CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

 

YEAR: 1913

Ravenschild & trainer-driver Newton Price
1913 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

The three-day meeting, scheduled for November 11,13 and 14, 1913, was initially in jeopardy. The club held a special committee meeting on November 5 to consider a postponement because of the national waterside strike that had gripped the country. However, the club decided to keep faith with all the horsemen who had already made the long trip to Addington, and proceeded with the meeting. As it transpired, the strike did not prevent any horse from competing, or, apparently, any person from attending.

Ravenschild won the race in hollow fashion from the Australian pacer Denver Huon, with Calm, the race favourite and unbeaten in three starts, a fair third.

The winner, who had been runner-up the year before, gave his sire Rothschild his third Cup success. Such was the large stake offered that Ravenschild was the season's leading earner with £1130, all but £30 coming from his Cup win. The stake for the 1913 New Zealand Cup reached 2000 sovereigns for the first time, the qualifying time was tightened to 4:38, and for the first time a prize for fourth place was offered. Ravenschild's share of the stake was 1100 sovereigns, Denver Huon 400, Calm 300 and Manderene 200. Total stakes offered by the club over the three days were 8000 sovereigns. The Canterbury Jockey Club, which had been in existence more than 50 years, also had a 2000 sovereign stake for it's traditional November New Zealand Galloping Cup. The Metropolitan Club, in just nine years, had raised the stake of it's prestigious race from 310 socereigns to the equal of its more illustrious provincial companion.

Totalisator turnover on Cup Day was a record £42,558, and the Cup betting of £7257 10s was also a record. For the first time the turnover eclipsed the Canterbury Jockey Club's betting on its Cup Day, held as usual three days before the Trotting Cup. The three-day Addington turnover reached a record £124,362, up £25,185 on the previous year.

The club received 23 nominations for the Cup, and only Bell Metal and Princess Louise were withdrawn, which left an over-capacity field. Twelve horses started from the front line of six seconds and from that mark Ravenschild was quickly into the lead for Newton Price. Passing the stands for the first time, Lord Dillon headed Ravenschild, who was followed by Manderene, Little Tib, Aberfeldy, Stop It and Calm. Well rated by his trainer-driver, Ravenschild regained the lead shortly after and by the time the straight was reached was going too well for the others. He finally won by eight lengths in 4:35.6.

Denver Huon, the Australian champion from Sydney, came to the meeting with a reputation for exceptional speed, and from his handicap of two seconds ran a fine race. He had to make his way through the big field, and was timed at 4:33.4. Denver Huon was under the care of Manny Edwards, who had migrated to New South Wales and set up a stud farm and training establishment. Edwards' horses arrived by sea via Melbourne, Hobart and Bluff. The trip was a rough one and Denver Huon, in particular, lost condition. As a result he had worked poorly before a good final trial on the Sunday before the Cup, which convinced his connections to continue with the race.

As expected with such a big, unwieldy field, the start was unsatisfactory. The horss paraded past the stands and then walked to the starting point. They began racing some lengths before reaching the post, getting off in straggling order. Again, Andy Pringle bore the brunt of the disorder and was tipped from the sulky of Glendalough. King Cole, Medallion and Gold Bell broke hopelessly and took no part in the contest.

The Wildwood Junior-Gertie six-year-old Calm, who started from the front, lost his unbeaten record after a slow start. Passing the stands the first time, Bill Kerr's pacer was six seconds behind the leading division. He gradually moved up and, starting the last lap, had moved into third place. Calm chased Ravenschild into the straight and broke, allowing Denver Huon to pass him.

King Cole (out of retirement) had broken Ribbonwood's mile record in 1911, registering 2:08.6. He shared the scratch mark with his co-Australasian mile record-holder Emmeline, who recorded her mile time in the 1912-13 season.

Andy Pringle gained some compensation for his bad luck in the Cup when he rode and drove three winners - Win Soon, Country Belle and Gianella - on the second day. Albert H returned to form, winning the Canterbury Handicap from Red Mac and the trotter Muricata. His winning time of 4:33 equalled the New Zealand record set by Wildwood Junior in 1910.

The third day blonged to the four-year-old trotter Michael Galindo, from the Cliff Tasker stable. After an early break, he made up ground in grand styleand won the Dominion Handicap from Muricata and Quincey.

