YEAR: 1935
Refer also 1934 Cup for comment. Indianapolis, a son of imported parents in Wrack and Estella Amos, was bred at Durbar Lodge by Harry Nicoll's son Arthur and bought as an early 3-year-old by Dunedin's George Barton, the leading owner each year for a decade during this time, on the recommendation of Billie Tomkinson. The entire was in 'star class' by the end of his 4-year-old season, but Tomkinson had died prior to the 1934 Cup and Indianapolis was prepared by his right-hand-man Claude Dunleavy for the remainder of his career. His first Cup win was a mere formality from 12 yards over Blue Mountain(Fr) and Harlod Logan(72yds), but there was another star on the horizon at the meeting that year in the form of War Buoy, who was in the process of putting together an unbeaten career of 10 wins, a sequence that remained unmatched until Cardigan Bay eclipsed it some 30 years later. War Buoy took his record to 15 wins from 17 starts when he won the August Handicap at the National Meeting as a 5-year-old, so as the Cup loomed with War Buoy off the front and Indianapolis off 48 yards, there was much anticipation. Particularly when War Buoy skipped six lengths clear turning for home for Stan Edwards, but Indianapolis was commencing his run at the same time six-wide and in the end had three lengths to spare. It was no less exciting the following year when Indianapolis(48yds) became the first three-time winner after a great tussle with Red Shadow(24yds), War Buoy(Fr) and Harold Logan(48yds). A rejuvenated Red Shadow, back in the Bryce stable, had skipped clear at the three furlongs while Indianapolis appeared to be languishing in the rear. But with giant strides, Indianapolis drew level at the 100m for Jack Fraser and came away to confirm his status as one of the greatest stayers ever seen. Credit: New Zealand HRWeekly 8Oct03 YEAR: 1931 STANLEY ALEXANDER EDWARDS YEAR: 1947
The NZ Trotting Cup, 1947, was nothing more than a workout for Highland Fling. If the field he routed was high class - it must be assumed it was, because winners of three previous Cups and five free-for-all winners were strung out behind him - then Highland Fling has proved himself the greatest pacer ever bred in this country. He elected to win the race the tough way. He took the lead off Loyal Peter within half a mile and proceeded to carry the cream of the Dominion's stayers to a state of exhaustion that gave the finish all the appearances of a walk-over. Highland Fling had only to register 4:18 2-5, nearly five seconds slower than his best time as a four-year-old last season, and the effortlessness of his win had to be seen to be appreciated. The trite saying "He did not turn a hair," was heard on all sides when he returned to the birdcage, and it was never more appropriately applied. Only now five years old, Highland Fling is already several removes above anything else wearing harness, sprinters and stayers alike. He is the only horse since Harold Logan who looks capable of putting the longer-distance records as far out of reach of his successors as Harold Logan did, and Harold Logan's 4:12 2-5 has stood for 13 years. And now something about the man who transformed Highland Fling from a petulant,'iffy' flying machine into a businesslike, genuine racehorse. L F Berkett, from the time he first 'talked turkey' to Highland Fling, knew that he had the greatest horse in his long and notable career, Dilworth, Imprint, Red Shadow, Royal Silk etc, notwithstanding. That was just over a year ago, and in that short space of time Highland Fling has won ten races and more than £12,000 in stakes - his total to date has reached £15,313, which is only £744/10/- short of Integrity's New Zealand and Australian record total of £16,057/10/-. Bought by Mr A T Kemble from his breeder, Mrs K Bare, for something under £200, Highland Fling was a sensational early two-year-old, and an unsuccessful offer of £2000 for him was made by a Canterbury sportsman. His mile record of 2:10 for that age still stands, and if he had not drawn up his own set of rules as a three-year-old he would probably figure prominently on the record roster of pacers of that age. He was a winner at three years, but altogether he did not line up at the races as he should have done, although always produced in the pink of condition by his young Auckland trainer. The first time Berkett raced Highland Fling in Canterbury he struck a very sloppy