| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 1969
Dr A S SANDSTON
Dr Authur Samuel Sandston, who died last week aged 89, was a well known dentist in Christchurch for many years. At the age of 75 he was the oldest practising dentist in the country.
A fine athlete in his youth, Dr Sandston maintained his interest in all kinds of sport but his specialty was trotting, and he raced a number of trotters from about 1910 onwards.
As a young man, he raced two outstanding horses, Don Caesar and Lord Roanchild, and in more recent times raced several in partnership with his son, Dr A C Sandston, including Thelma Globe, the champion racemare of her time. Thelma Globe left Thermal, Don Caesar, Belle Renarde and Financial.
Dr Sandston was a steward of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club, a member of all local trotting clubs and of the Canterbury Jockey Club. He was also a life member of the Canterbury Club.
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 28May69
YEAR: 1968
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'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 12Jun63.
Thelma Globe, dam of Blazing Globe, one of the smartest 3-year-olds in Australia this season, could quite easily have been relegated to the marton's paddock as a filly, so little promise did she show up till the time she reached her fourth birthday.
She was such a complete duffer as a juvenile that she was raced only once as a 3-year-old, was allowed to go out the rank outsider of a field of 14 in the NZ Oaks, and justified it!
Mr G Lancaster, who bred Thelma Globe, recalled that J Vivian, of Shands Track, Hornby, mouthed and gaited Thelma Globe, who was then given to H J Smith to train. She showed practically no promise and about the only think she was good for was as a pacemaker in trials. In training at the same stables was another of Mr Lancaster's juveniles, Yankiwi, who had much of the early ability of the Free Advice family; but while Yankiwi was usually up near the front of most of his workouts, Thelma Globe went in danger of being run over in the last bit. She became wayward at the barrier, and after her Oaks fiasco she went back to her owner's place and was turned out.
At four years she was leased to Drs A C and A S Sandston, with the right of purchase, and she won a few races before the Doctors excercised their option at what turned out to be a very reasonable figure. Thelma Globe was trained for all her successes, and driven in the majority of he races by J B Pringle. Thelma Globe, of course, was a champion. Her 4.11 for two miles is still a world record for a mare.
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The death was reported recently of Thelma Globe, one of the greatest mares to race in the Dominion.
Thelma Globe, who began her career as a 3-year-old and had one unplaced start that season in the NZ Oaks, in which she was the outsider in a field of 14, was a bay mare by Springfield Globe from My Lady Luck, a full sister to two other top-class pacers in Pacing Power and Horsepower. She was purchased before she raced from her breeder, Mr G Lancaster, by the father and son owner combination, Drs A S and A C Sandston, of Christchurch.
Thelma Globe won her first race at the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting at Washdyke in January, 1951, when she was successful in the Fairlie Handicap. Altogether that season, Thelma Globe won four races, her fourth for the term also being at Washdyke when she won the Winter Handicap. Five wins came Thelma Globe's way as a 5-year-old, and they included the New Brighton Cup and a double on the one day at Forbury Park.
She won one race at six years, and the next year she had four wins. Her first success that term was gained in the Flying Handicap at Forbury Park, in which she beat Tactician in 2:35 for the mile and a quarter journey. She was then taken to Auckland for the Auckland Cup meeting where she proved invincible.
Thelma Globe won the principal event each day - the Auckland Cup, Champion Handicap and President's Free-For-All - and trainer-drivers of other champions in these races unstintingly acknowledged her superiority at the Epsom Carnival. "Nothing could have beaten her in the fee-for-all," said one trainer. "She lost more ground even than Johnny Globe and then won decisively."
That season Thelma Globe won $18,480 in stakes, which made her the leading stake-winner that term.
Thelma Globe more than emulated the greatness of her famous grandam, Free Advice. Free Advice was by Blue Mountain King (son of Ribbonwood)from Intaglio, by Logan Pointer(imp) from Cameos, by Galindo(imp) from Thelma, and Thelma Globe was certainly one of the greatest racehorses tracing to this famous taproot.
Thelma Globe was trained, and driven in practically all her races, by the late J B Pringle. In all, Thelma Globe started 92 times for 17 wins and 28 placings worth $40,880. At stud Thelma Globe produced Thermal and Don Caesar, both winners, but not in her class as performers.
Credit: 'Irvington' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 1May68
YEAR: 1915
1915 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP
Despite a fine second the previous year and a win in the New Brighton Cup in 4:32 2/5, which made her a backmarker and gave her a reputation as the best stayer in the land, Country Belle was one of the outsiders when she wore down fancied leader Don Caesar and fought off Our Thorpe.