The most significant newcomer amongst the trainer-drivers at the meeting was James "Scotty" Bryce. The litle man had landed in Wellington from Scotland with his wife and five children earlier in the year. His rise to fame and fortune was repid. Both his sons - James Junior and Andrew - followed him into harness racing and thr Bryce family won every honout there was to achieve in the sport. Scotty Bryce won the national premiership for trainers eight times and he headed the driver's premiership five times. Despite his poor debut with King Cole in 1913, the big races in later years - the New Zealand and Auckland Cups - were easy prey.

Bryce family members were associated with six New Zealand Cup and 11 Auckland Cup victories. Only the Holmes family, Free and his three sons - F.G., Allan and Maurice - who between them won the New Zealand Cup seven times, can boast a better family achievement at Addington. (F.G. was always known by his initials because his first name was the sae as that of his father).

Cecil Devine equalled Scotty Bryce's six New Zealand Cup training successes when Lord Module annihilated the 1979 field. Later still, Roy Purdon, with his two sons, Barry and Mark, produced their sixth victory between them in 1996 when the brilliant Il Vicolo won his second New Zealand Cup.

Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

 

YEAR: 1914

Win Soon & Andy Pringle
1914 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

The second favourite for the 1914 New Zealand Cup, Win Soon, despite an interrupted preparation after qualifying the previous August, began best from the front line and led all the way for an easy win. She was the third mare, after Marian and Lady Clare, to win the Cup and, significantly, all three led from start to finish.

Andy Pringle, Win Soon's trainer, had almost despaired of getting her to the post because she had been troubled with corns, but fortunately the problem cleared in time. The win signalled a change of luck for Pringle, who in his two previous New Zealand Cup drives had been tipped from his sulky.

The Cup stake was increased to 2500 sovereigns, and for the first time the race carried a valuable cup, in addition to the prizemoney. It was made in London for the club's president, Charles Louisson, who donated it. The trophy stood 26 inches without the pedestal and surmounting it was the representation of a trotting horse, complete with sulky and driver.

From the original acceptances, Dan Nyhan's Havoc, Red Mac and Lady Clare were withdrawn, leaving a field of 12, with the front four on six seconds. Denver Huon, on another New Zealand campaign, started from the back, with King Cole, who had not raced since the previous November because of sore feet, refused to leave the mark - in all four of his New Zealand Cup starts, he eliminated himself at the start.

Most pre-race interest centred on the favourite, Don Caesar, a Cup newcomer. Like Win Soon, Don Caesar was troubled some weeks before the race with soreness. But brilliant performances the previous season, plus good trackwork preceding the Cup, confirmed his readiness for a sound two-mile run.

However, he spoilt his chance at the start, as did third favourite Denver Huon. The latter headed a strong Australian contingent and had performed exceptionally well in New Zealand the previous season. After finishing second in the 1913 Cup, Denver Huon had won the New Brighton Cup Free-For-All and, in an exhibition against time, had clocked an Australasian record of 4:28.2 in Auckland.

Win Soon's time, 4:31, was a winning two-mile record. She covered the last half-mile in 1:08 and the first mile in 2:15. Over the last mile Win Soon was challenged by the other mare, Country Belle, who paced a fine race for second. They drew away from the rest, with Win Soon holding off Country Belle to win by four lengths. Eccentric was third, 12 lengths back, folowed by Emmeline, Ravenschild, Manderene, Don Caesar, Denver Huon and Adonis.

Win Soon, the first Southland-bred horse to win a New Zealand Cup, was by the Rothschild horse King Child, from Topsy, who was from a thoroughbred mare. Win Soon, King Child's only winner, had done little racing since winning the Lyttelton Handicap in November 1913. She did not appear after that win until August 3, when she ran third in the main event and qualified for her Cup start, registering 4:37.2.

With £1530, Win Soon was the season's leading money-winner, followed by Our Thorpe, Frandocia and Emmeline. Win Soon's owners, Stevenson and McMath, were the season's top owners, winning £1690, followed by Emmeline's owner, Randle McDonnell.

Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

 

YEAR: 1963

G S ('Swanee') SMITH

He still rides his bike to and from the Addington course - an alert, wiry-looking old gentleman who would pass for years younger than he is, but who long since qualified as the Grand Old Man among head-quarters' personalities. G S ('Swanee')Smith was born at Naseby, Central Otago, in 1882. His father, the late J R Smith, owned a livery and coaching stable, and as a hobby raced and trained many good gallopers.

Young Smith was brought up with horses all around him or, as he puts it now: "was born on a horse." His family owned a large farm and used to run a coach service between Naseby and Ranfurly, although this was a small business compared with Cobb and Company's service from Ranfurly to the Lakes District.

At the age of nine, Smith was riding gallopers in work for his father, and he was 12 years old and weighed 4st 3lb when he won his first race, on his father's horse, The Last, in 1893. Another 'important' early win was on Jack The Flat, in the Naseby Cup (worth 40 sovs), the main event at the Maniototo Jockey Club's meeting in 1895. "Before I went to school, I remember my father putting me on a horse, and giving me a rap on the knuckles if I held the reins too high," Smith said. He recalled that in those days, the practice was to walk with the horses to all the meetings - distances of up to 150 miles on occasions. As well as Jack The Flat, Smith and his father were successfully associated with many other good winners around the Maniototo, Palmerston, Roxburgh, Naseby, Lawrence and Vincent districts. These winners included De Trop, Sebastapol and Emmason.

Smith began to put on weight, and around about 1900 left home to work on the railways in the Dunedin district. It was there, several year later, at Tahuna Park, that he saw that he saw the Australian trotting champion, Mr Buckland's Fritz, give an exhibition run. "I said to myself there and then: 'I'm gonna have one of them,' and although I remembered that my father had always told me that he would 'shoot' me if I had anything to do with trotters, I soon managed to get an amateur's licence," he said.

At the Forbury Park Trotting Club's spring meeting in 1911 - the fourth year of the club's existence - Smith produced Colleen Bawn, an aged black mare of unknown pedigree, owned by a Mr Lethaby, to win the Second Amateur Handicap. It was his first success in the game, but was a forerunner of many more. 'Swanee' recalls that he used to work Colleen Bawn in a sulky that stood higher than himself, and he had quite a job stepping up into the seat. Shortly after that success, Smith shifted to Southland, where he worked on the railways and trained in his spare time. There he won races with his own gelding, Papeete (by Sir Hector), and with a Sir Hector mare Flower o' Turi. In the saddle he won the 1919 Dunedin Handicap with a good performer in Dandy Chimes, and the same year he won the Gore Trotting Club Handicap with Barooga. Both Dandy Chimes and Barooga were by Four Chimes from an unnamed Kentucky mare. Dandy Chimes won his way out of the southern classes, and eventually entered J 'Scotty' Bryce's stable, where he was trained for several important wins in Canterbury. Other good winners trained in the far south by Smith were Harold Wallace, Last Vue, Queen's Lane, Siesa, St Mihiel and Ringway. The last two raced in his own interest.

About 1920 Smith shifted to Canterbury and set up in Buchanans Road, Sockburn. With him he brought Mr J Hamilton's good Bellman gelding, Bellfashion. In 1921-22 he produced Bellfashion to win races at Addington, Forbury Park and Washdyke. The day he won the Timaru Handicap at Washdyke, Smith was also successful with Mr T Newman's imported American stallion, Lee Norris, and Mr F Smith's Harold Dillon mare, Bundura. He also won two races at Forbury Park with Mr Newman's Petereta gelding, Peter King, while he drove Mr G W Dransfield's up-and-coming Logan Pointer gelding, Loganwood, on several occasions. In 1922-23, Smith, took over the training of Loganwood, and won the Midsummer Handicap at Addington and the Forbury Handicap with him. Another important success was in the Nelson President's Handicap with the Harold Rothschild gelding, Rothman, whom he raced in partnership with a Mr Lake.