track and in both the main distance event and the sprint at the New Brighton Autumn Meeting he had to strike his colours to an honest, though not great mare in Gold Peg. Then came Highland Fling's meteoric rise to championship status. Losing upwards of 100 yards at the start of two-mile races, he still proved capable of winning decisively. Not always though, because on odd occasions he refused to lend any sort of co-operation to Berkett, Sen. or Berkett, Jnr., and took no real part in some of his races. But in 18 starts for Berkett he has won 10 races, been second twice and third once. You could scarcely call that inconsistent. The father and son tradition in New Zealand trotting can offer no finer examples than those of the Bryce and Holmes families. Both are now producing their successful horsemen in the third generation. L F Berkett bids fair to establish a similar family saga of skilled reinsmen. Already his son, C R Berkett, who drove the Cup winner, is the leading trainer and horseman of the season, and another of his sons, N L Berkett, is also one of the most successful of the younger generation of trainers and drivers. Highland Fling was the favourite and started from 12 yards, the second horse, owned and driven by O E Hooper was Knave of Diamonds also started from 12yds. Loyal Peter, starting from scratch was driven for W B Somerville by S A Edwards and finished third. Mr W J Doyle's In The Mood also started off scratch and was driven by the owner into fourth place. The margins were two lengths and one and a half lengths. Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 5Nov47 YEAR: 1948 1948 DOMINION HANDICAP YEAR: 1963 G S ('Swanee') SMITH YEAR: 1965 D A (Drum) Withers, who died in Christchurch recently, was one of the leading trainers and drivers of the Dominion in the 1920s. Throughout his long and distinguished career in the light-harness code, Drum had been a credit indeed, to the game. From boyhood Drum's main idea was eventually to train light-harness horses, and as soon as he left school he went to work for the late B Edwards at Avonhead Road. One of his first charges was Monte Carlo, whom he looked after when that horse won the NZ Cup in 1904. It is interesting to recall that Monte Carlo beat the famous foundation mare in Norice that day and ran the two-mile journey in 4:44 3/5. The owner of Monte Carlo gave young Withers 10 shillings and he considered he was well treated. Times were hard then. Drum was also in charge of another horse called George L II who, about the same time, won two races. After a period with Edwards, Withers took employment with the late R McMillan and then the late T Davidson. He won his first race while working for Davidson on a horse called T E C at the Canterbury Park meeting, which was held where Wigram aerodrome is now. The late Andy Pringle finished second to Drum and after the race he gave Drum a dressing down for what he considered undue use of the whip on T E C. Drum stated that in those days there were no riding or driving fees, only promises. Withers then left the horses and drove a bakers cart for a Mr Vass. Mr E Woodham was the baker and owned a horse called Blackchild Boy in the days when three-mile races were quite common. Those races were optional, the horses could either be ridden or driven. Withers rode Blackchild Boy in one of those three-mile races at New Brighton, but he failed to gain a place. Later in th day he went out to do his preliminary for a mile and a half race and was going so well that he asked Mr Woodham, who was standing by the rails, to put £2 on for him. Time was running short, however, and Mr Woodham did not reach the totalisator in time. Blackchild Boy duly won and paid a dividend in the vicinity of £56. The next horse Withers trained was Disappear, whom he started only three times. Disappear won the mile saddle at Addington the day that Adelaide Direct won the NZ Cup, and ran third on the second day. After a period of ill health Withers gradually drifted back into the light-harness game and some of his first clients were the late J Nixon, who owned Temple Peter, the late W B Clarkson (War Bond), the late J B Pearson (Coil), Mr E Thompson (Florence La Badie), the late Mr F Neale (Bill Brown) and Mr G Rutherford (Prince Athol). Drum said they were all fine men to train for. In his earlier days Drum was a regular visitor to the West Coast meetings, where he had a great run