She became the fourth mare in eight years to prevail and through her daughter Rustic Maid established a quite outstanding family.
**Credit: NZ HRWeekly 1Oct2003**
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In the 1915 Cup Country Belle, urged on by Albert Hendricksen, went in pursuit of the leader Don Caesar and, after taking control two furlongs from the finish, fought off the challenges of newcomers Our Thorpe and Jingle. Don Caesar was fourth, and then followed Admiral Wood, Tommy C, Win Soon, Frandocia and Manderene. Country Belle's winning time was 4:35.6.
It was Hendricksen's second success, having won with Albert H in 1912. A seven-year-old mare by Wild Moor from Bonnie Bell, by Lincoln Yet, Country Belle was bred by Rakaia owner Bill Morland. After her fine second in the New Zealand Cup the previous year, she won the New Brighton Cup a month later in 4:32.4, which stamped her as one of the best stayers in the country.
The stake for the Cup remained at 2500 sovereigns, but the overall stakes at the meeting reached 10,000 sovereigns for the first time.
Country Belle and Emmeline trialled well on the Sunday morning before the Cup, yet the Morland mare went out 10th favourite, with only three others less supported in the 15-strong field. There were two bracketed pairs - Wallace Wood and Adelaide Direct, and Admiral Wood and Manderene. Country Belle had been a consistent performer early on. She started racing as a three-year-old and won twice from five starts. At four years she won at each of her three starts. The current season, however, was her best, and her Cup victory enabled her to end the season the leading earner, with £1930, followed by Our Thorpe. Morland, with £2635, was the season's top owner.
Country Belle and the previous year's winner, Win Soon, were the scratch markers in the Cup, giving a start of six seconds to Manderene. Win Soon, who had not raced since August, did not go well and finished a long way behind the placed horses.
The rising star from the previous season, Admiral Wood (then in the James Bryce stable, having changed hands for a record sum), was race favourite and shared the one-second mark with Emmeline. But he too raced below his best. Because of his outstanding achievements, Admiral Wood was asked even then to race from long marks, and was another victim of a less-than-satisfactory handicap system. He did win more good races, including the 1916 New Zealand Free-For-All and the Auckland Cup the same year, and when retired at the end of the 1919-20 season had a two-mile record of 4:26.6.
Our Thorpe, a five-year-old by O.Y.M. from Lady Thorpe, whose dam was a Young Irvington mare, received solid support, as did Adonis(Free Holmes) and Frandocia(Artie Butterfield), the latter another son of Franz. Our Thorpe was slow away and was left behind by the scratch pair. He made a forward move, with Jingle, in the back straight on the last lap to follow Don Caesar and Country Belle. Our Thorpe ran past Don Caesar in the straight but could not match Country Belle. Adonis collided with Manderene at the start and lost his chance, while Frandonia, slow away, plugged on without ever looking likely to fill a place.
Third placed Jingle - owned by Greymouth solicitor Harry Kitchingham, for many years a great patron of trotting - was by Capitalist from Merry Bell, from Silver Bell, a Blackwood Abdallah mare. Robert Wilkin imported Blackwood Abdallah, foaled in 1878 at Lexington, Kentucky, to New Zealand. He stood at the Fendalton Stud and later at Ashburton, and in all sired 57 winners. Among his descendants were the racing idol of the 1930's, Harold Logan, outstanding trotter Ripcord, and Gold Chief, the sire of Rupee. Kitchingham set up a stud in Russley Road, Upper Riccarton. Jingle was the best horse he raced.
Country Belle, after her impressive Cup victory, earned favouritism for the Free-For-All, along with Our Thorpe and Emmeline. After one false start, the seven-horse field was sent away, with Our Thorpe last to settle, while Adelaide Direct broke stride at the starting post. Our Thorpe made up his lost ground and finished brilliantly to beat Country Belle, with Emmeline third, 40 yards away. Our Thorpe recorded 2:41.4, a mile rate of 2:09, the fastest winning rate paced in New Zealand to that stage.
On the third day of the meeting the outstanding performance came from Solo, in the Enfield Handicap. Driven by Eugene McDermott, he registered 2:10.8, a mile winning record. Michael Galindo (Cliff Tasker) won the Dominion Handicap from Galacian and Master Raymond, and in so doing became the first double winner of the country's prestigious trotting event, having recorded his initial success in 1913.
**Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**
YEAR: 1914
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| Win Soon & Andy Pringle |
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