The next season Lee Norris represented the stable successfully in the Avon Handicap at Addington, while he was beaten by a head by the late Mr M O'Brien's Pete Peter in the Addington Handicap. With Loganwood, Smith beat Bonny Logan and Pedro Pronto in the Selwyn Handicap and Locanda Mac and Whispering Willie in the Midsummer Handicap, both at Addington. Other successes came with Mr M Gorman's Jim Logan and Mr D Rodgers's Fireman. The latter paid a big dividend in the last event of the season, at Washdyke. Followers of the Smith stable enjoyed another big dividend when Mr Rodgers's Wildwood Jun. gelding, Pinevale, eighth favourite in a field of nine won the Oamaru Handicap. Bellfashion, now racing in Smith's interest, won the Railway and Linwood Handicaps at Addington. Actually, the late Sir John McKenzie's good mare, lightnin', beat Bellfashion by four lengths in the latter race, a saddle event, but Lightnin' lost the race, being declared ineligible.
Smith also produced Mr H G Hunt's Dusky Pointer to win the Nelson Cup and another event at Nelson, where his own Harold Dillon mare, Ivy Viking, won at Nelson and Wellington.

In 1925, Smith left Canterbury to return to farm in Central Otago. He was off the racing scene for 12 months, and he didn't work his way back into the picture until right at the end of the 1926-27 season, when he was successful at Ashburton with his own Denver Huon mare, 5-year-old Sadie Huon. At this time he was training at New Brighton. In 1927-28, Sadie Huon won at Geraldine and Timaru for Smith, and the following season he took over Mr F Smith's Rey de Oro gelding Agile, who was from Bundura. Agile won four races that term, after which Smith shifted to Spreydon, near the foot of the Cashmere Hills. Agile won three races including the Mace Memorial at New Brighton and the Flying Handicap (in 2.57 1/5 for the 11 furlongs) at Forbury Park, in 1934-35. Also in that term, Smith won two races with his own Rey de Oro 3-year-old Agility. Agile again won the Flying Handicap at Forbury Park in 1935-36, and this time he was seventh favourite in a field of eight. The following season, Agile, now racing in the trainer's interest, beat Todd Lonzia and Double Great in the Ashburton Boxing Day Handicap.

After winning a race with Agility the following season, Smith became associated with C S Donald, who was then at the top of the ladder and had a big staff of good horsemen helping him with his large team. Agility passed out of Smith's hands and later won the Taranaki Centennial Cup in A Holmes's interests. Donald's team at this time included Mr W L Parkinson's good Jack Potts gelding, Ferry Post. After winning a string of races early in his career, Ferry Post became tempamental, but Smith seemed to get on better with him than anyone else in the stable; and in 1940-41 he worked and drove him to win the Harper and Beach Handicaps at New Brighton. Ferry Post won another two races the following season, with Smith in the sulky again.

Smith broke a leg in a race smash on the Coast in the early 1940s and was off the scene for about two years, but he returned and joined up with the noted horseman, L A Maidens, at Addington. Maidens shifted to Australia, leaving Smith in charge of the team, which included the veteran Jack Potts gelding, Zingarrie, and the chestnut Turco. Smith promptly recovered his reputation for big dividends by piloting Zingarrie to win the Heathcote Handicap at the National meeting of that season. Zingarrie was 16-16 in a field of 18, and returned odds of better than 150 to 1. That was the last success of the gelding's career.

Turco was to be the makings of Smith as a successful trainer. Bred in 1936 by Mr J Dempster, of Nightcaps, he was by Rey de Oro from the Wrack mare, Wrackoda, who traced on the dam's side to the imported Vancleve. He was first trained by O J Dempster, and won his first race at Invercargill in 1839-40. He won several more races, and became unsound and was off the scene for two seasons before returning to race in the interests of Messrs A V Prendeville and J X Ferguson. Smith, who gained valuable knowledge from Maidens, the following season persuaded Turco to recover all of his former brilliance. After a string of placings, which included thirds to Emulous and Highland Scott and Emulous and Jack's Son at Epsom, and to Loyal Peter and Liberty Bond in the Summer Handicap at Hutt Park, he beat Liberty Bond and Loyal Nurse in the Dominion Handicap at Hutt Park and Gallant Maid and Navigate in the Harewood Handicap at Addington. One placing from his next four starts followed and then he ran out the season the winner of his last four starts. His successes were over Cameronian and Lucky Loyal in 4.21 at Addington, over Native Scott and Jack's Son in 4.18 at Addington, over Knave of Diamonds and Dundee Sandy in 2.37 4/5 at Addington, and over Countless, Dundee Sandy and Double Peter in the All-Aged Stakes at Ashburton. Smith considers Turco by far the best horse he has anything to do with. "He was a brilliant beginner, and if tucked in behind until the right moment, could out-finish the best of them," he said. Other winners prepared by Smith in 1945-46 were News Agent, Princess Maritza and D A Morland's Noble Reta (the dam of Bon Ton).