in saddle races, a horse called Voter being a good winner under weight for him. He said that what seemed years later he was at the first Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting and D Bennett advised him to ride Voter in a saddle race. Drum thought that the horse must have been old enough to vote, but when he had a look at him he still looked like a young horse, so he decided to ride him. Voter won, and his next engagement was in the Reefton Cup. His connections were not very keen in starting him in the Cup, as he was not thought very much of in harness. Voter surprised everyone by winning the Cup and his owner was so pleased that he took the horse home to his stable and gave him a good drink and a feed and returned to scratch Voter from a saddle race later in the day. The fields were not very large, and the stewards persuaded Mr Lochore, the owner of Voter, not to scratch his horse. Voter was brought back to the course, and despite being full of feed and water, he ran a great race to finish second. Drum said tha Voter was a great favourite of the Reefton people. Withers had a lot of time for a horse called Little Pointer, owned by a Mr Grant of Nelson, who bought him from Mr B Grice. He won the Nelson Cup with Little Pointer and then sent him and Prince Athol up to Hawera. For the Hawera Cup Little Pointer was considered a certainty. Unfortunately, a car ran into him on the way to the races, breaking one of his legs. Prince Athol made some recompense for the ill-luck by winning his race. Withers later bought a full-brother to Little Pointer off Mr Grice for Mr Grant named Little Logan, a straight-out trotter. Little Logan was entered in the trotters' races at Palmerston North and, talking things over with Mr Grant before the first trot, Drum decided that the most difficult horse to beat would be Herbilwyn, trained by the late Skipper Price. While waiting to be called in to the barrier, Drum and Skipper decided to save a pound's worth of the dividend between them. The race duly started and Herbilwyn went away smartly and was soon bowling along extra well. At the straight entrance Drum noticed Skipper take a look around and thought to himself, "Skipper thinks no one is going to chase him." Drum shook Little Logan up and was two lengths past Herbilwyn before his rider was aware of any danger. Little Logan had the race in safe keeping before Skipper could get busy on his horse. Skipper was called before the stewards and given a holiday for 12 months for 'going to sleep.' Another incident is worth relating, but for obvious reasons, no names will be mentioned. Drum was driving a horse in a big race and unbeknown to Drum the trainer had tightened up the horse's hopples, as he had his eyes on a bigger stake the next day and was far from keen to win this particular race. His only instructions to Drum were "do the best you can." Drum did and the horse won to the tune of a dividend of £48. The laugh was on the trainer, as Drum had £2 on his drive. Wither's considered Logan Lou and Regal Voyage two of the best mares he ever had. Logan Lou won the August Handicap on the first day of the National meeting in 1925, finished second in the King George Handicap on the second day and won the National Cup on the third day. Logan Lou also won the National Cup the next year. Logan Lou was considered by Withers to be unlucky not to win a NZ Cup. Prior to the 1924 race Logan Lou was very well, but a short time before the meeting she met with an accident and could not take her place in the field. Regal Voyage held a very high place in the opinion of Withers. She was the first mare to go better than 4:20 for two miles and was in the top flight amongst the Dominion's pacers. Regal Voyage began racing as a 4-year-old in the 1928-9 season, when she had four starts. She opened her winning account when she won the Teviotdale Handicap at Amberley. She was trained for that success by L Davidson and driven by D Withers. As a 5-year-old the next season Regal Voyage won four races. After her first success that term she was transferred to D Withers's stable. During the remainder of the season she won the Autumn Handicap at Ashburton, the Renown Handicap and the Southland Handicap at Forbury Park. The next season saw Regal Voyage win four races, her most-important success being in the Mid-summer Handicap at Addington. Regal Voyage opened the 1931-2 season with a win in the