934 two champion Australian pacers, Walla Walla and Auburn Lad visited New Zealand for match races. At a special matinee meeting at Addington both pacers were set against the mile record. Walla Walla, who was suffering from a cold, registered 2:03 4-5. Auburn Lad, driven by his owner-trainer, W McKay lowered the record by a considerable margin when he clocked 2:02 2-5.
The following season Indianapolis, also at Addington, was successful in his attack on the record, his time being 2:01 2-5; and two seasons later, in 1936-37, he made a successful onslaught on his own record when he registered 2:00 2-5, again at Addington. Indianapolis was owned by Mr G J Barton. In his first record run he was driven by E C McDermott, and in the second by J Fraser, Jnr. F C Dunlevey was his trainer.
Two seasons elapsed before the record was again attacked, and the perfect-gaited Australian unhoppled pacer Lawn Derby, owned by Mr J MacKenny, and trained and driven by W J O'Shea, made history by doing the mile in 1:59 2-5 at Addington in November, 1938. This was not only the first two-minute mile hoisted in the Dominion, but the first time such figures had been made outside the United States.
Gold Bar, 1:59 3-5 and Haughty 1:59 3-5, made valiant attempts to beat Lawn Derby's figures in the years between the retirement of Lawn Derby and the rise of Highland Fling.
At his first attempt on the record, a week after his second New Zealand Cup victory in 1948, Highland Fling went 1:59 2-5, thus equalling Lawn Derby's time; a few days later Highland Fling went again, this time putting up the sensational figures of 1:57 4-5, sensational because the usual procedure in trials against time is a strong warm-up and the assistance of a galloping pacemaker. L F Berkett, trainer-driver of Highland Fling dispensed with both! The spectacle of "The Flings" lone role was a thrilling one, and there the record has remained for 11 years.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 18Nov59
YEAR: 1922
1922 NEW ZEALAND CUP
Realm and Reta Peter were the eleventh-hour withdrawals for the N.Z. Trotting Cup, leaving a dozen runners scheduled to compass two miles in 4.31 or faster. When the field filed out to do their preliminaries a nasty easterly was blowing, and clouds of dust were in evidence. Box Seat was subjected to a stiff preliminary. Tatsy Dillon moved scratchlly, but Onyx, Vllo, Agathos and Gold Boy hit out in determined fashion. When the spectators got to work Vilo was the early favorite, being entrusted with a few pounds more than the coupled horses, Trlx Pointer and Sherwood, while Box Seat, Onyx, Agathos and Tatsy Dillon were the next best fancied, with Moneymaker the outsider of the
party.
From a good despatch Locanda Dillon was the only one to jig. Box Seat also mixed it and was more or less tangled for the first furlong; Gold Boy was first to break the line, but before a furlong was covered Agathos rushed to the front. The first two furlongs were covered in 38sec, at which stage Agathos was just in front of Gold Boy, Vilo, Vlce-Admlral, Tatsy Dillon, General Link, Sherwood and Onyx, with Locanda Dillon, Moneymaker, Whispering Willie and Box Seat tailed off.
Going down tho back Vilo ranged alongside of Agathos. Passing the tanks Gold Boy broke. The first mile was negotiated in 2.21 1/2. With a round to go Agathos was still bowling along in front with Vilo, Vice-Admiral, Tatsy Dillon, Onyx, Sherwood, General Link and Trlx Pointer all in a bunch. Rounding the turn for home Vilo was under a hard drive and Onyx could be noticed making her run. Once into the home stretch Onyx challenged Agathos, but in a tight finish Agathos beat Onyx by a length. Three lengths further away came Vilo, then General Link and Vice-Admiral.
The Winner was accorded a rousing reception on returning to scale. He is the property of the well-known official who races as "Mr Channlng." For some time past the O.Y,M. gelding has been exhibiting his best form. His condition was a credit to his mentor, Nelson Price. He was driven by A. Butterfield, who has previously proved his worth as a reinsman.
Credit: NZ TRUTH 11 Nov 1922
YEAR: 1926
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| J Bryce & R Morten after the1925 NZ Cup |
In 1925 and the following year Ahuriri was successful in the Cup. His dam was the great mare Muricata. Muricata was by Mauritius, imported from America by the late R McMillan in 1905, and was a son of Bingen, Mauritius served a few mares before being sent to Australia, amongst them being Queen Wave,the dam of Muricata. Muricata was a roan mare favouring her dam in colour and a great trotter in her time, winning freguently against the pacers. The late Mr N L Price, who trained her for most of her races, once stated that she was the only trotter he had ever known who could change from trotting to the pacing gait at top speed, and for that reason he was always on "pins and needles" when racing her in trotting races.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 31 October 1945