In 1946-47 Turco dead-heated with Haughty, ahead of Josedale Grattan and Countless, in the NZ Premier Sprint Championship, and then defeated Countless, Integrity and Double Peter in the Ollivier Handicap at Addington. He also gained six important placings, including a close second to Battle Colours in the Hannon Memorial. By this time Smith had taken under his wing a string of pacers and trotters, and those who he won races with in 1946-47 included Jackie Guy, Loyal Peter, Aberhall, Willie Winky, Fancy Goods, King's Messenger, Incredible, Mountmellick, Logan Ray and Convincer. Most of these horses were considered near the end of their tethers when Smith took them over, but he worked wonders with this team; such was his outstanding ability to train and drive.

The following season he took over the former southern mare, Mr R Wylie's Grattan Drive. A fine performer, she created an immediate impression under Smith by winnig over two miles at Addington in 4.17 2/5. She won two further races at Addington that term and also the Au Revoir Handicap at Forbury Park in the fast time of 2.55 for the 11 furlongs. It was during that season (1947-48)that Smith ventured to Auckland with a team to contest the InterDominion Championship series. With Loyal Peter he won a qualifing heat, but finished unplaced in the final, "through," he says, "an error of judgement." With Turco he won the Consolation Pacer's race in 3.12 2/5 and, with the Wrack trotting gelding, Willie Winkie, the outsider of a field of 10, he gained third placing in the Trotters' Grand Final. Jackie Guy, Mountmellick, King's Messenger and Mr C S Over's Red Ace were other winners from the stable that term.

Early the following season Smith trained and drove winners in Voco Power, Red Ace, Baby Grand and Grattan Drive, before piloting Jackie Guy to victory at Addington. Jackie Guy, however, was disqualified from that race, and Smith lost his driving licence on the grounds of interference. M Holmes, S A Edwards, R Young, W R Butt, D G Jones, J A Carnichael, R Stevens and others drove members of his team from them on. Later in the season, Jackie Guy won a double at Wellington and the stable was represented by other winners in Silent Knight, Trustee and Systematic. Trustee, a Quite Sure gelding and a member of the First Water family, won three races, including the Canterbury Handicap at Addington, for which he was the outsider of the field of 12 and recorded 4.15 1/5. Mr H Rattray's Grattan Loyal gelding, Systematic, was also at good odds for his two successes that term.

The next season Trustee won at Wellington when ninth favourite in a field of 12, while other winners included Systematic, Baby Grand, Jimmy Dillon, Right Royal, Dolly Fraser, Merry Man and Tiny Scott. Jimmy Dillon, an aged Quite Sure trotting gelding, raced in the interests of Mr Prendeville won three races including the NZ Trotting Free-For-All and the NZ Hambletonian Handicap. Right Royal, a speedy son of Jack Potts and Bingenique, raced by Mr W A Newton, won sprints at New Brighton and Forbury Park.

Smith won two races with the Dillon Hall gelding Popotai, in his own interests the following season, and four races with Mr C A Winter's 4-year-old Gamble horse, Gay Lyric. Other good winner produced from his stable that year were Systematic, Trustee, Tiny Scott, Dark Water and Scott Wrack. In 1951-52, he produced winners in Dark Water, the veteran Duncraig, Gay Lyric, Popotai, Systematic and Mrs A and Mrs J Darwell's Josedale Grattan gelding, Denbry, a temperamental customer at that stage of his career. The following season his major success was in the Johns Handicap at New Brighton with Denbry.

He long since gave up "pottering about with a horse or two" but his love of the game still draws like a magnet this remarkably agile octogenarian to training work and to race meetings at Addington and New Brighton. "It keeps me young," grinned Swanee.


Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 26Jun63



In the event that you cannot find the information you require from the contents, please contact the Racing Department at Addington Raceway.
Phone (03) 338 9094