August Handicap at Addington and then after several minor placings she won the Dunedin Cup. At the same meeting she won the Au Revoir Handicap, and this was to be her last winning effort on the race track. Following two unsuccessful seasons she was retired to the stud, and amongst her progeny was the grand race mare in Haughty, dual NZ Cup winner and dam of the 2-year-old mile record holder Brahman (2:02 1/5) and other winners Withers recalled the time he won the Wellington Cup with Silk Thread. The day the acceptances closed Silk Thread was lame, so he was put out in a paddock and it was intended to withdraw him later. In those days acceptances did not close till eight o'clock at night, and when Withers returned later in the afternoon, E Schofield, who was looking after the horse said that he had been galloping about all afternoon, so it was decided to take him to Hutt Park. He duly won the Gold Cup, beating Logan Park, driven by the late W J Tomkinson. Another good winner for Withers was a pacer called Little Nelson, owned by Mr B Grice. He was entered for the Cheviot Cup, a race Mr Grice was very keen to win as a handsome trophy went with the stake. Grice thought before the race that they could not be lucky enough to win, but Drum said that Little Nelson would have to fall over to get beaten. That is just what happened. He was knocked down. Drum had no hesitation in saying that Great Bingen was the best horse he ever trained. He was a "perfect gentleman" and always did his best in a race. He was the first horse to go two miles in 4:20 in the Dominion and won some of the most important races in the country, but there appeared to be a hoodoo on him as far as the Cup races were concerned. Great Bingen won over all distances, very often from seemingly impossible marks. In the opinion of Withers, his greatest sffort was when he won the York Handicap at Addington from 108 yards behind. Great Bingen finished second to Ahuriri in the 1925 NZ Cup and in 1927 he had to be content with fourth place behing Kahara, Cardinal Logan and Man O'War. In that contest Great Bingen met with interfrence when Imprint broke in front of him, but he came home with a whirlwind finish for his placing. The following year Great Bingen was narrowly beaten by his full-brother, Peter Bingen. The Auckland Cup also eluded Great Bingen, in the 1926 race he was considered very unlucky by his trainer-driver. Great Bingen was in a good position in that race, trailling Acron, who was following the trotter, Peterwah. Peterwah broke and interfered with Acron, who can back on to Great Bingen, stopping him almost dead. Great Bingen recovered sufficiently to finish fourth. He ran fourth again the next year when conceding starts of up to 78 yards. While on the subject of Great Bingen it is interesting to compare the stakes won by him at the Australian Championships at Perth in the 1925-6 season. He won the first heat, for which he received £100, and got a similar sum for winning the third heat. He also won the first final and the third final, which were worth £300 each. In all he amassed a total of £800 for winning four races. In the 1925-6 season Great Bingen was only twice out of a place in 13 starts. Withers had a good deal of success with Kingcraft, a big gelding by Quincey from Colene Pointer. Kingcraft belonged to Mr B Grice and was inclined to waywardness, but he won many races when in the care of Withers. Kingcraft commenced racing as a 3-year-old and won at his only two starts that season. His successes were gained in the Juvenile Handicap at Addington and the Palmer Handicap at Wellington. Kincraft was a hardy type and raced with outstanding success for several seasons, counting amongst his wins for Mr Grice the Islington, Canterbury, Flying, President's and Farewell Handicaps at Addington. Kingcraft also won the first heat of the NZ Cup in 1929. Kingcraft failed to win a race in the 1933-4 and 1934-5 seasons, although he was placed several times. He was then presented to Withers by Mr Grice and went on to win three more races in the ownership of Withers. His wins were gained in the Electric Handicap at Oamaru, when driven by S A Edwards, the Advance Handicap at Addington, and the Bollard Memorial Handicap at Wellington. In the latter two races Kingcraft was driven by Withers. Loganwood was another pacer who won races for Drum, and he was also trained successfully by G S (Swanny) Smith. Drum also had several driving successes behind that grand little pacer Roi L'Or. He finished second behind him in the Dunedin Cup and then won the big race on the second day. Drum said 'lady luck' was with him that day as Roi L'Or was on his toes at the start and was racing in a short sulky. When the barrier went Roi L'Or swung round and kicked quite a few spokes out of one wheel. The broken spokes made a terrible clatter and going down the back the last time the wheel started to buckle and was rubbing against the forks. Roi L'Or just got up to win by a neck and on his return to the birdcage the wheel collapsed altogether. Withers was private trainer for the late Sir John McKenzie for nearly four years. During that time he trained a large number of winners, and included amongst the horses he had in his care were a select string including Great Bingen, Acron, Silk Thread, Peter Swift, Great Actress, Real The Great, Frisco Beau and Dolores. Numbered amongst Drum's driving successes were the Reefton Cup with Lord Lytten and Voter, the Greymouth Cup with Anon; the Methven Cup with Colene Pointer; the Bollard Memorial Handicap with Kingcraft and Steel All; the Oamaru Handicap with Coil; the Dunedin Cup with Regal Voyage; the National Cup twice with Logan Lou; the Adams Memorial Cup with Silk Thread and the Wellington Gold Cup with Silk Thread. His best season was in 1925-6, when he was the Dominion's leading trainer with 22 successes. He was leading driver in the 1925-6 and 1926-7 seasons with 29 and 31 winning drives respectively. Prior to, and during World War II, Drum raced a galloper in Sandwich Man with a good deal of success. Trained for him by the late F Christmas, Sandwich Man won for Withers the County Hurdle Handicap at Ashburton, the Suburban Handicap at Riccarton, the Tinwald Handicap at Ashburton and the Presdent's Handicap at Oamaru. Amongst Sandwich Man's placed performances was a second to Defaulter in the Wellington Cup. Culverden, another galloper raced by Withers, won for him the Hack and Hunter's Steeplechase at Oamaru, when trained by his son, G H Withers. Credit: 'Irvington'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 15Sep65 YEAR: 1965 Last week light harness racing lost one of it's most pleasing and engaging personalities with the death of S (Stan) A Edwards at the comparatively early age of 56 years. Stan, "Young Stan" as he was known throughout his career, was something more than merely an exceptionally good horseman and trainer. He was a philosopher ever ready to give a helping hand, whether by deed or word, whenever or wherever his advice or assistance was required. What is more, he had a keen and delightful sense of quiet, kindly humour, winning himself a wide circle of friends in all walks of life. It was natural that Stan would make trotting his life. A son of "Manny", an outstanding horseman at the turn of the century, and a brother to the late Dil, recognised as an expert trainer and driver, Stan came on the light harness scene at an early age. As a mere boy he quickly won recognition as a saddle horseman at a period when this type of racing was a regular feature of all meetings and the standard of horsemanship was of the highest. Stan was regarded as having few equals and no superiors in this field, also as a trainer. He was associated with numerous horses of high quality. He and Ripcord, one of the greatest trotters ever seen, made a perfect combination, and he also handled Great Venture, a Dominion Handicap winner, in faultless style. He developed and drove Silver de Oro and Sir Julian to take major honours in the NZ Sapling Stakes, and he drove War Buoy in a number of his races. War Buoy, of course, still holds the record number of successive wins, scoring in each of his first 10 starts. That was a remarkable achievement because he started out as a 2-year-old by winning a handicap event against pacers of all ages, shapes and sizes and only bad luck brought about his first defeat in his eleventh appearance. Other top-class horses Stan was associated with included Star Rosa (Champion Stakes), Hilda Scott (Greymouth Cup), Thunder (National Cup), Gamble, Blair Athol, Nell Grattan, Our Kentucky, Lady Belmer (Easter Cup), Black Douglas and Maori Queen, to mention a few. Stan was keenly interested in the Horsemen's Association of which he was president for some years, and his passing left a big gap in all departments of light harness racing. Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 26May65 YEAR: 1989 NANCY EDWARDS YEAR: 1995 Anne Wilson, who bred and raced some of NZ's greatest horses, died last Friday. She was 91. Mrs Wilson was the wife of the late Andy Wilson, a former secretary of the Wyndham Harness Racing Club. Freeman Holmes, now retired from a notable career as a leading Canterbury studmaster and trainer, recalls Mrs Wilson as "a highly respected person, whom I had a lovely association with." Holmes found her modesty while racing the great pacer Noodlum together as one of her personality strengths. Many years earlier her husband had been given the fine pacer Nell Grattan, who had been trained by Stan Edwards to win nine races. From Nell Grattan, they bred Tactics, a top racemare who won the New Brighton Cup and 10 other races from the stable of Maurice Holmes and after being sold left to Hal Tryax the outstanding young pacer, Tactile. Tactics also left Deft, a daughter of Captain Adios who produced Noodlum to Bachelor Hanover. After an illustrious career on the track, in which he won 28 races, Noodlum was twice leading sire in New Zealand and for the past two seasons has been leading broodmare sire. A keen and very capable golfer, Mrs Wilson bred Adroit, winner of the Golden Slipper Stakes, and won the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes with Petite. She is survived by a son, Brian. Credit: NZ HRWeekly 23Aug95 YEAR: 1999
Harness racing in this country is built on the foundation of farm boys like Ted Sunckell. They grew up with horses because their parents needed them to work the fields. Going back to the days when Ted was a lad, horses were also the method of transportation, communication, getting to school, and racing along the country roads. When he was 15, he took his father's horse Miss Locander from Waiau to the Blenhiem races. This was a two-day trip, and by the time Miss Locander reached Blenhiem she was muscle sore and didn't race well. On the third day of the meeting, obviously recovered, she bolted in and paid £80 to win. On the way home, Ted and visiting trainers from Wellington would stop at the Clarence Reserve cookhouse for a feed and sleep under the stars. His interest in racing took him into the stables and a job with Addington trainer Drum Withers when he was 17. His first horse came later, when he paid £200 for Tatsydale at a Tattersalls auction in Christchurch. She was bred in Southland by Cliff Irvine, and driven by Vic Alborn won six races, and finished fourth in the Dominion Handicap behind Dictation, Ripcord and Single Task. This was the day when Maida Dillon paid £257/12/6 to win, Johnny Globe beat Vivanti in the Derby and the free-for-all was won by Parawa Derby from Cargo Song and Gay Knight. From Tatsydale and U Scott, Ted bred Welburn, a tidy little trotter before being sold to Australia. He lost form in the confines of a smaller establishment but found it again after being given away and relocated into the paddock-training environment he enjoyed with Ted. Parados was a smart pacer from Tatsydale trained by Stan Edwards, and other horses from the family were Tatsy Brigade, Song Key, High Note, Gay Tune, El Red and Tatsy Star. Gay Tune ran third in the Trotting Stakes, and at stud left Gay Marlene, who made her name as the dam of Thriller Dee, 1:57.8, and the winner of 24 races. In more recent years, he had his horses trained by Jack Carmichael, Felix Newfield, and his association with Don Nyhan and Globe Derby was more than 30 years. When it was time to give up the farm, Ted did not give up the horses. He won a race at the Akaroa meeting in 1989 with Star Act, and scored with High Note at Reefton in 1993. Even when frail, he kept working a horse and a cold winter night still brought him into Addington where he could watch a few races. He once said to his son Jim: "When my time comes, I'd like to let go the reins and just fall out the back of the cart." He says: "He had a Clever Innocence mare in work, and he'd arrive down about 9am to work it. It was hairy watching this. I don't know how he had the strength to do it. Once she took off and did five laps with him. He had one hand on the reins and on hand on the shaft, hanging on." This season, Ted did not renew his licence. When he died last month at the age of 93, he had run a longer race than most. Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 6Oct99 |